Biographies LXXXIV: Fujiwara-no-Kanezane and Fujiwara-no-Yoshitsune

Fujiwara-no-Kanezane

¶Fujiwara-no-Kanezane was the third son of the Kanpaku, Regent, Fujiwara-no-Tadamichi. His house name was Kujō. In the third year of Hōgen (1158) he was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower, and through successive promotions rose to Sakonoe-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Left Palace Guards. In the Heiji era he became Junior Third Rank and Gon-chūnagon, Provisional Middle Counsellor. In the first year of Ōhō (1161) he was transferred to Gon-dainagon, Provisional Major Counsellor, and concurrently served as Ukonoe-no-taishō, Commander of the Right Palace Guards. In the second year of Chōkan (1164) he became Naidaijin, Minister of the Center. In the early years of Nin'an he concurrently served as Tōgū-no-fu, Tutor to the Crown Prince. Soon afterwards he was transferred to Udaijin, Minister of the Right. At the end of the Jōan era he was granted Junior First Rank. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.)

¶Kanezane was widely versed in precedents and the customs of court, and whenever a doubtful question arose at court, his opinion was often sought. In the fourth year of Jishō (1180) the emperor abdicated in favor of Emperor Antoku. A few months later Taira-no-Kiyomori moved the capital to Fukuhara, but because the scale of the new capital had not yet been settled, it was called a detached palace. That year, however, was the year in which the Daijōsai, the Great Thanksgiving Festival, ought to have been held; the Retired Emperor was troubled that the palace buildings were unfinished, and the great rite was held up. Among the ministers, some said that the old buildings should be repaired and the rite carried out there, while others wished to build a Satodairi, a temporary palace, and hold it there, and the Retired Emperor could not decide. Kanezane had remained in the old capital (Kyoto), and he was summoned and questioned. Kanezane replied: "The rites and the palace precincts (kyūketsu, the imperial palace) are both things that cannot be neglected. If one tries to build the palace first and only then hold the rites, the cost will be enormous and there will be no prospect of finishing the work. For the time being, return to the old capital and perform the rites there, and afterwards gradually deliberate on the palace. If reverence is not lost, the people too will respond and look forward to good fortune." The Retired Emperor thereupon abandoned the Daijōsai.

¶In the first year of Yōwa (1181) the Retired Emperor died. The emperor was still a child, and the Cloistered Emperor (Go-Shirakawa) took up the conduct of government himself. At this time a kyakusei (a guest star, an unusual star such as a comet) appeared, and scorching heat brought drought and famine. The Cloistered Emperor asked Kanezane about ways to ward off the calamity. Kanezane replied: "When men's conduct goes wrong below, omens of disaster appear above. The ruler should summon the ministers and high officials widely and have them speak frankly to his face. The country has the people as its foundation; if the foundation is shaken, how can the country stand? For several years now there has been scorching heat and drought, and the grain has not ripened; yet armies are sent out in all four directions, forced labor is imposed on the exhausted people, the delivery of military provisions is demanded of them, and on top of this they are made to carry out the repair of both Tōdaiji and Kōfukuji, so that the common people groan in suffering and have no time to rest. Even in a bountiful year this would be hard to bear, and how much more in a year of ill harvest. Now, if you wish to remove Heaven's rebuke and save the people, everything depends on prayers of purification and the cultivation of virtue. Since ancient times the methods of prayer and sacrifice have varied in their efficacy, and even where the court has already performed them, the ordinary rites alone cannot overturn the situation. In particular, heishi, envoys bearing offerings, should be sent to report the circumstances to the Great Shrine of Ise and to the various shrines held in reverence. Monks of the exoteric and esoteric schools should also be chosen and made to practice the secret rites with care; if they offer earnest prayers and petitions, the signs of calamity will surely vanish. In the present state of affairs, even if one wished to carry out a government of virtue, military campaigns cannot be lightly halted and building works are hard to abandon. But since the country is worn out and the people exhausted, there is no benefit even if the ringleaders of the rebels are captured. You should show some leniency and follow the hearts of the people. As to the campaigns, entrust them entirely to the commanders; if only the issue of military provisions is made fitting and efforts are made to cut wasteful expenditure, the people's resentment can be calmed. Building works should likewise be limited with moderation, and benevolence should be extended to those below. Lawsuits, moreover, are something a wise ruler should handle with great care. You should order the rikan (the officials in charge of the courts) to examine the suits and record the prisoners, and have them strive to establish the truth and the falsehood and to judge fairly. There are very many precedents of great amnesties being granted because of calamities and portents. It is said that in the Kankō era (around 1004-1012), when a guest star appeared, prisoners were pardoned and the ominous signs vanished at once. This is a precedent that should be followed. If, in the case of the complaints of the Shinto officials of the Great Shrine of Ise and of the unruly monks of the various temples as well, the ringleaders are punished and all the rest have their offenses washed away and are given a fresh start, then Heaven's will can be recovered and divine favor obtained." The Cloistered Emperor was unable to make use of this advice.

¶When Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka drew near the home provinces, the Taira, bearing the emperor (Emperor Antoku) and carrying the Sacred Regalia (the Three Sacred Treasures), fled to Saikai, the western seas. With the capital left without a sovereign, divination was ordered on the question, "Which is more auspicious: to await the emperor's return, or to set up a separate sovereign without the Regalia?" The officials reported that to await the emperor's return was auspicious. The Cloistered Emperor had several officials each debate the matter again, but their opinions did not agree. Kanezane submitted a memorial: "The realm cannot be without a sovereign for even a single day. Yet the throne has been left empty up to now, and the ten thousand people have lost the ground on which they rely. The robberies by bandits that have frequently occurred of late, and the unrest in the villages, are due to the absence of a sovereign. This is the first reason why a sovereign should be set up quickly. The Taira are issuing commands while holding the emperor; if we attack them while we ourselves have no sovereign, we shall be sending out an army without just cause. This is the second reason. By the law of our ancestors, one cannot ascend the throne without the sword and the seal (kenji, the sword and the jewel). But if we examine the national histories, Emperor Keitai called himself emperor and performed the senso, the accession, before his enthronement, and only after obtaining the sword and the seal did he take the great throne for the first time. This is exactly the same as the present circumstances and may be taken as a precedent. This is the third reason. Given these three principles, if we do not decide on a course quickly, how can we block the source of disorder and guard against the schemes of treacherous men?" The Cloistered Emperor was pleased, and set up Emperor Go-Toba.

¶At that time some among the ministers argued: "Emperor Antoku was enthroned at the Shishinden, yet he was unable to keep his throne to the end, so a different hall ought to be used." Kanezane submitted a memorial: "In the previous reign I advised using the Nanden (another name for the Shishinden). Now the ministers are caught up in taboos and blame the building for the fault. A wise ruler first considers the principle of right and wrong in a matter, and does not ask about the good or ill fortune of precedents. That the enthronement is held in the Daigokuden, and the rites in the Buraku-den, is the original ancient rule. After the Buraku-den fell into disuse, the rites too came to be performed in the Daigokuden. The Daigokuden is the main hall, and the Shishinden is the seishin (the emperor's regular residence). At present the Daigokuden has suffered fire and has not yet been rebuilt, so it is only right to use the Shishinden. Since the main hall is already gone, how could one set aside the regular residence, which ought not to be moved, and lower the standard by holding it in the offices of the various bureaus? Moreover, since the sword and the seal have not yet returned, the enthronement should be suspended until the sword and the seal return. I have never heard of an instance of ascending the great throne without transmitting the sword and the seal."

¶When Yoshinaka had received his command to attack the Taira, he heard along the road that Minamoto-no-Yoritomo had sent his younger brother Yoshitsune at the head of an army to march westward; for that reason Yoshinaka too turned back to the capital, grew more overbearing with each passing day, and had lost all intention of campaigning in the west. The Cloistered Emperor repeatedly sent men to urge him on, but Yoshinaka did not obey the command. At this time wild rumors were seething in the capital, and it was said that Yoshinaka would rebel. The Cloistered Emperor was alarmed, gathered troops at the Hōjūjidono to prepare, and also secretly intended to move the emperor to the Hōjūjidono. He consulted Kanezane, who replied: "I have heard that whenever a subject has committed a crime, one should weigh its gravity and judge it according to law. To gather troops beneath the steps of the palace and try to settle the contest there, is that the bearing of a king who reigns over the realm? Yet it is not without reason that Yoshinaka does not obey the command. In my opinion, you should send an envoy to ascertain the true state of his violent and unreasonable conduct, and by this investigate the source of the wild rumors; if the name of the instigator becomes known, he should be arrested and dealt with according to law. Yoshinaka too may perhaps submit, so why should you trouble yourself with the labor of a punitive expedition? I have also heard that Yoshinaka's intention to resist is solely out of dislike for the great numbers of the eastern armies. If Your Majesty were to have Yoshinaka reduce his soldiers and horses, Yoshinaka would surely set out. If he leaves the capital, the fear of being pressed upon is removed, and the court, from outside, can gradually bring him under control. To fail to take this plan now, and instead to hurry to move the sovereign elsewhere, is, I believe, by no means good." The Cloistered Emperor was unable to make use of this advice.

¶The Cloistered Emperor also deliberated on the enthronement, and sent Fujiwara-no-Mitsumasa, Kurōdo-no-tō, Head Chamberlain, to question Kanezane: "I wish to choose a time and hold the enthronement ceremony. But once the emperor is enthroned, the Daijōsai cannot be left unheld. This year the world is ravaged by warfare, and even small matters are hard to arrange, so how could we manage the successive outlay of great sums? The enthronement cannot be postponed, but if the Daijōsai is not held, the enthronement too would be in vain." Kanezane replied: "In the transmission of the heavenly throne, to receive the abdication today and be enthroned tomorrow has been the ordinary practice from ancient times to the present. That the accession took place last year without an enthronement having been held is the doing of a world of many troubles, and is not originally the ordinary rule. If a suitable moment is obtained, it should be done promptly. But the covenant of the divine ancestors fixes that the one who has been handed the sword and the seal is the ruler of the country. There has been no instance, from ancient times to the present, of taking the great throne without the sword and the seal. Earlier, on the ground that the realm cannot be without a sovereign for even a day, a sovereign was set up first. But as to the enthronement, discussion should be held only after waiting for the return of the sword and the seal. Now the Sacred Mirror, the sword, and the seal are in the hands of the rebels, and it is not even known whether they still exist; yet to say that one must nonetheless wait for their return would not be accepted by the opinion of the time. Why then do I still grieve and fret without end? It is because over a year has now passed since the Regalia were seized, and I have not yet heard that any plan has been made, or that prayers have been performed, to recover them. You should at once offer prayers to the gods of Heaven and Earth and immediately carry out a punitive expedition to take back the Regalia. If the fortunes of the country have not yet declined, the Regalia will surely return safe. If the emperor is enthroned bearing them, there will be no greater happiness. If, on the contrary, the course of fortune should run out and the Regalia be lost, then, once it has been seen that they cannot be recovered, the enthronement should be discussed afresh. If, now, before doing all that ought to be done, one carelessly proceeds to enthronement, there is a danger of the reproach of not valuing the Regalia. Even if my words are not adopted and it is decided to take the great throne, you should rouse picked troops and exert every effort to recover the lost treasures. If you do so, how could the gods fail to help and protect you? And how could success or failure not be settled decisively?"

¶The Cloistered Emperor again sent Mitsumasa to say: "What you have submitted is indeed in accord with my own wishes. However, among those who debate, some say: 'If the enthronement and the Daijōsai are suspended, the rebellious bandits will on the contrary gain strength and will hold me in ever greater contempt and laughter. Moreover, whether the Regalia will return cannot be predicted in advance. The emperor should be enthroned quickly and cut off the rebels' hopes.' I am greatly perplexed. You, deliberate once more." Kanezane replied: "If those who debate recommend the best plan, it should be followed at once." When Mitsumasa pressed this debate hard, Kanezane said: "This is a great matter of state, and how could I cling to my own solitary view and block the way of hearing wide opinion? Which is weightier, the Regalia or the rebel band? I have heard of no one who, day and night, labored in anguish and devoted his whole spirit to a plan for recovering the Regalia; if one only fears the raging of the rebels and lightly carries out the enthronement, one will show the realm all the more an image of making light of the Regalia. If the emperor is enthroned now without bearing the Regalia, I fear that it will become a pretext for later ages, and that senzetsu (usurpation, seizing a position above one's station) will never cease. This concerns not only the national polity of the present day." The Sesshō, Regent, Motomichi, the Sadaijin, Minister of the Left, Tsunemune, and others declared: "The great ceremony should be held quickly." The Cloistered Emperor, too, was swept along by the general opinion, and in the end had the emperor enthroned at the Daijōkanchō, the Office of the Council of State.

¶Though Kanezane had long enjoyed a great reputation and had long held the rank of minister, he was unable to grasp real power in the government of the country. His nephew Motomichi had held the post of Regent from early on, but made no proposals of any note. Yoritomo regarded Kanezane as a man of talent and worth, hinted at his wishes in a roundabout way, and sought to dismiss Motomichi and put Kanezane in his place. But the Cloistered Emperor favored Motomichi and would not permit it.

¶Yoshitsune had achieved merit by destroying the Taira and was favored by the Cloistered Emperor. Yoritomo detested him deeply and plotted to kill him. Yoshitsune begged that an imperial edict be granted for the punishment of Yoritomo, and both court and country trembled in fear. The Cloistered Emperor sent Takashina-no-Yasutsune to consult Kanezane, asking: "If Yoshitsune's request is refused and not granted, matters will become unpredictable. How should this be handled?" Kanezane replied: "An edict of pursuit and punishment calls for caution. Unless the offense is one that falls under the hachigyaku (the eight heinous crimes of the code), it should not be issued lightly. At present the offense Yoritomo has committed does not reach that level, and to issue an edict readily is beyond my understanding. In the past, when Kiyomori and Yoshinaka asked for the punishment of Yoritomo, an edict was issued in each case. Those did not originally come from the Emperor's own wishes, but were issued because there was no help for it. And yet the rebellions have not ceased of late, and that is precisely the cause. Now, even if it is to avoid a danger before one's eyes, how can the same error be repeated? But this is not something I venture to decide; it is only for Your Majesty's own heart to judge."

¶Yasutsune said: "The Cloistered Emperor has always perceived that Yoritomo has no intention of rebellion, and merely wishes to reassure Yoshitsune. Judging by the tone of your words, you appear to be siding with Yoritomo. Yoritomo has been privately recommending you. The Emperor's mind might suspect that you, feeling obligated by those words, are scheming on Yoritomo's behalf, and that would be to your disadvantage. Yoritomo has already understood that the earlier edicts came from the requests of Kiyomori and Yoshinaka; how could he fail to understand that this edict too is not the court's true intention? What harm could there be in issuing it?"

¶Kanezane said: "This is a great matter of the court. How can I let private feeling intrude and forget public affairs? It is out of loyalty, however inadequate, that I do not avoid suspicion. Is Yoshitsune's position toward Yoritomo the same as in the cases of Kiyomori and Yoshinaka? Can you guarantee, because Yoritomo was not angered by the earlier matter, that nothing will happen this time either? The present plan should be to admonish Yoshitsune and have him relax his scheme, and to send an envoy to question Yoritomo: 'Yoshitsune has repeatedly performed meritorious service, and he is also your deputy. For that reason the court has relied upon him. Recently we have heard that you intend to kill Yoshitsune; what is his offense? If he has been brought down by slander and you therefore wish to harm him, would that not be a wrongful accusation? Or are his crimes clear? In that case he should be sent to Kamakura and dealt with according to law. To dispatch troops now and throw the capital into uproar is far too contemptuous of the court's law.' If, even after being warned and commanded in this way, Yoritomo still wishes to contend, then he should be treated as having defied an imperial command and a punitive expedition should be carried out at once. If an edict is lightly issued now, before the offense is even clear, regret will come too late." Yasutsune agreed and withdrew. Kanezane sighed and said: "The bonds of kinship have been lost. That brothers should give free rein to rebellion against each other is the extreme of disorder."

¶At this time the Sadaijin Tsunemune and others argued: "At present the guard of the palace is thin, and the court has nothing to rely on but Yoshitsune. If we refuse his request and a disturbance once breaks out, who will be able to meet it? It is best to grant it for the time being." That night the monk Shōshun, sent by Yoritomo, attacked Yoshitsune's residence, and the palace was thrown into uproar. The next day the edict was finally issued.

¶Soon afterwards Yoritomo submitted a written memorial setting out his own position, listed those who had been involved with Yoshitsune and asked that some be exiled and some dismissed, and further planned to weed out the court's officials and reshuffle appointments; he put forward ten kugyō, court nobles, to take part in the council of state, placed Kanezane at the head of them, and asked that an order of Nairan, the right of preliminary inspection of documents, be issued to him. The Cloistered Emperor suspected that Kanezane had had Yoritomo recommend him, and warned Motomichi in advance to give up his post. Kanezane declined the Nairan, saying: "Now a young sovereign has only just been enthroned, and all things are about to return to their former state. Yoritomo intends to purge the court and bring about a government of renewal. But to place a Nairan in addition to the Regent is not a quest for good government; it will on the contrary invite disorder. Emperor Daigo was called the foremost of all sovereigns, yet he erred in banishing Sugawara-no-Michizane. Emperor Toba was a wise ruler who governed the world, yet he erred in employing Fujiwara-no-Yorinaga. These errors came from scheming to share authority with one man, or from favoring a wicked man. That the world has remained unsettled since the Hōgen disturbance is, if one seeks its beginning, nothing other than the mistaken arrangement of the Ninpei years. If an emperor plans for the order of his reign, he should strive to leave a design for his descendants. The precedents of Engi and Ninpei are clear warnings held up by the whole world. If the same error is repeated now, how can one set a model for later ages? Moreover, when the Son of Heaven rules in person, to show documents presented to him first to the minister to whom he has delegated, that is called Nairan. At present the young sovereign does not yet decide all affairs of state himself, and the Regent, acting as though facing south, conducts the myriad affairs on his behalf. If a separate Nairan were nevertheless established, and documents that ought to be shown to the Regent were shown first to the Nairan, then between the Regent and the Nairan there would almost be the ceremonial relation of sovereign and subject. Even if I were made Nairan now, my position would not be equal to the Regent's. The conferral of ranks, the jimoku (appointment sessions), and the kansō (reports to the throne) have long been conducted in the Regent's jikiro, his duty room in the palace. Were I made Nairan, would I too still divide my duties and conduct them in that same jikiro? In all matters there are things that, once the principle has been set right, should become precedent. This is neither an ancient precedent nor consistent with principle. How can I follow an erroneous arrangement of a degenerate age and do what runs counter to principle? I humbly beg that this memorial be halted."

¶The Cloistered Emperor would not listen, and said: "The existence or not of precedents should no longer be a concern. The promotions and demotions, the comings and goings of appointments, were fixed by Yoritomo as he pleased. How could there be precedent?" Kanezane had already received the Nairan appointment, but he was in any case not liked by the Cloistered Emperor. Motomichi was Regent, but his reputation did not match Kanezane's. The Cloistered Emperor was displeased each time. Slanders and calumnies were spread daily, and suspicion and dislike grew ever deeper. Kanezane tried to have an audience with the favored lady, Tango-no-Tsubone, to explain himself in person, but it was not possible. Yoritomo at last recommended Kanezane as Regent, saying: "Kanezane does not hope that I will advance him, and I too am not showing him private partiality. It is what the general expectation agrees upon, and it is a truly fitting appointment."

¶In the second year of Bunji (1186) Kanezane became Sesshō, Regent, and resigned as Minister of the Right. The Cloistered Emperor said to Fujiwara-no-Sadanaga, Sashōben, Lesser Controller of the Left: "Your elder brother Mitsunaga is learned and has gained considerable popularity. I hear that of late he has been close to the Regent and has slandered me on every occasion. Among other things there was supposedly a remark that 'the Cloistered Emperor is not fit to be in a position to know the affairs of the realm.' If the Regent had Mitsunaga convey that to Yoritomo, I bear a deep grudge." Hearing this, Kanezane became still more uneasy, shut his gate, and ceased to attend court. He submitted through Sadanaga: "When I examine myself I believe I have committed no fault, yet I have on the contrary incurred the stain of forming a faction. How can I remain in this post at the pivot of government? Words of slander and false accusation cannot be cleared by explanation. I beg that I be dismissed at once. If permission is granted, I wish to convey the Emperor's wishes secretly to the Kantō. I wish to instruct Yoritomo on the basis of my own feelings. But since my appointment came from Yoritomo's recommendation, I fear that Yoritomo may hesitate to take a stand."

¶The Cloistered Emperor fell silent, and with a look of regret said: "I was angry with Mitsunaga and merely spoke of it secretly to attendants; I never thought that matters would come to this." Several days later he sent Sadanaga to say to Kanezane: "Earlier I spoke of Mitsunaga merely repeating what I had heard, and did not necessarily believe it. That you should be troubled and wish to resign is entirely unreasonable. As for informing the Kantō, which is weightier, my command or your word? Everything you wish runs counter to my intention. Moreover, the office of Regent is something the Great Deity of Kasuga decides, and each person has a fixed destiny. Why hurry to resign? The former Regent (Motomichi) has often shown loyalty, and I always keep that in mind. That he has already been dismissed from the post and his family estates further reduced, I feel great pity, and I have repeatedly said as much to the Kantō, but this too is probably each man's lot. From now on, I am deeply pleased if you also look kindly on Motomichi, deal with him calmly, and keep no rancor between you. In all that I judge to be permissible or not, I merely adopt public opinion and have no other intention. This year is a bountiful year, which must be a sign that the government accords with Heaven's will. I trust that you will not shrink back in awe." Kanezane thereupon gave up his thought of resigning.

¶Soon afterwards Kanezane came to the Cloistered Emperor's residence and submitted: "Of late, tribute and taxes from the provinces have been remitted as the provinces ask. The various offices have exhausted their resources and no reserves are to be found. From where shall supplies be drawn for Shinto and Buddhist observances and for the various ceremonies? If some pressure to deliver is not applied, one after another will imitate the rest, and the provinces that ought to bear the repair of the various shrines will also wish for exemption. You should weigh the circumstances and set a rule for remission. For what is needed during a year, the various offices should be made to report the items in advance. If the expenses are insufficient, efforts should be made to economize. One Shōkei, presiding minister, should be chosen to oversee the overall accounts, and deliberation should be held beforehand, so that the state's ceremonies are not late in their season."

¶At this time, because the provinces did not present tortoises, the Ontai-no-miura, the divination for the emperor's health, was suspended. Kanezane submitted: "Rewards and punishments are the great framework of the state. Now the provinces are neglecting orders in this way. In the Genryaku years the divination was suspended on account of warfare, but apart from that there has been no precedent. If the court says not a single word, how can government be carried on?" He also asked that moral instruction be extended and that the customs be honored. The Cloistered Emperor replied: "When you first took office, I was misled by rumors. But now they have melted away completely. Since you began assisting in the government, you have been fair and free of selfishness. The reputation to which all look up grows ever higher with the passing of time. What you submitted is truly good. I shall continue to rely on your management of government, so do not keep silent about what you know. The gods of Heaven and Earth see everything, so there is no room for doubt any longer." Although he comforted and encouraged him so earnestly, in the end the hearts of the two never came together.

¶In the fifth year of Bunji (1189) Kanezane became Dajō-daijin, Chancellor, but soon resigned from it. In the second year of Kenkyū (1191) he became Kanpaku. In the third year of Kenkyū (1192) the Cloistered Emperor fell ill and showed Kanezane a kōmon, a written prayer to be offered to the Great Shrine of Ise, in which there was a phrase to the effect that "I too do not cling to this fleeting world and would rather hope soon for the lotus seat (rendai, rebirth in the Pure Land)." Kanezane replied: "The breadth of Your Majesty's heart is beyond the reach of a fool like myself. Yet when I withdrew and reflected, I felt that there was still cause for anxiety. When the emperor has gradually grown up and comes to survey the government of the realm himself, it will be well for such thoughts to be held. But now the emperor is still young, and government depends entirely upon Your Majesty. Should anything happen to Your Majesty, what do you intend to do about the realm? In recent times the Cloistered Emperor Shirakawa preserved a long life of seventy-seven years, and the ten thousand people joyfully revered him. The length of life is not necessarily the same for everyone, but for the sake of the realm, while waiting for the imperial grandson to grow up, you should pray for a few more years of life. I have also heard it said: 'The order and disorder of a state are like an illness in a man's body.' Some illnesses are sudden, but once they are cured, no affliction remains afterwards. The state of the world in the past was of that kind. But if an illness clings to the body and drags on over years and months, it seeps deep into the five viscera and six organs, and one is sure to collapse and lose one's life. The situation of today corresponds exactly to this. For the calamities brought by Kiyomori and Yoshinaka, and the troubles brought by Yukiie and Yoshitsune, were not afflictions without urgency, but because the punitive actions were timely and were settled without delay, no later affliction was left. Yet now, before Yoritomo's heroic stature there is no one who would cross swords and contend with him. The great troubles have been cut away, and in name it is called a time of great peace. But the households of the people are worn out and evil deeds increase with each day. Even with the wealth of the whole realm, the tribute and taxes fall short, affairs do not go well, and the misfortune is almost beyond measure. Might not even the spirits of the imperial ancestral shrines be grieved? Though we are in office, we merely stand silently filling our places in the roll. If Your Majesty does not deeply concern himself for these people, who can prop up and restore this tottering age? I beg that such a purport be added to the written prayer." (Note: following the Gyokuyō.)

¶In the seventh year of Kenkyū (1196) he was dismissed as Kanpaku. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) At first Kanezane's daughter had entered the palace and become Chūgū, Empress, but soon afterwards she bore an imperial princess. Kanezane was greatly disappointed. Just then Jōnin Hōshinnō, Cloistered Imperial Prince, and Gon-dainagon Minamoto-no-Michichika and others hated Kanezane and drove a wedge between the emperor and Yoritomo. By this time Kanezane had resigned, and the Empress left the palace. These circumstances appear in the Biographies of Consorts (Kōhiden). When Kanezane resigned, Michichika still tried to find fault with him in order to have Kanezane driven out. But the emperor had no such intention to begin with, and Kanezane in the end escaped misfortune. (Note: following the Gukanshō.)

¶In the ninth year of Kenkyū (1198) the emperor abdicated in favor of Emperor Tsuchimikado. Michichika, relying on the power of a maternal relative of the sovereign, took sole control of authority and favor. Kanezane took no part in the court's government, but was indignant about it on each occasion. (Note: following the Gyokuyō.) In the second year of Kennin (1202) he shaved his head and took the Dharma name Enshō. (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki; the Kugyō Bunin gives Enryū.) In the first year of Jōgen (1207) he died. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Meigetsuki.) He was sixty years old. (Note: this text and the Gukanshō give fifty-nine, which agrees with the Ichidai Yōki's statement that he was fifty-four in the second year of Kennin. Here the Kugyō Bunin's statement that he was fourteen in the first year of Ōhō is followed, as well as one version of the Yōki, which says he was forty-two in the fifth year of Bunji.) He was called in the world the Tsukinowa Kanpaku. (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku.) His diary is called the Gyokuyō. (Note: following the Gyokuyō.)

¶Kanezane had from the first the reputation of a kōho, one with the capacity of a minister to assist the Son of Heaven. After becoming Regent he pursued good government, opened the channels of remonstrance, and made it his aim to restore ceremonies that had fallen into disuse. The realm praised him as a good minister. (Note: following the Gukanshō.) His sons were Yoshimichi, Yoshitsune, Yoshisuke, and Yoshihira; the others left home and became monks. (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku.) Yoshimichi was intelligent from childhood, possessed considerable talent and learning, and rose through successive offices to Naidaijin. In the fourth year of Bunji (1188) he died, at the age of twenty-two. Yoshisuke held important posts in turn and rose to Sadaijin; he was called Hachijō. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin; that he was called Hachijō follows the Sonpi Bunmyaku.) He was versed in many books and was respected in the world. (Note: following the Gukanshō.) In the sixth year of Kenpō (1218) he died. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Sonpi Bunmyaku.) Yoshihira was adopted by his elder brother Yoshitsune, and he too rose to Sadaijin but resigned because of illness. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) Later he was employed again and became Dajō-daijin and was granted Junior First Rank. In the first year of Ninji (1240) he died, and was called Daigo. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Sonpi Bunmyaku.)

Fujiwara-no-Yoshitsune

¶Fujiwara-no-Yoshitsune passed through the post of Gon-chūnagon, Provisional Middle Counsellor, and was granted Senior Second Rank. In the fifth year of Bunji (1189) he was transferred to Gon-dainagon, Provisional Major Counsellor. In the sixth year of Kenkyū (1195) he became Naidaijin, Minister of the Center. In the first year of Shōji (1199) he was transferred to Sadaijin, Minister of the Left. In the second year of Kennin (1202) he received an edict of Nairan. After a little over a month he became Sesshō, Regent, and the people of the time regarded this as an honor. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin; supplemented with reference to the Gukanshō.)

¶Before this, Gon-dainagon Minamoto-no-Michichika had wielded power and made great changes in the court's offices. At this time Michichika died, and this appointment then took place. Yoshitsune was widely versed in many arts and was especially skilled in waka. The Retired Emperor (the Retired Emperor Go-Toba) valued him, and whenever composing poetry he always took Yoshitsune along as his companion. His treatment was generous and warm, and the world held that a man fit for the post of shippei (the regent or kanpaku, the holder of the reins of government) had been obtained. (Note: following the Gukanshō.)

¶In the first year of Ken'ei (1206) Yoshitsune died suddenly in his sleep one night. One account says that "he was stabbed by a thief." (Note: according to a document handed down in the house of a certain kugyō, the Kanpaku Masamoto, a descendant in the eleventh generation of Yoshitsune, borrowed a book from Sugawara-no-Arikazu, and in it were several characters describing "the circumstances of the killing of Kyōgoku-dono"; from this he learned that it had been the work of Sugawara-no-Tamenaga. He therefore summoned Arikazu and killed him, avenging his ancestor. Considering this now: although Tamenaga and Arikazu both descended from Sugawara-no-Michizane, their blood relation was distant, and this is not the concern of the author. According to the diary of Fujiwara-no-Chikanaga, in the fifth year of Meiō (1496) the Kanpaku Masamoto summoned Arikazu, reproached him for his discourtesy, and, conspiring with his son Hisatsune, killed him with his own hands. This differs greatly from the affair of Yoshitsune and Tamenaga. Probably the legends about Yoshitsune's death are tangled together and the truth cannot be obtained. It is also said that because Yoshitsune restrained Tamenaga and did not let him write the preface to the Shin Kokinshū, Tamenaga resented this and sent men to kill him; this account has probably been attached to that story. The present text does not adopt this account.) Yoshitsune was called Go-Kyōgoku. (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku.) His diary is called the Denki. (Note: following the Denki.) His sons were Michiie, Noriie, and Motoie. Noriie went out as an adopted son of the Sadaijin Fujiwara-no-Yoshisuke and rose to Senior Second Rank Dainagon. Motoie became Senior Second Rank Naidaijin and was styled Tsurudono. (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku.) Michiie has a separate biography.