In the final battle with the Muromachi Shogunate, Kyoto suffered significant losses due to a massive fire caused by arson during the fighting.

Later, as the city struggled to recover, the battle between the Ouchi and the noble houses[1] dealt a fatal blow to Kyoto.

After completely suppressing the Muromachi Shogunate, old-era lords, and noble houses, Ouchi took the Emperor away to Yamaguchi.

• We will serve His Majesty in a safer and more pleasant place!

Under this pretext, Ouchi took the Emperor to Yamaguchi. It was essentially holding the Emperor hostage within their sphere of influence.

Moreover, it wasn’t just a pretext. The imperial palace built in Yamaguchi was impressively large and the environment was indeed pleasant.

However, for the residents of Kyoto, it was an indelible wound to their pride. Kyoto had been Japan’s capital for nearly 700 years since Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital during the Heian period.

• Ouchi’s thieves have kidnapped His Majesty the Emperor!

This was the common sentiment among most Kyoto residents.

Because of this, Kyoto remained a place where anti-Ouchi sentiment was still strong, and where various policies implemented by Ouchi showed sluggish results.

This situation led to a continuous vicious cycle.

Due to resentment against the Ouchi Shogunate, the implementation of various policies by the Ouchi Shogunate progressed slowly, and in response, the Ouchi Shogunate drastically reduced support for Kyoto.

The most representative example was education. While children were sent to the mandatory national schools, they were not sent to the higher-level secondary schools.

***

As national schools became established, a demand arose for higher levels of education for career advancement and to satisfy intellectual curiosity.

Many academies and boarding schools were built to target this demand. However, since they were not officially recognized, their quality varied greatly, and tuition was quite expensive.

In response, the Ouchi Shogunate began building secondary schools throughout Japan sooner than expected. Additionally, existing academies and boarding schools that passed inspection were officially recognized as educational institutions equivalent to secondary schools.

**

Most Kyoto residents did not send their children who had completed national school to the secondary schools established by the Shogunate. Instead, they sent their children to academies and boarding schools established by influential figures in Kyoto.

In response to this movement by Kyoto residents, the Ouchi Shogunate drastically cut support needed for reconstruction.

“Prideful bastards!”

Conversely, the residents of Kyoto became even more united.

“Who are you to call us traitors!”

“Even if we starve to death, we won’t accept your dirty money!”

With the situation as it was, Kyoto still had not regained its former glory.

It wasn’t just Kyoto.

Naniwa—the old name for Osaka—close to Kyoto, had also declined significantly.

During the Muromachi period, Naniwa was the central port for trade with Ming. Later, when Joseon’s trade office was established there, merchants from all over Japan gathered in Naniwa.

• Even beggars in Naniwa only accept coins.

This saying circulated, indicating how prosperous Naniwa once was.

However, two civil wars led to Naniwa’s decline.

During the civil war period, Naniwa’s merchants maintained strict neutrality while watching the situation carefully.

After the civil wars, especially after the second one, the Ouchi Shogunate moved the trading ports, particularly the Empire’s trading office, to Yamaguchi.

With Ouchi’s decision, many merchants left Naniwa and moved their bases to Yamaguchi.

From then on, Naniwa began to decline.

The most decisive cause was the railroad.

Having seen and heard about the usefulness of railroads, Ouchi began to lay railroads in Japan as well.

The places where railroad tracks were first laid were Kyushu, which could be considered Ouchi’s main base, and Honshu, which could be called everything Japan.

The Ouchi Shogunate decided to build the northern route of Honshu along the northern coastline, and the southern route along the existing land route.

This southern route dealt a fatal blow to Kyoto and Naniwa.

To suppress Kyoto’s momentum, the Ouchi Shogunate constructed the railroad that passed through Naniwa to bypass Kyoto and go directly to Nagoya via Omi (近江, the old name for Shiga). The reason for passing through Omi was to supply water from Lake Biwa to the locomotives.

As the railroad bypassed Kyoto and headed toward Kanto, Kyoto’s economy definitely collapsed. This was because there was a limit to the agriculture practiced by the residents of Kyoto and nearby areas.

The same was true for Naniwa.

Merchants from other regions would use the iron horse to go directly to Yamaguchi to buy goods, and then take the iron horse back home.

The only time merchants stayed in Naniwa was when it was too late and they had to spend the night.

As a result, traditional lodging businesses, brothels, and warehouse storage businesses also suffered considerable losses. This was because situations where merchants would stay for as short as 2-3 days or as long as over ten days while negotiating had almost disappeared.

As an aside, Ouchi’s discriminatory and economic policies gave birth to deep-rooted regional sentiments in Japan.

‘People from Kyoto and Yamaguchi don’t even marry each other.’

This was such a deep-rooted regional sentiment that it remained as a saying.

It also became the reason why the most famous private educational institutions in Japan were concentrated in Kyoto.

***

For these reasons, the moderates shook their heads as soon as Kyoto was mentioned.

“Kyoto is good for gathering troops, but not for war funds. There’s nowhere to get war funds.”

“We’d be lucky if they don’t ask us for money.”

To the moderates’ words, the extremists immediately countered.

“Of course, the situation in Kyoto and Naniwa isn’t good. But there are still many wealthy people remaining.”

“Not only the deeply rooted samurai families but also wealthy farmers are willing to support us in significant numbers.”

“Are we planning a prolonged war? No, just one decisive battle, a battle to draw in those Ouchi bastards, and we need to win that battle.”

To the extremists’ words, the moderates still pointed out problems and did not easily agree.

“Would the Ouchi bastards want to decide everything in a single battle? Unless they’re fools, they would avoid such a thing, wouldn’t they?”

“If it’s Ouchi, they would choose a way to win the war even if they lose the battle. Look at the situation. Isn’t Ouchi advantageous in every aspect? Ouchi will absolutely not want a short war.”

To the moderates’ words, the extremists immediately responded.

“That’s why we said we need to draw in those Ouchi bastards, didn’t we? We need to make them think that a prolonged war will be disadvantageous for them too!”

At the extremists’ words, the moderates began to show curiosity.

“How do you mean?”

“First, assassination.”

At the word ‘assassination,’ the moderates shook their heads.

“It’s not easy because of those damned Bakuto-tai. If we make a mistake, we’ll only lose valuable patriots.”

“We’ve recruited some quite skilled marksmen. Although they have Ming-made muskets that are inferior in performance compared to those made by Joseon, they have the skill to hit targets from at least 200 paces away.”

“Are they reliable?”

“They are people who have gone through the Muromachi Shogunate and the noble houses.”

“In that case…”

At the extremists’ answer, the moderates nodded. After winning the civil war, Ouchi persistently persuaded the defeated soldiers to join their side. Through that persuasion operation, many people joined Ouchi, fought against the opposition, and achieved success by accomplishing merits.

The fact that such individuals stood against Ouchi until the end, despite the prevailing trend, meant they were trustworthy.

While nodding at the extremists’ words, the moderates still hesitated.

“Even so, the war funds are too insufficient.”

At the moderates’ words, the extremists played their final card.

“Then let’s bring in His Majesty the Emperor.”

“His Majesty the Emperor? Is that possible?”

“We have already recruited several people among those who have access to the Imperial Palace. And using them, there’s a patriot who has had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Who is it!”

At the moderates’ exclamation, a person sitting at the very back of the extremists came forward.

“I am Taro of the Konoe[2] family.”

“Konoe!”

The eyes of the moderates lit up upon hearing Taro’s family name.

The Konoe family was the family with the highest status among the civil official families who had served close to the Emperor.

The Konoe family was the family that had traditionally held the position of Chief Advisor (Kampaku), now held by Ouchi.

The Konoe family was the most central family in the past civil war between Ouchi and the noble houses, and it was rumored to have been completely annihilated as a result of the defeat.

The moderates’ eyes changed because a man from such a family had met with the Emperor.

“What did His Majesty say about our uprising?”

To the moderates’ question, Taro calmly replied.

“His Majesty said, ‘I am grateful that there are still patriots who worry about the country. I earnestly pray for the success of your righteous uprising.'”

“Oh!”

The moderates, having heard the Emperor’s words of encouragement, trembled with emotion. Looking at such moderates, Taro continued.

“His Majesty also said this: ‘Due to the tyranny of past Shogunates, successive Emperors have lost power and had to live in despair. I, too, cannot help but feel aggrieved at the current situation. I hope that the patriots’ attempt will succeed, and that Japan can return to a proper country again.’ With that prayer…”

Taro took an envelope from his bosom and unfolded its contents.

On the letter that Taro opened wide, four large characters were written.

• Restoration of Imperial Rule[3]

“This was personally written by His Majesty.”

“Oh! Such an honor!”

“Restoration of Imperial Rule!”

The moderates, seeing the phrase written directly by the Emperor, were moved once again.

After time passed and their excitement subsided, the moderates asked the extremists:

“If our patriots ask for help, is it certain that His Majesty will respond?”

“The possibility is high.”

“Mere possibility is not enough…”

Seeing the moderates hesitate again, the extremists pointed out the reality.

“Both we and His Majesty know that if we just spend time like this, Ouchi will take everything. Now, the Ouchi bastards respect His Majesty, but when Masahiro inherits the Shogunate, no one can guarantee anything. Not just Masahiro, but all those around him are people who have gone to Joseon and learned there. What kind of country is Joseon? Isn’t it a country where the general drove out the king and became king himself? Having learned from such a country, it’s certain that they will think they can do the same.”

“That is true…”

At the extremists’ words, the moderates nodded.

Ouchi was the master of today’s Japan.

There was still the shadow of the Emperor, but as time passed, there would be no citizens who remembered the Emperor.

The extremists continued:

“If that happens, we will not be patriots but traitors. Everything must be restored before it’s too late.”

At the extremists’ words, the moderates unconsciously nodded. Seeing such moderates, the leader of the extremists concluded:

“His Majesty must also know that he is in a ‘riding a tiger’ situation. He will know well that if we fail, he too is finished, so he will respond to our help.”