Taiko. Part 121

When they looked up, they could see that he was now alone-not even a page was behind him.

The four men were ill at ease. As each one greeted him, Hideyoshi blew his nose.

"You appear to have a cold, my lord," one of n.o.buo's retainers said affably.

"I just can't seem to get over it," Hideyoshi replied in no less a friendly manner.

It was a rather plain setting for a discussion. Neither food nor drink were offered, nor did Hideyoshi begin with any small talk. "Aren't you troubled by Lord n.o.buo's recent behavior?" he began.

The four men were filled with apprehension. They were shocked by what seemed to be a reprimand, and thought he was laying the blame on them as n.o.buo's senior advisers.

"You're doing your best, I suppose," he said then, and the color returned to their faces. "all of you are intelligent men, but I suspect you can't do much under Lord n.o.buo. I understand. I've taxed my own ingenuity for his sake, but regrettably, it seems like I'm always meeting with reverses."

He said these last words emphatically, and the four men felt extremely cramped. Hideyoshi continued to expose his innermost feelings, making his dissatisfaction with n.o.buo very plain. "I have made my decision," Hideyoshi said. "I feel sorry that you four have spent many years serving this man. To be brief, we can end the matter without fuss if you can persuade Lord n.o.buo either to commit seppuku or to become a priest. As a reward-I will give you lands in Ise and Iga."

It was not just the cold that chilled the four men to the bone. The four walls felt like silent swords and spears. Hideyoshi's eyes shone fixedly, tiny pinpoints of light. Those eyes required the retainers to say either yes or no.

He would not give them time to consider his offer or allow them to leave withou hearing their answer. They were in a desperate situation. The four men hung their head in grief. Finally, however, they agreed and quickly wrote and signed pledges.

"My retainers are drinking sake in the Willow Room," Hideyoshi said. "Go and join them. I'd like to go with you, but I'm going to bed early because of this cold."

Picking up the pledges, he retired to his quarters in the temple.

n.o.buo was unable to settle down that night. At dinner he had sat with his retainer and attendants, the priests, and even the virgin priestesses from the neighboring shrine He had been cheerful and talked in a loud voice, but when everyone had left and he was once again alone, he constantly asked his pages and the samurai on guard, "What time is it now? Haven't the senior retainers come back from the main temple yet?"

After a while only one of the men returned.

"Are you alone, Saburobei?" n.o.buo asked at the retainer suspiciously.

The expression on the man's face was not normal, and even n.o.buo felt apprehensive. Prostrating himself with both hands to the floor, the old man could not even look up. n.o.buo could hear him sobbing.

"What is it, Saburobei? Did something happen while you were talking with Hideyoshi?"

"It was a painful meeting."

"What! Did he call you over to scold you?"

"If that had been it, it would not have been painful at all. What happened was totally unexpected. We were forced to sign pledges. You, too, must be resolved, my lord." He went on to reveal Hideyoshi's order in its entirety, then said, "We knew that if we said no he would kill us on the spot, so there was nothing we could do but sign. Later I saw my chance during a drinking party with his retainers and ran back here alone. There'll be an uproar when they discover I'm gone. You are not safe here, my lord. You must leave immediately."

n.o.buo's lips had lost their color. The movements of his eyes seemed to show that he had heard only half of what the man had said. His heart beat as fearfully as a fire bell, and he could hardly sit still. "But... then... what about the others?"

"I came back here on my own. I don't know about the others."

"The others, they signed the pledge too?"

"They did."

"So they're still drinking with Hideyoshi's retainers? I misjudged them. They're lower than beasts!"

He stood up as he continued this abuse and s.n.a.t.c.hed the long sword from the hand of the page behind him. As he walked hastily out of the room, the fl.u.s.tered Saburobei chased after him, pleading to know where his lord was going. n.o.buo turned around and, lowering his voice, asked for a horse to be brought immediately.

"Wait for a moment, my lord." Understanding his lord's intentions, Saburobei dashed off to the stables.

The horse was a fine one, a bay called Sledgehammer. As soon as n.o.buo was in the saddle, he galloped through the rear gate into the cover of night. No one knew he was gone until the following day. Naturally, the meeting with Hideyoshi was canceled on theExcuse that n.o.buo had fallen ill, and Hideyoshi calmly returned to Osaka as though that was exactly what he had expected.

n.o.buo returned to Nagashima, shut himself up inside his castle, and, still on the pretext of illness, would not show his face even to his own retainers. But his seclusion was not entirely on account of a feigned malady. He had really become quite ill. Only the doctor went in and out of the inner apartments, and although the plum blossoms behind the castle bloomed, the music ceased, and the garden was quiet and deserted.

In the castle town, on the other hand, and all over Ise and Iga, rumors spread and multiplied by the day. n.o.buo's flight from the Onjo Temple had fueled everyone's suspicions.

n.o.buo's senior retainers confined themselves to their castles-almost as if by prearrangement-and never came to Nagashima. That only encouraged the rumors and worsened the unease throughout the province.

The truth was always difficult to discover, but it was certain that the discord between n.o.buo and Hideyoshi had once again ignited. Naturally, n.o.buo's status was the center of the storm, and there did appear to be someone he could rely upon. n.o.buo was conservative by nature, and believed in the efficacy of secret plots and stratagems. Although he always seemed to be in agreement with his allies, he was also quick to hint that he had other friends who would cover him from behind if the situation did not turn out the way he wanted. Unless he had a secret ally in reserve, he could never be at ease.

n.o.buo now remembered the one great player who had stood in the shadows. That man, of course, was the sleeping dragon of Hamamatsu, Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu.

But the results of playing with strategy depend on the other players. The fact that n.o.buo would consider using Ieyasu as his means to check Hideyoshi only demonstrated his lack of understanding of the other parties involved. The man with a devious mind never truly knows his opponent. He is like the hunter who chases after the deer and fails to see the mountains.

Beyond that, it was the natural conclusion to his kind of thinking that n.o.buo would push Ieyasu to the fore and attempt to prevent Hideyoshi's rise to power. One night, after the beginning of the Second Month, n.o.buo sent a messenger to Ieyasu. The two men bound themselves in a secret military alliance based on the mutual understanding that they were both waiting for the time when they could strike at Hideyoshi.

Then, on the sixth day of the Third Month, the three senior retainers who had not been in the castle since that night at the Onjo Temple suddenly appeared. They had been specially invited by n.o.buo to a banquet. Ever since the incident at the Onjo Temple, n.o.buo had been convinced that the men were traitors, plotting with Hideyoshi. Just seeing -them made him sick with rancor.

n.o.buo nonchalantly entertained the three men, and after they had eaten, he said suddenly,"Ah, Nagato, I'd like you to see a new firearm that has just arrived from a blacksmith in Sakai."

They went to another room, and as Nagato looked at the musket, n.o.buo's retainer suddenly yelled, "By my lord's command!" and grabbed him from behind.

"This is despicable!" Nagato gasped, tying to draw his sword from its sheath. But he was knocked to the ground by his more powerful a.s.sailant and could only struggle helplessly in his grip.

n.o.buo stood up and ran around the room, yelling, "Let him go! Let him go!" But the violent scuffle continued. Holding his unsheathed sword over his head, n.o.buo screamed once again, "If you don't let him go, I won't be able to cut the b.a.s.t.a.r.d down! Let him go!"

The a.s.sa.s.sin was holding Nagato by the throat, but seeing his chance, he thrust the man away. In the same instant, and without waiting for n.o.buo to strike, he stabbed Nagato with his short sword.

A group of samurai, now kneeling outside of the room, announced that they had killed the other two retainers. n.o.buo nodded his approval. But then he heaved a great sigh. Regardless of their crimes, to have executed three senior advisers who had been at his side for many years was a merciless act. Such brutality, of course, had also been in n.o.bunaga's blood. But in n.o.bunaga's case it was born of pa.s.sion and imbued with great significance. n.o.bunaga's evil and violence were seen as drastic but necessary remedies for the ills of the times; n.o.buo's actions, however, arose from nothing more than his own petty emotions.

The killings in Nagashima Castle could have churned up raging waves that might have led to disturbances on all sides beginning that very night. But the murder of the three senior retainers had been carried out in secret, and on the very next day, soldiers from Nagashima were dispatched to attack each of the retainers' castles.

It was not unreasonable for people to imagine that the next great battle was imminent. Something had been smoldering since the year before, but the flame that leaped out here might be the one that would finally scorch all the world. That was no longer just idle speculation, but seemed a certainty.

The Hooded Warrior Ikeda Shonyu was famous for three things: his short stature, his courage, and his skill at the spear dance. He was forty-eight, the same age as Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi had no son; Shonyu, however, had three in whom he could take pride, and all three of them had grown to manhood. The eldest, Yukisuke, was twenty-five and the commlander of Gifu Castle; the second, Terumasa, was twenty and the commander of Ikejiri Castle; and the youngest would be fourteen this year and was still at his father's side.

Shonyu's relationship with Hideyoshi went back to the time when Hideyoshi was still called Tokichiro. By this time, however, a large gulf had opened up between the two. But Shonyu had not been left behind by the times. After n.o.bunaga's death, he was one of the men-along with Katsuie, Niwa, and Hideyoshi-who had been appointed to administer the government of Kyoto, and even if the position was a temporary one, it was prestigious. Moreover, right here in Mino, father and sons possessed three castles, while his son-in-law, Nagayoshi, was the commander of Kaneyama Castle.

It could not be said that he had fared badly. Nor was there any reason for him to feel uneasy. Hideyoshi was always tactful and often paid attention to his old friend. He even is nephew, Hidetsugu, engaged to Shonyu's daughter.

Thus in peacetime Hideyoshi shrewdly strengthened the ties between them against the day of emergency, but this year-as the decisive battle became more and more inevitable-he leaned more heavily on Shonyu as his main ally. Now he suddenly sent a messenger to Ogaki offering to adopt his son-in-law, Nagayoshi, and to give him the provinces of Owari, Mino, and Mikawa.

Twice Hideyoshi sent letters written by his own hand. The fact that Shonyu did not send a quick response did not mean he was envious or mean-hearted. He knew well thatserving Hideyoshi would be more advantageous than serving anyone else. And he understood that, while Hideyoshi had great ambitions, he himself would also receive great advantages.

What made it difficult for Shonyu to rouse himself to a response was simply the problem of the widely discussed moral justification for war between the eastern and western armies. The Tokugawa accused Hideyoshi of being a traitor who had already eliminated one of the sons of his former lord and was now ready to strike down his heir, n.o.buo.

If I ally myself to Hideyoshi, Shonyu thought, I will have taken a poor step in terms of moral duty; if I help n.o.buo, I'll be standing on moral duty, but my hopes for the future will be dim.

And Shonyu had yet another worry. Shonyu had close ties with n.o.bunaga, and because of that deep relationship he could not easily sever his relationship with n.o.buo, even after n.o.bunaga's death. To make matters worse, his eldest son was a hostage in Ise, and Shonyu did not feel he could just abandon him to be killed. So, every time he received one of Hideyoshi's letters, Shonyu was confused. When he discussed the matter with his retainers, he listened to advice from two factions, one stressing the importance of justice and counseling against abandoning moral duty; and the other arguing that now was the time when a great advantage might be gained for the prosperity of the clan.

What was he going to do? Just as his confusion was growing more and more acute, his eldest son was unexpectedly sent home from Nagashima. n.o.buo thought that Shonyu would be grateful to him and never betray him. Such an obvious ruse might have had the desired effect on someone else, but Shonyu was a man of some insight. He understood the act to be nothing more than a childish, high-pressure goodwill sales tactic and a transparent political calculation.

"I've made my decision. In a dream the Buddha told me to join the western army," he announced to his retainers. On the same day he sent a letter to Hideyoshi, declaring himself his ally.

He was, of course, lying about the dream from the Buddha, but immediately after Shonyu had made his decision, the general's innate ambition was suddenly set aflame by a casual conversation with his eldest son.

What Yukisuke mentioned was that the commander of Inuyama Castle, Nakagawa Kanemon, had received his orders to return to Inuyama soon after he himself had been released from Nagashima.

Until that day, Shonyu had been unable to decide whether Inuyama Castle would be his ally or enemy, but now that he had sent word of his support for Hideyoshi, Inuyama Castle would be an enemy right in front of him. Moreover, the castle was in a strategic area with natural defenses, and it was certain that Ieyasu and n.o.buo considered Nakagawa Kanemon able enough to entrust with the first-line defenses of their provinces. If that were so, he had no doubt been suddenly detached from the Ise army for that purpose and ordered to return to his own castle.

"Summon the leader of the Blue Herons," Shonyu ordered an attendant.

In a valley beyond the rear entrance of the castle was a collection of huts belonging to the men employed from outside of the clan. They were called the Blue Heron Corps. From that encampment, Shonyu's attendant called out a short, solidly built young man of about twenty-five years of age. It was Sanzo, the captain of the Blue Herons. Receiving his instructions from the attendant, he went through the rear castle gate and into the inner garden.

Shonyu was standing in the shade of a tree, and beckoned him forward with a thrust of his chin. Then, as Sanzo prostrated himself at his lord's feet, Shonyu gave him his orders in person.

The name of the Blue Heron Corps was derived from the color of their blue cotton uniforms. Whenever an incident occurred, they would fly off to unknown destinations, lke a flock of blue herons taking flight.

Three days later, Sanzo returned from some undisclosed location. He quickly went through the rear gate of the castle and, just as before, bowed before Shonyu in the inner garden. Shonyu then received the freshly bloodstained sword that Sanzo took from an oil-paper wrapping and inspected it carefully.

"This is it, certainly," Shonyu said, nodding, and then added in praise, "You did well." He gave several gold coins to Sanzo as a reward.

There was little doubt that the sword was the one carried by Nakagawa Kanemon, the commander of Inuyama Castle. His family crest was lacquered onto the scabbard.

"Thank you for your generosity, my lord," Sanzo said, and started to withdraw, but Shonyu told him to wait. Once again summoning an attendant, he had so much money set in front of Sanzo that it would have to be carried out on the back of a horse. An official and the personal attendant wrapped the coins in a number of reed-mat bales as Sanzo stood there in openmouthed surprise.

"I want you to do another job, Sanzo."

'Yes, my lord."

"I've given the details very carefully to three of my most trusted men. I want you to disguise yourself as a packhorse driver, load this money on a horse, and ride along behind those three men."

"And what is our destination?"

"Don't ask."

"Yes, my lord."

"If everything goes as planned, I'll promote you to the rank of samurai."

"Thank you, my lord."

Sanzo was a bold and fearless man, but he was more unnerved by the sight of the great amount of money than he would have been by a pool of blood. He prostrated himself again, putting his head to the ground almost excessively. When he raised it, he saw an old man, who looked like a country samurai, and two stout youths who were loading the bales of money onto a horse's saddle.

Shonyu and Yukisuke shared a bowl of morning tea in the tearoom. Appearing to be simply the long-separated father and son privately eating breakfast together, they were actually totally engrossed in a secret discussion.

"I'll set out for Gifu immediately," Yukisuke said finally. When he left the tearoom, Yukisuke quickly ordered his retainers to prepare his horse. He had planned to return immediately to his own castle at Gifu, but now those plans were postponed for two or three days.

"Don't make any mistakes tomorrow night," Shonyu cautioned him in a low voice.

Yukisuke nodded with a knowing expression, but in the eyes of his father this ardent young man still looked like a mere child.

But on the evening of the following day-the thirteenth of the month-what Shonyu's thoughts had been and why he had sent Yukisuke to Gifu the day before were known by everyone inside Ogaki Castle.

Suddenly there came a notice to mobilize. The notice was a great surprise, even to Shonyu's retainers.

In the midst of all the confusion, a commander stepped into the attendant warriors' room, where a number of young samurai were in an uproar of excitement. Making a show of tying up the leather strings to his gloves, he looked at the warriors with an ashen face and said, "We're going to take Inuyama Castle before the night is through."

As might be expected, the one calm spot in the midst of all that commotion was the private room of the commanding general, Shonyu.

With his second son, Terumasa, at his side, he was now exchanging toasts of sake. Both father and son sat on their camp stools, waiting for the hour of departure.

Normally, when the departure of troops was announced, the conch sh.e.l.ls were blown, drums and banners flourished, and the troops wound their way majestically through the castle town. But on this occasion mounted men were left in small groups of two or three; foot soldiers were placed both in front and in back; the banners were folded and the firearms concealed. On that hazy spring night in the Third Month, the townspeople might have turned to look and wondered what was happening, but no one would have thought that it was a departure for the front.

Just three leagues from Ogaki, as the troops gathered together once more, Shonyu addressed them: "Let's finish up this battle by dawn, and return home before the day is through. You should travel as lightly as you can."

The town of Inuyama and its castle were directly on the other bank. The river in that spot was the upper reaches of the Kiso. Echoes of the water beating against the boulders or splashing through the shallows reverberated through the air, but wrapped in the deep vapors, the moon, the mountain, and the water appeared to be encased in mica. All that was visible from the sh.o.r.e was the dim light of the lamps on the other sh.o.r.e.

"Dismount."

Shonyu himself got off his horse and set up his camp stool on the riverbank.

"Lord Yukisuke is on time. There are his troops over there," one of Shonyu's retainers pointed out.

Shonyu stood up and peered upstream.

"Scout! Scout!" he called immediately.

One of the scouts ran up to confirm the report. Very soon thereafter, a force of four or five hundred men joined the nearly six hundred troops led by Ikeda Shonyu, and the silhouettes of a thousand men moved together like merging schools of fish.

Sanzo finally trailed in after Yukisuke's men. The sentries on guard looking back to-the rear surrounded him with spears and brought him before Shonyu's camp stool.

Shonyu did not give Sanzo the opportunity to say anything unnecessary as he questioned him on the essential points of his mission.

By that time a number of flat-bottomed fishing boats that had been scattered along the bank began making their way across the water. Dozens of lightly armored soldiers leaned forward and leaped out, one after another, onto the opposite bank. The poles were then quickly set to bring the boats back to transport yet another group across.

In the twinkling of an eye, the only man left on the bank was Sanzo. Finally the shouts of the warriors shook the damp night sky, from the opposite bank to the area just below the castle. In that instant one corner of the sky turned red, and sparks danced and glittered above the castle town.

Shonyu's clever plan had worked perfectly. Inuyama Castle fell in only an hour, its defenders taken by a surprise that was made more complete by treachery inside the castle and the town. Treachery was certainly one reason why a castle with such good natural defenses fell in such a short time. But there was yet another reason: Shonyu had once been the commander of Inuyama Castle, and the townspeople, the headmen in the surrounding villages, and even the farmers still remembered their former master. Although Shonyu had sent retainers to buy off those men with money just before the attack, the success of the plan owed far more to his former position than to bribery.

A man belonging to an ill.u.s.trious family in decline tends to attract a complicated set of characters. The farsighted, the frivolous, the men who deplore the present evils but are unable to speak their own words or offer loyal advice-all of those quickly leave the scene. And those who are sensitive to the trends but have neither the strength nor the talent to check the decline also move on at some point.