Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1812 - 1301: The Japanese Clan’s Dispute

"Ishikari Yamakuma! Did your scout really see clearly? These Bei Yu Division Ainu, do they really have three large ships, and armored Samurai?..."

"True! As real as the bear tooth offered to the Mountain God! My several scouts saw it quite clearly! They paddled south along the Ishikari coast, right under our Yamakuma Division's noses!"

"...This batch of southward reinforcements, how many people do they actually have? How many armored Samurai?"

"Three hundred? Five hundred? Our scouts didn't count that accurately, nor did they get that close... As for the armored warriors, there are at least fifty, no, a hundred!"

"Damn it! What fifty, a hundred armored Samurai? ...Did you all see it clearly or not? Are there really large ships?"

"Absolutely! That ship is longer than four rafts tied together! The ship is vaguely filled with archers and warriors! My scout didn't dare get close; they were almost shot to death..."

"Hmm? Such a long ship? Is it three small-early ships dispatched by someone? Or perhaps three customs ships? No, how could that be possible!..."

The Wa people's camp under Ezo Fuji was full of discussions. The Kaozaki Family retainers present showed some suspicion, some furrowing their brows in contemplation, all shaken by the news brought by Ainu Great Chief Ishikari Yamakuma.

Kaozaki Yoshihiro listened carefully for quite a while, looking at Ishikari Yamakuma's confident demeanor; his face also showed confusion and bewilderment. In this cold and barren Northern Country, what power could produce three customs ships, loaded with armored Samurai, to support the Ezo tribes? Simply incredible!

"Kudo Chief Retainer, whom do you think might own the large ship? Could it be dispatched by Matsumae Guardians, Anton Dingji from the Twelve Halls? ...But that's impossible, in this expedition, Matsumae Guardians have been very respectful, providing quite a bit of grain and grass, even sending a small team of twenty warriors to join... How could he, on the contrary, support the Bei Yu Division Ezo? ...Moreover, he visibly has no customs ships..."

In the current Northern Country, Ezo land north of the Tsugaru Strait, is the Twelve Halls of the Wa people. And the Twelve Halls are divided into three country guardians, which are Upper Country, Lower Country, and Matsumae. Takeda Nobuhiro, as the Upper Country Guardian, although he is the head of the three guardians, substituting the Ando Family main household to lead the Twelve Halls, he doesn't have the Shogunate's recognition and the rightful and legitimate title to truly control Ezo land.

Takeda Nobuhiro's rule and influence over the Twelve Halls actually relied on his noble lineage of Wakasa Takeda, on the trust from the Ando Family's main household in him, and more so on the merits and favors from suppressing Ezo people and recovering various halls during the Koshama In battle forty years ago! Yet this personal status, experiences, and prestige let him temporarily govern the Twelve Halls but cannot stable inherit to his descendants as the official title of the Shogunate does. Hence, he had to let his heir lead troops to go northbound for tribute, to establish achievements and prestige to ensure control over the Twelve Halls!

After forty years of scheming, among the Twelve Halls three country guardians, the Lower Country Guardian, Anton Family has already allied and married into the Kaozaki Family, effectively committed to Kaozaki Family. While Matsumae Guardian Anton Dingji, though harbors thoughts, always showed enough respect to Takeda Nobuhiro. Therefore, in these Twelve Halls, the Kaozaki Family has fully controlled two-thirds, only left the nominal last third, the Matsumae Guardians...

Kaozaki Yoshihiro contemplated for a long time, still excluded Matsumae Guardian Anton Dingji from the suspicion list. The opponent, though contemplating to contest Ezo land, fundamentally lacks that power. As long as his father is around one day, Anton Dingji will be obedient for a day. And if unfortunately his father returns to Buddha, Kaozaki Family also has prepared long to seize the title of Matsumae Guardians!

"Hachiman Mahasattva! Three customs ships, could it be the Nanbu clan from Dewa who got involved? If it is indeed the case, things could be troublesome! Nanbu clan is truly a powerful local tyrant... But aren't they secretly in contact with our Kaozaki Family, while plotting against our main household Hinokiyama Ando Clan, and hardly interested in Ezo land? ...It's impossible, the main household Ando Family sent a fleet northward to support Ezo tribes, right? That would be exceedingly laughable!..."

"Yoshihiro Young Master, these disputes among various tribes, in front of Ezo Division chieftains, no matter if they can understand... please be cautious in your words!"

Shigeyasu Kudo frowned and spoke to stop. Young Master Kaozaki Yoshihiro said too much, nearly uncovered the internal struggles among various Wa people tribes to the Ezo people.

Yes, Ezo tribes between themselves are endlessly fighting, and Wa people tribes between themselves too, are seemingly apart with hidden agendas. As this chaotic world of countering hierarchy gradually starts unfolding, everyone's ambitions are stimulated to seize more, control more, climbing step by step upwards! However, over Wa people tribes' heads, there is still the Shogunate's General. Some things can only be done, not said... 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Yoshihiro Young Master! At present, the most urgent thing is to promptly send an envoy to report back to Victory Mountain Manor's Family Head! Then, dispatch scouts to really look closely, get a handle on these Bei Yu clans' situation... If it turns out to be the worst-case scenario, the Nanbu clan south of the Strait got involved... with the Nanbu clan's ties with our Kaozaki Family, there's room for negotiation!"

"That's right! Kudo Chief Retainer is correct! Then immediately dispatch the scouts for reconnaissance, clarify the situation across the opposite side! Then send envoys southward to notify the Family Head... Finally, let the Ishikari Tribe gather their hunting warriors and accompany us northward to see the situation of Northern Remaining Cold Shore Division!"

Kaozaki Yoshihiro pondered for a moment before quickly making a decision. As a martial family, hesitating or fearing cannot be an option, especially at this critical moment of holding advantage to establish prestige!

"With Ishikari Tribe united forces, going northward to Bei Yu clans together?..."

Veteran Shigeyasu Kudo wanted to say something, but ultimately did not speak. As retainers originating from Wakasa Takeda, he felt different from Wa people born in Ezo land, deep down he inherently despite, won't trust, nor dare to trust these Ezo alien tribes!

Therefore, he camped under Ezo Fuji, seven-eight miles from the northern Cold Shore Division, a hundred miles from the northeast Ishikari Tribes, also a hundred miles plus from directly east Sumunkur Tribes. This is a very safe location, easy to defend hard to attack yet with a retreat path! Even if these Ezo alien tribes united force of a thousand attacked, he is confident, to fend off the enemy's vanguard, then withdraw the main force of Kaozaki warriors southward! And from a purely military perspective, before the enemy's situation is clear, they shouldn't go northward, optimize to retreat to south-side of Ezo Fuji, connect with the Twelve Halls first, standing firmly on an invincible ground come what may...

Only that doing this, aligns with the military's optimal principle but doesn't align with this northward political arrangement. If Kaozaki Yoshihiro draws back shamefully with the tribute team upon hearing rumors... Then his martial family's prestige would be completely ended, only leaving a "coward" notorious name, further unlikely to control the entire Twelve Halls like his father.

"Hachiman Mahasattva! Ezo's Mountain Spirit! May you protect us..."

Shigeyasu Kudo sighed silently and rarely offered a prayer. His prayer floated with the wind, and the wind blew over the towering "Ezo Fuji", up at the white sacred snow top, conveyed back to the silent mountain.

And when three days later, the wind returned from the mountaintop, the entire Wa people's camp began to act. Two hundred Wa people warriors, all carried spears, forming a roughly shaped marching array, crossing the northern river. While ten horse-riding-back-bow warriors scouts, galloped across the valley by the sea, all the way toward the North! On their sides, were large groups of Ishikari Tribe, in scattered loose formations, accompanying like Hunters.