Chapter 11
IEYATSU GIN
Ieyatsu Gin watched as the advisors left the conference room, leaving him alone with their lord and leader. Just as the daimyo had a prime minister under him to do his bidding, he occupied a similar role under the jito of Shinoi. Something which was rather unimaginable for someone like him, for he didn't come from a line of shugo's or jito's or even other histories families.
No, Ieyatsu Gin was born out of wedlock, not an uncommon occurrence for these times, yet the thing that held him back most was that he was born with the western features of his father, a man whom he didn't even know the name of.
He had traveled through the lands and had been shunned everywhere he went for his looks, and despite his qualifications, no lord would give him a place at his hearth until he had found himself in these lands, driven here by the news of the young lord who had turned their fortune around, transforming simple arable province of Shinoi into a literal economic powerhouse.
The young lord was strange, lacking the usual spiral and haughtiness of those born into privilege, and unlike the others, hadn't looked at him with contempt in his eyes.
And so, he had found himself sworn into his service, his skill with the sword and his mind now his lords to use. And use them he had over the years, yet it was only now would he get the opportunity to truly lend the man his aide.
He looked towards the young lord, who cracked his neck as Ieyatsu questioned.
"So raised taxes and tariffs, that's a rather meek response for someone who just tried to assassinate you and your lady wife," he questioned and saw young Akihito's eyes narrow onto him, as the young lord continued.
"And who said that? This was all," he finished in a cold tone, and he smirked. Of course, it was not. Their neighboring lord had just tried to kill him, and Akihito was many things, but a fool he was not.
"So, what is the plan?" he questioned as he walked up and sat down opposite to the young lord, who pointed at the bordering region of Mahiro lands.
"Lord Mahiro drives much of his income from these iron and silver mines; it would be rather troublesome if these mines suddenly collapsed," the young lord said, telling him of his plans, and they were quite sound.
"But what of the war? Such an attack could draw the daimyo's ire, for we need that metal to make weapons," he replied, voicing his concern as a good advisor should.
"The war is over, and though the tensions remain high, I don't believe there will be much fighting now. Though regardless, the daimyo-sama won't move against us," he added resolutely, and he was reminded of how the young lord was now family to the daimyo-sama, being recently married to his sole daughter by his lady wife.
Though, that was another headache in itself.
The succession war was gruesome and cruel, and most of all, bloody. And now the young lord opposite to him had been thrust into it, by the virtue of his marriage.
"Speaking of that, how is Lady Miyuki? I have heard that she fainted due to the bloodshed," he questioned, and the young lord's face contorted with worry as he sighed.
"Yes, she did faint, but she will be fine," he replied, and he narrowed his gaze, as he recalled the rumors about the infamous glass princess of land of fire.
"SO, how bad is it?" he decided to cut straight to the point, and the young lord looked at him, examining him before he replied.
"It is bad, she was poisoned, heavily. If not for proper treatment, she would have died within the year, but now she will live," he replied, confirming the rumors, and he sighed.
"That means…" and the young lord nodded as well.
"Indeed, the two Princes were murdered, at the Third Prince's orders most probably, as was her mother, and now only she lives," the young lord confirmed, telling him of the news and information he had gathered over at the capital.
And he nodded as he processed it all, his teeth continuously grinding the wheat stalk in his mouth as he looked towards the young lord, before voicing out what was on both their minds.
"So, war?" he questioned, and the young lord nodded, accepting his words.
"War indeed," said the young lord as he loosened up, and plopped down his face on his hand as he leaned on one side.
"Tell me how prepared we are," he questioned and Ieyatsu sighed as he shook his head.
"Not well, Akihito. Not well at all," he said.
The succession battles weren't fought by shinobi like the grand wars between nations themselves. No they were fought with men, soldiers with pikes and swords and bows. And they were led by samurai.
Samurai, masters of the blade, people who had spent years and years honing their skill with the blade to spill blood at their master's bidding. Each jito wished to have more and more of these highly trained men under him to maintain peace in their lands for a scenario as such when conflict was to be had.
Lord Akihito was a revolutionary; his vision had allowed him to help transform these lands into an economic hub, but he had little pedigree and was only the second generation to rule over these lands. The people they faced, though, had family histories spanning over centuries, and that itself meant that they had many more samurai sworn to them.
"Lord Mahiro has nine samurai sworn directly to him. His mines also allow him to have vast iron and other metal to fashion into weapons for his armies, and given the man's connection with Lord Saeagusa and Lord Hattori, we will be facing three armies, which will be well-armed and under the command of experienced samurai, while we boast only four…."
"Six," the young lord cut in, as he pointed towards himself and him.
"Six if you include me and you," and he shook his head.
"The whole claim hinges on your presence Akihito, we cannot take a risk by having you leading the army and possible facing these men," he admonished the stubborn young boy who shook his head.
"I have trained for this for years, Gin. Plus, you and I both know none of these men could face me," he said rather haughtily, and he rolled his eyes.
"Regardless, I will not have you put your life in danger," he said as the young lord simply replied.
"We will see about that," refusing to back down.
"We shall," he said as their eyes met, his blue reflecting back in those black irises of the young jito.
"Still, we need to build alliances, Lord Chiba," he pointed to the small lands bordering them and Lord Mahiro as well, and though they were small, they held strategic importance.
"The man only has a daughter left after his son died a few weeks ago, he has approached me for a potential match between you and his daugh…"
"No, I will not take a second wife," the young lord cut in.
"Marriages are a way of sealing and ensuring alliances. You cannot behave like this," he admonished the young lord who replied.
"I have promised Lady Miyuki that I shall not take a second wife," the young lord added and he was enraged by those words.
"That is nonsense. Did the Princess ask that of you," he questioned, for how could the Princess have such gall?
"No, it was my pledge," the young lord said, surprising him as he looked at the boy like he had grown a second head, for who does something like this?
"You are an idiot, and you will break that pledge…"
"I will not."
"You will!" he nearly shouted at the stubborn idiot in front of him, and he continued before the man could cut in.
"Moreover, we need to modify the rationing and the training of the men and levies," he began, though he was quickly interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Who is it?" he questioned, annoyed at being disturbed.
"It is me, Nakiri, and I wish to inform Lord Akihito that Lady Miyuki has woken up," came the voice of the mother hen, and he watched as the young lord stood up and gave him a bow.
"We will talk later," he said as he moved out of the room, and he sighed as he made to follow him, his legs long tired from sitting for so long.
And so, he found himself standing next to his female counterpart, for if he was their lord's right hand, Nakiri-san was his left, looking after their household and such, a duty often carried out by the lady of the House.
"That sounded rather heated," she questioned with a raised brow as the young lord vanished into the side hall.
He sighed as he answered.
"Yes, I was trying to convince the young lord to consider a second match between himself and Lady Chiba," he informed her and saw her eyes widen.
"That is a good match," she iterated, and he nodded.
"Indeed, but the young lord was apprehensive about it. Apparently, he has pledged to Lady Miyuki to wed no one else," he said and saw her eyes soften.
"As noble as that may be, he will have no other choice if he wishes to succeed in this uphill battle," she agreed with him.
"Yes, that is exactly what I was trying to tell him," He said, elated that the woman agreed with him.
"Hmm, leave this to me. I will handle it," she said, and he was surprised by those words, though he was happy to do so, for he had a lot else on his plate apart from this.
"Then so be it. I shall leave this to you."
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