Chapter 109: Live a Good Life on the “Great Philanthropist’s” Territory
The horo was a unique and iconic piece of military equipment on the ancient battlefields of Japan.
It was typically round or oval, about a meter in diameter, with a frame made of elastic material for the main body, covered with a layer of relatively tough yet thin coarse silk. It was tied to the armor with ropes, appearing as a sort of hood.
Or, it could be said to be a brightly colored turtle shell that could be freely attached to or detached from the back of the armor.
This equipment was very popular before the mid-Muromachi period. At that time, combat between samurai in Japan was mostly characterized by mounted archery. The horo could effectively defend against arrow damage, and when a large group of horo-clad samurai charged on horseback, the bright colors of the horo and the amplified appearance due to the wind would create a great psychological deterrent for the enemy.
Of course, Japan has now entered the Warring States period, and samurai are no longer the main force on the battlefield. Furthermore, with the development of armor technology, the lethality of arrows has also decreased. The horo has gradually become a decorative item, more often used to display status, and is no longer frequently seen on actual battlefields.
And Yuan Ye was now holding such a traditional horo.
This horo originally belonged to his follower, Nakajo Heijiro, and was Nakajo Heijiro’s “ancestral equipment.” Seeing it, Yuan Ye found it novel and borrowed it for a closer look. He unexpectedly discovered that the material of the frame inside this horo was suspicious: it was an aged ivory-colored, elastic bone material over a meter long, which was very rare. It was then that he borrowed the horo to show it to “Mr. Know-it-all” A Man—he suspected it was whalebone, that is, the “teeth” of filter-feeding whales like fin whales and sei whales, but he wasn’t sure. The horo’s owner, Nakajo Heijiro, also couldn’t explain how this horo came into his ancestor’s possession; it was probably spoils of war.
A Man didn’t expect Yuan Ye to bother her so early in the morning for such a strange reason, but she was accustomed to his daily eccentricities. She carefully examined the frame of the horo and then recalled, saying indifferently, “It probably is. The sea folk call this thing ‘whale right,’ and some call it ‘right whale.’ The dialects are different, and the names are all over the place. But I heard that such white… whalebone can generally only be found on the right side of the mouth of large whales. These descriptions are quite similar.”
After speaking, she smacked her lips, noting the new word “whalebone” and filing it away, as she always did, under Saikaidō dialects.
After learning the new word, she asked somewhat strangely, “Are you looking for this kind of material? This stuff is hard to find; it’s quite rare.”
Yuan Ye wasn’t looking for whalebone; he was looking for people. He immediately pressed, “So, are people hunting whales now?”
A Man became even more curious and said directly, “Of course, it’s been happening for a long time! But generally, very few people do it. Only when there’s a severe famine and some villages can no longer survive will they collectively go out to sea to try their luck, to see if they can find and kill a whale and bring back some meat and skin… Whale oil is very valuable, and whale skin is also very valuable. Even in times of famine, it can be exchanged for life-saving grain, but success is rare.”
Yuan Ye nodded slowly, feeling this was an unexpected bonus. He immediately made his request, “That’s good. Now I need someone who has hunted whales, preferably someone who has commanded whale hunts. Can you find one?”
“What do you need that kind of person for?”
Yuan Ye took out a hand-drawn map from his bosom, pointed to the ocean south of Ise Bay, and said, “I need to go there. I need a captain who is very familiar with the sea and can train sailors.”
He didn’t understand navigation, and no one around him did, so he could only seek outside help. Previously, he had planned to hire a merchant ship captain with a hefty sum, but upon unexpectedly discovering the whalebone, he naturally wanted a better candidate. After all, there were many unexpected events at sea, especially in areas not yet reached by humans. Therefore, a captain who dared to lead a group of ordinary people into the deep sea with rudimentary weapons and ships, and who had fought whales in the wind and waves, was more reassuring.
So, even if it took more time, he wanted a “strongman” of the sea, or rather, an old captain with strong willpower and a spirit of adventure.
A Man carefully looked at the hand-drawn map and then at the blank area Yuan Ye was pointing to. She had no intention of obeying immediately without asking why, nor did she understand. She looked at him strangely and said, “What madness are you up to again? Why are you going there? What’s there?”
“There should be many small islands there, but I don’t know their exact locations.” Yuan Ye had nothing to hide from her and said directly, “I need to dig up a boatload of stones from there. It’s very important, so a reliable captain is essential.”
“Is there saltpeter there? No, it’s stones that can make you produce saltpeter?” A Man was aware of Yuan Ye’s current main task and knew he had many strange methods. After a moment’s thought, she guessed what he was up to, but still couldn’t understand, “How do you know there are such stones there? Have you been there?”
“I read it in a book.”
“Which book? Let me see it too!”
“I didn’t bring the book.” Yuan Ye was exasperated by her inquisitive nature and could only say forcefully, “Even if I brought it, it’s a family secret, so I can’t show it to you. So don’t even think about it! Hurry up and think if you or your grandfather know such a person. If you do, find them quickly; I have an urgent need!”
A family secret…
Hearing this, A Man could understand and, with traditional morality, did not press further. She just furrowed her Dou Dou eyebrows and pondered, “If that’s the case, we’ll probably have to look on the islands.”
“On the islands?”
A Man pulled over the hand-drawn map and pointed to the equally blank Ise Bay, saying, “It’s the islands within this area. I’ve heard there are about… twenty to thirty islands here, maybe fewer, a dozen or so. In any case, there are quite a few islands, and some poor souls live on them. If there are any fierce people who dare to fight whales, most of them should be on the islands—they can’t grow much grain on the islands, and they can’t survive just by eating fish. If they encounter a famine, they have nowhere to run and can only fight whales.”
Yuan Ye’s gaze also shifted to Ise Bay. He then realized his oversight. The vast sea of Ise Bay was not a blank area. For example, Kuki Yoshitaka, who would later serve Oda Nobunaga, and the Shima Navy he commanded, could actually be considered within the scope of Ise Bay. However, his base was in the Shima Peninsula and Shima Bay, far from Oda’s sphere of influence. At this time, he was more involved with the Matsudaira and Imagawa families.
He immediately asked with concern, “What is the situation on those islands now? Whose territory do they belong to?”
“Only the islands close to the coast, like Okinoshima, have some earth warriors living on them. But as long as they are a bit further from the shore, there are no so-called local lords.” A Man, strictly speaking, was a mountain dweller, but she had some understanding of sea dwellers. “Those islands are very poor. Many of them only have a few households. Larger ones like Higashi Island and Kōchi Island generally only have a small village of three to five hundred people, all starving with green eyes. The samurai are too lazy to bother with them.”
“Village Head?” Yuan Ye heard this and felt it was like a primitive self-governing village, where a group of people spontaneously banded together to survive in a harsh environment.
“Yes, you could call it a sort of Village Head!” A Man agreed with his statement. “It’s similar to the areas of Iga and Kōka. They are places that you samurai are too lazy to fight over. However, the main way out for the people there is to become water bandits, which is different from us… uh, from my grandfather’s side.”
As she said this, she seemed to implicitly look down on those islanders, as if feeling that being a “ninja” was somehow superior to being a water bandit. Water bandits were at the lower end of the social hierarchy, alongside robbers, thugs, and ruffians.
Yuan Ye glanced at her, not understanding what she was being so proud about, and did not comment on it. He simply nodded and said, “Then I’ll trouble you to go and look. Find someone who is capable and has a family, and preferably someone with a reliable character.”
He paused and added, “It’s also good for you to get some exercise; lying around all day isn’t good for your health.”
“Alright, alright, I got it!” A Man had no objections. This was something she was good at, and she didn’t mind making the trip. But she immediately held out her hand, “Then give me the money. Those sea folk are difficult to deal with; they’re all stubborn. You won’t get them to exert themselves without significant benefits, and don’t expect them to trust a samurai like you. Many of them fled to the islands precisely to avoid you. So, you’ll have to give them some grain, salt, cloth, and ironware first, and then promise a large reward. Only then might it be possible to get the person you want.”
After speaking, she thought for a moment and felt that Yuan Ye, being a “Divine Doctor,” was also a great advantage. She immediately added, “And get me some medicine, like those bitter pills that make you expel worms, the ones you used to make. I’ll take them to the islands, and they should be useful.”
She felt that she could also impersonate a “Divine Doctor.” This way, even if the negotiations failed or something unexpected happened, at least those islanders wouldn’t kill her, serving as a life-saving tool.
This was only natural. In this era, no one would risk their lives without benefits, and Yuan Ye didn’t mind. He said directly, “List how much money and supplies you need, and I’ll approve it for you. It doesn’t matter if it costs more; there’s no need to be stingy with such an important matter. And since you’re going, find multiple targets. Few people have been there, so it might not be successful on the first try.”
After speaking, he pondered for a moment and then instructed, “Also, since you’re going anyway, interact more with the local prominent figures—even Village Heads should have some prominent figures—and see if they are willing to come and live with us.”
This was a sudden idea of his. Currently, his labor force was acquired through scattered “purchases,” which was inefficient and unstable. Discovering that there might be thousands of people living on the sea unexpectedly made him a bit eager. He felt that life at sea was very harsh, with irregular meals and no place to get medical treatment when sick. They were too pitiful. It would be better for them to come and live a good life in his territory as a “great benefactor.”
This could be considered a benevolent act on his part.
He was thinking grandly, but A Man found it difficult. She hesitated, “This is unlikely. If those people were willing to return to the mainland and pay annual tribute, they would have done so already. You wouldn’t get any advantage.”
“Let’s try first!” Yuan Ye was indeed coveting so many people. He had to try his best. He instructed, “Regardless, first establish contact with those people! Don’t they lack salt, grain, cloth, and iron? If not, we can supply these desperately needed materials to them at a low price. We can let them buy from us first!”
As long as contact was established and a dependency relationship gradually formed, he could slowly plan. These people could then be used as industrial workers or selected for the navy.
“Fine!” A Man had no objections. It was just a matter of saying a few more words, so it wasn’t much of a difference.
The matter was settled. She was very capable of execution. That day, she took a large bag of silver tacks, called five veteran followers of the Yuan Ye Family—reliable personnel who survived the fierce battle at Takeuchi Manor—and then set off for Atsuta, preparing to purchase supplies, hire a ship, and set sail to complete the task assigned by Yuan Ye.
