Chapter 227 - 160: Sending the Bride

Words : 1029 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

When it came to the death of his uncle, Oda Nobuaki, Oda Nobunaga’s response was quite prompt. A few days later, Harano received further news: the assassin Sakai Sunbajiro and more than ten accomplices who had helped him slip into Nagano Castle, blocked from escaping overland to Sanhe, attempted to flee by ship from Atsuta Port, but were tracked down in time by Oda Nobunaga’s ninja squad, the "Feast Seekers." A fierce battle broke out in the streets of Atsuta Port; Sakai Sunbajiro was killed on the spot by Shinshuomaru, which counted as half the revenge for Oda Nobuaki. At the same time, Oda Nobunaga officially announced that he would marry one of his sisters to his cousin Oda Nobushige, and also formally adopted Oichi as his "daughter," introducing her with solemn ceremony to all the noble families of Owari, and granting her treatment ten times greater than his other sisters, to demonstrate the importance placed on the Nobuaki branch—for modern people, these relationships may seem convoluted, but in medieval Japan, they were perfectly normal. These measures produced some effect; the rumors that Oda Nobunaga had secretly arranged Oda Nobuaki’s assassination and blamed it on the Oda branch at Qingzhou subsided somewhat. People began instead to speculate about when Nobuaki’s children might meet with misfortune, since, after all, Oda Nobuaki had sworn a sacred oath by his descendants, which theoretically meant that all his offspring would come to bad ends. Harano, watching the spectacle from across the sea, found that a longstanding mystery was slightly resolved—after Oda Nobunaga’s death, his chief retainers began splitting up his inheritance, and the competition for Oichi, that captivating widow, had been fierce. Katsuyori Shibata made numerous concessions to the Monkey for her sake, which had always seemed odd—after all, Oda Nobunaga had plenty of sisters, and there was nothing all that remarkable about Oichi herself. As for claims that Katsuyori Shibata was secretly in love with her, that stretches credibility; there was over a thirty-year age difference. The idea that a forty-something Katsuyori Shibata carried a torch for a ten-year-old Oichi, and at sixty-one insisted on marrying her to fulfill a youthful—or perhaps middle-aged—infatuation, simply doesn’t make sense and is hard to believe. Looking at it now, Harano started to understand: Oichi’s official status in the Oda Danjo Chonosuke household should be as Oda Nobunaga’s "adopted daughter"—his "first daughter," "eldest daughter raised with his own hands." Only among the Nobuaki branch is she technically his cousin. This means, if someone could marry Oichi, they would in a sense obtain a direct claim to part of Oda Nobunaga’s legacy—at least, this was how it was seen within the Oda Danjo Chonosuke house. Many would support such a person for this reason, which was why both she and her daughters were so highly sought after—so much so that after Katsuyori Shibata fought over her, the Monkey swooped in for the leftovers, brazenly forcing himself on Chacha. But then again, it’s hard to say whether such a special status was truly a blessing or a curse for them... Harano mused over this for a while, continued to watch from afar as the dust gradually settled and the aftermath of Oda Nobuaki’s assassination faded. He was just about to let the matter drop, but as if fate was particularly unkind to Oda Nobunaga, no sooner had the Nobuaki episode ended than his full-blooded younger brother, Oda Hideyoshi (Kirokuro), was shot and killed. This also had something to do with Oda Nobuaki. After swearing a false oath and tricking his way into Qingzhou City, Nobuaki moved to Nagano Castle, but he couldn’t leave his original Shoushan City vacant, so he handed it to another member of the Oda clan—Oda Nobunaga’s other uncle, Oda Nobutaka. That, as it turned out, planted the seeds for tragedy: Oda Nobutaka went hunting at Matsukawa and ran into Oda Hideyoshi, who was also out riding. His household retainer, Shuokaizang, went ahead clearing the way and shouted at Hideyoshi from a distance to move aside, but Hideyoshi, still a proud youth, ignored him and continued to race ahead. Shuokaizang, losing his temper, drew his bow and shot Hideyoshi off his horse with a single arrow. By the time Oda Nobutaka caught up, Hideyoshi was already dead. He was so terrified he wet himself on the spot, didn’t even dare return to the city, and fled immediately, afraid that Oda Nobunaga would take his life. When Oda Nobunaga learned of this incident, he had every reason to be furious, but before he even had a chance to vent his anger, Oda Shinsei—his second brother who had long secluded himself in Mosen Castle after a failed rebellion with Katsuyori Shibata—took "Hideyoshi’s senseless murder" as a pretext to go after Oda Nobutaka and tried to take over Shoushan City outright. However, although Oda Nobutaka had fled, his household retainers were still in the city, refusing to surrender. Oda Shinsei failed to take the city, lost his temper, and launched a direct assault—the two sides clashed violently. This incident sparked fresh turmoil within the Oda Danjo Chonosuke house and once again threw the Lower Four Provinces of Owari into chaos—but as far as Harano was concerned, it had little to do with him and didn’t even delay his wedding plans. In late autumn, as the weather grew high and clear, Princess Dog, her maids, and a large dowry were loaded onto ships heading for New Wanjin. ...... The wedding entourage traveled aboard a medium-sized Anzai Ship, sporting rigid sails and proudly flying the "Five Melon Patterns." After most of a day’s voyage, it slowly pulled up to the dock at New Wanjin, and the unloading began. Princess Dog, wearing an auspicious hishikawa patterned kimono, layered in white over-robes, crowned with a white tsunokakushi, face covered with white powder, feet clad in white tabi boots—looked tiny as she sat kneeling inside the cabin, awaiting her attendant’s summons before disembarking. This was the typical bridal attire of the time. Even weddings in this era required adherence to specific schools, and in Owari, the guide was the "Ise School Wedding Ceremony"—even the dressing must follow custom to the letter.

Chapter 227 - 160: Sending the Bride

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