Japan's Sengoku Period: The Sanada Clan's Ambition

Chapter 139 Taking a Concubine and Adopting a Son

In the Battle of Teragawa, Toyama Tomotada was killed in action, and Suganuma Sadaotoshi was captured.

The Toyama Rebellion suffered over 700 casualties among its foot soldiers, while the Sanada clan lost fewer than 100.

Among the participating troops, the foot soldiers under Kana Saizo's command suffered the heaviest casualties, with more than 30 killed, accounting for one-third of the total number of casualties.

To commend Kana Saizo's martial prowess, Sanada Nobuyuki bestowed upon him the "Black-style Woven Body Armor" that Hashiba Hideyoshi had given him.

Such a fierce general must have a good suit of armor, which can save his life in critical moments.

Ke'er's reckless fighting style is so dangerous that Sanada Nobuyuki would be heartbroken if she were to die in battle someday.

Sanada Nobuyuki sent out seventy-two letters of thanks in a single day, which is enough to demonstrate the bravery of the Sanada clan's foot soldiers in this battle.

With the defeat of the Toyama clan, Kosato Mitsuko in Kosato Castle was also forced to surrender under pressure.

This is the territory of Toki County, which is nominally still the Mori family's land. Sanada Nobuyuki directly summoned Kagami Motomasa and handed over all the affairs of Kozato Castle to him.

"My lord, the remnants of the Ikki army that fled from Teragawa have retreated to Naegi Castle and Myoji Castle. Should we launch an attack on these two castles immediately?" Yamagami Michiki suggested.

Although he captured Suganuma Sadatoshi, Yamagami Michiki did not participate in this major battle at all. Listening to Sanada Nobushige and others recount the situation on the battlefield, Yamagami Michiki was extremely envious.

However, Nobuyuki Sanada shook his head and said, "After this battle, the Toyama Rebellion is no longer a threat."

“Miao Mu, knowing that there is no need to attack the two cities, send a message to the Yuanshan family. As long as they are willing to hand over the cities, our family is willing to let them return to Sanhe.”

After thinking about it, Shan Shangdao also thought it made sense, so he went down to prepare.

After resting for a day at Kosato Castle, Sanada Nobuyuki led his army back to Tsumaki Castle.

At this time, Tsumagi Yoritada also returned the military rations that Hashiba Hideyoshi had sent. Sanada Nobuyuki was overjoyed to see the mountains of grain piled up in the castle.

This trip was definitely worthwhile.

"Where is Mrs. Ikeda?" Nobuyuki Sanada asked casually.

Tsumabuki Yoritada quickly replied, "The lady and Genban-dono have been settled in the city."

"Ah."

Without saying much, Sanada Nobuyuki went straight to Ikeda Sen's residence.

Tsumagi Yoritada was quite sensible; he vacated his residence for Ikeda Chi and her son to live in.

Upon learning that Nobuyuki Sanada had arrived, Chiya Ikeda quickly came out to greet him.

"Lord Sanada, congratulations on your victorious return." Ikeda Chika knelt on the veranda to congratulate Sanada Nobuyuki.

Sanada Nobuyuki returned the greeting, saying, "Thank you, Madam."

"What are your plans next, Madam?"

"Should we go to Shinano or..."

Since Mori Nagayoshi entrusted the orphan and widow to him, Sanada Nobuyuki naturally had to take responsibility for Ikeda Sen and her son.

"To the esteemed Sanada-sama."

Ikeda Senichi, dressed in white, smiled faintly, her charming eyes captivating Sanada Nobuyuki.

Indeed, if you want to look stylish in mourning attire, this outfit is extremely effective.

Chiya Ikeda felt Sanada Nobuyuki's extremely aggressive gaze, and turned her head away with a slight blush, avoiding eye contact with him.

Sanada Nobuyuki realized his mistake and quickly apologized.

"I heard that Musashi no Kami and his wife have a daughter. Why don't I see her?" He had met Mori Nagayoshi's son, Genban, but he didn't see Mori Nagayoshi's daughter among the entourage.

Chika Ikeda quickly replied, "She's at the Ikeda residence. I've already written to Sanzaemon, and he will be taking care of our daughter from now on."

Unlike her son, Chihiro Ikeda felt comfortable leaving her daughter in Mino.

Nobuyuki Sanada understood this as well.

At that moment, Sanada Nobuyuki noticed out of the corner of his eye that a pair of eyes were secretly watching him from behind the screen.

"Xuanfan?"

"Come here." Nobuyuki Sanada beckoned to the person behind the screen.

Xuanfan carefully walked over and sat down next to Ikeda Sen.

Although he was only a few years old, perhaps due to the unexpected events that had occurred, Xuanfan appeared unusually calm.

"Xuanfan, get ready. We'll be heading to Shinano in a few days."

Do you know where Shinano is?

Xuanfan glanced at Ikeda Sen beside him, and with his mother's encouraging gaze, Xuanfan nodded gently, "I know, Father has been there before."

"But I don't want to go, I want to go back to Jinshan City."

"Xuanfan, don't be ridiculous." Ikeda Sen quickly scolded, "We can't go back to Jinshan Castle. Lord Sanada will take care of us from now on."

"This was also your father's last wish before he passed away."

"From now on, Lord Sanada will love you like a father." Perhaps feeling that his tone had been a bit harsh, Chiyo Ikeda quickly pulled Genban into his arms and reached out to stroke Genban's head.

Xuanfan nestled in Ikeda Sen's arms, looking at Sanada Nobuyuki with a wary expression. "Uncle doesn't care about us. Is Lord Sanada closer to us than Uncle?"

Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Genban with a stern face, "Genban, once we're out of this door, you can call me Lord Sanada and I won't hold it against you."

"Once you're through this door, what do you think you should call me?"

Xuan Fan was completely bewildered.

"Silly child, still calling him Lord Sanada?" Ikeda Chi looked at Sanada Nobuyuki with an apologetic expression and smiled sheepishly.

"From this moment on, the person in front of you is your father."

This isn't just Ikeda Senran's opinion; from the moment Mori Nagayoshi entrusted his son to him, Genban became Sanada Nobuyuki's "nephew."

A nephew is different from an adopted son.

The purpose of adopting a nephew is not to obtain inheritance rights and divide property, and it is usually not necessary for the nephew to change his surname. The adoptive father provides protection to the nephew in the capacity of a guardian.

In other words, an adopted son is someone who is adopted into the family and has the right to inherit the family business, such as Uesugi Kagetora, who was sent from the Hojo family to the Uesugi family.

The relationship between a "yoko" (adopted son) and a "yuko" (adopted son) is closer to that of the Chinese concept of "adoptive father and adopted son." Historically, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the yoko of Konoe Sakihisa. "Come to Genban, call him 'adoptive father'," Sanada Nobuyuki said with a kind smile, beckoning to Genban.

Xuanfan hesitated for a moment, but still obediently called out "Father".

Sanada Nobuyuki nodded with satisfaction, then suddenly said to Genban, "Genban, go out and play for a while. I have something to say to your mother."

Xuanfan nodded understandingly, glanced at Ikeda Chika, and then left the house.

Then, Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Ikeda Sen and said, "Madam, although it may be offensive to say this, I wonder if you would be willing to be my concubine?"

With Ikeda Chi's status, she could easily be the principal wife. As for why she is the concubine, it is because Hashiba Hideyoshi has given the latest instructions that Sanada Nobuyuki's position as the principal wife has been reserved.

After hearing what Nobuyuki Sanada said, Chihiro Ikeda fell silent.

Although she had been prepared for this matter, Ikeda Chi was still somewhat embarrassed by Sanada Nobuyuki's candid remark.

From the moment Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Mori Tadamasa to succeed as head of the Mori clan, Ikeda Sen's situation became very delicate.

If she continues to stay in the Ikeda or Mori family, then Genban will be a threat to Mori Tadamasa, and some retainers loyal to Mori Nagayoshi will inevitably have their own ideas.

Therefore, Ikeda Chiyo had only one choice: to remarry.

Only by completely severing ties with the Mori family can she and her son continue to live a peaceful life.

The most suitable person for this remarriage would naturally be Sanada Nobuyuki, the person Mori Nagayoshi entrusted with his son's care.

"My lord has just passed away. I have no time to consider this matter at the moment." Ikeda Chi was in a state of turmoil.

Did Nobuyuki Sanada let the duck that was about to be eaten fly away?
If you're dealing with an orphan and a widow, you have to act quickly and make it a fait accompli, otherwise you'll end up like Dorgon.
Even Dorgon couldn't handle this, so Sanada Nobuyuki certainly didn't want to raise Mori Nagayoshi's child for free.

"Lord Hashiba has already granted Ena County to our family. If you wish, Madam, I would like to give you Iwamura Castle as your dowry. After Genban comes of age, the territory will be inherited by Genban."

"Would you be willing to be my Lord Iwamura, Madam?" Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Ikeda Chi with a sincere expression.

The last person to be called "Iwamura-dono" was Oda Nobunaga's aunt, Oda Iwata, and the meaning of this title is self-evident.

Chika Ikeda panicked. She had never heard such blunt words before and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

But Nobuyuki Sanada's words were also very tempting.

The Mori family's former territory is definitely no longer related to the Xuanfan. If they can obtain Iwamura Castle from Sanada Nobuyuki as their territory, then the Xuanfan will have some security in the future.

Seeing that Ikeda Chi didn't respond, Sanada Nobuyuki pressed on, "Madam, you don't want Genban to really be without a father, do you?"

Chihiro Ikeda's heart skipped a beat; she had clearly been hit where it hurt.

"But Ikeda Chi still has concerns about what happens to Lord Hashiba."

Nobuyuki Sanada waved his hand, "There's no need to worry about Lord Hashiba, and besides, Lady Hashiba and Genban won't be staying in Mino."

"As for Xuanfan inheriting the territory, it will take several years. By then, the Sen family will be stable, and this matter will be irrelevant."

Once Mori Tadamasa secured his position as head of the clan, the Genban clan would naturally be free of threat.

After carefully considering Sanada Nobuyuki's words, Ikeda Chiya couldn't find any fault with them.

But when she thought about what she was about to face, Chihiro Ikeda blushed to the roots of her ears and lowered her head, not daring to look at Nobuyuki Sanada anymore.

“I understand Madam’s intentions. I will certainly treat Xuanfan as my own son from now on.”

"I, Sanada Hyogo-no-kami, will help Musashi-no-kami complete what he has not yet accomplished. I will certainly train Genban to be a valiant warrior as upright as his father."

Hearing Sanada Nobuyuki's assurance, Ikeda Chi was also moved.

Recalling Mori Nagayoshi's dying words as relayed by his retainers, Ikeda Chiya couldn't help but sigh, "Lord Sanada was indeed a man worthy of trust."

"From now on, I will entrust my affairs to Lord Sanada."

Seeing this, Sanada Nobuyuki was overjoyed and immediately stepped forward to pull Ikeda Chi into his arms.

If Ikeda Sen were to become a concubine of Sanada Nobuyuki, it would be equivalent to simultaneously befriending both the Ikeda and Mori families.

For the Ikeda family, they suddenly gained an ally.

For the Mori family, Nobuyuki Sanada helped Tadamasa Mori solve his problem.

It can be said that everyone is happy, and all three parties benefit.

"Lord Sanada, please don't do this."

Chika Ikeda was embarrassed by Nobuyuki Sanada's sudden enthusiasm. Although she had agreed to Nobuyuki Sanada's request, it did not mean that Chika Ikeda was ready.

There's always an adjustment period.

"Madam, now that you have expressed your feelings, then do not hesitate."

"Don't worry, I'll treat you well." With that, Sanada Nobuyuki couldn't wait to start making a move.

Chiaki struggled shyly for a while, but quickly resigned herself to her fate.

Anyway, this day will come sooner or later.

"Lord Sanada, could... could I please change my clothes first?" Ikeda Chihiro blushed deeply; the clothes she was currently wearing were for Mori Nagayoshi.
"No, this is exactly what I want."

Sanada Nobuyuki didn't give Ikeda Chi a chance to speak again, and directly leaned in and kissed Ikeda Chi.

Chika Ikeda's eyes widened instantly, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Nobuyuki Sanada's neck.

As Sanada Nobuyuki pushed his luck further, Ikeda Sen's body went limp, and she slowly closed her eyes.

"Madam, how is it?"

Isn't that a rhetorical question you already know the answer to?
"Very good!"

Half an hour later.

Sanada Nobuyuki, seeing that he had gained an advantage, decided to call it quits and retreat.

As he reached the door, Nobuyuki Sanada suddenly turned around. "Madam, tonight..."

"Let Xuanfan sleep with my younger brother, Genjiro."

Chihiro Ikeda's pupils widened slightly. No way?
Again?

What a jerk! How can someone be so insensitive to a woman's feelings?

(End of this chapter)