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

Chapter 126 The Great War Begins, and the Oda Clan Engages in Internal Strife!
The twelfth year of the Tianzheng era, 1584 AD.

January.

As the conflict between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Nobukatsu Oda deepened, other senior retainers of the Oda clan became very uneasy.

In particular, Ikeda Tsuneoki and Gamo Ujisato did not want the Oda clan, which had only recently stabilized, to experience another internal conflict.

The two hit it off immediately and decided to step in and mediate the conflict between Hashiba Hideyoshi and Oda Nobuo.

Therefore, the two held a special meeting at Mii-dera Temple in Omi Province.

Hideyoshi Hashiba arrived relatively late; by the time he entered Mii-dera Temple, Nobuo Oda and his entourage had already arrived.

Seeing Hideyoshi Hashiba dressed so smartly, Oda Nobukatsu was seething with hatred. "I am the head of the Oda clan, and this Hideyoshi is spending my money!"
my money!
"Lord Hashiba has quite the airs."

"It seems that Osaka Castle is indeed beautiful. We were supposed to meet yesterday, but I have been waiting here for a whole day."

As soon as Hideyoshi Hashiba sat down, Nobuo Oda began to mock him in a sarcastic tone.

"Please don't blame me, I'm really sorry for being tied up with trivial matters." Hideyoshi suppressed his dissatisfaction and maintained his amiable demeanor, leaving no room for criticism.

Seeing this, Gamo Ujisato quickly spoke up to smooth things over, "Lord Oda, let's talk about business first today."

"Lord Oda?" Seeing that Oda Nobuo did not respond, Gamo Ujisato repeated himself.

Oda Nobuo glanced at Gamo Ujisato. "Is Lord Gamo calling me?"

"What? Now that you've pledged allegiance to the Hashiba clan, you don't even recognize your own lord anymore?"

Oda Nobuo was even angrier.

You're all retainers of the Oda clan, and you, Gamo Ujisato, are my father's son-in-law! Fine, you won't help me, but why are you siding with outsiders?
Gamo Ujisato was speechless and simply stopped talking.

It's true that I've sided with Hashiba, but I only organized this meeting for the sake of the Oda clan. It's fine if you, Oda Nobuo, don't appreciate my kindness, but what's the meaning of speaking to me so rudely?
Weren't you put up as the head of the family by our help?

Ikeda Tsuneoki was now in a real bind. He was a legitimate "bigwig" of the Oda clan who had attended the Kiyosu Conference, and although he had allied with Hashiba Hideyoshi, he still respected the Oda clan in his heart.

In his view, Oda Nobuo's abilities and reputation are insufficient to maintain the current "Oda Group".

In any case, Hideyoshi Hashiba had no intention of destroying the Oda clan. It was only by allowing Hideyoshi Hashiba to take power that the Oda group could continue to dominate the world, which was not wrong in itself.

The Oda family still exists, the Oda group still exists, and you, Oda Nobuo, are still the head of the Oda family. Is a so-called title really that important?
Moreover, compared to Gamo Ujisato, Ikeda Tsuneoki was even less inclined to see the Oda clan engage in civil war.

Emotionally speaking, Ikeda Tsuneoki prefers to see the Oda family as a whole, rather than just Oda Nobuo as an individual.

The Oda clan's current dominant position was achieved by Oda Nobunaga leading everyone in their conquest; it has absolutely nothing to do with you, Oda Nobukatsu.

If you feel wronged, we can find someone else to be the head of the household.

"Alright, now that we're face to face, let's open up and have a good talk about any conflicts or misunderstandings."

"It's all for the sake of the Oda clan, so let's all keep quiet."

Ikeda Tsuneoki held a high position in the Oda clan, and both Hashiba Hideyoshi and Oda Nobuo had to give him face.

Back then, Ikeda Tsuneoki's mother was Oda Nobunaga's wet nurse, and the two grew up together.

"Lord Ikeda, it would have been better if you hadn't brought this up. Now that you've mentioned the misunderstanding, I do have something I need to ask Hashiba Chikuzen-no-kami." Oda Nobuo glared angrily at Hashiba Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi Hashiba smiled slightly, indicating that he should begin his performance.

Oda Nobuo snorted and continued, "At the beginning of the month, Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami summoned four of my retainers, Tsugawa Genban-no-yomi, Okada Sukesaburo, Asai Tamiya-maru, and Takikawa Saburobei, to Osaka Castle in an attempt to poach them."

"Shouldn't I be given an explanation for this?"

The four men mentioned by Oda Nobuo were his retainers: Tsugawa Yoshifuyu, lord of Matsushima Castle in Ise; Okada Shigetaka, lord of Hoshizaki Castle in Owari; Asai Nagatoki, lord of Kagari Yasuga Castle in Owari; and Takikawa Otoshi, lord of Kobe Castle in Ise.

All four men were important retainers under Oda Nobukatsu, and the four castles were strategic locations within Oda Nobukatsu's territory.

By poaching these four people at once, Hideyoshi Hashiba was essentially trying to cut off Oda Nobuo's limbs, which he simply couldn't tolerate.

Faced with Oda Nobuo's questioning, Hashiba Hideyoshi remained calm and composed, saying, "As the saying goes, a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. These people are willing to serve under me, so how can it be considered poaching?"

"My lord, you should think carefully about whether you have been too harsh on them."

"You're talking nonsense!" Oda Nobuo jumped up and pointed at Hashiba Hideyoshi's nose, launching into a tirade. "Takigawa Saburobei has already told me about this. It was clearly you who poached him."

Ikeda Tsuneoki, who was standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch anymore. "You betrayed Takikawa Yutoshi right from the start. How can you do this?"
If you really follow a head of the clan like that, how can you possibly manage the Oda clan well?
"If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext. Since my lord believes that I, Hashiba Hideyoshi, did this, why not summon Takikawa Saburobei for a face-to-face confrontation?" Hashiba Hideyoshi said without the slightest panic.

Perhaps it was because he spent time with the nobles in Kyoto during this period, or perhaps it was because he learned Chinese studies from Yoshino Tayu, but Hashiba Hideyoshi's "cultural literacy" improved a lot.

He can even quote classical texts when he speaks.

boom!
Oda Nobuo could no longer sit still and kicked the table in front of him to the ground.

Even now, Hideyoshi Hashiba is still denying everything. In Oda Nobuo's view, Hideyoshi Hashiba has no sincerity at all in sitting down and having a proper talk with him.

Since that's the case, there's nothing more to talk about.

Anyway, I've contacted almost everyone I needed to. Even if a fight really breaks out, I, Oda Nobuo, am not afraid of you!

Oda Nobuo stormed off from Mii-dera, and Hashiba Hideyoshi did not try to stop him at all.

The conflict between the two is a matter of principle; there's no question of them getting along harmoniously.

Hideyoshi Hashiba had worked so hard to achieve his current position, and he was not about to give up power easily.

"What should we do now?"

Gamo Ujisato and Ikeda Tsuneoki exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes. The meeting, which had been going so well, had ended so abruptly; it seemed unlikely they would ever have the chance to sit down and negotiate face-to-face again.

"Alright, go back and get ready." Gamo Ujisato waved his hand and said goodbye to Ikeda Tsuneoki.

After walking out of Mitsuiji Temple, Hashiba Hideyoshi was waiting outside the temple.

"Chusaburo, if there really is a battle, you will stand on my side, right?" Hideyoshi Hashiba turned his back to Gamo Ujisato and looked into the distance.

Gamo Ujisato fell silent, which could be considered a tacit agreement.

Hideyoshi Hashiba turned slightly to the side. "After the victory, the territory of Ise will be yours."

Gamo Ujisato nodded, and the two quickly reached an agreement.

Totomi, Hamamatsu Castle.

Tokugawa Ieyasu held a copy of the "Compendium of Materia Medica" in his hand, staring intently at its contents. Several herbs were also laid out on the table in front of him, as if he were researching their pharmacology.

As a scholar well-versed in Chinese classics and a man of wide reading, Tokugawa Ieyasu studied Chinese classics such as the Analects, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era, and the Records of the Grand Historian.

"The eight herbs, namely Rehmannia glutinosa, Cornus officinalis, Dioscorea opposita, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Poria cocos, Paeonia suffruticosa, Aconitum carmichaelii powder, and Cinnamomum cassia, have the effect of strengthening the body's foundation, nourishing the kidneys, and invigorating yang."

"Haha, I've done it!"

Tokugawa Ieyasu put down the Compendium of Materia Medica with satisfaction, eager to start preparing the "Eight-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill" immediately.

He is very health-conscious and has recently become quite obsessed with traditional Chinese medicine.

She started taking care of her health as soon as she turned 40; no wonder the old tortoise can live so long.

"My lord, a letter has arrived from the Oda clan." Just then, Ocha-no-Tsubone walked in from outside.

The smile on Tokugawa Ieyasu's face vanished instantly, and he said with a heavy expression, "It's beyond reconciliation now."

"Yes." Acha-no-kami nodded, lit the incense, and sat down. "Two days ago, Hashiba Chikuzen-no-kami and Lord Oda met in Omi, and the two sides had a very heated argument and parted on bad terms."

“Very good!” Tokugawa Ieyasu’s eyes narrowed. “Now is the time for the Tokugawa family to make its voice heard throughout the world.”

“Immediately send an envoy to the Oda clan and tell Lord Oda that my Tokugawa clan has always been the Oda clan’s most steadfast ally.”

"I understand." Before she could even take a sip of tea, Director Acha quickly got up to prepare.

As a woman, Acha-no-Tsubone's ability to serve as Tokugawa Ieyasu's right-hand woman was something that Tokugawa Ieyasu could trust.

No sooner had Acha-ku left than Honda Masanobu arrived upon hearing the news.

"Sado no Kami, you've come at the right time."

"Notify the Hojo family that they can prepare for action."

Honda Masanobu said with a solemn expression, "My lord, once war breaks out, our family will not be able to extricate ourselves easily."

"So what?" Tokugawa Ieyasu said expressionlessly. "Do you really think I'm afraid of that monkey?"

"It was just a lucky break that he seized a high position. My Kang family will never willingly submit to such a lowly position."

"Nobuo is alone and can only rely on the strength of his own family. Now is the best time to intervene in the Oda family and gain a voice."

Tokugawa Ieyasu had no choice.

He was not content to be just a local daimyo; he also longed to enter the power center of the Oda group.

Although he participated in the Kiyosu Conference after Oda Nobunaga's death, he was still excluded afterwards. Tokugawa Ieyasu had no place in the Oda clan's decision-making circle, and he was resentful of this.

The one in charge is a monkey. In what way am I, Tokugawa Ieyasu, inferior to him?

Although this battle was a conflict between Oda Nobukatsu and Hashiba Hideyoshi, it was also an opportunity for the Tokugawa clan to demonstrate their strength.

If Oda Nobukatsu were to defeat Hashiba Hideyoshi, then Oda Nobukatsu would have to rely on Tokugawa Ieyasu to secure his position as head of the Tokugawa clan, and the Tokugawa clan would then be able to smoothly enter the decision-making level.

As for losing?
It's not that Tokugawa Ieyasu looked down on Hashiba Hideyoshi; he wasn't like Shibata Katsuie, who would be foolish enough to challenge Hashiba Hideyoshi to a decisive battle.

Once the encirclement is established, we can slowly wear down Hideyoshi Hashiba.

Tokugawa Ieyasu didn't believe that Hashiba Hideyoshi could simultaneously contend with so many hostile forces around him. He had been secretly planning for a long time, calculating every aspect, and was absolutely certain it was feasible.

"Furthermore, the Sanada family's attitude is also crucial."

"If our main clan leads the army into battle, we must ensure that Sanada does not come out and get in the way," Tokugawa Ieyasu continued.

Honda Masanobu nodded. "Once the Hojo clan ventures into Kanto to threaten Ueno, it will certainly tie down the Sanada clan."

"I've heard that the Sanada family recently enacted a separate province law in Shinano, which is quite impressive," Tokugawa Ieyasu said with a smile, chewing his fingers.

"Unfortunately, the Sanada family has only recently taken control of Shinano and cannot pose a substantial threat to the main family in the short term."

"Once Hideyoshi is dealt with, we must settle the score with the Sanada family!"

Honda Masanobu waited until Tokugawa Ieyasu finished speaking before continuing, "Isn't Sanada Oki-no-kami serving our clan? Why don't we send him to sound out Awa-no-kami's intentions?"

"Now you should be called Grand Master of the Imperial Kitchen, your official rank is higher than mine, how ridiculous!"

Tokugawa Ieyasu chuckled, but a red figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

"It would be good to send Oki no Kami to make contact with Sanada, and also to see if he is truly loyal to the main clan or not..." A strange look flashed in Tokugawa Ieyasu's eyes.
(End of this chapter)