TAIKO: AN EPIC NOVEL OF WAR AND GLORY IN FEUDAL JAPAN

Monkey Marches West

Not long after his meeting with Kuroda Kanbei, Hideyoshi received a special assignment from Nobunaga.

'The truth is,' Nobunaga began, 'I'd like to risk my entire army on this expedition, but the situation won't permit that yet. For that reason I've chosen you as the one in whom I put all of my trust. You're to take three armies, lead them into the western provinces, and persuade the Mori clan to submit to me. This is a great responsibility that I know only you could take on. Will you do it?'

Hideyoshi was silent. He was so elated and so filled with gratitude that he was unable to answer immediately.

'I accept,' he said finally with deep emotion.

This was only the second time Nobunaga had raised three armies and entrusted their command to one of his retainers. The first time was when he had put Katsuie in charge of the campaign in the northern provinces. But because it was so important and so difficult, an invasion of the western provinces could not be compared with the northern campaign.

Hideyoshi felt as though an incredible weight had been put on his shoulders. Observing Hideyoshi's unusually cautious expression, Nobunaga suddenly felt uneasy, won­dering if this were not too heavy a responsibility for him after all. Does Hideyoshi have the confidence to take on this responsibility? he asked himself.

'Hideyoshi, will you go back to Nagahama Castle before you mobilize the troops?' Nobunaga asked. 'Or would you prefer to leave from Azuchi?'

'With your permission, my lord, I will depart from Azuchi this very day.'

'You have no regrets about leaving Nagahama?'

'None. My mother, my wife, and my foster son are there. What is there for me to feel unhappy about?'

The foster son was Nobunaga's fourth son, Tsugimaru, whom Hideyoshi was brining up.

Nobunaga laughed and then asked, 'If this campaign is prolonged and your home province falls into the hands of your foster son, where are you going to make your own territory?'

'After I subjugate the west, I'll ask for it.'

'And if I don't give it to you?'

'Perhaps I could conquer Kyushu and live there.'

Nobunaga laughed heartily, forgetting his earlier misgivings.

Elated, Hideyoshi returned to his quarters and quickly told Hanbei of Nobunaga's orders. Hanbei immediately sent off a courier to Hikoemon, who was in charge of Nagahama in Hideyoshi's absence. Hikoemon marched through the night, leading an army  to join his master. In the meantime, an urgent dispatch was circulated to all of Nobunaga’s generals, informing them of Hideyoshi's appointment.

When Hikoemon arrived in the morning and looked in at Hideyoshi's quarters, he found him alone, applying moxa to his shins.

'That's a good precaution for a campaign,' Hikoemon said.

'I still have half a dozen scars on my back from when I was treated with moxa as a child,' Hideyoshi answered, gnashing his teeth from the intense heat. 'I don't like moxa because it burns, but if I didn't do this, my mother would worry. When you send news to Nagahama, please write that I'm applying moxa every day.'

As soon as he finished the moxa treatment, Hideyoshi departed for the front. The troops that left the castle town of Azuchi that day were truly awe-inspiring. From his donjon, Nobunaga watched them leave. The Monkey from Nakamura has come far, he thought, countless deep emotions passing through his breast as he watched Hideyoshi’s standard of the golden gourd disappear into the distance.

The province of Harima was the jade pearl in this struggle between the dragon of the west and the tiger of the east. Would it ally itself with the newly arisen forces of the Oda? Would it side with the ancient power of the Mori?

Both the greater and the smaller clans of the western provinces that stretched from Harima to Hoki were now facing a difficult decision.

Some said, 'The Mori are the mainstay of the west. Surely they will not fail.'

Others, not so sure, countered, 'No, we can't ignore the Oda's sudden rise to power.”

People made up their minds by comparing the strength of the adversaries: territories on both sides, numbers of soldiers and of allies. In this case, however, given the immensity of Mori's influence and the vast possessions of the Oda, the strength of the two sides seemed about equally matched.

Which of them would make the future his own?

It was toward these western provinces lost between light and dark and unable to pick a course of action that Hideyoshi's troops marched on the twenty-third day of the Tenth Month.

To the west. To the west.

The responsibility was heavy. As Hideyoshi rode under his standard of the gold engourd, the face shaded by his visor was troubled. He was forty-one years old. His mouth was drawn into a large wordless frown as his horse trotted on stolidly. Wind-borne dust covered the entire army.

Periodically, Hideyoshi reminded himself that he was advancing on the western provinces. He would probably not have made so much of it himself, but when he had left Azuchi , Nobunaga's other generals had congratulated him.

'His Lordship has finally made up his mind and put you to use. Lord Hideyoshi, you've become second to none. You will have to repay His Lordship for his favors.'

In contrast to this, Shibata Katsuie seemed extremely displeased. 'What? He was made commander-in-chief of the western campaign!' Katsuie laughed derisively at the very idea.

It was easy to see why Katsuie thought that way. When Hideyoshi was still a servant, carrying Nobunaga's sandals and living in the stables with the horses, Katsuie had been a general of the Oda clan. Moreover, he had married Nobunaga's younger sister, and ruled a province of more than three hundred thousand bushels. Finally, when Katsuie was commander-in-chief of the northern campaign, Hideyoshi had disobeyed his orders and returned without warning to Nagahama. As a senior retainer, Katsuie now did a good bit of political maneuvering to put the invasion of the western provinces out of the limelight.

Mounted on his horse on the way to the western provinces, Hideyoshi chuckled to himself incessantly.

These things would suddenly come to mind as he lost interest in the peaceful west­ward road. Hideyoshi burst out laughing; Hanbei, who was riding along next to him, thought he had perhaps missed something and asked, 'Did you say something thing, my Lord?' just to make sure.

'No, nothing,' Hideyoshi answered.

His army had traveled a good distance that day, and they were already approaching the border of Harima.

'Hanbei, a certain pleasure awaits you when we enter Harima.'

'Well now, what would that be?'

'I don't think you've met Kuroda Kanbei before.'

'No, I haven't, but I've been hearing his name for a long time.'

'He's a man of the times. When you meet him, you'll become fast friends, I think.'

'I've heard a number of stories about him.'

'He's the son of a senior retainer of the Odera clan, and is still in his early thirties.'

'Wasn't this campaign conceived by Lord Kanbei?'

'That's right. He's an intelligent man with a keen eye.'

'Do you know him well, my lord?'

'I've known him through letters, but I met him for the first time at Azuchi Castle a little while ago. We talked completely openly for half a day. Ah, I feel confident. With Takenaka Hanbei on my left and Kuroda Kanbei on my right, I've put together a field staff.'

Just then, something caused a boisterous disorder among the troops behind them. Someone in the pages' corps was laughing loudly.