Chapter 44: Owari Province Matchlock Academician
Yuan Ye had no choice. The situation was beyond his control. As a man in distress, it was difficult for him to oppose the heir of the local lord, so he could only tell stories. He had previously imagined various scenarios of meeting Oda Nobunaga. Considering A Man said he was an “eccentric,” and had been under strict control for a long time, his personality would likely be rebellious. Simply showing weakness would be useless; only by piquing his interest could he achieve anything. That’s why he started talking about matchlock guns.
Looking at the results now, it seemed to be working well. Oda Nobunaga was indeed very fond of these novelties, so it probably wouldn’t be too difficult for him later.
After leisurely finishing his tales about “how matchlock guns were introduced to Japan,” “why matchlock guns are called matchlock guns,” and “how to sacrifice one’s daughter to obtain matchlock gun manufacturing technology,” he brought up the old topic again, finding fault with Oda Nobunaga’s beloved matchlock gun. He wanted to offer some practical advice as a fallback plan. If Oda Nobunaga’s favorability was still insufficient later and he insisted on killing him, Yuan Ye could use this as an excuse to make Oda Nobunaga a better matchlock gun, thereby buying time to escape. This was his two-pronged approach.
He pondered this in his mind, pointing at the matchlock gun, and said, “Conversely, this matchlock gun is indeed flawed in its imitation and is not perfect. Look, this matchlock gun is short and thick. The prototype was clearly specially made for use on ships. Now, for a user on land, such an imitation is completely unnecessary. It can be considered a failure. We could consider lengthening the barrel and reducing the caliber to pursue greater range and stronger power.”
Then he pointed to the priming pan and said, “This should also be fitted with a cover to prevent the priming powder from being blown away by the wind or getting wet in the rain, making it impossible to fire.”
After speaking, he even raised the barrel and looked inside, then checked the breech. He pointed out another problem, “The airtightness of the barrel is also poor. Although a aiming device was added during the imitation, it’s completely unusable, isn’t it? If you press your face against it to aim, you’ll most likely get scalded.”
Oda Nobunaga’s face twitched. When this matchlock gun fired, hot gas did indeed spray from the rear. His matchlock master, Hashimoto Ichiba, had told him this was normal. Matchlock guns were like this, and the shooting technique he taught was to hold it level at the chest, aiming purely by feel.
A Qing, Maeda Toshiie, and Ikeda Tsuneoki stared at Yuan Ye in a daze. They never expected the “Divine Doctor” to suddenly become a “Matchlock Expert.” A Man was even more astonished, her mouth agape like a little frog. She never imagined that Yuan Ye, whom she thought she knew inside and out, possessed such skills; it was truly beyond her expectations. Matchlock guns had only reached the Kinki region five or six years ago, and Owari Province less than two years ago. They were still considered high-end, emerging weapons. For Yuan Ye to be able to point out flaws already made him an expert. In later generations, he would surely be honored as the “Owari Province Matchlock Academician.”
Before the “Owari Province Matchlock Academician” Yuan Ye had finished speaking, he pointed to the tattered cloth bag on Oda Nobunaga’s person and continued to find fault, “Loading is also clearly problematic. Pouring gunpowder directly from the bag into the barrel, then ramming the lead bullet with a ramrod, and then pouring priming powder into the priming pan – the steps are too many, wasting time, and it’s difficult to control the amount of gunpowder, which can easily lead to inconsistent range or even bursting the barrel. It’s far inferior to using a cartridge bottle, and there’s a lot of room for improvement.”
Oda Nobunaga’s face twitched again. He had originally intended to take Yuan Ye back as a page, responsible for treating his vassals’ illnesses. He never expected Yuan Ye to lecture him, and his demeanor and tone bore a slight resemblance to his teacher, Hirate Masahide, which instinctively made his scalp tingle.
However, he was genuinely extraordinarily interested in matchlock guns, this emerging weapon. He coughed lightly and asked, “What is a cartridge bottle…?”
Yuan Ye was unconcerned about casually pointing out the matchlock gun’s flaws. In another five or six years, Japanese matchlock gunsmiths would solve these problems, and the matchlock guns they produced would be acceptable. This did not involve leaking modern technology, which was a fundamental principle. As for cartridge bottles, it was even less of an issue. Even if the Shimazu family hadn’t developed them yet, they should be close. It would only be three to five years before they reached Owari, so it wouldn’t have a significant impact.
He said directly, “Pre-measure gunpowder and lead balls into multiple small bamboo tubes. When using, pour them directly into the barrel and tamp them down. This ensures a consistent amount of gunpowder, uniform matchlock gun range, extends the lifespan of the matchlock gun, and saves a lot of time. Hence the name, cartridge bottle.”
Oda Nobunaga was not foolish; in fact, he was quite intelligent. After a brief thought, he understood. He nodded slightly, but his expression quickly turned grim. He asked, “In the Western Countries, have matchlock guns already begun to be used extensively?”
“The Shimazu family started using them three or four years ago and should have considerable experience by now.” Yuan Ye was a bit fuzzy on the details, only remembering that the Shimazu family had a very early history of using matchlock guns. They were among the first, if not the first, daimyo in the Japanese Warring States period to deploy matchlock guns in large-scale practical combat. The skills related to matchlock guns in “Taiko 2” like “quick loading,” “matchlock volley fire,” “ambush tactics,” “double-tap,” “matchlock enfilade,” and “sniper,” were likely developed by the Shimazu family. It would be wise to poach talent from the Shimazu family for matchlock expertise.
“Is that so?” Oda Nobunaga had already sat up straight, his eyes narrowed as he responded indifferently. He then lightly thumped his thigh and pondered with his head down. His expression grew increasingly somber, as if some dream had been shattered.
Yuan Ye felt that their casual chat had gone on long enough. He had left a good impression on Oda Nobunaga and had a fallback plan. Just as he was about to get to the main point and ask why Oda Nobunaga had come, Oda Nobunaga looked up and spoke, “You will follow me from now on. Your annual salary… let’s start with one hundred koku!”
He was indeed very generous, living up to his reputation as a third-generation rich man. He clearly thought highly of Yuan Ye, offering twice the annual salary of Maeda Toshiie, enough to support fifty ordinary followers. However, he completely disregarded etiquette and showed no respect, casually making the decision. It was more like a delinquent in later generations recruiting subordinates.
Yuan Ye quickly waved his hand. Oda Nobunaga disliked formalities, and he was equally direct. “Thank you for your regard, but I have no intention of entering your service. I can only disappoint your kind offer.”
Oda Nobunaga was stunned for a moment. His thick eyebrows immediately knitted together, and his gaze became quite sharp. After all, he had been a castle lord since he was two years old, and besides his teacher Hirate Masahide, few dared to provoke him. The oppressive aura cultivated over the years was very strong. Yuan Ye, however, remained quite composed, feeling it wasn’t a big deal. From their interaction, he felt Oda Nobunaga was not as much of a “manic patient” as A Man described, nor was he a born killer. He could be reasoned with. Coupled with Maeda Toshiie’s influence, he had already gained favorability and prepared a fallback. It was highly unlikely he would be killed for refusing.
As long as he wasn’t killed, it would be manageable. If necessary, he could just leave and live elsewhere, starting anew.
He already had a certain understanding of this era. Starting over wouldn’t be too difficult, and he could afford the loss.
As expected, Oda Nobunaga stared at him for a moment. He didn’t draw his sword to charge and attack him, nor did he even yell at him for being ungrateful. He merely asked with an unfriendly expression, “What is the reason?”
“I don’t want to perform grand bows to others, nor do I want to find a master for myself. So… I’ll pass on entering your service!” Yuan Ye estimated that talking about other things with Oda Nobunaga would be useless, so he decided to tell the truth directly. He was unwilling, and that was that. He figured someone like Oda Nobunaga, who acted like he was the only one in the world, a delinquent with pride, wouldn’t shamelessly force him to be his subordinate.
Ikeda Tsuneoki was stunned. Maeda Toshiie’s mouth was also agape, looking somewhat foolish. Neither of them had expected Yuan Ye to be so peculiar.
Oda Nobunaga was also surprised by the reason. For a moment, he couldn’t even think of words to scold Yuan Ye. After a moment of stunned silence, he actually laughed. He laughed once, then felt it was somewhat inappropriate. He nodded and said, “That’s interesting,” then got up and left directly. Judging by his expression, he did indeed seem a bit crazy.
“This, the matchlock gun…” Yuan Ye got up in surprise to see him off, not expecting to get through so easily. At the same time, he gestured to the matchlock gun still in his hand, indicating he had forgotten to take it.
“It’s yours.” Oda Nobunaga didn’t even turn his head. The matchlock gun was of poor quality, and Yuan Ye had pointed out so many flaws that he no longer wanted it.
Maeda Toshiie and Ikeda Tsuneoki were stunned for a moment before reacting. They quickly rushed forward a few steps, haphazardly slipping on their shoes, and went to lift the door curtain for him.
Oda Nobunaga left just like that. Outside the door, he called out, mounted his horse, and galloped towards Nagoya Castle, abandoning his matchlock practice. He couldn’t practice anymore anyway, as he had thrown the matchlock gun away. He needed to buy a better one, and also find his matchlock master Hashimoto Ichiba to settle accounts.
Maeda Toshiie cautiously pulled on the reins and approached him, tentatively asking, “My Lord, you are…?”
Oda Nobunaga was an excellent rider. He let the horse follow its own pace, stroked his chin, and said, “He’s a bit like me.”
“Ah, what do you mean?” Maeda Toshiie was confused and scratched his face. “Are you angry or not angry?”
If he were angry, Maeda Toshiie would have to try to persuade him. He had originally intended to take Yuan Ye to enjoy good food and drink, but Yuan Ye turned out to be an oddball, willing to be a rōnin. It was truly unexpected. Opportunities to enter service were so rare! He couldn’t understand it!
“You idiot, it means I’m not angry! People like him are the true Eccentrics, the mad ones. He’s a bit like me,” Oda Nobunaga said thoughtfully. “Some of the things he does are very interesting, and what he says is also interesting. He’s also very talented. It’s okay if such a person doesn’t submit to me for a while, because that’s what makes it interesting. He’s worth my patience.”
Yuan Ye’s willingness to treat commoners for cheap was something Oda Nobunaga already admired, feeling he was different from vassals from local lord families like Maeda Toshiie. Now that he discovered Yuan Ye seemed to be his kind, someone others considered a bit eccentric and prone to occasional fits of madness, he admired him even more. He felt Yuan Ye might understand some of his own ideas, which was why he wasn’t angry when rejected and didn’t insist on beating Yuan Ye.
If Yuan Ye had agreed immediately, accepted the high salary, and bowed down to him, Oda Nobunaga might not have valued him as much or found him as interesting as he did now. It could only be said that Oda Nobunaga wasn’t called the “Oda Family’s Big Fool” for no reason. His thought process was indeed a bit abnormal, the kind that ordinary people couldn’t understand.
“So that’s how it is, my Lord is wise!” Maeda Toshiie didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop him from suddenly realizing, and he felt relieved.
“Aken, come a little closer!” Oda Nobunaga ignored whether he understood and beckoned him closer, then whispered instructions, assigning him a task.
Slowly, he was confident he could win over Yuan Ye and make him willingly become his vassal and page. At that time, he would also put aside any past grievances and readily agree, sleeping together with Yuan Ye at night, talking by candlelight, and completely winning him over.
This would be very interesting!
…
Oda Nobunaga had already left, but A Man still couldn’t believe it. She ran to the door and watched for a long time, just in case Oda Nobunaga decided to double back and suddenly attack, burning them all alive in the house. However, after watching for a long time, no one came to set the house on fire.
“He just left like that?” she wondered, increasingly unable to comprehend. Theoretically, Oda Nobunaga should have exploded in anger, unleashed his fury, and pounced on Yuan Ye to bite him to death. But it ended like this?
However, this was also fine. It was always better to stay away from crazy people. Perhaps he just wasn’t having an episode today!
Her gaze quickly shifted upwards to the matchlock gun, a look of covetousness appearing on her face. This was the treasure she had longed for. With it, she could successfully practice the “All Beings Equal Cannon,” and A Qing would no longer be her opponent. She would become the strongest practitioner of the Life Preservation Style.
Rubbing her small hands, she sidled up to Yuan Ye, coughed lightly, and actively suggested, “The matchlock gun is quite heavy, isn’t it? I’ll carry it for you from now on, okay? Don’t tire yourself out. You are the backbone of everyone, and everyone is counting on you!”
“Then you carry it!” Yuan Ye gave it to her without a second thought. It was a low-quality matchlock gun with extremely slow firing speed, very short range, inability to aim, and a tendency to burn oneself. It was at best a gray-tier item; anyone who used it was a fool. He didn’t care for it, and in his mind, he was still pondering about Oda Nobunaga, but he gave up thinking about it after not too long.
Well, no need to overthink it. This is good. The hurdle was cleared easily, all bases covered, and he could live a stable life from now on!
