Chapter 65

Eiroku 14 (1571) Mid-March Ise Province, Mie County, Shihamachō Kuki Mototsuna

"Then, is Nagashima in quite a bind?"

Kuki Sunjiro nodded.

"Probably. Recently, several ships from Saka and Sakai have tried to enter Nagashima. They gave up when they saw our ships surrounding it, but it seems Nagashima is seeking help. Or perhaps they tried to rescue the people from Saka."

"I see."

It's not very interesting. If Nagashima is seeking help and Saka and Sakai are responding, it means Nagashima is in trouble, but it also means there are gaps in the blockade. I know it's impossible to completely cut off all movement, but it's not very interesting. I'm not the only one; Gamou Uesugi, Sanada Danjou also look displeased.

"Are you sending scouts to Nagashima?"

"Several times. We've confirmed the tides and the positions of the fortifications. We can attack at any time."

He sounds very confident. Kuki is a big man, so he's reassuring. Uesugi and Danjou also nod in satisfaction. The ships from Oshika have also been provided, and even excluding the ones used for the attack on Nagashima, there are enough ships to surround it. There are no problems at sea. There are also no problems on land. Once we capture the castles of Katori, Otorii, Yachijima, and Nakae, it won't be difficult to attack the temple of Negishi and the pine trees on Nagashima with large cannons. I confirmed this from the sea a couple of hours ago, so there's no mistake. Now, we're having a meeting on the beach of Shihamachō, a bit away from Nagashima, before lunch. The pages are preparing lunch. I wonder what kind of dishes will come out.

"There's one thing I'm worried about."

The three of them looked at me, as if to say, "What is it?"

"What to do when the Ikki of Nagashima surrender. It's an island, and with Owari and Mikawa helping us, if we don't allow them to surrender, the Ikki will have nowhere to run and will fight to the death. There will be significant casualties. To gain this island alone, causing such heavy losses is not worth it, and it might make people think that Kuki is struggling. In that case, it would be better to allow them to surrender. But if we allow them to surrender, the question is what to do with them. They can't be allowed into Kuki's territory, and neither can they be allowed into Owari, Mino, or Mikawa."

The Ikki are disliked everywhere, so they have nowhere to go.

In Echizen, we cut off their roots. This was because there were also Ikki from Kaga, Etchu, and Hida. By cutting off their roots there, we were able to capture Kaga and the conquest of Etchu went smoothly. But to cut off their roots just to gain Nagashima? I don't want to. Nagashima is a difficult place to attack. It won't be easy to cut off the roots of the Ikki, who are fighting to the death, with 30,000 people. Even in history, Nobunaga suffered heavy losses.

"Considering the future, it might be necessary to accept some losses and cut off their roots here."

Uesugi nodded, and Danjou and Sunjiro also agreed. In the future, we will definitely have to settle things with the Hongan-ji. Why can't I imagine a pleasant future?

"That's true, but Iga is coming. I don't want to show any weakness, not just to Iga, but to others as well."

Uesugi and Danjou understood, but Sunjiro was still a bit unsure. When I explained that if Iga becomes an ally, they can send troops to Yamato and support the Matsunaga, he said, "I see," and nodded.

"Another option is to use ships to return them to the Hongan-ji."

Danjou suggested this, but he didn't seem very enthusiastic. That's the only option, but if we do that, the Hongan-ji's fighting strength will increase dramatically. That's not good either. Should we cut off their roots? But I don't want to. It's not at all enjoyable. What should we do...

"We can't send them to Ishiyama."

Sunjiro shook his head.

"If we load the Ikki onto ships, we will have to provide escort. To send them to Ishiyama, we would have to pass through the territories of Saka and Anato. The return trip would be dangerous. To the Ikki, Kuki is an enemy. They might attack and seize our ships."

That's true. Any family would want ships.

"What about Katsura Village?"

"Katsura?"

Do you mean Katsura in Nachi?

"There's a good port there. We can unload the Ikki there and have them prepare their own ships or walk to Saka. Once they reach Saka, they can use Saka's ships."

Is this a good idea? Uesugi and Danjou look confused.

"Horiuchi governs Katsura, right?"

"You know well. Horiuchi Shinjiro Ujizane leads the Kumano navy. If you give permission, I can negotiate with him."

"But will he agree?"

No one wants to deal with the Ikki or let them into their territory... Ah, Sunjiro is laughing.

"Let's be happy. They will be grateful for the fare to Saka. They will thank us for the good job we've done."

Indeed, that's true. But what if they walk? When I asked what I was thinking, Danjou laughed again.

"The Takeda won't allow it. They will all be killed. If they want to reach Ishiyama alive, they have no choice but to use ships."

The Takeda, who have a deep grudge against the Hongan-ji. Sunjiro is right; they will all be killed.

"Should we take this opportunity to make Horiuchi an ally?"

It's not a bad idea. If we have to fight against the Saka and Anato, we should strengthen our navy as much as possible. Plus, there's that matter.

"Can we do it, Sunjiro? If the Kumano navy becomes an ally, it would be a great help."

"After the conquest of Nagashima, they will become allies. For now, they are wavering between Kuki and the Miyoshi."

"I see. Then, we can't afford to fail in the attack on Nagashima."

Uesugi and Danjou nodded in agreement with my words.

The attack on Nagashima is being watched with interest by the Oda and Tokugawa. There are 30,000 soldiers on Nagashima. If we don't neutralize them, the Oda and Tokugawa can't fully commit to advancing into eastern Mikawa or conquering the Imagawa. It's not just about the Hongan-ji and the Miyoshi. For the Oda, Tokugawa, and Uesugi, the outcome of this battle could affect the war with the alliance of Kai, Suruga, and Sagami. It's a battle as significant as the Battle of Sekigahara. ...The priority is to capture Nagashima as soon as possible and send them to Ishiyama.

"Let's change the topic. Sunjiro, a messenger from the Ichijo family of Tosa has come."

"Tosa?"

Sunjiro looked surprised. He's quite cute.

"The Ichijo family governs the western part of Tosa, but they have been under pressure from the Chosokabe, who govern the eastern part. That's why they have come to Kuki for assistance."

Sunjiro nodded, saying, "I see," but he looked puzzled. He's probably wondering how he is involved.

"The messenger is a monk named Sui, who was formerly a left guard major and acting middle counselor, Torii Masahiro."

"Torii? Is he related to the Lady Mother?"

"Yes, a distant relative. The Ichijo family of Tosa, as you know, is a branch of the Ichijo family of Kyoto, and he has a letter of introduction from Torii's grandfather and Ichijo's acting grand counselor."

Sunjiro is impressed. It's not surprising, with terms like "middle counselor" and "grand counselor" being thrown around. Danjou and Uesugi are also silent.

"Kuki and the Ichijo family have a slight connection through the Torii family. The acting grand counselor is said to become the chancellor in the future, so we can't ignore him."

"Then?"

"I don't like working for free."

Sunjiro looks stunned. Danjou and Uesugi burst out laughing. It's starting again, that look. What's wrong? No one likes working for free. Labor requires compensation. In this era, there are too many fools who want to make people work for free. The Ashikaga are the worst.

"The Ichijo family of Tosa has an interesting proposal. They say they are trading with Ryukyu and will arrange for the Kuki family to trade with Ryukyu."

Sunjiro exclaims, "Oh." He's quite simple. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Ryukyu is in a difficult situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Until now, the Ming dynasty did not allow trade with other countries. Ryukyu paid tribute to the Ming and was allowed to trade. Other countries obtained Ming goods by trading with Ryukyu. This led to the prosperity of Ryukyu. It's the same as Omi, where merchants from neighboring countries gather and goods accumulate, leading to prosperity."

Sunjiro nodded, saying, "I see." It's a good lesson in the Asian economic situation for Kuki Mototsuna.

"But a few years ago, the Ming relaxed its maritime restrictions, and goods from the Ming became available without going through Ryukyu. This led to a situation where ships no longer came to Ryukyu, and goods no longer accumulated. The arrival of the Southern Barbarians has exacerbated the situation. For Ryukyu, it's a crisis. They want as many ships as possible to come. The Ichijo family of Tosa understands this and is trying to curry favor with Kuki while doing a favor for Ryukyu."

They are quite shrewd. But it's reassuring to have someone like that.

"What will you do?"

"The Ming relaxed its maritime restrictions, but Japan is not allowed to trade with the Ming."

"But there is Tsuruga."

"That's private trade. Merchants are breaking the Ming laws to come. Trading with Kuki is profitable."

"Then?"

"Since they are inviting us, let's accept."

More trading partners are better, not just for Ryukyu but for Kuki as well. Direct trade with Ryukyu and obtaining goods from the Ming through Ryukyu. Now that we have Ise, we should handle goods from the Ming on the Pacific side. In the future, we should also consider direct trade with Southeast Asia. Before the Shimazu extend their influence to Ryukyu, we should firmly establish ourselves there. The Shimazu can't ignore Kuki either.

"After the conquest of Nagashima, we will assist the Ichijo family."

Considering the opposition to the Miyoshi, it would be better to support the Chosokabe, who are closer to Awa in eastern Tosa. But the first priority for both the Ichijo family of Tosa and the Chosokabe is the unification of Tosa. The conquest of Awa will come after unification. In that case, it doesn't matter much which one we support. From the perspective of working with the court in Kyoto, it would be better to support the Ichijo family.

The problem is the head of the Ichijo family of Tosa, Ichijo Kanetane. If he's a fool, there's nothing we can do, but from what the messenger said, he doesn't seem to be. If that's the case, there's a way to work with him. I should inform the Mori. The Ichijo are in conflict with the Mori in Iyo. If Kuki sides with the Ichijo, the Mori will be displeased. But our ultimate goal is Awa, not Iyo. If we become an enemy of the Miyoshi, it should be a plus for the Mori. For now, the Ichijo will be busy with the unification of Tosa and