He is the 11th head of the prestigious Echizen Asakura family.
While he has a generally rounded physique, he's not simply obese. Beneath the fat, there are thick layers of muscle.
That was the result of daily training.
He had a plump face with a prominent double chin, but there was not a trace of kindness about him. On the contrary, his piercing, gleaming eyes gave off an intimidating aura to those who looked at him.
This same man led an army of 20,000 men to Omi Province and entered Odani Castle, the former residence of the Asai family.
Sitting on a bench placed in the main keep, Yoshikage was meeting with Hisamasa, the very person who had summoned him to Omi.
" Thank you very much for taking the time to come all this way, Mr./Ms. [Name]."左衛門督Saemon no Kami
"Yes"
Nodding to Hisamasa, who was flashing a fawning smile, Yoshikage pinched his own double chin with his thumb and index finger while observing the scene inside the castle.
There were hardly any Asai flags left; the battlefield was now filled with military banners bearing the Asakura family crest.
(This is no different from my own castle.)
With these thoughts in mind, Yoshikage asked Hisamasa.
" My lord, I have responded to your call to eliminate Bizen-no-kami, but...where is he, the main target?"宮内少輔Kunai Shoyu
"Regarding that matter, we understand that you are currently facing the Wakasa Takeda army in Kuchiki Valley... No, the Wakasa Takeda family's agreement to this matter was largely due to Lord Saemon-no-kami's assistance..."
Incidentally, the Wakasa Takeda family was Yoshikage's mother's family.
It was probably around the beginning of the year when I received a message from Hisamasa saying, "My son, Bizen-no-kami, is trying to disrupt the order of the neighborhood, so I would like your cooperation in preventing this from happening."
Yoshikage quickly understood that Nagamasa harbored resentment towards his eldest son and retainers who had forced him into retirement, and that his desire for revenge led him to "destroy" Nagamasa and his men.
And Yoshikage also knew that they hadn't given any thought to what would happen after they defeated Nagamasa and his men.
Yoshikage's assessment is that Hisamasa's judgment is clouded by personal grudges, and he has fallen into a trap.視野狭窄Shiyakyosaku
It seems that Hisamasa is only thinking about disinheriting Nagamasa, killing him, and then reclaiming his position as head of the Asai family, but it doesn't seem like he's given any thought to what will become of the "Asai family" if he loses his retainers.
Therefore, for Yoshikage, Hisamasa was—
(—An extremely easy opponent to deal with)
And so it was.
Currently, Yoshikage holds the position of governor of Echizen Province under the Muromachi Shogunate.管領代Kanreida
The Kanrei was the second-highest position in the shogunate's power structure, after the shogun. In other words, Yoshikage held the de facto second-highest position in the shogunate.
On May 19, 1565 (Eiroku 8), he was assassinated by Matsunaga Hisahide of the Miyoshi clan, despite being the Shogun.足利義輝Ashikaga Yoshiteru
Due to Matsunaga Hisahide's fierce attack, Yoshiteru's younger brother fled to Wakasa Province, which is close to Kyoto, and sought refuge with the Wakasa Takeda family.足利義昭Ashikaga Yoshiaki
However, the Wakasa Takeda family was in utter disarray from top to bottom, and was in no condition to achieve the "restoration of the Muromachi Shogunate."
Therefore, Yoshiaki decided to take action and move to Tsuruga in Echizen, within the Asakura territory.
Yoshiaki believed that Yoshikage would surely be able to restore the shogunate.
To be honest, Yoshikage felt terrible about it, but this was a world of appearances, and he had to show respect to the shogun.鬱陶Ugh
To make matters worse, the meddlesome Yoshiaki made contact with the Kaga rebels, who had been engaged in a long war with the Asakura family, and unilaterally secured a one-year ceasefire.
For Yoshikage, it was honestly a mix of happiness and annoyance.
Certainly, canceling the military expedition to Kaga would greatly reduce the burden on the Asakura family.
However, now that Yoshiaki has incurred a sense of obligation, they must show a certain degree of cooperation towards his desire to restore the shogunate.
However,
—If you try to seize Kyoto, you can see that you'll be immediately beaten down by the surrounding forces.
That was Yoshikage's analysis.
Kyoto is Japan's largest market and consumer center. Controlling Kyoto gives you overwhelming economic power.
However, since everyone knew this, Kyoto became a target of fierce competition.
Even if the Asakura family, based in Echizen, were to seize such a place, "maintaining it would be a hassle."
Yoshikage was struggling with Yoshiaki's demand to march on Kyoto, but it was at this opportune moment that Hisamasa's invitation came.
It was impossible that Yoshikage, who lived in a neighboring province, was unaware of the reputation of Asai Bizen-no-kami Nagamasa.
And it was easy to imagine that eliminating him would plunge Omi Province into extreme chaos.
(After all, this foolish man will never be able to control Omi.)
As Yoshikage watched Hisamasa, who was constantly lowering his posture and saying things that seemed to be trying to elevate him, he thought to himself:
(If we're going to have an ally, Bizen-no-kami is far better than this guy—)
However,
(If we were to hand over Omi Province to Lord Yoshiaki, then it would be problematic if the Governor of Bizen Province were still alive.)
That is the case.
Yoshikage is well aware that Hisamasa is secretly plotting to kill his eldest son, Nagamasa.
This is because he tries to win Yoshikage's favor by reporting everything he does.
He colluded with his former lord, Rokkaku Yoshikata, to attack Sawayama Castle, requested the Wakasa Takeda family to send troops to Kutsuki Valley, and even asked his relatives, the Saito family, to invade from the east. Looking at these things alone, it seems as though he was waging a wide-ranging diplomatic battle.
However, the problem is that, even if they succeed in defeating Bizen-no-kami, what happens afterward is completely uncertain.
While he may have agreed to cede territory to the Rokkaku, Wakasa Takeda, and Saito families, Hisamasa probably hasn't seriously considered how much the Asai family's territory would decrease as a result.
It's highly unlikely that Yoshikage's Asakura family would even consider expelling Asai and giving northern Omi to Yoshiaki, and even if they weren't expelled—they probably wouldn't even consider the possibility of being reduced to the status of a mere samurai.
"So, Lord Miyauchi Shōyū? Let's say you kill the Governor of Bizen. What do you intend to do afterward?"
"Yes. First, I will rebuild the Asai family as its head, and at that time... I would like to receive a princess from the Asakura family for Masayuki, and deepen our relationship—Masayuki, come here."
"Huh?"
When Hisamasa beckoned, a young man stepped forward in front of Yoshikage.
"I am Asai Masayuki. Lord Asakura Saemon-no-kami Yoshikage, please remember me."
"Yes"
Hisamasa observed the young man from head to toe.爪先toes
(--ordinary)
To put it simply, that was Yoshikage's assessment of Masayuki.
His face is unremarkable, and his eyes lack sparkle. He's neither particularly large nor strong. He's pretty much the kind of guy you'd find anywhere.
(—How boring)
Thinking this to himself, Yoshikage called out to him.
"I understand. Once this matter is settled, I will give you my daughter. As a relative of the Asakura family, you will do great work."
"Oh, what a blessing!"
Masayuki prostrates himself.
He doesn't seem to possess the ambition to lead others as a feudal lord.
Normally, one would react with a "Damn it!" but Masayuki seems genuinely pleased.
And Hisamasa was so moved that he prostrated himself before them.
(This must be a tough situation for Bizen-no-kami and his retainers.)
Yoshikage, feeling a slight sympathy for Nagamasa, asked Hisamasa:
"So, Lord Miyauchi Shōyū, was this Masayuki your only son, the Governor of Bizen Province?"
"No, I do have a second son, Masamoto... but he has been captured and is currently imprisoned in this castle's jail."
"law"
Yoshikage asked with a sharp gaze.
"--why?"
"Masamoto is in collusion with the Governor of Bizen Province."
"Hmm"
Yoshikage concluded that his second son was probably a capable individual as well.
Humans are interesting creatures; talented people tend to stick together with other talented people, while fools tend to flock together with other fools.
And in most cases—the competent don't pay much attention to the fools, but the fools are jealous of the competent and try to attack them.
(Perhaps Masayuki naturally drifted away from Bizen-no-kami and Masamoto through their interactions.)
Jealousy over what one lacks can drive people apart.
Yoshikage speculates that Masayuki may have once tried to get close to his brothers, but was shocked by the difference in their abilities and distanced himself from them.
"—Well, that's fine."
Yoshikage muttered this to himself, rose from his stool, and began to climb the tower.
Behind him, Hisamasa and Masayuki followed, like his attendants.
The retainers of the Asakura family watched the scene with pitying eyes.
"Look, Lord Miyauchi Shōsuke. Look at that banner coming from the east."
"oh...!"
The group that entered Omi from Sekigahara was waving the "Kikyo crest" (bellflower crest).
The number is approximately 3000.
Incidentally, the Saito family crest was "two waves" during the time of Saito Dosan, but from the time of his son Yoshitatsu, who killed Dosan, the "bellflower crest" came into use.
"Lord Saemon-no-kami, we have won this one."
Hisamasa said with a broad smile on his face.
"The Rokkaku army has 8,000 men, the Saito army approaching from behind has 3,000, and Lord Saemon-no-kami has 20,000 soldiers. In Kutsuki Valley there are 5,000 Wakasa Takeda...and the Asai army has 6,500. The outcome is now clear."
—Are you serious?
Yoshikage was stunned.
Weren't those people, his vassals, living within his own territory? Why can he speak of it as if it were someone else's problem?
--It's insane.
As Yoshikage watched Hisamasa writhing in ecstatic joy, he thought to himself.
Whether his personality was warped by being betrayed by his eldest son and retainers, or whether it had been like that even before, Yoshikage didn't know.
But one thing became clear: Hisamasa was serious about bringing down the Asai family.
(Therefore, there should be no objections if our Asakura family seizes Omi Province.)
Using Asakura's troops, he annihilated not only the Asai army but also the exhausted Rokkaku army, and seized control of Omi Province in one fell swoop.
The plan had always been in Yoshikage's mind, and even under the current circumstances, it was probably a feasible plan.
(There is no need for people like Miyauchi Shōyū or Masayuki in Ōmi. All that is needed is a vassal state of the Asakura, with Ashikaga Yoshiaki as their puppet.)
Just as Yoshikage raised his arm, holding the war fan, to give the order for a full-scale attack from the watchtower—
"Huh?"
In Yoshikage's field of vision, he saw a white horse with golden horns galloping, reflecting the sunlight.
It gallops at more than twice the speed of a normal horse, kicking up a tremendous cloud of dust.
This is clearly no ordinary horse. And the person who owns it could not possibly be an ordinary general.
The problem, then, was the route the horse had come from. Specifically, the road leading to the western side of Lake Biwa, the Shiozu Road, which lies on the border between Shizugatake and Lake Biwa.
"W-Why... Why did Nagamasa...?!"
Hisamasa's eyes widened in astonishment, and he leaned out of the watchtower, searching for his "son."
In no time at all, the white horse approached the Asai army, which was sandwiched between the Rokkaku and Saito armies, and eventually joined forces with them.
Even at the distant Odani Castle, the Asai army's morale suddenly rose—that atmosphere is strongly conveyed.
"...In other words"
Yoshikage slowly lowered his raised arm and muttered.
"It seems that the Wakasa Takeda clan was defeated by the Bizen no Kami."
"I-Impossible...!"
Hisamasa groaned, scratching his head furiously.
"The Asai army from the west of Lake Biwa should not be able to defeat a force of 5,000 men...!"
"But I suppose they probably won."
Yoshikage groaned, arms crossed.
The Wakasa Takeda clan had lent a considerable number of Asakura soldiers, but it seems all of them were defeated.
That was—an unexpected and quite painful loss.
(Are the troops led by Asai Bizen-no-kami really that strong...?)
Indeed, Yoshikage had heard that even in the Battle of Norada, which separated the Asai family from the Rokkaku family, the Asai family was at a disadvantage, but a force led by Nagamasa managed to turn the tables.
(I see, that's interesting.)
Yoshikage's face broke into a smile, and Hisamasa clung to him.
"Lord Saemon-no-kami! Give the order to attack immediately! Quickly kill Bizen-no-kami!"
"Now, calm down, Lord Miyauchi Shōsuke."
Pushing Hisamasa aside, Yoshikage leaned out of the watchtower and intently watched the movements of the Asai army.
"But, but Nagamasa! The Governor of Bizen!"
"--shut up"
Yoshikage said it curtly without turning around.
"I am the 11th head of the Asakura family. I will be in command of the Asakura army. Not anyone else, but me. I have no reason to follow your orders. I'll say it again—shut up."
The head of the Asai family is Nagamasa, and the old man behind him is, after all, merely a retired figure with no decision-making power.
If that was the case in the Asai family, there was no way they could have any influence in the Asakura family.
Masayuki supports Hisamasa, who has fallen completely silent.
However, Yoshikage paid no attention to any of that, watching the Asai army, which had begun to move, with eyes that seemed to be filled with genuine amusement.
(Now, show me what you're capable of in this situation!)
The thick clouds that had filled the sky began to break, and a small patch of blue sky was peeking through.
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AUTHOR:
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