The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 7

This is no small sum.

Fortunately, Jin Bingwei's father still had seven or eight strings of cash worth of grain to sell to the caravan, so there was no need to use the silver stored in the cellar.

After offsetting the two expenses, the extra money was used to purchase a batch of winter supplies such as charcoal, firewood, and cotton cloth.

Jin Bingwei's father explained that he felt this winter would be particularly cold, so it was advisable to stockpile supplies now. If an extreme cold snap did occur, they would have the resources to help their fellow villagers or take in refugees.

Shinzaburo, out of curiosity, wanted to know the exact price of each item, including sugar, wine, tea, and salt.

The baby-faced caravan leader, named "Uozumi Hikoshiro," assumed he was trying to haggle. He bowed slightly, put on a businesslike smile, and said reservedly, "I understand what you mean. However, the things your father needs are hard to find in ordinary towns; you have to go to Sakai or Ishiyama to buy them. They only cost about two kan there, but we've gone through so much trouble transporting them here, passing through more than a dozen checkpoints and avoiding countless bandits in the mountains. Charging you three kan and six hundred isn't exactly heartless, is it?"

Shinzaburo thought to himself, "It's not that I think it's too expensive," but before he could argue, he was shoved aside by Kinbei's father.

Then, Jinbei's father exchanged a few pleasantries with Uozumi Hikoshiro, pulled up a small table, and drank some wine with pickled vegetables, saying something like, "The child is just asking for fun because he doesn't know any better."

Shinzaburo could no longer speak.

After the money and goods were exchanged and the drinking was nearly finished, Uozumi Hikoshiro took his leave. Only then did Old Man Kinbei explain that this caravan originally only came to the village annually to purchase agricultural products and sell ironware and handicrafts; they didn't specifically bring sugar, wine, tea, or seasonings. He had spent a long time building rapport and had made a very sincere request before they agreed to help him out.

If you were to go to Sakai to buy supplies yourself, not to mention the expenses for travel and accommodation, the risks along the way would be unbearable.

"Back then, your eldest brother, Shintaro, met his demise on his way out to buy candy when he encountered robbers..." At this point, Old Man Kinbei's mood instantly sombered, and his voice became somewhat weak: "What a pity about Shintaro! He was both smart and hardworking. If we had spent money to make him a samurai, he would definitely have made a name for himself. Shinjiro is very good at farm work, but he's a bit dull. Even if nothing had happened, he would have been stuck in the village."

After the merchant left, Old Man Jinbingwei had already sealed the wine pot, but he couldn't resist tearing it open again. Instead of pouring the wine into the dish, he directly drank a few mouthfuls.

Then he shook his head and sighed twice, exhaling a long puff of alcohol fumes, and said:

"As for you, Shinsaburo... you're not bad-witted, but you're much lazier than your two older brothers. You're all grown up so tall and strong for nothing! But since the Bodhisattva has favored you, I won't say much. And the fourth one... he died before he could be named... Ah, well, maybe he's been reincarnated into a wealthy family? Shingoro..."

At this point, Old Man Jinbingwei took two large gulps of wine, then looked up at the sky, his eyes lifeless, and said:

“My health has deteriorated significantly in the past two years, and I reckon my time is coming soon. From now on, you, my third brother, will probably have to take care of Shingoro. That kid doesn't seem very bright, and he's not very efficient. You'll have to put in a lot of effort… Raising two out of five children, that's doing right by our ancestors, isn't it…”

Shinzaburo nodded in agreement from time to time, listening patiently for a long time, but there was no further news.

He thought to himself, "This isn't right. I also have a younger sister, Ah Li!"

In this chaotic era, my younger sister also needs to be taken good care of.

Moreover, the statement about "five children"...

Will Ah Li be sad if he hears this?

But given the atmosphere, Shinzaburo couldn't say anything.

Are you suggesting we criticize a 16th-century farmer for favoring sons over daughters?

Given the limitations of our times, blaming individuals is not very meaningful.

Besides, Father Jinbingwei never skimped on food and clothing for his little sister A-Li, nor was he in a hurry to marry off his twelve-year-old daughter.

He even said when planning his family fortune, "When Ah Li gets married, we must prepare a dowry of ten or eight strings of cash."

That's pretty good.

The conversation eventually turned to the plan to spend money to make Shinzaburo a samurai and Shingoro a monk.

Unexpectedly, the young boy Shingoro happened to come out to use the restroom. Upon hearing this, he said that if he didn't want to be a monk, he should take 100 kan as capital and start a business.

Then Jin Bingwei's father slapped him across the face: "What do you know, you brat? These days, if you want to do business, you have to be a monk! Every business that makes big money is controlled by famous temples and ancient monasteries."

The little boy ran back to the house crying again.

011 Even the Zen school has its periods of change.

After gathering enough ingredients, Jin Bingwei's father, along with his children, began making candied chestnuts over the next few days, following the so-called "family secret recipe."

First, bring the dried chestnuts to the yard, carefully peel them, select the plump ones free of pests, set up an iron pot, and carefully simmer them over a low flame with water until they are cooked but not mushy, maintaining a crisp texture. Only then is the first step complete.

Next, take out the cooked chestnuts and set them aside. Pour twenty catties of brown sugar into a pot in batches and boil it into syrup. Mix it with water to a suitable consistency, add some cooking oil and seasonings in a fixed ratio, and cook it into a syrup with a complex flavor.

Then mix the chestnuts with the syrup, stir-fry them to ensure they are well-seasoned, and then put them into a large, pre-prepared jar. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and tea powder on top, fill the gaps with monk's wine, seal it, and place it in a cellar.

After pickling for ten days, the candied chestnuts are basically ready. Take them out and let them air dry until they are moist but not sticky. Then put them into a dry and clean small earthenware jar, package them, and they are ready to be shipped.

After going through the process, the quantity was about the same as before, and a total of twenty jars were made, weighing a total of seventy or eighty catties.

The last little bit was finally enough for my family to enjoy.

Old Man Jinbingwei only tasted two bites himself, and gave ten to each of the young Shingoro and the little girl Ari. He put the rest in a small cloth bag and handed it to Shinsaburo, instructing him, "This stuff is very filling. You should save it for when you have physical work to do. Don't be greedy and eat it all when you're not doing anything."

With such a serious demeanor, it was impossible for Shinzaburo to refuse. He had no choice but to accept the small cloth bag with both hands in a solemn manner.

The two children, Shingoro the young boy and Ari the little girl, were quite envious of the small bag of candied chestnuts, but they dared not question their father's decision in the slightest.

……

Early the next morning, Old Man Jinbingwei gathered seven or eight villagers—led by his two loyal henchmen, the sallow-faced and thin Kumakichi and the dark-faced and short Hashisuke—and dressed in their best clothes, carrying twenty jars of candied chestnuts, and headed south to Kōfuku-ji Temple.

As the direct participant in the "Fudo Myo-o's dream," Shinzaburo naturally couldn't be absent.

The young boy Shingoro was also brought along, because Kinbei's father hoped to spend money to get the boy into the temple as a disciple of a high-ranking monk. This trip was just to get him familiar with the place and pave the way.

It was already the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, and the temperature on the mountain path was very low. It was also the season when wild animal attacks and bandit activity were most frequent. The group put on their cloaks, carried their weapons, and proceeded cautiously. Although they encountered some suspicious activity along the way, they ultimately arrived at their destination before sunset without any major incidents.

Shinzaburo had previously stayed at a temple to study and learn to read and write, but many years had passed since then, and it happened before he time-traveled, so he couldn't remember it now.

Located in the southern part of Tanba Province, Kōpū-ji Temple is situated in a region that has largely emerged from the continuous hills and is approaching the Kinai Plain.

It is a flat area that is easy to develop.

Moreover, it is located on the ancient San'in National Highway, and Kyoto is just a few dozen kilometers to the east, so it can be considered a small transportation hub.

Its appearance is naturally very different from that of the remote and impoverished Kubo Village.

From afar, the five-story pagoda stands tall, like a crane among chickens. As you approach, a stone wall covering several hundred paces comes into view. The temple is enclosed within the wall, with two wide gates by the roadside, topped with Tang-style arched roofs.

In addition, opposite and on both sides of the temple, there are twenty or thirty shops of various styles, and behind them are many hastily built houses.

A glance revealed rice houses, timber houses, horse stables, clinics, blacksmith shops, and earthen warehouses (pawnshops), with the most numerous being inns and taverns that provided food and lodging.

Based on his knowledge of history from his previous life, Shinzaburo could tell that these shops built next to Kofuku-ji Temple were the so-called "monzencho" (temple town), and that they were able to do business with peace of mind only because they relied on the protection of the monks.

Many temples and shrines possessed the privilege of "neither paying nor receiving," giving them ample reason to prevent exploitation by daimyo. At the same time, the number of monk soldiers they maintained was sufficient to resist the covetousness of thieves.

Of course, even protected merchants are not exempt from donating some money to temples.

(By the way, traditionally, shops located inside temples are called "terauchi"; in reality, they are often confused with "monzenchi".)

The scale of this "monzen-cho" is already considered to be the commercial center of Funai District in Tanba Province, but it is completely incomparable to Otsu under the jurisdiction of Enryaku-ji Temple of the Tendai sect or Ishiyama under the jurisdiction of Hongan-ji Temple of the Jodo Shinshu sect.

After all, the geographical conditions are what they are.

Therefore, Kofuku-ji Temple is ultimately just a temple with a certain influence in Tanba.

Moreover, the Linji school to which it belongs is a branch of the Chan school, which is known for its scholarship but not for its ability to seize territory or do business.

However, when Kubomura and his group arrived, it was already late afternoon (3 to 5 pm), but they saw that there were still many people gathered at the temple entrance, and they even had to queue to enter, blocking half of the road.

This popularity seems to rival that of famous mountains and ancient temples.

Jin Bingwei's father deduced: "The annual 'Cooling Festival' held by the high monks of Guangfu Temple is coming soon. Nearby merchants and craftsmen will definitely go to burn incense, and farmers may also come to join in the fun. Later, there will be fewer people. However, in the past, there was no need to queue to enter during the Cooling Festival. Today, there are probably more people than usual."

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo questioned, "Then why did you choose today? I don't see many lodgings near this temple, they must be fully booked now. Will we even have a place to sleep tonight?"

Old Man Jin Bingwei rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Do you think I can't think of what you can think of? Don't worry, with the relationship between our village and the monks, we can stay at the temple!"

So the group arrived at the temple gate under his guidance.

A young novice monk who was there to greet guests stepped forward and reminded them, "Our temple is currently holding a cooling festival. There have been too many visitors in the past few days. Please wait a moment and enter in turn."

Clearly, most people in this era do not have a strong sense of discipline. However, the people waiting to worship at the entrance of Guangfu Temple lined up in an orderly manner, without any intention of scrambling.

The reason is probably that there is a group of monk soldiers carrying knives, spears and clubs on both sides of the temple gate.

Old Man Jinbingwei, head held high, said loudly, "I am Jinbingwei from Kubo Village. I am here to deliver something to the high monks. Please inform them, young master, so as not to delay the matter."

Hearing these confident words, the young novice monk couldn't help but panic and ran inside without saying a word.

The other waiting people all turned to look at him. Meanwhile, Old Man Jinbingwei maintained a reserved and proud demeanor, remaining silent and standing with his arms crossed.

A moment later, the young novice monk rushed out again.

Old Man Jin Bingwei stroked his beard and chuckled as he strode forward.

But to everyone's surprise, the young novice monk said, "I'm sorry, my senior brothers and sisters all say they don't know you."

Old Man Jinbingwei stumbled and almost fell to the ground. He barely managed to stand up and immediately slapped his thigh, shouting, "Impossible! I'm Jinbingwei, the one who delivers candied chestnuts! Abbot Miaohai and Elder Zongshan of the temple have known me for many years!"

The young novice looked puzzled and shook his head, saying, "Don't you know? Myokai and Zongshan, my two senior masters, were transferred back to the Kyoto Headquarters last month. The current abbot is my senior master Mingzhou."

Upon hearing the words "Kyoto Headquarters," Shinzaburo immediately focused his attention. From the other party's words, he knew that Tanba Kofukuji Temple wasn't operating independently, but rather was highly controlled by the Kyoto headquarters. This was new information.

When Jin Bingwei heard that an acquaintance was leaving his post, he was stunned. After a moment of silence, he said, "What about the two mages, Qingchuan and Xuexian? They often took care of me..."

The young novice monk shook his head again: "I don't know much about these two. I heard they went to recuperate or went on a long trip. In any case, they're not in the temple."

Jin Bingwei's father stood there, speechless, unsure of what to say.

The young novice waited for a while, and seeing no response, bowed and said, "I'm so sorry, none of the people you know are here, so I can't inform them. If you want to enter the temple, please wait in line patiently."

At this moment, some onlookers couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The group from Kubo Village all kept their heads down, ashamed to be seen.

Shinzaburo glanced at the gate of Kofuku-ji Temple, thinking to himself, "Such drastic personnel changes in such a short time, even the abbot has been replaced, is definitely not normal. The only explanation is that there are power struggles and regime changes within the monks' circle too!"

012 Three sentences impressed the high monk

Despite being deeply shocked and disappointed, old man Kinbei quickly calmed down after being advised by Shinzaburo and obediently queued up to enter Kofukuji Temple.

The others—including young Shingoro—stayed outside to rest until the situation was clarified before making any further arrangements.

The father and son queued for almost half an hour before they were allowed to enter the temple gate.

Then, after searching for a long time within the monks' permitted area, Kimbei's father finally found two "high monks" he knew before but were not very familiar with, thus confirming Kimbei's identity as the "Kimbei who delivered candied chestnuts".

Of course, knowing someone but not being familiar with them means they won't help you for no reason.

The only way to gain access to the new abbot was to pave the way with money, giving each of the two high monks a small silver coin of slightly inferior quality.

Then, old man Jinbingwei hurriedly returned to the temple gate, took twenty jars of candied chestnuts, and he and his son Shinzaburo each carried half in a bamboo basket to the abbot's residence to pay their respects.

The interior of Guangfu Temple is not luxurious; it consists of simple, old buildings, with only a few simple "dry landscape" designs that are somewhat interesting.

The abbot's residence was the same; it was a small courtyard with three rooms, without any fancy decorations inside or out. Only a few calligraphy and painting scrolls were hung in the main hall, which was in line with the Zen tradition's emphasis on culture.

The new abbot, whose Dharma name was "Mingzhou," was a kind-faced old man. Although his figure was still somewhat hunched, he was quite vigorous. At this moment, he was pacing back and forth in the corridor under the eaves, his belly protruding. He was slightly frowning and had a thoughtful expression on his face. It was unclear whether he was studying Buddhist scriptures or composing poetry.

There were two young monks below the stage, one sweeping the floor and the other wiping the wall, and neither of them made a sound.

From a distance, old man Jinbingwei unloaded the bamboo basket on his back and bent over to the maximum extent, burying his head deeply. Like a loyal dog seeing its master, he hurried forward, knelt down, and said, "I am Jinbingwei from Kubo Village. I have come to offer candied chestnuts to the abbot. Please take a look!"

“…Hmm.” After a while, Abbot Mingzhou turned around, smiled slightly, put his hands together, and said slowly, “When I came here to take office, I heard that a benefactor has been offering vegetarian food to our temple every year for decades. You are truly kind.”

"I dare not accept such praise! I dare not accept such praise!" Old Man Jin Bingwei prostrated himself on the ground without raising his head, loudly flattering, "We farmers are able to survive entirely thanks to the Buddha's blessing, so it is only right and proper for us to serve the temple."

“Heh…” The old monk Mingzhou had probably heard too many flattering words before and was not moved by them. He just blinked and waved his hand, saying, “Why be so polite? Please get up! Our Linji school values ​​Chan meditation and does not care about formalities.”

Old Man Jinbingwei slowly stood up, then pointed to the bamboo basket he was carrying and said, "These are the candied chestnuts that we just made this year. I came with my son, Shinzaburo, to offer them to Kōfuku-ji Temple."

Following the words, Shinzaburo laid out the twenty small jars that the two had brought, one by one, for the other to see.

"Ah, good." The old monk Mingzhou glanced at them, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly smiled and said, "So many jars, did you and your son carry them all here with great difficulty?"

Old Man Jin Bingwei seemed surprised by the question, paused for a moment, and quickly bowed to answer, "I came with some fellow villagers."

"Oh?" The old monk Mingzhou raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He leaned forward and spoke quickly, "Since you, Kinbei, are you the head of Kubo Village, did you bring people to our temple today specifically to participate in the Qingliang Festival? How many people are there in total?"

"Reporting...reporting to the master..." Old Man Jin Bingwei became nervous for some reason, and suddenly became somewhat incoherent: "There are...seven or eight...seven or eight villagers came together today, they are all outside the gate...all waiting outside the temple gate..."

"I see..." The old monk Mingzhou lowered his head again, sat back down, and resumed his slow and deliberate pace: "Very good. Today's offering has been received, thank you very much. This old monk still has homework to do, if..."

"Uh..." Old Man Jinbingwei immediately panicked and hurriedly pointed to the twenty earthenware jars containing candied chestnuts, saying, "These foods are made with all our might in Kubo Village. The masters of the past all loved them. Abbot, would you like to try some first..."

“You are too kind, benefactor.” The old monk Mingzhou still maintained his smile, but his tone began to reveal a sense of detachment and indifference: “I am just a monk, and I have reached the age of knowing my destiny. I do not usually care about food and drink, so there is no need for that.”

"But...please..." Upon hearing this, Old Man Jinbingwei immediately knelt on the ground, but did not know what to say. After a while, he became so anxious that his face turned red and he was sweating profusely.

He clearly realized that the network of relationships he had built up with candied chestnuts was now at risk of being severed.

If Kofukuji Temple ceases to fully protect Kubomura in the future, then regardless of who inherits the position of head of the Naito family, they will definitely gradually increase the amount of taxes they pay.

Then Jin Bingwei, whose title was "Yi Ming," would naturally be unable to hold his position, and he would no longer be able to continue to be a "local worthie" and continue to manipulate the annual tribute.

What will the seemingly docile villagers do then? What if they come up with the idea of ​​taking advantage of the wealthy?

However, no matter how anxious Jin Bingwei was, there was nothing he could do.