stonecrandall Page 24
Page 24
His gaze swept over the young woman in front of him, and he felt that it was just a fleeting glimpse, and for a moment he was even a little stunned.
My first impression was that it was tall, incredibly tall!
Master Mingzhou is no longer considered short in this generation, but his "niece" seems to be a little taller than him.
Standing on the tatami mat barefoot, wearing only tabi socks, she appeared to be nearly 160 centimeters tall. Compared to the 1.4-meter-tall village girls I usually see, she was like a swan compared to a sparrow.
Then, through the white short sleeves cinched at the waist and the light yellow jacket, one can glimpse the other person's slender and upright figure. It is not merely thin, but rather well-proportioned, possessing a balanced and agile beauty.
Then, looking up, he saw long, straight black hair, an oval face, slender, slightly raised eyebrows, large, round eyes, a high, slightly upturned nose, and full, moist lips. Instantly, Kubo Shinzaburo was reminded of several female celebrities he had fantasized about in his past life.
The "pig-slaying hero" Ooi Shigeie also mentioned that Master Mingzhou's illegitimate daughter looked like a monster and had a very strange appearance...
Now I understand!
That was entirely because the aesthetics of the 16th century were so outdated!
Or perhaps it's because most men in this era are too short, so they only like petite, delicate, and pitiful soft girls. Faced with a beauty with a very upright figure, three-dimensional features, and a somewhat aggressive look, they can only feel uneasy.
In short, Kubo Shinzaburo instantly developed a slight liking for the girl in front of him.
Of course, this is a kind of fondness that is completely detached from sophisticated tastes; it's not a matter of liking or disliking, it's just lusting after her body.
As the saying goes, food and sex are the greatest desires of humankind, and there is no need to feel that there is anything wrong with them.
However, it's not good to be too blatant about it.
Be reserved; reserve is the greatest romance of Easterners.
Shinzaburo Kubo immediately calmed himself down and tried his best to calm his agitated emotions.
Then, just as I was thinking about how to start the conversation, the girl across from me suddenly spoke.
It was a clear and cheerful soprano voice.
She said, "You must be Lord Shinzaburo? You've been staring at me the whole time, what are you thinking?"
Ah this...
The situation suddenly became awkward.
I only glanced at it; the movement should have been very subtle. How did it get discovered?
Does this mean that women are particularly sensitive to gazes?
Shinzaburo Kubo thought that since he had been discovered, there was no need to hide it. Being honest would make him seem more open and honest. So he bowed generously and said, "I apologize. It is my first time meeting you. I was so impressed by your beauty that I was momentarily stunned. It is only natural to be attracted to beautiful young women. I hope you will forgive me."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, the girl gave a soft "humph", turned her head to the side, and said coldly with a stern look: "Countless people have said that I look strange since I was a child. If you have any complaints, Lord Shinzaburo, you may say so. There is no need to make sarcastic remarks."
Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo Kubo felt both amused and exasperated.
I genuinely think you're good-looking, so why is it being interpreted as sarcasm?
However, the other side was more decisive than the girl's reaction.
Kubo Shinzaburo glanced sideways and saw Master Meishu sitting in the distance, smiling as he said, "This is the Adou I just told you about."
The old monk was in a good mood, which made things easier. After all, pleasing the girl was just a means to an end; pleasing the old monk was the real goal.
Shinzaburo Kubo let out a long sigh, quickly composed himself, widened his eyes, and put on an extremely serious expression, saying solemnly, "Miss Azuki, please hear me out!"
"Huh? Ah... then you say..." Adou originally seemed quite annoyed, but was so frightened by Kubo Shinzaburo's posture that she took two steps back and seemed to forget her anger for a moment.
Then Kubo Shinzaburo slowly said, "Miss Azumi, have you ever heard of the essay 'On the Love of Lotus'? Few have been heard of loving chrysanthemums since Tao Yuanming. Who shares my love for lotus? The love for peony is indeed widespread. Worldly people are infatuated with peonies, but those with lofty ideals may not follow the crowd."
Just as he was about to begin his description, he saw Adou shake her head and say, "I've never heard of this article." She then looked at Master Mingzhou and asked, "Father, who wrote this?"
"Cough cough..." Master Mingzhou coughed twice, shook his head helplessly, and said, "I already told you to call me uncle outside..."
Then the old monk rose and slowly approached, his expression a mixture of excitement and doubt. He clicked his tongue in amazement at Kubo Shinzaburo: "The work of Zhou Maoshu, a great writer of the Song Dynasty, is recorded in 'The True Treasure of Ancient Literature.' This book is quite rare in Japan. I have only read it in the library of Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto. I'm afraid there isn't a single place in Tanba that includes it. Shinzaburo, you actually know the text in it. That's truly remarkable!"
Shinzaburo Kubo was taken aback, not expecting that his casual boast had gone so far, and he stammered, unsure how to explain.
Master Mingzhou, however, didn't wait for his reply before making his conclusion: "And there's the quote from Mencius that I mentioned earlier. Although Mencius is known as the Second Sage in Tang China, he's not very well-known in Japan. Aside from the Venerable Acala appearing in your dream to teach you these stories, I really don't know how to explain them. However, your reading is slightly different from what I've seen before. Could it be that the Venerable One taught you a different translation?"
"The Immovable King?" Adou glanced at Kubo Shinzaburo in surprise, but didn't pursue the matter further. She then pulled the old monk aside and asked, "Then what exactly does this 'On the Love of Lotus' mean?"
Master Mingzhou smiled warmly and said softly, "Just as Shinzaburo said, worldly people are infatuated with peonies, but those with lofty ideals may not follow the crowd. Few people prefer lotuses to peonies, but perhaps these are the true gentlemen with noble tastes. I think he spoke these words with a sincere heart."
"Oh... I see." Perhaps because of the sayings of Mencius and "On the Love of Lotus," the girl Adou looked at him with a hint of admiration and respect.
It is estimated that, as the child of a Zen monk and the daughter of a government official, she naturally has a fondness for cultured people.
Besides possessing these strange pieces of knowledge, Shinzaburo had always had excellent academic performance in his previous life, and even without consciously maintaining it, he did have an innate scholarly air about him.
Finally, Adou nodded and said, "I'll choose him."
Then a blush rose to her face, and she quickly turned around, her back to everyone.
Shinzaburo Kubo sensed something was off about the girl's tone.
This doesn't seem like a blind date; it looks more like a gigolo being chosen by a rich woman.
But then I thought, well, so be it, I'll be a Cowherd.
At least Adou is quite pretty.
And her father... cough... her uncle is indeed quite powerful.
We're already in the 16th century, how can we expect to have free love?
046 Waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump beneath Noguchi Castle
Shinzaburo Kubo stayed at Kofukuji Temple for a few more days.
The main purpose was to discuss the wedding arrangements with Master Mingzhou, and secondly, I met with Miss Adou a few times and exchanged a few words with her.
Master Mingzhou is from Yamato Province, and his family name is Imai. Since he outwardly refers to Azumi as his "niece," he should naturally marry as "the daughter of the Imai family."
Of course, this is just a title, and no elders from the maternal family will actually appear, unless someone is found to impersonate them.
Correspondingly, Shinzaburo Kubo only has one father, who is currently an alcoholic and unconscious, so he probably won't be able to attend the celebration ceremony.
Therefore, Master Mingzhou decided to have the Miyoshi family officiate the wedding.
The first choice is undoubtedly Matsunaga Nagayori, the current acting head of the Tanba Naito family.
In Japanese culture, the relationship between ruler and subject is considered similar to that between parent and child.
In particular, Matsunaga Nagayori has already bestowed upon Kubo Shinzaburo a "new favor," including provisions for Takeda Village and the position of governor of Gokurakuji Temple. This is tantamount to establishing a "service relationship" according to the traditional customs of the samurai class. It is only natural to regard him as an elder.
Master Mingzhou also emphasized that although the courtship and wedding ceremonies had to be simplified, the dowry would still include all the traditional items expected of a noblewoman, such as a Tang-style cabinet, a screen, and a shell bucket.
Furthermore, no matter how much money Kubo Shinzaburo spent preparing "gifts," the old monk would return "gifts" worth more than twice that amount. However, in those days, giving money was not common; instead, high-value furniture, clothing, and food were the main gifts.
This could be interpreted as a form of keeping a live-in son-in-law.
At this point, Shinzaburo Kubo felt a little guilty and frankly said, "My current residence is really too simple. I'm afraid it will need a major renovation and expansion to be ready to welcome you."
Upon hearing this, Master Mingzhou asked, "Then how long do you think it will take?"
After a moment's thought, Shinzaburo Kubo cautiously replied, "It will take several months... or maybe a year."
Upon hearing this, Master Mingzhou chuckled and shook his head, saying, "I think that a year from now, you might not still be living in that house in Kubo Village."
Shinzaburo Kubo could only smile and say, "I hope it will be as the abbot says."
Master Mingzhou nodded and made his decision: "Then let's make it a year. Next year, I will entrust Adou to you."
Shinzaburo Kubo bowed again and said, "Thank you for your trust."
……
After saying goodbye to Master Mingzhou and Miss Adou, and returning to the village, almost ten days had passed.
On Matsunaga Magoro's side, the fortress has already taken initial shape.
It is evident that a wooden wall has been erected around the small hill, which is several dozen paces in circumference, with a watchtower at each of the four corners. There is only one gate, with a simple "tiger's mouth" structure inside and out, connected to the road by a winding ramp.
There would obviously be a "royal residence" for the city lord and his family to live and work inside, as well as longhouses to accommodate servants and soldiers, and then warehouses, stables, wells, kitchens, etc., all of which would be planned and designed.
Under the supervision of Shimizu Hachiro, twenty-five "banjutsu" are working diligently.
Meanwhile, after the "reward for moving stones" system was implemented, the 26 guards sent by the thirteen villages were no longer the old, weak, sick, or disabled, but mostly young people who brought their own weapons.
There even came a strong man who would come every day to move a large stone and take away a liter of brown rice. It is said that the family had too little land, and his wife and children could barely manage to finish spring planting, so the man went out to earn extra money.
This guy might not be a very good fighter, but standing at the crossroads with a long spear, he certainly looks imposing and impressive.
According to Shinzaburo Kubo, these people should have their names and addresses registered so that they can be prioritized for military service and given preferential treatment in terms of money and rations. Ideally, they should be gradually converted into full-time soldiers.
Matsunaga Sunroku, however, felt that it was enough to recruit the very few most outstanding people from the populace as samurai. He believed that military service was easier to manage on a village-by-village basis and that there was no need to assign it to individuals. Otherwise, it would be impossible to manage.
The lack of scribes was indeed a fact. However, Shinzaburo Kubo believed that the cause and effect here could not be understood too simply. If a detailed system was not implemented, a sufficient number of scribes would never be produced.
There's no need to argue with your boss over such a small disagreement. So it's best to keep quiet.
In short, when Kubo Shinzaburo returned to his post, Matsunaga Magoro, standing at the foot of the hill, excitedly introduced, "In another forty or fifty days, this castle will be largely completed."
Shinzaburo Kubo was happy to play the straight man and deliberately asked, "Lord Sun, what name do you plan to give this small town?"
Matsunaga Sonroku said without hesitation, "Since it's built in Noguchi Village, let's call it Noguchi Castle."
Is it really that simple and straightforward?
Kubo Shinzaburo was slightly surprised, but then smiled and shook his head, saying, "It seems that Lord Sun Liu doesn't have any particular attachment to the name of his castle."
Upon hearing this, Matsunaga Sunroku glanced at him and said meaningfully, "Actually, it's not necessarily true that I will stay here long-term after this city is completed."
Shinzaburo Kubo could understand the implication in the other person's words, but he didn't respond and simply pretended to be confused.
After a moment, Matsunaga Magoroku said, "I have received news that the Hatano family has recently gathered twenty or thirty mounted samurai, intending to attack and obstruct the construction of 'Noguchi Castle'. I am planning to ambush them, and I hope that Shinzaburo and your entourage will also fight bravely together."
Shinzaburo Kubo exclaimed in surprise, "There's even news like this?"
Matsunaga Sunroku adopted a confident demeanor and slowly said, "Shinzaburo, you can guess where I got this information from."
Upon hearing this, Kubo Shinzaburo replied in a low voice without much thought, "I heard that many former retainers of the Naito family have defected to the Hatano or Akai families this year because they were dissatisfied with Lord Nagayori's reform plan... In fact, I had long suspected that there might be more to the story."
Matsunaga Magoroku revealed an "I knew it" expression and said with a smile, "I hope there aren't too many smart people like you in the Hatano and Akai families."
Shinzaburo Kubo ignored the other party's flattery, and instead looked around and expressed his concerns: "Although we know that the Hatano family may attack, how can we ambush them with so few people? Those twenty-six villagers who came to stand guard may not be enough!"
Upon hearing this, Matsunaga Sonroku laughed heartily, a smug look spreading across his youthful yet dark face. He lowered his voice and said, "Since you didn't discover any ambushes nearby, the Hatano family probably couldn't have either!"
Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo Kubo nodded in understanding.
Indeed, Matsunaga Magoroku is Matsunaga Nagayori's cousin. Although he's only a deputy county magistrate, his implicit authority goes far beyond that. Since they already knew the enemy could attack at any moment, they naturally made corresponding arrangements.
047 Tanba Ghost Hatano Sotaka
At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, on a road between Taki and Funai districts, wide enough for three riders to walk abreast, more than twenty samurai, each leading a warhorse, advanced in two columns from west to east at a leisurely pace.
Everyone remained silent, uttering almost no words except for necessary military orders and questions. They showed no fear of the battle that could be triggered at any moment, nor did they exhibit the restless excitement of the new recruits.
The entire group moved with light and agile steps, seemingly unaffected by their armor. Even the horses moved quietly, following their masters' wishes.
Such qualities are top-notch within the entire Tanba Kingdom.
The middle-aged man leading the group at the front exuded a seasoned and mature aura, clearly a veteran.
However, his brow remained furrowed the entire way.
Hatano Munetaka, the most powerful general of the Hatano clan, known as "Tanba Oni," did not approve of this operation.
……
At the military assessment meeting before departure, he repeatedly emphasized that either they should continue to harass the enemy with only three or fewer retainers, or they should wait until the harvest season was over, contact the Akai family, and concentrate their main forces to carry out a large-scale operation.
Sending more than twenty mounted warriors, who are the backbone of the family, to interfere with the construction of a small border outpost of the enemy is unlikely to bring much benefit even if successful, and could be crippling if things go wrong.
Unfortunately, the family head wouldn't listen.
The current head of the Hatano family is just as stubborn as his father and grandfather, but he may not have inherited even a tenth of their talents.
However, he was the only son of the main family, and his right to inherit was indisputable.
As a member of a collateral branch of the family, Hatano Munetaka could only express his helplessness in the face of this.
The position of separating the family is very awkward. If one interferes too much in the succession issue, it is easy to be seen as having ulterior motives.
Looking back, the previous head of the family, Lord Motokiyo, was a brave and skilled warrior who defeated countless enemy generals during the "Two Hosokawa Rebellions," earning him fame throughout the lands; the previous head of the family, Lord Hidetada, was adept at political maneuvering, achieving unified rule over Taki District and expanding the territory considerably...
In contrast, Lord Harumichi of this generation not only lacks achievements in both literary and martial arts, but also acts somewhat emotionally.
After learning that Miyoshi retainer Matsunaga Nagayori had taken control of Yagi Castle and seized real power from the Naito family, he recalled his old grudges with Miyoshi and broke the tacit understanding among the Tanba factions that they would not interfere with each other during the busy farming season, repeatedly demanding to attack.
Indeed, it was a great disgrace that the villain Miyoshi Nagayoshi divorced Lord Harumichi's sister and married the daughter of Yusa Nagayoshi, the deputy governor of Kawachi.