Chapter 46: Transmigration is so difficult!
“What a coincidence, Lord Yuan Ye. I was just thinking of visiting you, and here we are!” Maeda Toshiie also spotted Yuan Ye and galloped his horse over to him. He nimbly dismounted and pulled two bottles of sake from his saddlebag, saying with a smile, “I just got my hands on two bottles of winter storage sake. Let’s try them together later!”
“Welcome, welcome. It is indeed quite a coincidence,” Yuan Ye replied, not expecting him to show up again. He casually brushed him off and quickly glanced in the direction Toshiie came from, lest he bring that devil Oda Nobunaga along again.
Maeda Toshiie misunderstood, thinking Yuan Ye was looking at his followers. He immediately beckoned behind his horse’s hindquarters and called out, “Hachiro, come and meet Lord Yuan Ye.” He then smiled at Yuan Ye and said, “This is Mura Hachiro. He’s a follower I took in earlier. He’s quite skilled, and when I can’t make it, I send him instead.”
The last time he went home, he wanted to recruit some followers. His money had all gone to buying horses and swords, and hiring people himself was difficult. He could only go to his father, Maeda Toshiharu, to get some for free. However, he didn’t like any of the older men Toshiharu picked for him. Having finally left home and found work, he didn’t want to be constrained by others. In the end, he only chose Mura Hachiro from home, who was even younger than him.
Yuan Ye glanced at him. Mura Hachiro was dressed in plain clothes, wearing a short haori with six circles, and a katana tucked diagonally at his waist. Although young, he looked very capable. Yuan Ye took note and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. If this kid survives, he might become a vassal of the “Million Koku of Kaga” in the future, and possibly the one with the deepest seniority. His position wouldn’t be too low, so it was definitely worth remembering him.
Mura Hachiro also looked up and remembered Yuan Ye’s appearance but didn’t dare to stare. Seeing Yuan Ye nod in acknowledgment, he immediately knelt and performed a deep bow.
Yuan Ye waved his hand, indicating it was unnecessary, then gestured for his guests to enter, leading Maeda Toshiie and Mura Hachiro back to the Yayoi Family residence. Upon returning home, Yuan Ye asked Yayoi and Aping to prepare some small dishes to entertain Maeda Toshiie. He also cooked extra food for the Momoi Brothers to eat and chat with Mura Hachiro in the courtyard, showing great hospitality.
However, he refused to drink. His life had been deeply scarred by alcohol, nearly ruining his childhood. He detested alcohol. Although he had a broader perspective as he grew older and wouldn’t interfere with others drinking, he would never drink himself. It would destroy many things he held onto while rebuilding himself.
Maeda Toshiie, however, truly considered sake a fine thing and really wanted to get Yuan Ye to join him. But after a long period of persuasion with no success, he could only drink by himself. As the dishes were served and the sake flowed, he wiped his hands on his lap and said seriously, “Lord Yuan Ye, do you perhaps have some misunderstanding about Lord Oda Saburo?”
Yuan Ye sighed inwardly. He knew Toshiie wouldn’t come with good intentions; his treacherous heart was still set on tricking him. He made up his mind that he would still refuse and absolutely would not become a vassal of Oda Nobunaga.
Being a vassal wasn’t that easy. Take this current situation, for example. He could refuse Maeda Toshiie; as a guest, Toshiie had no right to force his host. At most, he would be a little displeased. But if he became a vassal of Oda Nobunaga, setting aside the “adoptive father and son” relationship, Oda Nobunaga himself, when drunk and in a good mood, might insist on him drinking, command him to drink. Would he drink or not?
Many people born in the 90s and 00s have encountered similar situations. You don’t want to drink, but your superior tells you to. Do you drink or not? If you publicly embarrass your superior, do you think they won’t hold a grudge? To keep your job, you have no choice but to force yourself to drink. Doesn’t that feel uncomfortable, demeaning, and spiritually humiliating?
If it’s like this in the modern era, it could only be worse in ancient times. If Oda Nobunaga got drunk and insisted on forcing you to drink, and you refused to the death, would he, in a drunken rage, start punching and kicking you? Or, on a whim, give you a no-win choice: either obey the order and drink, or commit seppuku as atonement. Which would you choose?
If you can’t even obey orders on a trivial matter like drinking, what else can you be expected to do?
Alright, for the sake of survival, you’d have to drink. But what about other matters?
If he ordered you to arrest and hang all the villagers who resisted taxes, would you obey? Obeying means betraying your conscience. Finding a way around it means risking your life. Your life and death would be entirely controlled by what Oda Nobunaga was thinking at that moment!
Yuan Ye had truly transmigrated. He would definitely encounter many similar situations in the future, unlike in novels where they could be glossed over with a laugh. That’s why he said this vassal position was untenable. It wasn’t just about enduring some humiliation to one’s dignity by constantly bowing; there were endless troublesome matters, and one had to abandon many things that modern people needed to uphold.
Of course, if he could “integrate into the era,” it would be easier. If he weren’t a modern person, he wouldn’t need to uphold so many things and could just go around slashing and killing. But he didn’t have that ability, and some of his ideas were too stubborn to truly integrate.
Yuan Ye played dead, not wanting to discuss Oda Nobunaga. He silently drank his tea, neither nodding nor shaking his head. This led Maeda Toshiie to misunderstand, believing Yuan Ye indeed had deep-seated misconceptions about Oda Nobunaga. He quickly said, “There are indeed many rumors circulating about Lord Oda Saburo, but rumors stop with the wise. With Lord Yuan Ye’s wisdom, you surely don’t truly believe them, do you?”
Yuan Ye couldn’t stop him from talking, so if he didn’t want to discuss it, he had to. He sighed, “I have indeed heard some… unsubstantiated rumors. The words are absurd and hard to believe.”
“As expected of Lord Yuan Ye, truly wise!” Maeda Toshiie took a sip of sake and praised him first. Then he continued, “Many people misunderstand Lord Oda Saburo. Take the matter of Lord Kinoshita, for example. It’s mostly just hearsay.”
He paused slightly and then asked with concern, “Lord Yuan Ye, are you aware of Lord Kinoshita’s matter?”
“This… I really haven’t heard of it.”
“Hmm, is that so…” Maeda Toshiie felt a slight regret, wishing he hadn’t brought it up. But since he had already said it, he had to continue. “The outside world says Lord Oda Saburo shot Lord Kinoshita with a matchlock gun without reason. In reality, someone deliberately caused trouble and spread rumors!”
Hearing this, Yuan Ye remembered. A Man had indeed mentioned Oda Nobunaga playing with a matchlock gun and killing a supporting vassal. He curiously asked, “So this is a rumor? Lord Kinoshita didn’t actually die?”
“Uh… Lord Kinoshita did die.”
“It wasn’t Lord Oda Saburo who shot him with a matchlock gun?”
“Uh… it was indeed Lord Oda Saburo who shot him with a matchlock gun.” Maeda Toshiie was clearly not a good persuader. His eloquence in *Taiko 2* was only rated one star, and the evaluation seemed accurate. He was very awkward. “It was an accidental shooting. Lord Oda Saburo was practicing with his matchlock gun on the training ground at the time. Lord Kinoshita happened to be practicing archery there as well. Somehow, Lord Kinoshita took a shot, but he didn’t die immediately. He was only hit in the thigh. He went back and lay there for over twenty days… and then died of illness.”
Yuan Ye silently took a sip of tea, speechless for a moment.
This was still Oda Nobunaga shooting him with a matchlock gun, wasn’t it? The rumor wasn’t that far off! It was just rephrased as an “accidental shooting,” which sounded better than playing with a matchlock gun and killing a vassal. He had previously thought Oda Nobunaga had deliberately aimed and fired, killing a vassal for sport.
Maeda Toshiie also felt the explanation was muddled, but it was truly an accident. Afterward, Oda Nobunaga himself didn’t understand how the matchlock gun suddenly fired. One of the bullets flew off course and hit Kinoshita, who was pulling an arrow from the target, in the side of the thigh, creating a large bloody hole. They weren’t using the same target; the targets were spaced about ten paces apart. Theoretically, he shouldn’t have been hit!
Maeda Toshiie felt the start was unfavorable; the first rumor wasn’t explained well. He quickly moved past it and continued to dryly explain other rumors. “Um, many people also say Lord Oda Saburo associates with bandits. That’s also a fabrication!”
Yuan Ye had also heard this from A Man. He immediately asked, “So Lord Oda Saburo didn’t associate with bandits and has always maintained his integrity?”
“Uh… he did associate with some bandits.” Maeda Toshiie became awkward again but quickly said urgently, “However, Lord Oda Saburo’s association with these people was never to collude with them. It was solely to learn matchlock gun techniques. There was a bandit… a person named Hashimoto Ichiba among the Kawana Group who was skilled with matchlock guns. Lord Oda Saburo often went there just to practice matchlock gun techniques with him. He also intended to reform them and recruit them for his own use. In the past two years, the Kawana Group and the Hachisuka Party have robbed much less, and it’s all thanks to Lord Oda Saburo.”
He paused and added, “Lord Oda Saburo is very concerned about matchlock guns, believing this weapon will shine on the battlefield in the future. He has many ideas about matchlock guns, which is why he had to go and learn.”
Maeda Toshiie’s explanation was somewhat disjointed, but Yuan Ye understood the general meaning. Oda Nobunaga was sharp when it came to military matters. Or rather, from his position as Lord of a Castle, he believed that emerging weapons like matchlock guns were suitable for equipping his troops. He even had the idea of incorporating some river and mountain bandits to form a matchlock gun unit. This was actually quite remarkable.
However, matchlock guns had caused Oda Nobunaga quite a bit of trouble. Most of Oda Nobunaga’s rumors were related to matchlock guns…
Yuan Ye stroked his chin in thought. Maeda Toshiie seemed to see hope. He thought about it and figured that a young samurai couldn’t possibly have no intention of serving. Yuan Ye was likely just scared by Oda Nobunaga’s bad reputation, so he made an effort to explain things properly.
Seeing that it was effective, he quickly continued, “The rumors that Lord Oda Saburo does nothing all day are also fabricated by someone with malicious intent! Lord Oda Saburo trains in horsemanship and archery daily, swims in the river to strengthen his body, and drills formations with us. He rarely indulges in pleasure; as a superior, he is extremely diligent!”
Yuan Ye knew about this. A Man had mentioned Oda Nobunaga swimming in the Nagara River and also said his buttocks were very white. She also mentioned that he often took a group of pages and beat them with bamboo poles, which seemed to be for strengthening his body and practicing battle formations.
Thinking of this, Yuan Ye suddenly remembered another thing A Man had said and became curious. He asked, “I heard that Lord Hirate’s eldest son was ambushed in the market town and severely beaten. This…”
“Uh…” Maeda Toshiie blinked, his eyes darting away. He quickly picked up his sake cup as if to drink and mumbled, “This matter… I’m not very clear about it. I hadn’t followed Lord Saburo at the time, nor did I hear much about it.”
Yuan Ye coughed dryly and took a sip of tea with him. He understood in his heart. The person was indeed sent by Oda Nobunaga. Oda Nobunaga was a bit petty and held grudges. Hirate Masahide’s eldest son, just by following his father’s orders to escort Oda Nobunaga home, was inexplicably beaten severely. It was truly unjust!
Maeda Toshiie also didn’t want to dwell on the market town ambush. After drinking, he composed himself and continued his efforts. “In short, many rumors about Lord Oda Saburo are untrue. It’s just that Lord Oda Saburo is proud and arrogant and has always disdained to explain. Lord Yuan Ye must not believe the rumors! On the contrary, Lord Oda Saburo greatly admires Lord Yuan Ye and eagerly anticipates your contributions!”
“Oh, is it because of my medical skills?” Yuan Ye guessed that was his only advantage at the moment.
“Something like that!” Maeda Toshiie wasn’t very clear about this matter either; it was mostly speculation. He was a muddled persuader and said hesitantly, “Perhaps it’s because you are willing to treat commoners that Lord Oda Saburo admires you greatly? He seems to have always felt that the commoners of Owari have poor health. When conscripted as ashigaru, they can’t even run fast, so it’s impossible to gain an advantage fighting with them. He’s said many times that he wants commoners to have enough to eat and be strong, but… it’s difficult, and he’s never succeeded. Now that he sees you are willing to administer medicine and improve the health of commoners, perhaps… you share a common goal?”
So that was it? Oda Nobunaga had wanted to tamper with rice prices to reduce the burden on civilians. It wasn’t a confused class stance or an intention to treat commoners well, but simply dissatisfaction with the poor quality of soldiers? Coupled with his constant practice of martial arts and horsemanship, daily physical training, and emphasis on emerging weapons, perhaps his current ambition was to become a famous general?
As Yuan Ye was pondering, analyzing Oda Nobunaga’s psychological state, Maeda Toshiie felt the time was ripe. With his one-star eloquence, it was difficult to come up with anything new. He immediately shifted back a few inches, bowed, and said loudly, “Lord Yuan Ye, I am poor at expressing myself and cannot explain many things clearly, but my Lord has great ambitions. He is determined to become a more outstanding general than His Excellency Danjō no Chū in the future. I dare to guarantee this with my life! I believe my Lord will surely achieve great deeds in the future and will never let your talents be wasted. Therefore… please follow my Lord, I beg you!”
What was bound to come had come. It was unavoidable. Yuan Ye sighed inwardly again and asked him seriously, “So, Lord Oda Saburo sent you to persuade me this time? Is this Lord Oda Saburo’s intention?”
If so, he would have to flee overnight, start anew elsewhere, and absolutely not give Oda Nobunaga the chance for three visits. That would be a path to death. If he refused after three visits, Oda Nobunaga would surely kill him. He could figure that out with his eyes closed.
Transmigrating is so difficult. It’s not that easy to get through.
Yuan Ye was already contemplating how to flee overnight, who to bring, and what to pack. Maeda Toshiie looked up, embarrassed, and said, “That’s not it. Lord Oda Saburo just asked me to deliver some things, but I felt I should try to persuade you further.”
Yuan Ye stared at him for a while, completely speechless. “You scoundrel! What business is it of yours? Why are you causing trouble? You almost scared me into abandoning my home and fleeing!”
After a moment of speechlessness, he directly reached out and said impatiently, “Where are the things? I truly don’t want to serve. If you consider me a friend, then don’t mention it again. It will only put me in a difficult position! I’m really begging you!”
Maeda Toshiie tried his best but failed. He was somewhat disappointed and sighed as he got up. He still didn’t understand Yuan Ye’s thinking but respected his wishes and didn’t insist on persuading him further. He only took out a “Black Seal Document” from His huái and handed it to him, sighing, “That’s truly a pity. I believe Lord Oda Saburo will surely achieve great deeds. Following him, becoming the Lord of a Castle in the future is not an impossible dream. It’s a shame you’re not joining us!”
“I believe that too, but I’ll pass. You work hard yourself!” Yuan Ye casually replied and then unfolded the “Black Seal Document.” Upon seeing it, he immediately raised an eyebrow.
Good. This was the style of someone like Oda Nobunaga. Three visits and persistent nagging were not!
