Chapter 44: The Direction of Shang Luo (Seeking Collection)

  "The Hattori clan has been away from home for nearly a decade, and it's hard to say how much sentiment is left. The dominant power of Iga Province lies in the hands of the 12-person council organization composed of people from Iga Province. Even if Ishikawa can persuade his fellow clansmen, Hyakki and Fujibayashi, there's no guarantee that the main house will be able to pass through safely!"

  The people of Iga Province were notorious for their disobedience. Yamana Mochitoyo, who was the commander-in-chief of the Western Army that stirred up the world, once took over as the guardian of Iga from the Niwa clan. He soon discovered that the powerful league of villages in Iga was extremely strong, and the samurai families and villagers were connected together and did not listen to the orders of the provincial lord. Therefore, he took advantage of his promotion to the position of Yamajiro's guardian and head of the samurai to resign from his post as the guardian of Iga.

  More than a decade ago, the previous Iga no Kami, Niwa Hyōsuke and his son, were involved in a dispute with the powerful Tsuge clan of Iga Province. The Niwa family was defeated and nearly annihilated, but later, Rokkaku Takayori sent one of his retainers to be adopted by the Niwa family, who changed his name to Niwa Yoshimasa. With the backing of the powerful Rokkaku family, the Niwa family managed to barely survive.

  As the enemy of the Niki family, the Tsuge clan was quickly retaliated against and thoroughly declined. On the basis of the original territory of the Tsuge family, local daimyos such as Fuchi and Takino rose up separately, inheriting the characteristics of the Osamura group and continuing to fight with the national master Niki family, and conflicts still occur from time to time until now.

  That is to say, the Kiryū family's upper class thought it was impossible to rely on the shogunate's privileges in the past. They might have been bled dry by the endless stream of Japanese people if they had passed through as ordinary merchants. The assets he brought from Saijō Castle were not enough to pay for various taxes, and some greedy lords would demand a 2% toll just by opening their mouths, just like self-proclaimed heroes who love to bully the wealthy.

  "Hmm! Iga can't go, and neither can Mino... Take a detour via the sea to Sakai-machi..."

  "It would be even more frightening if there were Ise samurai!" Yamamoto Kanbee smiled and said nothing.

  "In short, Mino is not an option! That's the territory of Mino no Orochi, if he were to capture Honjo and hand him over to the Oda clan, wouldn't that be the end for Honjo? Kira Manshirō strongly opposed going through Mino, which had a detestable habu snake infestation."

  "What if Lord Saitō didn't stop our army from marching on Kyoto?"

  "How is this possible! That viper is so eloquent! He's a great thief of the country! And he allied with the Oda family just last year!"

  Yamamoto Kansuke nodded thoughtfully and said, "Hmm! Are you referring to the Honorable Lord Oda Nobunaga, the legitimate son of Owari's Tiger?"

  "Yes! It's that big stag with a long tail! He is the son-in-law of Saito Yoshitatsu! With this relationship, even if the Oda family can't stop the main house, that snake won't mind burying us either!" The story of Saito Dosan and Oda Nobunaga has been passed down for generations, and the story of their meeting at Jodo-ji Temple has been told in many versions. It is said that these two Warring States eccentrics established a tacit understanding with each other during this meeting.

  "I think Lord Saito will not interfere with the main house because the alliance between Oda and Saito is not that solid."

  "Isn't the alliance solid? What does this mean, Master? The Saito family has given their daughter to Owari's big fool, and this isn't solid?" Kira Yoshinaka rolled his eyes and muttered: "If this isn't solid, what is more solid than him? The Choshu Alliance?"

  Yamamoto Kanbe slowly shook his head and said, "Because Oda Nobunaga was severely defeated in the Battle of Kannokuchi and the Battle of Odaka, he sought to stabilize the country by forming an alliance with the Shiba family. The treaty between the two families was inherently unequal, as the Oda family only sought peace on its northern border to focus on fighting against the Imagawa invasion, while the Shiba family sought to gain control over Owari Province. Even someone as intelligent as Oda Nobunaga must have been aware of this."

  "Wait! What's this about stealing Owari Province? I've never heard of such a thing!" Kiriyama Mitsuomaru thought this was utterly absurd, as it was clearly a play staged by the clever and wise father-in-law, so how did it suddenly take on a different tone.

  Yamamoto Kanbee didn't rush to answer his question, and continued to ask: "The young master of the Oda family's rear guard, also known as Lord Oda Nobunaga, I'm sure you're very familiar with him, aren't you, sir?"

  Kiriyama Manzaburou snorted: "I know! The big fool of Owari! A famous figure in the first half of the Tokaido, said to be a strange fellow!"

  "Cough! Not a strange behavior, but a strange person." Yamamoto Kanbei was very helpless. This little housekeeper often came up with strange words that made people feel troubled. Plucking his white beard, he decided not to dwell on this issue and continued: "Because the young master of the Oda family is too unconventional, his reputation in the family is bad. Fortunately, there are still several sons left."

  Among them, the legitimate second son, Oda Nobuyuki, who was also the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga, was said to be a person with impeccable behavior and etiquette, from his demeanor to his archery and horsemanship skills, making him a strong contender for the position of family head! Another strong contender was the eldest illegitimate son of the Bichu no Kuni branch, the lord of Anjo Castle, Oda Takanaga.

  "So?"

  "So, after Oda Nobukane's death, there will definitely be a struggle in the house. With Oda Nobunaga's reputation, it is difficult to surpass the popular support for Oda Nobuyuki. If Oda Nobunaga loses and is driven out of Owari Province, he will certainly go to Mino Province to ask his father-in-law, Saito Tatsuoki, to send troops to restore his power. The Saito family can take advantage of the situation to intervene in Owari's politics, using their son-in-law as a puppet to achieve control over Owari." Yamamoto Kansuke really doesn't mince words, dropping a big bombshell at the very beginning.

  "This is truly astonishing! According to the master's words, the Saito family had no good intentions from the start! Why did Oda Nobuhide still want to form an alliance with them despite knowing this? This is very abnormal!" Kiriyama Mantaromaru couldn't quite understand what the Oda family was thinking. Was it a case of knowingly heading into tiger-infested mountains or blindly catching a dead mouse?

  "Oda Nobukane's situation is also helpless! The Battle of Kananmori killed more than 5,000 people, and the Battle of Azukizaka killed more than 2,000 people. These two defeats completely suppressed the momentum of the Oda family's prosperity. It is said that after the Battle of Azukizaka, Oda Nobukane's physical condition has not been good, probably because his body was damaged by anger."

  Kiriyama Mantsumaru suddenly realized: "Seven thousand died in battle, and the number of wounded must exceed seven thousand! With the strength of the Oda family, it's fortunate that they didn't perish after losing so many people. It seems that the current Oda family is like the ailing Tiger of Owari, while the Saito family is accumulating power, waiting for internal conflicts to arise in the Oda family before intervening. But what does this have to do with the main house's march on Kyoto? The master has been talking in circles and still hasn't gotten to the point!"

  The Oda and Saito families' trivial matters are of no concern to him. Oda Nobunaga, with his great luck and longevity, had his own brother killed and defeated his rebellious younger brother without giving his father-in-law a chance. The situation was even more tragic for Saito Dosan, who waited for several years only to be beheaded by his eldest son and died at the Nagara River. This plan was doomed from the start, and he is more concerned with the issue of Kamakura.

  "All of these are closely related to the Honke's rise to power. As long as one understands the Saito family's thoughts, it is clear that Saito Toshimasa is not a true ally of the Oda clan. Since the Saito family usurped the country less than ten years ago, they have been working hard to win over the people of the province and gain their loyalty. The lord of Souja Castle, Nagaya Kagetada, and the lord of Inaba Castle, Tsuchiya Genpachi, among others, still protect the former shugo, Tsuchiya Yoritsune. The current daimyo, Saito faction, is still at odds with the former daimyo, Tsuchiya faction. Does the Honke think that Saito Toshimasa will recklessly intervene in the conflict between the Honke and the Oda clan?"

  So, as the stronger side of the Saito family, there is no need to block the advance of the Kira family in order to please the Oda family. At the same time, with the domestic situation being unstable, he also does not have the energy to dispatch troops to block the main house. As long as the main house quietly puts away its flags and focuses on making its own miso, the Saito family will turn a blind eye and let the main house pass?

  "The master of the house is indeed clever! He understood the reason behind it in an instant! It's really..."

  Kira Mimasaka continued to roll his eyes and said, "Alright! Master, don't tease me anymore! It took you half a day to explain the reason, can't you just get to the point?! Since going through Mikumano is the safest route, then let's go that way! Remember to keep a low profile and pass by quietly."

  PS: I guess everyone is too serious about reading books! I've buried many Easter eggs along the way that haven't been discovered yet. To liven up the atmosphere, Wumei will reveal an Easter egg first! The eccentric giant comes from Attack on Titan chapter 6.