Chapter 5

When he received the confirmed news that the vassal of the Date clan, Yama Masahiro, had brought the head of Aki Kiyashige and defected to Matsuyama Castle, Shinomiya Sadaharu's face immediately turned pale, as if his face had been stabbed by a dagger.

He understood that his reputation was ruined by this incident and the continued developments. The seemingly virtuous and noble image he had painstakingly cultivated was instantly exposed. The alliance of comrades built on this foundation would inevitably be irreparably damaged by this event. A series of developments, like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of boiling oil, made the seemingly calm situation in Bitchū explode.

Everyone knew that Date Munehiro and Shinomiya Sadaharu were not only sworn brothers but also in-laws. Date Nobuharu's main wife was Shinomiya Sadaharu's eldest daughter, and Shinomiya Sadaharu's legitimate son had married Date Munehiro's eldest daughter, creating a very close relationship. As a key supporter of Shinomiya Sadaharu, Aki Kiyashige would not have dared to lead people to assassinate the current head of the Date clan, Date Masaharu, who had become a monk, without his master's approval and consent. No one would believe it.

The small lords of Zehdo and Ado districts had to carefully consider their next moves. If Shinomiya Sadaharu went mad and turned against them, what should they do? Secret alliances were frequently formed, and some of the small lords near Matsuyama Castle and Kagerō Castle immediately defected to Shō Wasuke and sent hostages, showing a determined and loyal appearance, which delighted Shō Wasuke and his son Shō Takashi.

Upon learning that the powerful lords of the two districts were in turmoil, Shō Wasuke and Shō Takashi understood that Shinomiya Sadaharu would be preoccupied and unable to deal with them in the short term. The troops of Matsuyama Castle began to move towards Sarukake Castle. The frequent actions of the upper echelons left the homeless and castle-ruined Date Masaharu with no power or strength to intervene. Their first priority was to decide what to do next.

Date Masaharu lay on a tatami mat with a corner missing. He had been in bed for five days, gradually accepting the reality of his blindness in his left eye, just as he had accepted the fact of his穿越 (time travel) years ago. What could he do if he didn't accept it? Was he going to die? As long as he was still alive, he had to live well. If he didn't have the courage to live, he would have understood this truth decades ago.

In the past few days, the incessant chatter of Nijō Nobuhiro and others had finally made him understand the dire situation of the Date clan. Kagerō Castle had been burned to the ground, leaving only the walls and ruins, making it uninhabitable. However, there were still about a hundred family members, including seventeen authentic samurai who had participated in the rescue, and nearly a hundred more who were the families of these seventeen, capable of forming thirty ashigaru. Additionally, there were seven family members, three of whom were old retainers from the Date Munehiro era, and four were concubines left by Date Nobuharu.

Without a castle and without food, they were left with nothing. He had initially thought of leading a group to Owari to seek refuge with Oda Nobunaga, but upon reflection, it seemed that Oda Nobunaga had not yet risen to power and was still running around in the outskirts of Nagoya. Moreover, Shinomiya Sadaharu had not yet killed him, and if he acted alone, he might go mad and openly send troops to kill him.

Thinking of the revenge for his eye, he temporarily abandoned this idea.

He had decided that if he waited five or six years before seeking refuge with Oda Nobunaga, he could rely on his knowledge of history to avoid becoming a shogun but could still join Tokugawa Ieyasu and become a tozama daimyo. The thought of this made his saliva fill his mouth.

Who could predict what the future held? The immediate priority was to rely on Shō Wasuke to stabilize Shinomiya Sadaharu temporarily and use the brief period of peace to rebuild a castle for self-protection.

Nijō Sajirō, the nephew of Nijō Nobuhiro, ran into the room and reported, "Your Highness, Uncle, Lord Kōnai has returned, bringing back 200 dan of grain and 50 iron spears." The man, who had been grieving over his father's death, smiled, clearly seeing hope. With food and weapons, everything was possible.

Nijō Nobuhiro, tears streaming down his face, understood that this was from Matsuyama Castle. The two days of worry had not come to pass, and he made a prayer, saying, "Is that so? That's great, may heaven bless the Date clan."

"Shinohara, have Yama Masahiro come in, and let's discuss what to do next. Time is running out." Date Masaharu propped himself up against the wall, his right hand touching his left hand, which was still slightly painful, and noticed that the deep knife wounds were beginning to scar. The shallower wounds on his back were almost fully scarred and no longer hurt, and his body had recovered significantly, as if he had only suffered minor injuries, far from the state of heavy bleeding and unconsciousness he had been in.

As the saying goes, it takes six months to heal from a serious injury, but he had only been in bed for five days and could already move slowly. Perhaps this was one of the golden fingers of a time traveler, possessing a robust and quick-healing body.

Seeing Date Masaharu finally prop himself up, Yama Masahiro, who had just entered with Nijō Nobuhiro, looked as if he had seen a ghost. He had personally examined the wounds that day, and such severe injuries had somehow healed to the point where he could sit up. How could he not be shocked?

Nijō Nobuhiro was both surprised and delighted, but the miracles of the past two days had already made him accustomed to it, so he no longer overreacted. He said softly, "Your Highness's wounds are almost fully scarred, and in ten to fifteen days, he should be able to fight. Just don't tell anyone else."

Yama Masahiro finally calmed down, took a deep breath, and asked, "Why?"

Nijō Nobuhiro glanced at Date Masaharu, who nodded slightly, and replied, "His Highness believes that appearing seriously injured to the outside world can gain sympathy from the powerful lords and more support, and also buy more time to overcome the current difficulties."

Yama Masahiro nodded in agreement and examined Date Masaharu's wounds again, checking them several times to confirm that they were mostly healed. Only then did he feel relieved.

Seeing that the two had calmed down, Date Masaharu said, "Yama, Nobuhiro, although we have received support from Matsuyama Castle, we cannot sit idly by. We need to show Matsuyama Castle that their choice was correct by achieving some results quickly. Nobuhiro, distribute the fifty spears and train for about ten days to form a unit of thirty ashigaru. Yama, lead a group to investigate the situation in Nakayama and then capture the castles near Nakayama."

Nijō Nobuhiro, being a seasoned local, had a mental map and quickly replied, "Your Highness, there are three castles near Nakayama, one large and two small, all controlled by the Nakayama clan. The head of the clan is Nakayama Noritoki, who has about thirty family samurai and can mobilize over 150 ashigaru. I wonder why Your Highness wants to capture the castles of the Nakayama clan. Nakayama Noritoki has a good relationship with Shinomiya Sadaharu. Although our relationship with Shinomiya Sadaharu has deteriorated, it is still not openly hostile. If..."

It seemed that his authority had not yet been fully established, or he would not have questioned his decision. He understood that he was their only choice, and it was difficult for them to unconditionally trust him. He would have reacted the same way.

Date Masaharu paused for a moment, feeling more comfortable, and said, "There are three reasons to capture Nakayama first. First, Nakayama is close to the Takahashi River and the Kobabe River, a necessary route from Matsuyama Castle to Sarukake Castle. It is closer to Matsuyama Castle, and there are no issues with support. We can receive more aid by following the Takahashi River. Second, although Kagerō Castle is destroyed, the foundation and territory remain. There are three powerful lords nearby who could seize this land. The one to the west has already defected to Matsuyama Castle and will not act easily. The one to the north is currently dealing with a family dispute and, even if it resolves, will be weakened and lack the time and courage to act. Only the powerful lords near Nakayama have the time and ability to seize Kagerō Castle. We must act first to protect ourselves. Third, have you noticed the route that the bandit Hira川久亲 (Hirakawa Hisatomo) uses to travel?"

Upon hearing the third reason, Yama Masahiro and Nijō Nobuhiro were immediately enraged. They knew that the bandit Hirakawa Hisatomo's shortest route to Kagerō Castle was through the Takahashi River and the Kobabe River, and he would have to pass through Nakayama. On the way back, he would use large and small carts, and the only flat route was along the Sashihori River and the Takahashi River.

Perhaps they had no direct relationship, but they needed a reason to start the war, a just cause.