Monday, November 21, 2005
Yoshitsune #43: The Night Raid of Horikawa 堀川夜討
Yoshitsune learns from Go-Shirakawa that Yoritomo has sent his own administrator to Iyo, thus taking away Yoshitsune's right to control the area. Go-Shirakwa pretends to be sympathetic and helpless against Yoritomo's tactics. He tells Yoshitsune he will assign him another area. (Oh man, BULLY YORITOMO at work... crap)
Masako and Tokimasa reports to Yoritomo about their "progress" with Yoshitsune. (Eg, confiscating Iyo, sending assailants after Yoshitsune etc)
Suzaku no Okina notices suspicious characters wandering around Yoshitsune's residence at Horikawa.
Karasumaru: "If these bandits are after this residence, they are definitely not from the capital."
(Because Yoshitsune is respected even by the underworld in the capital and on close terms with Suzaku, the underworld leader. So no one from the capital will dare disturb Yoshitsune.)
Otoku informs Benkei about these intruders. Karasumaru had done a bit of investigation and found out that they are not bandits, but monks from elsewhere. Benkei realises one of them, Tosanobou Shoshun is his old acquaintance. He looks him up at the temple where he and the rest are staying at. Initially there for a friendly reunion, Benkei becomes suspicious at Shoshun's odd behaviour. He feels the latter hiding something from him. Returning to Horikawa, Yoshitsune asks if he found anything unusual but Benkei pretends everything is alright. Without letting Yoshitsune know, the kerai try to prepare themselves for any unanticipated attacks.
Moe looks up Yoshitsune one day.
Moe: "Maybe I think too much, but I feel that your kerai are wary of me."
Yoshitsune: "Is that true?"
Moe: "If you do not trust me, please just tell me straight."
Yoshitsune assures Moe that he does not distrust her. (Moe is such a poor thing... a victim of circumstances stuck in between. But Yoshitsune-sama... YASASHIIIIIIIIII~~~~~!!!! The way he looks at Moe with assuring eyes... DOKI!)
Meanwhile, Yukiie also learns of Shoshun's presence in the capital. He figures out since Shoshun's master is a kerai of Yoritomo, his intention of coming to Kyoto must be after Yoshitsune. He orders his men to not take their eyes off Yoshitsune's residence in Horikawa. (Oh my, is Yukiie protecting Yoshitsune in secret? Moe~~ LOL)
Yoshitsune confides in Shizuka one night.
Yoshitsune: "I thought it was me being over-sensitive, thinking that Benkei and the rest are acting weird recently. But Moe telling me she is being watched by them confirms my doubts."
Shizuka tells Yoshitsune not to doubt his kerai. They must have their reasons for keeping something from him.
That night, Benkei and Tadanobu return to the temple intending to sound out Shoshun's real intentions. However, they find the temple empty and realise they are too late. Shoshun and his men have already left to Yoshitsune's house. Luckily, the rest of the kerai who are on alert anticipated the attack. (Pause: Yoshitsune's DO-NOT-MESS-WITH-ME-LOOK is soooo kakkoiiii~~~~~~!!! *Play*) They manage to counterattack with support from Yukiie. (Anoo, was there really a need for him to dress up for the event?? Friend! It's a night raid, isn't it considered an emergency?? Can't believe you still have time to put on your complicated armour.. -_-) Yukiie yells at Yoshitsune to wake up to reality, that his brother Yoritomo is trying to kill him. The kerai try to get Shoshun to tell them who instructed him to kill Yoshitsune but the latter claims there is no one. He reveals that someone put up a reward for anyone to assassinate Yoshitsune and he is doing it for that reward (which I think he said he needs the money for his mother or something). Although he doesn't say who is offering that reward, Yoshitsune knows it is Yoritomo. He feels deeply hurt. (I think Yoritomo is resorting to this so that it will not be obvious to outsiders that he is trying to kill his own brother.)
Later, Benkei and the rest seeks Yoshitsune for forgiveness, for keeping him in the dark about the anticipated attack, thinking that they could have handled it themselves. Yoshitsune forgives them and announces a death penalty for Shoshun. This is to be a sign to Yoritomo that he is officially breaking all ties with him (since he is executing HIS man).
(All the while, Yoshitsune has been addressing his brother as "ani-ue" or "Kamakura-dono". But now he starts calling him by name "Yoritomo" instead, which signifies that he no longer considers himself as his subordinate. Well, cos there is no need to.)
The next day, Yoshitsune executes Shoshun personally. After that, he visits Go-Shirakawa and requests for an imperial decree to go after Yoritomo. (Yoshitsune has the right to ask for it, since he is one of Go-Shirakawa's appointed imperial subjects. Yoritomo going after Yoshitsune is akin to him going against Go-Shirakawa, so that makes him an imperial traitor.)
Yoritomo soon receives news of Shoshun's execution as well as the imperial decree issued at the request from Yoshitsune. He announces his decision to go after Yoshitsune too and led an army out of Kamakura. (Finally, the bully is moving his butt and doing some work.. -_-)
Yoshitsune learns from Kichiji that Yoritomo's army numbers about 100,000. He is troubled because if that large an army storms the capital, the capital will be destroyed. He is unwilling to sacrifice the capital and the lives of people living there.
Yukiie reports to Yoshitsune that amassing of allies has been most unsuccessful. Even those who lent him a hand in previous battles against the Heike were unwilling to join him for fear of going against Yoritomo.
Tomoyasu tells Go-Shirakawa that combined with Yukiie, Yoshitsune's army numbers at only 300.
Tomoyasu: "All is well if Yoshitsune manages to win the battle, but if Yoritomo wins instead, what is he going to do to you, the one who passed the decree to kill him?"
Tsubone: "Was it too hasty of us to pass the decree then??!"
Go-Shirakawa: "We need to think about this.... we must think of a plan..."
Go-Shirakawa starts to panick and fears for his life.
That night, Yoshitsune announces to his kerai that he will not allow the capital to burn because of the battle between him and Yoritomo. He decides to leave the capital. (Note: Yoshitsune actually has a higher chance of winning if he stays in the capital, because he knows the area well and being a city, the streets are too narrow for Yoritomo's large army to make a one-shot forceful attack. Yet he is willing to give up this advantage to protect the capital and the lives of those he loves who live in the capital. SASUGA YOSHITSUNE-SAMA DA!!!! DAKARA DAISUKI!)
~End of Episode 43~
Masako and Tokimasa reports to Yoritomo about their "progress" with Yoshitsune. (Eg, confiscating Iyo, sending assailants after Yoshitsune etc)
Suzaku no Okina notices suspicious characters wandering around Yoshitsune's residence at Horikawa.
Karasumaru: "If these bandits are after this residence, they are definitely not from the capital."
(Because Yoshitsune is respected even by the underworld in the capital and on close terms with Suzaku, the underworld leader. So no one from the capital will dare disturb Yoshitsune.)
Otoku informs Benkei about these intruders. Karasumaru had done a bit of investigation and found out that they are not bandits, but monks from elsewhere. Benkei realises one of them, Tosanobou Shoshun is his old acquaintance. He looks him up at the temple where he and the rest are staying at. Initially there for a friendly reunion, Benkei becomes suspicious at Shoshun's odd behaviour. He feels the latter hiding something from him. Returning to Horikawa, Yoshitsune asks if he found anything unusual but Benkei pretends everything is alright. Without letting Yoshitsune know, the kerai try to prepare themselves for any unanticipated attacks.
Moe looks up Yoshitsune one day.
Moe: "Maybe I think too much, but I feel that your kerai are wary of me."
Yoshitsune: "Is that true?"
Moe: "If you do not trust me, please just tell me straight."
Yoshitsune assures Moe that he does not distrust her. (Moe is such a poor thing... a victim of circumstances stuck in between. But Yoshitsune-sama... YASASHIIIIIIIIII~~~~~!!!! The way he looks at Moe with assuring eyes... DOKI!)
Meanwhile, Yukiie also learns of Shoshun's presence in the capital. He figures out since Shoshun's master is a kerai of Yoritomo, his intention of coming to Kyoto must be after Yoshitsune. He orders his men to not take their eyes off Yoshitsune's residence in Horikawa. (Oh my, is Yukiie protecting Yoshitsune in secret? Moe~~ LOL)
Yoshitsune confides in Shizuka one night.
Yoshitsune: "I thought it was me being over-sensitive, thinking that Benkei and the rest are acting weird recently. But Moe telling me she is being watched by them confirms my doubts."
Shizuka tells Yoshitsune not to doubt his kerai. They must have their reasons for keeping something from him.
That night, Benkei and Tadanobu return to the temple intending to sound out Shoshun's real intentions. However, they find the temple empty and realise they are too late. Shoshun and his men have already left to Yoshitsune's house. Luckily, the rest of the kerai who are on alert anticipated the attack. (Pause: Yoshitsune's DO-NOT-MESS-WITH-ME-LOOK is soooo kakkoiiii~~~~~~!!! *Play*) They manage to counterattack with support from Yukiie. (Anoo, was there really a need for him to dress up for the event?? Friend! It's a night raid, isn't it considered an emergency?? Can't believe you still have time to put on your complicated armour.. -_-) Yukiie yells at Yoshitsune to wake up to reality, that his brother Yoritomo is trying to kill him. The kerai try to get Shoshun to tell them who instructed him to kill Yoshitsune but the latter claims there is no one. He reveals that someone put up a reward for anyone to assassinate Yoshitsune and he is doing it for that reward (which I think he said he needs the money for his mother or something). Although he doesn't say who is offering that reward, Yoshitsune knows it is Yoritomo. He feels deeply hurt. (I think Yoritomo is resorting to this so that it will not be obvious to outsiders that he is trying to kill his own brother.)
Later, Benkei and the rest seeks Yoshitsune for forgiveness, for keeping him in the dark about the anticipated attack, thinking that they could have handled it themselves. Yoshitsune forgives them and announces a death penalty for Shoshun. This is to be a sign to Yoritomo that he is officially breaking all ties with him (since he is executing HIS man).
(All the while, Yoshitsune has been addressing his brother as "ani-ue" or "Kamakura-dono". But now he starts calling him by name "Yoritomo" instead, which signifies that he no longer considers himself as his subordinate. Well, cos there is no need to.)
The next day, Yoshitsune executes Shoshun personally. After that, he visits Go-Shirakawa and requests for an imperial decree to go after Yoritomo. (Yoshitsune has the right to ask for it, since he is one of Go-Shirakawa's appointed imperial subjects. Yoritomo going after Yoshitsune is akin to him going against Go-Shirakawa, so that makes him an imperial traitor.)
Yoritomo soon receives news of Shoshun's execution as well as the imperial decree issued at the request from Yoshitsune. He announces his decision to go after Yoshitsune too and led an army out of Kamakura. (Finally, the bully is moving his butt and doing some work.. -_-)
Yoshitsune learns from Kichiji that Yoritomo's army numbers about 100,000. He is troubled because if that large an army storms the capital, the capital will be destroyed. He is unwilling to sacrifice the capital and the lives of people living there.
Yukiie reports to Yoshitsune that amassing of allies has been most unsuccessful. Even those who lent him a hand in previous battles against the Heike were unwilling to join him for fear of going against Yoritomo.
Tomoyasu tells Go-Shirakawa that combined with Yukiie, Yoshitsune's army numbers at only 300.
Tomoyasu: "All is well if Yoshitsune manages to win the battle, but if Yoritomo wins instead, what is he going to do to you, the one who passed the decree to kill him?"
Tsubone: "Was it too hasty of us to pass the decree then??!"
Go-Shirakawa: "We need to think about this.... we must think of a plan..."
Go-Shirakawa starts to panick and fears for his life.
That night, Yoshitsune announces to his kerai that he will not allow the capital to burn because of the battle between him and Yoritomo. He decides to leave the capital. (Note: Yoshitsune actually has a higher chance of winning if he stays in the capital, because he knows the area well and being a city, the streets are too narrow for Yoritomo's large army to make a one-shot forceful attack. Yet he is willing to give up this advantage to protect the capital and the lives of those he loves who live in the capital. SASUGA YOSHITSUNE-SAMA DA!!!! DAKARA DAISUKI!)
~End of Episode 43~
// posted by snuffles @ 6:08 PM 
