Chapter 85

In the ninth month of the first year of Genki (1573), in the village of Umehori, Samukawa District, Tamba Province, Kuki Morinori.

"Lord, I am the lord of Takayama Castle, Oishi Yamashiro-no-kami Tomonari."

At the words of Hinenosuke Bitchu-no-kami, Oishi Yamashiro-no-kami Tomonari prostrated himself. I have been informed that this man is quite wise, as reported by Bitchu-no-kami.

"I am the lord of Takayama Castle, Oishi Yamashiro-no-kami Tomonari. It would be a great honor to be included in your army."

"Indeed, I am glad you have come. I have heard about you from Hinenosuke Bizen-no-kami and Yajiroemon. You are said to be a wise man. I am pleased that you have come to rely on me."

"Yes, I am deeply grateful for your kind words."

Oishi Yamashiro-no-kami bowed deeply.

"Lord, I am the lord of Yobe Castle, Nakazawa Inaba-no-kami Masahiro."

Nakazawa Inaba-no-kami Masahiro prostrated himself. He is a large man, and it has been reported that he is skilled with the spear.

"I am the lord of Yobe Castle, Nakazawa Inaba-no-kami Masahiro. It is a great honor to meet you, and from today on, I will devote myself to your service."

"Indeed, that is reassuring. I have been told by Bizen-no-kami, Yajiroemon, and Nakazawa Inaba-no-kami that he is a renowned spearman in the region."

"Yes."

Nakazawa Inaba-no-kami's face lit up at the praise.

"I look forward to seeing your work soon."

"Yes, I will surely serve you well."

"Indeed, I count on you. I have high hopes, but do not rush."

"Yes."

Nakazawa Inaba-no-kami bowed deeply.

"Lord, I am the lord of Waraji Castle, Nagazawa Emon-no-jo Shigetada."

Nagazawa Emon-no-jo Shigetada prostrated himself. He has no particular talents, but it has been reported that he recently had a son.

"I am the lord of Waraji Castle, Nagazawa Emon-no-jo Shigetada. Meeting you is the greatest joy I could have. I am honored to be included in your army."

"Your words are heartwarming. I hear you have a son. What is his name?"

"Yes, we named him Sasa-maru."

Nagazawa Emon-no-jo was surprised. No, Oishi Yamashiro-no-kami and Nakazawa Inaba-no-kami were also surprised.

"Indeed, Sasa-maru. It is a good name. I look forward to his future. It is fortunate that a man of good fortune has come to rely on our family. This is a good omen, a promising start. Do you not think so, everyone?"

When I spoke, Hinenosuke brothers, Goroemon, and Shimotsuke-no-kami all agreed. Nagazawa Emon-no-jo's face was flushed with emotion.

"Emon-no-jo, I count on you from now on."

"Yes, I will surely meet your expectations."

Nagazawa Emon-no-jo bowed deeply.

After that, I called the lords of Inamano Castle, Nagazawa Bungo-no-kami Kanetada, and Narahara Castle, Narahara Shobu-suke Yasuie, and the audience ended. Nagazawa Bungo-no-kami Kanetada is the younger brother of Nagazawa Emon-no-jo. They all seemed pleased. This is a good start. The only one who has shown resistance in Samukawa District is the lord of Matsuyama Castle, Matsuyama Hyuga-no-kami Keiwa. I will crush him. With 30,000 Kuki troops, it will be a good demonstration of our might. If we only rely on persuasion, some may underestimate us. Matsuyama Castle is close to the territory of Kawakatsu Daizen-no-jo. I will have Daizen-no-jo lead the way.

When the local lords left, Shimotsuke-no-kami said, "You must be tired." I was glad. I praised and thanked the Hinenosuke brothers, and they said, "Thank you, Lord." They also seemed pleased. Yes, this is a good start. The conquest of Tamba is progressing smoothly.

For a daimyo of the Sengoku period, capturing a castle is important, but so is the audience. Welcoming the local lords who come to rely on you with sincerity is key to winning their hearts. You must make them feel welcomed, that you are interested in them, and that they will be comfortable here. It's a charm offensive.

Of course, they realize it's just polite talk, but if they think you can't even manage that, they will easily leave. If the reputation spreads that you can't even greet people properly, your retainers will mock you. For example, the Hinenosuke brothers brought the local lords of Samukawa District, Tamba Province, to Kuki. If I had a poor audience, it would have damaged their reputation.

They would think, "Why were we introduced to such a foolish lord? Are they foolish too?" and be dissatisfied that we went to all the trouble to bring them over. This would reduce our allies and increase our enemies. A single greeting can make or break your power. Audiences cannot be taken lightly.

Not just audiences, but letters are also important. I write letters not only to my retainers but also to the local lords. By doing so, I can show them that I am always interested in them. I write about things like not improving at the small drum or being laughed at for performing Noh. In response, they write back saying, "You are busy with politics and war, so don't worry too much." They think they need to encourage me because I am feeling down. This increases their affection for me!

I also write to their wives. I write that I rely on their husbands and that they work hard, asking them to support their husbands. By doing so, I can plant a sense of affection for me in their wives. Sometimes I ask them to write on my behalf. When I do, I always have them write that I am busy. This makes the recipients think, "He is busy but still cares about me." However, I only ask for a proxy once every five times. If I do it more often, they might think I am slacking off. Being a Sengoku daimyo is a lot of work.

"Are you thinking of attacking Matsuyama Castle?"

When I indicated my plan, everyone agreed. I called Kawakatsu Daizen-no-jo to lead the way, and he looked pleased. He must have thought that his efforts in sending hostages were worthwhile and that he would gain the castle and territory if it was captured. That's fine; if he performs well in the siege, I will give him the territory.

After subduing Samukawa District, we will invade Funai District. Then, we will send a detachment to capture Naga District. This will divide the territory between us and Akai. The main force will attack the base of Hatano in Hikami and Taki Districts. By disrupting the rice harvest, we will make it difficult for them to hold out in a siege. In that case, Hatano will have no choice but to choose between a decisive battle in the field or surrender. With our superior numbers, we will have the advantage in a field battle. We will gradually corner them without rushing.

In the tenth month of the first year of Genki (1573), in Hachiman Town, Gamo District, Omi Province, Ryuji Masahito.

Before me stood Hachiman Castle, bathed in the autumn sunset. The area was bustling with people. It was different from Tamba, I thought.

"Quite a castle, isn't it?"

"This castle was built by the young general of Omi. It is only natural."

"Is it? Rokkaku's Kannonyama Castle is larger."

"That castle was built over generations by the Rokkaku family. It is unfair to compare them."

At my words, Ishikawa Sansaburo and Saka Gorobei nodded.

Hachiman Castle, the first castle Kuki built in southern Omi, was likely to strengthen their control over the region. They did not use Kannonyama Castle because it still had a strong Rokkaku presence. Kuki defeated the Rokkaku and took control of southern Omi. They are trying to erase the Rokkaku influence.

Without anyone leading, the three of us walked in a direction with fewer people. All three were disguised as merchants, and we walked without arousing suspicion. We arrived at the house where Sansaburo lived. Each of us had our own hideout and met every three days to exchange information. So far, there were no signs of suspicion, and the assassination of the young general of Omi had not been planned.

"Yasayoshi was killed. His body was found floating in the lake."

After sitting down, Sansaburo muttered. Yasayoshi was a skilled subordinate of Sansaburo... His body was found in the lake, so the killer was likely a ninja, from Hachimon or Iga.

"Where was Yasayoshi investigating?"

"The kitchen. He was trying to determine if he could infiltrate or poison the food."

"…The kitchen is too difficult. We should give up."

At Gorobei's words, Sansaburo and I nodded. The fact that Yasayoshi was killed suggests that the kitchen is heavily guarded. There is likely a food taster before the young general eats. Even if we could poison the food, it would be difficult to do so gradually with a slow-acting poison, as the young general is often on the battlefield. If we prioritize infiltration, a less guarded area would be better.

"During the New Year, retainers and local lords will come to pay their respects. With a lord as powerful as Kuki, there will be a large number of people. It will be quite chaotic. Could we not infiltrate then? Of course, we will investigate the layout of the castle in advance. We can blend in with the chaos and approach to carry out the mission."

At Sansaburo's words, Gorobei shook his head. I agreed; it doesn't seem like it will go well.

"It will be difficult. We don't know what security measures will be in place on the day, or if we can even infiltrate. If there are no other options, we may have to, but…"

At my words, Sansaburo nodded and said, "Yes, that's true."

"Could we not target him in Kyoto instead?"

When I asked, Gorobei said, "Kyoto?" in a puzzled voice.

"The shogun has a son, a boy. Do you not think the young general will go to the Muromachi Palace to celebrate? We could target him there."

Sansaburo crossed his arms, and Gorobei grunted.

"It might be a good plan, but will the young general go to the Muromachi Palace himself? He might just send a messenger."

"Gorobei's concern is valid. It is said that the shogun and the young general are not on good terms. I have also heard that there is a lot of resentment towards the young general within the shogunate. I don't think he will go himself. Targeting him in Kyoto would be too risky."

Indeed, that's how it will be... It won't go well.

Targeting him in Omi, then. But will the young general return to Omi? He might spend the winter in Tamba. Kuki's conquest of Tamba is progressing smoothly. Samukawa, Funai, and Naga Districts have submitted to Kuki in just two months. Only Taki and Hikami Districts remain under the Hatano family. Only Taki and Hikami Districts have harvested rice. Hikami Castle and Yagi Castle are strong, but without provisions, how long can they hold out...

Shimoyemon's attempt to assassinate the young general of Omi failed, but it almost succeeded. At night, they infiltrated the Kuki camp and approached the main camp. A separate unit created a disturbance to confirm the young general's location, and they fired three muskets. One shot hit the young general, but he was wearing a Southern armor and was unharmed. He does not take off his armor even when sleeping, so he is quite cautious. Shimoyemon and his men escaped, but they suffered considerable damage. Whether they can launch another attack is uncertain...

"Speaking of Ashikaga, have you heard the rumor that the young general is of Ashikaga blood?"

Sansaburo spoke hesitantly. When I said, "I have heard," Gorobei looked puzzled and asked, "What rumor?"

"The rumor is that the young general of Omi is an illegitimate child of the Ashikaga family."

"Is it true?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter."

It doesn't matter. Whether he is of Ashikaga or Kuki blood, I will carry out the mission and take his life. That's all there is to it.

Seeing that I had no intention of speaking further, Gorobei turned to Sansaburo.

"I don't know if it's true. But when the young general was born, the 12th Ashikaga shogun had been defeated in battle and had fled to Omi. He had stayed in Kuki at some point. That's probably why such a rumor spread."

"That's a strange rumor."

"Yes, it would be fine if it were just a coincidence. Otherwise, one might wonder who and for what purpose spread such a rumor."

It seemed to be a pause. "Is that all?" I asked, and Gorobei nodded uncomfortably.

"Do you think the young general will return to Omi? Is there a possibility he will spend the winter in Tamba?"

"No, that's not a problem."

Sansaburo said confidently.

"It seems that in February next year, the young general of Ise will come from Tosa to Ise. The young general of Omi will definitely return to Omi and go to Ise. I heard this from someone in the Kuki family, so you can trust it."

"In that case, we should target him on the road from Omi to Ise."

"Yes."

As I spoke with Sansaburo, Gorobei interjected, "No."

"If we are certain he will be in Omi, there is another target."

"What is it?"

Gorobei smiled.

"Kuki holds Noh performances during the festivals. They will likely hold them in January, March, and May."

"Is that true?"

"It's true. They held a Noh performance during the Chongyang Festival."

Sansaburo and I exchanged glances. If that's true...

"The Noh performance will be held even if the young general is not present. We had no certainty that he would be in the audience. But if he is going to Ise in February, it is highly likely he will be in Omi in January and March, and possibly in the audience."

"If we can blend in with the Noh performers…"

"We can get close. It might work."

The three of us nodded.

"The situation in Tamba is not good. I see a risk not only by next June but even by the end of this year."

At my words, the two nodded.

"We will target the Noh performance in January and the trip to Ise in February. I will investigate the trip to Ise. We cannot use the Suzuka Pass, so they will likely use the Hachimon or Senjokan roads. You two, I leave the Noh performance to you. Find out which Noh troupe they will use, and if possible, join that troupe."

"Understood."

In the twelfth month of the first year of Genki (1573), in Hachiman Town, G