The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 34

The two stared at each other, expressing their mutual contempt.

Not long after, a new order came from the main camp, and the envoys ordered all the reserve units to assemble.

Shinzaburo Kubo, leading the well-fed farmers and soldiers of Noguchi Village, along with the temporary mercenaries of the Amago Shingu Party, strode back to report for duty. The men were physically exhausted, but their spirits remained high.

Clearly, the "military scouts" had already relayed a large amount of military intelligence, eliminating the need for each reserve unit to report it themselves. Kubo Shinzaburo had just returned to headquarters and hadn't even had a chance to salute his superiors when he heard everyone shouting, "Tanba Zhongkui has arrived!"

Then Matsunaga Nagayoshi burst into laughter, strode forward to greet him, and proclaimed in a booming voice, "Two demons vanquished in one battle, Tanba Zhong Kui, truly lives up to his name!"

Shinzaburo was not surprised at all. He immediately put on a fearful and uneasy look and said humbly, "It is true that I led the men to take down the Blue Oni Momii Noriyoshi, but the Tanba Oni Hatano Munetaka... was already trapped by the Yamashiro gang. Even if I did not take action, he would still not be able to escape."

"Good!" Matsunaga Nagayori looked around and said to everyone in a louder voice, "He has made great contributions, but he is not arrogant about them. Kubo Shinzaburo is the model of Tanba samurai!"

Then, Shitei Saemon-no-jo, the chief of the Yamashiro clan, stepped forward and laughed loudly, "This is Heaven's way of making you, Tanba Zhong Kui, famous for your martial prowess. Why be so humble? We Yamashiro clan have fought for many years and are not lacking in merit, nor are we so narrow-minded."

Having said that, Shinzaburo Kubo had no choice but to admit his great achievement.

At that moment, Matsunaga Sunroku, who had been sent to Honmei Castle as a liaison, walked over excitedly. His face was covered in soot and was darker than usual, but he smiled brightly and said loudly, "I have said long ago that Lord Shinzaburo has extraordinary talent and a bright future! His previous service as a member of the Tongxin Corps under my command was just a temporary cover-up!"

Then Fukui Shima-no-kami, who temporarily served as the commander of the western route in this battle, showed a "teachable young man" expression, stroked his beard and said: "I also saw at a glance that the Kubo Guard was extraordinary, so I placed him in a key position in the battle. As expected, he made great contributions."

Next, many people who weren't usually close to him started acting like old friends, one after another trying to get on his good side. They would say things like "I've had my eye on you for a long time," "Please take care of me," or "I'll follow in your footsteps in the future."

Shinzaburo was somewhat overwhelmed and quickly said, "The turning point of this battle was when the enemy's main force fell into chaos. The person who led the surprise attack should be credited first."

Upon hearing this, Matsunaga Sunroku, who was standing beside him, laughed smugly and said, "It was I who led the arquebusiers out of the back gate of Honmei Castle to launch a surprise attack on Hatano Main Camp. Before Lord Shinzaburo arrived, I had already enjoyed enough of the compliments from my colleagues, so there's no need to mention it again."

Shinzaburo thought to himself that it was fortunate he had maintained a humble attitude, otherwise he would have been stealing the limelight from the big boss's nephew.

He quickly added seriously, "When the enemy learned that their main camp had been attacked, they began to waver. Aoki Momii Noriyuki was forced to take a small number of followers to the front lines to boost morale, which gave me this opportunity."

Matsunaga Sunroku blinked, feigning confusion, and asked, "So, Lord Shinzaburo attributes the credit for slaying Tanba Oni Hatano Munetaka to the Yamashiro clan, and the credit for slaying Ao Oni Momii Norage to me, but where does that leave yourself?"

Shinzaburo pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "I guess I'm just lucky; I always seem to have a chance to make a name for myself."

Matsunaga Sunroku nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, and said meaningfully, "That's right! Master Meishu of Kofuku-ji Temple also said that Lord Shinzaburo is deeply blessed by the gods and Buddhas, and his military career will surely prosper."

Upon hearing this, the local samurai of Tanba looked at Shinzaburo with even greater enthusiasm.

As the saying goes, "a beautiful sedan chair needs many people to carry it," meaning that when your career is going well, you'll encounter kind and smiling faces all over the world.

066 Promotion and salary increase

Because this battle took place at the foot of Mount Honmei near Honmei Castle, it was recorded by the Miyoshi faction as the "Battle of Mount Honmei".

This battle originated from the defection of Hatano Hidechika, the lord of Honme Castle, which prompted the Hatano family to mobilize their allies and launch a large-scale military campaign to besiege Honme Castle. Matsunaga Nagayori then led his troops to attack the besieging army.

The final scale was later claimed to be 8,000 against 6,000, but in reality, after deducting logistics, the combat strength was approximately 4,500 against 3,500.

The key to victory lay in Matsunaga Magoroku's decision to lead two hundred elite soldiers, including one hundred arquebusiers, into Honme Castle beforehand and hide them. During the siege, the Hatano clan, believing the defenders were incapable of retaliation, lowered their guard. However, when the fighting was at its fiercest, these two hundred elite soldiers suddenly burst out from the castle's rear gate, launching a surprise attack on the Hatano main camp.

The simultaneous firing of a hundred cannons greatly shocked the poor, unsophisticated villagers of the Tanba mountain region.

This immediately caused the Hatano army to waver across the board.

Although some brave soldiers tried to step forward and turn the tide, none of them succeeded. In the end, all three routes collapsed one after another, resulting in a complete defeat.

After the battle was concluded, the Naito family had taken the heads of more than one hundred samurai with surnames, about 80% of whom were retainers or affiliated forces of the Hatano family.

Acting head of the clan, Matsunaga Nagayori, ordered a continued pursuit. The soldiers advanced westward, and the garrisons of strongholds along the way, such as Chida Castle, Wakamori Castle, and Amahiki Takayama Castle, fled at the mere mention of their name, daring not to engage in battle.

They encountered some resistance only after penetrating dozens of kilometers and approaching the Hatano family's residence, Yagami Castle.

Matsunaga Nagayori saw that Yagami Castle was heavily fortified and could not be taken overnight, so he decided to withdraw while he was ahead and ordered a retreat of 120 cho to the strategically important Shinoyama Valley Pass to build a fortified town to consolidate the gains of the victory.

The Hatano family seemed to have no intention of launching a counterattack, and simply watched as the fortress was completed.

This means that more than fifty villages in the eastern part of Toki County will change hands.

In summary, the defeat at the Battle of Honmeyama resulted in the Hatano clan losing one-third of its territory and one-third of its generals, crippling them and making recovery nearly impossible. The deaths of their chief retainer, "Tanba Oni" Hatano Munetaka, and their powerful outpost, "Blue Oni" Momii Noriyuki, had a particularly profound impact.

Soon, rumors even circulated that the retainers were demanding that the head of the clan, Hatano Harumichi, retire and be succeeded by his son, Hideharu.

Within Tanba, one of the two major "traitors" who are enemies of the Naito family, the guardians of the city, has already suffered a severe blow.

The Akai family of another district, Hikami, also suffered considerable casualties because they sent more than a thousand men to support the Hatano army in this battle.

The situation in the vicinity changed immediately.

The Naito family, the guardians of the region, have seen their power surge, their territory no longer confined to Funai County, and their influence has grown immensely. Meanwhile, the opposition has suffered a heavy blow.

The people of the three kingdoms of Tiantian, Helu, and Sangtian, who had previously maintained an ambiguous neutrality, all sent envoys with gifts to express their congratulations, and their attitude was much more respectful than before.

It can be said that the Kingdom of Tanba was on the verge of a dramatic change.

All of this stemmed from the fact that Matsunaga Nagayori, a fierce general of the Miyoshi family, took over Yagi Castle as the son-in-law of the previous governor and became the acting head of the Naito family.

Clearly, there would be no more disputes about status and identity; everyone would only be grateful that the previous lord had found a good son-in-law, allowing the Naito family to regain its prestige.

Of course, the battle could not have been fought by Matsunaga Nagayoshi alone, so the generals naturally had to be rewarded according to their merits.

Matsunaga Sonroku led two hundred elite soldiers to infiltrate Honme Castle undetected, launching a surprise attack on the enemy's main force at a crucial moment, making a significant contribution. Moreover, he was the nephew of the high-ranking leader.

Therefore, immediately after the war, it was announced that, in addition to certain rewards for his knowledge and conduct, he was ordered to take up a new post as "Taki County Magistrate" in Amahiki Takayama Castle.

I had never heard of this position before; it was created temporarily, and its specific responsibilities are not particularly clear. It roughly means that it can manage all matters in Taki County.

Currently, fifty-three villages in Taki District are occupied by the Naito family. Twenty of these are the original territories of Hatano Hidechika, a traitor, and his relatives and military commanders, known as "Antoku," while the other five are "Shin'en" (new favors) given to them.

The remaining twenty-eight villages were all under the control of Matsunaga Magoroku. Honmejo Hatano Hidechika was theoretically his subordinate, although in reality he could certainly contact Matsunaga Nagayori directly.

Moreover, if they were to conquer more territory in the Toki County in the future, they would all be placed under his control.

Compared to his previous role as "Deputy Director of Noguchi Township," Matsunaga Magoroku has taken a significant step forward.

Of course, this was achieved through their courageous fighting in dangerous situations, and not entirely through connections.

Shinzaburo Kubo felt only admiration for him, not jealousy.

Putting myself in their shoes, if I had such outstanding uncles as Matsunaga Hisahide and Matsunaga Nagayori, I might not be willing to take on the role of captain of a suicide squad that would lead two hundred men in a surprise attack on the enemy's main camp.

Incidentally, Shimizu Hachiroza was granted a title, and Kozaemon from Takeda Village officially became a samurai. Moreover, both of them were taken to Taki District by Matsunaga Magoroku.

In fact, he also privately said that he wanted to take Shinzaburo Kubo with him as well...

However, Matsunaga Nagayori rejected it.

Instead, the position of Noguchi-gō daikan (deputy governor) vacated by Matsunaga Sonroku, and the Noguchi Castle, which is currently only nearing completion, were taken over by Kubo Shinzaburo, the "Tamba Zhongkui" who slew two demons in one battle.

In addition to promotion, their salaries also increased significantly.

Matsunaga Nagayoshi, out of kindness, bestowed the title of "Deputy Governor of Kubo Village" upon Shinzaburo. Then, from the taxes and levies of the other twelve villages in Noguchi Township, a total of twelve kan of cash and eighty koku of rice were allocated to "Deputy Governor Kubo Shinzaburo's share".

There were also small silver coins worth over twenty strings of cash as rewards. Most of these new soldiers exchanged them for Yongle coins and distributed them to the soldiers.

Considering the great achievement of defeating Momii Kyoyo, which led to the complete collapse of the enemy forces on the western route, the reward was not particularly generous. Although Hatano Munetaka's head was indeed just a stroke of luck.

However, at the routine evaluation meeting at the end of the month, Matsunaga Nagayori presented Shinzaburo with a "career advancement certificate" in front of everyone, which read: "Lord Shinzaburo Kubo: Due to your meritorious service in the Battle of Muneyama, I believe you are suitable to serve as the head of the Genban and will soon recommend you to Kyoto. Matsunaga Hōunken Nagayori, November 29, Tenshō 23 (1564)".

This means that he will be allowed to use the name "Xuanfantou" as his official title from now on.

The statement that "I will soon be recommended to the capital" was just talk; he wouldn't actually go, much less receive official authorization from the imperial court. However, since it had the signature and seal of a regional leader, it wasn't entirely unauthorized; it was a kind of "internal ration coupon" that could be valid within a certain scope.

As long as Matsunaga Nagayori remains in power, this agreement will remain in effect. However, if he falls from power, he will need to seek the approval of the new leader of the Tanba region.

In theory, if a low-ranking samurai has the opportunity to obtain an official title, he should also choose a prestigious title and should not continue to use the common name "Shinsaburō," otherwise it would seem a bit strange.

However, Matsunaga Nagayori neither bestowed a name upon Shinzaburo nor offered him a proper name. Perhaps out of consideration for the relationship with Master Meishu of Kofuku-ji Temple, he delegated the task to the old monk.

The official title he gave was "Xuanfantou," which originally referred to an official under the "Ministry of Governance" who managed the ordination certificates of monks. That's quite interesting, and perhaps it also reflects some kind of amusement.

In short, after the Battle of Honmeyama, Kubo Shinzaburo is now the lord of Noguchi Castle, Noguchi Township, Kubo Village, and Gokurakuji. He also receives an annual allowance of 12 kan and 80 koku of rice as a "daishan share." He is a newly promoted samurai who can call himself "Kubo Genban" and has the nickname "Tanba Zhongkui."

He knew perfectly well that without the addition of the remnants of the Shingu faction, he could never have achieved such a great feat on his own.

In this battle, in addition to killing the Blue Oni Momii Noriyuki, the seventeen members of the Shingu Party also obtained the heads of two mid-level samurai, three lower-level samurai, and two underworld figures. This achievement, according to the pre-agreed price, was worth a total of 127 kan.

If it weren't for the fact that Kim Bing-wei's father still had a considerable amount of savings, they probably wouldn't have been able to pay the bill at all.

But Old Deng, who was always stingy, didn't feel bad at all after understanding the whole story. Instead, he said without hesitation, "Let's round it up and give you 130 strings of cash to make a good relationship! It would be even better if we could cooperate in the future!"

Shinzaburo thought so too.

But when it came time to pay, when the matter was mentioned, Takemura Hidetoshi, the temporary leader of the remnants of the Shingu faction, shook his head and said, "With this money, it's enough for us to support the young lord. Besides, we have three dead and three seriously wounded in this battle, and our remaining strength is insufficient. We probably won't be appearing on the battlefield as mercenaries for a while."

Shinzaburo had nothing to say, and could only wish the other person all the best.

Seventeen men obtained eight enemy heads, most of which were of medium to high rank; at the same time, three of their own men died and three were seriously injured, while the rest remained brave and fearless. Who wouldn't want to recruit such unparalleled warriors?

Moreover, this Takemura Hideki is ruthless and taciturn, and seems to possess considerable tactical talent.

However, such people are clearly difficult to win over with money alone; something more "metaphysical" is needed to gain their loyalty.

We'll have to think about it some more later.

They said they were staying at Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto, and that they should perhaps visit them later if they had the time.

then……

Right after the end-of-month evaluation meeting, Master Mingzhou came over and said excitedly, "Shinsanrou... no, I should say Lord Xuanfan, although it's still three or four months away from the one-year deadline I mentioned, you now have the foundation to marry, have children, and establish your own household!"

Shinzaburo was already prepared and calmly smiled, "I will do as the abbot says!"

067 Surnames, Family Crests, and Horse Marks

Shinzaburo and Master Akishū decided to quickly renovate Noguchi Castle and then choose an auspicious day to marry Miss Azumi.

The couple didn't intend to be unconventional in the wedding ceremony; they just wanted a moderately grand affair following current trends. However, some subtle details required careful attention, which raised deeper questions.

For example, since it is a wedding of a newly emerging martial arts family, it is inevitable that their family crest will be printed on many places.

However, Shinzaburo Kubo still doesn't have a family crest, and he doesn't know what kind to make.

After transmigrating, he knew nothing about this subject, and even as a history enthusiast in his previous life, he only knew a little bit about it.

Master Mingzhou pondered for a long time and said, "Even if we intend to fabricate a family lineage, the name 'Kubo' has very little historical basis, and I don't know how to deal with it. However, there is a noble family in Kyoto named 'Kuga', which also contains the character 'Ku'. How about we borrow their 'Dragon Cart' family crest?"

Shinzaburo hesitated for a moment, then said tentatively, "Is it really okay to 'borrow' so directly? Isn't that a bit too arrogant?"

Master Mingzhou disagreed: "In this day and age, which famous family doesn't forcibly claim kinship with ancient noble families? What's the big deal? If you think it's inappropriate, then take a look at the sunflower pattern that Adou's mother's family usually uses, how about that?"

Shinzaburo pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Could we combine gentian and sunflower leaves? Is there any precedent for this?"

Master Mingzhou pondered for a long time, then shook his head and said with certainty, "There shouldn't be. I've thought about it over and over again, and I've never seen a family crest that has both gentian and sunflower leaves."

Shinzaburo then came up with an idea: "With a sunflower leaf at the bottom and a gentian at the top, let's call it the 'Sunflower and Gentian' pattern. Is that alright?"

Master Mingzhou didn't seem to care about this and casually agreed: "Okay. Let's design it like this: two-leaf hollyhocks hanging down below and three gentians above."

Shinzaburo bowed and said, "I'm so sorry, thank you for tolerating my sudden and willful idea."

Master Mingzhou waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's alright! Anyway, the ancient family crests that are now considered symbols of prestigious families were just sudden, impulsive ideas back then. But—now that we have a family crest, shouldn't we give it a formal 'name'?"

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo pondered for a moment and said, "I had thought that this time a high-ranking samurai would bestow upon me a new name..."

Upon hearing this, the old monk suddenly lowered his head and remained silent for a while before softly saying, "My name before I became a monk was 'Meishiro,' and Adou's mother was named 'Agi.' Twenty years ago, we dreamed that if we were an ordinary samurai couple, we could give our descendants the resounding name 'Yoshiaki.'"

Shinzaburo had never been particularly attached to a name, so he immediately bowed deeply and said with great feeling, "I have been wandering for twenty years without ever having a name. If the abbot does not mind, I wish to take 'Kubo Yoshiaki' as my name from now on!"

Master Mingzhou said in a trembling voice, "Good!"

Shinzaburo prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Thank you, Father, for bestowing upon me the name Mae!"

Of course, "godfather" here does not mean "godfather" but rather "father-in-law".

Master Mingzhou's face lit up with a hint of joy, then he coughed awkwardly twice and instructed, "In public, remember to call him uncle."

Shinzaburo suppressed a laugh and nodded in agreement.

After a brief silence, Master Mingzhou composed himself and calmly brought up the next topic: "We already have the family crest and nameplate, so why don't we take this opportunity to make a horse seal?"

Shinzaburo was taken aback: "Isn't it too early? There should be at least five hundred men under your command before it's necessary to use a horse seal."

Master Mingzhou smiled and said, "I think it's only a matter of time, so we might as well make plans in advance."

Shinzaburo thought and thought but had no inspiration. He shook his head and said, "I really can't think of anything that can be used as a logo."

Master Mingzhou asked in surprise, “After the Battle of Meishan, your name ‘Tanba Zhong Kui’ has gradually spread. Why not use a banner with Zhong Kui’s portrait as your horse seal? Many military generals of this era like to use ‘ghost’ as a nickname to show off their martial prowess, but Zhong Kui is the least afraid of ghosts.”

Shinzaburo thought it sounded pretty good. However, he couldn't help but complain, "It's a pity that Zhong Kui isn't a deity worshipped in Buddhism, but rather a figure from the Taoism of Tang Dynasty. As long as the abbot doesn't mind..."

Master Mingzhou shook his head and laughed, "These days, monks sometimes resemble merchants, sometimes officials, sometimes actors... but never monks. What do I have to worry about?"

Shinzaburo thought to himself, "The old monk always complains about others not following the tenets of Buddhism, but what about your affair with a noblewoman back then?"

But saying this out loud would probably get me a beating.

Moreover, if Master Mingzhou hadn't succumbed to temptation, violated the precept against lust, and given birth to Miss Adou, how could I have gotten such a great deal?