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

Chapter 101: Approval from Honda Gundam!
"I have heard that Lord Genzaburo once recruited his retainers with the same salary as his lord. I, Hatsukano, am naturally willing to serve such a lord."

Nobuyuki Sanada pointed to Teruhisa Yamagami standing to the side, "This is Michiki Yamagami."

Teruhisa Yamagami quickly nodded to Shoji Hatsushikano.

"You are the lucky one?"

"How enviable." Hatsushika no Shoji glanced at Yamagami Teruhisa with envy.

Sanada Nobuyuki then asked, "Lord Hatsushino, aren't you going to ask me how much credit I'm willing to give to the Hatsushino family?"

"Is that even a question?" Hatsushino Masaji quickly replied, "If this person can earn several thousand koku of rice as a stipend, how could my Hatsushino family possibly be shortchanged?"

Shan Shangzhao quit after a long time; this guy's words are really awful.

"Your words are rather offensive. How about we go outside and have a contest?"

“Let’s compete!” Hatsukano Masaji threw the towel on his body aside. “Back in the Battle of Nagashino, I, Hatsukano Den’emon, killed several enemy soldiers in the chaos of battle.”

"I hope you, sir, will be careful. I don't hold back when I strike!"

Teruhisa Yamagami gave Hatsushika Nobuji a disgruntled look. How did this guy even survive until now?
That's so damn infuriating.

The two went out one after the other, and Sanada Nobuyuki also came out dressed.

The boy, Koyama Sakon, whom they had just met at the door, had disappeared. Sanada Nobuyuki stared intently at the two people standing at the door.

"let's start."

"Did Lord Hatsukano really participate in the Battle of Nagashino back then?"

At the lodgings of Sanada Nobuyuki and the others, Yamagami Teruhisa, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, asked curiously.

Hatsushika Shoji covered his right cheek, his eyes darting around rapidly beneath his two bruised eyes. "How could it be fake?"

"I was fighting as Katsuyori's nephew at the time, and Awa no Kami was also there. You can ask Awa no Kami if you don't believe me."

"So, does Lord Hatsukano still think that my possession of a 6,000 koku of credit is due to good fortune?" Yamagami Michiki asked, arms crossed, as he looked at Hatsukano Shoji.

Hatsushika Shoji gave an awkward laugh.

The two had barely exchanged blows when Yamagami Daoji knocked him to the ground and then proceeded to beat him mercilessly, leaving his eye sockets swollen.

Yamagami Teruhisa also harbored some vengeful intentions, and his punches were delivered without any mercy.

If Nobuyuki Sanada hadn't intervened, Hatsushikano Shoji probably wouldn't even be able to stand up right now.

"I was just joking, please don't take it seriously," Hatsushino Masaji said with an awkward smile.

Sanada Nobuyuki then spoke up, "I wonder how much the Hatsushino family knew before?"

"To be honest, the former territory of the Hatsukano clan was the Hatsukano village governor of Tsuru district, with a fief of 2400 koku."

"Of course, after deducting the knowledge and deeds of other members of the clan, I actually receive 800 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Nobuyuki Sanada glanced at Teruhisa Yamagami, who hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly, acknowledging Masaji Hatsushino's martial prowess.

It's normal that he can't beat Yamagami Michiki; he's someone who could last more than ten moves against Sanada Nobushige.

The thought of having a younger brother with a "combat power of 99+" made Nobuyuki Sanada laugh. Do you understand the joy of Li Shimin?

"If all the samurai of the Hatsukano clan are willing to serve our clan, I cannot guarantee the exact amount they will receive, but it will certainly not be less than 2400 koku."

"My lord!" No sooner had Sanada Nobuyuki finished speaking than Hatsushika Nobuji knelt down without the slightest hesitation.

Sanada Nobuyuki's face darkened. Was this guy reliable or not? If he hadn't confirmed his identity, Sanada Nobuyuki would have already admitted that he had been tricked.

“My lord, my clan is all in Tsuru County. I will return to my territory now and have them pack their things to go to Shinano.”

"Will the Tokugawa family allow you to leave?" Sanada Nobuyuki then asked. In those days, daimyo managed their territories very strictly and would not easily let go of these productive forces.

Hatsushika No Masaji quickly replied, "We are not farmers. After giving up our land, we will naturally become prisoners. The Tokugawa family will not interfere."

"That's good."

"Take this letter to Kasuga Yojuro, the castle lord of Nakano Castle in Takai County. He will take good care of you."

"Thank you, my lord!"

The next morning, Nobuyuki Sanada and the others got up very early.

As soon as you open the door, the view of Mount Fuji is immediately visible.

Before parting, Sanada Nobuyuki instructed Hatsushikano Masaji to bring some of the other samurai from other families he knew to Shinano as well.

These samurai he brought with him became his retainers, and Sanada Nobuyuki would also grant them fiefs or stipends.

Hatsushika Shoji nodded quickly.

Sanada Nobuyuki understood that he could never outmaneuver Tokugawa in terms of manpower, but he would try to take as many as he could.

These Takeda samurai were mostly veterans of countless battles.

If he could have such a group of warriors under his command, the combat effectiveness of his direct troops would be greatly enhanced.

This can be seen from the Battle of Uehara Castle. Yamagami Michiki's forces, with their large number of samurai, were far stronger than Sanada Nobuyuki's main force.

Leaving Daiseki-ji and heading south, we soon entered Suruga Province.

Honda Masazumi greeted them at the crossroads, and after confirming their identities, immediately led Sanada Nobuyuki and his party to Sunpu Mansion.

Sunpu Mansion, formerly the home of the Imagawa family, has been developed by the Imagawa family over several generations and is known as "Little Kyoto".

However, after the Battle of Okehazama, Takeda Shingen broke the alliance and attacked Suruga, and most of the Sunpu residence was burned down.

After Tokugawa Ieyasu moved into Suruga, he worked on restoring the Sunpukan, which is now slowly recovering its former prosperity.

"Sanada Genzaburo greets Lord Tokugawa Mikawa-no-kami!"

Inside the Tokugawa residence at Sunpukan, Sanada Nobuyuki finally met the famous Tokugawa the Tortoise.

Compared to the short and unattractive Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu's image was much better.

Sanada Nobuyuki estimated that Tokugawa Ieyasu was over 1.5 meters but less than 1.6 meters tall, and his appearance was quite fair, which was no wonder he was a person who was proficient in medicine and good at health preservation.

"So you are Sanada Genzaburo?" Tokugawa Ieyasu looked up and found that the person in front of him was unusually tall. If he hadn't been sitting high up, he probably would have had to look up to meet his gaze.
“Exactly,” Sanada Nobuyuki replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

After answering, Sanada Nobuyuki noticed two samurai sitting on either side of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

One person was slender and sat there calmly, while the other person, though not tall, had a commanding presence and was constantly scrutinizing himself.

Tokugawa Ieyasu took a letter out of his pocket and threw it in front of Sanada Nobuyuki.

"Did you write this letter?" Tokugawa Ieyasu asked in a somewhat unfriendly tone.

Sanada Nobuyuki picked up the letter and looked at it. It was the letter he had sent last year to Tokugawa Ieyasu requesting provisions. "It is indeed my own handwriting."

"Good boy!"

"Hahahaha!" Tokugawa Ieyasu suddenly changed his serious expression and laughed loudly at Sanada Nobuyuki, "Since Lord Nobuyuki, you are the first person who dares to speak to me in such a tone in a letter."

"What a young prodigy!"

Sanada Nobuyuki didn't understand what the other party was up to, so he could only respond by saying, "Lord Tokugawa is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise."

"No!"

“You deserve my praise.” Tokugawa Ieyasu suddenly changed the subject. “Others may not know, but I know very well that you, Sanada Genzaburo, played a very important role in the Shinshu Rebellion (after the Honnoji Incident, the Tensho Jinsho Rebellion).

"amazing!"

"You, Sanada Genzaburo, have quietly acquired two counties from the Uesugi clan. Among the younger generation of samurai, you are truly outstanding!"

Sanada Nobuyuki was taken aback; Tokugawa Ieyasu actually knew about his secret agreement with the Uesugi family.

"Don't be nervous, this matter has nothing to do with what we are discussing today."

"I was simply reminded of what happened back then after seeing you," Tokugawa Ieyasu said slowly, then sighed, "I was young once too."

Tokugawa Ieyasu also fought in the most intense battles when he was Sanada Nobuyuki's age, but he was up against Oda Nobunaga in the Battle of Okehazama.
"Let's get down to business."

After reminiscing about the glorious past, Tokugawa Ieyasu went straight to the point: "Tokugawa and Sanada have reached a truce, and our clan has two requests."

"Lord Tokugawa, please speak."

Although the Sanada clan won the Battle of Uehara Castle, the Tokugawa clan was far stronger and still held a dominant position. Even with Toyotomi Hideyoshi standing behind the Sanada clan, it was still unknown what Hideyoshi's attitude was towards this matter.

There was nothing they could do; Tokugawa was right there, while Hashiba was far away in the Kinki region.

Circumstances dictate that one must yield; one has no choice but to comply.

"First, our main family acknowledges the Sanada family's control over the five counties of Shinano, Saku, Takai, Minouchi, and Hanishina, but the four counties of Suwa, Ina, Azumi, and Chikuma must be returned to our main family."

In short, Shinano is divided into north and south, with the Tokugawa and Sanada each owning half.

"Secondly, the Sanada family must hand over hostages to our main family and sign a petition to serve the Tokugawa family in the future."

After saying that, Tokugawa Ieyasu stopped talking and just quietly looked at Sanada Nobuyuki.

To Tokugawa Ieyasu's surprise, Sanada Nobuyuki did not show any doubt or unease. Instead, he calmly met Tokugawa Ieyasu's gaze.

Moreover, Nobuyuki Sanada remained silent, and the two of them just stared at each other, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Now it was Tokugawa Ieyasu's turn to be confused. Sanada, do you agree or disagree? You have to give us your opinion, right?

What are you looking at me for?
"The conditions have all been stated. I wonder what the Sanada family's attitude is?" Tokugawa Ieyasu couldn't help but ask.

Sanada Nobuyuki then looked at Tokugawa Ieyasu with surprise, as if waking from a dream, "Lord Tokugawa, are you serious?"

"if not?"

"Oh!" Sanada Nobuyuki quickly continued, "What Lord Tokugawa just said was so absurd that I mistakenly thought he was just joking."

"Insolence!" Honda Tadakatsu, who had been watching the show for quite some time, stood up abruptly and strode over to Sanada Nobuyuki's side. "You brat, who is my lord? How could he possibly mock you?"

"If you know what's good for you, bow down now, or next time I, Honda Heihachiro, will personally charge into Shinano!"

So this is Honda Tadakatsu? He looks quite ordinary.

Sanada Nobuyuki carefully examined Honda Tadakatsu and found that the man's physique was completely different from the "fierce general" he had imagined.

"Lord Honda, if my Sanada family were the kind of people who would bow down and surrender to a powerful enemy, the Hojo family would have already taken control of Shinano last year."

"Whether it's Hojo or Tokugawa."

"My Sanada family has never bowed down before, nor now, and certainly never in the future!" Facing Honda Tadakatsu's murderous gaze, Sanada Nobuyuki did not back down, puffing out his chest and pressing close to the other's face as he loudly retorted.

This was the first time Honda Tadakatsu had been treated like this by a mere youth. He grabbed the Dragonfly Cutter from the side and said sternly, "How dare you disregard me, Honda Tadakatsu! Do you want to test the sharpness of my Dragonfly Cutter?"

Sanada Nobuyuki immediately lunged forward, using his thigh to brace against Honda Tadakatsu's waist, half-covering his body while his right hand gripped the sword at his waist. "My sword is no less formidable!"

“If Lord Honda wants to see whether a spear or a sword is faster, he may give it a try!” Sanada Nobuyuki met Honda Tadakatsu’s gaze without flinching.

Is this how you try to intimidate me?

Do you really think I'm some naive mountain monkey who's never seen the world?

"What a courage!"

Honda Tadakatsu took two steps back, put away the dragon cleaver, and gave Sanada Nobuyuki an approving look, his appreciation evident in his eyes.

Sanada Nobuyuki felt a little uncomfortable being stared at. What if this guy suddenly had a brain fart and said something like "He is truly my son-in-law" again?

Seeing the situation below, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was in the main seat, quickly stepped in to control the situation. His original intention was to make peace with the Sanada family as soon as possible, so he would not deliberately ruin the meeting.

It was merely a display of the Tokugawa clan's power, intended to instill fear in the Sanada clan.

The power struggle within the Oda clan is now over, with Hideyoshi Hashiba in control. The Tokugawa clan is currently focused on cultivating a good relationship with Hideyoshi Hashiba and has no time to waste on the Sanada clan in Shinano.

"Alright, Heihachiro, that's enough."

"Ha!" Honda Tadakatsu gave Sanada Nobuyuki a deep look, then stepped back and sat down.

Tokugawa Ieyasu then continued, "If the Sanada family is dissatisfied with our proposal, they might as well share their views."

"Lord Tokugawa!" Sanada Nobuyuki raised his voice and said solemnly, "Since Lord Tokugawa destroyed the Takeda clan, my Sanada family has always served the Oda clan."

"Although I haven't been a member of the Oda clan for long, I am a retainer of the Oda clan."

"Even if there are arrangements for the Shinano region, it should be handled by the Oda clan. Our family cannot comply with Lord Tokugawa's proposal!"

"As for the hostage theory, it is absolutely impossible. Sanada is not a Tokugawa retainer. Even if hostages were sent, they would be sent to Kiyosu Castle, not Sunpu Residence."

To put it bluntly, my Sanada family and your Tokugawa family are the same; we all rely on the Oda family for our livelihood.

Although the Sanada clan is not as powerful as the Tokugawa clan, it is impossible for the Tokugawa clan to make the Sanada clan submit to its power unless the Tokugawa clan first subdues the Oda clan.

After hearing Sanada Nobuyuki's words, Tokugawa Ieyasu frowned. Sanada Nobuyuki's attitude was too decisive, as if he had him completely under his control.

This feeling is very unpleasant.

"Both proposals, and the Sanada family disagrees with neither?" Tokugawa Ieyasu was also somewhat annoyed.

Nobuyuki Sanada firmly replied, "Not a single one agrees!"

"Then what about Sanada?"

"A ceasefire is possible, but the Tokugawa clan must withdraw its troops from Shinano and return the territory of Ina District that it has occupied."

"The people who participated in this uprising will be dealt with by the Oda clan, and the fate of those involved will also be decided by the Oda clan."

"Neither Sanada nor Tokugawa can make decisions on their own!"

If you, Tokugawa, use your power to intimidate others, then I have no choice but to bring out an even stronger ally.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was speechless, and more importantly, he couldn't refute it.

"Is what Genzaburo said the Sanada family's attitude?"

“Indeed!” Sanada Nobuyuki nodded slightly. “My words also reflect my father’s will. I, Sanada, will never bow my head!”

"Hahahahahaha!"

Instead of being angry, Tokugawa Ieyasu laughed, "As expected of Awa no Kami. In that case, I can confidently hand Shinano over to the Sanada family."

"If Sanada is truly a weakling, then Shinano should naturally be governed by my Tokugawa family!"

"Since Sanada has such determination, then the Tokugawa family will not contest Shinano!" Tokugawa Ieyasu said nonchalantly.

Nobuyuki Sanada did not respond.

Install, then install.

To put it bluntly, it's because the Tokugawa clan doesn't have the resources to launch a large-scale attack right now, otherwise you would be sitting here quietly exchanging words with me.

Sanada Nobuyuki wasn't stupid; he knew exactly how crucial Shinano's location was.

The Tokugawa clan's current territory consists of three provinces along the Tokaido route plus Kai province, while Shinano province borders all four of the Tokugawa clan's territories.

In other words, as long as the Sanada family and the Tokugawa family are enemies, the entire Tokugawa territory is under threat from Shinano.

Sanada Nobuyuki did not believe that Tokugawa Ieyasu would let Shinano off so easily.

That old rascal is probably up to no good.

But since Tokugawa Ieyasu had said so, and the Sanada clan indeed didn't want to continue fighting, they had no choice but to go along with it.

"Therefore, let's settle the matter of reconciliation between the two families."

Sanada Nobuyuki bowed and then left the house.

The moment Sanada Nobuyuki stepped out of the house, Tokugawa Ieyasu's smile vanished, and he clenched his teeth.

"Sanada, he's convinced that the main clan won't dare to continue using force."

"You think you can ignore our family just because you've latched onto that monkey's leg? Just you wait and see!"

"The best is yet to come!"

　Hatsushikano Masaji: Also known as Hatsushikano Nobumasa, commonly known as Den'emon-no-jo, he was the son-in-law of Baba Nobuharu.

　　He initially served as a retainer of the Kai Takeda clan, and later served the Tokugawa clan.

　　During the Battle of Misaki Pass, he was nicknamed "Fragrant Carriage Den'emon" because he wore a jinbaori (a type of military uniform) with "fragrant carriage" printed on the front.

　　After becoming a retainer of the Tokugawa family, Hatsukano Masaji was active in the Komaki-Nagakute Campaign, the Odawara Campaign, and the Battle of Sekigahara.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)