Namida Bridge to Kamakura (2)

Furthermore, Mino-no-kami continued his words.
It pains me to admit it, but Jibu-no-taifu was gifted with such political intuition. While the Wada clan struggled just to maintain their ties centered around Kamakura, Jibu-no-taifu had connections even with the Nikaido clan in the west, and in the siege, some even rushed to his aid from as far away as Kyushu. That is the reason why, despite being inferior in numbers to the Wada clan, they showed such a magnificent performance in battle. In terms of political skill, Jibu-no-taifu was a cut above.
Jibu-no-taifu attempted to present an extraordinary amount of money and goods to the Hosokawa family, who held the position of Kanrei. He burdened the people of Sukagawa with heavy taxes to provide the funds and goods for this, and to entertain the people of the capital. Although the Nikaido family is an old lineage, their ties to the Ashikaga Shogunate are somewhat thin. Perhaps Jibu-no-taifu was trying, in his own way, to maintain the connection between the Nikaido clan and the Ashikaga clan.
However, if ties could be maintained with the Isshiki family, the story would change. The main Isshiki family is entrusted with the governorship of many provinces and has deep ties to the Ashikaga main family. In terms of connections with the Shogunate and the Kamakura-fu, one could say they are a higher-ranking family than the Nikaido. If one relies on the relatives of the Isshiki clan, one could maintain bonds with the Ashikaga clan without relying on money and goods as Jibu did. That would be far more beneficial for the people of Iwase.
"I hesitated to let you go out. But I think I will trust your intuition, which allowed Yukiwaka-dono to escape."
At Mino-no-kami's words, I felt a chill. As expected, Mino-no-kami had noticed Tosho-no-suke's negligence. However, he did not seem angry.
"I will tell you this as well. Yukiwaka-dono has entered Mount Koya, and it is said that he will live there as a scholar-monk, praying for the repose of the Nikaido clan's ancestors."
Tosho-no-suke let out a quiet breath. This, too, must have been information brought by Akisawa. At that time, if Tosho-no-suke had handed over Yukiwaka, who was carrying Jibu-no-taifu's head, to Mino-no-kami at Atago-yama, it would undoubtedly have been evaluated as his greatest military achievement. However, witnessing the death of Princess Michiyo made him hesitate. If he had sent Yukiwaka to Atago-yama, there is no doubt that Yukiwaka's head would have been severed nine times out of ten. In fact, he was rebuked by Guzu, also known as Akisawa, on that very spot.
For Tosho-no-suke, it was unbearable to send Yukiwaka, who only wanted to pray for his father's soul, to the underworld just like Princess Michiyo.
"I am sure that I would have made the same decision as you, Tosho-no-suke. But whether I could have done it in front of my retainers..."
Tameuji shook his head. Indeed, in Tameuji's position, it might have been difficult to save Yukiwaka's life.
"Yukiwaka-dono was my brother-in-law. If I had killed him, my reputation would have suffered, and that might have invited new resentment."
As a result, Tosho-no-suke's decision also saved Tameuji's position. Thinking of this, Tosho-no-suke felt that the causality of things cannot be judged by a single event.
"Was it also Mino-no-kami-sama's strategy to have me act alongside the shinobi during the capture of Sukagawa Castle?"
Suddenly remembering that fierce battle, Tosho-no-suke's tone took on a note of reproach. What would he have done if he had lost his life there? In fact, he was persistently chased by Kajiwara Kagemitsu. Although it was fine because he was safe, he still could not understand why he was added to that group.
In response to Tosho-no-suke's question, Mino-no-kami gave a bitter smile and continued his explanation.
"To revive the Miyauchi-Isshiki family, a suitable justification was needed. At that time, the war situation was deadlocked. In any form, it was necessary to break it. I also assumed that if Akisawa were by your side, you would not lose your life."
From those words, one could see the depth of Mino-no-kami's trust in Akisawa. Indeed, Akisawa is a suspicious person, but his loyalty to Mino-no-kami and his master, Tameuji, must be genuine.
Even so, Mino-no-kami is a mysterious person. If he could devise such schemes, it felt like a waste to keep him in a remote place like Sukagawa.
"Mino-no-kami-sama, have you never thought of becoming the lord of Iwase yourself?"
Tosho-no-suke found that strange. In terms of depth of strategy, this Mino-no-kami was the most outstanding person Tosho-no-suke had ever met. He had connections with famous monks like Getsuso, and the breadth of his reach was unfathomable. Perhaps, even if he went to Kamakura or the capital, he would have the courage and connections to deal with many warriors and nobles.
However, Mino-no-kami shook his head.
"The Suda family is, after all, a servant of the Nikaido family. Even if I were entrusted with one-third of the territory of Sukagawa, my master is the Nikaido family. I have never thought of rising up myself or serving another master."
At those words, Tosho-no-suke was filled with admiration. It is precisely because he is such a retainer that Tameuji trusts Mino-no-kami completely. Even if he was the master who drove his own wife to her death.
Also, although Mino-no-kami looks strict at first glance, he is unexpectedly deep in emotion. That was the difference between him and Jibu, who, despite being skilled in strategy, eventually destroyed himself.
Tameuji also added an explanation from the side.

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>"To Kamakura (3)" continues to

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