On August 8, the 11th year of Astronomy, Tsugawa Castle held another assessment. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Except for Kuroda Iekane, the lord of Iwatani Castle, who was unable to attend the town guard in Komatsuyama, the rest of the retainers came to Tsugawa Castle.

Kamiyama Castle Lord and Osawa Castle Castle Hero Mizutani Hisaharu, Ryohei Castle Lord Yoshikawa Hiroie, Nagano Castle Lord Nagano Masahei, Takahashi Castle Lord Takahashi Kokoku, Togo Castle Dai Komura Yoshikage, Kadoyama Castle Lord Nishigo Kicho, Ichigo-Rokugo Castle Hiroshi Miki Naogo, Otaka Castle Castle Hiroshi Kawakami Tadakei, Takane Castle Lord Junko Shigedo. More than a dozen retainers, including Ichamoto Takahashi Koke and Nagano Masabo, Togo Yoshisuke for Foreign Affairs, Ogasawara Nobusaki for Economy, Saigo Kizuzo for Agriculture, Rokuro Umino for Mining, Ichiro Yamamoto and Yoshimori Totoki, and Nobita Tono for Ashigaru Gumi.

"The assessment begins!" Soji Tsugawa said loudly.

"Saigo Kizo, first of all, explain the current situation of the family!" Soji Tsugawa said to Saigo Kizo.

"Hey!" Saigo Kizo responded.

"The family now occupies most of the territory of Xianbei County, except for the remnants of the Tozawa family in the northeast of Xianbei County, Xianbei County has been fully occupied by the family!" Saigo Kizo said excitedly.

The retainers present here have all witnessed how the Tsugawa family has developed from a wealthy family of a few hundred stones to a powerful wealthy family of tens of thousands of stones. So when Saigo finished speaking, everyone present felt extremely excited.

"Now the family has newly acquired the territory of Maeda Castle and the territory of Komatsuyama Castle." Saigo Kizo continued, "The Maeda family's territory is around 1,600 koku, but there is a silver mine in Kami-Maeda Castle. Komatsuyama Castle was the base of the Tozawa family, and the land was fertile and agriculture was developed, and the stone height accounted for one-third of the stone height of the old Tozawa family. Under the rule of Zhongxian, Baiyan and other places, the stone height is 6200 stones! The previous stone height of the main family was 23,000 stones, and after this battle, the stone height of the main family has risen to about 30,000 stones. Saigo Kizo said excitedly!

"Now the power of this family is also ranked first in the entire Dewa country!" Saigo Kizo said excitedly.

For a while, a smile appeared on everyone's faces, including Soji Tsugawa.

Soji Tsugawa nodded and said, "Rokuro Umino, tell me about the silver mine situation in Uemaeda Castle!" ”

"Hi" It was the first time for Rokuro Umino, who was sitting below, to participate in such a grand evaluation, and he hurriedly said excitedly, "The silver mine in Uemaeda Castle has been explored by its subordinates, and the reserves are not very large, and it is estimated that it will be depleted within 10 years according to the current mining rate." ”

Upon hearing Rokuro Umino's words, Soharu Tsugawa was also slightly disappointed. After all, it can only be mined for 10 years, which shows that the reserves of this silver mine are really small. But something is better than nothing, so Soji Tsugawa continued, "At the current rate of mining, how much income can this silver mine bring to the family?" ”

"Back to the lord, the current mining volume of Maeda Silver Mine produces 15 pieces of silver per month, and a small judgment of silver is about 5 yuan. Therefore, the annual output is about 150 pieces, and 750 pieces a year. Rokuro Umino replied.

"So little?" Soharu Tsugawa asked puzzled. In the impression of Tsugawa Soji, silver mine = money = countless money. But as soon as he heard the words of Rokuro Umino, Soji Tsugawa was stunned for a moment, how could there be so little?

Umino Rokuro said helplessly, "My lord, first, the number of mining people is small and the speed is slow. It's the process of refining silver, which is why the output is so small! ”

The mining and selection of silver ore is more complicated, and the silver ore contained in the stone cave is often divided into several branches, and the miners have to dig 10 or 20 zhang deep to find it, which is not something that can be done in a few days or months.

Silver minerals are hidden deep in the soil and are like tree branches, so miners divide into squads to dig across the twigs. In order to avoid collapse and destruction, the roof of the cave had to be supported by wooden planks, and at the same time, small lanterns had to be lit. After the excavated silver ore is measured in buckets, it is distributed to the smelters to be refined, and it must be hand-sorted and washed before entering the smelting furnace. It is then heated and smelted, and when it melts, the lead sinks to the bottom of the furnace, so that the raw silver is refined.

However, the current smelting process of the Tsugawa family cannot effectively improve the speed and efficiency of silver, so they can only work their hands. The popular method of refining silver is known as the "ash blowing method". However, it is clear that the Tsugawa family has not yet mastered this technology, so the Tsugawa family's silver production will not be able to increase in the short term.

Soji Tsugawa thought about it and said, "Rokuro Umino, His Royal Highness will send you more manpower, and you must work hard to increase the output of the silver mine." When the time comes, His Highness will be rewarded! After Soji Tsugawa finished speaking, he gave Rokuro Umino an encouraging look.

Rokuro Umino said excitedly, "Hi! You won't be disappointed! ”

"Hmm" Soji Tsugawa nodded and continued, "The strength of the family is now increasing again! This is all due to your efforts, and Your Highness will announce the reward of meritorious retainers! ”

"In this battle, Hisaharu Mizutani improvised and captured Maeda Castle, and it should be the first credit to win Maeda Chengyi!" Soji Tsugawa said loudly, "Appoint Kuji Mizutani as the imperial member of the family and promote him to a general!" Seal the mountain city of Zhixing 1000 stones! ”

"Thank you, lord!" Hisaharu Mizutani said excitedly.

"Saigo Kicho also contributed a lot to assisting Mizutani Hisaharu, and he transferred 800 stones to Iwamatsu Castle! Promoted to the rank of general of the family!" Soji Tsugawa continued.

"Hey! Thank you, Lord! Saigo replied loudly. Saigo Kicho is almost 50 years old this year, and the retainers of the Tsugawa family have witnessed the growth from a peasant to his current status at such an age. Although Saigo Kicho did not have particularly outstanding talents, he was one of the first people to follow Tsugawa Soji. And hard work, hard work, so everyone still admires Xixiang Muchang very much.

Then, Soji Tsugawa continued, "Nobita Nobi discovered that Komatsugawa had a meritorious undercurrent, granted him the status of a samurai, and became the head of the Ashigaru group of the family, with an annual salary of 50 koku! ”

Nobita, who was sitting at the bottom, couldn't react at all, and Totoki Yoshimori on the side pulled him to come back to his senses, and he was actually promoted to the head of the Ashigaru group!

So Nobita immediately said gratefully, "Thank you, my lord, my subordinates will definitely swear allegiance to the Tsugawa family!" ”

"Hmm!"

"Togo Yoshisuke's negotiations with the Onodera family are also good, plus 100 stones, and now 200 stones a year!" Soji Tsugawa said.

"Thank you, lord!"

"The herald Kuroda family will transfer the Komatsuyama Castle Zhiyuki 1,000 stones, and the Yoshikawa Hiroshi family will transfer the Hondo Castle Zhiyuki 1,000 stones." Soji Tsugawa continued. As the Tsugawa family's territory expanded again, the outer castles of the domain, such as Maeda Castle and Komatsugawa Castle, became the forefront of contact with hostile forces, and it was necessary to send the most powerful retainers to defend them.

As for the adverse effects that will be brought to the retainers by the arbitrary transfer, it will not exist at this time, because the places that are transferred are better than the original places, and the retainers are also sealed, and it is too late for the retainers to be happy.

Among the retainers of the Tsugawa family, the most powerful ones who led the troops to fight were Kuroda Iekane, Yoshikawa Hiroke and Mizutani Kuji, and these three people were also the oldest. The other Nagano Masahi and Takahashi Kokoku both surrendered later, as for Miki Naogo's qualifications are not enough, and the experience is still poor, maybe he will be a general who can take charge of himself in the future. Therefore, Tsugawa Soji planned to have Mizutani Kusaharu guard the "west gate" of the Tsugawa family, and Maeda Castle, and Komatsuyama Castle and Hondo Castle, which bordered the Tozawa family in the north, were to be visited by Kuroda Iekan and Yoshikawa Hiroka.

Ryohei Castle and Iwatani Castle are now deep in the hinterland of the Tsugawa family, and it would be a bit inappropriate to leave the Yoshikawa Hiroshi family and others here.