The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

“Yes,” Shinzaburo replied. “This saying uses water to represent the people and a boat to represent the king. Its purpose is to remind those in power to pay attention to the will of the people.”

“That’s right.” Master Mingzhou continued, “Take the Naito family as an example. Although I haven’t been in Tanba for long, I’ve already noticed that many samurai think it’s enough to just issue orders from Yagi Castle, completely disregarding the thoughts of the villagers. How can their martial prowess last if they act so willfully?”

The old monk's words seemed cryptic, but considering what had happened that day, Shinsaburo understood.

This means that the samurai of Yagi Castle, on the whole, probably didn't really support Matsunaga Nagayori, this outsider son-in-law, taking over. The monk, on the other hand, wanted to use the power outside the system to create momentum.

This is a strategy of surrounding the cities from the countryside.

For a moment, Shinzaburo didn't have the energy to consider whether the other party's idea was feasible. He only cared about further expressing his loyalty: "I think that Lord Matsunaga Nagayori, who appeared at the Seiryou Festival this year, is more trustworthy than those samurai lords who live deep in Yagi Castle."

Master Mingzhou nodded and smiled upon hearing this: "That Lord Matsunaga Nagayori is also fond of Chinese studies. If you have time, I can introduce you to him."

……

Shinzaburo was very pleased to have gained the favor of Master Myoshu, the new abbot of Kofuku-ji Temple.

The old monk's claim that he would introduce him to Matsunaga Nagayori, who was expected to succeed Naito as the deputy governor of Tanba, was particularly exciting.

If this can be accomplished, wouldn't it be like ascending to heaven in one step!

Matsunaga Nagayori was already a highly influential retainer of the Miyoshi family. If he successfully took control of the Naito family, he would become the so-called "lord of a province and a castle".

If you curry favor with this lord, begging him to grant you a samurai status or appoint you as a village-level official would be a piece of cake.

However, although Master Mingzhou made a promise, he did not specify when the meeting would be arranged. He simply told Shinzaburo to stay at the temple and wait for further instructions.

Moreover, the original message only addressed Shinzaburo.

As a result, whether it was an oversight or intentional, the rest of the people from Kubo Village, including old man Kinbei, young boy Shingoro, and the villagers who had followed them, felt embarrassed to stay any longer and could only return the way they came after the Qingliang Festival ended.

Before leaving, Old Man Kinbei finally had some free time. He bought a full kan of incense oil and candles and offered prayers to the gods and Buddhas at Kōfuku-ji Temple to express his gratitude for the "protection of Fudō Myō-ō." Then, perhaps feeling a little uneasy, he ran over to Shinzaburo before leaving and asked, "What does Master Meishu mean by this? Does it mean he is willing to protect our Kubo Village?"

Shinsaburo wasn't entirely sure about this, so he offered his suggestion: "There shouldn't be any problem, but don't be careless. Anyway, it's the off-season for farming now. After you return to the village, find some excuses to host a few more banquets, gather all the respected people from the neighboring villages together, have a few drinks, and make it more lively."

"Good, good! I understand now. The more important our family seems, the more those gentlemen will value us." Clearly, Old Man Jinbingwei now trusted Shinzaburo completely, agreeing to the plan without hesitation. Only one question remained: "When will we see the outcome of all this?"

“Naturally, we’ll continue until the Naito family’s succession issue is resolved.” Shinzaburo pondered for a moment and said, “Lord Matsunaga Nagayori has already announced that he will hold a funeral for the late Lord Shugodai on the sixteenth day of the first month next year, so he will definitely do his best to resolve the issue before that day. It won’t be long.”

"That'll be a month or two then. No problem!" Old Man Jinbingwei patted his chest, appearing full of pride: "Since you can be valued by Master Mingzhou, you will surely be valued by Lord Matsunaga as well. Our family's future depends on you, kid. I will definitely do as you say when I return to Kubo Village!"

The constant use of "definitely" puts a lot of pressure on people.

But having come this far, Shinzaburo couldn't say anything discouraging, so he could only put on a confident and composed demeanor.

……

For the next few days, Shinzaburo stayed at Kofukuji Temple, in a guest room in a corner of the temple grounds, where he had a luxurious Japanese-style room with eight tatami mats to himself.

I was woken up by the bells from the stupa every day. Meals were served twice a day, at dawn and dusk, with three dishes and a soup, and plenty of brown rice and tofu. After sunset, I could take a hot bath in the bathhouse in the guesthouse area, and even the novice monks who did odd jobs would help wash my clothes. When I slept, I was covered with a thick cloth stuffed with cotton, and there was a charcoal stove nearby for warmth.

Although the temperature has dropped sharply in the past few days, and it feels like it's below zero, Shinzaburo didn't get cold at all while he was in the temple.

While the quality of life is not comparable to that of the materially abundant 21st century, it is already like paradise for farmers in this era.

But it was also too boring.

Without instructions from the new abbot, Master Mingzhou, Shinzaburo dared not leave rashly and could only wander around the monastery on ordinary days. However, most of the area was just ordinary, plain courtyards with nothing worth seeing.

As a Zen Buddhist temple (the Linji school is a branch of Zen Buddhism), Guangfu Temple has an "academy" for teaching believers from outside the temple and a "Zen forest" for monks to discuss Buddhist scriptures. These two places are partially open to the public, but the only books available for borrowing are literacy books and the most basic Buddhist scriptures, and there is not much worth reading.

The monks in the temple were nothing like some of the legendary sects who acted recklessly. They were all cautious in their words and deeds, with a sense of aloofness and superiority. They couldn't exchange more than three casual words, let alone get any information out of them.

I wanted to visit Master Mingzhou, but was told that "the abbot has gone out and has not said when he will return tomorrow."

Shinzaburo dared not ask too many questions, nor did he want to appear anxious, and tried his best to maintain a calm and composed demeanor. By the standards of this era, a person with sufficient "capacity" should be able to remain calm and endure loneliness.

The temple's guest room area was actually occupied by several other people, who at first glance seemed to be local "prosperous people" or wealthy households, similar in status to myself, and probably staying at the temple for similar reasons, so we could chat for a bit. However, we couldn't say anything of substance.

Four or five days later, Shinzaburo was so bored that he would find a quiet, deserted courtyard every day, pick up twigs and draw on the mud, and do some exercise that didn't require any equipment. Finally, he was able to settle down again.

Three more days passed, and I returned to the same courtyard. I wrote a short passage from the Thousand Character Classic on the ground and did a few sets of "prisoner exercises." While stretching, I suddenly heard a deep male voice:

"As a farmer's son, it is truly remarkable that you have neither indulged in luxury nor been able to endure loneliness, and even have not forgotten to review your studies and exercise your physical strength. No wonder Master Mingzhou told me that he must meet you."

Shinzaburo looked in the direction of the sound and saw several people approaching. The leader was a burly and imposing middle-aged samurai with a thick beard and hair, flanked by fully armed attendants.

Upon closer inspection, wasn't that Matsunaga Nagayori, who had appeared at the Seiryou Festival?

He was a senior retainer of the Miyoshi family, the son-in-law of the late Tanba governor, and the younger brother of "Akudanjo".

Even his attire was similar to that day: a dark-sleeved shirt, a white haori (traditional white robe), a tall black hat, and a thin robe draped over his shoulders—he really wasn't afraid of the cold. However, without a sword, and instead carrying a folding fan, he appeared less heroic and more scholarly.

Shinzaburo immediately bowed down.

Matsunaga Nagayori waved his hand to indicate that there was no need for formalities, then looked him up and down and exclaimed, "What a strong man! Indeed, there are hidden talents in the countryside. He is much more spirited than the mediocre men in Yagi Castle. If there is an opportunity in the future, you can wave the military flag and hold up the horse seal by our side."

(Yagi Castle is the residence of the Naito family, the guardian of Tanba)

With just one sentence, he essentially resolved the issue of his samurai identity.

The saying goes, "Even a seventh-rank official is not far from the prime minister's gate." Being able to wave the military flag and hold up the horse seal next to a general makes it easy to obtain a family name.

In the past, just this one sentence would have been enough to make Shinzaburo happy.

But having been bored with no one to talk to these past few days, and seeing that this "important person" seemed to be in a good mood, he tentatively said, "My fellow villagers and I all believe that only Lord Matsunaga can protect the peace of this area. But I heard the other day that some people in the Naito family don't think so..."

What he meant was that he could help in this matter.

"Hmm?" Matsunaga Nagayoshi was slightly surprised when he heard this, then glanced at him a couple of times, and then laughed heartily, clapping his hands and saying, "You little fellow, you don't even have a proper family name, yet you have such ambition and courage. It reminds me of my older brother when he was young. Interesting, very interesting!"

Good heavens, "my elder brother in his childhood"—that must be Matsunaga Hisahide in his childhood!

Shinzaburo was a little annoyed when he heard this. How could they compare me to the guy with the lowest sense of honor in a game from later generations? Is that appropriate?

However, on the surface he put on an expression of longing and admiration, and said with great enthusiasm: "After hearing about the deeds of the two Matsunaga lords, I have always regarded you and your brother as role models."

This wasn't just a polite remark.

It is only the 22nd year of Tenbun (1553). The Owari man who was later called "the monkey-faced man" or "the monkey" has not yet made a name for himself. At present, Matsunaga Hisahide and Matsunaga Nagayori are the representatives of "class leap" in the hearts of the people.

These two brothers came from very humble backgrounds and were probably not even descendants of proper samurai, likely on par with Kinoshita Tokichiro. However, they continuously earned merit and rewards under Miyoshi Nagayoshi, gradually rising from the bottom to become important retainers.

Shinzaburo had specifically inquired about this, and learned that Matsunaga Hisahide's current status was the lord of Takiyama Castle and the acting governor of the three western districts of Settsu. Matsunaga Nagayori also possessed numerous territories, including the seven villages of Yamashina in Yamashiro Province and the Nishioka Nagai Estate, and had the opportunity to control the Funai District of the Naito family.

He genuinely envied the two brothers.

However, Matsunaga Nagayoshi, upon hearing this statement, merely smiled and shook his head, saying, "My Miyoshi family is sweeping across the land with the force of a raging storm. As long as you serve loyally, why worry about not having a chance to show your skills in the future? There's no need to rush. I was just praising you for your patience, but now you're getting impatient?"

This attitude struck Shinzaburo as odd.

According to Master Meishu, the newly appointed abbot of Kofuku-ji Temple, Matsunaga Nagayori needs more "outside the system" assistance to help him smoothly take over the Naito family.

Now that I've met with the person involved, it seems that's not the case.

They didn't show any intention of taking advantage of the situation at all.

Is there some misunderstanding?

Or perhaps Master Mingzhou and Matsunaga Nagayori originally had differing ideas?

016 The abbot wants to go alone

The day after the brief meeting with Matsunaga Nagayori, the newly appointed abbot of Kofuku-ji Temple, Master Meishu, returned from outside and immediately summoned Shinzaburo to his study.

This time, Master Mingzhou's attitude was much friendlier than last time, and his eyes seemed to regard Shinzaburo as a junior.

But they didn't know whether it was genuine or feigned.

Despite his friendliness, he still spoke in the typical manner of a Zen monk, refusing to get straight to the point, and pointed to the scenery outside the window, saying, "Winter is coming, and snow is on the horizon."

This old monk from the Linji sect spoke in such a cryptic and obscure way that even with his years of experience serving leaders at all levels in his previous life, Shinsaburo couldn't understand what kind of play the old man was putting on. He could only respectfully prostrate himself there, not daring to say a word.

Although this winter is indeed exceptionally cold, what he said probably wasn't what it seemed on the surface.

Fortunately, Master Mingzhou quickly spoke up again: "Whether it is a carefully cultivated famous plant in a secluded mansion or a trampled weed in the mountains, it is inevitable that it will be covered by snow. There are still dozens of days until spring. Who will be able to sprout new buds then?"

This time, Shinzaburo finally understood. They were talking about the same things as before. "Wind and snow" refers to the succession crisis of the Naito family, the guardian of Tanba. "Famous tree" is used as a metaphor for the unruly samurai lords in Yagi Castle. "Grass and mustard" naturally refers to the common people in the nearby villages.

The old monk was still talking about mobilizing the people to interfere in the Naito family's succession issue.

Although Shinzaburo was the son of Otsuna from Kubo Village and a hero among the "grassroots," he ultimately failed to break through to the next level. Naturally, he had to recognize his place and immediately said, "If we encounter harsh winters and snow, both famous trees and grassroots will probably have a hard time surviving. It's just that famous trees are too rare and easily die out; while grassroots are endless and will regenerate after the spring breeze blows."

I wasn't exactly a refined person in my past life, and in this life I have even limited literacy. I've tried my best to squeeze out a few pretentious phrases, but I don't know if the other person will be satisfied.

Amidst her trepidation, Master Mingzhou smiled gently and murmured, "Shinzaburo has excellent comprehension and a strong affinity with Buddhism. He truly is a blessed person. Rare indeed." He then reached out and added two pieces of charcoal to the small stove beside him, got up and took a few steps, opened the two windows, and then returned to sit upright on the tatami.

It seems the old monk likes to warm himself by the fire while also getting some ventilation.

But Shinsaburo was unlucky.

He was crouching low, far from the old monk's brazier, and could barely feel any warmth. The floor already felt icy cold. Now, with the cold wind blowing in from the window, he shivered.

As for Master Mingzhou's earlier talk about "enlightenment" and "Buddhist affinity," I had no interest in understanding it at all.

I felt weak, helpless, and wronged.

Fortunately, Shinzaburo was quite robust, and his family wasn't so poor that they couldn't afford winter clothes, so he didn't catch a cold on the spot.

It's bearable for now.

After a short while, Master Mingzhou spoke again: "The Matsunaga brothers of the Miyoshi family may have been unknown weeds in the past, but now they are undoubtedly dazzling talents. You have met Lord Matsunaga Nagayori, what are your thoughts?"

Shinzaburo thought to himself that he could not have gained any insights from just three or five sentences, but in this situation, he could only put on a respectful and longing expression and say in an excited tone: "That person is like the incarnation of Marici!"

In Japanese Buddhism, Marici is considered the guardian deity of samurai. So if you want to praise a samurai but don't know the specifics, saying he is an "incarnation of Marici" is definitely a safe bet.

Of course, this only works on fools.

Master Mingzhou was clearly not a fool, so his expression immediately changed, realizing the meaning behind the words, and he frowned and said, "It seems that you and Lord Matsunaga Nagayori are not as compatible as I expected."

Shinzaburo immediately feigned panic and said hastily, "Lord Matsunaga Nagayori is a man of such great stature that I believe he can take control of Yagi Castle without any assistance. How could I, a mere mortal, dare to talk to him about 'mutual understanding'?"

“No help is needed…” Master Mingzhou had indeed grasped the key point, but he only frowned and remained silent for a moment before revealing a meaningful smile and saying softly, “It’s alright, it’s alright. Between relatives and friends, must we always speak frankly before helping each other? I think that even if the other party politely declines, we should still try our best to show our sincerity.”

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo understood.

It's not a misunderstanding; the old monk's ideas are indeed different from others.

Judging from the current situation, Matsunaga Nagayachi doesn't seem to need outsiders to help him seize the Naito family's inheritance; he's confident he can handle everything. At most, he might use Kofuku-ji Temple to make an appearance before the lower classes and demonstrate his presence.

On the contrary, Master Mingzhou was very active in playing mind games and insisted on helping, but I don't know what he was after.

Although the two sides appear to be allies, is it appropriate to make decisions unilaterally without prior agreement?

Wouldn't that be a typical case of "going it alone"?

Even if you succeed after doing this, people may not appreciate it; if you fail or even have the opposite effect, you will be hated.

Although he didn't yet understand the specifics, Shinzaburo subconsciously felt that this Master Mingzhou, who appeared shrewd and calculating on the surface, was actually impatient for quick success and might not be a good partner.

But... I had no choice.

All the eminent monks that Jin Bingwei used to know have been transferred away, and now the only thing he can rely on is the temporary favor shown to him by the new abbot, Master Mingzhou.

Matsunaga Nagayori seems much more reliable and is a better "big shot." He also verbally promised to give her a samurai status, but that was clearly only because of Master Meishu's reputation, not because he genuinely appreciated her.

Even the best "big shot" is meaningless if you can't latch onto them.

At this moment, Shinzaburo could only bite the bullet and say, "Master, whatever your teachings are, I will remember them."

Master Mingzhou gave a soft "hmm," glanced outside, then got up to close the window he had just opened. He shook his head and said, "This winter is exceptionally cold. The people will probably suffer greatly. During the Qingliang Festival, I saw many villagers dressed in thin clothes, struggling to keep warm, and it was truly heartbreaking."

As soon as the cold wind stopped, Shinzaburo felt much better and, unusually, offered a sincere compliment: "Master, you are truly kind-hearted. Your appointment as abbot is a blessing for the people of this area."

Upon hearing this, Master Mingzhou shook his head and said, "After the New Year, the people have just barely survived the harsh winter and haven't even had a chance to catch their breath. The Naito family, the deputy governor of Tanba, will start collecting levies for the main gate and the levy. Isn't this just adding insult to injury? Moreover, in Yagi Castle, we can't even decide who will take charge next year. We don't even know if we can keep the peace of the area."

Shinzaburo vaguely understood the meaning behind the words, but at this moment he could only play the straight man, pretending not to understand: "Then Master, what you mean is..."

Master Mingzhou closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment, then suddenly opened them again, as if making a decision, and said, "This old monk cannot govern all the territories under the Naito family's rule. But we cannot ignore devout Buddhists like you villagers of Kubo Village. How about we all gather at the temple one day and agree to postpone the payment of all taxes and provisions until the Naito family elects a suitable person in charge?"

Shinzaburo looked very troubled: "Thank you for your concern, but I'm afraid the lords of Yagi Castle won't agree..."

At this moment, Master Mingzhou subconsciously raised his head and said in a firm voice, "Anyone who is dissatisfied with this can come to Guangfu Temple and discuss the matter with me. If that is still not enough, I have a senior brother who is as close as a brother to me, whose Dharma name is Zongtao, and who is currently the abbot of Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto. Senior brother Zongtao was the teacher of Miyoshi Chikuzen-no-kami (Miyoshi Nagayoshi), and I am sure he can determine right from wrong."

With these words spoken, the map of the Yan Kingdom was finally revealed.

It turns out that the new abbot of Guangfu Temple has this kind of connection behind him.

His senior brother, whom he regarded as a brother, was Zen Master Soto, the abbot of Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto. He was the supreme leader of all the monks of the Daitoku-ji school of the Rinzai sect, and his status was extremely noble!

Moreover, he was also the teacher of Miyoshi Chōkei, which indicates that the relationship between the Daitoku-ji branch of the Rinzai school and the Miyoshi family, both as monks and laypeople, must have been very close.

The relationship is close, yet the person insists on going their own way without considering the other's needs, which probably indicates a conflict of interest within the collaboration.

However, no matter how you look at it, organizing people to resist taxes is not the style of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism!

Of course, Japanese Buddhism is full of talented people. The Tendai and Nichiren schools are both good at "physical debates," and the Jodo Shinshu school is always stirring things up. It wouldn't hurt for you to study the "practical concepts" of other schools.