superiors.
At that point Genba noticed him. 'Shinroku has returned, has he?'
'He has and he reports that everything went smoothly. His errand seems to have been successful.'
'I'm sure it wasn't easy. Well, what about Shogen's reply?'
'Here is Shogen's letter.'
Genba opened the letter as soon as he held it in his hand. An open pleasure filled his eyes and hung on the corners of his mouth. What kind of secret success could have made him so happy? His shoulders shook almost uncontrollably.
'Shinroku, come a little closer. You're too far away over there.'
'Yes, my lord.'
'According to Shogen's letter, it appears that the real details were entrusted to you. Tell me everything Shogen had to say.'
'Lord Shogen said that both he and Lord Ogane had had differences of opinion with their lord, Katsutoyo, even before Nagahama changed sides. Hideyoshi knew that and though they have been put in charge of the fortresses at Mount Dangi and Mount Shinmei, they are under the watchful eye of Hideyoshi's trusted retainer, Kimura Hayato. They can hardly make a move.'
“But both Shogen and Ogane intend to escape and come here.'
“They plan to kill Kimura Hayato tomorrow morning, and then bring their men over to our side.'
“If this is going to happen tomorrow morning, there's no time to lose. Send out a force to them,' Genba ordered Yasumasa. He then interrogated Shinroku once again “Some reports say that Hideyoshi is in his main camp, while others claim that he is in ihama. Do you know where he is?'
Shinroku admitted that he did not.
For the Shibata side, the question of whether Hideyoshi was at the front or at Nagahama was an extremely important one.
Without knowing where he was, the Shibata were uncertain how to proceed. Katsuie's strategy was not for a single frontal attack. He had been waiting quite some time for the opportunity to have Nobutaka's Gifu army spring into action. Takigawa Kazumasu's forces could then initiate their attack, and together the two armies of Mino and Ise would Threaten Hideyoshi's rear. At that point Katsuie's main force of twenty thousand men could rush in and drive Hideyoshi into a corner at Nagahama.
Katsuie had already received a letter from Nobutaka to that effect. If Hideyoshi was at Nagahama, he would quickly catch wind of such operations and see to it that both Gifu and Yanagase were ready. If Hideyoshi was now on the front lines, Katsuie would have to be fully ready, for the time for Nobutaka's uprising was now.
But before any of those plans could be carried out, the Shibata had to pin down Hideyoshi to create the right circumstances for Nobutaka to move.
“That one point remains unclear,' Genba said again. There was no doubt that during the long period of waiting, which had lasted for more than a month, he was becoming more and more depressed. 'Well, we succeeded in luring Shogen, and we should rejoice in that alone. Lord Katsuie must be informed immediately. We will wait for Shogen's signal tomorrow.'
Yasumasa and Shinroku left first and returned to their own camp. Genba called over a page to bring him his favorite horse. Accompanied by ten warriors, he left immediately for the main camp on Mount Nakao. '
The newly built road between Mount Yukiichi and the main camp at Nakao was about four yards wide and meandered along for over two leagues, along the ridgeline of the mountains. The spring greenery of the mountains filled the warriors' eyes, and as as Genba whipped his horse along, even he was overcome by a poetic sentiment.
The main camp at Mount Nakao was surrounded by several palisades. Each time Genba approached a gate, he would simply give his name and ride through, looking down at the guards from his saddle.
But just as he was about to ride through the gate to the main citadel, the commander of the guards called out abruptly and challenged him. 'Wait! Where are you going?'
Genba turned around and stared at the man.
'Ah, is that you, Menju? I've come to see my uncle. Is he in his quarters or at staff headquarters?'
Menju frowned, walked around in front of Genba, and said angrily, 'Dismount first please.'
'What?'
'This gate is very close to Lord Katsuie's headquarters. It doesn't make any difference who you are or how much of a hurry you're in, it is not permitted to ride in on horseback.'
'You dare say that to me, Menju?' Genba said angrily, but according to military discipline he could not really refuse. Instead he dismounted as Menju had required him tc do and barked, 'Where's my uncle?'
'He's in the middle of a military conference.'
'Who's attending?'
'Lord Haigo, Lord Osa, Lord Hara, Lord Asami, and Lord Katsutoshi.'
'If that's so, it'll be all right if I join them.'
'No, I'll announce you.'
'That won't be necessary.'
Genba pushed his way through. Menju watched him as he walked off. A look of misery clouded his face. The challenge he had thrown out just now, at the risk of his own reputation, was not simply for the sake of military law. He had been secretly trying to get Genba to reflect on his attitude for some time.
The attitude shown in the proud manner Genba usually displayed was connected with his uncle's favoritism. When he observed how the lord of Kitanosho acted with biased blind love toward his nephew, Menju could not help feeling uneasy about the future. At the very least, he felt that it was not right for Genba to be calling the commander-in-chief 'uncle.'
But Genba paid no attention to such matters as Menju's unhappy thoughts. He now walked directly into his uncle's headquarters, ignoring the other retainers there, and whispered to his uncle, 'When you're finished, I have a private matter to discuss with you.'
Katsuie quickly ended the conference. After the generals had all withdrawn, he leaned from his camp stool and spoke excitedly with his nephew. After giving a self-satisfied laugh, Genba silently showed Shogen's answer as though he knew it would give Katsuie great pleasure.
Katsuie was immensely pleased. The plot that he had conceived and asked Genba to put into effect was working. On that account alone, the happiness of having seen everything go according to plan was greater for him than for anyone. He, in particular, had the reputation for loving intrigue, and as he read Shogen's reply he was so happy that he was almost drooling.
The aim of the plot was to weaken the enemy from within. From Katsuie's point of view, the presence of men like Shogen and Ogane in Hideyoshi's army provided opportunities for hatching plot after plot.
As for Shogen, he believed that the victory would go to the Shibata. That belief was surprisingly blind. It is true that at a later date he, too, would be anguished and undoubtedly questioned by his own conscience. But the letter of consent had already been sent, and it was no longer a matter for deliberation. For better or worse, Shogen's betrayal was definitely set for the following morning, and he waited to invite the Shibata army into his fortress.
* * *
The twelfth day of the month, midnight. The bonfires were smoldering, and the only sound to be heard in the mist-shrouded mountain camp was the soughing of the pine trees.
“Open the gate!' someone called out in a hushed voice, knocking repeatedly on the wooden gate of the palisade.
The small fort on Motoyama had formerly been Shogen's headquarters, but Hideyoshi had replaced him with Kimura Hayato.
“Who is it?' the sentry asked, peering through the palisade.
A solitary figure was standing outside in the dark. 'Call Commander Osaki,' the figure said.
“First tell me who you are and where you've come from.'
The man outside did not reply for a moment. A misty rain was falling, and the sky was the color of India ink. 'That's something I can't tell you. I must speak with Osaki Uemon, here at the palisade. Just tell him
