Chapter 83

"Are you giving up on Dewa? Well, that's fine."

"Are you really sure about that?"

With the expulsion of the Ezo by Date Masamune, the pacification of the Tohoku region by the Tsuda family had reached a temporary conclusion. However, a significant problem remained to be addressed before the country could be divided by Oda Nobunaga.

The existence of Uesugi Kenshin, who controlled parts of Etchu, Noto, Echigo, and Dewa.

From Nobunaga's perspective, the current presence of Kenshin was unsettling.

It was expected that Kenshin would send troops to assist in the pacification of the Kanto region by the Tsuda family, but he did not. Instead, he refused to send troops to the Kanto region, using the purchase of food as a condition. During this time, he eliminated the rebellious Yangboku and the Honma clan of Sado, who had strong tendencies towards independence, and strengthened the power of the Uesugi family. He also captured Sakata in coordination with the Tsuda family's invasion of the Tohoku region.

Now, he is focusing all his efforts on the development of his territory.

In particular, he is concentrating on the reclamation of the Echigo Plain.

The history of the world where Koki lived and this world are subtly different.

However, they share more commonalities than differences.

"Lord Tsuda, is there no way to make Echigo prosperous?"

Kenshin suddenly appeared in Edo and has been asking Koki various questions since receiving health guidance from Kyouko.

Despite the potential danger of assassination, Kenshin shows up in Edo with minimal escort and no prior notice.

Given the disparity in national power, it should not be difficult for the Uesugi family to defeat the Tsuda family, but both Koki and Nobunaga have developed a sense of unease towards Kenshin.

They fear that if a war breaks out, Kenshin might do something unpredictable.

Thus, they are relieved by his docile behavior and leave him alone.

While no formal alliance has been established, the relationship between the Oda and Uesugi families is such that the Tsuda family has only a commercial treaty with the Uesugi.

"Reclaiming the Echigo Plain to increase yields?"

"Indeed."

The data is stored in the Kanagawa database.

In Koki's time, the Echigo Plain had been reclaimed in the past to become a major rice-producing area.

The Echigo Plain is comparable in size to the Tokyo metropolitan area.

If the reclamation is successful, the agricultural production of Echigo will increase dramatically.

"But will it succeed?"

"That depends on whether Lord Kenshin is serious about it."

The Echigo Plain has poor drainage, and the fields are swampy, requiring farmers to immerse themselves up to their waists in mud to work.

When rivers flood, the water does not recede easily, and the farmers are forced to live in poverty.

"Whether to send troops to war or to reclamation, the risk to life is the same, and it will be costly. However, if successful, the rewards will be significant."

"Indeed, it is a battle."

Convining with Koki's argument, Kenshin stopped sending troops outside his territory.

During the agricultural off-season, he gathered troops and hired farmers to command large-scale reclamation of the Niigata Plain.

He also promoted the development of mines, selling gold, silver, copper, and iron to the Tsuda family to address food shortages, and introduced new salt production techniques from the Tsuda family to increase production.

The flammable water produced in Echigo is also being bought in full by the Tsuda family, and production is currently being increased.

He actively developed other territories, gradually increasing the productivity of the Uesugi domain.

In the midst of this, Nobunaga finally issued a directive to Kenshin.

To submit to the Oda family.

He ordered Kenshin to submit to Oda Nobunaga, who had already been granted the rank of Shōni no Kami.

For Nobunaga, this was a kind of gamble, but Kenshin accepted it.

He transferred the leadership of the Uesugi family to Kagekatsu but did not succeed him as the Kanto Kanrei, declaring his retirement.

He would not bow himself, but he would make his adopted son Kagekatsu bow.

Kagekatsu, who suddenly became the head of the Uesugi family, went to greet the construction of Ishiyama Castle and began the process of determining the Uesugi family's territory.

The territories of Etchu, Noto, and Echigo were confirmed, but Dewa was confiscated, and Kenshin accepted this as well.

"You look surprised, Lord Tsuda."

"Yes, honestly, I didn't think he would accept."

"I am not a fool who cannot do the math. If I cannot defeat the Oda family, there is no other choice but to submit."

"I thought you were aiming for the world."

"Shingen is the same, and if you ask, everyone would probably answer the same. There are also considerations for the retainers."

He speaks grandly of his dreams but does not claim they are achievable.

If the retainers believe he is aiming to expand his power, and if that is realized, it will lead to their own advancement.

It seems that such a belief is beneficial.

Loyalty is just a facade; retainers will not follow if there is no benefit, Kenshin said in a way that made Koki flinch.

"Dewa will be given to Nobunaga's fifth son, right?"

"Yes."

Dewa, except for the Yahagi District controlled by the Tsuda family, was to be given entirely to Nobunaga's fifth son, Nobumasa.

The large territory was due to the fact that the Tohoku region was a remote area.

Moreover, it was an unstable land that had just been pacified by destroying local forces.

Nobunaga's aim was to stabilize the governance of Dewa with the assistance of Koki, who had become Nobumasa's adoptive father.

"From now on, Kagekatsu will send troops at Nobunaga's command, and I will govern the territory in Echigo. That's the division of roles."

"Indeed."

Kenshin chose the path of becoming a vassal of the Oda family, but Nobunaga, still wary of the still-healthy Kenshin, also showed consideration.

"Mitsu, I heard that Kenshin is undertaking a large-scale reclamation of the Echigo Plain..."

"Yes, he is directing his efforts towards development rather than war. Isn't that wonderful?"

"It seems you have successfully guided him..."

"It will take time."

The reclamation of the Echigo Plain is not a project that can be completed in a few years.

It is a massive project that would only see significant progress by the time Kenshin dies.

"Then, make sure he doesn't think about unnecessary things."

"Understood."

Following Nobunaga's orders, the Tsuda family sent engineers and laborers to assist.

The leader of this group was Hino Shigetada, who had the experience to quell disturbances if they arose with the Uesugi side.

Among them was the figure of Tsuda Nobuteru, leading two thousand men.

"Old man Hino, Echigo is cold."

"Lord, I am still young, so please don't call me old."

In an era where life expectancy was fifty years, Shigetada was already over sixty.

He had transferred the leadership to his eldest son Takayoshi and had his other three children establish their own branches, but he was still working actively, utilizing the 'extended retirement system.'

"Sir, you are old enough to be called an old man."

"Yoshimi, you should not judge a person by their appearance. I am still young."

In response to the comments of Yoshimi, his eldest grandson who accompanied him, Shigetada vehemently argued.

"Let's focus on the reclamation of the Echigo Plain, not your age."

"I am still young!"

Despite the lack of effectiveness of the mediation by Honjo Masaharu, another of Nobuteru's attendants, the Tsuda army entered the work based on their experience and training.

The reclamation plan, various design drawings, and schedules were submitted by the Tsuda family at Kenshin's request.

Following these plans would minimize human errors and ensure the most efficient reclamation.

The Tsuda army was assigned their roles, and Shigetada, commanding three thousand men, began assisting with the reclamation work.

"Indeed, you are experienced."

"I am one of the oldest."

Shigetada, though not as flashy as figures like Saito Kishimaru, Shimizu Seikou, and Satake Yoshihiro, had a solid background as one of the six elders of the Saito family, which was not just for show.

His versatility in various roles, such as castle command, rebellion suppression, tax collection, and development, earned him the trust of Koki.

The fact that all four of his sons had independent households clearly demonstrated his competence and importance.

The fact that six of his grandsons were appointed as attendants to Nobuteru also testified to the high regard in which Shigetada was held by the Tsuda family.

However, he recently became sensitive about being treated as an old man, so that needed to be handled with care.

"Lord, please take charge of the construction of the barracks."

"Leave it to me."

Nobuteru, commanding two thousand men, began constructing the accommodation for the five thousand Tsuda troops who would be staying for a while.

On land granted by the Uesugi family, they built prefabricated houses using transported modular building materials.

The sleeping arrangements were in sleeping bags, considering the cold, but sleeping in a building was a significant improvement over sleeping outdoors.

Setting up a kitchen to provide warm meals for the soldiers and properly preparing latrines to prevent infectious diseases were also crucial.

This was an important task, similar to military operations, and Nobuteru and his team consulted with Shigetada as they worked.

"The next head of the Tsuda family, thank you for your support."

While working, Uesugi Kenshin appeared.

Although he was in charge of the overall construction, he rarely showed up due to his administrative duties at Kasugayama Castle.

He came today to greet Nobuteru and his team, who had come to support the project.

"Lord Kenshin..."

"Really, it's Lord Kenshin..."

Many of the Tsuda army's soldiers and officers, who now regarded Kenshin as a legendary military god of Echigo, were moved to see him in person.

Kenshin was small and thin, and due to war injuries, he limped and used a bamboo cane, but his presence was so overwhelming that even the battle-hardened Shigetada was impressed.

He was the one who had fought on equal terms with Takeda Shingen.

"I am deeply honored by your visit. I am Tsuda Taro Nobuteru."

"Your son is a polite young man, Lord Tsuda."

Kenshin and Nobuteru began their conversation, but while Nobuteru had many attendants, Kenshin had only two guards with him.

His bravery impressed everyone from the Tsuda family.

"I am not much compared to Lord Tsuda. I survived by chance, while your father..."

"My father?"

The Nobuteru knew, Koki, only said "Charge!" or "Begin the attack!" from the main camp during battles.

In administrative matters, he only said "That's fine" after hearing reports from his retainers.

His enthusiasm was mainly for food-related policies.

He often played around with Koki's younger brother, Seiki, who rarely went out, and from Nobuteru's perspective, Koki did not seem like someone who would intimidate Kenshin.

"Usually, he's like that, so I understand your feelings, Lord Nobuteru. I inherited the position of Kanto Kanrei and sent troops to the Kanto region multiple times but failed to destroy the Hojo family. I could not settle things with Shingen either. Yet, Lord Tsuda has destroyed both. The reclamation plan for the Echigo Plain was also entirely provided by Lord Tsuda. The Uesugi family is at a loss."

Not only the reclamation plan, but Kenshin was also terrified by the Tsuda family's detailed topographical maps of the Echigo Plain.

If they were to attack, they could easily break through the defense lines and ambush or surprise the Uesugi army.

If the enemy knew the geography of Echigo better, no strategy would be effective.

"Even with the firepower of matchlocks and cannons, it would not be a match. It's a relief that it ended with the abandonment of Dewa."

"Indeed..."

"Your mother is scary. She scolds me for drinking and eating too much salt. Thanks to her, I now drink this."

Kenshin served tea to Nobuteru and his team.

"Then, there's the coffee recommended by Matsunaga. However, I am not allowed to add sugar due to gout. That couple is really scary."

After serving tea and finishing the conversation, Kenshin returned to Kasugayama.

"Grandpa, is Father scary?"

"There are still many things I don't understand about him. And I am not a grandpa."

"Ah, that's true..."

Nobuteru, as the successor to the various secret technologies known as the inner sanctum of the Tsuda family and the massive ship Kanagawa in the Edo Bay, received special education in secret from Kiyomaro and Seiki.

The only others who knew about Kanagawa were Jiro, who was