Chapter 161: The Wedding Procession
Regarding the death of his uncle Oda Nobumitsu, Oda Nobunaga responded quite promptly.
A few days later, Yuan Ye received further news. The assassin Sakai Sunpachiro and the dozen or so accomplices who helped him infiltrate Nagoya Castle, unable to proceed to Mikawa due to the land routes being blocked, attempted to flee the country by boarding a ship at Atsuta Port. However, they were tracked down in time by Oda Nobunaga’s ninja unit, the “Kyōdan-shū.”
A fierce battle erupted between the two sides in the streets of Atsuta Port. Sakai Sunpachiro was slain on the spot by Shinshu Maru, thus avenging half of Oda Nobumitsu’s death.
Concurrently, Oda Nobunaga formally announced the marriage of one of his sisters to his cousin Oda Nobunari, and declared Oichi as his “adopted daughter,” introducing her with great ceremony to all the Owari local lords. Her personal treatment was also ten times that of his own sisters, to show his regard for Nobumitsu’s lineage—while the relationships might seem convoluted by modern standards, they were quite normal in medieval Japan.
These measures also achieved some effect; the whispers that Oda Nobunaga had assassinated Oda Nobumitsu and framed the Kiyosu Oda clan quieted down somewhat. The talk then shifted to when Nobumitsu’s children would meet misfortune, as Oda Nobumitsu had once sworn a divine oath regarding his descendants, theoretically meaning none of his descendants would meet a good end.
Yuan Ye watched the unfolding drama from across the sea. This part of the story somewhat resolved a past puzzle for him: after Oda Nobunaga’s death, his important retainers began to divide his inheritance. Among them, there was fierce competition for the beautiful widow Oichi. Shibata Katsuie made many concessions to the Monkey in order to obtain her, which seemed somewhat strange, as Oda Nobunaga had many sisters, and Oichi was not particularly special in that regard.
As for the idea that Shibata Katsuie was secretly in love with her, that was a bit of an exaggeration. There was a thirty-year age difference between them. For a forty-something Shibata Katsuie to be secretly in love with a ten-year-old Oichi, and then for a sixty-one-year-old Shibata Katsuie to marry Oichi to fulfill a youthful… a youthful secret crush from his middle age… this simply didn’t make sense and was hard to believe.
Looking at it now, Yuan Ye began to understand. Oichi’s formal status within the Oda Danjō no Chū family was likely Oda Nobunaga’s “adopted daughter,” a “first daughter” with an exceptionally high status, “personally raised by him.” Her status relative to Oda Nobumitsu’s lineage was that of Oda Nobunaga’s cousin.
Therefore, if someone were to marry Oichi, in a sense, they would possess a direct claim to a portion of Oda Nobunaga’s inheritance. At least, that was the belief within the Oda Danjō no Chū family. Many would support such a person, which is why she and her daughters were so sought after. This led to Shibata Katsuie snatching her up, and then the Monkey rushing to pick up the leftovers, shamelessly forcing a marriage with Chacha.
However, one could argue whether having such a special status was a good thing or a bad thing for them…
Yuan Ye sighed inwardly a few times and continued to observe from afar. Seeing that the situation was gradually calming down and the impact of Oda Nobumitsu’s assassination seemed to be fading, he was preparing to shift his attention. But perhaps it was Oda Nobunaga’s unlucky streak, for just as the matter of Oda Nobumitsu concluded, his full brother, Oda Hidetaka, also known as Rokuro, was shot and killed.
This incident was also somewhat related to Oda Nobumitsu. Oda Nobumitsu had broken his oath and seized Kiyosu Castle, then moved to Nagoya Castle. However, his original Moriyama Castle could not be left vacant, so it was entrusted to Oda Nobutsugu, another uncle of Oda Nobunaga and a member of the Oda Family. This subsequently laid the groundwork for tragedy. Oda Nobutsugu went hunting in Matsukawa and encountered Oda Hidetaka, who was also out enjoying himself in Matsukawa. His retainer Suga Saizo, responsible for clearing the path, shouted from a distance, ordering Hidetaka to move aside and let them pass. However, Hidetaka was still a youth and proud; he completely ignored the command and continued to gallop forward, kicking up dust. In a fit of rage, Suga Saizo drew his bow and shot an arrow, knocking Hidetaka off his horse.
By the time Oda Nobutsugu arrived, Hidetaka was already dead. He was so terrified on the spot that he didn’t even dare to return to the castle and fled directly, fearing Oda Nobunaga would kill him.
Upon hearing of this incident, Oda Nobunaga naturally became angry. However, before he could express his rage, Oda Nobuyuki, who had been in seclusion at Suemori Castle—his own full younger brother who had previously rebelled with Shibata Katsuie but failed—used the reason of Hidetaka’s unwarranted death to strike first against Oda Nobutsugu, attempting to directly take over Moriyama Castle.
Although Oda Nobutsugu had fled, his retainers were still in the castle and refused to surrender, keeping the gates closed. Oda Nobuyuki’s attempt failed, and in his rage, he began a siege, and the two sides directly engaged in combat.
Because of this incident, the Oda Danjō no Chū family was once again thrown into turmoil, and the lower four districts of Owari descended into chaos again. However, this had little to do with Yuan Ye and didn’t even delay his marriage.
In the late autumn, when the sky was clear and the air crisp, Inu-hime, her maidservants, and a large dowry were loaded onto a ship and began their journey towards Xin Wanjin.
…
The wedding procession was aboard a medium-sized Atakebune ship with a square sail, flying the “Mokkou-gomai crest.” After half a day’s journey, it slowly docked at the jetty of Xin Wanjin, and the unloading of cargo and people began. Inu-hime, dressed in a kosode with a Kōryō flower pattern, wearing multiple layers of white outer robes, a white “tsuno-kakushi” on her head, her face powdered white, and white tabi socks on her feet, was a small figure kneeling inside the ship’s cabin, waiting to disembark after being notified by her attendants.
Her attire was the bridal makeup of this era. Even weddings in this era had their own styles. Owari used the Ise-style wedding ceremony, and even the dressing had to follow the rules.
The Kōryō flower pattern, resembling the shape of a coin hole and having four stable points, represented wealth and prosperity, as well as the resilience and strength of a samurai daughter.
The multiple layers of white outer robes were the precursor to the later “shiromuku,” representing the bride’s purity and flawlessness. It also symbolized that the bride was a “blank slate,” having brought no bad habits from her maiden home, and could immediately be dyed with the colors of her husband’s family, successfully integrating into the clan.
As for the white “tsuno-kakushi” on her head, its meaning was similar, signifying that the bride would restrain her temper, be humble and modest, and also served to conceal herself, preventing her from being abducted by evil spirits or demons on the way to her wedding. It was a kind of special wedding “talisman.”
However, despite Inu-hime’s bridal makeup, her small face showed no joy or shyness. Instead, she kept biting her lower lip, feeling extremely anxious. She had been confined to her residence and was not favored, so she received no effective information. To this day, she still didn’t know what kind of person Yuan Ye was, nor what he looked like or what his temper was like. It was impossible for her not to be anxious.
Her two little maidservants also had no interest in talking. They were equally anxious. They were two sides of the same coin as their princess; if Inu-hime didn’t fare well, they would only face a more miserable fate.
The three of them waited silently in the cabin for over an hour. By then, the dowry and other items had been unloaded, and finally, an attendant came to notify them that they could disembark. A princess’s wedding would naturally require attendants. She had brought over seventy people, including samurai, followers, and family retainers and servants. However, she had been an invisible figure before, and she didn’t know any of these people, having met them for the first time only two days prior.
Having lived cautiously and prudently for years, constantly under the terrifying shadow of her stepmother, Lady Tsuchida, she dared not offend the attendant who came to fetch her. With the help of A Naka and A Shita, she quickly disembarked, dragging the heavy multiple layers of outer robes. Then, with their support, she boarded the “Phoenix Carriage.” This was a type of human-powered palanquin used by the Emperor during court sessions in the Heian period, topped with a gold-lacquered phoenix statue and surrounded by fine gauze curtains, allowing one to kneel inside. However, it was now the Muromachi period, and the Muromachi Shogunate was so weak that it couldn’t manage local affairs. Therefore, this human-powered palanquin, once exclusively for the Emperor, had become a conveyance for weddings, and no one cared about overstepping boundaries or violating regulations.
Now, Inu-hime was placed inside such a small “Phoenix Carriage,” carried by eight family retainers. The samurai followers marched with “Mokkou-gomai flags,” some leading the way, others escorting them on the sides. Behind them followed family retainers and servants carrying various dowry items, as they began their journey towards the “Yuan Ye Family” residence.
Kneeling inside the “Phoenix Carriage” for a short while, Inu-hime bit her lower lip. Ultimately, her curiosity got the better of her, and she gently lifted the curtain with two slender fingers to peek outside. She discovered that Xin Wanjin was much better than she had expected. The pier was large, the roads were flat, straight, and wide, and the material was also special, appearing to be paved with stone slabs, yet not quite.
The population was also considerable. A large number of commoners busy on the pier retreated to the sides of the road, watching with curiosity. However, unlike when she left Kiyosu Castle, they did not all kneel down with their heads bowed. Furthermore, their clothing was peculiar. The Ōhakama were narrow and long, and the upper garments were not traditional hitatare or kosode robes, but strange clothes fastened in the middle with buttons. Even though the weather was still warm, some people carrying loads had their chests open.
In short, judging solely by the clothing, it felt like suddenly arriving in a foreign land, though not intensely so. Yet, one could faintly sense the prosperity here; at least everyone had clothes to wear, and there were very few visible patches on their garments.
Inu-hime watched her future “subjects” for a while, then noticed a small dispute seemed to be occurring ahead of the procession. Surprised, she quickly signaled for her only two trusted attendants to go and see. A Naka cautiously slipped to the front to listen for a moment, then returned and reported in a low voice, “Your Highness, it seems a commoner by the roadside was impolite and dared to stare directly at a noble person. Lord Hirahashi believes the Yuan Ye family is looking down on us and is throwing a tantrum!”
Hirahashi Yasumasa, also known as Gorojiro, was one of the samurai escorts for this wedding. This was somewhat customary. When Nohime married into the Oda Danjō no Chū family, Saito Dosan had also arranged for Ando Morinari, the future leader of the Three Lords of Western Mino, to accompany her with a contingent of men, who stayed for a long time before rotating back to Mino.
Inu-hime, who had only met Hirahashi Yasumasa two days prior, dared not order him to stop arguing with the Yuan Ye family over such a trivial matter. She bit her lower lip, hesitating on what to do. She then noticed that Endo Chiyo and Maeshima Shichiro, who were sent to greet her, said a few words to Hirahashi Yasumasa and others. With the intervention of others to mediate, the dispute quickly disappeared. She recognized Endo Chiyo and Maeshima Shichiro; during the wedding ceremony, there was a segment where the groom’s side would inspect the bride to ensure she had no physical defects. These two individuals had come at that time.
The dispute resolved, the wedding procession continued. A Naka was surprised that the argument ended so quickly and didn’t know how Endo Chiyo and Maeshima Shichiro had pacified Hirahashi Yasumasa and the others. However, she observed that the commoners along the road still only moved aside and did not kneel, and she couldn’t help but whisper, “The people of the Yuan Ye family are truly ill-mannered.”
Inu-hime didn’t care whether others knelt or not, but she became increasingly anxious. She wondered if this was a show of force from the Yuan Ye family, or if they simply didn’t take her seriously and were looking down on her.
As she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt the “Phoenix Carriage” jolt. Then she heard the hushed exclamations of A Naka and A Shita. She quickly lifted the curtain again to peek outside. She saw that they had already left the pier and were facing a tall, exquisite sheep wall, with rock fortresses built against earthen mounds on either side, equally exquisite but taller. They were truly beautiful city walls and rock fortresses, with smooth, dark blue surfaces that looked as if they were carved from a single giant stone. The “followers” lined up on them also appeared very formidable.
She was surprised and confused. According to the fragmented information her two little maidservants had gathered, Xin Wanjin was supposed to be a wasteland. How had such respectable rock fortresses and city walls already been erected?
Before she could figure out what was happening, the wedding procession had already passed through the city gate of the sheep wall. The scene before them opened up, revealing Xin Wanjin in its entirety. It was already a small town. From a distance, hundreds of square houses could be seen. Fields lined the riverside, and waterwheels had been erected. Closer to the hills, several large chimneys stood tall, with plumes of thick smoke rising straight into the sky, a truly spectacular sight.
Further in the distance, there was an even longer sheep wall and an extremely beautiful, dark blue stone city. Oda’s Uma-jirushi stood atop it, with a giant gold-lacquered gourd hanging from a long flagpole.
This was Xin Wanjin, rich and beautiful, everything in order, possessing a unique aesthetic beauty distinct from this era!
