Chapter 31: The Conditions of the Family Elder

  The vassals all dispersed, and only ōishi Yoshio remained motionless. Kira no Sahei knew he had something to say, and the two sat quietly for a while. It seemed that this chief retainer was still thinking about how to persuade him. Since they couldn't persuade him earlier, what's the use of trying now? It's destined to be futile.

  "Lord of the manor! What you said is correct, this time the Kira family is facing the greatest disaster in 300 years. As the head of the main house, you cannot be confined to Mikawa Province. However, as a humble servant and your vassal, I am not allowed to follow you, it's absolutely impossible! Therefore, please permit me to follow you, bring my sons from Mikawa, and make contributions to the great cause of the Kira family!"

  ōkōchi Nobusada's statement was not unexpected, this chief vassal also thought of a hot-blooded move, although his loyalty and bravery are praiseworthy, but it doesn't fit his strategy. Mikawa is not under his watch, the family business in their old nest has been emptied by the Imagawa clan, what to do? From now on, won't there be no way out?

  Kiriyama Manatsurou could only placate: "But the thoughts of Mōri's family have already been understood by our house! However, our house's estate in Mikawa Province has not been completely abandoned either. The Nishi no jirō Kiriyama family just left, but the land and vassals are still there. Even my older brother is only nominally leading Nishijiro Castle, and the head of the Kiriyama family is still with our house. You gentlemen are also still vassals of our house."

  "But the master of the mansion also needs manpower when he goes to the capital, and I was with the former master of the mansion in Kyoto for a short time, so I should be able to help the master!" Daikōchi Nobusada said persistently.

  "But what if Danma Shou is the backbone of this household?! Without him to hold down the fort, the family's lineage will lose its mainstay, and the countrymen will take advantage of the chaos. What if something happens to the family business? Can I still be at peace in Kyoto?"

  "This... Since I, your humble servant, cannot follow you everywhere, Master of the Residence, then please allow me and my fellow clansmen to follow you to Luoyang and serve you!"

  ōkawa Nobumasa has made a bold move, revealing his trump card. You said we couldn't go to Kyoto to serve the shogun, so let's take our clan members with us instead. This way, whether the family head is good or bad, these vassals can also rest easy. It's an age-old principle that many people understand: don't put all your eggs in one basket.

  "Since you, Tama, have sworn to defend the Kiryū house with your life, I agree!" As he was about to leave, Yoshitoshi Kiryū said a few more stirring words of encouragement, and ōkōchi Nobusada patted his chest in assurance that he would definitely protect the Kiryū family's estate before taking his leave.

  Kira Yoshinori left the evaluation room after noon, called a small surname to prepare lunch for him, and returned alone to the Tenshukaku, taking off his hunting clothes that were in the way. He changed into a lightweight suikan, a simplified version of the hunting clothes made from breathable silk and hemp fabric, which was comfortable to wear and looked good on him, making it most suitable for Kira Yoshinori who had not yet come of age.

  Since Kirishima Manzaburou advocated for meat-eating, some changes have appeared within the Kirishima family. For example, the frequency of hawk hunting has increased, and almost every three to five days, they go out to hunt. The samurai who are accustomed to riding horses and shooting arrows at prey have begun to ask the Ogasawara clan for instruction in their archery techniques, with the goal of learning the flowing arrow technique that has been passed down since the Heian period.

  With motivation, there will be results. From small to large, the number of hunted animals such as wild rabbits, wild boars, and deer is countless. In order to justify his meat-eating behavior, he uses his identity to coerce the Mōri samurai into following him in his depravity. These guys have a simple brain structure and still retain a simple sense of right and wrong. Killing may be understandable, but eating meat is absolutely not acceptable. Under Kiryū's threat, they do not dare disobey Kiryū's orders and can only lie down with tears in their eyes, silently praying to the gods while gnashing their teeth.

  In this era, spices were always precious goods. Whether roasted or boiled, only a pinch of salt could be sprinkled on the food, which was not only unpalatable but also unsightly. To improve their diet, Yoshitoshi ordered Maki and his men to use fish spears to catch fish in the river, and cooking fish with meat together would allow them to change flavors. It was from that time that he developed a habit of fishing.

  Although the method of forcing the Makyō-shū to eat meat is not quite upright, the benefits after changing their diet are still obvious. The physical strength of these Makyō-shū has increased significantly compared to a few years ago, and some younger ones have even grown taller. With the effect naturally, they can also gain more initiative. Apart from protecting Kiryū Banshōmaru, these Makyō-shū have nothing else to do but train their combat skills, and without good physical strength, nothing can be accomplished.

  To appease them, Kira Yoshinaka also cited the example of Toda Matazaemon, one of the Five Tigers of the Takeda clan, saying that this Toda Matazaemon was a meat-eating samurai who not only excelled in archery but was also very skilled at night battles. The reason for this was because he ate meat. This statement is somewhat absurd, but these Mikawa samurai believed it to be true. The Takeda clan of Kai Province was not far from Mikawa, and the martial reputation of the Takeda clan had long been renowned in the eastern provinces and along the Tokaido road. By citing the example of Toda Matazaemon, these Mikawa samurai could eat meat with peace of mind.

  These people don't necessarily know who Kai Goto is, but as long as they know that this was said by the head of the house, it must be true. If someone were to say in front of them that this isn't true, they would definitely draw their swords and fight to the death.

  The Kiryū family's vassals are not bad in terms of loyalty, and these mounted samurai were all organized by his father for him back then. The ancestors of these mounted samurai were powerful warriors who followed the head of the Kiryū family to become hatamoto, they may not be very smart, but their loyalty and bravery are not lacking at all.

  ōkawachi Nobusada once said: "The fame of Kiryū's brave warriors has spread throughout Mikawa, all thanks to the good fortune of our lord!"

  The Mawari Bushi were a tradition of the Kira family that had been maintained for two hundred years, and before the birth of Kira Yoshichika, they had always maintained a scale of sixty people, relying on the profits obtained from the salt fields along the coast of Mikawa Bay.

  First, dig a good ditch to lead seawater into the salt pan below sea level, and then build a tide-preventing dam around it. In this way, it will not be affected by the tides. After the seawater is dried, pour the mixture of salt and sand into the cellar, add clear water, and filter through a dense sieve to separate, can get high-salt brine. This brine still cannot be used, after drying again, dissolve in water for secondary fine filtration, can get very little impurity pure saltwater, finally through distillation to obtain high-purity sea salt.

  Because Kirishima Manzaburou proposed a new craft, and together with the Izumi school, they built a seawall on the beach near the sea and dug salt fields, transforming the original salt-making households into a new business of the Kirishima family. This business has been in operation for several years and is now on track, and the commercial townspeople around Tokai have gradually recognized the reputation of Nishiyo's refined salt.

  The Kirishima family's salt production was the largest in Yodataya, with a stable monthly output of 180 stones of edible salt. The highest record for summer months was an output of 330 stones of edible salt, which was also a lucrative business. Nishiyo refined salt sold at a high price of 4 kan and 800 mon per stone, more than half the price of ordinary coarse salt, with almost no production costs.

  The Kiryū family was able to have two hundred mounted samurai, and each one was skilled in archery and horsemanship, relying on the huge profits from salt production to expand their forces. Many retainers who had no chance of becoming mounted samurai were given the opportunity to advance, and Yamamoto Kansuke spent five years training eight hundred elite troops, also relying on this income as a foundation. Without money, it is impossible to train strong soldiers, empty words cannot produce strong soldiers, only a solid economic foundation can ensure better survival.