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

Chapter 79 Official Arrival in Beijing
After three rounds of drinks, everyone was having a great time. Following the suggestion of Kuchiki Uetsuna, Nobushige decided to take a rest in the previously arranged house and then set off again in the afternoon after sobering up.

After arriving at the residence, Nobushige asked Kagawa Morihisa to send his attendants away, and after checking that there were no outsiders outside the house, he called Yamagata Morinobu and Yamagata Yoriyuki into the house.

As soon as the two entered the room, they saw Xin Zhongduan sitting in the middle, with the hangover soup and snacks brought by Xiao Xing placed next to him.

Xinzhong picked up the tea bowl, took a sip from the edge of the bowl, and when he saw that the temperature was right, he drank it all in one gulp.

"Do you two realize your mistakes?" Xinzhong put down his tea bowl. He no longer had the friendly attitude he had at the banquet. Instead, he stared at the uncle and nephew opposite him with a serious face.

"I don't know what I did wrong." Yamagata Shengxin bowed and said, "Please explain it to me, my lord."

"I have already retired, but I still took the initiative to let Minamoto recommend Yahachiro to my lord. This is indeed my fault." Yamagata Yoriyuki bowed to Nobushige with some difficulty.

"Hey, you guys!" Xinzhong shook his head helplessly, "How can I say hello to you guys?"

"My lord, just say whatever you want to say." Yamagata Morinobu responded.

"Let me ask you again, is this Yahachiro really a rare talent as you said?" Xinzhong asked.

Yamagata Morinobu and Yamagata Yoriyuki nodded almost at the same time: "This kid is indeed quite capable. Although he lacks some battlefield experience, with some training, he will definitely become a great help to our family."

"If you admire him so much, why did you bring him to the banquet so openly? You know, doing so almost harmed him and put me in a dilemma."

Nobushige's words confused the uncle and nephew of Yamagata, and Yamagata Shengxin hurriedly asked, "What do you mean, lord?"

"The Kuchiki Uetsugu father and son have been in the political arena for many years and are very calculating. They certainly don't want to see the traitor in their family do anything. You openly brought Yahachiro into the house and introduced him to me. Didn't you let the Kuchiki father and son know his ambitions and desires? In the confrontation just now, Yahachiro revealed that he was still brooding over what happened in the past. In this case, do you think the Kuchiki father and son will let him go?"

Nobushige's two questions made the uncle and nephew Yamagata suddenly realize what was going on. Yamagata Morinobu hurriedly asked, "You mean, the Kuchiki family will kill Yahachiro?"

"Originally, it should have been, but now that you've been hired by the main family, you should be cautious and wait for the right opportunity." Xinzhong paused and sighed softly: "This is the second mistake you made, which put the main family in a dilemma."

"Speaking of this, you should have figured it out. If I employ Yahachiro, I will offend the Kuchiki family, but if I reject him, I will be letting go of a talent. How do you want me to choose?" Nobushige threw the question to the Yamagata uncle and nephew.

"But the lord finally employed him," Yamagata Yoriyuki responded, "even though he was only a foot soldier with an annual salary of 70 koku..."

"Don't complain about it being too little for him," Nobushige interrupted, "It was these seventy koku that saved his life and also saved the relationship between the main family and the Kuchiki family."

"I really don't understand." Yamagata Shengxing shook his head.

"Hiring him means keeping him in the family and providing him with a protective umbrella. But his annual salary is only 70 koku. For Yahachiro, who used to be a general of the Hosokawa family, this can be considered a humiliation, right? Especially in public, I made this decision in front of the Kuchiki father and son. Can it be regarded as taking the opportunity to 'relieve' the Kuchiki family? Think about it, isn't this the truth?"

"My lord, what you mean is that these seventy koku, seemingly humiliating Yahachiro, actually saved his life while deepening the relationship between the main family and the Kuchiki family?" Yamagata Yoriyuki asked tentatively.

"As the saying goes, 'You can't have your cake and eat it too,' but in order to recruit Yahachiro under my command without damaging the relationship with the Kuchiki family, this is the only solution I can think of." Nobushige shrugged, then said with some relief: "To be honest, Yahachiro is really extraordinary. If it were someone else, he would have left in anger after seeing the low salary I offered him. I didn't expect him to accept it. He is flexible and resilient. It seems that he is really an extraordinary person." "Maybe Yahachiro can really appreciate your good intentions." Yamagata Morinobu said.

"Haha, I hope so." Xinzhong smiled and said, "From now on, he will be handed over to you. Lead him well and don't let me down."

"what!"

The scene changes, and after the banquet, Kuchiki and his son come to the tea room to drink tea and chat.

"I have to say, this Takeda Izu-no-kami is really interesting." Kuchiki Harutsuna held the teacup, and a wave of hot steam filled his face.

"Oh, how is it interesting?" Kuchiki Uetsuna asked back.

"He offered Yahachiro such a low salary. Isn't it obviously an insult to him? I think he wants to take this opportunity to curry favor with the main family so that we can say a few good words for him in front of the authorities." Kuchiki Harutsuna speculated.

"Do you think so?" Kuchiki Uezuna stroked his graying beard and looked at Kuchiki Harutsuna with an unreadable look.

"Isn't it true? Yahachiro was once a general of the Ashigaru. Giving him the salary of an Ashigaru leader is not humiliating him, but respecting him?"

"It's true that I can't say I respect him, but I always feel that something is wrong." Kuchiki Uetsugu muttered, "If he really wanted to humiliate him, he could just reject him directly. Isn't this even more humiliating? Why would he let him be the leader of the foot soldier group?"

"My son felt that the 70-koku annual salary was more embarrassing than a direct rejection. I didn't expect that Yahachiro would actually agree..."

"Yes, I didn't expect that. Based on my understanding of him, he should have turned around and left at that time. How could he be willing to accept such a position?" Kuchiki Uetsuna couldn't help but frowned slightly, "I always feel that this matter is not simple. Tell me, could this be a drama that they colluded to perform for us?"

"Acting?" Kuchiki Harutsuna asked in confusion, "What kind of play is this?"

"It's a bit like a self-torture tactic. It seems to be a show of goodwill to the main family, but in fact it is an opportunity to protect Yahachiro. After all, if he hides in the Takeda army, it will be difficult for us to have a chance to deal with him."

"This..." Kuchiki Harutsuna looked a little embarrassed: "You think it's a bit complicated. The head of the Takeda family is so young that he shouldn't be able to come up with such a plan. I think he just wants to please you."

"I hope so," Kuchiki Uetsugu said with a stern expression, his eyes flashing with cunning, "But if it is really as I think, this is a play performed for our Kuchiki family, then the new head of the Takeda family is really terrible."

Before three o'clock in the afternoon, Nobushige and his companions set out again, and the Kuchiki father and son accompanied them throughout the journey. Kuchiki Uetsuna was looking for the figure of Kuchiki Hidemitsu in the team. When he saw him walking in the queue with other foot soldiers, carrying long spears on their shoulders, the doubts in his heart were slightly alleviated.

That night, they followed the Kono River into the Yase Valley of Yamashiro Province and were warmly received by the Lord of Yase Castle. The Ohara area where Yase is located has beautiful mountain scenery that can be enjoyed all year round, as well as ancient temples dotted around. The famous Enryakuji Temple is located on the top of Mount Hiei not far away. Nobushige and others played here for three days and did not set off again until the morning of March 11.

Finally, on March 12, Nobushige led his army to enter the Sakyo area of ​​Kyoto. According to Hosokawa Harumoto's request, Nobushige and his army stayed in Matsuzaki Castle in the northern suburbs for the time being, waiting for the next instructions from the shogunate.

How should I put it? The creation of the character of Kuchiki Hidemitsu is to pave the way for Nobushige's "recruiting talents regardless of their background", and at the same time to highlight the scheming characters of the Kuchiki father and son. Some friends don't understand, so let's stop here and continue our trip to Kyoto.



(End of this chapter)