It was just at this point that Nobunaga made his secret trip to the capital. This was something that no other provincial warlord had dreamed of doing. Imagawa Yoshimoto had marched on Kyoto at the head of a great army. His ambition—to be granted an imperial mandate, and thereby control the shogun and rule the country—was cut off halfway, but he was only the first to try. Every other great lord in the country considered Imagawa's plans to be the best. But only Nobunaga was bold enough to travel to Kyoto alone and prepare for the future.
After several meetings with Miyoshi Nagayoshi, Nobunaga finally secured an interview with Shogun Yoshiteru. Naturally he went to the Miyoshi mansion in his usual disguise, changed into formal dress, and went to the shogun's palace.
The shogunal dwelling was a luxurious palace gone to ruin. The luxury and wealth that had been created and then exhausted by thirteen successive shoguns was now nothing more than a half-remembered dream. All that remained was a self-serving and self-important administration.
"So you are Nobuhide's son, Nobunaga?" Yoshiteru said. There was no strength in his voice. His manners were perfect, but there was no life in them.
Nobunaga quickly perceived that there was no longer any vigor left in the office of shogun. Prostrating himself, he asked for the favor of Yoshiteru's acquaintance. But in the voice of the bowing man, there was a strength that overwhelmed his superior.
"I came to Kyoto incognito this time. I doubt if any of these local products from Owari will please the eye of a person from the capital." Presenting Yoshiteru with a list of gifts, he started to back away.
"Perhaps you would favor me by staying for dinner," Yoshiteru said.
Sake was served. From the banquet room they could view an elegant garden. In the evening darkness, the color of hydrangeas and the dew on the damp moss glittered in the lamplight.
Nobunaga's character was not one of strict formality, regardless of the company and the situation. He behaved without reserve when the sake flasks were reverently brought in and when the meal was served in a fastidiously traditional manner.
Yoshiteru gazed at his guest as though his appetite were a wonderful thing. Although weary of luxury and formality, he saw it as a point of pride that every dish that was served at his table was a delicacy from the capital.
"Nobunaga, how do you find Kyoto cooking?"
"It's excellent…"
"How's the flavor?"
Well, the flavor of the cooking of the capital is pretty subtle. Food this insipid is rare for me."
"Is that so? Do you follow the Way of Tea?"
“I’ve drunk tea in the same way I've drunk water ever since I was a boy, but I'm unacquainted with the way experts practice the tea ceremony."
“Did you view the garden?"
"Yes, I saw it."
"What did you think?"
"I thought it was rather small."
"Small?"
"It's very pretty, but when I compare it with the view of the hills of Kiyosu…"
"You don't seem to understand anything at all." The shogun laughed again. "But it's better to be ignorant than have only a smattering of knowledge. Well, then, what do you have a taste for?"
"Archery. Beyond that, I have no special talents. But if you would hear something extraordinary, I was able to rush here to your very gates in three days, passing through enemy territory on the Mino-Omi road from Owari. Now that the entire country is in chaos, there's always the possibility that an incident may occur in or near the palace. I would be very thankful if you would keep me in mind," he said with a smile.
Originally it had been Nobunaga who had taken advantage of the national chaos and overthrown the Shiba governor of Owari who had been appointed by the shogun.
And, even though the matter was reviewed in the High Court of the shogun as a show of the administration's outrage and authority, this was really only a matter of form. But recently the provincial governors rarely came to visit Kyoto, and the shogun felt isolated. His boredom was relieved by Nobunaga's call, and he seemed to be anxious to talk.
Yoshiteru might have expected hints of a desire for official promotion or court rank during this talk, but none came, and finally Nobunaga cheerfully took his leave.
"Let's go home," Nobunaga said, announcing their return after a thirty-day stay in the capital. "Tomorrow," he quickly added. As the attendants in disguise as country samurai and ascetics, who had lodged separately, now busily prepared to start off on the journey home, a messenger delivered a warning from Owari.
Rumors have been spread since your departure from Kiyosu. When you go back, use extreme prudence, and please be prepared against some mishap on the road.
Whichever way they went, they were going to have to go through one enemy province after another. What road could they take safely? Perhaps they should return by ship.
Nobunaga's attendants gathered that night in the house where he had been staying and discussed the matter, but were not able to come to an agreement. Suddenly, Ikeda Shonyu came out unceremoniously from the direction of Nobunaga's room and stared at them. "You gentlemen still haven't gone to bed?"
One of the men looked at him with an irritated expression. "We're discussing something important."
"I didn't know you were in the middle of a conference. What in the world are you talking about?"
"You're pretty carefree for one of His Lordship's attendants. Don't you know about the message that came by courier this evening?"
"I heard."
"It's most important that nothing happen on the way home. We're just now bangingour heads together trying to figure out which road we should take."
"Your worry is all for nothing. His Lordship has already decided."
"What? He's decided?"
"When we came to the capital, there were too many people, so he felt as though we stood out. His plan for going home is that four or five people will be enough. The retainers can go home separately, taking any road they like."
Nobunaga left the capital before sunrise. And just as Shonyu had said, twenty or thirty of the men disguised as mountain ascetics, and most of the country samurai, were left behind. Only four men accompanied him. Shonyu was among them, of course, but the one who felt most honored about being chosen for this small group was Tokichiro.
"He's rather unprotected."
"Do you suppose he's all right?"
The group of retainers that had been left behind was uneasy, and followed Nobunaga as far as Otsu, but at that point Nobunaga and his men hired horses and went east over the bridge at Seta. There were a number of checkpoints, but he passed through without difficulty. Nobunaga had asked for a letter of safe conduct from Miyoshi Nagayoshi that stated he was traveling under the protection of the governor-general. At every barrier they came to, he would show the letter and pass on.
* * *
The Way of Tea had become widespread across the country. In a violent and bloody world, people sought peace and a quiet place where they might find a brief respite from the noise and confusion. Tea was the elegant boundary where peace contrasted with action, and perhaps it was not so strange that its most devoted followers were the samurai, whose daily lives were soaked in blood.
Nene had learned the Way of Tea. Her father, whom she loved dearly, also drank tea, so this made it quite different from playing the koto, displaying her talent just to the people who happened to pass by the house.
There was inducement for making tea in the peace of the morning, in her father’s genial smile, and in the act of whisking the hot green froth in a bowl of black Seto ware. As such, this was not just a game but a part of her daily life.
"There's a rather heavy dew in the garden, isn't there? And the chrysanthemum buds are still hard." Mataemon looked out into the tiny enclosed area from his open veranda. Nene, who was busy in front of the hearth, tea ladle in hand, did not answer. The boiling water that she ladled from the kettle fell into the tea bowl as though from a spring, cheerffully infringing on the loneliness of the r
oom. She smiled and looked away.
“No, two or three of the chrysanthemums outside are already quite fragrant."
"Really? They've already bloomed? I didn't notice when I took the broom out and swept this morning. It seems a shame that flowers should have to bloom under the roof of the house of a provincial warrior."
The bamboo whisk poised in Nene's fingers made a crisp sound as she whisked the tea. She was embarrassed by her father's words, but Mataemon did not notice. Takiing the tea bowl and raising it reverently to his lips, he drank the frothy green tea. His faceshowed that he was enjoying the morning. But suddenly his thoughts changed: If my daughter goes to live somewhere else, I won't be drinking tea like this anymore.
"Excuse me." A voice came from behind the sliding doors.
"Okoi?" As his wife came into the room, Mataemon handed the tea bowl to Nene.
"Shall Nene prepare tea for you, too?"
"No, I'll have some later."
Okoi was carrying a letter case, and a messenger was waiting at the entrance. Mataemon put the letter case on his lap and opened the lid. A dubious look crossed his face. “His Lordship's cousin. It's from Lord Nagoya. What can it be?" Mataemon suddenly stood up, washed his hands, and then took the letter again reverently. Even though it was only a letter, it was from a member of Lord Nobunaga's family, and Mataemon behaved as if he were standing in front of the man himself.
"Is the messenger waiting?"
"Yes, but he said that a verbal response would be fine."
"No, no. That would be impolite. Bring me the inkstone."
Mataemon put brush to paper and handed his reply to the messenger. Okoi, however, felt uneasy about its contents. It was extremely unusual for a letter from Lord Nobunaga's cousin to be sent to the house of this lowly retainer. And this one had come directly by messenger.
"What can it be about?" she asked. Even Mataemon did not know because the letter contained nothing more than pleasantries. He could find nothing that might pass as a secret message or have meaning read into it beyond what it seemed to say.
Today I'm spending the entire day reading at my country retreat at Horikawazoi. I lament the fact that no one comes on such a pleasant day to enjoy the fragrance of the chrysanthemums I have raised. If you have some leisure, please come by to see me.
There was nothing more, but there must have been something more to it than this. If Mataemon had been particularly practiced at tea, an admirable reader, or a man of exceptional taste, the invitation might have been natural. But in fact he had not noticed the chrysanthemums blooming on his own fence. He was quick to notice dust on a bow, but otherwise he was the kind of man who would happily trample chrysanthemums underfoot.
"I'll go anyway. Okoi, put out my best clothes."
Standing in the bright autumn sunlight, Mataemon turned once to look at his house. Nene and Okoi had come out as far as the gate. His heart was strangely at peace, thankful that there were days like this, even in this world of chaos. He smiled at the thought and noticed that Nene and Okoi were also smiling. He turned briskly and walked away. Neighbors called to him, and he answered them as he walked by. The archers' houses were small and poor. The many children that always accompany poverty were also in abundance in the tenements, and through the fences at every house he could see diapers hung out to dry.
Now maybe we'll have a grandchild's diapers like that in our own yard. Such thoughts
naturally came to him, but they were not especially comforting to Mataemon. He was not all that pleased with the idea that someday he was going to be called "grandpa." Before that happened, he planned on making a name for himself. He had striven not to be left behind at Dengakuhazama, and he had certainly not given up the hope of heading the list of meritorious warriors in future battles. While in the midst of these thoughts, he found himself before Lord Nagoya's elegant villa.
The building had formerly been a small temple, but Nagoya had had it remodeled as a country villa.
Nagoya was exceedingly pleased with his prompt visit. "Thank you for coming. This year we've had a number of military disturbances, but I did manage to plant some chrysanthemums. Perhaps later you could do me the honor of looking at them."
Mataemon was treated graciously, but because his host was one of Nobunaga's close relatives, he sat at a respectful distance and bowed low.
What was the purpose of this? Mataemon wondered a little anxiously.
"Mataemon, make yourself more comfortable. Get yourself a cushion. You can see the chrysanthemums from here as well. Looking at chrysanthemums is not just looking at flowers, you know, it's looking at a man's work. But showing them to others is not a matter of boasting, it's sharing the pleasure, and enjoying another person's appreciation. Smelling the fragrance of chrysanthemums under a beautiful sky like this is another of His Lordship's favors."
"Most certainly, my lord."
"That we are blessed with a wise lord is something we've become acutely aware of recently. I'm sure none of us will ever be able to forget the appearance of Lord Nobunaga at Okehazama."
"With respect, my lord, he did not seem to be human, but an incarnation of the god of war."
"Nevertheless, we all did well together, didn't we? You're in the archers' regiment, but that day you were among the spearmen, weren't you?"
"That's correct, my lord."
"Were you in the attack on the Imagawa headquarters?"
"When we finally rushed the hill, the action was so confused that we could hardly tell friend from foe. But in the midst of it I heard Mori Shinsuke announce that he had taken the lord of Suruga's head."
"Was a man by the name of Kinoshita Tokichiro in your regiment?"
"He was indeed, my lord."
"What about Maeda Inuchiyo?"
“He had received His Lordship's displeasure, but was given permission to join the battle. I haven't seen him since we returned from Okehazama, but hasn't he returned to his former post?"
“He has. You probably still don't know about this, but he just recently accompanied his Lordship to Kyoto. They have returned to the castle, and Inuchiyo is in service there now."
"Kyoto! Why did His Lordship go there?"
“There's no harm in talking about it now. He went with only thirty or forty men, and
he himself was disguised as a country samurai on a pilgrimage. They were gone about forty days. His retainers acted as though he were here during that time. Shall we have a look at the chrysanthemum garden?"
Mataemon followed his host into the garden as though he were a servant. Nagoya spoke of the finer points of growing chrysanthemums, and how one had to use the same care and love as in raising a child.
"I've heard you have a daughter. She's called Nene, isn't she? I would like to help you find a son-in-law."
"My lord?" Mataemon bowed almost in half. Yet he hesitated momentarily. The subject recalled to him his own confusion. Nagoya ignored his vacillation, however, and went on, "I know someone who would make an excellent son-in-law. Leave it to me. I'll handle this."
"My family is really unworthy of this honor, my lord."
"You should talk it over with your wife. The man I have in mind for your son-in-law is Kinoshita Tokichiro. You know him well, I believe."
"Yes, my lord," Mataemon answered without thinking. He reproached himself for being so ill-bred as to sound surprised, but he was unable to stop himself.
"I'll wait for your answer."
"Yes… indeed…" With that, Mataemon took his leave.
He had wanted to ask more than a few questions about the reason for this interview, but could not be so openly inquisitive with a member of Lord Nobunaga's family. When he arrived home, Mataemon related what happened, and his wife seemed troubled that he had come home without giving a prompt reply.
"You should accept his request," she said. "I think this is really good news. Relationships are always a matter of timing, and the fact that Tokichiro has spoken with Nene so many times shows they had strong connections
in a previous life. Tokichiro must have some merit for a relative of His Lordship to act as his go-between. Please go tomorrow and give Lord Nagoya your answer."
"But don't you think I should ask Nene how she feels?"
"Hasn't she already spoken out about that?" Okoi asked.
"Well, I wonder if she still feels the same way."
"Nene is not very talkative, but once she's made up her mind, she doesn't often change it."
Alone, Mataemon wrestled with his worries for the future, and felt the awkwardness of being tossed aside. So at a time when they thought that Tokichiro might have been forgotten, having not shown his face there at all, he once again featured largely in the thoughts of Mataemon, his wife, and Nene.
The next day Mataemon quickly went off to deliver an answer to Lord Nagoya. As soon as he returned, he spoke to his wife. "Well, there was rather unexpected news." His wife immediately saw from his expression that this was something exceptional. As her husband told her about his meeting with Nagoya, the bright light that now shone on Nene's situation was manifest in both of their smiles.
"I had made up my mind today to ask Lord Nagoya why he had offered to be a go-between, but to ask this of a member of His Lordship's family was really difficult. Just as I
was trying my best to be polite, he mentioned that Inuchiyo had asked him."
"Inuchiyo asked Lord Nagoya?" exclaimed his wife. "Are you saying that he suggested that Nene and Tokichiro get married?"
"It seems as though there was some talk on the road when His Lordship made his secret trip to Kyoto. Well, I suppose His Lordship overheard it."
"My! His Lordship himself?"
"Yes, this is really quite extraordinary. It seems that during the long hours of the trip Inuchiyo and Tokichiro were talking about Nene quite openly, right in front of His Lordship."
"Has Master Inuchiyo given his consent?"
"Inuchiyo went to Lord Nagoya and made the same request, so we won't have to worry about him anymore."
"Well then, did you give a clear answer to Lord Nagoya today?"
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