Inabayama Castle was a fortress built on the summit of Mount Kinka, and it was the residence of Saito Yoshitatsu and his son Tatsuoki, who were Nobunaga's sworn enemies.
Mount Kinka is considered the most beautiful mountain in Mino Province, and the view from its summit is also exceptionally beautiful.
The morning after the surrender of Inabayama Castle, Oda Nobunaga, accompanied by his wife Kicho (Nohime), climbed a watchtower built along the castle grounds and gazed intently at the land of Mino.
( I...I've finally swallowed up Mino, just as you wanted.)蝮Viper
As Nobunaga gazes upon the scenery of Mino, he is overcome with emotion, recalling the figure of his father-in-law, Saito Dosan.
Since he was killed by his son Yoshitatsu, the Oda and Saito families had been in a state of constant conflict—but that had finally come to an end.
(I certainly never imagined that the final battle would take place in Omi...)
And it was not Nobunaga who delivered the final blow to Tatsuoki, but his brother-in-law, Asai Nagamasa, which just goes to show how unpredictable fate can be.
Moreover, Ryukou wasn't "killed," but rather "killed" purely by force.
Nobunaga wasn't there, so this was merely a story he'd heard, but apparently, Nagamasa, enraged by the insult to Takenaka Shigeharu, mounted Tatsuoki and—with his fists—turned him into a bloody mess.
According to Shibata Katsuie and Niwa Nagahide, senior retainers of the Oda family who witnessed the scene firsthand, it was like "a fool who had touched the dragon's scales..."
Therefore, Ryukou was unable to die as a warrior. His face had been transformed into a utterly flabby sack of flesh, making even a head inspection impossible.
"After all, a family that kills their parents is destined for the end. I never expected them to die a decent death."
"..."
Standing half a step behind Nobunaga, Kicho remained silent, gazing intently at him.良人Oops
"Hey, Kicho."
"..."
"It's already been 11 years since then."
"..."
"Back then, I was 22 and you were 21. Now we're—33 and 32. "老耄old man
"...yes"
"It's been a long time. I've kept you waiting for quite a while—but I've kept my promise."
As Nobunaga felt the scent and warmth of his wife clinging tightly to his back, he glared intently at the cloudless blue sky.
"It's raining—we'll get completely soaked."
"Yes...! Yes...!!"
And as for Kicho clinging to Nobunaga, she is sobbing, wetting his back with her tears...
This couple tied the knot through the mediation of Hirate Masahide in 1549, which means it was 18 years ago.
At that time, the two were a boy and a girl, aged 15 and 14 respectively, only one year apart in age.
Kicho was a wise woman loved by her father, who was nicknamed "Viper," while Nobunaga was a troublemaker known as "Fool."
Perhaps it was because they were close in age. Kicho simply detested her husband, whom she considered a "fool."
"Why must I become the wife of such a fool?"
Her thoroughness was astonishing; after the formal rituals of their wedding night, she would kick and throw out Nobunaga every time he tried to sneak into her bedchamber.
The idea of a fool's body entering her, spewing out his filth, and becoming pregnant with his child—at that time, Kicho considered it "something she could not possibly accept."
But as she watched him running around in the mountains and fields, her feelings gradually began to change.
"Perhaps my thinking simply hasn't caught up with Lord Nobunaga's—"妾Warawa
In other words, the husband whom she despises so much—who, despite receiving the most advanced education of the time day and night from his tutor Masahide—easily handles all of it while behaving like a fool.
Clearly, this is beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person.
Upon realizing this fact, it was inevitable that Kicho's state of mind would undergo further changes.
"—It's frustrating."
That's exactly it.
How could I, the daughter of the renowned Saito Dosan, be unable to understand a mere boy from Owari?
Before she knew it, Kicho began to follow Nobunaga with her eyes, before she knew it, she had fallen in love with him, and before she knew it, she had come to desperately want to bear his child.
However, Kicho showed no signs of becoming pregnant.
Therefore, in order to ensure the survival of the Oda family, Nobunaga began to take concubines—and Kicho, as his principal wife, took on the responsibility of managing them "so that they could conceive Nobunaga's children."
She longs to become pregnant herself, yet she allows someone else to impregnate her with her husband's seed.
Although it was the custom of the Warring States period, Kicho often felt depressed.
Nevertheless, Nobunaga would regularly visit Kicho's bedchamber, thus maintaining their bond as husband and wife.
Every time Nobunaga left the bedchamber, every time she desperately pushed back Nobunaga's seed that was flowing out of her vagina with her fingers, and every time she had her period, Kicho secretly shed tears of regret and remorse.
The reason I can't have children is surely because I treated my husband badly.
Perhaps the heavens themselves judged that I, who had neglected him, was not worthy of bearing a child with Oda Nobunaga, a great figure of the land.
If she had tried to understand her husband from the beginning and had held his hand affectionately, she might be holding her child in her arms right now—such thoughts never leave her mind.
And it was within this context that the Battle of Nagara River took place in 1556. This was the battle in which Saito Dosan was killed by his own son, Yoshitatsu.
In this battle, Kicho lost her beloved father, and thus, she lost her home and her sense of belonging.
Although she was Nobunaga's wife, she was still a woman of the Saito family and nothing more than an outsider to the Oda family.
And in the eyes of the general public, Kicho's value was ultimately nothing more than that of being the daughter of Saito Dosan.
Naturally, a movement began to arise within the Oda clan to divorce Kicho, who had lost her political value, and to bring in a new princess from families such as the Rokkaku, Kitabatake, or Kai Takeda clans.
However, the one who protected her when she was in a vulnerable position was none other than her husband, Nobunaga himself.
For the sake of his wife, who had always neglected him, he yelled at the many retainers who advocated for divorce, dodged numerous schemes, and risked his own position—yet remained Kicho's ally all along.
"Don't make that pathetic face! You are the woman that Masahide...that old man...approved as worthy of Nobunaga! If you behave like that, neither the old man, nor the Viper, nor anyone else will be able to rest in peace!!"
Then Nobunaga dragged Kicho, who had been withdrawn into the darkness of her room, out into the bright mountains and fields—and made one promise to her.
"I am the man who will conquer the world. Taking back Mino Province from your 'parricide' and bringing you back to Mino in triumph in place of the Viper...it's no problem at all. So, until then, you can rely on me. You fool...don't ever show tears in front of me again—do you understand?!"
Those words must have encouraged and comforted Kicho's heart so much.
She clung to her husband's back, which was just as strong as it had been 11 years ago, or perhaps even stronger—and stretched her arms out in front of her, embracing him.
Nobunaga said nothing and left everything to Kicho's discretion.
"Now then, Kicho."
"yes..."
"Now you are finally free... Wherever you go, I, Nobunaga, will grant you permission."
He may seem unconventional, yet he is also very loyal—Kicho said, pressing her forehead against her husband's back.
"Lord Nobunaga, it has been 11 years. It has been far too long..."長Nago
"..."
"A viper's offspring is a viper... A viper is a deeply affectionate demon. Now, more than Mino or Saito, Lord Nobunaga is my refuge, my nest."
"..."
"I will not go anywhere; I will stay by Lord Nobunaga's side until the day I die."
"...Do as you please."
"Yes, I will do that."
And Kicho hugged her husband even tighter.
That alone made me happy. I felt completely fulfilled.
Indeed, Nobunaga gazed intently at the fertile land stretching out below, but as soon as he looked west, he suddenly leaped up and leaned sharply out of the watchtower.
From Kicho's perspective, there was nothing she could do but give a wry smile.
It's my husband's usual habit to jump into anything that interests him.
"Lord Nobunaga, what exactly have you found this time?"
"—It's light."
"Hmm..."
Receiving an even more vague answer than usual, Kicho involuntarily leaned forward from the watchtower.
And sure enough, in his line of sight, a white horse with golden horns was galloping from Sekigahara, kicking up dust in the process—
"My brother-in-law... he's such a hopeless man..."
Indeed, for the first time in a long time, Kicho had seen her husband giving a wry smile.
"I'll head down immediately. I don't want any fool to mistake me for an enemy and fire arrows. Kicho, you should follow later. He's quite an interesting man, unlike anyone else in the Oda family—though he is rather impulsive."義弟殿That
"got it"
And just as Kicho was about to bow her head, Nobunaga leaped down from the watchtower and ran around the castle.
(Now, when you say "brother-in-law"... do you mean Asai Bizen-no-kami Nagamasa?)
Kicho looked down at the world below from the watchtower once more and spotted the white horse, reflecting the sunlight as it rapidly approached, and the young man riding on it.
"I can't believe it—he's the one who rules over northern Omi, yet he's gone alone without any entourage..."
I see, it makes sense that her husband described her as short-sighted.
However, there's no need to take his words at face value. Oda Nobunaga was the kind of person who often tried to hide his true feelings from others.
Is he a fool, or a prodigy?
Despite her age, Kicho acknowledges that her heart is filled with excitement.
After all, he is the man who married Princess Ichi.
For Kicho, who had a close friendship with Ichihime, the character of Asai Nagamasa was a matter of interest.
Hurrying down from the watchtower, Kicho began to run through the castle like a husband.