Chapter 152: Hello, My Territory
One of the fundamental purposes of negotiation is to establish a foundation of trust between both parties, something Yuan Ye had always struggled with. He couldn’t prove his sincerity in keeping promises, and the Imagawa family dared not believe he would truly uphold his word.
Toba Hirotsugu fell silent for a moment, then sighed, “Lord Yuan Ye, please reconsider! If you are uneasy, I have a daughter named A-Fuyu, my fourth legitimate daughter. I can betroth her to you. You need not worry about your future placement, nor about being ostracized by the Imagawa family.”
He paused, his expression turning serious. “This is my greatest sincerity.”
Asahina Yasunaga and Sakai Tadamoto were astonished. Fuyuhime was a cousin of Imagawa Yoshimoto, and could be considered a princess within the Imagawa family. They never expected Toba Hirotsugu to be so willing to invest such a considerable sum, even offering his daughter in marriage to an unknown local lord. However, their shock lasted only a moment before their expressions returned to normal. Given Yuan Ye’s demonstrated martial prowess, exchanging a daughter for him was quite worthwhile; even just looking at his physique, improving the family’s height through him wouldn’t be a loss.
Yuan Ye realized they still didn’t trust him and sighed, but without losing his composure, he smiled, “Thank you for your kind offer, Lord Toba, but I truly cannot become a vassal of the Imagawa family.”
“Have you truly thought this through?” Toba Hirotsugu shook his head. “Then we can only continue fighting. I will write to Monk Sessai upon my return and, with my influence, requesting a few thousand more men will not be a problem.”
Yuan Ye nodded and stood up, “Then feel free to come. However, please be prepared for me to take several thousand men with me!”
With that, he turned to leave, intending to go back and think about what other great weapons he could devise with his current resources. He would then directly engage in a fight to the death with the Imagawa family, or perhaps even consider acting now. Before the enemy’s large reinforcements arrived, he would take a desperate gamble, attempting a near-suicidal sneak attack to see if he could storm the enemy camp and kill these three individuals directly.
The negotiations seemed to have broken down. Toba Hirotsugu silently watched Yuan Ye leave. Only after Yuan Ye had walked seven or eight steps did he glance at the increasingly distressed faces of Asahina Yasunaga and Sakai Tadamoto. He sighed again and called out loudly, “Lord Yuan Ye, please wait! We can now discuss the details of the alliance oath!”
If his own numerically superior forces couldn’t endure, he figured Yuan Ye would have an even harder time. Furthermore, observing Yuan Ye face-to-face, the Dou Dou Eyebrows maidservant disguised as a page, despite her arrogant demeanor, had a tone of bluster in her words. He estimated Yuan Ye’s subordinates were also fearful, and morale was wavering. That was why he had tried to bluff, intending to pressure Yuan Ye psychologically into accepting his generous terms and making a graceful concession. However, Yuan Ye, who appeared gentle and refined on the surface, was incredibly stubborn. He hadn’t been faking it or bluffing before; he truly wasn’t afraid of death and wasn’t afraid of continuing the fight.
Continuing the fight wasn’t impossible, and he could indeed draw more personnel from Suruga to Chita or to reinforce the vacant positions at Shirakawa Entrance. However, it wasn’t worth it; the number of casualties from two direct assaults was simply too high…
If Yuan Ye were a minor nuisance, he would have been easily eliminated. But since Yuan Ye couldn’t be killed no matter how much they fought, it was better to maintain peace as much as possible.
That’s how realistic the world is.
Toba Hirotsugu’s attempt at extortion failed, but Yuan Ye didn’t dwell on it. After a brief moment of thought where he stood, he returned and sat down. He truly couldn’t defeat the Imagawa family at this moment. If he could, why would he care about Oda Nobunaga’s restrictions? Therefore, if negotiations were possible, they should continue.
A new round of negotiations began. This time, neither side intended to cause any more trouble and went straight to the point.
Toba Hirotsugu stated directly, “As things stand, we are willing to believe Lord Yuan Ye’s promise, but please still swear an oath before the gods! Although a divine oath may not be particularly effective for people of the Oda family, it’s better than nothing.”
Yuan Ye didn’t mind being mocked. He merely reminded them, “Your Highness, I have said this many times. I am not a vassal local lord or an attendant vassal of the Oda family. I will abide by the agreement.”
“Very well, we hope so.” Toba Hirotsugu beckoned Asahina Yasunaga to bring out a map and pointed to it. “Then let’s discuss the details. Lord Yuan Ye can remain in the land south of this mountain, north of this river, and west of the camp. Not a single soldier may cross the border, nor may you attack the neighboring Chita local lords. Are there any issues?”
Yuan Ye glanced at the map and immediately said, “That’s not quite appropriate, Your Highness. The area is too small; I cannot support so many people. The eastern side can be bordered by the camp, but the northern and southern sides need to be expanded. I hope Your Highness can grant me the Oya Family, Takeda Family, Ebina Family, Taisha Family, and Hokan Family.”
This was a massive demand, encompassing the entire western coastline of the Chita Peninsula. Toba Hirotsugu’s face immediately darkened. “Lord Yuan Ye, it’s not as if we lost the battle!”
“I didn’t lose the battle either!” After making an exorbitant demand, Yuan Ye wasn’t unreasonable and changed his tune, “If that’s not possible, then just the Oya, Takeda, Taisha, and Hokan families will suffice.”
“You’re dreaming!” Asahina Yasunaga could no longer stand it and slammed the table again. “You previously promised never to attack the vassals of the Imagawa family. Now you intend to break your word and enrich yourself?”
Toba Hirotsugu wasn’t particularly angry. Bargaining was common in negotiations. He shook his head, “Lord Yuan Ye, do not force us to resort to arms again. Neither of us wants to see that outcome.”
Yuan Ye began to explain his practical difficulties, adding, “I am not attacking them. It’s just that I have several thousand villagers to feed and need land for farming. I hope the Imagawa family can satisfy this small request of mine.”
“This is hardly a small request…”
The two sides engaged in fierce bargaining, discussing how much territory Yuan Ye should occupy on the Chita Peninsula. Yuan Ye insisted on having land for farming, otherwise, he couldn’t survive, which was common sense for the era. Toba Hirotsugu had no intention of pushing him to a dead end. Finally, he tacitly agreed that Yuan Ye could expand slightly to the south, meaning he could build a few villages on the Oya Family’s land, but that would be the extent of it. From then on, Yuan Ye’s people were forbidden from crossing the designated boundary.
He even explicitly stated that if the boundary were crossed, the Imagawa family would spare no effort to eliminate him. The next time they came, it might be with a fully prepared army of ten thousand men, who would bury him under earth.
As for the Oya Family’s opinion, it was irrelevant. No one present cared. After all, the Oya Family had not proven they could fight one against ten, enduring the night assaults of six to seven thousand men without fleeing. Naturally, they were just a dish ready to be served.
Yuan Ye’s most basic objective was achieved, and he decided to stop while he was ahead. As per the agreement, he promised to remain within his territory. Even if attacked by local lords, he would notify the Imagawa family before retaliating and would not create excuses for conflict. He also would not allow people from the Oda Danjō no Chū family to pass through his territory.
The most important condition was settled, and everything else was easier to discuss. They even established trade relations. Yuan Ye’s soy sauce and printed cloth sold quite well in “Kō-Sō-Mikawa” and could be considered luxury goods. Yuan Ye was willing to sell them to the Imagawa family at the same price as to Atsuta Port, and even offered discounts for large purchases and custom patterns.
Toba Hirotsugu, Asahina Yasunaga, and Sakai Tadamoto were all somewhat interested and expressed that they would send people to purchase some later. However, their primary concern was Yuan Ye’s miraculous “turn mud into stone” technique.
Yuan Ye was not stingy in this regard either, stating that this could also be sold. After all, volcanic ash cement was a pre-Christian era technology and did not involve any fundamental principles. Even selling it cheaply was fine—a shovel of volcanic ash and lime yielded several pounds, and wood could be cut freely. It was a completely cost-free business.
Furthermore, if the Imagawa family was willing to pay, he could even send a construction team to help them renovate their camp into a “stone city” for surveillance purposes. This fully demonstrated that he had no intention of causing trouble on the Chita Peninsula. After Oda Nobunaga killed Imagawa Yoshimoto, he would naturally inherit the Chita Peninsula. There was no rush, and no need for him to laboriously fight and seize territory, provoking the Imagawa family to fight him to the death.
As for the formula for volcanic ash cement, the three from the Imagawa family, with their feudal morality, did not inquire about it or demand it. The only way to force such a “family secret technique” out of someone was to strip them naked, hang them upside down, and burn them with a branding iron while questioning them. Only then was there a chance of extracting the information. Since they were powerless against Yuan Ye now, even attacking with the full might of their nation might not result in capturing Yuan Ye alive due to his stubbornness. Therefore, they decided against it.
Regarding gunpowder, these three were also somewhat interested, but far less so than Oda Nobunaga. After all, matchlock guns of this era were very primitive and crude smoothbore firearms. They did not possess an overwhelming advantage against bows and arrows and were even inferior in some aspects. The Imagawa family had no intention of forming large matchlock units. They merely wished to purchase some to manufacture “Bairōkō” （, a type of large gunpowder bomb for their navy. Due to issues with the gunpowder formula, the explosive power was very small, and it was primarily used for arson to burn ships ）. However, after hearing Yuan Ye explain the price of saltpeter, they felt it wasn’t much cheaper than elsewhere, so they dropped the matter.
The main reason was that Yuan Ye did not want to sell it cheaply. Saltpeter was his biggest source of finance at the moment. Without this substantial income, he could not support four to five thousand people. Therefore, this item could never be sold cheaply. Moreover, the enemy might use it to attack him, so selling it was even less feasible.
After a full day of discussion, both sides agreed on the scope of the alliance oath. They swore before their respective guardian deities to fulfill their vows, lest they be abandoned by gods and men, their families perish, and their descendants suffer. Only then was the battle considered concluded.
The Imagawa family had contained Yuan Ye, preventing him from acting recklessly on the Chita Peninsula or becoming a bridgehead for the Oda Danjō no Chū family to launch a surprise attack on Chita District. This could be considered a partial achievement of their objective. Their best outcome would have been to kill Yuan Ye here, but the cost of doing so was too high, so containing him was acceptable.
Yuan Ye also achieved his objective, finally obtaining a territory completely under his own control, no longer subject to the constraints of others. However, the territory he obtained was too small. According to his original plan, the ideal outcome would have been to annex all his neighbors. But if the Imagawa family truly went mad and tried to kill him, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it. Obtaining more than half of the Oya Family’s territory was already a good result, and he was content.
It was somewhat comical, in a way. Both sides fought fiercely twice but failed to achieve their most desired outcomes. It would have been better to sit down and negotiate from the beginning. However, on the other hand, without fighting twice and suffering one to two thousand casualties, neither side would have been able to sit down and talk calmly.
One could only say that the rules governing the operation of this world are sometimes nonsensical.
…………
The next day, the Imagawa family began to withdraw their troops as agreed. They did not completely withdraw; the camp remained under Imagawa control, with a small contingent left to monitor Yuan Ye. However, at least they didn’t build a series of rock fortresses to surround him. This was the effect of the alliance oath; both sides could save on the cost of mutual defense.
Yuan Ye stood on the city walls, watching them slowly depart. He then sighed and began to consider Oda Nobunaga’s reaction after he wasn’t killed by the Imagawa family. He wondered if Oda Nobunaga would come looking for trouble or completely sever ties with him. He still relied on Atsuta Port for selling goods and the trade routes of Nagoya Castle. He truly didn’t want to fall out completely with Oda Nobunaga.
However, he couldn’t control Oda Nobunaga’s thoughts. He could only face whatever came his way and adapt to circumstances. For now, he put these worries aside and began to carefully examine his territory.
This was the place he had dreamed of since being struck with broken ribs during the Battle of Takeuchi Manor, an incident that nearly cost him his life. At that time, while holding A Qing for warmth, he had secretly vowed never to hide or flee again, but to obtain a place where he had absolute authority.
Now, after immense hardship, sacrificing his reputation and conscience, killing countless people, and even losing a great deal of hair, he had finally obtained such a place. He should have been shedding tears of joy and laughing heartily at the sky. But looking at the devastation after the battle and thinking of the large number of young men he had lost, he couldn’t bring himself to laugh.
He had been beaten to near death again. It was difficult to go around robbing the Chita local lords for people now. He didn’t know how long it would take to recover fully and develop further.
Therefore, he simply stood under the morning sun, bathed in the dawn light, and with a bitter smile, softly greeted his new territory.
Hello, my territory.
And then there was nothing more. He still needed to continue his struggle and find ways to survive in this unfortunate era.
…………
