Japan's Warring States Period: The Rise of the Wakasa Tiger

Chapter 25: One Word

Afterwards, Nobushige and Asakura Kagetaka discussed some details of the uprising, including the specific time of the uprising, how to communicate with each other, the available marching routes after the uprising, etc. Yamamoto Kansuke also expressed his opinions from time to time, which made Asakura Kagetaka look at this ugly and lame samurai with admiration.

"Your Highness, today is 'Da Huiri' (similar to China's New Year's Eve). Please have your meal in the city, and then I will send someone to escort you to the border." Asakura Kagetaka said politely.

Nobushige shook his head. "No, I have important matters to attend to at home, so I won't stay any longer. By the way, let me ask you one more question. Your Highness, do you know when Asakura Dansho will launch an attack on Wakasa?"

"The imperial edict I received requires that all places complete their mobilization by the fifth day of the first lunar month, and all arrive at Jinshan Castle on the eighth day of the first lunar month to meet up." Asakura Kagetaka told the truth. After all, he still needed Nobushige to help him contain Asakura Kage, so he had to provide him with sufficiently accurate information.

"I understand." Xinzhong nodded slightly and thought about it in his mind. Fortunately, there was still time.

"Then I will take my leave." Nobushige stood up and bowed deeply, then walked out of the "Jima" under the guidance of Asakura Kagetaka's attendant.

"The new head of the Takeda clan and the three guys beside him are not ordinary people." Looking at the backs of Nobushige and the other three as they walked away, Asakura Kagetaka couldn't help but sigh.

That night, the group of four returned to Hakusan in Nengxiang again. At this time, fireworks suddenly bloomed in the sky, like stars, illuminating the snow-capped mountains and rugged mountain roads.

"Stop and enjoy the brilliant fireworks in the sky." As he said this, Xin Zhong and others sat cross-legged on the ground under a cedar, looked up at the night sky, and showed satisfied smiles on their faces.

"The new year has arrived." This is Nobushige's first New Year since he came to this world. He didn't expect to spend it in this remote wilderness. Fortunately, he has the company of Yamamoto Kansuke and others by his side, so he doesn't feel lonely.

"My lord, if you don't mind, please take a sip to warm your body." Yamamoto Kansuke took off the wine gourd from his waist and handed it to Nobushige beside him.

In Japan at this time, people were still accustomed to drinking rice wine called "turbid wine". The so-called "sake" became popular only after the Edo period.

Xinzhong pulled out the stopper of the pot, put it close to his nose and sniffed it, only to smell the aroma of wine. He took a sip and found it mellow and sweet with a unique taste, which made him praise it.

"Kanzuke, you are not only an excellent swordsman, but also an extraordinary skill in selecting wine." After saying this, Nobushige handed the wine gourd to Kumagai Takashige and Muto Mitsuyuki who were standing beside him with an unsatisfied look. After drinking it, the two of them praised him endlessly.

"My lord, you are too kind." Yamamoto Kansuke chuckled.

"Kansuke, I have something I want to discuss with you." Nobushige said.

"What's the point of discussing? My lord, just tell me what you want me to do, and I will do my best." Yamamoto Kansuke stopped smiling and became serious.

"What is the common name of your Fujiyama family?" Xinzhong asked.

"We country warriors don't have so many particulars. After a long time, we can't remember whether it was '贞' or '幸'. I prefer the latter, after all, my father and brother both used this word." Yamamoto Kansuke replied.

"It is fate that we can meet in this wilderness and become king and subject. I would like to give you the character '重' in my name. How about changing it to '重幸'?"

"My lord, you want to grant me a taboo?!" Yamamoto Kansuke was overjoyed and asked in disbelief.

Both Kumagai Takashige and Muto Mitsuyuki were also shocked by Nobushige's decision. Let's not talk about Muto Mitsuyuki, after all, he had only been with Nobushige for a few days. Kumagai Takashige was Nobushige's cousin, and he didn't even "accept a word". How come it was the turn of the unknown, plain-looking, disabled Yamamoto Kansuke?

"Yeah, you don't want to? Or do you think my Wakasa Takeda family is not of high status, haha..."

"I dare not, I am so happy! My lord and I have just met, and you think so highly of me. I really have no way to repay you! I hope Yamamoto Shigemitsu will do my best to serve you wholeheartedly in the future!" Yamamoto knelt down hurriedly towards Nobushige, tears of gratitude and excitement beyond words.

"Mogoro!" Nobushige shouted immediately, "I order you to be the general of our family, the lord of Dayan City, and the rank of one thousand koku!"

"Ha! Thank you, my lord! I will repay you with my death!" Kumagai Takanao never thought that one day he would become the lord of a city, get rid of his dependence on his father and brother, and join the ranks of Takeda clan's important officials as a samurai general.

"Shinkuro!"

"I'm here!" Muto Mitsuyu answered loudly.

"I order you to be the head of the Mahui Group of our family, with a salary of 800 koku!"

"Thank you, my lord!" Muto Mitsuyu kowtowed to express his gratitude.

"Shinkuro, I am still slightly inferior to Ono Gunji in strength, and since you just returned from Echizen, I cannot immediately give you a high salary. Please understand." Nobushige explained sincerely. "My lord, you don't have to say more. I understand. If I were greedy for wealth and glory, I would not have returned to Wakasa. I sincerely wish my lord good fortune and hope that my Takeda clan will unify Wakasa soon!"

Muto Mitsuyu was previously appointed as a general by Asakura Kageko, with a rank of 1,500 koku. Now that he had given up his glory and bright future to come to Nobushige's side, this alone won enough trust from Nobushige.

"It is thanks to all of you that I have been able to have a smooth journey. I am grateful to you all!" After saying this, Xinzhong bowed and saluted the three people, who returned the salute solemnly.

"As you can see, I, the Wakasa guardian, am not even as strong as a county governor. I am truly ashamed. I hope you can continue to assist me and fulfill the long-cherished wish of the successive heads of the Takeda clan as soon as possible, and restore the glory of our Takeda clan!"

"How dare we disobey your orders!"

Fireworks bloom in the night sky, just like the heroes in the long river of history, fleeting but living brilliantly.

"I wonder which firework I will be?" Nobushige looked up at the sky and often breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that only by accumulating strength as quickly as possible and changing the current situation of "weak lord and strong minister" in Wakasa could he move towards realizing his ambitions and make his firework rise higher and bloom more magnificently in the near future.

On the morning of the second day of the first lunar month in the eighth year of Tenbun, after two days of hardship and hardship, Nobushige and his four companions crossed the Mikuni Mountains at the junction of Wakasa, Omi, and Echizen and officially returned to Wakasa Province. They headed north along the Orito Valley and the Mimogawa River Valley and finally arrived at Saki-cho, the castle town of Kuniyoshi Castle, in the evening. Nobushige decided to go to Kuniyoshi Castle first to meet Awaya Katsuhisa and then go to Mikata Castle the next day.

"My lord, when I passed by the horse farm at noon, I was wondering why the Asakura army had to attack the Tsubaki Pass under Kuniyoshi Castle. They could also enter Wakasa along the river valley at the west foot of Nosakadake." On the way into the city, Yamamoto Shigeyuki, who was not very familiar with the terrain of Wakasa, asked.

Baba is a small village not far south of Saki-cho. It is surrounded by mountains and where the Mimigawa River, Yokoya River, and Okutani River converge. If you follow the Yokoya River valley to the east, you will reach Nosadatake. If you follow the small valley on the west side all the way north, you will reach Kanayama Castle, an important border town between Wakasa and Echizen.

"Shigeyuki, you are from Suruga, so you may not know that the road you mentioned is rugged and few people have ever set foot on it except for farmers and hunters. Moreover, the Hokuriku region is now covered with snow, and this mountain road is blocked by heavy snow. The army cannot pass through there. Only the Tsubaki Pass where Kuniyoshi Castle is located has relatively flat terrain, which is suitable for Asakura to gather a large army to invade."

Kumagai Takashiro explained. As a member of the Kumagai clan, he knew the topography of Mikata County very well.

Simply put, there are two roads from Jinshan City to Guoji City, one is "一" shaped, and the other is "凵" shaped. The former is a big road and a short road, suitable for large groups of people; the latter is a small road and a long road, suitable for small groups only when it is not snowing.

Yamamoto Shigeyuki nodded slightly after hearing this, and said thoughtfully: "While there is still time, I would like to go and investigate on the spot tomorrow."

Xin nodded in agreement and said that when he met Awaya Katsuhisa later, he would ask him to send two samurai who were familiar with the terrain to accompany Yamamoto Shigeyuki.

Soon, the four arrived at the lord's residence at the southwest foot of the mountain in Kuniyoshi Castle.

Upon learning that Nobushige was visiting in person, Awaya Katsuhisa was overjoyed and hurried out to greet him. He was full of curiosity and nervousness about this new head of the Takeda clan, whom he had never met before.

"My lord, I am sorry that I failed to come to greet you in person. Please forgive me." Unlike Awaya Mototaka's arrogance towards the Takeda clan, Awaya Katsuhisa was quite respectful. He prostrated himself on the ground and sincerely apologized to Nobushige.

"This is the difference between the branch family and the main family." Xinzhong thought: "Perhaps it is because he has been suppressed by the main family for many years that he has become so respectful and cautious now."

Think about when I just returned to secular life, wasn’t I also so humble and respectful in front of my lord Takeda Nobutoyo?

"Get up." Xinzhong said nonchalantly.

Awaya Katsuhisa stood up and raised his head. His eyes met with Kumagai Takanao in front of him. His expression changed immediately: "Lord Takanao, why are you here in Kuniyoshi Castle?"

"I am here to escort the lord, please don't misunderstand me, Master Shengjiu."

Kumagai Takanao knew that Awaya Katsuhisa and the Kumagai clan had a very unhappy dispute over the ownership of Kuniyoshi Castle, but he was different from Kumagai Katsunao and Kumagai Motonao. Since he was a direct vassal of Nobushige, he considered the issue more from Nobushige's perspective. With a powerful enemy at hand, he did not want to delay important matters with Awaya Katsuhisa because of personal grudges.

Seeing that Kumagai Takashige's attitude was sincere and he didn't seem to be deliberately looking for trouble, Awaya Katsuhisa also relaxed his guard and bowed to welcome everyone into the hall.

As soon as everyone sat down, Xinzhong got straight to the point: "I have received your letter, and the order for mobilization has been issued. I came here to hear your opinion on the current situation."

"I have received the news of the mobilization of the whole territory. I am extremely grateful for the trust you have placed in me." Awaya Katsuhisa bowed again and replied with a firm look in his eyes: "I may be a little arrogant, but as long as I stay in Kuniyoshi Castle, I will not let the Asakura army cross the Tsubaki Pass and penetrate deep into Wakasa."

The trip to Ono County is over, and we are finally about to enter the formal battle stage. Please stay tuned.

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(End of this chapter)