Volume 1: The Stormy Weather of Kawajima Island Chapter 72: Takeda Yoshinobu's Worries

  Kai Province is located in a mountainous valley, surrounded by mountains, with the central Kofu Basin traversed by the Kamanashi River and Fuefuki River. Slightly westward lies the ancestral castle of the Takeda clan, Tsuzuji Castle.

  Because Katsurao Castle was a flatland castle, its defensive strength was not high. Later, the Takeda family also built several branch castles in the north of Katsurao Castle, including Yakamiyama Castle, Yumura Mountain Castle and Minamiiyojō Mountain Castle, forming a main-branch defense system.

  Around the foot of Kiyosaki Castle, Takeda Hachimangu Shrine, Okami Shrine, Misakiji Shrine, Nankoku Shrine and other buildings were constructed.

  Among them, the Ngong Temple is the burial site of Takeda Nobuyoshi, the distant ancestor of the Kai Takeda clan. Inside the temple are three Buddha statues, while Takeda Nobuyoshi's tomb is located in a corner of the west field of the main hall, which is about one meter high and has five wheels.

  Another Takeda Hachimangu is a shrine where the Takeda family worships the guardian deity of the Minamoto clan, Hachiman Okami. The shrine houses two sacred treasures of the Takeda family: the nobori and the dōmaru. All successive heads of the Takeda family, including Takeda Shingen, had to take an oath in front of these treasures at the Takeda Hachimangu before they could assume their position as head of the Takeda family.

  At this moment, in the main circle of Suruga Castle, Takeda Yoshinobu, who had just returned from Shiraiwa Mountain to his residence, was sitting on a mat spread out in the garden with Tsuboi Katsusuke, Nagasaka Gengoro, Sone Suo no Kami and several nobles from Kyoto, drinking and admiring the cherry blossoms.

  Several companions are performing some comical dances in the courtyard.

  Takeda Yoshinobu just smiled proudly and then, with several nobles wearing one, two or nine family crests, seriously discussed the elegant culture of Kyoto.

  Because Takeda Yoshinobu's mother, Sanjo no Kata, was from Kyoto, she had a grudge in her heart when she married into the remote province of Kai. Although at that time Takeda Shingen was the eldest son of the daimyo Takeda Nobutora and would inherit the position of Governor of Kai, for Sanjo no Kata, marrying Takeda Shingen was still a marriage beneath her status.

  Later, the three ladies gave birth to a legitimate son, Takeda Yoshinobu, and often talked about how their family used to be in Kyoto when they were in front of him, so Takeda Yoshinobu also longed for the life of Kyoto's nobles since he was young.

  In fact, after the Jien Rebellion, the Japanese imperial court had long since declined, and many of the once-arrogant nobles had fallen to the point where they could not even get enough to eat.

  The emperor can still sell official positions and titles to swindle money (those who played Taikou 5 know, the emperor's way of making money is really black), while many officials under the emperor can only rely on selling their daughters to make a living, hoping to marry into a wealthy family with a noble bloodline and swindle some gift money to maintain their livelihood.

  The less fortunate nobles had to find their own way out, humbling themselves and wandering to various daimyo households, hoping to rely on their past identity to get a meal under the daimyos. At that time, there were indeed some daimyos who yearned for Kyoto life and were willing to accept them. For example, Imagawa Ujizane, Oda Nobunaga, and Asakura Yoshikage were all admirers of Kyoto noble culture during the Warring States period.

  The courtiers in front of Takeda Yoshinobu were the same, don't look at their courtly attire, wearing straight clothes, with cicada eyebrows drawn on their foreheads, black lacquer applied to their teeth, and rouge on their faces, opening and closing their mouths about Kyoto this and that.

  In fact, apart from this appearance and so-called noble bloodline, they were poor to the point where they didn't even have money for their next meal, and everything could only be hoped for by relying on Takeda Yoshinobu's deception to get some food and drink.

  However, Takeda Yoshinobu treated them with great respect, hoping to gain a reputation for being learned and courteous through their mouths. But the head of the Takeda family, Takeda Shingen himself, had always held this samurai culture in contempt.

  Takeda Yoshinobu, due to his father's influence, normally puts on a brave warrior-like demeanor, but since Takeda Shingen is currently recuperating at the Shimoyu hot springs, Yoshinobu can slightly relax and put on some face powder, dye his teeth black, and drink with these Kyoto nobles, composing poem after poem.

  Takeda Yoshinobu drank some wine, his expression relaxed, and with a regretful look on his face, he said to Tsubai no Katsusuke: "The beautiful cherry blossoms, the good wine, such a wonderful life, yet you don't know how to enjoy it. Father, why do you still not know enough, sending me to fight all over the place? The Takeda family already has 1 million koku of land in Shinano and Kai provinces, why are you still not satisfied?"

  As a treacherous minister, Tsuba no Katsusuke naturally had to speak in accordance with his lord's intentions. Tsuba no Katsusuke said: "Yes, the young master will inherit the Takeda family business and should govern the four directions, comfort the people, how can he learn to wield a sword every day, fighting and killing? The Ming country has a proverb that says 'the son of a wealthy family does not sit in a humble hall', what if something happens to the young master in the future?"

  Takeda Yoshinobu nodded and said, "You're right, you understand my thoughts. Unfortunately, I couldn't say this to Father. The battlefield is treacherous, and this time, Shirō was just unlucky. He probably had a narrow escape at Hakone Mountain, what a pity."

  Ji Bu Sheng Zi smiled and said: "For young master, perhaps this is not a bad thing, it's hard to say."

  Takeda Yoshinobu glanced at the faces of the courtiers sitting and standing nearby, shook his head, and spoke with a very painful expression: "Shirō is my younger brother, related to me by blood, and I have a deep affection for him. If he were to die under Hakone Mountain, I would also be deeply grieved."

  Takeda Yoshinobu had just finished speaking, and he suddenly put on an extremely heavy and sorrowful expression. The nobles beside him hastily spoke out to comfort him, saying things like "Don't be too sad because of brotherly love", "When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out", "The future is still beautiful" and "Everything should look forward".

  Takeda Yoshinobu finally managed to calm down his 'sadness' after being persuaded by everyone, and resumed drinking and singing with the nobles.

  When the atmosphere was once again extremely intense, a samurai came to the courtyard and reported to Takeda Yoshinobu: "Your Highness, Shirō has already led his army back to Tsukasagizaka mansion."

  Takeda Yoshinobu suddenly stood up upon hearing the news, knocking over a sake bottle in front of him. He trembled with rage and said: "What? The Fourth Son is not dead?"

  "Not bad, and what's more, the Fourth Prince also defeated the combined forces of Echigo and Kōzuke at the foot of Shirane Mountain."

  Tsuba no Shōji rushed forward, lifted up the kneeling samurai and shouted: "Impossible! Uesugi Kagekatsu is a world-renowned general. How could Shōri with his 800 men resist his nearly 10,000-strong army? It's absolutely a rumor!"

  "But in fact, thanks to Your Highness's men and horses, they are now almost arriving at Tsuzura-saki Palace."

  Takeda Yoshinobu heard the news, his body stiffened, and he spoke absent-mindedly: "How is this possible? How can Katsuchiyo possibly escape from Uesugi Terutora's presence and win a great victory over the Echigo army? If so, wouldn't my position as heir be in danger?"

  Takeda Yoshinobu said so, the nobles around him all lowered their heads, with a look of "eyes watching noses and noses watching hearts", indicating that they had heard nothing.

  Takeda Yoshinobu was taken aback for a moment, then opened his mouth and asked: "Master of the inn, do you know this news?"

  "Yes, someone has already ridden a fast horse to report to Master at Shigamawara Hot Spring."

  When he heard this news, Takeda Yoshinobu felt as if his whole body was about to collapse.