Chapter 225 29. The Yamanouchi Navy Is First Established
"Kantaro, your father asked you to serve me, but I cannot support the sailors under you."
Xiaoheita couldn't help but feel happy after watching the drill of the Anzhai Navy yesterday. It was great that a samurai of this level came to join him. But if you think about it for a moment, naval forces at home and abroad in ancient and modern times are all money-burning things. My little income will definitely not be able to support the four to five hundred Anzhai navy.
"Well, you can't disobey your father's orders." Anzhai Qingyasu came from a family of famous warriors, and he never thought about money. There is never a shortage of daily expenses, and the concept of money is not too important.
What's more, their navy has long been accustomed to a life of money when they own a ship. Once the ship stops on the Seto Inland Sea channel, won't the tolls come rushing in? Where do you need to consider how to get money?
"My lord, Yamauchi, is the Prime Minister of the world. He is now a general who has become famous all over the world. How about I serve as your intermediary and serve my Highness."
Kohei's abacus was so great that he first recommended people to Yamauchi Yoshiharu, saying that he would not cultivate private followers. Then, the navy must still be able to move along the far river and the sea. He is Ejiri Castle, and Anzai Kiyoyasu will definitely do his best in the end.
Although this is not a master-slave relationship, it can completely cultivate a close enough relationship. In the future, if the two parties form an alliance, their influence in the Yamauchi family will be greatly enhanced. Yamauchi Yoshiharu held a collegial discussion, and more people could help Xiaoheita speak up.
"Is this the only way?" Anzhai Qingkang seemed a little reluctant. After all, he and Xiao Pingtai had been together for the past two days, and he also felt the kind and caring temperament of Xiao Pingtai, who was good at caring for soldiers and civilians. To put it bluntly, Xiaopingtai doesn't have a strong sense of respect and inferiority in his bones, so he doesn't treat those who are inferior to him harshly, making others mistakenly think that he is a tolerant and kind person.
"For today's plan, this is the only way to live up to the great trust of Settsu." Koheta said it sincerely. Anzhai Kiyoyasu had no choice but to nod and accept.
So the two agreed to rest for a day or two. Koheita would first send a letter to Yamauchi Fuchu Castle, and then hit the road again, giving Yamauchi Yoshiharu a buffer time.
Koheita temporarily entrusted Ejiri's security to Kanai Meigoro and Ogasawara Nagamasa, and entrusted the government affairs to his uncle Tsunayoshi. Anyway, the summer harvest is over, and nothing major will happen in the area for a while. Therefore, Xiao Pingtai can take a trip to the mountain without having to worry that no one will handle the affairs.
The streets from Yamauchi to Ejiri underwent large-scale renovations only twice under the leadership of Koheita. Coupled with the increasingly prosperous trade routes, the entire street slowly began to transform from mud roads to rammed earth paved gravel roads. Of course, this project was completely carried out in sections, and not even a tenth of it was completed. The streets still look dead, not much has changed.
Fortunately, both Anzhai Qingkang and Xiao Pingtai had pack horses to travel with them, and horse hooves were much stronger than human feet. However, if horses are soaked in mud for a long time, their hooves will also become infected. If they are not in a hurry, everyone will not be willing to drive like this for days.
When I returned to the mountains, I naturally stayed at Xiao Pingtai's house, and the appearance of the house remained the same. Still old and weak, women guard the door of the house. Anzhai Qingyasu was not surprised by this normal situation of the samurai family. Those who played with boats also had to patrol the sea day and night, and from time to time they had to go to land to participate in battles. On the surface, you may see them as pirates, and they are said to be the free sons of Setouchi, but in fact they are busier than the samurai Ashigaru who specialize in foot combat.
Yamauchi Yoshiharu had already been notified by Koheita two days ago. Now that Koheita and his party had arrived, he naturally summoned them immediately.
There was a reason why he was so anxious. In the past, the Ise Kingdom in Kaidou would not attack Ejiri. Mikawa and Suruga were the territories of the Imagawa clan, their allies. Coupled with various reasons, the Yamauchi clan's navy never took shape. Now that the Takeda clan has Suruga in their hands, they have almost completely captured the power of Suruga's navy.
The day when the Yamauchi clan and the Takeda clan will fight may come at any time. The Takeda clan can advance by land and water together to attack Yuanjiang, but the Yamauchi clan does not have enough naval power to prevent this from happening. This put the plan to reorganize the Yuanjiang navy, which had been delayed for five or six years, on the front page of the Yamauchi family and became a top priority.
Although the Suruga navy has been affected by war and internal strife, it is still a huge force of nearly 3,000 people. The level of more than 200 large and small warships is only surpassed by Boso Okamoto's navy.
Yamauchi Yoshiharu's goal is very clear, either don't do it, or if you do it, you can't be worse than others! Then the level of the Toe River navy must reach the same level as the Suruga navy to ensure that it can compete with the Takeda clan's navy whether it is a frontal battle or a behind-the-scenes attack.
And Anzhai Qingkang's arrival was just like giving him a pillow when he was sleepy. It is very difficult to start from scratch, but it is not so difficult to go from ten to one hundred. What's more, the navy is a waste of money, and Yamauchi Yoshihiro, a miser, still has some money. He was very happy to pay for this kind of knife tip.
Naturally, he also wanted to test Anzai Kiyoshi. In addition to Koheita's recommendation, he also asked for the knowledge of Kanai Meigoro and Shimizu Yoshizuna. After confirming that although Anzhai Kiyoyasu's level was definitely not as good as his father who was famous in the Kinai region, he was at least hundreds of times better than those who couldn't play navy, Anzhai Kiyoyasu successfully became an official.
And what is the price of one person? The annual salary is 500 Guan, plus 25 people support rice. He was directly assigned to the flag family and served as a ship-holding general. And what is the price of his navy of four to five hundred people? Returning to Yuanzhou Beach, the thirty sails were set free of charge.
What does it mean? It means that all the tolls and transaction taxes that thirty ships need to pay every year will be transferred to these pirates for collection and use. Let them keep their own accounts and enjoy the right to collect taxes.
It is equivalent to ten merchant ships supporting one kanbun, which is at least twice as good as their navy in Ataka. These pirates will never be dissatisfied. After they settle down, Yamanouchi Yoshiharu will slowly win them over, divide and disintegrate them, and finally these hundreds of people may all follow Yamanouchi Yoshiharu.
Of course, in fact, even if Yamanouchi Yoshiharu has no one under him temporarily, he will not simply hand over all the navy to Ataka Kiyokuni. The tallest among the short people, Shimizu Yoshitsuna, received a full 1,000 kanmon. He was appointed as the head of the ship. In addition to the dozen or so Kohayas in Ejiri, he was also required to go to Ise to pull another kanbun back. At the same time, he added sailors and iron cannons and bows and arrows. This amount of money is still a bit tight.
Koyata thought to himself that you guys, on the surface, trust people and don't employ people you don't trust. But you still use all the necessary means, just like Koyata's hatamoto and force who are directly under Yamanouchi Yoshiharu have never been lacking. Ataka Kiyoyasu seems to be in a good position, but in fact, he still has a deputy who is directly under Yamanouchi Yoshiharu.
But now that Ataka Kiyoyasu's matter is settled, Koyata has also made a marriage. When he patted his butt and was ready to go back to Ejiri, he was unexpectedly called down by Yamanouchi Yoshiharu and Ataka Kiyoyasu at the same time.