How do you spend your retirement? After retiring from a major publishing house, the 63-year-old Japanese writer Yoshiyuki Hatori tried to find guidance in the later years of Japan's Sengoku period warrior Muneshige Tachibana. Of the daimyo who were hostile to the Tokugawa family, only the Tachibana family restored their old domain. How could Zong Mao, who is known as the "unparalleled country of the West", be so valued in peacetime? What is the secret of Muneshige depicted in Mr. Hatori's historical novel "Shang, Hek 々たれ Residual Photos of Tsuga Muneshige"?
I'm already a superfluous person after this company runs out
In the river of human growth, the career of the workplace has come to an end, and how to spend the days after is an important topic that many people are most concerned about. After retiring from publishing at the age of 63, I am also very confused about the rest of my life. Frankly, I found myself very depressed when I had the final year left in my term; Wander aimlessly around Tokyo, trying to clear your mind. While this was to be expected, it was only then that the issue was taken seriously. No, maybe in the past I just wanted to escape. Yes, I was already a useless person in this publishing house, and this feeling hit me hard. In that case, let's write this idea into a novel; So I walked dazedly through the streets of the city.
I know that in the past, there were no such types of works, but if I thought that if I wrote with unprecedented ideas, there might be readers. But in the end, I feel that the content I write is not very readable, not because there are any obstacles, but because there is an inexplicable intuition, feeling that I seem to be afraid of something. Fortunately, during the epidemic, there is no way to chat with friends, and there is a lot of time at night. Originally, the novel took a long time to edit, reading and imitating, and finally decided to start writing.
The reason why I pay attention to the few brave generals in Japan, Shushige Tachibana
I usually love history, and one of my favorite Sengoku military generals is Shushige Tachibana in Kyushu; He was intrigued by the favor he received from the Edo shogunate in his later years. Even though there are novels that depict Zongmao's bravery on the battlefield, there is no description of his later life. So, how did a 65-year-old warring country general, spend his time in peacetime without war? I think this must be the best content for me to write.
The protagonist of my novel, Muneshige Tachibana, is a fierce general who fought bravely to kill the enemy during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Kyushu and the dispatch of troops to Korea, and is known as the "unparalleled general of the Western Kingdom". However, in the Battle of Kanejigahara, he was at a disadvantage in order to repay Toyotomi Hideyoshi and joined the Western Army. However, when he was sent to another battlefield, the decisive battle ended in a victory on the Tokugawa side in only one day. He became defeated and accepted to be arbitrarily disposed of.
The historical content narrated so far is familiar to most history fans. To be honest, he suffered a bitter ronin life after that, but Ieyasu and Hidetada took great care of him, restored his former domain, and named him the daimyō of Chikugo Yanagawa Domain. Of the daimyo who were hostile to the Tokugawa clan, only the Tachibana clan restored their old domain.
The third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, suddenly sent a summon
In peacetime, Zongmao served as the "Imperial Lord" of the second generation of general Hidetada, and when he entered old age after the age of 65, he was even more valued when he was a third-generation general. Although little known, he was well-known for his knowledge of tea ceremony, renka, Noh, and keju, so he socialized extensively at parties during the Edo period. According to the shogunate's official history, in his later years, he was called "Goga Suichi" and was deeply envied by various daimyos.
The story begins in the eighth year of Kanei, when the second generation of shogun Hidetada becomes seriously ill and a new era is about to begin. Against the three generations of Iemitsu, who had a high pro-government struggle, he summoned the veteran Munemo to find out how the god-sovereign Ieyasu won a great victory in Kanehara. This was a very dangerous and uneasy consultation for Zong Mao; The reason is that it is not clear what the above intention is to do. After the death of Ieyasu in the previous generation, Hidetada became pro-government, and daimyos such as Fukushima Masanori and Dewa Mogami were replaced one after another, shocking the various vassals, and it was heartbreaking to think of it. If this time the pro-government once again caused confusion about the change of daimyos, then this is taking the Great Battle of Kangahara as a historical guide. Once he begins to speak to Iemitsu, if Munemo begins to state his experience and thoughts on Kanehara, then the discussion between the two will inevitably lead to a final conclusion.
Look at the Battle of Kantohara from the perspective of a veteran of Toyotomi Fang
At that time, the decisive battle was won or lost, and the Western Army Maori did not participate in the battle after observing the battle situation, which may have been a decisive blow.
After the commander-in-chief Kasumoto entered Osaka Castle as a general general, why did the front-line commander Yoshikawa Hiroya betray Ieyasu? As for the betrayal of the Guang family, another senior general on the front line, Maori Xiuyuan, who was once the adopted son of Hui Yuan and was an iron backbone general who inherited his family business, why could he tolerate the betrayal of the Guang family? The two summoned Xiuyuan and questioned him, which was quite embarrassing for the Maori family. The reason is that as a rebellious Ieyasu's retainer, if he finds some excuses, the content of his answer may fall into a serious crisis.
But it was not allowed to refuse the general's summons. Shugen trembled in front of the Gozen, unable to resist Iemitsu's fervent anticipation, and finally told the inside story on the eve of the decisive battle that had never been made public. Gradually, the truth of "関ケ原" was revealed. Here I try to describe it in a mysterious way like a courtroom.
A way to seek to repay the kindness of the general's family
History is full of confusion. Among them, the largest battle of "Kane-nohara" in Japanese history, many historians and history buffs still give various interpretations. I've always had questions about this myself, and this time I went through a lot of material and challenged the key points of deciphering what I've been curious about for years. So when a conclusion is drawn and written down, it is very exciting. How will so many fans of "関ケ原" read it, will they find it scary or funny?
This is the first half of the novel, and from the second half it will go straight to the theme and talk about Munemo's later life.
The story revolves around the riot of Iemitsu's younger brother Dainayan Tadanaga, the change of Kato Kiyomasa of Kumamoto. Sure enough, the chaos of the transformation broke out, and for the sake of further stability of the shogunate, Iemitsu tried to strengthen the control of the daimyo, which made Muneshige uneasy. As a remnant of the wind year, what I can do is to help the young generals become "big trees" (Edo period refers to shoguns). Isn't this the best way to repay the general's kindness?
So Munemo risked suicide by seppuku and asked for an interview with Iemitsu. The scene where he breaks free from Shimazu Ietsu and other relatives and friends, and tries to give death advice at the Iemitsu Gossho in the depths of the Honmaru Goden in Edo Castle is, in my opinion, the most wonderful part that can be depicted.
What do you need most for the rest of your life?
After writing this, I think it's time to decipher the wonders of my later life. That is, the existence of knowing oneself and someone, and the existence of knowing one's own mental journey along the way. I think it's the right way to pass the old age of time flying.
In the end, due to Munemo's perennial campaign, he failed to establish a good relationship with his beloved main room, and could not face the death of his wife who was too young. As a remorse for his life, I deliberately solemnly and carefully wrote about Munemo's love affair in his later years and the secret love affair with the Tokugawa princess. The reason is that I think this is an inhumane deep thought in Zongmao's career footprints. I hope you enjoy it.