Chapter 86: Marrying him is miserable!
That night, at Oda Nobunaga’s residence.
Oda Nobunaga was drinking alone, served by Ikeda Tsuneoki. The accompanying dish was thinly sliced raw fish, paired with the “Wei Ji Xian Soy Sauce” that Yuan Ye had just sent over—soy sauce simmered with kelp broth, with an excessive amount of MSG. The combination of the two, with their integrated fresh, salty, tender, and smooth flavors, left him extremely satisfied.
After tasting Yuan Ye’s soy sauce, he was reminded of the events from noon.
He had recently formed a special unit called the “Kyōdan-shū,” led by the Demon of Might, Shinshu Maru.
This fellow had been in seclusion for several years and had secretly gotten married and had a child. Now, he wanted to secure a bright future for his child. After being recruited twice, he was moved and directly changed his name to serve the Oda Danjō no Chū family, becoming one of his personal attendants, awaiting promotion through merit.
However, Shinshu Maru had been habitually undisciplined for years and could not adapt to strict military discipline and regulations, nor was he accustomed to fighting in formation. Even with his exceptional martial arts skills, he struggled to become a qualified general. After trying for a while, he proposed the establishment of the “Kyōdan-shū”—a small unit composed of old rogues and thieves from the Kawana Group and the Hachisuka Party, who were also accustomed to a free and undisciplined lifestyle and couldn’t adapt to military rules and discipline. This unit was specifically responsible for reconnaissance, functioning somewhat like the “Tabaku Army” of the Great Tang or the “Yebisu” of the Great Ming.
Of course, they could also be used for some sabotage and infiltration operations, such as sneaking into enemy territory to burn enemy granaries.
Oda Nobunaga placed high hopes on this unit, as he had been caught off guard twice by the Matsudaira Family and the Imagawa Family, only realizing the enemy was at his doorstep after they had arrived. He desperately wanted to monitor the movements of these two great enemies and, incidentally, cause them some trouble, so he was not stingy with funds or personnel. However, the unit was newly formed and needed time to gel and train, so it was temporarily stationed at Nagoya Castle, only able to gather information in the vicinity of Nagoya Castle.
Among the information was some about Yuan Ye, but it was very simple. They only knew that Yuan Ye had not left Takeuchi Manor since returning, as if he intended to stay there until he died, continuously producing soy sauce. He also seemed to possess some secret method, resulting in a large yield and earning him a considerable sum of money.
Other trivial matters, such as teaching the maidservants and followers in his household to read, digging deep pits in the backyard, and recruiting a subordinate official, were not worth mentioning.
Oda Nobunaga hadn’t paid much attention to it initially. Yuan Ye earning a few hundred koku a month was insignificant to him. But when Yuan Ye suddenly reappeared and went to the unrelated Asano family, he couldn’t help but feel curious. At noon, he had specifically instructed Shinshu Maru to send someone to investigate what Yuan Ye was up to—purely out of idle curiosity, as he didn’t believe these two could conspire to rebel.
He found the new, enhanced soy sauce delicious and novel, feeling that Yuan Ye was indeed like him, always creating strange and wonderful things that ordinary people couldn’t. This reminded him again, and after eating his fill, he asked Ikeda Tsuneoki, “So, what was he doing at noon?”
Ikeda Tsuneoki first handed him a warm cotton cloth to wipe his hands. They had a good rapport, and without asking “Who are you asking about, Your Highness?”, he produced a scroll with a lacquered seal and handed it to him. Oda Nobunaga haphazardly wiped his hands, glanced at the intact seal, and casually tore it open. After examining the contents closely, he was speechless for a moment and said, “This fellow actually…”
The “Kyōdan-shū” was newly established, aiming to become a “Special Operations Reconnaissance Brigade,” primarily focused on military reconnaissance of enemy forces. For subtle intelligence work, they were still too crude. As a result, they gathered information haphazardly and were misled by Asano Nagamasa and others. They also suspected that Yuan Ye, having long heard of Nene’s reputation, was after her pampered daughter!
Of course, this couldn’t be blamed on them or Asano Nagamasa being too superficial. It was mainly because Yuan Ye’s eyes lit up when he saw Nene, shining brightly like a wolf spotting a little lamb. Asano Nagamasa, A Man, and the wet nurses of Nene and A Cheng all misunderstood, which was entirely normal.
Oda Nobunaga also believed it. Otherwise, he couldn’t fathom why Yuan Ye, a “hermit of great wisdom” who never left his home, would go to play with Asano Nagamasa, a clumsy archer general. He felt utterly bored, considering it a complete waste of his time.
He was not interested in women at the moment. Yuan Ye had gone out of his way to go on a matchmaking date, which greatly disappointed him. He had expected something strange and unusual and wanted to see some excitement, but it turned out to be utterly uninteresting.
He casually reached to throw the scroll away, but as he was about to discard it, he suddenly remembered something and stopped. He thoughtfully asked Ikeda Tsuneoki, “I seem to recall that the child from two years ago, the one who offered the rice cake, was entrusted to the Asano family for upbringing, right?”
Ikeda Tsuneoki also had a vivid memory of that incident. He immediately recalled the little girl from nearly two years ago who, in the biting cold wind, had forcibly stopped Oda Nobunaga’s galloping horse, nearly been trampled to death, yet remained composed and offered a humble rice cake. He nodded immediately and said, “Yes, and her younger sister, they are both at Lord Asano’s residence and have been doing quite well.”
He was the one who handled that matter. He even chose Asano Nagamasa, this “lonely old man.” He had been quite meticulous, occasionally inquiring to see if the sisters were doing well. On the other hand, Oda Nobunaga had too many things to do and had almost forgotten.
But Oda Nobunaga was now certain. His dead memories began to revive. Looking at the scroll in his hand again, he mused, “It really is her. That child resembles me somewhat. It’s a pity she’s a girl; otherwise, I could have recruited her as a page… But this is good too, it serves two purposes.”
Ikeda Tsuneoki understood his meaning. After thinking about it, he also felt that Yuan Ye’s character and personality were excellent, making him a good match for Nene. He asked, “Should I inform Lord Asano?”
The implication was that Oda Nobunaga agreed. When Yuan Ye proposed in the future, Asano Nagamasa could directly accept, or he could be more direct and proactively arrange a marriage with Yuan Ye.
Oda Nobunaga waved his hand, signaling him not to do so, as it would be too wasteful. He had a better idea: “No rush. That child is still young anyway, and that rigid fellow is also a bit like me, with high standards. He might not fall for her with just one glance, so they must spend some time together first. You should inform Asano first, tell him to…”
He meticulously instructed Ikeda Tsuneoki to relay a message to Asano Nagamasa, preparing to secure a good future for Nene while also putting a leash on Yuan Ye, lest he always remain so stubborn and unwilling to sleep beside him and discuss important matters.
…………
Yuan Ye fled home and returned to his diligent work, beginning to manage his own industries.
He used to think a few hundred koku a month was enough, but after calculating carefully, he could only afford to equip a dozen or so followers per month, and they were ordinary ones, equipped only with sabers, spears, and dōmaru of the old version.
Although this wasn’t a small number, and accumulating for a year or two could allow him to contend with the Aragiko Maeda Family, making him a minor power, he suddenly realized today that Oda Nobunaga was still striving to improve his strength, even successfully recruiting elite units like the Demon of Might, Shinshu Maru. This gave him a sense of urgency. According to A Man and A Qing, they couldn’t block “professional killers” like Shinshu Maru, posing a very high threat. Therefore, he wanted to upgrade his saber and spear followers to matchlock gun followers in one go, or at least have them work in combination.
After all, no matter how powerful martial arts are, they can’t withstand a volley of matchlock guns. The power of gunpowder should never be underestimated!
With a large number of matchlock gun followers for defense, safety would surely be guaranteed!
However, the cost of having matchlock gun followers would be several times higher. After all, matchlock guns were very expensive at this time, and he could only afford to equip a dozen or so in half a year, making the pace even slower. He had to earn money faster.
He retreated back to Takeuchi Manor and began to consider new industries. He repeatedly experimented in the laboratory, trying to find a new product that could be mass-produced in workshops without leaking modern technology. Before he could make any progress, Asano Nagamasa actually came to visit him.
He was very surprised when A Man pulled him out of the laboratory, but this aligned with his plan to become “friends” with Asano Nagamasa. He immediately tidied himself up and went out to greet him personally, only to discover that Asano Nagamasa was not alone; he had even brought Nene with him, and Nene was followed by her wet nurse.
Had they already become close acquaintances so quickly? The progress was a bit too fast!
Yuan Ye vaguely felt something was amiss. Things seemed to be going too smoothly, but he still received them warmly, offering tea and pastries, and after a good chat, he asked Asano Nagamasa, “Lord Asano, what brings you here this time…”
Asano Nagamasa’s expression turned serious: “I have something to ask of Lord Yuan Ye.”
“Oh, what is it? Please speak freely, Lord Asano. I will do my utmost to assist!” Yuan Ye didn’t mind. As long as it could lead to the downfall of the Monkey and help him accumulate merit to become an immortal, he would even lend money.
Asano Nagamasa was taken aback. Seeing his sincere expression, he felt a hint of shame, but the lord’s command was difficult to disobey, and it was not detrimental to his daughter. He pointed to Nene and said, “This is rather presumptuous, but my daughter is considered quite intelligent. I previously heard that Lord Yuan Ye teaches his family members to read at home. I wonder if my daughter could also have an opportunity for daily instruction?”
He paused, then formally sat down, bowing with his hands on his knees, “My apologies, but I truly implore you!”
Yuan Ye was stunned. He hadn’t expected his “night school” to have spread so far. However, as long as he kept his doors closed at home, no one could control what he did, so it didn’t matter. But Nene would also be attending school?
If Nene were to attend school, even if she didn’t formally become his disciple, wouldn’t he be considered her half-master?
If he was half-master, wouldn’t it be reasonable for him to interfere in her marriage in the future?
This was too smooth!
Yuan Ye hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t even need half a year or more to visit the Asano family, nor would he need much effort. Asano Nagamasa had voluntarily sent his daughter into the tiger’s den, surrendering directly!
This was excellent. It seemed heaven itself was going to fulfill his grand ambition of becoming an immortal!
Although Yuan Ye felt something was strange, as things were going too smoothly, the temptation of “merit” was too great for him. A little girl couldn’t do anything to him. Without the slightest hesitation, he didn’t even bother to ask about tuition fees and immediately agreed: “Lord Asano, you are too kind. Given our friendship, please entrust her to me. I guarantee I will do my utmost to ensure… Miss Nene achieves success in her studies and will not disappoint you!”
Well, the first lesson he would teach her was: marriage is a lifelong matter and must be handled with great care. The first consideration must be appearance. Anyone who looks like a monkey, has hair on their face, a bald head, a short stature, or arms that reach past their knees should absolutely not be married!
Marrying such a person would be miserable!
