In a section of the middle reaches of the Tone River, there was a commotion among the powerful samurai families in places such as the Yura family because of the letter of pledge for the painting of Yoshihiro Bank.
In the lower reaches of the Tone River, Musashi Province and Shimotsou Province belong to the west and east sides respectively. At this moment in Musashi Province, Yoshihiro's letter of pledge also caused waves.
Musashi Province has 21 prefectures, which is the second most prefecture in the world after Mutsu Province's 44 prefectures.
From west to east in Musashi, three main rivers form a geographical shape similar to the character "Kawa", namely the Tama River, Arakawa, and Edogawa.
Among them, the Edogawa River is the lower reaches of the Tone River.
Musashi Country has a lot of water, with three main streams plus tributaries. The water network is dense and flows freely across the vast plains, causing many floods.
The island country is not as good as the Celestial Empire, and does not have the spirit of Yu the Great to concentrate his efforts on accomplishing great things.
For thousands of years, the Musashi Kingdom has been guarding the fertile land of the plains and suffering from poverty. Because it cannot solve the flood problem, it cannot develop thousands of miles of fertile land and become the granary of Kanto.
And this problem is now finally showing signs of being solved.
Under the guidance of the Wujia Giri Promotion Association, Kanto Tuchura funds have entered water conservancy management in the form of loans.
In particular, the huge Tone River diversion plan will once and for all divert the flooded Edogawa River Basin.
As long as the flood problem is solved and thousands of miles of fertile soil are obtained, the stone height of Musashi Kingdom can be increased from five to six hundred thousand stone to more than one million stone. This is an exciting and great achievement.
For this reason, Siba Yiyin, who went to the countryside to inspect more than 200 villages in the middle and lower reaches of the Tone River, established the Samurai Giri Promotion Association, and provided loans to local people for water conservancy projects, was the true god in the hearts of the local people.
The Hojo family occupied the land of Musashi Province, but they could not win the hearts of the Musashi people, especially in the counties east of Arakawa. Because of the Tonegawa water conservancy project in the past three years, the hearts of the people had completely belonged to Shiba.
Because Hojo Ujiyasu sent a letter to persuade Higashi Musashi to surrender, the Hojo family could not collect taxes at all from the local area.
In addition, the local heart is towards Shiba. If there is a conflict between the Hojo family and the Shiba family, the Higashi Musashi counties may immediately rebel.
Therefore, the Higashi Musashi land has become a piece of cake for the Hojo family. This is why the Hojo retainers group supports the Hojo clan's politics and exchanges the Higashi Musashi land for sex tickets.
According to the samurai family's tendency to value land the most, if the Higashi Musashi land was not completely indigestible, the Hojo family would not have given it to Shiba Yoshigan in vain.
But this gift is also very particular.
The Higashi Musashi land sent by the Hojo family was not divided equally with the Nishi Musashi land, but was east of the Arakawa that the Hojo family could not control.
That is, Adachi, Saitama, Katsushika and other counties to the east of Kawagoe Castle, and the lower reaches of the Tone River, which is dominated by the Edogawa River Basin.
And Sibo Yiyin's letter requesting to send troops was sent to this area.
Although there are only a few counties here, they are all plains and densely populated. For example, Osato County, a small county in the north of Saitama County, also has one town and sixty-three villages, with a population of about 40,000.
According to the wartime mobilization of one out of ten, these sixty villages can mobilize four thousand peasant soldiers, and each village can produce sixty or seventy strong women.
At this moment, in Jiuxia Village in Dali County, a group of village servants were holding a meeting.
The spring cold has just gone and the weather has not yet warmed up. Under the big iron pot in the middle of the village house, there are still remnants of charcoal, one end is black and the other is wood.
The villagers from several villages had their legs crossed around the big iron pot. Behind them, the servants sent by each village sat outside one by one, filling the small room to the fullest.
There are also people who poke their heads outside the doors and windows, just because they can't squeeze in, so they can only listen outside.
The few people in the innermost circle looked at the wizened old woman who was still rubbing her straw shoes. This old guy didn't forget to work during the meeting. She saw that her hands and feet were quick, and she had already rubbed the uppers of two shoes in a short time.
The old woman with wrinkled skin couldn't bear it anymore and spoke.
"Jiuxia, please stop rubbing. Damn it, it's making me upset. You called us over. What's the matter?"
Kusaka put down his half-finished straw sandals, glanced at her, and cursed.
"You Yoshimi have always been very smart, don't you know why?
A few days ago, members of the Spo family rushed past my yard on horseback. Every village in Dali County was not left behind. Why are you pretending to be stupid? "
Kusaka took out a letter from his arms, put it in front of himself, and said.
"Everyone, stop pretending to be dumb and talk about it."
Everyone knows why we are here today, and many people still have a letter similar to this one in their arms.
Jiuxia snorted coldly.
"Oban, you speak first."
The named Ohata was a stout woman with an honest face. She looked embarrassed and just turned her eyes towards Yoshimi.
Kusaka sneered.
"It turns out that before the conference, you guys had already held a small meeting to connect in private."
Seeing that all the girls were focusing on her, Yoshi felt panicked and secretly scolded Ohata for being such a fool who didn't know how to hide it, but he was stubborn in his words.
"What nonsense are you talking about! Ohata and I are traveling together, what's wrong with chatting on the way!"
Kusaka snorted.
"Okay, what did you guys talk about? Let me tell you about it for your reference."
Yoshijian, who was squeezed into the corner, gritted his teeth and said bravely.
“With the beginning of the new year, all things are recovering, and every household is busy with spring plowing. The harvest at the end of the year depends entirely on the hard work of these days.
According to the rules handed down from our ancestors, no matter how busy we are, we can never plow in the spring, and no matter how busy we are, we can never harvest in the autumn. After finishing the spring plowing, we can say whatever we want, but we cannot mobilize in these days. "
Before Ji could finish her words, someone pointed at her nose and scolded her.
"Yoshimi! Damn it, Ni Daddy!
On weekdays, the Wujia Yili Promotion Association sends people down to inquire about difficulties and arrange water conservancy projects. Every time, you cry miserably and complain about poverty and want to take the big bucks.
I see that your Yoshimi Village is indeed extremely poor, so I don’t care too much about it.
But you have the advantage of rushing to the front, and retreating back when something happens, what the hell are you doing! "
Ji saw that the words had been spoken, and now he could only bite the bullet and hold his neck.
"You're so damn good at Shengu! Why are you rushing in front of me!"
Fukaya laughed.
“I’ve eaten the saint’s food and taken the saint’s benefits, so I can’t do such dirty things as eating a bowl of noodles and lifting the bottom of the bowl!
You all feel your conscience, which noble family has ever taken us seriously? Apart from searching for food, they don't even bother to go to the countryside for fear of getting stained by the mud in our fields!
Only the saints remembered our sufferings deeply and came to take a look around. When they got back, they sent us food and money. They also sent people to plan water conservancy and lead us in it.
You can tell me with your conscience that in the past few years, floods have weakened, and how much more grain has been harvested in each village? There is always one or two percent, right?
And you, the reed marsh at the entrance of Yoshijian Village has become less flooded, its scope has been reduced, and the wasteland has been burned to open up fields, adding dozens of acres of land. Have you even forgotten about it?
Now you are telling me that spring plowing cannot be delayed, and you want to take advantage of me!
I'm telling you right now, I've already taken half of the people back from the fields, and I'm going to fight with the boss to help the saint!
Isn’t it just that the autumn harvest is 30% short? Before the Wu Family Principle Promotion Association, my village was 30% short! This year, think of it as going back in time and starving for a year! "
Yoshimi's face turned red and his stiff neck creaked.
"Okay! You are so brave! Your family is not afraid of starving to death! But why do you want us all to starve together!
It has been a rule since ancient times that it is not a crime to refuse to send troops during the busy season of spring plowing and autumn harvest! "
Jiu Shang said darkly.
"Since ancient times, I have never seen a noble person visit us in the countryside, send us money and food, and help us with water conservancy projects."
Oban on the side couldn't help lowering his head, looking ashamed. Yoshimi glared at Ohata and asked in a deep voice.
"Jiu Shang, please tell me clearly, what do you want from us?"
Jiugami said coldly.
"What can I say clearly? What can I do to you?
I am fifty-seven this year, and I have never seen peace since I was born.
Ashikaga and Uesugi fight, Hojo and Ashikaga Uesugi fight, Hojo and Ota fight.
Fighting and fighting are the domain of the nobles, and we lowly people who work in the soil are responsible for providing food and people, and dying for the nobles.
No one cares about us, we can only care about ourselves.
Over the years, all villages have united together and sworn to their ancestors to share blessings and hardships, and finally survived.
To be honest, I have never seen the same blessings, but I think we have the same difficulties every year.
It has been more than fifty years since I can remember, but these three years have been a little better.
My wife doesn't go to war. I don't have to worry about my daughter going out to kill someone and being slaughtered. I don't have to worry about my son-in-law crying miserably in the inner courtyard at night, and I don't have to worry about my little granddaughter screaming heartbrokenly, "Grandma, I'm hungry."
I have been suffering all my life, but I never thought that when I get older, I will see a day like this, where my whole family can happily have a full meal without having to worry about tomorrow.
How long this good life can last, I don’t know. But I know that if there is anything wrong with the saint in the country, our good days will come to an end tomorrow!
Those noble people are so high above us, will they care whether we live or die? Only saints! The saint will lower his head and look at us with pity!
If the grain harvest in the fields is reduced by 30%, we will be hungry for a year, but if the saint is gone. . I promise you with my fifty-seven years of life that you will be hungry and miserable for the rest of your life!
Cherish it! Cherish the good days in front of you! If you can live a year, you can make a year! I wish the saint will stay young forever and be immortal forever, on the board! "
Kusami spoke faster and faster, his voice became higher and higher, and finally he was almost roaring, even coughing.
The concubines in the house were silent and silent. Only the old woman's violent coughing could be heard echoing in the village house.
I don’t know who shouted first.
"Saint on board!"
This seemed to ignite everyone's hearts, and in an instant, thousands of voices broke through the roof.
"Saint on board!"
The concubines' heartfelt shouts made Ji Jian's face livid, but he was unable to refute.
Jiu Shang kept looking at her until the voices of the concubines slowly dispersed, and then he said.
"If you don't want to send troops, I won't force you.
At the beginning, the villages swore an oath to become sisters and advance and retreat together. Today, if you can't do it, you have to withdraw.
From then on, everyone was fine and went his own way, not owing each other anything. "
Yoshimi gritted his teeth and said.
"Let's retreat!"
Jiu Shang said indifferently.
"Okay, who else besides you?"
Yoshimi stood up, and several more people started to get up inside the room. Ohata hesitated for a moment, and then stood up as well.
Kuang nodded.
"You go, I will send back the oaths you left in the temple, and take out the ones you saved at home and burn them as well."
Yoshimi nodded stiffly, turned around and left. Several people followed him out, except Ohata who glanced at Kugami and swallowed.
"I'm sorry, it's not that I want to do this. It's just that the village finally has enough food to eat and we really can't delay the spring plowing.
In fact, everyone just needs to wait until the spring plowing is over. . When it's over, we can send out troops together, why bother making such a fuss? "
Jiugang looked at her coldly and said nothing, feeling ridiculous for her stupidity and naivety.
By the time you have all finished your spring plowing and the day lilies are cold, no matter whether the saints win or lose, we are all ungrateful sinners.
No one paid attention to Ohata's words. She was so embarrassed that Yoshimi, who had already walked outside the door, turned around and shouted.
"Oban! Are you leaving or not? Don't embarrass yourself here!"
Ohata was shocked, sighed helplessly, turned around and followed Yoshimi out.
As soon as she left the house, she saw her little daughter standing outside the door, looking at her gloomily.
Ohata stretched out his hand, patted his daughter on the shoulder and said.
"Let's go back."
The two of them were close to each other, and Oban suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
All the strength in her body seemed to have been drained away. She looked down and saw that only the handle of the knife was visible under her ribs. The entire knife had penetrated along the bottom of her ribs and directly into her heart.
Ohata raised her head with all her strength and looked at the little daughter in front of her. The little daughter she had always doted on now had a ferocious face and pushed her down.
He wanted to say something, but Oban couldn't say anything. His body fell limply to the ground, his eyes were so wide that he couldn't close them, and he just died of anger.
And in her last consciousness, she only heard the upright shouting of her little daughter in her ears.
"Honor the saints and punish traitors; Heaven will punish the traitors of the country!"
Yoshimi, who was walking in front, turned around and noticed the unexpected situation, his eyes were red.
I saw Ohata being stabbed into the heart by his own daughter. His life or death was uncertain. Her daughter pulled out the ribs from her waist and was cutting her mother's head.
"Mother-killing madman! Stop it!"
Yoshimi wanted to rush forward, but a group of Ji warriors stood in front of her and slashed half of their blades at her.
"Get out! Traitor! Get out!"
Yoshimi and the few people who left with her were so horrified that they saw Ohata's daughter cutting off Ohata's head, then walked into the village house bloody, and had no choice but to retreat.
Ohata's daughter mercilessly threw Ohata's dead head in front of Jiugami.
"Ohata Village will participate in mobilization and fight for the saint!"
He took a long look at the little girl.
"Are you in charge?"
The girl from Oban cut her palm with a knife and wiped her forehead with blood.
"My mother was unfaithful and unjust, and I have already beheaded her in public.
My eldest sister and I studied abroad in Spurling together, and we are both members of the Wu Family Renaissance Society. There is only one leader and one voice in our hearts, that is, the saint!
I swear by the honor of the people in blue, my eldest sister will definitely agree with me in my beliefs, and Ohata Village will definitely be mobilized. Please believe in us, please! "
Jiugami looked at the girl of Oban who was prostrate on the ground and kowtowed, and nodded.
"He is a good and sensible boy, and he is much better than this idiot Ohata.
Well, Ohata Village's oath will not be returned, and your family is still a part of our village alliance. "
Jiu Shang glanced at the entire audience and shouted.
"Since everyone is of the same mind, I won't talk nonsense and go back to mobilize quickly. The saint is still waiting for us!"
"Hi!"
The princess warriors dispersed in a hurry, leaving only Kusami and Fukaya still sitting.
Fukaya looked into Ohata's dead eyes and shook his head.
Kusami asked.
"Why don't you leave?"
Fukaya replied.
“Ohata, an honest guy, was moved by Yoshimi’s sweet words, but ended up having his head cut off by his own daughter. It’s pitiful.
It's a pity that Naji had the shame to leave when he saw the truth. I really can't swallow this breath. "
Jiu Shang looked at the concubines who had left the village house and walked away, and said calmly.
"Why don't you hold your breath? After helping the saint finish fighting, we will come back and slowly clean up Ji Jian and them."
Shen Gu said in astonishment.
"Fuck them? According to the rules handed down from our ancestors, our villages do not go to war with each other."
Kusami sneered.
"I don't have any bad rules. The oaths have been sent back and burned, so the old rules don't apply to them.
Besides, the villages mobilized in advance, which delayed spring plowing and reduced the autumn harvest by 30%. What should we do with this gap? Let the villages starve this winter and watch those treacherous bastards eat and drink?
If they are unfaithful and unjust, don't blame us for being ruthless. If we go back and pacify their villages and divide their food, we will have an easier life. "
Fukaya nodded.
"That's the truth."
She picked up Oban's head and stood up.
"I found a place to bury the big banner. After all, we are sisters who have been together for decades, so we have a beginning and an end."
Jiu Shang nodded.
"Go ahead."
