A tour of Japan's Warring States Period

The aftermath of Hojo's opening of the port did not seem to affect Yamauchi, and the city under Fuchu Castle was still bustling with activity. There was no military service today, but representatives of the public and military service from all over the country gathered one by one in the playground below the city.

It was time for the appointment and re-election of the feudal lords' reserves. According to the rule of a maximum term of three years, the six military classes began a new election.

The people below the city are now accustomed to seeing the samurai masters and the ashigaru lords who usually carry swords and guns, chirping like sparrows, and electing new appointees every year.

There are even small vendors and salesmen carrying burdens and pushing carts to sell some odds and ends and snacks around the playground. Some military service representatives from Mikawa, Toe, Suruga and other countries even brought their wives and children to Fuchu. As a famous Omachi town in the East, Fuchu has gathered more than 30,000 people, making it very lively.

The playground was crowded with people of all kinds who were familiar with each other, chatting and laughing with each other, talking about what the weather would be like this year, how the rice in the fields was growing, and who in which village had converted to Nanman religion.

Due to the expansion of the Yamauchi clan's territory, all seven or eight thousand military service members could not come, so an indirect election method was adopted. About one township's military service members first elected a representative. There are more than a thousand members of the public, and representatives are also elected on a township basis.

But even so, hundreds or even thousands of people gathered. As an experience, Yamauchi Yoshiho stood on a cart, holding a paper tube, and shouted the roll call. Register voters and confirm their identities.

Taro Yamauchi also expressed his solemnity and showed his concern for the Yamauchi domain. He sat in the pavilion and accepted the cheers and admiration of the soldiers.

This will not change just because he is young. People have followed his grandfather and father to fight for decades, and they deeply believe that the Yamauchi clan is the ruler, even if the ruler is a child.

"Is the sect recommending Izumo Yamauchi (Yoshiho) this year?" Kodaira tilted his head and looked at Hosokawa Saime.

"It's been decided to give him more experience."

"What about Yuanjiang Palace?"

"He should be succeeded as chief director."

"My sworn brother is very popular among the family members, so I'm afraid he will be elected, right?"

"It's hard to say, but it seems that Isshiki Miyauchi wants to choose a person who is very popular. His last son, Isshiki Mankiwan, will be served next year."

"If Isshikibei (the eldest son who has never appeared) had not died in the battle, Isshiki would have retired and retired long ago."

"Who says it's not the case? My uncle, A-Ling's father, also died in Uehara in the battle. It's a pity."

Two people were sitting in another pergola, talking quietly. I'm not afraid that Yamauchi Taro will hear it, after all, there's still a distance. And the environment is so noisy, it’s hard to hear clearly.

While talking, Hosokawa Harugong also came over, and Aya came over with a bamboo basket and a wooden box of rice balls.

After the roll call, the soldiers who finally lined up in line received their lunch in a very orderly manner. Who said that the election process could not be automated and was very lengthy.

A secret ballot was used (because not all military service members were literate) and a margin election was used. The feudal lords of this class who were interested in serving as commissioned service members came forward to sign up.

Those who support him will throw a soybean into the bowl in front of him, openly and impartially, one bean for each person.

The military classes with the largest number of people, namely the Ashigaru people, the military service people, and the public service members, lasted the longest. People from the county and town are used to win over each other, and those who are close relatives also unite with each other.

In addition to receiving a large salary after serving as a surveyor, everyone also realized that serving as a reserve surveyor for one term was equivalent to being a good person.

No one these days can live up to his reputation, and those with a good reputation can enjoy themselves wherever they go.

"Xiao Ping Tai, have you seen Match Rope's accounts?"

"Isn't this what we agreed upon at the beginning? Isn't it independent of the vassal government and not even His Highness can interfere with it?"

Koheita had only seen the accounts of wild burdock fine velvet match ropes as a source of funds in the first three years of his tenure. He knew that this was a big business and sales had always been excellent.

If it weren't for the fact that no farmer has yet learned how to cultivate wild burdock artificially, resulting in the inability to expand the annual output, the income might have been even greater.

"The university (Hitahata) who just left office told me that in the reserve account, there are 11,000 taels of gold, 2,000 taels of silver, 15,000 taels of Yongle money, and more than 30,000 taels of bad money. There are loans outside There are 21,000 Yongle coins."

"So many?" Xiao Pingtai was also surprised by this number.

The capital back then was only 3,000 guan, but now the cash plus debt is actually worth as much as 50,000 guan.

"Didn't you see that the Reserve Fund Office built another Tuzang in the city?"

"Ah, it turns out that one is Tozo!"

I never expected that the Yamauchi family didn't have any money, but they were too rich. There was so much money that we had nowhere to use it, so we had to build warehouses to store it.

"It would be nice if I could withdraw it..." Harumiya Hosokawa said this with deep meaning.

"The original regulations..." Xiaoping Tai stopped mid-sentence.

The original intention of the reserve fund was to ensure the basic life of the property-owning military class, ensure that the middle and lower military classes did not go bankrupt, stabilize the source of military service, and strengthen the rule of the Yamauchi clan.

At the beginning, he consciously prevented the money from being misappropriated, so Yamauchi Yoshiharu wrote the verdict himself and had it confirmed by all the retainers. Except for lending to the Yamauchi domain, not even the Yamauchi daimyo could use it.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"If the Yamauchi family's financial resources are exhausted, can we follow the example of the feudal lords and borrow the reserve fund, with interest calculated annually and repaid in installments?"

Isn’t this the prototype of Europe’s current banks?

A major advantage that Britain will have over France in the future is its short-term war loans and financing capabilities with relatively low interest rates!

That kind of war loan, which was borrowed for half a year and the interest was half of the principal, greatly hurt the French king's finances. France lost some battles because it could not borrow the money and the interest on the money was too high.

I would rather borrow short-term credit for three to six months from the big merchants in Sakai Town and bear high interest rates. However, Yamauchi's own reserves are not used at all, which is really unreasonable.

But who are the vast majority of feudal rulers?

Once borrowed, it is definitely not impossible to break the bones and absorb the marrow, and then default on the debt.

"Maybe we can borrow a good one now, but what about the future? His Highness Taro is so heroic and graceful that we don't expect him to be there, but what about the future of His Highness?"

"Now when we are fighting for victory in the Warring States Period, if we don't do our best to ensure the survival of our family, in the future..."

Xiaoping was too shocked to realize that he was bewitched. In his subconscious, the Yamauchi family was thousands of years old, but Hosokawa Harugong was more realistic. Their Hosokawa Kyōjo family was almost destroyed. How many powerful daimyo have disappeared? Even overlords like Ouchi have disappeared, let alone Yamauchi?

"That's what the boss said!" The old father-in-law had no choice but to accept it.

"Let me, a bad old man, do this evil thing. Anyway, I don't have a few more years to live."