The Shogun of Letters, Ashikaga Yoshiaki's Plot

The location is at Aki province (The current Hiroshima), the main

province of the tyrant of Chuugoku Mori clan, inside a shrine floating

on the Setouchi seas, the Itsukushima shrine.

The reason why it's known as the shrine floating on the Setouchi

seas is because during high tide, the seawater will flood the beach

and the path to the shrine, creating an illusion that the structure is

floating on the sea.

Today, on the stage of this Itsukushima shrine, a Noh is ongoing.

[1]

But the one enjoying the show isn't the third master of the Mori

clan, the young Mori Terumoto.

Because he was down with a cold, Terumoto is currently resting.

For the one who is currently sitting on Terumoto's seat....

"Hehe, the performance is quite good, isn't it? I can witness for

myself your loyalty towards the shogun!"

Looking at the direction the voice came from, a small girl is waving

a fan while shouting loudly "Bravo".

Seemingly like a chibi version of Imagawa, the exceedingly

arrogant and young princess knight is...

"I'm the authentic shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki! Hohoho!"

[2]

Correct, Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

After learning swordplay skills from her brother Ashikaga Yoshiteru

and succeeding the shogun position from him, she who had escaped

to the Ming dynasty had returned to Japan alone to restore the

Ashikaga shogunate.

"I'm different from that swordplay idiot Aniue, to restore the

shogunate, I will use up all my wits and cunning as well as deploy as

many daimyos as I can, hohoho!!" as she talks about her interest.

"Wait, let's write a reprimanding letter to that fake shogun,

Imagawa Yoshimoto. Hohoho, my mood becomes better upon

imagining her pale expression right after receiving the letter from this

true blue shogun. "Oda Nobuna that woman, you evil demon, you

are my enemy as long as you're friends with such a person, Idiot...

idiot...."" Correct, her interest is writing letters.

And the contents of the letter was filled with things like putting

Nobuna down, praising herself and empty promises of rewards.

"Hoo, my mood is much better after writing those things about Oda

Nobuna. Anyway, when does the Mori army plan to head towards the

capital?"

"The position of the Mori clan is a little difficult, we have to make

sure the way and the supply lines are open, and with the

preparations added in, we need another month if everything goes

smoothly."

"Fufu, it'll be too late if we wait that long!"

"How about we send someone who doesn't mind dying like a

cannonball to the frontlines?"

"Not a cannonball Aneue, it's vanguard."

"Correct, cannonball or vanguard, let's hurry and send them out!"

Standing at each side of Yoshiaki is the "two Kawas of Mori"

helping the third master of the Mori clan, Terumoto.

So as to say, the twin daughters of the first's Motonari who had

grown the clan to the tyrant of Chuugoku from just a small clan,

Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takakage.

The two who are in charge of all matters of the Mori clan

summoned back Ukita Naoie from Bizen and gave him new orders.

The twins, Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takakage have

indistinguishable beauty, but in terms of their character, they are

opposites end of the stick.

The younger sister Kobayakawa Takakage is always

expressionless like wearing a Noh mask, nicknamed, "The calm one"

but the elder sister is instead rash and is called as "The brave one"

Even at such a situation, both Takakage and Motoharu have their

weapons with them.

Takakage is a specialist in the bow and arrow.

And Motoharu who used the katana "Himekiri" is renowned for her

iai strikes.

The energetic Motoharu wore a headband with the words

"Superior Mori".

Though what she wants might be to distinguish herself from

Takakage, but in terms of the modern world, it's the attire of the

yakuzas.

The order the two gave Ukita Naoie in front of Ashikaga Yoshiaki

is,

"Just like what you've seen, the shogun had asked for the help of

the Mori clan."

"Chase the Oda clan who is supporting the fake shogun Imagawa

Yoshimoto out from Kyoto! We're relying on you."

"We the Mori clan have always been not involved in the war for the

world according to the rules set by the first."

"But if it's the order of shogun-sama...."

"We can't reject, and rather than waiting for Oda Nobuna to

invade, it's better if we lead all our troops to send the shogun back to

Kyoto."

"Oh! Go give Oda Nobuna a hard time!"

"The first showdown we will have with the Oda clan will be at

Settsu, the Harima region near the mountain fort.

"So Ukita, you who has control over Bizen, the passageway

between Harima and Mimasaka, go and die now!"

"Ehh, Kikakawa is scary..." Yoshiaki is so afraid that she dodged to

the back of Kobayakawa Takakage.

"Cough, you are in the presence of the shogun, Aneue. Please be

more elegant in your words."

"Uhh, it's my fault, Takakage."

Motoharu lowered her head at her younger sister with a sorry face.

"The endlessly cunning warrior, Ukita Naoie, we sisters do not

trust you, one of the 3 evils in the world for now."

"Go and defeat the Oda clan if you want to gain our trust."

"We will appoint you as our vanguard in our war against the Oda,

before the main army of the Mori clan reaches, clean up our path

towards Kyo."

"Exactly."

"And there's one other thing, the one who rules Izumo, the

remnants of the Amago clan, Yamanaka Shikanosuke is planning to

harm us."

"You must capture that fellow."

"Yamanaka Shikanosuke had once surrendered to us, but she had

soon escaped and gathered the remnants of the Amago clan to

wreak havoc."

"The Mori clan had forgiven her once due to our magnanimous

hearts, but such a thing cannot happen again."

"Though it's regretful if we kill her, but that person will never

surrender to the Mori clan as long as she's alive, as well as retire. No

matter how many times it take, she will be against us, giving a fast

death to such a person is already quite generous."

"Just like what Takakage said, finish off that Yamanaka

Shikanosuke."

Yoshiaki who does not understand the dialect of Kikakawa had a

puzzled expression.

"Cough, please refrain from using the dialect of Aki at such a time,

Aneue."

"Uhh, I got it, Takakage."

Not caring about her blush, Motoharu who was keep being

reminded by her younger sister swings her "Himekiri" with a speed

that the eye can't catch at the front of Ukita Naoie, but he didn't shift

his body at all due to this.

Swoosh.

A butterfly who had always been between them fell down to the

ground.

And by this time, Motoharu's Himekiri is back in it's sheathe.

"Ukita Naoie, if you dare betray us, this will be your result."

"In this battle, if you contribute, we will acknowledge that you're a

retainer of the Mori clan, Bizen and Mimasaka's 500k yield will still

be your territory, and if your achievements are remarkable, we will

even reward you with more land. The renowned Mori clan will

definitely go through with their promises."

"We have no need for hostages, we are choosing to trust you this

time, but!"

"If you did not conquer Harima castle or capture Yamanaka

Shikanosuke before we enter Harima, we are taking back Bizen and

Mimasaka's 500k yield."

"Takakage, at the same time we take back the land, how about we

ask him to commit seppuku too?"

"No, Aneue. If we ask him to do that, we won't be able to enjoy

chasing a whipped dog to his death at the Oda clan's hands."

"Hmmm, I see."

"You got it, right, Ukita Naoie? If you dare betray our expectations,

you will have no place left in Chuugoku."

"Conquer Harima in one breath."

"The Mori army will be there anytime, so continue on with no

worries."

"I understand."

Ukita Naoie lift his head with a cold smile.

Ukita Naoie...

This man had become a daimyo of Bizen Mimasaka from a

vagrant by assassinating, sowing discord or plotting against the

nobles.

Such a Naoie is willing to follow his enemy the Mori clan , the first

reason is because he wants to sever all relationship with his exmaster.

The second reason is because, the provinces that the Mori clan

govern did not weaken at all even after the death of the first. The

twin sisters who had inherited wit and bravery had established a firm

governing structure.

Naoie predicted that if he wants to survive in the territory war of

the Chuugoku region, he needs to follow the Mori clan.

"Leave it to me, the "Princess knight killer"."

Naoie is a good looking guy aged the later half of his 30s, nearing

40s.

It was said that he had the looks that are even better than girls

when he was young, though he's no longer young now, he has the

charming look of a mature man.

It's just that he always have a devious smile on his face.

That smile didn't disappear even after Kikkawa Motoharu used her

Lai strike to threaten him.

On his waist wasn't a katana but a short arquebus.

As the newest product from namban, this short arquebus is much

shorter than other arquebuses and so, can be hanged on the waist

like a katana.

Takakage and Motoharu look at that arquebus with suspicious

eyes.

The traditional Mori clan has no interest towards the namban

culture and Christianity which is currently in trend.

Though they did purchase arquebus, but the Mori clan view those

as just assassination weapons.

Yoshiaki peeked out from Kobayakawa Takakage's back and

looked at Naoie's waist with interest and said,

"What a peculiar tool."

"Till now, how many have you killed with that short tool, Ukita

Naoie?"

"This is a little... no, very despicable."

"Who knows, I have not counted at all."

"I must say it out first, Oda Nobuna isn't someone you can

assassinate."

"It's like what you said."

"You should know too, Oda Nobuna had defiantly lived on despite

being sniped by Sugitani Zenjuurou."

"Is there a chance for you who claimed to be "Princess knight

killer"?"

"Or are you planning to escape to the Oda clan worrying that your

land will be confiscated?"

"How can that be, if I really planned anything like that, I would

have assassinated you sisters just now."

The rash Motoharu reached for the Himekiri on her waist without

thinking, but Takakage had stopped her.

"Can I treat the words you said just now as a pledge of loyalty?"

"Haha~ I had dreamt of keeping the twins of the Mori clan as my

women, "Princess Knight Killer" has such a meaning too."

"Ho....How dare you! To actually say such rude words! I'm killing

you!"

"Don't be provoked, Aneue, leave it to me."

"But Takakage..."

"Ukita Naoie, if you betray us, we will lead the whole of the Mori

army and flatten the whole of Bizen and Mimasaka, as well as taking

your life."

"That's regrettable, you have no interest in being my woman?"

"Before we sisters have helped the third to become independent,

we have absolutely no interest in men."

"Hmmm, things like men will just interrupt with the training of our

martial arts."

"Then after the third becomes independent?"

"Hmph, even if there's only you left in the whole world, we will

definitely not choose you."

"Wh...What joke is this!? Shameless!"

To Naoie's words, Takakage gave a cold smile but Motoharu

blushed and once again reached for her Himekiri, but Takakage

stopped her again.

"Then I will just woo the third. Though she's still a child, but when

she grows up, she will definitely be a beauty. I can just make that

child mine."

"You...What did you say!"

"I can do a thing like taking the shogun as my woman too, but I

have to wait another 10 years for that~ I'm no longer young, I can't

wait that long."

"You brute!"

Ignoring the fuming Motoharu, Naoie said, "Then I shall follow my

orders, conquering Harima or capturing Yamanaka Shikanosuke, I

will become serious if I have to protect my 500k yield~ What a

difficult job." as he turned his back and returned to land.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki looked at Ukita Naoie's back and said

worryingly,

"Is this really ok? Ukita Naoie is a cunning hypocrite with a bad

personality, a bad person no different from beasts. It's too strange for

the Mori clan to accept him as a retainer, is it really ok to not take

any hostages?"

But the two Kawas of the Mori clan weren't shaken.

"If that fellow betrayes the Mori clan, we will smash him to pieces

from the back with the full forces of our Mori army. If he chooses to

not do anything, we will have the right to confiscate his lands. He

who already has a bad reputation will not harm the reputation of the

Mori clan no matter what he does. At such a critical situation, he can

only do his best for us."

"Kobayakawa is so smart, as expected of the elite."

"We can use Ukita Naoie to study the strategies of the Oda clan

and wait patiently for our chance. Thanks to shogun-sama's letters,

chances will definitely be there for us!" "Hmmm!"

"And it's useless even if we are to keep hostages, shogun-sama.

To that person, a hostage's life is not worth shit."

"You have a point, Kikakawa! Cough cough, I will never forget the

loyalty of the Mori clan! After I return to Kyoto, not just Chuugoku, I

will give Shikoku and Kyushu to you! All in all, I will never treat you

badly!"

"Thank you so much!"

Yoshiaki start dancing in joy.

"Just you wait, Oda Nobuna, your good days will soon come to an

end."

The hot-blooded Kikakawa Motoharu had always been unsatisfied

with the first's "Don't lust upon the world.".

"The Kyoto people actually dare to classify our proud Grilled

okonomiyaki with Hiroshima's okonomiyaki, unforgivable!"

It's only the careful Kobayakawa who feels a tiny feeling of worry.

(We can't use logic to judge Oda Nobuna and that Sagara

Yoshiharu who came from the future is someone whose strength we

can't estimate. And there are rumors recently that the genius

strategist Kuroda Kanbei had joined the Oda clan, I'm afraid it won't

go smoothly.)