Biographies · Vol. 223
Biographies CL: Loyal Martyrs
Machine-assisted draft translation, checked for readability. For the classical Chinese text and the modern Japanese translation, see this volume in Japanese.
Tsuki-no-Ikina
¶Confucius said, "The man of resolve does not forget that he may end up in a ditch or a ravine; the brave man does not forget that he may lose his head." Anyone who holds a man's rank and eats a man's stipend ought, when the state is in danger, to throw away his life and die for his principles. If he can fulfil his duty in death, there is something to be desired beyond living. For this reason loyal ministers and righteous gentlemen have been those who gave up life to take up righteousness, and sacrificed themselves to accomplish benevolence. Their fierce and loyal spirit fills the space between heaven and earth; it shakes the very axis of heaven and earth, and through ten thousand generations it does not fade. All of them held fast to their own resolve. The temper of our country is robust, and it prizes a sense of honor and shame. Fierce warriors and bold commanders, who rouse such courage as to provoke their enemies, who in the face of danger never try to slip away carelessly and regard death as a place to return to, have never been lacking in any age. Their ardent and heroic spirit sprang from innate nature, not from study and practice in ordinary days or from instruction in the Way. In the sudden press of emergency they acted with resolution and without wavering. Had such men been made to study the Way of the sages and worthies, to cultivate filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty and good faith in their leisure days, to hold to great principles and practice benevolence and righteousness, then the way they perfected their virtue and shed light upon the histories would have gone well beyond this. As for men like Echigo no Yoshikage and Ōkawa no Kanetō, even if one says that they were like dogs barking at one who is not their master and so are not worthy of emulation, still, like the sturdy grass that does not fall in a gale, they gave full loyalty to the lords they served, and in that respect there is something to be noted. The loyal ministers of the Jinshin Disturbance, the court retainers of the Jōkyū Incident, and the loyal and ardent men of the Genkō and Kenmu eras each have their deeds recorded in their own biographies. Coming down to the generals and soldiers of Hōjō Takatoki, those who exerted their valor, trod the path of righteousness and did not betray their lord are likewise recorded here together, each according to his kind. Hence this Biographies of Loyal Martyrs is made.
Ōtomobe no Hakama
¶Tsuki-no-Ikina (Tsuki no Iki-na) was a man of Naniwa (Note: following the Nihon Shoki. That he was a man of Naniwa is stated here on the basis of the prefatory note to Ōbako's song; the Shinsen Shōjiroku, under Settsu province, also has an account of the Tsuki clan). In the reign of Emperor Ōjin, a man named Nuri no Omi came over from Paekche and naturalized. Nuri's great-grandson Miwa was granted the hereditary title Tsuki no Obito in the reign of Emperor Kenzō (Note: following the Shinsen Shōjiroku). Ikina was probably a descendant of this line. He was styled Tsuki no Kishi and was a man of fierce and ardent courage. In the reign of Emperor Kinmei he joined the army sent to call Silla to account as deputy commander under Ki no Omaro, but the army was defeated and he was taken prisoner. Ikina did not yield. The Silla soldiers drew their swords and pressed upon him; they stripped off his loincloth, bared his buttocks, turned him toward Japan, and tried to make him cry out, "Japanese general, eat my buttocks!" But Ikina shouted in a loud voice, "King of Silla, eat my buttocks!" The King of Silla was enraged and heaped still greater humiliation upon him, but Ikina did not change his words or the color of his face, and in the end he was killed. His son Ojiko held his father's corpse in his arms and died. His wife Ōbako, among the captives, grieved and composed a poem. In it she sang of herself standing on the ramparts of a Korean fortress, waving her scarf as she faced toward Japan. All who heard it pitied her (Note: following the Nihon Shoki).
Kinebuchi Shigemitsu
¶After that there was a man named Ōtomobe no Hakama. He was a soldier of Kamitsuyame district in Tsukushi. In the seventh year of Empress Saimei (661) he was taken prisoner by Tang troops in the campaign to relieve Paekche. In the Kinoe-Ne year of Emperor Tenji (664), four men, Haji no Hodo, Hiōyu no Tsukushi, Satsuyama, and Yuge no Motohoko, wished to report the Tang stratagems to the court but worried that, lacking clothing and food for the journey, they could not reach Japan. Hakama said to Haji no Hodo, "I would like to return to our own country with you, but I have no stores of clothing or food and cannot set out. Please sell me, and use the price for clothing and food." Hodo and the others followed Hakama's plan and were at last able to return and make their report. Hakama alone remained in Tang for some thirty years. In the fourth year of Empress Jitō (690), he followed the Silla envoy Daenamal Kim Gohun and others and reached Tsukushi. The court issued an edict praising him for honoring the court and caring for the state, and for loyally selling his own body, and granted him the rank of Mudaishi together with five bolts of coarse silk, ten ton of floss, thirty tan of cloth, a thousand bundles of rice, and four chō of paddy; it also exempted his kin of three degrees from tax and labor service, thus recognizing his merit (Note: following the Nihon Shoki).
Fujiwara no Tadamitsu
¶Kinebuchi Shigemitsu (Kinebuchi no Shigemitsu) was a man of Shinano. He was called Kogenta. He was of extraordinary courage and served Tonbe no Ietoshi. In the first year of Yōwa (1181), when Jō no Nagamochi attacked Minamoto no Yoshinaka, Ietoshi joined the campaign and fought at Yokotagawara, where he was cut down by Nishi Shichirō Hirosuke. Hirosuke tied Ietoshi's head to his saddle and rode away. Earlier, Shigemitsu had been dismissed on a slander and so could not join the campaign. Indignant, he thought, "Though I have been cast out, I cannot sit idly at ease," and went straight to the battlefield to learn whether Ietoshi was alive or dead, but could not find his banner. Perplexed and doubtful, he asked here and there, and at length learned that Ietoshi had fallen. Shigemitsu then galloped into the enemy ranks, caught sight of Hirosuke, and called out, "Are you not Nishi Shichirō? I am Kinebuchi Shigemitsu, Lord Tonbe's follower. I was away on an errand until just now and unexpectedly met this calamity. Let me see my lord's head once, so that I may fulfil my mission." And he raised his whip and came forward. Hirosuke, knowing he was no match, whipped his horse and fled. Shigemitsu cried in a harsh voice, "Do you think you can escape by running? You are the enemy of my lord. I will never let you go," and, hurrying after him, grappled with him, dragged him from his horse, and in an instant cut off his head and set it beside Ietoshi's head. Wiping away his tears he said, "Though blameless, I was sent home and lived in confinement; I thought that if I took the field and won merit I might somewhat show my sincerity. But now that I have come here, my lord has already lost his life and there is nothing more to be done. That I have now been able to kill his enemy is only to console my lord's spirit." When he had finished, he mounted his horse and, holding the two heads in his left hand and brandishing his sword in his right, shouted at the top of his voice, "Lord Tonbe was killed by Nishi Shichirō. Kinebuchi Shigemitsu has avenged him on the spot. Come, all of you, and fight me!" Thirty-seven enemy horsemen swarmed upon him like hornets, each vying to be first, but Shigemitsu charged straight in and fought back and forth, cutting down more than a thousand. At last, covered with many wounds, he could fight no more. He threw away Hirosuke's head, held only Ietoshi's, and died on horseback with his sword held in his teeth. The whole army mourned him (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari).
Bunzō Ieyasu
¶Fujiwara no Tadamitsu was the second son of Tadakiyo. He was called Kazusa Gorō Hyōe no Jō and served Taira no Munemori. He followed Taira no Shigehira and others and fought Minamoto no Yukiie at the Sunomata River, Muroyama, and elsewhere (Note: following the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki). When Munemori fell, Tadamitsu slipped away in secret and for a long time hid himself from the eyes of men (Note: following the Heike Monogatari). In the third year of Kenkyū (1192), Minamoto no Yoritomo built the Yōfukuji temple in Kamakura. Tadamitsu fitted a fish scale over his left eye to feign blindness in that eye, hid a dagger in his bosom, and mingled with the laborers, carrying earth and stone while waiting for a chance to stab Yoritomo. When Yoritomo happened to come to the work site, he saw him, found his appearance suspicious, and ordered those about him to seize him. A search of his bosom turned up the dagger. When he was questioned as to who he was, Tadamitsu answered, "I am Kazusa Gorō Hyōe no Jō. I merely meant to avenge my former lord." He was therefore confined in the residence of Wada Yoshimori and questioned about his accomplices. Tadamitsu stated, "The only man who plotted with me was Taira no Moritsugu. I once heard that he was hiding in Tanba, but I do not know where he is now." From the day of his capture he refused food and drink for more than a month and said nothing further. Yoritomo ordered him beheaded, and his head was exposed at Mutsura (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).
Minamoto no Nakayori
¶Bunzō Ieyasu (Note: concerning "Bunzō," the Azuma Kagami writes "Hōzō." Which is correct is not known. If "Hō," he would be of the Toyohara clan; if "Bun," of the Funya clan; in either case it seems to be an abbreviation. "Zō," the third, indicates his place in the sibling order. Since his original surname cannot be established in detail even now, the older form of writing is followed for the time being) was a soldier of Sanada Yoshitada. At the battle of Ishibashiyama, Yoshitada was ordered to lead the vanguard, but he drew back, called Ieyasu, and said, "The general chose me from among the many and gave me this order directly and specially. For a warrior there is no greater honor. I mean to die in this battle. Go back to our province and tell my mother and my wife." He gave careful last instructions and entrusted his three children to him. Ieyasu replied, "You are young and have a future before you, and yet you are ready to die for the general. Compared with you, if I, at sixty years of age, die following my lord, what is there to regret? If I stayed alive, people would say, 'When Yoshitada died, not one man gave his life for righteousness.' If Ieyasu, who has received such favor from you, were nevertheless to abandon righteousness and choose life, there would be no greater shame. I will not obey that order at all," and in the end he did not leave his side. When Yoshitada fell among the enemy, Ieyasu did not know whether he was alive or dead; he broke through the enemy lines, passing in and out, searching only for his lord. Inage Shigenari called out, "Your lord has already been killed in battle. For whom do you mean to fight now? There is no use dying in vain; flee quickly. I will not press you." Ieyasu said in anger, "A brave man, when he enters the field of battle, knows only to go forward and die; I have never heard of retreating to save his life. If a retainer, having seen his lord die before his eyes, were to flee in panic, what use would a retainer be? Since my lord is already dead, now is the time for me to give up my life." Summoning his courage, he grappled with the enemy and with his own hands cut down eight men before he died. All mourned his death (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki).
Echigo no Yoshikage
¶Minamoto no Nakayori was called Shinano Jirō (Note: in the various texts of the Heike Monogatari, Nakayori is written Yorinao or Yoritsuna, but the current text is followed here). He was a descendant of Imperial Prince Atsumi and a son of Nakashige, Governor of Shinano. He served the Chamberlain Minamoto no Nakakane. In the Juei era (1182-1185), when Minamoto no Yoshinaka attacked the Hōjūji palace, Nakakane and the others defended it, but they lost the battle and fled. One of Nakakane's attendants, a man named Kagabō, had a horse that was wild and could not be controlled, so he exchanged mounts with Nakakane and rode Nakakane's horse. When they reached Kawarazaka, Kagabō was finally cut down by enemy soldiers, and Nakakane barely managed to escape. After that, Nakayori was blocked by the enemy and could not follow his lord. Looking about, he saw a horse covered in blood, neighing mournfully by the roadside. It was the horse Nakakane had ridden. Nakayori was convinced that Nakakane had already fallen in battle; unable to bear his grief, he stopped the man who was leading the horse by the bridle and asked, "Where did that horse come from?" When the man answered, "From Kawarazaka," Nakayori said, "That is where my master's enemies are. I shall go there to fight and die." Turning his reins, he cried out in a loud voice, "My lord has already fallen in battle. What use is it for me to live on now?" He shot three men dead with arrows, cut down two with his sword, and died locked in combat with one more, blade against blade (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the various texts of the Heike Monogatari).
Ōkawa no Kanetō
¶Echigo no Yoshikage was called Chūta (Note: it is also said that Yoshikage's surname was Nakahara). He was a retainer of Minamoto no Yoshinaka. In the Yōwa era (1181-1182), when the Emperor fled to the western seas and Yoshinaka entered the capital and caused disorder, Minamoto no Yoritomo raised an army to attack him. At first Yoshinaka had forcibly taken up with a daughter of the Regent Fujiwara no Motofusa, and even when his army was defeated he went into her chamber to take his leave of her and could not break free of his attachment. Yoshikage said, "The enemy is already close. How can you cling to one woman? I cannot bear to see my general put to shame." And he cut open his own belly and died. Tsubata Saburō likewise remonstrated and died. Yoshinaka said, "This was my fault," and at last led out his troops (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki).
Taira no Yasumori
¶Ōkawa no Kanetō was called Jirō and was a commander under Fujiwara no Yasuhira, Mutsu Ōryōshi, Police Commissioner of Mutsu. After Yasuhira's fall, he gathered the remnants of the army and gradually extended his strength. He falsely took the name of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and attacked and seized estates on the coast of Dewa. At other times he styled himself Asahi Kanja, a son of Minamoto no Yoshinaka, and based himself in Yamakita district with more than seven thousand troops; passing through Kawakita and Akita, he crossed Ōzekiyama and went by the provincial government at Taga. When he tried to cross at Shika no Watari, the ice suddenly broke up and more than five thousand men were drowned. Originally, when Yasuhira was defeated, his officer Yuri Chūhachi Koretaira had been taken prisoner, but Yoritomo released him and made him one of his own guards. Kanetō sent a letter saying, "From ancient times to the present there have been cases of men avenging their own flesh and blood, but I have never yet heard of anyone avenging his lord. Now my raising of this army is to show the great principle of lord and vassal to the whole realm." At that time Koretaira and Kitsuji Kiminari were guarding Ogashima. Kanetō attacked it; Kiminari abandoned the castle and fled, and Koretaira was killed in battle. From there Kanetō passed through Senpuku-yamamoto and turned to Tsugaru, where he killed Usami Sanemasa and others. His troops gradually increased to ten thousand, so Yoritomo sent Ashikaga Yoshikane, Governor of Kazusa, and Chiba Shinsuke Taira no Tsunetane to lead troops against him, and they fought at Kurihara Ichi-no-hasama. Kanetō was routed; he gathered some five hundred scattered soldiers and set up a position with the Koromo River as his rampart, but the commanders advanced and defeated him there too. Kanetō retreated, fled as far as the area between Sotogahama and Nukanobu, and fortified himself in the mountains. When Yoshikane pressed upon him, Kanetō lost battle after battle and fled alone into the Kurihara temple. The villagers, finding his clothing too fine to be natural, surrounded him and beat him to death (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).
Seki no Nobukane
¶Taira no Yasumori was a retainer of Minamoto no Ariatsuna, Uemon no Jō. Ariatsuna was a son-in-law of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. When Yoshitsune was defeated, Yoritomo sent Hōjō Tokisada to kill Ariatsuna. In the second year of Kenkyū (1191), Yasumori secretly went to Kamakura and planned to avenge him. Kajiwara Kagetoki met him at Yuigahama, found his demeanor suspicious, and seized him. Yasumori declared himself a traitor. Asked his name, he would not answer, saying only, "I wish to speak directly to the General himself." Yoritomo had him brought out into the courtyard of the residence and asked his true purpose through the blinds. Yasumori answered, "I am Taira no Yasumori, formerly Hyōe no Jō, a retainer of the late Izu Uemon no Jō. I planned to kill Hōjō Heiroku but could not accomplish my purpose, and so I have come to this." Yoritomo ordered Wada Yoshimori to behead him at Koshigoe and had his head exposed (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).
Hirata Ietsugu
¶Seki no Nobukane and Hirata Ietsugu. Seki no Nobukane was a descendant of the sixth generation of Taira no Sadamori. Hirata Ietsugu was the eldest son of Taira no Ietsada (Note: the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari write Ietsugu as Sadatsugu. Further, the Genpei Jōsuiki makes Ietsugu a younger brother of Sadayoshi, Governor of Chikugo, while the Heike Monogatari makes him Sadayoshi's uncle. Here, on the basis of the genealogies and of various works such as the Gyokuyō, the Sankaiki, the Hyakurenshō, and the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari, he is fixed as Sadayoshi's son). Nobukane served successively as Kebiishi, Police Commissioner, held the governorships of Kawachi, Izumi, Dewa and other provinces, and was raised to Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Heishi Keizu). In the spring of the first year of Yōwa (1181), the monks of Kumano, hearing that Minamoto no Yoritomo had risen, themselves raised troops and entered Shima, put Izue Shirō (Note: the surname is missing and unknown) to flight, then turned into Ise and plundered the coastal districts. The officials the Taira had stationed fled in disorder on mere rumor, and the monks, pressing their advantage, burned the houses of the people of Futami. When they advanced to the Katase River, Nobukane led Hiru no Itōji and others (Note: the names are missing and unknown) to oppose them. They met at Funae, and Nobukane shot dead their leader, a man named Kaikō. The monks at last fled (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Ietsugu was called Tarō, lived in Yamada district of Iga, shaved his head, and was known as the lay priest of Hirata (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). In the fourth year of Jishō (1180), in Ōmi, he attacked Teshima Kanja, cut down sixteen men, and took two prisoner (Note: following the Gyokuyō). In the autumn of the third year of Juei (1184), Ietsugu, hearing that the Taira had been driven in defeat to the western seas, could not remain still and was filled with indignation, resolving to repay the favors received through generations. He therefore called on Nobukane and other like-minded men, raised troops holding Hirata castle (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki; for Nobukane, following the Azuma Kagami), and attacked and defeated Ōuchi Koreyoshi, Protector of Iga (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Soon Sasaki Hideyoshi came to attack and took up position at the Ōhara estate. Ietsugu and the others heard of this and discussed whether to fight or defend. Mibuno Shingenji Yoshimori said, "Iga is narrow and small. If the enemy comes in great force and plunders at will, both high and low will surely suffer. Better to enter Ōmi first and fight holding Mount Suzuka." They followed this advice; Ietsugu, together with Yoshimori and others, led some three hundred troops into Kōka district and fought Hideyoshi at Tadono. Yoshimori shot Hideyoshi dead, but Yoshimori too was struck by an arrow and died (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). Soon after they were defeated by Ōuchi Koreyoshi, and Ietsugu died in this battle. Tomita Shinji Ietsuke, the former Hyōe no Jō Ieyoshi (Note: the surname is missing and unknown), Taira no Iekiyo, and others, more than ninety dead in all. Nobukane and Fujiwara no Tadakiyo and others fled and hid in the mountains (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Because the time from their rising to their ruin was so short, the world called it the "Three-Day Taira" (Mikka Heishi) (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Heike Monogatari). Nobukane again gathered troops and held Takino in Ise, but Minamoto no Yoshitsune sent troops to attack him. Nobukane had his soldiers remove their armor and shoot arrows, and killed many of the enemy. But before long his arrows ran out, and Nobukane himself set fire to the castle, cut open his belly, and died (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). Nobukane had four sons: Kanehira, Nobuhira, Kanetoki, and Kanetaka. Kanehira was Saemon Sakino Tatewaki no Osa, former Chief of the Crown Prince's Guard (Note: following the Heishi Keizu). When Nobukane raised troops again, Kanehira hid in the capital together with Nobuhira and Kanetoki, but all were lured out by Yoshitsune and killed (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Sankaiki). Kanetaka became a Kebiishi and was known as the Izumi Hōgan. Implicated in an incident, he was exiled to Izu and lived at Yamaki. After some time he became a mokudai, deputy governor, and, relying on his kinship with Kiyomori, wielded power and behaved tyrannically, so that Yoritomo attacked and killed him (Note: following the Azuma Kagami; the Heike Monogatari was also consulted). Later there was a man of Ise named Taira no Motonori, called Shinji Saburō (Note: according to this work, Motonori was a son of Norimitsu, Chūgū Chōji, Steward of the Empress's Household. Since Ietsuke was called Tomita Shinji and Motonori too was called Shinji Saburō and held Tomita, he is suspected to have been of Ietsuke's kin, but there is at present no means of verifying this).
Taira no Moritoki
¶Taira no Moritoki was a man of Iga and called himself of the Miura clan. In the first year of Genkyū (1204), he rose together with his kin, attacked Sudō Tsunetoshi, the Protector, put him to flight, and seized districts and villages in Iga and Ise. Motonori held Tomita-no-oka in Asake district, and Sadashige and others held Ano and Tage and fought Hiraga Tomomasa, but were defeated. Motonori died in this fighting together with his younger brother Morimitsu and others. Moritoki built a stockade on Mount Rokka in Iga and held it with his sons and nephews, but after several days of fighting he was defeated by Tomomasa. Wakana Gorō divided his troops and held places in Ise such as Hinaga, Wakamatsu, Minamimura, Takatsuno, Seki, and Ono, but his troops were broken and he too died. In the Kenpō era (1213-1219) there was a man named Kamon Gon no Suke Masashige. He too was a survivor of the Ise Taira. He secretly made his home at Shirakawa and plotted to raise troops. Gotō Motokiyo came upon him from the capital. Masashige met him and inflicted many dead and wounded, but in the end he was killed in battle (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).
Sa Chūta Tsunezumi
¶Sa Chūta Tsunezumi was a soldier of Nagasa Rokurō Tsunetomo. When Minamoto no Yoritomo raised his banner, Tsunetomo plotted to attack Yoritomo on behalf of the Taira, but he and his whole clan were destroyed by Yoritomo. The following year, when Yoritomo went to worship at Tsurugaoka, a man more than seven shaku tall slipped into the attendants' ranks and drew close to Yoritomo. Shimokōbe no Yukihira stepped forward and seized him. A wooden tag was tied in his topknot, on which was written, "Retainer of Nagasa Rokurō of Awa province, Sa Chūta Tsunezumi." When Yukihira questioned him, he answered, "My longing for revenge has not ceased waking or sleeping, and so I have come to this deed. I feared that if the matter failed and my body were left in the fields, no one would know who I was; so I wrote my name. I desire only to die as soon as possible." Yoritomo meant to have Kajiwara Kagetoki kill him, but at that time Kagetoki was supervising the construction at Tsurugaoka and could not take part in a criminal matter. Yoritomo hastily had Amano Mitsuie act in his place. Tsunezumi mocked Yoritomo, saying, "Why did you not decide beforehand, instead of hurrying things so?" And in the end he was beheaded at the Inase River (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).
Murakami Yoshiteru
¶Murakami Yoshiteru and Murakami Yoshitaka. Murakami Yoshiteru (Note: this work writes Yoshihi, but the Taiheiki is followed here) was called Hikoshirō and was a man of Shinano. He was a descendant of Minamoto no Yorikiyo, Governor of Mutsu, and a son of Iyashirō Nobuyasu (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He was Sama Gon no Kami. His son Yoshitaka (Note: the Sonpi Bunmyaku writes Asahi) was called Hikogorō and was Hyōe no Suke Kurōdo (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Taiheiki). At the time of the Genkō disturbance, father and son, together with Akamatsu Norisuke, Hiraga Saburō (Note: the name is missing and unknown), and others, followed Imperial Prince Moriyoshi in his flight to Totsukawa. Jōhen, the Kumano Bettō, searched for them relentlessly. Moriyoshi sought to escape and make for Mount Yoshino. A local man, Imose Shōji (Note: the name is missing and unknown), sent out troops and blocked the road. Moriyoshi, with no other course, sent an attendant to say that he wished to seek shelter. The Shōji replied, "Jōhen hunts out those who side with the imperial army, records their names and reports them to Kamakura. I too would now like to receive His Highness, but cannot. Yet neither do I dare to block his way. If you would leave behind the brocade banner, or one or two of your close retainers, I will take it as proof for my own defense." Moriyoshi remained silent and gave no answer, whereupon Norisuke stepped forward and said, "To see danger and throw away one's life is the duty of a warrior. I shall remain and die." Hiraga Saburō said, "All those who accompany you are His Highness's limbs and cannot be lost. It would be best to hand over the banner." Moriyoshi followed this advice and was able to pass safely. Yoshiteru had happened to fall behind the party. The Shōji was shouldering the brocade banner and about to withdraw when Yoshiteru strode straight up and seized the banner. The Shōji, startled and flustered, left without looking back. Moriyoshi once said happily, "In gaining these three men I have the prospect of pacifying the realm." When they reached Yoshino, they built a castle and held it, but the enemy came in great force and the outer castle had already fallen. Moriyoshi went out himself and fought several times, then withdrew and, drinking with those about him, composed a poem of grief and indignation. Yoshiteru, his armor bristling with countless arrows like a porcupine, knelt and said, "For several hours I held the enemy at the middle castle, but chancing to hear the singing I came before you. The rebels' strength is very great, and this castle can no longer hold. Pray lend me His Highness's armor. I shall take His Highness's place and feign death, and while they are occupied, let His Highness escape." Moriyoshi said, "If we are to die, let us die together. How could I abandon you?" Yoshiteru raised his voice and said, "One who is planning a great cause must not speak so," and he himself set about taking off Moriyoshi's armor. Moriyoshi looked back and said, "Your loyalty I shall not forget even in another life. If I escape, I shall pray generously for your repose; if I cannot, I shall follow you to the Yellow Springs," and went away at once. Yoshiteru then put on the armor and climbed the tower. Yoshitaka came and wished to die with him. Yoshiteru said, "Leave quickly and guard His Highness's rear. Do not die in vain." Yoshitaka bade him farewell in tears. When Yoshiteru saw that Moriyoshi had gone far, he shouted loudly toward the enemy, "Imperial Prince Moriyoshi, the third son of the present sovereign, takes his own life here. You will soon suffer heaven's punishment. Look well at how I cut my belly, and take it as an example!" He slit open his belly, pulled out his entrails, hurled them at the wall, and expired. The rebels swarmed from all sides, cut off his head, and withdrew. Soon afterward, Iwagikumaru, the shugyō, steward of Yoshino, caught up with Moriyoshi with several hundred troops, but Yoshitaka fought alone and cut down several men; receiving more than twenty wounds, he slit open his belly and died. Moriyoshi was at last able to escape the danger. Yoshitaka was eighteen years old at the time (Note: following the Taiheiki; the age of eighteen follows the Nanto-bon).