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

Chapter 115 The New Year is Coming
The seriously injured Fujibayashi Masayoshi finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell to his knees with a thump. He used his ninja sword to prop up his upper body, looked at the ninja with a painful expression, and said with difficulty: "Sir, can you let me die knowingly? Who is the one who killed me today?"

The ninja didn't say anything more. He took off his braided hat and three-foot hand towel. The moonlight shone on his delicate but somewhat pale face. He smiled and whispered, "Nagato no Kami, long time no see. I am Taro Mitsugu."

"So it's Shirobei from the Tarao family. Haha, I get it. I have no regrets if I die in your hands. It's a pity that I can't complete the trust entrusted by Uchi Kuransuke..." As he said this, Fujibayashi Masayoshi fell down. A generation of famous ninja fell just like that.

Seeing Fujibayashi Masahiro lying motionless on the ground, Taro Mitsugu put down his weapon, knelt on the ground, bowed deeply to him, and said with emotion: "Nagato no Kami, you have done your best. Be brave and cross the Sanzu River (the river that separates the underworld and the world of the living in Japanese legend)!"

After that, he searched Fujibayashi Masaharu's body and soon found a handwritten letter from Naito Katsutaka in his arms. Then, Tara Oo Mitsugu quickly disappeared into the depths of the woods.

On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, as the year draws to a close, the castle town around the Takeda clan's mansion is already filled with a New Year atmosphere.

The "art merchants" from Kyoto shouted "Sweep away the bad luck, sweep away the bad luck!" along the street while selling "coal bamboo", attracting merchants and people on both sides of the street to buy.

The so-called "coal bamboo" is simply a bamboo pole with bamboo leaves. It is used to wipe off traces of smoke from chimneys and other places or dust accumulated in high places during the year-end cleaning. It can be said that this is a must-have item for every household at the end of the year.

Not only are there vendors selling "coal bamboo", but vendors selling natto, tofu, wind chimes, and goldfish are also everywhere in the streets and alleys, and the sound of hawking is very lively.

But if we talk about one indispensable delicacy during the Chinese New Year, it is rice cake.

In December, every household will make rice cakes to welcome the New Year. Rich families will go to special rice cake shops to buy rice cakes, while ordinary people tend to make them by themselves or invite relatives and friends to make them together. At this time, in the castle town, whether in the streets or alleys, every household will hear energetic and exciting shouts, attracting pedestrians on the street to stop and watch.

The houses of Kagawa Morihisa and Matsumiya Kiyonaga were located on the main street of the castle town, almost door to door. Since the work of pounding rice cakes could only be done by men at that time, the two of them took some time out of their busy schedules to personally join the team of pounding rice cakes.

"You said it's almost New Year's Day, but the lord sent Shigeyuki out to inspect the land. This is intentional to prevent those guys from having a good New Year." Matsumiya Kiyonaga muttered with sweat on his forehead.

Kagawa Morihisa smiled back, wiped the sweat off his face with a towel, and replied jokingly: "If they don't have a good New Year, then the Lord's goal will be achieved."

"I know what you mean, but the people who are offended by the land inspection are not just the people of Suidoyama Castle. I'm afraid the people of Tango, Wakasa, and even Tsuruga will have opinions, right?"

"So what if you have objections?" Kagawa Morihisa asked, "Since our family moved to Wakasa, we have never properly inspected the land. With your current prestige and strength, my lord, it is time to carry out some reforms. The basis of reform is to understand the family's financial situation. If you don't understand the family's financial situation, I'm afraid you will be fooled by those people."

"You have a point," Matsumiya Kiyonaga nodded, spat on his hands, and continued to beat the crap out of him after gathering his strength. "Our two families are the first to bear the brunt of this. Father wrote to me a few days ago, saying that Shigeyuki is very strict and merciless in his work."

"Isn't this good? If Shigeyuki gives you face today and gives me face tomorrow, is there any meaning in inspecting the land?" Kagawa Morihisa showed enough understanding for Yamamoto Shigeyuki.

"It's not that I don't support him, but I think the lord is a bit too hasty. Wouldn't it be better to wait until after the New Year to inspect the land?" Matsumiya Kiyonaga argued.

"The lord has his own considerations, so you and I don't need to worry about it. Let's finish making the rice cakes quickly so we can go have a drink." Kagawa Morihisa said with a smile.

Just then, a fast horse came galloping from a distance, splashing up dust on the ground and causing a lot of complaints from the people along the street.

"This man's outfit looks so familiar." Matsumiya Kiyonaga said with a frown as he watched the horse galloping past him.

"More than familiar," Kagawa Morihisa responded, "Isn't this Tarobi Shirobei? He's in such a hurry, something big must have happened."

"Shirobei? Are you talking about the jonin from Koga? Isn't he in Tango? Why did he go back to Wakasa just before the New Year?" Matsumiya Kiyonaga wondered. "Something must have gone wrong in Tango." Kagawa Morihisa speculated, "You see, I'm afraid we can't have this drink tonight."

While the two were thinking about this, Tara Oo Mitsuna had already arrived at the gate of the Takeda clan's mansion. After handing the horse to the foot soldier who was guarding the gate, he was guided by the young man and quickly walked to Hiroma and sat down.

When Yoshishige heard that Tarao Mitsuna had come in person, he thought that something big must have happened, so he hurried from the inner courtyard to Hiroma to meet him.

Yoshishige had just sat down and was about to say hello when he was interrupted by Taroko Mitsugu's straightforward remarks.

"My lord, this is a secret letter I obtained from Fujibayashi Nagato-no-kami." As he spoke, Taroko Mitsuna handed the letter to Yoshishige.

Yoshishige quickly opened the letter and read it carefully, with a complex expression of joy and anger on his face. After a while, he put down the letter and asked Taroko Mitsugu, "Is the Fujibayashi Nagato no Mori you mentioned the Fujibayashi Masayoshi, one of the three jonin of Iga?"

Taroko Mitsugu nodded solemnly: "That's the person."

"Then it seems that this letter is real. Where is Nagato no Mori now?" Yoshishige continued to ask.

"He died outside Miyazu Castle." Tarabi Mitsugu remained calm.

"Oh?" Yizhong was surprised at first, but then he regained his composure: "Well done, you have achieved such a great result at such a young age. You will definitely have a bright future."

"Thank you for your compliment, my lord." Tara Oo Mitsugu bowed and thanked him, then asked, "My lord, is there anything else you want me to do?"

"How about this, you take this letter to Shirai Tamebu and tell him that I already know about this and ask him to take precautions early, but for now, keep your troops in place and wait for my orders." Yoshishige said.

"Ha! As you command."

After watching Taroko Mitsuna leave, Yoshishige immediately ordered people to notify Kagawa Morihisa, Matsumiya Kiyonaga, and Yamamoto Shigeyuki who was conducting a land inspection in the neighboring Yamagata family, and asked them to rush to the Takeda clan's mansion as quickly as possible.

When Yamamoto Shigeyuki arrived at the Takeda clan's residence, it was already dark. At this time, Kagawa Morihisa and Matsumiya Kiyonaga were sitting on both sides of the prince, with solemn expressions and silent.

"My lord, I am late." Yamamoto Shigeyuki dragged his limping leg into Hiroma.

As soon as they sat down, Yizhong asked, "Has the land inspection been going smoothly recently?"

"It's still going smoothly." Yamamoto Shigeyuki replied, "After all, Yamagata and Matsumiya have been important officials for many years. They still give me face and don't deliberately make things difficult for me."

"That's good," Yizhong nodded slightly, "But the land inspection may have to be put on hold for a while."

"Stop? Why?" Yamamoto Shigeyuki was stunned for a moment, then asked, "The inspection of Enshiki County is almost finished, why do we have to stop now?"

"Because something happened in Oi County," Yoshishige replied.

(End of this chapter)