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

Chapter 30 Dancing on Three Eggs
Young people have great physical strength.

After a long night, I was still full of energy and vitality when I woke up in the morning.

Nobuyuki Sanada turned to look at his side. Sachi was still lost in her dream, a slight smile playing on her lips as if she were having a beautiful dream.

Just as she was about to lift the covers, Xiao Xing seemed to sense something and quickly snuggled closer to Sanada Nobuyuki, then unconsciously reached out and tightly grabbed the hem of Sanada Nobuyuki's clothes.

She murmured something, and her cherry-like lips gradually pouted, making her incredibly cute.

Sanada Nobuyuki sighed as he gently brushed his hand through Xiaoxing's hair.

From now on, I will be this girl's support.

Carefully removing Xiaoxing's hand, Sanada Nobuyuki dressed himself and pushed open the wooden door.

The Sanada family was just a small state, and they didn't have many maids (high-ranking maids who were responsible for the food and daily life of the daimyo and his family).

Sanada Masayuki had two men by his side, Yamate-dono had three men by his side, and the brothers Sanada Nobuyuki and Sanada Nobushige shared one man.

There were quite a few other ordinary maids who did odd jobs; they were all women from respectable families selected from Sanada Township.

"Lord Genzaburo, the lord wants you to go to the palace after you get up."

Just as he stretched, a maid knelt down in the corridor and spoke to Sanada Nobuyuki.

Sanada Nobuyuki looked over and saw that it was the two brothers' maid, Atori.

Atori is the daughter of Takanashi Naiki and was responsible for taking care of Sanada Nobushige's daily needs. After Sanada Nobuyuki returned from Kai, he was also served by Atori.

Typically, the daughters of retainers of daimyo would be sent to the daimyo's residence to serve as maids, and Atori was one such example.

They didn't need to do any strenuous work; their main responsibility was to arrange tasks, while the specific tasks were handled by the ordinary maids below.

To become such a maid, one not only had to be the daughter of a close retainer, but also had to be literate and know the various etiquettes of a samurai.

"okay, I get it."

"Madam is still fast asleep, don't wake her yet. Bring her some food later," Sanada Nobuyuki instructed.

Atong nodded quickly.

After passing through the corridor and two Tang Gates (a type of gate), Sanada Nobuyuki entered the palace of Toishi Castle.

Toshishi Castle was originally a fortress in Shinano. Due to its strategic location and importance at a transportation hub, it primarily served as a military stronghold.

After becoming the lord of the castle, Sanada Yukitaka spent a lot of time renovating and expanding its scale. The Sanada family was considered the most skilled castle builders in the Takeda family, and the new castle built by Takeda Katsuyori was constructed under the supervision of Sanada Masayuki.

"Father, what brings you here?"

Upon seeing Nobuyuki Sanada enter, Masayuki Sanada quickly waved to him, "Gensaburo, come and take a look at this."

Sanada Masayuki had three letters in his hands. After reading them one by one, Sanada Nobuyuki discovered that the three letters came from three different forces.

Each of the Hojo, Uesugi, and Tokugawa families received a letter.

"The Tokugawa family hopes that the main family can send troops to cut off the road from Usui Pass to Wakamiko and harass the Hojo family's small cargo caravans."

"The Hojo clan, on the other hand, requested that the main branch of the clan gather at Kaizu Castle to monitor the Uesugi clan."

"The Uesugi family, on the other hand, hopes that the main family will hold Komoro Castle to guard against the possible northward route of the Hojo family," Sanada Masayuki said calmly.

Good heavens, three great daimyo are serving my Sanada family at the same time. It's like making my Sanada family dance on three eggs.

"What does Father think?" Nobuyuki Sanada put down the letter, ready to hear Masayuki Sanada's opinion.

Although Nobuyuki Sanada was aware of the changing situation, it was up to Masayuki Sanada to decide how to respond.

There are many things that Nobuyuki Sanada still needs to gradually familiarize himself with and understand, and adapt to this era through continuous learning. Masayuki Sanada is undoubtedly a very good teacher. "The situation in Kai is still unclear; neither the Tokugawa nor the Hojo clan dares to make the first move, and the two sides are currently at a stalemate."

"The Uesugi family is focusing their efforts on Fukashi Castle in the west. I've heard that Ogasawara Tosetsusai has already taken control of the castle."

"In other words, although the three sides are outwardly at odds, they each have their own concerns and have not yet engaged in a major war," Sanada Masayuki continued. "Therefore, they need a variable that can influence the course of the war."

"The Sanada family is such a variable!" Sanada Masayuki said confidently. "Whom our Sanada family chooses to help will directly affect the course of the war."

"But this is also a huge gamble for our Sanada family."

"If we win the gamble, our Sanada family will be able to weather this turmoil smoothly. If we lose, we may face utter ruin," Sanada Masayuki lamented.

This is the tragedy of the petty tycoons of this era—they are powerless to control their own destiny.

Sanada Masayuki picked up the three letters and laid them out in a row. Then he held out his hand and called out each letter in turn, "Is it Uesugi, Tokugawa, or Hojo?"

"I won't choose either!" Nobuyuki Sanada gave an answer that greatly surprised Masayuki Sanada.

"why?"

“Although we have a secret agreement with Uesugi and Hojo, if we don’t take action soon, it will arouse their suspicion,” Sanada Masayuki continued.

Others aren't fools either. Although the Sanada family's words sound nice, they still need to show their actions.

If we remain stationary in Dishi City, we will have no way to explain ourselves.

In that case, we might end up pleasing neither side, especially the Uesugi and Hojo clans. If they both come to attack the Sanada clan, wouldn't that be the end for them?

“Father, if it were you, who would you choose?” Sanada Nobuyuki asked in return.

Sanada Masayuki pondered for a moment, then uttered two words: "Tokugawa."

"The Uesugi clan is short of troops, and there is also the rebellion of Shinbata within their territory. Although Etchu in the west is temporarily safe, the Ashina clan in Aizu has always been eyeing Echigo. The Ashina clan is behind the rebellion of Shinbata Shigeie this time."

"The Uesugi clan is not seeking to conquer Shinano, but to ensure the safety of Echigo, so the Uesugi clan will not go all out."

"As for the Hojo clan, they are also hampered by Kanto daimyo such as Satake, and cannot sustain a protracted war. If the war goes against them, the Hojo clan will definitely withdraw their troops."

"Only the Tokugawa clan can launch a full-scale attack on Kai and Shinano. If we stand on the side of the Tokugawa clan, we can preserve our territory afterward."

Sanada Masayuki explained the three daimyo families to Sanada Nobuyuki one by one, and also explained the reasons for choosing Tokugawa.

It must be said that Masayuki Sanada is truly insightful; he can see the essence of a problem directly.

Effective analysis of the demands of the three factions is crucial for selecting the appropriate solution for the Sanada family.

"So, Father has decided to attack the Hojo clan?" Sanada Nobuyuki said slowly.

Sanada Masayuki nodded. "I have reached an agreement with the Tokugawa family's envoy. The Tokugawa family has promised to guarantee our control over Oki, Agatsuma, Tone and other areas after the war."

"Gensaburo, what's your opinion?"

"You just said you wouldn't choose any of them, do you have other ideas?" Sanada Masayuki decided to hear what Sanada Nobuyuki had to say.

Nobuyuki Sanada stood up and began rummaging through a wooden shelf nearby, where letters from various parties that had recently been delivered to the Sanada family were piled up.

"found it!"

Soon, Nobuyuki Sanada placed the letter in front of Masayuki Sanada, pointed to a name on the letter, and loudly proclaimed, "Father, I want to choose him!"

The place that Sanada Nobuyuki pointed to had a name prominently written on it—Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi.

(End of this chapter)