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

However, Yoshishige knew that today was a happy day, and this kind of "sermon" only needed to be brief. Its main purpose was to set an emotional tone for this city move, to properly unify the thoughts of all the retainers, and to enhance his cohesiveness as the head of the family.

Afterwards, with the retainers shouting "Serve the country wholeheartedly and never give up even if it means death", the feast officially began.

Compared with previous banquets, Yizhong broke the convention this time and put a lot of effort into the dishes.

In addition to the usual miso soup, pickles, boiled vegetables, and a few small fish, Yoshishige also prepared a variety of shellfish, birds, and meat for the guests to taste. He also put a lot of effort into the drinks. In addition to Japanese sake, he also prepared Ming Dynasty yellow wine and Nanman red wine. The different colors of drinks placed in front of the guests immediately aroused their great interest, and many people rushed to taste them.

As the food was served one dish after another and the wine was poured into the cups, the atmosphere became more lively. People like Matsumiya Kiyonaga and Kumagai Takanao, who were known for being sociable, began to raise their glasses and toast everyone.

Maritani Nobutaka's son Maritani Nobumasa, the special envoy of the Maritani family, is also a famous "drinking enthusiast" in Kamitsu. Although his aptitude is average, he is not willing to be outdone when it comes to drinking. He was seen toasting and drinking with Takeda Yoshinori who came from Kyoto, and Anayama Nobutomo who came with Takeda Nobuharu. Although they had never met before, they were like brothers who had not seen each other for a long time, chatting happily with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Seeing this, Yoshishige also said happily: "Perhaps this is the tacit understanding of the Takeda family."

However, at this moment, Takeda Nobushige, who was sitting under Yoshishige's nose, did not blend into the warm atmosphere. He had no intention of drinking, but looked around, especially staring at the flying dragon mural behind Yoshishige for a long time.

"Densuke (Samasuke's Tang name), come, let me toast you a glass." Yoshishige picked up the wine glass and interrupted Takeda Nobuyuki's thoughts.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Takeda Nobushige raised his glass and said.

"Thank you for the generous gifts you brought this time, especially the horses. They really helped our family out of their urgent need. When you return to Kai, please be sure to express my gratitude to Jingzhao (the Tang name for Zuo Jing Daifu) on my behalf."

After hearing what Yoshishige said, Takeda Nobuharu immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness is too polite. The Takeda clan is of the same blood and it is only natural for us to support and help each other. Now that you dominate China and Hokuriku, it really earns enough face for the Takeda clan, and our family is also proud of this."

"Yes, Your Highness is right. We are of the same blood." Yoshi nodded. "I heard that recently, Keijo-dono has also won battles in Shinshu and expanded its territory, making the Takeda clan famous throughout Kanto. As a branch family, we should feel 'proud of it'."

"Your Highness is too modest. Compared with your achievements in the past few years, our family's achievements are really not worth mentioning."

Yoshishige was very pleased with Takeda Nobuyuki's humble statement. He also felt from their conversation that the second son of the Kai Takeda clan was very good in both conversation and emotional intelligence. Compared with the Takeda clan envoys who were only busy drinking, he was far superior.

"No wonder Takeda Shingen dotes on this son alone." Yoshishige muttered to himself.

"Your Highness seemed absent-minded just now. I wonder if it's because our family didn't entertain him well enough?" Yizhong asked with concern.

"No, Your Highness, please don't say that. We have been warmly received since we entered the territory. We are truly flattered." Takeda Nobushige answered respectfully, but then changed the subject and asked a more pointed question, which surprised Yoshishige.

"I just heard from Your Highness that you have been the family head for only three years?" asked Takeda Nobushige.

"To be precise, it's about two and a half years," Yoshishige "corrected".

"I heard that you took over the power from your brother?" Takeda Nobuyuki continued to ask.

Yoshika nodded and answered naturally, "Yes, the 'Miyagawa Rebellion' broke out in my family at that time. After suppressing the rebellion, I was granted the title of the new head of the Wakasa Takeda clan by my brother."

"But I heard that you and your brother were not very happy during the power transfer process." Takeda Nobushige's questions became sharper.

"Oh? Where did you hear that, Your Highness?" Yoshishige was startled at first, but when he thought that this was an open secret, he quickly regained his composure. "Your Highness is still young, and perhaps cannot understand the charm of power. The so-called transfer of power is never 'very pleasant'."

"Is it so even between brothers?" Takeda Nobushige said somewhat disappointedly.

"Not to mention brothers, there are often conflicts over power between fathers and sons, right? To say something that may be a little offensive, Your Highness must be aware of the reason why the 'Aburakawa Rebellion' occurred."

The so-called "Yurikawa Rebellion" refers to a series of internal conflicts within the Takeda clan that occurred from the late reign of Takeda Nobumasa to the early reign of Takeda Shingen, in which the clan fought for the position of head of the family.

Takeda Nobumasa was the grandfather of Takeda Shingen. During his reign, he conquered the guardian Atobe clan and restored the power of the Kai guardian. He was hailed as the ancestor of the Takeda clan's revival.

In 1492, Takeda Nobumasa gave up the position of head of the family to his eldest son Takeda Nobunasa and retired. But soon after, he wanted his second son Aburakawa Nobue to inherit the position of head of the family. Therefore, Aburakawa Nobue and Takeda Nobunasa began to quarrel among themselves for many years, which greatly damaged the power of the Takeda clan and its prestige in Kai.

The rebellion lasted until 1508, when Takeda Nobuyuki, the son of Takeda Nobuna, defeated Aburakawa Nobue, and the Takeda clan was unified again. This civil war involved disputes between fathers and sons, brothers, and legitimate and illegitimate children. It lasted for a long time and involved a wide range of people, which is rare in the history of the Kai Takeda clan.

Therefore, when Yoshishige brought up the civil strife to remind Takeda Nobushige, the latter also understood what he meant and already had the answer to the question he raised.

Speaking of this, Yoshishige suddenly remembered that something "big" seemed to be happening to the Kai Takeda clan this year, and it would happen in the next few months.

"In fact, when it comes to the point where fathers and sons turn against each other, or brothers fight for power, it is no longer a matter between two people, but the forces behind both sides that drive the development of all this. Therefore, your understanding may be different from that of Your Highness. Power struggles are rarely stopped just because the parties involved want to. In many cases, they fight to the death and leave no future troubles."

"Your Highness is right." Takeda Nobuharu was also lost in thought at this moment. "The stable manager is so young, why would he think about this?" Yoshishige asked.

"Nothing, nothing, I just got curious suddenly, so I wanted to ask Your Highness for advice." Takeda Nobuyuki quickly put away his serious expression and forced a smile.

"I'm glad you're alright," Yoshishige also pretended to be calm. "Since Your Highness has come to Atagoyama Castle, please enjoy your time here and let me do my best to be a good host."

"Thank you, Your Highness. To be honest, I had never seen the sea before coming to Wakasa." Takeda Nobuharu sighed, and then asked Yoshishige, "Your Highness, can you let me stay in Tango and Wakasa for a while? I think it's a rare trip, so I might as well take a look at this beautiful land that is different from Koshin."

"What are you talking about, Your Highness? Just treat this place as Kai, as your own home, and stay as long as you want. However, places like Inaba, Mimasaka, and Harima have just been pacified, and the situation is not very stable yet. It would be best for you to travel around and take a look at places like Wakasa, Tango, and Tajima. The scenery in these three places is also very nice." Yoshishige reminded considerately.

Yoshishige actually knew in his heart that within the Kai Takeda clan, the two forces supporting Takeda Harunobu and Takeda Nobushige were secretly fighting each other, and the two brothers had a close relationship, and no one wanted to see the tragedy of brothers fighting each other.

However, Takeda Shingen intended to depose the eldest son and enthrone the youngest son, which made Takeda Nobuharu very embarrassed. He proposed to stay in Atagoyama Castle for a while, probably to temporarily ease the conflicts in the family, or to escape the dilemma he might face.

After receiving Yoshishige's affirmative answer, Takeda Nobushige was overjoyed, and immediately filled his glass again and drank it all in front of Yoshishige.

Takeda Motomitsu, who was sitting not far away, saw this scene and thought to himself: "Father and son turned against each other, brothers fought against each other, is this the fate that the Takeda family cannot escape?"

Fortunately, the civil strife of the Wakasa Takeda clan has been quelled, and the clan is moving in the right direction, so there is nothing for him to worry about. Thinking of this, Takeda Motomitsu picked up the folding fan given by Yoshishige and played with it, with joy on his face.

At the banquet that followed, Takeda Shigekiyo, Takeda Yoshinori, Maritani Nobumasa and others all came forward to toast Yoshishige, who also accepted all the toasts. Everyone treated each other as brothers and drank happily. It was very lively. In particular, Maritani Nobumasa borrowed the folding fan from Takeda Motomitsu and came to the hall on the spur of the moment. He danced a piece of Kowaka Oori-kan, which won praise from everyone present. Some guests and retainers who understood music also danced with him, pushing the whole banquet to a climax.

The so-called "Kowaka Dance" is a dance performed by handsome young men. During the performance, the dancers hold folding fans, wear standing hats, and wear samurai costumes. They sing "synthesis monogatari" to the rhythm of drums, which was very popular among the samurai at that time. Famous dance music such as "Atsumori", "Manchu" and "Oorikan" are among them.

"Hey, hey--hoo!"

Seeing everyone so excited and happy, Yi Zhong was also very happy. The emotions that had been suppressed for a long time because of the Western Expedition were released at this moment. He stood up and couldn't wait to join the lively crowd, dancing to the drum beats. For a moment, the whole Feilong Hall became a sea of ​​joy.

The banquet lasted from morning till late at night, and everyone reluctantly returned to their residences in the early hours of the morning. In the following three days, the banquets at Feilong Pavilion continued, but the guests who had traveled far did not delay for long, and only attended one or two banquets before leaving for their own territory, including Mari Ya Nobumasa and Takeda Shigekiyo.

Before leaving, Yoshishige gave Maritani Nobumasa three fine horses, as well as money, food, tea utensils, calligraphy and paintings. Compared with the seafood and cloth brought by Maritani Nobumasa, these items were definitely much more valuable. But after all, he was a guest and Maritani was indeed in need, so Yoshishige, with the idea of ​​helping as much as he could, still gave him as much as he could.

"Your Highness Nobumasa, thank you for taking the trouble to come and participate in our family's city relocation ceremony. I am very grateful." Yoshishige thanked.

"You're too polite, Wuweidian. Aren't we all family? It's being too formal to say such things." Maritani Nobumasa responded with a smile.

"It's a long journey back to Kazusa." Yoshishige kindly reminded, "I heard that there are wars in many places in Tōkaidō and Nakasendo. Your Highness must be careful."

"I see. Thank you for your reminder, Your Highness, and for your hospitality these days." Maritani Nobumasa still had a smile on his face and replied nonchalantly, "This time we plan to go south to Owari, and then take a ship from Tsushima back to Kazusa. It should be much safer."

After saying this, Maritani Nobumasa looked up at the sky and continued, "It's getting late, and we have to hurry on our way. Your Highness, please stay."

After that, everyone bowed and said goodbye. Looking at the figure of Mari Ya Nobumasa walking away, Yoshishige felt mixed emotions: "Who would have thought that this cheerful and optimistic young man would commit suicide in the city in ten years?"

Once upon a time, Yoshishige also wanted to help the Maritani clan like he helped the Takeda clan in Aki, but compared with the former, the latter faced a worse environment. The Hojo clan was on the rise, the Satomi clan was not much weaker, the complicated local forces, the dangerous environment surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the distance of thousands of miles all made Yoshishige feel helpless.

"Maybe this is fate." Yizhong sighed deeply and shook his head.

After bidding farewell to Mariya Nobumasa, Yoshishige rushed to the villa to bid farewell to Takeda Shigekiyo.

As soon as I arrived at the annex, I saw Takeda Motomitsu talking with Takeda Shigekiyo. Originally, Takeda Motomitsu was going to go back to Aki with me, but Yoshishige said that there would be an evaluation in two days and he hoped that Takeda Motomitsu would participate. This persuaded the old head of the Takeda family to stay for a few more days, and after the evaluation was over, Yoshishige would send someone to send him back to Ginzan Castle.

Yoshishige had great respect for war advocates like Takeda Shigekiyo. Especially after remembering the historical ending of their family, Yoshishige had even more admiration for the middle-aged general in front of him.

"Shimono-no-machi, why don't you stay for a few more days, wait until the evaluation of the main family is over, and then go back to Aki with Hoshinji-dono?" Yoshishige tried to persuade him to stay.

"Now that the war in Aki has calmed down, there are still some rogues in the family who are ready to make trouble, especially those who were previously pro-Niang Clan. Although they have surrendered on the surface, they are actually still exchanging what they have with Tsukiyama Tomita Castle. As long as these guys are not eliminated, the family will not be able to live in peace.

Now that the minister and Hoshinji-dono have been out for many days, I am really worried. Please allow the minister to return to Aki first, and Hoshinji-dono will be in your care. "Thus, Takeda Shigeki bowed deeply to Yoshishige.

"In that case, I won't force you." Seeing that he couldn't persuade you to stay, Yoshishige said with a blessing, "May you arrive in Aki safely, and please give good advice to Aki-no-Kami (Takeda Nobumitsu) for me." (End of this chapter)