Biographies XCII: Minamoto-no-Chikafusa and His Kinsmen (Akinobu, Akiyoshi, Akitoki, Akikuni)

Minamoto-no-Chikafusa

¶Minamoto-no-Chikafusa was a descendant of Imperial Prince Tomohira and a son of Morishige, Gon-Dainagon, Provisional Major Counsellor. His house was styled Kitabatake, or alternatively Nakanoin (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Kitabatake genealogy). In the years of Einin and Enkei (1293-1311) he was repeatedly promoted and was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower; he served successively as Ukone-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Right Imperial Guards, and Sashōben, Minor Controller of the Left, and was appointed Sangi, Consultant. In the first year of Gen'ō (1319) he became Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor, was granted Senior Second Rank, and concurrently served as Betto, Steward, of the two cloisters Junna-in and Shōgaku-in. In the third year of Genkyō (1323) he rose to Dainagon, Major Counsellor (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He became tutor to Imperial Prince Tokiyoshi (Note: following the Masukagami). In the second year of Gentoku (1330) Imperial Prince Tokiyoshi died. Chikafusa grieved deeply and for this reason shaved his head (Note: following the Masukagami and the Kugyō Bunin). His Buddhist name was Sōgen (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). Chikafusa had served through five reigns and had long enjoyed the esteem of his contemporaries. When he resigned his office and withdrew from public life, everyone lamented it on the court's behalf (Note: following the Masukagami; that he served through five reigns follows the Kugyō Bunin). In the third year of Genkō (1333), when the emperor's carriage returned from Oki to the capital, Chikafusa took office again (Note: following the Taiheiki and the Baishōron), and on this occasion was granted Junior First Rank (Note: following the Entairyaku, the Genkō Nikki, its Uragaki, and the Shin'yō Wakashū) and was made Jun-daijin, Honorary Minister (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the entry for the thirty-second year of Ōei in the Satsukai-ki. The Bunmyaku says that he was made an Honorary Minister by edict of the Southern Court, so it is known that the grant took place, but the year and month are not recorded. The Satsukai-ki places it in the second year of Genkō, but at that time the emperor was still at Oki, so how could such a grant have been made? It is therefore recorded here to await later investigation).

¶In the winter, Chikafusa's son Akiie became Mutsu-no-kami, Governor of Mutsu, and, escorting Imperial Prince Noriyoshi, went out to garrison Mutsu and Dewa (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki and the Hōreki Kanki). Chikafusa assisted him and afterwards returned to the capital (Note: following the Sekijō-sho and the Yūki documents. The Baishōron says that in the first year of Engen Chikafusa raised troops and returned to the capital together with Imperial Prince Noriyoshi and Akiie. The Sekijō-sho, written by Chikafusa himself, says that Akiie left Mutsu after Chikafusa had returned to the capital. The account of the Baishōron is, on the whole, mistaken).

¶When Ashikaga Takauji put down Hōjō Tokiyuki, there was a report that Takauji harbored treacherous intentions. The emperor for the first time came to suspect Takauji and wished to have him put to death. Chikafusa, together with the Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Kin'akira, remonstrated, saying: "Takauji's merits are great, and his guilt is not yet clear. He should not suddenly be executed in the open. Let us first observe his conduct for a while." The emperor followed this advice and intended to send an envoy to question him. Before the envoy had set out, Takauji rose in revolt at last (Note: following the Taiheiki. One variant text of the Taiheiki does not give the names of Chikafusa and Kin'akira and says that it was the ministers collectively who submitted the opinion).

¶In the first year of Engen (1336), when Takauji invaded the capital, Chikafusa accompanied the emperor into Enryaku-ji. Before long the emperor accepted Takauji's submission and returned to the capital, but many among the court nobles and the generals and soldiers were unwilling to follow Takauji and repeatedly fled to the provinces. Chikafusa too fled to Ise (Note: following the Kinshōin text of the Taiheiki).

¶In the third year (1338), when Akiie fell in battle at Abeno, Yūki Munehiro petitioned that an Imperial Prince be sent once more to garrison Mutsu. By edict, Chikafusa's son Akinobu became Mutsu-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Mutsu, and Chinjufu Daishōgun, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacification Headquarters, and was to proceed escorting Imperial Prince Noriyoshi. Chikafusa again assisted him, and Munehiro and others followed (Note: compiled with reference to the Jinnō Shōtōki, the Uragaki of the Genkō Nikki, and the Taiheiki). At sea they met a great gale and were separated from the Prince and from Akinobu. Chikafusa's ship drifted ashore at Tōjō-no-ura in Hitachi (Note: compiled with reference to the Jinnō Shōtōki, the Kinshōin text of the Taiheiki, and the Katada documents), and he took up positions in the two castles of Awasaki and Jingūji. Enemy troops attacked, and the two castles fell before long (Note: following the Katada documents).

¶Chikafusa relied on Oda Haruhisa and entered Oda Castle (Note: following the Yūki documents). He ordered Date Yukitomo, Kunai-no-taifu, Senior Assistant of the Imperial Household Ministry, to hold Isa Castle (Note: compiled with reference to the Sekijō-sho and the Yūki documents), and sent the Konoe-no-shōshō Fujiwara-no-Sanehiro, Minor Captain of the Imperial Guards, to Shimōsa to guard Koma Castle (Note: following the Tsurugaoka Shamuki). He then summoned troops from the provinces of the north-east (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki and the Yūki documents). Imperial Prince Noriyoshi and Akinobu got back as far as Ise, but just then the emperor died, and the Prince acceded to the throne. This was Emperor Go-Murakami (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki and the Taiheiki). At that time the emperor was still young and could not conduct affairs of state in person. Chikafusa submitted a memorial from afar, asking that the Gon-Dainagon Fujiwara-no-Saneyo and the Gon-Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Takasuke be placed in general charge of the essential business of government. The emperor followed it (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶In the winter of the fourth year (1339), Kō-no-Morofuyu led troops, besieged Koma Castle, and sent a detachment to attack Oda Castle (Note: compiled with reference to the Tsurugaoka Shamuki, the Yūki documents, and the Hōreki Kanki). In the summer of the first year of Kōkoku (1340), Morofuyu took Koma Castle and captured Fujiwara-no-Sanehiro. But before long the imperial army raised troops again, attacked Koma Castle and recovered it, and, following up the victory, took several enemy castles. Morofuyu burned his camp and fled (Note: compiled with reference to the Tsurugaoka Shamuki, the Yūki documents, and the Uragaki of the Genkō Nikki). In this year Akinobu arrived at the Pacification Headquarters in Mutsu (Note: following the Yūki documents and the Uragaki of the Genkō Nikki).

¶The following year, Chikafusa received Imperial Prince Mutsuyoshi into Oda Castle and set him up as the head of his forces. Imperial Prince Mutsuyoshi was a son of Imperial Prince Moriyoshi and was borne by a younger sister of Chikafusa (Note: following the Aso Shrine documents; that Chikafusa's sister bore him follows the Hōreki Kanki). In the summer, Kō-no-Morofuyu once more led a great army against Oda Castle and pressed it closely, building a fort on top of Mount Hōkyō (Note: following the Yūki documents, the Beppu documents, and the Saisho documents). Chikafusa sent out troops, fought hard, and defeated them, and asked Yūki Chikatomo in Mutsu for reinforcements. Chikatomo was a son of Munehiro. After Munehiro's death, Chikatomo had secretly been in communication with Ashikaga Takauji, and for this reason was slow to send reinforcements (Note: following the Yūki documents).

¶During some months of confrontation Oda Haruhisa too turned against Morofuyu and surrendered to him (Note: following the Yūki documents, the Tsurugaoka Shamuki, and the Beppu documents). Chikafusa thereupon withdrew and defended Seki Castle. Minamoto-no-Akitoki fled to Shimotsuma and defended Daihō Castle (Note: following the Yūki documents). Seki Castle was held by Seki Munesuke, Minbu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Popular Affairs (Note: following the Yūki genealogy, the Yūki documents, and the Sekijō-sho). Morofuyu led his troops and camped between the two castles, but Chikafusa and Akitoki sent out troops and routed him. The enemy then built a long encircling palisade and adopted a strategy of attrition. Chikafusa repeatedly asked Chikatomo for reinforcements, sending earnest letters in his own hand and persuading him by every means, but Chikatomo never moved, and the garrison grew ever more distressed (Note: following the Yūki documents).

¶In the spring of the following year, Chikafusa sent yet another letter, saying: "Last summer I faced the rebel army at Oda Castle, and holding out was truly painful. What I relied upon was solely the troops within your domain. I sent out appeals one upon another begging for reinforcements, and since your earlier reply said that you would send troops to relieve us, I waited until the midwinter month, the eleventh month. But Haruhisa lost his nerve and went over to the rebels midway. Since then we have moved, and three more months have passed; counting both periods, it has been nine months, and I have still not seen a single reinforcement. The situation grows ever more pressing and the troops ever fewer; you may well imagine our distress.

¶"Now the castles in Bandō held by the imperial army are only six: Shimotsuma, Makabe, Nakagōri, Saimyōji, Isa, and Seki. At Seki Castle, Munesuke has exerted himself to the utmost in defense, and the defenses are for the most part holding, but the rebel encirclement has long been in place, the supply lines and the post roads are cut, and no one can go outside even in broad daylight. The troops are exhausted and provisions are scanty; they reduce their horses and even sell their armor to get through from one day to the next. Such horrors as boiling bones for fuel and exchanging children to eat them will soon be upon us.

¶"At Shimotsuma the commanding general is still a child and his retainers contend for power. Akitoki Ason, escorting Imperial Prince Mutsuyoshi, commands the troops and keeps matters somewhat settled, but baseless rumors never cease, and disorder is about to arise from within. At Makabe, Hōchō strives by his own efforts to uphold his duty, but his whole clan has become estranged, and some among them are secretly in touch with the rebels (Note: Hōchō is the name of the commander of Makabe Castle; his surname is not recorded. He was probably a member of the Makabe clan, a branch of the Hitachi Taira). At Nakagōri, Akitoki Ason has detached only a few of his men to guard it; the troops are already few, and its stores dwindle by the day, so it cannot be relied upon. Saimyōji is isolated by its terrain, and no news passes. These five castles are in peril like swallows' nests at dusk. Only Isa Castle, thanks to the unshaken loyalty of Yukitomo Ason, can be held firmly to the end. But if the main castle, Seki, and Shimotsuma lose their defense, the lone castle of Isa too will be unable to stand.

¶"Until now you have excused yourself by saying that your troops are few and hard to send out. For that reason I wrote repeatedly: 'If you cannot come in person, then merely to send troops to the border for show would be to give us a voice of support.' Yet even so you have not listened. How can the army's spirit not be reduced to hardship and broken? War is a perilous thing, and affairs change in an instant. If reinforcements do not arrive in time, what use are troops, however many? Moreover, the rebels have been encamped in the provincial capital for more than a year already, and their strength is spent and their provisions are scant; if ten more days or a month go by, the garrison will be utterly dried up like fish left to dry. What good would it do then to pour in the waters of rivers and seas?

¶"In former days, when the late Zō-Ichii (Yūki Munehiro) was at the Pacification Headquarters in Mutsu, no sooner did he hear that the rebels had raised troops than he shook out his sleeves and rose, led a small force to rush to the danger, crossed a thousand ri, and achieved great merit. When he went again as reinforcement, people were anxious; the roads were blocked, he was defeated at the provincial capital and brought to crisis at Ryōzen, yet he fought on, turning from battle to battle, until he reached the home provinces. If he lost his life by some mischance, that was Heaven's decree and not the fault of the war. The way of loyalty and filial piety is thereby without regret. Seen in this light, whether one sends troops or not depends on whether one's resolve has been brought to bear. If you rouse yourself, divide your forces, and hasten to us, is there any district or county from Date westward that would not respond?

¶"The situation today is truly urgent. All I wish is that, until matters settle, I not lose what I am to protect, and with my remaining years repay the kindness of the late emperor. I bear great principle in mind, and it will end only with my death. They say that when a bird is about to die its cry is mournful, and when a man is about to die his words are good. I cannot tell whether a second letter will be able to follow, and so I have dared to say everything.

¶"Now, our country is the land where the Heavenly Ancestor began the making of the nation, the realm over which the Sun Goddess reigns. Generation after generation the sacred emperors have inherited it, and it has already passed through ninety-five reigns. This pledge reaches to eternity and may not be broken. All who plot against the Way are swiftly destroyed. What, after all, is Takauji? His crimes and wickedness are extreme, without precedent, and yet it is already seven years since he stole the central plain, the capital. What good fortune he has had!

¶"Of the rebel subjects of old, Taira-no-Masakado was destroyed in six years, and Abe-no-Sadatō was subdued in twelve. If so, Takauji's fall too will be Heaven's act, awaiting its time. Since antiquity, when a great villain has been able to keep his life long, it has truly been because of outstanding wisdom and courage. But Takauji has neither the great capacity nor the far-reaching strategy to shelter his descendants. Yet his retainer (Kō-no-)Moronao borrows the tiger's might and tramples the old distinguished houses and the descendants of warrior families. If one traces his wickedness, it exceeds even the deeds of (Hōjō) Takatoki in recent days.

¶"The so-called distinguished houses were all, originally, subjects who served the royal house. Since the disturbances of Hōgen and Heiji they have become dependents of the Minamoto and Taira houses, and after the Jōkyū disturbance they have become dependents of the Hōjō, who were no more than vassals of vassals. Looking at your own family records, can you fail to feel shame at heart? Now, when the sacred fortune has risen again, when not only are the original estates to be restored but imperial words are to be granted directly and court ranks conferred, if in the face of such good fortune you covet profit, are loath to die, and follow the rebels and bend your integrity, then one must say that the ways of letters and arms have fallen to the ground. With what face could you meet your ancestors beneath the earth?

¶"Your forebear (Fujiwara-no-)Hidesato Ason early made his achievements known in the service of the state, and his descendants in later ages have towered over others as a famous house generation after generation. Compared with Taira-no-Kiyomori or Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, your family is in no way beneath them in lineage. And yet, though you stand in the position of receiving the royal command and directing commanders, you instead bow your head and submit to the rebels. Even if circumstances left no alternative, it cannot be what you desire. That is exactly why Kōzuke-no-suke Ason made plans to unify the realm and raised the name of the house. His indignation in loyalty came from the bottom of his heart; he gave his sincerity to those above and below, and to this day men have not forgotten him. Chikamitsu Ason too followed and died for his principles. You and your father are the direct line of that house; you ought to carry on the aims of your predecessors and make the name shine for later descendants, and yet you still harbor the plan of hesitating between courses and waiting to see which way things go. The spirits of your ancestors will surely be angered and will punish you again.

¶"Of late, petty men gathered here and there have been spreading groundless arguments. Some say: 'We should hold the ramparts firmly, store up our keen spirit and nurture our strength, and observe the shape of affairs under heaven. If Takauji wins, we can surrender at the right moment, and the family will be preserved.' Others say: 'Even if the castles of Kantō cannot be held, if we take our stand on the precipitous ground of Ōshū we can still gain years. If we watch for the rebels' mistakes and rise slowly to plan for what follows, great merit can be achieved.' Still others say: 'In rise and fall there is the decree of Heaven. We should weigh gain and loss carefully and act when the time is ripe. The late Zō-Ichii (Yūki Munehiro) is a recent example of one whose loyalty was great but who did not complete his work, and who met such an end; we should take him as a mirror.' I suspect that you too have been led astray by such talk.

¶"Even among those close to me there are some who hold these thoughts and are uneasy about my ways; how much more so among those who are distant from me. In itself it is not worth heeding. But since it damages great principle, I cannot fail to answer it. My house came out of the imperial family, and for generations we enjoyed a peaceful age and studied the court's ceremonies and statutes. Of military matters on the frontier I am of course ignorant. It is therefore only natural that my measures contain things contrary to reason and are insufficient to win men's hearts.

¶"Yet looking back, I am a surviving subject of the former emperor, I have protected His present Majesty through hardship, and the emperor entrusted words to me at his last moment. Now I am about to hold a lone castle and keep control of the eight provinces of Bandō. What I fear is that once I lose my life the four quarters will crumble, and the rebels will take advantage of the gap to invade Ōshū. If that happens, how could loyal hearts fail to collapse?

¶"Moreover, the Sanmi Chūjō (Akinobu) has been in Mutsu for three years but has not yet achieved merit. By nature he is shallow in talent, there is no one at his side to assist him, and men's hearts tend to drift away. This perilous and doubtful condition is like carrying firewood and lying down on top of a fire. After I die, who will there be to carry the work through?

¶"If today you have some other plan, then that is that. But if you wish to preserve your loyalty, how could you fail to think of the distant future? The light of Heaven looks down on this, and the gods and spirits are efficacious. I speak only for the sake of the realm, not because I dare to cling to my remaining life." (Note: following the Sekijō-sho).

¶Chikatomo still declined on the ground that his troops were few. Chikafusa sent the monk Sensō to order Akinobu to come to his aid, and also admonished Chikatomo to send out his sons and younger brothers to the field, but Chikatomo again would not listen (Note: following the Yūki documents).

¶In the summer of the fourth year (1343), the enemy general Yūki Naotomo led his men and advanced as the vanguard to attack. Chikafusa sent out troops to meet them, cut down Naotomo, and the rest of the force scattered and fled (Note: following the Yūki documents and the Yūki genealogy). Kō-no-Morofuyu next had his soldiers carry grass to fill in the moat. He also recruited miners to dig into the ground, but the earth suddenly collapsed and all the laborers were crushed to death. The enemy then built multiple palisades beneath the castle. The garrison sallied out and fought over them and pulled up all the palisades, so that the enemy could not approach. But before long Chikatomo at last turned traitor and submitted to the Ashikaga (Note: following the Yūki documents). Chikafusa abandoned the castle and fled back to Yoshino (Note: following the Yūki documents, the Saisho documents, and the Beppu documents).

¶In the fifth year of Shōhei (1350), Ashikaga Tadayoshi submitted a memorial through Kusunoki Masanori, apologizing for his offenses and asking to submit. The court's deliberations were undecided, but Chikafusa said, "Accept it as an expedient for the moment, and make use of his service for a while." The emperor followed his words (Note: following the Taiheiki; that it came through Kusunoki Masanori follows the Yoshino Kotogaki-an).

¶The following year, Tadayoshi broke his promise and no longer obeyed the court's regulations. The emperor ordered Chikafusa to write a letter and send it to Tadayoshi to rebuke him for the breach. Tadayoshi too submitted a memorial in defense; in his letter he argued that the emperor ought to return to the capital and that the government of the country should be entrusted to the warrior houses (Note: compiled with reference to the Bōgen Hōin-ki and the Yoshino Kotogaki-an). Kusunoki Masanori thought that his request should be granted, but Chikafusa opposed it to the end, and the debate was never settled (Note: following the Bōgen Hōin-ki).

¶In this year, by imperial command, he was made Jusangū, Honorary Equal of the Three Empresses (Note: following the Taiheiki, the Entairyaku, and the Jōraku-ki) and was permitted to enter the palace riding in a hand-drawn carriage (Note: following the Taiheiki. In this work, apart from Imperial Princes and members of the regent houses, the one case of a person made Jusangū is Taira-no-Kiyomori, and that was because Kiyomori was the father of the emperor's mother and the maternal grandfather of the sovereign. That Chikafusa was made Jusangū is truly a rare case. Now, examining the Bōgen Hōin-ki, the Entairyaku, and others, Emperor Chōkei was the eldest son of Emperor Go-Murakami, born in the fifth year of Shōhei, held the hakama-gi ceremony in the sixth year, and soon became Crown Prince. Before long the emperor harbored the intention of abdicating in favor of the Crown Prince, but it was not realized. Probably Emperor Chōkei was a child borne by a Nyōgo of the Minamoto house. If so, Chikafusa, as maternal grandfather of the Crown Prince, would have received this grant specially. The years and months fit together, and it seems that such a thing really did happen, but no firm evidence has been obtained. This is noted here in preparation for later investigation).

¶In the seventh year (1352), when the emperor made a progress to Otokoyama, he sent troops to drive off Ashikaga Yoshiakira. He then had Chikafusa and his son Akiyoshi enter the capital first and decide all matters in general (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶In the ninth year (1354) he died at Anō (Note: following the Jōraku-ki). His writings include the Shokugenshō, the Kokin-shū commentary (Note: following this work), the Tōke Hiden, the Gengenshū, and the Nijūisshaki (Note: following the outer record of the Ninna-ji book catalogue). In his age he was ranked, for his wide learning and breadth of knowledge, together with Fujiwara-no-Nobufusa and Minamoto-no-Sadafusa as the "Three Fusa of the Latter Age" (Note: following the Gaun Nikkenroku). He once read the Zizhi Tongjian of Sima Guang of the Song and gained insight into great principle (Note: following the Sekiso Ōrai).

¶When the emperor acceded to the throne at his temporary palace, Chikafusa was deeply grieved that the Restoration had not been accomplished and that the imperial line was close to being cut off; he therefore developed the fundamental intention with which the imperial ancestor founded the state and wrote the Jinnō Shōtōki. It begins with the Age of the Gods above and ends with the beginning of Kōkoku below; it raised up the imperial line that had already declined and made clear that the Three Sacred Treasures belong where they rightfully should. This work, in clarifying principle and aiding righteousness, is said to accord truly with the intent handed down by the Spring and Autumn Annals (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki).

¶His sons were Akiie, Akinobu, Akiyoshi, and Akio (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). One daughter entered the rear palace of Emperor Go-Murakami and became Nyōgo, Consort (Note: following the Entairyaku and the Taiheiki). Akiie has a separate biography. His nephews were Akimune and Iefusa (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Akimune was appointed Sachūben, Middle Controller of the Left, in the early years of Shōhei and concurrently served as Sakonoe-no-shōshō, Minor Captain of the Left Imperial Guards (Note: following the Akimune text of the Shokugenshō). In the reign of Emperor Go-Kameyama he was appointed Tōgū-daibu, Master of the Crown Prince's Household (Note: following the Nanchō Gohyaku-ban Utaawase) and at last reached the rank of Naidaijin, Inner Minister (Note: following the Shin'yō Wakashū). Iefusa was appointed Konoe-no-shōshō, Minor Captain of the Imperial Guards (Note: whether Left or Right is not known) and was called the Reizei Shōshō. During the Kenmu years he became a member of the Mutsu Hyōjōshū, Council of Judges, and followed Akiie to Mutsu (Note: following the Kenmu Ninen-ki). He also followed the westward campaign. When Kō-no-Moronao besieged Akinobu at Otokoyama, Iefusa, together with Minamoto-no-Mochisada, Sakonoe-no-shōshō, led troops to his relief (Note: following the Uragaki of the Genkō Nikki). Before long he died (Note: following the Yūki documents. A letter in this work dated the fourth month of the fourth year of Engen speaks of "the late Reizei Uryō"; this was the year after Iefusa relieved Akinobu. From this, Iefusa probably died in the battle at Otokoyama. But there is no firm investigation).

Minamoto-no-Akinobu

¶Minamoto-no-Akinobu was appointed Sakonoe-no-shōshō, Minor Captain of the Left Imperial Guards (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki). He was called the Kasuga Shōshō (Note: following the Kitabatake genealogy and the Taiheiki). In the first year of Engen (1336), when the emperor was at the Kazan-in, Akinobu raised troops in Ise and secretly submitted a memorial in the hope of planning the Restoration. Ōe-no-Kageshige too reported that the officers and men who had accompanied the emperor had fled back and were raising righteous troops. The emperor thereupon secretly made a progress to Yoshino (Note: compiled with reference to the Hōreki Kanki and the Taiheiki).

¶In the spring of the third year (1338), together with his cousin Akiie, he fought Toki Yoritō at Aonogahara and defeated him. Akiie advanced his camp to Sakai-no-ura, and Akinobu took his stand at Otokoyama. Kō-no-Moronao attacked and killed Akiie, and next besieged Akinobu (Note: following the Taiheiki). Sakonoe-no-shōshō Minamoto-no-Mochisada and others came to his relief, and Akinobu struck at Moronao to advantage (Note: following the Uragaki of the Genkō Nikki), and for several months the two sides stood in confrontation (Note: following the Taiheiki). The emperor sent troops to relieve him (Note: following the Inke Zōzō Atobumi) and also ordered Nitta Yoshisada to hasten to his rescue. Yoshisada first sent (his younger brother) Yoshisuke ahead, but Moronao was troubled by this, sent out spies, and had the shrine on the mountain set on fire, and the castle was thrown into uproar. The enemy took advantage of it, scrambled to climb up, and were about to break the palisade. Matsuyama Kurō of the garrison was strong but timid, and his legs shook so that he could not fight. Takagi Jūrō drew his sword, glared, and said, "The castle is about to fall. If you cannot go out and fight, I will stab you and we shall die together." Matsuyama then roused himself, took up great stones and hurled more than ten of them, and the enemy collapsed and fell into the ravines, so that the castle escaped falling. People of the time remarked, "Matsuyama had strength, but the one who actually made him work was Takagi" (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶But the provisions had already been burned up, the relief forces at the foot of the mountain had all been routed, and the supply line was cut. Yoshisuke, hearing that Otokoyama was wrapped in flames, suspected that the castle had already fallen and did not advance his troops. Akinobu at last abandoned the castle and fled to Kawachi (Note: following the Taiheiki; the Inke Zōzō Atobumi was consulted).

¶Before long he was transferred to Konoe-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Imperial Guards (Note: whether Left or Right is not known), was granted Junior Third Rank, and concurrently served as Mutsu-no-suke and Chinjufu Daishōgun (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki and the Yūki documents). Together with Chikafusa he escorted Imperial Prince Noriyoshi to Mutsu to garrison it and to command the imperial armies of the eastern provinces. But they met a violent storm at sea, and Akinobu, together with Imperial Prince Noriyoshi, had his ship drift ashore at Shinojima in Ise. The Prince returned to the temporary palace as he was (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki, the Taiheiki, the Uragaki of the Genkō Nikki, and the Shin'yō Wakashū). When the emperor died, Emperor Go-Murakami conveyed the emperor's dying command to Akinobu and had him plan for the recovery of the Restoration (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶In the first year of Kōkoku (1340) he rose in action and took up residence in Shirakawa Castle (Note: following the Genkō Nikki, the Uragaki of the Genkō Nikki, and the Shin'yō Wakashū). The following year he attacked and took the castle of Ishidō Yoshifusa (Note: following the Aso Shrine documents). When Chikafusa was defending Seki Castle, he sent a messenger ordering Akinobu to come to his relief leading the sons and brothers of Yūki Chikatomo, but Chikatomo held them back and did not send them (Note: following the Yūki documents).

¶In the fourth year (1343), Seki Castle fell and Chikafusa fled west (Note: following the Yūki documents and the Beppu documents). Akinobu escorted the Utsumine Prince (Note: in the Yūki documents Utsumine is also written with the characters for "Buried Peak"; the Prince's name is not recorded and his lineage is unknown), remained in Mutsu, and defended the two castles of Ryōzen and Utsumine. In the second year of Shōhei (1347), Yūki Akitomo, Sōma Chikatane, and others attacked, and Akinobu was put to flight (Note: compiled with reference to the Yūki documents and the Sōma family records).

¶In the sixth year (1351) he again escorted the Utsumine Prince and raised troops. Date Hida-no-zenji, Tamura-no-shōji, and others joined him, and they advanced on the provincial capital. They fought the enemy general Kira Sadaie at Kuramotogawa, Hirosegawa, and other places (Note: following the Sōma documents). Soon, hearing the report that Takauji had submitted to the court, they withdrew their troops. The following year, Kira Sadaie led the troops of Yūki, Sōma, and others to attack (Note: following the Yūki documents and the Sōma family records). Akinobu was defeated, withdrew and held Utsumine Castle, but the enemy pressed in still further. Akinobu abandoned the castle together with the Utsumine Prince and fled (Note: the Sōma family records and the Kunitama documents were consulted).

¶Afterwards he returned to Yoshino. In the middle years of Shōhei he became Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor, and, following Imperial Prince Kaneyoshi, Seisei Taishōgun, Commander-in-Chief for Subduing the West, attacked Shōni Yorihisa at Ōhara in Chikuzen and died in battle (Note: the Kitabatake genealogy and the Taiheiki were consulted. The Ōun-ki treats it as the affair of Nobuchika, but its basis is not clear). His sons were Nobuchika, Morichika, and Chikamune (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Kitabatake genealogy). Morichika was appointed Dainagon, Major Counsellor, and became Governor of Mutsu. He had a son, Chikayoshi (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Kitabatake genealogy), and those of his descendants who live in Mutsu and Dewa are called the Namioka clan and have inherited the title of Kokushi, Provincial Governor, from generation to generation (Note: following the Uragaki of the Sekijō-sho).

Minamoto-no-Akiyoshi

¶Minamoto-no-Akiyoshi is said by some to have been a son of Minamoto-no-Sadahira whom Chikafusa adopted (Note: following the Kitabatake genealogy). He was about to proceed to Mutsu following Imperial Prince Noriyoshi, but met a violent storm and turned back to Ise (Note: following the Yoshino Shūi). He was appointed Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor (Note: following the Yoshino Shūi and the Gion Shugyō Nikki), and became Ise-no-kokushi, Provincial Governor of Ise (Note: following the Taiheiki and the Kitabatake genealogy).

¶In the sixth year of Shōhei (1351) he concurrently served as Ukonoe-no-taishō, General of the Right Imperial Guards. In the spring of the seventh year (1352), he led more than three thousand troops of Iga and Ise to the camp at Shitennō-ji and, together with Wada Masatada and Kusunoki Masanori, took separate routes to attack Ashikaga Yoshiakira and at last recovered the capital (Note: following the Taiheiki). He escorted the Cloistered Emperor Sukō to the temporary palace at Otokoyama (Note: following the Taiheiki and the Gion Shugyō Nikki), followed Chikafusa into the capital, and took part in deciding all matters. But before long Yoshiakira's great army pressed in, so Akiyoshi withdrew to guard Yodo and then withdrew further to guard Otokoyama. When Yoshiakira's troops attacked the temporary camp, Akiyoshi fought in defense at Sonodono-guchi. The enemy set fire to the houses of the people, and smoke and flames covered all quarters. Akiyoshi could not fight and withdrew (Note: following the Entairyaku and the Taiheiki). He then accompanied the emperor back to Yoshino (Note: following the Gion Shugyō Nikki).

¶Before long he returned to Ise. When Toki Yorisada besieged Nikki Yoshinaga at Nagano Castle, Akiyoshi repeatedly sent out troops to attack Toki (Note: following the Taiheiki. This work wrongly gives the Ise Kokushi as Akinobu, but according to the various books and the context before and after in this work, the Ise Kokushi at that time was Akiyoshi, not Akinobu).

¶Afterwards he became Udaijin, Minister of the Right, was granted Junior First Rank, became Jusangū, and died (Note: following the Kitabatake genealogy. None of the books records the year of Akiyoshi's death). His two sons were Akitoshi and Akiyasu, both of whom were appointed Gon-Dainagon, Provisional Major Counsellor. Akiyasu's son Mitsumasa was appointed Dainagon and became Kokushi. In the first year of Shōchō (1428), he escorted Ogura-no-miya, a son of Emperor Go-Kameyama, raised troops in Ise, and was defeated and killed fighting Yoyasu Mochiyori (Note: following the Chin'yō-ki and the Kitabatake genealogy).

¶Akiyoshi's descendants flourished and for generations held the office of Ise Kokushi by inheritance. The five districts of southern Ise, the district of Uda in Yamato, and Kumano in Kii all came under the Kokushi's rule. The troops he maintained reached sixteen thousand, and the houses of Kozukuri, Tamaru, Ōkōchi, Sakanai, Iwauchi, Fujikata, Ōsaka, Asaka, Hase, and Yashimo were all his kin (Note: following the Kitabatake genealogy). Among Chikafusa's kin there were also Akitoki and Akikuni.

Minamoto-no-Akitoki

¶Minamoto-no-Akitoki and Akikuni are both of uncertain degree of kinship to Chikafusa (Note: the Sonpi Bunmyaku says that Mochisada had a son Akitoki, but, considering the ages and careers of Mochisada and Akitoki, they cannot possibly be father and son. This theory is therefore not adopted).

¶In the years of Engen he was appointed Konoe-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Imperial Guards (Note: following the Yūki documents and the Hitachi Yoshida Yakuō-in documents; whether Left or Right is not known). He was with Chikafusa at Oda Castle, took Nakagōri Castle, and left troops of his command there to guard it. When Oda Castle fell, Akitoki escorted Imperial Prince Mutsuyoshi in flight to Shimotsuma and defended Daihō Castle (Note: following the Yūki documents and the Sekijō-sho). When Sannohe Morochika, a separate commander under Kō-no-Morofuyu, advanced and pressed on the south of the castle, Akitoki led troops out and had him suffer many casualties (Note: following the Yūki documents). When Seki Castle and Tairyō Castle fell one after another, Akitoki fled back to Yoshino (Note: following the Beppu documents and the Saisho documents). In the years of Shōhei he was appointed Dainagon, Major Counsellor, and died in battle at Ōhara together with Akinobu. He was called the Kasuga Dainagon (Note: following the Taiheiki and the Tenshō Taiheiki).

Minamoto-no-Akikuni

¶Minamoto-no-Akikuni was appointed Jijū, Chamberlain, and was called the Kasuga Jijū. He followed Akiie to Mutsu. In the second year of Engen (1337), when Akiie went west, he took the route through Shimotsuke. Separately, he sent Akikuni forward from Hitachi. Oda Haruhisa joined him. When Satake Yoshiharu sent out troops and blocked the road, Akikuni drove him back (Note: following the Katada documents). He then advanced together with Haruhisa and Kusunoki Masaie and others, and joined Akiie on the way (Note: following the Imagawa-ki).

¶When Akiie fell in battle, Akikuni again followed Chikafusa to Hitachi. When Chikafusa fled west, Akikuni alone remained and met the enemy beside Oda Castle. The following year he raised troops again and took his stand in Nareuma Castle, but Shishido So-and-so and other soldiers of the province attacked, and Akikuni was put to flight (Note: following the Tsurugaoka Shamuki).

¶Turning again, he attacked Daihō Castle and set fire to the houses of the people. The enemy host was entirely routed and killed, and Akikuni then took his stand in Daihō Castle. The next day Yūki Naomitsu led his men from the north to attack and, taking advantage of the night, assaulted the castle. The castle fell, and Akikuni and his nephew, the Uhyōe-no-suke, Assistant Captain of the Right Gate Guards, were captured by the enemy and finally put to death (Note: following the Tsurugaoka Shamuki and the Jōraku-ki).

¶After Chikafusa returned to Yoshino, Akikuni was the only one among the imperial forces remaining in the eastern provinces. When he was defeated and killed, the whole of Kantō fell entirely into enemy hands, it is said (Note: the general sense of the various books has been weighed).