Chapter 967: Takako — Go and Strive in the Emperor's Harem! (Please Vote)

Coming out through the Sakurada Gate of Edo Castle, Hoshina Masayuki went nowhere else but straight back to his Aizu domain residence.

Hoshina Masayuki, lord of Aizu, was like most domain lords in Japan in that he did not reside long in his own domain, but lived for extended periods in his domain residence in Edo. However, to show that he valued Aizu, he still kept part of his family permanently at Wakamatsu Castle, the seat of the Aizu domain government. Among them was a daughter born to one of his concubines, Hoshina Takako — now Tokugawa Takako. As a domain lord's daughter, Takako had lived at Wakamatsu Castle from the day she was born, and only came to the domain residence in Edo Castle the year before last, when she turned fifteen.

And the moment she entered Edo, her beauty and tall stature drew the attention of countless people.

Hoshina Masayuki had many children, and most of them were outstanding in appearance — he himself was tall and handsome, and his several concubines were all striking beauties from the northern provinces, so of course the children they bore easily inherited fine looks. Thus in Edo at present there was a saying: "Mito for wit, Aizu for beauty."

And Takako was the most outstanding of "Aizu's beauties" — and also the one who gave Hoshina Masayuki the most trouble. Takako was exceedingly beautiful: brows like distant mountains, a nose like polished jade, lips like flower petals, bewitching eyes, and fair white skin.

But when such an exceptional beauty stood up, things became a little awkward.

Because this girl was simply too tall — so tall that she made the young samurai gentlemen of Edo shrink back. The blame for this really lay with Hoshina Masayuki: he himself was tall, and he also liked to eat meat on the sly! And he had passed both of these traits on to Takako, with the result that Takako's height had gotten completely out of control.

At present, the samurai youths of suitable status that Hoshina Masayuki could find for Takako were all at least half a head shorter than her, and some were a full head shorter!

The men eligible to marry Takako were all distinguished high-ranking samurai — how could they go around always a head shorter than their wife?

And this Takako was not only tall, she also loved playing with blades and spears, riding horses and shooting arrows — all the evil results of having lived so long in the Aizu countryside!

A complete wild girl!

If these were the chaotic times of the Warring States, it would not matter: a Warring States daimyo's daughter who knew a bit of military strategy and martial arts could not only protect herself, but would also be useful in instructing her sons.

But these are peaceful and prosperous times, and in peaceful and prosperous times, how can the wife of a high-ranking samurai be a "warrior princess"?

So since the year before last, Hoshina Masayuki had been constantly worrying about his daughter's marriage. And then that fellow Tokugawa Mitsukuni actually proposed the rotten idea of sending Takako to Nanjing to be presented to the Great Ming Emperor!

Hoshina Masayuki was in fact opposed to this, but he could not openly say no — was the Aizu domain not maintained for the shogun's house? And now he could not bear to part with one daughter?

So while agreeing to the matter, Hoshina Masayuki still clung to a sliver of hope — surely this matter would not be so easily accomplished, and perhaps it would come to nothing because of some disagreement between the two sides.

Therefore he had never mentioned the matter to his daughter Takako.

But today he had to tell her!

Because Mitsukuni, the clever man of the Mito house, was preparing to make a trip to the Great Ming under the pretext of escorting Takako to the court in Nanjing, his purpose being to probe the actual state of the Ming navy. If the Ming navy had been beaten down by the Spanish, then Japan might perhaps be able to return to its comfortable life of seclusion and muddling through.

If the Great Ming navy could keep fighting, then the Tokugawa shogunate would have to join the fight as well!

No matter what, the scheming Satsuma domain had to be destroyed!

But for Takako, leaving her Japanese homeland far behind and entering alone into the harem of the Celestial Emperor, which was like a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, was unavoidable. The palace intrigues of the Celestial Court were fierce — could a little girl like Takako, who had no scheming in her heart and was moreover so "delicate and frail," possibly endure it?

When the heavily preoccupied Hoshina Masayuki crawled out of a palanquin so small it was ridiculous, he saw at once his tall daughter in archery attire bouncing and skipping up to greet him.

"Takako!" Hoshina Masayuki could not help bellowing at the sight of this wild girl.

"Father." Takako stuck out her tongue playfully, then gave a proper bow.

"Come inside with me!" Hoshina Masayuki ordered, then walked toward the house.

Takako and Masayuki's page hurried after him. A maidservant was already kneeling before the sliding door; she slid it open for the Lord of Aizu, then prostrated herself on the floor. Hoshina paused at the doorway and said to his page: "Stand guard here. Without my order, no one is to approach!"

"Hai!" the page answered, then knelt on one knee to guard the entrance.

Hoshina Masayuki and Takako entered the room, and father and daughter sat kneeling face to face. Only then did Hoshina Masayuki frown and say: "Takako, your father is preparing to send you into the palace, to serve the Emperor."

"Ah? Me?" Takako was startled, staring blankly at her father. "Father, your daughter is not of courtier birth — can I really serve His Majesty the Tenno?"

"The Tenno — hmph! He will soon be no more!"

"The Tenno is to be no more?" Takako was utterly stunned. What was wrong with her father? Had he been driven senseless by that foolish shogun?

"Takako!" Hoshina Masayuki looked at his daughter, his face grim and frightening. "Let me tell you a secret: the Tokugawa house is preparing to become traitors and rebels!"

"Father, what are you saying?" Takako looked at her father with an expression of utter shock. "How could the Tokugawa house possibly become traitors and rebels? The whole realm belongs to the Tokugawa house!"

Indeed! The whole realm belonged to the Tokugawa house — how then could the Tokugawa house become traitors and rebels?

"That is why your father said the Tenno will soon be no more!" Hoshina Masayuki said. "The Council of Elders has resolved to abolish the Tenno and honor the shogun as King of Japan!"

"This..." Takako was too shocked today. She stared at her father in utter bewilderment, thinking: What on earth is happening? The shogun is doing perfectly well — why must he become a king? And even to become a king, there is no need to abolish the Tenno!

And why was such a matter being told to her? She was not the heir, nor was she about to marry the shogun and become his consort.

Hoshina Masayuki's face was solemn: "Takako, do you know why Japan has a Tenno?"

"I do! Because the Tenno is a descendant of Amaterasu Omikami."

"Nonsense!" Hoshina Masayuki glared at his daughter. "The reason Japan has a Tenno is to keep Japan independent upon the great sea, so that it does not become a vassal of Huaxia. But the great trend of the world has now changed. The surging sea can no longer keep Huaxia and Japan apart. The waters around the Japanese archipelago have long been filled with the sturdy ships of Huaxia and the Western barbarians. And Japan's centuries of seclusion are about to end! Once seclusion ends, Japan must choose between joining Huaxia and joining the barbarians!

If Japan is to join Huaxia, it must submit as a vassal to the Celestial Court. But the Tenno's status is too exalted — he cannot submit as a vassal. Therefore the Council of Elders has decided to abolish the Tenno!

At the same time, the Council of Elders has also decided to send you to the Great Ming, to enter the palace as an imperial consort! From now on, in the harem of the Great Ming Son of Heaven, you must strive for the peace and security of the Tokugawa house!"

"Father..." Takako was somewhat dizzy. "How... how is your daughter to strive?"

Hoshina Masayuki was taken aback. How indeed was she to strive? He did not seem to know himself...

"Ah, well," Hoshina thought for a moment. "Your father will arrange for someone to teach you!" He paused, then continued, "Your father expects that the Great Ming Son of Heaven will ask you about the state of the war within Japan. You must make the Son of Heaven understand that only if the Tokugawa house wins the war can Japan become a kingdom! If the Tokugawa house loses the war, then Japan will most likely become an empire hostile to the Great Ming!

Moreover, the enemies of the Tokugawa house are not the Satsuma Shimazu, nor the Choshu Mori, but the countless impoverished samurai of the western provinces. Once war begins, they will inevitably gather under the banner of overthrowing the shogunate! If the shogunate cannot prevail, then the impoverished samurai opposing it will only grow more numerous. And because they have the support of the Spanish and the Catholics behind them, in the end they will surely raise a banner of open defiance against the Celestial Court in Japan, the land east of the sea!"

(End of Chapter)