Chapter 228: The Azai Family, New Allies
After appreciating the various proposals from the Wanjin councillors, Yuan Ye still couldn’t rest. As the first generation of Wanjin, many people wanted to see him alone upon his return from the expedition.
Endo Chiyo, Maeshima Shichiro, and others reported to him on the internal affairs of Wanjin, stating that besides the flourishing industry and commerce, agriculture was also developing well. After this autumn harvest, Wanjin had basically overcome the impact of the wind, flood, and drought disasters of the previous two years. Grain was basically self-sufficient, and reserves were gradually recovering to above the safety line.
Okabe Igen, the externally hired “Chief Engineer,” also came over. Following the example of Endo and Maeshima, he reported to Yuan Ye alone, stating that he had not been idle during the more than three months Yuan Ye was away. The Wanjin shipyard, with its abundant personnel and supplies, had dug five new shipyard docks. By the end of this year, it would be able to start construction on six to seven ships at once—as long as the training of shipwrights could keep up and there were enough skilled workers, Wanjin’s shipbuilding capacity would reach a new level.
Incidentally, he also discussed the usage experience of the “Chita” with Yuan Ye, stating that the second “Large Ataka Copper Ship” from the Wanjin shipyard was also nearing completion, and the Wanjin Navy would gain another formidable warrior.
Finally, relying on the fact that the Wanjin shipyard was currently a key project, he asked Yuan Ye for a batch of adult “schoolchildren” （ adults produced by the Wanjin State-run Workshop and the primary school literacy classes ）. He felt that Wanjin people who had received basic education learned woodworking faster and were more obedient, much better than hired farmers.
After Okabe Igen left, satisfied, Yuan Ye still couldn’t go home to rest. Instead, he went to the barracks to check on the Wanjin Army and conducted a surprise inspection of the new recruits’ training.
By the time Yuan Ye finished these tasks, A Qing had also finished meeting with A Man’s subordinates—two groups of people. One group was responsible for monitoring Wanjin internally, and their personnel were kept secret, so A Qing needed to secretly convene secret meetings. The other group was the “Life Preservation Style,” responsible for collecting external intelligence. Urgent matters had already been sent to Yuan Ye by fast ship, and general affairs were brought over by A Qing.
Of course, there was also new information.
A Qing quietly waited for Yuan Ye to stamp a bunch of documents, approving the general ones. Then she took out a small notebook and said softly, “Your Highness, four days ago, Oda Nobunaga sent someone to invite you and Princess Inu-hime to Komaki Mountain Castle.”
Yuan Ye had launched the “Sales Expedition,” and it had taken more than half a year from preparation to completion. During this time, Oda Nobunaga had not been idle. While engaging in small-scale battles with Saito Tatsuoki in the Kawanami region, he was also actively preparing to deal with the traitor Oda Nobukiyo, the Castle Lord of Inuyama Castle. He had now built the expedition base, Komaki Mountain Castle, and moved his residence there.
Incidentally, Oda Nobunaga also fulfilled his previous dream and moved his “true love” into Komaki Mountain Castle. Now, the “mistress” of Komaki Mountain Castle was Ikoma Yoshino, so he no longer had to travel dozens of miles every ten days to have an affair.
This matter also received the permission of his legal wife, Nohime. However, as a condition, Oda Nobunaga handed over Ikoma Yoshino’s second illegitimate son, who would be Oda Nobutada in the future, to Nohime for upbringing. He was also registered as the legitimate son, considered Oda Nobunaga’s designated heir. Nohime had never given birth and was very fond of this child. She took a character from her former name and named the child “Kishōmaru.”
As for Oda Nobunaga’s eldest illegitimate son, the son of the sister of his vassal Harada Naomasa, because the character “eldest” was a bit inconvenient, Oda Nobunaga sent him to the Murai family to be raised by another vassal, Murai Sadakatsu, to prevent this child from competing for inheritance rights in the future.
Yuan Ye was not that concerned about Oda Nobunaga’s domestic affairs. This was all miscellaneous intelligence collected by the “Life Preservation Style.” However, Oda Nobunaga was coming to find him again…
While organizing documents, he casually asked A Qing, “Is the Oda family preparing to attack Inuyama Castle? Do they want our help?”
A Qing lowered her eyelids and flipped through her notebook, reciting, “Probably. According to reports submitted by local intelligence personnel, Oda Nobunaga likely hopes we can assist in defending the Kawanami area so that he can focus all his efforts on attacking Inuyama Castle without any worries. Additionally, he probably wants you to meet Azai Nagamasa… however, this point cannot be confirmed at present and is only inferred from the fact that Matsudaira Motoyasu will also be visiting Komaki Mountain Castle soon.”
“Azai Nagamasa?” Yuan Ye was very familiar with this person. “The husband of Princess A’ichi, the ‘number one beauty of Japan’s Warring States,’ the father of Chacha. His head was later made into a wine cup by Oda Nobunaga?”
He couldn’t quite remember. It was possible the material came from the Asakura family…
The Battle of Okehazama only happened a little over two or almost three years ago, and A’ichi was only six or seven years old. Now Oda Nobunaga was going to form an alliance with Azai Nagamasa. Was he going to marry A’ichi off?
He vaguely remembered it wasn’t that early. Perhaps they would get engaged and form a marital alliance first, and then get married in three or four years?
Yuan Ye pondered for a while. He was somewhat interested in Azai Nagamasa, as he was also a historical figure. However, the Azai family was too far from him, and Wanjin’s development focus was not in the northwest direction. He had never paid much attention to this person before.
If A Man were here, he could ask her directly. A Man would definitely talk for ten minutes straight without stopping. But now A Man had been sent by him to Ezo Island to find the Ainu people. So he could only look himself. It was almost winter. In modern Hokkaido, the snow in winter could often bury one up to their knees. It was probably even colder in this era. He would freeze that bastard to death then, and see if she dared to be a third wheel in the future.
Yuan Ye, with A Man on his mind, asked A Qing to find the intelligence files for the Omi region and the Azai family, preparing to study this “new ally” carefully.
Yes, he, Oda Nobunaga, and Matsudaira Motoyasu were currently a small clique, all having sworn to help each other. It was likely that Oda Nobunaga wanted to add another person to this small clique, and Azai Nagamasa would naturally become an ally of Wanjin.
The files were quickly delivered, and Yuan Ye took them and carefully examined them.
Omi was a great country to the east of Kyoto, embracing Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa.
Before the Muromachi Shogunate was established, Southern Omi was ruled by the Rokkaku family, the head family of the Sasaki Genji. Northern Omi was managed by the Kyogoku family, a branch family of the Sasaki Genji.
At the beginning of the Muromachi Shogunate, the Kyogoku family produced an important figure, Sasaki Dōyo, who once influenced the Shogunate. The Kyogoku family also took the opportunity to expand greatly. At its peak, it controlled the five provinces of Izumo, Oki, Hida, Settsu, and Omi. Its power even surpassed that of the head family, the Rokkaku family, making it one of the Shogunate’s “Four Offices.”
However, after the “Onin War,” the Kyogoku family rapidly declined. Within a few decades, they lost most of their territory, leaving only the land of Northern Omi. Subsequently, there was a succession dispute, and the brothers Kyogoku Takahiro and Kyogoku Takayoshi fought each other. The Azai family, a magistrate family in the Azai district of Northern Omi, took advantage of the situation to rise up, directly expelled their lord, and seized Northern Omi.
Afterward, it went through two generations, Azai Ryōmasa and Azai Hisamasa. By the time it reached Azai Nagamasa, he was already the third family head.
However, Azai Nagamasa was currently having a difficult time. During the era of Azai Ryōmasa, the Azai family was quite powerful. But like father, like son, Azai Hisamasa was a weak and incompetent individual. He had been dealt with by the Rokkaku family several times, and his situation had almost fallen to the same level as the Matsudaira family before—nominally an ally of the Rokkaku family, but in reality, just cannon fodder.
The Rokkaku family’s actions were also excessive. They not only wanted the Azai family to submit but also wanted to completely reclaim Northern Omi. The Rokkaku family had always felt that Northern Omi should belong to the Kyogoku family. Now that the Kyogoku family was gone, Northern Omi should rightfully return to the head family, and it could not be occupied by a small county magistrate family for a long time.
Therefore, the Rokkaku family seized the opportunity, forced Azai Hisamasa’s head, and made Azai Nagamasa undergo the Eboshi-oya ceremony. They also assigned a wife to Azai Nagamasa, intending to control the Azai family’s power, station Rokkaku family samurai in Northern Omi, and gradually devour the Azai family.
This behavior finally angered the local lords of Northern Omi and the vassals of the Azai family. After all, this involved land disputes, and “Issho Kenmei” (fighting for one’s life). Anyone who dared to touch a samurai’s fief would be fought to the death.
As a result, the local lords of Northern Omi and the vassals of the Azai family united, directly exiled the weak and incompetent family head Azai Hisamasa, and imprisoned him on Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa. Then they enthroned Azai Nagamasa as the new family head.
In this year, the Battle of Okehazama had not yet occurred, and Azai Nagamasa was only fifteen years old.
Shortly after, around the same time as the Battle of Okehazama, the “Battle of Norada” broke out in Northern Omi. Azai Nagamasa led over ten thousand men to fight against the enraged Rokkaku family’s more than twenty-seven thousand men. They broke the enemy in one blow, thus cleaning up half of the mess left by his father and breaking away from the status of a Rokkaku family vassal.
However, the Rokkaku family was also of noble descent and had been established in Omi for hundreds of years. Losing one battle did not shake their foundation. The pressure on the Azai family was still immense, with the constant threat of annihilation by the Rokkaku family.
After Yuan Ye finished reading about the general situation of the Azai family, he immediately understood why Oda Nobunaga and Azai Nagamasa could come together. The Rokkaku family was an ally of the Saito family. Therefore, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Oda Nobunaga naturally wanted to pull in the Azai family to cause trouble for the Saito family. The Azai family had always been entangled with the Rokkaku family, and the Saito family often helped the Rokkaku family beat them. Therefore, he also wished for the Saito family’s demise and did not mind colluding with Oda Nobunaga.
“Prepare yourself. We’re going to Komaki Mountain Castle.”
Yuan Ye pondered for a while, closed the files, and prepared to make the trip to meet this new ally and to do some archaeology, to see what kind of person A’ichi’s husband was.
He had to go out again right after returning, unable to even rest for a few days, which was a bit regrettable. But this was probably the life of turbulent times; one could never rest.
