Yasushi Inoue - The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan

If a male child were born to Princess Yuu and Harunobu, the line of Suwa would continue. If this child of Suwa blood inherited the Takeda Clan, the people of Suwa would forget their grudge against the Takeda and might return to his allegiance. Maybe Harunobu was thinking the same thing. Thus, Kansuke gave Itagaki his opinion.

“But if they don’t produce any children,” Itagaki said, “people will say that the Takeda killed Yorishige, conquered his fiefdom, and forced his daughter to be his concubine. This does not sound good to the ears of lords of other provinces, and the people of Suwa will never let go of their hostility.”

“Yes, but if we do nothing, they will never let go of their hostility anyway. If Harunobu does take Princess Yuu as a concubine, at least we will have some hope of correcting this grievance.”

“Well, should we have a special prayer for a male child then?”

It sounded as if Itagaki was becoming convinced by Kansuke’s words and ready to have Princess Yuu taken to the Takeda.

“Our only problem is whether or not the princess will accept it.”

“Well,” said Kansuke, “fate made me save her life. I shall take on the role of convincing her.”

A month later Kansuke went to Suwa. Since he learned that Princess Yuu had moved to Kan-non-in Temple, the temple on the north side of the lake, he rode his horse along the lake from Takashima Castle to the north.

From the top of a hill where the Kan-non-in Temple stood, he could see Takashima Castle far away on the other side of the lake. The ice on the lake had already thawed, and spring was imminent.

Kansuke saw the princess for the third time.

“I came to take you with me,” said Kansuke. Princess Yuu simply nodded calmly.

The next day, Itagaki, who was at Takashima Castle, sent three palanquins for Princess Yuu and her two maids, and for protection Kansuke and ten other riders followed as they headed to Kofuchu. The villages they passed were filled with peach blossoms in full bloom.

“Please stop, I am so tired.” Every hour or so they needed to rest because of the demands of Princess Yuu. Whenever they reached the top of a hill without fail and also at the bottom of the hills, she wanted to rest. Princess Yuu was an extremely moody person. When she got out of the palanquin at the top of the hill, she asked, “How soon can I go back to Suwa?”

“After you give birth to a Prince I shall escort you home again,” said Kansuke. As soon as Princess Yuu heard that, her face paled, and she entered her litter and never lifted the bamboo blind again. From then on the procession advanced without stoping through the range of small hills.

Kansuke was constantly dreaming of the baby who might be born to Harunobu and Princess Yuu. For Kansuke, who had never been loved nor loved anybody all his life, it was as if he found a couple that he could truly serve from the bottom of his heart.

“This is going to be fine!”

For now Kansuke dismissed all of his thoughts of Princess Yuu and decided to suggest to Harunobu that he should capture Shinano using Suwa as a launching point.

PRINCESS YUU WAS TRANSFERRED to Kofuchu and taken to the residence of Itagaki Nobukata. His mansion was located in one corner of the samurai residential district. Although it was Kansuke’s duty to convince Princess Yuu to be Harunobu’s concubine, Kansuke, nonetheless, found it a very difficult task. Since the princess had come to Kofuchu, Kansuke had visited her several times, and each time he tried, unsuccessfully, to convince her to change her mind.

Princess Yuu was sitting on the veranda and absent-mindedly looking at the inner garden, which was surrounded by large trees. When she saw Kansuke, she was combing back her black hair that was cut straight at shoulder length.

Before Kansuke could say a thing, the princess said, “If you are here to convince me about the matter which you mentioned last time, my mind has not changed since then, and I have nothing new to tell you.”

“I have no intention to force you, if you have no interest.”

Kansuke answered her as he knelt down in the garden just in front of her.

The princess continued, “Lord Harunobu killed my father, therefore he is my enemy. As you said, yes, we do live in a time when either you kill or you are killed. If Lord Harunobu did not kill my father, my father would have killed him. It was simply my father’s misfortune, and I do not hate the lord for that. But to be his mistress — I cannot surrender myself to that kind of torture.”

Listening to her Kansuke felt that she was quite mature for a fifteen-year-old girl.

“But since you have survived without killing yourself by the sword…”

“I have to expect that kind of humiliation, I know that.”

Her beautiful eyes flamed with anger, and she continued,

“Since I have survived without killing myself according to the common practice, I would like to live my life the way I want to all the more. If I had known I was to be the concubine of my father’s enemy, I would have preferred death.”

“I see,” Kansuke was elated to converse with this bright girl.

“Please excuse me for saying this, but after all, you are only a woman, therefore no matter how adventurous your life would be, there is a limit to the things you could achieve in this society.

But if you bear a male child, your son will have both Takeda and Suwa blood. If it is your child, I am sure the child would be a bright one, and it is up to you what kind of spirit you will instill in him. Please think about it very carefully.”

Kansuke looked up at the princess. The Princess’s eyes shone suddenly, but she was not looking at Kansuke.

“I shall visit you again, Princess, a few days from now.”

That was all he said that day, and he left her residence.

The next day Harunobu asked Kansuke, “How is the matter of the princess proceeding?”

“She seems to be very happy about becoming your concubine,” answered Kansuke, but added right after, “But please leave it to me for a while, since you have to take your wife’s feelings into consideration.”

Harunobu had a wife who was twenty-six years old and about a decade older than Princess Yuu. She was called Sanjo-no-Uji.

Harunobu had two sons from this wife; one was Yoshinobu, nine years old, and the other was Ryuho, six years old. Because of this, Harunobu could not openly talk about Princess Yuu.

Kansuke didn’t like Harunobu’s wife or her children.

Harunobu’s legitimate son, Yoshinobu, was pale and nervous looking. He did not demonstrate any potential to be a future great leader like his father. Once, when Yoshinobu saw Kansuke in the castle corridors, he followed him everywhere imitating the way he walked. Kansuke hated the child because of his arrogant behavior.

His younger brother, Ryuho, seemed to have a better personality, but he was born blind.

Kansuke felt that it was important for the Takeda family that the relationship between Harunobu and Princess Yuu be consummated. A child born to the brilliant princess had to be an ideal heir for the Takeda family. The problem was whether he could convince the princess or not, but Kansuke felt confident that, in the end, he could change her mind.

A few days later Kansuke visited Princess Yuu again.

“Have you made up your mind yet, Princess?” asked Kansuke.

Then the princess responded sharply with a question, “Are you on the Takeda’s side or the Suwa’s? Which side are you on?” She looked at him sternly and added coldly, “Since I do not feel well today, I would like you to leave me,” and entered her room leaving Kansuke outside. Kansuke felt that it might not be an easy task to convince her.