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

Chapter 144 The Marriage is Confirmed, the Asai Sisters
Chacha didn't have Sanada Nobuyuki's thoughts.

The naive girl didn't realize that anything was wrong; she had simply lost her temper.

But to that person, wouldn't this make Cha Cha seem even more guilty?

"Lord Sanada, don't mind him. Lord Hashiba's men are all ill-mannered." Chacha's expression darkened at the mention of Hashiba Hideyoshi.

Nobuyuki Sanada had no time to chat with Chacha anymore; he needed to deal with this person quickly.

Some things are not afraid of being investigated, but what is scary is leaving an impression on the leader, and a bad one at that.

"I'm feeling a bit down, so I'll take my leave."

Chacha was afraid that if she stayed with Nobuyuki Sanada any longer, she would burst into tears, so she could only suppress her reluctance and turn to go inside.

After Chacha left, Nobuyuki Sanada breathed a slight sigh of relief, but he was still very anxious.

Just then, an acquaintance appeared in Sanada Nobuyuki's line of sight, and Sanada Nobuyuki's heart skipped a beat.

"Kato-sama?"

"Kato-sama!"

Kato Kiyomasa, who was directing his men to transport stones, suddenly heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw that it was Sanada Nobuyuki.

"Hey, big brother!"

"Oh my, big brother, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Kato Kiyomasa stepped forward enthusiastically, then tiptoed and whispered in Sanada Nobuyuki's ear, "Are you going outside the city tonight? A new batch of dancers from the west has arrived there."

“Don’t worry, it’s a temple. It’s frequented by high-ranking samurai and wealthy merchants. My lord goes there often too.” Seeing that Sanada Nobuyuki didn’t react, Kato Kiyomasa continued.

Sanada Nobuyuki had no time for such conversation and quickly put his arm around Kato Kiyomasa, saying, "Lord Kato."

"What kind of 'sir' are you calling me? Are you looking down on me, brother?"

"Call him Toranosuke!" Kato Kiyomasa punched Sanada Nobuyuki, looking displeased. Sanada Nobuyuki was treating him like an outsider.

If Fukushima and the others found out, they'd think I'm not fitting in.

“Alright, Toranosuke.” Sanada Nobuyuki didn’t think much of it and quickly said, “Just now I saw Chacha-san getting very close to a young samurai. Does Lord Hashiba know about this?”

"A young samurai?" Kato Kiyomasa frowned. "So there really are some who aren't afraid of death?"

“Alright, I’ll go tell the lord right away.”

"Hey!" Sanada Nobuyuki quickly pulled Kato Kiyomasa back. "Lord Hashiba is already worried enough about the war with Oda Tokugawa. How can we disturb Lord Hashiba's mood with such a trivial matter?"

"Why don't Toranosuke quietly deal with this person? That would both put an end to Chacha's hopes and avoid upsetting Lord Hashiba. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

"Big brother is right, he's absolutely right!" Kato Kiyomasa slapped his thigh. "Big brother, tell me quickly, who is that person?"

“It seems to be someone named Inoue Kenjiro,” Sanada Nobuyuki quickly replied.

"That Makai, my lord?" Kato Kiyomasa raised an eyebrow. Since it involved Hideyoshi's close attendants, things were getting complicated.

Seeing this, Nobuyuki Sanada took a small step back. "Ichimatsu isn't afraid, is he???"

"In that case, leave this matter to me."

"It is my duty, Sanada Genzaburo, to share Lord Hashiba's burdens!"

"How could I possibly let him go?" Kato Kiyomasa said, somewhat unsure of himself. "Is there anything I, Torato Kato, wouldn't dare to do?"

"Big brother, watch carefully!" After saying that, Kato Kiyomasa ran out before Sanada Nobuyuki could speak.

A short while later, Kiyomasa Kato walked over, clapping his hands.

Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Kato Kiyomasa with a puzzled expression. "So fast?"

"That kid couldn't beat me; he was subdued in no time. There happened to be a well nearby, so I just threw him in." Kato Kiyomasa shook out his clothes, the hem of which was slightly dirty.

Sanada Nobuyuki was immediately filled with respect; this kid was incredibly efficient.

"To outsiders, I'll say that Konjiro fell into a well while drinking during work hours. Big brother, you have to keep this a secret for me." Kato Kiyomasa didn't treat Sanada Nobuyuki as an outsider at all, and even revealed the follow-up plans in one go.

What could Nobuyuki Sanada say? He could only nod quickly to indicate that he understood.

"These blind fools even dare to covet Miss Chacha."

"I'll have to keep an eye on things for my lord from now on, so these flies don't keep buzzing around Miss Chacha all the time," Kato Kiyomasa said to himself.

Sanada Nobuyuki felt a pang of panic. The man in the well hadn't died unjustly; he had taken a blow for me.

I'm not Sanada Nobushige; if I were to face Kato Kiyomasa, I wouldn't stand a chance.

What are you talking about here?

Hideyoshi Hashiba suddenly walked out of the courtyard, and Nobuyuki Sanada and Kiyomasa Kato quickly took two steps back and stood still.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Kato Kiyomasa quickly shook his head, feeling a little guilty.

Seeing Kato Kiyomasa's appearance, Hashiba Hideyoshi assumed that Kato Kiyomasa was trying to take Sanada Nobuyuki to Yoshino Tayu again.

Hideyoshi Hashiba waved his hand and said with a serious expression, "Don't even think about taking Genzaburo to a place like that. Go and take care of your business."

"Ha!" Kato Kiyomasa nodded to Sanada Nobuyuki, then turned and left.

As soon as Kato Kiyomasa left, Hashiba Hideyoshi put on a smiling face again, "The matter is settled."

"Are you satisfied with Lady Oichi and Oe, the daughter of Asai Bizen no Kami?"

Hearing the result directly from Hideyoshi Hashiba, Nobuyuki Sanada knew that everything was settled.

Nobuyuki Sanada was slightly surprised by Asai Go's choice, but he could still accept it.

In any case, Asai Go is also the daughter of Oda City and has the blood of the Oda family, which will greatly help the Sanada family integrate into the "Oda-Toyota Group".

Of the three Asai sisters, Chacha is no longer a possibility, and the second daughter, Asai Hatsumi, is unable to have children. So it seems that Asai Go is truly the only option.

"However, the marriage should be postponed until after the Oda-Tokugawa alliance is defeated."

“Gensaburo, there’s no need to be in a hurry. Once the marriage is arranged, what’s meant to be yours will definitely be yours,” Hideyoshi Hashiba continued.

Nobuyuki Sanada quickly said he understood.

To put it bluntly, Hideyoshi Hashiba's statement was also intended to put a warning on the Sanada family.

If you want to marry Asai Go and establish a connection with the Oda family, your Sanada family must stand firmly on my side and help me win the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute. Otherwise, this good thing may not necessarily fall into your lap.

"Alright, the marriage certificate will be delivered in a while. I still need to go back and formulate the next battle plan." "Thank you, Lord Hashiba!"

“It’s been a long time since you’ve been to Kinki. Your mother lives in Sanada Residence in Ninomaru, not far from here. Go and visit her.”

"what!"

After watching Hideyoshi Hashiba leave, Nobuyuki Sanada also turned and walked away.

While Asai Go's identity was indeed beneficial to the Sanada family's future development, it was also a means for Hideyoshi to completely bind the Sanada family to his own side.

It's clear that Oda Nobuo's encirclement has frightened Hashiba Hideyoshi.

This also made Hideyoshi Hashiba realize one thing: even though he inherited Oda Nobunaga's political legacy, there were still many people in the world who did not submit to his name.

However, speaking of Asai Go, Sanada Nobuyuki couldn't help but think to himself, "I'm actually quite looking forward to it."

Meanwhile, in the backyard of Kyogoku Ryuko's residence, Chacha sat alone on the veranda, looking melancholy.

Asai E and Asai Hatsu carefully walked to Chacha's side and sat down on either side of her.

"Sister, what are you thinking about?"

"Why are you crying?"

Asai E and Asai Hajime asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just some sand in my eyes." Cha Cha lowered her head and wiped her eyes, then looked up and smiled.

She had to maintain a strong image in front of her two younger sisters.

The three sisters sat side by side on the veranda, leaning on each other. Only when the three sisters were together did they not feel lonely.

"what?"

"Lord Hashiba personally arranged the marriage?"

Inside the Sanada residence, Yamate-dono covered his mouth and looked at Sanada Nobuyuki with a look of surprise.

"Yes, it's already decided, she'll be the principal wife."

"The object of her affections is the daughter of Lady Oichi, the younger sister of Lord Nobunaga," Sanada Nobuyuki introduced with a smile.

Lord Yamanote was even more delighted. "Lady Oichi's daughter?"

"I've seen her before. She used to come over and talk to me often. She's pretty and very likable."

???

Sanada Nobuyuki looked bewildered. "Has Mother met A-E?"

"Ah Jiang?" Yamate-dono was taken aback. "Isn't her name Chacha?"

“They are three sisters. Chacha is the eldest daughter, and Ae is the youngest sister,” Nobuyuki Sanada explained to Yamate-dono.

However, Chacha actually became familiar with her mother, which surprised Nobuyuki Sanada.

"Is that so?" Yamate-dono suddenly lost interest; she had a very good impression of Chacha.

After arriving at Osaka Castle, I had no relatives with me.

Although she was nominally affiliated with the Sanjo family, her background as a maid inevitably made her feel inferior when facing real nobles, and she could never truly integrate into their lives. She had no real kinship with the Sanjo family.

On the contrary, Chacha often reminded Yamate-dono of his daughters in Shinano, and every time he saw Chacha, Yamate-dono no longer felt that loneliness.

"Genjiro, what about you?"

“Now that Genzaburo has already chosen his wife, you should hurry up too.” Lady Sanjo suddenly looked at Sanada Nobushige, who was enjoying his snacks.

Having spent so long in the remote mountains, Sanada Nobushige was naturally delighted to suddenly arrive at Osaka Castle and be introduced to so many sweets he had never seen before.

"Mother, Atong is doing well. I don't want to marry a wife yet."

"Besides, my father and older brother will help me find it, so why am I in such a hurry?" Sanada Nobushige said while stuffing something into his mouth.

"Eat, all you ever think about is eating!" Yamate-dono glared at Sanada Nobushige with annoyance. "This stuff is expensive, you should leave some for me."

"It's so delicious, Madam. I couldn't resist for a moment," Sanada Nobushige said with a silly grin, then pushed the remaining half of the food in front of Yamate-dono.

Yamate-dono glanced at him with disdain and instantly lost his appetite.

"Isn't Mother eating?"

"They're all mine!"

Sanada Nobuyuki and Yamate exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

Yamate-dono was also puzzled. They were both his own sons, so why were the two brothers so different?

"Alright, take your time eating."

"I still need to go see Lady Ningning." With that, Yamate-dono slowly stood up.

"What is Mother going to do?"

Yamate flicked his sleeve. "What else can I do? I'm always asked to help with cooking."

"I really don't understand. She's Lord Hashiba's legal wife, so why does she have to do even things like this herself?"

“Mother!” Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Yamate-dono with some anger. “You’re wrong to say that.”

"Your every word and action in Osaka represents the Sanada family, so you must be careful with your words and actions."

"Oh, I know, I know. I only say that in front of you two brothers."

"When I go to Lady Ningning's place, I will naturally treat her the same way I used to treat Lady Sanjo." Yamate-dono waved his hand dismissively, indicating that he was very familiar with this routine.

As a maid of Lady Sanjo, who hasn't served others before?

I guarantee I'll make sure Ningning is completely comfortable.

Although it was a bit tiring to pretend, it was all for the Sanada family, and Lord Yamate still knew what was important.

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(End of this chapter)