20demayo Page 78
Page 78
They were quite useful, after all, the only people Shinzaburo could truly serve as magistrates were the monk Jōjō and the newly recruited Naguno Takatoki; the others were just there to fill positions.
Yu Li usually carries a supervisory role, which is neither undisguised nor important.
Below the samurai, the middle rank is the "ashigaru" mentioned earlier.
There are currently more than fifty people on the register, but this number is not fixed.
If a foot soldier performs enough merits and intends to leave the land to live in the city, he can naturally become a proper samurai.
On the other hand, wealthy farmers who could provide their own weapons and become the main force in military service had the opportunity to become foot soldiers who enjoyed preferential treatment, provided they showed the right attitude. In fact, according to the rules of the daimyo of the eastern provinces, wealthy households were required to become foot soldiers without special permission. However, Shinzaburo felt there was no need to force them; those who were unwilling could simply be allowed to live as small landowners, and he could keep a close eye on their taxes and corvée labor.
Some samurai were also appointed as "foot soldier squad leaders," with each squad leader corresponding to one or two dozen foot soldiers. They were responsible for communication in peacetime and as squad leaders in battle.
The broadest grassroots population consists of ordinary people.
The main duties of ordinary people were to pay taxes and perform corvée labor. They were not required to serve in the military and were generally used as laborers or cannon fodder when necessary.
This three-tiered system, as verified by the daimyo of the eastern provinces, led by Takeda, proved to be quite advantageous for conquest.
However, Shinzaburo's current problem is that due to the severe crackdown on the wealthy farmers during the conquest, there are not enough suitable "foot soldiers" for the time being, and it will take some time to select them.
In order to maintain the army's fighting capacity, Shinzaburo followed the experience of another daimyo in the east.
That was Oda Owari.
Oda Nobunaga recruited the second son of a samurai as a shigaru (foot soldier) and gathered brave warriors from the common people as ashigaru (foot soldiers).
The former cannot be learned, but the latter can be used as a reference.
They were targeting hunter groups in the eastern mountainous regions.
A person who can make a living by hunting in uninhabited areas must at least be skilled in archery, and must have experience of being wounded and bleeding, as well as a greater sense of danger than the average person.
On the other hand, a large portion of them did not choose this profession voluntarily, but rather had to find another way out because they had no land.
The unclaimed land confiscated at Yamaguni-sou, after being distributed to over fifty foot soldiers, still yielded five or six hundred units. Furthermore, the old armor sets collected from recent battles are more than sufficient.
Shinzaburo then posted notices at the monthly fur market on the eastern edge, announcing that those who passed the archery test could become "Yushigaru" and acquire land.
Sumo wrestling and stone-moving competitions will also be held at the same time.
However, given the nutritional status of ordinary people, it is unlikely that they will have outstanding results; we can only hope that the woodcutters who frequently cut down trees near the mountains will be able to achieve similar results.
Swordsmanship, spearmanship, and arquebus skills are out of the question; most families can't afford to practice them.
146 Dagong City and Shanguo Street
As time went on, Shinzaburo's policies were being implemented in an orderly manner.
Most of the fifty-odd wealthy farmers who had previously falsified their annual tribute payments honestly paid three times the difference. As a result, they were subsequently incorporated into the "Foot Guards" and enjoyed the benefit of having their taxes and provisions halved.
However, the land grant reward that wasn't received last time will not be reissued. And the opportunity to marry into the village of Kubo is irreplaceable.
In the long run, the latter may be far more important than the land from the Five-Anti and Seven-Anti campaigns.
Only three fools continued to resist, refusing to obey orders and resorting to tricks during the grain delivery process. After the incident, they were punished with confiscation of property and deportation.
However, one of them had connections in the religious field and pleaded with the Daigenji Temple for leniency.
It was the only temple in the territory with the privilege of "neither losing nor gaining," and it was also the largest temple. It had a total of sixty monks and two hundred landowners.
Their strength is not a concern.
However, the abbot and Master Mingzhou were Zen monks of the same generation, and they had some superficial friendship in the past.
They can be considered "one of us" to some extent.
In addition, Da Yen-ji Temple is located on the edge of the eastern mountains and forests, making it an important hub for timber trading. However, the monks are very self-aware and have never thought of getting involved in the business.
Since they're usually so sensible, it's not easy to refuse their request now that they've finally asked for a favor.
However, Shinzaburo did not want to see the lord's authority affected, so he immediately had a bright idea and told the other party: "As long as you do not cover it up, the twenty-seven tantalums confiscated from the person involved will be sent to your temple."
Upon hearing this, the abbot of Dayan Temple's eyes lit up, and he declared without hesitation, "Paying the annual tribute is a matter of course. This person has actually resorted to fraud, and even the gods and Buddhas will not easily forgive him!"
Then they immediately ordered someone to drive the guy out of the temple.
In fact, from the perspective of income from food and grain, doing this is a loss.
However, after this precedent, the people in the area will think that it is useless to seek help from monks when there is a problem.
Coincidentally, the recruitment of hunters was also being conducted at the market near Da Yan Temple.
The incentive of land grants was quite appealing, attracting nearly fifty people to participate in the archery test.
However, some who were clearly not very familiar with archery and were just trying their luck were immediately tricked away as soon as they were exposed.
The rest are all genuinely capable.
Strictly speaking, they are not locals of Tanba, but rather live in the border area of eastern Tanba, northern Yamashiro, western Komigashima, and southern Wakasa.
These people, being in the same industry, had mostly met once before, knew each other's names, and their backgrounds were relatively credible.
Shinzaburo decided to include them in the "Yumashigaru" (yumashigaru) formation.
Next came the sumo wrestling competition and the stone-moving contest.
This attracted even more participants, since there were no barriers to entry. And since it was early winter and people had nothing else to do, over a thousand people came to join the fun.
After three days of competition, twenty or thirty people stood out for their exceptional abilities. Once their identities were verified and found to be legitimate, they were hired.
Indeed, many of them were woodcutters.
Including the wealthy farmers from Kumada River and Inoue River, Shinzaburo recruited a total of 150 foot soldiers, of whom 120 were spearmen and 30 were bowmen.
The land registered under these people's names amounts to 3,400 shi (a unit of dry measure), which translates to a tax-free allowance of 1,700 shi. The cost is considerable, but it should be worthwhile.
Shinzaburo devised a "Kubo Family Name Extinction" for samurai and foot soldiers.
Ordinary people don't need that. When mobilizing, just make sure there are no shortfalls in the number of participants.
……
On the other hand, while Shinzaburo was busy with land surveys and military service, construction work on the new town was also underway.
After about a month of investigation and study, Hasegawa Munehito had a thorough understanding of the surrounding geography and transportation. He proposed a site on a high ground near the confluence of the Oi River and the Yuge River.
This place is not only the heart of the territory, but also adjacent to the old mountain village road. If the bridge can be repaired and traffic restored, it will be possible to directly access the western suburbs of Kyoto in the future.
Maintaining good relations with the northern Kawakatsu family could potentially restart a trade route from Wakasa Bay Port to the Kinai hub.
All that's needed is to build a small wooden bridge, 180 feet long and 10 feet wide, at the narrowest point of the Daiyen River; manpower is sufficient for passage. There's no need to worry about military security; the bridge can be burned down at any time if necessary.
Hasegawa Munehito also suggested that since Utsu Castle was no longer intended to be preserved, it could be demolished and the materials used for the construction of a new city, thus saving a large amount of money.
The scale doesn't need to be too large for now; only three cranks are planned. The space left around the perimeter can be used for expansion, which will also facilitate the development of the castle town.
Incidentally, we also invited professionals from Kyoto to provide guidance on feng shui.
However, within the citadel, one can build a fashionable two-story palace, which, for a small fee, can greatly enhance the visual experience.
Shinzaburo thought the plan was appropriate and agreed to it.
So he mobilized the conscripts within the territory and allocated a sum of money to allow Hasegawa Munehito to start the project.
As for the name of the new town...
Since it's located at the confluence of the Ōi River and the Yūge River, let's take one character from each and call it "Ōyū Castle." It sounds very fitting for a samurai family.
It is expected to be completed in May of next year.
The construction of the new city has also attracted some attention.
Hosokawa Ujitsuna, Miyoshi Nagayoshi, and Matsunaga Nagayori all sent letters saying that the location was good and that they hoped to find a way to restore the old Yamaguni Road and improve the situation for commerce and transportation.
As expected, the officials only offered empty words and did not provide a single penny in aid.
There's nothing strange about it. The current San'in Ancient Road and Wakasa Avenue basically meet the travel needs within a radius of fifty kilometers. Even if the old mountain village street is successfully restarted, it is unlikely to significantly improve the road network. It will only give pedestrians another route to choose from, mainly benefiting Shinzaburo himself.
Unexpectedly, Master Mingzhou provided remarkable assistance. He leveraged his connections, contacting Kyoto merchants such as Yoshida Munetaka, Nakajima Munenobu, and Kaneya Tomonishi, securing financial backers for the construction of the new city and the renovation of roads and bridges.
The condition for sponsorship is that it guarantees them special privileges on the new business route in the future.
We can discuss the specifics of how to ensure this later.
Hasegawa Munehito was originally from Kyoto, but his family wasn't as wealthy as the three mentioned above, so he was suitable to be in charge of this communication.
Immediately, Munehisa Imai and Hikoshiro Uozumi also came to the door, expressing their willingness to invest. They even brought in Masataka and Hisayuki Sekido, transport companies from Wakasa-Kohama Bay, to join them.
Kubo's old friend, Uozumi Hikoshiro, used to lead caravans between Sakai and Obamachi and had close ties with the area, which is why he regularly passed through Tanba.
Actually, there are already routes from Obama Bay to Kyoto via the Wakasa Road through Kuchikidani and the Nishi-Omi Road on the west bank of Lake Biwa, so even if the Yamaguni Road were restored, the travel time wouldn't be shortened. However, it's always good to be prepared and open up another route.
What if, at some point, the previous trade routes are cut off due to war, or the local lords suddenly impose additional tariffs? Wouldn't we need a backup plan then?
Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; two paths are definitely better than one.
Of course, on the other hand, since it's a matter of planning ahead, it is indeed important, but not particularly urgent; it seems like it's never too late to start. If it weren't for Master Mingzhou's considerable influence and his leading role, perhaps all parties would have remained at the stage of having the intention, without actually taking action.
Shinzaburo himself doesn't have that many connections, so if he were to handle it, he could only focus on fixing the road first and then gradually attract the attention of businesses.
Leaving aside others, take Imai Munehisa for example. He eagerly booked timber, sweetfish, and grain trade in the nearby area, yet showed no interest in the Yamaguni Kaido. Clearly, it wasn't that he was unaware of its importance, but rather that he didn't prioritize it.
Seeing the three wealthy merchants from Kyoto make their move, they immediately followed suit, fearing they would fall behind.
It's clear that competition is indeed a good thing.
In short, driven by profit, a group of wealthy people came to visit the area.
Shinzaburo was naturally very pleased with this.
The neighboring Kawakatsu family, who had recently become in-laws to the north, were also quite interested in the matter. Their land income was not much, and their economy was heavily reliant on the trade route to Kohama Bay. Unfortunately, the head of the family, Kawakatsu Hirotsugu, suddenly fell seriously ill at the end of the year and was bedridden. His heir, Tsuguji, stayed at home, ready to take over at any time, and had no time to attend to anything else.
147 The Competition Among the Six Great Merchants
Imai in Sakaicho, Yoshida, Nakajima, and Kanaya in Kyoto, and the Kamiya and Sekido in Obama.
Six powerful merchants gathered in Kuwata District, Tanba Province. Some were represented by their tycoons in person, while others sent high-ranking officials. They chose Daigenji Temple as the venue for their exchange.
The last five are all "old money" who have been in business for several generations. Imai Munehisa is a little less senior, but after obtaining guardianship of his father-in-law's estate, he rapidly expanded within the Miyoshi family's control area and his strength is no less than that of others.
For them, completing the bridge and road repair project through joint ventures was a piece of cake.
However, wealthy people don't have a penny-pinching habit; they expect to see a return on every investment in the future.
Master Mingzhou was also present as the introducer.
Hasegawa Munehito, on the other hand, was recognized by all parties and regarded as the actual person in charge of a series of projects.
Shinzaburo thought to himself, "I can't let myself be looked down upon by this group of worldly gentlemen. I should subtly demonstrate my advanced, forward-thinking ideas to earn their respect."
Once she started talking, she couldn't stop and began to spout a bunch of fancy ideas, such as intensive packaging, standardized transportation, insurance claims, futures delivery, internal drafts, equity mechanisms, and so on.
The people from the six major trading houses were dumbfounded, looking at each other speechlessly.
After a long while, Yoshida Munetada, a merchant from Kyoto, finally spoke with a wry smile: "I never expected that Lord Kubo Genban was not only a renowned general skilled in both literature and military affairs, but also had such profound insights into commerce. However... these matters can perhaps only be discussed with the leaders of the association in Sakai and Hakata; we dare not even consider them."
The others nodded in agreement.
That's a case of exaggerating too much and scaring people.
Master Mingzhou feigned dissatisfaction and shook his head, saying, "This statement seems reasonable, but it is actually a castle in the air!"
Shinzaburo quickly apologized, saying, "I am just a country samurai, and I do not understand the principles of accumulating wealth and making a living. My humble opinion and ramblings have only made me a laughing stock among those with more knowledge."
The merchants all said they dared not.
Only Imai Munehisa, after much deliberation, slowly said, "Lord Kubo Genban's insights are similar to some of the new things happening in Sakai in recent years. It is certainly hard to imagine in the short term, but it may not be impossible to try in the future. If the plan is truly realized, the benefits will be immeasurable."
"Is that so?" Masataka, a resident of a high-rise building in Kohama Bay, immediately showed a look of curiosity and envy, stroking his beard and saying, "As expected of Sakai Town! I hope that our high-rise building can also achieve that level of business in the future."
Imai Munehisa immediately smiled and said, "I am in Sakai-cho, where I can see the products of Kyushu, Shikoku, and Sanyo; you are in Obama, where the waterways connect San'in, Hokuriku, and Dewa. If we work together, the future will be limitless."
The two of them hit it off. However, the other four merchants still didn't seem to be very interested.
Kyoto earthenware merchant Yoshida Munetada chuckled and steered the conversation back on track: "I am willing to do my part in the construction of the castle, the repair of the bridges, and the maintenance of the roads. I only hope that after the streets are cleared again, I can get a branch shop near the castle that is exempt from all duties."
Shinzaburo smiled upon hearing this and changed the subject, saying, "Tanba is a remote place, and we don't have much to offer you. The only thing we're famous for is our chestnuts. Please allow me to use them to show my hospitality!"
After saying this, he ordered his attendants to bring over several plates of candied chestnuts.
The monk Jingcheng behind him, having received a hint, immediately spoke up without hesitation: "Lord Yoshida, how much money are you willing to spend, and what size of land do you want to acquire to open a branch?"
Shinzaburo immediately frowned and reprimanded, "Our distinguished guest has come from afar; how can you be so rude?"
Yoshida Munetada quickly replied, "No problem, no problem. Getting straight to the point is the best approach. I'm willing to offer three hundred kan in exchange for a street-front property that's five rooms deep and twelve rooms wide."
The shop is five rooms deep and twelve rooms wide, which adds up to 195 square meters.