The Wrongly Accused

Prince Nagaya

¶Prince Nagaya (Nagaya-no-Ō) was the eldest son of Prince Takechi. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Kōin Shōunroku.)

¶At the beginning of Keiun he was granted Senior Fourth Rank Upper. In the second year of Wadō (709) he advanced to Junior Third Rank. In the second year of Yōrō (718) he was appointed Dainagon, Major Counsellor. In the fifth year (721) he advanced to Junior Second Rank, was appointed Udaijin, Minister of the Right, and was granted ten tachihaki-no-shinin, sword-bearing attendants. When Emperor Genmei fell ill, he was summoned into the palace and entrusted with matters after her death. Soon afterward he was granted one hundred thousand bundles of rice and four hundred koku. In the first year of Jinki (724) he advanced to Senior Second Rank and was transferred to be Sadaijin, Minister of the Left.

¶In the second month of the first year of Tenpyō (729), Nuribe-no-Kimitari and Nakatomi-no-Miyako-no-Azumahito slandered him, accusing him: "Prince Nagaya is secretly studying forbidden arts and means to overturn the state." At once, that very night, envoys were sent to secure the Three Barriers (Note: the barrier posts of Ise, Mino and Echizen), and Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial, Fujiwara-no-Umakai, Emon-no-suke, Assistant Commander of the Gate Guards, Sami-no-Mushimaro, Saejinosuke, Assistant Commander of the Left Guards, Minatoshima-no-Ieji, and Uejinosuke, Assistant Commander of the Right Guards, Ki-no-Sahimono, and others were ordered to lead the troops of the six guard divisions and surround Prince Nagaya's residence. The next day, Prince Toneri of the First Rank, Prince Niitabe, Dainagon Tajihi-no-Ikemori, Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Muchimaro, Uchūben Ono-no-Ushikai, Shōnagon Kose-no-Sukunamaro, and others were sent to question him sternly, and he was ordered to take his own life. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) He was forty-six years old. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin. The Kaifūsō, however, gives his age as fifty-four, and it is not known which is correct. Further, the Goshūi Ōjōden says that Prince Nagaya loved the Buddhist Law and had a thousand kesa, monastic robes, made and presented to eminent monks of Tang. The Konjaku Monogatari says the following. In the second month of the first year of Tenpyō a great Buddhist assembly was held at the Gangō-ji, and Prince Nagaya, by imperial command, made offerings to the assembled monks. At that gathering a novice monk begged for food without restraint, and the Prince struck his head and crushed it. Everyone reproached him for this. Later, those who envied the Prince slandered him, saying: "The Prince means to overturn the state, and on the very day of the assembly he did an evil deed." The emperor was greatly angered and sent troops to surround the Prince's residence, and the Prince drank poison and died. Now, considering the Ōjōden, it was probably some subordinate who killed the novice, and those who envied the Prince seized on it and fabricated their slander.)

¶His consort, Imperial Princess Kibi of the Second Rank, and her sons, Prince Kashiwade of Junior Fourth Rank Lower and the unranked Princes Kuwata, Katsuragi and Kagitori, all hanged themselves and died. The men and women of the household were seized and held in the Left and Right Guards and the Hyōe-fu, the Military Guards, and envoys were sent to bury Prince Nagaya and his consort on Mount Ikoma. The edict said: "Imperial Princess Kibi is without fault and should be buried in the usual manner, but only the kosui, the funeral music of drums and pipes, is to be suspended. Her steward and her attendants are all to be released. Prince Nagaya committed a crime and was put to death, so he is to be treated as a criminal, but his funeral is to be made as plain as possible. Seven persons, including Kamitsukeno-no-Sukunamaro of Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower, who associated with Prince Nagaya, are condemned to exile. All others are pardoned." Sadaiben Ishikawa-no-Iwatari and others were sent to Prince Suzuka's residence, which adjoined Prince Nagaya's, to proclaim the edict: "Of the brothers, sisters, descendants and concubines of Prince Nagaya, all who ought to be implicated, men and women alike, are wholly pardoned." On this occasion a general amnesty was granted in the Left and Right Capitals for offenses from the taiheki, capital punishment, downward, and the zōyō, corvée labor, of the common people who had been called up in connection with Prince Nagaya's case was remitted. Kimitari and Azumahito were both granted Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower. It was further commanded that the surviving brothers and sisters of Prince Nagaya, men and women, should be included among those receiving stipends. Azumahito later became Uhyōgo-no-kami, Head of the Right Arsenal. There was a man named Ōtomo-no-Komushi, Sahyōgo-no-shōsakan, Junior Clerk of the Left Arsenal, who had once served Prince Nagaya and received favor from him. Ten years later, when Azumahito happened to be playing go with Komushi and brought up the matter of Prince Nagaya, Komushi flew into a rage and abused him, drew his sword, and cut Azumahito down. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi. In this book the entry for the tenth month of the seventh year of Tenpyō Hōji gives Prince Nagaya's office and rank as "Sadaijin, Senior Second Rank," and the entry for the twelfth month of the fifth year of Hōki gives "Sadaijin, Junior First Rank." Probably Junior First Rank was conferred on him posthumously, but it cannot now be verified.)

¶Prince Nagaya composed poems and songs, and many gifted men of the time frequented his gate. (Note: following the Kaifūsō and the Man'yōshū.) Now when Prince Nagaya fell into guilt, all his sons were to have been implicated and put to death, but only three, Princes Asuka, Kibumi and Yamashiro, were spared, because they were maternal grandsons of Fujiwara-no-Fuhito. Prince Asuka successively held the posts of Genba-no-kami and Jibu-kyō in the Tenpyō era. In the Tenpyō Shōhō era he became Nakatsukasa-no-taifu, reached Senior Fourth Rank Lower, was transferred to Harima-no-kami, and concurrently served as Takumi-no-kami. In the first year of Tenpyō Hōji (757), Prince Asuka and Prince Kibumi joined Tachibana-no-Naramaro; the plot was discovered, and they were exiled to Sado together with their wives and children. Prince Kibumi was tortured and died under the cudgel. Prince Asuka was pardoned in the fourth year of Hōki (773) and was granted the surname Takashina-no-Mahito. Prince Yamashiro successively held the posts of Uōtoneri-no-kami and Tajima-no-kami; because he secretly informed against his two elder brothers for their part in Naramaro's affair, the Deposed Emperor (Note: Emperor Junnin) rewarded his service by granting him Junior Third Rank, the surname Fujiwara, and the personal name Otosada. Some years later he concurrently served as Konkyū-no-daihitsu, and he rose as far as Sangi and Reibu-kyō. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.)

Fujiwara-no-Hirotsugu

¶Fujiwara-no-Hirotsugu was the eldest son of Umakai, Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi and the Matsuura Shahon Engi.) He was sturdily built by nature, and on the top of his head there was a horn of flesh an inch or more long. He was widely read in books and versed in Buddhism as well. He excelled in the martial arts and trained himself in the art of war. He likewise mastered to the full the books of astronomy and yin-yang divination and the skills of strings, pipes, song and dance, and was renowned for his talents. (Note: following the Matsuura Shahon Engi.) In the Tenpyō era he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, became Yamato-no-kami, Governor of Yamato, and was transferred to be Dazai-no-shōni, Junior Vice-Governor of Dazaifu. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi and the Matsuura Shahon Engi.) At this time Kibi-no-Makibi devoted himself to the study of numerology and was fond of probing men's hearts; seeing Hirotsugu, he said to others, "This man will surely become a scourge to the world." (Note: following the Matsuura Shahon Engi.) The monk Genbō had become Sōjō, Prelate, and resided in the Inner Chapel; day by day his favor and honor grew, but this ran contrary to his duty as a śramaṇa, and the people of the time hated him. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) Genbō often preached the Law and waited close beside the Fujiwara Empress, and a fair amount of scandal was heard abroad. Hirotsugu asked the emperor to remove him, but the emperor would not listen. (Note: following the Konjaku Monogatari and the Genpei Seisuiki.) Hirotsugu's wife was of beautiful appearance and remained in the capital after Hirotsugu went to his post. Genbō tried to violate her. When she reported this to the Dazaifu, Hirotsugu was greatly enraged. (Note: following the Matsuura Shahon Engi. This book states that Hirotsugu hurried back to the capital, and that the people of the capital were all afraid and said, "Hirotsugu is a man of rare talent in the realm; he must surely harbor disloyal intent." But on examining the Shoku Nihongi, there is no record of Hirotsugu returning to the capital, so this is not adopted.)

¶In the eighth month of the twelfth year of Tenpyō (740), Hirotsugu submitted a memorial pointing out the successes and failures of government, describing calamities and anomalies of heaven and earth, and asking that Genbō and Makibi be removed. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) The memorial read as follows.

¶"Your servant has heard it said: 'If the Son of Heaven has seven remonstrating ministers, he will not lose the realm; if a feudal lord has five remonstrating ministers, he will not lose his state.' Therefore in the age when the Three Kings (Note: the sage kings of Xia, Shang and Zhou) governed, they feared that they might err and not know it, and in the age when the Five Emperors ruled, they dreaded that loyal words would not reach them. Some raised a banner so that good counsel might be offered; some set up a post of criticism to invite remonstrance. Respectfully I consider that Your Majesty is divine and sage, combining civil and martial virtue, and possessed of virtue like that of Shun and Yao. What is there to reproach? It is like the clearing of the waters of the Yellow River; truly we have met with a sage age. Yet even a sage has one lapse in a thousand considerations. When the way of petty men advances, the way of the gentleman declines; when the wills of those above and below are sundered, the people cannot live at peace. Moreover, Heaven's reproofs have been announced with real earnestness. Yet the ministers, high and low alike, have no one who will speak out and remonstrate to the utmost. How can the way of a subject be like this? Your servant's house, from the beginning of the world until this day, has been a family that dined from tripods through the generations, with caps and carriage-canopies following one upon another. Its rewards surpass those of the Lü and Huo clans of Han, and its favor resembles that of Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou. The kindness of having been sheltered and nurtured will not rot even in death. Even Jing Ke, who moved by a moment's kindness took vengeance on behalf of Yan, and Zhang Liang, who in remembrance of favors across five generations sought to destroy Qin for the sake of Han, did not equal it. Therefore, though I touch the reversed scale beneath the dragon's chin, I cannot but speak.

¶"Your servant has heard it said: 'When a ruler does not attain the mean, this is called an error, and Heaven then shows anomalies and warns him earnestly. If the ruler reforms his faults and cultivates virtue, he can turn calamity into fortune. If he knows and does not reform, Heaven punishes him.' Yet from the fifth year of Tenpyō to the eleventh, six years in all, Taibai (Venus) has continued to cross the sky. Examining Liu Xiang's Wuji lun (Treatise on the Five Cycles): 'Taibai is a star of lesser yin, and because its force is weak it cannot move alone and freely. Therefore, with the degree of Tsuchinoto-Hitsuji as the boundary, it does not pass beyond it and cross the sky. If it crosses the sky it is seen in the daytime, and the meaning of that portent concerns war and disorder, or great ministers, or the lord of the people; in a strong state the ruler is weakened, and in a weak state a powerful minister overcomes the ruler.' This omen is truly to be feared. (Note: there seems to be a missing passage in the phrase "overcomes the ruler, above and below." Also the character for "attack" does not make sense in the text and is probably an error.) On the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of Tenpyō last year, Taibai appeared in the daytime, in the degree of the Heart lodge, and was seen from about noon, from the direction of Hitsuji toward Saru, with rays of light. This is truly fearful, and the omen falls on a Saru day. (Note: the character for 'omen' here seems to be a miswriting.) The Heart lodge is held to represent the Heavenly King, that is, the lord of the realm, and therefore many soldiers must be posted to guard one's person. That the five planets should show anomalies in this degree is ill-omened for a ruler. Even in the late ages of Wei and Jin, a time of disorder when ruler and ministers shared one couch, Taibai, the star of lesser yin, never appeared in the daytime above the Heart lodge. There was also a fearful calamity on the twenty-ninth day of the first month of the eleventh year of Tenpyō, but the Taishi, the officials of astronomy, know of it, so I shall not speak of it again. In the middle of the night of the twenty-ninth day of the second month there was an earthquake within the palace (the inner screen wall), but this too is set out in detail in the Taishi's memorials and I shall not repeat it. In the second month of the twelfth year of Tenpyō, a beast of yin climbed a tree and seized the nest of a bird of yang, the crow. Judged by the Gogyō Den (Commentary on the Five Phases), I fear this is an omen that a rebellious minister will seize the lord's seat. This is the first of your servant's foolish opinions.

¶"The books of prophecy say: 'When a foreign teaching flourishes, the state perishes. That the Buddhist Law has of late gradually been declining is truly to be feared. For it is said that on the day the true teaching was compiled, the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Stages and the saints who had attained the Four Fruits gathered together and took an oath, declaring: after this compilation not a single word or letter may be added or removed; if added, the teaching loses its true sound, and if removed, its precepts fall into disorder.' The Buddha's inner Vinaya forbids wearing robes of the color corresponding to Senior Fifth Rank, yet now the Sōjō Genbō constantly wears a purple kesa. This in the first place is contrary to the true Law and leads many monks and nuns into a false path; is that acceptable? Again, within the Tathāgata's teaching of the Three Vehicles there is no institution at all of sentencing monks to exile. If a monk or nun has committed an offense, only penal labor is imposed. Yet now Genbō privately establishes a heterodox code and exiles monks and nuns; inwardly he harbors a flattering heart and outwardly he parades his power. There is no thief of the Buddhist Law greater than this. Again, for one who has left the household life, leaving the state is like leaving a prison, (Note: it seems that one character is missing above the character for "prison.") and abandoning wife and children is like putting on a cangue and chains. For this reason it is not permitted to keep slaves or oxen and horses, to sell wine or eat meat, or to farm or trade. Yet now Genbō keeps slaves, builds mansions, hoards treasure, brews wine and eats meat, and even engages in farming and commerce, in no way different from a layman. The signs of the Law's decline spread ever wider, and the traces of heretical ways suddenly arise; it is truly lamentable. Again, one who has left the household life is a great guide of all living beings, and so must strictly keep his dignified bearing and lead the beings of the Three Realms (Note: the realms of desire, form and formlessness). Moreover, a Sōjō is one who bears the discipline and bonds of the Buddhist Law, and the rise and fall of the Law rests on this one monk. Yet this monk has no practice of the various dignified observances such as dhūta austerities and the summer retreat; he adorns himself with incense and flowers and delights in women, in no way different from a layman. He has no precepts and follows his passions; the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Stages are in any case not something that can be seen with the fleshly eye, and the state of seated meditation and quiet contemplation leaves no room for lust to enter. Yet Genbō falsely claims to have met Bodhisattvas of the Ten Stages and falsely says that he has mastered the way of seated meditation. In the past, I have heard, a monk named Mahādeva defiled the true teaching; now, seeing Genbō seek to cut the discipline of the Law, I find that he has at last caused tears to flow from the eyes of the sixteen-foot golden Buddha. Falsely proclaiming a woman of low station to be an incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva: what is that if not a sign of the Law's destruction? This is the second of your servant's foolish opinions.

¶"The Konkōmyō Saishōō-kyō (Golden Light Sutra) says: 'It is by being protected and upheld by the devas that one is called Son of Heaven, and the lord of the Thirty-three Heavens shares his power to aid the king of men. If a king acts unlawfully and is intimate with evil men, then the gods of the Thirty-three Heavens all conceive anger. When the lord of the heavens no longer has a heart to protect him, the other heavens also all abandon him; the great ministers who are the pillars of the state meet unexpected deaths, (Note: it seems there is an error in the phrase "decay and violence.") evil spirits enter the country and pestilence spreads. If there are those who flatter and run mad, the position of the state will be lost.' Thus the damage done to the king's government is like an elephant treading into a flower garden. In recent years wise ministers and good generals have died one after another, the common people have perished and scattered, villages and shrines have become ruins, and pestilence has spread, so that there has scarcely been a peaceful year. Alas, the moment that decides the rise or fall of the state hangs on this very time; how can one not be afraid? This is the third of your servant's foolish opinions.

¶"In the founding of our sacred dynasty, the land of Japan was made to shine, to stand with Chang'an of Tang in giving light, to embrace the ten thousand states, and to contend for mastery even with Tang. Yet the king of Tang has constantly said: 'Heaven has not two suns, earth has not two lords. If there is no Tang there is Japan, and if there is no Japan there is only Tang; how could there be two emperors, an Eastern Emperor and a Western Emperor, standing side by side?' And so he has harbored a treacherous heart and for long years has watched for a weak point in our superior country. The petty state of Silla likewise has the heart of a tiger and wolf, nursing the shame of Kuaiji and storing up a grudge like that of Goujian, and for many days it has prayed and schemed to bring disaster upon our state. Peoples of alien customs, like the Emishi of the north and the Hayato of the west, are by nature fierce and easily stirred to disorder, and cherish ambitions and do not give allegiance. From of old, when a sage appears in the central land they submit last, and when there is a disturbance at court they rebel first; such is their custom, and in their manners, it is said, sons repay their fathers' enemies and grandsons repay their grandfathers' grudges. It is only because they fear Your Majesty's might and submit to the civil teaching of the sacred dynasty that they hide their claws and fangs within their fur and their wings beneath their scales. Even should the court be pressed by urgent affairs that leave no time to eat, and beacon fires signal alarm in the frontier forts, would they ever forget the grudges of their fathers and ancestors and cast away the hearts of their descendants? Recently wise ministers have already died and many good generals have left this world, and the pitiable condition of the four quarters is widely heard and known together in the eight directions of the realm. The task of the present moment is to drill and equip the five kinds of weapons and display our might over the four seas. (Note: it seems there are omissions or errors in this passage.) We should honor the worthy, select able men, soothe and comfort the ten thousand states, strike out useless taxes, simplify all affairs, restore the Eight Pillars (Note: the pillars that support the state) that have begun to lean, and stretch anew the Four Cords (Note: the cords of order of the state) that have nearly snapped. Then distant lands will be ordered and near ones secure, the people prosperous and the state wealthy. This will be the foundation of great peace; Chinese and barbarian alike will rejoice, and the song of Kōsai (Note: a song praising great peace) will be sung in one voice by court and country. How could we abolish military preparations, abandon our defenses, disband generals and soldiers, cultivate a false benevolence and righteousness like King Yan of Xu, and follow the deceitful schemes of Chu? The art of war says: 'Though the realm is at peace, if one forgets war one will surely be in danger.' One should rely not on the enemy's not coming, but on one's own readiness to await him. Yet now soldiers are being disbanded, war horses sold off, and even the ide, the lands set aside for archery and horsemanship training, are being abolished; such measures can in no way be considered good. This is the fourth of your servant's foolish opinions.

¶"In Genbō's palm there is a line reaching to heaven, running straight to the middle finger. It is said that a physiognomist of Tang remarked: 'This is the sign of one who is to become Son of Heaven.' Genbō secretly relies on these words, eyes the imperial seat, bewilders Your Majesty's eyes, and deceives the rear palace. By slander he drives wedges among the families that are the protective screens of the imperial house, strips the court of its walls and ramparts, expels the houses that are the ridgepoles and beams of the state, and cuts off loyal and good ministers from Your Majesty's side. He frequently carries out harsh government so that the resentment of the realm gathers upon Your Majesty, raises great labor levies and wears out the myriad people, discards military preparations and makes the state forget war, carefully nurtures men prepared to die, and begrudges no resources of ten thousand gold pieces. His every act is exactly the same as the nine stratagems with which Wen Zhong destroyed Wu. Shimotsumichi-no-Ason Makibi (Kibi-no-Makibi), Junior Fifth Rank Upper, Uejitoku, Chief of the Right Guards, concurrently Chūgū-no-suke, Assistant of the Empress's Household, and Governor of Ōmi, is a worthless petty man born in a remote place, yet he studied abroad overseas and learned above all the arts of scheming and calculation; he has wisdom and courage, eloquence and stratagem. With his mouth he speaks of the legacy of Shanfu (Note: a wise minister of Zhou), but in his heart he longs for the schemes of Zhao Gao (Note: a treacherous minister of Qin). He is what is called a treacherous hero, with a tongue that can overturn a state. He too serves as Genbō's left arm. Your Majesty is a ruler of bright virtue, but your servant, having carefully observed the evil of these two men, dares to name them thus. Though Your Majesty has cherished and fostered them and your favor to them surpasses that given to their peers, in their conduct, advancing and withdrawing, they are like hungry tigers. Having known beforehand the wickedness of these two, I am certain they must have great ambitions. If they are not removed early, there will later be the regret of biting one's navel. Taigong Wang said: 'If a stream is not blocked while still small, before the Wei River has even frozen, it becomes a great river; if a tree is not stripped when it has only two leaves, in time axe and haft must be used.' To see the light of sun and moon does not make the eyes keen, and to hear the sound of thunder does not make the ears sharp. A man of the highest wisdom, from within his high hall, knows the order of the courses of sun and moon, and from looking at the water in a jar knows the cold and heat of the whole realm. Your servant begs to be granted the shangfang sword (Note: the sword bestowed by the Son of Heaven), to cut down the evil of these two, to eliminate harsh government, and to aid the leaning fortunes of the state. In the past, King Zhuang of Chu executed Shen Wuwei to make apology to the king of Wu, which is a precedent of Chu, and Emperor Jing of Han put Chao Cuo to death to answer the seven states, which was the best policy of an emperor of Han. This is the fifth of your servant's foolish opinions.

¶"Your servant has heard it said: 'Even the owl, crying in the mountains, still grieves that its own nest will be destroyed.' How much more our country's ancestral shrines and altars of grain, which vie in light with the sun and moon and share with heaven and earth their beginning and end! To think that they should be plotted against by such treacherous brigands as Genbō and such wicked villains as Kibi-no-Makibi; how sorrowful! With what face can loyal ministers and righteous men bear the sky above and tread the earth below? In the past the lofty-minded Zhu Yun urged at court that a teacher and tutor should be disgraced and broke the railing, but that was not a crime, and Emperor Cheng of Han pardoned it through his bright virtue. May Your Majesty likewise cast light upon the words of this foolish servant. Your servant's foolish loyalty is like the words of grass-cutters and woodcutters, yet the sage selects and discards even among such words, and if so there can be no greater blessing for the realm."

¶This memorial was submitted to the court, but no attention was paid to it. (Note: following the Matsuura Shahon Engi.)

¶In the ninth month Hirotsugu raised troops, built a camp in Oka District, stored archers and crossbowmen, and set up beacon towers. The court sent Daishōgun, Commander-in-Chief, Ōno-no-Azumahito and Fukushōgun, Deputy Commander, Ki-no-Iimaro, and others to put him down, issued an edict making Hirotsugu's crimes known throughout the realm, drafted several thousand imperial writs and scattered them among the provinces so that the people would know whom to follow, and also set out a scale of rewards, calling for rewards for whoever should cut Hirotsugu down. When Azumahito and his men advanced and were about to enter Buzen, they were blocked by Hasetsukabe-no-Tsunehito, Chief of the Garrison of Miyako District under Hirotsugu, Mita-no-Shiogomo, Great Chief of the Itabitsu Garrison in Kiku District, and Ōshikōchi-no-Tamichi, Lesser Chief. Tsunehito and Tamichi were defeated and killed. Shiogomo, struck by two arrows, fled, but was cut down by the commoner Toyokuni-no-Akiyama and others. One thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven soldiers of the three camps of Tomi, Itabitsu and Miyako were taken alive. Suhata-no-Semaro, Tairyō, Senior District Chief of Miyako District, came out with five hundred horsemen, Kashiwade-no-Azumahito, acting Shōryō, Junior District Chief of Nakatsu District, with eighty men, and Isayama-no-Kimimaro, acting Shōryō of Shimotsuke District, and Saeki-no-Toyoishi, acting Ryō, District Chief of Tsuiki District, with seventy men, and they submitted. In the tenth month Hirotsugu himself led ten thousand troops of Ōsumi, Satsuma, Chikuzen and Bungo and advanced by the Kurate road, while his younger brother Tsunate led five thousand troops of Chikugo and Hizen by the Bungo road and Tago-no-Komaro advanced by the Tagawa road, intending to meet the imperial army. Hirotsugu first reached the Itabitsu River, placed the Hayato troops in the vanguard, and tried to cross the river on rafts. Saeki-no-Tsunehito and Abe-no-Yasumaro came out of their camp and shot with crossbows. Hirotsugu's troops withdrew and drew up in line on the west bank of the river, while Tsunehito and the others drew up on the east bank and had the Hayato on their own side call out: "Whoever follows the rebel Hirotsugu and resists the imperial army, his guilt will extend to wife, children and kin." Hirotsugu's troops were unable to shoot. Tsunehito and the others called Hirotsugu ten times and he did not answer. After a while Hirotsugu galloped up and asked, "I hear that an imperial envoy has come; who is he?" Tsunehito answered, "The imperial envoys are Emon-no-kami Saeki-no-Taifu and Shikibu-no-shōyū Abe-no-Taifu." Hirotsugu dismounted and bowed twice, saying, "Hirotsugu would never dare disobey the court's command. I only wish that the two disorderly ministers of the court be put to death. If there is anyone who opposes the court, the gods of heaven and earth will at once punish and kill him." When Tsunehito and the others asked, "Then why did you raise troops?" Hirotsugu was at a loss for words, mounted his horse and left. Three Hayato swam across the river, and the Hayato of the imperial army helped them up. Then twenty more Hayato and about ten horsemen came over one after another, weapons were also seized, and Hirotsugu's army collapsed completely. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) Hirotsugu rode the horse of a thousand ri that he himself had kept and fled west. (Note: following the Ibon Heike Monogatari. The various books do not record the defeat of the armies of Tsunate and Komaro; they say only that Hirotsugu fled in defeat and that the other forces, learning of his defeat, scattered like grass before the wind. Probably the record is incomplete. The Matsuura Shahon Engi says the following. When Hirotsugu first went to his post, hearing the neighing of a horse he perceived its swiftness and bought it at a high price. The horse was of an extraordinary and strange conformation; it was fed on hard grass and brushwood, and when he tried planting a stake in the stable, within a few days the horse drew its four legs together and stood on top of the stake. Thereafter Hirotsugu would finish his duties in the morning and ride to the capital, attend the palace in the afternoon to receive his duties, and return to his office in the evening, making this his daily routine. One day at the Itakura Bridge in Bitchū, a man of extraordinary appearance standing beside him said to Hirotsugu, "I am from Hikami District in Tanba province and my name is Yata-no-Hiromaro. I wish to serve as your groom." Hirotsugu permitted it, and afterward the trips to and from the capital were never delayed. The Kokon Chomonjū also contains a story that Hirotsugu rode a swift horse and went to the capital and back in a single night, but all these are fantastic, so they are not adopted.) At last Hirotsugu boarded a ship and left Hizen, and reached Chika Island. Having caught an east wind, they sailed four days and saw a lone island. The boatman said, "This is Tanra Island (Note: Jeju Island)." After drifting a day and a night, suddenly a west wind arose and the ship could not go forward. Hirotsugu held the post-station bell in both hands and said, "I am a great loyal subject. Will the gods and spirits abandon me? Please, O gods, save me," and threw the bell into the sea, but the wind and waves grew only fiercer, and the ship was blown back to Chika Island. Nomura, the commander of the troops, was captured by the Shinshi Abe-no-Kuromaro. Azumahito and his men reported the victory to the court. In the twelfth month an edict was issued ordering Hirotsugu to be beheaded, but before the edict arrived, Azumahito had put Hirotsugu and Tsunate to death in Matsura District. (Note: the Konjaku Monogatari says that Hirotsugu rode his horse into the sea and drowned, and his corpse drifted ashore, so Azumahito cut off the head and sent it to the capital. The Sonpi Bunmyaku says the following. When Hirotsugu Shōshō, Lesser General, raised rebellion in the western office, he fought a battle with the imperial army led by Ōno-no-Azumahito and was defeated. In the course of this Hirotsugu cut off his own head with his own sword. Later, when that head rose into the air, it is said to have killed many of the imperial army. This head became like a red mirror in the air, and all who saw it died.) In the first month of the following year, the remaining followers and captives who had sided with Hirotsugu were judged, and those sentenced to flogging, penal servitude, exile or death, together with those whose persons were confiscated, came to nearly three hundred. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) Afterward Hirotsugu is said to have repeatedly wrought curses. (Note: following the Genpei Seisuiki and the Matsuura Shahon Engi.) In the seventeenth year of Tenpyō (745), by edict Genbō was sent to Tsukushi to build the Kanzeon-ji. The following year Genbō died, and the world says this was due to Hirotsugu's curse. (Note: the Tōdaiji Yōroku says that on the Tsuchinoto-I day of the sixth month the monk Genbō suddenly rose into the air several jō high, then fell to the ground and died, leaving neither blood nor bones. The Sonpi Bunmyaku says that on the day of the dedication of the Kannon-ji at Dazaifu, Sōjō Genbō served as officiating priest, and when he got into a koshi-yo, a type of palanquin, a voice was heard from far across the sky, and his body vanished. Afterward his head is said to have fallen in the Tō-in of the Kōfuku-ji.) In the early years of Tenpyō Shōhō (749), Kibi-no-Makibi was demoted to Chikuzen-no-kami and then changed to Hizen-no-kami. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) Makibi went to Hirotsugu's grave and held a rite for him. (Note: following the Konjaku Monogatari and the Matsuura Shahon Engi.) At length he built a shrine and named it the Kyōson Mausoleum, and founded the Chishiki Muon-ji, where rites were held every year in each season. (Note: following the Matsuura Shahon Engi. The Kyōson Mausoleum is written Kagami-no-miya in the Mizukagami.)

Tachibana-no-Naramaro

¶Tachibana-no-Naramaro was a son of Morokazu, Sadaijin, Minister of the Left. In the Tenpyō era, when the emperor made a progress to Morokazu's villa at Sagaraka, Naramaro was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. He successively served as Daigaku-no-kami, Head of the University, Settsu-no-daibu, and Minbu-no-taifu, and gradually advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the first year of Tenpyō Shōhō (749) he was granted Junior Fourth Rank Upper and became Jijū, Chamberlain, was appointed Sangi, Consultant, concurrently served as Azechi, Inspector, of Tajima and Inaba, inspected wrongdoing in Hōki, Izumo, Iwami and elsewhere, and advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower. In the first year of Tenpyō Hōji (757) he concurrently served as Sadaiben, Senior Controller of the Left.

¶At this time the emperor was strongly favoring Emi-no-Nakamaro (Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro), who had become Shibi Naishō, Inner Minister of the Shibi Office, and relying on that favor, wielded power as he pleased. Naramaro hated his conduct and secretly plotted to remove him, and together with the deposed Crown Prince Funado-no-Ō, and with Prince Shioyaki, Prince Asuka, Prince Kibumi, Ono-no-Azumahito, Ōtomo-no-Komaro and others, he schemed to depose and replace the sovereign.

¶Now at the end of the Tenpyō Shōhō era, when the Retired Emperor (Retired Emperor Shōmu) lay ill, Sami-no-Miyamori, a retainer of Morokazu, had informed secretly that "the Minister (Morokazu) drank wine and spoke impolite words, and there is some sign of treason." The Retired Emperor dealt with it leniently and did not inquire. When Morokazu learned of it, he soon resigned his office. Afterward the emperor summoned Saeki-no-Minomaro, Echizen-no-kami, and asked him about the matter, and Minomaro answered, "Your servant has not yet heard of it. Saeki-no-Matanari may perhaps know." They therefore sought to question Matanari, but the Empress Dowager firmly stopped it, and the matter was left unresolved.

¶After these events, Prince Yamashiro, the younger brother of Prince Kibumi, informed secretly: "Tachibana-no-Naramaro is plotting a treacherous scheme and intends to surround the Tamura Palace. Ōtomo-no-Komaro also knows the particulars, so he should be summoned and questioned." At this time Komaro had asked Ono-no-Azumahito, "There are those who intend to attack the Inner Minister (Nakamaro); will you follow?" and Azumahito had answered, "I will follow as you command." A man named Tōhon-no-Chūsetsu secretly overheard this talk and told Fujiwara-no-Toyonari, Udaijin, and Kose-no-Sakaimaro, Udaiben. Sakaimaro reported it secretly to the throne. Kamitsumichi-no-Hitatsu, Chūe-no-toneri, a guard of the Middle Guards, told Nakamaro: "Ono-no-Azumahito said this to me: 'There are princes and ministers plotting to kill the Crown Prince and the Inner Minister; can you follow them?' When I asked, 'Who are these princes and ministers?' he answered, 'Prince Kibumi, Prince Asuka, Tachibana-no-Naramaro and Ōtomo-no-Komaro, and their allies are very many.' When I asked further, 'What is their plan?' he answered, 'There are two plans. One is to lead four hundred picked troops and surround the Tamura Palace. The second is that when Ōtomo-no-Komaro, Mutsu Shōgun, General of Mutsu, is on his way to Mutsu, he is to reach the Mino Barrier, pretend illness, ask to meet one or two close associates, and, if permission is granted, close the barrier at once.' After a while I falsely pretended to go along with them." When Nakamaro heard this, that night at the second watch (about ten in the evening) he reported the whole affair in detail to the throne and strengthened the guard at all the gates. Koma-no-Fukushin and others led troops, arrested Azumahito, Chūsetsu and the others, and held them in the Left Guards. Separately, troops were sent to surround Prince Funado's residence. The next day, high ministers were sent to question them severely, but Azumahito and the others did not readily confess. That evening Nakamaro attended in the palace, summoned Prince Shioyaki, Prince Asuka, Prince Kibumi, Naramaro and Komaro, and proclaimed the Empress Dowager's edict, saying: "There are those who report that you are plotting treason. I think that you are my kinsmen and that your ranks and stipends are not light. What grudge do you now bear that you would raise rebellion? Therefore I do not call you to account now; take care that you do not destroy yourselves." The five withdrew through the south gate, bowed their heads and gave thanks for the favor.

¶The next day Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Nagate and others were sent to question them again. Azumahito and the others confessed as follows: "Prince Asuka, Prince Kibumi, Naramaro, Komaro, Tajihi-no-Kokai, Tajihi-no-Iyamaro, Ōtomo-no-Ikenushi, Tajihi-no-Takanushi, Ōtomo-no-Eto and others met three times by night. The first was at Naramaro's residence, the next beside the Zushoryō, the Bureau of Books, and the last in the courtyard of the Daijōkan-in. A very great number gathered at these meetings, so many that faces could scarcely be told apart. They bowed to heaven, earth and the four quarters, swore an oath sipping salt water, and said: 'On the evening of the second day of the seventh month we will raise troops, surround the Inner Minister's residence and kill him. We will then surround the Great Hall, depose the Crown Prince, threaten the Empress Dowager and seize the reiji (Note: the post-station bell and the imperial seal, the insignia of the sovereign's position). We will summon the Udaijin to serve as the one to give commands, and afterward depose the emperor. From among the four princes one will be chosen and set up as sovereign.'" They then separated Prince Asuka and the others, held them in custody and questioned them. Prince Asuka stated: "At dusk on the twenty-ninth day of last month, Prince Kibumi came and said, 'Naramaro wishes to meet you and talk,' and we went together. When we arrived at the Daijōkan-in there were some twenty people. One man came forward and made a bow, and when I looked it was Naramaro. There was a man in white clothing, who was Ono-no-Azumahito. Everyone said, 'The time has passed; stand and make obeisance.' When I asked what we were bowing to, I was told, 'We are bowing to heaven and earth.' Asuka had been deceived into coming, knew nothing whatever of the circumstances, and simply made obeisance following the others." The confessions of Prince Kibumi, Naramaro, Komaro and Kokai were much the same.

¶When the imperial envoy questioned Naramaro, asking, "Why did you raise rebellion?" Naramaro answered, "The Inner Minister has done very many unrighteous things, so I meant to raise troops first, secure his person first, and then state the circumstances." Asked, "What do you call unrighteous?" he answered, "The people are suffering from the building of the Tōdai-ji, and the various clans are also troubled. And in addition, policies for governing Nara (the capital) have been imposed, and their penalties have become a source of anxiety to the people." The envoy said, "Which clans are 'the various clans'? The building of the temple began when your father (Morokazu) was in charge of government. To call it a trouble to the people now makes no sense." Naramaro was at a loss for words.

¶There was also a man named Kamo-no-Tsunotari, who had drawn up a plan of the Tamura Palace and indicated the places for breaking in. The confession of Saeki-no-Kohina said further: "On the day the uprising was to begin, Tsunotari was to invite Koma-no-Fukushin, Prince Naki, Sakanoue-no-Karitamaro, Kose-no-Naemaro, Oshika-no-Shimatari and others to a banquet at the Nukatabe residence, planning to prevent them from rushing to the emergency." All those concerned were therefore sent to prison. The various guard divisions were ordered to divide the work and arrest his party. Kudara-no-Kyōfuku, Izumo-no-kami, Prince Fune, Dazai-no-sotsu, Governor-General of Dazaifu, and three others, five in all, were made to lead the guard divisions, guard the prison, and interrogate by torture. Prince Kibumi was made to change his name to Tabure, and Prince Funado was named Matoi. Komaro, Kokai, Azumahito and Tsunotari were made to change their surname to Noroshi, and all were beaten with the cudgel to death. Prince Asuka was exiled to Sado with his wife and children. Saeki-no-Ōnari, Shinano-no-kami, and Ōtomo-no-Kojihi, Tosa-no-kami, were each exiled to their provincial posts. Others died in prison, and others were sentenced to exile. (Note: according to the Kugyō Bunin, Naramaro was put to death. One account says he was sentenced to exile. This book has no clear statement that Naramaro was exiled or killed. According to the edict proclaimed later at the Nan-in, Naramaro was probably sentenced to distant exile. But there are still doubtful points, so it is not stated explicitly here.)

¶Tajihi-no-Kunihito, Tōtōmi-no-kami, was summoned and questioned, and since his confession was the same as that of Azumahito and the others, he was exiled to Izu. Saeki-no-Matanari was at that time Mutsu-no-kami, so he was questioned on the spot. Matanari confessed as follows: "In the seventeenth year of Tenpyō (745), when the late emperor (Emperor Shōmu) made a progress to Naniwa, his sleep and meals were not in good order. Naramaro said to Matanari: 'His Majesty's pillow and mat give him no rest, and he has now reached the point of critical illness. Yet still no heir has been established, which makes one fear that disturbance will arise. I intend to lead Tajihi-no-Kunihito, Tajihi-no-Kokai and Ono-no-Azumahito, set up Prince Kibumi as sovereign and answer the hopes of the common people. If the two clans of Ōtomo and Saeki join this undertaking, there will be nothing before which we are not victorious. Now the realm is anxious and suffering, people have no fixed dwellings, weeping and crying out in the streets, and truly many are resentful and lamenting. If we settle this plan on that basis, the affair will surely succeed. Will you follow?' Matanari said: 'My ancestors served with honesty and prudence. Though I am foolish, how could I go against the way of life of those before me? Even should the affair succeed, it would still not be good. How much less is success certain?' Naramaro said: 'Seeing the grief and resentment of the realm, I simply stated what I happened to think.' In the year of the Daijōsai, the Great Thanksgiving Festival, Naramaro said: 'I think of carrying out now the plan of that earlier year. What do you say?' Matanari answered: 'The court has granted me a high rank and a heavy stipend. How could I dare to defy heaven and plot treason? In that earlier year I already refused your proposal. How could I now start the affair?' Naramaro said: 'It is because you are a friend of one heart with me that I told you of this great matter. Be sure not to let this talk leak out.' Again, in the fourth month of last year, when Matanari went up to the capital carrying gold, Naramaro asked, 'Have you met Ōtomo-no-Komaro?' and when Matanari answered, 'Not yet,' Naramaro took Matanari to the office of the Benkan (Note: the Controllers' Office) and had him meet Komaro. Naramaro said: 'His Majesty's body is not well, and a long time has already passed. If one reads the times well, disorder is already near at hand. If someone of another clan is set up as sovereign, we will be destroyed. I wish to lead the Ōtomo and Saeki kin, set up Prince Kibumi as sovereign, and make that the foundation for ten thousand generations.' Komaro said: 'The Udaijin, the Dainagon and others hold power by relying on their strength. Even if you set up a sovereign, how could the people submit?' Matanari also said, 'This matter is contrary to reason. Even if it succeeded, how could it earn a good name?' and left the place. Only Naramaro stayed there, and Matanari did not hear what was said afterward." When Matanari had finished this account, he hanged himself and died.

¶Afterward the emperor came out to the Nan-in, South Hall, assembled the various offices and the village heads and above among the common people of the capital and home provinces, and proclaimed the following edict: "By the protection of the gods of heaven and earth, the band of traitors has submitted to its punishment. By law they should be put to death, but by special grace the penalty is reduced by one degree, their surnames and personal names are changed, and they are sentenced to distant exile. As for common people who were caught up in this affair and joined in by mistake, they are to be moved to Ogachi no Sakuko in Dewa province." In the fourth year of Keiun, the emperor fell ill and a general amnesty was proclaimed. The two hundred and sixty-two persons implicated in Naramaro's affair were each enrolled in the registers of their native places, but only entry into the capital was not permitted. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.)

¶Naramaro's sons were Kiyotomo and Iri'i. (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku.) Kiyotomo had a daughter, who became Empress Danrin (Tachibana-no-Kachiko). When Emperor Ninmyō ascended the throne, Junior Third Rank was posthumously granted to Naramaro. The edict said: "Tachibana-no-Ason Naramaro, unranked: the turns of fortune and misfortune are hard to measure, yet he has already closed the gate to the world of shades. We pity that his fortune and stipend did not last long, and grieve that his loyal and steadfast aim was not fulfilled. It is fitting that his grave be adorned with generous ceremonial." Afterward he was posthumously granted the title of Dainagon, Major Counsellor, and further Dajō-daijin, Chancellor, Senior First Rank. (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki.) Kiyotomo has a biography of his own. Iri'i was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower in the Enryaku era and successively served as Uhyōe-no-suke, Assistant Commander of the Right Guards, Uchūben, Middle Controller of the Right, Harima-no-kami, and Sakyō-daibu, Master of the Left Capital Office. (Note: following the Nihon Kōki.) His son was Hayanari.

Tachibana-no-Hayanari

¶Tachibana-no-Hayanari. Hayanari was by nature unrestrained and indifferent to small matters, and he was most outstanding in writing in clerical script. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.) Many of the tablet inscriptions on the palace gates were from his brush. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku and the Kokon Chomonjū.) At the end of Enryaku he went to Tang with the embassy, and people called him the "Talented Scholar Tachibana." After returning home he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, but because of age and illness he took no office and stayed shut up at home. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku. His being granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower is following the Shoku Nihon Kōki.) In the seventh year of Jōwa (840) he was summoned and made Tajima-no-gon-no-kami, Provisional Governor of Tajima.

¶When the Retired Emperor Saga fell ill, Tomo-no-Kowamine, Tōgū Tachihaki, Sword-bearer to the Crown Prince, thinking that "the Retired Emperor's passing is not far off, and a crisis of the state will soon come," plotted with Hayanari to move the Crown Prince, Prince Tsunesada, to the eastern provinces, and secretly spoke of it to Prince Abo. Soon the Retired Emperor died, and Prince Abo sealed a letter and submitted it to the Grand Empress Dowager Saga. The Empress Dowager summoned Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa and had him relay it to the throne. The six guard divisions were then made to guard the palace gates, and Fujiwara-no-Fujimaro, Ukonoe-no-shōshō, Lesser General of the Right Palace Guards, and others were sent leading brave soldiers, who surrounded the residences of Kowamine and Hayanari and seized them. Tomo-no-Minakami, head of the Shumesho, the Bureau of Horses, was arrested together with them. Tomo-no-Takemori, Ukonoe-no-shōsō, Junior Clerk of the Right Palace Guards, and Tomo-no-Kabutoo, Tachihaki, were also summoned and had their weapons taken from them, and they were held in the Left Palace Guards, the Left Gate Guards and the Left Military Guards respectively. Fujiwara-no-Nagana, Uhyōe-no-kami, Commander of the Right Military Guards, and Tokieda, Uemon-no-shōjō, Lieutenant of the Right Gate Guards, being close kin of Hayanari, handed over their own weapons and awaited judgment. Dainagon Fujiwara-no-Chikanari, Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Yoshino and others were also regarded as members of the same party and were kept in confinement within the Retired Emperor's residence. Sadaiben, Senior Controller of the Left, Prince Masami and others carried out the interrogation. (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki.) Hayanari did not admit guilt. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.) His surname was changed to Hijin, "Non-person," and his death sentence was reduced by one degree, and he was exiled to Izu. (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Montoku Jitsuroku.) On the road, when he had come as far as Itatsuki Post Station in Tōtōmi, he died at his lodging. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.) A little over a month later, the following edict was issued: "Chinryō, grandson of the criminal Hijin Hayanari, who was exiled to Izu province, is still of tender age and does not yet know how to earn a living. Yet Hayanari died on the thirteenth of last month, and on whom is the boy to rely? Though he is the descendant of a criminal, we still pity that one person should be left without a place to go. He is to be called back and made to live in his former home." In the second year of Kashō (849), his sons Tatsutsurugi, Jissan and others were granted their original surname and permitted to enter the capital. (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki.) The following year Senior Fifth Rank Lower was posthumously granted to Hayanari, and his remains were brought back to the capital and buried. In the third year of Ninju (853) Junior Fourth Rank Lower was further granted posthumously. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.)

Ono-no-Azumahito

¶Ono-no-Azumahito was Sahyōe-no-suke, Assistant Commander of the Left Military Guards, in the Tenpyō era. In the thirteenth year of Tenpyō (741) he was implicated in the affair of Fujiwara-no-Hirotsugu and sent to the prison of the Heijō capital, where he received fifty strokes of the cudgel in each of the East and West Markets, and was then exiled to Mishima in Izu. Some years later he was pardoned and returned to the capital, and became Jibu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs. In the Tenpyō Shōhō era he became Bizen-no-kami, and in the first year of Tenpyō Hōji (757) he reached Junior Fifth Rank Upper. But he joined Tachibana-no-Naramaro, and when the affair was discovered he was arrested and held in the Left Guards, and was tortured and beaten to death with the cudgel.