The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 36

However, Shigenobu Inatomi is a very straightforward person. Although he lost three times in a row, he was neither frustrated nor angry. He readily admitted defeat and enthusiastically threw himself into the next game.

They were neither arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat.

At first, Ooi Shigeie was somewhat competitive, but during the competition, he gradually opened up and laughed heartily.

In the end, the two developed a mutual respect and talked about various martial arts all night long. They ate two dishes of pickled vegetables and drank a jug of sake that the Oi family had just bought a few days earlier. Then they lay down in the longhouse and fell fast asleep.

The next morning, Shinzaburo woke up to deafening snoring. He counted the empty bottles scattered all over the floor and felt both amused and exasperated.

He saw it with his own eyes—it was the town in front of Kofukuji Temple, where a liter of fine sake cost fifty mon. The two of them drank ten liters in one night, spending five hundred mon!

It's unclear how much of the 25 kan of commission the Ōi Shigeie family receives annually is spent on alcohol. They used to say things like, "You need to be well-fed to fight," and "Maintaining weapons is too expensive..."

070 The Never-Ending Feast

The newly arrived "Union" member, Inato Shigenobu, is a straightforward and easygoing person. He is also very kind-hearted. When he saw that Noguchi Castle was being renovated, he claimed to be very familiar with earthwork and offered to help. He even provided some of the extra materials he had stockpiled at home for free, showing none of the arrogance of a proper samurai family.

Aside from his tendency to drink heavily when he's with Ooi Shigeya, he doesn't have any other problems.

However, Kubo Shinzaburo soon realized that the amount of alcohol they had consumed was actually nothing.

Isn't the New Year approaching? Last year, Shinzaburo only became a samurai of the Naito family after the New Year, and his status was low, so he didn't have any social activities to attend and stayed home on vacation.

This year is different.

As the magistrate of Noguchi Township, he governs thirteen villages and is already considered a mid-level official. He also wears the nickname "Tanba Zhong Kui" and is allowed to use the official title "Genban," making him a respectable person of considerable status overall.

Since you are a respectable person, you should do respectable things.

Matsunaga Magoro, Shinzaburo's former superior who was working in Taki County, was worried that Shinzaburo might not understand the rules, so he wrote a letter to explain.

Master Myoshu of Kōfuku-ji Temple also sent someone to give a careful reminder.

Shinzaburo then realized that respectable people in this era would start preparing "year-end greetings" in mid-to-late December.

Unless you're trying to show off your wealth, you don't need to prepare any particularly expensive gifts, but you must write a formal and respectful letter.

Especially when dealing with superiors and elders, you must put in 120% effort and write words that are sincere, heartfelt, and full of emotion.

For Shinzaburo, the first thing to do was naturally to extend his greetings to Matsunaga Nagayori, the acting head of the Naito family. He needed to follow a certain format, recalling the major events of the past year, expressing his gratitude and respect for his superiors, and stating his determination to work even harder in the coming year.

Secondly, he also had to write a letter to more than a dozen important officials and their associates to show his respect. Among them, Matsunaga Sonroku was different from him, so he had to pay special attention to the wording and length of the letter, so as not to show any sign of perfunctory work.

Next, it's also necessary to maintain polite contact with the dozens of colleagues in the family, each with their own titles. This doesn't need to be too long; a couple hundred words will suffice. They probably won't actually read it, but you can't skip it.

Besides samurai, there were also temples and shrines.

The Kubo family, as a samurai family, has only been around for a year and has not yet had time to designate a "Bodhi Temple" for the next generation to take refuge in and worship their ancestors. However, given their close relationship with Kofuku-ji Temple, it is unlikely that they will choose another family.

Furthermore, Master Mingzhou will soon become an elder relative, so our greetings to him should not be taken lightly.

Then, within the Funai District of Tanba Province, there are some Buddhist temples and shrines that may not be powerful, but have a long history and high status. Whether you visit them regularly is not important, but it is still advisable to send a symbolic letter of goodwill at the end of the year.

Within his own territory, there was a "Paradise Temple," which existed in name only, though it only had one monk. However, out of respect for the gods and Buddhas, it was still necessary to send blessings there.

In short, just writing requires a lot of writing.

The less important ones can be written by monk Jingcheng or Shingoro's younger brother, who can then sign and seal them. However, the most important ones can only be truly sincere if written by hand.

It took me three to five days, my hand aching from holding the pen, to finally finish writing.

This is not the end.

Postal services did not exist in the 16th century, nor did electronic chat tools.

The written blessings must be delivered to the recipient's home.

Similarly, less important things can be delivered by attendants. Important things, however, must be delivered personally.

It's somewhat similar to the concept of "paying New Year's greetings in advance".

In late December, every day, twenty or thirty people would line up in front of the gate of Yagi Castle Honmaru to deliver "blessing messages" to Matsunaga Nagayori.

As the acting head of the household, he certainly couldn't just tell his retainers to leave after delivering the message; he had to be treated well.

And so the banquet was about to begin.

Moreover, it's a proper, respectable banquet, not just a casual drinking session.

Generally speaking, the first step is the "three offerings" process.

In layman's terms, it means preparing three kinds of food as the main dishes of the banquet. Everyone drinks three cups of wine and eats one dish, then drinks three cups of wine and eats another dish, then drinks three cups of wine and eats another dish.

Before war, abalone, chestnuts, and kelp would typically be served, chosen for their auspicious homophones. However, in peacetime, the dishes would be prepared according to the local produce, each with its own set of customs.

In any case, even if the "three offerings" are not continued, at least nine cups must be drunk.

In fact, unless the leader explicitly says not to drink too much, everyone will always join in the fun and toast each other, drinking for a while, each time drinking at least two or three catties of liquor.

Even with a low prescription, constantly using this method can still be stressful.

After all, it's not just Matsunaga Nagayori who will be hosting a banquet; other important retainers, members of his own sect, and even long-established temples and shrines may also be invited.

Starting from December 16th, Shinzaburo Kubo went out to "pay early New Year's visits" almost every day. Wherever he went, he would first engage in some random flattery with each other, and then start drinking.

They drank like this for almost half a month. On the last day of the year, "Da Hui Ri" (Great Closing Day), and the first day of the new year, "Yuan Ri" (New Year's Day), the emperor and his ministers would perform rituals together, using ethereal and sacred ceremonies to strengthen the power relations in the secular world.

The "Three Offerings" ceremony will also be held these two days, but it will end after nine cups are drunk, and there will be no more drinking afterward.

But from the second day of the Lunar New Year until the fifteenth day, the traditional "bowl rice" ritual begins again.

Specifically, it involved senior officials and elders hosting a banquet at their homes to entertain the head of the household.

Originally a custom among the high-ranking officials of the shogunate, it spread to the common people by the 16th century. Not only daimyo in various regions, but also temples, shrines, towns, and even wealthy villages would hold similar events.

In the Naito family, the deputy governor of Tanba, Kubo Shinzaburo was neither a senior retainer nor the head of the family, so he wouldn't be the main character at the "bowl meal." However, he was now a samurai with some reputation and was often called over as a guest.

The concept of being a guest of honor is that while the leaders are elegantly reciting poetry, savoring fine wine, and chatting and laughing at the "honor seats," you are toasting and drinking with your colleagues at the "inferior seats," providing the value of creating an atmosphere.

You can't refuse to attend such an occasion, and you can't refuse to drink if you do. The leaders and colleagues are all having a great time, and if you blend in and go with the flow, no one will notice. But if you do anything out of place and people remember it, that will be a huge stain on your reputation.

Shinzaburo's alcohol tolerance wasn't bad; he could usually drink several kilograms of liquor without any problem, but even he couldn't withstand days of intense drinking.

Especially as a major contributor last year, with the title of "Tanba Zhong Kui", he is mentioned wherever he goes, and he can't even hide in the crowd to keep a low profile.

In the past, there were New Year celebrations in Kubo Village, but they were limited in scale.

Moreover, at that time, he was Yiming's son, and if he really didn't want to drink, he could just take a sip. There weren't many times when he was forced to drink because of the atmosphere.

In short, starting from mid-December, for thirty consecutive days, I basically spent my time drinking heavily with prominent people in Funai County, until I was completely numb from drinking.

Finally, on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Matsunaga Nagayoshi held a New Year's meeting, announcing some policy plans and personnel arrangements for the new year. Only then did everyone bid farewell to the holiday and return to work.

Some people might feel regretful, but for Shinzaburo Kubo, drinking three catties of sake every day was really too much to bear, so he might as well go to work.

However, after only two days, the Noguchi Castle was almost completely renovated and was ready to serve as a new home.

Master Myoshu of Guangfu Temple also sent word that a date had been chosen, preparations were complete, the wedding would be held soon, and invitations could be sent out.

In this era, weddings for respectable people of status typically last at least three days. This means that, as the groom, Kubo Shinzaburo would have to drink heavily for at least three days.

What a joy.

071 A lavish spending spree at the wedding.

According to custom, before the formal wedding, there are actually a series of procedures such as betrothal and auspicious date selection. However, these are all handled by the elders of both sides.

Kubo Shinzaburo didn't have any elders of high status who were also well-versed in etiquette who could step in. Miss Azumi's "uncle" was certainly an important figure, but as a monk, it wasn't very convenient for him to do so. Therefore, he had to ask Matsunaga Nagayasu, the acting head of the Naito family, to act as his representative and simply deliver a few documents.

But when it came to the actual ceremony, Master Mingzhou was no longer willing to be perfunctory.

On the first day, he set up a grand procession in front of Kofukuji Temple, with many monks and merchants acting as relatives, and asked the groom-to-be to bring his entourage to propose marriage.

It was from this point onward that Shinzaburo began to display the "Aoi Rindou" family crest painted on his clothes and flags, and for the first time, he signed his name as "Kubo Genbantou Yoshiaki" on the invitations sent to the Tanba samurai.

On that day, a large procession set off from Noguchi Castle. Several fully dressed samurai led the way, barking and shouting. In the middle, Shinzaburo, also known as Yoshiaki Kubo, rode a tall horse and walked slowly, surrounded by his entourage. At the rear, villagers acted as the lower-ranking members, driving four rented oxcarts loaded with various fashionable ceremonial objects.

From dawn to noon, arriving at Kofukuji Monmaecho means you've reached Miss Adou's family home.

Next, one must visit the elders to proceed with the "marriage proposal" process.

The main content involves talking, making empty promises, mostly about striving to prosper the family, maintaining friendship with the wife's family, and never breaking the covenant, with only a small part about how to treat the bride well after marriage.

This could be described as having a very distinctive characteristic of the times.

Naturally, the bride's family would also use the guise of a "test" to deliberately make things difficult for the groom, but unlike in later generations, there wouldn't be any particularly troublesome steps, nor would they directly ask for money. The content was limited to testing physical fitness, literacy, and quick wit; the difficulty wasn't high, and Shinzaburo handled it easily.

According to the customs of this era, they deliberately delayed for about an hour before the bride's elders, led by Master Mingzhou, nodded in agreement, indicating that they were relieved to hand over Miss Adou.

Then everyone enjoyed themselves and a grand feast was held!

The bride will not be making an appearance for the time being; it will just be a celebration with other people.

After the banquet, accommodations were arranged for the groom's party to stay.

The following morning, Miss Adou would dress up in her finest attire, emerge from her boudoir, cover her face with her wide sleeves, and drink three cups of sake with Master Mingzhou as a farewell ceremony.

Then someone carried over a sedan chair and let the bride sit down.

Then, strong guards led the way, followed by maids and servants, forming the wedding procession. Most of these women were not part of the dowry to work at the groom's house; they were merely temporary laborers.

The groom's party will definitely return the same way they came. They'll just need to unload the gifts they brought the day before and replace them with the dowry prepared by the bride's parents.

In fact, Master Mingzhou not only purchased a large number of ceremonial items, but also bought a lot of high-end furniture, food and clothing. Four oxcarts were not enough to carry them all, so four more carts were temporarily hired in Monzencho.

Amidst the collective farewell of the bride's relatives, the wedding procession set off.

The bride's family members will not all go to the wedding banquet immediately, but will set off on their own later.

Because the procession on the second day of the wedding will take a whole day.

People would deliberately slow down their pace, waiting for passersby to gather around and watch.

At such times, anyone who isn't a "filthy non-human" engaged in lowly professions or possesses other ominous qualities is entitled to stand as a spectator on either side of the road. By saying a few auspicious words in response to the scene, one can receive a gift.

Generally speaking, when an ordinary family marries off their daughter, they will provide cooked rice and beans, which is already quite attractive to ordinary people. Wealthy families, on the other hand, will use sugary pastries instead, which will draw crowds of onlookers.

What about someone like Master Mingzhou, who conceals his extravagance?

That would be even more impressive.

They're just throwing money around!

Several townspeople, escorting a large box containing 20,000 "capital coins," occupied a large cart and walked at the head of the procession. Poor people along the way could take two or three coins if they were willing to come closer and offer their congratulations.

Although these were crudely made coins from Beijing and their value was far less than that of Yongle Tongbao coins, they were still money. One coin could buy a rice ball, three coins could buy a piece of tofu, and ten coins could buy a hearty meal at a small village shop.

Therefore, the poor people from the surrounding villages would bring their entire families, as long as they could walk, to ask for rewards.

The road was lined with people, stretching out in two long rows. Most of them looked malnourished and wore patched clothes. Many were leaning on bamboo canes. When Shinsaburo rode on his horse, he thought it was a gathering of beggars from a martial arts novel.

Some people have loud voices, speak sincerely, and speak eloquently, making people happy. The townspeople in charge of distributing money will then give them extra money, such as five or seven coins at a time.

As a result, others, seeing this, raised their voices and shouted repeatedly, exhausting their vocabulary in the process, hoping to gain favor.

Halfway there, a hunched-over woman with two young children, all three of them thin and bony, shivering in the early spring wind as they approached, begging for a reward, but too weak to do anything to earn more coins.

Miss Adou was sitting in the sedan chair when the curtain was blown open. Seeing this, she felt sad and specially instructed the maid beside her to give the mother and her two children a large handful of copper coins.

Before the group had gone far, a burly man, envious, ran over, pushed the woman to the ground, and tried to rob her of her money.

Shinzaburo witnessed all of this and was immediately enraged. He quickly ordered his attendants to step forward and give the burly man a good beating.

At the same time, he loudly proclaimed: "These copper coins were bestowed upon you by Master Mingzhou of Guangfu Temple. Anyone who dares to steal them is an enemy of the Buddha! Not only will they suffer countless hardships in this life, but they will also be sent to Avici Hell after death and will never be able to be reborn!"

Riding on his tall horse, he already resembled a giant. At this moment, he roared at the top of his lungs, his voice booming like a bell. The poor people on both sides of the road were so frightened that they knelt down and dared not get up.

This was indeed exceptionally imposing and majestic, but the joyous atmosphere was inevitably somewhat diminished. Those who came later to ask for rewards no longer dared to be frivolous and eloquent, but instead expressed their sincerity by kowtowing.

……

The journey was slow, with three rest stops along the way. It wasn't until nearly sunset that they arrived at the groom's home, Noguchi Castle.

Jin Bingwei's father had already gathered his relatives, friends, and villagers, totaling two or three hundred people, and they cheered loudly to welcome the wedding procession into the city.

The bride and groom then went to the royal palace to rest, while the others resumed their banquet.

However, this was still not the main banquet; most of the guests had not yet arrived. It was just a gathering of the groom's relatives and the wedding procession.

The wedding will not be officially held until tomorrow, when a grand banquet will take place.

In theory, on the second night, although the bride spends the night at the groom's residence, she should be placed in a separate room, and the two should not meet too early, let alone engage in sexual relations beforehand.

However, in reality, as long as it is not openly discovered, no one cares.

During the chaotic Warring States period, military families constantly faced the risk of death and extermination of their clans, so their conduct was relatively rough, unlike the nobles and officials who were obsessed with trivial etiquette and rules.

Most of the elaborate formalities and procedures in history were devised by people who had nothing better to do during the Edo period.