Chapter 1673 Justice is in the hearts of the people
In the middle reaches of the Tone River, there are powerful samurai in Yurajia and other places, and there has been a commotion because of the letter of pledge of the Yoshi Bank.
In the lower reaches of the Tone River, Musashi Province and Shimotsou Province belong to the west and east sides respectively. At this moment, in Musashi Province, Yoshihiro's letter of pledge also caused waves.
Musashi Province has 21 prefectures, which is the second most prefecture in the world after Mutsu Province's 44 prefectures.
From west to east in Musashi, three main rivers form a geographical shape similar to the character "Kawa", namely the Tama River, Arakawa, and Edogawa.
Among them, the Edogawa River is the lower reaches of the Tone River.
Musashi Country has a lot of water. The three main rivers plus tributaries form a dense water network that flows freely across the vast plains, causing many floods.
The island country is not as good as the Celestial Empire, and does not have the spirit of Yu the Great to concentrate his efforts on accomplishing great things.
For thousands of years, the Musashi Kingdom has been guarding the fertile land of the plains and suffered from poverty. Because it cannot solve the flood problem, it cannot develop thousands of miles of fertile land and become the granary of Kanto.
And this problem is now finally showing signs of being solved.
Under the guidance of the Wujia Giri Promotion Association, Kanto Tuchura funds have entered water conservancy management in the form of loans.
In particular, the huge Tone River diversion plan will once and for all divert the flooded Edogawa River Basin.
As long as the flood problem is solved and thousands of miles of fertile soil are obtained, the stone height of Musashi Kingdom can be increased from five to six hundred thousand stone to more than one million stone. This is an exciting and great achievement.
Therefore, Siba Yiyin, who went to the countryside to inspect more than 200 villages in the middle and lower reaches of the Tone River, established the Samurai Giri Promotion Association, and provided loans to local people for water conservancy projects, was the true god in the hearts of the local people.
The Hojo family occupied the land of Musashi Province, but they could not win the hearts of the Musashi people, especially in the counties east of Arakawa. Because of the Tonegawa water conservancy project in the past three years, the hearts of the people had completely belonged to Shiba.
Because Hojo Ujiyasu persuaded Higashimusashi to submit to him through letters, the Hojo family could not collect taxes at all from the local area.
In addition, the local heart is towards Shiba. If there is a conflict between the Hojo family and the Shiba family, the Higashi Musashi counties may immediately rebel.
Therefore, the Higashi Musashi land has become a piece of cake for the Hojo family. This is why the Hojo retainers support the Hojo clan and use the Higashi Musashi land in exchange for a chance to have sex.
According to the samurai family's tendency to value land the most, if the Higashimusashi land had not been completely indigestible, the Hojo family would not have given it to Shiba Yoshigan in vain.
But this gift is also very particular.
The Higashi Musashi land sent by the Hojo family was not divided equally with the Nishi Musashi land, but was east of the Arakawa River that the Hojo family could not control.
That is, the Adachi, Saitama, Katsushika and other counties east of Kagotsu Castle, and the lower reaches of the Tone River, which is dominated by the Edogawa River Basin.
The letter of pledge from Sibo Yiyin requesting to send troops was sent to this area.
Although there are only a few counties here, they are all plains and densely populated. For example, Osato County, a small county in the north of Saitama County, also has one town and sixty-three villages, with a population of about 40,000.
According to the wartime mobilization of one out of ten, these sixty villages can mobilize four thousand peasant soldiers, and each village can produce sixty or seventy strong women.
At this moment, in Jiuxia Village in Dali County, a group of village servants were holding a meeting.
The spring cold has just gone and the weather has not yet warmed up. Under the big iron pot in the middle of the village house, there are still remnants of charcoal, one end is black and the other is wood.
The villagers from several villages had their legs crossed around the big iron pot. Behind them, the servants sent by each village sat outside one by one, filling the small room to the brim.
There were also some people who poked their heads outside the doors and windows, but because they couldn't squeeze in, they could only listen outside.
The few people in the innermost circle looked at the wizened old woman who was still rubbing her straw sandals. This old guy didn't forget to work during the meeting. She saw that her hands and feet were quick and she had already rubbed the uppers of two shoes in a short time.
The old woman with wrinkled skin couldn't bear it anymore and spoke.
"Jiuxia, please stop rubbing. Damn it, it's making me upset. You called us over. What's going on?"
Jiuxia put down his half-finished straw sandals, glanced at her, and cursed.
"You Yoshimi have always been very smart, don't you know why?
The members of the Sibo family rushed past my yard on horseback a few days ago, and every village in Dali County was not left behind. Why are you pretending to be stupid!"
Jiuxia took out a letter from his arms, put it in front of himself, and said.
"Everyone, please stop pretending to be dumb and talk about it."
Everyone knows exactly what happened today, and many of them still carry a letter similar to this one in their arms.
Jiuxia snorted coldly.
"Oban, you speak first."
The named Ohata was a sturdy woman with an honest face. She had a troubled look on her face and just turned her gaze towards Yoshimi.
Jiuxia sneered.
"It turns out that before the conference, you guys had already held a small meeting to connect in private."
Seeing that all the girls were focusing on her, Yoshi felt panicked and secretly scolded Ohata for being a fool who didn't know how to hide it, but he was so stubborn in his words.
"What nonsense are you talking about! Ohata and I are traveling together. Why did we chat for a while on the way!"
Jiuxia snorted.
"Okay, what did you guys talk about? Let me tell you about it for your reference."
Yoshijian, who was pushed into the corner, gritted his teeth and said bravely.
“With the beginning of the new year, everything is coming back to life, and every household is busy with spring plowing. The harvest at the end of the year depends entirely on the hard work of these days.
The rules handed down from our ancestors are that no matter how busy you are, you can't do spring plowing, and no matter how busy you are, you can't spare time for autumn harvest. After spring plowing, you can say whatever you want, but you can't mobilize during these days."
Before Ji could finish her words, someone pointed at her nose and scolded her.
"Ji Jian! Damn it, Ni Daddy!
On weekdays, the Wujia Yili Promotion Association sends people down to inquire about difficulties and arrange water conservancy projects, but every time you cry miserably and want to take the big bucks.
I see that your Yoshimi Village is indeed extremely poor, so I don’t care too much about it.
But you have the advantage of rushing to the front and retreating back when something happens, what the hell are you doing!"
Ji saw that the words had been spoken, and now he could only bite the bullet and hold his neck.
"You're so damn good at Shengu! Why are you rushing in front of me!"
Fukaya laughed.
"I have eaten the saint's food and taken the saint's benefits, so I can't do the dirty things of eating a bowl of noodles and lifting the bottom of the bowl!
You all have a conscience, which noble family has ever taken us seriously? In addition to searching for food, they don’t even bother to go to the countryside for fear of getting stained by the mud in our fields!
Only the saints remembered our sufferings with their hearts and minds. They went to take a look around and sent us food and money when we got back. They also sent people to plan water conservancy projects and lead us in it.
You can tell me with your conscience that in the past few years, as floods have subsided, how much more grain has been harvested in each village? One or two percent, right?
And you, the reed marsh at the entrance of Yoshimi Village has become less flooded, its scope has been reduced, and the wasteland has been burned to open up fields, adding dozens of acres of land. Have you even forgotten about it?
Now you are telling me that spring plowing cannot be delayed, and you want to take advantage of me!
Let me tell you right now, I have already taken half of the people from the fields and are going to help the saint fight in the war!
Isn’t it just that the autumn harvest will be short by 30%? Before there was no Wujia Yili Promotion Association, my village would be short by 30%! This year, let’s just go back to the past and starve for a year!”
Yoshimi's face turned red and his stiff neck creaked.
"Okay! You are so brave! Your family is not afraid of starving to death! But why do you let us all starve together!
It has been a rule since ancient times that during the busy season of spring plowing and autumn harvest, it is not a crime to refuse to send troops!"
Jiu Shang said darkly.
"Since ancient times, I have never seen a noble person visit us in the countryside, send us money and food, and help us with water conservancy projects."
Ohata on the side couldn't help lowering his head, with a look of shame on his face. Yoshimi glared at Ohata and asked in a deep voice.
"Jiu Shang, please tell me clearly, what do you want from us?"
Jiu Shang said coldly.
"What can I say clearly? What can I do to you?
I am fifty-seven this year, and I have never seen peace since I was born.
Ashikaga and Uesugi fight, Hojo and Ashikaga Uesugi fight, Hojo and Ota fight.
Fighting and fighting are the hegemony of the nobles, and we lowly people who work in the soil are responsible for providing food and people, and dying for the nobles.
No one cares about us, we can only care about ourselves.
Over the years, all villages have united together and sworn to their ancestors to share blessings and share hardships, and finally survived.
To be honest, I have never seen the same blessings, but I think we have the same difficulties every year.
It has been more than fifty years, and since I can remember, these three years have been a little better.
I don't have to worry about my daughter going out to kill someone and being slaughtered. I don't have to worry about my son-in-law crying miserably in the inner courtyard at night. I don't have to worry about my little granddaughter screaming heartbrokenly, "Grandma, I'm hungry."
I have been suffering all my life, but I never thought that I would be able to see a day like this when I get old, where my whole family can happily have a full meal and not have to worry about tomorrow.
I don’t know how long this kind of good life can last. But I know that if the saint does something bad in the country, our good days will come to an end tomorrow!
Those noble people are so high above us, will they care whether we live or die? Only saints will! Saints will lower their heads and look at us with pity!
If the grain harvest in the fields is reduced by 30%, we will be hungry for a year. But if the saint is gone... I promise you with my fifty-seven years of life, you will be hungry and miserable for the rest of your life!
Cherish it! Cherish the good days in front of you! If you can live a year, you will earn a year! I wish the saint will stay young forever and be immortal forever!"
Jiu Shang spoke faster and faster, his voice became higher and higher, and finally he was almost roaring, and even coughed.
The concubines in the house were silent and silent. Only the old woman's violent coughing could be heard echoing in the village house.
I don't know who shouted first.
“Saint onboard!”
This seemed to ignite everyone's hearts, and in an instant, thousands of voices broke out that broke through the roof.
“Saint onboard!”
The concubines' heartfelt shouts made Ji Jian's face livid, but he was unable to respond.
Jiu Shang kept looking at her until the voices of the concubines slowly dispersed, and then he said.
"If you don't want to send troops, I won't force you.
At the beginning, the villages swore an oath to become sisters and advance and retreat together. Today, if you can't do that, you have to withdraw.
From now on, everyone will be well and go their own way, and we will not owe each other anything."
Yoshimi gritted his teeth and said.
"Let's retreat!"
Jiu Shang said indifferently.
"Okay, besides you, who else?"
Yoshimi stood up, and several more people started to get up inside the house. Ohata hesitated for a moment, and then stood up too.
Jiu Shang nodded.
"You go, I will send back the oaths you left in the temple, and take out the ones you saved at home and burn them as well."
Yoshimi nodded stiffly, turned around and left. Several people followed him outside. Only Ohata glanced at Kuage and swallowed.
"I'm sorry, it's not that I want to do this. It's just that the village has finally had enough to eat and we really can't delay the spring plowing.
In fact, as long as everyone waits for the spring plowing to be over, we can all send troops together, so why bother making such a fuss?"
Jiu Shang looked at her coldly and said nothing, feeling ridiculous for her stupidity and naivety.
By the time you have finished your spring plowing and the day lilies are cold, no matter whether the saints win or lose, we are all ungrateful sinners.
No one paid attention to Ohata's words. She was so embarrassed that Yoshimi, who had already walked outside the door, turned around and shouted.
"Oban! Are you leaving or not? Don't embarrass yourself here!"
Ohata was shocked, sighed helplessly, turned around and followed Yoshimi out.
As soon as she left the house, she saw her little daughter standing outside the door, looking at her gloomily.
Oban stretched out his hand, patted his daughter on the shoulder and said.
"Let's go back."
The two of them were close to each other, and Oban suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
All the strength in her body seemed to have been drained away. When she lowered her head and looked down, she saw only the handle of the knife under her ribs. The entire knife had penetrated along the bottom of her ribs and directly into her heart.
Ohata raised her head with all her strength and looked at the little daughter in front of her. The little daughter she had always doted on now had a ferocious face and pushed her down.
He wanted to say something, but Oban couldn't say anything. His body fell limply to the ground, his eyes were so wide that he couldn't close them, and he just died of anger.
And in her last consciousness, she only heard the upright shouting of her little daughter in her ears.
"Honor the saints and punish traitors; Heaven will punish the traitors of the country!"
Yoshimi, who was walking in front, turned around and noticed the unexpected situation, his eyes were red.
I saw Ohata being stabbed into the heart by his own daughter, and his life or death was uncertain. Her daughter pulled out the ribs from her waist and was cutting her mother's head.
"Mother-killing madman! Stop it!"
Yoshimi wanted to rush forward, but a group of Ji warriors stood in front of her and slashed half of their blades at her.
"Get out! Traitor! Get out!"
Yoshimi and the few people who left with her were horrified to see Ohata's daughter cut off Ohata's head, then walked into the village house bloody, and had no choice but to retreat.
Ohata's daughter mercilessly threw Ohata's dead head in front of Jiugami.
"Ohata Village will participate in mobilization and fight for the saint!"
I took a long look at this little girl.
"You're in charge?"
The girl from Oban cut her palm with a knife and wiped her forehead with blood.
"My mother was unfaithful and unjust, and I have already beheaded her in public.
My eldest sister and I studied abroad in Spurling together, and we are both members of the Wu Family Renaissance Society. There is only one leader and one voice in our hearts, that is, the saint!
I swear by the honor of the people in blue, my eldest sister will definitely share my belief, and Ohata Village will definitely be mobilized. Please believe in us, please!"
Jiugang looked at the girl of Oban who was prostrating on the ground and kowtowed, and nodded.
"He is a good and sensible boy, and he is much better than this idiot Ohata.
Well, Ohata Village's oath will not be returned, and your family is still a part of our village alliance."
Jiu Shang glanced at the entire audience and shouted.
"Since everyone is of the same mind, I won't talk nonsense and go back to mobilize quickly. The saint is still waiting for us!"
"Hi!"
All the princess warriors dispersed in a hurry, leaving only Kusami and Fukaya still sitting.
Fukaya looked into Ohata's dead eyes and shook his head.
Jiu Shang asked.
"Why don't you leave yet?"
Fukaya replied.
"Ohata, an honest guy, was so moved by Yoshimi's sweet words that he ended up having his head cut off by his own daughter. It's pitiful.
It’s a pity that Naji had the shame to leave when he saw the truth, I really can’t swallow this breath.”
Jiu Shang looked at the concubines who had left the village house and walked away, and said calmly.
"Why don't you hold your breath? After helping the saints finish fighting, we will come back and slowly clean up Ji and see them."
Shen Gu said in shock.
"Fuck them? According to the rules handed down from our ancestors, our villages do not go to war with each other."
Jiu Shang sneered.
"I don't have any bad rules. The oaths have been sent back and burned, so they don't apply the old rules.
Besides, the villages mobilized in advance, which delayed spring plowing and reduced the autumn harvest by 30%. What to do with this gap? Let the villages starve this winter and watch those treacherous bastards eat and drink enough?
If they are unfaithful and unjust, don't blame us for being ruthless. If we go back and pacify their villages and divide their food, we will have an easier life."
Shen Gu nodded.
"That's the truth."
She picked up Oban's head and stood up.
"I found a place to bury the big flag. After all, we are sisters who have been together for decades, so we have a beginning and an end."