Chapter 66

Eiroku 14 (1571) Mid-May, Aki Province, Takata District, Yoshida Village, Yoshida Castle, Kobayakawa Takakage

"Grandfather, is it alright?"

As Mori Saimon no Kami Motonari's nephew, Mori Uemon no Kami Terumoto, called out from the corridor, a reluctant voice from inside the room said, "Come in." When Uemon no Kami, his brother, Yoshikawa Suruga no Kami Motoharu, and I, Kobayakawa Saimon no Suke Takakage, entered the room, the old man was trying to sit up in his bed. Nakamaru, one of the concubines, was helping him. Although he could have stayed in bed, no one said anything. They knew that if they did, Father would become displeased.

Father, Mori Mutsu no Kami Motonari, had transformed the Mori family, once a local lord in Aki, into the rulers of the San'in and San'yo regions. Now, death was approaching him. How much longer would he remain in this world...? The three of us sat beside him. Nakamaru left the room, saying she would be in the next room if needed.

"What is it? All of you together."

"We were just meeting with the messenger from Kuki."

At Uemon no Kami's words, Father's eyes sharpened.

"The messenger from Kuki first visited Uncle at Shin Takayama Castle. Uncle sent a messenger to Hino Mountain, and he came here."

Father looked at me, his expression stern. The messenger from Kuki had visited Shin Takayama Castle before Yoshida Castle. This must mean Kuki sees Father's illness as very serious. We must be cautious.

"What did the messenger from Kuki say?"

"He said they will aid the Ichijo family of Tosa. It is aid solely to counter the Chosokabe, and they will not invade Iyo. There is no need to worry."

"..."

"He said that after unifying Tosa, they will move to Awa."

"Kuki has connections with the Ichijo family in Kyoto."

"I know that."

As my brother supplemented Uemon no Kami's words, Father spat out his displeasure.

"What did you reply?"

"We have not yet replied; we are waiting. We will consult with you, Grandfather."

Father's eyes flashed with anger.

"You are the head of the Mori clan. What are you doing, showing deference to a dying old man?"

"..."

Uemon no Kami bowed his head, and Father's angry gaze turned to my brother and me.

It's difficult to be glared at. Both my brother and I thought it would be best to politely decline the messenger from Kuki. The Mori cannot stop Kuki from aiding the Ichijo. Kuki knows this well. Kuki sent the messenger as a gesture of goodwill, to maintain the appearance of Mori's approval. However, Uemon no Kami decided to hold off on a response. It would be impossible to argue in front of the messenger. But here, an apology is necessary.

"I am sorry, Father."

"We both failed to serve you well."

As my brother and I apologized to Father, Uemon no Kami hurriedly said that it was his mistake, not his uncles'. Father sighed and warned, "Be more careful in the future." It must be frustrating, to hesitate at a critical moment. To be indecisive, to rely on others. Such a character is not suited for turbulent times.

"Reply politely to the messenger from Kuki and tell Daisan no Kami to handle it well."

"Can we trust Kuki, Grandfather? Will we eventually have to fight Kuki and the Ichijo?"

"The future is uncertain. Kuki has an enemy in the Miyoshi."

"Who will win?"

The future is uncertain, yet...? Father? Father seemed to be thinking deeply.

"...Kuki, I think."

My brother and I exchanged glances. My brother's expression was also puzzled.

"Miyoshi cannot defeat Kuki; they seem to be very incompatible."

Incompatible? What a strange thing to say. It seemed my brother and I were puzzled. Father smiled wryly.

"It has been over fifteen years. The Miyoshi attacked Kuki with three thousand soldiers."

"I remember. Kuki was staying in Ise when they betrayed him and urged him to join the Miyoshi, offering him the province of Wakasa as a reward."

At my brother's words, Father nodded.

"The Miyoshi controlled most of the Kinai region and had extended their influence into the Chugoku region. Kuki was a local lord with less than ten thousand koku. He had no chance of resisting. The Rokkaku, Asai, and Asakura all feared the Miyoshi. No one came to Kuki's aid for Yoshimi. Yoshimi should have been driven out... "

"But Kuki rejected the Miyoshi's offer."

I answered, and Father nodded.

"If Kuki had submitted to the Miyoshi, Yoshimi would have been left homeless, wandering. The prestige of the Ashikaga would have fallen even further, and the Miyoshi might have established a new order. But Kuki stood firm. With only three hundred soldiers, Kuki was not afraid of the Miyoshi. He resolved to protect the Ashikaga, even if it meant losing his territory..."

"..."

Father looked at the three of us.

"Do not think lightly of it. At the time, we did not understand. But now we do. Kuki's resolve maintained the prestige of the Ashikaga. The Miyoshi failed to seize power. Therefore, the Miyoshi had no choice but to make peace with Yoshimi."

"I heard it was due to the Emperor's wishes?"

Uemon no Kami's words made Father shake his head.

"That is not the case. It was Kuki who proposed the peace. If it had been anyone else, it could have been ignored."

"..."

"Understand this, Uemon no Kami. No one fears a coward, no matter how powerful. But Kuki does not fear the Miyoshi. Though he is small in stature, his resolve is equal to the Miyoshi. Therefore, the Miyoshi cannot ignore the peace Kuki brought."

I understood. The Mori have grown, but we must not be complacent.

"Ultimately, the Miyoshi assassinated Yoshimi. They now bear the stigma of killing a shogun. No one openly criticizes them now because of their power. But when their power wanes, everyone will criticize them, and they will use it as a pretext to attack. The end of the Miyoshi will be miserable... A hateful man."

I was surprised by Father's words. I was not the only one; my brother and Uemon no Kami were also surprised. Father, noticing our surprise, turned away.

"I could not do it. I was pushed around by the Ouchi and the Amako, and all I could do was bow my head. I grew because the Ouchi and Amako destroyed each other, and I took advantage of it. Otherwise, I might still be bowing my head. ...That man always holds his head high. He is blindingly bright, so blindingly bright that it is hateful."

Father's tone was almost a whisper. Uemon no Kami would not understand. By the time he was aware, the Mori had already become a significant force. But I understood Father's feelings, and my brother felt the same.

"But Kuki has bowed to the Rokkaku."

Father laughed dryly.

"You do not understand, Uemon no Kami. Kuki did not bow to the Rokkaku. He manipulated the Rokkaku. It was the Rokkaku who tried to please him."

"..."

Seeing that Uemon no Kami was not convinced, Father smiled wryly.

"Kuki received two of the three northern districts of Omi from the Asai, while the Rokkaku received one. If the Rokkaku had controlled Kuki, it would have been the opposite. Kuki merely used the Rokkaku."

"I see."

"The future of the relationship between the Mori and Kuki is uncertain. But never be complacent with Daisan no Kami. I do not say you should not fight, but do not fight carelessly. When you fight, be prepared to destroy the Mori. Understand?"

"Hai."

We all bowed and left the room.

Kuki Daisan no Kami Mototsuna, as Father said, is not an easy opponent. The Ikko-ikki of Ise Nagashima surrendered almost without a fight. The rebels were driven from Nagashima and returned to Ishiyama. Iga has shown a willingness to follow Kuki. As expected, the Matsunaga of Yamato and the Hatakeyama of Kii are aligning with Kuki. The time when Kuki and the Miyoshi will decide their fate is approaching.

Eiroku 14 (1571) Mid-May, Ise Province, Ano District, Kihata Village, Nagano Castle, Nagano Suekane

"Finally, it's done."

"Now we can finally rest easy."

"The resolution of Nagashima was quick. It seems that Lord Shimizu of Shimizu Mountain was particularly agitated by the Kitabatake."

At my words, Sai no Iki no Kami Fujimori and Bumpu Yosan Saburo Mitsuaki nodded. Both were smiling, and their smiles were similar, as they were brothers.

"Still, the brothers Sengoku were impressive. I heard that Daisan no Kami trusted them deeply..."

"Kitabatake Gonchunagon and Ogasawara Sagami no Kami were blinded by sand. No matter how skilled they were with the sword, they could not fight without sight. They were killed without a chance to resist."

Recently, the Kitabatake clan was executed on the orders of Daisan no Kami. About thirty members of the Kitabatake clan were gathered at the Misegosho and killed.

"Kitabatake Gonchunagon screamed that it was cowardly."

"That's what I heard."

"What a foolish thing."

The three of us laughed. How could they think they would be spared after showing such hostility towards Daisan no Kami? If they thought their rank would protect them, it was laughable. Daisan no Kami even burned the Enryaku-ji...

"The Kitabatake have lost their power in Ise. No one threatens our clan anymore."

At my words, the two nodded, their smiles gone.

"But we must not be complacent. We are renovating Nagano Castle and rebuilding Anotsu Castle, and we are receiving so much favor from Kuki that others are envious. We must not forget this. If we do, we will suffer the same fate as the Kitabatake."

The two nodded again. Lord Shimizu is not harsh with us, but he is not lenient either. We must remember this. And Sengoku Danjo will be sent to Taki District. Danjo, though an outsider, is a trusted confidant of Lord Shimizu. We must not be complacent.

"The bell is returning. Iki no Kami, can you go to Shimizu Mountain to welcome her?"

"Hai."

"She might not want to return. I hear she is very well cared for by Daimyo-sama at Shimizu Mountain. She has also become close to the daughters of Onai and Miki."

"That's..."

"She has been well taken care of. Take a gift of gratitude with you."

"Understood."

"Yosan Saburo, I would like you to take a gift of congratulations to Shimizu Mountain."

"A gift of congratulations?"

Yosan Saburo tilted his head.

"Lord and Lady Shimizu are both expecting children."

The two exclaimed in surprise. The Kuki family already has two sons and one daughter. Another child is on the way. The future looks bright.

"What a pity."

"What do you mean, Iki no Kami?"

"Well, if the bell were a bit older, she could have become a concubine."

"Indeed, as my brother says. Lord Shimizu must be troubled."

"Do not push it. The bell is only eleven. It would be a problem for Lord Shimizu. Focus on the messenger's task."

The two nodded. Eleven, another year or two, indeed, what a pity...

Eiroku 14 (1571) Late May, Omi Province, Takashima District, Anai River Village, Shimizu Mountain Castle, Kuki Mototsuna

Finally, things have settled down. I have been busy. The capture of Nagashima, the execution of the Kitabatake clan, the annexation of Iga, the recruitment of Horiuchi Shinjiro, and the aid to the Ichijo family of Tosa. These events happened one after another. In between, I offered the city of Kuwana to the court and sent envoys to the Mori, granting fiefs to the castellans in Kaga and the Sengoku. The fief in Ise's Taki District is worth 40,000 koku; they will be pleased. Next, it's the turn of the castellans in Noto.

The capture of Nagashima was easier than expected. It seems the morale of the rebels was low due to the disruption of their supply lines. Moreover, the attackers were the Kuki, known for their brutality. I, as the lord, declared that killing the followers is a righteous act and my duty, so they begged for mercy, saying they would surrender if not killed. What a strange situation. Am I really that cruel? Everyone is happy that the battle ended easily, but I cannot be happy. It feels very unfair. What about the Pure Land? Why are they afraid of death?

Keno was quite upset that Nagashima surrendered so easily. He reportedly threw things and acted out. I understand his frustration. The Ikko-ikki have been driven out of the Hokuriku and Tokaido regions. Now, the only remaining stronghold is in the western provinces. The Ishiyama