Monday, August 01, 2005
Yoshitsune #27: The Miracle at Ichinotani 一の谷の奇跡
(Narration) 29th January, 1184. The Genji leaves the capital for Ichinotani under Go-Shirakawa's order. They split into two groups, one led by Yoshitsune and the other by Noriyori. However, Ichinotani remains a tough nut to crack. With mountains and stiff cliffs to its north and the sea to its south, it is a location easy to defend yet difficult to attack. The Genji's plan now is for Noriyori's troop to make a frontal attack from the east of Ichinotani, while Yoshitsune is to go around the north of Ichinotani and attack from the west.
Tomoyasu informs Go-Shirakawa that the Genji had left for their mission. However, judging from sheer numbers, Heike has the upper hand as Genji has only a combined troop of 60,000 while the Heike has managed to amass 100,000.
As Yoshitsune's group ponders over how to overcome the tough terrain to the north of Ichinotani, the Heike receive news of Genji's impending attack. Although confident of their strategic location, Tomomori decides to send Sukemori and some soldiers to Mt. Mikusa to ambush Yoshitsune's karamete troop.
Yoritomo receives news from the capital that Noriyori and Yoshitsune had left for their mission. (Seems like he doesn't believe Yoshitsune's group will make it... duhz~ *does a Chun Li kick*)
Meanwhile, Yoshitsune's group approaches Mt. Mikusa. Somehow, Yoshitsune senses that there are enemies in ambush up ahead. (Having spent many years living in the mountains in Kurama, he can sense it when the forest has been disturbed.) He sends Saburo and Jiro up ahead to scout the situation and true enough, they find their enemy's camp.
Go-Shirakawa tells Tsubone that he is going to write a letter to the Heike which will help the Genji win the battle.
Utsubo hears that the Heike has a larger army and is worried but Otoku tells her numbers do not decide a battle's outcome. (Thou Otoku is also visibly worried for Yoshitsune.)
Saburo and Jiro reports back to Yoshitsune that they found the enemy's camp at Mt. Mikusa, numbering about 7000 men. They also bring with them a pair of siblings, Washio no Saburo and Magome. These 2 are hunters and have given directions to Saburo and Jiro when they got lost on their way back. The latter thinks they may be of help. Yoshitsune finds out from them that to get to the west coast of Ichinotani, going through Mt. Mikusa is the only way. However, that will put them in direct conflict with the Heike troop lying in ambush and he may lose men in the process, something he cannot afford. (Yoshitsune's troop is but only 10,000.) Yoshitsune decides to hold his troop for the moment and asks the hunter siblings to bring him to see Ichinotani. He wants to observe the location first so that he can make better decisions. (Yeaah~ The makings of a good leader indeed. Fufufu.)
Ustubo visits Shizuka. She tells her she promised Yoshitsune to look after her while he is gone and assures Shizuka that Yoshitsune will be alright.
Yoshitsune returns from his secret trip to Ichinotani and concludes that they will definitely lose if they engage in a direct battle with the Heike at Ichinotani. He decides that their best bet will be to scatter their enemy troops before the main battle (with Noriyori's troop) on the 7th Feb. He suggests they pretend to launch a full-scale attack under the cover of night on the Heike troop at Mt. Mikusa. Allow the news of this "attack" to reach the main troops at Ichinotani and the Heike will definitely send more men out to Mt. Mikusa (thus less men at Ichinotani). Then during this time when the Heike soldiers at Mikusa are dispersed, they will quickly make their way west. Worries about killing their own men if they launch a night attack (where visibility is low) is dispelled when Yoshitsune announces that all they need are fire arrows and drums.
With the help of the hunter siblings, Saburo persuades the villagers staying at the foot of Mt. Mikusa to evacuate their homes. Nightfalls and everyone prepares for the night "attack". Yoshitsune launches the first arrow into the empty village and sets it on fire. (MAMAMIA~~~~ KAKKOII YOSHITSUNE DAYO!!!! The intense look as he fires the arrow... *diessss*) More arrows are launched and they start to make a lot of noise with the drums which echo through the mountains, tricking Sukemori's troop at Mt. Mikusa into believing that the Genji are coming on them full-scale. Sukemori calls for a quick retreat (and escapes to Yashima instead of returning to main camp i think??). Yoshitsune's group enters the Heike base to find it deserted. They have won the battle without losing a single man. Yoshitsune then suggests they waste no time and hurriedly moves his troops west to be in time for the main battle.
Early morning of 6th Feb. Munemori receives news that of the night attack and that Sukemori has fled. Shigehira thinks they should send reinforcement to Mt. Mikusa to stop the Genji's advance but Tomomori thinks otherwise. They cannot afford to split up their troops anymore, but should concentrate on guarding their east and west coasts. Munemori orders to move the Three Treasures, child Emperor Antoku and the womenfolk to the ship out at sea for safety.
In the afternoon, Munemori receives a letter from Go-Shirakawa, telling him to hold any attacks against the Genji as he is negotiating for reconciliation between the two samurai clans. Munemori naively believes that if peace can be achieved, they may get to return to the capital again, so he decides to wait for the ex-emperor's news of the peace talks. Tomomori warns that they should still keep up their vigiliance.
However, Yoritomo at Kamakura receives nothing regarding these "peace talks". He wonders what the crafty Go-Shirakawa is up to.
Go-Shirakawa sings a song at his place with an evil smile on his face. (The song is about some snail that gets trampled on by other animals... he is likening the snail to Munemori, for being so slow and naive.)
Shizuka plays her flute alone in Yoshitsune's house as she thinks of him...
On the way to the west coast, Yoshitsune decides to split up his troop. He will bring 70 elite men (including his own kerai of course) to Hyodori-goe, the cliff north of Ichinotani and attack from there instead. The rest are to proceed to the west as per the original plan under the lead of Yoshisada (just another of Yoritomo's men with similar names).
7th of February finally arrives. Noriyori launches his attack on the eastern coast and Yoshisada on the west. Tomomori is furious to learn that Go-Shirakawa has tricked them. Yet although a surprise attack, the Heike is holding up well as they have a much larger troop. The Genji puts up a tough fight.
At this moment, Yoshitsune arrives with his group and overlooks Ichinotani from Hyodori-goe. The Heike soldiers in the middle camp are still unaware of the attacks at the east and west coasts. Kagesue tells Yoshitsune he found a way down around the cliff but Yoshitsune asks him to wait. He asks Washio no Saburo if animals walk these cliffs and Washio replies deers often do. Yoshitsune surprises everyone by announcing that they will charge down the cliffs. (I think Yoshitsune asks Washio that question to judge whether their horses will be able to make it. Charging down the cliffs will also be must quicker than had they gone round the route that Kagesue found. No one from the Heike clan will expect enemy troops to attack from the north too.) A moment of silence as Yoshitsune prepares himself before he finally gives the order.
Yoshitsune: "Katagata, mairu!!" (Gentlemen, charge!!)
(Gaaaahhhhh~~~~ And so, we finally return to the scene where this whole Taiga started out. Oh man!! Looking back at how the story has developed til this point, I AM SO BLOODY PROUD OF TAKKI!!!)
Yoshitsune takes the lead and charges down the cliff on his horse. The rest of his men follow suit. Their sudden attack surprises the Heike soldiers totally and throws the entire camp into panic mode as everyone is unprepared for battle. (The Heike guards the east and west coasts tightly but not the middle camp since they didn't expect enemies to attack from the cliffward-side.)
Munemori who is on the ship with Antoku and the womenfolk watches helplessly as their main camp gets attacked. He calls for his naval troops to gather around the main ship to protect the child emperor. Word of this attack gets to Tomomori and Shigemori who are fighting at the east coast against Noriyori's troop. Shigehira decides to go and help out that side ahead of Tomomori.
Witnessing the watch towers fall one by one, Munemori is devastated to learn that his dear Go-Shirakawa had betrayed them. Yoshitsune and his men continues their fight and is gaining the upper hand. Suddenly, Benkei sees someone aiming an arrow at Yoshitsune and dashes forward to knock him off his horse. Yoshitsune yells at Benkei to leave that man alive.
Yoshitsune is shocked to learn that that man is Shigehira, just as the latter is shocked to learn that the one who has captured him is his childhood playmate Ushiwaka, someone he thought of as his own brother when he was young.
Shigehira falls to the hands of the Genji while the rest escape to Yashima via the sea. Watching back as their ship sails further and further from the fallen Ichinotani, Tomomori laments.
Tomomori: "We were careless to leave Hyodori-goe unguarded. Still, that cliff is so steep. The one who charged down that cliff, who is he??!"
(The rest of the Heike are unaware that it is Yoshitsune.)
The Genji thus won this famous battle as a result of Yoshitsune's clever and brave decision. They would have lost the battle had Yoshitsune not created chaos at the middle camp, drawing away many soldiers from the east and west coast. However, they fail to retrieve the Three Treasures as they are onboard the ship that escaped.
In any case, the Genji troop returns to the capital victorious and Yoshitsune gained lots of praise and admiration from the masses for his famous descent. Go-Shirakawa watches as he sits concealed inside a cart with Tsubone.
Go-Shirakawa: "They didn't reclaim the Three Treasure but this Yoshitsune turns out to be much smarter in battle than I thought... ... We can use him."
An evil smile appears on the crafty old man's face.
~End of Episode 27~
Tomoyasu informs Go-Shirakawa that the Genji had left for their mission. However, judging from sheer numbers, Heike has the upper hand as Genji has only a combined troop of 60,000 while the Heike has managed to amass 100,000.
As Yoshitsune's group ponders over how to overcome the tough terrain to the north of Ichinotani, the Heike receive news of Genji's impending attack. Although confident of their strategic location, Tomomori decides to send Sukemori and some soldiers to Mt. Mikusa to ambush Yoshitsune's karamete troop.
Yoritomo receives news from the capital that Noriyori and Yoshitsune had left for their mission. (Seems like he doesn't believe Yoshitsune's group will make it... duhz~ *does a Chun Li kick*)
Meanwhile, Yoshitsune's group approaches Mt. Mikusa. Somehow, Yoshitsune senses that there are enemies in ambush up ahead. (Having spent many years living in the mountains in Kurama, he can sense it when the forest has been disturbed.) He sends Saburo and Jiro up ahead to scout the situation and true enough, they find their enemy's camp.
Go-Shirakawa tells Tsubone that he is going to write a letter to the Heike which will help the Genji win the battle.
Utsubo hears that the Heike has a larger army and is worried but Otoku tells her numbers do not decide a battle's outcome. (Thou Otoku is also visibly worried for Yoshitsune.)
Saburo and Jiro reports back to Yoshitsune that they found the enemy's camp at Mt. Mikusa, numbering about 7000 men. They also bring with them a pair of siblings, Washio no Saburo and Magome. These 2 are hunters and have given directions to Saburo and Jiro when they got lost on their way back. The latter thinks they may be of help. Yoshitsune finds out from them that to get to the west coast of Ichinotani, going through Mt. Mikusa is the only way. However, that will put them in direct conflict with the Heike troop lying in ambush and he may lose men in the process, something he cannot afford. (Yoshitsune's troop is but only 10,000.) Yoshitsune decides to hold his troop for the moment and asks the hunter siblings to bring him to see Ichinotani. He wants to observe the location first so that he can make better decisions. (Yeaah~ The makings of a good leader indeed. Fufufu.)
Ustubo visits Shizuka. She tells her she promised Yoshitsune to look after her while he is gone and assures Shizuka that Yoshitsune will be alright.
Yoshitsune returns from his secret trip to Ichinotani and concludes that they will definitely lose if they engage in a direct battle with the Heike at Ichinotani. He decides that their best bet will be to scatter their enemy troops before the main battle (with Noriyori's troop) on the 7th Feb. He suggests they pretend to launch a full-scale attack under the cover of night on the Heike troop at Mt. Mikusa. Allow the news of this "attack" to reach the main troops at Ichinotani and the Heike will definitely send more men out to Mt. Mikusa (thus less men at Ichinotani). Then during this time when the Heike soldiers at Mikusa are dispersed, they will quickly make their way west. Worries about killing their own men if they launch a night attack (where visibility is low) is dispelled when Yoshitsune announces that all they need are fire arrows and drums.
With the help of the hunter siblings, Saburo persuades the villagers staying at the foot of Mt. Mikusa to evacuate their homes. Nightfalls and everyone prepares for the night "attack". Yoshitsune launches the first arrow into the empty village and sets it on fire. (MAMAMIA~~~~ KAKKOII YOSHITSUNE DAYO!!!! The intense look as he fires the arrow... *diessss*) More arrows are launched and they start to make a lot of noise with the drums which echo through the mountains, tricking Sukemori's troop at Mt. Mikusa into believing that the Genji are coming on them full-scale. Sukemori calls for a quick retreat (and escapes to Yashima instead of returning to main camp i think??). Yoshitsune's group enters the Heike base to find it deserted. They have won the battle without losing a single man. Yoshitsune then suggests they waste no time and hurriedly moves his troops west to be in time for the main battle.
Early morning of 6th Feb. Munemori receives news that of the night attack and that Sukemori has fled. Shigehira thinks they should send reinforcement to Mt. Mikusa to stop the Genji's advance but Tomomori thinks otherwise. They cannot afford to split up their troops anymore, but should concentrate on guarding their east and west coasts. Munemori orders to move the Three Treasures, child Emperor Antoku and the womenfolk to the ship out at sea for safety.
In the afternoon, Munemori receives a letter from Go-Shirakawa, telling him to hold any attacks against the Genji as he is negotiating for reconciliation between the two samurai clans. Munemori naively believes that if peace can be achieved, they may get to return to the capital again, so he decides to wait for the ex-emperor's news of the peace talks. Tomomori warns that they should still keep up their vigiliance.
However, Yoritomo at Kamakura receives nothing regarding these "peace talks". He wonders what the crafty Go-Shirakawa is up to.
Go-Shirakawa sings a song at his place with an evil smile on his face. (The song is about some snail that gets trampled on by other animals... he is likening the snail to Munemori, for being so slow and naive.)
Shizuka plays her flute alone in Yoshitsune's house as she thinks of him...
On the way to the west coast, Yoshitsune decides to split up his troop. He will bring 70 elite men (including his own kerai of course) to Hyodori-goe, the cliff north of Ichinotani and attack from there instead. The rest are to proceed to the west as per the original plan under the lead of Yoshisada (just another of Yoritomo's men with similar names).
7th of February finally arrives. Noriyori launches his attack on the eastern coast and Yoshisada on the west. Tomomori is furious to learn that Go-Shirakawa has tricked them. Yet although a surprise attack, the Heike is holding up well as they have a much larger troop. The Genji puts up a tough fight.
At this moment, Yoshitsune arrives with his group and overlooks Ichinotani from Hyodori-goe. The Heike soldiers in the middle camp are still unaware of the attacks at the east and west coasts. Kagesue tells Yoshitsune he found a way down around the cliff but Yoshitsune asks him to wait. He asks Washio no Saburo if animals walk these cliffs and Washio replies deers often do. Yoshitsune surprises everyone by announcing that they will charge down the cliffs. (I think Yoshitsune asks Washio that question to judge whether their horses will be able to make it. Charging down the cliffs will also be must quicker than had they gone round the route that Kagesue found. No one from the Heike clan will expect enemy troops to attack from the north too.) A moment of silence as Yoshitsune prepares himself before he finally gives the order.
Yoshitsune: "Katagata, mairu!!" (Gentlemen, charge!!)
(Gaaaahhhhh~~~~ And so, we finally return to the scene where this whole Taiga started out. Oh man!! Looking back at how the story has developed til this point, I AM SO BLOODY PROUD OF TAKKI!!!)
Yoshitsune takes the lead and charges down the cliff on his horse. The rest of his men follow suit. Their sudden attack surprises the Heike soldiers totally and throws the entire camp into panic mode as everyone is unprepared for battle. (The Heike guards the east and west coasts tightly but not the middle camp since they didn't expect enemies to attack from the cliffward-side.)
Munemori who is on the ship with Antoku and the womenfolk watches helplessly as their main camp gets attacked. He calls for his naval troops to gather around the main ship to protect the child emperor. Word of this attack gets to Tomomori and Shigemori who are fighting at the east coast against Noriyori's troop. Shigehira decides to go and help out that side ahead of Tomomori.
Witnessing the watch towers fall one by one, Munemori is devastated to learn that his dear Go-Shirakawa had betrayed them. Yoshitsune and his men continues their fight and is gaining the upper hand. Suddenly, Benkei sees someone aiming an arrow at Yoshitsune and dashes forward to knock him off his horse. Yoshitsune yells at Benkei to leave that man alive.
Yoshitsune is shocked to learn that that man is Shigehira, just as the latter is shocked to learn that the one who has captured him is his childhood playmate Ushiwaka, someone he thought of as his own brother when he was young.
Shigehira falls to the hands of the Genji while the rest escape to Yashima via the sea. Watching back as their ship sails further and further from the fallen Ichinotani, Tomomori laments.
Tomomori: "We were careless to leave Hyodori-goe unguarded. Still, that cliff is so steep. The one who charged down that cliff, who is he??!"
(The rest of the Heike are unaware that it is Yoshitsune.)
The Genji thus won this famous battle as a result of Yoshitsune's clever and brave decision. They would have lost the battle had Yoshitsune not created chaos at the middle camp, drawing away many soldiers from the east and west coast. However, they fail to retrieve the Three Treasures as they are onboard the ship that escaped.
In any case, the Genji troop returns to the capital victorious and Yoshitsune gained lots of praise and admiration from the masses for his famous descent. Go-Shirakawa watches as he sits concealed inside a cart with Tsubone.
Go-Shirakawa: "They didn't reclaim the Three Treasure but this Yoshitsune turns out to be much smarter in battle than I thought... ... We can use him."
An evil smile appears on the crafty old man's face.
~End of Episode 27~
// posted by snuffles @ 9:21 PM 
