Strategist Kanbe Episode 8

"Make use of life"

In July of 1575, Kanbe met Nobunaga. During the meeting, he stated that Nobunaga should conquer Chungoku if he wanted unification. He told him the situation in Harima, that most clans supported the Mouri and promised to persuade all the clans to side with the Oda.

Hashiba Hideyoshi was secretly watching the meeting and purposely showed up late to be appointed the general by Lord Nobunaga. He explained that if he had been there, Nobunaga's vassals would have objected to what Kanbe said because they disliked Hashiba Hideyoshi for being a former farmer. Hideyoshi then invited Kanbe to visit his castle, Nagahama Castle, located in Omi province. Gifu town, which was Nobunaga's town, was the busiest town in the country, where Nobunaga eliminated checkpoints and widened the roads, so more and more people came and brought prosperity to the town. Hideyoshi copied his Lord when he built his own castle town.

Nobunaga considered people as his tools, including Hideyoshi and Kanba. He stated that uncompetitive men were useless. I mean, he had a point. Ambitious vassals would fight each other and help him achieve his goals. Nobunaga was truly a smart boss.

Anyway, Nobunaga gave his legendary sword “Heshikiri” (cutter) to Kanbe, to which Hideyoshi stated that he really liked Kanbe. Nobunaga used to slide a priest who was insolent to him in half along with the dresser that the priest fled under.

In the meantime, the Lord of Gochaku, whom the Kudora clan served, changed his mind and decided to support the Mouri after being influenced by Teru’s brother, while he agreed with Kanbe in the official council to support the Oda. If that really happened, it would be considered deceit and betrayal to the Oda clan and it might be the end for the Kudora. That’s why Teru tried to ask the Lord’s wife to convince him to keep supporting the Oda.

A new character appeared that seems to play an important role later on, Ishida Mitsunari. I haven’t read about this person in history so I don’t know if he would turn out to be a bad person later on. Although I can’t stand the actor now, I will not let my personal feelings judge his character in this drama.

From what I read in history, Hideyoshi was a well-known womanizer and had numerous concubines and mistresses besides his official wife Nene, who was also one of his trusted political advisors. In this episode, Nene showed both jealousy and wisdom, after finding out her husband spent the night outside before coming back home and tried to lie to her. The couple put Kanbe in a tight spot because he couldn’t lie to Nene or break his promise with Hideyoshi.

Kanbe’s three vassals also showed their loyalty to their Lord in this episode. When Hideyoshi tried to hire them with a large amount of money, Kuriyama Zensuke, Mori Tahe, and Inoue Kuroemon declined the offer and stated that they would never leave the Kuroda clan until the moment they died. Kanbe looked so anxious just a minute ago and then he looked so proud. So did I.

Hanbe appeared again at the end of the episode, and it seemed that he would test Kanbe out in the next episode.

4 main lessons from this episodes:

1) "Warfare is based on deception.", Kanbe borrowed Sun Tzu's words to state that "A large army doesn't mean anything. Victory or defeat isn't decided merely by the size of an army.", when Nobunaga's vassals looked down on the Kuroda army because they only had five hundred soldiers.

2) "Make use of life." Kanbe advised Hideyoshi to make a thief live and work for him instead of beheading him. Kanbe said that's what he learnt from his late grandfather. Kanbe was taught not to waste his life dying in vain, and he decided that his priority would be trying to gain victory with minimal casualties. Hideyoshi agreed and stated that the best strategy for him was to win without actual combat.

3) “Taking the enemy lightly in battle means death.” Teru taught Matabe and her son Shojumaru, because Matabe looked down on Shojumaru for being smaller and weaker than him, and took Teru lightly because she was a woman. Teru won against Matabe and her winning was also approved by her father-in-law. He looked so proud of her. ^^

4) “Gain by losing. Think long-term.” Nene advised her husband Hideyoshi when he was about to impose business taxes because the construction work on his castle and town was costly. She was against it and told Hideyoshi to gasp the people’s hearts first so that more people would gather and the province would prosper later on.

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Harima, Heshikiri-Hasebe, Hideyoshi

Friends and vassals wait with baited breath as Kanbei finally meets Oda Nobunaga. In those thrilling moments as our hero presents himself and speaks strategy against the Mouri, it appears unclear whether Nobunaga is impressed or will lop off his head. Luckily, when the warlord reaches for his sword, it is to offer it to Kanbei along with his blessing. For history nerds like me, this is the Heshikiri-Hasebe, supposedly Nobunaga’s favorite sword. With this lofty gift, he also sends Hashiba Hideyoshi, whom we get to know more intimately in a serious of heart-warming and funny scenes. Kanbe seems to have met a kindred spirit in this "Saru."

I wonder if Kanbei knows just how helpful his wife Teru is, though. With the lord at Himeji so easily manipulated, the Kodera might have lost everything. Thanks to some quick thinking by those at home, our hero’s efforts are not wasted.

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