Warring States Survival Guide
Chapter 57 - 31: Managing a Household Well_2

Chapter 57: Chapter 31: Managing a Household Well_2

Even many samurai, regardless of their rank, would often quote phrases from Chinese classics like The Analects, Zuo Zhuan, or Records of the Grand Historian when giving advice or writing documents—so fluently it was almost infuriating. Composing Han poetry was even more fashionable, seen as a mark of deep learning.

As for hiragana and katakana, they were not widely popular in this era. At most, they’d be mixed into linked verse or everyday letters. If you used too many "kana" in an official document, someone might well laugh and ask, "Are you a woman?" After all, in this age, "kana" mostly circulated among Japanese noblewomen, mostly court female officials using them for convenient shorthand—a sort of cursive Chinese script.

So, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that Okumura Iefuku had read Chinese histories, knew about the deeds of rebellious sages like Zhang Jiao, and was well aware that medicine and witchcraft were definitely tools to incite rebellion.

On this point, Harano had long been prepared. After all, he really didn’t intend to stir up any rebellion, nor did he plan to start a revolution on the Hosokawa Family’s turf. Since before the "Black Clinic" had even opened, he’d always had Jiulang and Juubei involved, consulted with them on day-to-day affairs, solicited their opinions, never avoided anyone—and he trusted that Okumura Iefuku had already asked them early on. Now, Okumura Iefuku just wanted to make extra sure in person.

When it came to these issues, Harano had nothing to worry about, so he simply embellished his original story to Ah Man with a few more details and used it to fool Okumura Iefuku. After chatting for a bit, Okumura Iefuku indeed ended up thoroughly hoodwinked, and the more he imagined, the more everything seemed perfectly reasonable.

After all, Harano’s looks were incredibly deceptive in this era—tall and robust, teeth white and even, learned enough, quick-witted, able to chat astronomy, geography, arithmetic, and literature a bit. Apart from his odd accent, by any measure he was a fine gentleman, his bloodline even suspected to be noble to the extreme. Let alone commoners—even in an Earth Warrior’s household, you wouldn’t raise such a person.

Simply put, in the Middle Ages of Japan, he stood out like a crane among chickens—anyone could see at a glance that he was no ordinary man.

For a man like that to target the Hosokawa Family, coming as a spy to sabotage, to stir up rebellion—it would frankly be a colossal waste, totally not worth it.

Even if Okumura Iefuku searched his own heart, he felt he couldn’t bring himself to do something that stupid.

But Okumura Iefuku was a very dutiful and responsible man. Even though he felt at ease, he still deliberately probed Harano’s religious leanings, finding he had no feeling whatsoever for the Dharma Flower Sect, Ritsu Sect, Zen Sect, or any such. His impression of Buddhism was average, he didn’t care for new or old Buddhist disputes. At last, Okumura Iefuku was totally reassured, believing Harano really was just an out-of-town Wandering Samurai who’d accidentally crossed into the Otai River basin—a pitiful exile, likely with no schemes inside.

He himself was even less dangerous: eyes clear and upright, plainspoken and open. Okumura Iefuku, with all his years, still had some skill reading people; he believed Harano practiced medicine simply out of kindness, from having a compassionate heart.

In that case, Harano temporarily settling in Hibi Village was absolutely fine.

On the contrary, it was a wonderful thing!

Okumura Iefuku grew ever more enthusiastic toward Harano. After all, having a Divine Doctor in the territory would mean far fewer deaths, and the longer he stayed, the greater the benefit. Anyone with a brain could see that—he practically had to be warm. So he and Harano started chatting about sights and stories from various places, and seeing that Harano wasn’t familiar with Owari, he even gave him a detailed introduction of the local customs and scenic spots nearby.

Harano, for his part, was keen to make friends too. After all, a clever dragon won’t suppress local snakes, right? So he took various amusing ancient anecdotes he’d heard in later ages and recounted them as West Sea Road folk tales for Okumura Iefuku, this samurai who’d never left the East Sea Road. Both sides got along swimmingly.

By the time the Genmaicha had steeped till it was swollen, Harano felt it had gone on long enough—their relationship was already established—so he finally got to the main point: "We’ve chatted the hours away. I heard Lord Maeda Kurando is unwell. Should we head over and take a look now?"

For him, maintaining a friendly relationship with the Hosokawa Family was already enough. If he wanted to shoot the breeze, he might as well go find Maeda Toshie—the gains would be greater. He wanted to finish the checkup and head back as soon as possible. Honestly, these idiots in the Hosokawa Family never repaired their roads—they were horrible to walk, just getting home would take several hours.

Okumura Iefuku, though, was a bit unsatisfied. Some stories Harano told really were fascinating—he wanted to talk more and broaden his horizons. But of course, business was business. He immediately said, "It’s not just my Lord who’s unwell—there’s also Shinichiro-dono... That is, my lord’s eldest son Maeda Shinichiro Rikyu—his health isn’t good either."

At this point, he glanced outside, then apologized: "My apologies. I hadn’t expected you to arrive so soon. My Lord and Shinichiro-dono have gone out on an errand. I already sent word ahead—they should be back shortly. Harano-dono, please wait a little longer."

"Ah, I see!" Harano nodded, unconcerned, and said politely, "If there’s urgent business, I can come back again tomorrow."

Okumura Iefuku smiled and waved his hands. "It’s nothing urgent, nothing urgent at all. My Lord just took a few people out to gather wild greens, not far at all, should be back soon."

"Oh? Lord Maeda Kurando personally goes out to pick wild greens? Does he do that often?" Harano was slightly surprised, half-suspecting Maeda Toshimasa was out experiencing grassroots life, just like he had a few days ago.

"He does it all the time," Okumura Iefuku said matter-of-factly. "My Lord is a master at foraging wild greens—and at farming too. In Hosokawa Castle, few can compare to him."

"That’s really... uh, impressive!" Harano looked around the humble guest tea room, recalled the ramshackle, unfinished Hosokawa Castle with not a shred of dignity, and for a moment was at a loss for words. He forced out a compliment.

Looks like even in these wretched times, even the local magnates and Earth Warriors didn’t have it easy. Even a Lord of a City—even after squeezing the commoners dry with all kinds of harsh taxes—still had to go out personally to pick wild greens and work the fields. Not just occasionally, either...

Is it poor estate management, or did it all go to buying arms and armor, or was it because the "Tiger of Owari," Oda Nobuhide, was just that much of a jerk?

It was probably all three, but the main reason had to be Oda Nobuhide being too much of a bastard. Oda Nobuhide seemed to deliberately, or unintentionally, weaken the power of local magnates, constantly mobilizing everyone to war: massive expenditures, heavy casualties, until even his feudal lords had to do manual labor in the fields—truly miserable.

But to be this miserable and still not join forces and bash Oda Nobuhide’s head in—these local magnates must have some tolerance!

Harano grumbled inwardly, running through the internal affairs of the Oda Danjo Chonosuke family, while Okumura Iefuku took his exclamation to heart, bowed deeply in the old-fashioned way, and thanked him on behalf of his lord: "Harano-dono, you flatter us. Thrift and diligent management is a Samurai’s duty—you are too kind!"

"Not at all! Truly admirable stewardship, truly admirable—your household has excellent family values!" Harano withdrew from his wild thoughts and could only go along with the flow, repeatedly praising, trying to look as appreciative of Maeda Toshimasa as possible.

The small talk continued; they chatted for what was well over two hundred wen, and Harano was almost full from drinking tea before Maeda Toshimasa finally returned. Not just him, either—he came back with his whole family, men and women, young and old, quite a bustling crowd.