Laura Rowland - The Shogun's Daughter

“My physician has analyzed Yoshisato’s features and discovered, ahh, striking similarities to mine,” the shogun said. Sano cast a dubious glance at Yoshisato. The youth was nothing like the shogun. “And Lady Someko can testify that I’m Yoshisato’s father.”

“Then why doesn’t she?” Sano asked Yanagisawa, “Why are you keeping her locked inside your house instead of letting me interview her?”

“She’s too delicate to be interrogated,” Yanagisawa said.

“Is the astronomer too delicate? I haven’t been able to interview him, either. He seems to have disappeared.”

Yanagisawa smirked. “With all your detective expertise, you can’t find him?”

He was alluding to Sano’s past tenure as the shogun’s sōsakan-sama -Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People. Sano suspected that he couldn’t find the astronomer because Yanagisawa had killed the man. “You are the only witness to the astronomer’s prophesying about Yoshisato and the earthquake.” He turned to the shogun. “Are you willing to accept Yoshisato’s pedigree based on one witness’s word?” Sano believed with all his heart that Yoshisato was Yanagisawa’s own son, foisted off on the shogun.

The shogun tightened his weak mouth in defiance. “Yes. Yanagisawa is my old, dear friend. I trust him implicitly. He wants what’s best for me. He wouldn’t lie.”

“If he wants what’s best, then he should be glad to assist with my investigation.” Sano said to Yanagisawa, “Why not advise His Excellency to grant me a little more time? And let me interview Lady Someko and the astronomer? Surely it’s best that the question of Yoshisato’s origin should be settled, so that nobody can dispute his right to rule Japan.”

Rumbles of agreement came from the audience. Sano figured that his partisans thought there was still a chance he could prove Yoshisato a fake, and Yanagisawa’s partisans believed Yoshisato’s pedigree would be validated.

“Would Your Excellency rather risk putting a man who has none of your blood at the head of the Tokugawa dictatorship?” Sano asked.

The shogun shrank from this nightmare scenario. “Well…”

Elder Ohgami whispered to Sano, “Good shot.”

Yoshisato touched the shogun’s sleeve. “Please excuse me, but if there’s even a slight chance that I’m not really your son, then I would rather go away than inherit a position I don’t deserve.” Sincerity permeated his manner.

The audience clamored in surprise. Few would turn down the chance to become shogun. Sano opened his mouth to call Yoshisato’s bluff and tell the shogun to let Yoshisato go. So did Ienobu. Yanagisawa preempted them both.

“How selfless Yoshisato is,” Yanagisawa said in a reverent voice. “He would sacrifice his right to rule Japan in order to err on the side of caution and protect Your Excellency.”

General Isogai muttered, “How full of horse dung that bastard is!”

The shogun regarded Yoshisato with awe; he wiped a tear from his eye. Yanagisawa said, “The choice is clear, Your Excellency. Listen to Chamberlain Sano and drive Yoshisato away. Or accept Yoshisato as your son and be happy.”

“Those aren’t the only possible choices,” Sano protested. “Your Excellency can allow the investigation to continue, and if it validates Yoshisato’s pedigree, you can rest easy about naming him as your successor.”

Ienobu jumped on the chance of reviving his hope of gaining the dictatorship. “If his pedigree is shown to be false, then you’ve saved yourself from making a terrible mistake.”

The shogun vacillated. Nobody moved or made a sound. Suspense depleted the air supply. Sano could hardly breathe. The shogun studied Ienobu. Visibly repulsed by the physical defects of his nephew, his other choice of an heir, he grabbed Yoshisato’s hand and declared, “Yoshisato is my son, my rightful heir and successor.”

Amid pleased murmurs and resigned sighs, the assembly bowed to their future lord. Ienobu sank down, stricken. Yoshisato bowed in gratitude. Yanagisawa gave Sano a smug glance. No other battle Sano had fought with Yanagisawa had been as critical as this one he’d just lost.

“Now that that’s settled, I have an announcement,” Yanagisawa said. “There will be some changes within the government.” The atmosphere turned noxious with panic as men realized that a purge was about to begin. Yanagisawa’s gaze fixed on Ienobu. “You’re no longer needed.”

Ienobu’s tiny jaw sagged. “What?” he croaked.

Yanagisawa smiled. “You heard me.”

“Honorable Uncle-”

The shogun waved his hand as if shooing a fly. “You’re dismissed. Go.”

A picture of outrage and disbelief, Ienobu shuffled out of the room. Sano breathed the iron smell of blood in the air as everyone realized that if a Tokugawa relative could be thrown out of the court, no one was safe.

Yanagisawa said, “Ohgami- san, you are relieved of your seat on the Council of Elders.”

Horror turned Ohgami’s face as white as his hair. “But … but I’ve held it for twenty-five years!”

“Twenty-five years is long enough,” Yanagisawa said.

Sano hated to see his friend’s distress as much as he hated to lose his main ally on the Council. “Elder Ohgami is one of His Excellency’s most competent advisors.”

“Competence isn’t the issue,” Yanagisawa said. “Loyalty is. His Excellency wants to be sure he can count on his top officials to be loyal to Yoshisato. And he can’t count on Ohgami- san. ” He pointed toward the door.

Ohgami limped out like a wounded animal.

“General Isogai,” Yanagisawa said, “You are demoted to captain at the army base in Ezogashima.”

Ezogashima was the far northernmost island of Japan. General Isogai’s flushed face turned purple. “No!” he roared, clenching his fists. “You can’t do this to me! I won’t go!”

“He’s the army’s best qualified commander,” Sano protested. “You need him to protect the country.”

“He can’t be counted on to protect Yoshisato.” Yanagisawa knew that General Isogai was among those who’d tried to block Yoshisato’s installation. He beckoned to the soldiers. “You can go peacefully or not. But you will go.”

Threatened with forcible ejection by his former troops, General Isogai hauled himself to his feet. He stalked out, muttering curses. Sano felt the coldness of the empty spaces on either side of him. And now Yanagisawa turned his predatory gaze on Sano.

“I’m taking over as chamberlain.” Yanagisawa blazed with triumph; he’d wrested away from Sano the post they’d fought over for years, and he would probably hold it for his entire life, during the remainder of the shogun’s reign and then Yoshisato’s. “As for you…”

Sano knew there was no use arguing, blustering, or appealing to the shogun, whose gaze avoided him. He demonstrated stoic dignity as terror seized his heart. Yanagisawa wouldn’t merely retire him or demote him. Too much bad blood existed between them. This was the end.

Yanagisawa smiled at Sano. After all these years as enemies they had an almost mystical bond; each could read the other’s thoughts and emotions. Sano looked at his son, Masahiro, kneeling on the dais behind the shogun. Masahiro was too young to conceal his fear, but not too young to know that Yanagisawa would put Sano’s entire family to death, so that nobody in it could avenge Sano. The assembly waited in hushed suspense to hear Sano’s fate. Noise like a landslide of boulders came from the construction site outside.

“You will serve as Chief Rebuilding Magistrate,” Yanagisawa said.

Shock rippled through the assembly. Masahiro gaped. Sano couldn’t believe his ears. As Chief Rebuilding Magistrate, he would oversee the process of converting a pile of ruins to a new capital. Yanagisawa was letting him live, keeping him in the regime. Why?