different warring states of japan

Chapter 2108: Holy Sword Group and Holy Protection Group

The first grand council of the provisional shogunate was successfully held. Fushimi Castle, an important town in the southern suburbs of Kyoto, became the designated government office of the provisional shogunate and also the base of Sasaki Yoshikin's residence in Kyoto.

The Grand Council was just a political foreplay. With the official opening of the provisional shogunate, a series of bizarre political shows ensued.

Some were praising the emperor, some were working hard, and even Yoshigin Sasaki was unable to avoid running around in one political show after another.

As spring turned to summer and the weather gradually became hotter, he still stayed in Fushimi Castle.

---

In early summer, after the first heavy rain, the weather did not become cooler, but became even hotter.

At the temporary reviewing stand outside Fushimi Castle, Yoshigin stood at the front, with a group of high-ranking officials from the Tongxinshu Group standing behind him, all of them in high spirits.

The sun dried the mud on the parade ground. Hundreds of female warriors stood on the leveled field, holding their heads high and chests puffed out to accept the inspection of the saint.

As early as the early days of the establishment of the Kanto Samurai Office, Yoshigin wrote a drill manual in order to train the unruly Sanada clan among the Gotai people, training them in the simplest standing at attention, at ease and marching.

In order to eat white rice every day, the mountain monkeys of the Sanada clan endured the discomfort and accepted the training, and really allowed Sanada Nobushige to train a strong army.

The key to the exercise is not the standard of posture, but the consciousness of absolute obedience.

The ancient army was even more shabby than modern people imagine. Most soldiers were illiterate, could not recognize people, and even had no rules for defecating and urinating.

One of the major criteria for being a famous general in ancient times was setting up camp, and the first requirement for setting up camp was to build a toilet.

Don’t underestimate this small toilet. Many ancient armies failed to plan it well, and epidemics occurred from time to time, causing non-combat deaths.

Relying on the temptation of white rice, the Sanada clan was able to line up in an orderly manner and act in unison, with a bit of the discipline of modern armies.

Just this slight difference allowed the Sanada clan to fight in many battles, kill many enemies in all directions, and eventually gain the reputation of being the best army in the world.

When Gamo Ujisato reformed the Sōba selection, he also took a fancy to the training manual of the saintly professor Sanada Shu and put it to use.

After the reform by Gamo Ujisato, new examination items were added to the Sasaki selection system, but the original new recruit camp system was not eliminated.

The original Spo selection had an internship period of three to six months, with intensive learning and training. After the internship period, the candidates would be assigned to stay in the Tongxinzhong Group or be transferred to local areas based on their performance.

After the reform, the new recruits selected by Sōma will form the cadet group. After one year of study, they will be assigned to various aspects of the Sōma organization system based on their final results.

Compared to the Sanada people who were tempted by white rice, the cadets were more motivated to perform well during their studies, so they naturally practiced more attentively.

So, when Yiyin stood on the reviewing stand and looked at the phalanx of female warriors with their upright military postures in front of him, he seemed to see his female classmates from military training in his previous life.

The same graceful figure of youth, the same enthusiastic and vigorous spirit, just proves the saying that young people are strong.

Ujisato... Thank you... for leaving me this excellent Shiba selection system.

Quietly wiping away the moisture seeping from the corners of his eyes, Yoshigane nodded to Ii Naomasa beside him.

Ii Naomasa, who was half a body length behind Yoshigin, straightened his back and shouted.

"All of you, stand at attention!"

All the trainees snapped and stood at attention from at ease, shouting at the same time.

"loyalty!"

Ii Naomasa nodded in satisfaction and shouted.

"I believe that you have been looking forward to this day for a long time. I would like to sincerely congratulate you here. After arduous training, you have successfully passed the assessment and will officially become a member of the Shiba family.

But don't be happy too soon!

Passing the assessment is just the beginning, you will be assigned to your own position.

I hope that no matter you are assigned to the Tongxin Group, the Local Group, or anywhere else, you will not forget today.

Don’t forget who gave you all this!”

"It's a saint!" "Then how should you repay the saint!"

"Loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty!"

Ii Naomasa nodded vigorously.

"Very good! Now tear off the cloth covering your left chest. You are now the glorious samurai princesses of the Shiba family!"

All the trainees worked together, and in unison used their right hands to tear off the covering on their left chests, revealing the family crest of the Sasaki family on their clothes. They were extremely excited.

Ii Naomasa turned and bowed deeply to Yoshigaki, who nodded.

"let's start."

"Hi!"

Ii Naomasa shouted.

  "Everyone, stand at ease! Those who hear their names, come to the stage!

The sixth seat of the first batch of students, Ming Liyou, step forward! "

A handsome cadet walked out of the line, walked up to the reviewing stand with standard steps, stood in front of Yiyin, and saluted solemnly.

Yiyin looked at her deeply. She seemed so excited that her breathing was disordered. Her forehead was covered with sweat. A body fragrance hit Yiyin's face, making Yiyin twitch his nose involuntarily and feel a little itchy.

Calming his thoughts, Yoshigin took a katana from Ii Naomasa and handed it to the excited Akariyu, speaking softly.

"Congratulations, Akari Yu-san."

Mingli took the katana respectfully with both hands, her fingers trembling slightly, her knuckles turning white from the force she exerted, she raised the knife in salute and shouted.

"loyalty!"

When she stepped down and returned to the line, Ii Naomasa shouted again.

"Fifth seat among the first batch of student soldiers..."

Yiyin looked at the line of cadets. Their seats were arranged according to their final performance of the year. There was no seniority or bloodline or family background here, only one's own strength.

This was the student soldier system that Gamo Ujisato proposed against all odds, in order to select the best talents to serve the Sasaki family.

There are too many compromises in the Shiba selection system. Whether it is the superiority and inferiority of the levels of the temples in the school districts, or the special channels that favor the middle and lower levels of the shogunate, they are all unfair political compromises.

But once you pass the Spo selection, the cadet system is the fairest one based on merit, and all political privileges will disappear without a trace during the cadet year.

Those from ordinary families who can pass the Sōba selection on their own must be extremely outstanding talents, and they will get the fairness they most desire during their one-year study as a cadet.

The student soldiers followed the actions of the Tongxin Group, under the eyes of the saints, and accepted scores from the Tongxin Secretariat, which basically blocked all political privileges.

Here, if you have ability, you have ability. If you don’t have ability, you can’t rely on the influence of others even if you want to.

According to the Wu family's nature of admiring the strong and liking to stick together, the cadets selected and formed by Sōma every year will be the future stronghold of the Sōma family, and the cadets graduating from the same class will inevitably take care of each other.

Excellent talents without any background can demonstrate themselves through one year of training, gain recognition, and find their own circle, which is beneficial to their future development.

Their smooth careers also mean that more capable people will be able to thrive in the Spoelstra family and play a better role.

In addition, in order to ensure that these outstanding talents would not be maliciously suppressed by other political forces, Gamo Ujisato also established a sword-giving ceremony during his lifetime.

The top six students in each session will be awarded katana by the saint himself and receive his personal praise.

If passing the Sōma selection and joining the student soldiers is the minimum bottom line to guarantee a female samurai's future, it can be regarded as the Seiho Group.

So, if one could rank in the top six among the cadets in one year of study and become a member of the Holy Sword Group, it would mean a bright future.

This may be the only way for ordinary people to defeat nobles in peacetime, and it is the political legacy left by Gamo Ujisato for Yoshigin.

Yoshigin's eyes became moist again. "Ujisato, I hope the student soldier system is as you wish. Thank you, thank you very much."