Chapter 99: Grain and Forage Magistrate
Yuan Ye stayed in the small mountain valley to gather information and recuperate for two days. During this time, the situation showed no signs of easing; near Nagoya Castle alone, over ten small-scale combats involving dozens to a couple of hundred people had occurred.
The local lords of the lower four districts of Owari also began to declare their allegiances. From the scattered news brought back by A Qing, it appeared that Oda Nobuyuki held a significant advantage in the diplomatic battle. Most of the local lords at the small and medium levels had chosen to side with Oda Nobuyuki. Oda Nobuyuki’s power was rapidly expanding, and it was rumored that his forces far exceeded Oda Nobunaga’s.
After observing for two days, Yuan Ye felt that a major war was imminent and could no longer wait. Even though his body was far from recovered, he forced himself to rush towards Nagoya Castle.
In truth, in these turbulent times, one could not avoid conflict. Now that he was in the chaotic vortex of the lower four districts of Owari, he needed to declare his stance and align himself with the victor to share in the spoils after the war.
He left his temporary camp under the care of Maeshima Shichiro and Yayoi, instructing them to await his news. With A Qing’s assistance, he moved stealthily, passing through the outer areas of Nagoya Castle, which had become a chaotic zone. He reached Nagoya Castle relatively smoothly.
Nagoya Castle had also suffered from the ravages of war. Several areas in the castle town had been burned to the ground, and along the way, one could see many ruins and remnants of walls. Occasionally, broken armor pieces and shattered sabers and spears could be found amidst the ashes.
Seeing these ruined scenes, Yuan Ye was reminded of the chaotic and brutal night at Takeuchi Manor. He fell silent for a long time.
“Lord Yuan Ye, it’s wonderful to see you are alright!”
As Yuan Ye was lost in thought, Maeda Toshiie rode up. Upon reaching him, he dismounted and examined Yuan Ye from head to toe, his face filled with emotion. “We all thought you… it’s truly wonderful!”
Seeing his expression, Yuan Ye couldn’t help but feel a sense of closeness. He felt that Maeda Toshiie’s future success was not without reason. He sighed, “I was lucky and narrowly escaped.”
“It’s good that you’re alive, it’s good that you’re alive!” Maeda Toshiie exclaimed repeatedly. “His Highness heard about your situation and was concerned for a while, lamenting the impermanence of life. He also asked Lord Ikeda to remember to light a prayer lamp for you at the temple. Seeing you alive now, he will be very happy.”
“Thank you for His Highness’s concern,” Yuan Ye nodded gently, then asked with concern, “How are things on your end…”
“Many people died. Lord Chiyo Saburo, Lord Ito Uemon, Lord Hani Goro…” Maeda Toshiie’s face darkened as he listed over ten names, sighing deeply. “They all died that night.”
Yuan Ye fell silent for a moment. It seemed that with Hayashi Hidesada’s sudden rebellion, aside from other losses, the pages and attendant vassals around Oda Nobunaga had likely suffered heavy casualties. The people Maeda Toshiie mentioned were likely his friends and colleagues, and the actual death toll was probably several times higher.
It made sense. Oda Nobunaga had recruited over a hundred pages and guards, and after Okehazama, only five or six had managed to rise through the ranks. It was likely that most of them had been consumed in countless battles, dying silently without achieving any merits.
And these were all named samurai. The nameless followers and family retainers would have died in even greater numbers, perhaps tens or even hundreds of times more.
Perhaps this was the legendary “ten thousand bones buried for one general’s success,” but history books rarely made room for these individuals.
After Maeda Toshiie finished sighing, he noticed Yuan Ye walking very slowly and, smelling the strong scent of medicine on him, asked, “Lord Yuan Ye, are you injured?”
“Yes, one bone is broken, and several are cracked,” Yuan Ye replied, shaking his head. He didn’t want to dwell on the matter and instead asked, “What about you? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, just a shoulder injury, nothing serious.” Maeda Toshiie, even by the standards of the Japanese Medieval Period, was an anomaly. He had broad shoulders and a sturdy build, belonging to the tall and strong type. While such a physique might not offer a significant advantage in one-on-one duels, sometimes being a bit stronger, heavier, or having slightly longer arms could make all the difference in battle. Moreover, he seemed to have good talent and was quite skilled in martial arts.
In a sense, he was probably equivalent to a combination of Yuan Ye and A Qing, possessing both physique and martial skill. He was a well-rounded warrior who could handle himself with ease on the battlefield. It was no wonder he would achieve great things in the future and earn the title “Yazo the Spear.”
Yuan Ye thought to himself, planning to recruit people in a similar fashion in the future. He then inquired about the well-being of other acquaintances. He found that perhaps due to his limited social circle or his tendency to associate with historical figures, most of his acquaintances were still alive and well, with some even having earned merits.
For example, Nene’s adoptive father, Asano Nagamasa, upon discovering the unrest in Nagoya Castle, immediately rushed to reinforce the castle with his followers and family retainers. Although he didn’t achieve any significant victories or play a crucial role, he was highly praised by Oda Nobunaga afterward. He now served as an Ashigaru Commander under Oda Nobunaga, holding a high degree of trust, nearly on par with Oda Nobunaga’s personal attendant vassals. It was even possible that his territory would increase after the internal conflict concluded.
Of course, Maeda Toshiie and Sawaki Yoshizane, these two brothers, fought bravely, directly securing many kills, and received praise. It was estimated that their positions beside Oda Nobunaga would also significantly improve in the future.
In retrospect, only Okuruku Kiyobee among Yuan Ye’s acquaintances had died. He had resisted stubbornly within his residence, inflicting heavy casualties on Hayashi Hidesada’s brother, Hayashi Katsusada, while being cut down by numerous swords within his home. His entire family, from old to young, was annihilated.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ye let out a low sigh, unsure of what to say for a moment.
Okuruku Kiyobee was rigid and pedantic, causing him a lot of trouble. He had frequently nagged him for the past two months, preventing him from recruiting followers. Even if he had twenty more followers that night, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the battle. He still harbored some resentment. But now that he was dead, and his entire family wiped out…
The past matters were now insignificant. He did feel a genuine sense of sadness.
The two chatted as they entered the city, lamenting the impermanence of life, and arrived at Oda Nobunaga’s residence.
Traces of smoke and fire could be seen here as well, but it seemed to have been repaired and looked better than other places. Maeda Toshiie treated him as an insider and led him directly in. After sending someone to announce his arrival, they met Oda Nobunaga shortly.
Yuan Ye hadn’t seen him in a long time. He observed him closely and found that despite having just gone through a life-or-death ordeal, he showed no signs of weakness. Instead, compared to when they first met, he appeared more energetic. The gloomy aura in his eyes had dissipated considerably, and he had shed some of his roguish demeanor, gaining a more composed air.
Overall, he seemed to have evolved from a high school delinquent into a mafia boss, no longer as flamboyant as before, but with more depth.
However, his attitude towards Yuan Ye remained unchanged. Upon seeing him enter, he waved for Ikeda Tsuneoki to pour him tea and showed a seemingly genuine joy. He stroked the nascent mustache on his upper lip and said happily, “I knew you wouldn’t die so easily! You’ve come at the perfect time; I’m in need of people!”
He paused, then looked at Yuan Ye carefully. Seeing that he didn’t object, he seemed even more pleased with his proactive offer to help. He then joked, “Don’t worry, your pay won’t be lacking. This time, it’s double!”
Yuan Ye indeed had no intention of objecting. He had come to declare his stance, so naturally, he had to do some work. He was mentally prepared for this and immediately asked, “What do you need me to do, Your Highness?”
“First, go help Manchiyo （ Niwa Nagahide ）. Continue with your old line of work while serving as a… Chief Magistrate there!” Oda Nobunaga decided after some thought, assigning him a military post.
Although Hayashi Hidesada’s rebellion failed, he had served as Chief Senior Retainer in Nagoya Castle for many years, and many mid-to-lower-ranking vassals still supported him and fled with him. Oda Nobunaga, in recruiting pages and guards in the past, had prioritized family background and, more importantly, martial strength. There were many generals capable of fighting on the battlefield, but few magistrates capable of handling various administrative tasks. As a result, Nagoya Castle was severely lacking in “civilian officials,” and logistics were in chaos.
Coincidentally, Yuan Ye had arrived. Considering how well he had managed the “hospital” before, Oda Nobunaga believed he would have no problem managing logistics and intended to use him as a stopgap without much thought.
There was no other choice. He was indeed short on administrative talent at the moment and could only have him fill two roles temporarily.
Yuan Ye had no objections. Since he couldn’t fight on the battlefield now, he could only do administrative work. He chatted with Oda Nobunaga for a while longer, recounting the events of the night at Takeuchi Manor, his escape, and his injuries. He then received his appointment letter and went to join Niwa Nagahide, thus becoming a member of the Nobunaga Army once more.
Niwa Nagahide was also very happy to see him alive. However, he seemed to have temporarily taken over Hirate Masahide’s former position and, despite his young age, was already in charge of all miscellaneous affairs in Nagoya Castle, making him extremely busy. He didn’t chat much with Yuan Ye but assigned him tasks and personnel. He was to set up the “hospital” while also managing “Soldier’s Rations” and serving as the “Grain and Forage Magistrate.” He even gave him a private warning, hinting that the personnel assigned to him might not be entirely reliable and that he should proceed with caution.
His thinking was likely similar to Oda Nobunaga’s: they both considered Yuan Ye a semi-insider, far more reliable than the old retainers left behind by Hayashi Hidesada. At the very least, he genuinely had a grudge against Hayashi Hidesada; not only were his followers killed, but his residence was also confiscated, making the possibility of him being a spy extremely low.
The work was more extensive than anticipated. Despite his injuries, Yuan Ye did not refuse and immediately took up his post. He sent people to bring back Maeshima Shichiro and his group while beginning to review a large volume of old account books and question the subordinates assigned to him to take over the duties of the “Grain and Forage Magistrate.” This role involved distributing basic supplies like military rations and horse feed to the troops, as well as collecting grain and horse feed from various sources to maintain inventory and support combat operations.
Most of the retainers who previously handled these tasks had gone over to Hayashi Hidesada’s side. Before leaving, they had also burned and taken some of the basic documents, including account books. The work in this area was now in disarray. It was uncertain whether there was anything left in some warehouses, let alone how to streamline the collection process again.
In short, there were numerous troublesome issues. Because of these problems, the war preparations in Nagoya Castle could not be completed, becoming a critical issue hindering the overall situation.
Fortunately, Yuan Ye had an engineering background. People with engineering backgrounds are usually good at summarizing and often learn some principles of coordination. This work, which others might find as tangled as a ball of yarn, was not a problem for him. Once he understood his responsibilities, he immediately got into his stride and truly became the “Grain and Forage Magistrate,” directing the subordinates assigned to him to work tirelessly.
Two days later, his efforts began to show results. He had basically clarified the current amount of provisions in Nagoya Castle, the frequency of replenishment for each unit, the sources of replenishment, and the old collection channels. He had compiled a large stack of tables and, in the process, apprehended over a dozen former retainers and subordinate officials who had been corrupt and embezzled.
Consequently, his workload increased further. The collection and distribution of some arrows, vehicles, livestock, and cloth also fell under his purview.
He didn’t mind. He was particularly interested in a certain material that Niwa Nagahide had requested him to increase collection of.
