Stories of the Japanese 00583 [Early Kamakura Period] The Kajiwara Kagetoki Incident: The Impeachment Letter

October 25, 1199. The gokenin (vassals) gathered at the Samurai-dokoro (Board of Retainers) were enjoying a lively conversation. Suddenly, Yuki Tomomitsu remarked,
"It is said that a loyal subject does not serve two masters. I regret that I did not become a monk when Lord Yoritomo passed away. If only there hadn't been a final wish telling us not to follow him in death."

Kajiwara Kagetoki did not let this remark slide.
"Doesn't the saying 'a loyal subject does not serve two masters' imply a disregard for the current Shogun?"
Thinking this, Kagetoki opportunistically reported it to Yoriie and advised that Tomomitsu should be punished. Kajiwara Kagetoki's given name was Heizo, but he was famous for slandering Yoshitsune and causing his downfall, earning him the nickname "Heizo the Slanderer." His overreaction to such a minor comment from Tomomitsu was typical of "Heizo the Slanderer."
October 27. Awa no Tsubone (?-1227), a daughter of Tokimasa, conveyed her concerns to Tomomitsu, saying,
"Kagetoki has slandered you, so you might be killed."
A panicked Tomomitsu consulted with the influential gokenin Miura Yoshimura (1168-1239), who in turn consulted with Wada Yoshimori and Adachi Morinaga.
They were unanimous in their opinion that "Kajiwara Kagetoki's slander cannot be tolerated." Indeed, if one were at risk of downfall for such a minor remark, one could not speak freely. Therefore, they decided to collect signatures to impeach Kagetoki.
Whether they were illiterate or simply lacked confidence in their literary skills, they asked the scholar-official Nakahara Nakanari to ghostwrite the impeachment letter. While the full text does not remain, it is said that Miura Yoshimura praised the passage,
"Those who keep chickens do not keep tanuki. Those who keep livestock do not keep mountain dogs,"
as a truly excellent piece of writing.
Signatures from as many as 66 people were collected for this impeachment letter, and on October 28, Wada Yoshimori and Miura Yoshimura submitted it to Oe no Hiromoto.
However, Hiromoto did not readily present it to Yoriie. On November 10, when Wada Yoshimori asked,
"How did the Lord of Kamakura react?"
Hiromoto replied,
"I have not yet presented it."
Yoshimori became furious and strongly protested in a scolding tone, asking, "Why are you ignoring the anger of so many gokenin?" Only then was the impeachment letter finally submitted to Yoriie.