Chapter 64

"Lord, why have I been appointed as the lord of Kurokawa Castle?"

"Because the Satake family is a distinguished clan, and it will take time to stabilize the former Ashina territory, so we need a capable castle lord, making it a two-for-one deal."

"I could have predicted this choice, but it seems like it will be a tough job."

The major daimyo of southern Mutsu, excluding the Date family, lost their territories, with the Ashina family being the most prominent among them. Although many of the distinguished clans survived due to their long history, many of them surrendered to the Tsuda family and were kept under control, while others sought refuge with the Date family or the Nanbu family.

The Tsuda family, after suffering a major defeat, had to accept a humiliating peace agreement to survive. Before that, no daimyo had decided to send troops, fearing the strength of the Tsuda army.

The remnants of the Ashina, Tamura, Iwaki, and Soma families, who had fled, would spend their days in misfortune in their new lands.

However, the Tsuda family would also face difficulties in governing the newly acquired southern Mutsu. Although small-scale uprisings by local samurai and temples have occurred, troops have been immediately dispatched to quell them.

All the daimyo of the Tohoku region are distinguished clans with clear lineages. For them and those who have followed them, they do not want to serve under someone of dubious origin like Hikaru.

This is something that can only be resolved over time, but Hikaru appointed Satake Yoshiyasu as the lord of Kurokawa Castle as a quick solution.

If the head of the distinguished Satake family is the face of the former Ashina territory, it is likely that the local samurai will be less resistant.

"The situation in southern Mutsu is still unstable. However, considering that a new conqueror has just arrived, it is relatively calm..."

The Satake family had been working to unify Hitachi since the time of the previous lord, Yoshiaki, and understood the difficulties of governing new territories.

Therefore, it is surprising that the Tsuda family has managed to maintain control over southern Mutsu with only this level of unrest.

"(Perhaps it's because the Tsuda family has funds, technology, and efficient governance...)"

In Hitachi, which is rich in mines, the Tsuda family has actively introduced the latest metallurgical techniques to achieve substantial financial power. They even possess technology that surpasses this, allowing them to obtain large amounts of gold, silver, copper, and other minerals at low costs.

Especially in the treatment of mine toxins, which is the biggest problem in mine development, there is probably no one in the country who can match them. They have managed to avoid local resistance and instead provided employment and benefits, making the local people allies of the Tsuda family.

Even if Yoshiyasu were to raise a rebellion in Hitachi, it is clear that almost no one would follow him.

The Tsuda family mints gold and silver coins of the same weight, and although they do not publicly admit it, they also privately mint Eiraku Tsuho coins. In the Kanto and Tohoku regions, Eiraku Tsuho coins are highly valued. Due to a shortage of coins and the circulation of low-quality bita coins, the Tsuda family's Eiraku Tsuho coins, which are minted with high technology, are naturally trusted.

The fact that the Tsuda family is strong in battle, has expanded its territory, and governs it well also contributes to the credibility of the Eiraku Tsuho coins.

People bring copper ingots and low-quality bita coins to the Tsuda family and receive Eiraku Tsuho coins in exchange. The Tsuda family uses the collected copper ingots and bita coins to manufacture Eiraku Tsuho coins.

Since both parties benefit, no one can stop this flow.

The Tsuda family has distributed a large number of Eiraku Tsuho coins throughout their territory for various construction projects. In the Tsuda family's domain, there is no such thing as corvée labor. They simply gather workers by paying them money.

Participation is voluntary, and no one is forced to come, but farmers often participate in construction projects, leaving their farming to their families, because they receive meals and daily wages, which contribute to their family's income.

The construction projects include road maintenance, flood control, and the development of new farmland, which were originally corvée labor tasks. Since they are now paid for, there is no reason for complaints.

Participation in the Tsuda army is voluntary, and there is no conscription. There is also no need to perform unpaid corvée labor for the local lord. The lower-ranking retainers quickly accepted the rule of the Tsuda family.

Among the local samurai who lost their land and rights, some raised troops to resist the Tsuda family, but they were easily suppressed due to a lack of support.

For the lower-ranking farmers who would become the backbone of uprisings and rebellions, it is natural that they do not see the point in giving up their current good lives to rebel.

Temples and shrines managed to gather more troops. Perhaps it is the power of faith, but since people turn to religion due to difficult lives, not many joined the rebellion when life was about to improve.

Even those who joined the rebellion for the sake of faith often surrendered when they saw the suppression forces sent by the Tsuda family. The remaining monk soldiers were all killed, and the temples and shrines had their lands confiscated and were prohibited from bearing arms, receiving a fixed amount of money each year.

The independence of temples and shrines was taken away by the Tsuda family, and they were placed under their control.

However, the Tsuda family did not interfere with the normal religious activities of the temples and shrines. They even used the knowledge of the monks to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic to the local residents, paying the temples and monks for their services.

For the temples and shrines that conducted their religious activities diligently and quietly, the Tsuda family was a very tolerant and generous lord.

Given these circumstances, Yoshiyasu was appointed to Kurokawa Castle, but he came alone without his family. One reason was that the former Ashina territory was still unstable, but another was that his family was given a mansion in Edo, which had become the new base of the Tsuda family.

Lower-ranking retainers were given houses called "official residences" for free, but they had to return them upon retirement. Middle and upper-ranking retainers were given mansions and stipends, as long as they had heirs. This was the most realistic goal for the Tsuda family's retainers.

"(Even if it's safe here, I'm afraid my wives will refuse to come...)"

In the Tsuda family, there is no system of holding retainers' families as hostages. However, the wives of the retainers enjoy life in the expanding Edo.

They enjoy meals, tea, and conversations with the wives of their colleagues and their lord. The children also go to the lord's residence at sunrise to play, study, and train with the lord's eldest son, Taro, and others.

Although it feels like they are hostages, many retainers are working hard to have their children participate because they receive the same education as the lord's children.

"(Since I'm busy, I can't take care of them anyway. This is probably for the best.)"

Yoshiyasu's duties include the reconstruction of Kurokawa Castle and the allocation of the castle town. The idea is to make this a major stronghold in southern Mutsu to prevent the advance of the northern forces.

The main concern is the Date family, which had to accept a humiliating peace agreement. Many of the Date family's retainers and soldiers, including Date Masamune, were lost, and the Soma family, which had been in conflict with the Date family over the Igu district, lost their land and declined. They have lost even more land to the Tsuda family, who have moved in.

It is uncertain when they will attempt to reclaim their lost territories, so vigilance is necessary.

"(We can't be complacent, but there's no need to be overly pessimistic.)"

Although it hasn't been long, the governance of the territories taken by the Tsuda family has been smooth so far. The Date family might have hoped for a collapse, but the Tsuda family has successfully conducted land surveys and direct control of the territories.

Large-scale uprisings would not be surprising, and indeed, uprisings have occurred in some areas. The leaders were from the Ashina, Shirakawa, Nikaido, Ishikawa, Iwaki, and Soma families, who continued to resist, but they were annihilated by the suppression forces' musket units. The Tsuda family also implemented good governance for the obedient subjects.

They quickly distributed money to the local residents for land reclamation, flood control, promotion of specialty products, and road construction, which had been neglected by the previous lords. The local residents quickly accepted the generous new lord.

Many of the uprising leaders were also pitiful. The troublesome power of the temples and shrines was suppressed, and the measures for collecting taxes and tributes, including the standardization of measuring cups, were implemented, reducing the power of local merchants and guilds. In return, they guaranteed free trade and promoted the development of new merchants.

Given the visible improvement in life under the Tsuda family's rule, would the prestige of the Date family, a distinguished clan of the Tohoku region, still hold any weight? Yoshiyasu was a little curious.

"First of all, they can't match the financial and national power."

Agricultural production is rapidly increasing, and the production of cash crops and other industries is being actively promoted. New mines are being discovered and developed one after another.

New farmland is being created in the Kanto Plain, and flood control projects for rivers prone to flooding are being rapidly advanced. Facilities to store water for agricultural use are also being constructed, using a large amount of new plaster that is widely used in other construction projects.

The construction of landfills, castles, buildings, ports, and roads is also underway, and factories are being built one after another due to their convenience, with exports to the Oda family.

"(At this point, opposing the Tsuda family would be nothing short of reckless.)"

Although the Tsuda family has destroyed distinguished clans, they have been lenient with those who surrender and are willing to be employed. They are given important tasks and positions based on their abilities. Yoshiyasu himself is an example, as Hikaru has treated the Satake family, who were the first to submit in the Kanto region and have made significant contributions, with great favor. The engagement of the eldest son, Tokumaru, to Hikaru's daughter, Iori, is also a testament to this.

"(Now, how will the Date family respond?)"

They seem to be harboring many of the remnants of the daimyo and powerful clans who have lost their territories to the Tsuda family, but if they simply invade with these remnants as their vanguard, the Date family will suffer the same fate as the Ashina family.

"(According to the lord's orders, the focus for now is on increasing national power.)"

The Tsuda family is building a main castle and castle town in Edo, and is also strengthening the fortifications and castle towns in places like Sunpu, Ito, Odawara, Takasaki, Utsunomiya, Mito, Choshi, Kominato, and Aizuwakamatsu. Other bases and towns are also under construction, and the construction of roads connecting them is progressing.

Toll gates have been almost abolished, making it easier for the Tsuda family's troops and subjects to move quickly. The number of spies has also increased, but this is being handled by Fuma Kotaro, who is in charge of the Tsuda family's intelligence.

Port expansion is also underway, and the Tsuda navy's bases are increasing. The Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands have been incorporated into the Tsuda territory as bases for deep-sea fishing, and are also used for the training and resupply of the Tsuda navy.

"(Have we become the rulers of Kanto?)"

The future relationship with the Oda family is unclear, but it seems unlikely that the Oda family can be easily destroyed. They are so strong that it is even possible that the Tsuda family might be destroyed instead. Moreover, Hikaru is a favorite of Nobunaga.

Yoshiyasu did not think it would be easy for them to fall out.

"(If things continue this way, the Oda family will rule the country, and the Tsuda family will become a major power in the eastern provinces.)"

While he considered other possibilities, Yoshiyasu believed that he should work hard for the Tsuda family to elevate the status of the Satake family. With this in mind, he returned to his work.