Chapter 74

After seeing off the retainers, who were either excited or worried due to the lord's ambitious plans, Masahiro began to consider another important matter. Just at the end of the council, Ogasawara Kuniharu reported that during the recent pacification of the newly occupied territory, there were instances of foot soldiers hiding personal wealth. To be honest, Masahiro was very angry. He had provided all the foot soldiers in the domain with free armor and weapons, as well as generous stipends, and even the fields they farmed were given by him. Now, some people were still unsatisfied and had even started to covet his wealth? Masahiro immediately issued an order to expel the foot soldiers who had hidden wealth from the foot soldier ranks, confiscate their weapons, stipends, and rewards, and demote them to laborers to serve the domain for one year without pay.

This incident also reminded Masahiro that it was time to establish the military laws of the Roshigumi. In the past, due to the hasty establishment of the army, it was only required that everyone follow orders without question, lacking a clear system of penalties. This often led to many foot soldiers taking risks for the sake of rich rewards, so a military law that would make everyone fear crossing the line had to be established. What kind of military law should be established? Masahiro first thought of the seventeen prohibitions and fifty-four executions from ancient China, the main contents of which are:

1. Those who do not advance when the drum sounds, do not stop when the gong sounds, do not raise the flag when it should be raised, and do not lower the flag when it should be lowered, are considered traitors to the army, and shall be executed.

2. Those who do not respond when called, do not arrive when summoned, do not come on time, and change the military laws, are considered slow in the army, and shall be executed.

3. Those who fail to report when the night watch is passed, are slow in passing the watch, and do not clearly report the watch, are considered lax in the army, and shall be executed.

4. Those who complain excessively, are angry with their commanders, do not obey orders, and are difficult to control, are considered conspirators in the army, and shall be executed.

5. Those who laugh and talk loudly, disregard prohibitions, and rush through the military gates, are considered disrespectful in the army, and shall be executed.

6. Those who use broken weapons, bows with broken strings, arrows without feathers or tips, blunt swords and spears, and tattered flags, are considered deceivers in the army, and shall be executed.

7. Those who spread rumors, fabricate stories, pretend to have dreams, and spread evil doctrines, are considered corrupters in the army, and shall be executed.

8. Those who speak excessively, create discord, and cause disharmony among the soldiers, are considered slanderers in the army, and shall be executed.

9. Those who abuse the people, especially those who force women into sexual acts, are considered rapists in the army, and shall be executed.

10. Those who steal others' property for personal gain, and take others' heads as their own achievements, are considered thieves in the army, and shall be executed.

11. Those who gather to discuss matters, enter the tent without permission, and spy on military secrets, are considered spies in the army, and shall be executed.

12. Those who leak plans and orders, and inform the enemy, are considered traitors in the army, and shall be executed.

13. Those who remain silent when questioned, look down, and show reluctance, are considered stubborn in the army, and shall be executed.

14. Those who jump out of formation, push forward or backward, and disobey orders, are considered disruptors in the army, and shall be executed.

15. Those who pretend to be injured or sick to avoid battle, and fake death to escape, are considered deceivers in the army, and shall be executed.

16. Those who manage the money and grain, and favor their relatives when distributing rewards, causing resentment among the soldiers, are considered corrupt in the army, and shall be executed.

17. Those who fail to accurately observe the enemy, and report inaccurately, are considered negligent in the army, and shall be executed.

Of course, the seventeen prohibitions and fifty-four executions were too severe and complex, so Masahiro simplified them, and after careful consideration, he finally established the first military law of the Roshigumi, as follows:

1. Those who leak military secrets shall be executed.

2. Those who flee during battle without permission shall be executed.

3. Those who harass and abuse the people shall be executed.

4. Those who steal others' military achievements shall be executed.

5. Those who disobey orders shall be demoted to laborers.

6. Those who privately plunder wealth shall have all their wealth confiscated and be demoted to laborers.

The four executions and two demotions were designed to maintain the stability and combat effectiveness of the army. The two demotions were a compromise with reality. For example, requiring everyone to follow orders perfectly was unrealistic. If someone was told to go left but went right because they couldn't distinguish left from right, should they be executed? Clearly not, otherwise, most people would be executed, and the army would defeat itself before even engaging the enemy. Similarly, plundering was a deep-rooted habit of peasant soldiers in this era, and it was difficult to change in a short time. Therefore, if someone plundered, all their wealth would be confiscated, and they would be demoted to laborers until they had created several times the value of the plundered wealth for the domain.

After establishing the first military law of the domain, Masahiro personally copied several copies and instructed his attendants to inform Ogasawara Kuniharu, who was discussing the recruitment of new foot soldiers, and Tsuda Masahide, who was studying the military ideological education outline Masahiro had written the previous night, to come to the council hall. Soon, everyone arrived, and Masahiro immediately distributed the newly copied military laws, instructing them to implement them in the army immediately.

"Milord, this may not be appropriate," Ogasawara Kuniharu said softly after carefully reading the military laws.

"Hmm?" Masahiro, who had gradually developed a habit of making decisions alone, was clearly dissatisfied with the opposition.

"Milord," seeing Masahiro's expression change, Ogasawara Kuniharu immediately bowed and continued, "According to the customs of other powerful lords, when a war is needed, they issue a conscription order to mobilize all peasant soldiers. These peasant soldiers must prepare their own armor, weapons, and basic rations. Once they win a battle, these powerful lords allow the peasant soldiers to plunder on the battlefield and even in nearby towns. If our family enforces such military laws, it may cause dissatisfaction among the soldiers."

"Dissatisfaction?" Masahiro sneered, "They are no longer ordinary peasant soldiers; they are our standing army. Besides, who provided their weapons? Who provided the generous stipends and fields that ensure their families' well-being? Are they still unsatisfied? Hmph, these military laws must be strictly enforced. Sakujiro, Kizaburo, you are responsible for supervision."

"Yes, Milord," Sakujiro and Kizaburo responded loudly. They didn't care what others thought; they only knew that the lord's words were the will of the gods, and no one was allowed to disobey. Sensing Masahiro's determination to enforce the military laws, Ogasawara Kuniharu and Tsuda Masahide immediately accepted the order and left with the two military supervisors, as if fleeing for their lives. Joking aside, if they continued to argue, the lord would certainly become angry, and they would have to face his terrifying wrath.

In fact, Masahiro was not at all worried about causing dissatisfaction in the army. Even the foot soldiers with the lowest stipends earned 7 koku of rice per year, and with the income from their fields, their families could not only live comfortably but even have some surplus. Moreover, Masahiro always rewarded the soldiers after each victory. What more could the foot soldiers want? To be honest, Masahiro could even be considered a benevolent lord. Those who were still dissatisfied were simply too greedy, and Masahiro was not averse to making an example of them to warn others.

While Masahiro was still distracted, Aoki Heiji rushed in.

"Milord," Aoki Heiji bowed to Masahiro, his face full of joy.

"Oh, it's Heiji. What's the good news?" Masahiro asked.

"Milord, the allied forces of the Douya, Akasaka, and Tachibana families have already decided the outcome. Although the Douya family in Yunoshiro Castle fought bravely and repelled the besieging forces several times, the castle gates were breached on the second morning of the siege," Aoki Heiji reported. "Heizaburo escaped in the chaos and, following the letter left by the foot soldiers as per your instructions, found his family settled in our domain. He is now outside, requesting to become a retainer of our family."

"Hmm?" Masahiro was initially surprised but quickly reacted, "Very well, bring him in." Ever since Aoki Heiji returned from purchasing grain, Masahiro had intended to recruit this "general" mentioned by Heiji, but at the time, the domain was not strong enough to recruit him. Now, hearing that he was outside and requesting to serve the domain, Masahiro was naturally pleased.

After the order was given, a young man with a typical samurai hairstyle, about 1.65 meters tall, and several fresh scars on his face, quickly entered. He knelt and bowed before Masahiro, saying, "This humble one, Heizaburo, greets Milord."

"Ha ha, rise," Masahiro smiled and continued, "This is our first meeting. Before this, Heiji has mentioned your 'general' demeanor several times."

"Milord, this humble one is truly ashamed," Heizaburo immediately bowed, his voice choked with emotion, "After my lord was defeated, I felt deeply guilty and was prepared to commit seppuku to atone for my sins, but I was too concerned about my wife and children, so I temporarily survived. I thank Milord for protecting my family," and he bowed again in gratitude.

"Upon learning of Milord's remarkable achievements in swiftly defeating the bandits and overthrowing three powerful lords, I am deeply impressed," seeing Masahiro's calm expression, Heizaburo gathered his courage and firmly said, "For the sake of my wife and children, please accept me. Even if I face ridicule from the world, I will do my utmost to serve the Roshigumi with my remaining strength." Heizaburo spoke the truth. After finding his wife and young son at Aoki Heiji's home, he was thoroughly shocked by the situation described by Heiji. A young man of only 17 or 18 years old had, in less than two months, defeated bandits who had terrorized the region for decades and overthrown three powerful lords. This was an incredible achievement, far surpassing his former lord, who had ignored his advice and was ultimately killed. His despair had turned to hope. Persuaded by Aoki Heiji and looking at his newborn son, Heizaburo abandoned the idea of seppuku and decided to serve the Roshigumi.

At this time, samurai still adhered to the spirit of bushido. For Heizaburo, whose lord had been defeated, the most honorable action would have been to commit seppuku to atone for his failure to protect his lord. Therefore, for Heizaburo, the decision to immediately serve another lord after his own lord's death required great resolve. If this decision were publicized, no other powerful lord would be willing to accept him. From his words of loyalty, Masahiro also sensed more meaning: first, he indirectly indicated that his former lord was dead, and he had no suspicion of being a spy; second, he was willing to use his family as hostages to guarantee his loyalty to the Roshigumi.

"Um, Heizaburo, why don't you tell me about the situation with the Douya family first?" Masahiro decided not to rush into accepting his service.

Heizaburo was taken aback but immediately understood that he was being tested. He bowed and then detailed the situation of the Douya family. A month ago, the lord of Yunoshiro Castle, Douya Kijiro, had accidentally learned that the nearby Akasaka family had recently purchased a batch of weapons and was secretly transporting them to their castle. He immediately planned to send men to secretly infiltrate the Akasaka domain and seize the weapons. Despite Heizaburo's strong opposition, Douya Kijiro insisted on his plan and successfully seized the weapons. For nearly a month, the Akasaka family did not react, and Douya Kijiro became even more arrogant, even mocking Heizaburo for being too timid and ordering the dissolution of the peasant soldiers gathered to deal with the Akasaka retaliation. A few days after the peasant soldiers were dismissed, the Akasaka and Tachibana families attacked Yunoshiro Castle from the front and rear, claiming to reclaim the stolen weapons. Since the two families seemed well-prepared, they advanced quickly and reached Yunoshiro Castle in less than a day. Douya Kijiro was caught off guard and could not even gather the peasant soldiers in time. The allied forces launched a siege that night, and despite the resistance of the castle's samurai, the gates were breached by the next morning. At this point, the reinforcements from the Douya family's main castle had just set out from Tachibana Castle. Heizaburo tried to protect Douya Kijiro and break through the encirclement but was surrounded by several times the number of enemies. He watched helplessly as his lord's head was taken by the enemy. Just as Heizaburo was about to give up, the allied forces became disorganized due to rumors of the approaching Douya reinforcements, and he escaped in the chaos.

"This humble one crossed the river outside Yunoshiro Castle and headed for Milord's domain when the allied forces were engaging the hastily arrived Douya reinforcements," Heizaburo concluded.

"Um, very good. Now, the Roshigumi officially appoints you as a foot soldier general to assist Aoki Heiji in stabilizing the domain. Your stipend will be 40 koku," Masahiro nodded. After hearing Heizaburo's detailed report, Masahiro felt both relieved and concerned. He was relieved that the powerful lords to the west were engaged in conflict and would not be able to focus on the Roshigumi for some time. However, he was concerned that whoever won the conflict, Yunoshiro Castle would be heavily fortified, posing a significant threat to the Roshigumi, as no one wanted a powerful neighbor.

"Yes, Milord," Heizaburo was overjoyed at Masahiro's appointment and immediately bowed in gratitude.

After instructing Aoki Heiji and the others to quickly stabilize the domain, Masahiro was about to carefully review the accounts left by Aoki Heiji when Ogasawara Kuniharu rushed in again, bringing an unexpected guest.

(PS: The new book is about to reach the 3000 recommendation milestone, please give it your support! It has been five weeks since the release, already A-signed, and updated with over 200,000 words, with no plans to stop. It has been on the Three Rivers Potential List for two weeks, the New Book Recommendation List for one week, and the Historical Strong Recommendation List this week. Next week, it will be on the Historical New Book Selection List. Dear readers, please don't leave after reading; if you don't have a recommendation ticket, at least add it to your bookshelf. I humbly request your support. My goal is to write at least 1.5 million words, even if it means a spectacular failure. I enjoy writing and embracing solitude.)