Chapter 8

"Spread it out?"

The wise Hina quickly understood.

"Are you afraid that Lord Oda will change his mind?"

"Yes, only a few of us know about what happened last night. If Lord Oda has second thoughts, it would be very dangerous."

"But doing this will affect your reputation..."

"Go ahead. For the last territory of the Shibata family, we can't afford any mistakes."

"I will handle it well, but it will tarnish Lord Gintsuba's good name, which is really..."

"Go and do it, don't worry about other things. I can only trust you with this matter."

Gintsuba patted Hina's shoulder and said seriously.

He now only had Yuki and Hina under him. Yuki was quiet and reserved, so this matter could only be entrusted to Hina.

Gintsuba was not indifferent to his reputation; he only had the skin of the Shibata heir left.

If possible, he would like to keep it for the next transaction to gain more benefits.

However, he couldn't help but think more about it. The temptation of 1500 koku was too great.

Although Oda Nobunaga inherited the 270,000 koku of the four lower districts of Owari, the Oda family was not his alone. His brothers, uncles, and hereditary vassals all had their shares.

His direct control was only 50,000 koku, which was the awkward position of a daimyo in the Sengoku period.

Although they often boasted of having hundreds of thousands of koku, the direct control was usually only a third or a quarter.

When something happened, they had to hold meetings to discuss. Powerful daimyo with high prestige could make decisions alone, but they would eventually die.

Your daughter might not have your prestige to control the subordinates, and if you're lucky, you might be sidelined; if you're unlucky, it could lead to a coup.

Oda Nobunaga was one of the unlucky ones, lacking both prestige and direct control. His younger brother, Oda Nobuharu, was always ready to overthrow him.

At this moment, every bit of advantage could be a lifesaver in the future.

What did the Shibata family's submission mean? At most, it was a group of local lords who couldn't contribute much in terms of money and grain, and only cheered during battles.

If the direct control was recovered, the 60% share would be a solid 600 koku of grain. Don't underestimate 600 koku of grain from 50,000 koku of direct control.

50,000 koku of direct control meant an annual mobilization of about 1,000 koku and 300 light foot soldiers, or 1,500 light foot soldiers in total.

50,000 koku of 60% share was 20,000 koku in actual income. A low-ranking samurai's annual salary was 30 koku and 15 kan of money.

In Owari, with its fertile land, two koku of grain was about one kan of money, or 60 koku.

20,000 koku could only support less than 300 samurai. Not all samurai were low-ranking; 60 koku was the minimum.

Would you pay more for a loyal, capable samurai?

So, 50,000 koku could only support 1,500 light foot soldiers or 300 samurai, but not both.

The harvest was not always stable. In case of natural disasters or other issues, the yield could decrease or even fail.

With soldiers and armor, they could raid neighboring villages, districts, or provinces for food, starving others to survive.

This is why every Sengoku daimyo was obsessed with military expansion, leading to the suffering of the people in the 66 provinces, and why life in troubled times was worse than that of a dog in peaceful times.

Moreover, not all resources could be used for recruiting soldiers. Did they need military equipment? Bows, arrows, swords, armor, horses, and guns were all essential. Food and fodder for the army were also necessary.

Would they give rewards for victory or compensation for defeat? They couldn't always grant ancestral lands as fiefs.

In that case, they would need to prepare gold, silver, and copper coins. Would Oda Nobunaga need the 1500 koku from the Shibata family?

The 1500 koku from the Shibata family could support ten more samurai annually. Would Oda Nobunaga not be heartbroken?

He might already be regretting it, banging his head on the ground. If greed and evil arise, and no one knows about it, it might as well be forgotten...

All of Gintsuba's efforts would be in vain. Of course, some things... once enjoyed, were truly enjoyed...

So, Gintsuba had to act first and nail it down.

As for his reputation? He couldn't care less. He wasn't planning to marry anyway, and at most, he would be pointed at and gossiped about.

No problem, different values, not influenced by the people of this world.

Understanding Gintsuba's concerns, Hina accepted the task with a complex expression.

Although she didn't want Gintsuba to become the subject of gossip, she was even more unwilling for the Shibata family's legacy, which he had protected at great cost, to be taken away by a manipulator.

Hina, with a heavy face, accepted the mission and left. Yuki still had her poker face, as if she hadn't heard their conversation. The two continued their journey home.

Gintsuba returned to the Shibata residence with Yuki, tired and decided to sleep. Even the best body would be exhausted after a night of ten times.

Yuki ordered the male servants to prepare a fire and cook, then returned to Gintsuba's room, silently staring at the paper sliding door, accompanying Gintsuba from the other side.

"Yuki, you should rest too."

Gintsuba, lying in bed, looked at Yuki's shadow outside the door.

"Lord Gintsuba, I'm not tired."

"How can you not be tired? You haven't rested well these past few days, have you?"

"Compared to Lord Gintsuba's sacrifice, my fatigue is nothing..."

Unable to sleep under Yuki's gaze, Gintsuba sat up and opened the door.

Yuki, seeing Gintsuba in a sheer robe, blushed and lowered her head.

Gintsuba, attracted by her beautiful and shy face, couldn't resist and kissed her.

Yuki, startled, panicked and knelt down.

"Lord, what are you doing? Lord."

Gintsuba realized he had made a mistake. After the intimate encounter with Oda Nobunaga, he had lost control and acted frivolously, making it hard to deceive her.

He had to bluff his way through, putting on a serious and dejected face.

"Yuki, I'm actually very afraid."

"Lord?"

Yuki, dazed, looked at Gintsuba, her mind blank after the kiss.

I was kissed by Lord Gintsuba? Why would Lord do such an unseemly act? Was it because of last night's excitement?

Biting her lip, she felt sad for Gintsuba.

A fine young man, forced to serve with his body to save his family due to the family's tragedy.

"I'm afraid of not being able to protect the Shibata family's legacy, afraid of failing to revive the Shibata family.

Now, the Shibata family has no women. Although the village is saved, I'm worried that the women in the village might not listen to me, a man..."

"I am willing to be Lord's woman!" Yuki, seeing Gintsuba's weak and helpless act, blurted out and realized she had said the wrong thing.

"No, please forgive me! I mean, I am willing to risk my life for the revival of the Shibata family!"

"Thank you, Yuki."

Gintsuba looked at Yuki with affection and held her small hand.

Yuki's face turned red with excitement, losing her usual coldness. Gintsuba's sudden kiss had become a bond of loyalty between them.

Mission accomplished, Gintsuba, feeling relieved, looked at Yuki. The two sisters looked so alike, but Hina's bust was much larger...