Japan's Sengoku Period: The Sanada Clan's Ambition

Chapter 106 Asai Chacha!

Tea.

Her father was Asai Nagamasa, known as the "Eagle of Omi," her mother was Oichi, the most beautiful woman of the Sengoku period, and her uncle was Oda Nobunaga, the Sixth Demon King.

If nothing unexpected happens, this status should be enough for Chacha to live a carefree princess life in this chaotic Warring States period.

However, a sudden change caused her to lose everything overnight.

Her father and uncle had a major conflict due to their differing political stances, and her father subsequently died.

Her brother, Manpuku-maru, who was only nine years old, was executed.

Overnight, she lost too many loved ones.

After the Asai family was destroyed, Oichi returned to the Oda family with her three daughters, Asai Chacha, Asai Hajime, and Asai Go.

At this time, although the Asai family had been destroyed, with Oda Nobunaga still around, Oichi and her daughter were still able to live a decent life.

However, their good fortune was short-lived, as the Honnoji Incident left Oichi and her mother without their support.

Although Oda Nobuo and Oda Nobutaka never mistreated the mother and daughter, Oichi was soon arranged to marry Shibata Katsuie.

Following this, the Battle of Shizugatake and the Battle of Kitanosho took place, during which Shibata Katsuie and Oichi committed suicide.

Cha Cha completely lost all her support from then on.
"I didn't expect that after so long, Miss Chacha would still remember me."

Inside the warehouse, Sanada Nobuyuki sheathed his sword and withdrew his gaze from Chacha.

Don't scare the girl on your first meeting.

"Of course I remember!" Cha Cha's smile remained unchanged. "Because you look a lot like my father."

"In my memory, my father was also a tall and mighty warrior like you."

"Unfortunately, I've almost forgotten what my father looks like." After saying this, Cha Cha lowered her head in disappointment.

Nobuyuki Sanada was at a loss for words.

The two stood facing each other without saying a word.

Silence fell over the room.

After an unknown amount of time, Chacha slowly raised her head and looked at Sanada Nobuyuki with a pleading gaze, "Could you please not tell anyone about what happened today?"

"This fan?" Nobuyuki Sanada pointed to Chacha's waist.

"Yes, this is the only memento my father left behind."

Seeing that Chacha still looked pitiful, Sanada Nobuyuki couldn't help but say, "I am not a retainer of the Hashiba family, so you don't need to worry about this, Miss."

"So you're not going to tell that monkey, Lord Hashiba, about this?"

“Please pretend I was never here, Miss. Make yourself at home.” With that, Sanada Nobuyuki gestured behind him and made way for him.

Chacha glanced nervously at Nobuyuki Sanada, as if to confirm that he wasn't lying.

After gazing at her for a long time, Cha Cha finally mustered up her courage, gripped her folding fan tightly with both hands, and walked outside.

Upon reaching the door, Cha Cha seemed to remember something, turned around, and asked, "What is your name, sir?"

"My name is Nobuyuki Sanada Hyogo."

"Shinano Sanada retainer." Sanada Nobuyuki added.

Chacha silently repeated Sanada Nobuyuki's name in her mind, as if trying to memorize it.

“I live right across the street. My aunt’s daughter, Ryuko, is Lord Hashiba’s concubine. Lord Sanada, you can come and see me if you have time.” After saying that, Chacha gave Sanada Nobuyuki a sweet smile, then turned and disappeared through the door.

Nobuyuki Sanada stood still, unable to calm down for a long time.

A young girl wouldn't normally cause such a stir in Sanada Nobuyuki's heart, mainly because this Chacha would later become Hashiba Hideyoshi's most beloved concubine.

Most importantly, after Hideyoshi Hashiba's death, this woman was capable of influencing the political situation of the country to a certain extent.

Calling him the final boss in the later stages is no exaggeration.

With mixed feelings, Nobuyuki Sanada continued moving the boxes, and soon he had brought in all the wooden boxes from the corner.

At that moment, the samurai they had encountered earlier also entered.

"You've had a long journey. May I ask who you are?"

"Oh, I am Nobuyuki Sanada, the head of Hyogo. Lady Nene asked me to come here to help," Nobuyuki Sanada said, wiping his sweat.

Upon hearing this, the person on the other end immediately showed signs of panic.

"That's so rude."

"My name is Katagiri Katsumoto. I didn't expect you to be Lord Sanada Hyogo. I'm so sorry for making you do this kind of work." Katagiri Katsumoto was a little flustered.

Sanada Nobuyuki was a distinguished guest personally received by Hashiba Hideyoshi, and the news that Hashiba Hideyoshi had gone to great lengths to find someone to help Sanada Nobuyuki get a position last night had already spread throughout Kyoto.

The thought that he had made Sanada Nobuyuki do such rough work for so long made Katagiri Katsumoto want to slap himself.

"It's alright. So it's Lord Katagiri, whose fame spread far and wide during the Battle of Shizugatake. I've heard so much about you."

"We are complete strangers, and it is fate that we meet today."

"I really don't deserve such a mere empty title," Katagiri Katsumoto said, but he was secretly overjoyed, and his previously hunched back straightened up.

Nobuyuki Sanada pointed to the box behind him and asked curiously, "I wonder if any of the Sanada family's gifts are inside?"

When Nobuyuki Sanada departed from Shinano for Suruga, Masayuki Sanada sent another group of people with gifts to Kyoto ahead of him.

After all, when it comes to giving gifts, it's always better to do it sooner rather than later; giving them early is never a bad idea.

"Oh, the Sanada family's gifts are placed elsewhere; these are all gifts sent by daimyo from various regions."

“There are bells from the Mutsu Date family, the Hitachi Satake family, and the Echigo Uesugi family. There’s also a Nanban bell from Lord Tokugawa Mikawa-no-kami in the next house.”

"You know what, that Southern Barbarian Bell is really beautiful, and it even rings!" Katagiri Katsumoto exclaimed, gesturing excitedly.

Nobuyuki Sanada's lips twitched. This guy really knows how to offend people with his words.

By saying that, aren't you basically blatantly telling Sanada Nobuyuki that the gifts from the Sanada family are not presentable, so you just put them somewhere random?

However, Sanada Nobuyuki didn't mind, and instead warmly put his arm around Katagiri Katsumoto's shoulder, "Katagiri-sama must have had a busy day too, do you have some free time tonight?"

"Lord Fukushima took me to a place yesterday, which was quite nice. How about I invite Lord Katagiri for drinks tonight?"

Katagiri Katsumoto's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

Smacking his lips, Katagiri Katsumoto asked impatiently, "Is it that pleasure quarter next to Jugenji Temple in Kyoto?"

"Lord Katagiri has been there?"

"No, not at all." Katagiri Katsumoto waved his hand sheepishly. "My salary is meager, and I can't afford to go to such places."

“Unlike Fukushima and the others, who have money from their lord and go out to play often.” Katagiri Katsumoto said, a look of envy on his face.

Big brother!!!
There's a real reason why you, a mere Shizugatake Seven Spears, ended up like that in the later part of history. How could you say that to my face, as a retainer of the Sanada clan?
Are you mocking Fukushima Masanori or blaming your lord Hashiba Hideyoshi for being biased?
If these words get to these people's ears, will you still be able to keep your place in the Hashiba family?

However, there is one advantage to dealing with such honest people: they have little guard up and it is easy to get information out of them.

After agreeing on a time with Katagiri Katsumoto, Sanada Nobuyuki followed Koide Yoshimasa, who had come to pick him up, back to his residence.

Ishida Mitsunari has returned. "Lord Ishida, this is Lord Sanada Hyogo."

"I am Nobuyuki Sanada, the commander of Hyogo." Nobuyuki Sanada bowed slightly, then looked up and met the gaze of Mitsunari Ishida.

At this time, Ishida Mitsunari was a young samurai in his early twenties who had just distinguished himself in the Battle of Shizugatake. He did not hold a high position in the household and mainly served as a close aide to Hashiba Hideyoshi.

"Lord Sanada, I have been waiting for you for an hour." Ishida Mitsunari's fair face revealed no emotion, but his words were full of reproach.

Nobuyuki Sanada explained that he went to help at Nene's request.

After listening to Nobuyuki Sanada's explanation, Mitsunari Ishida frowned. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"There are the rewards that the lord has given to Lord Sanada in that box over there. Here is the list. Lord Sanada, please take a look." Ishida Mitsunari handed a booklet to Sanada Nobuyuki with a blank expression.

Nobuyuki Sanada opened it out of curiosity and was immediately captivated by its contents.

50 gold coins, one Bizen sword, two black-laced armor pieces, one complete set of contemporary ceremonial robes, 20 bolts of silk, and 200 bolts of white cloth.
Gulu.

Nobuyuki Sanada couldn't help but swallow.

At this time, Hideyoshi Hashiba had not yet ordered Shirobei Goto to begin minting Tensho Daipan gold, so it is understandable that Sanada Nobuyuki was rewarded with gold coins rather than gold coins.

Furthermore, gold coins were also popular throughout Shinano, mainly the Koshu gold coins established during the reign of Takeda Shingen.

Fifty gold coins would be worth approximately 280 strings of Yongle coins in the Kanto region.

A famous sword from Bizen likely refers to the Osafune sword from Bizen, the most common of which costs 20 kan. Of course, a renowned sword like the Osafune Kanemitsu would also be acceptable.
The black-themed armor with two pieces is a complete set available in this world. Nobuyuki Sanada saw it as soon as he turned his head; it was hanging on a shelf to the side.

To be honest, the Sanada family couldn't afford even one piece of this material and materials in the modern world.

Most importantly, it incorporated features of European plate armor, which offered some degree of bulletproof protection. If Yamagata Masakage had worn this back then, the famous scene of "That Man's Preparedness" probably wouldn't have happened.

As for the long list that followed, Nobuyuki Sanada didn't care anymore; they were all valuable items anyway.

Based on a simple estimate of the items on the list, Nobuyuki Sanada estimated that it would cost at least a thousand kan.

Comrade Hideyoshi continues his daily habit of showering people with money; he still loves to do just that.

At this point, Sanada Nobuyuki couldn't help but want to ask Hashiba Hideyoshi, "Why don't you solve the problem of my legal wife as well?"

Ishida Mitsunari, standing to the side, couldn't help but shake his head as he watched Sanada Nobuyuki swallow hard. He had thought he was an outstanding young samurai, but he hadn't expected him to be so mercenary.

"These things were specially bestowed upon Lord Sanada by our lord. I hope that Lord Sanada will not disappoint our lord's high expectations of you." Ishida Mitsunari did not forget to remind Sanada Nobuyuki in the end.

Sanada Nobuyuki had calmed down by then, and said solemnly, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Hashiba. I, Sanada Nobuyuki, will serve you to the death!"

I'll go through fire and water, Lord Hideyoshi!
Seeing that Sanada Nobuyuki's attitude was satisfactory, Ishida Mitsunari nodded, and the matter was considered closed.

Then, Mitsunari Ishida got down to business.

"I have heard that the Sanada family has a close relationship with the Uesugi family of Echigo. I was previously in charge of building good relations with the Uesugi family, and I hope that Lord Sanada can assist me in this matter."

Sanada Nobuyuki answered without hesitation, "This is my duty, and I cannot shirk it!"

"What exactly do I need to do?"

Ishida Mitsunari got up from the ground and went to the shelf next to him to rummage through it.

Soon, Ishida Mitsunari pulled out a letter from a pile of letters and came over.

"This is a letter that is to be sent to the Uesugi family to express our gratitude for their help when our family fought against Shibata Shuu."

Sanada Nobuyuki knew about this; during the Battle of Shizugatake, Uesugi Kagekatsu dispatched Suda Mitsuchika to attack Sasa Narimasa in Echigoku.

At that time, the Sanada family took this opportunity to pretend to send troops to Echigo, which led to Muroga Masatake, Yashiro Katsunaga and others launching an uprising.

"In addition, the letter also requested that the Uesugi family immediately cease its offensive against Echigo-chū. Lord Sasa has already made peace with the main family, so the Uesugi family's offensive can be stopped," Ishida Mitsunari continued.

Nobuyuki Sanada nodded quickly to indicate that he understood.

This shows that Ishida Mitsunari was completely unaware of the Uesugi clan's inner workings. The Uesugi clan was busy attacking Niihata Shigeie and had no chance of launching any offensive against Echigo.

"So, Lord Ishida wishes for me to convey his message?"

“Yes!” Ishida Mitsunari nodded. “My lord’s meaning is very clear: I will take the lead, with the Sanada family as my assistant, and together we will launch a campaign to subdue the Uesugi family.”

"The mission is clear: to facilitate reconciliation between the Uesugi family and the main family as quickly as possible, and for Lord Uesugi to travel to Kyoto to meet with the lord as soon as possible."

Ishida Mitsunari's request was a trivial matter for Sanada Nobuyuki, as he had already assured Hashiba Hideyoshi that the Sanada family would find a way to persuade the Uesugi family to submit to Hashiba Hideyoshi.

Since their tasks were similar, Nobuyuki Sanada was naturally happy to help.

"I understand Lord Ishida's request. Please leave this matter to me."

"Hmm." Ishida Mitsunari nodded calmly.

Sanada Nobuyuki was waiting for the other party to express their gratitude, but Ishida Mitsunari simply nodded and that was it.

You're putting on quite an air, aren't you? You're not yet a "Five-fold Admonition," my young weaver.

"I am preparing to host a banquet for Lord Katagiri tonight. I wonder if Lord Ishida would be interested?"

"No time."

Ishida Mitsunari stood up and left without looking back, leaving Sanada Nobuyuki standing there dumbfounded.

Fine, you've got guts!
If you're in a bad mood, don't come begging me during the Battle of Sekigahara!

Sanada Nobuyuki clenched his fists in frustration, but when he turned his head and saw the contemporary savior and the several large boxes full of gifts, he let go of his fists.

He tiptoed forward and opened one of the boxes, and Sanada Nobuyuki was instantly captivated by the glittering gold coins inside.

He originally thought the gold coins in the box were like Koshu gold coins, each weighing one tael, but Sanada Nobuyuki realized he was wrong.

And it's so wrong.

These aren't gold coins, they're gold ingots!
I picked one up at random, weighed it in my hand, and sure enough, it cost ten taels each.

Oh no, Lord Hashiba's kindness has increased even further!

At that moment, Sanada Nobuyuki had made up his mind that after Hashiba Hideyoshi died, he would do his best to take care of his orphaned mother and children.

In an instant, Nobuyuki Sanada had completely forgotten the unpleasantness caused by Mitsunari Ishida.

After basking in the glow of the gold ingot for a while, Sanada Nobuyuki called Koide Yoshimasa to help him carry the things back to the courtyard, and then went out to keep his appointment.

His appointment with Katagiri Katsumoto is approaching.

　Regarding gold coins: In the early Muromachi period of Japan, gold coins were divided into large coins and small coins, with a regular exchange rate of 1:10.

　　The so-called "golden plate" is a flattened "golden sheet", long and strip-shaped, somewhat like a shoe insole.

　　During Japan's Sengoku period, the cessation of trade with Ming China led to a shortage of copper coins in Japan, and gold and silver gradually became the main circulating currencies.

　　Gold mainly circulated in the Kanto region, especially after Tokugawa Ieyasu transferred his fiefdom to Kanto.

　　Silver was mainly used in the western and Kyushu regions.

　　Around the nineteenth year of Tensho (1551), in order to standardize the value of gold, Hideyoshi Hashiba ordered the casting of a batch of gold coins of uniform size, known as Tensho Daihan.

　　One Tianzheng Dapan coin is worth approximately 50 guan of Yongle Tongbao coins.

　　During the Edo period, the Tokugawa family further refined the regulations for gold coins, and the famous Keio-cho gold coins began to appear on the historical stage.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)