In an agricultural society, farming is the most important thing. Without farming, there will be no food, people will go crazy with hunger, and all order will fall apart.
If the Oda family's reserve force can escape the constraints of the farming season, even if only part of it is separated from the farming season, it can fight out of season.
There is no need to win this. As long as the enemy cannot farm with peace of mind and the grain harvest plummets, he will soon be defeated without defeat.
This advantage can be clearly seen by other samurai families, but they cannot take advantage of it. The wealth of the Noo Plain is the prerequisite for Oda Nobunaga to implement large-scale demobilization of Shigaru.
To put it simply, the prerequisite for the separation of farmers and soldiers is that there is enough food. This off-season strategy is to use your own food to smash the enemy's food to see who has more food and can afford it.
Seeing that she understood, Takenaka Shigeharu continued.
"Secondly, there are sixty-six countries in the world, with a stone height of 20 million and a population of 10 million, but the Wu family only has 800,000 to 1 million people.
Excluding husbands and children who cannot go into battle, there are only three to four hundred thousand warriors in the world who can fight.
If the Oda family can make effective use of the Ashigaru, they can mobilize a large number of soldiers to go into battle and consume the enemy. It is worth exchanging three to five for one.
It takes at least ten years to raise a Ji warrior from the time he is born until he is able to fight. They are the backbone of the traditional reserve team and the core force of the Wu family's rule.
But the Oda family's ashigaru are like weeds in the field, growing one after another. It is a fact that the ashigaru cannot defeat the Hime Samurai, but when the Hime Samurai dies, the family fortune disappears.
Who in the world can stop the Oda family from risking their lives to fill the battlefield and attrition? Which family is not afraid of losing an heir?"
After listening to Takenaka Shigeharu's words, Hideyoshi Hashiba fell into deep thought. After a while, she said.
"What does Takenaka-hime mean that the palace's military reforms are aimed at conquering the world?"
A smile flashed across Takenaka Shigeharu's eyes, and he could draw inferences from one example to others, which can be taught to children.
She nodded and said.
"Yes, the biggest problem of the traditional martial arts family is that the little rich is safe.
It is not difficult for a capable daimyo to occupy several territories. As long as he has a group of loyal Ji warriors as a team, he can suppress hundreds of thousands of stone territories.
But as the territory expands, the core martial arts group will be able to enjoy the fruits of their victory with peace of mind. The surrendered peripheral martial arts groups will be unwilling to suffer damage to their interests and will wait for opportunities to resist.
After hundreds of years of war, heroes from all over the world are simply repeating the process of rise, expansion, suppression, contraction, and decline.
Because the traditional martial arts group has a fatal weakness and cannot withstand large-scale casualties. Once the core retainer group suffers heavy casualties, the peripheral martial arts groups will immediately become disloyal.
The faster the pace of expansion and the more wars are fought, the more tragic the decline of the family fortune will be."
Hideyoshi Hashiba thought.
"Therefore, the main hall used the separation of peasants and soldiers to increase Ashigaru's fighting spirit in order to get rid of the constraints of the traditional samurai group."
Takenaka Shigeharu said with awe in his eyes.
"Dandian is indeed a ruthless person. He is ruthless to others and even more ruthless to himself.
By doing this, she got rid of the shackles of the Wu Family Group, but it also reduced the importance of the Wu Family Group.
The retainers may not see the benefits of doing so, but for them, they are more afraid of losing their privileges and status.
If the Wu family cannot monopolize military power, how can they be distinguished from civilians and how can they maintain their privileges and status?
If one day, the Zu clan can independently shoulder the heavy burden of war, what meaning does the existence of the privileged class of the Wu family still have?
After the emergence of iron cannons, the peasant army finally had the ability to compete with the Wu family on the battlefield. Maybe one day, the Wu family will be ended by farmers armed with firearms."
Takenaka Shigeharu’s lament did not resonate with Hashiba Hideyoshi.
Hashiba Hideyoshi came from a humble background and never had the sense of belonging to a samurai family or the sense of honor of a samurai warrior. She only had one thought in her mind, and that was to try her best to climb up.
When dreaming back at midnight, she would always think of that night when she huddled in the corner and heard Lisbo Yin's moans in the room.
Every time at this time, her fingers would subconsciously stroke down, letting herself fly up into the sky.
She told herself, I have to climb up, I must climb up. I should be in the room, not outside the room.
Hideyoshi Hashiba doesn't care what the future of the Wu family will be. She only cares about one thing, how to climb up, climb high, and climb onto Shiba Yoshigan's bed.
she asked.
"I understand the truth, but why did Takenaka-hime say that my chance has come?"
Takenaka Shigeharu smiled.
"Hashiba-sama, the problems of the samurai group are shared by the samurai families of Owari and Mino, and they are quite serious.
Shibata Katsuie-sama captured Higashi Mino, and they, who were the heroes of Owari, had a good life this year. The people of Nishi Mino were unstoppable in Hokui, and they also benefited a lot.
The samurai families of Owari and Mino may not be interested in the recent political turmoil. What they care most about is land, and the fertile land around the Noo Plain is easy to attack and occupy.
You think, how far can the palace go to fight with these martial arts families? She needs subordinates who have vision, great ambitions, and like-minded people.
At this time, family background is not important, status is not important, ability and ambition are the most important."
Hashiba Hideyoshi's blood boiled with excitement. Wasn't this an opportunity tailor-made for her? She did not lack the ambition to make progress, but her background was too poor, so she had to keep her head down and compromise.
Takenaka Shigeharu looked at her and said seriously.
"Master Yu Shiba, whether you will be a blockbuster or make people laugh depends on this time.
The Owari Mino warriors look down on you, and you can't really win over them. But it's different in recent times, especially Omi country.
Omi Province is the eastern gateway to Konge, and it is the territory that the Oda family must capture when entering Konge.
The samurai here look down on the country bumpkins from the Noo Plains, and the samurai from Owari and Mino will not be polite to them either.
Your future should be in Omi, develop there, and win over the down-and-out samurai families of Omi country. Their pride will be tempered by defeat, and they will be the retainers who are willing to truly surrender to you.
You have to give full play to your strengths, win over people's hearts, intertwine with their interests, and form your own foundation."
Hideyoshi Hashiba nodded seriously.
"Hime Takenaka, I listen to you.
But, what can I do to stay in Omi Kingdom? There are many important ministers under the palace, and I can’t take them away with only a thousand stones."
Takenaka Shigeharu smiled confidently and said.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Yushiba, I will show my value and let the hall recognize us and give us a chance."
With tears in his eyes, Hideyoshi Hashiba bowed deeply to Takenaka Shigeharu.
"Then I'll leave it all to you. Thank you very much, Takenaka-hime."
Zhuzhong looked at her, laughed, and bowed deeply in return.
"This is what I should do, and I am very grateful to you. Thank you for making me feel valuable, and that gave me the courage to start again.
Thank you very much, Yushiba-sama."
The two of them straightened up, looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.
———
Hashiba Hideyoshi was in an awkward situation in Owari Province, and his life was not rich. This time, the whole group came out without riding a horse.
In order to catch up with the day to participate in the Council, they traveled day and night, and finally arrived at Gifu Castle two days early.
Just after entering the city, Hashiba Hideyoshi immediately took the ladies to visit Oda Nobunaga.
Looking at the castle tower from a distance, I saw two high-ranking samurai talking together outside the vestibule door. It was Shibata Katsuie and Maeda Toshiie.
Maeda Toshiie said with a smile.
"A few days ago, Hinano Hiroshi came to see me."
Shibata Katsuie hummed.
"What? You want to speak for her again?"
Maeda Toshiie shook his head and said.
"I'm not speaking for her, I'm just trying to stop her from getting into trouble in front of the main hall over such a trivial matter.
The main hall is planning to go to Luo these days, and is so tired that I haven't slept well for several days.
If this matter comes to light, she will be tired and upset, and she won't know how angry she will be, which will be of no benefit to all of us."
Shibata Katsuie glanced at Maeda Toshiie and said.
"You still say you won't help her? These defeated generals have no consciousness and have already lost the battle. What's the point of taking more from her?
Got it, for your sake, this matter ends here. I will ask Sakuma Morimasa to take a look and tell those below to restrain themselves."
Maeda Toshiie smiled and bowed slightly to thank Shibata Katsuie.
Last year, the Oda family captured Mino Country. As the foundation of Isshiki Yoshiryu, Higashi Mino was feared by Oda Nobunaga and handed over to Shibata Katsuie's strategy, and was quickly captured.
Hineno Hiroshi, as the representative of the Higashi-Mino samurai family who surrendered to the Oda family, had a very unhappy life. How could Shibata Katsuie, the heroes from Owari, look down on the defeated?
Seizing water, seizing land, requisitioning grain, and bullying the Higashi Merion old party to death regardless of whether it was justified or not, Hineno Hiro could only hold the old party down and swallow his anger.
The Maeda Toshiie family was transferred to Oda Nobunaga, except for the Owari Shiba ancestral land of 1,500 koku, which was exchanged for 20,000 koku in the Mino Province County.
She was always kind and kind, and it was not convenient for Hinano Hiro to go to Oda Nobunaga to complain about everything, so he often used Maeda Toshiie as an intermediary to communicate with Shibata Katsuie.
Shibata Katsuie is a proud person, but he misses the past and takes great care of the old people in Owari. Sometimes the Owari samurai do too much in Higashi Mino, but she turns a blind eye.
But Maeda Toshiie and her had a quarrelsome relationship, and their feelings were different.
Maeda Toshiie once served in the reserve team under Shibata Katsuie and was her old subordinate. At first, Shibata Katsuie participated in Oda Nobuyuki's rebellion, and Maeda Toshiie also came forward to intercede for her after the defeat.
What's more, Maeda Toshiie's identity is Shiba Yoshigan's acting deputy stationed in Owari. His status is not low, and he holds more than 20,000 koku of territory.
In both public and private matters, Shibata Katsuie would always give Maeda Toshiie face.
Whenever the Owari samurai went too far in Higashi Mino, Hinano Hiroshi would complain to Maeda Toshiie, and Shibata Katsuie would also deal with it as appropriate.
As time went by, the three parties reached a tacit understanding. Don't bring trivial matters to Oda Nobunaga. This lord is moody, and who knows who will be unlucky in the end. It's better for everyone to take it easy in private.
While the two were talking, the sound of Hashiba Hideyoshi's energetic surprise came from the distance.
"Master Maeda, Master Shibata, I am so lucky to meet you two today."
Hideyoshi Hashiba trotted up to the two of them and bowed, seemingly feeling happy from the bottom of his heart.
Facing Hashiba Hideyoshi who was full of smiles, Shibata Katsuie snorted coldly, his expression cold and stiff.
During the military council meeting when Mino was conquered, Hashiba Hideyoshi, an unknown person, jumped out to oppose her, embarrassing her.
What's more, I didn't expect that in the end, this little bastard actually built a Sumamata Castle, allowing the Oda family to occupy a corner of Simino, and achieved great success.
Oda Nobunaga's military reforms violated the interests of old samurai families like Shibata Katsuie.
Hashiba Hideyoshi, a young man who was so young, should have been pinched to death long ago, but because of the face of the main hall, no one has taken action yet.
This little girl is lucky. Although she is just a humble servant in the Kinoshita family of Kinoshita Village, she is indeed an old man from the four counties of Shimonowari.
In addition, Masakatsu Hoshisuka from Hoshisuka Township helped to speak. Seeing that they were both old samurai warriors, Shibata Katsuie no longer cared about it.
No one can stop what Oda Nobunaga wants to do. Hashiba Hideyoshi is just a scapegoat, and everyone knows it.
This little girl is pretty good at being a good person. Although Shibata Katsuie felt offended by using the character "Chai" for "Miao", her attitude was really low-key and humble, making it impossible to fault her.
Shibata Katsuie didn't care about her now. Anyway, there were so many samurai who wanted her life, so why should he dirty his hands.
Ignoring the enthusiastic Hideyoshi Shibata, Katsuie Shibata glanced at her with a deadly look and left on his own.
However, Hideyoshi Hashiba was very good at adding drama to himself. He watched her leave with a smile and said.
"Shibata-sama is always so serious and never gets angry, which makes me admire him deeply."
Maeda Toshiie looked at Hashiba Hideyoshi angrily and funny, somewhat admiring her shamelessness. It was really tiring to live so cautiously.
Hashiba Hideyoshi respectfully watched Shibata Katsuie leave, then turned his head and looked at Maeda Toshiie with a bright smile.
Maeda Toshiie quickly waved his hands and cursed with a smile.
"Put away your mind-numbing compliments. I know it's not easy for you, but it doesn't have to be the same for me."
There was gratitude in Hashiba Hideyoshi's eyes.
She didn't like to bow her head like this, but the situation forced her to do so and she had no choice.
Most of the high-ranking samurai of the Oda family disliked her, but only Niwa Nagahide and Maeda Toshiie took good care of her and showed some kindness.
While they were talking, Takenaka Shigeharu and others from a distance had already approached and saluted Maeda Toshiie. Maeda Toshiie greeted them with a smile, without any arrogance of a high-ranking samurai family.
Takenaka Shigeharu admired this gentleman very much, but also had some doubts.
Maeda Toshiie is a special existence in the Oda family.
The Owari Shiba Territory is an issue left over from history. Before Shiba Yoshigan went to Luoka, he fought with Oda Nobunaga and helped her fight, thus retaining this ancestral land and bounty territory.
Maeda Toshiie was a retainer of Shiba, and Owari Shiba was acting as an acting official, so his status was not low.
Owari Shiba led the foreign domain belonging to the Oda family. Oda Nobunaga mobilized for war, and the Maeda Toshie family also followed suit and sent troops.
Politically, this is a knot that is difficult to untie. The Shiba family's territory within the Oda family, and the Shiba Gai domain to which the Oda family belongs, make it difficult to sort out the priorities of monarchs and ministers.
But Maeda Toshiie, she just found a way out.
Sibo Yiyin understood her difficulties and allowed her to act easily.
Oda Nobunaga, who did not tolerate disdain in his eyes, actually tolerated this country within a country and greatly appreciated Maeda Toshiie.
