The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 91

The essence of Japan is undoubtedly concentrated in the Kinki region, and to the north of Kinki are two important ports located on the Sea of ​​Japan: one is Obama, and the other is Tsuruga.

There are now two feasible routes from Obama Bay to Kyoto. Either go through eastern Wakasa to Omi, taking the Kuchiki-dani Road or the Nishi-Omi Road; or go through western Wakasa to Tanba, taking the recently restored Ōyū-dōkai Road.

Because the Asakura clan's army had caused immense destruction by burning, killing, and looting in eastern Wakasa some time ago, and because western Wakasa was relatively stable under the control of Kubo Yoshiaki, many merchants had switched to the Ōyū road.

Hikoshiro Uozumi came to observe in person, wanting to calculate a specific number as a reference for subsequent strategies. If the Oyuki district truly has potential, then it might be worthwhile to increase investment, buy land in advance to build more shops and warehouses, and reserve the prime locations. When prices rise later, whether they sell them for a huge profit or rent them out for a steady, long-term income, it's a very promising prospect.

Incidentally, I discovered that arquebuses were selling very well in the area, which was an unexpected bonus.

It is said that Kubo Genban set up a rule that all foot soldiers and civilians in the territory who could purchase their own arquebuses and join the army and were proficient in using them would have the opportunity to obtain samurai status after passing an examination and investigation.

This is a wonderful bonus for Hikoshiro Uozumi.

Firearms were first introduced to the Tanegashima family in Kyushu by the Nanban people. Soon after, they were brought back to the Kinai region by the Tsuda family of the Kii Neki clan. Then, Shibatsuji Seiemon, a renowned blacksmith from Kii, was invited to Sakai, where he received support from wealthy merchants and opened numerous workshops, creating the largest firearm production center in Japan.

Imai Munehisa started his business in the deerskin trade and was a weapons merchant. Naturally, he was also very interested in firearms and had already established his own forging production line.

However, this level of business no longer held much appeal for Hikoshiro Uozumi.

The focus remains on researching business routes.

……

After observing for ten days, Uozumi Hikoshiro tried his best to remember the types and quantities of goods coming and going. After doing a quick calculation, he felt that the trade volume was indeed quite large, and it was increasing day by day, so it was definitely worth investing in advance.

However, it wouldn't be right to just go back to Sakai and tell Imai Munehisa.

There's still one troublesome issue that hasn't been resolved.

The question is—can this current success be sustained?

There were two routes for transport from Obama Bay to Kyoto. The prosperity of the Ōyūkai Road was due to the temporary disruption of the other trade route. The specific reason was that eastern Wakasa was ravaged by the Asakura army.

When Wakasa Takeda was embroiled in internal strife, with both the Miyoshi and Asakura factions getting involved, why was the fighting concentrated in eastern Wakasa rather than western? Ultimately, it was because Koseyama Castle was still under the control of Takeda Nobutoyo—or more precisely, under the control of Kubo Yoshiaki.

If Kubo Yoshiaki continues to control Koseyama Castle, and the Asakura family continues to interfere in Wakasa Province, the two sides will be locked in a standoff in eastern Wakasa for several years, fighting every now and then, causing the trade routes to completely collapse, then the Ōyūgai Road will usher in a true golden age.

Correspondingly, if Koseyama Castle were to be occupied by the Asakura family, the situation might be reversed, with the two sides facing off in a different location, resulting in chaos in western Wakasa and peace in eastern Wakasa. In that case, the direction of trade routes would naturally change again.

Of course, there's also the least likely scenario: Kubo Yoshiaki might unleash his full power, easily defeat the Asakura family, and then launch a counterattack, invading Echizen Province. This is out of the question unless a fatal crisis suddenly occurs within the Asakura family.

So, will the good days for Dagong Street actually come?

As a businessman, Hikoshiro Uozumi could not personally go into battle to change the course of the war; he could only try to analyze trends through information.

He knew Wakasa Province, the location of the conflict, very well, having led caravans there countless times before.

Tanba Zhong Kui, also known as Kubo Yoshiaki, is an old friend. Before the age of fifteen, this kid showed no abnormalities except for his tall stature. After the age of fifteen, he suddenly seemed to be blessed by gods and Buddhas, and his life took off.

The only family I'm not very familiar with is the Echizen Asakura family.

We should try to investigate and see just how strong the attack on Wakasa was.

To obtain information, samurai must send intelligence agents to conduct reconnaissance in disguise.

Merchants, however, do not use it.

Isn't it natural for businessmen to travel all over the country? Deliberately collecting information is even more of a professional instinct.

Uozumi Hikoshiro currently only has a minor reputation and is far from being someone that would arouse the suspicion of the daimyo of various provinces. Moreover, he is merely close to the Miyoshi family, not serving them, and does not have any obvious political affiliation.

If you want to know about the Echizen Asakura family, just visit them under the guise of checking on their business.

If you want to appear more legitimate and avoid leaving any suspicious traces, then go back to Sakai Town and ask your close friends who has recently been doing business with their counterparts in Echizen, and then go there as their representative to discuss the matter.

171 We must capture Tanba Zhong Kui as soon as possible.

"Wow, they're buying so many expensive building materials! Is Asakura Kingo renovating the palace?" Uozumi Hikoshiro exclaimed repeatedly as he looked at the list and counted the items one by one.

Asakura Yoshikage, the head of the Echizen Asakura family, was then serving as the Left Guard Commander, an official title known in Tang Dynasty as "Kingo Taishogun," hence he was respectfully called "Asakura Kingo."

"If I remember correctly, when they came to commission me, they said it was for the construction of the Asai residence." Ono Jirobei, a craftsman from Echizen, smiled and offered his compliment. "If it weren't for the orders from above to make it as exquisite as possible, why would we need to ask for help from a tycoon like you in Sakai?"

"Haha, I dare not call myself a great lord." Uozumi Hikoshiro said modestly for a moment, then his childish face was filled with curiosity. "Speaking of which, who lives in the Asai Mansion? I don't think there are any important retainers in Echizen with Asai in their surnames, right?"

"Ah, I heard it's for welcoming distinguished guests from out of town." Ono Jirobei responded without hesitation, then shook his head and complained, "I don't know how important these distinguished guests are, that they're being treated with such importance."

“Distinguished guests from out of town…” Uozumi Hikoshiro pondered, “Could it be the Asai family from Odani Castle in northern Omi? Their head of the family couldn’t possibly have settled in Echizen. Is it the young master who has come?”

“Who knows…” Ono Jirobei gradually became puzzled: “Anyway, you’re just selling materials, why bother about who lives in the final residence?”

“You can’t say that,” Hikoshiro Uozumi emphasized seriously. “Different regions or different family backgrounds may have different understandings of feng shui and auspicious/inauspicious matters. As a building materials supplier, we need to understand our customers’ preferences!”

"Ah...that's true. I've learned something!" Ono Jirobei suddenly realized, bowed earnestly, and sincerely thanked him, saying, "It seems that my perspective has been too narrow due to doing business in Echizen for so long. I should go to Sakai Town more often to broaden my horizons!"

……

Although Echizen is located by the sea, the Asakura family's castle is located in the inland Ichijodani region.

It was a treasure land surrounded by mountains, with clear waters, lush mountains, a pleasant climate, and extremely beautiful scenery.

Ichijodani Castle was built on the eastern foothills, and the area in the valley, which is 3,000 meters long from north to south and 500 meters wide from east to west, was developed into a castle town, which is said to have more than 10,000 residents.

The commercial atmosphere on the streets wasn't very strong.

The main residents of this place are high-ranking monks, literati, and scholars who fled from Kyoto in the past, rather than profit-driven merchants and craftsmen.

This social structure shaped the temperament of the Echizen Asakura family, making them appear noble, elegant, and otherworldly.

However, judging from their record over the past few decades, they are not lacking in military strength.

While Uozumi Hikoshiro was talking with Ono Jirobei, the head of the Asakura family, Ono Gunji Asakura Kagekage, was also communicating with his younger brother Kageji in the study.

Asakura Kagekyo sat upright and solemnly instructed, "The construction of the Asai Yashiki is very important. Make sure that guests feel the hospitality of Echizen as soon as they arrive."

"It has already been entrusted to the best craftsman." Asakura Keiji carefully maintained his manners, bowing respectfully as he answered. Then, he frowned and asked, "There are hundreds of people from out of town who come to the Tomita-ryu dojo to learn martial arts. Why is it that only the Asai family is required to build a residence? And why is it that our lord is personally involved?"

Asakura Kagekage smiled slightly: "Of course, it's because the other party has a special identity."

Asakura Kageji's face showed a hint of disdain, but he immediately lowered his head humbly and asked, "Please forgive my bluntness, but is a mere son of a commoner from northern Omi Province worthy of such courtesy from the Echizen Asakura family?"

“He is not simply the son of a commoner.” Asakura Kagekage said meaningfully, “My lord sees in the young man of the Asai family the hope of ruling Omi Province.”

"Is that so? Isn't the Asai family now a vassal of the Rokkaku family?" Asakura Keiji pondered for a moment before suddenly realizing, "Ah! So they're trying to turn them against us..."

"It's too early." Asakura Keikyo slowly waved his hand, elegantly interrupting his younger brother. "There's no need to think too much about it now. Just focus on building the house."

“That makes sense.” Asakura Keiji bowed deeply, expressing his determination with great seriousness: “From tomorrow—no, from this afternoon onwards, I will set aside all distractions and devote myself to this matter.”

"You've worked hard." Asakura Kagekage smiled slightly and said slowly, "If this matter is handled to the lord's satisfaction, perhaps we can look forward to the position of commander-in-chief in the conquest of Wakasa."

“Brother, what do you mean…” Asakura Kageji was immediately surprised and asked doubtfully, “Isn’t the Asakura clan of Echizen always the military commissioner of Tsuruga District who serves as the commander of the army?”

“However, in the end, it is my Ōno Gunjō family that is the head of the clan.” Asakura Kagekage smiled lightly, his face showing a stern expression: “In the past, when Lord Sōteki was alive, I respected his reputation and was willing to yield to him. Now that Lord Sōteki has passed away, it is only right to restore the ancestral system.”

“However…” Asakura Keiji hesitated for a long time before reminding him, “At the beginning of the year, troops were sent into Wakasa, and the Tsuruga troops were still heavily relied upon.”

"That was just a test with a thousand or so soldiers." Asakura Kagekage said confidently, "Although Wakasa Takeda lacks capable people, it has the support of Miyoshi and the presence of Tanba Zhongkui. If we want to take this country, our forces should not be less than ten thousand. My lord has already hinted several times that if we send out an army of more than ten thousand in the future, he does not want the commander-in-chief of Tsuruga District to be the commander-in-chief again."

“Since the enemy is not easy to deal with, brother, should you vie for this position…” Asakura Keiji hesitated for a moment and did not finish his sentence.

"As long as the main force of Miyoshi remains in the Kinai region, I will lead the Echizen warriors to sweep through Wakasa, and I will surely capture Tanba Zhongkui and take his head at Ichijodani to demonstrate the military might of the Ōno district commander." Asakura Kagekage's words were full of confidence, but his tone remained calm. "The next Hokuriku army god may not necessarily come from Tsuruga."

“Brother is absolutely right.” Asakura Kageji pondered for a moment and then agreed: “Apart from the main force of the Miyoshi clan, the military forces in Wakasa Province are nothing to fear. The so-called Tanba Zhong Kui is nothing more than a wild crane among chickens; how can he be compared to an eagle?”

Suddenly, a deep voice came from outside the door: "A letter has been sent by the monks of Heisenji Temple. Please take a look at it, Uemon-no-daifu."

Asakura Kagekage's official title was Uemon-daifu, so his servants addressed him by that title.

Although Heisenji Temple is nominally a Buddhist temple, it is actually a Buddhist-influenced Shugendo organization that has inherited the long-standing Hakusan faith. It is highly respected in the surrounding area and is qualified to communicate with senior retainers of the Asakura family, and it is common for them to exchange letters.

The Echizen Asakura family valued rules and regulations. Although Asakura Keiji was the younger brother, he always regarded himself as a servant. Without being told, he got up and went to the study door to take the letter. Then he came back and respectfully handed it to his older brother.

Asakura Kagekage reached out and took it, opened it, and was slightly surprised at first, then overjoyed: "The Tsuruga district governor family is ignorant of the consequences. When they went to Wakasa, they recklessly took and burned things in the temple of the Jodo Shinshu sect. Now the aggrieved party went to Ishiyama for help, and the head monk of Ishiyama entrusted Omi to handle it. The monks of Omi then contacted Kaga, and Kaga Oyama Gobo entrusted Heisenji Temple to convey the protest."

"It seems that indiscriminate looting, burning, and begging in temples is a common occurrence..." Asakura Keiji muttered before realizing, "However, my family is currently negotiating peace with the Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple of the Jodo Shinshu sect. To cause trouble at this time would be truly reckless."

“My lord may not be truly sincere in his benevolence towards the Jodo Shinshu sect,” Asakura Kagekage said smugly. “However, how can we allow any retainer to act recklessly in this matter? Tsuruga District Magistrate has no respect for his superiors.”

“Then…” Asakura Keiji also became excited: “Brother, are you going to deliver the letter from Heisenji Temple to the lord immediately?”

“No, no.” Asakura Kagekage shook his head and said meaningfully, “To denounce a colleague is the act of a petty person. I should pass this letter on to Lord Saemon of the Tsuruga District, reminding them to handle it carefully, so as to show the unity and solidarity of those who are of the same lineage.”

The hereditary official title of the Tsuruga district governor family was Zuoweimenwei, which in Tang Dynasty terms was Jinwu Changshi, and could generally be shortened to Jinwu, but that would be the same as the head of the Asakura family. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to simply call him "Zuoweimen".

“But…then…” Asakura Kageji was completely bewildered: “If this matter doesn’t reach the Lord’s ears, the Tsuruga District Chief’s family won’t be reprimanded, right?”

"How could you have such a thought?" Asakura Kagekage feigned displeasure: "Our lord has keen eyes and sees through everything. There is nothing in the territory that can escape his discerning eyes."

"Oh..." Asakura Keiji pondered for a long time before finally understanding: "How can we let our lord know about this, but without making it seem like we're taking advantage of his misfortune?"

"Brilliant plans are often not the result of deep thought, but rather a matter of going with the flow." Asakura Kagekage smiled elegantly: "At present, what our lord values ​​most is receiving the young master of the Omi Asai family. Any intelligence related to this matter will be given extra attention."

172 The treacherous Tsuruga District Magistrate

The Asakura family's system involved appointing capable members of their clan as district officials to guard various regions and wield military power.

At the same time, central power was not relinquished to people with different surnames.

Those who held the position of prefectural governor often spent half their time serving in other posts and the other half participating in political discussions in Ichijō-gū-chū.

The Ōno Gunji family, which ranks first among the Asakura clan, has a special residence here, as has the Tsuruga Gunji family, which ranks second.

However, the atmosphere in the two residences is completely different.

Previously, the Northern Army's God of War, Asakura Sōteki, served as the commander of Tsuruga District for over fifty years. He worked diligently and made great contributions, and even at the age of eighty, he had not yet retired. He died in his military tent while leading troops on a campaign, truly dedicating his life to the cause of his lord.

The next one was Asakura Kageki, the adopted son of Asakura Sōteki.

Asakura Kageki had been the young lord of Tsuruga for over thirty years. When he took over, he was already fifty years old and in poor health. He did not covet power and quickly announced his retirement, handing over the reins to his son, Asakura Kageki. From then on, he only appeared on ceremonial occasions.

Unexpectedly, he lost face in a formal setting.

Originally, the plan was to accompany the head of the family to organize a group of cultural figures to hold a renga (traditional song and dance) party, and to entertain the envoys from the Omi Asai family, laying the groundwork for future efforts to win them over.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the participants was a devout follower of the Jodo Shinshu sect. Without warning, he filed a complaint on the spot, using the Asakura family's act of negotiating peace while simultaneously destroying temples and shrines as material for his creative recitation.

The envoy from the Omi Asai family stood nearby, smiling as he ate the melon.

That's the fault of the newly appointed Tsuruga District Commander, Asakura Kagehiko.

Lord Asakura Yoshikage of Echizen still possessed some composure. On the surface, he didn't show much emotion, maintaining a cheerful demeanor and using gentle words to soothe the conversation and steer the topic away from the subject.

However, the senior officials could tell from the details that the head of the family was definitely very dissatisfied.

Asakura Kageki was extremely embarrassed and felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. As soon as the Renga festival ended, he went home and questioned his son: "What did you do to the temples and shrines when you were in Wakasa?"

Upon hearing this, Asakura Kagehisa made no attempt to hide his true intentions, stating matter-of-factly, "It's nothing more than indiscriminate looting and burning. How can such things be avoided during military campaigns? Even if Father has objections, there's nothing I can do about it."

Asakura Kageki glared at his son, who had a fierce and unruly personality. Seeing that the other party was not afraid, he could only curse his unfilial son in his heart and soften his tone: "The monks and priests in temples and shrines are not ordinary people. We should always be careful with them."

"But only temples and shrines have enough wealth!" Asakura Kageka said dismissively, loudly defending himself, "Our Echizen Asakura family neither grants any titles or power to outsiders, nor does it bestow any honors. Besides letting our troops plunder, what other way do we have to maintain morale? My grandfather's reputation as the God of the Northern Army was earned through fighting and looting..."

"Shut up!" Asakura Kageki slammed his fist on the table in a rage. "How dare you, a junior, slander the achievements of our ancestors? The century-old policies of the Echizen Asakura family are even more unacceptable to be discussed!"

"...I was rude, please forgive me, Father." Asakura Kagehiko remained silent for a while before reluctantly giving in.

"You little rascal, sigh!" Asakura Kageki sighed helplessly. His son was almost thirty, and difficult to manage. Even if he outwardly bowed his head, he would secretly defy him.

But this is a serious matter, and I can only try my best to explain.

So Asakura Kagenori patiently and politely said, "Fortunately, the temples and shrines in Wakasa Province are not very prosperous, and there are no eminent monks or virtuous masters who can inspire others. Speaking of other sects, it's one thing, but the Jodo Shinshu sect is negotiating peace with my family. And you even seized their temple? Now they have come to protest, and my lord is very angry!"

"Ah... I don't remember that." Hearing that his lord was angry, Asakura Kagehisa showed a slight change in expression, but only for a moment. He quickly put on a nonchalant expression, puffed out his neck, and said, "All we saw along the way were small temples and shrines, hardly enough to satisfy the soldiers' appetites. We looted more than a dozen before we stopped. How could we possibly distinguish them clearly?"

"At least you can remember the names of those temples and shrines, right?" Asakura Kageki asked, frowning. "Do you recall Seki Dojo and Myokaku-ji Temple?"

"...I don't think we passed through either of those places, did we?" Asakura Kagehiko hesitated. "But I can't be completely sure. They were all burned down after the looting, how could we remember their names?"

"Sigh! Never mind." Seeing this, Asakura Kageki had no choice but to give up on pursuing the truth: "This matter has been passed from Wakasa to Ishiyama, from Ishiyama to Omi, from Omi to Kaga, and from Kaga to Echizen. It is impossible to distinguish the truth from the falsehood."

"Is it that complicated?" Asakura Kagehiko asked, puzzled. "Wakasa is so close to Echizen, can't we just contact them directly?"

“I’ve said it before, this is the rule of Jodo Shinshu, and branches in different places cannot contact each other at will. You just don’t learn your lesson!” Asakura Kageki cursed, then speculated, “This matter has become so ugly, it’s probably the radical faction of the Kaga Ikko-ikki that’s pushing it.”

"I've also heard that the radical faction of the Kaga Ikko-ikki is determined to wage war against my clan, and even killed the special envoy sent by Ishiyama. They're incredibly audacious," Asakura Kagehira sighed, then immediately began to complain, "Speaking of which, the rule of the Kaga Ikko-ikki is that conquered territories are immediately distributed to meritorious soldiers. No wonder they're so warlike. They're a bunch of monks, yet they seem more like samurai than our Echizen Asakura clan!"

“I’ve already said that this is a matter of great importance, not something you should be discussing!” Asakura Kageki scolded softly, seemingly not very confidently, and quickly changed the subject: “Regarding the death of the special envoy, the monk Kennyo of Ishiyama Honganji Temple ordered the implementation of a ‘fire petition,’ but the radicals still refuse to yield.”

"You didn't even yield when the fire was lit?" Asakura Kagehiko was startled, then his face showed admiration and longing as he murmured, "That's what a true man looks like! What kind of warrior is one who spends his days indulging in affectations?"

The so-called "fire-started investigation" refers to using a red-hot branding iron to adjudicate cases.

The Kaga Ikko-ikki had the special envoy killed without explanation and then claimed innocence. Then, the monk Kennyo of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple ordered all the suspects to stand in a line and brand them one by one with a red-hot iron.

It means that truly good people are protected by gods and Buddhas and will not get burned, while those who get burned are guilty.

Despite resorting to such ruthless methods, the radical monks still refused to admit defeat, which is indeed admirable.