Laura Rowland - The Shogun's Daughter

“You can stay with us for as long as you need to,” Reiko said in a soothing voice.

Midori wept with gratitude. “You’re so kind. We don’t deserve it. Not when my husband has behaved so dishonorably toward yours. Sano will cast him off.”

“No, he won’t.” But Reiko knew how displeased Sano was with Hirata. If Hirata didn’t shape up, Sano would have to cast him off, never mind that they were old friends and Sano owed his life to Hirata. It was not only Sano’s right as a master, but his duty to uphold Bushido, the Way of the Warrior. Hirata would become a rōnin -a masterless samurai; he and his family would have to fend for themselves with no place in society. Reiko didn’t want to tell Midori that this was a definite possibility.

“It’s those three friends of his!” Midori said angrily. “This is all their fault!”

Sano had told Reiko the little he knew: Hirata had met three martial artists, fellow disciples of his teacher Ozuno; they’d involved him in some secret business; Hirata wouldn’t say what kind. Sano feared Hirata was in serious trouble.

“My husband wants to help,” Reiko said. “But he can’t unless Hirata tells him what’s going on. And Hirata won’t.”

“He won’t tell me, either!”

Reiko saw Hirata’s behavior threatening her relationship with Midori as well as Hirata’s samurai-master bond with Sano. The two couples had been close friends for more than ten years. Reiko would hate to see that end. Friendship was something rare that she cherished in this world of shifting political alliances.

The background noise changed. Drums, flutes, and samisens joined in the din of hammers and saws. This was the first music in the castle since the earthquake. Curious, Reiko positioned herself on her knees, then carefully stood. She saw Sano and Masahiro walking through the garden toward her, two dark figures in their black ceremonial robes.

“What’s that music?” Reiko called. As they moved closer, she noticed Masahiro’s bowed head and Sano’s jaw set in anger. “What’s wrong?”

“The music is from the procession accompanying Yoshisato to the heir’s residence.” Sano crossed the bridge and joined her in the pavilion. “The shogun just named Yoshisato as his successor.”

“Oh, no.” Reiko knew how hard Sano had worked to prove that Yoshisato wasn’t the shogun’s son. His failure distressed her as much as him. This was a far bigger problem than Hirata. Yanagisawa, her family’s worst enemy, had won his bid for power.

Masahiro ran into the house. Reiko started to follow him, but Sano said, “He’s upset. Let him go.”

“There’s more bad news, isn’t there?” Dread skewered through Reiko.

Midori collected herself enough to realize that Reiko and Sano needed privacy. She picked up the baby and her sewing and went into the mansion. Reiko saw large red splotches on the white lapels of Sano’s under-kimono.

“Is that blood?” She felt a stab of fear and a sudden contraction. “Are you hurt?”

“It’s not mine.”

The contraction subsided. “Then whose…?”

“Elder Ohgami,” Sano said, his voice tight. “He committed seppuku outside the palace. After he stabbed himself, I had to cut off his head to put him out of his misery.” That was the usual procedure during ritual suicide.

“Merciful gods!” Reiko was as much bewildered as horrified. “Why did he do it?”

“He was demoted. So was General Isogai. He had a heart attack. The doctors don’t know whether he’ll live.” Sano knelt beside Reiko and described the purge. “Yanagisawa is in control of the government. He’s replaced his enemies with his cronies.”

Reiko quickly grasped the dismaying implications. “That includes you and Masahiro?”

Sano nodded curtly.

Reiko burned with rage. She hated Yanagisawa as much as Sano did. Yanagisawa had once tried to kill Masahiro. And he now had unbridled authority. Reiko had a terrifying vision of her family cast out, disgraced, sentenced to death, executed.

“Masahiro has been demoted to page,” Sano said. “I’m no longer chamberlain. Yanagisawa is. I’m the new Chief Rebuilding Magistrate.”

Reiko was as astounded by the reprieve as she was glad of it. “Why didn’t Yanagisawa kill you or throw you out of the government?”

“I wonder.” Sano seemed equally confused.

“Do we have to move out of our home again?” That had happened the last time Yanagisawa had reclaimed the post of chamberlain from Sano.

“Yanagisawa didn’t say he was taking back this estate. I suppose he doesn’t want to live here while it’s under construction. He has quarters in the palace guesthouse, near the shogun.”

“Maybe your allies are protecting you,” Reiko said.

“I don’t have any left in the government who are in a position to protect me.”

“What about the daimyo ? You have friends among them.”

“They have to go along with Yanagisawa. If they make things difficult for him, he could increase the tributes they have to pay the government or seize their fiefs.”

“Then why is he keeping you around?”

Sano shook his head, mystified. “Only he knows.”

Now that her initial shock was subsiding, now that Sano had survived the purge, Reiko said hopefully, “Maybe he’s satisfied to demote you. Maybe he’ll leave us alone from now on.”

“Well, I’m not satisfied with meekly accepting a demotion.” Angry resistance sharpened Sano’s tone. “It’s a blow to my honor and Masahiro’s. I’m not letting Yoshisato become the next shogun, either. I have to fight back.”

As much as Reiko suffered the blow herself, she longed for peace. “If the shogun wants Yoshisato for his heir, maybe it’s your duty to accept it.”

“Never! It’s an assault on the regime I’m sworn to protect. Besides, Yanagisawa will never stop attacking us.”

One of the sentries rushed into the garden, waving a lacquer scroll container. “Honorable Master! There’s an army squadron at the gate. They brought you this.”

Sano hurried to meet the sentry. He took the container, removed the scroll, and read it. The anger on his face intensified. “Yanagisawa is cutting my stipend in half. He’s also commandeering most of my retainers. The troops are here to take them to their new posts in the provinces.” Sano ran toward the gate.

Reiko followed, hampered by her pregnancy. They reached the front courtyard. Hundreds of troops swarmed in, outnumbering Sano’s guards. They invaded the barracks and grounds; they called out the names of the men they were taking. The men yelled protests. The officer in charge said to Sano, “We have orders to kill anyone who won’t go peacefully.”

Furious but helpless, Sano told his men to cooperate. The troops marched them out the gate. Sano was left with some twenty retainers, not even enough to run the estate. Reiko was so upset that she felt faint. Sano helped her into the mansion. He sat her in the reception room and said, “See? What did I tell you? Yanagisawa is setting me up to take me down.”

“You’re right,” Reiko said. “You can’t just let things lie. There must be a way to thwart Yanagisawa and get your position and Masahiro’s back. Can you talk to the shogun?”

“I’ll try,” Sano said without hope. “Yanagisawa controls access to the shogun. He also controls the Tokugawa army, now that General Isogai has been demoted.”

Reiko posed her next suggestion carefully. “Suppose Yanagisawa were to die. It wouldn’t require an army. And with him gone, Yoshisato won’t last long.”

Sano frowned at her hint that he should assassinate Yanagisawa. “I couldn’t do it.”

“Why not? Yanagisawa has tried to assassinate you, more times than I can count.”