Chapter 80: Tears Streaming Down
Niwa Nagahide finished asking, and Yuan Ye was slightly surprised.
He had originally thought that someone from the Niwa family was seriously ill and needed him to travel far to treat them, which was why they had visited so solemnly. To his surprise, they were here to help someone find a job…
He hesitated for a moment, then thought of someone. Without beating around the bush, he politely asked, “Is Lord Niwa recommending Maeshima Shichiro?”
Niwa Nagahide nodded, “That’s right.”
Yuan Ye was a bit puzzled, “Then where is he?” Do people not show up when looking for a job these days?
Niwa Nagahide was slightly embarrassed but quickly regained his composure. “Shichiro greatly admires your demeanor and often mentions you in conversation. However, he doesn’t know your intentions and, knowing his own limited abilities, dared not ask directly. Upon learning of this, I took it upon myself to…”
Maeda Toshiie, who was peeling pine nuts nearby, couldn’t help but interject when he heard this. “It was Shichiro’s aunt who asked Manchiyo （ Niwa Nagahide ） to inquire. Shichiro probably doesn’t know yet. If you don’t agree and don’t want to add another person to your household, we won’t tell him, so as not to upset him further. He seems to have been rejected many times already.”
After speaking, he turned to Niwa Nagahide and complained without any pretense, “We’re all family, there’s no need to be so indirect. Isn’t it better to just say what you mean?”
Niwa Nagahide was completely embarrassed this time, but Maeda Toshiie was someone he had brought along to help persuade, so he couldn’t blame him. He could only force himself to compose himself and bow slightly, saying, “My apologies. It is indeed as Lord Maeda said, I was entrusted by Shichiro’s aunt. However, Shichiro greatly admires you and has mentioned your merits in his family letters many times. This is absolutely true, I can vouch for it with my honor!”
Yuan Ye quickly waved his hands, “I understand, Lord Niwa, there’s no need to be like this.”
Niwa Nagahide immediately said, “Then, what is your intention, my lord?”
Yuan Ye hesitated for a moment. Maeshima Shichiro was venturing out on his own, with mediocre abilities, facing setbacks everywhere. His family was worried and asked for help finding a job. He could understand this – parents asking relatives, and relatives asking other relatives to help their children find jobs. He had heard of such things many times before. He never expected that five hundred years later, in a different country, it would be the same.
Indeed, no matter where you go, it’s a society driven by personal connections!
As for him giving up on Oda Nobunaga and wanting to switch to his side, he could also understand. It was probably like failing the civil service exam multiple times and then settling for a job in a foreign or private company, which was also normal.
He wouldn’t discriminate against Maeshima Shichiro for this, or talk about changing allegiances. After all, everyone was just trying to make a living. It was just that he couldn’t quite weigh whether taking on a vassal was a good or bad thing…
After hesitating for a while, he said, “I’m sorry, Lord Niwa. I had never considered taking on vassals before, but if Lord Shichiro is unhappy with his current work and wishes to come here, he is welcome. However, I cannot make any promises for now.”
He paused, then asked again, “May I ask what Lord Shichiro’s current annual salary is…”
Niwa Nagahide was slightly disappointed but not surprised. The Maeshima family had fallen on hard times, and Maeshima Shichiro himself was mediocre in ability, martial arts, archery, horsemanship, eloquence, and appearance. His renga was also mediocre. Everything about him was average. His only merit was being honest and hardworking. Yet, after leaving home at fourteen, he had spent five years without finding anyone who appreciated him. It was normal for Yuan Ye not to accept him. Taking on a vassal was a serious matter that required spending real money, and not a small amount. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so difficult.
However, he heard from Yuan Ye that he could be taken on as a subordinate official and that his annual salary could be increased appropriately. He felt he had at least helped his relative and could give an explanation, so his mood immediately improved. He quickly said, “Shichiro’s current annual salary is five kan of money, perhaps with a small amount of subsidized rice.”
Five kan of money? That’s about 2.5 followers? Temporary workers are indeed not worth much, even in ancient times…
No wonder ancient Japanese people desperately wanted to find a good lord. It was the difference between eating grass and eating meat!
Yuan Ye really didn’t expect Maeshima Shichiro to be so cheap. After all, Maeda Toshiie earned fifty kan a year, plus various subsidies, clothes, shoes, and gifts. It probably cost over a hundred kan a year to support a vassal like him.
Since he was so cheap…
Yuan Ye was actually tempted. Maeshima Shichiro’s abilities might indeed be lacking, but from the time he had interacted with him, the man was very obedient and honest, doing whatever he was told without complaint or fatigue. He was also literate and had a basic understanding of arithmetic. Perhaps he could be hired to replace A Man, letting him exclusively manage the miscellaneous affairs of the soy sauce workshop. A Man was more suited to being a street wanderer. Letting her manage the workshop was, frankly, a waste of her talents, as workshop managers were easy to find, but a ninja trained for many years like her was not.
He thought rapidly for a moment and made his offer, giving Niwa Nagahide a lot of face: “Then, if Lord Shichiro is willing to come work for me, his annual salary will be eight kan of money… let’s say ten kan! The subsidized rice will remain the same. What do you think, Lord Niwa?”
A workshop manager who could read and write was, in this era, barely considered a skilled laborer. Paying him the salary of four people seemed acceptable, as he wasn’t lacking one or two kan of money.
Niwa Nagahide also thought it was acceptable. These terms were quite good for a subordinate official, arguably a very high salary. If Maeshima Shichiro was frugal, he could greatly help his family. Moreover, Yuan Ye hadn’t spoken definitively. If Maeshima Shichiro worked diligently for him, he might even be accepted as a vassal. It was certainly better than following Oda Nobunaga, who truly didn’t think highly of people like Maeshima Shichiro. Yuan Ye would definitely be more approachable than Oda Nobunaga.
He placed his hands on his knees and formally bowed to Yuan Ye, “Thank you, Lord Yuan Ye. I apologize for troubling you. Shichiro’s aunt will also be very happy and will surely recite sutras and pray for you. Thank you so much.”
Yes, he also didn’t think highly of Maeshima Shichiro. It was mainly out of consideration for his aunt.
Yuan Ye was also compelled to return the bow, placing his hands on his knees, “Not at all, not at all. You are too kind.”
Niwa Nagahide straightened up. Feeling that the simple matter was concluded, it was time to discuss the difficult one. He cleared his throat and said, “Lord Yuan Ye, my apologies, but there is one more matter. Lord Kazusa-no-suke has ordered me to procure matchlock guns and previously instructed me to consult you first. Are you willing to…”
“Oh, procuring matchlock guns?” Yuan Ye’s heart stirred. He felt he could take on this task. He was quite interested in becoming an arms dealer. He immediately asked, “How many are needed?”
“300 units.”
Yuan Ye immediately lost interest. With his current resources and manpower, he would have to bleed to complete such an order. However, he understood Oda Nobunaga’s intention. Oda Nobunaga had been swindled last time, buying a substandard matchlock gun for 160 kan. This time, he wanted to equip his troops and was afraid of being cheated again, which was why he specifically told Niwa Nagahide to consult him, the “matchlock gun expert.”
He certainly wouldn’t refuse something that could be done with just a few words. He asked A Qing to retrieve A Man’s matchlock gun and use it as a sample to explain to Niwa Nagahide the precautions for purchasing matchlock guns and what kind of matchlock guns were suitable for large-scale equipment.
Niwa Nagahide didn’t expect Yuan Ye to be so accommodating. He thought the most difficult matter would be the simplest. If he had known, he wouldn’t have asked Maeda Toshiie, the eccentric, to help persuade him. He listened intently, and soon borrowed paper and brush to write down everything Yuan Ye said.
Sawaki Tohachiro was merely tagging along today. He had coincidentally come with Maeda Toshiie to celebrate being taken on as a minor retainer by Oda Nobunaga, so he followed along. He didn’t expect to unexpectedly learn about matchlock guns and also gathered around, listening intently.
It was difficult to learn new knowledge these days, especially about matchlock guns, which were considered “fashionable secret techniques.” Even Oda Nobunaga had to go to the Kawana Group to have a chance to learn. Hashimoto Ichiba, that stingy fellow, wouldn’t even allow others to observe. However, Yuan Ye didn’t care at all, answering every question and explaining in great detail, as if he wished they would hurry up and procure three hundred matchlock guns to blast all the rebellious vassals and bring peace and order back to Owari.
Niwa Nagahide studied for an entire afternoon and gained a lot. He felt his trip to Sakai should go smoothly, and at least he wouldn’t be easily deceived. After he took his leave and rode away, he looked back at the “Yuan Ye Family Residence” on his horse and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Lord Yuan Ye is truly a sincere person!”
Maeda Toshiie, holding a jar of high-quality soy sauce, also nodded repeatedly, “Lord Yuan Ye indeed has a noble character. Next time we host a party, we’ll have a good chat with him again!”
Niwa Nagahide glanced at him. This fellow hadn’t helped at all today, yet he ate more than anyone else and even took some away. It was extremely embarrassing. The next time he came to interact with Yuan Ye, he’d have to be crazy to bring him along. He felt that Yuan Ye wasn’t really like an eccentric, but was simply very honest, which led to misunderstandings. He felt they were quite compatible.
However, he only grumbled inwardly and said nothing. He turned to find Maeshima Shichiro, preparing to give him a surprise.
…
After Yuan Ye saw off the three of them, he didn’t think much of it, but was pondering a question:
Finally, a samurai was defecting to him. Although he was an unknown figure and temporarily a temporary worker, he was still from a legitimate local warrior family. Wouldn’t that mean he was also close to becoming a lord?
Then, what kind of lord would he be?
A Cao Cao type or a Liu Bei type?
He stroked his chin and pondered for a while, feeling that Cao Cao wasn’t suitable for him. He didn’t like married women, so Cao Cao and he were incompatible. Liu Bei, the one with the big ears, was more suitable for him!
Perhaps it was time to improve his acting skills. In the future, when he met famous generals, he would grab their hands and cry, with tears streaming down his face!
