With the domain administration in this weakened state, Takahiro KUKI, the ninth lord of the domain, invited Nobuhiro SATO and Hirohira OKUYAMA to work on reforming the domain administration, focusing on agricultural policies, and invited Sosui YAMAGA to reform military affairs.
このような中で第9代藩主・九鬼隆都は佐藤信淵や奥山弘平らを招聘して農業政策を中心とした藩政改革に取り組み、さらに山鹿素水を招いて軍事の改革も行なった。