A Pawn's Passage

Sage Qingwei was about to receive the mountain gods from various regions, so he did not keep the young ones any longer.

The group left Sage Qingwei’s command tent and proceeded to a separate tent designated for meetings.

Li Tiangang said, “The Sage Commander has other matters to attend to, so I will explain the arrangements regarding the Toyotomi clan.”

With that, Li Tiangang turned and pointed to the map of Fenglin hanging on the wall. “Take a look—Totomi Province is closest to Xiujing, followed by Owari Province, and then Omi Province, which is the farthest.”

After the previous Kampaku, Toyotomi Hidesugu, died unexpectedly, the main branch of the Toyotomi clan no longer had a suitable heir. Toyotomi Hidesugu had no sons—only a younger sister, Toyotomi Chiyo. There had never been a female Kampaku, and she lacked the capability for such a position. Thus, the successor had to be chosen from the Three Noble Houses.

Qi Xuansu asked, “If we let Toyotomi Chiyo become the regent, she’ll have to rely on the Daoist Order to hold her position since she has no foundation and inadequate abilities. In that case, won’t that make it easier for us to control the Chancellor’s Office?”

Li Tiangang replied, “Deputy Hall Master Qi, your thinking isn’t wrong. With the current instability in Fenglin and the divide within the Chancellor’s Office, the Daoist Order doesn’t need a puppet who blindly obeys. Rather, we need an ally or subordinate who can actually contribute. So, making Toyotomi Chiyo the Kampaku is ill-timed.”

Qi Xuansu nodded in understanding.

Li Tiangang continued, “As I mentioned earlier, among the Three Noble Houses, the Omi Toyotomi branch is the farthest from Xiujing and has the weakest foundation here. Thus, before the Daoist Order intervened directly in the Chancellor’s Office, the main contenders for the regency were the Owari and Totomi branches.

“This brings us to a key figure—Ii Naosada. He was the daimyo of Hikone Domain in Omi Province and concurrently served as the Chief Elder of the Chancellor’s Office. This position was akin to that of a Chief Councilor, second-in-command only to the Kampaku.

“At the time of Hidesugu’s sudden death, electing a new regent became a top priority. Two candidates were in the running—Toyotomi Hideyoshio from the Owari branch and Hidekei from the Totomi branch.

“Toyotomi Hideyoshio had closer blood ties to the late Kampaku, but he was still a minor. Toyotomi Hidekei, on the other hand, was already 30 and in his prime.”

“Both factions were unyielding on this issue, even to the point of destabilizing the Chancellor’s Office. Ii Naosada stood firmly for Toyotomi Hideyoshio on the basis of bloodline legitimacy. The other faction insisted on Toyotomi Hidekei in the name of the greater good.

“Initially, the two factions were evenly matched. But then the Chief Elder Masahiro died unexpectedly, causing the Totomi branch to lose its cabinet backing. This gave the Owari branch the upper hand, allowing them to form a coalition government. From that point on, Ii Naosada has been fully empowered and held absolute sway over the Chancellor’s Office.

“With Ii Naosada’s support, Toyotomi Hideyoshio was officially declared the next Kampaku. Using Toyotomi Hidesugu’s death as a pretext, he retaliated against Totomi-aligned daimyos, banning them from entering court or forcing them into retirement and reflection.

“A political purge followed. Retainers close to those daimyos were arrested. Over a hundred people were implicated. After interrogation, they were sentenced to seppuku, beheading, exile, or imprisonment.

“Such oppressive measures drove the Totomi branch to extremes. They eventually sent an assassin to kill Ii Naosada in Xiujing. With Naosada dead, he was stripped of his position. Without his protection, the young Toyotomi Hideyoshio could not hold the regency for long and was quietly removed. The Chancellor’s Office kept the funeral secret. After that, the Daoist Order stepped in directly.”

Qi Xuansu had previously only known there was internal strife within the Chancellor’s Office, but it was not until now that he truly understood the full story. Things had escalated to bloodshed, which was proof that all pretenses had been dropped.

Li Tiangang continued, “After the Sage Commander arrived, he didn’t wish to get too entangled in the Toyotomi clan’s internal grudges and instead chose to remain impartial. Both the Owari and Totomi branches suffered heavy losses during the infighting. No matter which faction inherited the regency, the other would surely revolt. Therefore, after consulting with the Fenglin Daoist Mansion and the Chief Elder of the Chancellor’s Office, the Sage Commander chose a third-party neutral candidate from the Omi branch to balance the three houses. The final decision was the 32-year-old Toyotomi Hidemochi.”

The group all nodded slightly, indicating their understanding.

Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a wave of awe. Having the power to designate a ruler over an entire nation was no small thing, and this authority came from Sage Qingwei, merely one of the Three Daoist Heirs. One could only imagine how much more authority the Grand Master had.

Li Tiangang continued, “Since the Omi branch had stayed out of the Xiujing struggle entirely, and because the decision was made in haste, Toyotomi Hidemochi is still in Omi Province. The most critical task now is ensuring he survives the journey to Xiujing to assume his position. Toyotomi Hidesugu, Chief Elder Masahiro, Ii Naosada, and Toyotomi Hideyoshio were all assassinated. Even our Sage Commander was attacked once. Thus, we must assume Toyotomi Hidemochi’s journey won’t be smooth.”

Everyone’s expression turned grim.

This was the nature of Fenglin and their culture of overthrow and assassination. If a problem could not be solved, they simply eliminated the person. No one was off-limits—from emperors and regents to mere proxies.

Li Tiangang said, “The army camp and the Daoist Mansion attach great importance to this mission. There’s a saying that there are four instead of three Daoist prodigies. Of the four, only Deputy Palace Master Yao has yet to arrive at Fenglin. All three of you are top talents of your generation. The Sage Commander clearly views this matter as critical. There’s no room for error.”

Zhang Yuelu asked, “What’s the detailed plan?”

Li Tiangang replied, “We’ve assessed the options. Whether by land or sea, the risks are too great. The best route is by air. Given the internal strife within the Chancellor’s Office, secrecy is difficult to maintain. So the army camp has decided to assign us one of the Yinglong Warships, not only for safety but also to honor the future Kampaku. The five of us will form an escort group, and we’ll make decisions together as needed.”

Zhang Yuelu pondered for a moment before nodding. “I have no objections.”

Qi Xuansu followed suit. “Same here.”

As a member of the Li family, Li Changge naturally would not oppose a decision made by Sage Qingwei.

They then moved on to discuss the finer details of the mission.

Strictly speaking, in terms of Daoist rank and current appointments, Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu, and Li Changge were not on the same level as Li Tiangang or Spirit Guard Ding Wei. But this was precisely where the special status of the Li and Zhang families became evident. Their nicknames, like Junior Imperial Preceptor and Junior Tiangang Hall Master, were not just for show.

People had to plan for the future. Better to show them due respect now than wait until they become the Grand Master or Deputy Grand Master. Qi Xuansu merely benefited from their company. It would have looked bad if the four of them were peers, but he alone was treated like a subordinate, especially since Qi Xuansu also had a very promising future.

Li Changge asked, “How many Spirit Guards are assigned in total?”

Spirit Guard Ding Wei finally spoke. “We’re assigned 400 Spirit Guards—the bare minimum needed to keep a Yinglong Warship operational. Don’t expect us to be able to use any of the ship’s advanced formations. Right now, the Daoist Order is still chasing down the assassin who targeted Sage Qingwei, stabilizing the situation in Xiujing, hunting down the Sonno-joi faction, manning garrisons, and suppressing uprisings. Until the Great Xuan Court’s forces arrive in full, we’re severely short-staffed. There’s no way we’ll get more personnel. Besides, since this is an assassination scenario, it’s not about open warfare. What we need is quality, not quantity.”

In fact, it was not until just yesterday that Sage Qingwei finished negotiating with the various factions—especially the Owari and Totomi branches—and officially decided on the next Kampaku. Li Changge himself had only just been brought into the matter and knew no more than Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu asked again, “Is the Omi side ready?”

Li Tiangang replied, “Yes, it’s all arranged. Once we arrive and pick up the future Kampaku, we’ll turn back immediately. The goal is to complete the mission within the day.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded. “A swift strike is best. The faster we act, the better. We’re operating on short notice, but so are the assassins. That puts us on equal footing.”

“Agreed,” Spirit Guard Ding Wei said, rising to her feet. “There’s no time to waste. Delays invite complications, so let’s move out immediately.”