Warring States Survival Guide

Chapter 247 To fight or not to fight?
Tobacco originated in the Americas. As early as 1000 BC, indigenous peoples in Mexico and other parts of the Americas began to cultivate tobacco and invented smoking tools such as "pipes" and "mouthpieces".

In 1492, after Columbus discovered the New World, he brought tobacco back to Europe, and Europeans then spread it to Asia.

In China, tobacco was introduced around the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, while in Japan, written records of tobacco appeared around 1590, during the late Sengoku period.

Now, Aman is ahead of his time, smoking a "pipe." Yuanye snatched it away, examined it carefully, and smelled the pungent, burnt odor. He frowned and asked, "Where did you get this thing from?"

Aman, puzzled, asked curiously, "It was stolen. A foolish ronin listened to the Kakizaki family's nonsense and went to Ezo Island to reclaim land. He was captured by the Ainu people, and I found it on him. I heard it's a kind of medicinal herb. Try it; it might feel a little strange at first, but you'll get used to it..."

"A ronin? Where is the ronin? Where is he?" Haruno interrupted her and pressed for an answer.

Aman recalled for a moment and hesitated before saying, "Of course he's on Ezo Island. He's doing hard labor right now, and we don't even know if he's dead or alive! I think he's from Kansai. He was probably the second son of a small noble family before his whole family died, and he fled to the Tohoku region. Then he was persuaded by the Kakizaki family to go to Ezo Island."

After answering, she became even more confused and asked again, "Isn't this thing wrong?"

"Well, nothing's wrong, it's just... it's the first time we've met." Yuan Ye casually replied, having roughly understood what was going on.

Historically, the introduction of a new species into a country or region usually does not happen only once.

For example, corn, which is also an invasive species from the Americas, has been recorded as being introduced into China in the southwest coast, the Indochina Peninsula, the southeast coast, the northwest region, and the Bohai Sea region.

In other words, corn entered China several times, even more than a dozen times, with an uncertain timeframe and a difference of nearly a century. This also resulted in corn not having a unified Chinese name at the beginning, with various names from "御米" (Yu Mi, Imperial Rice) to "苞米" (Bao Mi, Corn Rice) and "骨米" (Gu Mi) in different parts of the north and south.

The same goes for watermelons. Starting from the Liao and Song dynasties, various varieties were repeatedly introduced to China, and this continued until modern times when the flesh turned red and the variety stabilized.

The situation with tobacco was probably similar. It had likely arrived in Japan from various places before any records were made, but it just hadn't spread widely and no one had written about it yet.

The fact that this Kansai ronin is carrying tobacco could be due to the fact that it was spread by sailors on a "Nanban ship," or it could be a gift from a "Nanban missionary," or even that it was brought from Kyushu Island by a Kyushu merchant ship that came to Kansai for trade.

However, that doesn't matter anymore. Tobacco can be a money-making tool, and all transmigrators love to use it. It's just that he had never been able to connect with the Southern Barbarians before, which is why he didn't have any crooked thoughts.

Tobacco that costs three or five cents can be sold for three to five dollars, or even thirty or fifty dollars, resulting in a profit of ten or even a hundred times...

With military funding secured, the troop capacity can be increased by at least 30%.

Of course, we also need to grow tobacco. Tobacco thrives in humid and warm climates, and Japan's climate is suitable, so it shouldn't be difficult. The real challenges are the filters and cigarette rolling machines...

You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household. Ever since Yuan Ye became the "master of Wanjin", he can't stand the word "money". Hearing the word makes his heart race, his eyes turn red, and he loses his reason, only thinking about making money.

At this point, their moral standards plummeted again, and they started thinking about promoting cigarettes in Japan once more.

A hundredfold profit! Who wouldn't be bewildered by that?!

He couldn't even bother with repairing the fortifications for the moment, and directly instructed Aman: "You're not needed here. Go back to Ezo Island right away. Even if you have to hang that ronin up and beat him, you have to find out how he got this thing. You must find the seed! If you can't find it, go to Kansai or Kyushu. In short, you must bring the seed back to Wanjin!"

"Oh, I just got back and I have to go back already?" Aman had exhausted everyone on the boat before she got back, and she didn't want to go back before she could even settle in.

Besides, given the current situation, a fierce battle between Wanjin and the Kitabatake family is inevitable, which will affect the future of the Nohara family. She wouldn't feel at ease letting her leave now.

She quickly said, "It's just finding some things, it's not that difficult, I don't need to go myself, I can just send some people, right?"

"Okay, but you absolutely have to find it!"

"Don't worry!" Aman didn't think it would be difficult. She wasn't sure if she was asked to look for it, so she couldn't guarantee it, but as long as Japan had it, she would definitely be able to get it. After all, the "Survival Corps" had been developing for so many years, and it was impossible for them to take so much funding for nothing.

But now she's become curious about tobacco. After all, she brought back such a big piece of gold nugget for Yuanye before, and he only admired it for five minutes before throwing it aside. But he's so nervous about these bits of grass and leaves. These bits of grass and leaves are obviously not simple!

She took out her small leather pouch and rummaged through the tobacco inside. It seemed to be just some kind of herb, nothing special. She asked curiously, "Is this stuff valuable?"

Yuan Ye affirmed, "It's very valuable!"

Why is it valuable?

"You'll understand when you find the seeds."

Yuan Ye couldn't explain it now, and A Man was used to it, so she didn't press him. But she immediately raised her eyebrows, her dark eyes darting around, and she pondered, "Doesn't that mean I've done a great service? I found something so valuable, and I even... uh, I even specially presented it to you. That's definitely a great achievement, right?"

She felt she was being taken advantage of and wanted to get something in return.

Yuan Ye was stunned for a moment, and felt that what she said was true. Even if she was probably just bored on Ezo Island and started messing around, it was true that she had opened up a source of income for Wan Jin.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then consider it a contribution. If this business succeeds, I'll give you five percent... um, one-thousandth... uh, one-ten-thousandth... fifty strings of cash as a bonus." "Ah, only fifty strings? Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?" Aman was unhappy. Even though she used to be a little beggar, she wasn't anymore. She said directly, "It should be at least five hundred strings! Otherwise, you'll have to give me fifty strings of cash as a dividend every year!"

“Sure, no problem. Once production starts, I’ll give you 500 strings of cash in one lump sum, and another 50 strings every year!” Yuan Ye agreed without hesitation. For the tobacco monopoly, a few hundred catties of copper a year was nothing!

Aman gasped, then rummaged through the tattered leaves in his leather pocket again. He realized these things were worth more than gold nuggets, and quickly said, "It's a deal then, you can't go back on your word!"

"Give it to me!" Yuan Ye snatched the leather bag away. "Don't worry, I always keep my word. But this thing belongs to me from now on, and you're not allowed to smoke anymore, or you'll lose your share of the profits."

Smoking reduces life expectancy by 25%. He could use the money to make money, but Aman was his friend, and he didn't want her to die young, so he helped her quit.

Aman didn't care about being forced to quit smoking. After all, she had only managed to snatch some cigarette scraps, which she occasionally used to relieve boredom on Ezo Island. If she wasn't allowed to smoke, so be it; she preferred real money.

For this share of the profits—she and Yuanye had agreed that the profits would go directly to her and not be entrusted to Aqing for safekeeping—she was very proactive. She took a boat back to Xinwanjin Port, ready to send someone to bring that unlucky ronin back urgently, even if it meant being whipped around on a windmill, she would make him hand over the seeds.

Incidentally, as Haruno's absolute confidante and a founding member of the Wanjin faction, she holds prestige second only to Haruno within the core ranks. She can also be stationed on the Chita Peninsula to prevent her allies, Oda Nobunaga and Matsudaira Ieyasu, from taking advantage of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Yuanye side continued to be stationed at the unnamed beach in Ise, sending batches of people, horses, and supplies over. At the same time, they urged the Wanjin army to actively dig trenches and build fortifications, preparing to stay in Ise Province from then on.

Now it depends on whether the Kitabatake family has the determination and ability to fight to the death and drive him into the sea.

…………

"What did the Nohara family say?"

Inside the temporary shogunate tent, retainers of the Kitabatake clan gathered on stools, and Yasuda Katsuji from Ōkōchi Castle also participated in the military council.

The landing point chosen by the wilderness is located at the border of Kasuga County and Shimogyu County. To the northwest, it can attack the outer outpost of Ōkōchi Castle, and to the southwest, it can attack Annō Castle, which is very threatening.

Previously, Yasuda Katsuji's group was on their way to Kamimi District to suppress the local uprising when they received an urgent report. They had to abandon their original mission, make an emergency turn, and set up camp here, with Nozu Castle behind them—an outer outpost of Yasunaga Castle.

To be honest, Yuanye's arrival was a bit sudden. They had no idea what he was up to, or rather, they had some guesses but were hoping for the best and didn't want to be sure.

So, clinging to this hopeful mentality, they tried to appease Yuan Ye before resorting to force, sending envoys to inquire why he had come. If it wasn't anything serious... they didn't want to fight Wanjin at the moment, so giving him some money and supplies and letting Yuan Ye get lost was acceptable.

This is basically treating him like a pirate.

The envoy wasn't too badly treated and returned unharmed, but he said dejectedly, "My lord, I didn't see Nohara Saburo, nor did I see anyone who could make decisions... I didn't see a single samurai, and I don't even know who to ask."

"Hiding away and refusing to see anyone?"

"What else is there to say? The Oda clan has attacked us!"

"Any news from the Kobe family in the north?"

Upon hearing this, the samurai began to chatter amongst themselves, basically confirming that Nohara's arrival was definitely not well-intentioned. Some even judged that this could not possibly be a solo operation by Kawazu, but must have been instigated by Oda Nobunaga to launch a two-pronged attack on Ise Province. Oda Nobunaga was preparing to attack the eight districts of northern Ise, and had sent his vassal Nohara clan to openly cross the sea and land in southern Ise Province to attract the attention of the Kitabatake clan and disperse their forces.

After all, Haruno didn't have much of a reputation outside of the country. He didn't have any achievements like Oda Nobunaga's surprise attack on Okehazama that shocked the world, or Azai Nagamasa's decisive victory over the Rokkaku clan with fewer troops. At most, he had fought a battle with a detachment of the Imagawa clan six or seven years ago, and also fought against the Satomi clan's navy in the Kanto or Tohoku region.

Such a record was not enough to make him famous. At least the samurai of Ise Province did not think it was anything special. In this day and age, who hasn't fought a few tough battles?

Samurai are fighting every day, you know. People like Harano are pacifists, but they often shut themselves off for a year or two without making any moves, or they just follow Oda Nobunaga around and do nothing. They have no deterrent power at all.

Most importantly, Harano is not a ruler of a country like Oda Nobunaga or Azai Nagamasa. He doesn't even have a proper official position in the imperial court and is still called "Saburo". He only has the power of one county. Where did he get the audacity to attack a country with thirteen counties?

They came from across the sea, and if they lose, they could very well lose their entire army, making escape difficult.

Therefore, the lower and middle-ranking samurai of the Kitabatake clan immediately felt that this was a sign of Owari's large-scale attack on Ise. They all suggested that they could not wait any longer and should "attack while the enemy is crossing the river" to take down Wanjin in one fell swoop before Oda Nobunaga arrived!

While the lower-ranking samurai were arguing noisily, the high-ranking samurai of the Kitabatake clan looked grim. Even though they were decisive and determined to launch a preemptive strike to drive the Bakuzu army into the sea, but...

They don't have enough troops. The Kitabatake clan's forces are scattered and entangled with the various uprisings against the tribute system. They simply can't get there in time.

With only a few nearby branch cities and a small amount of reinforcements from Okawachi City, they don't even have the strength of a single prefecture, so the outcome of the battle against Wanjin is truly unpredictable.

Now things are complicated. It can only be said that the Kitabatake family is unlucky this time. They just happened to encounter a pest infestation, and Wanjin took advantage of their misfortune, which happened to coincide with their most difficult time.

Should we fight now or not?
(End of this chapter)