Chapter 236: Grinding for Merit
A few days later, Yuan Ye received an urgent official letter sent back by A Man via a swift kobaya ship.
In the official letter, A Man made an exorbitant demand, directly asking Xin Wanjin for twenty sets of modern armor and one hundred sets of cuirasses for the Xin Wanjin Army, along with over a thousand long swords, over a thousand spearheads, five hundred strong bows, and more than two hundred short-barreled matchlock guns.
In addition to these, matching military uniforms, boots, and raincoats were also requested, as well as gunpowder and grain. She stated that once the supplies arrived, she would arrange for some Ainu people to sign a friendly trade agreement at Xin Wanjin Port 《, ensuring Xin Wanjin would not incur a loss.》
The requested items were quite substantial, amounting to twenty to thirty thousand koku if calculated precisely. It was uncertain how long it would take to recoup the costs, and there was an eighty percent chance of further investment later, with a high possibility of the money being wasted.
Endo, Maeshima, and others, who were temporarily managing miscellaneous affairs at Xin Wanjin Port, were unsure. As it involved A Man’s secret operation, they dared not approve it directly and sent it back to Matsukura Castle for Yuan Ye to decide, even though Yuan Ye had instructed them before his departure to prioritize A Man’s required supplies.
Yuan Ye did not hesitate. He immediately signed and stamped the document, ordering Xin Wanjin Port to provide the full amount, even if it meant squeezing it out for A Man. If necessary, they were to take it from the Wanjin Army first. He also supplemented some other supplies.
For instance, medicine. He vaguely recalled that during the “Wa People’s” expansion into Ezo Island, they had used “poisoned people,” meaning they had thrown commoners suffering from cholera, heatstroke, and acute parasitic infections into the Ainu territories, causing widespread disease and a significant population decline among the Ainu tribes, greatly reducing their resistance.
The Ainu people had relatively backward technology and almost no medical system. Yuan Ye remembered this and decided to help them patch up their vulnerabilities.
These funds should be spent, even if it only meant expelling the “Wa People” from Ezo Island and allowing Ezo Island to separate from Japan. Any amount spent would be worth it.
Moreover, although the exact number of Ainu people on Ezo Island had never been clearly determined （ (even the Ainu themselves were unsure of their numbers) ）, preliminary estimates suggested they exceeded two hundred thousand. This emerging market of just two hundred thousand people would also be extremely beneficial for the development of Wanjin’s industry and commerce.
Furthermore, Ezo Island was extremely rich in natural mineral resources, including coal, iron, silver, copper, gold, and sulfur. It would be uneconomical and inconvenient for the Wanjin people to mine them themselves, and it could easily lead to conflict. However, in the future, they could cooperate with the Ainu people in mining, which would also be quite profitable.
After approving the “operational funds,” Yuan Ye also wrote a letter to A Man, first commending her efforts and achievements, and then cautioning her to take it easy. For the next one to two years, Wanjin’s development focus would be on expanding its territory again, primarily targeting the Ise Peninsula. It would be impossible to travel halfway across Japan to Ezo Island and engage in large-scale battles with the daimyo of northeastern Japan.
Therefore, the military support Wanjin could provide would be quite limited. For a long time, A Man would have to rely on herself. Warfare was perilous, and if she encountered real danger, she should flee back immediately, prioritizing her life. He would find other ways to deal with matters on Ezo Island later.
This was written as a private letter from a friend, a treatment only A Man received. If someone else were undertaking the mission, Yuan Ye would likely have demanded that they complete the mission even if they died on the spot.
Otherwise, if they fled back, they would naturally face military law and would not fare well.
After becoming a lord, his heart had grown increasingly hardened. He wondered if this could be considered growth.
Just as he finished dealing with matters thousands of miles away, someone came to visit Yuan Ye at Matsukura Castle. It was a small army, numbering over four hundred, with varied equipment, looking very much like disguised thieves, raising strong suspicions of a plot to seize the castle.
Fortunately, the commander was an acquaintance, the “Second Monkey,” Yaguro. This fellow was always around Oda Nobunaga and had previously welcomed Yuan Ye ashore with Maeda Toshiie. Yuan Ye naturally recognized him.
However, during wartime, Wanjin was a force that placed particular emphasis on military discipline and operational procedures. Even with an acquaintance, Yuan Ye did not issue an order to let them enter the city to rest. Instead, he had his subordinates designate a barren area for them to set up camp themselves, in a location easily accessible to the Wanjin Army’s attacks.
This motley crew was somewhat indignant, feeling that Yuan Ye was looking down on them. They grumbled for a while before reluctantly quieting down under Yaguro’s persuasion and proceeded to set up camp and rest.
The primary reason was that according to Wanjin Army’s established procedures, which had been naturally refined over many years, guest armies were not allowed to pose a threat. It wasn’t true discrimination against this small group; they were provided with the standard supply provisions for guest armies. The Wanjin Army’s soldier rations were excellent for this era, unlike other daimyo who would just give them rice. Therefore, after seeing the rice, flour, and pickles provided by the Wanjin Army, the ashigaru who looked like thieves were less resentful.
As the commander, Yaguro was permitted to enter the city. He did not bring many vassals or followers, only two stout samurai in their forties. These two samurai had dark skin, clearly weathered by hardship, making them appear older, though they were actually only thirty-six or thirty-seven years old.
These two men were Maeno Nagayasu and Hashiba Masakatsu. They were sworn brothers and locals from near Matsukura Castle.
Or rather, they were locals from the area where the Kiso River and Nagara River converged. One hailed from Matsukura Village, where Matsukura Castle was located, and the other from the neighboring Hashiba Village, both being local kokujin-shu.
These two were the prominent leaders of Owari’s notorious river bandit group, the “Kawana Group.” Oda Nobunaga often associated with them before becoming the head of the family, learning matchlock techniques from them and exercising with them in the water. Many of the ninja units formed by Oda Nobunaga were even from the “Kawana Group.”
Now that Oda Nobunaga’s territory had expanded and his control over the Kawana region grew stronger, the “Kawana Group” had completely sided with the Oda Family. Hashiba Masakatsu, Maeno Nagayasu, and others officially became Oda Nobunaga’s attendant vassals. They had been vassals before, but as yoriki vassals, they were the type of vassals that local lords submitted to a daimyo, not direct forces of Oda Nobunaga, nor even forces of the Oda Family. After all, these border local lords had always played both sides, serving as common vassals to both the Oda and Saito families.
They had a long-standing relationship with Oda Nobunaga. Oda Nobunaga was quite protective of his subordinates and sentimental. Knowing they couldn’t tolerate military discipline, he didn’t incorporate them into the regular ashigaru ranks. Instead, he formed a separate unit for them and assigned Yaguro, a commoner samurai, to manage them.
Alternatively, one could say that Oda Nobunaga assigned the wild samurai like Hashiba Masakatsu and Maeno Nagayasu to Yaguro as yoriki samurai. Hashiba Masakatsu and the others could then call Yaguro their lord. At most, Yaguro was a penniless individual with no background, currently unable to support so many people, and it was Oda Nobunaga who was paying their annual salaries.
Looking at these three men, Yuan Ye couldn’t help but smile. He admired Oda Nobunaga’s stubbornness. Oda Nobunaga did not want the Owari local lords to become too powerful and had wanted to cultivate a group of samurai from outside the region and commoner samurai to create balance from an early stage. He had not given up on this for years, and it was now showing initial results.
At the same time, Yuan Ye was quite satisfied with Yaguro’s current situation. He had secretly killed the “legitimate Monkey” and forcibly became Nene’s cheap master, insisting that Nene not marry until she was eleven or twelve. As a result, Yaguro had not followed the Monkey’s old path, failing to marry the adopted daughter of the Asano Family and thus not receiving the covert support of the old and powerful Owari local lord, the Asano Family. Consequently, without the support of strong vassals like Asano Nagamasa, his financial resources were relatively insufficient, and he wore armor that clearly looked secondhand, which was not very presentable.
Historically, Kinoshita Tōkichirō’s capital for his rise was Nene’s dowry. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to afford even a set of armor suitable for proper combat, let alone recruit many vassals and followers and cultivate his own power.
Nene herself said this. After she became “Okata-dokoro,” she argued with the Monkey in Owari dialect, once saying in anger that the Monkey should return the dowry.
According to the maidservants who witnessed it at the time, the Monkey was furious but helpless, feeling extremely wronged, and almost choked to death on the spot.
Compared to Kinoshita Tōkichirō, Yaguro’s development was lacking; he could at least be considered to have a crippled leg. He also did not inherit the Kinoshita Family name, which originated from Kyoto and had a relatively high family status. Oda Nobunaga arranged for him to marry a widowed woman from a fallen family, inheriting the Nakamura Family name. Yaguro’s full name was now Nakamura Yaguro.
Of course, even though Yaguro had a crippled leg, Yuan Ye did not underestimate him. After all, he was a candidate strongly supported by Oda Nobunaga. Yaguro’s other leg was still quite excellent.
For example, among the men Oda Nobunaga assigned to him, Maeno Nagayasu was skilled in martial arts, excelled in matchlock combat and naval warfare, and was daring and fierce. Hashiba Masakatsu, on the other hand, was both intelligent and brave. He had defended a castle against Tokugawa Ieyasu. During the conquest of the Mōri Family, he purchased grain at a high price around Tottori Castle, leading to a shortage of provisions for the castle’s defenders and achieving the feat of “starving Tottori to death.” He was a famous general with well-known battle records.
Later, he even went into battle despite being ill and pacified Shikoku Island in three months, forcefully subjugating Chōsokabe Motochika.
Of course, this was not solely his achievement, but his performance in Shikoku, employing both force and diplomacy, and various methods of division and enticement, could not be denied as excellent.
Furthermore, this fellow was also adept at internal affairs. During his tenure as the lord of Tatsuno Castle in Harima Province, he single-handedly increased the castle’s yield from 3,200 koku to 53,000 koku, an increase of 1800%. This was equivalent to turning Aragiko Castle into Nagoya Castle.
This was an achievement that Maeda Toshiharu and his family had not accomplished in three generations, indicating that his administrative skills were quite remarkable.
Compared to Takenaka Hanbei, the “genius strategist” whose reputation was inflated by later storybooks, Hashiba Masakatsu was actually the true strategist of the “Oda-faction grassroots samurai group” represented by the Monkey. Historically, Takenaka Hanbei did not have any subordinate relationship with the Monkey and was not part of the same group. Hashiba Masakatsu’s contribution was paramount to the Monkey’s early rise.
Therefore, with the strong support of Oda Nobunaga and the assistance of these grassroots wild samurai from river bandit backgrounds, Nakamura Yaguro might still achieve something even without Nene and the Asano Family’s support.
In fact, even without Nene and the Asano Family, he could still reach the historical height of the Monkey.
Yuan Ye did not underestimate the “crippled Monkey.” He hosted a banquet for them and friendly exchanged conversation with Maeno Nagayasu and Hashiba Masakatsu for a while, making their acquaintance.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, when the three men were satisfied with the food and drink, Yuan Ye finally inquired about their mission.
Yaguro did not conceal anything. Oda Nobunaga had originally instructed him to seek help from the Wanjin Army if needed, which was why he had taken a detour to visit Matsukura Castle. He immediately replied respectfully, “I was just about to inform Your Highness that my lord has ordered us to go and persuade the local lords in the Kiso River area. I fear this will cause you considerable trouble, and I ask for your kind assistance.”
“Oh? Are you trying to persuade Iki and Ōsawa?” Yuan Ye was surprised by Oda Nobunaga’s haste, always looking for more while having enough. He asked with excitement, “How is the situation at Inuyama Castle? When will Lord Jūrōzaemon （ Oda Nobukiyo ） surrender?”
The Saito Family was in internal conflict, and Saito Tatsuoki had lost his stronghold, unable to rescue Inuyama Castle. Yuan Ye expected Oda Nobukiyo to surrender, but Oda Nobukiyo was more stubborn than he had anticipated. Knowing there were no reinforcements, he was still holding out, with no sign of surrender yet.
A look of disdain flashed across Yaguro’s face. He shook his head and said, “Lord Jūrōzaemon has refused the offer to surrender the castle. My lord has decided to launch a full-scale assault early next month and break through the city directly.”
So, it still comes down to a hard fight…
Oda Nobukiyo is quite spirited, refusing to bow to his cousin Oda Nobunaga. And with less than a month until early next month, once Inuyama Castle is taken, Oda Nobunaga can advance north without any reservations, directly towards the Kiso River area, and taking the Iki and Ōsawa families will be no problem. Therefore…
Is this Oda Nobunaga’s way of letting this commoner samurai, Yaguro, earn merit?
Oda Nobunaga is truly looking out for this fellow, afraid he might rise too slowly, or perhaps wanting to grant him a fief to cultivate his own power and train his subordinates?
Yuan Ye’s mind raced, and he roughly guessed Oda Nobunaga’s intentions. He did not object.
He couldn’t stop such things. Even if he secretly killed Yaguro again, Oda Nobunaga could find another candidate to promote. Unless he killed Oda Nobunaga directly, but Oda Nobunaga was not that easy to kill. The Oda Family had been in Owari for nearly two hundred years, deeply rooted, with countless branch families and collateral lines. Killing Oda Nobunaga would only benefit others.
Looking back now, there was no need to have secretly killed the Monkey back then. He would have ended up in this state even if he were alive.
Yuan Ye’s thoughts wandered for a moment, and he asked with concern, “Since Inuyama Castle is no longer an issue, it’s time to move towards the Kiso River area. Does Lord Yaguro have confidence?”
Yaguro glanced at Hashiba Masakatsu, straightened his back, and said with confidence, “Of course, Your Highness. Lord Hikoemon （ Hashiba Masakatsu’s tsūna, originally Koroku, was changed after becoming a samurai ）, before… uh, he often operated in the Kiso River area and had dealings with the local lords… um, he has had exchanges. I believe with Lord Hikoemon’s help, I can persuade them.”
Yuan Ye nodded slowly. The “Kawana Group,” like the water bandits on the sea, engaged in both robbery and business. He guessed that the local lords around Ikuyama Castle were their former clients, indicating an old acquaintance.
At least there was room for negotiation and some basis of trust, even without an intermediary.
He immediately smiled and said, “It’s good that you have confidence. Is there anything you need my help with? You came all this way specifically, so there must be something you require my assistance with, right?”
Yaguro hadn’t expected Yuan Ye to be so accommodating. He had originally brought letters from Maeda Toshiie and Niwa Nagahide, intending to use their influence to ask Yuan Ye for help, but it turned out to be unnecessary.
He immediately bowed and thanked him, “Your Highness is truly astute. I do indeed require your assistance! If Your Highness does not mind, could you cooperate with us in an operation across the river?”
To put pressure on Ikuyama Castle and Unuma Castle?
Yuan Ye had no objections and immediately smiled, “Certainly. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to move around. I’ll accompany you then.”
The great momentum is unstoppable. If you can’t kill it, make peace with it first, and deal with it later!
