Chapter 68

On the twelfth day of the ninth month of the Astronomical Year, early in the morning.

For several days, not a drop of rain had fallen, but today, a light drizzle finally began. The flowers and plants outside the window, which had appeared somewhat withered, seemed to have found their nectar and bloomed competitively overnight.

Last night, Masahiro did not sleep well. First, it was because he had suddenly arrived in a strange place and was not used to the tatami mats here. Second, he received good news from Onishi Kunitoshi last night, reporting that the Fujiwara family's territory had been occupied. In just one day, the Rō family had occupied the territories of three powerful families, which could be described as lightning-fast. Masahiro was so excited that he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Early in the morning, with dark circles under his eyes, Masahiro gave instructions to Kichisuke and Tadajirō about the matters they needed to attend to while he was away. Then, Masahiro and Tōgō Heijirō set off separately. Tōgō Heijirō, accompanied by Saborō and two ashigaru, headed for the Kuraki fortress. Masahiro, accompanied by the page Shinjirō and two ashigaru, headed for the Fujiheji fortress. Originally, Masahiro had planned to go alone with the page, but the vassals advised him that there were still many wandering farmers and soldiers in the territory who were worried about being implicated and had not returned home. These included several samurai from the Kuraki and Fujiheji families, and one of the Kuraki family's sons who had fled and had not been found. For safety, it was better to bring two ashigaru. Masahiro thought about it and agreed; even though he was skilled in martial arts, it was better to be cautious.

Walking on the muddy mountain path in the drizzle, Masahiro looked around and saw the lush trees. The fresh green leaves, dotted with dew, sparkled in the morning sunlight. In this setting, Masahiro felt a deep sense of connection. This is my territory, he thought. It has been almost a month and a half since he arrived here. Originally, he was a solitary figure with no relatives, but now he was the lord of a small piece of land. At first, he might have felt lonely and lost, even helpless, and would often be startled awake by the unfamiliar air around him in the dead of night. But now, he felt a sense of home. Yes, this small piece of land was his home.

His thoughts returned to reality, and he glanced at the two ashigaru on guard nearby, smiling slightly. He then suddenly thought that in such weather, the wandering soldiers hiding in the wild might also be suffering. Many of them would likely return home, which would greatly accelerate the stabilization of the newly occupied territory.

Thus, he continued on, appreciating the scenery along the way.

After more than an hour of walking, Masahiro and his group arrived at the Fujiheji fortress without any incidents. At this moment, the outside of the Fujiheji fortress was calm, and occasionally, a few townspeople could be seen cautiously entering and exiting the town below. Inside the fortress, Onishi Kunitoshi, who was clearing the supplies, heard that the lord had arrived and immediately went out to greet him.

The two sat down in the council hall of the lord's residence.

Onishi Kunitoshi bowed and reported, "Your Highness, I have not failed your trust. I captured this fortress yesterday evening and cleared the unstable factors in the territory overnight. All the male members of the Fujiwara family have been killed, and the remaining family members await your instructions."

"Hmm. Let's follow the original plan. Move them to Nogata Village, give them land, and let them settle down. Do not insult them," Masahiro said after some thought. Hearing Masahiro's instructions, Onishi Kunitoshi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Masahiro had intended to see these family members, it might have caused trouble, as Fujiwara Masahiro's wife was still young and beautiful. If Masahiro had taken a fancy to her and made her a concubine, and if she bore a son, what would happen? This would certainly cause objections from other vassals and destabilize the Rō family, which was just beginning to improve. Of course, if Masahiro knew what Onishi Kunitoshi was thinking, he would probably cry out to the heavens, saying that Matsume was just a maid, not a concubine, and that he and Matsume were absolutely innocent, and he was certainly not a man who lusted after married women.

"As for the subjects, I have already arranged for the surrendered farmers and soldiers to calm the unrest caused by the sudden change. However, some of the subjects have petitioned to release the captured farmers and soldiers," Onishi Kunitoshi continued. "Regarding supplies, I am currently taking inventory."

"Those captives should remain imprisoned for now. Once the wandering soldiers have mostly returned to their homes, we can release them," Masahiro said, concerned that these farmers and soldiers might be incited to cause chaos during this special period. "How is the defense of the territory?"

"From last night to now, we have captured over 20 people attempting to send messages outside the territory," Onishi Kunitoshi said with a serious expression. "Most are townspeople from the Fujiwara family's territory, and a few are wandering soldiers from other families. They underestimated the abilities of the samurai trained by Your Highness and were easily captured."

"Hmph. These people will be reduced to slaves in the territory. We currently lack a large number of free laborers," Masahiro said, somewhat angrily. "Immediately organize patrol teams to strengthen the investigation of suspicious individuals in the territory." At this time, it was easier to form these "boy scouts" by giving each family a little food, and by controlling these children, we could also monitor the actions of the townspeople with ulterior motives in the territory.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will immediately go down and personally arrange it," Onishi Kunitoshi said, feeling ashamed for not handling these issues promptly. "Additionally, the territory of the Fujiwara family borders the Sō family to the south and the Ota family to the northeast. After recruiting 20 more farmers and soldiers in the territory and mixing them with our forces, we have set up checkpoints at both borders. Currently, there are fewer than 10 ashigaru left in the Fujiheji fortress."

"Hmm. I have already arranged for Kōshō and Heijirō to be responsible for the shores of Lake Fujiheji and the northern entrance to the Chōkura family's territory. If necessary, they will support the northeastern checkpoint," Masahiro said. "Additionally, 20 samurai from Kōshō's group have already started heading this way and should arrive by afternoon."

"Your Highness has indeed made meticulous arrangements," Onishi Kunitoshi said, relieved that Masahiro had already taken care of the defense of the new territory. "Additionally, according to the information from the morning patrol, the powerful families near our territory have shown signs of movement, especially the Sō family."

"Indeed, it has begun. Hmph," Masahiro said with a knowing expression. "Kunitoshi, the reception here and the defense against the Ota family to the northeast are entrusted to you. I will immediately set up camp at the border with the Sō family. Once Kōshō's reinforcements arrive, have them immediately join me. I want to see if the Sō family has the courage to fight our family."

"Yes, Your Highness," Onishi Kunitoshi bowed and accepted the order.

...

At the foot of Mount Takayama, in the Furai Castle, the council hall of the Sō family.

"What?" Sō Haruzane was shocked. "You say the Fujiwara family was defeated?"

The patrol at the entrance to the council hall trembled and responded in a low voice, "Yes, Your Highness. Yesterday at noon, the Kuraki and Fujiwara families were already at an advantage in the battle, and the head of the Taira family was surrounded. However, they were suddenly attacked by a group of soldiers, and the two families' combined forces suffered a great defeat. I immediately took advantage of the chaos to return through the forest path and report to you, Your Highness."

"Which family's troops were they? Speak quickly," Sō Haruzane began to realize that the situation had deviated from his plan. He had never expected that the combined forces of the two families would be defeated so quickly.

"I do not know, Your Highness," the patrol said, bowing to the ground.

"What? You don't know?" Sō Haruzane, who rarely lost his temper, was suddenly furious.

"Their banner was white, with a picture of an eagle. I have never seen such a family crest before," the patrol said loudly, fearing that the lord would be angry and cut him down.

"Eagle?" Sō Haruzane paused. There was no powerful family in the eastern part of the Matsuurazaki with such a family crest. "Quickly, bring Ota-sama here, and immediately gather the troops." Sō Haruzane would not allow anyone to take what he considered his rightful prize; he needed to act immediately.

"Your Highness," Maki Shigeta said, quickly approaching, clearly with urgent news to report. "The combined forces of the Kuraki and Fujiwara families have been defeated. Kuraki Daisuke, who has fled to our territory, is outside the city, requesting your help."

"Hmph. Useless. How could a force of over 200 be defeated so easily? Do not see him," Sō Haruzane quickly calmed down after already knowing the outcome of the battle. "I have already ordered the troops to gather. First, we will capture the Fujiheji fortress."

"Your Highness, the patrols sent to the Fujiheji and Taira fortresses have not returned with any information since last night," Maki Shigeta said, revealing a more worrying situation.

"Do you mean that they have strengthened the border control?" Sō Haruzane pointed to the north.

"Most likely. Or, after the defeat of the Taira and Fujiheji families, they may have gathered their scattered troops and returned to their territories to strengthen their defenses against other powerful families. However, the most likely scenario is that the sudden appearance of that group has taken advantage of the situation and occupied one of the territories," Maki Shigeta said with a serious expression.

Sō Haruzane paced back and forth, deep in thought, then suddenly stopped and looked at Maki Shigeta, asking, "What do you think we should do?"

"Your Highness, we currently have no information about the situation there. I suggest sending more patrols to gather information. Additionally, we can use Kuraki Daisuke, who is outside the city," Maki Shigeta said, bowing.

"Hmm?" Sō Haruzane looked at Maki Shigeta, signaling him to continue.

"Send a mediator, under the pretext of mediating for the Kuraki family, to probe the situation," Maki Shigeta said immediately.

"Good. For now, let's do that. But gather the troops first. Once we have clear information, we will immediately launch an attack. As for Kuraki Daisuke, you will be responsible for him for now," Sō Haruzane nodded reluctantly. "Additionally, who can serve as the mediator?"

"Let my son take on this task," Maki Shigeta said, bowing.

"Very well. Go and make the arrangements immediately," Sō Haruzane said.

"Yes, Your Highness," Maki Shigeta said, relieved that Sō Haruzane had agreed to his plan.

(PS: I have a cold and a fever. I went to the hospital after work tonight to get an IV, so I came back a bit late! The new book has entered its fifth week, already signed with A, and has been updated with over 200,000 words. I will not stop updating, at least 1.5 million words. I have been running without promotion for two weeks, made it to the Three Rivers Potential List in the third week, and was recommended in the new book category last week. This week, I am on the strong recommendation list for the history category. Dear readers, please don't leave after reading. Even if you don't have votes, add the book to your shelf. I beg you, my dear readers. My goal is to write at least 1.5 million words, even if it means a spectacular failure. I enjoy writing and enjoy the solitude.)

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