"Uncle, what does that long letter say?"
"Oh! It's about some changes in the situation. Several major events... the Shogunate has undergone a drastic upheaval. The realm truly is in an autumn of many troubles!..."
The great merchant Morino Kiyoshi held the letter paper and steadied his surging emotions. He drew several deep breaths before speaking solemnly to Kakizaki Mitsuhiro.
"The first major event is that the eleventh Seii Taishogun, the fourteen-year-old Ashikaga Yoshitaka, has formally succeeded in Kyoto. The revered elder 'Lady Odai,' that is, the wife of the eighth shogun, is serving as regent, while Hosokawa Masamoto is Shogunate Kanrei. The families around the Capital Region have all sent envoys to take part in the succession ceremony, which means they have acknowledged the new shogun's position!..."
"Uh? Uncle, isn't the tenth shogun, Yoshitane, in the prime of his life? Just last year I heard that Shogun Yoshitane had pacified Rokkaku Takayori, the shugo of Omi, and that the Shogunate showed signs of revival... How did the shogun suddenly change this year? Did Shogun Yoshitane die suddenly again?..."
"Mitsuhiro, the news you know isn't wrong, it's just a bit old... Last spring, Shogun Yoshitane raised an army of tens of thousands to campaign against Hatakeyama Motoie, the shugo of Kawachi, while Hosokawa Masamoto remained behind to guard Kyoto. In the end, while the Shogunate army's offensive at the front was in full swing, Hosokawa Masamoto launched a coup in Kyoto, brought out Lady Odai as his banner, and raised Ashikaga Yoshitaka to power. The Capital Region was thrown into great chaos once more!..."
At this point, the great merchant Morino Kiyoshi sighed. It was precisely because he had seen the tide in Kyoto turning bad that he had slipped away early, running to Wakasa Province to watch and wait,