"Young Master! This letter is from the Family Head, instructed that only you can read it!"...
"Ah! A letter from my father, Lord Nobuhiro... Very well! I have received it..."
As the second batch of troops arrived, the mountain camp was already overcrowded, stuffed with two hundred Samurai, three hundred peasant soldiers, and over a hundred able-bodied young n and craftsn. Kaozaki Yoshihiro intentionally divided the reinforcents into two teams, the three hundred peasant soldiers continued to reinforce the fortifications on the periter, not allowing them to idle aimlessly. As for the hundred or so able-bodied young n and craftsn, they were separately guarded by a team of Samurai, with enough food supplied daily, but preventing them from contacting the outside.
Only after Kaozaki Yoshihiro arranged all this did he, sowhat nervously, take out and open the letter from his father, Takeda Nobuhiro, as if he had received a verdict on paper.
"My son, no need to panic! The inheritance of the Kaozaki Family, after my death, will ultimately be handed over to you..."
Takeda Nobuhiro seed to see through his son's thoughts, clearly stating in the first line of the family letter that the inheritance right remains unchanged. Kaozaki Yoshihiro relaxed, instantly letting out a long breath. Then, he swallowed a bit more and continued reading.
Takeda Nobuhiro's letter was very brief, with not much content afterward. The key arrangents were only four, yet each was direct and to the point. Clearly, he was not dazzled by the "gold" brought back by his son but focused on the overall strategic layout of Japanese Land, making ticulous arrangents.
"Yoshihiro, this Shandan Tribe values craftsn the most, followed by livestock and poultry, and lastly wealth... The reasons for this deserve investigation and contemplation."
"Use the Matsumae craftsn taken there to exchange back the Kudo Chief Retainer. The Chief Retainer is a key figure of the Main Family, must not be lost. This is the first priority."
"Use horses, cattle, and poultry to exchange back the captured Ryuuteki Cavalry. Cavalry training is lengthy, and they are the backbone of our Main Family samurai; every effort must be made to preserve them. This is the second task."
"Use farrs and remaining wealth to trade for a batch of gold. Once the gold is converted into goods, redeem the remaining Samurai. This is the third task."
"Lastly, your current northern expedition is 'Beikou Shandan.' Although there are minor setbacks, by denying the enemy to Japanese Land from the north and attacking eastward to defeat the 'Shandan allies,' you ultimately bring back spoils, enhancing your reputation, and earning the trust of various families. This is the fourth task, the follow-up arrangent."
"After completing everything, quickly return to the Main Family, do not linger outside. For the northern Shandan Trade, select reliable personnel to conduct it secretly..."
"After reading the letter, burn it. As the Tang people say, 'Once dead, knowing everything is empty, never forget to inform your father during family sacrifices.' I do not have long to live. This letter, burn it ahead for !~"
Reading the last line, Kaozaki Yoshihiro's body shook violently, his heart swirling with myriad emotions. He sat in a daze for a long ti, only then wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, placing his father's letter on the mat, and respectfully bowing twice. However, he did not burn the letter, instead picking it up again to re-read it carefully. This ti, he focused his gaze, pondering over his father's command regarding the "fourth task," savoring the assertive tone in stating the facts.
"Attack eastward, bring back spoils?... Eastward, spoils?... Ah! This is? So it is!"
Kaozaki Yoshihiro mused for a long ti, finally enlightened, understanding his father's arrangent. He had now gathered a force of five hundred troops. anwhile, a cluster of several hundred people from the Sumunkur Clan's small tribes lay rely a hundred or two li to the east.
The Main Family's original plan was to subdue Beiyu, win over Sumunkur, balance Ishikari, allowing the northern Ainu Clans to internally conflict for control. But now, Ishikari Tribe suffered significant losses, while the Beiyu Clan instead grew stronger, even overshadowing the Ishikari Clan...
It's ti to launch a surprise attack to clean up those Sumunkur Tribes clashing with Ishikari too! After all, with such a large force gathered, it can't return empty-handed without any accomplishnts. Might not defeat the Shandan Armored Troops, but surely can handle the scattered Ezo Tribe? Plus, an eastern strike, sweep through the few Sumunkur small tribes and retreat, and don't fear the Shandan tribe intervening from the south. They're separated by Ishikari Tribe, simply won't make it in ti...
As long as the Kudo Chief Retainer is redeed, with new achievents returning. Coupled with what his father has prepared for him, the so-called "blood battle against Shandan," everything will once again be clear and resolved!...
"Buddha! Father's mastery of Buddhist Law is indeed far more profound than mine! This chaotic situation, he just slightly untangles it, and everything imdiately becos organized and clear!..."
Kaozaki Yoshihiro sighed deeply, feeling the stark contrast in political prowess between him and his father. Only then did he place Takeda Nobuhiro's letter on the lamp to ignite it. Soon, faint blue smoke, carrying the scent of mulberry trees, perated the tent...
"Hmm, this sll? It's Echizen's Japanese paper, made from mulberry bark. Excellent texture, insect-proof and durable. Apart from the high cost, it is almost the best paper!"
"I wonder, do these northern Shandan people want papermaking craftsn? Do they need those who plant mulberries and raise silkworms? Do they want farrs who grow hemp and weave cloth? Do they need those who weave bamboo and split rattan? If they want all of these, so older farrs can also be considered as craftsn for them..."
"The Shandan people wouldn't really lack even these artisans, would they? Seriously, I will ask them then. If I can sell them at a good price, recruiting these people will be much easier!"
The burnt Japanese paper transford into wisps of blue smoke, scattered into the sky above the tent, flying into the evening sunset. Under the glow of the sunset, Kaozaki Yoshihiro lowered his head in contemplation. His chaotic thoughts slowly dyed with a layer of golden light.
After all, he was in his pri at the age of thirty or forty, yet his ambitions were too fervent, far from reaching his father's achievents! Who knows, when he succeeds as the head of the Kaozaki Family, under the lure of "golden light," where will he lead the Kaozaki Family?...
Soon, the first trade negotiation between the Shandan Tribe and the Kaozaki Family was settled regarding ti and place. Five days later, beside the traders, both sides would bring a hundred Samurai each, eting at the mouth of the Korobetsu River, eighty Li southwest from the Hanbin Faction, and eighty Li northwest from the Kaozaki camp.
The plain at the Korobetsu River mouth was nominally the territory of the Beiyu Clan, with abundant water and grass. From here, rowing southward to the Kaozaki's Victory Mountain Manor, it's rely a four-hundred-Li sea route that could even be covered within five days! However, due to the Japanese threat, no large Ezo tribes existed here. Everywhere, there was a spread of Luwei and tall grass.
If the Kingdom was strong enough and the trust with the Japanese was sufficient, establishing a trade port here could be considered. Just like a hundred years later, the Dutch opened ports in Hirado, Japan! Unfortunately, now...
"These greedy and cunning Japanese! They agreed to bring only a hundred Samurai, yet they brought two hundred? And all armored!"
On the Kingdom's Great Snow Wolf, Zuwaro opened one eye, using a one-ter-long "Divine Eye Glasses" to observe the southern Japanese team ticulously. He first estimated their numbers, at least two hundred fully ard Japanese Samurai, along with a hundred plus young n carrying large amounts of supplies, likely farrs for trading. As for craftsn, they seed mixed among the farrs, difficult to distinguish.
"One horse, two... three... ten... fifteen? Are all female horses?"
Then, Zuwaro moved the Divine Eye Glasses, counting the horses in the Japanese team, including three riding Japanese leaders. Except for the horses of these three leaders, others seed much smaller than previously captured ones, resembling reindeer.
These pack horses bore various goods, loaded fully. Those fluttering within bamboo cages seed to be the legendary "poultry"? Not sure which one is the "chicken" Your Majesty refers to, and which are "duck" and "goose"?
"Huh! There are two strange, long-horned, very strong four-legged beasts! Wow! They're bigger than horses, almost like bears! Hiss! They look so fierce, with such long horns, and a body so massive! Could they be the 'water buffalo' Your Majesty ntioned, the gentle ones used for farming land?"
Zuwaro widened his eyes, feeling genuine fear seeing water buffalo for the first ti in his life. He had seen the northern "bison" raised by the Kingdom before, genuinely wild and fearso "giant beasts"!
Though these "water buffalo" were smaller, their horns were significantly longer than the "bison." No idea how such long-horned "beasts" could be so ta under human control, even obediently plowing fields?
"Not bad! Goods, livestock, and personnel... they seem to be keeping their promise! At least they have a plan B!"
Zuwaro observed via the Divine Eye Glasses for a long ti, even seeing the expression of vigilance and caution on the Samurai's faces opposite, finally nodding with satisfaction. anwhile, riding on a diminutive horse, Kaozaki Yoshihiro finally recognized the Shandan Tribe across. He stared with wide eyes at the three large ships near the shore, with over a hundred concealed Shandan warriors aboard, cursing furiously yet concealing fear.
"Damn it! Really crafty Shandan people! They've brought three large ships, not knowing how many they've hidden below decks, fully ard to trade with us!"
"Damn fools! How could these primitive barbaric Shandan tribes posses such long big ships! Really baffling! They're protected by planks on the ships; if they shoot arrows at approaching Samurai, how should we resist?"
"Buddha bless us! Full army alert! Approach carefully, keeping at least four arrow distances from the large ships by the sea!"
"Please have the Great Chief of the Shandan Tribe disembark! We'll be positioned two arrow distances from the seaside, dispatching people bit by bit to exchange captives and personnel, along with gold and goods..."
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