Chapter 577 To kill people for business, to use human guts as medicine 【5800】
Ezochi, somewhere in the north
"...After my third petition was ignored by the Sendai Domain Lord, by various coincidences, I received news that the Lucia Kingdom was frequently engaging in various small actions in Ezo."
"After my investigation, I feel that if we ignore Lucia Country, Lucia Country will definitely become a serious problem for our country in the future."
"I believe that we should coexist in friendship with the Ainu people, and then work with the Ainu people to develop Ezo Land and build Ezo Land into a forward position to stop the Lucians from moving south."
"So in order to realize my long-cherished political wish, I landed on Ezo for the first time eight years ago and began to personally survey the topography, landforms, product resources, and Ainu culture of Ezo."
Hayashi Ping, who was sitting behind Ogata, was talking eloquently, while Ogata and Atachi were controlling their horses to canter forward while listening carefully.
The process of rushing is always boring.
While on the road, the only thing that can be used to kill time is small talk.
To pass the boring time, Ogata and his wife alternately chatted with Lin Ziping about various things.
We talked about everything from what we saw while traveling to various things that we have personally experienced.
At this moment, Lin Ziping was talking about his life so far.
Just now, he has briefly summarized his life from childhood to youth: a Sendai warrior born in Edo, he was scorned as a deviant by others since he was a child. While his peers were studying Confucian classics, he was reading Confucian classics.
Various miscellaneous books on history, geography, art of war, economics, etc.
In his youth, he began to travel around to study. During his study tour, he discovered all kinds of corruption and incompetence in the shogunate, and gradually began to worry about the future of Japan.
He wrote to the lord of the Sendai Domain three times and suggested reforming internal affairs and enriching the country and strengthening the army, but he was ignored by the lord of the Sendai Domain.
And now, Lin Ziping is telling the story of how after his third petition to the lord of the Sendai Domain was ignored, he began to notice the threat of the Lucians to their country, and then began to personally inspect the Ezo Land.
"Eight years ago, after a careful inspection of the Ezo Territory, in the fifth year of Tenmei (AD 1785), I published a military topography describing Korea, Ryukyu, Ezo Territory and other places: "Three Kingdoms Comprehensive Map"
". It's a pity that there was no response... No one was interested in my book..."
After saying that, Lin Ziping sighed heavily.
"Your book also writes about Korea and Ryukyu?" At this time, Amachi interjected, "Have you been to all these places?"
"Uh... no." Lin Ziping laughed awkwardly, "Except for Ezo, I have never been to other places. I compiled the accounts of Korea, Ryukyu and other places based on other people's classics.
Made of.”
After saying that, Lin Ziping coughed a few times and used a blunt approach to talk about this embarrassing topic.
"Okay, let me continue."
"In short, after the publication of "Three Kingdoms Illustrations", the response was mediocre. No one in the shogunate or among the people was interested in my book."
"Officials of the shogunate also scorned my proposal to build coastal defenses and work together with the Ainu people to build the Ezo land."
"Maybe I feel that people like me who criticize the seclusion policy are too annoying. So some time ago, I was caught by an official and then taken to an Edo prison and imprisoned."
"It seemed that I had been sentenced to 'permanent house arrest' by the government at that time."
"Fortunately, not long after I was imprisoned, I was rescued by a group of unknown people."
"Those people seem to want to invite them to work for them."
"I have no interest in being an official or anything like that. Just when I was thinking about how to escape, the gang seemed to be attacked by their enemies, and I was able to sneak out during the chaos."
"As soon as I escaped, I learned that the Lucians were making more and more small moves in Ezo."
"I happened to feel that in my "Three Kingdoms Illustrated Guide", the part introducing the Ezo Territory still had a lot to be improved. So not long after I regained my freedom, I set foot on the Ezo Territory again.
land, and prepare to conduct an in-depth inspection of the Ezo land again.”
"You all know what happened next. When you came near the Red Moon Fortress, you were mistaken as a spy and arrested, and then you met."
After listening to Lin Ziping's summary of his life so far, Ogata said sincerely: "You are also a person with a very rich and tortuous life experience... You just said that you escaped from prison with the help of others.
, then wouldn’t it be possible that there are already posters for your arrest in Japan?”
"Yes." Lin Ziping nodded, "It should be so. So now I am also thinking about how to avoid being hunted by officials while continuing my academic research after returning to China, and allowing the shogunate to adopt my opinions and start
Reform of the Tokugawa government."
"You are so awesome." A-Machi said with unadulterated admiration, "If I were you, I wouldn't have the courage to write letters to the shogunate again and again, criticizing the shogunate for this and that bad thing.
."
"There is no way you are willing to travel around in such a bitter cold place for the sake of the country... Maybe this is also related to my lack of favorable impression of the shogunate."
"I've only been in Ezo for a few months, and I can't stand it anymore..."
"I miss the tatami and the taste of miso soup very much now..."
"When I was still very young, I started traveling around to study." Lin Ziping smiled, "So I developed a pretty good physique, so I didn't feel too tired when I was running around in Ezo and doing inspections.
Thank you for your hard work...eh? Ogata-kun, look at the sky in the north, there are large dark clouds floating over."
"Yeah. I saw it." Ogata nodded, "Shut your mouth tightly and stop talking. I have to speed up my horse and build a hunting lodge before the snowstorm comes down."
After that, Ogata tapped the horse's belly with his heel and drove the carrot towards a forest not far away.
After entering the woods, Ouri quickly found a large tree suitable for building a hunting lodge.
Previously, when he followed the villagers of Qina Village to move to the Red Moon Fortress, Ogata had learned how to make a hunting lodge from the Ainu people.
After using slightly rough techniques to make this big tree into a hunting cabin that could barely accommodate 4 people, the large dark clouds drifting from the north covered the entire sky and caused blizzards to fall.
"Huh..." After hurriedly squeezing into the hunting lodge, Lin Ziping glanced at the wind and snow blowing outside, tightened his tight clothes, "Ezo Land is indeed a bitter cold place.
...At this time, spring is almost here in various parts of Japan, but here it is still the same as the harsh winter."
"Fortunately, we built this hunting cabin in time." Ogata also glanced at the wind and snow that was blowing louder and louder outside, "If it had been a little later, we would have been blown away by the wind and snow.
Turned into a snowman."
"Looking at the thickness of the dark clouds, this snowstorm will not stop for a while." Lin Ziping sighed softly, "I can only wait slowly. I hope this snowstorm can stop soon..."
"How far is it from the so-and-so village where that weird Dr. Kazuto lives?" Amachi asked.
"It's Kanto Village." Lin Ziping showed a helpless smile and corrected what Amachi just said, "The settlement where that weird Kazuto doctor lives is called 'Kantou Village'."
Atachi: "It's such a hard name to remember..."
"There is still a fairly short distance." Lin Ziping replied, "If there is no blizzard or other accidents, we have to walk north for another two days, and we have to first arrive at a settlement called 'Tuohe'. Then the doctor and the
The Kantuo Village where I live is in a deep mountain northwest of Tuohe Village."
"We still have to go so far..." Ating twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Although it's still a bit far, fortunately the road is relatively easy to walk." Lin Ziping said slowly, "I actually can't remember exactly where Kanto Village is in the deep mountains."
"So when we get to Tuohe Village, we may have to entrust people from that village to help guide us."
"Hmm? Are you familiar with the people from Tuoh Village?" Ogata asked.
Lin Ziping nodded: "It's quite familiar. I have been here several times before, so after going back and forth, I became familiar with many villagers in Tuohe Village."
"I'm going to ask those people I know to guide us. They should be happy to agree."
"I see... I feel a little embarrassed..." Ogata said, "I have to trouble you to sell favors to the people from Tuoh Village."
Lin Ziping smiled: "Compared with the life-saving grace I owe you, it's just a trivial matter not worth mentioning."
"If you hadn't repelled the shogunate's army, I would have died in the rebellion."
"You two just think that what I have done is repaying my kindness, and accept it with peace of mind."
call!
At this time, a very loud gust of wind suddenly blew outside the hunting lodge.
This extremely loud wind sound shocked Ogata and others.
"This snowstorm seems to be getting stronger..." Ogata murmured.
"Look at the intensity of this wind and snow. We probably won't be able to move in less than half an hour." Lin Ziping scratched his half-black and half-white hair.
"Let's do something to kill the time." As Machi said, he turned his attention to Lin Ziping, "Mr. Lin, let's tell your story next?"
"I have basically finished telling my story just now... there is nothing else left to tell."
"Then how about you tell me about your various experiences while traveling around? I also like to hear this."
"The various experiences I've had while traveling around... let me think about if there is anything worth talking about... interesting things worth talking about, I have already said them these days... Ah, 'Yamada Asemon'
Have I ever told you about the family kidnapping people to make medicine?"
Ating shook his head: "No. 'Abducting people to make medicine'...? What is this?"
"The Yamada Asaemon family..." Ogata frowned slightly, "They are the 'executioner family' in Edo, right?"
"That's right." Lin Ziping nodded, "Since I haven't told you this story before, I'll tell you about it."
Lin Ziping cleared his throat.
"This is a story I heard in a certain izakaya when I was studying in Kanto. I don't know whether it is true or not. I personally feel that it is false, so just listen to it and enjoy it."
"You should all know, right? What does the Yamada Asaemon family who is named the 'Shogunate's Royal Sword Tester' do?"
"Members of their family have been the royal sword testers of the shogunate for generations. They are responsible for giving death sentences to condemned prisoners at the execution ground, and are responsible for testing swords for Yueqing Yunke, headed by the shogun."
"The title of 'Shogunate's Royal Sword Tester' makes the members of the Yamada Asaemon family extremely authoritative in sword appraisal."
"When a wealthy family gets a new sword, they are willing to ask someone from Yamada Asemon to test the sword and appraise the grade of the new sword."
"This is the famous "Knife Testing on Business Trip" of the Yamada Asaemon family. A wealthy family invited members of the Yamada Asaemon family to come and test the sword, and then the Yamada Asaemon family sent people to come and test the sword."
"Some people from far away places, such as some nobles from Kyoto, would often come to Edo to invite people from Yamada Asaemon to try swords. Therefore, when there was still some spare time, people from the Yamada Asaemon family would also send them from time to time.
People travel far away to test swords for people in distant places."
"Their family has been beheading people for generations. It is said that in one year, members of their family can behead 2,300 people. Gradually, they developed a very profitable side business: selling 'human gallbladder pills' made from human gallbladder."
At this time, A-Ting said softly: "I know this medicine is very useful in treating lung diseases, right?"
"That's right. It's that medicine. After the Yamada Asaemon family kills the condemned prisoners at the execution ground, the dead bodies will be left to the Yamada Asaemon family members to dispose of."
"They used the human gallbladder of dead bodies to make the 'Human gallbladder pill' which is very useful in treating lung diseases. This medicine is very popular and the supply has always been in short supply. There is basically no stock of this medicine. As soon as one is made, it will be quickly sold out."
Buy it."
"Then I'm going to get to the point now, don't get distracted."
"It is said that in order to solve the problem of insufficient supply of rendan pills and to make more money, the Yamada Asemon family often engages in human trafficking."
"Specializes in abducting people who no one will pay much attention to even if they disappear. For example: ronin, beggar, and filthy people."
"After kidnapping these people, we use their guts to make new medicines."
As soon as Lin Ziping finished speaking, Ating felt as if his body was getting cold and rubbed his arms: "I don't like this kind of horror story..."
"This is a story I heard from hearsay. I don't know if it's true or not." Lin Ziping smiled, "But according to my judgment, this story should be false. To ordinary people, the Yamada Asaemon family is a spooky place.
family, so all kinds of messy stories are often put on the Yamada Asaemon family."
"The Yamada Asaemon family is not short of money. Even if the supply of rendan pills is always in short supply, they will not engage in human trafficking and use living people to make medicine."
"So I think this story is probably false. You don't need to take it too seriously."
…
…
Edo, the mansion where the Calabash family lives
"Asai-senpai, there shouldn't be anything wrong with me looking like this, right?" Shimada raised his arms flat and showed off his clothes to Makimura in front of him.
"Hmm... Not bad." Makimura nodded, "It's stylish and stylish."
Today is the day Shimada decided to go home.
It would be inappropriate to return home in a slovenly manner, so Shimada specially borrowed money from Lin and bought a set of custom-made new clothes embroidered with their Shimada family crest.
Even the scabbard on his waist was waxed and polished until it looked shiny.
Shimada also fulfilled his promise. After he decided to go home, he asked Makimura, who had long wanted to see the face of the famous Shimada Soichiro, to accompany him.
Because he wanted to accompany Shimada home, Makimura also put on a very stylish outfit.
Makimura has never been in the habit of carrying a sword on his left waist. In order to accompany Shimada home this time, he also bought two new swords and wore them to make himself look more like a samurai.
The two of them checked what they were wearing and made sure there was nothing wrong with them before finally facing Lin and Mamiya who were standing next to them and seeing them off.
"Lord, I will go back as soon as possible." Shimada said seriously.
"It doesn't matter if you don't have to come back so soon." Lin said, "You can come back whenever you want."
"Makimura, please don't cause any trouble." Mamiya said in a half-joking tone, "Just like Mr. Gendai, you are also a troublemaker."
"When it comes to causing trouble, I think you, Mamiya, are no less generous." Makimura responded unceremoniously, "You are always causing trouble from time to time."
"But every time I cause trouble, I solve it quickly and beautifully." Mamiya's response was also extremely sharp.
"Okay. Stop talking nonsense here." Lin interrupted the bickering between Mamiya and Makimura, "Mihachi, Katsurokuro, now that you are ready, let's leave early."
Makimura: "Okay." Shimada: "Yes!"
…
…
Shimada and Makimura walked side by side on the way to the "high-end samurai residential area".
As I headed straight for the "high-end samurai residential area", the surrounding scenery kept changing.
The people passing by the two gradually changed from civilians to well-dressed warriors with swords on their waists.
"Shimada, let me confirm that your father is not a very strict etiquette person, right?" Makimura turned around and asked.
"My father is a typical person who is tolerant to outsiders but strict to his own people." Shimada smiled bitterly. "If you did something unethical, my father might not say much. But if
I did something rude..."
At this point, Shimada didn't say any more and just gave Makimura a "you know" look.
Maybe it's because it's still early in the morning, so there aren't many pedestrians on the road.
Since the end of the "Gozen Trial Alliance", Edo has no longer been flooded with large numbers of ronin as before, so the public security situation has also improved a lot.
The two of them arrived at a magnificent mansion without any hindrance.
Looking at the magnificent mansion in front of him, Makimura smacked his lips a few times: "As expected of the Hatamoto samurai family with a family fortune of 9,000 shi..."
"Okay, come with me quickly. There's nothing interesting about this shabby house. Let's go in quickly." After saying that, Shimada walked towards the door of the mansion.
There are two guards at the gate of the mansion.
When the two guards saw Shimada walking straight towards them, their eyes widened.
"Master?!" the two guards shouted in unison.
"I'm back." Shimada smiled and nodded, "Is father at home?"
"Yes, yes!" One of the guards nodded hurriedly, "Master, please wait a moment! I will report inside!"
After speaking, the guard quickly dodged and rushed into the mansion.
After a while, the guard who had just left led the old man back into Shimada's sight.
"Master!" the old man shouted excitedly.
"Hachibei!" Shimada's tone also became more excited.
The old man, whom Shimada calls Hachibei, came to Shimada in three steps and two steps at a time: "Master! You are finally back!"
"I'm sorry, Hachibei, for making you worry."
"Master, who is this?" Hachibei looked at Makimura next to Shimada.
"This is my friend."
"This is our first meeting." Makimura respectfully saluted Hachibei, "I'm Makimura Yahachi."
"Ah, it turns out he is the young master's friend." Hachibei returned the greeting hurriedly and introduced himself.
"Master, come on, come in quickly. Don't stand here anymore." Hachibei greeted Shimada and Makimura inside.
After following Hachibei into this luxurious mansion, Shimada asked Hachibei in front of him:
"Hachibei, where is father now? Is he busy?"
"No, sir, he is not busy right now. He should be with the Yamada Asaemon family now."
"Yamada Asaemon?" Shimada raised his eyebrows, "Why are people from Yamada Asaemon here?"
"The master got a precious sword in Osaka before: California Sumitoshima Mataju. After returning to Edo a few days ago, he invited people from the Yamada Asaemon family to test the sword, and today, Yamada Asaemon
The Men family finally has some spare manpower that can be sent here to test the sword."
"The knife test should be about to start now."
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There were a lot of chores to deal with yesterday and today, so today's update is a little late.
Once again, I miss my college days when I had plenty of time every day...