Chapter 208: With Added Ingredients
The construction method for the great Atakebune ships was no different from that of ordinary vessels.
The keel was spliced from pine wood—the method of splicing keels had been widely used since the Song Dynasty. The ribs were made from old elm or locust wood, heated over a fire to bend and shape them into a single unit, forming the hull’s skeleton.
Cedar wood was used for processing the planks. Layers of bamboo leaves mixed with honeycomb-crushed mud were applied to the surface, utilizing natural wax to prevent seawater from penetrating the hull’s wooden material, followed by a coating of tallow oil to resist seawater corrosion.
Large oars were crafted from hardwood, and sails were made from soft bamboo, shaped by cutting or pressing, among other methods.
After the Wanjin shipyard was established, Yuan Ye would visit it frequently, not only to encourage Okabe Igen but also out of curiosity for ancient shipbuilding methods.
It was truly an eye-opener; ancient shipbuilding used a bizarre array of materials. Just the oils and waxes involved over ten types, and even leaves used for wrapping zongzi were employed—using their natural wax and natural flavonoid compounds. These strange materials were something he would never have imagined before.
The wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated. Even if they didn’t understand the principles, the experience accumulated over thousands of years was sometimes more effective and practical than modern methods.
At the same time, Okabe Igen’s son, apprentices, and hired workers were also very capable. They either specialized in a particular skill, transforming wood into strangely shaped objects, or were highly adept at organizing production, appearing like master craftsmen in the shipyard.
The value of these individuals was not much less than Okabe Igen’s. In other words, these people were like the dare-to-fight and strive followers under a samurai; they were Okabe Igen’s true capital for establishing himself.
Indeed, skilled workers are not conspicuous but are very important. If you don’t believe it, just look at the American moon landing program.
The American moon landing program didn’t actually lose much data, and even a new engine was found in a warehouse, yet it couldn’t be replicated because the skilled workers had died out.
For example, a certain component required welding, but no one could perform that specific welding method anymore. As a result, even with technical documentation, production was impossible.
The principle is the same, and it’s the same in ancient times. Without these people, even if Yuan Ye himself understood shipbuilding, it would be difficult to build the ships, at least not in a short period. Training such a group of skilled workers specializing in woodworking would take at least ten to eight years of study and training.
Moreover, this kind of work requires talent. Even if you are willing to spend ten to eight years training, you might not necessarily excel.
After observing at the shipyard for a few days, Yuan Ye realized his previous mistake. Without hesitation, he no longer regarded them as Okabe Igen’s retainers and immediately improved their personal treatment, giving them a separate “high subsidy.” According to the feudal ethics of this era, he couldn’t give them salaries directly, bypassing Okabe Igen.
He also asked Okabe Igen to take the lead in training the helpers provided by Wanjin and teach the Wanjin people the skills.
At the same time, he was relieved. With such a group of professional technicians, the ships should be fine. At least their skills should be much better than those of the water bandits, and it’s unlikely that major mistakes like those made by Kuki Yoshitaka would occur. The six “great Atakebune ironclad ships” built by Kuki Yoshitaka seemed to have a lifespan of only two to three years, and two of them capsized and sank directly when a large number of troops boarded on one side, apparently due to hull balance issues.
Okabe Igen and his subordinates are more professional and have a better work attitude, so it’s unlikely such accidents will happen once the ships are built.
Yuan Ye was completely relieved. Just then, Matsudaira Motoyasu fulfilled the alliance, providing support for the establishment of the navy. He sent over thirty carpenters of varying skill levels and also stated that he had obtained a batch of excellent shipbuilding timber, which would be sent to the Odaka River line soon, where Yuan Ye could send people to collect it. Simultaneously, he sent Yuan Ye, his new ally, a commercial order that was like a beggar’s request, wanting everything in a jumbled mess.
Gunpowder, salt, cloth, wine, oil, pottery, matchlock guns, armor—he wanted anything Wanjin had. Some of the orders seemed suspicious, suggesting the Matsudaira family intended to engage in resale trade, aiming to purchase at low prices and sell them at high prices in the mountains north of Mikawa.
Yuan Ye didn’t mind, as long as he got paid. He handed the orders to Endo Chiyo for processing and entrusted the Mikawa carpenters to Okabe Igen, further accelerating the ship construction speed.
After another month of this work, everything in the shipyard was on track. Apart from daily supervision of his subordinates to ensure the shipyard’s supply of materials and concern for the quality of life of the Okabe family, there was nothing else for him to do. His attention turned to observing what his allies were up to.
“Director of the Eastern Depot,” A Man, rushed over upon hearing the news. She licked her finger and opened her little notebook to report on intelligence work: “Lord, you don’t need to worry. Nothing major has happened recently. Oda Nobunaga is still quiet, building Kaminogo Castle with Niwa Nagahide in preparation for attacking Oda Nobukiyo. However, Kiyosu Castle is still making small-scale mobilizations. Preliminary judgment suggests they might be planning to sweep through the Saito Family’s vassals in the Kiso River area, which has little to do with us.”
Yuan Ye knew about this matter. Niwa Nagahide had sent someone to find him a few days ago, asking for a construction team. Yuan Ye had already sent Maeshima Shichiro with people to help.
After nodding, he asked again, “Anything else? What are the Matsudaira family’s movements?”
A Man didn’t look up, flipping through a few pages before saying, “Matsudaira Motoyasu hasn’t caused any trouble. He has even retreated over ten miles from the border with us, showing no desire to provoke us. However, things are quite lively on his end.
After forming an alliance with Oda Nobunaga and us, he officially broke ties with the Imagawa family upon his return. He gathered all the local lords of Eastern Mikawa and marched towards the Udo family in Western Mikawa. According to the last report, he has already besieged Kaminogo Castle, the stronghold of Udono Nagateru. I estimate the Udono family is likely finished by now.”
During the Kiyosu Three-House Alliance, Oda Nobunaga, Matsudaira Motoyasu, and Yuan Ye had already divided their spheres of development: Oda Nobunaga would develop to the north and west, Matsudaira Motoyasu to the east, and Yuan Ye, at the cost of being confined to the Chita Peninsula, obtained rights for free trade, passage, and the full opening of markets in Owari and Mikawa. He was blocked on the peninsula by the Oda and Matsudaira families, making it impossible to leave by land.
But Yuan Ye didn’t expect Matsudaira Motoyasu to act so quickly and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure? It’s only been a little over a month since the Kiyosu Alliance, and the Udono family is about to be finished?”
“Matsudaira Motoyasu must have been prepared long ago and planned to make a move before going to Kiyosu Castle to meet Oda Nobunaga. Moreover, the Imagawa family is no longer what it used to be. Imagawa Ujizane is a fool; he killed all the hostages from the local lords’ families in Eastern Mikawa. Now, while the Udono family is being beaten, all the local lords of Eastern Mikawa are just watching, with no one offering help. The Matsudaira family is fighting against one.”
A Man was confident in her intelligence work. Flipping through her notebook, she casually recited a long list of Mikawa local lord family names to Yuan Ye, then added, “Besides, the country bumpkin samurai of the Matsudaira family are quite capable. Five hundred of them almost broke through the Rock Fortress I personally defended back then. The Udono family cannot be stronger than me, so they must be finished by now. It’s not a problem for the Matsudaira family to take over all of Mikawa.”
Yuan Ye nodded slowly. This was somewhat logical and well-founded. Moreover, Udono Nagateru was historically quite incompetent. He was almost starved to death when besieged by the Oda family in Odaka Castle, and after Imagawa Yoshimoto died, he fled without a fight. It seemed he was indeed no match for Matsudaira Motoyasu.
The Imagawa family is in danger!
As for whether Imagawa Ujizane resisted…
Yuan Ye vaguely remembered that he was destroyed by Matsudaira Motoyasu and Takeda Shingen together. The two allied and divided the Imagawa family. The Matsudaira family—by then Matsudaira Motoyasu had changed his name, so it should be said the Tokugawa family occupied Suruga Province, while Takeda Shingen occupied Suruga Province. However, he couldn’t recall the year these events occurred or the specific details.
But Matsudaira Motoyasu hasn’t changed his name to Tokugawa Ieyasu yet, nor has he even changed it to Matsudaira Ieyasu. He hasn’t discarded the character”Yuan” given to him by Imagawa Yoshimoto. It’s likely that the fall of the Imagawa family is still several years away.
Before that, Matsudaira Motoyasu should be unable to look west, and at least he won’t be interested in clashing with him.
It’s the same for Oda Nobunaga. Before he deals with his allies Oda Nobukiyo and Saito Tatsuoki, he probably won’t pay attention to the south.
This is truly like being imprisoned, with no one paying attention…
Yuan Ye’s thoughts wandered for a while. He felt that the surrounding environment was stable and no one would target him. He seemed to have nothing to do for the time being, but he couldn’t stay idle. He decided to go and watch the navy training again and waved A Man away, signaling her to leave.
“Wait!” A Man wasn’t so easily dismissed. She grabbed his sleeve and pulled a crumpled invitation letter, which looked like it had just been used to wipe her backside, from her pocket and handed it to him, saying enthusiastically, “Uozumi asked me to give this to you, asking you to come and support him.”
Uozumi Hikoshirō was a disciple of Izumi Heiji. After moving to the Chita Peninsula, he didn’t want to farm and started a “traveling circus” to perform and earn money everywhere. Relying on Izumi Heiji, he smoothed things over with Yuan Ye and obtained a piece of land in Xin Wanjin City, where he built a grand theater. He is now a well-known figure in Xin Wanjin’s art and commercial circles.
He is also a major financier of the Wanjin Kōka faction, and the leader of the Kōka faction is Lord A Man. People like to stick together, and those who migrated from Kōka like to seek A Man’s help.
Yuan Ye stopped and casually took the invitation letter, flipping through it. He frowned, “Is it not the kind of ghostly, romantic stuff from last time? If it is, give it to A Ken. Let her go in my stead, and it’ll be good for her to get out and about.”
He had been to the grand theater’s opening once, and it was indescribable. The play that time was a disaster, and he never wanted to see it again.
A Man immediately assured him, “It’s definitely not the incomprehensible stuff from last time. I personally scolded him. This play was staged according to your requirements, and you’ll absolutely love it!”
A Man, for Izumi Heiji’s sake, truly took care of the Kōka people. It might also be because she received two bottles of good wine from Uozumi Hikoshirō. She held onto him, strongly recommending, “There’s not much to do lately anyway, you should go. Didn’t you always say you wanted to encourage these people to develop well? You also said leisure and entertainment are indispensable to Wanjin, so you can’t just say it and not do it. You should show your face!”
With Yuan Ye’s current status and position, only A Man dared to cling to him like this. Most people wouldn’t have the nerve to drag him to watch a play.
Yuan Ye was helpless. He glanced at the time on the invitation letter and said, “Alright, I’ll take a look later. Go back and tell A Ken and A Qing to come with me then.”
He paused and asked with lingering unease, “Is it really not that strange stuff from last time?”
“Absolutely not!”
A Man replied with full confidence. In this world, she understood Yuan Ye the best. She had personally guided this play and added special ingredients, guaranteeing Yuan Ye would be excited after watching it.
