Chapter 74
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1570, mid-May
Asakura had no choice but to retreat in the face of Nobunaga’s provocation. This fact shocked the Asakura family’s retainers and the pro-Asakura faction of the Azai clan. The Asakura family was a prominent clan with a long history dating back to the Heian period, and they had built a refined cultural city in Ichijodani, known as the “Second Kyoto,” which had a flourishing Kyoto culture. Due to its proximity to Kyoto, the Asakura family had close relations with the imperial court and the shogunate. In particular, they received exceptional treatment, with the shogun himself visiting Echizen every year.
However, this incident tarnished the reputation of the Asakura family. They were seen as a cowardly family that fled to Ichijodani despite being subjected to such provocation. As a result, some retainers of the Asakura family turned their backs on Asakura Yoshikage and defected to the Oda clan, which had a promising future.
Hisamasa also suffered a similar downfall. Hisamasa, who had shown disgraceful behavior during the meeting between Nobunaga and Nagamasa, began to be seen as a problem by the pro-Asakura faction’s retainers. The retainers of the Azai clan, who had also lost faith in the future of the Asakura family, switched sides and joined Nagamasa’s camp.
The power of the Asakura clan and the Azai clan, represented by Hisamasa and Yoshikage, gradually diminished. This was within Nobunaga’s expectations. However, he made a grave mistake. He had pushed Hisamasa and Yoshikage into a corner too quickly and had let his guard down. Nobunaga understood that the retainers of the Azai clan had a tendency to side with the stronger party. He also believed that the Asakura clan would be unable to take any action for a while in order to prevent internal collapse. Therefore, he did not pay attention to the cornered Hisamasa and did not advise Nagamasa to keep an eye on him.
On May 14, 1570 (Genki 1), a major historical event occurred. Asakura Hisamasa and Asakura Yoshikage conspired and attempted to assassinate Azai Nagamasa in the “Kotani Castle Incident.” This incident, which took place on that day, marked the beginning of the Genki Disturbance and also the beginning of the first Oda encirclement.
On May 11, 1570 (Genki 1), some retainers of the Asakura family invaded Mino, which was Oda territory. It goes without saying that Nobunaga was furious. He appointed Shibata Katsuie as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force and personally ordered him to annihilate the Asakura forces, stating that he would not accept any surrender.
Nobunaga believed that he could quickly annihilate the Asakura forces. However, on May 14, 1570 (Genki 1), Hisamasa’s forces, who were preparing for reinforcements, suddenly attacked Nagamasa. In the chaos of the coup, Nagamasa’s forces were cut down one after another by Hisamasa’s forces. Although Nagamasa himself resisted by wielding his sword, it was extremely difficult to regroup the once-disrupted army. Upon the advice of Naotsune, Nagamasa decided to escape from Kotani Castle with his wife, children, and a few retainers.
Although Nagamasa successfully escaped despite losing many soldiers, his camp was in a state of collapse. Thinking that Hisamasa’s camp had the momentum, many retainers quickly switched sides and defected from Nagamasa’s camp. In the end, only a few retainers remained loyal to Nagamasa, including his right-hand man, Endo Naotsune, and his close friend, Mitamura Ichizaemon, along with a few other retainers and 3,000 soldiers. Nagamasa was pushed to the brink of despair, but he held onto a glimmer of hope and set out for Mino with his wife and children.
Upon learning of the Asakura invasion of Mino and the Kotani Castle Incident, in which Asakura Hisamasa and Asakura Yoshikage conspired, Nobunaga gave Hideyoshi 10,000 troops from his remaining forces and ordered an invasion of Omi Province. Officially, it was for the “rescue of Oichi,” but secretly, Nobunaga instructed Hideyoshi to provide assistance to Nagamasa’s forces.
Hideyoshi advanced in just one day, but there was a major problem. They had no idea where Nagamasa’s forces were. Nagamasa’s forces were moving in hiding to avoid detection by Hisamasa’s forces, and their small size made them difficult to find. Despite sending spies, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi could not obtain any useful information and were only wasting time.
However, it turned out that Nagamasa’s forces had unexpectedly joined forces with a completely different army. It was the Shizuko army, which had traveled all the way from Southeast Asia to receive pepper seedlings and seeds.
“Form a diagonal formation of 1,500! Deploy 500 archers on the left flank! Jinjo, Shikichi, take ten cavalry archers and focus on sniping the archers and horses!”
The reason Shizuko’s army was battling against Hisamasa’s forces was the result of a series of unfortunate events. First, Shizuko received a message from Fróis that the pepper seedlings and seeds had arrived and decided to march to Kyoto with her entire army, including the Kurokuwa (civil engineering workers) group equipped with full armor, as part of their marching training. They received the pepper seedlings and seeds in Kyoto and were supposed to quickly return to Owari before the Azai family’s internal conflict erupted and arrive in Gifu.
However, the cure for scurvy turned out to be more effective than expected, so the Jesuits, as part of their hush money, brought animals for presentation along with the pepper seedlings and seeds to Japan. Initially, the Jesuits thought they would bring only a few animals, but in the midst of their surprise at the effectiveness of the sprouts, they gave instructions that were misinterpreted like a game of telephone. In the end, it was misunderstood that animals needed to be collected from various places.
First, they bought three pairs of Turkish Angora cats from a friendly Islamic merchant. Turkish Angora is a breed that naturally originated in the mountainous regions of Turkey. Turkish means “of Turkey,” and Angora is an old name for Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Its appearance has been described in records since it was brought to Europe in the 16th century, so it is believed to have been established as a breed at least several hundred years before it reached Europe.
However, the Turkish Angora registered with the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) is not the original breed. There are several reasons for this. First, Europeans crossbred them with Persians to increase their numbers, causing pure Turkish Angoras to become extinct outside of Turkey. Then, during World War II, Turkish Angoras in Turkey were on the brink of extinction. In the 1950s, an American soldier discovered them being kept in Ankara Zoo in Turkey, where they were cherished as “living national treasures.” The soldier negotiated their import to the United States. However, Turkey, which had cherished Turkish Angoras as a national treasure, remembered the atrocities committed by Westerners against them and was reluctant to export them. Eventually, they were imported to the United States and crossed with Siamese, a treasure of Thailand, to restore their original slim body shape, similar to that of Persians. In other words, the Turkish Angoras in modern times are a breed that originated from three breeds: Turkish Angora, Persian, and Siamese. Of course, the Turkish Angoras given to Shizuko were the original breed that had not been crossed with Persians or Siamese.
Next, they heard a story that a Christian missionary stationed in India owned a rare dog (a German Shepherd originally from Germany) and negotiated to buy several females. Just before departure, a Portuguese merchant boasted that he had bought a large turtle from a Spanish merchant ship, so they half-threatened him and bought six turtles. After setting sail, they stopped in the Ryukyu Kingdom for supplies and bought two pairs of Indian peafowls from a Chinese merchant who was doing business there. The Jesuits gathered cats, dogs, and birds as Fróis’ report stated, and added rare animals such as elephants and turtles. All these animals were transported from Sakai to Kyoto, and then handed over to Shizuko.
Shizuko was exasperated, wondering if people mistook her for the director of a zoo or something. But more misfortune awaited her. After handing over the animals to Shizuko, Fróis and Lorenzo left Kyoto to take care of their business in Sakai. Furthermore, Mitsuhide Akechi and Fujitaka Hosokawa, who came to see the elephants and turtles, fell in love with the Turkish Angoras instead. Ignoring the eyes of their retainers, the two men played with the cats and then asked Shizuko to give them one each. In the end, succumbing to their enthusiasm, Shizuko agreed to give a male Turkish Angora to Mitsuhide and a female Turkish Angora to Fujitaka, on the condition that they would introduce the two during the mating season.
Just before being about to be defeated, Nagamasa accepted Shizuko’s proposal and sent a messenger to inform the soldiers that Oda’s reinforcements had arrived. Due to repeated defeats and betrayal by the local people, Nagamasa’s army, which had initially numbered three thousand, had now been reduced to about a thousand. However, upon hearing the news of Oda’s reinforcements, their morale began to recover.
While Shizuko’s army of four thousand and Nagamasa’s army of a thousand kept their distance from Hisamasa’s army of six thousand, they reorganized their formations. However, Nagamasa’s heavily injured army had fallen back to protect Nagamasa, so it was actually a standoff between Hisamasa’s army of six thousand and Shizuko’s army of four thousand. The standoff was broken by Hisamasa’s army, which had prepared for an assault. In response to the assault, Shizuko deployed a wedge formation and reinforced the front line foot soldiers with bamboo bundles reinforced with concrete. This was a strategy to avoid a frontal assault and defeat Hisamasa’s army with flanking attacks.
“There are about six thousand of them! Just kill two each!”
Shizuko, who was infuriated by Hisamasa’s selfish attitude, gave precise instructions to each unit and relentlessly pushed Hisamasa’s army into a corner. Those who had never seen her angry were terrified by Shizuko’s fierce demeanor.
“Archers, don’t worry! The enemy isn’t saying anything important! Keep shooting!”
The enemy soldiers fell one after another under the rain of arrows from the five hundred archers. Even those who were lucky enough to avoid the rain of arrows were killed by the heavy infantry’s axes and swords. The enemy archers and cavalry were being overwhelmed by the unpredictable movements of the archer cavalry equipped with compound bows. It seemed like the battle would end there, but the enemy was not that foolish. They temporarily retreated, considering charging through the rain of arrows to be a suicide mission.
“Sound the flute and give the signal for Keiji, Saizo, and Katsuzo’s (Mori Nagayoshi) units to charge!”
As the flute sounded, Keiji, Saizo, and Nagayoshi’s units moved forward from the flanks of the wedge formation, surrounding Hisamasa’s army from both sides. Hisamasa’s army, which had been engaged in a frontal assault, was caught off guard and unable to resist the attack from Shizuko’s army.
“Die, die, die! I’ll torture anyone who raises a hand against my cat with this iron rod!”
Nagayoshi swung his morning star, which was slightly longer. Each swing of the morning star sent blood flying. Not only Nagayoshi, but also the foot soldiers in Nagayoshi’s unit were cutting down enemy soldiers with spears and swords. Of course, Keiji and Saizo’s units also fought back, defeating the enemy soldiers who were in disarray.
Hisamasa’s soldiers, surrounded by Shizuko’s army, had no way to retreat. Even if they tried to charge, Shizuko’s main force was protected by the wedge formation and a breakthrough in the center was impossible. Furthermore, they were also facing a volley of arrows from the archers. Hisamasa’s camp, realizing that further battle was impossible, attempted a forced breakthrough through the weakest part of the encirclement. However, the part where the encirclement was weakest was intentionally weakened by Nagayoshi and his men to lure Hisamasa’s soldiers in. Without realizing this, the lured Hisamasa’s soldiers turned into lifeless corpses one after another. In the end, Hisamasa suffered about two thousand casualties out of his force of six thousand.
“Alright! Let’s retreat as the enemy retreats! Don’t pursue too far, there are still untouched forces over there!”
Although they repelled the Nagamasa suppression force, Hisamasa’s main force remained unharmed. On the other hand, while there were no casualties in Shizuko’s army, nearly thirty percent of the soldiers were wounded. Nagamasa’s soldiers had also reached their limit of exhaustion, and Shizuko, thinking that further pursuit would result in a painful counterattack, began to retreat while firmly holding onto the still angry Nagayoshi. She also warned the soldiers who were elated by the victory and set fire to all unnecessary baggage. Shizuko and Nagamasa then began their retreat together.
Finally, around 3 p.m., they were discovered by Hideyoshi’s scouts, and Shizuko’s army and Nagamasa’s army joined forces with Hideyoshi’s army. As a result, the combined forces of Nagamasa’s army, Shizuko’s army, and Hideyoshi’s army swelled to fifteen thousand soldiers.
“Well done, you saved Lord Asai Bizen-no-kami from a desperate situation.”
“Th-thank you very much.”
Shizuko was praised by Hideyoshi, but she was almost completely lost in her thoughts and couldn’t remember what had happened along the way. From the moment they were suddenly attacked by Hisamasa’s soldiers to the time they joined forces with Hideyoshi, she had very little memory. Therefore, the foot soldiers in Shizuko’s army were puzzled as to why they were so afraid of Shizuko and could only tilt their heads in confusion.
“We will arrive at Sekigahara tomorrow. They won’t be able to pursue us any further, so once we arrive tomorrow, we can relax for now.”
Hideyoshi’s words were not coming from arrogance. In his mind, he had considered the situation of Hisamasa and Omi Province, the movements of the Asakura army, and other factors, and concluded that “Hisamasa Asai can no longer move his troops.” And Hideyoshi’s thinking was correct. Hisamasa no longer had time to move his troops on his own. Even if he wanted to move his troops without permission, his retainers would not follow him. In front of his retainers, who followed him thinking that a coup would benefit the Asai family, Hisamasa declared himself the head of the Asai family and once again had to identify himself as a local lord of Omi Province. In addition, he had to deepen his cooperation with the Asakura and other anti-Oda organizations. He could not afford to spend any more time on Nagamasa.
“If the alliance with Omi Province is dissolved, we cannot ensure the safety of the key route connecting Gifu and Kyoto.”
“There’s no need to worry about that. Lord Oda’s forces have already begun their invasion of Omi Province. Shizuko might even accompany them on this campaign. After all, she has shown the most outstanding performance this time.”
“Yes, I thought it was hopeless this time. We had to start by figuring out where the battle was taking place.”
“(They didn’t have time to send out scouts) I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”
As Shizuko muttered while scratching her cheek, the smell of miso suddenly tickled her nostrils.
“Ah, it’s finally here. Bring it quickly!”
When Hideyoshi also noticed the smell of miso, he urged the servants with an impatient attitude. What they brought was a soup rice dish that had slightly more fat floating on it than usual.
(They mixed pemmican, grilled miso balls, and dried rice)
It was one of the wartime meals devised by Takenaka Hanbei and Shizuko. Pemmican is a traditional portable preserved food of the Native Americans living in Canada and the United States. It can last for a week if taken care of even in the summer. However, this pemmican is very fatty because it seals meat, vegetables, and fruits with animal fat. Therefore, if eaten as it is, it will definitely cause stomach problems. Hence, an additional step was added to reduce the liquidized oil slightly by heating it.
Even so, eating a greasy meal is not appealing, so they made a pork soup-like dish by melting meat miso balls wrapped in low-fat meat such as chicken breast in a dashi broth, and then mixed in dried rice. The reason for not completely discarding the excess fat is that high-calorie food is necessary during wartime. However, if you eat field rations like pemmican during peacetime, you will definitely get sick.
“The fat is strong. But during military operations, it’s not good to eat too much, so if you think of it as reducing the amount you eat… it’s a good thing, right?”
“Hmm, there are still improvements to be made. By the way, Shizuko-san, what did you call the cavalry equipped with bows again?”
“Oh, yes, they are called archer cavalry.”
To put it simply, archer cavalry refers to cavalry that performs mounted archery. However, this archer cavalry requires excellent horsemanship, archery skills, and superior horse equipment such as saddles and stirrups. It is naturally easier for nomadic people who have horses as a part of their lives to form archer cavalry. While cavalry equipped with bows is often called dragon cavalry, in reality, it refers to cavalry equipped with firearms such as guns.
The advantage of archer cavalry is their superior mobility and high accuracy due to their excellent archery skills. Especially, archer cavalry that employs tactics such as feigned retreat and mounted archery were considered the nemesis of infantry. Even light cavalry with similar mobility had a hard time dealing with archer cavalry. Although Japan has few flatlands, the archer cavalry in Shizuko’s unit took advantage of the compound bows’ capabilities and based their tactics on long-range shooting, shooting from outside the enemy’s awareness and retreating to a safe zone before the enemy realized it. Excellent archery skills and excellent horsemanship were both required, so the unit consisted of only thirty elite soldiers.
The training was also extraordinary. They controlled the horses with only their legs, maneuvering through mountainous terrain. They hit targets that were being carried by a swift current, running their horses perpendicular to the flow of the river, from a distance of over 75 meters. They also trained to shoot down flying birds and fish swimming in the river. Of course, they also had to eat everything without leaving anything behind. In addition to basic training, Nagayoshi provided instruction, and they also learned various academic subjects. It was not determined by lineage or blood, but without talent, effort, and some luck, one could not enter. That was Shizuko’s archer cavalry unit.
“Yes, they say they can hit targets from about a hundred meters away.”
“Since hit-and-run tactics are the basic strategy, it’s best to be able to hit from a distance. That’s why we train them like that.”
The perception that long-range weapons such as bows were “not samurai weapons” began after the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion in the Edo period. Until then, bows were never considered cowardly weapons. In the Kamakura period, mounted archers using Japanese bows were the main force, and during the Sengoku period, the country’s people and warlords took pride in having many bows and matchlock guns. Theoretically, it was believed that a Japanese bow could penetrate armor at a distance of about 30 meters, and a matchlock gun was said to have a killing range of 60 meters. If you were 100 meters away, you could escape the killing range of a Japanese bow or matchlock gun. That was the common sense of the Sengoku period. However, the archer cavalry in Shizuko’s unit had a range of about 100 meters to penetrate armor, and their killing range was 150 meters. If they were unlucky, they could kill someone 200 meters away.
“By the way, where are Lord Asai and Lady Oichi?”
“It seems that my father’s uprising was too much for him to bear. He wanted some time to think, so he’s keeping a low profile.”
Nagamasa, who had been targeted by his own father, suffered both mentally and physically. Seeing him dejected and with his shoulders drooping, Hideyoshi and Takenaka Hanbei thought it would be best to leave him alone. That’s why Nagamasa is not showing himself to Hideyoshi, Takenaka Hanbei, or Shizuko right now.
“We will arrive at Sekigahara tomorrow. From there, it’s a straight shot to Gifu. Asakura should have finished their extermination, so we can rest today.”
The next day, Hideyoshi, Shizuko, and Nagamasa’s allied forces began their journey before sunrise. Although the possibility of Hisamasa’s attack was low, they couldn’t completely eliminate the possibility of irregular forces attacking with spies. They decided it would be better to quickly reach Mino. Fortunately, there was no pursuit from Hisamasa, and the group passed through Sekigahara and arrived in Gifu. The allied forces disbanded in Gifu, and Nagamasa and Hideyoshi headed to Nobunaga’s place, while Shizuko headed to Owari. However, just before leaving Gifu, Shizuko was ordered by Nobunaga to report on the Turkish Angora matter. After various twists and turns, Sakihisa (Konoe), who had also seen the Turkish Angora with Nobunaga, began to say similar things to Mitsuhide Akechi.
Shizuko, who had reached the point of giving up, conveyed her conditions with a dry laugh and handed over the male to Nobunaga and the female to Sakihisa (Konoe). At that moment, Shizuko expressed her wish to borrow land from Nobunaga. Nobunaga, who was fascinated by the Turkish Angora, generously gave Shizuko 4000 tsubo (about 13,000 square meters) of land.
With the assurance she needed, Shizuko entrusted the construction of a cat tower to the Kurokuwa (civil engineering workers) group and hurriedly returned home. In fact, Shizuko, who wanted to escape, increased the marching speed and arrived at her home just before sunset. After treating the wounded soldiers again, she disbanded the army. Each soldier returned home after receiving treatment, and Shizuko and the others passed through the village gate.
“Welcome back, Lady Shizuko. I have heard about your journey. The bath is already prepared, so please relax and heal your fatigue.”
Following Aya’s words of welcome, the four of them soothed their bodies in the bath. After bathing, Shizuko first gave pumpkin, mulberry leaves, kudzu leaves, wild plants, and komatsuna to the elephant tortoise. Although she wasn’t familiar with the types of tortoises, if the story of buying them from a Spanish merchant ship was true, it was highly likely that they were Galapagos giant tortoises. Since the discovery of the Galapagos Islands in 1535, Galapagos giant tortoises had been treated by Westerners as a source of live food and water containers.
During the dry season in the Galapagos Islands, water often became scarce, so Galapagos giant tortoises had the ability to store water in a sac near their hearts called a “heart sac”. Because of this ability, European whaling and merchant ships captured many giant tortoises for drinking water. The meat was sweet and delicious, they could store water, they were slow-moving, and they could survive for months without food, which led to the overexploitation of giant tortoises. On Rodrigues Island in the Mascarene Islands, there are records of 280,000 giant tortoises being captured as food between 1732 and 1771.
The most famous individual among the Galapagos giant tortoises was Lonesome George, a Pinta Island tortoise, who died on June 24, 2012. He was the last of his kind and became a symbol of endangered species as all attempts to breed with closely related subspecies failed, and attempts to artificially hatch eggs using females of closely related species also ended in failure.
“Well, it could also be an Aldabra giant tortoise since it’s from India. But the shell is dome-shaped… well, it doesn’t matter.”
It was certain that it had been in a place with abundant food due to its dome-shaped shell. And from its appetite, it was certain that it had been without food for several months. When keeping giant tortoises, it was important to feed them once a day with a diet consisting mainly of dried leaves and fibrous grass, even if they refused to eat. A greenhouse or similar structure was also necessary.
“Considering their health, I think they need to be isolated for about four or five months.”
The German Shepherds, who were isolated due to their health, were provided with a spacious area to ensure they didn’t lack exercise. Doghouses were also set up as sleeping quarters, taking into consideration protection from rain and dew.
German Shepherds were considered the masterpiece of dog breeds that humans had created through selective breeding. They were highly intelligent, sociable, and loyal to their owners. They were also known to prefer training and could acquire high levels of specialization. On the other hand, if their training went wrong, they could become dominant and aggressive, making it difficult to correct. With their handsome appearance and agile, robust physique, they were also popular as pets and highly regarded as police and military dogs.
However, the German Shepherds that Shizuko received were not the modern German Shepherds used as police and military dogs, but rather Old German Shepherds, which were labeled as the original breed. They were bred with a focus on working dog abilities, resulting in a muscular physique and thicker legs compared to German Shepherds. Their backs were flat, but their necks were thick and sturdy, and their waists were also firm.
“The peafowls will have to endure in the pond for a while.”
After taking care of the German Shepherds, Shizuko moved the peafowls to a temporary enclosure made of simple fences. Peafowls were the largest species of pheasants with beautiful emerald-colored decorative feathers. They were highly omnivorous, feeding on a variety of insects, invertebrates, and amphibians that fit in their mouths. They also had a tolerance for neurotoxins, so they willingly ate venomous snakes like scorpions and king cobras.
“For vegetables, it was leafy greens, garlic chives, green onions, and onions, right? Well, I guess it’s fine to put some vegetable scraps.”
Shizuko set up a fence to prevent them from escaping and fed the peafowls, just like the giant tortoises, with the appropriate food. She then introduced the Turkish Angoras, who were on the verge of becoming synonymous with misfortune, to Wittman and the others. They were educated not to approach the restricted area, so Wittman and the others would not approach the giant tortoises or peafowls. However, it was different for the Turkish Angoras. Being a free-spirited breed that hated being restrained, it was highly likely that they would be preyed upon if they didn’t have an initial introduction. As expected, Wittman and the others showed their wariness towards the Turkish Angoras, and the Turkish Angoras growled at the large predatory animals.
As Shizuko anxiously watched, Wittman and the others seemed to accept something and let their guard down, and the Turkish Angoras stopped growling. Relieved, Shizuko thought it was safe now and released the Turkish Angoras from the cat cages. In an instant, one of the Turkish Angoras jumped out of the cage. The lively behavior indicated that it was a male, and it walked around Wittman and the others. Perhaps finding it annoying, Kaiser pushed the Turkish Angora with his front paw. Whether it found it amusing or intended to retaliate, the Turkish Angora quickly approached Kaiser and delivered a cat punch to his front paw. Perhaps it hurt because of the claws, Kaiser rolled the Turkish Angora again. And the Turkish Angora, who had gotten up, quickly approached Kaiser again and delivered another cat punch.
In front of Shizuko’s eyes, a fierce battle of wolf punches versus cat punches began. Thinking it would be best to leave them alone, Shizuko pushed the battle between Kaiser and the Turkish Angora out of her field of vision and checked the pepper seedlings and seeds in Ward’s box.
(I guess the sea journey was tough after all… There were supposed to be a lot of seedlings, but there are many rotten ones.)
There were few rotten seedlings, so she should be glad that the damage to the seedlings was minimal. Unbeknownst to Shizuko, her measures for the seedlings turned out to be fortunate, resulting in many seedlings being saved from withering. If someone else had received them, about seventy percent of them would have been unusable.
(There are a total of forty-five seedlings and seventy seeds. So, the expected value is five germinated seeds and fourteen seedlings.)
Shizuko had purchased ninety pepper seedlings and one hundred seeds by investing a large amount of money. However, due to various damages, the number of seedlings decreased to forty-five and the number of seeds decreased to seventy. Even so, she considered it a profitable venture, but the cultivation of pepper plants had the biggest obstacle waiting for her.
“Even when I cultivate them in Ward’s box… the germination rate of the seeds is still too low…”
The biggest obstacle was the poor germination rate. Normally, pepper cultivation involved growing young vines for cuttings in a nursery for three to four months. Then, the seedlings were planted alongside support poles, and from there, it was just a matter of letting them grow. Harvesting could be done as early as a year and a half, or at the latest, two years, and each pepper plant could yield about two kilograms for up to twenty-five years.
However, when it came to cultivation from seeds, it was a different story. The ideal germination temperature was 25 degrees Celsius, and they required good light. Furthermore, they needed to be carefully managed without drying out. This germination temperature was very critical, and although there were heating devices available in modern times, there were no such convenient tools in the Sengoku period. Maintaining the temperature, which could be problematic if it was too high or too low, was a difficult task.
Pepper plants could reach a height of five to nine meters, so a certain height was required. Shizuko planted the pepper seedlings in pots and wrapped the seeds in soaked cloth. After completing these measures, she moved them into the Sengoku-style greenhouse number one. Although it was called a greenhouse, only the cultivation area was covered with vinyl, while the rest of the structure consisted of glass windows and wooden boards. This was done to maintain strength and regulate temperature.
Bio-plastic vinyl had lower durability and functionality compared to petroleum vinyl, and it was also less likely to decompose (decomposition took a long time). Without conducting tests, it was unknown, but Shizuko believed that the vinyl would need to be completely replaced every five to ten years to maintain its strength.
Pepper plants were tropical plants cultivated in countries like Cambodia and Vietnam. They were not allowed to be exposed to temperatures below seven degrees Celsius, and if it dropped below four degrees, they would wither without exception. In Japan, it was not uncommon for temperatures to drop below four degrees in winter. Therefore, temperature control was extremely important.
To know the temperature, a thermometer was necessary. So, Shizuko manufactured an alcohol thermometer. Although alcohol thermometers had poor accuracy, their structure was simple, and they used red-colored temperature-sensitive liquid (alcohol), making them safer than mercury thermometers.
Since pepper plants were also sensitive to humidity, Shizuko manufactured a hair hygrometer. This was a reliable hygrometer that utilized the properties of hair and was also used in meteorological observations by the Japan Meteorological Agency. However, its performance was influenced by the quality of the hair, which was a drawback.
Although a special instrument was required for the thermometer and hygrometer, Shizuko used the thermometer and hygrometer from her sister’s travel kit as the instrument. This ensured the performance of the thermometer and hygrometer, and Shizuko began pepper cultivation in earnest.
In the early stages of pepper cultivation, it was all about measurements. Every day, Shizuko recorded the temperature and humidity, recorded the condition of the pepper seedlings, recorded the germination status of the seeds, and compiled all of this information.
“Hmm… Number 24, confirmed dead today.”
Among the numbered seedlings, Shizuko pulled out pepper seedling number 24, which had turned black. Already, 12 out of the 30 seedlings had failed by May 30, just over ten days since the cultivation began. Out of the 70 seeds, only one miraculously germinated.
“Could it be due to the temperature and humidity? Let’s think a little more…”
There were five seedlings that continued to grow and only one seed that germinated. Shizuko had been successful in cultivation so far, but cultivating pepper in the Sengoku period of Japan without measuring instruments or chemicals proved to be extremely difficult. However, the fact that five pepper seedlings were growing in the Sengoku period without measuring instruments or chemicals gave Shizuko a glimmer of hope.
“Numbers 8, 13, and 21 are doing well, but numbers 36 and 41 seem a little weak.”
A few days later, out of the seedlings that seemed hopeless, a total of ten seedlings revived. Shizuko was very happy about this, but the next day, two seedlings lost their vigor. Once a seedling withered, there was little Shizuko could do. Despite her efforts to prevent withering based on her cultivation records, the seedlings still withered. Out of the 70 seedlings, only 12 continued to grow. Shizuko jokingly thought about the Twelve Apostles brought by Christians, but she slapped her cheeks with both hands to regain her spirit.
Shizuko decided to change her mood and moved to the grafted mandarin orange and lemon orchard. Unlike pepper, the success rate here was high, and most of the scions had already sprouted. Once they grew a little more, Shizuko planned to remove the wax-coated cotton cloth used for waterproofing, transfer them to pots, and send them to various places. Most of the seedlings to be sent were mandarin oranges, but a few lemons would also be sent. The remaining seedlings would be planted in a corner of the orchard, and new rootstocks would be planted in the land where they had been planted at the appropriate time.
New companions were added to the orchard. They were the Chinese kumquat (Ningbo kumquat) and the cherry tree (Chinese cherry). The Chinese cherry, also known as the Chinese cherry blossom or Tang cherry blossom, was an ancient cultivated variety that appeared in Heian period documents under the name “cherry blossom.” However, in modern Japan, the dominant variety was the sweet cherry (Prunus avium), and the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) or Chinese cherry (Prunus pseudocerasus) with strong acidity was rarely found in the market.
While many cultivars of cherries are self-incompatible (they do not pollinate with their own pollen and require pollen from other varieties), the Chinese cherry is self-compatible and can bear fruit even with just one tree. The Chinese kumquat was grafted, and the Chinese cherry was grown from seeds. Shizuko thought that she needed to increase the number of rootstocks of the Chinese kumquat, which would serve as the rootstock for the Ningbo kumquat.
“Were you here, Shizuko-sama?”
As Shizuko was observing the orchard, Aya suddenly called out to her. Judging from her slightly breathless state, it could be inferred that she had received urgent news and hurriedly came to Shizuko.
“Is it urgent news?”
“A letter of introduction has been delivered. It seems to be about the Asakura and Asai campaigns.”
Shizuko received the letter from Aya and confirmed that it indeed contained the contents of increasing the production of bamboo arrows.
Bamboo arrows were made by skilled craftsmen using bamboo as the material for the arrow shaft. However, for Shizuko, arrows were not “works of art” but “consumables.” Therefore, instead of gathering craftsmen for production, she adopted an industrial production method where parts were manufactured and assembled at the end.
Arrowheads, arrow shafts, feathers, and nocks were manufactured according to specifications, and then assembled, inspected, and shipped. Although Shizuko’s semi-industrial production system initially had many defective products and time losses, the defect rate gradually decreased, and now it was possible to produce efficiently without relying on craftsmen.
“Double the production of bamboo arrows. Also, prepare for additional rewards.”
“Understood.”
“We also need to prepare for the battle. I don’t want to leave Owari if possible… well, two months later should be fine.”
“And… a package has arrived from the technology district. It was sealed very securely, so I couldn’t check the contents.”
“It’s okay. If it’s not done, it will be immediately apparent.”
Judging from Aya’s perplexed expression, it could be easily imagined that the package was sealed tightly. However, if the contents were what Shizuko had envisioned, the reason for the tight seal was not to prevent inspection, but to prevent the contents from flying out when the lid was opened. Even a slight damage would require starting from scratch, so it was natural for the craftsmen to be cautious during transportation.
“…What did you make?”
“Hmm, it’s something that will overturn the common sense of battles. I’ll show it to you later, Aya-chan.”
Shizuko lightly shrugged her shoulders in response to Aya’s question.
After receiving the package from Aya, Shizuko removed the tight seal and opened the lid. Inside the box were various sizes of objective lenses and right-angle prisms, just as Shizuko had expected.
(Finally… finally, I can do it. Binoculars and field scopes.)
The main purpose of glass production was to make binoculars and field scopes. Along with pepper cultivation, Shizuko invested a large amount of capital and rushed the completion of the objective lenses. Since there was no glass grinding machine, the quality of the lenses and prisms depended on the skill of the craftsmen. Shizuko had urged the craftsmen to improve the quality of glass production in a short period of time, but that was finally over.
(Alright, let’s assemble them.)
Holding the box containing the objective lenses, Shizuko moved to a room where there was no dust and placed the lenses on a clean surface. Most of the dust was cotton dust from clothes, bedding, and carpets. Reducing the source of dust had a certain effect. The remaining task was to create air convection and expel dust as much as possible. Shizuko brushed off any dust on her body, entered the room, and began assembling the lenses and prisms.
(With the opportunity, I’ll make smaller objective lenses and create a microscope.)
With smaller objective lenses, Shizuko could make paper craft microscopes that were popular in her time. These microscopes were made almost entirely of paper, with only the necessary lenses. By changing the shape of the paper, they could be transformed into bright field microscopes or fluorescence microscopes. As a low-cost disease detection tool that could be made almost for free in developing countries, or as an educational tool that allows easy observation with a microscope, paper craft microscopes had excellent performance.
(The problem might be making the lenses for paper craft microscopes. Besides, they are only needed for diseases and similar situations. Besides, I’m not that knowledgeable about medical matters… Maybe it will be useful when someone needs it in the future.)
The problem was that the objective lenses would become smaller. Even with lenses of the size used for telescopes, it took a very long time for grinding. It was almost impossible to manufacture lenses that could be picked up with tweezers. Considering the frequency of use, an optical microscope with a simpler structure would be more practical than a paper craft microscope.
(Well, let’s leave it as a future challenge. Having a microscope alone is useless.)
Shizuko concluded that the microscope would be a future challenge and focused on assembling the binoculars. The assembly of binoculars required careful attention, although the process seemed simple and easy. In particular, the erecting prism required the precise assembly of two or three right-angle prisms, each rotated exactly 90 degrees. If this inclination was done incorrectly, the phenomenon of “falling” would occur, where the image appeared tilted instead of being accurately erect. Shizuko checked after assembly, and if there were any mistakes, she disassembled, adjusted, and reassembled. In the end, she performed adjustments more than ten times to make three binoculars and two field scopes. The final products were a six times thirty caliber and an eight times forty-two caliber binoculars for Nobunaga, a thirty times and a sixty times field scope, and a seven times fifty caliber binoculars for herself.
The field scope, also known as a terrestrial telescope, differed significantly from an astronomical telescope in that it incorporated an erecting prism. The main difference between binoculars and field scopes was their intended use. Field scopes could be used for surveying, terrain understanding, and monitoring enemy movements from fixed positions. On the other hand, binoculars could be used for confirming deployments and assessing situations on the battlefield. Shizuko held her seven times binoculars and fine-tuned them while checking their performance.
(It’s a bit heavy, but the performance is flawless. Now, let’s check the performance of the field scope.)
While adjusting the focus knob, Shizuko used the field scope to observe her surroundings. Both the binoculars and the field scope met the performance requirements, so she concluded that there were no issues with the final check. However, she felt that there was still a need to reevaluate the work, as only five out of the possible twenty binoculars and field scopes were produced.
“Well then, is this enough for Kichikamaru Kunitsuna? The Battle of Anegawa is about to begin, so let’s quickly send a letter to Oda-sama.”
After covering the lens part of the binoculars and field scopes with wooden caps, Shizuko sat at her desk to write a letter. The letter would contain contents that would stimulate Nobunaga’s curiosity. She couldn’t afford to postpone the inspection due to the upcoming battle. In order to silence the anti-Shizuko faction and protect the honor of the craftsmen, it was necessary for Nobunaga to know about the binoculars before the battle began.
After receiving the letter, Nobunaga, accompanied by his retainers, visits Shizuko.
“This time, it’s a story that overturns the common sense of battles,” Nobunaga asks Shizuko with a curious expression.
“Yes, that’s correct. I deeply apologize for the various problems we have faced and for keeping you waiting until today.”
“Hehe, good. But before that, let me give this to you. Bring it in!”
At Nobunaga’s command, a pageboy comes carrying a wooden decorative box. When the pageboy opens the box, inside is a sword. Nobunaga takes the sword from the pageboy and hands it directly to Shizuko.
“This is the promised Onimaru Kunitsuna. Please accept it.”
“Um, but it’s still…”
“It doesn’t matter. You should present it with confidence. It must be something worthy. Or do you lack confidence in your own work?”
“N-No, that’s not the case!”
“Then there should be no problem in accepting it.”
Saying that, Nobunaga urges Shizuko to take the sword. Without hesitation this time, Shizuko respectfully accepts the Onimaru Kunitsuna.
“Now, let me show you something.”
“Yes, here it is.”
After entrusting the sword to Aya, Shizuko guides Nobunaga to a designated location. It is a moderately sized area with only a simple tower built.
“My lord, there is a signboard over there.”
“Ah, I see it. I can’t see what’s written on it from here.”
A small signboard is placed about 500 meters away from Shizuko and Nobunaga. Of course, it is too far for anyone to see what is written on the signboard.
“So, that black tube-like thing is the main attraction this time?”
“Your insight is admirable. I will explain the details later… First, I will demonstrate how to use it.”
Shizuko removes the lens cover and adjusts the focus, aiming at the signboard. At this moment, Shizuko doesn’t know what expression Nobunaga and the others have, but she is certain that they must look strange. After all, to an outsider, it would just look like she is peering into a tube. She feels a little embarrassed, but Shizuko completes the focus adjustment.
“…It’s okay. My lord, please look through here.”
“Hmm.”
Following Shizuko’s instructions, Nobunaga looks through the field scope. But soon, he raises his head and stares at the signboard with a surprised expression. He repeats the action of looking at the signboard and then through the field scope several times before quietly exhaling.
“Shizuko… I’ll hear the detailed explanation later. Yoshinari, you should take a look too. This truly overturns the common sense of battles.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Following Nobunaga’s order, Mori Yoshinari also looks through the field scope. Like Nobunaga, he repeatedly looks at the signboard and then through the field scope, his face showing surprise.
“The purpose is different, but there is also something called binoculars. Please take a look at this as well.”
Shizuko hands Nobunaga a pair of eight-fold binoculars. Perhaps because he has become accustomed to the field scope, Nobunaga looks through the binoculars without much surprise and smiles.
“The view changes when you look through this circular part. The blurry world becomes clear when it fits perfectly. Yoshinari, what do you think?”
“Y-Yes, this truly overturns the common sense of battles. If we can see things that are so far away without getting closer, it will greatly change the surveillance system against enemies.”
“That’s right. If there is a tower, do you have this black tube prepared for that as well?”
“Yes. That tower is about 33 shaku (approximately 10 meters) tall. However, there is one important thing to note. Never look at the sun through it. It will damage your eyes.”
Nobunaga nods at Shizuko’s words and climbs the tower. There, he looks through a thirty-fold field scope and smiles with a look of enjoyment.
“Indeed, this changes the common sense of battles. Shizuko, can you improve the performance of this lens? It may be useful even on the sea in the future. It’s better to make a better one.”
“Understood.”
In order to increase the transparency in glass production, soda ash is necessary. Furthermore, to create glass with high transparency, various materials such as garnet powder are needed for polishing. In modern times, glass polishing can be done by machines, but in the Sengoku period where such machines do not exist, craftsmen have no choice but to polish by hand. They must think about glass day and night, undergo training in polishing thousands of glasses, and finally acquire the skill. Of course, it requires financial resources to repeat such trial and error, but Shizuko, who has the financial power, takes charge of it.
“I see, so it’s not something that can be easily obtained.”
If the field scope is fifty-fold, it is almost the same as looking at something 1000 meters away with the naked eye at a distance of 20 meters. This makes it possible to monitor camp tents from a distance of 1000 meters. Although the weight increases, with higher magnification, it is possible to monitor from even further away. Normally, this information would need to be conveyed by moving, but with the field scope, that is unnecessary. By using flag signaling, where one person waves a flag to inform another person, the information can be quickly transmitted. There is no greater threat to the enemy than the swift transmission of information.
“Shizuko, improve this lens. It may be useful even on the sea in the future. It’s critical to make a better one.”
“Understood.”
Nobunaga nods with satisfaction and places his hand on Shizuko’s shoulder, speaking in a slightly lower tone as if whispering.
“Changing the subject, Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) boasted about eating something delicious at the end of the year.”
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
1570, mid-May
Asakura had no choice but to retreat in the face of Nobunaga’s provocation. This fact shocked the Asakura family’s retainers and the pro-Asakura faction of the Azai clan. The Asakura family was a prominent clan with a long history dating back to the Heian period, and they had built a refined cultural city in Ichijodani, known as the “Second Kyoto,” which had a flourishing Kyoto culture. Due to its proximity to Kyoto, the Asakura family had close relations with the imperial court and the shogunate. In particular, they received exceptional treatment, with the shogun himself visiting Echizen every year.
However, this incident tarnished the reputation of the Asakura family. They were seen as a cowardly family that fled to Ichijodani despite being subjected to such provocation. As a result, some retainers of the Asakura family turned their backs on Asakura Yoshikage and defected to the Oda clan, which had a promising future.
Hisamasa also suffered a similar downfall. Hisamasa, who had shown disgraceful behavior during the meeting between Nobunaga and Nagamasa, began to be seen as a problem by the pro-Asakura faction’s retainers. The retainers of the Azai clan, who had also lost faith in the future of the Asakura family, switched sides and joined Nagamasa’s camp.
The power of the Asakura clan and the Azai clan, represented by Hisamasa and Yoshikage, gradually diminished. This was within Nobunaga’s expectations. However, he made a grave mistake. He had pushed Hisamasa and Yoshikage into a corner too quickly and had let his guard down. Nobunaga understood that the retainers of the Azai clan had a tendency to side with the stronger party. He also believed that the Asakura clan would be unable to take any action for a while in order to prevent internal collapse. Therefore, he did not pay attention to the cornered Hisamasa and did not advise Nagamasa to keep an eye on him.
On May 14, 1570 (Genki 1), a major historical event occurred. Asakura Hisamasa and Asakura Yoshikage conspired and attempted to assassinate Azai Nagamasa in the “Kotani Castle Incident.” This incident, which took place on that day, marked the beginning of the Genki Disturbance and also the beginning of the first Oda encirclement.
On May 11, 1570 (Genki 1), some retainers of the Asakura family invaded Mino, which was Oda territory. It goes without saying that Nobunaga was furious. He appointed Shibata Katsuie as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force and personally ordered him to annihilate the Asakura forces, stating that he would not accept any surrender.
Nobunaga believed that he could quickly annihilate the Asakura forces. However, on May 14, 1570 (Genki 1), Hisamasa’s forces, who were preparing for reinforcements, suddenly attacked Nagamasa. In the chaos of the coup, Nagamasa’s forces were cut down one after another by Hisamasa’s forces. Although Nagamasa himself resisted by wielding his sword, it was extremely difficult to regroup the once-disrupted army. Upon the advice of Naotsune, Nagamasa decided to escape from Kotani Castle with his wife, children, and a few retainers.
Although Nagamasa successfully escaped despite losing many soldiers, his camp was in a state of collapse. Thinking that Hisamasa’s camp had the momentum, many retainers quickly switched sides and defected from Nagamasa’s camp. In the end, only a few retainers remained loyal to Nagamasa, including his right-hand man, Endo Naotsune, and his close friend, Mitamura Ichizaemon, along with a few other retainers and 3,000 soldiers. Nagamasa was pushed to the brink of despair, but he held onto a glimmer of hope and set out for Mino with his wife and children.
Upon learning of the Asakura invasion of Mino and the Kotani Castle Incident, in which Asakura Hisamasa and Asakura Yoshikage conspired, Nobunaga gave Hideyoshi 10,000 troops from his remaining forces and ordered an invasion of Omi Province. Officially, it was for the “rescue of Oichi,” but secretly, Nobunaga instructed Hideyoshi to provide assistance to Nagamasa’s forces.
Hideyoshi advanced in just one day, but there was a major problem. They had no idea where Nagamasa’s forces were. Nagamasa’s forces were moving in hiding to avoid detection by Hisamasa’s forces, and their small size made them difficult to find. Despite sending spies, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi could not obtain any useful information and were only wasting time.
However, it turned out that Nagamasa’s forces had unexpectedly joined forces with a completely different army. It was the Shizuko army, which had traveled all the way from Southeast Asia to receive pepper seedlings and seeds.
“Form a diagonal formation of 1,500! Deploy 500 archers on the left flank! Jinjo, Shikichi, take ten cavalry archers and focus on sniping the archers and horses!”
The reason Shizuko’s army was battling against Hisamasa’s forces was the result of a series of unfortunate events. First, Shizuko received a message from Fróis that the pepper seedlings and seeds had arrived and decided to march to Kyoto with her entire army, including the Kurokuwa (civil engineering workers) group equipped with full armor, as part of their marching training. They received the pepper seedlings and seeds in Kyoto and were supposed to quickly return to Owari before the Azai family’s internal conflict erupted and arrive in Gifu.
However, the cure for scurvy turned out to be more effective than expected, so the Jesuits, as part of their hush money, brought animals for presentation along with the pepper seedlings and seeds to Japan. Initially, the Jesuits thought they would bring only a few animals, but in the midst of their surprise at the effectiveness of the sprouts, they gave instructions that were misinterpreted like a game of telephone. In the end, it was misunderstood that animals needed to be collected from various places.
First, they bought three pairs of Turkish Angora cats from a friendly Islamic merchant. Turkish Angora is a breed that naturally originated in the mountainous regions of Turkey. Turkish means “of Turkey,” and Angora is an old name for Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Its appearance has been described in records since it was brought to Europe in the 16th century, so it is believed to have been established as a breed at least several hundred years before it reached Europe.
However, the Turkish Angora registered with the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) is not the original breed. There are several reasons for this. First, Europeans crossbred them with Persians to increase their numbers, causing pure Turkish Angoras to become extinct outside of Turkey. Then, during World War II, Turkish Angoras in Turkey were on the brink of extinction. In the 1950s, an American soldier discovered them being kept in Ankara Zoo in Turkey, where they were cherished as “living national treasures.” The soldier negotiated their import to the United States. However, Turkey, which had cherished Turkish Angoras as a national treasure, remembered the atrocities committed by Westerners against them and was reluctant to export them. Eventually, they were imported to the United States and crossed with Siamese, a treasure of Thailand, to restore their original slim body shape, similar to that of Persians. In other words, the Turkish Angoras in modern times are a breed that originated from three breeds: Turkish Angora, Persian, and Siamese. Of course, the Turkish Angoras given to Shizuko were the original breed that had not been crossed with Persians or Siamese.
Next, they heard a story that a Christian missionary stationed in India owned a rare dog (a German Shepherd originally from Germany) and negotiated to buy several females. Just before departure, a Portuguese merchant boasted that he had bought a large turtle from a Spanish merchant ship, so they half-threatened him and bought six turtles. After setting sail, they stopped in the Ryukyu Kingdom for supplies and bought two pairs of Indian peafowls from a Chinese merchant who was doing business there. The Jesuits gathered cats, dogs, and birds as Fróis’ report stated, and added rare animals such as elephants and turtles. All these animals were transported from Sakai to Kyoto, and then handed over to Shizuko.
Shizuko was exasperated, wondering if people mistook her for the director of a zoo or something. But more misfortune awaited her. After handing over the animals to Shizuko, Fróis and Lorenzo left Kyoto to take care of their business in Sakai. Furthermore, Mitsuhide Akechi and Fujitaka Hosokawa, who came to see the elephants and turtles, fell in love with the Turkish Angoras instead. Ignoring the eyes of their retainers, the two men played with the cats and then asked Shizuko to give them one each. In the end, succumbing to their enthusiasm, Shizuko agreed to give a male Turkish Angora to Mitsuhide and a female Turkish Angora to Fujitaka, on the condition that they would introduce the two during the mating season.
Just before being about to be defeated, Nagamasa accepted Shizuko’s proposal and sent a messenger to inform the soldiers that Oda’s reinforcements had arrived. Due to repeated defeats and betrayal by the local people, Nagamasa’s army, which had initially numbered three thousand, had now been reduced to about a thousand. However, upon hearing the news of Oda’s reinforcements, their morale began to recover.
While Shizuko’s army of four thousand and Nagamasa’s army of a thousand kept their distance from Hisamasa’s army of six thousand, they reorganized their formations. However, Nagamasa’s heavily injured army had fallen back to protect Nagamasa, so it was actually a standoff between Hisamasa’s army of six thousand and Shizuko’s army of four thousand. The standoff was broken by Hisamasa’s army, which had prepared for an assault. In response to the assault, Shizuko deployed a wedge formation and reinforced the front line foot soldiers with bamboo bundles reinforced with concrete. This was a strategy to avoid a frontal assault and defeat Hisamasa’s army with flanking attacks.
“There are about six thousand of them! Just kill two each!”
Shizuko, who was infuriated by Hisamasa’s selfish attitude, gave precise instructions to each unit and relentlessly pushed Hisamasa’s army into a corner. Those who had never seen her angry were terrified by Shizuko’s fierce demeanor.
“Archers, don’t worry! The enemy isn’t saying anything important! Keep shooting!”
The enemy soldiers fell one after another under the rain of arrows from the five hundred archers. Even those who were lucky enough to avoid the rain of arrows were killed by the heavy infantry’s axes and swords. The enemy archers and cavalry were being overwhelmed by the unpredictable movements of the archer cavalry equipped with compound bows. It seemed like the battle would end there, but the enemy was not that foolish. They temporarily retreated, considering charging through the rain of arrows to be a suicide mission.
“Sound the flute and give the signal for Keiji, Saizo, and Katsuzo’s (Mori Nagayoshi) units to charge!”
As the flute sounded, Keiji, Saizo, and Nagayoshi’s units moved forward from the flanks of the wedge formation, surrounding Hisamasa’s army from both sides. Hisamasa’s army, which had been engaged in a frontal assault, was caught off guard and unable to resist the attack from Shizuko’s army.
“Die, die, die! I’ll torture anyone who raises a hand against my cat with this iron rod!”
Nagayoshi swung his morning star, which was slightly longer. Each swing of the morning star sent blood flying. Not only Nagayoshi, but also the foot soldiers in Nagayoshi’s unit were cutting down enemy soldiers with spears and swords. Of course, Keiji and Saizo’s units also fought back, defeating the enemy soldiers who were in disarray.
Hisamasa’s soldiers, surrounded by Shizuko’s army, had no way to retreat. Even if they tried to charge, Shizuko’s main force was protected by the wedge formation and a breakthrough in the center was impossible. Furthermore, they were also facing a volley of arrows from the archers. Hisamasa’s camp, realizing that further battle was impossible, attempted a forced breakthrough through the weakest part of the encirclement. However, the part where the encirclement was weakest was intentionally weakened by Nagayoshi and his men to lure Hisamasa’s soldiers in. Without realizing this, the lured Hisamasa’s soldiers turned into lifeless corpses one after another. In the end, Hisamasa suffered about two thousand casualties out of his force of six thousand.
“Alright! Let’s retreat as the enemy retreats! Don’t pursue too far, there are still untouched forces over there!”
Although they repelled the Nagamasa suppression force, Hisamasa’s main force remained unharmed. On the other hand, while there were no casualties in Shizuko’s army, nearly thirty percent of the soldiers were wounded. Nagamasa’s soldiers had also reached their limit of exhaustion, and Shizuko, thinking that further pursuit would result in a painful counterattack, began to retreat while firmly holding onto the still angry Nagayoshi. She also warned the soldiers who were elated by the victory and set fire to all unnecessary baggage. Shizuko and Nagamasa then began their retreat together.
Finally, around 3 p.m., they were discovered by Hideyoshi’s scouts, and Shizuko’s army and Nagamasa’s army joined forces with Hideyoshi’s army. As a result, the combined forces of Nagamasa’s army, Shizuko’s army, and Hideyoshi’s army swelled to fifteen thousand soldiers.
“Well done, you saved Lord Asai Bizen-no-kami from a desperate situation.”
“Th-thank you very much.”
Shizuko was praised by Hideyoshi, but she was almost completely lost in her thoughts and couldn’t remember what had happened along the way. From the moment they were suddenly attacked by Hisamasa’s soldiers to the time they joined forces with Hideyoshi, she had very little memory. Therefore, the foot soldiers in Shizuko’s army were puzzled as to why they were so afraid of Shizuko and could only tilt their heads in confusion.
“We will arrive at Sekigahara tomorrow. They won’t be able to pursue us any further, so once we arrive tomorrow, we can relax for now.”
Hideyoshi’s words were not coming from arrogance. In his mind, he had considered the situation of Hisamasa and Omi Province, the movements of the Asakura army, and other factors, and concluded that “Hisamasa Asai can no longer move his troops.” And Hideyoshi’s thinking was correct. Hisamasa no longer had time to move his troops on his own. Even if he wanted to move his troops without permission, his retainers would not follow him. In front of his retainers, who followed him thinking that a coup would benefit the Asai family, Hisamasa declared himself the head of the Asai family and once again had to identify himself as a local lord of Omi Province. In addition, he had to deepen his cooperation with the Asakura and other anti-Oda organizations. He could not afford to spend any more time on Nagamasa.
“If the alliance with Omi Province is dissolved, we cannot ensure the safety of the key route connecting Gifu and Kyoto.”
“There’s no need to worry about that. Lord Oda’s forces have already begun their invasion of Omi Province. Shizuko might even accompany them on this campaign. After all, she has shown the most outstanding performance this time.”
“Yes, I thought it was hopeless this time. We had to start by figuring out where the battle was taking place.”
“(They didn’t have time to send out scouts) I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”
As Shizuko muttered while scratching her cheek, the smell of miso suddenly tickled her nostrils.
“Ah, it’s finally here. Bring it quickly!”
When Hideyoshi also noticed the smell of miso, he urged the servants with an impatient attitude. What they brought was a soup rice dish that had slightly more fat floating on it than usual.
(They mixed pemmican, grilled miso balls, and dried rice)
It was one of the wartime meals devised by Takenaka Hanbei and Shizuko. Pemmican is a traditional portable preserved food of the Native Americans living in Canada and the United States. It can last for a week if taken care of even in the summer. However, this pemmican is very fatty because it seals meat, vegetables, and fruits with animal fat. Therefore, if eaten as it is, it will definitely cause stomach problems. Hence, an additional step was added to reduce the liquidized oil slightly by heating it.
Even so, eating a greasy meal is not appealing, so they made a pork soup-like dish by melting meat miso balls wrapped in low-fat meat such as chicken breast in a dashi broth, and then mixed in dried rice. The reason for not completely discarding the excess fat is that high-calorie food is necessary during wartime. However, if you eat field rations like pemmican during peacetime, you will definitely get sick.
“The fat is strong. But during military operations, it’s not good to eat too much, so if you think of it as reducing the amount you eat… it’s a good thing, right?”
“Hmm, there are still improvements to be made. By the way, Shizuko-san, what did you call the cavalry equipped with bows again?”
“Oh, yes, they are called archer cavalry.”
To put it simply, archer cavalry refers to cavalry that performs mounted archery. However, this archer cavalry requires excellent horsemanship, archery skills, and superior horse equipment such as saddles and stirrups. It is naturally easier for nomadic people who have horses as a part of their lives to form archer cavalry. While cavalry equipped with bows is often called dragon cavalry, in reality, it refers to cavalry equipped with firearms such as guns.
The advantage of archer cavalry is their superior mobility and high accuracy due to their excellent archery skills. Especially, archer cavalry that employs tactics such as feigned retreat and mounted archery were considered the nemesis of infantry. Even light cavalry with similar mobility had a hard time dealing with archer cavalry. Although Japan has few flatlands, the archer cavalry in Shizuko’s unit took advantage of the compound bows’ capabilities and based their tactics on long-range shooting, shooting from outside the enemy’s awareness and retreating to a safe zone before the enemy realized it. Excellent archery skills and excellent horsemanship were both required, so the unit consisted of only thirty elite soldiers.
The training was also extraordinary. They controlled the horses with only their legs, maneuvering through mountainous terrain. They hit targets that were being carried by a swift current, running their horses perpendicular to the flow of the river, from a distance of over 75 meters. They also trained to shoot down flying birds and fish swimming in the river. Of course, they also had to eat everything without leaving anything behind. In addition to basic training, Nagayoshi provided instruction, and they also learned various academic subjects. It was not determined by lineage or blood, but without talent, effort, and some luck, one could not enter. That was Shizuko’s archer cavalry unit.
“Yes, they say they can hit targets from about a hundred meters away.”
“Since hit-and-run tactics are the basic strategy, it’s best to be able to hit from a distance. That’s why we train them like that.”
The perception that long-range weapons such as bows were “not samurai weapons” began after the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion in the Edo period. Until then, bows were never considered cowardly weapons. In the Kamakura period, mounted archers using Japanese bows were the main force, and during the Sengoku period, the country’s people and warlords took pride in having many bows and matchlock guns. Theoretically, it was believed that a Japanese bow could penetrate armor at a distance of about 30 meters, and a matchlock gun was said to have a killing range of 60 meters. If you were 100 meters away, you could escape the killing range of a Japanese bow or matchlock gun. That was the common sense of the Sengoku period. However, the archer cavalry in Shizuko’s unit had a range of about 100 meters to penetrate armor, and their killing range was 150 meters. If they were unlucky, they could kill someone 200 meters away.
“By the way, where are Lord Asai and Lady Oichi?”
“It seems that my father’s uprising was too much for him to bear. He wanted some time to think, so he’s keeping a low profile.”
Nagamasa, who had been targeted by his own father, suffered both mentally and physically. Seeing him dejected and with his shoulders drooping, Hideyoshi and Takenaka Hanbei thought it would be best to leave him alone. That’s why Nagamasa is not showing himself to Hideyoshi, Takenaka Hanbei, or Shizuko right now.
“We will arrive at Sekigahara tomorrow. From there, it’s a straight shot to Gifu. Asakura should have finished their extermination, so we can rest today.”
The next day, Hideyoshi, Shizuko, and Nagamasa’s allied forces began their journey before sunrise. Although the possibility of Hisamasa’s attack was low, they couldn’t completely eliminate the possibility of irregular forces attacking with spies. They decided it would be better to quickly reach Mino. Fortunately, there was no pursuit from Hisamasa, and the group passed through Sekigahara and arrived in Gifu. The allied forces disbanded in Gifu, and Nagamasa and Hideyoshi headed to Nobunaga’s place, while Shizuko headed to Owari. However, just before leaving Gifu, Shizuko was ordered by Nobunaga to report on the Turkish Angora matter. After various twists and turns, Sakihisa (Konoe), who had also seen the Turkish Angora with Nobunaga, began to say similar things to Mitsuhide Akechi.
Shizuko, who had reached the point of giving up, conveyed her conditions with a dry laugh and handed over the male to Nobunaga and the female to Sakihisa (Konoe). At that moment, Shizuko expressed her wish to borrow land from Nobunaga. Nobunaga, who was fascinated by the Turkish Angora, generously gave Shizuko 4000 tsubo (about 13,000 square meters) of land.
With the assurance she needed, Shizuko entrusted the construction of a cat tower to the Kurokuwa (civil engineering workers) group and hurriedly returned home. In fact, Shizuko, who wanted to escape, increased the marching speed and arrived at her home just before sunset. After treating the wounded soldiers again, she disbanded the army. Each soldier returned home after receiving treatment, and Shizuko and the others passed through the village gate.
“Welcome back, Lady Shizuko. I have heard about your journey. The bath is already prepared, so please relax and heal your fatigue.”
Following Aya’s words of welcome, the four of them soothed their bodies in the bath. After bathing, Shizuko first gave pumpkin, mulberry leaves, kudzu leaves, wild plants, and komatsuna to the elephant tortoise. Although she wasn’t familiar with the types of tortoises, if the story of buying them from a Spanish merchant ship was true, it was highly likely that they were Galapagos giant tortoises. Since the discovery of the Galapagos Islands in 1535, Galapagos giant tortoises had been treated by Westerners as a source of live food and water containers.
During the dry season in the Galapagos Islands, water often became scarce, so Galapagos giant tortoises had the ability to store water in a sac near their hearts called a “heart sac”. Because of this ability, European whaling and merchant ships captured many giant tortoises for drinking water. The meat was sweet and delicious, they could store water, they were slow-moving, and they could survive for months without food, which led to the overexploitation of giant tortoises. On Rodrigues Island in the Mascarene Islands, there are records of 280,000 giant tortoises being captured as food between 1732 and 1771.
The most famous individual among the Galapagos giant tortoises was Lonesome George, a Pinta Island tortoise, who died on June 24, 2012. He was the last of his kind and became a symbol of endangered species as all attempts to breed with closely related subspecies failed, and attempts to artificially hatch eggs using females of closely related species also ended in failure.
“Well, it could also be an Aldabra giant tortoise since it’s from India. But the shell is dome-shaped… well, it doesn’t matter.”
It was certain that it had been in a place with abundant food due to its dome-shaped shell. And from its appetite, it was certain that it had been without food for several months. When keeping giant tortoises, it was important to feed them once a day with a diet consisting mainly of dried leaves and fibrous grass, even if they refused to eat. A greenhouse or similar structure was also necessary.
“Considering their health, I think they need to be isolated for about four or five months.”
The German Shepherds, who were isolated due to their health, were provided with a spacious area to ensure they didn’t lack exercise. Doghouses were also set up as sleeping quarters, taking into consideration protection from rain and dew.
German Shepherds were considered the masterpiece of dog breeds that humans had created through selective breeding. They were highly intelligent, sociable, and loyal to their owners. They were also known to prefer training and could acquire high levels of specialization. On the other hand, if their training went wrong, they could become dominant and aggressive, making it difficult to correct. With their handsome appearance and agile, robust physique, they were also popular as pets and highly regarded as police and military dogs.
However, the German Shepherds that Shizuko received were not the modern German Shepherds used as police and military dogs, but rather Old German Shepherds, which were labeled as the original breed. They were bred with a focus on working dog abilities, resulting in a muscular physique and thicker legs compared to German Shepherds. Their backs were flat, but their necks were thick and sturdy, and their waists were also firm.
“The peafowls will have to endure in the pond for a while.”
After taking care of the German Shepherds, Shizuko moved the peafowls to a temporary enclosure made of simple fences. Peafowls were the largest species of pheasants with beautiful emerald-colored decorative feathers. They were highly omnivorous, feeding on a variety of insects, invertebrates, and amphibians that fit in their mouths. They also had a tolerance for neurotoxins, so they willingly ate venomous snakes like scorpions and king cobras.
“For vegetables, it was leafy greens, garlic chives, green onions, and onions, right? Well, I guess it’s fine to put some vegetable scraps.”
Shizuko set up a fence to prevent them from escaping and fed the peafowls, just like the giant tortoises, with the appropriate food. She then introduced the Turkish Angoras, who were on the verge of becoming synonymous with misfortune, to Wittman and the others. They were educated not to approach the restricted area, so Wittman and the others would not approach the giant tortoises or peafowls. However, it was different for the Turkish Angoras. Being a free-spirited breed that hated being restrained, it was highly likely that they would be preyed upon if they didn’t have an initial introduction. As expected, Wittman and the others showed their wariness towards the Turkish Angoras, and the Turkish Angoras growled at the large predatory animals.
As Shizuko anxiously watched, Wittman and the others seemed to accept something and let their guard down, and the Turkish Angoras stopped growling. Relieved, Shizuko thought it was safe now and released the Turkish Angoras from the cat cages. In an instant, one of the Turkish Angoras jumped out of the cage. The lively behavior indicated that it was a male, and it walked around Wittman and the others. Perhaps finding it annoying, Kaiser pushed the Turkish Angora with his front paw. Whether it found it amusing or intended to retaliate, the Turkish Angora quickly approached Kaiser and delivered a cat punch to his front paw. Perhaps it hurt because of the claws, Kaiser rolled the Turkish Angora again. And the Turkish Angora, who had gotten up, quickly approached Kaiser again and delivered another cat punch.
In front of Shizuko’s eyes, a fierce battle of wolf punches versus cat punches began. Thinking it would be best to leave them alone, Shizuko pushed the battle between Kaiser and the Turkish Angora out of her field of vision and checked the pepper seedlings and seeds in Ward’s box.
(I guess the sea journey was tough after all… There were supposed to be a lot of seedlings, but there are many rotten ones.)
There were few rotten seedlings, so she should be glad that the damage to the seedlings was minimal. Unbeknownst to Shizuko, her measures for the seedlings turned out to be fortunate, resulting in many seedlings being saved from withering. If someone else had received them, about seventy percent of them would have been unusable.
(There are a total of forty-five seedlings and seventy seeds. So, the expected value is five germinated seeds and fourteen seedlings.)
Shizuko had purchased ninety pepper seedlings and one hundred seeds by investing a large amount of money. However, due to various damages, the number of seedlings decreased to forty-five and the number of seeds decreased to seventy. Even so, she considered it a profitable venture, but the cultivation of pepper plants had the biggest obstacle waiting for her.
“Even when I cultivate them in Ward’s box… the germination rate of the seeds is still too low…”
The biggest obstacle was the poor germination rate. Normally, pepper cultivation involved growing young vines for cuttings in a nursery for three to four months. Then, the seedlings were planted alongside support poles, and from there, it was just a matter of letting them grow. Harvesting could be done as early as a year and a half, or at the latest, two years, and each pepper plant could yield about two kilograms for up to twenty-five years.
However, when it came to cultivation from seeds, it was a different story. The ideal germination temperature was 25 degrees Celsius, and they required good light. Furthermore, they needed to be carefully managed without drying out. This germination temperature was very critical, and although there were heating devices available in modern times, there were no such convenient tools in the Sengoku period. Maintaining the temperature, which could be problematic if it was too high or too low, was a difficult task.
Pepper plants could reach a height of five to nine meters, so a certain height was required. Shizuko planted the pepper seedlings in pots and wrapped the seeds in soaked cloth. After completing these measures, she moved them into the Sengoku-style greenhouse number one. Although it was called a greenhouse, only the cultivation area was covered with vinyl, while the rest of the structure consisted of glass windows and wooden boards. This was done to maintain strength and regulate temperature.
Bio-plastic vinyl had lower durability and functionality compared to petroleum vinyl, and it was also less likely to decompose (decomposition took a long time). Without conducting tests, it was unknown, but Shizuko believed that the vinyl would need to be completely replaced every five to ten years to maintain its strength.
Pepper plants were tropical plants cultivated in countries like Cambodia and Vietnam. They were not allowed to be exposed to temperatures below seven degrees Celsius, and if it dropped below four degrees, they would wither without exception. In Japan, it was not uncommon for temperatures to drop below four degrees in winter. Therefore, temperature control was extremely important.
To know the temperature, a thermometer was necessary. So, Shizuko manufactured an alcohol thermometer. Although alcohol thermometers had poor accuracy, their structure was simple, and they used red-colored temperature-sensitive liquid (alcohol), making them safer than mercury thermometers.
Since pepper plants were also sensitive to humidity, Shizuko manufactured a hair hygrometer. This was a reliable hygrometer that utilized the properties of hair and was also used in meteorological observations by the Japan Meteorological Agency. However, its performance was influenced by the quality of the hair, which was a drawback.
Although a special instrument was required for the thermometer and hygrometer, Shizuko used the thermometer and hygrometer from her sister’s travel kit as the instrument. This ensured the performance of the thermometer and hygrometer, and Shizuko began pepper cultivation in earnest.
In the early stages of pepper cultivation, it was all about measurements. Every day, Shizuko recorded the temperature and humidity, recorded the condition of the pepper seedlings, recorded the germination status of the seeds, and compiled all of this information.
“Hmm… Number 24, confirmed dead today.”
Among the numbered seedlings, Shizuko pulled out pepper seedling number 24, which had turned black. Already, 12 out of the 30 seedlings had failed by May 30, just over ten days since the cultivation began. Out of the 70 seeds, only one miraculously germinated.
“Could it be due to the temperature and humidity? Let’s think a little more…”
There were five seedlings that continued to grow and only one seed that germinated. Shizuko had been successful in cultivation so far, but cultivating pepper in the Sengoku period of Japan without measuring instruments or chemicals proved to be extremely difficult. However, the fact that five pepper seedlings were growing in the Sengoku period without measuring instruments or chemicals gave Shizuko a glimmer of hope.
“Numbers 8, 13, and 21 are doing well, but numbers 36 and 41 seem a little weak.”
A few days later, out of the seedlings that seemed hopeless, a total of ten seedlings revived. Shizuko was very happy about this, but the next day, two seedlings lost their vigor. Once a seedling withered, there was little Shizuko could do. Despite her efforts to prevent withering based on her cultivation records, the seedlings still withered. Out of the 70 seedlings, only 12 continued to grow. Shizuko jokingly thought about the Twelve Apostles brought by Christians, but she slapped her cheeks with both hands to regain her spirit.
Shizuko decided to change her mood and moved to the grafted mandarin orange and lemon orchard. Unlike pepper, the success rate here was high, and most of the scions had already sprouted. Once they grew a little more, Shizuko planned to remove the wax-coated cotton cloth used for waterproofing, transfer them to pots, and send them to various places. Most of the seedlings to be sent were mandarin oranges, but a few lemons would also be sent. The remaining seedlings would be planted in a corner of the orchard, and new rootstocks would be planted in the land where they had been planted at the appropriate time.
New companions were added to the orchard. They were the Chinese kumquat (Ningbo kumquat) and the cherry tree (Chinese cherry). The Chinese cherry, also known as the Chinese cherry blossom or Tang cherry blossom, was an ancient cultivated variety that appeared in Heian period documents under the name “cherry blossom.” However, in modern Japan, the dominant variety was the sweet cherry (Prunus avium), and the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) or Chinese cherry (Prunus pseudocerasus) with strong acidity was rarely found in the market.
While many cultivars of cherries are self-incompatible (they do not pollinate with their own pollen and require pollen from other varieties), the Chinese cherry is self-compatible and can bear fruit even with just one tree. The Chinese kumquat was grafted, and the Chinese cherry was grown from seeds. Shizuko thought that she needed to increase the number of rootstocks of the Chinese kumquat, which would serve as the rootstock for the Ningbo kumquat.
“Were you here, Shizuko-sama?”
As Shizuko was observing the orchard, Aya suddenly called out to her. Judging from her slightly breathless state, it could be inferred that she had received urgent news and hurriedly came to Shizuko.
“Is it urgent news?”
“A letter of introduction has been delivered. It seems to be about the Asakura and Asai campaigns.”
Shizuko received the letter from Aya and confirmed that it indeed contained the contents of increasing the production of bamboo arrows.
Bamboo arrows were made by skilled craftsmen using bamboo as the material for the arrow shaft. However, for Shizuko, arrows were not “works of art” but “consumables.” Therefore, instead of gathering craftsmen for production, she adopted an industrial production method where parts were manufactured and assembled at the end.
Arrowheads, arrow shafts, feathers, and nocks were manufactured according to specifications, and then assembled, inspected, and shipped. Although Shizuko’s semi-industrial production system initially had many defective products and time losses, the defect rate gradually decreased, and now it was possible to produce efficiently without relying on craftsmen.
“Double the production of bamboo arrows. Also, prepare for additional rewards.”
“Understood.”
“We also need to prepare for the battle. I don’t want to leave Owari if possible… well, two months later should be fine.”
“And… a package has arrived from the technology district. It was sealed very securely, so I couldn’t check the contents.”
“It’s okay. If it’s not done, it will be immediately apparent.”
Judging from Aya’s perplexed expression, it could be easily imagined that the package was sealed tightly. However, if the contents were what Shizuko had envisioned, the reason for the tight seal was not to prevent inspection, but to prevent the contents from flying out when the lid was opened. Even a slight damage would require starting from scratch, so it was natural for the craftsmen to be cautious during transportation.
“…What did you make?”
“Hmm, it’s something that will overturn the common sense of battles. I’ll show it to you later, Aya-chan.”
Shizuko lightly shrugged her shoulders in response to Aya’s question.
After receiving the package from Aya, Shizuko removed the tight seal and opened the lid. Inside the box were various sizes of objective lenses and right-angle prisms, just as Shizuko had expected.
(Finally… finally, I can do it. Binoculars and field scopes.)
The main purpose of glass production was to make binoculars and field scopes. Along with pepper cultivation, Shizuko invested a large amount of capital and rushed the completion of the objective lenses. Since there was no glass grinding machine, the quality of the lenses and prisms depended on the skill of the craftsmen. Shizuko had urged the craftsmen to improve the quality of glass production in a short period of time, but that was finally over.
(Alright, let’s assemble them.)
Holding the box containing the objective lenses, Shizuko moved to a room where there was no dust and placed the lenses on a clean surface. Most of the dust was cotton dust from clothes, bedding, and carpets. Reducing the source of dust had a certain effect. The remaining task was to create air convection and expel dust as much as possible. Shizuko brushed off any dust on her body, entered the room, and began assembling the lenses and prisms.
(With the opportunity, I’ll make smaller objective lenses and create a microscope.)
With smaller objective lenses, Shizuko could make paper craft microscopes that were popular in her time. These microscopes were made almost entirely of paper, with only the necessary lenses. By changing the shape of the paper, they could be transformed into bright field microscopes or fluorescence microscopes. As a low-cost disease detection tool that could be made almost for free in developing countries, or as an educational tool that allows easy observation with a microscope, paper craft microscopes had excellent performance.
(The problem might be making the lenses for paper craft microscopes. Besides, they are only needed for diseases and similar situations. Besides, I’m not that knowledgeable about medical matters… Maybe it will be useful when someone needs it in the future.)
The problem was that the objective lenses would become smaller. Even with lenses of the size used for telescopes, it took a very long time for grinding. It was almost impossible to manufacture lenses that could be picked up with tweezers. Considering the frequency of use, an optical microscope with a simpler structure would be more practical than a paper craft microscope.
(Well, let’s leave it as a future challenge. Having a microscope alone is useless.)
Shizuko concluded that the microscope would be a future challenge and focused on assembling the binoculars. The assembly of binoculars required careful attention, although the process seemed simple and easy. In particular, the erecting prism required the precise assembly of two or three right-angle prisms, each rotated exactly 90 degrees. If this inclination was done incorrectly, the phenomenon of “falling” would occur, where the image appeared tilted instead of being accurately erect. Shizuko checked after assembly, and if there were any mistakes, she disassembled, adjusted, and reassembled. In the end, she performed adjustments more than ten times to make three binoculars and two field scopes. The final products were a six times thirty caliber and an eight times forty-two caliber binoculars for Nobunaga, a thirty times and a sixty times field scope, and a seven times fifty caliber binoculars for herself.
The field scope, also known as a terrestrial telescope, differed significantly from an astronomical telescope in that it incorporated an erecting prism. The main difference between binoculars and field scopes was their intended use. Field scopes could be used for surveying, terrain understanding, and monitoring enemy movements from fixed positions. On the other hand, binoculars could be used for confirming deployments and assessing situations on the battlefield. Shizuko held her seven times binoculars and fine-tuned them while checking their performance.
(It’s a bit heavy, but the performance is flawless. Now, let’s check the performance of the field scope.)
While adjusting the focus knob, Shizuko used the field scope to observe her surroundings. Both the binoculars and the field scope met the performance requirements, so she concluded that there were no issues with the final check. However, she felt that there was still a need to reevaluate the work, as only five out of the possible twenty binoculars and field scopes were produced.
“Well then, is this enough for Kichikamaru Kunitsuna? The Battle of Anegawa is about to begin, so let’s quickly send a letter to Oda-sama.”
After covering the lens part of the binoculars and field scopes with wooden caps, Shizuko sat at her desk to write a letter. The letter would contain contents that would stimulate Nobunaga’s curiosity. She couldn’t afford to postpone the inspection due to the upcoming battle. In order to silence the anti-Shizuko faction and protect the honor of the craftsmen, it was necessary for Nobunaga to know about the binoculars before the battle began.
After receiving the letter, Nobunaga, accompanied by his retainers, visits Shizuko.
“This time, it’s a story that overturns the common sense of battles,” Nobunaga asks Shizuko with a curious expression.
“Yes, that’s correct. I deeply apologize for the various problems we have faced and for keeping you waiting until today.”
“Hehe, good. But before that, let me give this to you. Bring it in!”
At Nobunaga’s command, a pageboy comes carrying a wooden decorative box. When the pageboy opens the box, inside is a sword. Nobunaga takes the sword from the pageboy and hands it directly to Shizuko.
“This is the promised Onimaru Kunitsuna. Please accept it.”
“Um, but it’s still…”
“It doesn’t matter. You should present it with confidence. It must be something worthy. Or do you lack confidence in your own work?”
“N-No, that’s not the case!”
“Then there should be no problem in accepting it.”
Saying that, Nobunaga urges Shizuko to take the sword. Without hesitation this time, Shizuko respectfully accepts the Onimaru Kunitsuna.
“Now, let me show you something.”
“Yes, here it is.”
After entrusting the sword to Aya, Shizuko guides Nobunaga to a designated location. It is a moderately sized area with only a simple tower built.
“My lord, there is a signboard over there.”
“Ah, I see it. I can’t see what’s written on it from here.”
A small signboard is placed about 500 meters away from Shizuko and Nobunaga. Of course, it is too far for anyone to see what is written on the signboard.
“So, that black tube-like thing is the main attraction this time?”
“Your insight is admirable. I will explain the details later… First, I will demonstrate how to use it.”
Shizuko removes the lens cover and adjusts the focus, aiming at the signboard. At this moment, Shizuko doesn’t know what expression Nobunaga and the others have, but she is certain that they must look strange. After all, to an outsider, it would just look like she is peering into a tube. She feels a little embarrassed, but Shizuko completes the focus adjustment.
“…It’s okay. My lord, please look through here.”
“Hmm.”
Following Shizuko’s instructions, Nobunaga looks through the field scope. But soon, he raises his head and stares at the signboard with a surprised expression. He repeats the action of looking at the signboard and then through the field scope several times before quietly exhaling.
“Shizuko… I’ll hear the detailed explanation later. Yoshinari, you should take a look too. This truly overturns the common sense of battles.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Following Nobunaga’s order, Mori Yoshinari also looks through the field scope. Like Nobunaga, he repeatedly looks at the signboard and then through the field scope, his face showing surprise.
“The purpose is different, but there is also something called binoculars. Please take a look at this as well.”
Shizuko hands Nobunaga a pair of eight-fold binoculars. Perhaps because he has become accustomed to the field scope, Nobunaga looks through the binoculars without much surprise and smiles.
“The view changes when you look through this circular part. The blurry world becomes clear when it fits perfectly. Yoshinari, what do you think?”
“Y-Yes, this truly overturns the common sense of battles. If we can see things that are so far away without getting closer, it will greatly change the surveillance system against enemies.”
“That’s right. If there is a tower, do you have this black tube prepared for that as well?”
“Yes. That tower is about 33 shaku (approximately 10 meters) tall. However, there is one important thing to note. Never look at the sun through it. It will damage your eyes.”
Nobunaga nods at Shizuko’s words and climbs the tower. There, he looks through a thirty-fold field scope and smiles with a look of enjoyment.
“Indeed, this changes the common sense of battles. Shizuko, can you improve the performance of this lens? It may be useful even on the sea in the future. It’s better to make a better one.”
“Understood.”
In order to increase the transparency in glass production, soda ash is necessary. Furthermore, to create glass with high transparency, various materials such as garnet powder are needed for polishing. In modern times, glass polishing can be done by machines, but in the Sengoku period where such machines do not exist, craftsmen have no choice but to polish by hand. They must think about glass day and night, undergo training in polishing thousands of glasses, and finally acquire the skill. Of course, it requires financial resources to repeat such trial and error, but Shizuko, who has the financial power, takes charge of it.
“I see, so it’s not something that can be easily obtained.”
If the field scope is fifty-fold, it is almost the same as looking at something 1000 meters away with the naked eye at a distance of 20 meters. This makes it possible to monitor camp tents from a distance of 1000 meters. Although the weight increases, with higher magnification, it is possible to monitor from even further away. Normally, this information would need to be conveyed by moving, but with the field scope, that is unnecessary. By using flag signaling, where one person waves a flag to inform another person, the information can be quickly transmitted. There is no greater threat to the enemy than the swift transmission of information.
“Shizuko, improve this lens. It may be useful even on the sea in the future. It’s critical to make a better one.”
“Understood.”
Nobunaga nods with satisfaction and places his hand on Shizuko’s shoulder, speaking in a slightly lower tone as if whispering.
“Changing the subject, Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) boasted about eating something delicious at the end of the year.”
1570, mid-MayAsakura had no choice but to retreat in the face of Nobunaga's provocation. This fact shocked the Asakura family's retainers and the pro-Asakura faction of the Azai clan. The Asakura family was a prominent clan with a long history dating back to the Heian period, and they had built a refined cultural city in Ichijodani, known as the Second Kyoto, which had a flourishing Kyoto culture. Due to its proximity to Kyoto, the Asakura family had close relations with the imperial court and the shogunate. In particular, they received exceptional treatment, with the shogun himself visiting Echizen every year.However, this incident tarnished the reputation of the Asakura family. They were seen as a cowardly family that fled to Ichijodani despite being subjected to such provocation. As a result, some retainers of the Asakura family turned their backs on Asakura Yoshikage and defected to the Oda clan, which had a promising future.Hisamasa also suffered a similar downfall. Hisamasa, who had shown disgraceful behavior during the meeting between Nobunaga and Nagamasa, began to be seen as a problem by the pro-Asakura faction's retainers. The retainers of the Azai clan, who had also lost faith in the future of the Asakura family, switched sides and joined Nagamasa's camp.The power of the Asakura clan and the Azai clan, represented by Hisamasa and Yoshikage, gradually diminished. This was within Nobunaga's expectations. However, he made a grave mistake. He had pushed Hisamasa and Yoshikage into a corner too quickly and had let his guard down. Nobunaga understood that the retainers of the Azai clan had a tendency to side with the stronger party. He also believed that the Asakura clan would be unable to take any action for a while in order to prevent internal collapse. Therefore, he did not pay attention to the cornered Hisamasa and did not advise Nagamasa to keep an eye on him.On May 14, 1570 Genki 1, a major historical event occurred. Asakura Hisamasa and Asakura Yoshikage conspired and attempted to assassinate Azai Nagamasa in the Kotani Castle Incident. This incident, which took place on that day, marked the beginning of the Genki Disturbance and also the beginning of the first Oda encirclement.On May 11, 1570 Genki 1, some retainers of the Asakura family invaded Mino, which was Oda territory. It goes without saying that Nobunaga was furious. He appointed Shibata Katsuie as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force and personally ordered him to annihilate the Asakura forces, stating that he would not accept any surrender.Nobunaga believed that he could quickly annihilate the Asakura forces. However, on May 14, 1570 Genki 1, Hisamasa's forces, who were preparing for reinforcements, suddenly attacked Nagamasa. In the chaos of the coup, Nagamasa's forces were cut down one after another by Hisamasa's forces. Although Nagamasa himself resisted by wielding his sword, it was extremely difficult to regroup the once-disrupted army. Upon the advice of Naotsune, Nagamasa decided to escape from Kotani Castle with his wife, children, and a few retainers.Although Nagamasa successfully escaped despite losing many soldiers, his camp was in a state of collapse. Thinking that Hisamasa's camp had the momentum, many retainers quickly switched sides and defected from Nagamasa's camp. In the end, only a few retainers remained loyal to Nagamasa, including his right-hand man, Endo Naotsune, and his close friend, Mitamura Ichizaemon, along with a few other retainers and 3,000 soldiers. Nagamasa was pushed to the brink of despair, but he held onto a glimmer of hope and set out for Mino with his wife and children.Upon learning of the Asakura invasion of Mino and the Kotani Castle Incident, in which Asakura Hisamasa and Asakura Yoshikage conspired, Nobunaga gave Hideyoshi 10,000 troops from his remaining forces and ordered an invasion of Omi Province. Officially, it was for the rescue of Oichi, but secretly, Nobunaga instructed Hideyoshi to provide assistance to Nagamasa's forces.Hideyoshi advanced in just one day, but there was a major problem. They had no idea where Nagamasa's forces were. Nagamasa's forces were moving in hiding to avoid detection by Hisamasa's forces, and their small size made them difficult to find. Despite sending spies, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi could not obtain any useful information and were only wasting time.However, it turned out that Nagamasa's forces had unexpectedly joined forces with a completely different army. It was the Shizuko army, which had traveled all the way from Southeast Asia to receive pepper seedlings and seeds.Form a diagonal formation of 1,500! Deploy 500 archers on the left flank! Jinjo, Shikichi, take ten cavalry archers and focus on sniping the archers and horses!The reason Shizuko's army was battling against Hisamasa's forces was the result of a series of unfortunate events. First, Shizuko received a message from Fris that the pepper seedlings and seeds had arrived and decided to march to Kyoto with her entire army, including the Kurokuwa civil engineering workers group equipped with full armor, as part of their marching training. They received the pepper seedlings and seeds in Kyoto and were supposed to quickly return to Owari before the Azai family's internal conflict erupted and arrive in Gifu.However, the cure for scurvy turned out to be more effective than expected, so the Jesuits, as part of their hush money, brought animals for presentation along with the pepper seedlings and seeds to Japan. Initially, the Jesuits thought they would bring only a few animals, but in the midst of their surprise at the effectiveness of the sprouts, they gave instructions that were misinterpreted like a game of telephone. In the end, it was misunderstood that animals needed to be collected from various places.First, they bought three pairs of Turkish Angora cats from a friendly Islamic merchant. Turkish Angora is a breed that naturally originated in the mountainous regions of Turkey. Turkish means of Turkey, and Angora is an old name for Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Its appearance has been described in records since it was brought to Europe in the 16th century, so it is believed to have been established as a breed at least several hundred years before it reached Europe.However, the Turkish Angora registered with the Cat Fanciers' Association CFA is not the original breed. There are several reasons for this. First, Europeans crossbred them with Persians to increase their numbers, causing pure Turkish Angoras to become extinct outside of Turkey. Then, during World War II, Turkish Angoras in Turkey were on the brink of extinction. In the 1950s, an American soldier discovered them being kept in Ankara Zoo in Turkey, where they were cherished as living national treasures. The soldier negotiated their import to the United States. However, Turkey, which had cherished Turkish Angoras as a national treasure, remembered the atrocities committed by Westerners against them and was reluctant to export them. Eventually, they were imported to the United States and crossed with Siamese, a treasure of Thailand, to restore their original slim body shape, similar to that of Persians. In other words, the Turkish Angoras in modern times are a breed that originated from three breeds: Turkish Angora, Persian, and Siamese. Of course, the Turkish Angoras given to Shizuko were the original breed that had not been crossed with Persians or Siamese.Next, they heard a story that a Christian missionary stationed in India owned a rare dog a German Shepherd originally from Germany and negotiated to buy several females. Just before departure, a Portuguese merchant boasted that he had bought a large turtle from a Spanish merchant ship, so they half-threatened him and bought six turtles. After setting sail, they stopped in the Ryukyu Kingdom for supplies and bought two pairs of Indian peafowls from a Chinese merchant who was doing business there. The Jesuits gathered cats, dogs, and birds as Fris' report stated, and added rare animals such as elephants and turtles. All these animals were transported from Sakai to Kyoto, and then handed over to Shizuko.Shizuko was exasperated, wondering if people mistook her for the director of a zoo or something. But more misfortune awaited her. After handing over the animals to Shizuko, Fris and Lorenzo left Kyoto to take care of their business in Sakai. Furthermore, Mitsuhide Akechi and Fujitaka Hosokawa, who came to see the elephants and turtles, fell in love with the Turkish Angoras instead. Ignoring the eyes of their retainers, the two men played with the cats and then asked Shizuko to give them one each. In the end, succumbing to their enthusiasm, Shizuko agreed to give a male Turkish Angora to Mitsuhide and a female Turkish Angora to Fujitaka, on the condition that they would introduce the two during the mating season.Just before being about to be defeated, Nagamasa accepted Shizuko's proposal and sent a messenger to inform the soldiers that Oda's reinforcements had arrived. Due to repeated defeats and betrayal by the local people, Nagamasa's army, which had initially numbered three thousand, had now been reduced to about a thousand. However, upon hearing the news of Oda's reinforcements, their morale began to recover.While Shizuko's army of four thousand and Nagamasa's army of a thousand kept their distance from Hisamasa's army of six thousand, they reorganized their formations. However, Nagamasa's heavily injured army had fallen back to protect Nagamasa, so it was actually a standoff between Hisamasa's army of six thousand and Shizuko's army of four thousand. The standoff was broken by Hisamasa's army, which had prepared for an assault. In response to the assault, Shizuko deployed a wedge formation and reinforced the front line foot soldiers with bamboo bundles reinforced with concrete. This was a strategy to avoid a frontal assault and defeat Hisamasa's army with flanking attacks.There are about six thousand of them! Just kill two each!Shizuko, who was infuriated by Hisamasa's selfish attitude, gave precise instructions to each unit and relentlessly pushed Hisamasa's army into a corner. Those who had never seen her angry were terrified by Shizuko's fierce demeanor.Archers, don't worry! The enemy isn't saying anything important! Keep shooting!The enemy soldiers fell one after another under the rain of arrows from the five hundred archers. Even those who were lucky enough to avoid the rain of arrows were killed by the heavy infantry's axes and swords. The enemy archers and cavalry were being overwhelmed by the unpredictable movements of the archer cavalry equipped with compound bows. It seemed like the battle would end there, but the enemy was not that foolish. They temporarily retreated, considering charging through the rain of arrows to be a suicide mission.Sound the flute and give the signal for Keiji, Saizo, and Katsuzo's Mori Nagayoshi units to charge!As the flute sounded, Keiji, Saizo, and Nagayoshi's units moved forward from the flanks of the wedge formation, surrounding Hisamasa's army from both sides. Hisamasa's army, which had been engaged in a frontal assault, was caught off guard and unable to resist the attack from Shizuko's army.Die, die, die! I'll torture anyone who raises a hand against my cat with this iron rod!Nagayoshi swung his morning star, which was slightly longer. Each swing of the morning star sent blood flying. Not only Nagayoshi, but also the foot soldiers in Nagayoshi's unit were cutting down enemy soldiers with spears and swords. Of course, Keiji and Saizo's units also fought back, defeating the enemy soldiers who were in disarray.Hisamasa's soldiers, surrounded by Shizuko's army, had no way to retreat. Even if they tried to charge, Shizuko's main force was protected by the wedge formation and a breakthrough in the center was impossible. Furthermore, they were also facing a volley of arrows from the archers. Hisamasa's camp, realizing that further battle was impossible, attempted a forced breakthrough through the weakest part of the encirclement. However, the part where the encirclement was weakest was intentionally weakened by Nagayoshi and his men to lure Hisamasa's soldiers in. Without realizing this, the lured Hisamasa's soldiers turned into lifeless corpses one after another. In the end, Hisamasa suffered about two thousand casualties out of his force of six thousand.Alright! Let's retreat as the enemy retreats! Don't pursue too far, there are still untouched forces over there!Although they repelled the Nagamasa suppression force, Hisamasa's main force remained unharmed. On the other hand, while there were no casualties in Shizuko's army, nearly thirty percent of the soldiers were wounded. Nagamasa's soldiers had also reached their limit of exhaustion, and Shizuko, thinking that further pursuit would result in a painful counterattack, began to retreat while firmly holding onto the still angry Nagayoshi. She also warned the soldiers who were elated by the victory and set fire to all unnecessary baggage. Shizuko and Nagamasa then began their retreat together.Finally, around 3 p.m., they were discovered by Hideyoshi's scouts, and Shizuko's army and Nagamasa's army joined forces with Hideyoshi's army. As a result, the combined forces of Nagamasa's army, Shizuko's army, and Hideyoshi's army swelled to fifteen thousand soldiers.Well done, you saved Lord Asai Bizen-no-kami from a desperate situation.Th-thank you very much.Shizuko was praised by Hideyoshi, but she was almost completely lost in her thoughts and couldn't remember what had happened along the way. From the moment they were suddenly attacked by Hisamasa's soldiers to the time they joined forces with Hideyoshi, she had very little memory. Therefore, the foot soldiers in Shizuko's army were puzzled as to why they were so afraid of Shizuko and could only tilt their heads in confusion.We will arrive at Sekigahara tomorrow. They won't be able to pursue us any further, so once we arrive tomorrow, we can relax for now.Hideyoshi's words were not coming from arrogance. In his mind, he had considered the situation of Hisamasa and Omi Province, the movements of the Asakura army, and other factors, and concluded that Hisamasa Asai can no longer move his troops. And Hideyoshi's thinking was correct. Hisamasa no longer had time to move his troops on his own. Even if he wanted to move his troops without permission, his retainers would not follow him. In front of his retainers, who followed him thinking that a coup would benefit the Asai family, Hisamasa declared himself the head of the Asai family and once again had to identify himself as a local lord of Omi Province. In addition, he had to deepen his cooperation with the Asakura and other anti-Oda organizations. He could not afford to spend any more time on Nagamasa.If the alliance with Omi Province is dissolved, we cannot ensure the safety of the key route connecting Gifu and Kyoto.There's no need to worry about that. Lord Oda's forces have already begun their invasion of Omi Province. Shizuko might even accompany them on this campaign. After all, she has shown the most outstanding performance this time.Yes, I thought it was hopeless this time. We had to start by figuring out where the battle was taking place.They didn't have time to send out scouts I'll do my best to meet your expectations.As Shizuko muttered while scratching her cheek, the smell of miso suddenly tickled her nostrils.Ah, it's finally here. Bring it quickly!When Hideyoshi also noticed the smell of miso, he urged the servants with an impatient attitude. What they brought was a soup rice dish that had slightly more fat floating on it than usual.They mixed pemmican, grilled miso balls, and dried riceIt was one of the wartime meals devised by Takenaka Hanbei and Shizuko. Pemmican is a traditional portable preserved food of the Native Americans living in Canada and the United States. It can last for a week if taken care of even in the summer. However, this pemmican is very fatty because it seals meat, vegetables, and fruits with animal fat. Therefore, if eaten as it is, it will definitely cause stomach problems. Hence, an additional step was added to reduce the liquidized oil slightly by heating it.Even so, eating a greasy meal is not appealing, so they made a pork soup-like dish by melting meat miso balls wrapped in low-fat meat such as chicken breast in a dashi broth, and then mixed in dried rice. The reason for not completely discarding the excess fat is that high-calorie food is necessary during wartime. However, if you eat field rations like pemmican during peacetime, you will definitely get sick.The fat is strong. But during military operations, it's not good to eat too much, so if you think of it as reducing the amount you eat it's a good thing, right?Hmm, there are still improvements to be made. By the way, Shizuko-san, what did you call the cavalry equipped with bows again?Oh, yes, they are called archer cavalry.To put it simply, archer cavalry refers to cavalry that performs mounted archery. However, this archer cavalry requires excellent horsemanship, archery skills, and superior horse equipment such as saddles and stirrups. It is naturally easier for nomadic people who have horses as a part of their lives to form archer cavalry. While cavalry equipped with bows is often called dragon cavalry, in reality, it refers to cavalry equipped with firearms such as guns.The advantage of archer cavalry is their superior mobility and high accuracy due to their excellent archery skills. Especially, archer cavalry that employs tactics such as feigned retreat and mounted archery were considered the nemesis of infantry. Even light cavalry with similar mobility had a hard time dealing with archer cavalry. Although Japan has few flatlands, the archer cavalry in Shizuko's unit took advantage of the compound bows' capabilities and based their tactics on long-range shooting, shooting from outside the enemy's awareness and retreating to a safe zone before the enemy realized it. Excellent archery skills and excellent horsemanship were both required, so the unit consisted of only thirty elite soldiers.The training was also extraordinary. They controlled the horses with only their legs, maneuvering through mountainous terrain. They hit targets that were being carried by a swift current, running their horses perpendicular to the flow of the river, from a distance of over 75 meters. They also trained to shoot down flying birds and fish swimming in the river. Of course, they also had to eat everything without leaving anything behind. In addition to basic training, Nagayoshi provided instruction, and they also learned various academic subjects. It was not determined by lineage or blood, but without talent, effort, and some luck, one could not enter. That was Shizuko's archer cavalry unit.Yes, they say they can hit targets from about a hundred meters away.Since hit-and-run tactics are the basic strategy, it's best to be able to hit from a distance. That's why we train them like that.The perception that long-range weapons such as bows were not samurai weapons began after the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion in the Edo period. Until then, bows were never considered cowardly weapons. In the Kamakura period, mounted archers using Japanese bows were the main force, and during the Sengoku period, the country's people and warlords took pride in having many bows and matchlock guns. Theoretically, it was believed that a Japanese bow could penetrate armor at a distance of about 30 meters, and a matchlock gun was said to have a killing range of 60 meters. If you were 100 meters away, you could escape the killing range of a Japanese bow or matchlock gun. That was the common sense of the Sengoku period. However, the archer cavalry in Shizuko's unit had a range of about 100 meters to penetrate armor, and their killing range was 150 meters. If they were unlucky, they could kill someone 200 meters away.By the way, where are Lord Asai and Lady Oichi?It seems that my father's uprising was too much for him to bear. He wanted some time to think, so he's keeping a low profile.Nagamasa, who had been targeted by his own father, suffered both mentally and physically. Seeing him dejected and with his shoulders drooping, Hideyoshi and Takenaka Hanbei thought it would be best to leave him alone. That's why Nagamasa is not showing himself to Hideyoshi, Takenaka Hanbei, or Shizuko right now.We will arrive at Sekigahara tomorrow. From there, it's a straight shot to Gifu. Asakura should have finished their extermination, so we can rest today.The next day, Hideyoshi, Shizuko, and Nagamasa's allied forces began their journey before sunrise. Although the possibility of Hisamasa's attack was low, they couldn't completely eliminate the possibility of irregular forces attacking with spies. They decided it would be better to quickly reach Mino. Fortunately, there was no pursuit from Hisamasa, and the group passed through Sekigahara and arrived in Gifu. The allied forces disbanded in Gifu, and Nagamasa and Hideyoshi headed to Nobunaga's place, while Shizuko headed to Owari. However, just before leaving Gifu, Shizuko was ordered by Nobunaga to report on the Turkish Angora matter. After various twists and turns, Sakihisa Konoe, who had also seen the Turkish Angora with Nobunaga, began to say similar things to Mitsuhide Akechi.Shizuko, who had reached the point of giving up, conveyed her conditions with a dry laugh and handed over the male to Nobunaga and the female to Sakihisa Konoe. At that moment, Shizuko expressed her wish to borrow land from Nobunaga. Nobunaga, who was fascinated by the Turkish Angora, generously gave Shizuko 4000 tsubo about 13,000 square meters of land.With the assurance she needed, Shizuko entrusted the construction of a cat tower to the Kurokuwa civil engineering workers group and hurriedly returned home. In fact, Shizuko, who wanted to escape, increased the marching speed and arrived at her home just before sunset. After treating the wounded soldiers again, she disbanded the army. Each soldier returned home after receiving treatment, and Shizuko and the others passed through the village gate.Welcome back, Lady Shizuko. I have heard about your journey. The bath is already prepared, so please relax and heal your fatigue.Following Aya's words of welcome, the four of them soothed their bodies in the bath. After bathing, Shizuko first gave pumpkin, mulberry leaves, kudzu leaves, wild plants, and komatsuna to the elephant tortoise. Although she wasn't familiar with the types of tortoises, if the story of buying them from a Spanish merchant ship was true, it was highly likely that they were Galapagos giant tortoises. Since the discovery of the Galapagos Islands in 1535, Galapagos giant tortoises had been treated by Westerners as a source of live food and water containers.During the dry season in the Galapagos Islands, water often became scarce, so Galapagos giant tortoises had the ability to store water in a sac near their hearts called a heart sac. Because of this ability, European whaling and merchant ships captured many giant tortoises for drinking water. The meat was sweet and delicious, they could store water, they were slow-moving, and they could survive for months without food, which led to the overexploitation of giant tortoises. On Rodrigues Island in the Mascarene Islands, there are records of 280,000 giant tortoises being captured as food between 1732 and 1771.The most famous individual among the Galapagos giant tortoises was Lonesome George, a Pinta Island tortoise, who died on June 24, 2012. He was the last of his kind and became a symbol of endangered species as all attempts to breed with closely related subspecies failed, and attempts to artificially hatch eggs using females of closely related species also ended in failure.Well, it could also be an Aldabra giant tortoise since it's from India. But the shell is dome-shaped well, it doesn't matter.It was certain that it had been in a place with abundant food due to its dome-shaped shell. And from its appetite, it was certain that it had been without food for several months. When keeping giant tortoises, it was important to feed them once a day with a diet consisting mainly of dried leaves and fibrous grass, even if they refused to eat. A greenhouse or similar structure was also necessary.Considering their health, I think they need to be isolated for about four or five months.The German Shepherds, who were isolated due to their health, were provided with a spacious area to ensure they didn't lack exercise. Doghouses were also set up as sleeping quarters, taking into consideration protection from rain and dew.German Shepherds were considered the masterpiece of dog breeds that humans had created through selective breeding. They were highly intelligent, sociable, and loyal to their owners. They were also known to prefer training and could acquire high levels of specialization. On the other hand, if their training went wrong, they could become dominant and aggressive, making it difficult to correct. With their handsome appearance and agile, robust physique, they were also popular as pets and highly regarded as police and military dogs.However, the German Shepherds that Shizuko received were not the modern German Shepherds used as police and military dogs, but rather Old German Shepherds, which were labeled as the original breed. They were bred with a focus on working dog abilities, resulting in a muscular physique and thicker legs compared to German Shepherds. Their backs were flat, but their necks were thick and sturdy, and their waists were also firm.The peafowls will have to endure in the pond for a while.After taking care of the German Shepherds, Shizuko moved the peafowls to a temporary enclosure made of simple fences. Peafowls were the largest species of pheasants with beautiful emerald-colored decorative feathers. They were highly omnivorous, feeding on a variety of insects, invertebrates, and amphibians that fit in their mouths. They also had a tolerance for neurotoxins, so they willingly ate venomous snakes like scorpions and king cobras.For vegetables, it was leafy greens, garlic chives, green onions, and onions, right? Well, I guess it's fine to put some vegetable scraps.Shizuko set up a fence to prevent them from escaping and fed the peafowls, just like the giant tortoises, with the appropriate food. She then introduced the Turkish Angoras, who were on the verge of becoming synonymous with misfortune, to Wittman and the others. They were educated not to approach the restricted area, so Wittman and the others would not approach the giant tortoises or peafowls. However, it was different for the Turkish Angoras. Being a free-spirited breed that hated being restrained, it was highly likely that they would be preyed upon if they didn't have an initial introduction. As expected, Wittman and the others showed their wariness towards the Turkish Angoras, and the Turkish Angoras growled at the large predatory animals.As Shizuko anxiously watched, Wittman and the others seemed to accept something and let their guard down, and the Turkish Angoras stopped growling. Relieved, Shizuko thought it was safe now and released the Turkish Angoras from the cat cages. In an instant, one of the Turkish Angoras jumped out of the cage. The lively behavior indicated that it was a male, and it walked around Wittman and the others. Perhaps finding it annoying, Kaiser pushed the Turkish Angora with his front paw. Whether it found it amusing or intended to retaliate, the Turkish Angora quickly approached Kaiser and delivered a cat punch to his front paw. Perhaps it hurt because of the claws, Kaiser rolled the Turkish Angora again. And the Turkish Angora, who had gotten up, quickly approached Kaiser again and delivered another cat punch.In front of Shizuko's eyes, a fierce battle of wolf punches versus cat punches began. Thinking it would be best to leave them alone, Shizuko pushed the battle between Kaiser and the Turkish Angora out of her field of vision and checked the pepper seedlings and seeds in Ward's box.I guess the sea journey was tough after all There were supposed to be a lot of seedlings, but there are many rotten ones.There were few rotten seedlings, so she should be glad that the damage to the seedlings was minimal. Unbeknownst to Shizuko, her measures for the seedlings turned out to be fortunate, resulting in many seedlings being saved from withering. If someone else had received them, about seventy percent of them would have been unusable.There are a total of forty-five seedlings and seventy seeds. So, the expected value is five germinated seeds and fourteen seedlings.Shizuko had purchased ninety pepper seedlings and one hundred seeds by investing a large amount of money. However, due to various damages, the number of seedlings decreased to forty-five and the number of seeds decreased to seventy. Even so, she considered it a profitable venture, but the cultivation of pepper plants had the biggest obstacle waiting for her.Even when I cultivate them in Ward's box the germination rate of the seeds is still too lowThe biggest obstacle was the poor germination rate. Normally, pepper cultivation involved growing young vines for cuttings in a nursery for three to four months. Then, the seedlings were planted alongside support poles, and from there, it was just a matter of letting them grow. Harvesting could be done as early as a year and a half, or at the latest, two years, and each pepper plant could yield about two kilograms for up to twenty-five years.However, when it came to cultivation from seeds, it was a different story. The ideal germination temperature was 25 degrees Celsius, and they required good light. Furthermore, they needed to be carefully managed without drying out. This germination temperature was very critical, and although there were heating devices available in modern times, there were no such convenient tools in the Sengoku period. Maintaining the temperature, which could be problematic if it was too high or too low, was a difficult task.Pepper plants could reach a height of five to nine meters, so a certain height was required. Shizuko planted the pepper seedlings in pots and wrapped the seeds in soaked cloth. After completing these measures, she moved them into the Sengoku-style greenhouse number one. Although it was called a greenhouse, only the cultivation area was covered with vinyl, while the rest of the structure consisted of glass windows and wooden boards. This was done to maintain strength and regulate temperature.Bio-plastic vinyl had lower durability and functionality compared to petroleum vinyl, and it was also less likely to decompose decomposition took a long time. Without conducting tests, it was unknown, but Shizuko believed that the vinyl would need to be completely replaced every five to ten years to maintain its strength.Pepper plants were tropical plants cultivated in countries like Cambodia and Vietnam. They were not allowed to be exposed to temperatures below seven degrees Celsius, and if it dropped below four degrees, they would wither without exception. In Japan, it was not uncommon for temperatures to drop below four degrees in winter. Therefore, temperature control was extremely important.To know the temperature, a thermometer was necessary. So, Shizuko manufactured an alcohol thermometer. Although alcohol thermometers had poor accuracy, their structure was simple, and they used red-colored temperature-sensitive liquid alcohol, making them safer than mercury thermometers.Since pepper plants were also sensitive to humidity, Shizuko manufactured a hair hygrometer. This was a reliable hygrometer that utilized the properties of hair and was also used in meteorological observations by the Japan Meteorological Agency. However, its performance was influenced by the quality of the hair, which was a drawback.Although a special instrument was required for the thermometer and hygrometer, Shizuko used the thermometer and hygrometer from her sister's travel kit as the instrument. This ensured the performance of the thermometer and hygrometer, and Shizuko began pepper cultivation in earnest.In the early stages of pepper cultivation, it was all about measurements. Every day, Shizuko recorded the temperature and humidity, recorded the condition of the pepper seedlings, recorded the germination status of the seeds, and compiled all of this information.Hmm Number 24, confirmed dead today.Among the numbered seedlings, Shizuko pulled out pepper seedling number 24, which had turned black. Already, 12 out of the 30 seedlings had failed by May 30, just over ten days since the cultivation began. Out of the 70 seeds, only one miraculously germinated.Could it be due to the temperature and humidity? Let's think a little moreThere were five seedlings that continued to grow and only one seed that germinated. Shizuko had been successful in cultivation so far, but cultivating pepper in the Sengoku period of Japan without measuring instruments or chemicals proved to be extremely difficult. However, the fact that five pepper seedlings were growing in the Sengoku period without measuring instruments or chemicals gave Shizuko a glimmer of hope.Numbers 8, 13, and 21 are doing well, but numbers 36 and 41 seem a little weak.A few days later, out of the seedlings that seemed hopeless, a total of ten seedlings revived. Shizuko was very happy about this, but the next day, two seedlings lost their vigor. Once a seedling withered, there was little Shizuko could do. Despite her efforts to prevent withering based on her cultivation records, the seedlings still withered. Out of the 70 seedlings, only 12 continued to grow. Shizuko jokingly thought about the Twelve Apostles brought by Christians, but she slapped her cheeks with both hands to regain her spirit.Shizuko decided to change her mood and moved to the grafted mandarin orange and lemon orchard. Unlike pepper, the success rate here was high, and most of the scions had already sprouted. Once they grew a little more, Shizuko planned to remove the wax-coated cotton cloth used for waterproofing, transfer them to pots, and send them to various places. Most of the seedlings to be sent were mandarin oranges, but a few lemons would also be sent. The remaining seedlings would be planted in a corner of the orchard, and new rootstocks would be planted in the land where they had been planted at the appropriate time.New companions were added to the orchard. They were the Chinese kumquat Ningbo kumquat and the cherry tree Chinese cherry. The Chinese cherry, also known as the Chinese cherry blossom or Tang cherry blossom, was an ancient cultivated variety that appeared in Heian period documents under the name cherry blossom. However, in modern Japan, the dominant variety was the sweet cherry Prunus avium, and the sour cherry Prunus cerasus or Chinese cherry Prunus pseudocerasus with strong acidity was rarely found in the market.While many cultivars of cherries are self-incompatible they do not pollinate with their own pollen and require pollen from other varieties, the Chinese cherry is self-compatible and can bear fruit even with just one tree. The Chinese kumquat was grafted, and the Chinese cherry was grown from seeds. Shizuko thought that she needed to increase the number of rootstocks of the Chinese kumquat, which would serve as the rootstock for the Ningbo kumquat.Were you here, Shizuko-sama?As Shizuko was observing the orchard, Aya suddenly called out to her. Judging from her slightly breathless state, it could be inferred that she had received urgent news and hurriedly came to Shizuko.Is it urgent news?A letter of introduction has been delivered. It seems to be about the Asakura and Asai campaigns.Shizuko received the letter from Aya and confirmed that it indeed contained the contents of increasing the production of bamboo arrows.Bamboo arrows were made by skilled craftsmen using bamboo as the material for the arrow shaft. However, for Shizuko, arrows were not works of art but consumables. Therefore, instead of gathering craftsmen for production, she adopted an industrial production method where parts were manufactured and assembled at the end.Arrowheads, arrow shafts, feathers, and nocks were manufactured according to specifications, and then assembled, inspected, and shipped. Although Shizuko's semi-industrial production system initially had many defective products and time losses, the defect rate gradually decreased, and now it was possible to produce efficiently without relying on craftsmen.Double the production of bamboo arrows. Also, prepare for additional rewards.Understood.We also need to prepare for the battle. I don't want to leave Owari if possible well, two months later should be fine.And a package has arrived from the technology district. It was sealed very securely, so I couldn't check the contents.It's okay. If it's not done, it will be immediately apparent.Judging from Aya's perplexed expression, it could be easily imagined that the package was sealed tightly. However, if the contents were what Shizuko had envisioned, the reason for the tight seal was not to prevent inspection, but to prevent the contents from flying out when the lid was opened. Even a slight damage would require starting from scratch, so it was natural for the craftsmen to be cautious during transportation.What did you make?Hmm, it's something that will overturn the common sense of battles. I'll show it to you later, Aya-chan.Shizuko lightly shrugged her shoulders in response to Aya's question.After receiving the package from Aya, Shizuko removed the tight seal and opened the lid. Inside the box were various sizes of objective lenses and right-angle prisms, just as Shizuko had expected.Finally finally, I can do it. Binoculars and field scopes.The main purpose of glass production was to make binoculars and field scopes. Along with pepper cultivation, Shizuko invested a large amount of capital and rushed the completion of the objective lenses. Since there was no glass grinding machine, the quality of the lenses and prisms depended on the skill of the craftsmen. Shizuko had urged the craftsmen to improve the quality of glass production in a short period of time, but that was finally over.Alright, let's assemble them.Holding the box containing the objective lenses, Shizuko moved to a room where there was no dust and placed the lenses on a clean surface. Most of the dust was cotton dust from clothes, bedding, and carpets. Reducing the source of dust had a certain effect. The remaining task was to create air convection and expel dust as much as possible. Shizuko brushed off any dust on her body, entered the room, and began assembling the lenses and prisms.With the opportunity, I'll make smaller objective lenses and create a microscope.With smaller objective lenses, Shizuko could make paper craft microscopes that were popular in her time. These microscopes were made almost entirely of paper, with only the necessary lenses. By changing the shape of the paper, they could be transformed into bright field microscopes or fluorescence microscopes. As a low-cost disease detection tool that could be made almost for free in developing countries, or as an educational tool that allows easy observation with a microscope, paper craft microscopes had excellent performance.The problem might be making the lenses for paper craft microscopes. Besides, they are only needed for diseases and similar situations. Besides, I'm not that knowledgeable about medical matters Maybe it will be useful when someone needs it in the future.The problem was that the objective lenses would become smaller. Even with lenses of the size used for telescopes, it took a very long time for grinding. It was almost impossible to manufacture lenses that could be picked up with tweezers. Considering the frequency of use, an optical microscope with a simpler structure would be more practical than a paper craft microscope.Well, let's leave it as a future challenge. Having a microscope alone is useless.Shizuko concluded that the microscope would be a future challenge and focused on assembling the binoculars. The assembly of binoculars required careful attention, although the process seemed simple and easy. In particular, the erecting prism required the precise assembly of two or three right-angle prisms, each rotated exactly 90 degrees. If this inclination was done incorrectly, the phenomenon of falling would occur, where the image appeared tilted instead of being accurately erect. Shizuko checked after assembly, and if there were any mistakes, she disassembled, adjusted, and reassembled. In the end, she performed adjustments more than ten times to make three binoculars and two field scopes. The final products were a six times thirty caliber and an eight times forty-two caliber binoculars for Nobunaga, a thirty times and a sixty times field scope, and a seven times fifty caliber binoculars for herself.The field scope, also known as a terrestrial telescope, differed significantly from an astronomical telescope in that it incorporated an erecting prism. The main difference between binoculars and field scopes was their intended use. Field scopes could be used for surveying, terrain understanding, and monitoring enemy movements from fixed positions. On the other hand, binoculars could be used for confirming deployments and assessing situations on the battlefield. Shizuko held her seven times binoculars and fine-tuned them while checking their performance.It's a bit heavy, but the performance is flawless. Now, let's check the performance of the field scope.While adjusting the focus knob, Shizuko used the field scope to observe her surroundings. Both the binoculars and the field scope met the performance requirements, so she concluded that there were no issues with the final check. However, she felt that there was still a need to reevaluate the work, as only five out of the possible twenty binoculars and field scopes were produced.Well then, is this enough for Kichikamaru Kunitsuna? The Battle of Anegawa is about to begin, so let's quickly send a letter to Oda-sama.After covering the lens part of the binoculars and field scopes with wooden caps, Shizuko sat at her desk to write a letter. The letter would contain contents that would stimulate Nobunaga's curiosity. She couldn't afford to postpone the inspection due to the upcoming battle. In order to silence the anti-Shizuko faction and protect the honor of the craftsmen, it was necessary for Nobunaga to know about the binoculars before the battle began.After receiving the letter, Nobunaga, accompanied by his retainers, visits Shizuko.This time, it's a story that overturns the common sense of battles, Nobunaga asks Shizuko with a curious expression.Yes, that's correct. I deeply apologize for the various problems we have faced and for keeping you waiting until today.Hehe, good. But before that, let me give this to you. Bring it in!At Nobunaga's command, a pageboy comes carrying a wooden decorative box. When the pageboy opens the box, inside is a sword. Nobunaga takes the sword from the pageboy and hands it directly to Shizuko.This is the promised Onimaru Kunitsuna. Please accept it.Um, but it's stillIt doesn't matter. You should present it with confidence. It must be something worthy. Or do you lack confidence in your own work?N-No, that's not the case!Then there should be no problem in accepting it.Saying that, Nobunaga urges Shizuko to take the sword. Without hesitation this time, Shizuko respectfully accepts the Onimaru Kunitsuna.Now, let me show you something.Yes, here it is.After entrusting the sword to Aya, Shizuko guides Nobunaga to a designated location. It is a moderately sized area with only a simple tower built.My lord, there is a signboard over there.Ah, I see it. I can't see what's written on it from here.A small signboard is placed about 500 meters away from Shizuko and Nobunaga. Of course, it is too far for anyone to see what is written on the signboard.So, that black tube-like thing is the main attraction this time?Your insight is admirable. I will explain the details later First, I will demonstrate how to use it.Shizuko removes the lens cover and adjusts the focus, aiming at the signboard. At this moment, Shizuko doesn't know what expression Nobunaga and the others have, but she is certain that they must look strange. After all, to an outsider, it would just look like she is peering into a tube. She feels a little embarrassed, but Shizuko completes the focus adjustment.It's okay. My lord, please look through here.Hmm.Following Shizuko's instructions, Nobunaga looks through the field scope. But soon, he raises his head and stares at the signboard with a surprised expression. He repeats the action of looking at the signboard and then through the field scope several times before quietly exhaling.Shizuko I'll hear the detailed explanation later. Yoshinari, you should take a look too. This truly overturns the common sense of battles.Yes, my lord.Following Nobunaga's order, Mori Yoshinari also looks through the field scope. Like Nobunaga, he repeatedly looks at the signboard and then through the field scope, his face showing surprise.The purpose is different, but there is also something called binoculars. Please take a look at this as well.Shizuko hands Nobunaga a pair of eight-fold binoculars. Perhaps because he has become accustomed to the field scope, Nobunaga looks through the binoculars without much surprise and smiles.The view changes when you look through this circular part. The blurry world becomes clear when it fits perfectly. Yoshinari, what do you think?Y-Yes, this truly overturns the common sense of battles. If we can see things that are so far away without getting closer, it will greatly change the surveillance system against enemies.That's right. If there is a tower, do you have this black tube prepared for that as well?Yes. That tower is about 33 shaku approximately 10 meters tall. However, there is one important thing to note. Never look at the sun through it. It will damage your eyes.Nobunaga nods at Shizuko's words and climbs the tower. There, he looks through a thirty-fold field scope and smiles with a look of enjoyment.Indeed, this changes the common sense of battles. Shizuko, can you improve the performance of this lens? It may be useful even on the sea in the future. It's better to make a better one.Understood.In order to increase the transparency in glass production, soda ash is necessary. Furthermore, to create glass with high transparency, various materials such as garnet powder are needed for polishing. In modern times, glass polishing can be done by machines, but in the Sengoku period where such machines do not exist, craftsmen have no choice but to polish by hand. They must think about glass day and night, undergo training in polishing thousands of glasses, and finally acquire the skill. Of course, it requires financial resources to repeat such trial and error, but Shizuko, who has the financial power, takes charge of it.I see, so it's not something that can be easily obtained.If the field scope is fifty-fold, it is almost the same as looking at something 1000 meters away with the naked eye at a distance of 20 meters. This makes it possible to monitor camp tents from a distance of 1000 meters. Although the weight increases, with higher magnification, it is possible to monitor from even further away. Normally, this information would need to be conveyed by moving, but with the field scope, that is unnecessary. By using flag signaling, where one person waves a flag to inform another person, the information can be quickly transmitted. There is no greater threat to the enemy than the swift transmission of information.Shizuko, improve this lens. It may be useful even on the sea in the future. It's critical to make a better one.Understood.Nobunaga nods with satisfaction and places his hand on Shizuko's shoulder, speaking in a slightly lower tone as if whispering.Changing the subject, Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada boasted about eating something delicious at the end of the year.
