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

Chapter 111 My second brother is invincible!
Seeing Sanada Nobushige rushing towards him, Sanada Nobuyuki quickly dodged to the side.

That kid has no sense of proportion; if he bumps into you, you'll be in pain for ages.

"Genjiro, what are you doing here?" Sanada Nobuyuki reached out and punched Sanada Nobushige in the chest.

Sanada Nobushige lowered his head and grinned, "Hehe, Father sent me."

“Isn’t Ueda Taira building a castle? I’ve come to conscript laborers.”

"I see." Seeing this, Sanada Nobuyuki quickly waved behind him, and then the group entered Minamimaki Village.

That evening, the Otsuna from Minamimaki Village presented Sanada Nobuyuki with their treasured rice wine, and the villagers also provided food for Sanada Nobuyuki and his companions.

Holding the sake in his hand, Nobuyuki Sanada was somewhat puzzled.

The people in this village are quite hospitable.

"Brother, why aren't you drinking?"

“This wine is good. I’ve been drinking it for several days now. It’s quite delicious.” Sanada Nobushige looked at the motionless Sanada Nobuyuki, snatched the bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.

Sanada Nobuyuki then turned to look at Sanada Nobushige, who was enjoying himself, and asked, "Genjiro, you haven't been here for several days already, have you?"

“Yes!” Sanada Nobushige said as he poured wine. “It should have been five or six days.”

"How many villages have you visited?"

"This is the first one!"

"So what is your mission here?"

"Mobilize for labor service".

"Where are your people?"

"A person?" Sanada Nobushige looked around and suddenly realized the problem.

Yes, I came here to mobilize laborers, but I've been here for several days and where are my men?
Teruhisa Yamagami, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer and moved forward to sit next to Nobushige Sanada. "Lord Genjiro, when you came, did the Otsuna here tell you to stay here for now?"

"Correct."

"And the next day they sent over fine wine and food?"

"Yep."

"After delivering the goods for a few days, they said that the village was in trouble and hoped that Lord Genjiro could stay a few more days?"

“Yes, yes, yes!” Sanada Nobushige affirmed that Yamagami Teruhisa was entirely correct. “How do you know all this?”

Snapped!
Sanada Nobuyuki couldn't help but reach out and tap Sanada Nobushige on the forehead, "Right, right, right, what are you talking about!"

"Can't you tell that the people here are deliberately giving me the runaround?"

"Perfunctory? That shouldn't be the case. The members said they're mobilizing quickly, and everyone should be here in a couple of days." Sanada Nobushige rubbed his forehead, wincing in pain.

"And everyone here is a really nice person."

Nobuyuki Sanada was speechless.

Genjiro is so naive; he was sent here without knowing anything.

Of course, since Sanada Masayuki sent Sanada Nobushige but didn't give him any help, he must have intended to train Sanada Nobushige.

Moreover, the local lords from all over Shinano have already taken people to the upper platform, so there is no shortage of labor service in these few villages.

"what's next?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Continue to wait like this?" Nobuyuki Sanada immediately posed a series of thought-provoking questions.

Sanada Nobushige now realized he had done wrong, and could only look pleadingly at Sanada Nobuyuki, "Please help me, brother."

There was no need for Nobuyuki Sanada to handle this personally; Teruhisa Yamagami simply called Nobushige Sanada out.

It seems necessary to teach our lord's younger brother a lesson. Yamagami Teruhisa thought to himself.

After the two left, Ke'er, who hadn't spoken until now, finally asked, "My lord's younger brother is really adorable."

“Genjiro is very smart and learns things quickly, but he had never had direct contact with these farmers before.”

"I don't understand what these farmers are thinking," Nobuyuki Sanada sighed helplessly.

At this moment, Kotaro Suzuki, who was sitting behind Nobuyuki Sanada, spoke up, "Lord Genjiro may not be good at handling political affairs, but he is extremely skilled in military strategy."

"In my opinion, Lord Genjiro is undoubtedly the greatest samurai of Shinano," Suzuki Kotaro said with certainty.

"Oh? The number one in Shinano?" Ke'er raised an eyebrow, deliberately putting on a fierce look as she looked at Suzuki Kotaro. "Is the number one in Shinano really that strong?"

"Of course!" Suzuki Kotaro puffed out his chest without fear, then stuck out his tongue. "I'm definitely better than you."

"Hey!" Ke'er couldn't hold back any longer. This was the first time in his life that someone had said such a thing to him, even if it was Shibata Katsuie, the fiercest warrior of the Oda clan. Well, he really couldn't beat him.

"When Lord Genjiro returns later, I'll see if he's really as powerful as you say."

"Hey kid, watch out! If I win, I'll beat you up too!" Ke'er Cai Zang deliberately waved his fist in front of Suzuki Kotaro.

Nobuyuki Sanada almost burst out laughing, hoping that Saizo Kana would still be so assertive when she spoke later.

He was happy to see Ke'er suffer a setback, otherwise she would be really hard to discipline in the future.

Meanwhile, at one of the Otome houses in Minamimaki Village, Sanada Nobushige and Yamagami Teruhisa entered the house.

As soon as he sat down, before Otomi could speak, Yamagami Teruhisa pointed at Sanada Nobushige and said directly, "This gentleman is not only the magistrate of this place, but also the son of Sanada Awa no Kami, Lord Sanada Genjiro."

"what?"

Amidst Otomi's shocked expression, Teruhisa Yamagami continued, "The village laborers must assemble immediately before nightfall tomorrow."

“Since you acknowledge that this land belongs to the Sanada family, then you must fulfill your obligations to the Sanada family.”

"Otherwise, if enemy troops attack in a couple of days, my Sanada family will not send troops to help."

"Understood, understood." The second names were all held by older men, who were naturally knowledgeable and understood the meaning behind Yamashiro Teruhisa's words perfectly.

"Tomorrow afternoon, all thirty-six laborers will be there, not one missing," Yiming promised, wiping his sweat.

Teruhisa Yamagami nodded, then got up and left.

Sanada Nobushige seemed to wake from a dream, "It's that simple?"

"if not?"

"But why didn't they say that when they came down?"

"That's because you didn't scare them!" Teruhisa Yamagami patiently explained. "These people saw that Lord Genjiro was young and easy to talk to, so they naturally dragged things out as long as possible."

“It’s the busy farming season now, and it’s normal for farmers to be unwilling to participate in labor because they are busy planting rice,” Sanada Nobushige chimed in.

Teruhisa Yamagami nodded and continued, "Lord Genjiro came alone, so these Otsuna are naturally not afraid."

"But if Lord Genjiro reveals his identity immediately, these people will be afraid of offending him and will not dare to be perfunctory."

“I see.” Sanada Nobushige suddenly realized. “In other words, even if I don’t reveal my identity, if I bring a team with me, I can get them to cooperate fully.”

Teruhisa Yamagami nodded with satisfaction. "Lord Genjiro has brought people. If these people still don't cooperate, a group of us will scare them away with just the food."

"These people dared to act this way because they saw that Lord Genjiro was new to the city and had not yet revealed his identity."

"Of course, if Lord Genjiro is in charge of this region for a long time and becomes familiar with the Otsuna, it will naturally be easier to get things done."

"Thank you very much, Lord Yamagami. I have learned a great deal." Sanada Nobushige looked at Yamagami Teruhisa with a sincere expression.

Teruhisa Yamagami quickly replied that it was the right thing to do.

Soon, the two returned to the house.

Sanada Nobushige originally wanted to report the latest developments to Sanada Nobuyuki, but as soon as he entered the door, he saw a burly man blocking the entrance.

"I've heard that Lord Genjiro is a master of military strategy. I wonder if I, Kana Saizo, could learn a thing or two from him?" Sanada Nobushige looked at Kana Saizo with a puzzled expression, then turned his gaze to Sanada Nobuyuki inside the house.

Teruhisa Yamagami had already wisely retreated, then stood with his arms crossed, looking at Keiji Saizo with a respectful expression, though his eyes held a hint of pity.

After seeing Sanada Nobuyuki nod slightly, Sanada Nobushige also felt a little itchy and said with rubbing his hands together, "Since Lady Kaoru is so interested, I am willing to accompany you."

"please!"

The two quickly arrived in the courtyard and stood facing each other.

Ke'er Caizang raised his spear and said proudly, "I am a disciple of Zen Master Yin'e of Hōzō-in Temple in Yamato Kōfuku-ji. Lord Genjirō, you'd better watch out."

Sanada Nobushige also drew his sword from his waist and assumed a stance, saying, "I've been practicing on my own, so please enlighten me."

"Take this!" Without hesitation, Ke'er Cai Cang immediately raised her gun and slammed it towards Sanada Nobushige.

Instead of retreating, Sanada Nobushige advanced and went straight to meet him.

Sanada Nobushige moved swiftly, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. He then deflected Kana Saizo's spear with a slash, and with a flick of his wrist, he turned and held his katana upside down, the tip of the blade already positioned in front of Kana Saizo's eyes.

Instant kill!

Ke'er was stunned.

What the hell are these? Are they really that powerful?

I must have underestimated them, I must have.

Just as Ke'er was having an existential crisis, Nobuyuki Sanada walked out of the house with a smile on his face.

"Saizo, do not be discouraged. My brother Genjiro's military strategy is unparalleled!"

"Losing to him is not shameful."

Sanada Nobushige, standing to the side, scratched his head sheepishly and let out a silly laugh.

Ke'er looked down at the spear lying on the ground, then said defiantly, "I underestimated you just now. May I try again?"

Seeing that Ke'er was skeptical, Sanada Nobuyuki turned around and gestured for them to continue.

Sanada Nobushige quickly took two steps back and stood up straight again.

Ke'er picked up the spear with a solemn expression, then rushed forward with a shout.

With his back to the person who had come, Sanada Nobuyuki silently began a countdown in his mind.

10, 9, 8, 7
When the count reached two, the sound of weapons clashing behind them stopped.

Turning her head, Ke'er slumped down, listlessly putting down the spear in her hand.

"I have lost."

Sanada Nobushige quickly removed the katana that Kana had hidden on her shoulder, took a step back, and said with admiration, "Kana-sama's martial prowess is also extraordinary. In all this time, there haven't been many samurai who could withstand eight of my strikes."

"If I were to get serious, even Lord Yamagami wouldn't be able to withstand three of my strikes."

Teruhisa Yamagami, who was eating melon seeds nearby, suddenly changed his expression. Why is this my business?

After hearing what Sanada Nobushige said, Keiko let out a long sigh.

"If only I had studied under Zen Master Yinrong for two more years back then, sigh."

Sanada Nobuyuki then walked over and patted Keiji Saizo on the shoulder, "Saizo, don't be discouraged. Didn't I just say that Genjiro is an invincible warrior?"

"If you lose to the number one in the world, you can also be called the number two in the world."

Ke'er nodded helplessly, then walked into the house with a dejected look on her face.

Oh no, could it be that Ke'er Cai Zang really discouraged him to the point of losing confidence? This is a powerful general I just recruited.

Sanada Nobushige stepped forward, beaming with pride, and asked, "How was it, brother? Did I do a good job?"

"Yes, Not Bad."

"This sword is for you." Sanada Nobuyuki drew his sword from his waist and handed it to Sanada Nobushige. "This sword was a gift from Lord Hashiba. It was forged by a famous craftsman in Bizen. Genjiro, you must cherish it."

Upon hearing Sanada Nobuyuki's words, Sanada Nobushige quickly drew his sword.

A cold, sharp edge flashed by, and the blade was placed horizontally, the inscription "Bizen Osafune Kenko, March 18th, Tensho 10" clearly visible.

"What a fine sword!" Sanada Nobushige stroked the blade with obvious delight, as if admiring a peerless beauty.

Sanada Nobushige stayed where he was, admiring the Nagafune Kanemitsu, while Sanada Nobuyuki turned and went back into the house.

I was originally going to continue to comfort Ke'er Caizang, but I didn't expect that Ke'er Caizang had already fallen asleep while hugging the spear.
Early the next morning.

Kair Saizo acted as if nothing had happened and started pestering Sanada Nobushige to have a match. After losing three matches in a row, Kair Saizo was completely convinced.

For the rest of the time, Ke'er Caizo followed Sanada Nobushige around like a follower.

Sanada Nobuyuki was speechless. Whose retainer are you anyway?

"My lord, we may set off now." Yamagami Teruhisa had already filled his water bottle with water and walked over.

"Let Saizo stay with Genjiro. Let's keep going." With that, Sanada Nobuyuki mounted his horse and left the village.

On the way back to the small county, farmers were planting rice seedlings in the fields. Every now and then, you could see samurai, led by Otsuna, pointing out things in the fields and explaining something.

Clearly, Sanada Masayuki also sent people to assess the output of these newly occupied territories.

Soon, after entering Ina County, the number of pedestrians on the road began to increase.

One of the caravans caught the attention of Nobuyuki Sanada.

"Where are you going?"

The caravan leader initially didn't intend to pay any attention, but when he saw Sanada Nobuyuki's attire and the dozen or so mounted men following behind him, his attitude softened immediately.

"Reporting to you, sir, we are going to Nakano Castle."

Upon hearing that it was to his own castle, Sanada Nobuyuki immediately became interested.

What are we going to Nakano Castle for?

"You don't know, sir?" The merchant looked at Sanada Nobuyuki with surprise.

“The town below Nakano Castle is bustling now, with long queues of caravans from Echigo every day.”

“In the past, we had to personally deliver the goods to Kasugayama Castle, but now we only need to hand them over at Nakano Castle, which directly reduces the journey by three days,” the merchant explained quickly.

Nobuyuki Sanada nodded immediately. It seemed that trade had already begun in the castle town of Nakano Castle.

In other words, the Uesugi family is eager to make money.

"Where do you come from?"

"Mikawa!"

"The Shinano and Tokugawa clans recently made peace, so we set off immediately after the roads were reopened."

What's on the truck?

"This..." The merchant hesitated, but still lifted the tarpaulin on the cart.

Oops.

The entire truck was full of grain.

It seems that war is about to break out in Echigo, Sanada Nobuyuki had already guessed.

　How Somura collects taxes: Somura operates on a "tax-collecting" model. The daimyo (feudal lord) sets a fixed amount of tax to be paid, and Somura is responsible for meeting this target.

　　For lords, this method avoids the risks of poor harvests and reduces collection costs compared to directly collecting annual tribute, thus having a significant advantage.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)