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

Chapter 116 Forming a Standing Army: The First Move of Koshu!
Nobuyuki Sanada's return to his domain was met with the greatest joy by Masaji Hatsushino.

He was originally helping out in the castle town, but as soon as he heard that Nobuyuki Sanada had returned, Masaji Hatsushino immediately came to his door.

"My lord!" Hatsushino Masaji looked at Sanada Nobuyuki with excitement.

Sanada Nobuyuki gestured to a seat nearby, indicating for the other person to sit down, before asking, "How many people did you bring from Kai this time?"

"Reporting to my lord, there are 16 members of the Hatsukano clan, plus other prisoners, making a total of more than 80 people." Prisoners used to refer to "criminals" who were punished or expelled by the lord, but now they mean ronin.

“They are all samurai who previously served the Takeda clan. After hearing about the Sanada clan’s generous terms, they are all willing to work for the Sanada clan,” Hatsushika Masaji said with considerable pride.

Nobuyuki Sanada glanced at Masaji Hatsushino in surprise. This guy's got some nerve, actually managed to get so many people for me.

"What about their families?"

"Everything has been arranged. The houses are currently under construction in the castle town, and some people have already moved in."

"I wonder how our lord will deal with us?" Hatsushino Masaji couldn't help but ask the question he was most concerned about.

Although Sanada Nobuyuki had made a promise when they met in Kai, how could they feel at ease unless they actually received a written statement from Sanada Nobuyuki?
In particular, some of the Kai samurai who came to Shinano with Hatsushikano Shoji have been getting impatient these past few days.

Although they had no worries about food and clothing in Nakano Castle, Sanada Nobuyuki had not shown up, so these people were unsure of what to do.

"Go and gather everyone together; I want to give them a personal address."

"what!"

Hatsushika Masaji quickly left the Nakano residence, and Sanada Nobuyuki, having changed his clothes, followed him out.

After several months of renovation, Nakano Castle is now taking shape.

The castle town has been connected with the Ninomaru area. The area on the left, near the road, is full of freight stations and warehouses, while the area on the right, near the castle walls, is the residential area of ​​the castle town.

Stone and timber were piled up like mountains, and laborers were everywhere, driving piles and laying tiles. These able-bodied men, sent back from the Uesugi family, were working very hard so they could go home as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, on an open space in the castle town, Hatsushika Shoji had already assembled the people he brought from Kai.

Under the sunlight, rows of samurai holding katanas and spears stood in three neat rows, looking quite imposing.

"Right Guard Commander, don't try to fool us. If the Sanada family refuses to provide a stipend, don't blame us for being heartless."

"Yes, if things don't turn out the way you said, my fists won't stand for it!"

"Alright everyone, the Sanada family is capable of defeating Lord Tokugawa. Do you think they would be short of your stipends?" Hatsushino Masaji quickly spoke up to appease them. "Stop arguing and stand properly. What would it look like if Lord Sanada saw this?"

Upon hearing Hatsushika Shoji's words, the people present gradually quieted down.

Soon, Sanada Nobuyuki walked over slowly, surrounded by Yamagami Teruhisa and others. The samurai present all looked at Sanada Nobuyuki with burning eyes.

At this moment, Hatsushikano Masaji quickly stepped forward and walked briskly to Sanada Nobuyuki. "My lord, the personnel have been assembled. Please inspect them!"

"very good!"

Sanada Nobuyuki took two steps forward and stood in front of the samurai. After scanning them around, he slowly spoke, “Gentlemen, you were all once samurai of the Takeda clan, elite warriors who followed Lord Shingen throughout his life of battle.”

"Although the Takeda family is no more, my Sanada family is willing to give you all a chance to continue to demonstrate your martial prowess."

"I'm sure you've already heard some of these things from the Right Guard Commander, so I won't repeat them here."

"Those who are willing to stay will each receive a stipend of 20 koku. The family will provide all equipment, weapons, and even arquebuses. All you need to do is fight hard on the battlefield and fight for the Sanada family!"

Sanada Nobuyuki's current knowledge and abilities are limited, unlike the wealthy and powerful Tokugawa Ieyasu. His stipend of 20 koku is already the limit for a basic combat unit.

“Those who fight bravely and achieve meritorious service will be rewarded by our clan with the title of Zhixingdi.”

"Do you understand everything?"

After Nobuyuki Sanada finished speaking, everyone present was eager to try it out.

The salary of 20 koku was not high, but it was paid directly to the recipient, and the weapons and equipment were provided by the Sanada family.

This means that after joining the Sanada family, they directly became full-time samurai, without having to engage in agricultural production or bear corresponding military service; they only needed to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy.

Furthermore, Nobuyuki Sanada also provided a path to advancement, allowing one to acquire the Zhixing Land by defeating enemies and achieving merit.

For these prisoners who had lost their land and their master's house, the attraction was considerable.

"Now, you have one incense stick's time to consider. Those who wish to stay, stand on the left. Those who wish to leave, you may leave now."

"The family will provide five days' worth of rations and some travel expenses, so returning to Kai smoothly will not be a problem."

As he spoke, Teruhisa Yamagami, who was behind Nobuyuki Sanada, lit an incense stick and stuck it in the open space.

However, no one hesitated at all; almost immediately they all stood to Sanada Nobuyuki's left, making their stance clear.

Nobuyuki Sanada nodded in satisfaction, then continued, "I know that many of you are from Kai, and my Sanada family has never forgotten our identity as vassals of the Takeda clan."

"One day, the Sanada family will lead you back to Kai and reclaim the land that belongs to you!"

Upon hearing this, Hatsushika Nobuji excitedly raised his fist and shouted to everyone present, "Follow our lord and march back to Kai!"

"Follow our lord and march back to Kai!" The crowd below was instantly excited, and everyone shouted at the top of their lungs.

Nobuyuki Sanada gave Hatsushikano Shoji an approving look. He didn't know what abilities this guy had yet, but he was a sensible person who could understand his superiors' intentions.

Nobuyuki Sanada likes people like that; having someone like that around makes things much easier.

“From now on, you will be my direct subordinates and temporarily organized into the Vanguard Corps. The Right Guard Commander will be the head of the Vanguard Corps.”

"The so-called 'first movers' are those who always strive to be the first in every battle! I hope you will not disgrace the reputation of the samurai of Kaiju!"

"Whoa!" dozens of warriors responded in unison.

Sanada Nobuyuki called Hatsushikano Masaji to his side and continued to instruct him, "After the personnel are registered, send them to Yojuro. As for your salary, it will be set at 200 koku for now."

"Ha!" Hatsushika Shoji breathed a sigh of relief; the annual stipend of 200 koku was enough for his family to live on.

"I have only one requirement for the first group: absolute obedience to my orders."

“If you, the Right Guard Commander, are not capable of this, inform me as soon as possible, and I will reassign you to a different position,” Sanada Nobuyuki warned.

Hatsushika Masaji immediately patted his chest and assured him, "My lord, rest assured, I, Hatsushika Den'emon-no-ju, will certainly live up to your expectations!" "That's good."

"You need to familiarize yourselves with our military law as soon as possible. In addition, each of you will be assigned 10 comrades-in-arms, and you will be responsible for all the daily training."

Each samurai was assigned 10 squad leaders, meaning that in wartime each samurai was responsible for managing 10 foot soldiers (ashigaru), a military organization commonly used by the Sanada clan. Deploying a large number of lower-ranking samurai to the front lines ensured the unit's combat effectiveness.

"what!"

Although these samurai swore allegiance to Sanada Nobuyuki, their loyalty was certainly not high; it was merely because Sanada Nobuyuki had given them a bowl of rice.

Now that the promises have been made, Nobuyuki Sanada needs to address some practical issues for these people—their accommodations.

Many of these Kai samurai came with their families. They were like rootless duckweed in Shinano, and having a house to shelter them from the wind and rain would help them develop a sense of belonging to the Sanada family more quickly.

"Daoji, what do you think of these people?"

On the way back to Nakano-kan, Sanada Nobuyuki asked about Yamagami Teruhisa, who was standing next to him.

Teruhisa Yamagami answered without hesitation, “They are all skilled warriors, and you can see the desire for merit in their eyes. Given time, they will surely become the strongest fighting force under our lord.”

A well-equipped, well-trained, and highly loyal direct subordinate force is key to determining the outcome of a local battle, which is exactly what Nobuyuki Sanada lacked most before.

As for the upper-ranking samurai, Sanada Nobuyuki now has several capable retainers, and the arrival of Hatsushikano Masaji and others has filled the vacancies among the lower-ranking samurai.

Now, Nobuyuki Sanada finally has a usable fighting force at his disposal.

Teruhisa Yamagami and Saizo Kana are military talents, while Motada Kasuga and Masatane Hirabayashi are in charge of domestic affairs. In addition, there are Morikiyo Izuura and Tadanao Shimazu, who are capable of handling one or two counties.

"Where are Genjiro and Saizo?"

"Hasn't he come back yet?" Sanada Nobuyuki suddenly remembered his silly younger brother.

Teruhisa Yamagami shook his head. "I heard that Lord Genjiro was sent to Fukushima Castle to negotiate the adoption with the Kiso family, and Saizo went with him."

"Genjiro can do it?" Sanada Nobuyuki asked in surprise.

The Sanada Nobushige of this time was not the Sanada Yukimura of history who went to Osaka to "study" under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and was completely ignorant of politics.

"The main hall has sent Lord Kawahara to accompany us."

"Yes, if Yojiro goes along, then there will be no problem." The Kawahara Tsuna family is quite capable, and is one of the few members of the Sanada family who can be entrusted with important responsibilities.

At this time, after finishing their work, Harumoto Tadashi and Hayashi Masahide found Sanada Nobuyuki.

"My lord, this is a detailed report on the castle town during this period. Please take a look." Kasuga no Yotada walked over carrying a thick stack of documents.

Sanada Nobuyuki didn't have time to ask detailed questions, so he said directly, "I naturally trust Yojuro and Yohachiro's abilities. Just report some important matters."

"Ha!" Kasugamoto Yoshitada handed the document to Hirabayashi Masatane, who was standing to the side, and then slowly said, "The castle town is now taking shape, and many merchants come from Echigo every day."

“Not only Echigo, but also Tōtōmi, Mino and even Hida have merchants coming here.”

“There are two problems that urgently need to be solved.” Kasugamoto said with a troubled expression, “One is that we don’t have enough horses. Although we bought a batch of horses from Shangzhou, it is no longer enough to guarantee the normal operation of goods.”

"Another thing is that other castles in Shinano have followed suit and implemented various policies similar to those of Nakano Castle, and now the attractiveness of Nakano Castle is gradually declining."

The work at Nakano Castle was in full swing, and the other Shinano soldiers weren't fools either, so they naturally followed suit.

Castles like Matsumoto Castle of the Ogasawara family and Uehara Castle of the Suwa family already had large castle towns in Shinano. Once they start "stealing business," Nakano Castle will definitely be affected.

Of course, Nakano Castle's biggest advantage is its agreement with the Uesugi family, which makes it a desirable destination for merchants from Echigo.

Regardless of policy incentives or distance, Nakano Castle remains the top choice.

"Other areas of Shinano are now also our territory. Everyone should rely on their own abilities and there's no need to pay attention to them."

"As for the horses, the Kiso family is already in negotiations. They are just waiting for the Kiso family to agree to the adoption. From now on, the horses from Kiso Valley will flow to the main family in an endless stream."

"If there aren't enough horses, then send more manpower. I don't think the castle town needs so many laborers now. Send the extra people to transport goods."

Anyway, these people were all brought from the Uesugi family, so there's no harm in using them.

Sanada Nobuyuki had no intention of returning it at first, and the Uesugi family also knew that it was impossible to take it back; both sides tacitly understood each other.

"In addition, when I was in Kyoto, I ordered a batch of arquebuses and ammunition from merchants in Sakai Port. Juro, you and I should keep an eye on the situation of the caravans in the territory."

"If there are merchants coming from Sakai Port, their safety must be guaranteed."

"Understood!" Kasuga no Yoshitada also understood the seriousness of the matter.

Although the Sakai Port Association's reputation usually prevents any foolish individuals from attacking them, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

After giving his instructions, Sanada Nobuyuki then ordered Yamamoto to visit the roads and the countryside to inspect his territory.

The rice paddies in Takai District are all located on the right bank of the Shinano River, while the opposite bank is the territory of Minouchi District.

Heading north along the Shinano River, you'll stop and start along the way, and all you'll see are scenes of busy farming.

Men and women, young and old, were all planting rice seedlings in the fields. Because of the Shinano River, the water source here was abundant, and Sanada Nobuyuki had never heard of any water-stealing incidents occurring anywhere.

Some conflicts and lawsuits in the countryside are usually resolved within Somura. Only lawsuits involving other villages that cannot be resolved are brought to Sanada Nobuyuki.

Nobuyuki Sanada has appointed Masatsune Hirabayashi as the person in charge, specifically to handle litigation issues within the territory.

"If we keep going forward, we'll reach Iiyama Castle. There's a nice hot spring there. Would you like to try it out, my lord?" Teruhisa Yamagami quickly suggested.

Iiyama Castle has been abandoned, and Sanada Nobuyuki is now focusing his resources on building Nakano Castle, so he has no time to spare for Iiyama Castle.

Furthermore, the Sanada and Uesugi families are currently enjoying a period of harmony and are unlikely to engage in war. Therefore, even though Iiyama Castle is strategically important, there is no rush to repair it.

"Who is the magistrate near Iiyama Castle?" Sanada Nobuyuki suddenly asked.

Teruhisa Yamagami thought about it carefully and replied uncertainly, "It seems that this area is mostly Sōmura, and it has been unmanaged since the Takanashi clan went to Echigo."

"Although the main family has sent a representative, their control over this area is not very strong."

Upon hearing this, Sanada Nobuyuki of the Takanashi clan seemed to have thought of something. "Let's go back to Nakano Castle!"

(End of this chapter)