Mount & Blade: Warband in the Sengoku period of Japan

Raising pigs is not an easy task.

Chen Daoyuan knew a little about this, but not much.

For example, he knew that the wild boar piglets he caught should be kept in a small, dark, shaded cave to avoid stress, and the deworming remedies he learned from his pet dog when he was a child were also very effective.

But the piglets were listless and had no appetite, and every few days one or two would die.

Seeing the several trembling zookeepers, Chen Daoyuan didn't make things difficult for them. After all, Japan had virtually no experience in animal husbandry, and these zookeepers, who had transitioned from being veteran hunters, were complete novices.

Fortunately, these people are quite good at making jerky; the wild boars they've hunted these past few days have all been made into jerky.

Led by several people, Chen Daoyuan inspected the reserves of dried meat and dried fish again.

Last year, Iwate County caught a full 26,000 kan of large salmon, each the size of a foot and an inch, in Kitakami River. They organized people to use a light-proof, low-temperature drying method to make more than 5,000 kan of dried fish. Chen Daoyuan and his hesitant men ate it for more than half a year, but they only consumed 1,500 kan. The remaining stock, plus the several hundred kan of dried meat that have been added in recent days, is enough for their needs when they set off for the autumn expedition.

With these protein supplements, Chen Daoyuan's logistical burden can be reduced considerably. If grains, dried meat, and cooking oil were combined to make original energy bars, the logistical burden would be even easier. Unfortunately, there is too little oil available in Japan.

The rapeseed variety was wrong, there was no technology for pressing soybeans for oil, and peanuts weren't introduced until the 18th century...

Chen Daoyuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wishing he could establish a connection with the Ming Dynasty. Even if the opening of the sea route during the Longqing and Wanli reigns would take decades, as long as some technical personnel could be brought in through smuggling, a series of basic industries such as pig farming, planting, oil pressing, and iron smelting could take off instantly.

However, to establish contact with the Ming Dynasty, they would need at least a sea outlet, and the current territory of the Shibo clan is all located in remote mountain valleys...

Once the Yokote Basin is resolved, those forces along the surrounding coast will definitely try to take one of them down.

Time flies, and it seems that the heavens are also favoring Chen Daoyuan this year. August was relatively favorable, and the cold wave brought by the mountain winds was much weaker than in previous years. As a result, in September, Iwate County ushered in an unprecedented bumper harvest.

Faced with rice and millet that were almost bursting the granaries, the war machine of the entire Shiba clan territory, from Shiba County to Hachimantai, was set in motion.

The freshly harvested, snow-white rice was packed into a huge steamer, and the women who had been gathered were busy making rice balls with the steamed rice and chopped dried fish and meat.

The armor of the hesitant warriors was taken out and carefully cleaned, oiled, and maintained. Every three-day sword was polished to a gleaming shine, and newly made hesitant-colored battle robes were distributed to every samurai.

Most of the cattle and horses from various villages and towns were also conscripted, along with the prepared military rations and recruited foot soldiers, all converging on Shizukushi County.

On September 15th, when Chen Daoyuan led his hesitant troops to Shizuishi, the temporary military camp outside the city was already full of soldiers ready to go.

For this expedition, Shiba Tsuneaki was to remain in the northern Hachiman Heiwa Numiya to defend against the Nanbu clan, while Shiba Tsuneaki remained at Takamizu-dera Castle to oversee the campaign. Leading the army alongside Chen Daoyuan were the other two major members of the Shiba clan, Shizukuishi Tsuneaki and Inoki Tsuneaki.

Chen Daoyuan had naturally met these two "cousins," but only once at Xinzi's wedding, and he had a good impression of them.

The two looked very much like their elder brother, all possessing the round faces inherited from the Shiba clan. Shizukushi Akira was eleven years younger than Akira, having just turned 30, and was always smiling, with a much more approachable demeanor than his elder brother. Inoue Akira was only 26 years old, a year younger than Chen Daoyuan. Before Chen Daoyuan's arrival, he was the Shiba clan's top warrior, towering over his father and brothers by half a head. However, his round face hadn't yet developed the imposing air of his father and brothers, giving him a more sunny and cheerful boyish charm.

"Genjō-dono, Gengi-dono, how have you been?" Historically, the two were officially conferred titles and changed their surnames in 1545, so they are not currently "Shizukuishi-gosho" and "Ino-gosho".

"Daoyuan, you've arrived!" Quanyi greeted first. "I heard you recruited a fierce general under your command this summer? How about it? Can I spar with her?"

Chen Daoyuan tilted his head: "Are you sure?"

"What's wrong?" Quan Yi asked, looking puzzled.

Chen Daoyuan smiled maliciously: "On the training ground, I can last twenty or thirty moves against her. How long do you think you can fight her, Quanyi Palace?"

That's the truth. Ah Xue's strength isn't just abnormal. After spending a lot of time with her, Chen Daoyuan has also tested Ah Xue's abilities.

She was stronger than him, and her agility, reaction, and flexibility were also superior... It was only by enduring twenty or thirty rounds without being swung away by the girl's enlarged and heavier wooden nodachi that Chen Daoyuan had given it his all.

During this period, Chen Daoyuan's only victory in a sparring match came after he cleverly took advantage of the girl, who had exhausted herself in the training ground all morning and was nearly starving. In Chen Daoyuan's judgment, among the people he had seen so far, only the sword saint Tsukahara Bokuden could suppress this ferocious beast.

"Hiss—" Quan Yi gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief: "Besides Mr. Bu Chuan, is there anyone else who can beat you in the dojo?"

Chen Daoyuan glanced outside the tent: "Yes, Xinzi used to often beat me in sparring."

"Alright, alright," Quanzhen interjected from the side, "We know you two are deeply in love, so there's no need to show off in front of us elders. But why did you bring her out again this time?"

Chen Daoyuan spread his hands: "I only have one retainer under my command now. I need to keep him to manage the mundane affairs of Iwate County. The only one who can assist me in leading the army is Nobuko."

That's right. Chen Daoyuan also brought Xinzi with him on this expedition. At this moment, Xinzi is organizing the troops in the outer military camp under the protection of A Xue.

Quanzhen sighed, "I'm not saying Nobuko is clueless about military affairs... it's just that you two have been married for almost a year, right? How come Nobuko is still running around everywhere?"

Quanzhen's words were somewhat tactful... This guy, who wasn't much older than her, was really acting like an elder, urging her to have a baby.

Chen Daoyuan chuckled twice, picked up his teacup and took a couple of sips, then used the technique of changing the subject to steer the conversation elsewhere.

The three chatted idly in the military tent. The military strategy for this expedition had already been decided at the assessment meeting at the end of last month. Besides, Quanzhen and Quanyi were only capable generals; if it came to discussing any real strategy, neither of them could offer any substantial insights.

After chatting for a while, a servant came in to announce, "General Hosokawa has arrived."

The three men in the tent then became serious and rose together to greet the veteran general who entered the tent.

This old man's name is Hosokawa Harutaka. He is the former head of the Hosokawa clan, the Shiba Fudai family. Last year, during the war with the south, his son led the heavy armor phalanx with Chen Daoyuan.

Hosokawa Harutaka is over sixty years old this year. Like Shiba Arataka, he has nominally handed over the position of head of the family to his son and now lives a semi-retired life, directing affairs of state in Takamizu-dera Castle. This time, the expedition was led by three young men, and Arataka was not entirely at ease with them, so he sent this old retainer to oversee logistics in Shizukuishi District.

However, this old minister clearly had many thoughts. After entering the military tent, he glanced at Chen Daoyuan, Quanzhen, and Quanyi, sighed, and slowly said, "I still think this expedition is too rash... However, the Imperial Lord has already made his decision, and I hope the three of you will be cautious in your military strategy."

Indeed, Hosokawa Harutaka was a leading figure within the Shiba clan who opposed the expedition to the Yokote Basin. These people were mainly older retainers who believed that rapid expansion would be wasteful of resources and manpower, and also violated moral principles... However, their opinions did not influence Shiba Tsuruga.

With the old man present, Chen Daoyuan and Quan Yi and Quan Zhen could no longer continue their joking and instead took out the military strategy plan they had already discussed and began to discuss it again.

"A three-day, two-night march is too slow. We should get through this mountain road from Shizukuishi to Isabane as soon as possible. You can rest for one night at Hashiba and then another at Kunimi Pass. Aren't you afraid the Tozawa clan will send troops to launch a night attack?"

Faced with Hosokawa Harutaka's questioning, Chen Daoyuan and Quanzhen Quanyi exchanged glances and remained silent.

Between Shizukuishi and Seihonai lies a 90-mile mountain road through the Ou Mountains. The current plan was decided at the evaluation meeting, requiring a march of 30 miles per day. This old man remained silent in front of Shiba Kengo at the evaluation meeting, but now he's making things difficult for the younger generation.

As Chen Daoyuan was pondering how to retort to the old man, Nobuko's clear voice rang out from outside the military tent: "Night raid? Of course we're not afraid. In fact, we're marching like this precisely because we're hoping the Tozawa clan will send someone to launch a night raid."

As she spoke, Nobuko walked in, followed by Ayuki, who looked on with curiosity: "Lord Hosokawa, many of the military strategies this time were decided privately by my grandfather and me before the assessment meeting. If you have any questions, just ask me."

Harutaka Hosokawa's face turned slightly pale: "Princess, isn't it a bit presumptuous of you to decide on military strategy?"

"Ahem." Chen Daoyuan coughed lightly, "Husband and wife are one, so I'll take Hosokawa-dono's decision as my own."

Hosokawa Harutaka's expression grew increasingly grim. He turned around and glared at Chen Daoyuan, but ignored him, continuing to stare at Nobuko with his old eyes.

Nobuko remained calm and unperturbed by any perceived transgression. Instead, she explained slowly and methodically, "Since my grandfather decided to advance towards Senhoku, he has repeatedly sent ninjas to scout out Ikubo Inner Castle. The terrain here is similar to that of Numamiya Inner Castle, with fortified passes blocking the entrances, making it difficult for large armies to deploy. They can only force their way in with armored soldiers. The garrison inside the castle consists of only a few hundred foot soldiers and a dozen or so samurai. If they discover that our army is coming into the mountains for a night raid, it will conveniently free up the castle's defenses. The hesitant troops under the command of the Palace Guard are well-behaved and eat fish and meat every day to replenish their strength, so they are not afraid of a few hundred foot soldiers in a night battle. If they do not launch a night raid, our army will have completed the mountain journey in three days, and we will be full of energy and strength, making it much easier to storm Ikubo Inner Castle."

Hosokawa Harutaka remained silent after listening, clearly unable to find a reason to refute him for the time being. Chen Daoyuan chuckled inwardly. His wife had revised the battle plan twice, both times with the intention of luring the enemy out of the city for a field battle... He felt that if they fought a few more battles in this style, they might be remembered as great figures by future generations. After all, the Japanese loved to do this kind of thing, just like the Shimazu family's ambush fishing in the wild.