Vol. 1 Chapter 1.8 – Early August, 1565

Early August—the time of year when summer was truly in full swing.

With the exception of sweet potatoes and sugarcane, the tomatoes, sweet corn and pumpkins had entered their harvest season.

Thanks to the villagers’ hard work, the crops had grown into fairly large vegetables. However, the villagers themselves found them somewhat unsettling, as they were foods they had never laid eyes on before.

“Hmm, the tomatoes are looking pretty good. I made sure to pollinate them and pinched off the side shoots, so they’ve grown to a nice size. I wonder if they’re about ready to eat?”

Although a few tomatoes had yet to turn red, the majority were already bright red.

After harvesting several to inspect their growth, Shizuko moved on to the area where the pumpkins were growing.

“The rinds are a deep green, and the corking on the fruit stalks looks good, too. They’re a decent size as well, so I think it’s about time to harvest them.”

Pumpkins generally reached their optimal harvesting period thirty to forty days after flowering. Considering that she had artificially pollinated them in July, there should be no problem harvesting them around now.

However, before proceeding with the main harvest, she needed to conduct a trial harvest to make sure everything was in order.

“Now, how’s the sweet corn doing, I wonder?”

After harvesting three pumpkins of suitable size, she headed towards the sweet corn, her final stop.

She harvested four ears of corn whose silks had turned brown, then carried them back to the village.

She had already asked the villagers to prepare some hot water beforehand, saving herself the trouble of having to make preparations upon her return.

“Saki-san, Osora-san, is everything ready?”

When Shizuko called out to the women making preparations, Saki turned towards her.

Although slender, she possessed such refined facial features that one could easily call her a beauty.

“The hot water is ready. We’ve also finished preparing the other thing, but…To be honest, I’m a little worried whether we’ve done it correctly.”

The slightly anxious expression on Saki’s face as she asked was so adorable that even Shizuko, a woman herself, couldn’t help but find her cute.

‘What is this adorable creature?’

After thoroughly washing the corn and tomatoes, Shizuko cut the corn into manageable pieces and tossed them into a pot.

Freshly harvested corn needed neither seasoning nor any other additions. Simply boiling it and eating it as it was brought out its delicious flavour at its very best.

However, since it looked like a cluster of bright yellow kernels, Osora seemed somewhat hesitant to approach it.

“The tomatoes can just be sliced, and the pumpkins should be cut into bite-sized pieces. We’ll be using the seeds, so make sure to keep them…Hmm, I suppose I’ll simmer the pumpkin with some venison. For seasoning, let’s go with miso and sake.”

Ideally, the pumpkins should have been dried in the sun for seven to ten days. However, since this was merely to check the condition of the harvest, she decided to skip the sun-drying process.

After scooping out the pumpkin seeds, she soaked them in a bucket of water. This was so she could wash them later and separate out the seeds.

She cut the pumpkin flesh into bite-sized pieces, then similarly cut the venison into suitable portions before adding both to boiling water.

Next, she added sake, followed by miso, and covered the pot with a lid. All that remained was to let everything simmer.

“And that’s that. Now then, I wonder how well everything will turn out?”

Gazing at the simmering pot, Shizuko’s heart swelled with anticipation for the finished dish.

The trial harvest proved to be a great success.

Even the villagers, who had initially been frightened by the unfamiliar appearance of the vegetables, began eagerly devouring the dishes once they discovered how delicious they were, each trying to get their share before the others.

Since sweet corn and pumpkin were vegetables with a pronounced natural sweetness, they must have seemed like a veritable feast to the villagers.

However, this time, she could not stop at a trial harvest. She needed to carry out the main harvest and present the produce to Nobunaga.

As she had hardly presented him with any of her harvests thus far, she needed to make an offering as soon as possible to regain his trust.

“So I have to put on those restrictive formal clothes again and go see Oyakata-sama, huh…”

This time, the vegetables she intended to present to Nobunaga consisted of four varieties, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, sweet corn, and tomatoes.

The sweet potatoes were not yet ready for a full harvest, but she figured it would not be a bad idea to let him sample some of the crops she had dug up during the trial harvest.

With that in mind, she decided to add them to this round of offerings.

Unlike those used in the trial harvest, the pumpkins had already undergone sun-drying, while the sweet corn and tomatoes had been harvested that very morning.

She began loading them all onto a large wooden cart.

Ordinarily, such a cart would be drawn by an ox. However, oxen were valuable labourers, and she could hardly afford to use the village’s sole ox for this purpose.

In the end, she came to the conclusion that they had no choice but to pull the cart by human strength.

“Kinzo-san, Tagosaku-san, I’m counting on you two—”

Shizuko called out to the two men who would be pulling the cart in place of an ox. In response, both men gave her a thumbs-up.

Naturally, it was Shizuko who had taught them this hand gesture but surprisingly, the villagers (particularly the men) had taken quite a liking to it.

Once the two men had finished preparing to pull the cart, Shizuko began walking alongside them, matching their pace.

She had already informed Nobunaga of her intended visit through Mori Yoshinari.

However, his reply at the time had been,『I look forward to it』which had left Shizuko feeling considerably intimidated.

“I really wish someone would take my place—”

As she said this, she turned towards Kinzo and Tagosaku, only for both men to conspicuously avert their gazes.

After letting out an involuntary sigh, Shizuko looked up at the annoyingly clear sky.

“Looks like it’s going to be another hot day.”

Gazing at the cloudless blue sky, she muttered quietly to herself.

After several hours of travelling, they finally entered the castle town. Shizuko explained their purpose to the guards at the castle gate and was granted entry.

Once inside, she completed the necessary preparations, changed into her formal attire, and waited in the empty audience chamber for nearly an hour before Nobunaga finally appeared.

“I hear you have come today to show me the fruits of your harvest.”

Nobunaga spoke evenly to Shizuko, who remained bowed before him.

“Show me what you are capable of. Raise your head.”

Responding to his command, Shizuko raised her face and spoke.

“Today, I humbly wish to present the fruits of our harvest and have you savour the dishes prepared from them.”

“Dishes… you say?”

“Yes. Please bring them in.”

She signalled with her eyes to the attendants nearby, prompting them to bring forth the agricultural produce she intended to present, along with the dishes prepared using it.

Shizuko did not miss the slight reaction Nobunaga showed the moment he laid eyes on the food.

‘Nobunaga has a fondness for unusual things. And despite being a man of this era, he possesses a mind flexible enough to comprehend a globe. In that case, he should show at least some interest in dishes he’s never seen before… I hope.’

“Allow me to explain.”

After bowing once more, Shizuko began speaking as she gestured towards the harvested produce piled up before her.

“There are four items I wish to present today. The first is pumpkin, the second is corn and the third is tomato. Lastly, although the sweet potatoes are not yet ready for their main harvest, I have included them among today’s offerings so that you may have the opportunity to sample their flavour.”

“Good heavens…Every one of them has such an unfamiliar shape.”

The surrounding samurai commanders murmured in astonishment upon seeing the offerings.

However, the moment Nobunaga raised one arm, the murmuring instantly ceased.

“Continue.”

“Yes. As for the dishes… First, we have pumpkin and venison simmered in miso, boiled corn and rice balls with sweet potato and miso. As for the tomatoes, please enjoy them with nothing more than a sprinkling of salt.”

“Hooh… This corn, as you call it, has a colour almost as brilliant as gleaming gold. However, I shall begin with this pumpkin of yours.”

With those words, Nobunaga picked up his chopsticks and placed a morsel of the pumpkin and venison simmered in miso into his mouth.

Shizuko wondered whether it was all right for him to eat without having the food tested for poison first. Was Nobunaga simply unconcerned about such matters?

Or perhaps the food had already been tested beforehand. With such thoughts running through her mind, Shizuko waited for Nobunaga’s next words.

He had been chewing normally but suddenly stopped and slowly set down his chopsticks.

His expression seemed somewhat alarmed.

Seeing sweat trickling down his face, Shizuko and the retainers around her began to panic.

“O-Oyakata-sama! Could it be that Shizuko-dono has poisoned the food?!”

“Wait!”

Hideyoshi, panicking under the mistaken impression that Shizuko had poisoned the dish, moved to seize her, but a voice stopped him just before he could do so.

Naturally, the voice belonged to Nobunaga. Unlike a moment earlier, he was now looking at Shizuko with a serious expression.

“O-Oyakata-sama? Huh…?”

“This food has a texture unlike anything I have ever tasted. And yet, it has a most satisfying bite to it. The faint sweetness enhances its flavour as well. Delicious. Truly delicious!”

Nobunaga declared this with a broad grin spreading across his face.

Realising from his expression that the suspicion of poisoning had been a misunderstanding, his retainers breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Nobunaga then proceeded to finish every last morsel of the food in silence.

Although Nobunaga was said to be indifferent to food, it seemed that unfamiliar things still piqued his curiosity, as he took his time savouring each dish.

After slowly placing his chopsticks on the serving tray, Nobunaga turned his attention towards Shizuko.

“It was indeed delicious. And since you are able to present such a considerable quantity, I take it the harvest has been plentiful.”

Hearing Nobunaga speak with a smile, Shizuko breathed a sigh of relief.

“However…”

But her relief lasted only an instant. Nobunaga’s expression quickly changed, and he questioned Shizuko with a piercing glare.

“Why have you not grown rice? Unlike other crops, rice is an essential resource. Judging by your demeanour, I take it you have not been producing any. Explain your reasoning. Surely you would not tell me that it is merely because these foods are unusual?”

During the Sengoku period, one reason wars were frequently fought in winter was that the farmers responsible for cultivating rice had already finished their agricultural work.

Unlike vegetables, rice was an essential resource that also served the needs of warfare.

Securing as much rice as possible was a crucial factor in waging war.

“…Oyakata-sama, with you and your retainers gathered before me, I fear it may be presumptuous of me to speak but please allow me to explain my reasoning.”

“Such reservations are unnecessary. Speak your mind without restraint.”

After bowing once, Shizuko looked Nobunaga straight in the eye and spoke.

“I believe that for Oyakata-sama to achieve the unification of the realm, it is necessary to pursue 『Enriching the Nation and Strengthening the Military』.”

“Enriching the nation and strengthening the military, you say?”

Shizuko gave a small nod in response to Nobunaga’s question.

“It is a term that refers to fostering economic and industrial development while strengthening the military.”

『However』Shizuko emphasised the word slightly before continuing.

“As far as I am aware, there is not a single domain that has successfully accomplished both.”

In that instant, Nobunaga’s expression changed.

Depending on how one interpreted Shizuko’s words, she was essentially saying that none of the daimyo, not even the Shogun himself, had succeeded in enriching their domains and strengthening their military forces.

Naturally, that meant Nobunaga himself was included among them.

The expressions of his retainers changed as well but before any of them could say anything, Nobunaga raised a hand to silence them.

“Continue.”

“…First, please allow me to make one thing clear. I have absolutely no intention of belittling Oyakata-sama. I merely wish to state the facts as they are.”

“That matters not. However, since you speak so boldly, I trust you have a plan to accomplish this enrichment of the nation and strengthening of the military?”

From the sharp expression with which Nobunaga questioned her, Shizuko sensed an unmistakable warning: if she had no such plan, he would show her no mercy.

A bead of sweat involuntarily trickled down her face under the sheer force of his presence, but she steeled herself, as though driving away her apprehension.

“Of the two objectives encompassed by enriching the nation and strengthening the military, the latter can be achieved by implementing military reforms to reinforce our armed forces. However, we must first address the former… In other words, we must increase the strength and prosperity of the domain. And the first step towards achieving that is to stabilise the livelihoods of the common people.”

“…….”

“The crops I have presented today can be cultivated even on infertile land. Furthermore, they require relatively little time and effort to grow. In other words, they can be cultivated alongside rice.”

Rice cultivation was fundamental and could not be neglected.

However, if farmers were unable to cultivate anything other than rice, they would have nothing to eat whenever the rice harvest failed.

This was precisely why crops capable of growing in infertile soil were so important.

‘Sweet potatoes, in particular, have a high reproductive capacity and can grow even in poor soil as long as the proper cultivation procedures are followed. That makes them relatively easy to grow, even for beginners. It’s also why they were widely cultivated as a countermeasure against famine from the Edo period onwards.’

Moreover, the crops Shizuko had grown were not the varieties of sweet potato originally introduced to Japan, but rather improved cultivars developed through modern science.

The sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, sweet corn, and sugarcane were all highly resistant to pests and diseases, so there was little risk of them withering under ordinary circumstances.

“They are also highly nutritious, which will help reduce the mortality rate among children caused by malnutrition.”

A reduction in child mortality would, in itself, mean an increase in the labour force available for agricultural work.

There would be a considerable difference in the foundations of a nation where only half of every hundred children born survived to adulthood, compared to one where ninety percent reached adulthood.

This applied not only to military manpower, but also to the quantity of rice and vegetables produced through agricultural labour.

“By employing effective cultivation methods, we can increase agricultural production and, in turn, improve the nutrition of the common people. Achieving these objectives will enrich the nation. Furthermore, by ensuring that children can be raised in stable conditions, we can increase the number of soldiers available in the future. In this way, we can strengthen the military.”

The instant she finished speaking, the sharp, dry snap of a folding fan echoed throughout the chamber.

“Splendid! To think that you have given so much thought to something as simple as working the fields. I have indeed witnessed the extent of your abilities!”

Nobunaga declared as he rose to his feet and pointed his folding fan towards Shizuko.

Seeing this, all the samurai commanders bowed their heads, prompting Shizuko to hurriedly bow as well.

“Raise your head, Shizuko.”

“Yes.”

As Shizuko slowly raised her face, Nobunaga lightly touched the tip of his folding fan against her forehead.

She had absolutely no idea what his gesture was supposed to mean.

“Your quick wit and the courage you possess to hold my gaze without looking away are quite remarkable. It is almost a shame to leave you as a woman.”

“Ah, um…”

“Let me say it once more. You belong to me. The only time you shall ever leave my service is when you die.”

Removing the folding fan from Shizuko’s forehead, Nobunaga continued with a faint smile.

“You understand what it is that you must do… do you not?”

At those words, Shizuko’s expression grew resolute, and she nodded firmly.

Unlike when they had first met, Nobunaga’s words no longer carried the underlying threat that he would kill her if she betrayed him.

Instead, Shizuko felt that he genuinely intended to make use of her abilities.

That was precisely why Nobunaga had asked her whether she understood what she needed to do.

‘Since I can’t go home, I’ll have to survive in this Sengoku period…!’

There was nothing for her to do but serve as one of Nobunaga’s retainers.

As long as she had no idea how to return home, she would have to find a way to survive in this age of warring states.

Furthermore, in this era, there was no other daimyo besides Nobunaga who would even consider taking a woman into his service.

Thus, it could also be said that Shizuko had no choice but to work for Nobunaga.

Having once again come to understand her situation, Shizuko quietly renewed her determination within her heart.

“Yoshinari! Gather some fifty peasants!”

“At once, my lord!”

“Shizuko, I intend to march upon Mino. I shall entrust you with additional territory. Take the villagers gathered there and build up its agricultural productivity until it is sufficient to support Owari.”

“Yes, my lord!”

As she bowed her head, Shizuko recalled the course of history.

‘If I remember correctly, it was two years from now, in the tenth year of Eiroku (1567), that Nobunaga became the daimyo ruling both Owari and Mino… After that, he expanded his territories at a tremendous pace, so I’ll have to strengthen our agricultural production before then.’

The world truly lived up to the name Sengoku, the Age of Warring States, with local lords somewhere constantly waging war against one another.

However, many of the soldiers who marched off to war were local samurai who ordinarily worked as farmers.

And every soldier killed in battle directly contributed to a decline in rice production.

‘In July of the eleventh year of Eiroku (1568), Ichijoin Kakukei (Ashikaga Yoshiaki) approaches Nobunaga, and in September of that same year, they begin their march on the capital… That’s three years from now. Hmm, I suppose the timing of the invasion of Ise would be when I’ll have enough of those ready.’

She was convinced that her task was to establish sufficient agricultural productivity to compensate for the loss of labour even when farmers were called away to war.

‘I should introduce continuous cropping, crop rotation, and double cropping, too. As for the rice paddies, instead of sowing rice seeds directly into the fields, we should switch to raising seedlings in nursery beds and transplanting them into the paddies. We’ll also need a planting marker for arranging seedlings in evenly spaced rows, a rotary weeder for removing weeds, and a threshing machine for stripping the harvested rice ears from their stalks and separating the grains. Just introducing these tools alone should dramatically increase agricultural productivity!’

To be honest, there was so much to do that merely thinking about it all made her head spin.

Yet more than anything, her heart swelled with anticipation at the prospect of having an expansive area of farmland at her disposal.

[Ichijoin Kakukei (一条院覚慶) was the Buddhist monk name of Ashikaga Yoshiaki]