Chapter 17

Eiroku 2 (1559) - Late August - Omi Province, Takashima District, Anai River Village - Shimizu Castle - Kunitsuna Rokkaku

"Minbu Shosuke-dono, Takewakamaru-dono, it has been a long time. I am imposing on you once again this time."

Nagao Kagetora of Echigo bowed politely. The first time he came to Kyoto, he was just a little over twenty years old, but six years have passed since then. Now, approaching thirty, he seems to have gained a sense of calm in addition to his original vigor. He has quite a presence.

"Shosho-sama, I am truly delighted to welcome you. You must be tired. Please, come inside. Your attendants as well."

It was late August, and the remaining heat was intense. After a brief greeting outside the castle, Takewakamaru encouraged Shosho to enter the castle. Kagetora's forces numbered 1,500 in total, and most of them were staying at inns in the town below the castle. Only Kagetora and five of his attendants would enter the castle.

Once inside the castle, they were first entertained in a large room. The maidservants placed cold towels and large bowls filled with cold well water in front of the guests. Takewakamaru encouraged Shosho to wipe the sweat from his brow, and Shosho used the towel to wipe his neck and chest, looking quite refreshed. His retainers followed suit. Then, they picked up the bowls and took a sip of the water, saying, "It's like sweet dew," with a delighted expression. The attendants also started drinking the water, looking as if they were very thirsty.

"Although it is late, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. I heard that you have been appointed as the Shogun's Deputy in the Kanto region and have received permission from the Shogun to take up the position."

When Takewakamaru said, "Congratulations," the Kunitsuna men echoed his words. Shosho's face showed a look of confusion. Hmm...

"No, no, I am embarrassed to receive such congratulations from Takewakamaru-dono. Your loyalty to the court and the reconciliation between the Shogun and the Miyoshi are truly remarkable. I am far from being able to match such dedication."

"That is not true. The reason why Uesugi of Kanto relies on you, Shosho-sama, must be due to your strength and character."

The conversation continued with some trivial talk. Shosho talked about Kyoto, Echigo, the Shogun's recent condition, and his audience with the Emperor, and Takewakamaru nodded in agreement. Shosho mentioned that he had received a sword from the Shogun. When he heard that the sword was forged by Kunitsuna's swordsmith, Sogyi, everyone from Kunitsuna was surprised.

It seems that Kunitsuna's swordsmiths are quite famous in Kyoto now, and their swords are being traded at high prices. The Shogun, who had stayed in Kunitsuna for a long time, possessed several swords forged by Kunitsuna's swordsmiths. He is quite envied by those around him. Hearing this, Takewakamaru laughed with delight.

Well, well, my grandson seems more pleased about the swords selling well than about the Shogun's condition. But it's true that Kunitsuna would not have prospered to this extent if it weren't for that. When Takewakamaru mentioned that there were swords in this Shimizu Castle and offered to show them to Shosho, suggesting he could take as many as he liked, Shosho laughed with delight. Takewakamaru must be thinking that merchants will come from Echigo to buy swords. ...I'm starting to understand Takewakamaru's thoughts.

Thinking that it was about time to show the view outside the castle, Shosho ordered his retainers to "leave the room for a while." The retainers left the large room, and Takewakamaru also ordered his Kunitsuna retainers to leave. I was about to leave as well, but Shosho said, "Stay," and Takewakamaru nodded. He must have been concerned about being seen as having a secret meeting before his coming of age... Once everyone left, Shosho's cheerful expression turned serious.

"Takewakamaru-dono, I have a problem and would like your advice."

"I am not sure if my advice would be of any help..."

Takewakamaru smiled wryly, but Shosho shook his head.

"There is no need for modesty. Your strategic abilities as a military commander are recognized by all. I am asking for your help."

"..."

Takewakamaru's face showed confusion, but Shosho continued without hesitation.

"The problem is none other than northern Shinano. The war with Takeda is not going as planned. It's unclear whether we are winning or losing, but the fact is that Takeda is gradually expanding its influence. With the situation in Kanto, I want to bring the war with Takeda to a conclusion, but I cannot come up with a plan."

Shosho shook his head. Indeed, northern Shinano and Kanto, meaning Takeda and Hojo. It makes sense that he wants to avoid having two enemies. Moreover, neither of them is a weak opponent... Still, for Shosho to seek advice from Takewakamaru... I felt a surge of emotion.

"Do you have any good ideas? If you were in my position, what would you do?"

"..."

"I know nothing about northern Shinano, its land, or its people. Moreover, I have just completed my first battle, and I do not think I can offer any advice on military matters to Shosho-sama."

"..."

Takewakamaru shook his head. Shosho's expression showed disappointment, and his shoulders drooped.

"However, I do have a thought. It may be trivial, but if you think it is, please disregard it."

"I would like to hear it."

Shosho sat up straight.

"Then, 'There is no life without death, and there is life within death.'"

"..."

Shosho repeated the phrase, and Takewakamaru nodded.

"There is no predetermined fate in life. Therefore, it is essential to make every effort to find a way out, even in a desperate situation. From there, a way out will be born."

Shosho nodded.

"Clashing blades, the ground beneath is hell, but stepping forward, the other side is paradise."

"What do you mean?"

"When facing each other with swords, a small opening can lead to death. That fear is like hell itself. However, overcoming that fear and getting close to the opponent, the opponent's body is right in front of you. A swing of the sword will reach the opponent. There is no time to feel fear, which is paradise."

"..."

Shosho nodded again.

"Whether or not I was of any help..."

"No, I am truly grateful. Indeed, thinking about it, I have not stepped forward to fight Takeda. I thought it was inevitable that they would not step forward to fight us... No, it was good to consult. I have made up my mind."

Shosho laughed with a clear expression.

"There is no life without death, and there is life within death. Truly a good saying, a profound truth."

Eiroku 2 (1559) - Late August - Omi Province, Takashima District, Anai River Village - Shimizu Castle - Takewakamaru

Kagetora returned to Echigo. He was still the same dangerous, short-sighted young man. But when I thought he had come to drink, it turned out to be a consultation. What a joke, for a military god like Uesugi Kenshin to seek advice? I thought about refusing, saying I didn't know, but he looked so dejected. I couldn't help but speak. I'm weak for that kind of expression. I made the same mistake with Yoshitaka, saying too much and failing. But this time, it should be fine. After all, he's going to launch an attack at Kawanakajima. He even said he had made up his mind, so there shouldn't be any problems.

Takeda Harunobu and Nagao Kagetora, they don't seem to fit. I don't think it's because of their personalities. I think it's due to the differences in their territories, Kai and Echigo, and their lack of understanding of each other's territories. To put it simply, it's a difference in upbringing.

Kai was unified by Harunobu's father, Nobutora. This Nobutora is extremely unpopular. He is known for his cruelty, brutality, and love of war, which caused the people to suffer and the country to decline. That's why he was exiled, or so it is said. But I think it's a bit different. Nobutora unified the chaotic Kai and laid the foundation for the Sengoku daimyo, the Kai Takeda family. Could such a man with so many flaws have unified Kai and laid the foundation for the Kai Takeda family?

To unify a country, one needs the ability to lead people. Would people follow a man with so many flaws? I don't think so. At least until the unification of Kai, Nobutora must have been a capable person. So why was he exiled and expelled from Kai? I think Nobutora broke down.

Kai is an extremely poor country. It has little arable land and a kokudaka of only about 200,000 koku. Moreover, it is a mountainous region where drought, cold damage, and flooding cause severe damage. Such damage occurred every year. Nobutora must not have been able to rejoice even after unifying Kai. Becoming the lord of Kai is like joining a terrible black company. Drought, cold damage, flooding, poor harvests, and famine. As the lord, he had to take responsibility for all of these. With such poor conditions, anyone would become mentally ill.

To improve this situation, the only option was to go out and seize land that could produce rice. But to the south was the powerful Imagawa of the Tokaido, and to the east was the powerful Hojo of Kanto. Naturally, the eyes turned to the north, to Shinano. Shinano was a land of many warlords. Harunobu must have thought of defeating them one by one to expand his influence, but it didn't go well. He must have gone insane and been abandoned by everyone. That's what I think.

Or perhaps he wasn't abandoned. It's also possible that he was sent to Suruga, a health resort, for medical treatment. If he stayed in Kai, his illness wouldn't improve. He had a daughter and grandchildren in Suruga. Perhaps they thought it would be convenient to have them take care of him. It might have been something like, "You did a good job, but you've reached your limit. From now on, leave it to your son. Father, please take a break."

Harunobu, who succeeded him, managed to capture Suwa and finally drive out Murakami, struggling to expand his influence in Shinano. He lost many of his key retainers, including Ban Nobukata and Amari Toratatsu, and many soldiers, but the damage to the Takeda was not small. Still, the Takeda did not give up on advancing north.

For the Takeda, advancing north was not just about expanding their influence; it was a matter of survival. I think it was a choice between sitting and starving or advancing north to get food. The Takeda's national policy at the time was simple: if you don't want to starve, attack a weak spot and get food quickly. There was no strategy. It was similar to the Imperial Japanese Army of the Showa era. Some TV dramas depict the Takeda as targeting Echigo's sea, but I don't think Harunobu had such a strategy. The targets were the weak Shinano and western Kozuke.

On the other hand, Echigo under Kagetora's rule was completely different from Kai. It had fertile plains and could produce a sufficient amount of rice. It also had access to the sea for trade and income from its specialty, Echigo cloth. Echigo was a wealthy country. I don't think Kagetora could understand the hardships and sorrows of Harunobu, who was born in Kai.

When Harunobu advanced his troops into the Nakano, Hachiko, Takai, and Minami districts, the Takahashi family, which had influence in the area, sought aid from Kagetora. This led to the five battles of Kawanakajima over ten years. Kagetora was praised as a righteous general and became the Shogun's Deputy in Kanto, but I don't think he was a righteous general. I think there was a more pressing issue for Kagetora.

The Takahashi family, which requested aid, was led by Takahashi Masatoki, whose mother was from the Nagao family. This means that Kagetora and the Takahashi family were related by blood. Looking at the relationship between the Takahashi and Nagao families, something strange becomes apparent. The two families had married into each other multiple times. Women from the Nagao family married into the Takahashi family, and women from the Takahashi family married into the Nagao family. This means that Kagetora had Takahashi blood in him.

Marriages at the time were political marriages. The fact that the two families married into each other multiple times suggests that there was some political strategy behind it. Normally, they would form alliances with powerful families within their own country to expand their influence. But the Nagao family continued to form alliances with the Takahashi family in northern Shinano. This suggests that the Nagao family placed great importance on their relationship with the Takahashi family. Why?

When the Nagao family started forming these alliances, they were the deputy governors of Echigo, not the governors. This means that they must have received permission from the governor, the Uesugi family, to form alliances with the Takahashi family. Therefore, this marriage alliance was not only beneficial for the Nagao family but also for the Uesugi family and, more broadly, for Echigo. In other words, this marriage alliance must be seen as part of Echigo's national policy.

Looking at the border between Shinano and Echigo from this perspective, something becomes apparent. Modern people might not notice, but in those days, the center of Echigo was not Niigata, the prefectural capital, but Nagaoka. Of course, the castle of Kasugayama was also in Nagaoka. Nagaoka was adjacent to Yamanashi, which was part of Shinano at the time. What does this mean? Echigo had many plains, and once the enemy entered, there were no natural barriers to stop them. Nagaoka could easily be overrun by the enemy.

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