TAIKO: AN EPIC NOVEL OF WAR AND GLORY IN FEUDAL JAPAN by Eiji Yoshikawa

Author:Eiji Yoshikawa [Yoshikawa, Eiji]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: prose_history
Publisher: KODANSHA INTERNATIONAL

Murashige's Treachery

"It's a lie! It must be a lie!"

Nobunaga could not believe it at first. When the news of Murashige's revolt reached Nobunaga in Azuchi, his first reaction was denial. But the gravity of the situation was quickly confirmed when two of Murashige's senior retainers, Takayama Ukon of Takatsuki and Nakagawa Sebei of Ibaragi, cited moral obligations and followed Murashige in unfurling the banner of revolt.

The look of dismay deepened on Nobunaga's brow. The strange thing was that he showed neither anger nor his usual hot temper at this unexpected turn of events. It would be a mistake to judge Nobunaga's character as one of fire. But it would also be an error, in observing his coolness, to classify him as water. When you thought of him as fire, he was water; when you thought of him as water, he was fire. Both the heat of flames and the chill of water coexisted in his body.

"Call Hideyoshi," Nobunaga suddenly ordered.

"Lord Hideyoshi 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 Nobunaga from his own impatience. When the retainers who were present turned to see who this someone might be, they discovered that it was Ranmaru, Nobunaga's page.

Nobunaga 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 Nobunaga'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 Murashige's castle at Hanakuma."

The coastal highway through Hyogo that ran beneath Hanakuma Castle was the only route from Azuchi to Harima.

"Hideyoshi is not going to be able to get through." At the moment Nobunaga 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?" Nobunaga asked.

"No, my lord."

Nobunaga was once again sunk in thought. The Hatano, the Bessho, and Araki Murashige had now suddenly revealed their links with the enemy—the Mori and the Honganji—and Nobunaga 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 Hideyoshi near the Mii Temple. Hideyoshi was resting there, or rather, having come that far, he had heard about Araki Murashige'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 Lordship 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.

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