The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 15

As a result, about a third of the people in the square left.

They were all representatives of powerful clans from the three commanderies of Tiantian, Helu, and Sangtian.

As Shinzaburo had predicted, none of the heads of the various factions in the three northern counties attended the meeting in Yagi Castle. Instead, each sent a envoy of moderate status to make a show of things.

After these people left, there were still more than two hundred people left, who were all members of the Naito family and various "powerful figures" outside the system in Funai County.

Of course, there were also "distinguished guests" like Abbot Mingzhou of Guangfu Temple who came to observe the ceremony.

At this moment, Matsunaga Nagayori's expression gradually became serious, and he said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, and are not surprising. However, after we heard about the unfortunate death of the former governor, we investigated the ins and outs and discovered many shocking things."

As soon as the words were spoken, many people in the room looked at each other, their expressions tense.

Before anyone could react, Matsunaga Nagayoshi raised his voice and continued, "First of all, the division of responsibilities within Yagi Castle is unclear and perplexing. After our investigation, we discovered that eight people have the authority to directly access the granaries, and six others have left records of entering and leaving the treasury alone. The accounts for receiving salaries are signed by different people every year. Furthermore, the receipts for armory payments can be valid even with the signatures of more than a dozen people. Therefore, we don't know who to hold accountable for the deficit in money, grain, and supplies!"

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo was stunned.

Previously, I was only on the periphery and felt that the Naito family, the deputy governor of Tanba, had a loose system. I never expected that its core organization could be so loose.

It's unclear whether the former head of the family, Naito Kunisada, was simply unaware of the need to manage the situation or lacked the ability to do so.

After a pause, Matsunaga Nagayori continued, "The management of the villages under his jurisdiction is also quite chaotic. Whether it is issuing notices, collecting taxes, or mobilizing labor, all kinds of general affairs are always handled arbitrarily when the time comes, and no written records are left. Every time troops are conscripted for battle, the reserve forces are also temporarily formed, and the soldiers do not know the generals, and the generals do not know the soldiers."

Shinzaburo nodded, thinking to himself that this was indeed the case.

But it was precisely because the Naito family was so poorly managed that Kinbei's father had the opportunity to amass a fortune of 200 kan in Kubo Village.

Strictly speaking, they are the beneficiaries.

So, seeing what seems to be a call for reform now, I have mixed feelings.

After another moment of silence, Matsunaga Nagayori raised his arm again and shouted: "More importantly, in the past, the Naito family only sent retainers to do all civil and military affairs, without assigning any supervision. This is really inappropriate."

After he finished speaking, many of the Naito family retainers present either turned ashen-faced or looked mournful.

Whether they genuinely supported Matsunaga Nagayori before, or only yielded due to pressure from the Miyoshi family, most of them must regret it now.

However, upon closer observation, one can see that a small number of simply dressed people in the square also have excited expressions.

Matsunaga Nagayori ignored all of this and immediately ordered someone to bring him a long document, commanding his loudest attendant to read aloud his reform proposal.

The original text is a bit long and is roughly divided into three parts.

First, several magistrate positions were established in Yagi Castle. The most important among these were the Provisions Magistrate, the Silver Office Magistrate, and the Armory Magistrate. They were responsible for managing food, funds, and weapons, respectively. All future material movements would be the sole responsibility of these magistrates, and releases would only proceed after explicit approval from above.

Secondly, the more than one hundred small villages under his jurisdiction were divided into eleven townships according to the ancient administrative divisions, with more than ten villages in each township, and a deputy official was appointed for each township. The deputy official was responsible for all military and political affairs, collecting taxes and maintaining public order in peacetime, and serving as the captain of the reserve force in wartime, commanding the peasant soldiers in the villages under his command.

Furthermore, ten "Mufu" were specially appointed to supervise the actions of all officials and magistrates.

Under each official, deputy official, and supervisor, a varying number of "comrades" were assigned to assist them in their work.

"同心" (Tongxin) is roughly similar to "与力" (Yuli) or "寄骑" (Jiqi), referring to a low-ranking retainer who is assigned to a high-ranking retainer.

Finally, it was emphasized that all retainers must come to Yagi Castle at the end of each month for a "small assessment," and then a "large assessment" would be held at the end of the year to regularly discuss right and wrong, merits and demerits.

After recounting these matters, Matsunaga Nagayori specifically said, "Next year, we will implement the family rules in sequence. If there are any inappropriate aspects, we will add or delete them later."

This seems to suggest that the reform plan is just the beginning, and there are more tricks to come.

By this time, the expressions of some of the Naito family retainers in the room had become quite grim.

Before they could express their opinions, Master Myoshu, the abbot of Kofuku-ji Temple who had come to observe the ceremony, spoke first and raised a question: "Lord Matsunaga Nagayori's idea of ​​reforming the old order is certainly good. But I can't help but worry. Implementing the new laws will take some time, and during this period, the Naito family will inevitably be in some chaos. What if the enemy takes the opportunity to invade?"

"Thank you for your concern, Master Mingzhou!" Matsunaga Nagayoshi bowed and then smiled, "There is no need to worry about this. Miyoshi Chikuzen (Miyoshi Nagayoshi) has already agreed to send five hundred elite soldiers to Yagi Castle to assist in its defense, and they will not be withdrawn until six months later."

As soon as the words were spoken, the previously restless retainers of the Naito family immediately quieted down.

Everyone knows that these 500 elite troops can not only deal with external enemies, but also cleanse the internal forces!

The fact that these people could be sent to other places and serve continuously for half a year shows that they have reached the level of being off-the-job, which is obviously not comparable to ordinary peasant soldiers. Their combat effectiveness should not be underestimated.

If the Miyoshi family had invaded Tanba as outsiders, the Naito family could have used the terrain to their advantage. But now that Matsunaga Nagayori has secured his rule, and the old monk of Kofuku-ji is clearly taking sides, with the entire hierarchy infiltrated to an unknown extent, who would dare to stand up and oppose him?

Shinzaburo was also subconsciously considering the prospects of this "reform".

But soon after, Matsunaga Nagayori announced the new personnel appointments.

Kubo Village, along with twelve other surrounding villages, was under the jurisdiction of "Noguchi Township" according to old custom, and was assigned to a magistrate named "Matsunaga Magoroku".

Judging from the sound of it, this person is probably a follower of Matsunaga Nagayori.

Then, Matsunaga Magoroku's "Doshin" was first and foremost "Kubo Shinzaburo".

When the appointment letters were issued, Shinzaburo also received a document.

The text clearly states that Kubo Shinzaburo was appointed as a member of the Doshinshu and placed under the command of Matsunaga Sunroku.

He was immediately filled with joy and satisfaction, and had no time to think about whether or not the Naito family should reform.

She then seemed less concerned about the atmosphere around her.

……

It wasn't until that night, after the meeting ended and he returned to his room to rest, that he was summoned by Master Mingzhou and asked about his thoughts on the "new family rules." Only then did Shinzaburo suddenly realize something deeper and sense that things were not so simple.

He immediately said, "If Lord Matsunaga Nagayori's new family rules are successfully implemented, things will surely be more orderly in the future. This is certainly a good thing for the Naito family, but not necessarily for my Kofukuji Temple."

His words implied that he considered himself a member of Kofukuji Temple.

Master Mingzhou nodded and sighed, "That's true. If every action of a daimyo is based on law and follows rules, then the common people will have little room to ask temples and shrines to mediate."

Shinzaburo was at a loss for words.

Logically, now that I've been included in the "new system," I should be hoping that this new system will become more and more perfect.

However, the reason he was able to enter the system was entirely due to the support of Kofukuji Temple, and Kofukuji Temple will clearly be a victim of the new system.

After weighing the two options, it's likely that the relationship with Master Mingzhou is ultimately more important.

But this old monk is rather impulsive, often has radical ideas, and is difficult to serve.

It's troublesome...

Wait a minute, why does the old monk look so resigned right now? Did he not expect him to continue causing trouble?

With this thought in mind, Shinzaburo tentatively asked, "Abbot, what is your opinion on today's 'new law'?"

Upon hearing this, Master Mingzhou sighed and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "What I think is not important. The other day, my fellow disciple Zongtao sent a letter saying that since Guangfu Temple has been so high-profile in the past few months, it should have enjoyed itself to the fullest. From now on, it should not cause any more trouble. Everything can be decided by Lord Matsunaga Nagayori."

The "Brother Zongtao" he mentioned refers to the current abbot of Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, the teacher of Miyoshi Chōkei, a high-ranking monk named "Ōrin Zongtao".

This old man is the head of the Daideji branch of the Linji sect, and also the powerful figure behind the old monk.

Therefore, when others speak, the old monk has no choice but to listen.

But why did Zen Master Zongtao give such instructions?

Since Master Mingzhou took office as abbot, his methods may not have been very clever, but after all this time, he has always been trying to strengthen the authority of Guangfu Temple. His starting point is not wrong, and he has certainly worked hard even if he has not achieved anything.

But now he's being told "not to cause any more trouble," which is a bit hurtful—of course, on the bright side, it also shows that the relationship between the fellow disciples is indeed quite good, and there's no need for fake politeness.

Shinzaburo thought about it carefully and concluded that there was probably only one possibility.

That is, somewhere unknown to him, Miyoshi Chokei of the Miyoshi family had a higher-level exchange of benefits with Zen Master Soto of the Daitoku-ji school of the Rinzai sect.

Although Master Mingzhou already wielded considerable power in Shinzaburo's eyes, the old monk's mere word was enough to make him run around tirelessly.

However, in the eyes of those truly "big shots," the recent series of actions by Tamba Kofukuji Temple can only be described as "having a good time."

Upon further reflection, did Zen Master Zongtao not know what kind of person his junior brother was? Perhaps he deliberately sent Master Mingzhou to cause some trouble and create a minor problem for the Sanhao family.

Then they use "solving this problem" as a bargaining chip in a deal.

The only saving grace is that, in this whole process, Shinzaburo himself did not become a victim of the situation, but instead gained something from it.

But it really doesn't feel good to have your fate in someone else's hands.

Thinking of this, Shinzaburo smiled bitterly, just like the old monk.

Seeing this, Master Mingzhou comforted him, saying, "Don't worry about the future. I was scolded by my senior brother Zongtao for no reason, so I have to make it up to him. They won't treat you unfairly this time."

028 Shinzaburo Kubo's Salary

Next, following Master Meishu's advice, Shinzaburo first went to meet the nominal head of the family, the five-year-old Naito Sadakatsu, to sign a contract and swear allegiance. Then he presented a ceremonial gift to Matsunaga Nagayori, who had actually promoted him, to express his gratitude. Finally, he visited his future superior, Matsunaga Magoroku, the magistrate of the thirteen villages of Noguchi Township.

I specifically asked before, and this person is indeed a member of Matsunaga Nagayori's lineage, which is why his surname is Matsunaga. To be specific, he is Matsunaga Nagayori's cousin.

However, the current name "Sun Liu" is clearly just a "common name" rather than an informal "surname". It is even a common name in the countryside, and it is not a "official name" or "receiver name" commonly used by the samurai community.

This shows that their status wasn't particularly high.

He is a disciple of a sect, and his status is not high. He is probably very young and has not yet had the chance to make a name for himself.

Sure enough, when Shinzaburo arrived at the corresponding residence, he was led in by a servant and saw a samurai who was about the same age as him.

He was about five feet three or four inches tall (1.6 meters), with broad shoulders, a thick waist, and dark skin. He sat casually in the room, which looked a bit out of place with his childish face.

Shinzaburo quickly bowed respectfully and said in a pretentious manner, "To be promoted to 'Dōshin' by His Highness Nagayori is the greatest honor of my life, and I am ready to begin my duties at any time!"

I didn't expect that I should have kept this boasting.

Matsunaga Magoroku, being a straightforward person, immediately slapped his thigh and said, "Today, His Highness Nagayori assigned three 'comrades-in-arms' to me. The other two are hereditary retainers of the Naito family, and they both said they need to make some preparations before coming to serve after the New Year. Only you are the most capable! Then let's go on an inspection tour of the countryside tomorrow."

Shinzaburo was speechless.

Is this kid really that clueless or just pretending? It's already mid-December, only half a month until Chinese New Year. Shouldn't they be packing up and going on holiday? Who's going to assign work?

But the words had already been spoken, and there was no going back. So he had no choice but to bite the bullet and pretend to be generous, saying, "Lord Sun is so diligent in his duties, which is truly admirable. In that case, I am naturally willing to follow in his footsteps."

Upon hearing this, Matsunaga Sonroku laughed heartily again, clapping his hands and saying, "That would be wonderful. I've heard you live in Kubo Village, which is also under my jurisdiction. Why don't we go and take a look at Kubo Village tomorrow?"

Shinzaburo immediately sensed a hint of danger in the other person's words.

Of course, there wasn't much to hide in Kubo Village. It was just that Jin Bingwei's father, as a "local worthy," was embezzling money from the annual tribute and Duan Qiandong.

With Master Myoshu of Kōfuku-ji Temple protecting them, it shouldn't be too much of a problem; they could always find a way to solve it gradually.

But what if this seemingly clueless "Matsunaga Magoroku" in front of you insists on sticking to his guns?

Shinzaburo thought for a moment, and his first reaction was still—he couldn't show weakness.

So he adopted a frank attitude and said with a smile, "Welcome! However, our Kubo Village is a poor and remote place, and I'm afraid people will say that we haven't treated the magistrate well."

Matsunaga Sunroku's eyes flashed with a cunning light as he shook his head and said, "Forget about the acting official. This appointment will probably not be announced to the villages in a big way until after the New Year. Let's not reveal our identities tomorrow and make a quiet trip."

Good heavens, they're on an incognito visit!

Shinzaburo couldn't help but take a deep breath.

If they're resorting to this tactic, then they clearly have ill intentions.

It makes sense. Since the newly appointed acting governor, Matsunaga Magoroku, is a member of the same clan brought by Matsunaga Nagayori, he certainly wouldn't be satisfied with the loose and extensive management style of the Naito family in the past. Instead, he would gradually delve into the grassroots and try to obtain more specific land and population data.

But if that's the case, why call Shinzaburo?

The new generation of officials, traveling incognito, were supposed to investigate the real situation in advance and gather information to deal with the "local gentry".

However, among the thirteen villages in the entire Noguchi region, the most typical "local worthy" was undoubtedly Old Man Kinbei, who was backed by Kofuku-ji Temple.

If you call on Shinzaburo to join the operation, how can you possibly deal with the "local gentry"?

unless……

Their intention was to win over Kubo Village, a powerful "village elder" with temple and shrine connections, and eliminate other less influential "village elders."

Thinking of this, Shinzaburo subconsciously looked up and met the other person's meaningful gaze.

"Don't worry, our plan will be absolutely beneficial and harmless to you," Matsunaga Magoro said.

Shinzaburo could only believe it.

The main reason is that I believe Master Mingzhou's words from last night, not Matsunaga Nagayori, who recently moved into Yagi Castle, or Matsunaga Magoroku, whom I just met.

There was no point in hesitating any longer, so Shinzaburo made up his mind and said, "I dare not say that I know everything about the thirteen villages in Noguchi Township. But my father knows that area very well. He will definitely be able to help Lord Sun."

"That would be wonderful!" Matsunaga Sunroku laughed for a while, then suddenly stood up, turned around, took out a document from the bookcase, and handed it over, saying, "To show my sincerity, I have decided to let you take a look at this document first."

Shinzaburo curiously took it and saw the words "Kubo Village Money and Grain Order" written on it.

Looking further down, this "deed" is divided into four parts: "section money", "building money", "summer grain", and "autumn grain".

Each of these sections has three lines of text below it, which read "Total Amount", "Hidden Points", and "Toshihiko Kubo Shinzaburo Points".

Only the "Hidden Points" field has a number specified; the others are all left blank.

No explanation was needed; Shinzaburo understood immediately.

"Duanqian", "Dongbieqian", "Xialiang" and "Qiuliang" are the four tax categories in Danba.