Chapter 1561: How Could One Endure

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This directly restricted the Emperor's own scope of authority to studying the arts and waka poetry, rather than governing the country, legally stipulating that the Emperor could only serve as a symbolic puppet. Such brazen arrogance was unprecedented in all of history.

The Tokugawa house was equally merciless toward the court nobles. First, he stipulated: "Even those of the regent families, if they lack the requisite talent, may not be appointed to the Three Dukes or the regent positions. How much more so for those outside them."

On the surface, it meant that even regent-family members had to rely on ability to actually serve as Grand Minister of State, Left and Right Ministers, and Regent. But the real meaning was that he gathered the power to assess "talent" into his own hands. From that time onward, whenever there was a vacancy for Regent, and the noble houses deliberated on a successor, they still needed the Tokugawa shogunate's approval.

Through all manner of similar restrictions, the Tokugawa shogunate had pressed the Emperor and the imperial court beneath its feet. This, of course, filled the court nobles with seething indignation. The elderly, their vitality already waning, could muddle along and let things slide — that was one thing. But how could the hot-blooded young men possibly endure it?

Under this extremely oppressive state of mind, these three young men took the chance of a cherry-blossom-viewing and wine-tasting outing to drink and vent their feelings.

After swaying and singing for a good while, Ichijō Kanetō finally stumbled and squatted back down, then looked at his two young colleagues with bleary, drunken eyes.

"Gentlemen," his eyes had already narrowed, "this glittering mortal world is just like a dream — one never knows when it begins, nor when it ends. His Cloistered Majesty found it easy and refreshing enough, retreating into the monastic life, but as for our torment, who knows when it might end. By next year, Tokugawa Iemitsu will be making his journey to the capital. I truly do not wish to go to Nijō Castle and suffer his disdainful looks..."

The Cloistered Emperor he spoke of was the previous Emperor, Masahito. At the age of fifteen, he had succeeded his father, the abdicated Emperor Go-Yōzei Kazuhito (Go-Yōzei is a cloister title, which, like other cloister titles, was posthumously conferred as an honorary name upon the deceased Emperor), becoming the 108th Emperor of Japan. A little over three years ago, after having been Emperor for eighteen years, he too followed his late father's example and directly took monastic vows, becoming yet another new Cloistered Emperor.

His abdication and entry into the monastic life was partly to observe tradition, but the main reason was that he could no longer endure the Tokugawa shogunate's oppression, and used this method to protest and to avoid ceremonial contact with the Tokugawa house.

The year before his abdication, because he had bestowed purple vestments — which only eminent monks were entitled to wear — upon certain monks without notifying the shogunate, the shogunate severely reprimanded him and declared his bestowal of the purple vestments invalid, ordering the monks to return the vestments. Although the monks put up fierce resistance and the Emperor himself was extremely furious, in the end everything still went according to the shogunate's wishes: the vestments were reclaimed, and all those monks who had resisted were exiled to remote borderlands.

Not long after that, the shogun dispatched his own wet nurse, Lady Fuku — who came from a lowly warrior family — to the capital to pay respects to the Emperor, and forced the Emperor to ascend the hall and grant her an audience (originally, only courtiers of the highest birth could receive such treatment), and also made the Emperor confer upon her the honorific title Kasuga no Tsubone.

Through these tyrannical acts, the shogunate displayed its authority before everyone. The Emperor had no choice but to swallow his anger and silently endure the humiliation. It was precisely because it was truly too unbearable that Emperor Masahito chose to abdicate early and become a Cloistered Emperor.

From all these instances, one can see that the Tokugawa house's arrogance and overbearingness had far surpassed that of any previous shogun family — it was truly chilling.

And this utterly tyrannical shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, was coming again next year. The shogunate had already sent a formal letter expressing the shogun's wish to journey to the capital and pay respects to the Emperor.

The previous-generation shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, who had retired to become Ōgosho, had passed away early the year before last. It was not unreasonable for the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu to wish to journey to the capital next year. However, in the notification, the shogunate also explicitly stated that Iemitsu would lead the Tokugawa house's direct troops and generals on the journey to the capital, with the number of men rumored to reach as many as two to three hundred thousand — an unprecedented spectacle. The threat and demonstration of power behind this were self-evident.

These three men were the Three Dukes of the imperial court, and when the time came, they would certainly have to represent the court in receiving the shogun. But which of them was truly willing at heart? Especially the current Left Minister, Ichijō Kanetō, who bore the dual identity of leader of the court nobles and son of the previous Emperor, felt that humiliation even more keenly.

Yes, although he was now the head of the entire Fujiwara clan, in terms of actual bloodline, he was in fact a member of the imperial family, and very closely related to the Emperor by blood.

He was the ninth son of the previous Emperor, Emperor Go-Yōzei, and his mother was the imperial consort Konoe Sakiko. However, because at that time Ichijō Uchimoto, the head of the Ichijō house — one of the Five Regent Houses — was advanced in years and without an heir, in the fourteenth year of the Keichō era, at just five years old, he was given by Emperor Go-Yōzei to Ichijō Uchimoto as an adopted son, and after Ichijō Uchimoto's death, he inherited the headship of the Ichijō house, becoming its fourteenth head.

Later, as he rose through the official ranks, before he was even thirty, he became the court's Left Minister and also the Fujiwara Clan Elder — the head of the Fujiwara clan.

Furthermore, before him, Emperor Go-Yōzei had also given his fourth son in adoption to another of the Five Regent Houses, the Konoe house, as the adopted son of the then-head Konoe Nobutada, renaming him Konoe Nobuhiro. After Konoe Nobutada's death, he inherited the headship as the eighteenth head of the Konoe house.

Like his younger brother Ichijō Kanetō, he too held various court offices in succession at a young age, eventually serving as Left Minister, Regent, and Fujiwara Clan Elder, before retiring a few years ago and transferring all these positions to his younger brother Ichijō Kanetō.

Thus, of the five most important branch houses of the Fujiwara family, two — the Ichijō house and the Konoe house — had become collateral descendants of the imperial family, becoming what were known as "Imperial Regent Houses," meaning noble families that possessed imperial blood and could serve as Regent.

In the Heian period, the Fujiwara house produced powerful ministers one after another, constantly holding posts like Regent, their power dominating the court for generations, sidelining who knows how many emperors. Yet now, two of the most core houses — the Five Regent Houses — had become genuine imperial descendants. This was, in a way, somewhat ironic.

It was precisely during this harsh winter of shogunate autocracy that the imperial family and the Fujiwara house developed a sense of shared suffering and mutual sympathy, abandoning their old grudges. It was because of this that Emperor Go-Yōzei was able to so smoothly give his imperial sons in adoption into the Fujiwara Five Regent Houses to inherit the headship.

Precisely because he was both of imperial birth and the leader of the court nobles, Ichijō Kanetō felt an even stronger desire to revive the court's prestige, and an even deeper hatred for the Tokugawa house's tyranny and arrogance.

"Most things in this world are beyond our control. Even if we are unwilling, what can we do?" Right Minister Nijō Yasumichi (according to long-standing custom, if Left Minister Ichijō Kanetō truly resigned, he would succeed as Left Minister, and the Right Minister position would be filled by Inner Minister Takatsukasa Norihira) shook his head with a face full of gloom, then picked up the wine flask and poured himself another cup. "Can you really evade this wretched duty? Can you also follow His Cloistered Majesty's example and take monastic vows?"

At this question, Ichijō Kanetō was immediately at a loss for words. Indeed, he currently had no way to avoid this wretched duty next year. If he, as Left Minister, wished to resign, it required the shogunate's consent. Otherwise, even the Cloistered Emperor's or the Emperor's consent would be useless. If he tried to resign now, the shogunate would certainly regard it as a grave affront and reject it. Doing so would only bring even more unbearable humiliation upon himself when the time came.

To be an imperial prince and the foremost of the court nobles, yet so utterly lacking in freedom that even resigning required treading carefully for fear of offending that side — this suffocating frustration was truly hard to bear.

He clenched his hand blankly, then loosened it again. Raising his head to look around, the sea of cherry blossoms was tinged with a bloody hue by the sunset glow. The sun had already dropped to the horizon, about to vanish behind the distant pagoda.

This setting sun about to sink behind the mountains — that must be the current plight of the imperial family and the court nobles. With this thought, tears streamed unbidden from Ichijō Kanetō's eyes. He raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

"Our ancestors were muddle-headed, allowing great power to fall into other hands. By a twist of fate, the imperial court has fallen to this state, its governing authority seized by the warrior houses. Generation after generation, and now we are beyond redemption." Takatsukasa Norihira, who held the post of Inner Minister, suddenly let out a long sigh as well. "What use is there in saying more now? Gentlemen, let us drink while the mood is upon us, and walk through this fleeting life according to the rules. Once we are in heaven, we won't need to bother with so many worldly affairs."

His words were filled with helplessness and a feigned nonchalance laden with sorrow, yet they did nothing to quench the flames kindled by wine in the hearts of the other two — how could young men like these so easily settle their hearts and "walk through this fleeting life according to the rules"?

"It has not reached the point of despair." Nijō Yasumichi suddenly set down his wine cup. "The Tokugawa house's rule actually conceals an immense crisis. I doubt it can last much longer!"

The moment he spoke, the other two young men were stunned into shock. Neither had imagined that in such a setting, the Right Minister would utter something so terrifying.

Even as drunken ravings, this was far too dangerous.

After a moment, Ichijō Kanetō finally steadied his nerves, then raised his head and looked toward the wall and below it.

They had all brought servants to this Rozan-ji Temple, but for the refined pleasure of drinking and viewing cherry blossoms, they had left the servants inside the temple, far separated from this spot.

All around was dead silence. Aside from the occasional bird call, there was no sign of anyone. However, since night was about to fall, the various buildings and pagodas loomed faintly in the darkness, eerily giving one the creeps.

"What makes you say that?" After confirming no one was eavesdropping, he asked softly.

Although it sounded like Nijō Yasumichi's drunken ravings, he felt there was some deeper meaning hidden within, and so he could not help but ask.

"Can it be... that you gentlemen do not see it?" Nijō Yasumichi gave a cold laugh, fueled by alcohol. "The Tokugawa house's rule is plagued by monstrous evils; it has already provoked the wrath of heaven and the resentment of men. Even the Tokugawa house itself is riddled with gaping holes and hidden dangers. How could they possibly maintain their grip on this realm?"

It seemed there truly was a deeper meaning.

By all rights, he should have shouted sternly and put a stop to this dangerous topic, or at the very least, he should have changed the subject, using the excuse of drunkenness to steer the conversation away. But... the indignation and pride in the young man's heart kept him from doing so.

"What... what are you referring to?" he asked in a low voice.

"Even if I don't say it, are you gentlemen truly so muddled that you cannot see through the state of the world?" Nijō Yasumichi still wore a cold sneer, clearly somewhat dissatisfied with his caution. "The Tokugawa house claims to be descendants of the Minamoto clan, but where is the slightest trace of Minamoto dignity in them? Their actions are greedy and tyrannical, from Ieyasu to Iemitsu. No one in the realm will ever sincerely support them."

Ever since Tokugawa Ieyasu rose to prominence, in order to elevate the Tokugawa house, he had always proclaimed himself a descendant of the Minamoto clan, and after defeating the Toyotomi house, he requested from the Emperor the title of Minamoto Clan Elder. However, his lineage had always been suspect, because the records of his ancestors' lives for several generations were extremely fragmentary and sketchy. It was hard to say whether he had fabricated it, and he himself could produce no solid evidence to prove it. At the very least, the court nobles who harbored resentment toward him did not acknowledge his bloodline.

"Although the Tokugawa house's bloodline is questionable, they have now held Japan for several decades, and their military might is unmatched." Ichijō Kanetō did not quite agree with this reasoning, and so shook his head. "Even if no one in the realm sincerely supports them, they can still maintain control through the force of arms at their command."

"But will the Tokugawa house itself not fall into internal strife?" Nijō Yasumichi countered. "Look at the Tokugawa main house — what kind of situation is it in now? Tokugawa Iemitsu himself is already thirty years old. He cannot produce a son, and his relationship with his own younger brother is so strained. After he dies, will the shogunate not descend into civil war?"

The current shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, whose childhood name was Takechiyo, was not favored by his parents in his early years. His parents preferred his younger brother Tokugawa Tadanaga (Kunichiyo), especially his mother, Sūgen'in, who repeatedly demanded that Tokugawa Hidetada depose him as heir. It was only because his wet nurse, Kasuga no Tsubone, went to report this to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Ieyasu admonished his son Hidetada, saying, "Takechiyo's position as heir must be maintained; the violation of moral order by deposing the elder and establishing the younger will not be tolerated," that his position was preserved. Eventually, upon reaching adulthood, he succeeded his abdicating father and inherited the shogunate.

Because of this, he also deeply detested his mother and younger brother, remaining close only to his wet nurse and treating her as his true mother.

Perhaps because he had been treated this way by his mother and consequently bore a grudge against all women, Tokugawa Iemitsu had always shown little interest in female charms, preferring male charms instead, and had consistently failed to produce an heir. In this era, to be nearly thirty and still without an heir led many to believe he might die without one. At the very least, Nijō Yasumichi was one of those people.

"Hard to say..." Ichijō Kanetō still shook his head. "Iemitsu is, after all, young and in his prime; there is still a chance he will produce an heir. Besides, even if he dies without an heir, he still has a brother who can inherit the shogunate. The Tokugawa house now holds more than half the land in the realm. Even if some minor disturbances arise, they can still maintain control."

Through multiple land surveys, the shogunate had grasped the land production data of Japan and its various domains, and had also strengthened its control over Japan. Of the 30.56 million koku of land, the shogun directly controlled around 7 million koku. Other daimyo generally held only a few hundred thousand koku of land (with the exception of the Maeda house's Kaga Domain, which held 1.025 million koku), making them utterly incapable of opposing the shogun. In addition, with the Tokugawa branch houses and Matsudaira branch houses that were part of the Tokugawa shinpan, as well as the meritorious fudai daimyo enfeoffed by him, the shogunate controlled more than half of this land, forming an overwhelming advantage over the other domain lords. From this perspective, the shogunate's rule was, in most people's eyes, still as solid as bedrock. Ichijō Kanetō held this cautious view.

"Minor disturbances? No. If the Tokugawa house falls into chaos, it will certainly be a great chaos!" Nijō Yasumichi suddenly stood up, then swayed as he shouted, "Tokugawa Iemitsu has only Tokugawa Tadanaga, one younger brother, who can inherit the great position. If he does not kill his brother now, then when Tadanaga inherits the shogunate, who among Iemitsu's current trusted aides will survive? If the Tokugawa brothers fight and Iemitsu truly kills his younger brother, then the Tokugawa house will surely plunge into great chaos over the shogunal succession. Perhaps it will disintegrate within ten years!"

"You... Right Minister... watch your words!" Seeing Nijō Yasumichi shouting so loudly, Takatsukasa Norihira, who had remained silent all along, finally could not help but speak up to remonstrate with his two "superiors." "Do not discuss such matters. If the Shoshidai's men hear of it, there will be trouble! Even if Lord Itakura is easy to talk to, the shogunate will absolutely not turn a blind eye to this!"

The Kyoto Shoshidai was an internal shogunate office specially established after the Edo shogunate seized political power in Japan, in order to control the Kyoto region where the imperial court was located. It was directly subordinate to the shogun. The duty of this office was to maintain public order in the Kyoto region. To put it plainly, it was responsible for suppressing Kyoto, controlling the imperial court and the noble houses, and monitoring daimyo throughout western Japan who harbored disloyal intentions toward the shogunate. It also bore responsibility for civil administration in the Kinai region and provinces such as Ōmi, Tanba, and Harima.

In other words, the person holding this post was the shogunate's overall representative of power in Kyoto, and, short of the shogun's personal presence, the general executor of the shogunate's authority in Kyoto. One can imagine its illustrious status. The stipend for this office was ten thousand koku, making it one of the highest among regional posts, and it also commanded a large number of armed subordinates, ready to suppress any disturbances anywhere at any time.

Moreover, to strengthen the authority of this position, the shogunate also stipulated that only descendants of the most trusted meritorious families — the fudai daimyo — could hold this office.

The current Kyoto Shoshidai is named Itakura Shigemune. His father was Itakura Katsushige, who was also the previous Shoshidai. Itakura Katsushige served the Tokugawa house in battle during the Sengoku period and became an important commander, participating in the great Battle of Sekigahara and earning the Tokugawa house's trust. After the shogunate was established, he was granted 27,000 koku of land by Tokugawa Iemitsu, becoming one of the trusted meritorious fudai daimyo of the shogunate. Later, after the first Shoshidai, Okudaira Nobumasa, briefly held the post for one year, Itakura Katsushige succeeded him in the position and thereafter remained in Kyoto.

【May 15th is almost here — I hope to keep pushing for the 515 Red Packet leaderboard, so that on May 15th the red packet rain can reward readers and also promote the work. Even a single yuan is love, I'll definitely keep updating well!】