Chapter 60

"Lord, shall we retreat?"

"I don't know."

In the area of Tōno in Kita-Shimōsa, the army of Uesugi Kenshin and the combined forces of Takigawa Masaharu and Tsuda Mitsuaki, the lord of Jōbashi Castle, were facing each other.

It was winter of the first year of Tenshō, and this year's advance of Uesugi Kenshin into the Kantō region was delayed.

The reason for this was that Shibata Katsuie's pacification of Kaga was almost complete, and Kenshin, sensing the danger, swiftly annexed Etchū and Noto.

Thus, Kaga was divided between the Oda family, and Etchū and Noto were divided between the Uesugi family. Shibata Katsuie sent a letter to Nobunaga, pleading for an invasion of Etchū, saying, "What is Kenshin up to?" However, Nobunaga, who feared Kenshin as much as Shingen, did not allow the start of hostilities.

What if the forces from Ishiyama and Kaga, Echizen were sent out?

Nobunaga considered this possibility, and moreover, Kenshin had never engaged in battle with Nobunaga.

If the other side did not initiate hostilities, Nobunaga had no intention of making the first move. However, a significant event occurred: the suppression of the Kantō region by the Tsuda family and the fall of the Hōjō family.

How would the Kantō Governor, Uesugi Kenshin, respond?

The answer was that the Uesugi army, having completed the subjugation of Etchū and Noto, appeared at Jōbashi Castle.

Takigawa Masaharu, who owned the western part of Kita-Shimōsa, including Jōbashi Castle, requested assistance from Mitsuaki, a fellow Oda family vassal and friend. Mitsuaki quickly led an army of ten thousand men to Jōbashi Castle.

"Will you attack the Kantō region under the banner of Kagekatsu?"

"That is a possibility."

Mitsuaki recalled that Kenshin had an adopted son, Uesugi Kagekatsu, from the Hōjō family. Although the Uesugi and Hōjō families had broken off relations immediately after Kagekatsu's adoption, Kenshin was reported to dote on him. Mitsuaki and Masaharu were wary of the possibility that Kenshin might use Kagekatsu to reclaim the Kantō region.

However, hostilities had not yet begun between the two armies. The Uesugi army had appeared but had not set foot on the territories of the powerful families that were originally on the Hōjō side. These territories were all under the control of the Tsuda family, and they feared a full-scale confrontation with the Oda family if they were to intervene.

Masaharu's thoughts were endless, but then something happened. Mitsuaki began setting up a field camp for a meeting at the midpoint between the two armies.

"Lord Tsuda, what is this for?"

Masaharu, who did not understand Mitsuaki's intentions, asked him the reason for setting up the field camp.

"Of course, to meet with Kenshin."

"Is it safe?"

"No matter how much he is the Dragon of Echigo, he won't eat people. Please be at ease."

The meeting between the two was held under the watchful eyes of the soldiers of both armies. Uesugi Kenshin was accompanied by Kōshō, known as Kōjima Yatarō, and Nakajō Sadakage, while Mitsuaki was accompanied only by Honda Masanobu and Watanabe Morinari, known as Yari Hanazō.

"I am the Kantō Governor, Uesugi Kenshin."

"I am a vassal of the Oda family, Tsuda Mitsuaki."

After the introductions, the conversation began.

"What has become of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, who claimed to be the Kōga Shōgun?"

"He was killed in the battle of Kawagoe."

Uesugi Kenshin had set up Ashikaga Fujiuji as the Kōga Shōgun, but he was killed by Hōjō Ujiyasu. Kenshin did not recognize Yoshiuji as the legitimate Kōga Shōgun. In the battle of Kawagoe, Yoshiuji was used as a decoy to gather the Kantō daimyō, but he was killed by gunfire.

"Then, what will become of the Kōga Shōgun?"

"Lord Yoshiaki has appointed Ashikaga Yoshizumi as the new Kōga Shōgun."

However, the vassals who had accompanied the Kōga Shōgun on the campaign were annihilated, and the maintenance of the Kōga Shōgun's domain was currently being handled by Mitsuaki. Mitsuaki planned to make Ashikaga Yoshizumi a mere puppet by giving him only a stipend. He had no intention of handing over the 120,000 koku of land he had annexed with great effort to Ashikaga Yoshizumi, who had come down from Kyoto just because of his noble lineage.

"I see. Can Lord Tsuda govern the Kantō region?"

It was a straightforward question. The territories Mitsuaki had secured by this winter were vast. Many powerful families and senior vassals were killed in the decisive battle of Kawagoe, and the losses in troops were also significant. When the Tsuda army appeared, many were in shock at the deaths of their lords and senior vassals, and half of them surrendered, while the other half resisted until the end.

The Tsuda navy also landed and occupied Awa and Kazusa, which were under the control of the Satomi family, with a separate force. As a result, the heads of the Satomi family, including Satomi Yoshiyuki, Yoshimasa, and Yoshinari, were all killed, and their vassals and local lords surrendered without much resistance.

The territories secured by the Tsuda family were vast, including Ise Shima, Iga, Tōtōmi, Suruga, Izu, Sagami, Musashi, part of Kōzuke, Shimotsuke, Awa, Kazusa, Shimōsa, and Hitachi. Many powerful families in the Kantō region were destroyed as a result of the fall of the Hōjō family, and the remaining families either abandoned their territories and fled or came under the surveillance of the Tsuda family.

Many recognized the Tsuda family as their new lords and served them, becoming mercenaries paid in money. Some resisted, refusing to leave their ancestral lands, but the majority submitted to the Tsuda family, which could mobilize more than 40,000 men and possessed over 30,000 arquebuses.

These mercenaries were dispatched as magistrates to the various regions of the Kantō under direct control of the Tsuda family, assisting in large-scale development plans and serving as civil and military officials. Those who rebelled against the development plans, which were inefficient due to the fragmented small territories, were suppressed.

The common people, including farmers, supported these measures. The burden of taxes and labor was reduced with the elimination of intermediate rulers who exploited them, and they no longer had to send men to war.

Mitsuaki planned to build a large castle and town in Edo and also had plans for land reclamation in the Kantō Plain, large-scale cultivation, flood control of the Tone River, and the construction of canals for agriculture and transportation.

To support these plans, he announced that those who were available could participate, and they would be paid daily wages and provided with meals. As a result, many of the Kantō region's inhabitants supported the Tsuda family. He also planned to strengthen the military, and many samurai who had lost their lords joined.

"It should be manageable."

"I see, it should be manageable. I couldn't do it."

Kenshin had deployed his forces to the Kantō region many times. He would capture many castles and achieve great results, but most of the time, he would return to Echigo when the farming season began, and the Hōjō would betray him.

Sometimes he wondered why he was deploying his forces, but he also did so because of a lack of food in Echigo during the winter. He was sustaining his troops by plundering the Kantō region.

It was not a commendable act, but he could not let the people of Echigo starve. Kenshin thought this way, and his constant public declaration of "righteousness" was merely a means to survive.

"For now, I will focus on governing Etchū and Noto. Well, if there is enough food..."

"Echigo has abundant gold and silver mines. Iron, lead, copper, and hemp are also good."

Kenshin smiled at Mitsuaki's suggestion.

"I will look forward to Lord Tsuda's good governance of the Kantō region."

The short meeting ended, and the practical discussions between the officials began. Kenshin would sell minerals and hemp, and Mitsuaki would sell food. Although a formal alliance with Kenshin, the Kantō Governor, could not be established, they agreed not to send troops against each other while doing business.

"I must return and suppress the rebellion of the Yōkitami."

"That will be difficult. I have brought some gifts."

"What a coincidence, I also have some gifts."

Mitsuaki handed over a large amount of food to Kenshin, and Kenshin handed over gold, silver, copper, and hemp to Mitsuaki. As a result, the Uesugi family obtained a means to acquire a large amount of food. They could develop Echigo, Etchū, and Noto without having to deploy forces in the winter.

"Will you use your troops for development? If food can be secured, it is possible."

Kenshin, who was wealthy due to the profits from the North Sea trade and the mines, would buy food from the Kantō region and feed the compliant powerful families while promoting the development of the region. He could also destroy rebellious groups like the Yōkitami and increase the power of the Uesugi family.

"Then, I will withdraw."

After the negotiations were successfully concluded, the Uesugi army withdrew as quickly as the tide receding. Mitsuaki understood why Nobunaga feared him, impressed by their elite performance.

"For now, I have gained some peace of mind."

Kenshin postponed his deployment to the Kantō region to resolve domestic issues. There should be no fighting in the Kaga area either.

When he reported the results of the negotiations to Nobunaga, he looked relieved.

"It seems the Kantō region will take some time."

"Yes, it will take nearly ten years to establish a certain level of stability."

"That is likely."

Mitsuaki calculated that it would take that long to complete the planned development in two phases, strengthen the military, and stabilize the region, assuming Kenshin does not move. However, it was unclear how long Kenshin would remain inactive.

"Ise and Iga must be handed over within two years."

"Understood."

As expected, Ise Shima and Iga would be confiscated since the Tsuda family had gained most of the Kantō region. There was a grace period, but they had to complete the move by then.

"Call Kurokichi and prepare to counter Ishiyama."

For the time being, the only threat from the east was Uesugi Kenshin, so Nobunaga decided to send Shibata Katsuie to Ishiyama. His territory, Echizen, would remain