The Tale of the Seiwa Genji - 清和源氏物語

Mine are the Asuka, Nara, Heian eras . I find the tryouts of Chinese civilization in Japan and the intimate relationship with Korea fascinating. But, I have to say that the possibility of a surviving Shogunate despite the odds is interesting, although I am a pro-imperialist.

Anyways, I am glad to see that you enjoy this timeline!
 
Chapter 11: Let what happen, happen


Fifteen day of the fifth month of the fifth year of the Bunji era (June 30, 1189)

Somewhere near the town of Tōno , north-east of Hiraizumi ,Mutsu Province


After freeing Fujiwara no Tadahira (1) ,Minamoto no Yoshitsune(2) and his group of “rebels” fled to the northeast of Esashi to the town of Tōno. It was a quiet town with farmlands and famous horse breeding grounds. The surroundings were also rich in game, something which made the location a well-liked spot for the Northern Fujiwara (3) leaders and their hunting parties. Their choice for this location as base was proposed by Tadahira . The local game could provide them with food and since the town was important to the Northern Fujiwara clan, its occupation had symbolic value. Indeed, the rebels got hold of a town closely connected to the show of power of the Northern Fujiwara . But, it was agreed by Yoshitsune, Tadahira and Hachimatsu (4) that no harm should be done to its inhabitants. Instead they lived with their band outside the village, to the north, on the slopes of Kaburagi-yama.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune’s fame attracted villagers, curious to see the famous general of the Minamoto (5). Some even offered food. Although the cordial reception eased the men’s morale, Yoshitsune and Tadahira were worried about the reaction of Fujiwara no Yasuhira (6) to the incident they created in Esashi. Would Yasuhira send more men to hunt them down, or would he ask for negotiations, since his brother was in the hands of the rebels? Tadahira thought that the second scenario was the most probable. Family pressure as well as the close relationship between Yoshitsune and the Ōshu Fujiwara (7) would force him to seek a peaceful arrangement. But for Yoshitsune, who had barely escaped an ambush at the Koromo River and lost all his vassals, nothing good could be expected from Yasuhira. After all, he had been decreed an imperial enemy. Yasuhira, therefore, was bound to arrest him and give his head either to the court or to Minamoto no Yoritomo (8) .

The group had been in Tōno for more than week now and scout reports indicated that the number of patrols had decreased. Such a fact was not understood by Yoshitsune or Tadahira, who both expected a big search for them. But their perception of the situation all changed, when three days earlier, Hachimatsu heard from the locals that Fujiwara no Yasuhira had stepped down in favour of his son, Fujiwara no Tokihira (9). The news was quickly relayed to Yoshitsune, who began to see the wind turning in his favour. Maybe, maybe he still had chance in Ōshu.


Then, the afternoon of that day ….


A dozen of horsemen escorted by four scouts entered the camp. They did not seem aggressive, looking left to right , observing Hachimatsu’s camp and its surrounding. They were dressed in civilian clothes and none of them had armour, but carried bows and swords.

“My lord, my lord!!!”, exclaimed a member of the band

“What is it?”, asked Yoshitsune

“A group of people coming from Hiraizumi was met by our men, they claim to be messengers”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir, one of them claims to be Fujiwara no Kunihira (10) and request to speak with you”

For Yoshitsune, it was a surprise. Wasn’t Kunihira supposed to be in neighbouring Dewa province? How could he have come? For now, the Minamoto general had to follow an infantryman to a small gathering of men.

He immediately recognized Hachimatsu, the original leader of the band who was discussing with the strangers.

“Sir Yoshitsune !”, called Hachimastu, “Here are the men from Hiraizumi along with Fujiwara no Kunihira !”

At the same time, a tall man with a short beard stepped forward.

“Sir Yoshitsune, it’s been a long time”

Yoshitsune surprised, saw for the first time in 5 years on of his closest friend when he was in exile in Hiraizumi.

“Sir Kunihira, have you been well ?”, asked Minamoto no Yoshitsune

“I’ve kept myself well, despite the tragic news I’ve heard about you.”, replied Fujiwara no Kunihira

“Oi, Kunihira !”, it was Fujiwara no Tadahira who had been sent for by Hachimatsu.

“Tadahira ! Everyone was worried about you in Hiraizumi. Have you been harmed?”

“Not at all, in fact I have never met a better company in all my life. Those men are carefree and love their land more than anything else. They would not have harmed me in any way.” declared Tadahira while pointing at his comrades.

“Good, good, may I have a moment with Yoshitsune ?” requested Kunihira

Hachimatsu and Tadahira nodded and Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Fujiwara no Kunihira stepped aside a bit far from the group to the insistence of Kunihira.

This attitude of Kunihira made the whole thing suspicious to Hachimatsu, but Tadahira reassured him, telling him that after so much time it was natural for the two to catch up with each other.

A few minutes later, Kunihira and Yoshitsune came back from their stroll and Kunihira announced some big news to Hachimatsu’s band.

First, Fujiwara no Tokihira, the new head of the Northern Fujiwara had agreed to grant them an amnesty to forgive their actions at Esashi. For his part, Satō Motoharu (11) had agree to close his eyes on that seal forgery, something surprising giving the serious nature of that act. Secondly, Tokihira wanted to meet them all in an audience in Hiraizumi including Tadahira, but there was something which put much bewilderment in the men’s hearts. Yoshitsune was not allowed back with everyone in Hiraizumi, but would be put under the watch of Kunihira and a few retainers.

Tadahira and Hachimatsu protested, but Kunihira said that it was a condition of their amnesty and that Yoshitsune had agreed to it.

“Sir Yoshitsune, are you sure about this?” inquired Munesugi Hachimatsu

“Yes, Hachimatsu. I am afraid we must part ways. Follow sir Kunihira’s instructions and serve well your new lord in Hiraizumi. For my part, I will pray for the welfare of the Ōshu Fujiwara and the rest of my dead comrades.”

Yoshitsune then turned to the sky and proudly said:

“From this point on, let what happen, happen. But no matter what will occurs, I will not suffer the same fate as my father. No, you men have taught me something essential. The same words as my unfortunate wife and retainers . To remain strong despite unfavourable odds and to stay true to one’s ideals. Yes, truly that is the way of the warrior.”

Everyone was touched by these words and if it was not for Kunihira none would have gone to Hiraizumi. The Genji (12) general had decided the put his fate into the hands of Buddha and one could only admire such resolution.

In the following hours, the warband’s camp was emptied and Hachimatsu’s men went on their way to Hiraizumi by the end of the day.

As the men were leaving, Yoshitsune recited:

“Watching my comrades
disappear behind mountains
in the lush valleys
May you stay green like the pine
forever free lordly mounts”



Notes

(1) Fujiwara no Tadahira (born in 1167), third son of the late head of the Northern Fujiwara, Fujiwara no Hidehira, brother of Kunihira and Yasuhira, uncle of Tokihira

(2) Minamoto no Yoshitsune (born in 1159), the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, brother of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Noriyori. Hero of this timeline. The terms "Minamoto general" or "Genji general" refers to him.

(3) Northern Fujiwara , a branch of the Fujiwara clan which established itself in the Tōhoku region, in the 11th century,where they ruled semi-independently. Claimed descent from Fujiwara no Hidesato who served under emperor Suzaku. Not be confused with the Northern House of the Fujiwara (Hokke), located in the capital.

(4) Munesugi Hachimatsu, a local samurai and friend of Yoshitsune

(5) & (10) Minamoto (源氏) or Genji, one of the four "great clans" of the imperial court, the others being the Fujiwara, the Taira and the Tachibana. Like the Taira and Tachibana, they are offshoots of the Imperial family who were demoted to a subject status. Keep in mind that they are many branches of the Minamoto clan as several emperors gave to their progeny the name of "Minamoto". Each branch was identified by the emperor from whom it descended (ex : Saga Genji, Seiwa Genji,Murakami Genji). Genji is the Sino-Japanese pronunciation of the characters (源, gen + 氏, ji). The Japanese pronounciation would be Minamoto-uji (源, minamoto + 氏,uji), where 源 means source, origin and , means clan. The case is the same for the Taira name which was bestowed for the same reasons and where there are two pronunciations : Taira (平) (平, taira + ,uji) or the Sino-Japanese Heike or Heishi (平, hei +氏, shi or ke). Just like the Minamoto, several branches exists named after their imperial progenitor (ex: Kammu Heishi, Montoku Heishi).

(6) Fujiwara no Yasuhira, now known as Shuuteki (born in 1155). Former head of the Northern Fujiwara clan, he gave the reins of the clan to his son Tokihira. Brother of Fujiwara no Kunihira and Fujiwara no Tadahira.

(7) Ōshu Fujiwara, another name for the Northern Fujiwara. Ōshu is another name for Mutsu province, where this clan is based

(8) Minamoto no Yoritomo (born in 1147), lord of Kamakura, half-brother of Yoshitsune.

(9) Fujiwara no Tokihira (born in 1170) , eldest son of Fujiwara no Yasuhira and current head of the Northern Fujiwara. Nephew of Kunihira, Yasuhira and Tadahira.

(10) Fujiwara no Kunihira (born before 1155), eldest son of the late Fujiwara no Hidehira. He didn't inherit the headship of the clan, since his mother was an Emishi concubine. After Lord Hidehira's death, he went to live in Dewa province.

(11) Satō Motoharu (born in 1113), a prominent vassal of the Northern Fujiwara, with close family ties to them. He married a cousin of Fujiwara no Hidehira. He is also the father-in-law of Fujiwara no Tadahira. Among his sons are two of Yoshitsune's most famous retainers Satō Tsugunobu and Satō Tadanobu.

(12) see (4)
 
Chapter 12: Path to war

While Minamoto no Yoshitsune was secretly escorted to the north of the province of Mutsu, the Northern Fujiwara clan braced itself for its worst political troubles since the Zenkunen War (1). The Ōshu Fujiwara clan had failed an imperial command calling for the death of Yoshitsune and such an act put the clan at odds with both the imperial court and Minamoto no Yoritomo. The fear among many Ōshu vassals was that Yoritomo could use the situation in his favour arguing that the Northern Fujiwara clan were traitors too and invade the provinces of Mutsu and Dewa.

But there was certain uneasiness, especially in the imperial court. The fact was that emperor was personally against any intervention against the Northern Fujiwara having first declined a petition from Minamoto no Yoritomo calling for the execution of Fujiwara no Yasuhira in March 1189. Minamoto no Yoshitsune himself was well-liked by court nobles, thanks to his demeanor in court, his loyalty to the cloistered emperor and his magnanimity toward the Taira court nobles. Minamoto no Yoritomo was quite well aware of this and had his allies work in court against the pro-Yoshitsune faction. Hence, later in the month, the giso kugyo (Noble Council) set up after the Genji victory against the Heishi put forward a demand asking for the removal from government of “ twelve evil subjects trying to disturb the world in agreement with Minamoto no Yukiie and Minamoto no Yoshitsune”. Among those targeted by the demand were Takashina no Yasutsune (Junior Third Rank, Chamberlain), Taira no Chikamune (Senior Third Rank, Controller of the Left and governor of Tanba Province), Fujiwara no Tomokata (Senior Second Rank, Acting Major Counsellor and Provincial Inspector of Mutsu Province). The main proponent behind that purge was Fujiwara no Tsunefusa (Senior Third Rank, Acting Middle Counsellor, Acting Viceroy of the Dazaifu) a staunch ally of Minamoto no Yoritomo in court. Meanwhile, the cloistered emperor Go-Shirakawa having lost many of his retainers became increasingly isolated with a court dominated by courtiers favorable to Yoritomo.

It was in this context that Fujiwara no Takazane, great-uncle of new Ōshu leader Fujiwara no Tokihira was sent to Kyoto, officially to report to the emperor the news of a succession in the Northern Fujiwara clan and try to convince the court that Yoshitsune was no longer a threat. Fujiwara no Takahira, the uncle of the new leader Tokihira was sent to Kamakura to try to appease Minamoto no Yoritomo and his devoted followers.



July 20th , 1189, Asahina Pass, Sagami Province

In the early morning, Fujiwara no Takahira and his retinue had arrived in front of Kamakura. The town, which a few years ago, was just one of those coastal fishing villages along the Tōkaidō had become a bustling city on its way to rival Hiraizumi or the imperial capital.

Cautious not throw himself in the mouth of a tiger, Takahira ordered his men to set up camp and sent a messenger in the city with letters, asking for formal permission to enter the city. Moreover, since this little embassy was sent unannounced in order to keep Minamoto no Yoritomo in the dark about what was happening in Ōshu, apprehension was rampant among the party.

Later that same day, Fujiwara no Takahira’s messenger came back with a positive answer from Minamoto no Yoritomo, inviting them to take quarters at the Sugimoto-dera, a temple located near the Asahina Pass, northeast of the town. There they were welcomed and lodged by the monks and had to wait for Yoritomo’s official summon. However, after three days, there was no news from Yoritomo, and many among Takahira’s party feared that the lord of Kamakura was up to something. Furthermore, the monks claimed that they had received orders from the father-in-law of Yoritomo, Hojo Tokimasa, informing them to keep the party of Ōshu men as guests until further notice.

For now, all Fujiwara no Takahira could do was to pray to Kannon, whose statue had been enshrined in the same temple by the famous Gyōki.

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Meanwhile, on the same day Fujiwara no Takahira’s messenger delivered his letter, Minamoto no Yoritomo convoked his closest advisers at his residence to discuss the arrival of the party.


The men after being summoned promptly appeared before their lord. The nucleus of that council was composed of Yoritomo himself, his in-laws, Hojo Tokimasa and Hojo Yoshitoki, father and son. The famed scholar Oe no Hiromoto was always part of such gatherings followed by the most prominent gokenin (2). In fact, when it came to consult his advisors, Minamoto no Yoritomo relied on a small, but loyal and close group of people. He didn’t like the idea of large gathering around him, except for exceptional matters or just to show off to everyone his power and influence.

As the council gathered, Yoritomo looked at Oe no Hiromoto, whose face seemed unsurprised. It was as if he already knew the reason behind the summons. When they had all gathered, Minamoto no Yoritomo started the reunion by saying this:

“Now is the time to speed up things”

“What do you mean my lord?” asked Hojo Tokimasa, Minamoto no Yoritomo’s father-in-law

“The invasion of Ōshu can no longer wait, the arrival of the envoys from Hiraizumi just reminded me of that”, said Minamoto no Yoritomo

“My lord suggest that we make preparations in haste, but did you, my lord, announced your intentions to the imperial court?” asked Oe no Hiromoto

“Who cares what the courtiers think, as long as their customs are not disturbed, they will have no effect on us”, exclaimed the haughty Kajiwara Kagetoki

“Surely, sir Kajiwara , you did not forget that it was with the support of the imperial court that the Genji were able to supress the Heike. The order our lord received was to arrest Minamoto no Yoshitsune. To do such a move against the Northern Fujiwara we would need the approbation of his Majesty. We must be cautious with the imperial court, courtiers may seem powerless, but in the name of his Majesty, they can inspire respect and obedience.”

As usual Oe no Hiromoto was always a voice of reason. Upon finishing his argument, the son of Hojo Tokimasa, Hojo Yoshitoki, jumped in:

“What you say, sir Oe , is quite true but we have no time for that. The Northern Fujiwara must be preparing themselves for retribution as they have failed to catch Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Maybe this embassy of theirs is only here to see what we are planning to do. My lord we must invade the provinces of Mutsu and Dewa as soon as possible!”

The oral joust between Oe no Hiromoto and Hojo Yoshitoki had left most of those present with doubts and objections. Minamoto no Yoritomo felt that he had to clear up things to ease the anxieties of his vassals:

“What both sir Oe and my brother are right. For a long time now, I have eyed the Northern Fujiwara. My biggest fear is that they may be used by the court as a way to control us. A sword pointed at our back. When the late Fujiwara no Hidehira was alive, his clan was strong and powerful; however, the order to supress my brother Yoshitsune has created confusion in their ranks. Never was the moment so favourable to us. The arrival of these envoys from Ōshu, proves this. I think these men have come to us to explain that everything is fine in Mutsu. But by doing that they just showed their weaknesses. As for the court, I will ask my relatives in the capital to speak in our favour and calm any uneasiness from the courtiers”

He then continued, “Father, you and sir Oe will receive with me the envoys.”

“Yes, my lord!” said both Hojo Tokimasa and Oe no Hiromoto

“Sir Kajiwara, Sir Yoshitoki , you both continue to oversee the preparations for the campaign. Continue to gather weapons, send word to our vassals that by next month they should be ready go north”

“Yes, my lord, at once!”, cried Hojo Yoshitoki, while Kajiwara Kagetoki simply bowed.

As Yoritomo had given his orders, Hojo Masako, his wife, who had been sitting here mute all time along simply remarked as some form of conclusion for the discussion

“Pray my lord forgives me, but none of your vassals gathered here asked you this question.”

“Which one, my lady?” asked Minamoto no Yoritomo

“What is going to happen to the men sent by the Ōshu Fujiwara?”

“Don’t worry my lady”, answered Yoritomo as he stood up looking half-amused at Hojo Masako, “They will never leave Kamakura!”



Notes

(1) The Zenkunen War, also known as the Early Nine Years'War or the Former Nine Years'War (1051-1063) was conflict during the Heian period that oppose a government force led by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son Minamoto no Yoshiie against the Abe clan of Mutsu province.

(2) Gokenin, nobleman palace-guards
 

Kaze

Banned
Well done! I love reading this...

The way it is going, he might become Shogun. But if does not do so - can he flee to the Southern Song and help them fight the Jin?
 
Well done! I love reading this...

The way it is going, he might become Shogun. But if does not do so - can he flee to the Southern Song and help them fight the Jin?

Thank you ! I am glad that you enjoy this timeline. To be honest, things are not that well for Yoshitsune . I think the only way he can survive is to flee to Ezo (Hokkaido), hide and wait for his time. I have plans for him in the event of an imperial restoration. It would be tough for him to make it to Southern Song. The best way would be to reach the Dazaifu in Kyushu and get aboard a Chinese trade ship, but his brother Yoritomo is going to have spies, informers and assassins along the way to eliminate him. So, I am afraid it is unlikely.
 
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