Chapter 89

"Ugh! Oda Nobunaga! How dare you treat me, the Shogun, with such contempt!"

At the Kyo Karamachi Nakamikado residence, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki was shouting alone.

Although Yoshiaki was in a position to rule Japan, he was now nothing more than a puppet of Oda Nobunaga.

In an attempt to halt Nobunaga's expansion, he had forgotten the favor of being raised to the position of Shogun and continued to send letters to various daimyo.

All of his movements had been leaked to Nobunaga by his trusted retainer, Hosokawa Fujitaka, but the daimyo in the provinces lacked the power to march on Kyoto.

Some had fought Nobunaga actively, but most of them had been destroyed or had submitted.

The only ones left were in Kyushu, and Yoshiaki continued to send letters actively to the daimyo there.

However, Kyushu was in a state of chaos, with the Otomo clan declining and the power of the Ryuzoji and Shimazu clans growing.

In this situation, it was almost impossible to send troops to Kyoto.

Knowing this, Yoshiaki was trembling with anger alone.

"In this case, I will order Shibata, Akechi, and Hashiba to defeat Nobunaga!"

Fujitaka was inwardly smiling wryly at Yoshiaki's words.

In this situation, there was no way those three would heed Yoshiaki's call to overthrow Nobunaga.

Such an action would bring no benefit and would be the first step toward their own destruction.

"That's right! I'll send a letter to Tsuda too! If I grant them a noble name and lineage, they will surely obey!"

(As if that would happen.)

Fujitaka inwardly mocked Yoshiaki's words.

Tsuda Mitsuaki did not need a noble lineage or a great ancestor.

Given that many famous clans in Kanto and Tohoku had perished by relying solely on their lineage, there was no way they would accept Yoshiaki's request.

Mitsuaki was beloved by his people for his excellent governance, and even if the self-proclaimed noble clans tried to revolt, they could not gather enough support.

Even if Yoshiaki granted the Tsuda family the right to claim a noble lineage, there was no way they would rebel against Nobunaga.

Moreover, Yoshiaki had always belittled Mitsuaki as a lowborn.

Fujitaka thought that Mitsuaki might even kill Yoshiaki without a second thought.

"That's right! I'll send a letter!"

Fujitaka, feeling exasperated, reported to Nobunaga as usual.

Fujitaka, who wanted to finish this job quickly and gain a fief somewhere, was eager to be done with it.

---

Around the time when rumors of the Kyushu expeditionary force being formed were spreading, Mitsuaki was visiting Ishiyama with Kyouko.

Oichi, Hazu, and their young daughters were also there, arriving at Ishiyama on a newly built large galleon.

Kyouko was performing health check-ups and giving dietary advice to Nobunaga, just as she had done for Kenshin.

"You must reduce your salt intake. It can cause a stroke."

"Like Kenshin, huh? I find salty food more delicious."

"I can teach you delicious cooking methods that use less salt."

Nobunaga, who could not afford to die yet, promised to follow Kyouko's advice and received sample menus from her.

"Oichi looks well. How is Mitsuharu as a husband?"

"He is very kind, so I have no complaints."

Kyouko got along well with her, and she had delivered all five of her daughters.

She also got along well with Hazu, and Mitsuaki was not the type to take other women, so their family life was harmonious.

"Edo is a fun place to visit."

The town was expanding rapidly due to development, making it enjoyable for shopping and sightseeing. There were many tourist spots near Edo, and Mitsuaki often spent time with his family when he had free time.

Oichi appreciated Mitsuaki's unique approach and actions as a husband, which were different from those of other samurai.

"That's good to hear."

After dinner, which included rare ingredients brought by Mitsuaki, he handed a secret letter to Nobunaga.

The sender was, of course, Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

"He has never sent me anything like this before..."

"Mitsu, you haven't opened it, have you?"

"Absolutely not. I know it will contain nothing good. Do you think he would send me a seasonal greeting?"

"Unlikely."

Nobunaga chuckled and opened the letter.

The content was an order to raise an army and attack Nobunaga.

"Wouldn't such a secret letter include attractive conditions, like making the recipient a deputy shogun if the mission is successful?"

"Someone who usually calls Mitsu lowborn would not want to make him a deputy shogun."

Yoshiaki aimed to restore the old Ashikaga Shogunate.

Nobunaga stated that Yoshiaki would not want to create a position for Mitsuaki in such a government.

"I don't like working for free."

"Indeed. This letter has also been sent to Saru, Kinkan, and Goro."

"Should we just ignore it?"

"We are monitoring them. Once Kyushu is dealt with, they will be of no use. I'll at least let them retire to a good temple."

Nobunaga told Mitsuaki that he intended to force Yoshiaki to resign as Shogun and end the Ashikaga Shogunate once he unified the country.

"Finally, a position that matches the reality."

"Mitsu, you are quite sharp. You don't need to send troops to Kyushu."

"Yes, Masamune has been working very hard."

Date Masamune, exiled to Ezo, had quickly pacified most of the region.

He had made some rash moves and was hated by many Ainu tribes, but he was planning to land a large army in Tohoku, according to reports from Kotaro.

"What kind of rash moves did he make? Ezo is a vast land."

Reports indicated that Masamune had forced the Ainu tribes in southern Sakhalin to pay tribute and place themselves under the control of the Date clan.

"Well, Masamune might be exiled further north next time."

"Mitsu, you are using the Date clan as a stepping stone."

"That's why I keep him alive even after capturing him."

The expedition to Kyushu was scheduled to begin in the spring of Tensho 11, with Akechi Mitsuhide leading the vanguard and most of the daimyo sending troops. Mitsuaki, however, sent almost his entire army to pacify Ezo and Sakhalin.

This move caught Masamune off guard again, and despite his efforts to gather troops, the Tsuda army of 80,000 men and a fleet of over 500 ships, along with the espionage efforts of Momochi Sandayu, a former Iga ninja, led to the defeat of the Date army before the battle even began.

"Good work, Sandayu."

"The Date clan's rule was too hasty. There were many vulnerabilities."

Sandayu and his clan, former Iga ninjas, had infiltrated the region to prepare for the Tsuda clan's future pacification of Ezo and Sakhalin.

They had learned the local customs and language, integrated into the community, and gathered information while trading with the Tsuda clan.

"We have spread the word to all tribes that the Tsuda clan will protect them from the Date clan's tyranny."

"Understood. If the pacification operation goes well, Sandayu, you will be the top contributor. Continue to work as the intelligence officer for Ezo and Sakhalin."

"Understood."

Mitsuaki praised Sandayu and his team, rewarding them with generous gifts.

"Thank you. I will continue to work hard."

As a result, the Date clan could only gather about 10,000 troops, and they were defeated and forced to surrender after a few hours of fighting.

"Hello, Masamune. How are you?"

"Tsuda Mitsuaki!—"

Despite surrendering, Masamune glared at Mitsuaki with a murderous look and shouted loudly.

"You seem to have worked hard, but you need to be more considerate of the Ainu people."

Internally looking down on them and trying to force them into submission through force, and executing those who resisted as an example, had cost the Date clan the support of the Ainu.

Upon learning of the Tsuda clan's superior power, the Ainu betrayed the Date clan, leaving Masamune isolated and forced to surrender.

"You and your clan are no different in your treatment of the Ainu!"

"Are we? We have ordered our merchants to treat them fairly and punish those who violate this rule."

Thanks to this, the Ainu began to sell their local specialties to the Tsuda clan.

Without middlemen, the Tsuda clan made huge profits, and the Ainu were very satisfied, creating a win-win relationship.

"From now on, Ezo and Sakhalin will be under the control of the Tsuda clan, but we will ensure that they benefit as well."

Mitsuaki planned to provide them with better housing, clothing, agricultural guidance, and other technologies and cultural exchanges, gradually integrating them into Japanese society.

He also planned to provide substantial support and encourage immigration from the mainland.

"So, if you want to flee further north, we won't pursue you."

"That leniency will be your downfall!"

For the third time, Masamune was exiled to the north by Mitsuaki.

This time, the location was Siberia, which presented significant challenges for development and pacification, and the Date clan never invaded the Tsuda clan again during Masamune's lifetime.

Masamune struggled to carve out territories in Siberia, Alaska, and parts of northeastern China, and in later generations, he was known as the founder of the Japanese state, the "Republic of North Japan."