The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 50

Shinzaburo couldn't help but joke: "The Mori family probably took this into consideration, which is why they sent someone to Kyoto. Otherwise, they should have gone to Kuchiki-dani in Omi Province to visit another Hosokawa Ukyo."

Master Mingzhou didn't seem to find it interesting; instead, he sighed.

The "Hosokawa Ukyo" mentioned earlier refers to Hosokawa Ujitsuna, while the "other Hosokawa Ukyo" mentioned now refers to Hosokawa Harumoto.

The former was sent to Kyoto by Miyoshi Nagayoshi, but the latter was actually more recognized in various countries.

However, Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Hosokawa Harumoto currently favor the Izumo Amago clan. The two governorships mentioned earlier, Bitchu Province and Bingo Province, which is actually controlled by the Mori clan, have both been openly awarded to Amago Haruhisa.

Motoki Mori must have felt quite helpless about this.

After a moment of silence, Master Mingzhou continued, "The Zen Master Eishin of the Mori clan studied in Kyoto in his early years and I have a long-standing friendship with him. He is not familiar with Hosokawa Ukyo and needs someone to introduce him. That is why I have the opportunity to speak."

……

In this era, being an envoy is the easiest position to accumulate prestige and seniority.

However, if you're setting off with a real mission, you'll have to work hard on complex diplomatic tasks; otherwise, you'll lose face.

This trip to western Japan on behalf of Hosokawa Ujitsuna was merely a formality, a purely gilded journey.

Shinzaburo didn't quite understand why such a good opportunity had fallen into his lap, but since his father-in-law had said so, he naturally chose to believe him.

After the father-in-law and son-in-law reached an agreement, Master Mingzhou immediately left to go to Kyoto to start his work, without even having time to eat a meal.

Shinzaburo stayed behind to mine silver.

As time went on, and after digging several more caves, the understanding of the new ore vein became clearer, and large amounts of Brilliant Silver were subsequently observed.

According to Munehito Hasegawa, while the newly discovered Tada Silver Mine is far inferior to the Iwami and Ikuno Silver Mine, it is no less impressive than any other silver mine he has ever seen. With long-term, dedicated management, increased investment, and improved operations, it has a real chance of generating substantial revenue over the years.

However, Shinzaburo wasn't very interested in this.

He had already figured it out: in a peaceful and prosperous era, it would be fine, but in this chaotic Warring States period, focusing on mining affairs for years was not a good idea. Moreover, to secure his position, he would need to engage in complex exchanges of interests, which, in the end, might not be very advantageous.

Especially in Settsu Province, the core area of ​​the Miyoshi family is too sensitive a location, and the surrounding forces are all forces that are not easy to offend, making it difficult to build a truly independent force.

Broadly speaking, the Miyoshi regime was already quite large, and those serving in the peripheral areas had more opportunities; those in the central government simply became routine civil servants. If history did not change, the Miyoshi family would decline in ten years, at which point even high-ranking civil servants would not be able to determine their own fate and would need a base of operations and soldiers.

If one can obtain a position as the governor of a border prefecture, and expand under the pretext of suppressing rebellion in accordance with the will of the local ruler, then one will have room to maneuver freely.

Since Shinzaburo had already asked Master Mingzhou to mediate, he stopped thinking about it.

Sure enough, only seven or eight days later, another letter arrived from the monk soldier, saying that things were progressing quite smoothly and that he would soon be able to go on a diplomatic mission to the western provinces as Hosokawa Ujitsuna's representative. Even the subsequent matter of seeking a deputy prefectural governorship seemed to be handled without difficulty.

However, due to the sudden death of Asakura Sōteki, a famous general of Echizen who had close ties with the Daitoku-ji school of the Rinzai sect, Master Myōshū, as a representative of the monks, went to offer his condolences and could not return for a while. Unable to explain the situation in person, he could only urgently send someone to deliver a message.

The next day, Koizumiyama Castle magistrate, the "magistrate's secretary" under Hosokawa Ujitsuna, arrived again.

Upon meeting, they exclaimed with delight, "Lord Kubo Genban is truly a rare hero! He has only been at the Tada Copper Mine for three months, yet he has already discovered a silver mine, much to Lord Ukyo's delight."

Shinzaburo adopted a mysterious and unfathomable demeanor, and said slowly and deliberately, "It is all the arrangement of the gods and Buddhas, and I would never dare to take credit for it."

"Lord Genban shouldn't be so humble all the time," Koizumi Yamashiro-no-kami retorted seriously. "What if outsiders find out and mistakenly think that Lord Ukyo is an incompetent ruler who is unfair in rewarding and punishing people?"

See, people from Kyoto really know how to talk.

After he said that, Shinzaburo, in order to save face for Lord Ukyo—that is, Hosokawa Ujitsuna—had no choice but to reluctantly admit his achievement.

Shinzaburo thought that arguing with the people of Kyoto was too troublesome, so he nodded and got straight to the point: "Understood! May I ask, Lord Yamashiro-no-kami, what kind of reward does Lord Ukyo-no-kami intend to bestow?"

Faced with such a straightforward question, Koizumiyama Castle Commander was momentarily stunned before quickly recovering and smiling, "Recently, there has been an unexpected matter that requires someone to represent the Shogunate's governor to deliver a letter to the western provinces. At this time, there is no one more suitable than Lord Kubo Genban."

"Is that so?" Shinzaburo immediately put on a look of surprise and delight, but then his expression turned weak and he said in a flustered tone, "How could I, a mere new recruit, be qualified to do so?"

"It is precisely because you are a new recruit that you should strive to make progress!" Koizumi Yamashiro no Kami, like a kind yet stern senior, shook his head, half encouraging and half reprimanding, and said, "After repeated discussions, Lord Ukyo and the senior retainers unanimously believe that Lord Kubo Genban is capable of shouldering this important responsibility."

"Understood!" Shinzaburo feigned emotion and shouted passionately, "I will repay Lord Ukyo's trust even if it means my own death!"

Koizumi Yamashiro no Kami smiled and said, "After Lord Kubo Genban has made all the necessary preparations, please come to Yamashiro Kuniyodo Castle for an audience in five days. Lord Ukyo has some instructions to give in person."

Shinzaburo immediately agreed.

Then Koizumiyama Castle Governor said that he would also like to visit Akutagawa Castle on his way, have a chat with Miyoshi Nagayoshi, and then return to Yodoko Castle to report back, so he could not travel with them.

So he left first.

As for Miyoshi Nagayoshi of Akutagawa Yamashiro, he did not react to Shinzaburo's discovery of the silver mine. He only sent a letter a few days ago with a plain tone to offer his congratulations.

There was no explanation what kind of handling would be carried out.

This is probably because Miyoshi Nagayoshi, as someone who respects the old order, would not easily take action against property that was nominally directly under the shogunate, nor would he rashly contact his retainers who were nominally directly under the shogunate.

Although it caused some inconvenience, on the other hand, perhaps it was precisely because of this that the Miyoshi family had never encountered a large-scale "encirclement".

The other retainers of the Miyoshi family didn't react at all.

Only the Matsunaga brothers wrote a letter, each with very polite words but rather conservative language, as if they had some concerns.

095 First Encounter with Heian-kyo

Shinzaburo felt there wasn't much he could prepare.

Considering that the magistrate of Koizumiyama Castle said he would "meet at Yodo-ko Castle in five days," it wouldn't be enough time to go home and rest before going. It's really a headache.

In fact, the direct distance from Tada Copper Mining Site in Settsu Province to Noguchi Castle in Tanba Province is less than forty kilometers.

However, the area is entirely comprised of desolate, remote forests, with only a narrow, rugged mountain path that leads to the territory controlled by Akai and Hatano, making it quite dangerous in any case.

Although the villagers of Shimizu Village under his jurisdiction had many experiences of crossing mountains and forests to do business without capital, Shinzaburo did not intend to follow suit.

Considering safety factors, if we detour through the Nishioka area, the entire journey will be seventy or eighty kilometers, and even with minimal travel, it will take two and a half days.

After much thought, the only one I could think of was Katsumasa Ikeda, the young master of nearby Ikeda Castle, who had visited me more than ten times in the last three months. He was a new friend I had made in the area and it was worth saying goodbye to him formally.

So he led his entourage south for an hour and a half, leaving the valley, entering the plain, and arriving at the foot of Ikeda Castle.

I also bought some small gifts in the castle town.

Just then, Lord Ikeda Nagamasa went out on business and ran into that hotheaded Ikeda Katsumasa.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shinzaburo said, "I am about to depart. I do not know when we will meet again, so I have come to pay my respects to Lord Katsumasa."

Ikeda Katsumasa was taken aback and asked urgently, "Didn't Lord Genban just discover a new silver mine? How could he be suddenly transferred after making such a contribution?"

Shinzaburo smiled and said, "It's not a transfer, but rather a temporary new assignment. I will be visiting Lord Hosokawa Ukyo at Yamashiro Kuniyoshi Castle in a few days, and there will be other arrangements afterward."

Although delivering a message to the Western Kingdom was not exactly a secret mission, there was no need to discuss it with irrelevant people, so it was left unmentioned.

Ikeda Katsumasa immediately became delighted and clapped his hands, saying, "To meet the Commander-in-Chief? Congratulations, Lord Genban! This is a cause for celebration, and we must share a cup of fine wine together."

He then instructed the waiter to prepare food and wine.

Shinzaburo knew that this young man always drank in moderation and was not the type to overindulge in alcohol, so he readily agreed.

The two drank some sake, ate a few sweets, and chatted about all sorts of interesting things, having a very pleasant time.

After a long while, Ikeda Katsumasa seemed to remember something and suddenly became excited, asking, "If I remember correctly, the Yamashiro Kuniyodo Castle that Lord Genban is going to is not far from the southern suburbs of Kyoto, right?"

Shinzaburo nodded: "I've heard that it takes only an hour to get there from Kyoto by traveling south along the Katsura River."

"That's good." Ikeda Katsunori looked expectant and smiled, "A few days ago, a charcoal merchant from the city below my castle said that he had a business dispute with the monks of Honnoji Temple in Kyoto, which was very difficult to resolve. I was just about to go and mediate, but I haven't been able to go yet. Now I can go with Lord Genban."

Shinzaburo thought this was a good thing and said with a smile, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Katsumasa! I've never actually been to Kyoto before, so it would be wonderful if you could accompany me."

……

The two agreed on a date and, each with their servants and luggage, set off from Ikeda Castle eastward. They traveled for a full four hours in one day and arrived at the Nishioka region of Yamashiro Province.

This is a wonderful place, located at the confluence of waterways and land routes west of Kyoto. It is already a fertile and densely populated area, and it can earn money by catering to travelers from all over the country. Although it has not yet developed into a city, it is more prosperous than ordinary villages.

Here, dozens of local powerful families have tightly knitted together, forming a group known as the "Nishioka Clan." Under the guise of "serving the public," they repeatedly shift their allegiance between various powerful factions. Now, they have nominally submitted to the Miyoshi family, but they are "obeying orders but not proclamations," only participating in military operations and refusing to accept administrative management or hand over economic income.

Perhaps Miyoshi Nagayoshi tolerated these powerful figures in the outskirts of Kyoto because they had too deep a relationship with the imperial court, the shogunate, and temples and shrines.

Shinzaburo was too lazy to worry about the big boss.

I found a guesthouse with a rustic, farmhouse-style atmosphere and slept soundly for the night. The next morning, after breakfast, I headed east across the Katsura River, and soon I arrived in Kyoto.

This is also known as "Heian-kyo".

This place was modeled after Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and consisted of square-shaped wards and markets. The total area of ​​the capital was nearly 30 square kilometers, making it undoubtedly a large city unique in Japan at the time, and it looked quite magnificent from a distance.

However, upon closer inspection, at least half of the "fang" appeared to have been reduced to ruins, with buildings collapsed and damaged, weeds growing on the broken walls, and even wild animals roaming around.

Katsumasa Ikeda was quite familiar with Kyoto and introduced it to Shinzaburo.

It is said that since the Onin War, Kyoto has been repeatedly affected by war, and large areas have gradually become desolate. Only one area in the north and one in the south have maintained the order of the city.

The northern area, commonly known as "Upper Capital," was occupied by wealthy and influential people and cultural figures; the southern area, commonly known as "Lower Capital," was the activity area for industrialists and merchants. Both areas had so-called "townsmen" who built fences and organized patrols.

At this point, Shinzaburo realized that apart from a section of earthen rampart on the south side, there were no city walls on the other three sides of Kyoto.

It's said to be a comprehensive study of the Tang Dynasty capital, so why didn't it learn this aspect?

Surely it couldn't be that... the imperial court at the time was so poor that it couldn't afford to build a city wall?

Thus, it was perceived that this nominal power center in Japan had long been in a completely undefended state. Any ambitious individual, as long as they could bring enough troops to "enter Kyoto," could easily be controlled.

The most recent person to successfully accomplish this task was Miyoshi Nagayoshi. He did send some retainers to maintain order in Kyoto, but due to insufficient investment and the constant sabotage by people who favored Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Hosokawa Harumoto, he was never able to achieve complete stability.

Katsumasa Ikeda had important business to attend to; he was going to visit Honnoji Temple.

Shinzaburo didn't originally need to make a special trip to Kyoto, but on the way, he thought that the survivors of the Shingu Party were staying in Tofukuji Temple, so he could take the opportunity to visit them and see if there was any way to build a relationship with them and bring them onto his side.

Unfortunately, Master Meishu went to Echizen to pay his respects to Asakura Sōtei and was not at Daitoku-ji Temple, so we couldn't meet him.

Most famous temples and shrines are actually outside the patrol areas of "Upper Capital" and "Lower Capital." But does the Buddha really need to worry about security? It's good enough if the monk soldiers don't bully others.

Shinzaburo followed Katsumasa Ikeda and discovered that many dilapidated "market" buildings had become slums for the homeless, with emaciated and ragged people constantly appearing. The roads were inevitably littered with garbage and filth, including numerous fresh corpses.

Fortunately, the roads were wide enough, with a standard of eight zhang for main roads and four zhang for side roads. Even with the unsightly piles of things on both sides, there was still enough space in the middle.

The streets are not lacking in pedestrians. Men and women can be seen rushing about for a living. They seem to have long been used to everything, just walking by numbly without even glancing at the passersby.

As a time traveler who grew up in a peaceful era, Shinzaburo, despite having seen blood and corpses on the battlefield many times, still could not adapt to this calm and oppressive eerie scene, and could not help but sigh softly.

Katsumasa Ikeda was also in a bad mood, complaining, "Everyone says that only by pacifying the chaotic world can peace be brought. But in order to pacify the chaotic world, we can only start wars and cause more and more deaths. It is those who claim to bring peace who have turned Kyoto into this state."

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo gave a bitter smile and said, "In fact, poor farmers in rural areas everywhere are struggling to make a living. It's just that those people live in thatched huts, which makes it seem like hunger and poverty are to be expected. But the vagrants in Kyoto, struggling to survive in the once prosperous ancient capital, seem even more pitiful in comparison."

Upon hearing this, Ikeda Katsumasa was initially quite surprised, then after pondering for a moment, he nodded repeatedly and exclaimed, "Lord Genban is absolutely right! Rather than pitying outsiders, we should first take care of the vulnerable and orphaned people within our own territory. I have learned a great deal!"

Just as Shinzaburo was about to say something more, he suddenly heard a commotion around him.

096 Seeing Injustice on the Road

The noise, growing louder as it approached, gradually grew louder.

Looking up, they saw a large group of men, women, and children being chased by a group of thieves wielding swords and knives, fleeing in panic.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the assailants had split into several groups, pursuing and intercepting the people from different directions, as if to cut off their escape route.

Judging from this alone, he was undoubtedly a very experienced and ruthless bandit.

I never imagined that such a thing would happen in broad daylight on the streets of Kyoto.

Shinzaburo instinctively tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. He thought to himself that none of his dozen or so men were wearing armor, and the thugs were all dressed in plain clothes. A fight would inevitably result in injuries to both sides. Even if he wasn't afraid, it would still be troublesome.

Although Ikeda Katsumasa was a hothead, he had a lot of battlefield experience. He glanced around and whispered, "The enemy is numerous and surrounded on all sides. If we flee with them, we will be thrown into chaos and in danger. It would be better to break their morale first!"

Shinzaburo pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He immediately drew his katana, raised it high to the sky, and roared, "Tanba Zhongkui Kubo Yoshiaki is here! Who dares to be so insolent, you scoundrel!"

A hint of envy flashed in Ikeda Katsumasa's eyes. He made the same gesture and shouted, "Ikeda Katsumasa of Settsu is here. Who dares to be so presumptuous!"

At this moment, this kid must be regretting that he doesn't have a catchy nickname.

By the standards of this era, Shinzaburo was a giant of "five feet six inches". At this moment, he raised his sword and shouted, as if Vajra had descended to earth or Arhat had appeared, which startled everyone around him for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, the people seemed to see a great savior and rushed to the side of this "guardian," cowering on the ground in fear for protection.

The four thugs looked at each other, not daring to make any rash moves.

At this moment, Shinzaburo paid special attention, scanning them one by one and silently counting. He saw that there were thirty or forty bandits, none of whom were tall or imposing, and all of them were armed with inferior weapons. Only then did he truly calm down, deliberately showing an arrogant expression and looking down on those around him, indicating that he disdained these petty villains.

Ikeda Katsumasa, quite naturally, took on the role of the straight man, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "This imposing samurai is none other than Lord Kubo Genban, who has slain Tanba Oni Hatano Munetaka and Ao Oni Momii Noriya. If you don't want to lose your life, get out of here!"

A moment later, a middle-aged man with a slightly strong build, dressed in plain Wu clothing, who looked like the leader of the gang, took two steps forward, bared his teeth, and said, "What 'Tanba Zhong Kui'? Is he the shameless guy who only knows how to bully the weak and steal the credit of his allies? We won't be intimidated by false reputations!"

Shinzaburo merely scoffed, pointing his sword at the opponent with disdain, and said, "Whether it's real or fake, we'll find out soon enough. Do you have the guts to accept the challenge?"

The leader of the thugs glanced up and down a few times, but did not step forward. He simply stood there and said to his men, "We are here to raid Kyoto on the orders of Lord Gongfang. There is no need to fear the lackeys of the traitor Miyoshi!"

"Ha!" Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo immediately burst into laughter: "What kind of petty thief dares to claim to be acting on the orders of Lord Gongfang? May I ask what your family name is? What is the origin of your surname? Which country and prefecture were you enfeoffed in? What is your family crest? Do you have any ancestral childhood names, courtesy names, or official career paths?"

When the leader of the thugs was asked this question, he immediately blushed, stammered, and couldn't say a word.

Many of his underlings turned around to look at him, seemingly waiting for their boss to give a resounding answer.