Although there is still a heavy snowfall since the beginning of spring, this can no longer stop the general trend of warmer weather. As the sun slowly moves northward, it enters the spring season, and as the snow gradually melts, the roads leading to Echigo are open.
The traffic arteries are now open again, and the number of business trips is many times more dense than in previous years. This change represents the world's high recognition of the prosperity and development of Echigo.
Since the Kira family won two consecutive victories last year, the number of travelers visiting Echigo has increased. Also, more businessmen have seen the strength of Echigo and are determined to open up trade routes there. The Kira family has expanded very rapidly in recent years.
, the strong military strength ensured the stability of the territory, so much so that the bandits entrenched in the mountains and forests of Shinano and Ueno disappeared for a time.
The Kira family was also the first samurai family to abolish customs duties and private toll taxes in various places. As long as they enter the territory of the Kira family, whether it is Shinano Ueno or Echichu Echigo, there will never be any cards set up to collect exorbitant taxes for various reasons, just like on the sea.
Just as trading merchants like to dock at Naojiangjin Port, business travelers traveling in the Kanto Continent are also more willing to enter the Kira Territory to do business. Even if the competition is fierce and the prices are lower, it doesn't matter. After deducting costs, it is still more profitable than entering other territories to do business.
The prosperity of Echigo led to the economic development along several trade routes in Shinano and Ueno. Through excellent planning, Tadaka Ina and Mitsui Todaka, the executive officers of both countries, tried to locate the villages as close to Echigo Street as possible to benefit the residents as much as possible.
At the same time, the lodging houses under the jurisdiction of Biwaya also opened all over the streets of the five countries, ensuring that there would be a large village and supporting lodging facilities every ten kilometers.
The perfect security mechanism, the abolition of excessive taxes and the humanized business design ensure that the Kira family's business district will be far behind the various samurai families in Kanto at the starting line. After all, not every daimyo can do such a drastic and important task.
Change. Without excellent internal affairs talents, lack of supporting and complete implementation systems, and the most important daimyo's lack of money are the thresholds that cannot be bypassed.
This is a game that only rich people can afford to play. Only the Hojo family in Kanto can try to do it. But even the Hojo family, with Hojo Ujiyasu and a large number of elites who follow it, cannot make such a major internal decision in a short while.
Adjustment, just like Echigo's new grains can be grown in Kanto, and Koshinobu's land will become low-yield and low-quality crops.
Every government decree always has the problem of adaptability to the local environment. The mature government decrees in Sakamoto Town cannot be copied and implemented in Echigo, because the climate changes, cultural customs, and geographical environments of Kinai and Echigo are completely different. Naoetsu is positioned as an east
The largest port in the country has developed textile, printing and dyeing and other handicraft industries, unlike Sakamoto Town which has the headquarters of Zeniya and Biwaya. It is positioned to catch up with the footsteps of Sakai Town and Kyonomachi.
A caravan of dozens of people, located at the foot of Kodoko Mountain in the upper reaches of Sekikawa, was slowly marching along Sekikawa. This caravan was completely different from ordinary caravans, because the team was all composed of young men and everyone was carrying a sword.
Everyone was riding horses with great dignity. It was obvious that this was a samurai group that entered Echigo from other places. There were only ten carriages in the entire team that were considered heavy loads. These horse-riding samurai were closely surrounding the carriages and were on guard.
strict.
There were a lot of boats coming and going on the Sekikawa River. From time to time, you could meet business travelers passing by on the river bank. Both the passing travelers and the nearby boatmen were disapproving of this kind of caravan with samurai gathering together. There were countless samurai carriages going to and from Echigo. The Kira family
No one is prohibited from entering or exiting. With Echigo's powerful force, there is no need to worry about safety issues.
At the front of the caravan was a tall and burly samurai on horseback. This man was about 20 years old and had a towering hairpin. There were arrows hanging on the front and back of the saddle, a heavy vine bow, a tachi ribsashi hung on his waist, and a sword hanging on his body.
A string of colorful necklaces, holding a straw stick in the corner of his mouth, like a cynical admirer. He is a good-looking man who is more than a head taller than ordinary people, and he rides a mount that looks quite majestic.
The name of the young samurai is Maeda Toshiie. He is a samurai from the Owari Oda family. He has been trained by Oda Nobunaga's Kuramae Horse since he was a child. Even though the culture of the Owari Kingdom is no longer popular, you can still find it in him.
Traces left by the flood-bearing origins of the past.
The business travelers looking around said boredly: "Is this Echigo? It doesn't look much different from Owari!"
"There is a difference! That is...it's so cold! Sneeze!" Ikeda Tsuneaki's companion seemed to have been ill along the way, his nose was dripping and he looked in pain. Several companions behind him made fun of him, which made Ikeda Tsune.
Xing complained: "Can you blame me? Unexpectedly, it snowed heavily just as we walked to Nakashinano. It took us almost half a month to trek from Fukashi Castle to Sekikawa, and the snow finally melted when we arrived at Echigo.
It’s clean. If I had known earlier, it would be better to stay in Shenshi Castle Town for a few more days. When the snow melts, I won’t get sick when I come out again... Ah sneeze!"
Maeda Toshiie grinned, patted him on the shoulder and said: "It's hard to be so sick after a long trip. The samurai will laugh at me when I get home. Katsusaburo still needs to practice more! You'd better go first
Go to the carriage and rest for a while, it’s enough for me to have one person on your side here!"
"That's what you said! I'll go back and rest for a while, I just can't stand it anymore! When you get to Kasugayama Castle, I Hengxing will treat you to a drink!" Ikeda Hengxing picked up a handkerchief to wipe his nose, and then waved to the leading samurai.
He hurriedly returned to the carriage to rest. Those people didn't seem to mind that he was lazy at all, they just talked and laughed and passed away.
As the caravan gradually moved north, it took only half a day to arrive at the intersection of the Yashiro River and the Sekikawa River. The caravan was going to take a boat here to cross the Sekikawa River and go downstream. At this time, a skinny figure like a bird emerged from the carriage.
The monkey's young warrior shouted to the leading knight on horseback: "His Royal Highness, come here!"
Maeda Toshiie was stunned for a moment, turned to the man and said, "Aren't you sick, Tokichiro? Why don't you go back to rest? What do you have to say?"
Kinoshita Hideyoshi said with some embarrassment: "My Hideyoshi's illness has improved a lot! I'm really sorry to make His Highness Toshiie worried. I just wanted to ask His Highness how far it is to Kasugayama Castle. We wasted too much time on the way and lost some food.
There is not enough food. As the guide and follower of this mission, I, Hideyoshi, should be fully prepared as soon as possible."
Sasana Narimasa got out of another carriage and complained half-truthfully: "Hey! It's so irresponsible that Tokichiro fell ill just after arriving at Fukashi Castle! And he obviously only knew how to get to Shinano from Owari.
People who have never been to Northern Shinano are too incompetent to follow this road! It was so bad that I had to raise money to hire a guide from Shinano before I came to Echigo. Should Tokichiro bear the money?
!”
"Uchizosuke-dono must be serious! Tokichiro is just a small businessman. Isn't it too much to ask him to bear the cost of the guide?" Toshiie Maeda couldn't stand it when he saw Kinoshita Hideyoshi's face full of shame.
Kinoshita Hideyoshi explained nervously: "That's because I have only been to Minami Shinano. When I was on the way to Kai, I quietly followed the Takeda Daisen army to visit Central Shinano. I also planned to go to Echigo to see the scenery of the northern country.
Yes, but because Kawanakajima was fighting a joint battle, I hurried back and caused trouble to you all! I, Hideyoshi, am very sorry!"
"But then..."
Niwa Nagahide walked out of the last carriage and said with a smile: "Uchizosuke-den should also be more considerate of Hideyoshi-den's difficulties! After all, none of my important ministers in Owari have been to Echigo, and my lord's previous correspondence has been
It was entrusted to us through the royal merchant. If it wasn't so urgent as our lord urged us, we could also try to follow the caravan to Kyoto and then to Tsuruga Port, and take a boat to Echigo Naoetsu, but that would waste more time.
.”
Ikeda Hengxing also came out and said: "That's right. Last year, Kinai fought a joint battle with Luochu. I heard that Miyoshi, a repairman, led an army of 60,000 to attack Kyoto. In the end, he fought for a whole summer and still failed to defeat the Rokkaku Kyotoden and
Nakajo Dewa guards the palace, it will definitely be dangerous to go to Kyoto at this time!"
"So Tokichiro, don't worry too much. Uchizosukeden doesn't mean to embarrass you. Doing your duty and working hard to repay the lord is more useful than a thousand words. Just work hard!" Niwa Nagahide's gentle words of comfort quickly took effect.
Kinoshita Hideyoshi gave up the previous entanglement and pulled Maeda Toshiie to ask this and that.
The caravan stayed at the ferry for half an hour to cross Sekikawa. After traveling for another hour, it gradually discovered that the population was getting denser. The Shinbori River near Sekikawa was especially large, and large villages with thousands of people appeared together. What was even more rare was that every
Each village is exceptionally clean and tidy. There are no traces of potholes on the smooth roads, and there is no scene of perennial sewage flowing across the road. The farmers' dress is close to the standards of the residents of Qingzhou Castle Town.
Maeda Toshiie became energetic when he saw this scene. He saw hard-working farmers dotted across the endless land working hard, and he couldn't help but sigh: "Is this the strength of Echigo? The countryside is built like a town, and the farmers live like town residents.
, how on earth did they do it?”
No one answered his question, and it was common for nearby villagers to have such questioning or pensive expressions. Since the outbreak of the Echigo Ishikaka in the early years of Hongji, every new traveler would ask similar questions, and everyone is exploring the fate of the Kira family.
What method can be used to do all this quietly? Many people are attracted by the foggy Echigo.
Kinoshita Hideyoshi stared at the farmers coming and going in the fields with bright eyes. As a poor boy from rural Owari, he climbed up from humble positions step by step. He knew better than anyone else that it was the farmers who measured whether a country was prosperous or not.
In his opinion, the lives of warriors all over the world are similar, but farmers everywhere are divided into poor and rich.
Legend has it that the farmers in the Hojo clan territory in Kanto are the happiest. Four citizens and six citizens can allow farmers to get 20% more food. Only farmers in Kinai can rival them, but he never believes that farmers in Kanto can live like town residents.
A closer look at the huts in the village seems to be completely different from the traditional thatched houses, but it is not yet clear what the difference is.
At the same time, in another carriage, Niwa Nagahide was also deep in thought, secretly saying: "This is the economic strength of Echigo! I didn't see the strong and dynamic countryside from the faces of the villagers. Numbness and pain, but with a rare expression of happiness and satisfaction. Shouldn't this expression only appear on the faces of samurai? Why do you feel happy?"
As dusk grew darker in the evening, a caravan of dozens of riders slowly arrived outside Naoetsu on the lower reaches of Sekikawa River. They were once again shocked by the huge urban agglomeration. From the river bank to the farthest point as far as the eye could see, everything was clear. At first glance, the towns and cities in Naoetsu appear to be all kinds of strange and different sizes, but the impression is not that they are chaotic, but that they have a sense of well-proportioned order that people are accustomed to.
Kinoshita Hideyoshi's whole body trembled with excitement, and he said with surprise and excitement: "There are at least hundreds of towns and cities, right? No! There should be more than a thousand. Naoetsu Town is centered on the port town, and there must be even bigger ones in the port. If towns are grouped together, wouldn’t they be dozens of times larger than Qingzhou Castle Town?”
The samurai in Owari were all immersed in the shock of the sudden appearance of the city cluster. Ikeda Tsuneaki suddenly shouted: "Look! That's a cavalry team! Is the red one Kira Akabi?"
"Looking at their momentum, they are definitely Red Dragoons!" Maeda Toshiie stared at the hundreds of red-armored warriors slowly crossing the river with wide eyes. The leading warrior was holding a big bloody gun that made people's eyes dazzle. Maeda Li Jia almost subconsciously took out the big gun, but the next moment he remembered that all the long-handled weapons were placed on the carriage, and slapped the saddle on the saddle angrily, feeling extremely annoyed.
At this moment, the hundreds of red dragon cavalry were accelerating and changing their direction of travel with the force of the wind and the remaining clouds. The formation of hundreds of horse warriors was as uniform as a school of fish in the water. There was no trace of the slightest movement in the rapid changes of direction from left to right. The mistake, the shockingly powerful execution, created a scene that was so beautiful that Toshiie Maeda's eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he saw it, and the Owari samurai couldn't even say a word.
The distance of hundreds of people in a wave of assault passed in the blink of an eye. The next moment they heard a whistle, the red dragon cavalry slowed down and dispersed. Then they relaxed and laughed and marched towards Kasugayama Castle at the west end of Naoetsu Town, and that The cavalry general leading the army seemed to notice the caravan who was always standing still. He took off his hood and gave them a friendly smile, then rode his horse slowly past them.
Maeda Toshiie saw the appearance of this young general and shouted in surprise: "Keitaro! Why are you here... No! You are not Keitaro! Keitaro is not so tall and strong, you are..."
"What was your name just now? Keitaro?" Takigawa Tokimasu suddenly reined in his horse and stared at Maeda Toshiie's expression. Then he glanced at the group of dozens of elite horseback warriors and asked patiently: "Listen Your accent is not that of the Eastern Samurai. Where are you from Tokaido? What’s your name? And what’s the name of Keitaro you just called?” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote on Qidian. Recommended tickets, monthly tickets, and your support are my biggest motivation. Mobile phone users please go to m. to read.)