Chapter 27: The Difficult Appraisal

  Doing such a big thing doesn't know whether it's good or bad for the Kiryū family, but what should be rewarded must still be rewarded. After all, Hattori Masanari went to Kantō from afar to steal the Murasame Maru for him, and it wasn't easy to make such a big hole either. It wasn't his intention to make such a big mistake, and in the end, it didn't fall on the Kiryū family's body either.

  Kiriyama Manzaburou didn't hesitate and directly awarded them two hundred kan of prize money, saying it was a labor fee for taking such a great risk. This middle-aged man, who had thought he would still be punished, became so emotional that his eyes welled up with tears. Without another word, he knelt down again and made a vow, as if he didn't want the money, stating that no matter what others did, he and his descendants would forever be loyal to the Kiriyama family, and if they disobeyed, the gods and Buddha would punish them by sending them to hell.

  "It's really cheap to buy loyalty in this era, 200 taels of silver can buy lifelong loyalty, this investment is profitable! Kiryū Manzaburou is truly standing and talking without feeling waist pain, completely ignoring that this huge sum of money can arm 100 ashigaru, can exchange for the loyalty of 10 skilled Mikawa warriors, can buy over 100 stones of white rice, enough to feed 100 strong and powerful warriors for a year."

  He hadn't lain down for a while, when Fukumoto Yasuharu, who was in charge of the matter, hurried over. Without asking, he knew why he had come, and indeed, as soon as he opened his mouth, he asked about Fukumoto Masakiyo's affairs. Kirishima Manzaburou couldn't help but admire that this family's brothers didn't leak a word for half a day, which was quite formidable. In the end, after thinking for a moment, he still told him about the ins and outs of Fukumoto Masakiyo's trip to Kanto.

  "So that's how it is? No wonder such strange rumors suddenly spread in Kanto, I've been suspecting that my younger brother was the one who caused trouble, and it seems that's indeed the case!" After knowing the inside story, Hattori Yasunaga bowed down with a stiff face, looking very conflicted.

  Kiriu Manshōmaru also understood his feelings at this time. If it were someone else who knew that their younger brother had caused such a big disturbance in Kantō, they should have been preparing to take responsibility and offer their head on a platter. However, Hattori Bōchō didn't seem to be so impulsive, but instead remained silent for a long time before respectfully saying: "The safety of the master is of utmost importance, therefore I, Bōchō, request that Shiro and Goro be placed near the master as his attendants."

  "Huh? How did it suddenly turn into sending my son away? Did I miss something?" This change was a bit too fast, Kiryū Mantarōmaru couldn't quite keep up with the pace. After thinking carefully, he thought he hadn't missed anything, and among the two young masters of the Hattori family, there should be the famous Hattori Hanzō. So he nodded and said: "The head of the house agrees to your proposal."

  "Thank you, Honorable Master! I bid farewell!" With that, Hattori Hanzo retreated two steps, turned around and exited the Tengoku Pavilion in a swift and smooth motion, disappearing from sight almost instantly.

  A few days passed, and a message arrived at Okazaki Castle that Taigen Suke had quietly come to Okazaki Castle with fewer than 100 attendants to take control of the Matsudaira family. The so-called internal conflict within the Matsudaira family was like a bubble that burst with just one touch. By the time the news spread, it became clear that the 5,000-strong cavalry of the Mikawa province had already quietly entered the Aichi province, and the subsequent 8,000-strong cavalry from the Tōtōmi province had also begun to move. The Imagawa family seemed to have transformed into a high-speed machine, rapidly advancing towards the Mikawa province.

  August 6th to January, the day of the evaluation meeting arrived. In the evaluation room of Honmaru, all vassals belonging to the Kira family and daimyos gathered together, packing the spacious and bright room to capacity. Of course, there were also some daimyos who had been wavering between the Kira and Matsudaira families, such as Kojima Tadatomo of Ina.

  Since his son Ina Tadahisa defected to the Kira family and gained a position, this old man has decisively joined the Kira family's camp. What honor or no honor can't be eaten, the whole Hamada District is surrounded by the Kira family, he said that the pressure is huge, before hanging under the name of Matsudaira as a vanguard, now it's not strange to switch camps at the right time.

  The territory of Hazumi District was basically divided into two parts, the upper and lower Kira territories, with a small portion belonging to vassals and national domains. Most of the nationals came from Bihai District and Nukata District, and they were more or less related to the Matsudaira family or the Honshō-ji temple, which had never been very obedient to the Kira family. When paying taxes, they often dragged their feet, but this time they came over with such enthusiasm, probably because the Imagawa family was about to take action, and they wanted to test the waters for this choice that would affect the fate of their families.

  Kirishima Manzaburou wore a black hunting cloak with the crest of the Fujiwara and Taira families, although he did not have a genpuku ceremony and was temporarily unable to wear an eboshi hat or be granted an official position. As the head of the Minamoto clan's main family, Kirishima's family had traditionally held the position of shōgunke since childhood, and they also enjoyed the privilege of being allowed to enter the imperial palace.

  This is the reason why the Kira family has been highly valued by successive generations of the Tokugawa shoguns since Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, and it is also the reason why the Kira family is considered to be the highest-ranking among the three houses of the Tokugawa family. The honorific titles of "Goi", "Ge", "Shoden", "Tsukaiban" and "Bugyo-shoyaku" are so prestigious that they have captivated people in Mikawa Province, and within the Kira family itself, from top to bottom, everyone considers them to be the greatest honor.

  The room was packed with a sea of black heads, numbering around 70 or 80 people. These individuals came from various powerful clans near the Kira estate. As the head of the Kira household, Kira Yoshinaka sat quietly in the main seat, fanning himself with a folding fan, his expression as still as a wooden statue. He had been sitting for half an hour already, but the murmurs and whispers within the room showed no signs of subsiding.

  A man wearing a coarse hemp garment, with a strange hat on his head, and a rough appearance more like that of a farmer, shouted loudly: "Is the Honorable Lord really going to go up to Kyoto? Won't he be scared away by Taigen Sōshin, the chief priest of the Imagawa family?"

  A dark and ugly face with a big mouth spewing saliva, causing people from both sides to involuntarily dodge to one side. This person was completely unaware of it, and when he spoke in his native Sanhe dialect, the retainers of the Kiryū family immediately furrowed their brows.

  "Kira's vassal, Sato Tadanobu, scolded: 'Nakai Hanzo, watch your words! This is the Honjo mansion's council chamber, not some rural farmhouse! Don't bring those countryside rumors into the Honjo mansion's council meeting and spout nonsense!'"

  "I'm not talking nonsense! I've heard it from many people! The news has already spread to Ansho and Okazaki! Now, who in Nishi-Mikawa doesn't know that Taigen Sessho Zenji of the Imagawa family is coming to Mikawa? It's certain that Lord Gotokunai has fled to Kyoto out of fear! I bet you that by tomorrow, Taigen Zenji will know about Lord Gotokunai's escape to Kyoto!"

  "Dog Saburō, did you know how the old priest in Okazaki Castle knew about this? Didn't you run to Okazaki Castle to report it?"

  A group of people from the Akō Domain burst out laughing, and the noisy scene made the retainers of the Kira family angry. Several young retainers recklessly scolded them for their disrespect towards the Kira family, then both sides somehow drew their swords, and in an instant, dozens of gleaming samurai swords were raised.

  "Nakai Inusaburō! If you don't shut your mouth, I'll cut off your head and hang it on the great gate!" Yamagata Dantetsu, as a member of the Kira family's vassals and also the top general in the house, had been criticized for his inferior strategy a few days ago. However, when it came to beheading someone with a sword, he was quite skilled. He raised his katana in mid-air, ready to cut off the head of that villager from Mikawa Province, causing the crowd to tremble with fear.

  As one of the few warriors in the hall who had not drawn his sword, Karō ōishi Kuranosuke finally stood up, pointing at the group of rowdy samurai and scolding them: "What are you all doing? Is this a competition for our lord's favor?! Put your swords away!"

  "Yes!" These reckless Mikawa people also came to their senses, turned around and saw Kiryū Mansaburō still sitting there with a calm expression. Only then did these country bumpkins realize that the Honorable was still present, hastily sheathing their swords and sitting down. Kiryū's face looked terrible; he had always known that the Mikawa people were unruly, but now it seemed he had underestimated their talent for stirring up trouble.

  "Ore" in Japanese pronunciation is read as "ōru wa", I suppose everyone has heard it?

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