Chapter 1655: This Ship Is Going to Sink

Although Zhou Pu and his auxiliary troops were still several hundred li from the capital at this moment, the capital inevitably still felt a chill.

It was now early summer, originally the capital's most brilliant season — the weather clear and not yet sweltering, the trees lush and verdant, ancient residences and temples dotting the landscape, enough to make any traveler linger and forget to leave. The entire city would be steeped in an atmosphere both leisurely and solemn.

However, ever since the news broke simultaneously — that both His Majesty the Dharma Emperor and His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor had fled the capital without cause, and that the Great Han army had landed in Kyushu and routed the local garrison — that leisurely atmosphere had vanished completely.

Although the notices issued by the shogunate were vague and tight-lipped about the reasons for the two Majesties' sudden flight, even the most ignorant person knew that these two events must be connected, and knew even more clearly that this immense storm would not stop at Kyushu Island.

As the imperial capital, Kyoto was certainly a target for the Great Han army's advance, so the flames of war would very likely spread to Kyoto before long. Although under the Tokugawa clan's thirty-year rule Kyoto had always been peaceful and tranquil, the people of Kyoto, who still carried the bitter memories of the Warring States era, knew all too well what a hellish scene would unfold once the fires of war reached them.

It was precisely because of this fear that, the moment the news was confirmed, many of Kyoto's residents fled eastward recklessly, hoping to escape the war. Every day, large numbers of refugees from the south poured into Kyoto; they had thought that since the shogunate's great army was stationed here, it should be safe — but only upon arriving did they discover that their journey of displacement was not over, and an even longer road still awaited them.

Because of the established policy of scorched-earth defense, the shogunate did not oppose letting these civilians evacuate. However, to prevent them from clogging the roads and interfering with the army's deployment and movement, the shogunate restricted the scale of the refugees' eastward flight, and so a large number of refugees became stranded in Kyoto.

At the same time, due to its own insufficient resources, the shogunate also provided no relief to these refugees, nor did it even consider resettling them — it seemed intent on simply leaving them to fend for themselves.

Because of the shogunate's actions, these refugees quickly fell into a state of starvation. They had originally assumed that as long as they fled to Kyoto they would receive the shogunate's protection; moreover, having fled in haste, they could not bring much food or property with them. Now stranded in Kyoto with no way to obtain aid, the food they had brought was soon completely exhausted.

Driven by hunger, they resorted to every possible means to find food, and thus Kyoto's public order rapidly deteriorated, turning it into a restless, turbulent city that had lost all trace of its former leisure.

Yet despite being fully aware of the predicament Kyoto now faced, Itakura Shigemune, the shogunate's highest official in Kyoto — the Kyoto Shoshidai — did nothing beyond ordering his troops to suppress the unrest. Although the plight of these refugees was utterly wretched, he had more important matters to attend to and could spare them no thought now.

Because of the earlier flight of the Dharma Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor, he had received an extremely harsh reprimand from the shogunate and could now be considered a man under a cloud of guilt. Given Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu's temperament, even being ordered to commit seppuku would not be surprising; it was only because the shogunate, in its haste, needed to maintain stability that he had not been directly removed and replaced.

In order to restore his standing in the Shogun's eyes and to save his own life, Itakura Shigemune threw himself into Kyoto's defense with a hundred-thousand-fold fervor, hoping to withstand the Han bandits' military onslaught at Kyoto — or at least win a battle or two — so as to atone for his crimes through meritorious service and give the Shogun a proper accounting.

Thus, the sole thing occupying his mind now was how to support the army and resist the Han bandits to preserve his own life. As for the refugees, he cared not a whit and wished they would simply disappear from his sight as soon as possible.

Since their superior thought this way, the subordinate officials naturally showed no leniency either. When they encountered refugees who had committed crimes out of hunger, the patrolling soldiers were ordered to kill without exception. Thus, refugee crimes and official suppression intertwined; these past days, wails could be heard everywhere in Kyoto, and in some places there were even flames — it was almost as if the horrific scenes of the Onin War from two hundred years ago had begun to replay.

No one knew when such horror would finally come to an end.

After receiving confirmed news that the Mori clan had raised the banner of rebellion and formally switched sides, and that the Great Han army had already landed in Mori territory and was preparing to advance north at any moment, Itakura Shigemune once again came to the imperial palace today to seek an audience with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.

Since the incident of the two Majesties fleeing Kyoto, many courtiers and attendants had been arrested on Itakura Shigemune's orders and subjected to harsh interrogation in order to assign responsibility and ascertain the truth of the matter. In addition, many courtiers had now relocated to the eastern provinces, so the already sparse imperial palace now appeared even more desolate, with few human voices to be heard.

Amid this bleak atmosphere, Itakura Shigemune arrived at the Empress's Hall where the Empress Dowager resided, then knelt and sat at the lower end of the room, awaiting an audience with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.

In the past, such a direct entry into the imperial palace to see the Empress Dowager would have been a breach of protocol, but now, with both Majesties having fled, such concerns could no longer be heeded. Over the past month or so, Itakura Shigemune had entered the palace many times to see the Empress Dowager regarding these matters — even more frequently than he had ever sought audience with His Majesty the Dharma Emperor in those years.

He did not have to wait long. Soon, guided by several courtiers, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager entered the chamber through a side door, then knelt and sat upon the tatami, directly facing Itakura Shigemune.

"You have toiled hard, my loyal minister. What matter brings you to this audience today?"

Because a bamboo blind hung between them, Itakura Shigemune could only hazily make out Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's expression, and her tone was also exceedingly flat, as if nothing at all had happened.

"I prostrate myself before Your Majesty." Itakura Shigemune did not answer directly either, but instead respectfully touched his head to the floor, first performing a bow to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.

By now, this reverence of his stemmed not so much from the title of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager as from Her Majesty's Tokugawa bloodline and her status as the Shogun's own elder sister.

"Today I have come to seek an audience with Your Majesty to request that Your Majesty journey east as soon as possible." Itakura Shigemune still kept his head lowered without raising it. "According to news received today, the Mori clan has raised the banner of rebellion and colluded with the Han bandits. The gateway to Honshu is now wide open; the Han bandits have landed on Honshu and may advance north at any moment. Kyoto will likely soon face the Great Han army's onslaught. Your Majesty is of exalted status and bears the nation's safety upon your person — I beg you to depart without delay!"

Ever since receiving the shogunate's order to relocate the imperial family members remaining in Kyoto as quickly as possible to prevent further chaos, Itakura Shigemune — already furious beyond measure — had immediately acted on the order, directing his troops to send these imperial family members to the eastern provinces.

Some, fearing the Great Han army's onslaught, were very cooperative; others, hoping instead that the Great Han would strike soon and restore the court's authority, were unwilling to go east and become puppets in the shogunate's hands. Toward the latter group, Itakura Shigemune showed no courtesy, directly employing coercive measures to forcibly send them away.

Despite clearly knowing the shogunate's will, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager stubbornly refused to leave and had remained in Kyoto. He could use force and blades against others, but he could not do so against Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. Thus, these past days he had repeatedly pleaded with her, hoping that Her Majesty would understand the peril of the situation.

"The Mori clan... the Mori clan... so they have indeed rebelled!" Out of anger, Empress Dowager Kazuko's tone betrayed some agitation. "Grandfather should never have shown them mercy back then — those wolves and jackals should have been utterly exterminated!"

"The Mori clan has always been treacherous; in the future we shall certainly wipe them out completely." Itakura Shigemune echoed Her Majesty's words, but then immediately pressed her again. "Since things have come to this, Your Majesty can surely see how perilous the situation is now. I beg Your Majesty to leave Kyoto as quickly as possible and wait until we have repelled the Han bandits before returning to the capital!"

He knelt on the ground, his words exceedingly earnest, thinking that this time his persuasion would succeed.

Yet once again, things went against his wishes.

"I... I will not go. I will remain in Kyoto." After a moment of silence, Empress Dowager Kazuko abruptly answered. "The Han bandits' ferocity is so overwhelming now; Kyoto and the western provinces are already in turmoil, gripped by fear. If I too flee Kyoto, I fear all popular morale will be utterly lost... As a daughter of a warrior house, how could I flee in the face of battle?"

"Your Majesty!" Itakura Shigemune's heart seized with urgency, and heedless of decorum, he raised his head and looked at Empress Dowager Kazuko. "The situation is critical now; Your Majesty embodies the nation's hopes — please do not place yourself in danger. I beg Your Majesty to rest assured: we here will defend Kyoto with our lives, heedless of our own safety, and force the Han bandits to retreat empty-handed."

"I will not leave." Empress Dowager Kazuko remained resolute; she had clearly made up her mind. "Say no more, my loyal minister. I shall stand firm in Kyoto together with you and share the nation's trials."

Her determination, aside from her unwillingness to flee in the face of battle, naturally had other considerations. Deep in her heart, she had a faint premonition: if she truly complied with the shogunate's demand and withdrew to the eastern provinces, returning to Edo, she would likely never see her husband and daughter again for the rest of her life.

"Your Majesty..." Itakura Shigemune was greatly disappointed and could not help but sigh. "Could it be that even now, Your Majesty still harbors hope toward that man?"

Because he was so indignant at the Dharma Emperor Masahito's collusion with the Han bandits, Itakura Shigemune was utterly unwilling to grant him an honorific title, referring to him only as "that man."

"Insolence! How dare you address His Majesty in such a manner!" As expected, Empress Dowager Kazuko was very angry.

"He was His Majesty in the past, but he is no longer." Itakura Shigemune answered coldly. "A man who colludes with foreign invaders to assault his own country — how can he be worthy of the title 'His Majesty'?"

"There is no evidence to say that yet... Perhaps His Majesty merely fled Kyoto out of indignation and has not colluded with the Han bandits."

"Your Majesty, why still speak in that man's defense at this point?" So extreme was his fury that Itakura Shigemune could not help but laugh coldly. "Your Majesty likely does not yet know: that man has now abducted His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor and fled south, and with the Mori clan's help, has already issued an imperial decree naming the Shogun an enemy of the court and calling upon all the daimyo of the realm to raise troops and overthrow the shogunate..."

"What?!" Upon hearing this news, Empress Dowager Kazuko's silhouette behind the blind suddenly swayed; she had clearly been dealt a severe blow. "Is... is this true?"

"Of course it is true." Itakura Shigemune was still sneering coldly. "Your Majesty must not forget: you are a daughter of the Tokugawa house; it was the Tokugawa house's power that enabled you to become Empress... In the current situation, without the shogunate's protection, Your Majesty cannot even guarantee your own safety. Therefore I beg Your Majesty to leave as soon as possible and not place yourself in peril."

Yet his words were not heeded by the person opposite him. She had already begun to cry, and soft sobbing could be heard without end.

It was no wonder she had lost her composure so. Previously, when the Dharma Emperor fled, he had not, after all, directly called upon the realm to oppose the shogunate, and the shogunate, to avoid shaking the realm, had likewise not directly deposed the Dharma Emperor Masahito. Thus, although she knew rationally that things were beyond repair, she still harbored a sliver of wishful hope in her heart, counting on the Dharma Emperor to suddenly repent and return soon, so that there might still be a remedy.

But now, reality had swiftly shattered that sliver of hope. After the court formally issued the decree, the two sides had completely broken apart, with no room left for reconciliation. Watching her husband and her younger brother turn against each other — such a feeling was naturally agonizing.

"Now does Your Majesty understand how dire the situation is?" Seeing Empress Dowager Kazuko so grief-stricken, Itakura Shigemune could not help but soften his tone. "I beg Your Majesty to assess the times and the situation and make a decision soon! As for that man, Your Majesty need trouble yourself no further with him. Having done such things, he will sooner or later receive heaven's punishment!"

"If... if you had not always acted so domineering and high-handed, wounding His Majesty's heart so deeply, how could such a thing have come about?" Empress Dowager Kazuko's voice trembled greatly; she was clearly grieved to the extreme. "And now... now you tell me to leave Kyoto. But how can there be a woman in this world who abandons her husband and daughter? No... I will not leave Kyoto. You have already installed a regent anyway — let him be your puppet. I shall remain here!"

As a remedial measure, the shogunate had hastily installed a younger brother of the Dharma Emperor as regent, and this had received Empress Dowager Kazuko's assent. But now that the two sides had broken apart, the shogunate would certainly no longer recognize the Dharma Emperor's title, and even Okiko's position as Heavenly Emperor was likely in grave jeopardy.

"Your Majesty! Do not forget: those who hate the shogunate also hate you! They have long harbored resentment against the shogunate; if they truly gain power, how could they possibly spare Your Majesty?" Seeing her so stubborn, Itakura Shigemune could not help but shout out. "If any misfortune truly befalls Your Majesty, how could I atone for it even with ten thousand deaths?!"

In his agitation, he did not realize that by speaking thus, he was in fact hinting that he feared he could not hold Kyoto.

To be honest, anyone who understood the current situation and the shogunate's strategic deployments would not have much confidence.

"This matter is my decision; it has nothing to do with you, and no one can blame you for it." Empress Dowager Kazuko had stopped weeping and raised her head once more to look at him. "I have made my decision: I absolutely will not leave Kyoto. This will not change, and no amount of further talk from you will help. If you dare to forcibly take me away, I shall take my own life right here!"

"..." Itakura Shigemune felt as though a bone were stuck in his throat; though furious, he did not know what to do with her.

He had originally intended to use force if soft persuasion failed and forcibly send Empress Dowager Kazuko away, but now the Empress Dowager had left him with no options. Driving the Empress Dowager — the Shogun's own elder sister — to her death was a crime he could not bear.

I can only report this to the shogunate first and await their final decision, Itakura Shigemune thought to himself.

Regarding the arrangements for Empress Dowager Kazuko, whatever decision the shogunate made, he would no longer have to bear the responsibility.

"Since Your Majesty insists, your servant finds it inconvenient to say more." In the end, he could only sigh softly. "Your servant only hopes Your Majesty can understand which side is more sincere toward Your Majesty, and more concerned for Your Majesty's safety… When that person did such a thing, did he ever consider the difficult position Your Majesty would be placed in? Your Majesty's foothold can only be on the Tokugawa side. Without the Tokugawa's power, how could Your Majesty have ascended to the seat of Chūgū? How could Your Majesty protect your own position? Now that the Tokugawa are in trouble, even if not for others but only for your own sake, Your Majesty should stand firmly with the Tokugawa and the shogunate…"

"Say no more! I know how to decide these matters myself." As if a sore spot had been prodded, Empress Dowager Kazuko immediately cut him off. "If Your Grace has no other business, please return early."

"Your servant takes his leave." Itakura Shigemune had no desire to stifle himself here any longer either, so he immediately prepared to depart.

"Wait…" As if something had suddenly occurred to her, Empress Dowager Kazuko called him back. "There is one more matter I must trouble Your Grace with."

"What matter?" Itakura Shigemune asked at once.

"I dwell secluded within the palace, yet the wails and cries of the common people outside never cease, and hearing them truly pains the heart. As Chūgū, I have lived in comfort and luxury in ordinary times, but when great calamity strikes, I can only watch helplessly as the myriad people suffer — it truly fills me with shame…" At this point, Empress Dowager Kazuko's voice trembled again, clearly coming from the depths of her heart. "I beg Your Excellency to distribute some grain to them, so that at least they do not starve to death. There are still some valuables in the palace; I beg Your Excellency to distribute those to them as well, so that when they are driven from place to place, they may at least have some traveling money for the road…"

Itakura Shigemune was somewhat astonished. He had not expected that at a time like this, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager would speak to him of such irrelevant matters. What did the life or death of those refugees have to do with him?

"If Your Grace lets the matter go unchecked, when plague runs rampant through Kyoto, it will surely do great harm to the army as well, will it not?" As if seeing right through what Itakura Shigemune was thinking, Empress Dowager Kazuko continued. "I beg Your Grace to keep the common people in mind, heed my words, distribute a little grain to them, and give out the valuables I provide, so that they may disperse and leave Kyoto on their own."

"Your servant understands." After considering for a moment, Itakura Shigemune nodded. "Your servant will act according to Your Majesty's words, and see that these refugees are dispersed and evacuated soon. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's benevolence and virtue, your servant will certainly convey to them as well."

"The realm has been ruined by us to such a state — what benevolence and virtue can even be spoken of?" Empress Dowager Kazuko gave a bitter laugh. "I can only hope to accumulate a little hidden merit on everyone's behalf, so that we may have the face to meet our ancestors…"