Chapter 214 18. Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the Peacemaker
The Tanaka area is now a vast military camp, with nearly 30,000 troops on both sides extending from the hills to the plains by the coast. Various flags and horse marks flutter in the wind, and knights speaking various dialects keep coming and going, conveying the orders of their lords.
But today, there is no sign of conflict between the two sides. It turns out that the court and His Majesty the Shogun in Kyoto finally reacted after receiving the news that Imagawa Yoshimoto died in Okehazama. The court's edict and His Majesty the Shogun's imperial edict were brought to the parties in the conflict in Suruga.
It turns out that the Takeda family is not idle either. Through the relationship between Lady Sanjo and Master Honganji, the Takeda family is also working hard in Kyoto, hoping that the court and the shogunate will support Imagawa Hikogoro to succeed the Imagawa family and serve as the guardian of Suruga.
The envoy sent by the Ashikaga Shogun this time was Fujitaka Mibuchi. Since the court noble Sanjo Konori died in the Dainingji Incident a few years ago, this time they sent Nakamikado Nobuhiro (Shoukenni was from the Nakamikado clan?) to convey the order.
So Yamanouchi Yoshiharu and Takeda Harunobu met in a small shrine with caution. There was no communication between the two. After arriving at the front hall of the shrine, they sat down separately. On the Yamanouchi side, Kobayata was fortunate to attend, and on the Takeda side, Oishi Ujiteru, Imagawa Ujiki and Katsurayama Ujimoto were also present.
When Fujitaka Mibuchi saw Yoshiharu Yamanouchi arrive, he saluted him very respectfully. "Father, I feel relieved that you are in good health."
"Hyōbu, please get up soon. You have been serving the country diligently in Kyoto. You are a model of the military family. You have taken good care of Taro in Kyoto. Brothers should support each other in this way." Yamanouchi Yoshiharu was very satisfied with this son-in-law. His daughter had been married for six or seven years. The couple was very harmonious and had a son. In addition, the Mibuchi family was a powerful person among the current shogunate retainers, and this Mibuchi Fujitaka was a popular person in front of the emperor, so he naturally liked Yamanouchi Yoshiharu even more.
Then Mibuchi Fujitaka greeted Takeda Harunobu in accordance with etiquette, and then officially unfolded the Shogun's letter written on silk.
The judge of the Guangguangyuan Palace
The order of the transfer of the affairs of the deceased father, the Minister of Rites Yoshimoto, and the order that Imagawa Hikogoro should continue to take charge of the post of guardian of Suruga is as follows.
On a certain day of a certain month in the year of Tianwen
Sanyuan Fujitaka read the short imperial letter of a few dozen words slowly, but the shock wave did not stop with these few words.
Takeda Harunobu was overjoyed. The matter that was originally uncertain was actually supported by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru. Now it is a foregone conclusion that Imagawa Hikogoro will inherit the Suruga Imagawa clan. The Suruga guardian post, which has great symbolic significance, finally fell into their hands. In a sense, Takeda Harunobu has won this battle.
On the other hand, Imagawa Yoshichika, relying on the advantage that Ashikaga Yoshiteru is his cousin within the fifth degree of mourning, had a tense face and looked like he was sure of victory. But after his brother-in-law read the imperial letter, the young man seemed to have all his strength drained away and seemed to be about to collapse.
Yamauchi was filled with righteous indignation. He was obviously a vassal of the shogunate, but he was not as good as an outsider. Yamanouchi Yoshiharu was very well-mannered, but at this time, he also exuded an angry atmosphere around him. He looked at his son-in-law without saying a word.
Sanyuan Fujitaka was indifferent. He took out another roll of colored silk, gestured to his father-in-law, and read it out loud.
The content was even more explosive. The former Shinano guardian Ogasawara Nagatake had died, and his son Ogasawara Nagatoki had fled to Kyoto under the attack of Murakami Yoshikiyo. At present, the position of Shinano guardian was temporarily vacant and was not given to Murakami Yoshikiyo. But after Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ogasawara Nagatoki negotiated, they issued an imperial edict to officially give the position of Shinano guardian to Yamanouchi Samato Yoshikatsu.
This is not the end. The position of Totomi guardian was originally held by the Sasaki family. Under the attack of two generations of Imagawa Yoshitada and Imagawa Ujimoto, the Sasaki family eventually lost their country. The position of Totomi guardian finally fell into the hands of the Imagawa family. The previous Totomi guardian was naturally Imagawa Yoshimoto.
Now that Yoshimoto is dead and Totomi has fallen into the hands of the Yamanouchi family, Ashikaga Yoshiteru appointed Imagawa Yoshichika as the guardian of Totomi.
Imagawa Yoshichika, a young man, was just speechless after being hit by his brother-in-law, and now he was hit by a pie that fell from the sky, and he was completely stunned.
Now the faces of the people in the hall were different. Takeda Harunobu was no longer as excited as he was at the beginning. After all, his goal was to take all of Shinano and become the king. But now that the righteousness of Shinano has been given to the Yamanouchi family, he will be without a name in the future. In addition, he only got one guardian post of Suruga, but the Yamanouchi family actually got two, which is really unfair.
But the Shogun's imperial edict has been issued, and it will definitely not be changed in a short time. Unless Ashikaga Yoshiteru dies tomorrow and a pro-Takeda person comes to power, there will be no miracle.
Yamanouchi Yoshiharu was extremely dissatisfied, but now he is much calmer. The shogunate also recognized that Imagawa Ujichika was the successor of Imagawa Yoshimoto, and gave one of the two guardians appointed by Imagawa Yoshimoto to each side, and one more on his side, as if they were family members.
As for why Yamanouchi Yoshiharu was not the guardian of Shinano, the reason was very simple. He was already the shogunate's companion. Those who held this position were big men like Miyoshi Nagayoshi, Asakura Yoshikage, and Rokkaku Yoshitaka. This position was already high enough, so it would not be easy for him to be a guardian of a lower level. Just like Yamana Sozen, he was a "sixth-rank lord", but the guardians of the eleven countries were all his sons, nephews, and fellow disciples.
After the confirmation of the other duties, Nakamikado Nobuhiro also brought the imperial edict. Yamanouchi Yoshiharu was officially appointed as the councilor, bid farewell to the title of Yulin Zhonglangjiang, and would be honored as Yamanouchi Prime Minister in the future. Yamanouchi Yoshikatsu was appointed as Shinano no Kami, and was legitimately the successor of Yamanouchi Yoshiharu. Imagawa Yoshichika was awarded the post of Totomi no Kami, which matched Totomi no Kami, and was appointed as the lower fifth rank, and could be honored as Totomi no Daifu. This position is obviously much worse than Yamanouchi Yoshikatsu's upper fifth rank, and the court also had good intentions.
Of course, the Takeda family did not come in vain. Takeda Yoshinobu, as the name (jindai) of Imagawa Hikogoro, was awarded the upper fifth rank of Suruga no Kami, and was on par with Yamanouchi Yoshikatsu, without a single difference. It is clear that the court just wants to avoid offending both sides, and each side should manage its own territory, so as not to make things difficult for the court.
After listening to this series of appointments, Kobayata really didn't know what to say to Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
Although he acted as a peacemaker and seemed fair and just, but in fact neither side was satisfied. He was really in a dilemma.
It would be better to win over one side and offend the other, so that at least he could gain one more loyal supporter in the local area and strengthen his reputation. But now that the division is like this, who would be satisfied, Yamanouchi Yoshiharu or Takeda Harunobu?
He was a bad guy with good intentions!