Chapter 10

When Zheng Heng lost his weapon, the killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger. He glanced around and found no one daring to step forward for a fight. Ueno Taro's bravery had long intimidated everyone, and the appearance of a warrior even more formidable than Ueno Taro on the battlefield further demoralized them. When a spear struck Zhongshan Fansi, their last hope was completely extinguished. Rescuing Zhongshan Fansi was now impossible, and they had to fight for their own survival.

Yeshan Yizhao had already led a group to attack, surrounding the thirty-odd people who hadn't managed to escape. Most of these thirty-odd people were injured, their expressions filled with fear but not losing their last bit of reason. They huddled together in small groups, making a final stand. However, the similar numbers turned into a disadvantage. One person's fear spread to all, and the principle of "the first to show his head gets shot" was well understood by everyone. No one dared to step forward and lead a brave breakout.

If someone had stepped forward, Zheng Heng wouldn't have been able to stop them. Their own forces were less than fifty, and they couldn't withstand the impact of thirty-odd people. Thus, a stalemate ensued.

Zheng Heng was well aware that most of those surrounded were local powerful samurai, the essence of Zhongshan's territory. He slightly narrowed his single eye, standing calmly at the forefront, and shouted loudly, "Zhongshan Fansi conspired with the evil bandit Hirakawa Hisahiro to kill our clansmen and destroy our homes. This is intolerable by heaven and earth. Why should you continue to aid such a tyrant? Quickly turn away from the dark and join the light, and we can share in prosperity together."

His words invigorated both the besieged and the besiegers. Zheng Heng's meaning was clear: he would only punish the ringleader and not implicate the masses.

The samurai in the siege exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. Zheng Heng's words had already dispelled any thoughts of stubborn resistance.

In the Warring States era, a samurai's thinking was simple: the death of the lord meant the end of the family. After the lord's death, loyalty to anyone, even an enemy, was not a concern.

After the lord's death, only a few renowned individuals would strive to revive the family. Most would silently swallow their bitter pill and welcome their new lord with a smile.

After all, everyone had families, and they were the pillars of their households. If the pillar fell, the entire nest would collapse, and there would be no intact eggs. They all swallowed their breath and looked at a few samurai who had some authority among them, their pleading gazes obvious.

Finally, someone couldn't hold out anymore. Shinbei, limping on one leg, was pushed forward. He had just been beaten to a pulp by Ueno Taro, waiting for death to come, but Ueno Taro was held back and couldn't escape. His leg injury was from that time. If treated promptly, it would take at most ten to fifteen days to recover, as it wasn't a direct stab.

Some people, after walking the line between life and death, see everything clearly. Some are timid and fearful, while others, like Shinbei, see through it all. What was there to fear about death? He just couldn't stand the loud and cowardly Zhongshan Fansi. Was it worth selling his life to such a greedy and ambitious person? He had long harbored the idea of leaving.

In the samurai's dictionary, there was no word for "fleeing." The term was more often "leaving" or "retreating."

Shinbei wanted to leave, but his injured leg prevented him from running. He could only lean against a small tree, waiting for the battle to end so he could return home with the wounded.

He never expected the Idate family to charge into the battlefield like wolves, crushing all his thoughts. He had no choice but to join in the resistance.

Zheng Heng's words once again ignited Shinbei's thoughts. Zhongshan Fansi was now a thing of the past. It wasn't worth dying for such a person. His thoughts mirrored those of most of the besieged samurai. When Zhongshan Fansi was alive, they needed to uphold the samurai's code of honor and resist to the end. Now that he was dead, only a few of his closest samurai had fallen, and the rest had no intention of following him to the grave.

Shinbei's family was a local powerful clan in Zhongshan's territory. They had only recently become vassals when Zhongshan Fansi rose to power. One of the three castles originally belonged to their family but was later seized by Zhongshan Fansi on some pretext, further eroding their loyalty.

Of course, that was a matter of the previous generation. However, this history gave Shinbei some prestige among the local samurai. He was known for his generosity and had a few good friends, including Jiro, who was one of those killed by Ueno Taro.

Suddenly, seven or eight pairs of eyes turned to him, making him feel uneasy. After some thought, he took a deep breath, his eyes calm and composed, and stepped forward. He drew a katana from the ground and placed it at his waist, then bowed and said, "I am Shinbei, a descendant of the Tawaramatsu clan of the Heishi family, a branch of the Taira clan. I greet the lord of the Idate family."

In the Warring States era, everyone had the skill to embellish their lineage. Some claimed to be descendants of the Zhongshan Jingwang, while others, like Oda Nobunaga, claimed to be descendants of the Taira clan, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi claimed to be a son of the sun, each more shameless than the last.

Shinbei's family's connection to the Tawaramatsu clan of the Taira clan was far less substantial than Toyotomi Hideyoshi's claim to be a son of the sun. They had a distant connection, as their ancestors had once been low-ranking samurai in the Tawaramatsu family. That was all.

Later, in 1537, after the last of the Tawaramatsu lineage, Tawaramatsu Masahiro, died in battle, Shinbei's father shamelessly claimed to be a branch of the Tawaramatsu family, finally attaching himself to a noble lineage. They managed to survive in the Chikuzen province, though barely.

Zheng Heng's knowledge of Japanese history came from games like Nobunaga's Ambition and Taiko Risshiden. He knew that Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu would be the successive rulers of Japan, but he didn't know much else. His own name, Zheng Heng, didn't even appear in the games, making him a new character whose abilities were unknown. He had no idea who Taira Masahiro was.

Yeshan Yizhao, who was well-versed in Japanese history, saw the flash of surprise in Zheng Heng's eyes and whispered, "Taira Masahiro was the famous general who slew the national traitor Taira no Masakado."

"National traitor Taira no Masakado, or Taira Masahiro, what does it have to do with me? I should just focus on being a small local lord," Zheng Heng thought. He immediately put on a respectful demeanor, though his face, with one eye and a black-red bandage over the left eye, looked particularly fierce. The bandage, originally white, was now stained with the blood of enemies, making him look especially intimidating.

Zheng Heng hurriedly stepped forward to help Shinbei up, saying with delight, "So you are a descendant of the righteous warrior who slew the national traitor Taira no Masakado. Please rise."

Yeshan Yizhao and others tensed, gripping their weapons and stepping closer, fearing that Shinbei might suddenly attack Zheng Heng. Fortunately, their fears were unfounded.

Seeing Zheng Heng's generous treatment, not only did Shinbei's face show a hint of satisfaction, but the other Zhongshan family samurai also relaxed. The samurai's will finally began to shift.

"I will follow Idate Zheng Heng. He is truly a great man. Perhaps following him will not tarnish the name of Taira Masahiro," Shinbei thought. He transformed into a persuader, a drastic change that made people doubt his motives.

In fact, it was understandable. After walking the line between life and death and seeing Zhongshan Fansi's cowardice and incompetence, the idea of attaching oneself to a strong leader was natural. Zheng Heng had shown the strength of a leader, and following a strong leader was the best way for those with no great ambitions but a desire to maintain the samurai's honor.

Shinbei turned to the others and said, "Hori Taro, Kozuke, Tetsuro... think carefully. Zhongshan Fansi has no standing, either morally or logically. You all saw his cowardice and ambition. The Idate family's forces are strong and have the support of Matsuyama Castle. Zhongshan Castle will soon change hands. If we persist in our delusions, what will happen to our families? What is the fate of a loser's family? I think everyone knows. Think about it. On one side, your family's cries of sorrow; on the other, following Idate Zheng Heng to gain more land. The choice is clear."

With that, Shinbei knelt down without waiting for a response, saying, "My lord, please accept the life of Tawaramatsu Shinbei. From now on, it belongs to you."

Zheng Heng laughed and helped Shinbei up, saying, "Shinbei, from now on, you are my comrade. As long as we work together, we will be invincible on the battlefield."

Shinbei was deeply grateful, and the others, seeing this, also knelt down, expressing their willingness to surrender, whether sincerely or not. Zheng Heng believed that given time, these people would become the vanguard of his expansion of the Idate family's territory.