Chapter 70: Wild Boar Carries Matchlock Gun
With Oda Nobunaga’s advantage of a +2 spear, he decisively routed the main force of the Kiyosu Army in open combat, rendering the subsequent battles devoid of suspense.
After pursuing the fleeing enemy for a period, he immediately regrouped his troops and, without even properly clearing the battlefield, rushed towards Matsuba Castle. He joined forces with the detachment sent to destroy Matsuba Fort and immediately launched a fierce assault. Matsuba Castle was merely a small castle, similar to Aragiko Castle, with comparable defensive capabilities. It did not hold out for long before being breached, and its defending generals, Akabayashi Sonshichi and Tsuchikura Misuke, were killed on the spot.
Oda Nobunaga did not stop there. After joining forces with the detachment that attacked Sanbonmoku, he immediately moved on to Fukada Castle. However, his troops were quite fatigued by this point, so he did not order a direct assault but instead sent an envoy to persuade them to surrender.
The defending general of Fukada also proved sensible. Seeing that they could not resist by force, and after receiving a promise of their lives being spared, they directly opened the city gates and surrendered.
Thus, the Kiyosu Oda Family’s “Fat Meat Plan” was completely shattered. Not only did they fail to gain any profit from the Danjō no Chū family, but they also lost their capital. Their vassal samurai and followers were decimated, and it would likely take three to five years for them to recover.
Well, all of this Yuan Ye heard from A Man.
He was extremely busy at this time. After the “Battle of Kaizu,” he began his primary duties, organizing personnel to send the wounded back to the Inaba Land camp for treatment. He couldn’t even participate in the subsequent mopping-up operations.
He was busy for a day and a night, finally settling the wounded with his subordinates before he could close his eyes for a brief rest. However, he felt he hadn’t slept long before A Man woke him up – Oda Nobunaga had returned. After recapturing Matsuba and Fukada Castles, he hadn’t stopped. After a night of rest, he went to Kiyosu Castle and burned down its castle town, even managing to loot some goods.
And since Oda Nobunaga had returned, there would certainly be a commendation of merits and a celebration party, which all samurai were required to attend. Yuan Ye, the “fake samurai,” was also notified and had to show up.
Yuan Ye had no choice. After washing his face and changing his clothes, he took A Man to the “Shogunate” – an open space enclosed by cloth, as a celebration banquet needed a venue.
When Yuan Ye arrived, he was given a folding stool and assigned a seat. In front of him was a low table with a pot of sake and some small dishes. A Man, however, did not enter and was sent to a nearby wild area to warm herself by the fire, staying with the followers and retainers of other samurai.
Well, Yuan Ye had wanted A Man to accompany him, to remind him of things and prevent him from making any accidental blunders. He hadn’t expected that he couldn’t bring a personal attendant. Seeing this, he had no choice but to let her go back. But she was quite excited, insisting she would wait for him, so in the end, he let her have her way.
As Yuan Ye sat down, more and more people filled the Shogunate, and in a blink of an eye, it was filled on both sides with over a hundred people. Everyone was in high spirits, laughing and talking loudly, and they started drinking before the important figures like Oda Nobunaga, Oda Nobumitsu, and Hayashi Hidesada even arrived. Some even came to curry favor with Yuan Ye, claiming that a certain relative of theirs had been unwell, experiencing pain here and there, and asking if he could provide some medicine.
Yuan Ye was happy to socialize. Requests for medicine were easily handled. He also managed to become acquainted with many lower and middle-ranking samurai.
The Shogunate was momentarily as noisy as a marketplace. Fortunately, Oda Nobunaga and the others soon emerged, and the atmosphere gradually quieted down. Many people looked at Oda Nobunaga with longing eyes, as if he were some peerless beauty.
Oda Nobunaga, having avenged his previous humiliation, did not appear overly excited. Instead, he became slightly more imposing. He politely invited his uncle, Oda Nobumitsu, to take a seat before sitting down himself and performing a deep bow. He first expressed his gratitude: “Gentlemen, by the grace of Atsuta Daimyojin and your valiant efforts, we have achieved this great victory!”
“All thanks to our Lord’s （ fortunate military endeavors!” All the samurai present also sat with their hands on their knees, heads bowed, returning the salute in unison. Yuan Ye, however, didn’t react in time, but since everyone else had their heads lowered, no one noticed.
Oda Nobunaga straightened up, looked at everyone, and nodded with satisfaction. He then turned to Hayashi Hidesada and ordered, “Verify the heads!”
Hayashi Hidesada, appearing to be the Military Record Keeper this time, immediately took out a scroll, glanced at it, and slowly read out: “Sakamoto Jinsuke.”
The words were immediately relayed outside the Shogunate. Moments later, a follower brought in a small square table. The table had an indentation, and within it lay a head. The head seemed to have been carefully cleaned, its topknot re-combed, and its face powdered. It was rosy and white, giving it a lifelike appearance.
As the peculiar head was brought in, a samurai in his early twenties immediately stepped forward, took the small square table, and knelt a few paces away, presenting it to Oda Nobunaga and Hayashi Hidesada for viewing. His voice was hoarse with excitement: “The head of the enemy’s Vice General, Sakamoto Jinsuke, is here!”
The samurai in the Shogunate stirred slightly, surprised that such a significant catch had been made. Others stood up to get a better look, discussing how well Sakamoto Jinsuke looked and how peacefully he had died, like a true samurai. Hayashi Hidesada, however, didn’t look at the head for long, likely having seen it beforehand. He simply introduced him to Oda Nobunaga: “This man was the Vice General of the Kiyosu Army and a Senior Retainer of the Kiyosu Oda Family.”
Oda Nobunaga reached out, lifted the head, and then wiped away the powder from its face. He examined the head’s features closely and nodded slightly, “So it was him…”
He had a vague recollection, having perhaps met him a few times in his childhood. He then dismissed it, tossing the head back. He leaned forward and patted the samurai’s shoulder forcefully, praising him, “Well done!”
Hayashi Hidesada glanced at the scroll and introduced him: “This is Lord Shibata Gorojiro Katsuhito, who, along with Lord Nobumitsu Sonsaburo’s Page, Akase Seiroku Heiji, jointly captured Sakamoto Jinsuke.”
Upon hearing the Shibata family name, Oda Nobunaga’s eyelids twitched. He turned to his uncle, Oda Nobumitsu, and nodded in thanks. He then looked around and asked, “Where is Lord Akase?”
“He fell in battle.”
“Hmm… He shall be generously compensated and issued a Letter of Loyalty, with merits recorded for his descendants,” Oda Nobunaga mused for a moment, then ordered. He picked up the sword placed beside him and handed it to Shibata Katsuhito, saying sternly, “You are the first to achieve merit in this battle. Continue to strive, and never forget the resolve of a samurai!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Shibata Katsuhito joyfully accepted the sword, caressed it a few times, then bowed to Oda Nobunaga. Amidst the envious and jealous gazes of many, he returned to his original seat and began to savor the taste of victory. Other Letters of Loyalty, commendations, and merit records, along with the customary promotions, money, and fields for the first merit, would be distributed later, so they didn’t need to be collected now.
After the first merit was awarded, Hayashi Hidesada again glanced at the scroll and continued to read the next name. Moments later, another cleaned and adorned head was placed on a small square table and brought forward. Another samurai, his face filled with excitement, stepped out to receive it and presented it to Oda Nobunaga and Hayashi Hidesada for their inspection, while also boasting of his achievement.
Yuan Ye hadn’t expected the merit assessment in the Japanese Medieval Period to be so barbaric and bloody. After watching for a while, he was speechless.
This was somewhat perverse. Counting merits by heads was one thing, and personally verifying the heads of enemy generals was also acceptable. But to wash the heads, comb the hair, and then apply powder to them, and for people to quietly comment on the appearance and demeanor of the heads during the verification process, was quite… psychologically unsettling.
Fortunately, Yuan Ye had seen nearly a thousand deaths during this period and had mostly adapted to this unfortunate and strange era, managing to remain outwardly composed. However, when people nearby wanted to discuss which head was better groomed or exchange experiences on “applying makeup” to heads, he could only pretend not to hear.
He really couldn’t discuss these experiences, nor did he want to learn them.
However, it seemed this was how things were in the Japanese Medieval Period. He vaguely recalled that Tokugawa Ieyasu had a “refined pastime.” It seemed that a follower of the “Monkey,” named Kimura Shigenari, had his head severed during the Summer Siege of Osaka. The head was brought before Tokugawa Ieyasu for merit assessment. Kimura Shigenari was young and handsome, and his hair had been perfumed for years. Even after being cleaned, it still emitted a faint fragrance, which pleased Tokugawa Ieyasu. He couldn’t help but sniff it repeatedly, exclaiming: “Even in the fifth month, there is not a trace of foul odor, and the fragrance permeates his hair. Truly, this is the elegance of samurai valor.”
Thinking about it this way, it seemed Oda Nobunaga was slightly better than Tokugawa Ieyasu. At least he didn’t hold the head and sniff it ecstatically, displaying a dazed expression. He could barely be considered a normal person.
Yuan Ye was lost in thought, trying to distract himself, and somehow managed to finish looking at the heads. Only heads cut off by samurai counted as military merit and received generous rewards. As for those cut off by followers and ashigaru, they would be uniformly inspected by the Military Record Keeper and would at best be exchanged for some money or a reduction in field taxes or labor.
After the heads were verified, the merit assessment meeting was not over. The Military Record Keeper, Hayashi Hidesada, then proposed candidates for “First Spear,” “First Sword,” “First Head,” “First Entry,” “Grappling Merit,” “Spear Thrust Merit,” “Merit Under the Spear,” “Enemy Routing Merit,” and “Diligence Merit.” Oda Nobunaga then approved them and issued rewards. These “First Spear” merits referred to the first to break the enemy lines with a spear or sword, the first to scatter the defenders and enter the city, successfully holding the line against enemy counterattacks during fierce combat, using a spear to assist in achieving merit, achieving the greatest results in pursuing the enemy, or playing a crucial role in transporting provisions and supplies or constructing defenses in the rear.
In short, any action that contributed to victory would result in rewards such as Letters of Loyalty, money, and official positions. However, these were divided into “high-ranking” and “low-ranking” merits. Merits like “Merit Under the Spear” and “Diligence Merit” were “low-ranking.” The direct benefits were not substantial; they were usually recorded and accumulated over time, becoming capital for future promotions.
Of course, there was nothing for Yuan Ye here. His role was to treat the wounded, not to fight on the front lines. However, Hayashi Hidesada’s merit assessment followed the old ways, and there seemed to be no “First Treatment” merit, only “Assistance Merit,” which referred to rescuing comrades who were severely wounded and unable to move during fierce combat, preventing them from being beheaded by the enemy. Yuan Ye could hardly qualify for this. Even if there were a “First Treatment” merit, he probably wouldn’t qualify, as he wasn’t a vassal of the Danjō no Chū faction, and he shouldn’t have been considered for merit assessment in the first place.
Yuan Ye didn’t care about this. He wasn’t one to seek such attention. Compared to gaining immediate benefits, he feared being forced to kowtow and having his principles and bottom line shattered, leading to a rapid decline.
Therefore, seeing that all merits had been assigned and many samurai were excitedly receiving their rewards, shouting and drinking, some even starting to take off their clothes to wrestle for entertainment, he quickly and discreetly slipped away along the edge.
He wished he hadn’t come. He had only come because Oda Nobunaga had summoned him, and he feared that if Oda Nobunaga suddenly decided to chat with him and he hadn’t shown up after receiving the notification, it might lead to an awkward situation. So, he made the trip, only for Oda Nobunaga to completely ignore him. He had come for nothing and didn’t even get to eat dinner.
He wondered which idiot had been so meddlesome as to send him a notification…
He cursed inwardly a couple of times and prepared to go back to eat his own meal. As he left the Shogunate, he went to call for A Man, but after only a few steps, he was speechless again.
A Man was squeezed among a group of followers, gambling. She had even managed to get a prime spot. She was sweating profusely, slamming a Pai Gow tile onto the table, shouting, “Wild boar carrying a matchlock gun, even the Emperor must die! Call seven, don’t want nine, give me an eight!”
