The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 29

Seeing this, Matsunaga Sunroku finally relaxed a little, and then bowed to Shinsaburo with a smile, saying, "Originally, I thought that since it was difficult to find out the truth, we could only handle it according to the rule of 'a big fuss will lead to failure.' However, since Lord Shinsaburo was not here, I thought I would wait for your suggestion. Since you still want to investigate carefully, then I will leave everything to you!"

Isn't 055 the best of both worlds?

For many years, Kinbei's father had always been well-liked, and Kubo Shinzaburo had also been deliberately avoiding offending people lately, so he was still quite popular.

He first had his attendant announce his name loudly, then entered the longhouse where the villagers of Kowada lived. Immediately, a burly man with a scar on his arm came up with a grin, bowed, and said, shaking his head, "With Lord Shinzaburo here, everything is settled! Everyone knows that Lord Shinzaburo is always the most fair! And he takes good care of our Kowada village!"

Shinzaburo remained expressionless and said calmly, "Let's talk about this matter first."

"Yes!" The burly man with the scar on his arm showed no sign of intimidation, seemingly unfazed by the cold reception, and continued cheerfully, "Our two villages share the same river! Since our Xiaohetian Village is upstream, we'll take on the task of building the earthen dam. It's mainly to prevent the river water from spreading out, which is also good for the downstream area. But we didn't expect them to be so ungrateful and turn around and bite us!"

Shinzaburo remained noncommittal, only continuing to press: "Is it true that Owada Village said you deliberately adjusted the earthen dam to prevent them from getting enough water?"

"How could that be!" the burly man with a scar on his arm immediately protested. "We villagers are lucky to have even managed to build the earthen dam, let alone have that kind of ability. Sigh, it's much more comfortable downstream, they don't have to do anything, they can just sit there and nitpick!"

Shinzaburo frowned and said, "You mean, Ōwada Village is downstream and therefore benefits?"

The burly man with a scar on his arm, not understanding what was going on, nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, isn't it good that the downstream doesn't have to pay much attention to the dike? They, the villagers of Dahetian, have been taking advantage of us all along!"

Shinzaburo said, "I understand."

Ignoring the other person's attempts to persuade him to stay, he turned and left, arriving at the door of another longhouse.

This time, it was time to meet the "representative of the people" of Owada Village.

He still had his attendants announce his name loudly, made a show of it, and then pushed open the door to go in.

So immediately several older farmers came over, knelt down and begged, muttering things like "violation of the agreement," "unfair," and "please, Lord Shinzaburo, do the right thing."

Shinzaburo smiled and waved his hand, indicating that one person could speak.

The villagers exchanged glances, and finally an elderly man with white hair spoke up: "Sir, our Great Wada Village and their Small Wada Village agreed to share the water of the 'Wada River,' but we're downstream, so we always have to rely on them for water. A few minor disagreements in the past were tolerable, but this year they've actually blocked two-thirds of the river's flow! How can our village possibly have enough? Ah… this year's abundant rainfall might be manageable, but if it continues like this, our Great Wada Village won't be able to grow rice! Look at what happened to the agreement we made back then…"

Another old man nearby added angrily, "Back then, the people from Kowada Village colluded with the people from Yagi Castle to evade taxes. Now that the matter has been exposed, they insist that it was someone from our village who informed on them... So what if it was? Aren't they the ones who are at fault?"

Another person shook their head and sighed, "We're just unlucky to have been born downstream; we have to be subservient to others in everything we do..."

Shinzaburo interrupted the other party's further complaints and concluded: "So, in your opinion, the disadvantage of Owada Village is that it is located downstream?"

Several village representatives nodded in unison, chattering, "It's definitely much better to be born upstream! Downstream, you always fall behind in everything!"

Shinzaburo finally smiled and murmured to himself, "That makes things easier."

……

After asking his questions, Shinzaburo Kubo summoned the people of Kowada Village and Owada Village to the palace.

Upon meeting, the "representatives" on both sides immediately displayed hostility, exchanging insulting gestures and rolling their eyes at each other. They even seemed poised to start arguing.

Matsunaga Magoro sat in the main seat, still trying his best to maintain a serious demeanor, and rolled his eyes as he called out, "Hachiro Sa!"

Upon hearing this, Shimizu Hachiro immediately stood up, pointed at the crowd, and shouted, "Haven't you heard of the rule that 'a disturbance leads to defeat'? In principle, people should be punished for gang fights without asking any questions! Lord Sun is showing leniency by giving you a chance to explain because he cares about the hardships of the people. How can you be so disrespectful? Do you really want to sacrifice three or five heads from each side to satisfy the genius?"

This finally calmed them down.

The atmosphere was tense, and Shinzaburo couldn't play the good guy, so he could only say coldly, "Speak one by one in the order I call you, don't rush!"

Next, the people from Kowada Village spoke first.

The villagers clearly had nothing new to say; it was just the same old clichés.

When asked by Shinzaburo, they all emphasized that as the upstream village, Kowada Village naturally had to undertake more dam construction work to prevent the river water from diverting into other small tributaries, which was very hard work.

Then, let the people of Owada Village speak.

The same thing happened over there; they just kept repeating the same few sentences, their pronunciation was even worse, and they kept crying miserably.

Without Shinzaburo's prompting, the people of Owada Village kept talking about the disadvantages of being downstream, saying that their water supply depended entirely on the people upstream, making them too passive and feeling particularly frustrated.

After the villagers finished their rambling, Matsunaga Magoro could no longer maintain his facade, and his impatience began to show. Shimizu Hachiroza remained standing nearby, glaring menacingly, but his face showed a hint of bitterness. Takeda Village's Kozaemon, on the other hand, cast disdainful glances at both of them.

Kubo Shinzaburo smiled slightly, stroked his not-so-thick beard, and said slowly, "Since you both think the other's land is better, and your two villages aren't far apart, why don't you just exchange land?"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

The "representatives" on both sides were dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

After a moment, he subconsciously said things like "This is inappropriate," "This won't do," or "Are you kidding me?"

Shinzaburo frowned in displeasure and raised his voice, saying, "Weren't you just saying that the upstream was envious of the downstream, and the downstream was jealous of the upstream? Wouldn't it be better to let you exchange places? Wouldn't that satisfy both sides? It's a win-win situation!"

The villagers were all speechless and could only look at each other in bewilderment.

After a short while, Shinzaburo seemed to have thought of something and continued, "That's right! To ensure the fairness of the exchange, we must measure the dimensions of the land on both sides carefully! It would be best to also calculate the yield of each year in the past, that would be appropriate!"

At this point, Shimizu Hachiroza and Takeda Village's Kozaemon gradually realized what was going on.

Matsunaga Sonroku immediately sat up straight, clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "That's right, that's right! We'll thoroughly measure the land of your two villages first, then conduct a proper exchange, and then you won't have to complain anymore!"

The village representatives on both sides looked at each other, but their eyes no longer held much hostility; instead, they displayed a complex emotion.

The burly man with a scar on his arm from Xiaowatian Village was the first to kneel down and kowtow, saying, "I'm so sorry! Although building the dam upstream is hard work for us, it has become a custom after we got used to it, so we feel that it's fine to live this way. There's no need to trouble you gentlemen."

Then the white-haired old man from Ōwada Village also knelt down and pleaded, "There are inconveniences downstream. But our village has been passed down for generations and we are more familiar with our land. So we have no choice but to be bold and ask you to reconsider."

Shinzaburo felt he didn't need to do anything more, so he quietly stepped aside and gave a wink to his superiors.

Matsunaga Sunroku stood up at the opportune moment, swaggered over, glanced around, sneered, and angrily said, "You still have the nerve to talk about customs and traditions? Your two villages have been getting along for so many years, but when it came to my arrival, the 'water clamor' incident happened. Is this what you call customs and traditions?"

The representatives from both villages remained silent.

Matsunaga Sunroku scolded them a few times, then said, "Given that this is your first offense, I don't want to be too harsh. Hachiroza and Kozaemon, you two should come up with a way to give them a small punishment as a warning! Don't be too cruel, but make sure they learn their lesson!"

056 Matters concerning the exemption of virtuous governance

The "water commotion" incident between Kowada Village and Owada Village was ultimately resolved relatively smoothly without escalating into major trouble.

After being reprimanded by Shinzaburo Kubo, the "representatives" on both sides were somewhat lacking in confidence, worried that the higher-ups might actually take the opportunity to measure the land, so they dared not be too presumptuous.

So, Shimizu Hachiro and Kozaemon from Takeda Village, acting on Matsunaga Magoro's orders, arrested several scapegoats in each of the two villages, punished them with "extra labor," and declared the matter closed.

Later, Matsunaga Sonroku, deeply moved, privately told Shinzaburo, "I originally thought that after years of being taught by a renowned official like 'Uncle Danjo,' I would be able to handle civil affairs with ease. I never expected that even after becoming a magistrate, I would still frequently encounter troubles while governing thirteen villages. Fortunately, with your assistance, I have been able to get through these challenges smoothly!"

Shinzaburo first made a few feigned words of modesty, then sincerely said, "The reason why this 'water turmoil' did not cause a major disaster is mainly because there was plenty of rain this year. Even with some competition, there was still enough left for irrigation."

Matsunaga Sonroku immediately shook his head and said, "Even so, no one would have thought that you could persuade the people with such perfect rhetoric! The abundant rainfall is probably due to your good fortune of being blessed by the gods and Buddhas."

Shinzaburo smiled, paused for a moment, and then said, "Abundant rainfall isn't always a good thing. If it's still raining a lot by the autumn harvest, that would be bad."

Matsunaga Sonroku seemed to know little about farming and immediately expressed his doubts: "For growing grain, isn't it better to have more rain? I don't understand."

Shinzaburo explained, “Rainy weather is not good for the ripening of grains, nor for harvesting, and it is especially bad for drying. Once the rice is slightly moldy, it cannot be eaten. Although Tanba has a lot of dry fields and many miscellaneous grains do not ripen in autumn, the yield of miscellaneous grains is not high. Farmers still rely on planting paddy fields to be able to pay their annual tribute.”

Matsunaga Sunroku suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly prayed to the gods and Buddhas for protection, hoping that there would be no rain during the Autumn Equinox.

……

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

In the entire Tanba region, there were still a few days of pleasant weather in July, so Shinzaburo ordered the refugees in the Gokurakuji territory to quickly harvest the barnyard grass they had planted this year, dry it, crush it, sift it to remove the husks, and then prepare to brew wine as planned.

But once August arrives, the rice ripens, and it's been raining continuously, which is quite different from previous years.

The people cried and begged for help, but there was nothing they could do. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and harvest the rice, dumping it in their own houses or under their thatched sheds, opening all the doors and windows, and trying to air-dry it instead of air-drying it.

The extent of the production losses is impossible to quantify.

Old Man Jinbingwei, who had farmed all his life, was frantic with worry upon seeing this situation. He neglected his old injuries, lost his appetite for wine, and spent his days leaning on his cane, anxiously inspecting the condition of each household in Kubo Village. Whenever he saw a bit of spoiled grain, he would be heartbroken, exclaiming that fate was indeed predetermined, and that Kubo Village had received so much divine favor before, and now it had to repay it. His spirit was burdened by this, and his body grew increasingly weak.

I don't know how to advise them.

For Shinsaburo, although he received a fixed salary instead of a percentage-based share, the money ultimately came from the people. If the people were truly unable to pay their annual tribute, then either the government would face financial difficulties and default on their salaries, or the government would forcibly collect the tribute, causing chaos.

The only consolation was that since it was raining throughout Tanba, the opposing Hatano and Akai families would also suffer reduced production. Moreover, their resilience would be even worse, unlike the Naito family, which at least had Miyoshi as their backer.

Under these circumstances, Kubomura's Kumakichi and Hashisuke consulted with Kinbei's father, and then the three of them came to Shinzaburo, stammering as if they wanted to say something, but they seemed reluctant to speak.

Shinzaburo was very surprised to see this.

It's one thing for Kumakichi and Hashisuke to be embarrassed, but why is old man Kinbei so embarrassed?

After repeated questioning, they finally stammered that it was about the "Decree of Benevolent Governance".

……

It turned out that Kumakichi and Hashisuke had heard from people in other villages that Matsunaga Nagayori, the acting head of the Naito family, had verbally agreed to issue a "Deokjeste Edict" at the end of the year, considering that the weather was bad at the autumnal equinox and the people might not be able to make ends meet.

What does the "Decree of Virtuous Governance" mean?

In other words, all economic debts within the territory are wiped clean, and no matter who borrowed the money from whom, it will not need to be repaid.

Because poor farmers always have a poor cash flow situation and inevitably have to borrow money from loan sharks at the end of the year, they are always in a state of debt. Therefore, issuing the "benevolent decree" is beneficial for the lower classes to overcome the crisis.

The daimyo would not suffer any loss, because daimyo generally do not lend money to farmers.

Only the moneylenders who provided loans to poor farmers suffered losses.

That would be considered being generous with other people's money.

However… small merchants are one thing, but large trading houses are often backed by powerful temples and shrines, which also frequently engage in lending. Daimyo dare not easily offend religious forces. Therefore, when daimyo issue “decrees of benevolent governance,” they often simultaneously announce that certain individuals are exempt from these decrees; this is called “exemption from benevolent governance.”

For example, if Matsunaga Nagayori implemented the "De-governed Decree" in Funai District, Tanba Province, it would most likely mean that the entire district would be governed by the De-governed Decree, except for Kofuku-ji Temple and the shops in front of it.

Then the problem is coming...

At the beginning of this year, Master Mingzhou, the abbot of Guangfu Temple, took the initiative to advance money for Kubo Village and six other surrounding villages in order to cause trouble.

This creates a debt.

Some of the villages there genuinely need assistance, while others are simply taking advantage of any opportunity.

However, the arrival of the new official increased the financial burden on many villages. Coupled with the rainy weather during the autumnal equinox, most villages are now genuinely facing difficulties, regardless of whether they were truly in trouble before.

Then someone had a sudden idea: could we ask Guangfu Temple to accept the "Decree of Virtuous Governance" and forgive the debts incurred at the beginning of the year?

They might think about it, but they wouldn't dare tell the high monks about it.

So I asked Kumakichi and Hashisuke from Kubo Village to pass on a message to Shinzaburo.

……

Upon hearing these words, Shinzaburo found it both laughable and absurd, shaking his head and saying, "Master Myoshu of Kofukuji Temple has offered such generous terms, with no interest in the first year and only one-tenth of the interest each year thereafter. What an act of kindness! How could I possibly ask him to forgive my debt? I simply have no face to ask!"

These words made Xiongji and Qiaozhu feel extremely ashamed. They knelt on the ground with their heads in their hands, admitting their mistakes and not daring to say another word.

Old Man Jin Bingwei coughed twice, dragging his ailing body forward with difficulty, and tried to smooth things over: "If the weather hadn't been so bad this year, causing serious damage to the rice, those two wouldn't have been so easily swayed. Besides—"

At this point, Old Man Jinbingwei seemed to aggravate his injury, gasping for breath and showing pain on his face. After a moment, he recovered and said listlessly, "Never mind whether I have the face to speak, I should still tell the abbot. The amount of money involved in this debt is not a large sum for Guangfu Temple. I think Master Mingzhou might have other considerations now that he knows about the Dezheng Decree."

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo thought about it carefully and realized it made sense. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Well said! I never imagined that you, Father, at fifty years old, could be as wise as a child, becoming more and more intelligent!"

Old Man Jinbingwei immediately perked up, his beard bristling and eyes bulging, eager to slap Shinzaburo twice. However, due to his leg injury, he was unable to move freely with the aid of crutches.

Seeing this, Shinzaburo put on airs again and said, "Father, what are you trying to do? As a commoner, do you want to offend the loyal followers under the governor's command? That's not appropriate. You must know that father and son are father and son, and superiors and inferiors are superiors and inferiors! Oh, what are you doing... Don't throw your cane! What if you hurt my face and the master's 'niece' doesn't like me anymore?"

Kumakichi and Hashisuke, who were huddled in a corner, couldn't help but burst out laughing in unison, and quickly scurried away, bending over.

result……

Upon hearing this, Jin Bingwei's father dared not throw his cane. He could only curse his unfilial son repeatedly, forgetting everything else. His previous weak and feeble appearance vanished in an instant.

At this moment, Shinzaburo suddenly said seriously, "Actually, Shingoro is almost eleven years old. He may have to take on great responsibilities soon. We should listen to his opinion on this matter."

Jinbingwei's father said irritably, "Why don't you, a noble samurai, just make the decision? Why do you need to consult with a commoner like me?"

Even so, he still took a few steps outside with his cane, cursing as he called Shingoro over.

057 demonstrates the goodwill between the two parties.

It was originally thought that, given the current hostile situation between the Naito and Hatano families, they would immediately conscript farmers and soldiers to engage in fierce battles after the autumn harvest was completed in early to mid-August.

However, due to the rainy weather, both sides may be busy dealing with the poor harvest and have no time to send troops.

That's easy to understand.

A poor harvest can cause unrest among the troops, and if not handled properly, it will be difficult for them to fight with all their might on the battlefield without any burden.

Taking Kubo Village as an example, according to Shinzaburo's rough calculations, the reduction in farmland is about 10%.

It doesn't seem like there are that many, right?

However, after deducting various taxes and expenses such as breeding and water management, the net income that the people receive from farming each year is only about 30% of the total output.

In some places where exploitation is particularly severe, the figure may be less than 30%, or even below 20%.

If farmland shrinks by 10%, it's equivalent to the people losing one-third of their income.

Even so, few samurai lords would be so benevolent as to voluntarily reduce or waive taxes and provisions. They preferred to issue "benevolent decrees," shifting the burden onto small merchants to alleviate the survival crisis of poor farmers.