Part 71 (1/2)
”Lord Hideyos.h.i.+ left for Harima early this morning,” Takigawa replied nervously.
”He's already left?”
”He probably hasn't gotten very far. With your permission, I'll take a horse and go fetch him back.” It was rare for someone to seize the moment and rescue n.o.bunaga from his own impatience. When the retainers who were present turned to see who this someone might be, they discovered that it was Ranmaru, n.o.bunaga's page.
n.o.bunaga granted his request and urged him to hurry.
Noon came, and Ranmaru had not yet returned. In the meantime, reports from the scouts in the areas of Itami and Takatsuki Castle were arriving frequently. The one report among them that made n.o.bunaga's blood run cold announced yet another new fact.
”Just this morning at dawn, a large Mori fleet approached the Hyogo coast. Soldiers disembarked and entered Muras.h.i.+ge's castle at Hanak.u.ma.”
The coastal highway through Hyogo that ran beneath Hanak.u.ma Castle was the only route from Azuchi to Harima.
”Hideyos.h.i.+ is not going to be able to get through.” At the moment n.o.bunaga realized this, he also understood the danger of communications being cut between the expeditionary army and Azuchi. He could almost feel the hands of the enemy at his throat.
”Is Ranmaru back yet?” n.o.bunaga asked.
”No, my lord.”
n.o.bunaga was once again sunk in thought. The Hatano, the Bessho, and Araki Muras.h.i.+ge had now suddenly revealed their links with the enemy-the Mori and the Honganji-and n.o.bunaga felt that he was being surrounded. Moreover, when he looked to the east, he saw that the Hojo and Takeda had recently come to terms.
Ranmaru whipped his horse through Otsu, and finally caught up with Hideyos.h.i.+ near the Mii Temple. Hideyos.h.i.+ was resting there, or rather, having come that far, he had heard about Araki Muras.h.i.+ge's rebellion and sent Horio Mosuke and two or three others to verify the reports and find out the details.
Ranmaru pulled up and said, ”His Lords.h.i.+p ordered me to come after you. He desires to talk with you again. Would you return to Azuchi as quickly as possible?”
Leaving his men at the Mii Temple, he turned back toward Azuchi, accompanied only by Ranmaru. On the way back, Hideyos.h.i.+ thought through what was likely to occur. n.o.bunaga would be furious at Muras.h.i.+ge's rebellion. The first time Muras.h.i.+ge had served n.o.bunaga was during the attack on Nijo Palace, when they had driven out the former shogun. n.o.bunaga was the kind of man who would show favor toward anyone who pleased him a little, and he showed recognition of Muras.h.i.+ge's valor especially. n.o.bunaga had loved Muras.h.i.+ge more than he had loved most men. And Muras.h.i.+ge had betrayed n.o.bunaga's trust. Hideyos.h.i.+ could imagine what n.o.bunaga's feelings must be.
As Hideyos.h.i.+ hurried back to Azuchi, he blamed himself as well as Muras.h.i.+ge. The man had been his second-in-command, and their personal relations.h.i.+p had been a close one. And yet he had not known that Muras.h.i.+ge was up to this kind of foolishness.
”Ranmaru, have you heard anything?” Hideyos.h.i.+ asked.
”You mean about Lord Muras.h.i.+ge's treachery?”
”What sort of dissatisfaction might have motivated him to rebel against Lord n.o.bunaga?” They were a long way from Azuchi, and if they had sped all the way back, their horses would have become exhausted. As Hideyos.h.i.+ trotted along, he looked back at Ranmaru, whose horse was coming a few paces behind at the same pace.
”There were rumors about this sort of thing before,” Ranmaru said. ”The story goes that one of Lord Muras.h.i.+ge's retainers was selling army rice to the warrior-monks of the Honganji. There's a shortage of rice in Osaka. The land road has been cut for the most part, and the sea routes have been blockaded by our fleet, so there is not even the prospect of transporting provisions with the Mori's wars.h.i.+ps. The price of rice has gone way up, and if a man sells rice there, he can make an immense profit. That's just what Lord Muras.h.i.+ge's retainer did, and when the affair was exposed, Lord Muras.h.i.+ge took the initiative and unfurled the flag of rebellion, fearing that he would be questioned about this crime by Lord n.o.bunaga anyway.”
”That sounds like a seditious rumor spread by the enemy. Surely it's a baseless lie.”
”I think it's a lie, too. From what I've seen, people are jealous of Lord Muras.h.i.+ge's meritorious deeds. I think this disaster has been brought on by a certain person's slander.”
”A certain person?”
”Lord Mitsuhide. Once this rumor about Lord Muras.h.i.+ge came out, Lord Mitsuhide had nothing good to say about him to His Lords.h.i.+p. I'm always at His Lords.h.i.+p's side listening secretly, and sure enough, I'm one of the people who feels miserable about this incident.”
Ranmaru suddenly fell quiet. He seemed to realize that he had spoken a little too much, and regretted it. Ranmaru concealed his feelings about Mitsuhide as a young maiden might. At such times, Hideyos.h.i.+ never seemed to pay attention to the conversation at all. In fact, he appeared to be completely indifferent.
”I can already see Azuchi. Let's hurry!” As soon as he pointed into the distance, Hideyos.h.i.+ whipped his horse, completely disregarding his companion's concerns.
The main entrance of the castle was bustling with the attendants of retainers who had heard about Muras.h.i.+ge's rebellion and were coming to the castle, and with messengers pouring in from the nearby provinces. Hideyos.h.i.+ and Ranmaru shoved their way through the throng and into the inner citadel, only to be told that Lord n.o.bunaga was in the middle of a conference. Ranmaru went in and spoke to n.o.bunaga and then quickly returned telling Hideyos.h.i.+, ”He requested that you wait in the Bamboo Room.” He guided Hideyos.h.i.+ to a three-story tower in the inner citadel.
The Bamboo Room was part of n.o.bunaga's living quarters. Hideyos.h.i.+ sat down alone and gazed out at the lake. Soon n.o.bunaga appeared, shouted happily when he saw Hideyos.h.i.+, and sat down without formality. Hideyos.h.i.+ bowed politely and remained silent. The silence continued for some time. Neither man wasted his words.
”What have been your thoughts about this, Hideyos.h.i.+?” These were n.o.bunaga's first words, and they indicated that a resolution had not emerged out of the various confused views given at the conference.
”Araki Muras.h.i.+ge is an extremely honest man. He is, if I may say it, a fool who excels in martial valor. I just didn't think he was that much of a fool,” Hideyos.h.i.+ replied.
”No.” n.o.bunaga shook his head. ”I don't think it was foolishness at all. He's nothing but sc.u.m. He had misgivings about my prospects and initiated contacts with the Mori, blinded by the thought of profit. This is the act of a moderately talented man. Muras.h.i.+ge got lost in his own superficiality.”
”He's really nothing but a fool. He received excessive favors and had nothing to be dissatisfied about,” Hideyos.h.i.+ said.
”A man who is going to rebel will do so, no matter how favorably he's treated.” n.o.bunaga was being frank with his emotions. This was the first time Hideyos.h.i.+ had ever hear him use the word ”sc.u.m” to describe someone. As a rule, he would not have spoken that way from malice or anger; it was because he had not openly expressed his anger or hatred that nothing had been decided during the council. Had Hideyos.h.i.+ been asked, however even he would have been at a loss. Should they strike at Itami Castle? Should they try to mollify Muras.h.i.+ge and get him to abandon the idea of rebellion? The problem was how to choose between these two alternatives. It would not be very difficult to capture the one castle of Itami. But the invasion of the west had just started. If they took a false step in this minor affair, they would in all likelihood have to revise their plans.
”Why don't I go as an envoy and talk with Muras.h.i.+ge?” Hideyos.h.i.+ suggested.
”So you think it would be better not to use force here, either?”
”Not if we don't have to,” Hideyos.h.i.+ replied.
”Mitsuhide and two or three others have advocated not using force. You're of the same opinion, but I think it would be better if someone else went as the envoy.”
”No, I bear part of the responsibility for this. Muras.h.i.+ge was my second-in-command and so was my own subordinate. If he were to do something foolish...”
”No!” n.o.bunaga shook his head emphatically. ”There would be nothing imposing about sending an envoy with whom he's too familiar. I'll send Matsui, Mitsuhide, and Mami. Rather than appease him, they'll simply verify the rumor.”
”That should be fine,” Hideyos.h.i.+ agreed. He spoke these few words for the sake of of both Muras.h.i.+ge and n.o.bunaga. ”It's a common saying that the lie of a Buddhist priest is called expedient, and a revolt within a samurai clan is called strategy. You must not be pulled into fighting, for it would play into the Mori's hands.”
”I know.”
”I'd like to wait for the results of the envoys' meeting, but I feel uneasy about the problems in Harima. I should probably take my leave soon.”
”Really?” n.o.bunaga sounded a little reluctant to let him go. ”What about the road back? You probably won't be able to pa.s.s through Hyogo.”
”Don't worry, there's also the sea route.”
”Well, whatever the outcome, I'll keep you informed. Don't be negligent about sending me news.”
Hideyos.h.i.+ finally took his leave. Although he was exhausted, from Azuchi he crossed Lake Biwa to Otsu, spent that night in the Mii Temple, and the following day turned toward Kyoto. He sent two pages ahead with instructions to have a s.h.i.+p waiting at Sakai, while he and his retainers took the road to the Nanzen Temple. There he announced that they would stop for a short rest.
There was someone in the temple whom he very much wanted to see. That person, of course, was Takenaka Hanbei, who was convalescing in a hermitage on the temple grounds.
The monks were fl.u.s.tered by the sudden arrival of so exalted a guest, but Hideyos.h.i.+ took one of them aside and requested that they omit the treatment they would ordinarily offer to a guest of his rank.
”My retainers have all brought provisions, so don't be concerned about anything other than hot water for tea. And since I've only stopped to visit Takenaka Hanbei, you don't need to entertain me with either sake or tea. After I have my talk with Hanbei, I'd be grateful if you'd make a light meal.” Finally he asked, ”Has the patient improved since he arrived?”
”It seems he has made little progress, my lord,” the priest answered dolefully.
”He takes his medicine regularly?”
”Both morning and night.”