Hachibai Daowei was very melancholy, and he promised Fujita Matsushiro to pay 360 yuan within three days, but the Hachibai family didn't have that much now.

The merchant still can't be offended, not to mention that it is natural to repay the debt, if he really wants to repay it, then the merchant will be offended, and the credit of the Babai family will be damaged. In this way, there will be no more businessmen who come to the Babai family to do business in the future, which is undoubtedly worth the loss.

It was normal for peasants to borrow money from merchants.

After a year of hard work, the grain had to be handed over to the lord, and the food left was barely enough for the family to survive. If the harvest is bad in a disaster year, merchants like Matsushiro Fujita and Yoshihisa Matsushita need to borrow grain to survive.

In addition, it was also a large expense to purchase sufficient weapons during the war, and although the Tsugawa family would provide weapons to the peasants, the money was already owed beforehand.

Half an hour later, Hachibai Michiwei, who had broken his head, finally called Kogen Ichitaro again.

"Ichitaro, no matter what, the family has promised Fujishiro to deliver the arrears of Komatsu Village and Omatsu Village to him within three days, and the family must not break its promise! So, do you have any good solutions to this problem? Hachibai Daowei looked at Kogen Ichitaro with a look of hope.

Kogen Ichitaro lowered his head and thought for a while, and then replied, "It's still very early before the autumn harvest, and I'm afraid it's too late to rely on food." There are not many products in the family's domain, and there is only one workshop that produces linen, but it is impossible to produce more than 300 pieces of linen cloth in three days. So ......."

"Didn't you say before that there are still 4,700 stone of grain in our family? Why not sell the grain? Babai Daowei continued to ask.

"It is true that there are 4,700 stone grains, but let's not mention that there are 3,000 stones of grain that are preserved in the main hall of the family. Even the remaining 1,700 stone of grain could only be sold at a low price of 700 guan, and few merchants in the vicinity could buy so much grain. ”

"Even if it's sold, there will be no food for the family? The food consumed by Ashigaru's training for a day and the family's daily consumption is also a few stones, so it is not advisable to sell food. Kogen Ichitaro said embarrassed.

Babai Dao really had a headache, and after thinking about it, he continued, "Isn't there still a large area of mountains and forests in the territory of this family? What if you sell timber? “

"Timber is not a commodity that is just needed, it has to be bought by merchants in advance to sell it quickly, and cutting wood needs to be approved by the main hall, even if these mountains and forests belong to the family, but without the permission of the main hall, the family cannot sell it without permission."

"Is there no other way?" Babai Dao bowed his head and looked decadent.

Kogen Ichitaro suddenly thought of something, "Maybe the lord can borrow it from Tohi-sama from Omori Castle or Shimizu-sama from Yuzawa Castle?" ”

"It's just more than 300 times, it should still be easy." Kazutaro Kogen added.

"Hmm." Babai Daowei nodded, "It seems that this is the only way." ”

"In that case, you should immediately leave for Omori Castle and Yuzawa Castle and borrow as much as you can from this 360 kan."

"Hah!"

Kogen Ichitaro was just about to walk out, when a man from the side of Hachibai Daowei suddenly ran in from outside, "My lord, the village heads of nine villages, including Shangcheng, Xishan Village, and Dajin Village, ask to see you." ”

“？？？” Babai Daowei opened his mouth with a puzzled expression, and asked, "What are these people doing here?" ”

"They heard that the lord had issued a decree to forgive the arrears of Omatsu and Komatsu villages, so... So they all came to ask the lord to issue a decree of virtue! He said hesitantly.

"What!" Ha Bai Daowei suddenly let out an exclamation, and then there was a feeling of wanting to cry, "How good is this??? ”

Kogen Kaitaro also said helplessly, "This matter is not trivial, so many villages have come to ask the lord to issue a moral decree, if the lord does not agree, it will inevitably arouse the anger of the people, and there is even a risk of breaking out if you are not careful." ”

"But if you promise to come down, so many villages...... The family doesn't have that much money to issue moral decrees! Kogen Ichitaro continued.

As soon as the words fell, another one hurriedly ran in from outside, panting for breath.

Babai Daowei asked with a confused face, "Has anyone come to my family to issue a moral decree??? ”

"Not really!" He gasped for breath and then replied, "There is a samurai who calls himself Mataro Sasaki who asks to see the lord. ”

"Mataro Sasaki? Ueno Castle guards the ashigaru head of the ashigaru? What did he come to me for? "Hachibai Dao is puzzled, if Tsugawa Soji has an order, it is also Tsugawa Soji's flag book or the Tsugawa family's herald envoy, so what is the reason why this Sasaki Mataro suddenly came to the door?

Puzzled, Hachibai Michiwei met with Sasaki Mataro in the residence, but he was also shocked when he saw a bunch of bloodstained people standing next to Sasaki Mataro, "Isn't Sasaki-sama supposed to be in Ueno Castle?" Ah, Takagi-sama is here. What are you ........." In the crowd, Hachibai Michiwei also found the figure of Takagi Yoshitoki, and couldn't help but ask.

"Alas! It's hard to put into words! Sasaki Mataro sat down familiarly, and then said, "I was originally accompanying Takagi-sama to Kanazawa Hachimangu Shrine, and on the way I met these envoys of the Ashina family, and I never thought that they would be attacked by a group of bandits in my family's territory. Fortunately, Lord Takagi and I arrived in time, otherwise I am afraid that it would be more than lucky! ”

"Is that so?" Habai Daowei was also a little angry when he heard this, but then he thought of something, and hurriedly continued to ask, "I don't know where these envoys of the Ashina family were attacked?" ”

"In the vicinity of Numanodate Castle." Sasaki Mataro replied truthfully.

Hearing that it was not in the Zhixing place of the Hachibai family, Hachibai Dao breathed a sigh of relief, after all, if this incident happened in the Zhixing place of the Hachibai family, in case Tsugawa Soji blamed him, Hachibai Daowei would face punishment.

"I waited for me to come to the Eight Oak Pavilion because I wanted to rest here now, and by the way, I asked Lord Eight Bai to find some healers to diagnose and treat the Extremely Messenger. I came here to ask Lord Hachibai to send a few squads of Ashigaru to escort a few envoys to Ueno Castle, after all, a few envoys had an accident in their own territory, and the family should naturally have something to say. Sasaki Mataro continued.

"That's as it should be." Hachibai Daowei nodded, and then turned his head to the side of Kogen Ichitaro, "Ichitaro, quickly go and invite a few doctors to come." In addition, someone was sent outside the city to call the third squadron and the guards. ”

"Yes! Lord! ”

After giving the order, Babai Daowei hurriedly smiled at Jin Shang Shengbei and the others on the side and said, "Since the adults are the envoys of the Ashina family, then they will rest in the Babai Pavilion for a while. The family has already sent people to gather troops, and the third squadron of the family will escort a few adults to Ueno Castle later. ”

Hearing the words of Babai Daowei, Jin Shang Shengbei and the others hurriedly said with a grateful face, "Thank you, Lord Babai!" ”