The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 73

It turns out that not all officials in Kyoto are nobles; only a very small number at the very top count.

Strictly speaking, the "public" (公) refers to the four Grand Minister of State (太政大臣), the Minister of the Left (左大臣), the Minister of the Right (右大臣), and the Minister of the Interior (内大臣). The "ministers" (卿) include the Grand Councilor (大能公), the Middle Councilor (中能公), three non-councilors (holding official positions but not holding rank), and four councilors (holding official positions but not holding rank). These individuals were implicitly entitled to enter the "Denjo-no-ma" (殿上間) in the south wing of the Seiryoden (清齊殿) to chat with the Emperor.

People like Takeuchi Kijiro, who were granted special privileges to "ascend to the palace" despite not being of noble birth, could enjoy honors similar to those of court nobles in the outside world, but they were not actually court nobles.

Shinzaburo understood after hearing this.

I feel like I've learned something new.

Master Mingzhou's expression gradually became serious, and he said with concern, "You know everything about the affairs of the martial families of various countries, so why don't you care about the court? Now that you are stationed in Tanba, which is just north of Kyoto, you will inevitably have to deal with important people in the future. Don't lose your manners and become a laughing stock."

Shinzaburo thought about it and realized that this was indeed a problem, so he quickly asked, "Uncle, could you recommend an etiquette teacher?"

Master Mingzhou lowered his head, lost in thought, and said as he pondered, "Of course, there are many learned monks in the temple who are well-versed in etiquette, but they all hold important positions and probably have no time to come and help. Asking high-ranking officials to be teachers is too troublesome and expensive... Ah, I have heard that in the capital, there are often impoverished sons of noble families who make a living by painting and calligraphy. We could look for them."

There's no way to find it.

Although the Shimokyo area only occupies a small portion of the southern part of Kyoto and is not very large, it is home to several thousand small households.

We can't just knock on each door and ask, can we?

Shinzaburo had no choice but to plead, "Uncle, do you have any friends who are impoverished scions of noble families?"

Master Mingzhou chuckled and sighed, "There are some, but they were all people I met twenty or thirty years ago, and they all seem to have passed away now. After all, people whose families are in ruins and who are struggling to make ends meet are bound to be depressed and unhappy, and most of them don't live long."

This is indeed the truth.

The only thing we can do is ask our retainers and acquaintances in the neighborhood to see if anyone can provide any clues.

Now that our business has developed to this point, we do indeed need a retainer who is well-versed in etiquette and law to handle diplomatic matters related to the imperial court.

Otherwise, if they encountered high-ranking officials, they wouldn't know how to greet them.

137. Lacking ambition, one is no different from a salted fish.

Sure enough, Shinzaburo asked someone around him and immediately got the answer.

Monk Jingcheng said that a few years ago, he was introduced to a fake document dealer by a gambling friend in Kyoto.

The man's name was Nagono Takatoki, and he claimed to be a descendant of the Hojo family, the legitimate regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, and was completely different from the imposters at Odawara Castle.

Its authenticity is certainly questionable.

However, the fake ordination certificate made did look very convincing, except for a few obvious flaws in the text. These flaws were probably intentionally left by the other party because the monk Jingcheng was too persistent and haggling.

It is said that making fake ordination certificates was only one of Nagono Takatoki's businesses. Another source of income was helping ronin (masterless samurai) who were eager to find work to forge "feelings".

During the chaotic Warring States period, countless samurai lost their territories and became ronin. If they were not from a prestigious family and did not display any special skills, it would be difficult to find a salary of five or ten kan outside. However, if they had a "letter of appreciation" signed by a famous person, that would be a different story.

Spend five hundred coins to buy a letter signed by the Rokkaku or Kitada families. Even if you take it out and get caught, it's just a matter of losing face. If you don't get caught, you might just get a long-term meal ticket.

In addition, Kono Takatoki also takes on assignments to teach Kyoto dialect. Sometimes he also gets paid to "correct" family genealogies or ghostwrite poems.

Upon hearing about this man's deeds, Shinzaburo couldn't help but become very interested.

How interesting is it that a scion of a prestigious family, well-versed in high-class etiquette, makes a living by forging after his downfall!

So he quickly asked the monk Jingcheng to lead the way to visit the "Shimokyo" area of ​​Kyoto to see if the other party was still living in the same place.

……

Speaking of which, there used to be a mountain road from the southeast corner of Kuwata County to Kyoto, built by the imperial court in ancient times and called the "Mountain Country Road," used for transporting tribute. Because it was a straight line, the distance was less than thirty kilometers, and with a little effort, one could travel from morning to evening.

Even back then, it was just a narrow, winding path, passable only by human feet, unsuitable for horses or carriages, and certainly not for military marches. Now, after years of neglect, the bridges and walkways along the way are in disrepair, and security issues are hard to ignore.

In particular, the "Yamakuni Bridge" that spanned the Daii River has completely disappeared from the riverbank, leaving only stone piers. It's hard to know whether the Utsu family deliberately demolished it to isolate themselves from the outside world.

If conditions permit in the future, we could try to repair this old road. But for now, we can only take a detour.

From the western Hitoo Pass, turn around in the Hiyoshi area, and head south along the river to the Naito family's Yagi Castle. From there, take the San'in Ancient National Road and pass through Kameoka and Nishioka to reach Kyoto.

This brings the total distance to nearly 60 kilometers, taking at least an extra day, but the advantage is that safety is guaranteed.

Shinzaburo arrived in Kyoto with a small group of men and entered the "Shimokyo Sogo" area. Based on the memories of the monk Jōjō and the information he bought with copper coins in the tavern, he eventually arrived at a small alleyway that was not on the main road.

It looked like an ordinary house, with many small handicraft workshops on both sides, including weaving straw sandals, gluing umbrellas, boiling malt sugar, making wooden furniture, and carving art pieces.

After passing through the narrow alley, I found an inconspicuous detached house deep inside, which was the residence of that once-prominent but now impoverished scion of a noble family.

Before I could even speak, I heard two male voices coming from inside.

One of them pleaded in a mournful voice, "For the sake of our old friendship, please write another petition. I've been kicked out again!"

The other person's tone was full of helplessness: "You run away as soon as there's a battle. Being dismissed from your post and released is considered lenient. It's good enough that you weren't executed! I only helped you twice because we've known each other since childhood. A third time is absolutely not allowed!"

Then the man in front said pitifully, "I didn't run away as soon as I saw a battle. I ran away only after the situation became irreversible. Isn't that human nature? I don't know how I was discovered... Lord Takatoki, please have pity on me, Ishikawa Masayuki..."

The man behind him was adamant: "Forget it. Getting a fake certificate once is one thing, but doing it repeatedly will inevitably cause problems. I'm hoping to restore the legitimate Hojo family name in the future, and I don't want to be implicated by you!"

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo knew he had found the right person.

He immediately gestured to his subordinates to knock on the door.

Monk Jingcheng seemed to have misunderstood something. He forcefully pushed open the door and barged in, shouting, "You money-swindler, give me back my two hundred coins!"

The interior was simply and elegantly furnished. On the floor of the hall, a disheveled and unkempt warrior was kowtowing repeatedly, while another man with a mustache, who looked like a refined scholar, sat unmoved.

Both were surprised to see the uninvited guest.

The unkempt, disheveled samurai immediately sprang to his feet, crossed his arms, and said, "Lord Takatoki, don't worry, I'll handle this for you..."

Before he could finish speaking, seeing the fat monk with a big head and ears and many accomplices behind him, he instantly ran to a corner of the house, squatted down with his hands behind his head, and quickly made a slap on the wrist: "Just kidding, I don't actually know this fake document forger at all!"

The mustachioed scholar who made the fake certificates then realized what was happening: "You...you're the stingy guy who wanted to buy a fake monk's certificate but was only willing to pay two hundred coins!"

Upon hearing this, Abbot Jingcheng flew into a rage: "You know perfectly well that Gyokaku-ji is a lineage of Pure Land and Shingon Buddhism, yet you gave me a Dharma name in the style of Tendai and Nichiren, and your monk's certificate is signed with Nara Kofuku-ji Temple of the Hossō sect. Isn't this deliberately causing trouble? You shouldn't even give me two hundred mon!"

The mustachioed scholar frowned and said unhappily, "You monk are quite the scoundrel. You've been begging for four hours from morning till night, insisting you only have two hundred coins for travel expenses. Do you expect me to do my best?"

Upon hearing this conversation, Shinzaburo couldn't help but chuckle. He entered the room and said leisurely, "Interesting, interesting."

At this moment, the mustachioed scholar noticed that a dozen or so people had arrived. He began to panic, quickly took two steps back, gripped the small katana on the sword rack, and raised his voice, saying, "What brings you here? You should know that the people of the capital will elect a headman to organize guards to patrol the streets. You cannot be allowed to act so violently!"

Monk Jingcheng chuckled, then glanced at Shinzaburo without saying a word.

He intended to give the opportunity to demonstrate his wisdom to his superiors.

Shinzaburo was certainly not stupid, and he immediately smiled and said, "You chose to live in such a remote place, wasn't it because you were worried about being seen? Are you planning to call the head constable and guards over and confess to giving false testimony?"

The mustachioed scholar immediately wilted, put down his sword hilt, sat back down, and sighed, "May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

Shinzaburo frankly admitted without any concealment: "I am from Tanba, my family name is Kubo, my given name is Yoshiaki Mae, my courtesy name is Shinzaburo, and I am known as Genban-to."

"Tanba Zhongkui Kubo Genban? The rising star who defeated the Utsu family this year and acquired half of the territory of Kuwata County?" The mustachioed scholar was immediately shocked. He turned to look at the monk Jingcheng and muttered, "You monk are really lucky to be working under this master."

Shinzaburo laughed and said, "Why envy him? Your Excellency—should I call you Lord Kouno Takatoki? If you are willing to condescend to serve me, I will certainly welcome you with open arms."

"That would be an honor." The mustachioed scholar named Kono Takatoki did not accept the invitation. Instead, he pointed to the unkempt samurai squatting in the corner and said, "If Lord Kubo Genban is short of manpower, you can consider this guy. His name is Ishikawa Masayuki. Apart from running away when things go wrong, he is quite good in other aspects."

Shinzaburo looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man who looked like a farmer, squatting in a corner with his head in his hands, emitting a fawning and obsequious laugh. His posture was extremely humble, but his eyes were still clear. He casually said, "Actually, being able to escape every time is quite a skill. Although it is not suitable for battle, it may have other uses."

Upon hearing this, the disheveled samurai named Ishikawa Masayuki immediately knelt down and respectfully said, "I am Ishikawa Masayuki from Mikawa Province. Since childhood, I have studied swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, arithmetic, grammar... If I am fortunate enough to be employed by Lord Kubo Genban, I will repay Your Majesty's kindness with all my heart!"

“...That’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Shinzaburo nodded slightly.

Actually, such people aren't necessarily useless. Although most of their self-proclaimed skills are probably unreliable, their ability to escape when things go wrong indicates a keen sense of smell and that they may have mastered the skills of infiltration and disguise.

Then Shinzaburo turned to the other side and asked, "Does Lord Kono Takatoki not want to serve in the government? I think I just heard that relying on continuing to sell fake documents in Kyoto to restore the legitimate name of the Hojo family is not possible."

"...Uh...so, Lord Kubo Genban doesn't...doesn't think this is an arrogant joke?" Kono Takatoki seemed quite surprised, and his words were somewhat incoherent.

"Restoring the legitimate reputation of the Hojo family is indeed a very difficult task, and I dare not promise that I can definitely help you accomplish it." Shinzaburo first put on his armor, and then said passionately, "However, as a five-foot-tall man, if you do not have ambition and aspirations, what difference is there between you and a salted fish?"

Upon hearing this, Kono Takatoki was momentarily moved, but after a moment he suppressed his emotions and said calmly, "In that case, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse."

138 Distinguished Families and Commoners

Next, I will introduce my identity in detail.

Nagono Takatoki, who looks like a refined scholar with a small mustache, claims to be a descendant of the Hojo family, the regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, and a branch of the Nagoshi school. During the Muromachi period, they were pursued by the anti-shogunate forces, and most of them died violent deaths. Only one branch took refuge with the Imagawa family of Suruga and was able to survive in Nagono-sho, Owari Province. To avoid trouble, they changed their surname to "Nagono".

Later, Imagawa Ujitoyo of the Imagawa clan came to Owari, built Nagoya Castle, and established his domain, with the Nagoya clan becoming his subordinate. However, just over a decade later, they faced a crisis: internally, the Hanakura Rebellion of the Imagawa clan in Suruga, and externally, the rise of Oda Nobuhide, the lord of Katsuhata Castle.

Ultimately, Nagoya Castle was captured by Oda Nobuhide, and the survivors of the Nagoya clan were forced to scatter and fend for themselves. Some sought refuge with the Katsuhata Oda clan through connections with relatives and friends, while others regained their right to be the governor of the Suruga Imagawa clan.

Kono Takatoki's father was in a worse situation. He came to Kyoto with the protection of his monk friends and made a living by copying books.

Gao was only seven or eight years old at the time, and he also traveled with her all the way.

Even so, her father still maintained active relationships with government officials, temples, and cultural figures, painstakingly preserving the dignity of a scion of a prestigious family.

Thus, Kono Takatoki grew up in a frugal yet culturally rich environment, and was immersed in etiquette, law, and literature from a young age.

After his parents passed away, he lived alone and gradually discovered that it was common for samurai to forge family genealogies, forging ordination certificates for wandering monks, and forging travel documents for merchants. Moreover, most of these forgeries were of very low quality, riddled with flaws at a glance.

Therefore, Takatoki Nagono had the idea that "I can do it too" and became a professional fake document dealer.

Actually, these days, if you can write well, the pay for a copyist in the Kinai region is roughly one coin for every 140 characters, and the buyer pays for the pen and ink. Even living in Sakai Town, it's definitely considered a high income.

However, compared to the 500 coins for a fake certificate, it seemed like a meager sum of hard-earned money.

With this shady income, Kono Takatoki lived a modestly comfortable life. He didn't give up the idea of ​​entering officialdom, but he was unwilling to remain just a scribe.

Shinzaburo said no problem, as he didn't have any hereditary retainers occupying positions in his household; his only concern was a shortage of manpower. He immediately promised, "If Lord Takatoki can help me receive a distinguished envoy once, I can then serve as the magistrate in charge of political affairs. If you are interested in fighting, there will be opportunities as well; just be prepared."

Kono Takatoki was satisfied after hearing this, but he still maintained his composure and nodded gently, saying, "Then I'll leave it to Lord Kubo Genban."

It seems like he only reluctantly accepted the offer.

But what followed touched the heartstrings of this "scion of a prestigious family".

Shinzaburo asked, seemingly casually, "May I ask how old you are, Master Takatoshi?"

Kono Takatoki calmly replied, "He was born in the fourth year of the Kyōroku era."

Shinzaburo did some quick calculations with his fingers, then secretly gave a wink.

It took the monk Jingcheng a moment to understand, but it wasn't too late. He immediately spoke sarcastically, "So you are actually over twenty-five. Forgive my bluntness, but living in Kyoto like this, even with a considerable income, I'm afraid it will be difficult for any noble lady to condescend to marry you. How can the prestigious Hojo family, the Meigoshi-ryu, be without an heir?"

Upon hearing this, Kono Takatoki finally lost his temper and could no longer maintain his composure, so he slammed his fist on the floor.

But then he was left with only a helpless look on his face, and said dejectedly, "I hope to make a name for myself under Lord Kubo Genban and marry a virtuous wife who will live up to my family's expectations as soon as possible."

Shinzaburo laughed heartily, grabbed the other's arm, and said generously, "Thank you for not abandoning me. I am willing to create a great enterprise together!"

……

Besides this nobleman, there was also a ronin in the room.

That guy's name is Ishikawa Mayuki, and he's been very proactive in looking for a job.

That's normal. Ordinary low-ranking samurai usually only know how to fight and kill, and their education level is generally limited. It is difficult for them to find high-paying jobs in towns and cities unless they are willing to risk their lives as "Yoshi-bang" (a type of samurai), otherwise they will definitely have a hard time making a living.

Since he was short of men, Shinzaburo decided to listen to this man's story.

It turns out that this Ishikawa Mayuki is a member of the Ishikawa clan in Mikawa Province.

They claim to be descendants of Yoshitoki-ryu of the Kiyokawa Genji clan. They were originally born in Kawachi Province, but later a generation produced a devout follower of the Jodo Shinshu sect who was sent to Mikawa to command the Ikko-ikki, and from then on, their lineage spread.

Ishikawa Mayuki's father served under Imagawa Ujitoyo, so he and Nagono Takatoki knew each other since childhood and could be considered childhood friends. After Imagawa Ujitoyo fell from power, his father switched allegiance to the Matsudaira family through clan connections.

No matter whose servant you serve, you can always make a living.

However, Ishikawa Masayuki's first battle after succeeding his deceased father, Tomoyuki, was against Oda Nobuhide, the "Tiger of Owari," and he suffered a crushing defeat. His entire reserve unit was wiped out, and his direct superior was killed in action, but he returned unscathed, earning him the contempt of everyone and leading to his dismissal.

He then drifted to Kyoto by doing odd jobs, and by chance, he reunited with his childhood friend, Nagono Takatoki. He immediately bought a fake job and tricked his way into working at the Takashima family's house in the nearby Nishi-Omi region.

According to him, he also distinguished himself in the battles against the Kuchiki family.

Unexpectedly, less than two years later, the Takashima family suffered heavy losses from the Rokkaku family's army and had no choice but to submit.

In this battle, Ishikawa Masayuki once again survived the death of his direct superior, suffering the punishment of exile for the second time in his life.

Then he used the same trick again, bought a fake certificate, and successfully joined the Ten City Clan of Yamato Province.

Similarly, he claimed to have made contributions during the campaign against the Ochi family.

After struggling for a few years, he made the same mistake again during the recent battle against the allied forces of the Yutuo County Kingdom and lost his job once more.

He wanted to buy another copy of the certificate today, but Kono Takatoki refused to sell it to him.

Upon closer analysis, although he repeatedly showed signs of desertion, the responsibility for the battle's failure did not lie with him. Each time, he was outnumbered and at a clear disadvantage from the start.

Of course, with such a bad record, Shinzaburo wasn't too comfortable letting this guy go into battle.

Instead, he was very interested in other aspects.

So the question was asked: "Having escaped crushing defeats three times in a row, what lessons have you learned?"