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

Chapter 75 A powerful general joins the ranks, bringing him under their command.

"Of course it's not that simple."

Upon receiving news of the Hojo clan's withdrawal, Sanada Nobuyuki breathed a sigh of relief at Iwato Castle.

"I had Lord Amakasu lead his army into Numata Castle repeatedly, just to make the Hojo clan mistakenly believe that the Uesugi clan had already mobilized an army to attack Ueno."

"Although this move may temporarily stop the Hojo clan's attack, they will definitely attack again once they figure out the exact number of troops inside the castle."

Such a trick cannot be kept secret from the Hojo family for long; the Fumashu of the Hojo family are not to be trifled with.

"The main reason is that the daimyo of Kanto united, forcing the Hojo clan to consider defense."

"The grim situation forced the Hojo clan to make a decision as soon as possible, so they had no time to investigate what was going on at Numata Castle."

With the Uesugi clan expressing their intention to intervene in Ueno, the Hojo clan had to consider whether they wanted to remain bogged down in multiple fronts in Ueno. Once the thought of retreating took hold, it became difficult to manage all aspects of the situation effectively.

"In any case, everyone here deserves credit for repelling the Hojo clan's attack this time."

"Thank you all for your hard work." Sanada Nobuyuki bowed to Yazawa Yoritsuna, Amakasu Kagetsugu, and others inside the hall.

That evening, a grand banquet was held in the Rock City to celebrate the great victory.

The Sanada family retainers beamed with smiles. The immense pressure they had been under for so long was finally gone, and everyone felt a sense of relief, as if they had escaped a disaster.

After a few rounds of drinks, Nobuyuki Sanada found Teruhisa Yamagami sitting below.

"Lord Yamagami, what are your plans next?"

"Are you planning to stay in Kanto or return to Kyoto?" Sanada Nobuyuki asked as he poured sake for Yamagami Teruhisa.

Teruhisa Yamagami raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. Then he smiled and said, "I originally thought I would spend the rest of my life pursuing the way of the samurai, but when I stood on the land of Ueno again and faced the army of the Hojo clan, I found that the blood in my body was boiling."

"I have made up my mind that I will never mention training again until I defeat the Hojo clan!"

Sanada Nobuyuki slapped his thigh and said, "Lord Yamagami has great ambition. The Hojo clan has been tyrannical in Kanto for so many years. We need samurai like Lord Yamagami to join forces with us to curb the Hojo clan's ambitions."

"Is Lord Genzaburo planning to recruit me?" Yamagami Teruhisa understood the unspoken meaning in Sanada Nobuyuki's words.

Seeing that his thoughts had been noticed by Teruhisa Yamagami, Nobuyuki Sanada simply stopped pretending.

"To be honest, I currently control a prefecture, but I only have one retainer under my command, which is truly beyond my capabilities."

"If you, sir, do not despise me, I am willing to serve as your right-hand man."

Teruhisa Yamagami remained silent, lost in thought.

After a long pause, Teruhisa Yamagami finally spoke, “Although the Yamagami family has declined, I used to receive a stipend of 2000 koku when I was with the Sano family.”

"If Lord Sanada wishes to recruit me, have you decided how much salary you will offer me?"

Without hesitation, Sanada Nobuyuki replied, "I currently hold a fief of 12,000 koku in Takai County. If Lord Yamagami is willing to serve my family, I am willing to offer half of that fief as my salary."

"Really?" Yamagami said in disbelief.

“Indeed!” Sanada Nobuyuki said with a firm expression, “This is a request for the lord and his subjects to share the same fate, and I hope that Lord Yamagami understands my sincerity.”

Shan Shangdao was speechless.

The idea of ​​sharing the same rewards as the ruler and his subjects was unheard of, but it certainly demonstrated Sanada Nobuyuki's sincerity and his high regard for himself.

"If even this doesn't work, I'm willing to offer 10,000 shi of grain as payment."

Just as Sanada Nobuyuki was about to add more, Yamagami Teruhisa quickly stopped him, saying, "I have already felt Lord Genzaburo's sincerity, so please do not continue."

Sanada Nobuyuki was already willing to offer half of his salary to recruit me, so wouldn't it be ungrateful of me to offer more?
Surely a retainer's knowledge and conduct cannot surpass that of his lord?
"So, Lord Yamagami has agreed?"

Teruhisa Yamagami put down his wine cup, took two steps back, and then solemnly prostrated himself on the ground. "I am deeply grateful for your high regard, my lord. I, Yamagami, am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse in the future, and I will never betray you in this lifetime."

"To break this oath is an act that will be condemned by Heaven!"

Sanada Nobuyuki quickly stepped forward and helped Yamagami Teruhisa up. "Michiki, with your help, we are truly like fish in water."

Sanada Nobuyuki was overjoyed to have Yamagami Teruhisa pledge allegiance to him.

With Hirabayashi Masatane by his side, having both a scholar and a warrior, he was no longer a lone commander.

Overjoyed, Sanada Nobuyuki also drank too much and soon fell asleep in Iwato Castle. The next day, with a headache, Sanada Nobuyuki groped his way up from the tatami mat.

Could it be that he drank fake alcohol?
Tsuneda Nagayuki sent a maid to serve him, and soon Sanada Nobuyuki was dressed and left the room.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Teruhisa Yamagami sitting at the entrance.

"Daoji, what's going on?"

"My lord was drunk yesterday, so I am here to protect him!" Yamagami Teruhisa replied solemnly, holding a katana.

"You didn't sit here all night, did you?" Nobuyuki Sanada was stunned.

Teruhisa Yamagami nodded. "Exactly."

Sanada Nobuyuki was immediately filled with respect. The 6,000 koku of sagacity was truly well spent; such a loyal samurai was a rare find.

During the chaotic Warring States period, it was common for subordinates to overthrow their superiors.

Even someone as powerful as Oda Nobunaga had to be stabbed by his most trusted retainer, which is enough to demonstrate the rare loyalty of Yamagami Teruhisa.

"It's windy outside, come inside and rest." Sanada Nobuyuki was also worried that Teruhisa Yamagami would catch a cold.

"Ha!" Sanada Nobuyuki gave the order, and Yamagami Teruhisa quickly stood up from the floor and went into the room next door.

At that moment, Tsuneta Nagayuki rushed over after hearing that Sanada Nobuyuki had woken up.

"Lord Genzaburo, an envoy from the Hojo clan requests an audience."

Tsuneda Nagayuki's great-great-grandfather was Sanada Yukitaka's younger brother, so the Tsuneda clan could be considered relatives of the Sanada family. His appointment as the castle lord of Iwatoki Castle also shows Sanada Masayuki's trust in the Tsuneda clan.

Following Tokita Nagayuki to the audience room of Iwato Castle, Sanada Nobuyuki saw his old acquaintance Itabe Oka Esetsai as soon as he entered.

"Isn't this Lord Jiang Xuezhai? I'm so sorry for not greeting you properly." Sanada Nobuyuki slowly walked to the head seat and sat down.

Itabe Oka Esetsai looked at Sanada Nobuyuki with a complicated expression. He hadn't expected that in just a few months, the Sanada family had grown to the point where even the Hojo family had to take them seriously.

"This humble monk has not come here today for idle chatter."

"Our recluse has agreed to make peace with the Sanada family, and a truce has been agreed upon. I have come to inform the Sanada family of this," Itabe Oka Esetsai said, still quite arrogantly.

Sanada Nobuyuki scratched his ear, turned to the side, and asked, "What did Lord Kousetsai just say?"

"Peace? Ceasefire?" Nobuyuki Sanada couldn't help but chuckle.

"When did the Sanada family ever say anything about harmony?"

Itabe Oka Eisesai stood up abruptly. "The Sanada family shouldn't be ungrateful. Provoking the main family will do the Sanada family no good."

"What a joke!" Sanada Nobuyuki also stood up and looked at Itabe Oka Esetsai. "The Hojo clan started the war. Do you think the war can be ended with just a word from the Hojo clan?"

"If we let the Hojo clan come and go as they please, what about the dignity of the Sanada family?" Sanada Nobuyuki said with great confidence.

Now that the situation has reversed, the Sanada family naturally has the confidence to speak out.

Itabe Oka Esetsai was intimidated by Sanada Nobuyuki's imposing manner, and his tone softened considerably. "What does the Sanada family want?"

　Diplomatic monk: This is a frequently used term and figure in the history of Japan's Sengoku period.

　　As is well known, Chinese characters were the official script of many countries before the 20th century, including Japan.

　　As Buddhism flourished in Japan, many temples sent people to China to study Buddhist teachings. In addition to bringing back the latest Buddhist ideas, they also brought back a large number of items and books related to Chinese culture.

　　Therefore, temples were an ideal place to learn Chinese characters at that time, and many samurai were sent to temples to learn Chinese characters when they were young.

　　For example, the Date family's Toraya Sōetsu and the Imagawa family's Taigen Sessai were monks who were responsible for teaching these subjects.

　　In diplomatic settings, formal diplomatic documents are often required to be signed, and these documents are all written in Chinese characters, so it is necessary to have someone proficient in Chinese characters present to review them.

　　The monks within the daimyo's territory were the best candidates.

　　Of course, in addition to being proficient in Chinese characters, one also needs other skills to become a diplomatic monk, such as tea ceremony and waka poetry, which will not be detailed here.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)