Yashiro the Blind

"That won't do either. A king's word is law. No one can take this boy's life away today!"

As he spoke, Ashikaga Yoshiteru suddenly raised his foot and kicked Goemon, sending him tumbling over. Just as the boy was struggling to get up, there was a loud thud, and a sword was thrown in front of him.

It was the very sword that had just been pressed against his neck.

"take it!"

"This……"

"Take it as I told you to! You thief, you petty thief, get out of my sight right now! Don't let me see you again!" Ashikaga Yoshiteru shouted angrily. Goemon shrank his shoulders, seemingly understanding what he had heard, but he couldn't believe it, so he could only look at Yashiro not far away.

Seeing the blind girl nod slightly, he breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly turned around and left, but after taking only two steps, he remembered and turned back, hugged the sword, bowed to the two of them again, and finally stumbled away.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru watched until the figure completely disappeared before turning around and glaring at the blind girl with annoyance.

As if sensing something, Yashiro lowered his head and said, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Highness, for sparing his life."

"Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Next time you want to offer advice, don't beat around the bush, just say it directly—how could I blame you?"

"His Highness is magnanimous and open to advice, so I am naturally not worried about being punished for my words. However, firstly, this is indeed Goemon's own wish, and I am merely going along with it, lending him a helping hand. Secondly..."

Yashiro paused for a moment, then smiled faintly, “If these words were to come from a young woman’s mouth, no matter the outcome, I’m afraid His Highness would be reluctant to give up that sword.”

"you you you……"

Ashikaga Yoshiteru tapped his finger several times as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just shook his head and laughed. "Alright, alright, since I've given you the 'reward' you wanted, you have to handle this matter properly from now on. Not only do you have to successfully complete the mission, but you also have to return to the shogun safe and sound—this is the shogun's order, do you hear me!"

"As ordered."

Yashiro bowed gracefully and responded softly.

……

The next day.

The moat below Xingu Mountain City remains clear.

Although it had been besieged by Ashikaga Yoshiteru's army for more than half a month, the towering mountain castle still appeared calm because no frontal assault had been launched. Perhaps only the tense atmosphere in the air and the banners and camps fluttering on the surrounding hilltops could give people a sense of the atmosphere of war.

Meanwhile, on the city walls and towers, the Matsunaga family's flags were also flying. Figures moved about, and the soldiers on guard duty, holding bows and arrows and arquebuses, were casually passing the time, looking at the distant flags.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Look, what's that!"

"Is it a human?"

"Someone is coming!"

Amidst the cacophony of voices, more and more people gathered, watching the two figures slowly approaching from afar. One was tall, the other short; only upon closer inspection did they realize they were both women.

The taller man had his hair tied up in a bun at the back of his head, and a large katana, taller than himself, was slung diagonally behind him. He looked dashing and heroic, and he was also carrying a bundle in his arms.

The shorter one looked much more delicate, wearing a simple, light-colored short-sleeved shirt, with long hair draped over his shoulders. He was leaning on a cane, tapping it as he walked, and his eyes were closed. Surprisingly, he was blind.

This pair was truly peculiar. Even though they were coming from the direction of the Ashikaga army's position, for a moment, no one on the Shigiyama Castle side questioned or stopped them. It wasn't until the two reached the moat that someone finally reacted and shouted:

"who!"

"I am Tenfu Hachihiro from Iga Province. I have come to pay my respects to Lord Tadamasa, the Lord of Echigo-no-kami in Yuki, on the orders of His Highness the Lord. I have something I wish to discuss with you. I wonder if Lord Echigo-no-kami is currently in the castle?"

The blind woman spoke loudly.

"Heavens... Tenka Hachishiro from Iga Province?"

The guards exchanged bewildered glances, some looking blank, while others' expressions had already changed slightly, clearly having heard of this name. They dared not act rashly, each holding their weapons on guard, while others rushed into the city to report the news.

A moment later, a figure appeared on the city wall.

"So it is Lord Tenkaze Iga, who pacified Kuzushita District in one battle! I am Yuuki Tadamasa, I have long admired your name!"

A strong voice came from the top of the wall. It seemed to be somewhat friendly at first, but then the tone changed, "I wonder why, with so many talented people under your command, you, a frail woman who is blind, have to make this trip in person?"

Anyone could hear the sarcasm in the words.

The blind woman below the city still wore a slight smile and slowly replied, "Lord Echizen-no-kami, you may not know this, but it is precisely someone like me, who cannot see, who is suitable to make this trip. Because out of sight, out of mind, I don't have to see your disloyal, unjust, cowardly, and reckless face with my own eyes."

"What did you say!"

Yuki Tadamasa's expression changed, and he suddenly let out an angry shout.

But Yashiro responded even faster: "I say you, Yuki Tadamasa, are a disloyal, unjust, cowardly, and reckless scoundrel! What, you disagree?"

The two sentences rang out almost simultaneously, one after the other, and were carried clearly to the ears of everyone nearby by the wind.

There was deathly silence all around.

……

Chapter 419 Tea Utensils Exchanged for a City

Disloyal and unjust, cowardly and reckless.

In this era that places the utmost importance on personal reputation, these eight words are far more vicious and cruel than directly insulting someone's mother. The moment they were uttered, not only Yuki Tadamasa, who was being rebuked, but also the other soldiers listening nearby, all changed their expressions.

"Hey, what does she mean by that?"

"I don't know, but it definitely sounds like they're cursing our Lord Yuuki!"

"What! Damn it!"

Okay, some of these soldiers might not be very literate and wouldn't understand the specific meaning, but at least they understood one thing: their leader had been pointed at and insulted by this blind kid who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. If they didn't quickly step in to support him, they would be the ones to suffer when Yuki Tadamasa turned around and got angry.

Immediately, one by one, they began to clamor. Those with bows drew their bows, those with cannons raised their cannons, and those with empty hands hurriedly picked up a stone from the side as if to throw it. In an instant, arrows and spears were all aimed at the two figures below the city, and a murderous aura suddenly gathered.

The woman carrying the greatsword tensed slightly, but the next moment, the blind woman shook her head, patted her arm, and she immediately relaxed. The blind woman withdrew her left hand, still holding her cane, and looked up, seemingly meeting the gaze of Yuki Tadashi on the castle wall.

Unfortunately, those eyes were still closed.

But the Echigo no Kami (Lord of Echigo) was not without her gaze. The woman carrying the greatsword and the other guards were all nervously watching Yuki Tadamasa, waiting for his command. It was as if, at the command of this Echigo no Kami, dozens of arrows and cannonballs could instantly riddle the two men below the castle with bullets.

Yuki Tadamasa remained silent for a long time, his face full of anger. After a moment, he suddenly laughed: "Good, good, good! I've often heard people say that Tenfu Iga's swordsmanship is superb and his wisdom is boundless, but it turns out that his courage far surpasses that of ordinary people!"

Yashiro currently holds no official position—he had inquired about the price in Kyoto before, but it was too expensive for him to afford—but as the de facto ruler of a country, addressing him by his given name would be disrespectful and might even make him seem crude and lacking in manners.

Therefore, both Kataoka Shinjiro and Yuki Tadamasa now use the name of the country after the other's surname as a form of respect.

In fact, similar titles are not unique. For example, Imagawa Yoshimoto was called Lord Suruga, and others such as Lord Mikawa Matsudaira Motoyasu and Lord Owari Oda Nobunaga all express respect by highlighting the authority of others.

The problem is that calling someone "so-and-so" by a man feels a bit awkward... That being said, you can't just call someone "so-and-so's mother," can you? That would sound even stranger!

After some deliberation, Kataoka and Yuki tacitly omitted the last "公" (gong, meaning official/commissioned official) and simply called him Iga, which was both polite and not too awkward. If possible, they truly hoped that the person involved would realize their good intentions…

However, judging from the blind girl's expression below, this is probably just wishful thinking.

Thinking this, he stared at the other person again, then suddenly sneered: "Very well, since you dared to risk coming here in person, I'll listen to what you have to say—Guards, let them both into the city!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuki Tadashi turned and left. The other soldiers who remained on the city wall looked at each other and were stunned for a few seconds. Then, someone hurriedly went over to lower the drawbridge. An old samurai with gray hair led more than ten soldiers to come out to greet them.

Unlike Yuki Tadamasa, who looked annoyed, the old samurai was kind and approachable, addressing me as "Lord Iga, this way please" with humility and politeness, leaving no room for criticism.

Yashiro and Minjimaru were not surprised... Minjimaru might have been a little nervous, but she kept in mind her master's instructions before leaving, and tried to recite the Heart Sutra over and over again, without being distracted, and did not let her emotions show on her face so that others would notice.

Rounding off is a sign of composure in the face of change.

On the other hand, Yashiro had absolutely nothing to fear. Over the years, she had experienced countless life-and-death situations and weathered countless storms. Compared to that, this scene was nothing but child's play and couldn't even register in her eyes—in every sense of the word.

Immediately, leaning on his cane, he leisurely followed the old warrior into Xingu Mountain City, turning left and right, then right and left again, until they arrived at a secluded teahouse.

"My lord is waiting inside. Lord Iga, please come in."

The old samurai made a gesture and smiled apologetically at Minji Maru, "As for Lord Hayashi, the indoor space is cramped and cannot accommodate too many people. Please wait outside with me."

Minji Maru was taken aback upon hearing this: "You recognize me?"

"……what?"

This rhetorical question probably took the old samurai by surprise, leaving him unsure how to respond.

Yashiro smiled and said, "Alright, Minji, don't make things difficult for the old man. Give me the things, and go rest in the shade for a while. You'll be fine soon."

"understand!"

This time, Minji Maru readily agreed, stuffing the bundle he was carrying into his master's arms. He glanced around a few times, then took a few steps to a shady spot next to him, where he sat cross-legged, put his greatsword aside, and casually pulled out half a rice ball from his sleeve, about to put it in his mouth.

Suddenly remembering something, he looked up and found the old warrior still standing there in a daze. He quickly waved to him, "Old man, come over here. It's hot in the sun. Don't get heatstroke."

"oh oh."

The old samurai's face was filled with bewilderment, a look of wanting to speak but holding back, as if he had a bellyful of complaints, yet because Minji Maru's series of actions were so fluid and seamless, he couldn't utter a single coherent word.

Why are you, an uninvited guest, more at ease than the host?

This is too strange!

However, Minji Maru was not the type to read between the lines. After giving the greeting, she felt that she had done her duty. Even if the old man fainted from the sun, it was none of her business. So she sat there and ate her rice ball with relish.

Meanwhile, Yashiro had already entered the tea room and closed the door behind her, keeping the bewildered old samurai and her good apprentice outside. Just one door away, the atmosphere inside was completely different.

Yuki Tadamasa sat cross-legged with his right elbow resting on his knee, his sword within easy reach. He was scrutinizing the blind woman who had just entered with a look of keen interest. The woman seemed to sense his unfriendly gaze and smiled and nodded at him.

"Sit down."

With a cold laugh, Yashiro didn't take it to heart. He probed his surroundings with his cane, groped his way to kneel down, and placed his bundle beside him.

Yuki Tadashi stared at the bundle for a moment, then looked away and turned his gaze back to the figure in front of him.

At the same time, Yashiro also spoke up: "This is supposed to be a tea room, but there's no tea to serve?"

"Why serve tea to an unwelcome guest?"

Yuki Tadamasa coldly replied, "On the contrary, Lord Tenkaze, if you cannot provide a convincing answer to those eight words you just mentioned, neither of you will be leaving Shigiyama today."

"Hoohoo."

"what's so funny?"

"I was laughing at Lord Echigo no Kami for asking a question he already knew the answer to. Loyalty and righteousness are what we call loyalty and righteousness, but Miyoshi dared to defy the world and commit regicide in front of everyone. He was audacious and utterly wicked. Fortunately, Lord Kubo was blessed and his life was spared, which is why your lord was spared the infamy of treason."

Yashiro paused, then continued, "Logically speaking, now that the Lord has announced to the world that he is raising an army to punish the traitors, Lord Echigo, as a member of a prestigious samurai family, should have immediately abandoned the darkness and joined the shogunate. However, you have chosen to continue to associate with the Miyoshi traitors. Such stubbornness and obstinacy are unacceptable. What is wrong with calling you 'disloyal and unjust'?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was stern and aggressive, causing Yuki Tadamasa's expression to change slightly upon hearing it.

However, he immediately snorted coldly: "In this world of war, everyone serves their own master. My only master is Matsunaga Danjo. As for the Shogun... Hmph, he's just an old story from the past, not worth mentioning! If Lord Iga came here specifically to spout this useless nonsense, then I am truly disappointed."

"Don't be impatient. What I just spoke of was the greater loyalty and righteousness; what I'm about to talk about now is the lesser loyalty and righteousness." The blind woman shook her head.

"Xiao Zhong... Xiao Yi?"

“I know that Lord Echigo is loyal to Matsunaga Danjo and has no other intentions. The soldiers in this castle are also ready to risk their lives and live or die with this Shigiyama Castle, as long as Lord Echigo gives the order.”

These words sounded like a compliment, yet also like an admission of weakness, which softened Yuki Tadamasa's originally stern expression. He thought the blind girl realized she had gone too far and was trying to make amends.

But the next second, Yashiro abruptly changed the subject: "That's precisely why I can't bear to see what's going to happen: not only will the lives of these soldiers in the city be in danger, but even Matsunaga Danjo will die a miserable death because of your foolishness..."

"Nonsense!"

Yuki Tadamasa suddenly roared, and unlike before, this time he seemed genuinely enraged, even reaching for his sword beside him. But at the last moment, he abruptly stopped, continuing to stare intently at the blind woman.

"Aren't you going to do anything?"

"I'm waiting for your explanation."

"Or perhaps, you are waiting for me to personally recount your inner thoughts, Lord Echigo-no-kami."

With a slight smile, Yashiro tapped his cane with his fingers. "A general as experienced as you must have already realized that the Miyoshi clan's situation is not optimistic. In the Kinki region alone, the Rokkaku clan of southern Omi has an army of 20,000 men, whose advance is aimed directly at Kyoto. In addition, the Hatakeyama clan has more than 10,000 men who are also marching from Kii towards Kawachi Takaya Castle. One in the south and one in the north, two major battles are about to break out."

"Once the Miyoshi clan is defeated, the four provinces they currently control—Kawachi, Izumi, Settsu, and Yamashiro—will all be lost. The best-case scenario is a hasty retreat back to the four provinces under the cover of the Awaji navy, barely managing to preserve the provinces of Awa and Sanuki. I'm not just referring to the Miyoshi main family, but also to that Matsunaga Danjo—think it over carefully, Lord Echigo! If your lord loses Izumi, how long can he hold out with just this one isolated castle in Yamato Province?"

"When your lord is about to risk his life in a battle, you, as his retainer, hide in a fortified castle, resting on your laurels and awaiting the outcome. This is disloyalty. And if Miyoshi is defeated, Matsunaga Danjo will have to expend extra effort to try to rescue you, otherwise he will inevitably be accused of being cold-hearted and abandoning his retainers to escape alone. As a samurai, not only can you not bring glory to your lord, but you even cause him to bear unnecessary infamy. This is unjust. I say you are disloyal and unjust precisely for this reason."

"..."

With his elbows still resting on his knees, Yuuki Tadashi's face was grim, and he remained silent for a long time. Only time quietly passed, and in the silence, the occasional sound of Yashiro's fingertips lightly tapping her cane could be heard.

It even resembles a wooden fish drum in a temple.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"It should be this young lady asking, Lord Echigo no Kami, what do you wish to do?"

"Hmph, all that rambling and nonsense is just an excuse to get me to hand over this Xingui Mountain City. Let me tell you, as long as I'm alive, it's impossible—"

"Wait a minute."

Before he could finish his harsh remark, Yashiro interrupted him. Before Yuki Tadashi could get angry, the blind girl, still with that enigmatic smile, moved the bundle that had been bothering him to her feet, slowly opened it, and revealed a wooden box inside.

"What is this... wait, could this be?!"

When the box lid was opened, something that was revealed in front of Tadamasa Yuki left him speechless, as if he had lost all words. He could only stare blankly at the tea set inside the wooden box, his heart filled with disbelief.