different warring states of japan

Chapter 2081: One Night White Flag Shows Miracle

Yamazaki, which is across the river from Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, is the place where Hideyoshi Ichijo and Mitsuhide Akechi confronted each other and almost fought a battle.

Yoshigin allowed Ashikaga Yoshiaki to return to Kyoto, but she had to go to Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine to repent first, which was not an excessive request.

Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine is located in the southwest of Yodo Castle, within the sphere of influence of Ichijo Hideyoshi. As long as the Sasaki family does not turn against the Ichijo family, Ashikaga Yoshiaki's personal safety can be absolutely guaranteed.

Secondly, Hachimangu Shrine enshrines the god of the Genji clan and the guardian deity of the samurai, Hachiman Daibosatsu.

Hachiman is the ancestor god of the Emperor and is also regarded as the clan god by the Minamoto clan, descendants of the Emperor. When Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura shogunate, the status of Hachiman was further elevated and he evolved into the guardian deity of the samurai.

This is considered the ancestral temple of the Kawachi Genji. The Hachiman Daibutsu can also be seen as a clan god that is a fusion of foreign Buddhism and native Shintoism. It is not wrong to say that the ancestor of the Kawachi Genji is watching over it.

Both the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates were established by the direct descendants of the Kawachi Genji. Therefore, the status of Hachimangu Shrine was as solid as a rock, and sacrifices and incense were constantly offered there.

Even when Ashikaga Yoshimitsu destroyed the imperial court and Shintoism, he did not dare to demolish the Hachiman Shrine. Instead, he elevated the status of Hachiman Daibutsu to the guardian deity of the samurai in order to maintain the orthodoxy of the shogunate's rule.

Since coming to power, the impoverished Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki has been doing things in a mess. When Ashikaga Yoshiteru was in power, there were some signs of reviving the Ashikaga shogunate, but now they have been completely crushed by Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

It is not unfair to call Ashikaga Yoshiaki a mediocre and evil person.

When Ashikaga Yoshiaki fled Kyoto, although he was bewitched by Akechi Mitsuhide, he was still hoping for the best, hoping to re-establish the shogun's authority and make a comeback to regain power.

Unfortunately, the result was that she was displaced and had to live under someone else's roof. Now she was going back to Beijing in a disgraced state, and it was naturally not as easy as when she left.

Even with the help of the two traitors, Ninagawa Chikayoshi and Hatakeyama Takamasa, the return to Kyoto still requires Yoshigane's approval in the end.

Yoshikin had no choice but to nod, unless he was willing to destroy the benevolent and righteous image he had built up over the years. What he wanted now was stability, and it would be best if the Sōka world could transition peacefully from the Ashikaga world.

This idea was grasped by Ninagawa Hatakeyama and the other man, who thought they had bargaining chips, but they did not think through the key point.

The reform and innovation of the Sasaki family was in full swing. After Gamo Ujisato's death, Yoshigane himself stepped forward to support Ii Naomasa.

  There is no room for maneuver anymore. It is a critical moment where one must move forward or else one will fall behind. How could Yiyin give in so easily?

Things are different now. The small calculations of these high-ranking officials of the Kyoto Shogunate have touched Yoshigin's bottom line. Yoshigin has already planned to send Ashikaga Yoshiaki and the high-ranking officials of the Kyoto Shogunate away in one go.

Akechi Mitsuhide wanted to take advantage of the interests of the Sasaki Group and instigate Yoshigin's women to work together to kill the Ashikaga shogunate, but Yoshigin did not want his women to be stained with such dirty blood.

In this case, please ask our ancestors to come forward and resolve the issue.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki is such a fool. Yoshikin can forgive her, but he should ask his ancestors whether they can forgive her.

If the ancestor was unwilling to forgive her, he would definitely kill her with a thunderbolt. Yoshigin had no choice but to accept the Kyoto shogunate with tears, reorganize the Dai-pan-gi, and lay a new foundation for the Sōka world.

Yoshigane said to Yukino who was waiting for orders.

“I will order Ninagawa Chikayo and Hatakeyama Takamasa to welcome the general at Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine, and worship Hachiman Bodhisattva together with the general, and repent for their past recklessness.

I will stand on Yamazaki on the north bank of the Yodo River and look out at Otokoyama, where Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine is located.

As the saying goes, a prodigal who returns is worth more than gold. As long as Ashikaga Yoshiaki completes this process, I will pick up the story again and welcome her to the capital again, just like I sent her to Kyoto to succeed the throne. "

Yamazaki and Mt. Otokoyama, where Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine is located, are separated by the Yodo River. The imperial court had built the Yamazaki Bridge several times to connect the two banks, but the fierce river could not withstand the bridge being washed away, so the plan was finally abandoned.

To this day, the only way to cross the two sides is by boat.

Yoshigin watched Ashikaga Yoshiaki offering sacrifices to Hachiman God from Yamazaki, and the two sides reconciled their past grievances. This move can be said to be kind, but Yukino felt something was wrong the more she listened.

  The saint clearly had the intention to kill Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Putting aside the high-sounding political show, where was the killer move planned for this trip to Hachimangu Shrine?

Yukino asked tentatively. "The Saint wants me to lead the Mibu Wolf to lurk outside Hachimangu Shrine, and when the Shogun, Kanrei, and Seisho Daikan are performing a sacrifice ceremony, break into the palace and kill no one alive?"

Yiyin shook his head.

“The general is offering sacrifices to Hachiman, and there must be countless eyes watching him inside and outside Nanshan.

Ichijo Hideyoshi is not a fool. There must be ninjas under his command lurking in Otokoyama. If you act there, even if you succeed in destroying the high-ranking officials of the shogunate, you will not be able to prevent the news from leaking out.

If this were really done, Ichijo Hideyoshi would definitely spread the news of the Hachimangu Massacre throughout the world, and the samurai righteousness that I, Sasaki Yoshigin, had established over the past ten years would be destroyed in one day."

Yukino thought for a moment and then spoke again.

"The Saint wants me to take control of the boats on the Yodo River, and when the General finishes his ritual and heads to Yamazaki to meet the Saint, we'll drill into her boat?"

Xueno thought that the saint wanted to follow the wisdom of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty and use the accidental shipwreck to eliminate the nominal political leader and replace him.

Yiyin smiled and shook his head.

"The waters west of Yodo Castle are all under Hideyoshi's control. The Yodo River is an important waterway for transportation in Settsu and Kyoto, with countless ships coming and going. How can you guarantee that Ashikaga Yoshiaki will board the ship you prepared?

The death of Miyoshi Yoshitsugu frightened Ashikaga Yoshiaki so much that he hesitated to move forward. How could she, who had become so cautious, get on a strange ship whose details she didn't know? "

Yukino thought about it and sighed.

"I can't guess what the saint is thinking if he doesn't do it in Hachiman Shrine or on the water."

Yiyin smiled slightly. Naturally, no one could guess what he was thinking.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Ninagawa Yoshiyoshi, Hatakeyama Takamasa and those retainers who were willing to accompany him must be the most stubborn faction of the old shogunate, and this time Yoshikin wanted to kill them all.

But they can only die from divine punishment, and Yoshigane and the Sasaki family will never be stained with blood.

Yoshigane looked at Yukino and spoke slowly.

"I don't need you to kill anyone, you just need to do one thing for me.

I will write back to Ninagawa Chikayo and Hatakeyama Takamasa to state my request, and they will certainly discuss it with Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

You have enough time to act before Ashikaga Yoshiaki nods and accepts my terms."

Yukino asked.

"What does the Saint need from me?"

Yiyin smiled cruelly.

"In the workshop outside of Tamonyama Castle, 108 pure iron flagpoles have been built and 108 Genji white flags have been prepared.

I want you to take these flagpoles and sneak into Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine and plant them all over the inside and outside of the Shrine Hall."

(End of this chapter)