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

When Yamamoto Shigeyuki heard that Yoshishige wanted Takeda Motomitsu to visit the Ouchi clan as an envoy, he thought for a moment and agreed with his idea:
"Hoshinji-den has a good reputation in the imperial court and the Kubo, and he is also the former head of the main family. He also has certain supporters and a say within the Aki Takeda clan. If he is sent as an envoy to Suo, no matter how arrogant Ouchisuke is, he will not say anything."

"In that case, let's just leave it as it is for now. I will have a good talk with him at the Faxin Temple."

This time, Yizhong gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and finally determined the strategy for the next period of time, which is:

While forming an alliance with the Ouchi clan and protecting the Takeda clan in Aki, they took advantage of the conflict between the Ouchi clan and the Amago clan to gradually erode the Amago clan's territories in Tajima, Inaba, and Harima, gain a firm foothold in the eastern part of the Sanin and Sanyo routes, change the current narrow east-west situation, and expand the strategic depth.

As for Kinki and Hokuriku, Yoshishige did not want to get involved for the time being, both to avoid conflict with Miyoshi Toshinaga and to avoid direct contact with the Kaga Ikko sect.

After everything was confirmed, Yamamoto Shigeyuki and Kagawa Morihisa were about to leave. But before leaving, Yoshishige asked them a question: "If the main family can really defeat the Amago clan, what will happen next? Can they win in the duel with the Ouchi clan?"

"Under the leadership of our lord, our family will definitely defeat any strong enemy!" Kagawa Morihisa responded confidently.

However, Yamamoto Shigeyuki did not answer him directly, but reminded Yoshishige: "My lord, I have a feeling that your greatest enemy in the Chugoku region in the future may not be the Ouchi family, but the Mori family in Aki."

"What do you mean?" Yoshishige certainly knew the pros and cons of Mori Motonari, but he was just a big-name countryman occupying a corner of Aki. Yoshishige was curious about why Yamamoto Shigeyuki could come to such a conclusion.

"According to my knowledge, the current head of the Mori clan, Mori Umato (Mori Motonari), has defeated the invading enemies time and again with his strategies and marriages since he killed Takeda Motoshige in his first battle. He has also gathered a large number of Aki people including Shishido, Kumagai, and Amano, and has become the leader of the Aki people.

This person was also good at taking advantage of the situation and jumping back and forth between Amago and Ouchi. In the process, he cleverly used the power of the two families to suppress hostile forces and expand his own power. He has become a force that cannot be underestimated in Aki and even the entire San'in and Sanyo regions.

Of course, the current strength of the Mori clan is still far behind that of the Niwa and Ouchi clans, but please believe me, my lord, if you give him a chance, the Mori Umato will definitely become a rival to or even surpass the Niwa and Ouchi clans. "

Yamamoto Shigeyuki's words surprised Yoshishige: "I didn't expect that you, Shigeyuki, know so much about the Mori family thousands of miles away."

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles." Yamamoto Shigeyuki bowed and responded, "Since you are the military advisor of the family, you naturally have to think ahead of the lord in everything."

"After all, the Mori clan is still a subsidiary of the Ouchi clan, and has no direct conflict of interest with the main family. As the saying goes, one should be cautious when attacking a rat. It is difficult for me to take action in advance." Yoshishige said.

"Aren't you already dealing with it?" Yamamoto Shigeyuki asked with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Yi Zhong looked confused.

"My lord, the reason you sent troops to Ginzan Castle and asked Hoshinji-dono to go to the Ouchi-kan is to preserve the Takeda clan in Aki. The existence of the Takeda clan in Aki will inevitably hinder and delay the growth of the Mori clan. Isn't this considered a countermeasure?"

Yamamoto Shigeyuki's words enlightened Yoshishige, who then suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. It's really like 'unintentional planting leads to success'."

"What a wonderful saying, 'an unexpected success leads to a great success'!" Yamamoto Shigeyuki said with a smile, "My lord, you are truly well-informed and have a good memory. Speaking of this, I have something to say from the bottom of my heart, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

"Just speak frankly. There is no need for red tape between you and me." Yizhong responded readily.

"Then please forgive me for being frank, my lord. You have indeed reached a certain level in cultural attainments, but in some abilities, you seem to lag behind the development of our family." Yamamoto Shigeyuki said bluntly.

"Shigeyuki, don't be rude!" Kagawa Morihisa has been following Yoshishige since he was a child. The two have a deep relationship and naturally cannot bear to see others belittle Yoshishige like this.

"Let him talk," Yoshishige reached out to stop Kagawa Morihisa, "I want to listen."

"I am the military advisor of my family. I think I have quite a lot of contact with you, my lord. However, the more frequent the contact, the more uneasy I feel. Since you are willing to listen, I will tell you."

Yamamoto Shigeyuki cleared his throat, rolled his eyes, and said, "You have a significant advantage, which is that you are good at accepting advice. But once this advantage is exaggerated, it will become a disadvantage - that is, you are indecisive and like to make plans without decision.

Not only today, but also the previous dispatches to Tango and Tajima were the same. You have always wanted to get ideas and suggestions from us, your retainers, but after getting them, you hesitated, unable to make up your mind and make a decision.

It's okay to encounter small or non-urgent matters, as you have enough time to weigh and think. But when it comes to big, important and urgent matters, your personality is likely to miss the opportunity, lose the initiative, and cause irreversible consequences.

Fortunately, this kind of thing has not happened yet, but it doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. If you want to achieve great things, you must change this kind of character, otherwise it will become a burden to the family in the future."

"Burden? Shigeyuki, what you said is really too harsh." Kagawa Morihisa tried to stop Yamamoto Shigeyuki again.

"Sheng Jiu, what he said makes sense."

Yoshishige waved his hand, signaling Kagawa Morihisa not to interrupt, "Shigeyuki is right, I also hope that I can be as decisive as you, and as carefree as Shigegoro (Kumagani Takanao).

But I can't do it. In the more than one year since I ascended the throne, my family has been plagued by internal strife and external enemies. Even though we have grown and developed little by little, the internal contradictions and external situation are still severe. The first thing I do when I open my eyes every day is to think about how to reform my family internally and how to develop externally.

As time went by, my head was filled with countless thoughts, and behind each thought there were more things that needed to be considered. These things made me feel suffocated, and also made me change from being decisive and resourceful in the beginning to being cautious and indecisive now.

In my opinion, given the position of our family, every step we take to develop is like walking on thin ice. If we are not careful, we will be doomed. Therefore, I must consider all options, analyze all the pros and cons, and then come up with the most perfect plan that best suits the interests of our family.

This is why I am what I am now. If you think he is a burden to the family... then treat him as such."

"My lord, you really don't need to live such a hard life." After hearing Yoshishige's true feelings, Yamamoto Shigeyuki was also moved. "You are the lord of the Takeda clan, you only need to grasp the overall situation. You can let us, the retainers, do and share the things you want, especially the details. Otherwise, you will not be able to hold on in the long run."

"Yes, lord, your words make us feel ashamed." Xiangchuan Shengjiu was even more sad when he heard this, "It is our incompetence that we, as your subjects, failed to share the heavy responsibility for you!"

"You two are both my most trusted retainers. I won't hide anything from you. I have always wanted to find a chance to speak these words out. Now, I have finally done it."

Yoshishige's words touched Yamamoto Shigeyuki and Kagawa Morihisa deeply. They looked at Yoshishige's sad face and said from the bottom of their hearts: "My lord, we are the king and his subjects. The king treats his subjects with sincerity, and the subjects repay him with sincerity. From now on, please trust us, let us share your burdens, and fulfill our responsibilities as your subjects."

"I understand." Seeing the two people's sincere words, Yizhong was relieved and said with great satisfaction: "Then you will have to work harder in the future."

"How dare we not try our best!" Yamamoto Shigeyuki and Kagawa Morihisa hurriedly bowed to Yoshishige. "You know what, I feel relieved after sharing my troubles with you." A smile finally appeared on Yoshishige's gloomy face.

"But my lord, there are some things that we cannot take responsibility for you," said Yamamoto Shigeyuki.

"What do you mean?" Yi Zhong asked curiously.

"My lord, you need to improve your swordsmanship, horsemanship, and archery. These are the samurai's core skills and should not be neglected."

Yamamoto Shigeyuki replied, "The 'Ryu Yabusame' of our family has a long history. Yamagata Shimono-no-kami has been teaching you, but you always say you are too busy with government affairs and you are too lazy to do it. I taught you the 'Gyo-ryu' swordsmanship, but you are half-hearted and have not yet achieved anything. Last month, I asked Yoshida Izumo-kami of the Rokkaku family to come and teach you archery, but you have only learned it twice so far, and Izumo-kami is so angry that he almost wants to go back to Omi. Tell me, is this the right thing to do?"

"I'm indeed not very interested in wielding swords and guns, riding horses and shooting arrows." Yoshishige scratched his head and said to Yamamoto Shigeyuki with an awkward smile.

"This is not a question of whether you are interested or not. It is the foundation and awareness of being a samurai." Yamamoto Shigeyuki advised seriously, "You can't ignore archery and horse riding just because you are in charge of the main camp. In critical moments, these skills can save your life or even turn the tide of the battle."

"I understand." Seeing Yamamoto Shigeyuki being so serious, Yoshishige had no choice but to nod in agreement. In fact, he also knew the importance of archery, horse riding and shooting, but because of his modern thinking, he was somewhat resistant to these things.

Since Yamamoto Shigeyuki had repeatedly stressed this, Yoshishige could not refuse him and could only agree. After all, he did not want the scene that happened in Okehazama to happen to him in some way.

"In a few days, Tsukahara Tosa no Kami (also known as Tsukahara Takakan and Tsukahara Bokuden) will go to Kyoto. I ask him to take time to come to Wakasa and teach you some swordsmanship. You are requested to learn seriously at that time." said Yamamoto Shigeyuki.

"Are you talking about Tsukahara Bokuden from the Shinto-ryu? The one who mastered the secret technique 'Ichi-no-tachi'?" Yoshishige asked in surprise.

Yamamoto Shigeyuki nodded and said, "That's right. You should know his status in the swordsmanship world. It took me a lot of effort to invite him to Wakasa."

"I understand. I will study hard when the time comes!" Yi Zhong promised solemnly.

Having said everything that needed to be said, Yamamoto Shigeyuki and Kagawa Morihisa bowed to Yoshishige and said goodbye.

After the two men left, Yoshishige turned and went to the inner courtyard, wanting to talk to Takeda Motomitsu about the mission to the Ouchi family.

At this time, Takeda Motomitsu was still angry, sitting in the pavilion in the courtyard drinking tea. Seeing Yizhong coming towards him, he immediately stood up and left.

"Father, wait for me." Yi Zhong walked quickly into the pavilion and said with a smile.

"What's the matter?" Takeda Motomitsu asked unhappily.

Yoshishige extended his hand to signal him to sit down, and continued with a smile: "I just thought it through. It is not appropriate for Hikorokuro to go to Aki alone. How about sending a military force to escort him as you said?"

"Have you thought it through?" Takeda Motomitsu looked doubtful, unable to understand why Yoshishige's attitude had changed so drastically in such a short period of time.

"I've thought about it." Yi nodded and answered seriously.

"Then how many people do you plan to send to Aki?" Takeda Motomitsu continued to ask.

Yoshishige stretched out his palm and said to Takeda Motomitsu, "Five hundred people, what do you think, father?"

"It's enough. The standing army of Ginzan Castle is no more than 300 people." Takeda Motomitsu nodded in approval, and his attitude towards Yoshishige obviously softened a lot.

Seeing this, Yoshishige continued, "As for the military commander, I think Shirai Sukejiro can take on this important task."

Takeda Motomitsu thought for a moment and analyzed: "Sukejiro grew up under his father's care. He also performed very well in suppressing the Isshiki clan's rebellion. It might be a good idea to let him lead the troops to Aki."

Obviously noticing the change in Takeda Motomitsu's attitude, Yoshishige felt that the time had come, so he went straight to the point and said, "There is one more thing I would like to ask for your approval, father."

"Now you are the head of the Takeda family. What do you need the consent of me, the retired former head of the family?" Takeda Motomitsu felt puzzled.

"I would like to ask you to accompany Hikorokuro to Aki." Yoshishige said directly.

"Let me accompany Hikorokuro as well?" Takeda Motomitsu was stunned for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Are you worried that Hikorokuro won't be able to control the retainers of the Takeda family in Aki?"

"Indeed, you have a great reputation in Aki. With you here, plus the five hundred troops of the main family, the guys in Aki will not dare to look down on the main family and Hikorokuro. But this is only one reason," Yoshishige replied, "and another reason is that we hope you can act as an envoy of the main family and the Aki Takeda family, go to Ouchi-kan, and negotiate peace with Ouchisuke."

"Negotiate peace with the Ouchi family?" Takeda Motomitsu suddenly became nervous. "You should know that the Aki Takeda clan has always stood on the side of the Amago clan. Moreover, the old enemy Mori clan belongs to the Ouchi clan. If the Aki Takeda clan wants to reach peace with the Ouchi clan, it means that they must reconcile with the Mori clan... I am worried about my father. Those old guys in Ginzan Castle will not agree."

"Once our 500 soldiers arrive, they won't have a say anymore." Yoshishige responded in a tough tone:
"Besides, as far as I know, most of the retainers, including the Kagawa clan, are inclined to make peace with Ouchi and Mori. Only Shinagawa Sakyosaki is still opposed to peace. I believe that as long as you raise your hand, the peace talks will come naturally. With the small number of troops that Shinagawa Sakyosaki has, there is nothing to be afraid of."

"I understand your intention. You want to negotiate peace with the Ouchi clan and save the Takeda clan in Aki." Takeda Motomitsu sighed, "It's a pity for me that I'm afraid I can't avenge Lord Yuan Fang."

"There will be opportunities in the future. What we need to do now is to keep the Takeda clan alive," Yoshishige said. "In addition, this matter is closely related to the future development of the main family."

"What do you mean?" asked Takeda Motomitsu.

"This mission to the Ouchi family is not only for the sake of the Aki Takeda clan, but also for the sake of the main clan. I hope to form an alliance with Ouchisuke and fight against the Amago clan together."

"Go against the Niwa family?!" Takeda Motomitsu couldn't help but take a breath of cold air, "The Niwa family is now in its heyday. If you do this, you will get into trouble."

"Please believe me, this is a decision I made after careful consideration." Yi Zhong responded with a firm look in his eyes.

"Well, you are the head of the family now, do whatever you want!" Takeda Motomitsu acquiesced, "As long as it is for the Takeda family, I will never refuse to do anything I can as a father!" (End of this chapter)