Biographies CXVI: The Shōguns' Families, Part III: Ashikaga Tadayoshi and Ashikaga Tadafuyu

Ashikaga Tadayoshi

¶Ashikaga Tadayoshi was at first named Takakuni and later also called Tadayoshi. He was a younger brother of Takauji by the same mother. In the Karyaku era (1326–1329) he became Hyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs (Note: established by comparing the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Kugyō Bunin). At the beginning of Genkō (1331) he followed Takauji in attacking Kasagi (Note: following a variant text of the Taiheiki). When Takauji submitted to the imperial court, Tadayoshi always accompanied him and assisted with military planning. When the emperor returned to the capital, Tadayoshi, in recognition of his service, became Sama-no-kami, Director of the Left Equestrian Bureau, was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower, and soon afterwards additionally became Sagami-no-kami, Governor of Sagami (Note: established by comparing the Taiheiki and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). When Imperial Prince Nariyoshi, Kōzuke-no-taishu, Prince-Governor of Kōzuke, was installed at Kamakura, Tadayoshi became his shikken, regent, led the troops of the eastern provinces, and went with him to Kamakura (Note: established by comparing the Jinnō Shōtōki, the Genkō Nikki Uragaki, and the Taiheiki). At that time Kamakura lay amid the embers of war and the destruction was especially severe; the officers and men were all full of suspicion and fear. Tadayoshi summoned people from far and near and set them at ease, and since all his orders followed the old practice of the Hōjō house, the eastern provinces relied on him and became settled (Note: established by comparing the Taiheiki and the Baishōron). In the first year of Kenmu (1334) the remnants of Hōjō Takatoki's following, the Kima and the Shibuya, raised troops and attacked Kamakura. Tadayoshi sent Shibukawa Yoshisue and put them down (Note: following the Baishōron). For this work of restoration he was appointed Shugo, Military Governor, of Tōtōmi (Note: following the Taiheiki). The emperor had once suffered under the domination of the Hōjō and did not wish to lend authority to military men. But after Imperial Prince Nariyoshi took up residence at Kamakura, the military and civil affairs of the Kantō were decided entirely at Tadayoshi's discretion, and he no longer even sought instruction from the court, so that the emperor for the first time regretted it. At that time Imperial Prince Moriyoshi hated Takauji and was plotting to have him put to death; Takauji allied himself with Fujiwara-shi, the emperor's favored consort, and slandered Imperial Prince Moriyoshi as plotting rebellion. The emperor believed this and in the end banished Imperial Prince Moriyoshi to Kamakura. Tadayoshi sent horsemen to receive him, built an earthen cell, confined him there, and set a strict guard. The following year (1335) Hōjō Tokiyuki rose in revolt and attacked Kamakura, and Tadayoshi again had Shibukawa Yoshisue and others go against him. Yoshisue fell in battle; Tadayoshi went out himself to hold the enemy back but was defeated. Tokiyuki pressed on in the flush of victory, and Tadayoshi, escorting Imperial Prince Nariyoshi, fled westward. When he reached Yamanouchi, he feared that if Imperial Prince Moriyoshi were left behind him he would become a future danger, and he ordered Fuchibe Yoshihiro to turn back and kill the Prince. Fleeing on, he reached the Tegoshi post station in Suruga, where enemy troops barred his way and attacked him (Note: following the Baishōron); Tadayoshi, cornered, resolved to die fighting. Yoshihiro and the others fought a hard battle and fell, and Tadayoshi broke out in the interval they gained (Note: following the Tenshō-bon Taiheiki and the Nan-Taiheiki). Just then Kudō Harutomo, the jitō, estate steward, of Irie, came to his rescue with more than a hundred soldiers, and Tadayoshi advanced and joined Takauji's army at Yahagi. The troops now numbered fifty thousand; together they turned back, attacked Tokiyuki, and routed him (Note: established by comparing the Taiheiki and the Baishōron). The emperor issued an edict ordering Takauji to withdraw his army, and Takauji was about to obey the edict, but Tadayoshi strongly restrained him, saying: "You have achieved merit that has no equal in the world, yet the court nobles and Nitta Yoshisada and others envy it and have repeatedly devised evil schemes. Now that we have fortunately escaped from the tiger's mouth and have obtained a place of complete safety, why should we again step into a pit of calamity?" (Note: following the Baishōron). Takauji followed his advice. Tadayoshi then sent letters to Akamatsu Norimura and others, and to the officers and men of every route, summoning them. As the court nobles repeatedly reported Takauji's rebellion to the emperor, the emperor for the first time came to suspect Takauji and meant to send troops against him. But the Jun-daijin, Associate Minister, Minamoto-no-Chikafusa and others remonstrated, and the matter was for the moment dropped. When, however, he heard that Tadayoshi had killed Imperial Prince Moriyoshi, the emperor was all the more angered and issued an edict to subdue Takauji and Tadayoshi. Imperial Prince Takayoshi and Nitta Yoshisada advanced by the two roads, the Tōkaidō and the Tōsandō. Hearing this, Tadayoshi asked leave to resist, but Takauji would not agree. Uesugi Norifusa, Hosokawa Kazuuji, and Sasaki Takauji said to Tadayoshi: "Now the government of the realm has only just returned to the court, and the court nobles hold power as they please and treat officers and men of merit like servants. For this reason the warriors everywhere keep their heads down and their ears cocked day and night, waiting for someone to begin. The General (Takauji) comes of a house to which all the realm looks up, and his name and prestige are already widely known. Once he rises and takes command, who could fail to follow? Moreover, the present situation has come out of unavoidable circumstances, and Heaven is about to set the General up. Even so, the General is merely observing for the moment the proper bounds between lord and subject; he can hardly mean to accept destruction willingly. If there is the least delay, we fear the opportunity will be lost. We beg you to decide quickly" (Note: following the Taiheiki). Tadayoshi agreed and sent Sasaki Takauji and the others ahead. Takauji said, "To oppose the court's army is not my wish," and entrusted all military matters to Tadayoshi. Tadayoshi advanced in turn and fought the imperial army at the Tegoshi River, was badly defeated, and withdrew (Note: following the Taiheiki and the Baishōron). Takauji had already taken refuge in Kenchō-ji, and Tadayoshi was troubled at this. Using a plan of Uesugi Shigeyoshi, he forged a rinji, an imperial decree, ordering Takauji's destruction and showed it to Takauji. Takauji then took the field, and the morale of the army rose greatly. The details are given in the biography of Takauji. Tadayoshi advanced and fought Nitta Yoshisada at Hakone, but fared badly. Soon afterwards Takauji won a great victory over Imperial Prince Takayoshi at Takenoshita, Yoshisada's army collapsed with it, and Tadayoshi and the others pursued and pressed forward (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶In the first year of Engen (1336) the capital fell. The emperor made a progress to Enryaku-ji. Takauji fought the imperial army in the capital, was badly defeated, and fled to Hyōgo. Nitta Yoshisada and the others pursued him as far as Teshimagawara. Tadayoshi turned back and fought, but was defeated. Just then Ōtomo Sadamune, Ōuchi Hiroyo, Kōtō Sōsai, and others came over to his side with their naval forces. Tadayoshi took command of their troops and fought at Minatogawa, but was defeated again, and in the end fled with Takauji to Tsukushi (Note: following the Taiheiki). Kikuchi Taketoshi raised troops and prepared to meet them; at this time Tadayoshi's own force numbered only about a thousand men, and the army was gripped by a sense of danger. Tadayoshi led five hundred soldiers forward and fought Taketoshi at Tatarahama. Takauji camped at Akasaka and served as the rear support. Just then a north wind blew so fiercely that it whirled up sand and rolled stones, and though it was midday the sky grew dark. Taketoshi's army could not keep its eyes open and could not advance. Tadayoshi loosed his troops from upwind and took advantage of this, pursuing as far as Hakata. Taketoshi turned his troops about and offered decisive battle, and his momentum was very keen. Tadayoshi sent a messenger to tell Takauji: "Tadayoshi will die here. Let the General go to Suō and Nagato and carefully plan a renewed campaign." So saying, he cut off a sleeve of his robe and sent it as a keepsake. The officers and men were all stirred and fought to the death. Takauji hastened to the rescue and in the end won a great victory over Taketoshi. Tadayoshi pursued as far as Dazaifu, and very many surrendered and joined him (Note: following the Baishōron). They then discussed marching on the capital again. Takauji went directly to Hyōgo by sea, while Tadayoshi advanced by land and besieged Fukuyama Castle. The defending commander, Ōida Ujitsune, was defeated in battle and fled. Because of this, the imperial armies that had been campaigning in the Chūgoku region withdrew on hearing the news. Nitta Yoshisada and Kusunoki Masashige kept their troops at Hyōgo to hold it, and Takauji met Yoshisada with his fleet. Tadayoshi commanded the land army and fought Masashige at Minatogawa, but fared badly. When Tadayoshi's horse was wounded and he was in danger, Yakushiji Kimiyoshi gave him his own horse and fought on foot, cutting down several men. Takauji, seeing Tadayoshi in flight, divided his troops and rescued him. Masashige fought with all his strength and fell in battle. Tadayoshi then joined Takauji's army, struck Yoshisada, and won a great victory. Takauji escorted Imperial Prince Katahito and set him up as emperor (Note: following the Taiheiki). In the third year (1338) Tadayoshi became Sahyōe-no-kami, Director of the Left Division of Palace Guards, and Seii Fukushōgun, Deputy Barbarian-Subduing General (Note: established by comparing the Kugyō Bunin and the Taiheiki). At that time the warriors were arrogant, crafty, and often discourteous, and did not obey the laws. Toki Yorito, haughty and drunk with wine, shot arrows at the carriage of the Retired Emperor Kōgon. Tadayoshi was greatly enraged and wished to destroy his whole clan. Yorito fled back to Mino. Tadayoshi ordered Toki Yoriyasu to attack him. Yorito, in terror and confusion, came secretly to the capital and sought the help of the monk Soseki to make his apology. Tadayoshi would not listen, had him seized and beheaded at the Rokujō riverbank, and also exiled Nikaidō Yukiharu to Sanuki for complicity. Because of this the warriors trembled in fear, and their overbearing conduct was somewhat checked (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶Tadayoshi was a man of strong and tenacious will, yet crafty, and he feared that others would criticize him. Outwardly he showed deference, but inwardly he was deeply calculating and dark-hearted. When Takauji first conceived his rebellion, the cause was not yet justified, and he sought first to remove Imperial Prince Moriyoshi. By the time he came to attack Nitta Yoshisada and the others, his intentions were gradually being fulfilled. In putting down Hōjō Tokiyuki and pacifying Kamakura as well, it was Tadayoshi who urged Takauji to rebel early. In general, schemes and secret plans of this kind were mostly carried out by Tadayoshi's hand. As for the killing of Imperial Prince Moriyoshi and the recruiting of troops in every quarter, Takauji never plainly stated them or gave orders, but all were things Takauji desired, and Tadayoshi took advantage of this to do evil as he pleased. Takauji privately welcomed it, yet in the end laid the blame on Tadayoshi alone. Tadayoshi accepted the guilt willingly and did not decline it, fearing only that Takauji's resolve to rebel might waver. In the end, that Takauji was able to achieve his purpose was largely owing to Tadayoshi's strength (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶In the sixth year of Kōkoku (1345), the Retired Emperor Kōmyō granted Tadayoshi Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). For several years Tadayoshi held the reins of government; his prestige and power shone, and his influence swept the age for a time. On occasions of celebration or mourning, gifts and condolences gathered at Tadayoshi's gate from every quarter, from the Retired Emperor Kōmyō above down to the court nobles and commoners. At that time he and Takauji were called together the "Ryōgosho," the Two Lords. Once, when Tadayoshi lay ill, the Retired Emperor Kōgon himself composed a written vow and prayed on his behalf at the Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine; such was the flourishing of his power. Tadayoshi at first had no child and adopted Tadafuyu, Takauji's eldest son by a concubine, but when a son of his own was later born, he doted on him especially. At that time Tadayoshi revered the monk Soseki, who was versed in the teachings of Zen, and had him build Ankoku-ji temples in the provinces to spread his teaching (Note: established by comparing the Taiheiki and the Baishōron). Soseki recommended his disciple Myōtetsu (Note: the original text writes "tetsu" with the character for "kitsu"; it is corrected here following the Kamakura Ōzōshi). Myōtetsu was clever and crafty, yet dignified in bearing, and Tadayoshi respected and trusted him deeply and built a temple for him at Horikawa to live in. Those seeking power and profit flattered him and ran about on his behalf, and bribes piled up like mountains. The brothers Kō-no-Moronao and Moroyasu bitterly disliked his conduct and repeatedly humiliated Myōtetsu, who bore them great resentment. Uesugi Shigeyoshi and Hatakeyama Tadamune were on bad terms with Moronao and the others, so they allied themselves closely with Myōtetsu and together plotted to remove Moronao and his brother. When Myōtetsu was lecturing on the Śūraṅgama Sūtra before Tadayoshi, he said to him in private: "Long ago the First Emperor of Qin employed Zhao Gao and lost the empire in the reign of his successor. From ancient times the order or disorder of a state has depended on whether those who hold the office of chief steward are wise or foolish. Now the brothers Moronao and Moroyasu are arrogant and without proper conduct, and relying on their power they disturb the law. They are always saying: 'If a country has a sovereign, much of the revenue of the districts and prefectures is spent on him; if there is an imperial palace beside the road, travelers must dismount, and making people bow and hurry past is a nuisance. Why should we need a sovereign at all? We could simply make an image out of wood or bronze. We will surely seize the sovereign who now lives and drive him far away.' If affairs of state are entrusted to such men, how can the realm be at peace? You should quickly have these men put to death and make Uesugi and Hatakeyama your stewards. That would be for the sake of your son as well, and your descendants would be secure for a long time. Do you not have this in mind?" Tadayoshi accepted this plan deeply, and therefore made Tadafuyu Chūgoku Tandai, Commissioner of the Chūgoku region, intending to place him at an outside base as a backing for himself (Note: following the Taiheiki).

¶In the fourteenth year of Shōhei (Note: the source reads "fourteenth year," but the events that follow belong to Shōhei 5 (1350), and the "sixth year" (1351) comes after them below; so "five" is meant), Tadayoshi plotted with Aiwara Kiyotane and others to summon Kō-no-Moronao on some pretext, and hid more than a hundred picked soldiers outside the door. When Moronao had already arrived, Kiyotane suddenly changed the plan and signaled to Moronao with his eyes that something was amiss. Moronao noticed, escaped, gathered troops, and made his own defenses. Moroyasu was outside leading troops, but on hearing of the disturbance hurried back. Tadayoshi, troubled and afraid, sent a messenger along the road to tell Moroyasu: "Moronao is mediocre and inferior in talent and wisdom and is not equal to the business of government. I want you to take his place." Moroyasu refused and would not listen, and drew up his troops and strengthened his defenses. Because of this, people's hearts were stirred up and the capital fell into confusion. Soldiers streamed back and forth without a break, gathering in crowds, each in his own party. Of the officers and men such as Ishidō Yorifusa, Ashikaga Takatsune, Hosokawa Yoriharu, and Hosokawa Akiuji, those siding with Tadayoshi numbered more than seven thousand. Takauji sent a messenger to summon Tadayoshi so that they could discuss the matter. When Tadayoshi reached Takauji, many of the troops who had followed him had run away. Moronao and Moroyasu surrounded the place with fifty thousand men. Takauji sent a man to rebuke Moronao, but Moronao insisted that Hatakeyama Tadamune, Uesugi Shigeyoshi, and the others be handed over without fail and would not withdraw his troops; instead he directed his men to tighten the encirclement. Takauji, indignant, wanted to take the field himself and fight. Tadayoshi stopped him, saying: "Why should the General act so rashly? What they demand is only Tadayoshi, Shigeyoshi, and Tadamune. For the moment we should grant their demand and get through this emergency." Takauji then dismissed Tadayoshi from the conduct of government and banished Shigeyoshi and Tadamune to Echizen. Moronao thereupon withdrew his troops. Soon afterwards he had Shigeyoshi and Tadamune hunted down and killed, and further ordered the officers and men of the Chūgoku region to attack Tadafuyu. Tadafuyu fled to Higo. Tadayoshi shut himself up in gloom, afraid that some unforeseen calamity would fall upon him, and was always uneasy (Note: following the Taiheiki); in the end he shaved his head and took the name Egen (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Taiheiki), showing that he no longer had any intention of being employed in government. The following year, when Tadafuyu raised troops in Chinzei, Moronao urged Takauji to take the field himself and subdue him, and also asked that Tadayoshi be killed (Note: following the Taiheiki). Tadayoshi fled by night to Nara and sought refuge with Naishihara Kōsen. Hearing that Kōsen had received a letter from Moronao, he fled further to Yamato (Note: following the Tenshō-bon Taiheiki) and sought refuge with Ochi, Iga-no-kami, Governor of Iga (Note: his personal name is unknown). Ochi received him very generously, mobilized the troops of the village districts, and guarded Tadayoshi. At that time most of the officers and men of Yamato, Kawachi, Izumi, and Kii belonged to the imperial army (the Southern Court); Tadayoshi, already hard pressed by Moronao, had now entered the sphere of the imperial army's strength, and fearing as well an attack by the court's forces, he submitted a memorial asking to surrender. The Gon-dainagon, Provisional Major Counselor, Fujiwara-no-Saneyo, seized the occasion to ask that the surrender be accepted and he then be put to death, but Minamoto-no-Chikafusa consulted with the Sadaijin, Minister of the Left, Fujiwara-no-Moromoto, and others and said: "If Tadayoshi surrenders, Takauji will be pacified of himself." The emperor agreed and accepted his surrender (Note: following the Taiheiki). Tadayoshi further asked to be appointed Buke Kanrei, Deputy of the Military Houses, but the court council did not yet grant it. Just then Ishidō Yorifusa, Hatakeyama Kunikiyo, and others came over to him with their troops. Tadayoshi's force somewhat recovered, and he again used the era name Kannō, and privately appointed to the protection of temples and shrines and to jitō posts (Note: established by comparing the Taiheiki and the Yoshino Kotogaki-an). In this way he stopped speaking at all of submitting to the court. In the sixth year (1351) Tadayoshi reviewed his troops at Otokoyama. Momonoi Naotsune led the troops of the northern provinces forward to Enryaku-ji and occupied it. At this time Takauji had gone west to attack Tadafuyu and had left Yoshiakira in the capital as his deputy, but Yoshiakira abandoned the capital and fled, and Naotsune entered it. Takauji turned his army back and attacked Naotsune, routing him. That night many of the troops under Takauji deserted and surrendered to Tadayoshi. Takauji's own force grew weak, and he finally fled to Harima. Tadayoshi sent Ishidō Yorifusa to attack him; Yorifusa advanced and camped at Kōmyō-ji, but Takauji led his troops and surrounded him. While Yorifusa sent a messenger to discuss terms, Tadayoshi sent Hatakeyama Kunikiyo, Uesugi Yoshisayori (Note: the reading of this name is unknown), and Ishidō Yoshimoto to the rescue, and they won a great victory over Takauji at Mikage-no-hama. Takauji fled into Matsuoka Castle, and Aiba Ujinao secretly went to Kunikiyo's camp to discuss peace. Kunikiyo answered: "The mind of the Lord of Sanjō (Tadayoshi) is the same." When peace was concluded, Kō-no-Moronao and Moroyasu, fearing punishment, shaved their heads and surrendered, but on the way they were killed by troops of the Uesugi and Hatakeyama (Note: established by comparing the Entairyaku and the Taiheiki). When Takauji returned to the capital, Tadayoshi went there too and met him. From then on Tadayoshi's heart was once more content. Fujiwara-no-Arinori had considerable learning and was deeply trusted by Tadayoshi; he always compared Tadayoshi to Xibo, the Earl of the West of Zhou, and himself to Taigong Wang, saying: "Yoshiakira is licentious and wicked, as if he had taken the place of King Zhou of Yin. With your intelligence, benevolence, and wisdom, if you were to govern the realm, who would dare oppose you?" Tadayoshi too considered himself the one to whom men's hearts turned, and had the intention of making Yoshiakira yield the government to him, so the two did not get along. Takauji mediated between them and admonished them (Note: following the Taiheiki). Before long the emperor commanded Minamoto-no-Chikafusa to send a letter admonishing Tadayoshi. The letter said: "In the ages of antiquity the gods founded the country, and it was handed down to the age of human sovereigns, each sage emperor succeeding the last for more than ninety generations. The principle of high and low, of right and wrong, has not changed from ancient times to the present. Whoever has neglected or turned from this way has never failed to be destroyed at once. By the past one can see the future as well. Yet since the era of Bunji and Jōkyū there have been reasons of their own why the court allowed warrior ministers to hold sole command of the military. At that time the merit of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo was exceptionally great, and the rewards given him in return were beyond any precedent. For this reason father and son in succession became the protectors of the country, respected those above them without neglect for a single day, and did everything by seeking the court's direction, so that it could not be called presumption. But a house that commands armies does not last long, and Yoritomo's house came to an end after passing through only two sons. Hōjō Masako succeeded to it and ordered the government well without fault. But events like the Jōkyū disturbance did not accord with the will of Heaven and in the end brought the calamity of the exile of the Retired Emperor Go-Toba. Hōjō Yasutoki carried on well after her, aimed at keeping the peace, did right by what was right, and had no selfish purpose at all. For that reason the gods helped him, and his descendants were able to keep their position for a full hundred years. But when it came to Hōjō Takatoki, he neglected his duties and brought about his own ruin. The former emperor, answering the movement of the times, was greatly angered and unified the realm. To soothe the long-accumulated indignation of the successive emperors was easier than turning over a hand. At that time the Kenmu Seitō Shōgun (Ashikaga Takauji) turned and submitted to the court side, achieved merit, and repeatedly received favor and promotion. But his great merit was not seen through to the end; presently rumors of the schemes of his army were reported, which clouded and disturbed what should have been a clear age. The former emperor in the end died bearing his resentment, and the wars that arose from it lasted sixteen years, before and after. Fathers and sons and close kin fought one another day after day, the lives of the people were lost, blood flowed in the fields, the whole country was in an uproar, and there was never again a peaceful year. The cruelty of this upheaval has had no equal since the opening of heaven and earth. Who, then, should bear the blame for it? If his purpose was not in the least for the people's sake, but only vainly to honor gods and buddhas and take refuge in the Three Treasures and so to seek happiness for himself, what could be rewarded by that? Now you have suddenly changed your mind, repeatedly sent letters of sincerity, and asked to obey the court's command. All who discuss the matter know that your aim is to borrow the court's prestige and remove the quarrels within your own house. Even so, the will of Heaven is generous, and in particular, recognizing your past merit, it has been decided to grant your request. Since the edict has already been issued, you should promptly adopt the court's calendar. All military and civil affairs, great and small, should be conducted by seeking the court's wishes. Yet you have still not abolished the private era name Kannō and are still arbitrarily appointing to the posts of shugo and jitō. Is it not that you devote yourself only to deceiving people with empty words and in truth have no intention at all of submitting to the court? If that is so, what is the people's heart to follow, there is no prospect of the wars ending, and when will the people lay down their burden? Moreover, though you have already sent letters of sincerity many times, you still take an attitude of watching and waiting and let the opportunity slip away. Is this how the commander of an army ought to behave? Some say that the soldiers under you are moved by the rumor that 'if government returns to the court we shall lose our own lands,' and so are not pleased that you are making this submission. But the reason the court wishes to receive you is originally to join North and South into one so that high and low may each find their proper place. The meritorious fields of the troops you command will all remain as before, and we even intend to reward and encourage them without sparing the time. Why, then, do you needlessly harbor excessive worries and not think of sparing the people from war and settling their lives? Moreover, the realm today is the realm of the former emperor. The present emperor has correctly inherited the throne and is truly the legitimate line of the human sovereigns. You should examine well where the Mandate of Heaven lies. Respect those above you, do right by what is right, and swiftly return to the condition of the Genkō era, assist the government of the Restoration, and wish above to console the spirit of the former emperor and below to spread the civilizing influence of a unified realm. Then you will gain splendor, wealth, and honor in your own person in this age, and your name will be handed down to later generations. What could be happier than that? Please consider it well. As for the post of Buke Kanrei that you request, we shall discuss it again after you have come to court." Tadayoshi answered: "That a hegemon assists the royal enterprise and a military commander guards the imperial house is a principle of the realm from ancient times to the present. In the Kenkyū era the Minamoto Right General (Minamoto-no-Yoritomo) held charge of the Sōtsuibushi, Chief Constables, of the provinces, which was truly the beginning of the restoration of the warrior houses. The rise and fall of the court and the safety and danger of the realm all depend on this. By the time of the Jōkyū disturbance, Hōjō Yoshitoki carried out the deposing and installing of emperors, and the court's authority and the actual power of government all passed into his hands. Later, at the beginning of Genkō, his descendants had already declined, and the house of Ashikaga (Takauji) met the former emperor, seized the opportunity to raise a righteous army, and the realm answered. In only some ten days the four quarters were entirely pacified. In the Kenmu era he again led troops himself and destroyed the remnants in the Kantō. His great services and achievements have no equal ancient or modern. But treacherous men about the emperor misled his clear judgment, and punishment was about to fall on him. He therefore took up his armor and went to the palace, planning to remove the evil beside the sovereign. But his sincerity was in the end not recognized, and instead it brought about calamity and disorder. When the emperor again made a progress to Mount Hiei, the armies were exhausted and martial force was defiled, but at last peace was arranged. When the former emperor abdicated and the Three Sacred Treasures were handed over, we thought that, following the old statutes, we would assist the court nobles. But unexpectedly the emperor moved to Yoshino, and nothing more could be done. Recently we have displayed military might to punish retainers who would not obey, and have sought to console the grievances and sufferings of many. What we have memorialized and requested by this is truly nothing other than to make clear the way of honoring gods and buddhas and to rescue the people in their suffering. Yet we have still not received a hearing. Recently, moreover, lawless persons, falsely claiming to have received imperial commands, have disturbed the neighborhood of the capital region, seized the incense-offering fields and villages of shrines and temples here and there, arbitrarily replaced shugo and jitō, and issued many instructions to the provinces; when one looks at them, they are all words that force an alliance, and never words that seek harmony and friendship. If these arise from the arbitrary doing of men around the emperor, they should be severely punished. Your letter says you expect the unification of the realm, but even with the former emperor's flourishing achievements, unifying the four quarters did not take even three years, and yet the whole country was turned upside down in disorder, as you have seen. Warriors and brave soldiers, by nature, do not like to humble themselves before the court nobles and obey them or to become the slaves and menials of ministers and counselors. Can they, today, change their hearts and keep up their obedience? Please consider it. If only you would promptly grant our request, and the emperor would return to the capital, and everything would follow the measures the warrior houses have carried out until now, then the descendants of the former emperor would keep the throne forever, and the realm would of itself be at peace" (Note: following the Yoshino Kotogaki-an. This matter is recorded in the Bōgen Hōin-ki, which concerns the edict to Minamoto-no-Chikafusa. The Bōgen-ki has no explicit statement that Chikafusa composed this letter, but now, comparing the documents before and after it, and since its argument agrees with the Jinnō Shōtōki, this can be taken as proof). The emperor had the court nobles discuss the matter, but Chikafusa argued strongly that it was unacceptable, and so it was dropped (Note: following the Bōgen Hōin-ki).

¶Takauji dismissed Yoshiakira and had Tadayoshi take up the government again (Note: following the Entairyaku). But in their hearts the two were not in fact reconciled. When Tadayoshi regained power, Momonoi Naotsune, Ishidō Yoshifusa, and others, boasting of their merit and relying on their strength, were at odds with the generals of the Niki, the Hosokawa, and others; each formed a party, they stood in opposition, and they looked down on one another. At that time rumor spread that every night someone was drilling troops in the outskirts, and each side suspected the other of danger. When Niki Yoriakira, Hosokawa Yoriharu, and others fled back to their home provinces, Yoshifusa and Naotsune said to Tadayoshi: "The Niki, Hosokawa, and their party, acting on the wishes of the General (Takauji) and his son, have gone back to their provinces to raise troops. Akamatsu Norisuke too has gone down to Yoshino; outwardly he feigns obedience, yet he is gathering troops near the capital region, and in truth they mean to deceive us. If you remain at ease with no preparation, how will you defend yourself when an incident arises? You should for the moment go to the northern provinces. Those now on your side include the Asuwa in Echizen, the Togashi in Kaga, the Yoshimi in Noto, and the Suwabe in Shinano. If you issue a call to arms and levy troops, and block the steep roads of Kinome and Arachi, even a million strong enemies could not cross the border and enter. Kai and Etchū are the home provinces of Yoshifusa and Naotsune, and their territories are rich and stable, sufficient to supply military funds. This is a plan of complete security." Tadayoshi agreed and set out that very night with Naotsune and only a few others. Soldiers gradually caught up, and by the time he reached Tsuruga his troops were said to number sixty thousand. As Takauji came with troops to attack, Tadayoshi led the generals, including Hosokawa Akiuji, to Ōmi and camped at Hassōzan (Note: following the Taiheiki). Sasaki Sadaakira surrendered his castle and fought Takauji at the foot of the mountain but could not win. Akiuji and Hatakeyama Kunikiyo urged Tadayoshi to make peace, and Tadayoshi agreed and again made peace with Takauji. Naotsune opposed the peace strongly. Akiuji and Kunikiyo, angered that their plan had not been adopted, in the end surrendered to Takauji, and the troops who had followed Tadayoshi scattered (Note: established by comparing the Tenshō-bon Taiheiki and the Entairyaku). Tadayoshi wandered and came to Kamakura, and all those east of Tōtōmi answered him. Before long Takauji attacked again, and Utsunomiya Ujitsuna came with troops in response to Takauji. Tadayoshi ordered Momonoi Naotsune to cut off Ujitsuna's supply route in the rear, and had Uesugi Noriaki and Ishidō Yoshifusa surround Takauji at Sattayama. Tadayoshi himself camped at the provincial office of Izu and directed the armies. Yoshifusa and the others judged that "the enemy army is short of provisions and cannot hold out long," and therefore ordered their troops not to sally out recklessly. But soon Ujitsuna won a great victory over Naotsune and pressed forward in the flush of victory. The officers and men, hearing that enemy troops were gathering daily, asked for a quick battle, but Yoshifusa would not permit it. Suddenly more than thirty thousand of Ujitsuna's troops drew near as far as Kōzu, their torches stretching several ri. Yoshifusa was greatly frightened and fled without fighting. Niki Yoshinaga pursued as far as the provincial office, and Tadayoshi, unable to hold, took refuge at Izusan. Takauji sent a letter to summon and comfort him, and Tadayoshi came out and surrendered. The following year he returned to Kamakura with Takauji, and suddenly died, at the age of forty-seven (Note: the figure forty-seven rests on the statement in the Kugyō Bunin that Tadayoshi was forty-four when he took religious vows in the fifth year of Jōwa. The Jōrakuki and the Ashikaga genealogy both give forty-five, and the Sonpi Bunmyaku gives forty-six). People all said that it was by Takauji's will (Note: following the Taiheiki and the Ashikaga genealogy). His Buddhist name was Kozan Daikyūji (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku, the Ashikaga Kaden, and the Nan-Taiheiki). In the thirteenth year (1358) the Retired Emperor Go-Kōgon recorded his achievements retroactively and posthumously granted him Junior Second Rank. He had a child, but it died young, and his line came to an end (Note: following the Entairyaku and the Taiheiki).

Ashikaga Tadafuyu

¶Ashikaga Tadafuyu was Takauji's eldest son by a concubine (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Taiheiki). Because his mother's status was low, Takauji did not raise him, and as a child he was placed in Tōshō-ji. In the early years of Shōhei he secretly went up to the capital and sought to meet Takauji, but for a long time his wish went unanswered, and he took lodging in the house of the monk Genne and received instruction in learning. Genne thought very highly of him and told his uncle Tadayoshi about it. Tadayoshi accordingly summoned Tadafuyu and tested him, had him live in his own house, and repeatedly begged Takauji on his behalf, but Takauji still would not allow it. When disorder broke out in Kii, Takauji for the first time permitted the names of father and son; he petitioned the Retired Emperor Kōmyō to appoint him Uhyōe-no-suke, Assistant Commander of the Right Division of Palace Guards, and sent him out with troops to defeat the disorder and return. People of the time gradually came to regard Tadafuyu with respect, but Takauji's lawful wife, of the Akahashi house, hated him deeply and secretly slandered him to Takauji. For this reason Takauji never treated Tadafuyu generously to the end, and handled him in the same way as the Niki and Hosokawa clans (Note: following the Taiheiki). Tadayoshi at last adopted Tadafuyu as his son. Before long he rose to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and became Kunai-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household (Note: following the Ashikaga genealogy. The year and month of the conferment cannot be determined, so it is recorded here for the time being). In the fourth year (1349), when Tadayoshi was about to strike Kō-no-Moronao, he petitioned Takauji to send Tadafuyu out as Chūgoku Tandai, intending secretly to have him as an outside backing (Note: following the Entairyaku and the Taiheiki). Tadafuyu went to Tomo in Bingo and remained there; his judgments in government were clear, and his rewards and punishments were said to be impartial. Crafty men vanished and fled far away, and many of the men of the province gave their hearts to Tadafuyu. At this time Moronao, as shitsuji, steward, was deciding the government of the realm alone, but all his granting and taking came from personal likes and dislikes, and by now his bad reputation had become all the clearer (Note: following the Taiheiki). When Tadayoshi was about to raise troops, he sent a messenger to inform him (Note: following the Entairyaku). Tadafuyu meant to respond, but Moronao ordered Akamatsu Norimura to block his way in Bizen and Mimasaka, and further ordered the officers and men of the Chūgoku region to attack Tadafuyu. Then Sugihara Toshitaka (Note: the name Toshitaka is from the Kinshōin-bon Taiheiki) attacked Tomo with two hundred horsemen. The garrison was very small at the time, and Tadafuyu was almost captured. His retainers, including Isobe Sakon, shot arrows and held them off, and Tadafuyu barely escaped and fled to Higo. Takuma Morinao and others came over to him with their troops. Moronao went further and forged Takauji's command to have the men of the western provinces kill Tadafuyu, but everyone saw through the forgery, and no one dared to answer it. Tadafuyu took as his wife a daughter of Shōni Yorihisa and sought refuge in that house. The provinces of Kyūshū submitted to him, and his military strength became very great. Misumi so-and-so of Iwami and others also responded from afar and gave him support, and the realm was split into three. The imperial army was called the "Miyakata," Takauji's army the "Shōgunkata," and Tadafuyu's army the "Uhyōe-no-suke-dono-kata." Moronao urged Takauji to attack Tadafuyu himself. But just then Tadayoshi submitted to the court and led troops to attack Takauji, and so Takauji was unable to take the field. Soon afterwards, when Tadayoshi was struck down by Takauji, the men of the provinces all turned against Tadafuyu (Note: following the Entairyaku). Tadafuyu fled to Nagato and held Toyota Castle, following Kira Mitsusada and Ishidō Yorifusa, who had submitted to the court. The generals of the western provinces also raised troops and answered Tadafuyu (Note: following the Entairyaku). In the eighth year (1353) Tadafuyu, driven out by the men of the provinces, wandered between Aki and Suō, but just then Yamana Tokiuji returned from the capital to Tajima and memorialized the court to have Tadafuyu set up as commander (Note: following the Taiheiki). The court appointed Tadafuyu Sōtsuibushi, Chief Constable, and issued an edict empowering him to decide the appointment and dismissal of shugo and those below, following the precedent before the Jōkyū disturbance (Note: following the Entairyaku). In the ninth year (1354) an edict ordered him to recover the capital together with Yamana Tokiuji. Ashikaga Takatsune and Momonoi Naotsune both came over with the troops of the northern provinces. Tadafuyu advanced as far as Tanba, and his momentum became very great. Takauji abandoned the capital and fled. The following year Tadafuyu entered Tōji and made it his base, and Takauji came with his generals and fought. A little over a month passed, and since Tadafuyu's army was growing short of provisions day by day, he withdrew and held out on Otokoyama. His apparent strength reached more than fifty thousand, and he planned to wait for the troops of the capital region to gather and then fight Takauji anew. But the generals' discussions did not agree, so they prayed at the Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine; the oracle was said to be inauspicious, and the generals, hearing it, scattered and fled, and Tadafuyu in the end went back to Iwami. In the seventeenth year (1362), Yamana Tokiuji campaigned around the San'in and San'yō regions and ordered Tomita Naosada to attack Miya Nobukane in Bingo. Tadafuyu led troops out and answered the call. He camped at Miyauchi and sent a monk to say to Nobukane: "The time for restoring the realm has come. The generals are joining their strength; why alone will you not join us? When one considers who in this age can be relied upon, none surpasses you. If you submit in accordance with righteousness, as for confiscation of your lands and the like, we shall deal with it as you wish." Nobukane would not listen, and ordered his son Ujinobu to attack Miyauchi, and Naosada was routed. Tadafuyu's battles repeatedly went badly, and so he withdrew his troops (Note: following the Taiheiki). In the seventh year of Ōei (1400) he died in Iwami (Note: following the Wakan Gōfu and the Ashikaga genealogy). His Buddhist name was Dōshō, and he was styled Jion-ji (Note: following the Nan-Taiheiki). His son Fuyuuji became Hyōe-no-suke, Assistant Commander of the Palace Guards (Note: it is not known whether of the Left or the Right). He lived in Bingo and was known in the world as the "Chūgoku Buei." His son became a monk with the name Kenchin and lived at Shōkoku-ji (Note: following the Ashikaga genealogy).