In the blink of an eye, a year has passed, and the time has come to the twenty-third year of astronomy, that is, in January 1554 of the Western calendar, the afterglow of winter has not yet dissipated, and there is already a strong atmosphere of the new year in the towns of Kasuga Yamashimo-cho and Naoetsu Shinmachi, and what is different from the past is that this year, both the pedestrians walking in the town and the nearby farmers carrying their own agricultural products to sell everywhere have a hint of joy on their faces.

Life is getting better and better, this is a sentence that everyone can think of in their hearts, it is no secret that more than 280,000 stone of grain is produced in the land of Joetsu 3,500 towns, and the various miracles of new grain varieties are said to be miraculous, although there is not even a grain of grain circulating in the market, but many merchant houses have begun to operate businesses related to new grain.

For example, flour and potatoes can be used to make fragrant soup cakes, made into noodles and served with fragrant kombu crucian carp soup, sprinkled with a little chili oil for only 5 cents a bowl, many well-pocketed townspeople quickly like this food, especially in this winter lack of food, every evening after finishing their work, come to the store to order a bowl of potato noodles, the hot soup noodles float with red chili oil, sighing and drinking the whole body warm feeling, not to mention how refreshing.

Since the full use of yongraku money for taxation at Naoetsu Port half a year ago, large quantities of yongraku money have been brought in by large quantities of goods to and from the port, and the townspeople in the vicinity have gradually come into contact with this currency, which was almost impossible to use in the past, and it is also used not only for taxation, but also for various daily necessities when going to biwa houses, and the newly opened Echigoya sells a variety of clothes made of linen, silk, and wool, as well as well-fitting cloth shoes, and high-end leather boots that keep you warm in winter. Fur hats.

If you have a little spare money, you can also save it in the money house. After saving for half a year, you can get an extra 10 yuan after the maturity of the money. The one-year term is 25 yuan more, the three-year term is 100 yuan more, and the five-year term is 200 yuan more.

This is not very meaningful to the common people, the townspeople and farmers who have just had a good day do not have so much spare money to deposit, but the rich businessmen do not see it that way, no matter how poor the place is, there are landlords and old wealth, and there are some merchants with average strength in this territory in Echigo.

These businessmen also have a semi-gangster nature, colluding with the monks of local national temples and shrines to do things such as buying high and selling low, and even bullying and dominating the market. I had met the Kira family earlier in Omi, and if it weren't for the fact that Eizan was too strong to be afraid of the elite of the Kira family, and it was not easy to provoke if he didn't follow the routine, he would have made a fuss in Sakamoto Port ten times eight times.

Echigo's merchants are also the type of unrepentant, openly and secretly resisting the implementation of the Kira family's decrees, refusing to establish a new town and some yin and yang strange words, and later being cleaned up by the Kira family's officials, a few big merchants who took grain speculation and hoarded the strange house, and finally were bankrupt, and even the field house was confiscated. This group of businessmen was completely honest.

It is said that the deposit business of the money house started in Kyoto. Many businessmen also heard that there is also a business of remote access, and as long as there is a bill of exchange and a handling fee of 1% for remote access and withdrawal, it can be withdrawn as long as 1% of the handling fee is paid in Echigo, but the handling fee for remote withdrawal is as high as 10%.

Even so, there are still many merchants who are willing to do this, because they no longer have to hire a bunch of ronins to escort a large amount of copper coins back and forth between the two places, the cost of hiring ronins is not low, and there are often some unscrupulous ronins who will join forces with the bandit Nobush to hack the employer's goods, and the price of hiring reputable ronins is too high.

Therefore, this alone may save more than one or two percent of unnecessary expenses, and at the same time reduce the risk during transportation, and Echigo's biwa house also accepts the bulk cargo clearance of merchants, which can also reduce the danger in the transportation of goods, after all, there is a Sado naval army on the sea route from Naoetsu to Dewa Sakata Port, which often plunders merchants, and the land route is even more impassable in the mountains, and a local tyrant can dig three feet into the ground to make a merchant go bankrupt and commit suicide.

In the blink of an eye, the spring mountain castle of Echigo also became jubilant, and the festive atmosphere was full of lights, and people from all walks of life came to congratulate Echigo, such as Minoru Honjo, Nagao Keinobu, Nakajo Fujishi, Saito Asanbu and others, who led the Nagao guardian faction to the castle in person.

The Echigo guardian faction led by Chisaka Keikin, Hirako Fangmasa, and Usami Dingmi, Nagao Masakai, who has been staying in Kasugayama Castle, and his Ueda people, and the Yangbei people who have just been hit by a major blow have also come to the city to offer gifts, saying that it is a gift is actually a sacrifice of local products, everyone eats and drinks to strengthen the relationship, and the governor of the family gives some testimonials or something.

In the countryside, the festival is held relatively late, usually after January 15, the first half of the month is reserved for the family reunion of the samurai, and the second half of the month is the time to deepen the relationship and visit relatives and friends.

Saito Asanobu, Yoshie Keishi, and Yasuda Keimoto, who were far away in Shinano, also came to Kasuga Mountain Castle, and the people of North Shinano who passed through the city, such as Takanashi Masayori, Murakami Yoshikiyo, Suda Mitsukin, Shimazu Tadanao, and Inoue Kiyomasa, also offered congratulatory gifts, and Ogasawara Cho, who had been hiding in Kita-Shinano waiting for an opportunity to regain his old domain, also sent a congratulatory gift to his family.

In the noisy big room, a large number of samurai gathered together to catch up on the old days, and at this time, a strong man strode over, leaned down and bowed down without saying a word: "I have seen the lord, the Wuwei Palace, the princess of Tiger Ji!" ”

This person is known as the first person in the seven counties of Echigo, Kakizaki Keijia, who had a relationship with Kira Yoshishi at last year's New Year's Day celebration, a tall man in his early seventies is considered a first-class burly man, and he looks like a thirty-five or sixteen-year-old from the face, but in fact he is in his early forties, his beard and tiger eyes are his biggest feature, but he is not as rough as his face when he speaks, and he can be regarded as a fierce general who is proficient in culture.

"I've seen the lord, the Wuwei Palace, the Tiger Ji Princess!" Yoshie Jingzi and Yasuda Jingyuan leaned over one after another, and a retainer behind him also saluted on the ground.

The long-tailed Jinghu, who was sitting on a four-wheeled car, praised several hard-working retainers, and then said: "All the kings are exempt! ”

Kakizaki Jingjia got up and said with concern: "The identity of the lord is no longer a big problem, right?" As long as you recover, it will be the greatest blessing for me Echigo! Most of the martial artists in the hall looked approving.

The attitude of Kakizaki Keike represents the voice of most Echigo people, Nagao Keitora has been fighting in the south and north for nearly ten years, and has become quite famous in Echigo and even several nearby countries, especially in the battle of Kawanakajima two years ago to force back the menacing Takeda family, bringing hope to those Shinano people who have suffered from aggression.

Takanashi Masayori echoed his words: "The lord is the guardian of Echigo, and the long lying on the sickbed really makes me worry, and it seems that the lord's complexion is very good today, and he must be able to recover in the future!" ”

"The health of the lord is very important to us!" Yoshikiyo Murakami, who is not good at words, also immediately expressed his position.

Since Sanada Yukitaka's strategy of division and disintegration worked, this powerful samurai group has split into two factions, one faction that is unwilling to suffer from the loss of interests and adopts a resolute resistance strategy, such as Takanashi Masayori and Murakami Yoshikiyo, and the other faction is the Shinano ancestors of the Takeda family, including Sanada Yukitaka.

Before the First Battle of Kawanakajima, this group of resistance samurai had already been beaten by the donkeys, even if they had thwarted Takeda Harunobu's attacks several times, they could not change the absolute difference in strength between the two sides, and even the traitors of the Shinano Shokama Shokashi helped Shinano lead the way, and they could only turn to the Nagao family in the neighboring country and get his protection after giving an oath.

"I know my body myself, maybe I will recover or not, and these will not have a greater impact on Echigo." Nagao Jinghu shook his head, stretched out his hands and patted the shoulders of the two young people sitting on his left and right, and said slowly: "Because of the two of them, the new lord of Echigo will be the two of them." ”

"My lord! What are you ......" Takanashi Masayori and the others were shocked, and looked around in a panic at the Echigo samurai family asking for support, but they were all silent, and the elders of the spectrum family, including Minoru Honjo and Nagao Keishin, did not react.

"Why? As the leader of the Echigo samurai, why should you give up the lord of the Heavenly Destiny! What is the reason for you to say such a disheartening word? Murakami Yoshikiyo stood up and shouted emotionally: "I, Yoshikiyo, still remember the advice that my lord gave me that day, as long as I have a belief in righteousness, even the most difficult road can lead to victory!" I, Yoshikiyo, have the kindness of my lord in mind, so please cheer up too! Be a warrior who can't be defeated by illness! ”

Nagata Jinghu also took a few deep breaths with some excitement, knelt on the side, and hurriedly walked over and whispered a few words and shook his head, and finally the dragon of Echigo still sighed with a long breath: "The kindness of the Yulin Hall and everyone, the family understands it!" This is the family's physician Kai Mr. Sixteen, he told the family that even if they are fully recovered, they must recuperate for a long time to get rid of the sequelae, and during this period, they should think less and do more recuperation, but Echigo cannot be left without an owner, and the war in Kita-Shinano is even more tricky, if there is no national lord, how to stabilize Echigo and rescue Shinano? ”

"......" Faced with such a tricky situation, the samurai could only remain silent, Takanashi Masayori opened his mouth but couldn't say anything, Murakami Yoshikiyo's face was disappointed and lost, and Shinano's national confidence was generally reduced, and the disappointment and confusion could be seen in their eyes.

"All the monarchs are warriors who can fight well, and now I have ushered in the Wuwei Palace, a famous martial artist with outstanding military achievements, and in the early months, he also replaced his own family to go out to quell the rebellion in Xiayue, and he is the best choice in terms of ability and skill, and it should be the best choice for him to act as the lord of the country."

Long-tailed Jinghu chose to push out Kira Yoshishi at this time, and outsiders being the lord of the country are somewhat stealing the princes of the country, which will inevitably make the people of Echigo think of the long-tail scenery and then have resistance, but the long-tailed tiger Ji is completely unqualified as the lord of the country, at least in the hearts of the samurai, the samurai princess should not show her head, and it is even more impossible to be the lord of the country.

It's just that in today's form, there can only be this choice.,Elect other Nagao people can't convince the public.,And Honjo Minoru and others won't be willing to give up the lord of the country for the sake of Jingyi.,In the end, I can only reluctantly accept this temporary system.,Nagao Toraki serves as the nominal lord of the country.,But don't apply to the shogunate for the post of guardian.,At the same time, Kira Yoshitoki, the shogunate's famous general.,The sister-in-law of the Nagao family will act as the lord of the country.,In order to block the mouths of all Echigo people.。

"The family is also lacking, and the rest will be handed over to Yishi!" Nagao Keihu nodded, and the four-wheeled car was pushed away by Yachiro Biwajima. (To be continued......)