Biographies CLVI: Rebellious Subjects, Part III

Fujiwara-no-Nobuyori

¶Fujiwara-no-Nobuyori was a descendant in the eighth generation of the Kampaku, Chancellor, Fujiwara-no-Michitaka, and the third son of Fujiwara-no-Tadataka, of Junior Third Rank (Note: written with reference to the Kugyō Bunin, the Heiji Monogatari, and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He was a mediocre and dull-witted man with no talent to speak of. Later, however, he came to enjoy the favor of the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari). He served in turn as Uhyōe-no-suke, Assistant Captain of the Right Gate Guards, and Sakonoe-no-gon-no-chūjō, Provisional Middle Captain of the Left Palace Guards, and was appointed Kurōdo-no-tō, Head Chamberlain. In the third year of Hōgen (1158) he was made Sangi, Counsellor, and concurrently Uemon-no-kami, Commander of the Right Gate Guards; he then advanced to Gon-no-chūnagon, Provisional Middle Counsellor, of Senior Third Rank, and became Kebiishi-no-betto, Superintendent of the Imperial Police (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Heiji Monogatari).

¶Relying on the Retired Emperor's favor, Nobuyori grew arrogant and haughty. He contended for power with Fujiwara-no-Michinori (Shinzei), and each watched for an opening to bring the other down. Nobuyori coveted the post of Taishō, General, and the Retired Emperor was willing to grant it, but Michinori remonstrated strongly and blocked it. Nobuyori resented this deeply, pleaded illness, and often stayed away from court. He joined forces with Minamoto-no-Moromori, Chūnagon, frequented his mansion, studied the martial arts day and night, and plotted to avenge his grudge against Michinori. But Michinori had formed a marriage connection with Taira-no-Kiyomori, and his power was not easily shaken. Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo, on the other hand, stood alone and without support, and his standing was far below that of the Taira. For this reason Yoshitomo was privately at odds with Taira-no-Kiyomori. Nobuyori saw this, bent his whole heart toward cultivating Yoshitomo's friendship, and pleased him with honeyed words. He also made secret alliances with Fujiwara-no-Tsunemune, Gon-no-dainagon, Provisional Major Counsellor; Fujiwara-no-Narichika, Ukonoe-no-shōshō, Junior Captain of the Right Palace Guards; and Fujiwara-no-Koretaka, Kebiishi-no-betto (written "Tamekata" in the original text), and waited for an opportunity to strike.

¶In the first year of Heiji (1159), Taira-no-Kiyomori made a pilgrimage to Kumano. Nobuyori secretly told Yoshitomo of his plan to remove Michinori, and Yoshitomo agreed. Nobuyori was overjoyed and presented him with a sword, a horse, and fifty sets of armor and weapons. Yoshitomo further urged Nobuyori to summon Minamoto-no-Yorimasa, Minamoto-no-Mitsumoto, Minamoto-no-Suezane, and others, and all of them responded.

¶Thereupon Nobuyori and Yoshitomo led five hundred soldiers and by night surrounded the Sanjō Palace. From horseback Nobuyori cried out in a loud voice: "Your servant Nobuyori has received exceptional favor for many years, but through Michinori's slanders he is about to be put to death. Hearing this, my heart can find no rest, and I wish to flee to the eastern provinces and escape death." The Retired Emperor was astonished and said, "Who has plotted such a rebellion?" Minamoto-no-Moromori had long sided with Nobuyori; he approached the Retired Emperor's carriage, brought it outside, and moved the sovereign to the Ōdono. Then fire was set to the palace, and Ōe-no-Ienaka and others, officers of the Left and Right Hyōe, Gate Guards, fought in its defense and fell in battle. Within the Retired Emperor's residence there was chaos: men and women trampled one another, and the dead were very many.

¶Michinori learned of the disturbance and fled beforehand. Nobuyori surrounded his mansion and set it on fire, but suspecting that Michinori had changed his clothes and escaped, he killed all of his household. Then Nobuyori took the Retired Emperor with him into the Inner Palace and confined him in the Ippon Gosho-dokoro, the Library of the Single Copy. The Emperor (Emperor Nijō) was moved to the Kurodo Gosho, the Black Door Chamber, and Minamoto-no-Shigenari and Minamoto-no-Suezane were made to guard the two sovereigns. Nobuyori made himself Daijin Taishō, Minister and General; Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo was made Governor of Harima, and Minamoto-no-Shigenari and the rest all received offices and ranks. Michinori's five sons were struck from the registers. Yoshitomo's son Yoshihira proposed a plan to ambush Taira-no-Kiyomori at Abeno, but Nobuyori could not follow it. Minamoto-no-Mitsuyasu, former Governor of Izumo, searched out Michinori and cut him down, and sent his head to the capital. Nobuyori rode in the same carriage as Fujiwara-no-Koretaka to Kaguraoka and viewed it there. Nobuyori took up residence in the Asagarei-dokoro, the Morning Meal Chamber; his cap, dress, and bearing were like those of the Son of Heaven himself. Each morning when he attended at the palace he took the seat above all the ministers and alone decided the affairs of government. People privately called him the "Evil Commander of the Right Gate Guards."

¶When Taira-no-Kiyomori returned to the capital, the Emperor secretly made his way to Kiyomori's residence, and the Retired Emperor went to the Ninna-ji temple. Fujiwara-no-Narichika reported this to Nobuyori. Nobuyori was fond of wine and was always drunk. Even at dawn he had not yet awakened, and on hearing the report he did not believe it, saying, "I have left everything to Koretaka, Tsunemune, and the others. How could such a thing possibly happen now?" Narichika answered, "It is their doing." Nobuyori rose in alarm and went to look inside, but neither the Emperor nor the Retired Emperor was there. Greatly astonished and shaken, he did not know what to do, and whispered to Narichika, "See that nobody learns of this." He then had Koretaka and Tsunemune searched for, but both had already vanished. Nobuyori was furious and ground his teeth in bitterness.

¶Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo, hearing of this, led more than two thousand soldiers to hold the palace and divided his men to guard the palace gates. The Emperor ordered Taira-no-Kiyomori to attack Nobuyori and Yoshitomo. Kiyomori sent his son Shigemori and his younger brother Yorimori, who divided their forces and attacked the several gates. Nobuyori, in armor, was in the Shishinden, the Hall for State Ceremonies; hearing that enemy troops were close, he tried to go out and defend against them. But he trembled with fear, his legs gave way, and he could not even go down the steps. His body was fat and heavy and he could hardly mount a horse; he was helped and lifted onto his horse by those at his sides, but fell by mistake to the ground, injured his nose, and blood covered his face.

¶Taira-no-Shigemori led more than five hundred horsemen against the Taiken-mon gate. Nobuyori abandoned his post and fled back. The Taira army advanced into the palace, but Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo ordered Yoshihira to drive them back, and all the Taira forces withdrew. Yoshitomo and Yoshihira pursued them as far as Rokuhara. Nobuyori, fearing a further Taira attack, followed slowly behind Yoshitomo's army, but on reaching the riverbank he abandoned the army and fled. Yoshitomo's soldiers asked leave to pursue him, but Yoshitomo said, "Let him be. Now that he has run away, there is no need to regret him."

¶Yoshitomo was defeated in battle and set out for the eastern provinces. When he reached Yase, Nobuyori caught up with him and called out, "You made a promise to me before. Why do you suddenly abandon me?" Yoshitomo flew into a great rage and said, "You were the first to start this great undertaking, and then you ran away before fighting even one battle. With what face do you come to see me?" And he struck him on the cheek with his whip. Nobuyori hung his head, unable to answer, and went away stroking the mark of the whip. His attendant Sukeyoshi (Note: his surname has not been handed down) stepped forward and said, "Why do you disgrace my lord? If you gentlemen are brave men, why did you not fight and win?" Yoritomo was about to cut him down, but Kamata-no-Masaie remonstrated with him and stopped him.

¶About fifty mounted warriors who had followed Nobuyori still remained, but they said to one another, "If our lord is disgraced by another and cannot even dare to resist, how can he be worth relying on?" and all of them scattered and left, so that only Sukeyoshi followed him. Nobuyori was utterly exhausted and could not eat even when Sukeyoshi offered him dried rice. When asked where he wished to go, Nobuyori answered, "I will go to the Ninna-ji and simply beg the Retired Emperor for pity." At night, as they passed through Rendai-no, they met a party of Enryaku-ji warrior monks returning from a funeral. Nobuyori took them for defeated soldiers and tried to strip them of their clothes. Sukeyoshi told them falsely, "These are soldiers of Rokuhara." As they fled they reached Nagasaka and lost their way. When the warrior monks were about to leave, one of them lit a torch and looked toward them. Trembling, Nobuyori hastily dismounted, himself handed over his armor, his sword, and even his horse's Kurama saddle, and prostrated himself to beg forgiveness. The warrior monks then seized Sukeyoshi as well and stripped him of his weapons and armor.

¶Afterward Nobuyori made his way to the Ninna-ji and, weeping, begged to be spared the death penalty. The Retired Emperor sent a letter to the Emperor asking that the sentence be reduced by one degree, but the Emperor would not listen. The Retired Emperor sent a messenger again to plead for mercy, but before the messenger had returned, the imperial army surrounded the Ninna-ji, seized Nobuyori, and carried him away. Taira-no-Kiyomori had his son Shigemori question him about the true facts of the rebellion. Nobuyori could only grieve and weep and could not answer; he would say only, "It was the work of a heavenly demon. I beg you to take pity on me and spare my life." Shigemori said to Kiyomori, "He is so spiritless. What harm would there be in pardoning him?" But Kiyomori said, "Nobuyori is the root of it all. Even when the Retired Emperor tried to save him, the Emperor would not listen. How could I ask for his pardon?" and ordered that he be beheaded on the riverbank at Rokujō.

¶As he faced execution Nobuyori said in tears, "Lord Shigemori is a compassionate man; will he not save me from death?" and he writhed and cried out, so that the executioner could not easily cut off his head. At last they pressed him down and struck off his head, and onlookers crowded around like a wall. Then an old man pushed through the crowd, struck Nobuyori's corpse with his staff, and cursed him with glaring eyes: "You seized my lands and drove me to hunger and cold. Your crimes were boundless. That your body and head are now parted is only just." Several tens of Nobuyori's followers were also put to death. Nobuyori's elder brother Motomichi was exiled to Mutsu, and his younger brother Nobutoshi to Echigo. Nobuchika, the son of his younger brother Ieyori, fled into hiding and did not appear, and was stripped of his rank and office (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari; the entry on Ieyori is supplemented from the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

¶When Nobuyori was defeated, Minamoto-no-Moromori was also seized. At first, when the Emperor went out to Rokuhara, Kamata-no-Masaie took out the sacred mirror and tried to carry it to the eastern provinces. Moromori said, "How could anyone move the Emperor's divine treasure on his own authority?" (Note: following the Kyoto Nakarai-bon text of the Heiji Monogatari), broke open the chest, took out the sacred mirror, and kept it in his bosom (Note: following the Hyakurenshō and the Kojidan). Then, seeing that Yoshitomo had tied a great sword to the chest and fastened the chest's key to his own sword, he tricked him and took that too (Note: following the Gukanshō), and in the end delivered the sacred mirror to Rokuhara (Note: following the Hyakurenshō and the Kojidan).

¶When the matter came to light, Moromori defended himself, saying, "I never joined the rebellion to begin with. When Nobuyori and Masaie tried to seize the sacred mirror, I secretly hid it. It is plain that I did not side with the rebels. If I formerly acted together with Nobuyori, it was only because I feared his power. As for the plot of the rebellion, I had no knowledge of it at all" (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari; the account concerning Masaie follows the Sugihara-bon text of the Heiji Monogatari). His sentence was fixed, and he was exiled to Shimotsuke (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). In the first year of Jin'an (1166) he was recalled, and was known in the world as the Fushimi Minamoto Chūnagon (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo

¶Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo was the eldest son of Minamoto-no-Tameyoshi, Saemon-no-taijō, Senior Secretary of the Left Gate Guards (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Hōgen Monogatari). He was raised in Bandō, the Kantō region, and excelled in martial valor and strategy (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari. The entry in the Azuma Kagami for the fourth year of Jishō says that Yoritomo came to Kamakura and visited the old site at Kamegayatsu of his late father, the Sa-tenkyū. From this it appears that Yoshitomo once lived in Kamakura. Yoshihira too was called "Kamakura no Akugenta," which is further evidence). He was appointed Shimotsuke-no-kami, Governor of Shimotsuke (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Hōgen Monogatari).

¶The Retired Emperor Toba doted on Bifukumon'in, and the Emperor Konoe was born. The Retired Emperor cherished this child and had the Emperor Sutoku hastily yield the throne to Emperor Konoe. The Retired Emperor Sutoku harbored constant resentment. In the second year of Kyūju (1155) Emperor Konoe died, and Emperor Go-Shirakawa ascended the throne. In the first year of Hōgen (1156), when the Retired Emperor Toba died, the Retired Emperor Sutoku gathered troops at the Shirakawa-dono, intending to take the throne again.

¶Earlier, the Retired Emperor Toba had foreseen that a rebellion would break out, and had himself written down the names of ten commanders and entrusted the list to Bifukumon'in; Yoshitomo's name stood at its head. He had also ordered Yoshitomo and Minamoto-no-Yoshiyasu, Kebiishi, to guard the imperial palace. When the rebellion began, Minamoto-no-Tameyoshi, Sotsu-no-Yorikata, Tametomo, and the other sons of Tameyoshi hastened to the Shirakawa-dono (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari), but Yoshitomo alone hastened to the palace.

¶At that time the court nobles, headed by the Kampaku Fujiwara-no-Tadamichi, could not reach agreement in their deliberations and were at a loss. Fearing that the moment for battle would be lost, Yoshitomo repeatedly urged a decision (Note: following the Gukanshō). The Emperor summoned Yoshitomo and consulted him on strategy. Yoshitomo memorialized: "Opportunities in battle are not of one kind, but what matters is to strike when the enemy does not expect it. To win a victory in a single moment, nothing surpasses a night attack. I have heard that the warrior monks of Nanto, leading troops from Yoshino and Totsukawa, will already reach Uji tonight and enter the capital tomorrow morning. If we strike before the enemy forces have gathered, we can easily win merit." The Emperor followed this advice (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari).

¶An imperial command was issued: "You have cast aside your own kin to take the side of loyalty. Your resolve is truly admirable. Now we grant you the post of commander; show your loyalty and win merit. Afterward we shall permit you to ascend to the Imperial Presence, as you wish." Yoshitomo requested: "When a warrior goes to the battlefield, he does not expect to return alive. If I may now be permitted to ascend, then let me ascend this very moment and fulfil my long-held wish." And in his battle dress he advanced up the steps of the palace. The Shōnagon Nyūdō Shinzei addressed the Emperor: "Yoshitomo's great-grandfather and grandfather were permitted to ascend, but his father Tameyoshi remained a Kebiishi. If the son is suddenly granted this permission now, it will damage the order of the state." The Emperor said, "To put down rebellion and calm the troubles of the realm, on whom shall we rely if not on a warrior commander? There is no need to cling to established rules." Moved, Yoshitomo withdrew, and ordered that the whip in his hand be tied up at the carriage porch below the steps. When his soldiers found this strange, Yoshitomo said, "Today I have been granted the honor of ascending to the palace. If I should lose my life to an enemy blade, who would know of this honor? That is why I do this" (Note: following the Kyoto-bon, Sugihara-bon, and Kamakura-bon texts of the Hōgen Monogatari).

¶Leading more than four hundred picked horsemen (Note: the number of soldiers differs among the variant texts of the Hōgen Monogatari; here the three texts, Kyoto, Sugihara, and Kamakura, are followed), he drew up his forces on the riverbank at Ōi-no-mikado. Taira-no-Kiyomori, Governor of Aki, set his troops on the eastern embankment of the Sanjō riverbank, and under cover of night the two advanced together. Yorikata and Tametomo met them, and Yoshitomo loosed his troops in a fierce assault. Tameyoshi and the others fell back and held the Shirakawa-dono.

¶When dawn came, Yoshitomo sent a messenger galloping with a memorial: "We attacked suddenly, but the defense is truly firm, and there is no means left but to attack with fire. I fear only that the fire would spread to the Hōshō-ji temple, and so we have not dared to carry it out." The reply came: "Act as the occasion requires. Even if the halls of the temple should be burned, they will not be hard to rebuild." Thereupon fire was set from the windward side and the place burned, and the Shirakawa-dono at last fell (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari).

¶The Retired Emperor hastily left the palace, but Yoshitomo could not overtake him. Hearing that fugitive soldiers were hidden in the Hōshō-ji, he had it searched, but they were still not found; he asked leave to burn the temple, but it was not granted (Note: following the Kyoto-bon, Sugihara-bon, and Nakarai-bon texts of the Hōgen Monogatari).

¶Yoshitomo went to the palace and reported the victory, and the Emperor, to reward his merit, appointed him Sama-no-gon-no-kami, Provisional Director of the Left Stables (Note: the Kyoto, Sugihara, and Nakarai texts write "Right"). Yoshitomo did not want this, and memorialized: "My late father Mitsunaka once held this office. If I accept this appointment, I would merely be succeeding to an old post. But I already hold the rank of suke, assistant, and to be moved now only to provisional director is not enough to count as an honor." The Emperor thought this reasonable and changed the appointment to Sama-no-kami, Director of the Left Stables, made Fujiwara-no-Takasue Sakyō-no-daibu, Master of the Left Capital Office, and made Yoshitomo his successor in the former post.

¶Soon the Emperor ordered Kiyomori to search for Tameyoshi and his sons. Tameyoshi, ill, could not flee far, and secretly came to Yoshitomo to beg for his life. At that time Kiyomori's uncle Tadamasa, Umanosuke, Assistant of the Right Stables, together with his sons, had risen in arms in response to the Retired Emperor's side, but, defeated in battle, asked Kiyomori to accept his surrender. Kiyomori had long been on bad terms with Tadamasa, and wishing to make Yoshitomo kill Tameyoshi, he first cut Tadamasa down. The Emperor ordered Yoshitomo to put Tameyoshi to death. Yoshitomo repeatedly begged for his pardon, but the Emperor said angrily, "Kiyomori has already killed his own uncle; why do you disobey the command? If you hesitate, We shall order Kiyomori to execute him." Yoshitomo was grieved and afraid and did not know what to do.

¶He summoned his retainer Kamata-no-Masaie and said, "If I obey the edict now, I shall commit a crime against my own father. If I do not obey, I shall be guilty of defying the imperial command. What should I do?" Masaie answered, "This is a grave matter. It is not something a retainer can easily speak of. But the Hōgan (Tameyoshi) has already become an enemy of the court and in the end cannot escape execution. Rather than die at another man's hand, it would be better for you to dispose of the matter yourself." Yoshitomo made up his mind (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari).

¶He ordered Masaie to deceive Tameyoshi with these words: "Is there any difference in merit between Yoshitomo and Kiyomori? Yet unexpectedly the court deliberations have ranked Kiyomori above him. Yoshitomo too has lost face. He intends to take you, Father, and flee to the eastern provinces. But he fears confusion on the road, and it is not good to travel in a large party. Yoshitomo will come by the highway, so Father should go from Kii by boat." Tameyoshi believed this and set out in a carriage. When he reached Shichijō Suzaku, Masaie cut him down. Yoshitomo took the head and went to the palace (Note: following the Kamakura-bon text of the Hōgen Monogatari. The Kyoto-bon and Sugihara-bon texts of the Hōgen Monogatari say the following. When Yoshitomo summoned Masaie and consulted him, Masaie said, "The Hōgan has already become an enemy of the court; rather than die at another man's hand, it would be better for you to dispose of the matter yourself." Yoshitomo said, "Then you arrange it," and Masaie replied, "You yourself must tell him." So Yoshitomo, holding back his tears, met Tameyoshi and said, "An unexpected calamity is about to fall upon you, Father. Yoshitomo has always tried by every means to save your life, but you should not remain here. It will only invite groundless rumors and become the seed of later disaster. Yoshitomo has built a hermitage in Higashiyama. Please move there for the time being." Tameyoshi was overjoyed and is said to have remarked, "No sincerity of heart surpasses that of one's own child. Who else would risk his own life to save another's?" As it is not known which is correct, the account of this book is followed for the present).

¶Afterward Yoshitomo also killed five of his younger brothers (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari). Kiyomori's entire family received heavy rewards (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari).

¶Through his tie with Shinzei, the Emperor's close adviser, Kiyomori's power gradually grew. Yoshitomo had once sought to take Shinzei's son Korenori as his son-in-law, but Shinzei refused, saying, "My son is one who devotes himself to learning, and he is not fit to be your son-in-law," showing arrogance in both word and manner. Yoshitomo resented this deeply (Note: following the Gukanshō).

¶After the Emperor yielded the throne to Emperor Nijō, Shinzei still directed the government himself. The favored retainer Fujiwara-no-Nobuyori had long been on bad terms with Shinzei, and, learning that Yoshitomo secretly harbored dissatisfaction, plotted to bring him over to his side and remove Shinzei. Every time Nobuyori met Yoshitomo he spoke to him in a pleasant manner, saying, "I now hold the seat of power and will arrange matters for your benefit. Whether you wish for a provincial governorship or for court rank, there is nothing I will not grant." Yoshitomo was pleased and allied himself closely with him.

¶In the twelfth month of the first year of Heiji (1159), Kiyomori went on pilgrimage to Kumano with his son Shigemori. Nobuyori saw his opportunity and persuaded Yoshitomo: "Shinzei, as the husband of the Retired Emperor's nurse, enjoys a favor unequaled in the present age. Whether great or small, all government is entirely at his will. Every proposal I submit is blocked. He is truly the foremost of slanderous and wicked men. If Shinzei is left long in power he will in time become a seed of disaster. Moreover, the Retired Emperor also dislikes him considerably, but as there is yet no open crime to charge him with, he only endures. Kiyomori has formed ties of marriage with Shinzei and is constantly slandering and trying to harm the Minamoto. In the present age, you too will not remain safe." Yoshitomo replied: "In the Hōgen disturbance my kin were almost wholly put to death. Now I stand alone and without support, and I already know that Kiyomori is watching for an opening to slander me. If Your Excellency is to carry out this affair, this opportunity must not now be lost. Survival or ruin must be decided in one stroke. Yorimasa and Mitsumoto of my own clan are also constantly watching for this moment. Your Excellency should summon them and plan together." Nobuyori was overjoyed and at once presented him with a famous sword and a fine horse. Yoshitomo thanked him and said, "In the field nothing is more prized than a horse. Riding this fine horse into the enemy's ranks, there is nowhere I could go without breaking through." When Yoshitomo returned home, Nobuyori further presented fifty suits of armor, summoned Yorimasa, Mitsumoto, and others, and secretly told them his intention. Yorimasa and the others replied, "Yoshitomo is the head of the clan and has already answered your proposal; how could we dare not follow?" and so they joined in the plan and rose in arms.

¶With Nobuyori, Yoshitomo led more than five hundred horsemen straight against the Sanjō Palace and set fire to it from the windward side. The hundred officials and court ladies were killed or wounded or fled in confusion. They burned Shinzei's mansion at Nishi-no-tōin, and suspecting that Shinzei had changed his clothes and fled, killed many of his serving women. They confined the Emperor and the Retired Emperor within the palace. Nobuyori thus seized the imperial precincts and made himself Daijin Taishō, Minister and General. Yoshitomo was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower, and Harima was given to him and he was appointed its governor (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari; the Junior Fourth Rank Lower follows the Gukanshō and the Azuma Kagami). Yoshitomo's son Yoritomo, a Kurōdo, Chamberlain, was appointed Uhyōe-no-suke, Assistant Captain of the Right Gate Guards (Note: following the Gukanshō and the Kugyō Bunin).

¶Soon Kiyomori heard of the disturbance and hastened back to the capital. Fujiwara-no-Tsunemune, Dainagon, and Fujiwara-no-Koretaka, Kebiishi-no-betto, joined in a plan, and escorting the Emperor, secretly took him to Kiyomori's mansion at Rokuhara. The Retired Emperor too, at midnight, disguised himself and went alone to the Ninna-ji. Nobuyori and Yoshitomo were greatly alarmed, and, suspecting that some officers and men had fled, checked the muster rolls to count their troops, but more than two thousand horsemen still remained. Yoshitomo also perceived that Yorimasa and Mitsumoto harbored divided loyalties and thought of killing them to be rid of them, but held back for fear of provoking internal disorder.

¶Then they opened the three gates of Yōmei-mon, Taiken-mon, and Ikuhō-mon, and the side gates beside the Shōmei-mon and Kenrei-mon, while keeping the south, west, and north sides closed. They raised more than twenty white banners and filled the front and rear of the Nanden, the Southern Hall, and the inner courtyards with soldiers.

¶Kiyomori ordered his son Shigemori, his younger brother Yorimori, and others to attack with more than three thousand horsemen. Shigemori himself led five hundred horsemen toward the Taiken-mon. Nobuyori, seized with cowardice, did not shoot so much as one arrow, abandoned his post, and fled. Shigemori advanced as far as the muku tree in the Ōba, the Great Courtyard, where Yoshitomo called out: "Is Akugenta (Yoshihira) not here? Nobuyori is a coward and has already been routed. Drive them back at once." Yoshihira then led sixteen picked horsemen, fought hard, and drove them back.

¶Yorimori attacked the Ikuhō-mon, but Yoshitomo fought with great fury in every direction, and Yorimori withdrew. Yoshitomo pressed his advantage and pursued, and the imperial army, watching for an opening, broke into the palace precincts. Yoshitomo could not turn back and advanced against Rokuhara. Just then Yorimasa went over to the imperial army, and Yoshihira had no choice but to withdraw. Yoshitomo's men and horses were both exhausted, he could neither advance nor retreat, and he meant to stake everything on one battle, but Masaie remonstrated strongly, and Yoshitomo drew off his troops and withdrew.

¶The imperial army followed and pressed as far as the Sanjō riverbank. Masaie told the troops, "The Kami-no-tono (Yoshitomo) has for his own reasons withdrawn for the moment. Gentlemen, act for a time as the rear guard." Hiraga-no-Yoshinobu turned his horse and fought hard, and Yoshitomo looked to those at his sides and had them help him. Sasaki-no-Hideyoshi, Sudō-no-Toshimichi, and others vied with one another in joining the fight. Toshimichi was killed in battle, and in that interval Yoshitomo escaped.

¶By the time he reached Senzoku, warrior monks of the Saitō, Western Pagoda precinct, of Mount Hiei had gathered in a crowd and blocked the road. Only through a stratagem of Saitō-no-Sanemori was he barely able to get through. Nobuyori too came fleeing and wished to go east together with Yoshitomo, but Yoshitomo in anger struck and disgraced him. Just then the warrior monks of Yokawa had built a stockade at the Ryūge Pass and lay in wait. His followers all dismounted, broke through the barricade of stakes, and passed through, but the monks shot arrows at them like rain. Mutsu-no-Rokurō Yoshitaka, Yoshitomo's great-uncle, was struck by an arrow and died, and Yoshitomo ordered that his head be taken up. His son Tomonaga was also gravely wounded. Yoshitomo was greatly enraged, urged on his men, and fought hard, killing and wounding many, and the monks broke and fled.

¶When he had advanced as far as the bay at Katata, he looked at Yoshitaka's head and lamented: "Of those who inherit the blood of Hachiman-dono (Minamoto-no-Yoshiie), only this man remained. Now that I have lost this dearest of my kin, I have even less to rely upon." Weeping, he himself sank the head in the waters of the lake, and he meant to cross the lake as he was, but wind and waves rose fiercely, so he changed course and went toward Seta.

¶Yoshitomo told his followers, "On the road ahead it is not good to go together in a large party. Part ways, each of you, and go. Do not break the vows we made earlier; we shall meet again in the eastern provinces." All of them earnestly begged to accompany him, but Yoshitomo would not permit it. Sanemori and more than twenty others took their leave here and went away; only Yoshihira, Tomonaga, Yoritomo, Minamoto-no-Shigenari, Shikibu-no-jō (Note: this book writes "Shikibu-no-taifu," but here the Sonpi Bunmyaku is followed), Hiraga-no-Yoshinobu, Kamata-no-Masaie, and Konnō followed him.

¶When he had reached the post station at Kagami, he heard that the enemy was guarding the Fuwa Barrier, and so went out by the Kozeki to Ono. Just then a heavy snow fell, and the horses shrank back and would not go forward. Yoshitomo and his followers all took off their armor and went on foot, enduring great hardship. At last they reached the post station of Aohaka in Mino and took shelter at the house of Ōi, kept by the proprietress Otomi. Yoritomo fell behind and did not catch up.

¶Yoshitomo wished to raise troops again and attack the Taira, and sent Yoshihira and Tomonaga off by separate routes to recruit soldiers. Yoshitomo had once favored Ōi's daughter Enju and had two daughters by her. For this reason Ōi entertained Yoshitomo generously. But the villagers heard of it, came in a crowd, and surrounded the house. Shigenari said to Yoshitomo, "I will die here in battle and break through the encirclement for you." He charged into the enemy alone on horseback, entered a grove, falsely proclaimed himself to be Yoshitomo, shot down more than ten men, then slashed his own face and cut open his belly and died.

¶Thus Yoshitomo was able to escape, and he went to Noma in Owari to rely on Osada-no-shōji Taira-no-Tadamune, intending to borrow armor and horses from him and head for the eastern provinces. He also meant to send Yoshinobu to raise troops, but Yoshinobu said, "Tadamune is rich in wealth, but by nature he is one who bends with the times and leans toward power; his true intentions cannot be trusted." Yoshitomo did not follow this, saying, "Tadamune is Masaie's father-in-law. I vouch that he has no ulterior thoughts. You must not suspect him deeply," and set out as he wished. But the road was blocked, and Yoshitomo was troubled (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari).

¶Ōi had an elder brother named Heizō Sanetō, who had shaved his head and called himself Washinosu-no-Genkō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Heiji Monogatari writes Genkō as "Genkō" with a different character and makes him Ōi's younger brother, but here the account of this book is followed), and who had long been known as a man of chivalrous spirit. When, on Masaie's arrangement, Konnō was sent to consult him, Genkō readily prepared a boat, had Yoshitomo, Masaie, and the others board it, covered them with brushwood, and tried to deliver them to Noma. As they went down the Kabuse River and were about to pass Orido (Note: the Kamakura-bon text of the Heiji Monogatari writes "Oritsu"), an official at the ferry crossing grew suspicious and called out to stop them. Genkō pretended not to hear and tried to pass, and the official shot arrows at them. Genkō turned the boat back and put in to shore. The official boarded the boat, swept away the brushwood, and searched inside.

¶Genkō, in a tight corner, thought of making Yoshitomo take his own life, and said: "Supposing Yoshitomo were a fugitive in defeat, he would surely have no fewer than several dozen men following him. How could he entrust himself to one monk and hide like a rat in a brushwood boat? Even if Yoshitomo were here, he would not fall into your hands. He would long since have killed himself." Yoshitomo whispered to Masaie, "Is Genkō urging me to die?" and Masaie answered, "Let us watch for a while." The official did not look into it any further and left (Note: following the Kyoto-bon, Sugihara-bon, Nakarai-bon, and Kamakura-bon texts of the Heiji Monogatari).

¶The next day, when they reached Utsumi, Tadamune entertained Yoshitomo very generously. Yoshitomo wished to set out early, but Tadamune repeatedly detained him, saying, "Tomorrow is New Year's Day, so please set out after the third day has passed." Yoshitomo could not go against his wishes and stayed two nights. Tadamune and his son Kagemune secretly plotted to murder Yoshitomo. On the evening of the third day they had a bath prepared and hid three strong men in the bathroom, intending to watch for their chance and stab him. At this time Konnō, with weapons in hand, was attending Yoshitomo at the bath, so they could not carry it out. When Yoshitomo asked for a bathrobe and it was slow to come, Konnō went to fetch it himself. In that interval the strong men burst in. Yoshitomo pulled one of them down, but the other two stabbed him from both sides and killed him. He was thirty-eight years old at the time (Note: according to the Gukanshō, Masaie perceived Tadamune's treachery and told Yoshitomo, who, realizing he could not escape, ordered Masaie to cut off his head. Masaie did so at once, and then took his own life. Here the account of this book is followed).

¶Konnō ran back and cut down the three on the spot. Genkō and Konnō searched for Tadamune and his son but could not find them, and after killing and wounding several men they left. Tadamune sent Yoshitomo's head to the capital, where it was hung from the ōchi tree, the Chinaberry tree, at the Left Prison Gate and exposed to view (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari).

¶A dyer named Gorō, who had once received Yoshitomo's favor, begged for the head and buried it beside the Left Prison Gate (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). Later, when Yoritomo's great enterprise was accomplished, he memorialized the court, built a temple compound, and made within it a mausoleum for Yoshitomo. By the edict of the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa, the remains of Yoshitomo and Masaie were sought out and found beside the East Prison Gate. The Kebiishi Ōe-no-Kintomo was ordered to send them to Kamakura. Yoritomo, wearing mourning dress, went out to meet them as far as the Inase River, founded the Shōchōju-in temple, and enshrined and buried them there (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Heike Monogatari says the court sent an envoy and posthumously granted Yoshitomo Senior Second Rank and the post of Naidaijin, Minister of the Center, and the Genpei Jōsuiki says Dajō-daijin, Chancellor. As there is no other reliable source, these are not adopted here).

¶Yoshitomo's sons were Yoshihira, Tomonaga, Yoritomo, Yoshikado, Mareyoshi, Noriyori, Zenjō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Sonpi Bunmyaku; the Heiji Monogatari writes Zenjō as "Zensai"), Gien, and Yoshitsune (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Yoritomo, Noriyori, and Yoshitsune each have separate biographies.

¶Tomonaga was appointed Chūgū-no-shin, Secretary to the Empress's Household (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari and the Sonpi Bunmyaku), and was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). When Yoshitomo was defeated, he followed him as far as the Ryūge Pass, fought the warrior monks of Yokawa, was struck by an arrow in the thigh, and pulled out the arrow and still fought on. When they reached Aohaka, he and Yoshihira received Yoshitomo's orders to raise troops in Kai and Shinano. Yoshihira had already set out, but Tomonaga was gravely wounded and had also met wind and snow on the road. By now his suffering was severe, and each time he started out he had to turn back. Yoshitomo was angry and said, "Yoritomo is younger than you, yet he is not so weak. You stay here." Tomonaga said, "My wound is severe, and if I am captured by pursuers it will surely bring shame on my father. Please cut me down with your own hand. Do not worry about what may come after." Yoshitomo said, "I took you for a coward, but hearing these words now, you are truly my son," and moved to cut him down, but Enju of Ōi hastily stopped him. Yoshitomo said, "It was only to spur on my son," and sheathed his sword and withdrew.

¶Afterward Yoshitomo went again to Tomonaga's sickbed and asked, "What do you yourself intend?" Tomonaga answered, "I have already made up my mind. I wait only for my father's command." Yoshitomo at last stabbed Tomonaga to death, covered him with a robe, and went out. Ōi saw this and buried the body in a bamboo grove. Later Yorimori ordered Taira-no-Munekiyo to open the grave, and sent the head to the capital (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari). Yoshikado became Kunai-no-jō, Secretary of the Palace Household Office, and Sahyōe, Guard of the Left, but died young (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

¶Mareyoshi lived at Kanuki in Suruga. After Yoshitomo's defeat and death, his maternal uncle Fujiwara-no-Tomotada, Moku-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Carpentry, sent him to the capital (Note: following the Kyoto-bon text of the Heiji Monogatari; the popular text of the Heiji Monogatari takes the two characters "Kanuki" as the name of a man of the province, which is a mistake), and he was exiled to the village of Kera in Tosa. As he was a small child and had no name yet, the Taira gave him the name Mareyoshi. Because he lived at Kera, he was called Kera-no-Kanja.

¶When Yoritomo raised his banner, the Taira ordered Hasuike-no-Ietsuna, a man of the province, to kill him (Note: the name Ietsuna follows the Azuma Kagami; this book writes "Iemitsu," and the Nagato-bon text of the Heike Monogatari gives "Kiyotsune"). Ietsuna came to Mareyoshi's dwelling and told him so. Mareyoshi said, "For my late father I recite the Lotus Sutra every day, and I have not yet finished today's reading. Please wait a little." Ietsuna allowed it. Mareyoshi calmly finished reciting two scrolls of the sutra and then took his own life (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari. The Azuma Kagami says that when Ietsuna was about to attack Mareyoshi, Mareyoshi had long since made an understanding with Yasu-no-Yukiie, a man of the province, and was secretly about to go to the Yasu estate, but Ietsuna caught up and killed him on the road). His head was sent to the capital. His son was named Takamori, and later became Hangandai, Deputy Official, to Inpu-mon'in (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

¶Zenjō, whose childhood name was Imawaka, was a brother of Gien and Yoshitsune by the same mother. When Yoshitomo was defeated, their mother Tokiwa fled into hiding with her three sons. Kiyomori took a liking to Tokiwa's beauty and took her into his household, and through this Imawaka and the others were all spared. The circumstances are recorded in the biography of Yoshitsune. Imawaka later became a monk, changed his name, and lived at Daigo. Because he was fierce and bold by temperament, people called him the "Daigo Akuzenji," the Wicked Priest of Daigo (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari. The Sonpi Bunmyaku says Zenjō later changed his name to Ryūchō, but as it does not appear in the Azuma Kagami and other books, it is not adopted here).

¶When Yoritomo raised his banner, Zenjō followed him together with his younger brother Gien (Note: following the Azuma Kagami; for Gien, the Heiji Monogatari). He lived at Kōno in Tōtōmi (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku) and was called Kōno-no-Hokkyō (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). During the Kennin era (1201–1204), someone reported a plot of rebellion, and Yoriie ordered Takeda-no-Nobumitsu to seize him and exile him to Hitachi. Soon after, he ordered Hatta-no-Tomoie to kill him (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). He had six sons: Yoriyasu, Yoritaka, Yorizen, Tokimoto, Dōgyō, and Yorinari (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

¶Yorizen was called Harima-kō and lived at the Ennen-ji in Higashiyama, and was killed together with Zenjō. Tokimoto was called Ano-no-Kanja, and in the first year of Jōkyū (1219) he gathered troops in Suruga and proclaimed that he had himself received a secret command, intending to take control of the eastern provinces. Hōjō Masako ordered Hōjō Yoshitoki to send troops and destroy him (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶Gien was at first called Enjō, and his childhood name was Otowaka. He became a bōkan, a household official, of Prince Enkei, a Hosshinnō, Imperial Prince in orders, and was called Kyō-no-kimi. When Yoritomo raised his banner, he followed him together with his elder brother Zenjō (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari), and leading a thousand horsemen, followed his uncle Yukiie and guarded against the Taira at the Sunomata River in Owari. Vying to be first, he crossed the river alone on horseback by night and was cut down by a mounted Taira patrol (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Heike Monogatari).

Minamoto-no-Yoshihira

¶Minamoto-no-Yoshihira. At the age of fifteen Yoshihira fought his uncle Minamoto-no-Yoshikata, Tōgū-no-tachiwaki, Captain of the Crown Prince's Guard, at Ōkura in Musashi, and killed him (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki). In the world he was called Kamakura no Akugenta.

¶When the Heiji disturbance broke out, Yoshihira hastened from Kamakura to the capital. At that time Nobuyori was freely conferring offices on the various commanders and officers, and he meant to grant an office to Yoshihira too. Yoshihira declined, saying: "At the time of the Hōgen disturbance, my uncle Tameyoshi was hastily appointed Kurōdo. But he declined and did not accept it, on the ground that it was an appointment that should not be made in haste, and that was precisely fitting to the time. It would not be too late to govern the country and take office after Shinzei has been wiped out and the world is at peace. When I was in Kamakura, the soldiers were accustomed to calling me Akugenta. I beg to be allowed to keep that old name, and if you would lend me a small force, I would lie in ambush for Kiyomori at Abeno and, taking him by surprise, destroy them to the last man." Nobuyori did not follow this.

¶When Shigemori attacked the Taiken-mon, Nobuyori trembled with fear and fled without even arranging his ranks. Yoshitomo was angry and ordered Yoshihira to hold them off. Yoshihira advanced with sixteen horsemen: Kamata-no-Masaie, Gotō-no-Sanemoto, Sasaki-no-Hideyoshi, Hatano-no-Yoshimichi, Miura-no-Yoshizumi, Sudō-no-Toshimichi, Saitō-no-Sanemori, Okabe-no-Tadazumi, Inomata-no-Noritsuna, Kumagai-no-Naozane, Hirayama-no-Sueshige, Kaneko-no-Ietada, Adachi-no-Tōmoto, Taira-no-Hirotsune, Seki-no-Tokikazu, and Katagiri-no-Kageshige. Yoshihira told those at his sides: "The one in armor of the haji-nioi, the wax-tree shading, riding a pale-yellow-and-white horse is Shigemori. Mark him well, all of you." Then he spurred his horse forward, ranged back and forth, and charged straight at Shigemori. They fought beneath the muku tree in the Ōba and pursued one another seven or eight times around the Cherry of the Left and the Orange of the Right, with truly fierce spirit. Shigemori fell back to the Ōmiya-kōji, and, having again taken up a fresh force of five hundred horsemen, attacked once more into the Ōba.

¶Yoshihira called out to Shigemori: "You and I are warriors of the main lines of the Minamoto and the Taira respectively, worthy rivals who need not be ashamed before one another. Let us by all means settle this in a fight to the death." And he pursued him again five or six times. Shigemori again drew off his troops and withdrew to the Ōmiya-kōji. Yoshitomo, seeing enemy troops pressing in one after another, sent a man to encourage Yoshihira and bid him drive them back quickly. Yoshihira again went out with the sixteen horsemen to the Ōmiya-kōji and charged them, and the enemy troops broke completely.

¶Shigemori fled with his retainers Yosō-zaemon Kageyasu and Shindō-zaemon Ieyasu, and Yoshihira pursued with Masaie. When they reached Nijō-Horikawa and were just about to overtake him, Yoshihira's horse stumbled and fell. Masaie shot at Shigemori, but his armor was strong and the arrow did not pierce it. Yoshihira said, "Shoot the horse," and when Masaie shot it, Shigemori fell from his horse and stood on a pile of timber, but his helmet fell off. When Masaie closed in on him, Kageyasu blocked his way. Yoshihira rode up and stabbed Kageyasu to death. Shigemori was about to face Yoshihira when Ieyasu urged his horse forward and grappled with Yoshihira. Masaie saw this and stabbed Ieyasu. Taking advantage of this interval, Shigemori fled back to Rokuhara.

¶It was the harsh cold of midwinter, and the saddles, wet with rain, had frozen, so that Masaie's hands were numb and he could not hold on to his horse. Yoshihira taught him to cut notches in the saddle and so climb up. The practice of making footholds in a saddle is said to have begun here.

¶Yoshitomo had already driven back Yorimori and was pressing on to Rokuhara, so Yoshihira too meant to go there. At this time Yorimasa had left three hundred horsemen on the Rokujō riverbank, watching the situation and not advancing. Yoshihira angrily said, "Yorimasa is wavering, watching for who wins and who loses. We must first strike him down," and leading more than fifty horsemen, charged him. Yorimasa was defeated and fled to Kiyomori. Yoshihira attacked inside the gate of Rokuhara, and Kiyomori led his troops out himself. The fighting went on for a long time, and Yoshihira's men, having fought several engagements since morning, had somewhat lost their keen edge. The Taira army mixed in and held them off, and Yoshihira at last gathered his men and withdrew.

¶When Yoshitomo fled, Yoshihira followed him as far as Aohaka in Mino. Yoshitomo ordered Yoshihira and Tomonaga to raise troops in the various provinces. Yoshihira went to the northern provinces to recruit soldiers, and by the time he reached Hida his following had grown considerably. But when news came that Yoshitomo had been killed, all those who had gathered scattered, and Yoshihira too tried to take his own life. But he thought better of it: "While my deep grudge is still unavenged, how can a true man die pointlessly?" and secretly returned to the capital to watch the movements of the Taira.

¶Among Yoshitomo's old retainers was one named Shinai-no-Kagezumi, who was of humble standing and not known to others. For that reason, after Yoshitomo's defeat and death, he attached himself to the Taira and waited for the times to change. By chance he met Yoshihira, and they talked and were greatly pleased; he passed Yoshihira off as his own servant and had him go in and out of Rokuhara. Yoshihira himself did the menial work, and Kagezumi rented a house at Sanjō-Karasuma (Note: "Sanjō-Karasuma" follows a variant text of the Heiji Monogatari).

¶The master of the lodging watched Yoshihira's bearing closely and came to think he was no ordinary man. Kagezumi also took care at every meal that no one should see, which made the master all the more suspicious. When he quietly peeped from behind a screen, he saw Kagezumi change his own meal and give it to Yoshihira to eat. The master reported this to Rokuhara. Kiyomori sent Namba-no-Tsunefusa with three hundred soldiers to surround the house. Yoshihira drew his sword and leaped out, cut down several men at once, jumped up onto the roof, and suddenly vanished (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari).

¶Tsunefusa seized only Kagezumi and took him back to Kiyomori. Kiyomori reproached Kagezumi for having harbored divided loyalties and ordered him cut down. Kagezumi said, "I am one whose family has served the Minamoto for generations. That I served you for a time was only to wait for the Minamoto to rise again. You foolishly did not notice; how can you mock me?" Kiyomori was angry and had him cut down at once.

¶Yoshihira continued to sleep out in the open while watching the movements of the Taira, endured every hardship, sought out an old acquaintance in Higashi-Ōmi, and meant to take shelter in his house. When he was passing Ōsaka he was exhausted and lay down in the mountains. Just then Tsunefusa was visiting the Seki Myōjin shrine, and sent fifty horsemen in a separate party to search; Yoshihira rose and resisted. Tsunefusa shot through his arm, so that Yoshihira could no longer wield his sword. The soldiers swarmed over him and seized him, took him back to Rokuhara, and seated him beneath the corridor. Yoshihira said angrily, "Though my luck has run out and I am a prisoner, why must I be seated beneath the corridor?" and he stood up himself and entered the hall.

¶Kiyomori came out and faced Yoshihira, saying, "Did you not, when surrounded at Karasuma before, break through three hundred horsemen and escape? How is it that you are now caught by a mere fifty?" Yoshihira laughed and answered, "This too is fate. You too will find your luck run out, and in the end come to such a pass. I am a formidable enemy and should not be left alive. Cut me down quickly" (Note: following the various texts of the Heiji Monogatari). So he was beheaded on the Rokujō riverbank. He was twenty years old at the time.

¶As he faced death, Yoshihira cursed: "At the Hōgen disturbance I killed many officers and men of both the Minamoto and the Taira, but that was always in the middle of the night. Now you kill me in broad daylight; what insolence, you wretches of the Heike! If Nobuyori had used my words, not one of the Taira would have been left alive." Tsunefusa said, "What a sharp tongue you have!" and Yoshihira, glaring, said, "You dare to cut me down. Otherwise you would surely have been struck dead by lightning. You will surely suffer the same." Later Tsunefusa was in fact struck dead by lightning, and people in the world rumored that it was Yoshihira's curse (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari. The Kamakura-bon text of the Heiji Monogatari calls Tsunefusa "Tsunetō," and the Genpei Jōsuiki "Tsunetoshi," but Tsunefusa was still alive at the battle of Ichinotani. As it is not known which is correct, here the Jikkinshō and the various variant texts of the Heiji Monogatari, such as the Kyoto-bon, Sugihara-bon, and Nakarai-bon, are followed for the present).

Kamata-no-Masaie

¶Kamata-no-Masaie, whose real name was Masakiyo, was called Jirō (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari). He was a descendant of Fujiwara-no-Hidesato (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku) and was a sumai-bito, wrestler (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari). His father Michikiyo, who bore the title Kamata-no-gon-no-kami, Provisional Governor, served Minamoto-no-Tameyoshi (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku; the Kyoto-bon and Sugihara-bon texts of the Hōgen Monogatari give Michikiyo as "Masamune" and gon-no-kami as "shōji," but it is not known which is correct).

¶Masaie succeeded his father in serving Yoshitomo and was known for his courage. At the battle of the Shirakawa-dono, Yorizane, a son of Tameyoshi, came out and fought and shot down two horsemen. Yoshitomo was angry and was about to confront him himself, but Masaie seized his reins and stopped him, saying, "How can a commander himself act so rashly?" When Yoshitomo would not listen, Masaie directed the soldiers to hold their lord back and himself charged the enemy with spirit.

¶At that moment a stray horse happened to run into Yoshitomo's line, and when Masaie examined it, an arrowhead had pierced through the saddle and was as large as a chisel. Yoshitomo assumed that Tametomo had shot it and said, "Tametomo is still young and cannot have such strength. This must be some false stratagem to frighten people. You, go and fight a battle and break their spirit." Masaie thereupon led a hundred horsemen against him. Tametomo cursed: "You were originally a retainer of my house. You are not fit to be my opponent." Masaie answered, "He was my lord in the past, but now he is a rebel. How could I not strike him?" and shot at his helmet. Tametomo was greatly enraged and advanced with twenty-eight fierce warriors, including Sudō-no-Iesue. Masaie judged that he could not withstand their sharp edge and drew off his troops to avoid them. Tametomo too did not pursue far (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari).

¶In the Heiji disturbance, Nobuyori made Masaie Uhyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Right Gate Guards, and promised, "If we win this battle, I will reward you with Kazusa." When Shigemori attacked the Taiken-mon, Masaie, with Gotō-no-Sanemoto and others, a company of sixteen, followed Yoshihira, fought hard, and drove them back. When Yoshitomo attacked Rokuhara and the battle went against him, and he spurred his horse forward to face the enemy, resolved to stake all on one battle, Masaie seized his horse and remonstrated: "We have long been named together as the two houses of Minamoto and Taira, but in the world it is the Minamoto who are held to be the most valiant. Yet in today's battle our arrows are spent, our swords are broken, and men and horses are all wounded. If we attack in this state, we shall certainly gain no chance of victory. If you should die among common soldiers and your corpse lie under the hooves of war horses, it would be shame not only for generations to come; the kin and followers in the various provinces would also be scattered and all go over to the enemy. The best plan is to hide for a while in the mountains and woods and not let the enemy feel secure." Yoshitomo followed this.

¶Masaie followed Yoshitomo as far as Noma in Owari and took shelter at the house of his father-in-law Taira-no-Tadamune, but Yoshitomo was killed. At that moment Masaie was drinking wine with Tadamune, and, hearing of the disturbance, rose from his seat. The man who was pouring drew his sword and slashed at Masaie, but Masaie at once seized the sword and stabbed him with it. But Tadamune's son Kagemune cut him down from behind. He was thirty-eight years old at the time (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari).

¶His sons included Morimasa, who was called Tōta. His second son was Mitsumasa, called Tōji, who served Yoshitsune and was named together with Satō-no-Tsugunobu and Tadanobu, and in the world they were called the Four Guardian Kings of Yoshitsune. Morimasa fell in battle at Ichinotani, and Mitsumasa fell with Tsugunobu at Yashima. Yoshitsune mourned them deeply, gave his beloved famous horse Usuzumi to a priest, and had sutras copied and sotoba, memorial tablets, erected (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki. The Azuma Kagami says that when Yoritomo established the Mandokoro, a man named Toshinaga was made anju, secretary; Toshinaga was called Kamata Shin-tōji, and was probably a son of Mitsumasa. It is added here for reference).

¶In the Kenkyū era (1190–1199), Yoritomo, remembering Masaie's loyalty, searched widely for his descendants and found one daughter, and rewarded her by giving her the two estates of Shinoukita and Nabe (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Later she shaved her head and took the name Kanagi-no-ama (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).