I spent five days at the residence of my brother-in-law, Oda Nobunaga.
Even though I was treated as a guest, it goes without saying that I inevitably had to schedule a lot of things for myself.
A conversation with members of the Oda family, including Lady Tsuchida, the real mother of Nobunaga and Ichihime.
And with the introductions and tours of Gifu Castle town by the senior retainers of the Oda family, there was hardly any time to rest.
While I was out during the day, Ichihime apparently spent some quality time alone with Lady Tsuchida and her sisters, and it seems she had a nice change of pace.
In contrast, Haruhime was always by my side, with Naotsune, wherever I went.
What does that mean to her?
Gifu Castle, formerly known as Inabayama Castle, is undergoing a complete reconstruction.
However, that was also the place where Haruhime had her dignity as a human being taken away by men—
(I'm sure Osamu has a lot of things he wants to think about...)
—There were many times when he had a pained expression on his face that made it impossible not to think that way.
All I could do was gently put my arm around her trembling shoulders each time.
Naotsune seemed to understand the situation, and didn't particularly criticize my actions.
While watching us, Hisashi kept chasing after grasshoppers that he spotted hopping at his feet.
And sure enough, they must have known the circumstances.
Takigawa Kazumasu, a senior retainer of the Oda family—who accompanied me on this inspection of Gifu—showed absolutely no lustful interest in my actions towards Princess Osamu.
Incidentally, he's not someone who should be here.
He was the commander-in-chief of the Ise Peninsula Army, and together with the rough-and-tumble Saji naval forces—the family of Inuhime, Ichihime's sister-in-law—he was in command of the second invasion of Ise in Owari Province.
"What... This is nothing to me. Above all, I am honored to have been entrusted with guarding Lord Bizen-no-kami, who is Lord Kazusa-no-suke's brother-in-law. It is also a testament to the respect I have for myself."主master
"Ha ha ha..." Kazumasu laughed in a low voice, displaying the same audacity and fearlessness as he did during the Battle of Lake Yogo.
He always carries a long-barreled matchlock gun slung over his right shoulder—and instead of a sword, he carries two iron rods, each about 30 cm long and equipped with a grip.
I didn't ask him much when we met before, but judging from the situation, he's a formidable opponent who defeated Myo, the leader of the Takamine faction.
I'm absolutely certain that if I were struck with an iron bar like a drum, I would instantly ascend to heaven.
"In any case, if you are going to protect Lord Bizen-no-kami in the Oda family's territory... there is still no one more suitable than me."
Thanks to the incredibly reliable security provided by Kazumasu, the patrol in Gifu went extremely smoothly.
As time went on, the days passed quickly, and I ended up staying at Nobunaga's residence for five nights.
Just as I was thinking it might be time to return home, a messenger from Masamoto arrived from his home province, reporting that "the construction of the Nagahama Grand Hall has been completed"...
The news that Tokugawa Ieyasu had departed from Mikawa reached us.
"The meeting will be held at Kinka-ji Temple, so I apologize for the inconvenience, but I would appreciate it if my brother-in-law could also come."
Urged on by my brother-in-law, who seemed somewhat flustered, I went to the place where I had first become intimate with Haruhime.
◆
June 4, 1567, noon--
A room in a temple that wasn't particularly spacious...
Moreover, I am sitting in the very same room where I stayed with Princess Osamu—in front of Nobunaga and Ieyasu, the great figures of the Sengoku period.
"Takechiyo, thank you for coming all the way from so far away."
"Yes... If Lord Kipposhi invites me, I will go wherever he leads me."
Nobunaga and Ieyasu called each other by their childhood names, but at that moment, Ieyasu glanced at me.
There was a hint of triumph in his eyes.
Specifically, it's the kind of superiority complex typical of childhood friends, like, "You probably don't know the old Nobunaga, but I do."
(Come to think of it, Nobunaga and Ieyasu were childhood friends...)
Putting that aside, I'm at a loss as to what to do in the face of Ieyasu, who has made his animosity towards me so clear.
Ieyasu was born in 1543, making him 24 years old this year—only two years older than Asai Nagamasa, who was born in 1545.
Ultimately, since I will be living as "Asai Nagamasa" from now on, I will have to deal with him for the rest of my life, as he is essentially a contemporary of mine.
(Seriously, what should I do...?)
I don't have any particular feelings towards Ieyasu, yet he unilaterally sees me as a rival.
To be honest, my stomach hurts.
Moreover, it would be fine if it were just a matter of relationships surrounding Nobunaga, but...
(And that's where Osamu gets involved...)
By the way, Nobunaga has warned Haruhime not to leave the room where I'm staying.
Apparently, Ieyasu had fallen in love with Haruhime, and he repeatedly inquired with Nobunaga about the Takenaka group.
The way she treats me is undoubtedly the way she treats a "rival in love."
To Ieyasu, I am a rival—a competitor vying for the affections of two people: Nobunaga and Haruhime.
"I don't like beating around the bush. Let's get straight to the point."
As if to cut through the awkward atmosphere between me and Ieyasu, Nobunaga spoke sharply.
"The reason we have asked Lord Bizen-no-kami and Lord Mikawa-no-kami to come here today is none other than to conclude an offensive and defensive alliance between the Oda, Tokugawa, and Asai families. If you have any objections, please speak up."
After seeing that Ieyasu and I shook our heads, Nobunaga had his page bring us the Go-o Hoin seal from the Kumano Sanzan shrines.
所謂so-calledThis is a written oath.
A kishomon is essentially like a contract in modern terms.
The contract terms are written first as a preamble, and the process begins with reviewing this.
Then, after the contracting parties reviewed the entire document, Nobunaga began by listing the names of the gods and Buddhas he worshipped.
My eyes didn't miss the fact that the single character "to" was written there so easily and casually .蛟Mizuchi
"Lord Mikawa"
"Well then..."
Saying this, Ieyasu, like Nobunaga, began writing down the names of the gods and Buddhas he worshipped next to them.
The character for "dragon" appears there as well.
(It seems that the belief in the mythical water dragon is indeed widespread.)
Even Ieyasu, who was based in Mikawa, recognized the mizuna as an object of worship, so there is no longer any room for doubt about this.
Since I have absolutely no knowledge of gods and Buddhas, I decided to simply borrow the names of the gods and Buddhas that Nobunaga had written.
And once they see that I've finished writing, they'll write about the punishment for breaking this rule.
They write all sorts of things, like going to hell and all sorts of other things, but I have no intention of breaking the alliance, so I don't really care about that part anymore.
"So, with this, the offensive and defensive alliance has been formed..."
Nobunaga looked at me and Ieyasu and said:
"What are your thoughts on the matter of the Tokugawa and Asai families becoming related by marriage?"
"At this stage, it would be difficult."
Ieyasu glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.
"The reason Lord Kazusa-no-suke made this proposal is primarily because neither family has a suitable partner."
"..."
His words undoubtedly include some personal grudges.
However, it was indeed appropriate.
This alliance is not simply a matter of finding a suitable partner and entering into a marriage—it's a complex matter of a different nature.
Currently, from the Oda family, Nobunaga's sister married me, and Nobunaga's daughter is engaged to Ieyasu's eldest son...
It was perhaps inevitable that a marriage alliance centered around a "key figure" would have to be formed between the Asai and Tokugawa families as well.
However, I still have neither boys nor girls, and Ieyasu only has a two-year-old daughter, Tokuhime.
There's simply nothing we can do about this.
"Then, wait for the right moment."
Nobunaga agreed, and the marriage was postponed for the time being.
Having indicated that agreement, Nobunaga continued speaking.
"From this point on, Oda will seize control of the west."
Nobunaga spoke in a quiet tone, as if speaking to himself.
"We now have a just cause... Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who was staying with Asakura, will move to Mino. By welcoming him, we will have a just cause to march on Kyoto. Southern Omi is already under Oda's control, so we should be able to march on Kyoto very soon."
My brother-in-law saw me and Ieyasu in each other.
"The Tokugawa should lose the east, and the Asai should lose the north. There is no other way to end this era of turmoil than to resort to war."
I could feel Ieyasu nodding deeply beside me.
But deep down, I had mixed feelings.
To be honest, I feel like I'm already overwhelmed just dealing with northern Omi—and if I were to take on another territory, I'd inevitably end up with even more unnecessary trouble.
If you asked me if I could handle it with my current abilities, I would simply say, "I'm not confident."
" Know yourself" is a well-crafted proverb that teaches us that taking on more than we are capable of will only lead to ruin.汝Nanji
"But Lord Nobunaga"
"What's wrong, Lord Ieyasu?"
Instead of using the titles "Mikawa-no-kami" and "Kazusa-no-suke" as before, the two began calling each other by their first names in a more casual tone.
"If we take on the Ashikaga shogunate, troubles will come from all sorts of places... Are you really sure it will be alright?"
"fool"
With a wry smile, Nobunaga said to the worried Ieyasu:
"This is a problem for the Oda family... I don't intend to cause any trouble for the Tokugawa or Asai."
"Well, well..."
Ieyasu also gave a wry smile and scratched his head.
It's as if they've anticipated causing some kind of trouble and have prepared themselves for it.
"Speaking of which, Lord Mikawa"
"...What is it, Lord Bizen-no-kami?"
I decided to steel myself and ask Ieyasu, whose responses varied in temperament.
"I've heard rumors that cotton cultivation is booming in Mikawa right now..."
"..."
Ieyasu was half-closing his eyes and staring at me with a sullen look.
They're quite a formidable opponent.
"So, do you think cotton cultivation is on track?"
"Well then..."
"...If you don't mind, I'd like to discuss something with you regarding cotton..."
"I would like to decline."
Ieyasu said in a curt tone.
It seemed as though there was no way to get through to them anymore—
"...Speaking of which, I wonder how Princess Osamu is doing?"
—Suddenly, and completely out of the blue, he brings up my wife in conversation.
What that means is now obvious.
Regardless of the terms of the negotiation, he openly declared that the payment for the cotton would be Princess Osamu.
(This guy...how audacious!)
With veins bulging on my forehead from sheer anger, I tried to find the right words to stay as calm as possible.
Words that would outwardly lighten the mood without causing any trouble, while secretly aiming to break Ieyasu's heart.
(Osamu isn't some object... Can he be used as a tool in political infighting, you bastard...!)
I deliberately put on a smirking face and said, glancing at Nobunaga and Ieyasu.
"I'm perfectly fine now."
"I see."
Ieyasu raised his voice in a way that revealed some ulterior motives.
In contrast, Nobunaga seemed to be waiting to see what I would do, and didn't say a single word.
His actions were understandable because he knew the situation, and that's precisely why I had to find a way to get out of this situation.
"Well...it's the kind of vulgar talk that can only be done in a place like this where there are only men..."
"Yes"
Ieyasu let out a voice that sounded somewhat expectant.
"...Well, well! She was totally crazy about me!! Every single night she would beg me, ' I want yours now... Please give me more and more of your seed'!!!"稚児Yayako膣内inside
When I started mimicking Osamuhime's voice in a creepy way, Nobunaga immediately burst into laughter.
In contrast, Ieyasu's complexion was rapidly turning ashen.
"Thanks to him, my penis never gets a chance to dry... Even when I tell him I've reached my limit, he holds on with both his upper and lower jaws and won't let go, Osamu... It's such a problem!!!!"
It's common knowledge that when men get together, all they talk about is dirty jokes.
And I was simply putting into practice the truth of that world, and I had no intention of getting involved with someone who was feeling cheated on.
By the way, I don't have a cuckolding fetish or a fetish for letting someone be cuckolded.
I don't mind if they do it in a way that doesn't involve me, but otherwise, I absolutely refuse.
"Osamu is doing very well, and her breasts and buttocks are developing nicely, so I've become engrossed in it and am losing sleep every night... If we continue fighting non-stop every night, even I, Bizen-no-kami, will be running out of sperm for the future..."
Nobunaga burst into laughter, rolling around on the tatami mats and banging on them repeatedly.
Ieyasu seemed completely dejected by the part about "fighting battles every night without drawing his sword..."
But I decided to pretend not to notice him and call out to him.
"But as you would expect from Lord Mikawa, you notice even the smallest details... I am grateful that you even care about my beloved wife!"
"...nothing"
"Currently, Asai is in the process of building a castle in Nagahama. As soon as it is completed, we will invite not only my brother-in-law but also Lord Mikawa."
"...Grrr..."
"At that time, Osamu might be pregnant with my child. If that were the case, it would be defiled, so I would have no choice but to refuse your visit..."
"Guh... gigi..."
Terrible teeth grinding.
Now I understand, to the core, why Nobunaga forbade Haruhime from going out.
Ieyasu's obsession with his wife was truly bizarre.
It was so dangerous that if Princess Osamu were walking down the street alone, she could easily be kidnapped.
I heard that Ieyasu will be staying in Mino for a while, just like us.
It's always better to avoid risks.
I decided to leave Gifu Castle by giving Nobunaga and Ieyasu a plausible excuse, such as "I'm going to inspect the Grand Hall of Ceremonies that was completed in Nagahama."
Nobunaga, of course, was aware of the situation, and instead of reprimanding me for my sudden declaration of departure, he actively approved it.
I feel bad for Ichihime, Haruhime, and Naotsune and his soldiers who came all the way to Gifu Castle, but... this, too, is for self-defense.
Perhaps, having received a warning from Nobunaga, Haruhime had a sense of the situation she was in.
Even though it wasn't her fault, she would look at me with a genuinely apologetic expression, then immediately lower her head, repeating this cycle over and over.
(I will absolutely never hand over Osamu to the Tokugawa family for my own or my family's benefit...)
As I hastily set off on my journey home, almost as if Ieyasu were leaving, I felt a profound sense of gloom every time I thought about what I should do about my relationship with the Tokugawa family from now on.