Five days after the Jorōgumo was resurrected by the Hagoromo Willow, it was around 10 PM in modern times.巳fruit
The prominent retainers of the Asai family all appeared at Nagahama Castle at once and crowded into the great hall.
Their sole objective is to participate in the Council of State, the highest decision-making body of the Asai family.
Incidentally, the main hall of Nagahama Castle was made up of three large "rooms".
First, there is the "upper room" where the head of the Asai family—myself—sits, which is 28 tatami mats in size.
The walls were adorned with skillfully rendered depictions of a giant dragon and the landscape of Lake Biwa, adding to the prestige of the Asai family.
Then, there is a 15 cm step down from the "upper room," and a "middle room" of the same size (28 tatami mats) is located there.
I was basically the only one allowed to sit in the upper section, but the main retainers—such as the three generals of Kaiseki Ume, Endo Naotsune, Isono Kazumasa, and other important retainers like Haruhime—were permitted to sit in the middle section.
Fifteen centimeters below the middle section is the 40-tatami mat "lower section," where many other retainers would gather.
"Now, let's begin the State Council meeting!"
As usual, the voice of that old man, Ryoichi Asai, rang out.
Upon hearing his voice, the retainers gathered in the great hall all bowed their heads in unison.
Princess Osamu was also present in the middle section.
When I think about how she was sobbing uncontrollably this morning, clinging to my body with all her might—somehow, it feels lonely to be this far away from her.
However, this is actually the appropriate distance between master and servant.
If you don't distinguish between your personal and professional life, you'll end up creating all sorts of resentment within the household.
However, for the daimyo of the Sengoku period, where no unified power existed, public and private affairs were often intertwined.
"With Lord Nagamasa personally in attendance, we have several matters submitted by each advisory council, so let us begin deliberations immediately."
Laughing heartily, Ryoshin looked at the man in the middle section.
"First, we will hear from Mr. Anyoji Ujitane, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Council, regarding how to deal with the Asakura family."
"Now, let me give you the report."
Ujitane stepped forward, bowed before me, and then faced his retainers.
"Currently, your family faces a formidable enemy in the north, the Asakura family, but with the Oda family's advance into southern Omi, you are now in a position where you can focus solely on the enemy before you."
Of course, if Oda were in danger, we would need to help him—Ujitane began.
"However, the Asakura clan is now a powerful force controlling the two provinces of Echizen and Wakasa... It would be rather difficult for us, who only control half of Omi Province, to deal with them head-on."
The men nodded in agreement with Ujitane's words.
They, too, understand that the Asakura family is not an opponent that can be easily defeated through conventional means.
Moreover, it was known from the previous battle that he had tamed that powerful monster—the owl.
There is no doubt that this is an opponent that requires caution.
"Therefore, we have decided to release Awaya Mitsuwaka, a general of the Wakasa Takeda clan whom we captured in the Battle of Kuchiki Valley and had been keeping in prison at Shimizuyama Castle."
"Oh..." the men exclaimed.
"Of course, Lord Awaya has absolutely no idea that the Takeda clan was destroyed by the Asakura. But when he learns the truth in Wakasa... it's clear what he'll do. He certainly won't serve the Asakura. He'll rally the former Takeda retainers and incite an uprising to reclaim the former territories that are now under Asakura control."
Ujitane looked around the great hall and said:
"And all we need to do is provide supplies to that uprising. It's not a matter of whether the uprising succeeds or not; our aim is to create political instability in Wakasa through the uprising... In order to attack Asakura, we must start with Wakasa, not Echizen... I believe Lord Akao, who is in charge of military affairs, will explain this further later."
This is the first point of the report, Shigemoto continued.
"Next, I will report on the contacts made to your family by various families and clans throughout the land."
Shizutane looked at Ryochika, and after seeing the old man nod, he began to speak.
"Recently, negotiations with the Asakura family have been severed, but instead, we have been receiving many letters from Lord Matsunaga Hisahide, the chief retainer of the Miyoshi family."
A murmur rippled through the hall.
However, I could understand it.
Matsunaga Hisahide was one of the most notorious villains of the Sengoku period, a man who left an incredibly intense and memorable mark on Japanese history.
This Hisahide was a trusted retainer of Miyoshi Nagayoshi, the "ruler of Japan" who built the Miyoshi family to its peak, and he held the second-highest position within the highly influential Miyoshi family.
However, the situation changed dramatically when Nagayoshi, whom Hisahide admired as a wise ruler, died in July 1564.
Eiroku 8 (1565) --
After assassinating Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, he clashed with the Miyoshi Three (Miyoshi Nagayoshi, Miyoshi Masayasu, and Iwanari Tomomichi), senior retainers of the Miyoshi family who had led the assassination squad, and he waged an internal civil war within the Miyoshi family, dividing the Kinai region.
At this time, Hisahide was at a disadvantage both militarily and in terms of his stated cause.
The conflict in the Kinai region was also a power struggle within the Miyoshi family, but Yoshitsugu, the head of the Miyoshi family, was firmly held captive by the Miyoshi Three.
However, this new head of the Miyoshi family disliked the Miyoshi Three and apparently favored Hisahide, who had been very loyal to his father.
This year: February 1567.
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu seized an opportunity to escape from the Miyoshi Three and sought refuge with Hisahide.
Then Hisahide intercepted the Miyoshi Three, who had come in pursuit of Yoshitsugu, and launched a surprise attack on Todai-ji Temple, where they had set up camp.
This was the infamous "Battle of the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji Temple," in which the Great Buddha Hall was engulfed in flames, the head of the Great Buddha was severed, and Todai-ji Temple suffered significant damage in terms of its cultural heritage.
(In other words, Matsunaga Hisahide is the kind of man who would throw all morality aside and act on it for the sake of the head of the Miyoshi family...)
In the world I came from, Matsunaga Hisahide is generally seen as a man who committed every kind of heinous act imaginable, ultimately dying in an explosion at the Hiragumo kiln—but...
More accurately, he is "a man who has no loyalty whatsoever to anyone other than the head of the Miyoshi family, including gods and Buddhas."
To protect the head of the Miyoshi family, tradition becomes utterly worthless and something that must be broken.
(In short, this means that we, the Asai family, are the least trustworthy people.)
While I was thinking about all that, Ujitane continued speaking.
"Currently, the situation on board is in utter chaos, all because of the wicked and atrocious actions of the Miyoshi Three...Therefore, if we Asai advance our army into the Kinai region and confront the Miyoshi Three, we will be offered Tanba Province."
However, Ujitane said.
"As we are currently at odds with the Asakura family, we have no room to deploy any more surplus forces within the Kinai region. Therefore, I believe it would be best to immediately forward the information from the Miyoshi and Matsunaga families to the Oda family and ask them to handle this matter. The Oda family is preparing to march on Kyoto, so this matter will not be a nuisance to them, but rather a godsend. I would especially appreciate your frank opinions on this matter."
"Thank you for your report, Lord Ujitane."
Ryoshin bowed slightly and immediately let out a loud shout that echoed throughout the entire hall.
"Now, let us proceed with the deliberation on the two matters reported by Lord Ujitane. If anyone has an opinion, please do not hesitate to speak up!"
◆
Thus, following Ujitane's proposal, the discussion began and, after what felt like about an hour, a resolution was reached.
Subsequently, Akao Kiyotsuna from the military affairs council, Amamori Kiyotsuna from the internal affairs council, and Asai Masamoto from the legal affairs council and the financial council each submitted their agenda items, which were then widely discussed by the vassals.
Ultimately, I am the one who makes all the decisions, but the discussions reveal various perspectives of my retainers, which allows me to understand each of them individually, and that too has been extremely beneficial.
"Aren't you tired, sir?"
"No, it's Osamu who... you've been working so hard for so long."
"No... I would do anything for you..."
And now, we are on our way back to the mansion, passing through the path connecting Nagahama Castle and Nagahama Palace.夏瑶門Kayoumon
The current time is approximately 6 PM.酉bird
This was a more passionate and in-depth evaluation than ever before.
Incidentally, there's a reason why we've been able to have such a lengthy discussion.
The rumor is that the retainers have begun to build residences and live together in Nagahama.
In the past, when they were based at Odani Castle, there were only a very small number of samurai stationed there—and summoning them required making trips back and forth between the castle and their territory each time. However, in Nagahama, that hassle is eliminated.
This meant that the vassals could concentrate on the deliberations without worrying about the time it would take to return home, and thus, inevitably, they became more enthusiastic about the council of state affairs.
Furthermore, while the increased precision of the council meetings would provide the vassals with a wealth of information related to the Asai family, it also had the added benefit of making it possible to identify any disruptive elements within the Asai family.
In other words, there are retainers who try to pass on the information discussed during the deliberations to other families...
Once caught in the Takamine Party's surveillance network, the target will be subjected to action, or, in urgent cases, the Takamine Party may directly "deal with" them.弾劾Dangai
Fortunately, such a situation has not yet occurred, but gathering many retainers to discuss matters boosts one's sense of being "involved in the core" while simultaneously illuminating the underlying adversaries.
"Kyuuuuuuuuu"
"Ah! Lord Bizen-no-kami—no, I mean, Lord Oyakata! Lord Osamu! Welcome back!!"
In the courtyard of the mansion at Nagahama Imperial Palace, Shuko, who had been waiting for our return riding on a rainbow silkworm, greets us.
"Kyuuuuuuuuu"
"Oh my! Bontenmaru really does love his master!"
"Kyuuuuuuuuu"
It's not a bad feeling to have a fluffy ball of fur snuggle up to you.
This is probably what it feels like to be pampered by a dog or cat that has taken a liking to you.
"But still... I wonder where the Jorōgumo (spider demon) went."
"Kyuuuuuuuuu"
When I unintentionally blurted out the words, Bontenmaru let out a sad cry.
That is because, on the day the Jorōgumo rose again thanks to the Hagoromo Yanagi, the giant vanished in the blink of an eye.
Whether it's a chameleon-like ability to camouflage itself is unclear, but the whereabouts of the Jorōgumo (spider demon) remain unknown.
Right now, we don't even know if the Giants are in Omi.
"Now, Osamu... let's go."
"Yes, my lord... Well then, see you tomorrow, Shuko."
After saying goodbye to Shuko and Bontenmaru, we headed to Ichihime's room.
And there she was, my beloved wife, stroking her swollen belly—occasionally speaking to her unborn child.
Three sets of food were already laid out, indicating that we had apparently kept them waiting for quite some time.
"Ah... Lord Nagamasa, and Lord Osamu. Thank you for your hard work."
"I'm back, Ichi"
"I'm back, madam."
As I sat down in front of the table, I first bowed my head.
"I'm sorry, Ichi. The hearing dragged on and I'm late. You must have been waiting a long time too, so please forgive me."
"No, I don't mind that at all."
Ichihime responded with a wry smile.
"On the contrary, Lord Nagamasa is diligently performing his official duties, and yet he goes to such lengths to show us such consideration...it makes us feel guilty."
"Don't be ridiculous."
I said to her with a wry smile.
"There's no need to think such things. You are my wife... If you cause any trouble, you should apologize immediately; that is a husband's duty."
"It seems... Lord Nagamasa doesn't understand anything anymore..."
"nothing...?"
You all think so too, right?
As she stroked her belly and spoke to the fetus, Ichihime spoke the words smoothly and naturally.
"For the sake of the man I love... that's what I've acted upon , and what's needed isn't an apology. After all, I don't feel even a little bit of inconvenience... right?"女子woman
"Yes... that's right, madam."
Haruhime responded with a wry smile.
Seeing that, I kind of got it too.
"...Okay, okay. Honestly...the city is a bad place."
Seeing the pregnant woman giggling, I let out a sigh and said:
"Thank you, Ichi... for waiting for me."
"yes...!"
Ichihime responded to my words with a beaming smile.
Yes, what she wanted was not an apology, but compassion.
In many cases where a marriage breaks down, it's because the couple can say "I'm sorry" but can no longer say "thank you."
Words of care and consideration are something that couples often forget, but are very important.
"Oh... Today we have boiled yam and taro, grilled miso, and grilled fish."
"Yes, the soup is a clear soup with root vegetables."麩debt
By the way, Ichihime is still cooking meals for us.
The possibility of having food poisoned has decreased significantly compared to the time of Sugawa Castle, but once a custom is ingrained, it can be a terrifying thing.
However, it's possible that Ichihime herself enjoys cooking. More accurately, she probably enjoys the idea of me feeding her her own cooking.
"Oh, what's wrong, Lord Nagamasa? Is there something on Ichi's face?"
"No...it's nothing."
Perhaps it was because I was thinking such lovey-dovey thoughts that Ichihime called me out on it.
When you sip the clear soup, you can taste a mysterious aroma and saltiness.
I took another sip, then muttered—but consciously speaking so that Ichihime could hear me.
"What husband could fail to be captivated by his wife's face...?"
"Huh...?"
Ichihime's face suddenly burst into flames, and Osamuhime watched her with an envious expression.
I broke the grilled miso with my chopsticks and ate it with the grilled fish, and then I asked Ichihime, who was flustered.
"Ichi, during the day... were there any problems?"
"During the daytime...?"
With a cough, Ichihime manages to regain her composure. So cute.
"Yes, that's right... There weren't any particular problems, but..."
"That's good then."
When I smiled at her, Ichihime looked back at me with a dazed expression.
"The baby in your womb seems to be growing well... I really wish I could be with you all day long..."
"Lord Nagamasa..."
Then, after whispering my name, Ichihime gently stroked her stomach with a loving hand.
"It's alright, Ichi—no matter what happens, my heart will always be with Lord Nagamasa. Besides, I'm carrying Lord Nagamasa's child in my belly. When I think about that, strangely enough, my loneliness fades away."
"Then, my lady."
Haruhime said with a smile.
"For the sake of that child, you must get plenty of nourishment... If you stop eating, the baby in your womb may stop growing as well."
"Oh, that's a problem."
Ichihime resumed eating, munching away, and as I and Haruhime watched her, we felt a warm, comforting feeling.
Delicious food and warm conversation can make a person this happy.
As the meal ended and the three of us huddled together, stroking Ichihime's belly, I felt the emptiness in my heart being filled, and my spirit becoming content.
A new family, a family yet to be met. Just thinking about it inevitably makes a person feel excited.
"It's okay if you're late, but... just make sure you show me a healthy face..."
While whispering such things almost every day, he was busy with his duties as the head of the Asai family, and before he knew it, the months and days had passed.
And then, on December 27th, with the end of the year fast approaching—
I was attending a meeting of the Internal Affairs Council when, literally, Myo burst into Nagahama Castle...
Finally, they were informed that Ichihime's water had begun to break.