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Daimyo's Hall - Officer Discussion Area; Officers and Admins/Mods only!
Topic Started: 18/08/2011 - 04:33 am (6,588 Views)
Naughty_Ranko
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On the highest floor of the magnificent castle Mikawa rests the wooden throne of the Daimyo. The hall is heavy with atmosphere as only the dim oil lamps give off any light. The Daimyo sits at the front of the hall on his comfortably cushioned seat. The rest of the officers surround him, taking seat in the traditional seiza posture on the tatami floor. Serving girls in brightly coloured kimonos stand at the ready in the shadows to serve sake and food to the Daimyo and his chosen officers.

The wooden beams show carvings of the Seven Lucky Gods, serving as reminder for the officers to keep their virtues frimly in mind, both for themselves and the clansmen entrusted to them, when discussing matters of the state:

Bishamonten, god of warriors.
Hotei, the fat and happy god of abundance and good health.
Jurōjin, god of longevity.
Fukurokuju, god of happiness, wealth and longevity.
Benzaiten, goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, especially music.
Daikokuten, god of wealth, commerce and trade.
Ebisu, god of fishers or merchants.


This is where the future of the Tokugawa is molded and set in stone, when the officers leave after fruitful discussion and put their orders down in the Scroll of Fate on their way out.
 
Naughty_Ranko
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Fujiko approached the main castle gates with her ever present 12 ronin closely following to guard her. She was greeted by a somewhat pouchy looking official in a blue kimono. "May I inquire your business here, my lady?" he asked in a wheezy voice.

Wordlessly Fujiko produced a neatly folded envelope from the pouch in her sleeve and wordlessly handed it to the man. It was the daimyo's letter that had informed her of her new position. She had carefully read it three times at the seedy inn she had been staying at. Lodgings for 13 aren't cheap, after all. She was still shocked at the fact that the daimyo had elected her, a lowly miko from a remote village, to be an officer. The man took only a brief glance at the paper and nodded, handing it back to her. "I see you are our new Head Priestess then. Follow me."

As he led them towards the castle, the official gestured at a sorry looking temple within the castle limits. "You may stay there in the future." Fujiko wrinkled her nose. Some of the shindles had been knocked loose from the roof and the wooden planks were either rotten or broken. She could smell the mold. Clearly religious affairs were in a worse state than she had anticipated. This had to be addressed in the future.

When the group arrived at the entrance to the Daimyo's Hall, the official coughed and pointed down the hallway. "Your ... friends can stay in the antechamber."

"We do not leave Fujiko-sama alone," Hayate, the burliest of the ronin, rumbled at the man.

"I'm afraid I can't let you enter the daimyo's presence like this. Not with your weapons anyway." In a flash Genma had unsheathed his sword and was holding it's blade to the man's neck. "A samurai does not part with his sword. It is his soul," he said in a subdued voice. The official blanched. Fujiko grabbed Genma's sleeve. "I'll be fine," she reassured all of them. "This is the safest place in all of Japan. Please go back to the temple and give the place a good lookover. I anticipate some repairs have to be done."

Genma slowly put his sword down. "As you wish, Fujiko-sama." All of them turned and walked out. "Please excuse their rudeness," Fujiko apologized with a bow to the sweating official. "They tend to be a little overprotective of me."

"I can see that," the man said after wiping off the sweat and regaining his composure somewhat. He gestured for Fujiko to enter. The hall was empty, except for the servants. Declining a cup of sake, Fujiko sat down in a seiza posture and waited for the rest of the officers to arrive, so the discussions could start.
 
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Motohisa casually strolled up towards the castle, Adorned with clothes that clearly show his great wealth. Two Samurai escorted him on his way to the castle, one on each side of him. “Well I should have known there was no way he could refuse one of my skill” Motohisa thought to himself “Now I can finally repay my debt to them after all these years, hopefully that nagging feeling will then stop and I can get some peace”

Ascending the steps, the three were silent. Motohisa was contemplating his new position in life, and his new goal. Quietly confident, a small smirk appeared on his face. However, he quickly removed it and once again his face was unreadable. Cursing himself silently, he knew he must contain his emotions to be truly effective. He would show the Daimyo that he deserved this office and that he could replay the favour that the Daimyo had probably already forgotten about.

Arriving at the entrance, the escorts stood motionless and gestured for Motohisa to enter the Hall. Walking slowly, gracefully and calmly, he entered the Hall.

When he entered the hall, Motohisa glanced over at Fujiko, and then proceeded to seat himself in the correct position. Sipping the sake given to him, he quietly contemplated the situation and his surroundings, while nervously awaiting the others arrival.
 
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Nagao Yusei walked slowly towards the great hall of Tokugawa Hirotada. At his side rest his specially crafted Katana that he received from Kenshin, as he was accepted into his war council. To imagine a few years ago, Yusei had walked the same steps to Kenshin's council at the Uesugi's peak of their conquests. He had helped the Uesugi conquer the land and almost tackle the Shogun, and now he works with his former enemy to destroy the Shogun's lapdogs.

As he took his first steps into the Daimyo's Hall he immediately acknowledged that these two other guests sitting on the tatami floor as his two acquaintances for this council. He gave a small glance towards the serving girls standing among the other officers at the ready with Sake and other fine foods.

Yusei stared over at the wooden carving of Bishamonten, the God of War, and then spoke, "Bishamonten has given me the chance of a lifetime to redeem myself and protect Hirotada as I failed to do so with Kenshin."

Yusei walked into the main hall adressed his other officers and took a seat in seiza posture, grabbing and drinking a glass of Sake to refresh himself.
 
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(sorry I'm late. I just got off from work. I can tell that my character is going to be the odd one out.)

A lone figure approaches the castle gates, dressed in a plain blue kimono and simple sandals. Atop his head sits the connicle straw hat of the peasantry. He carries nothing but a walking stick and a small bag of meager possessions on his back. He walks with a very distinct limp, favoring his left leg, indicating a past injury that hadn't ever healed fully. The hem of his kimono carries a layer of dust from the trail, and his gait shows his weariness from the long treck.

Hattori Mokudo looks up from under the brim of his hat, the afternoon sun shining onto his bearded face. He smiles up at the high castle walls, already divising several ways that a ninja could infiltrate the fortress undetected. He reaches the gates, and one of the guards stops him:

"Turn back old man, market isn't for another four days."

Mokudo smiles at the young man, who cannot be much older than 20. "Noble sir, I admire your aptitude for distinguishing the days of the week, but I am not here for market. I am here to see the lord of this castle." Without ceremony, he pulls a folded slip of paper from his belt and hands it to the guard. The boy stares blankly at the writing, unable to read, but sees the clan seal at the bottom of the sheet. After bowing deeply to Mokudo, he calls up to the gatehouse to open the gates.

Mokudo is greeted by one of the Lord's retainers, who who wordlessly guides his to the great hall, where all of the other officers had already convened. The retainer turns to Mokudo and utters his first words since meeting him, "My noble sir, I must request that you hand over your walking stick. It may be used as a weapon."

Mokudo looks appaled at the prospect: "You would part a wounded old man from his walking stick? I need this to walk without stopping every few steps; I cannot part with it." Grudgingly, the retainer agrees, a frown plastered over his face. In truth, the stick contains the long curved blade of the katana within it's leather wrapped wood. But a good ninja never keeps only one weapon; hidden on his person, Mokudo carries at least 3 tanto daggers, several shrunken and a short sword. In his pack are the deadly ends and odds of his trade.

He enters the hall, looking rather out of place in all of the grandeur dressed in his simple peasant clothes. "Ah, noble friends, my appologies for my lateness, I am getting slow in my old age, and this leg isn't helping the matter either!" He slaps his right leg for emphasis, the one that had been shot all those years ago. He sits down with the others, groaning slightly as his joints creak in protest. "Ah, not as young as I used to be, eh?" He settles in, and rubs his hands together, "So, to business then."
 
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The chosen officers were sat on the tatami floor observing their surroundings quietly when one of Hirotada's guards entered the room his armour clanging causing all officers to turn around.

"Master Hirotada is on his way to greet you all, he should be here shortly," the guard announced before bowing and then leaving the room as quickly and noisily as he had entered. The announcement that the head of the Tokugawa was coming to greet them gave the officers a sense of reality and realisation to their achievement. They continued to wait patiently.

A few minutes later the sound of the fusama sliding open disturbed the silence of the room for a second time. Hirotada walked into the small hall and looked down at his newly appointed officers who were just about to rise up from their positions before he put out his hand to stop them. He did not say a word but continued to make his way to the throne at the front of the hall and then took his seat upon the cushioned surface. The officers did not take their eyes of Hirotada who was shifting himself about the throne trying to get comfortable. Once he had settled he spoke.

"I welcome all of you to my home. I have chosen each and every one of you because I think you will achieve great things for my people and I hope I am not disappointed. I have worked tirelessly for several years, made many sacrifices along the way, not for my own personal glory but to allow Japan to flourish under the rule of the Tokugawa, to give the people of Japan a better way of life.

I have seen the conditions some clans left their people in, with nothing more then fishing villages and pitiful farms with pathetic yields that could barely feed half the population. The lords of these clans keep their money to pamper themselves and live in luxury whilst their own people suffer. Not I. Do not forget who you are working for, you are not working for yourselves to boost your own egos, you are not working for me, you are working for your families, your friends, the Tokugawa people. All I ask, is you work as hard as I have and will continue to do so. Times will be tough but together our minds will formulate plans that will crush our enemies beneath our feet and make the Shogun rue the day he turned his back on my people."

The Daimyo sat back into his chair and allowed a few seconds to pass by so that the officers could comprehend what he had said. He then leaned forwards smiling, "To business then..."
Edited by damo2986, 26/08/2011 - 11:55 pm.
 
Naughty_Ranko
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Fujiko coughed. "Indeed, to business then. Let me start by giving you all an idea about our diplomatic situation then.

It is no secret that the Shogun has declared us an enemy of the state. I'm not gonna lie to you. Once winter comes, everybody and their grandmother will declare war on us. That is except the Date and the Hattori. We are not prepared. That is why it is vital to maintain the Hattori alliance. They too will receive declarations of war and we must promise aid to our allies to maintain the alliance, even if that means that we have to delare war on southern clans in the process. It is neccessary, however, those clans would declare war on us anyway. And we must call upon the aid of the Hattori when those clans declare war on us. I do not expect them to last during the onslought, but they will serve their purpose. They will impede the progress of our enemies and give us time to prepare.

To maintain the alliance I suggest an immediate gift of 3.000 koku. I hope that you can spare the funds, Motohisa-sama. 2.000 might be acceptable as well, but I would feel safer with 3.000. Neneme-himesama will turn 14 in the spring of 1564 and then be eligible for marriage. Though it saddens my heart, she must be married off to the Hattori immediately to maintain good relations without spending too much money. At no point must our standing with the Hattori drop below 25.

It is my understanding that my lord wishes to go to war against the Date. Maintaining the alliance is therefore not in our best interest. But do not break it yourself, my lord. If left alone, the Date will break the alliance on their own in half a year. We can ill afford the diplomatic penalty of breaking the ties ourselves at present time. It would diminish my lords honour and thus would not only result in diplomacy but also public order problems. Let them make the first move. I assure you, they will. The question is for the Sword Master. Is that enough time to prepare our forces?

Finally I have a request of you specifically, Yusei-sama. I would like you to march the troops that are currently in Etchu south and capture Echizen. We will not take the province for ourselves, however. Echizen must be declared a vassal under our protection and the Ikko Ikki restored to power there. For they are the only clan in Japan more hated than ourselves due to their religion. They will enter an alliance with us immediately and receive some troops without cost for us. They will also happily enter a trade agreement with us, which we sorely need for we will lose all others except for the Hattori within the next year.

If you indulge me in this one small request, Yusei-sama, I can assure you that I can keep southern border safe for at least two years. That should give you ample time to prepare our forces.

By creating vassals our lord will gain honour and heightened honour will grant us bonus to diplomacy to offset the trouble of realm divide and grant an additional bonus to public order in all provinces. The people of Japan will not percieve Tokugawa-sama as a conquerer, but as a liberator. Furthermore the Ikko Ikki will willingly join the war against the neighbouring Yamana at our request, thus securing the Hattori flank in the west at a vital choke point and securing our southern border even further."

Fujiko folded her hands in her lap, waiting for the replies of the Tatami Master and Sword Master in regards to her questions and to give the other officers a chance to explain their plans for the coming season.
 
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Mokudo pulls a scroll of paper out from his sleeve and unrolls it. It contains his note on the state of agents in the field and an outline of his plans. He peruses it for a short time, before looking up at his new Lord.

"My lord, my first priority is to eliminate or apprehend the enemy ninja in our lands. I know firsthand the havok a trained shinobi can cause. As such, I request that we either bring the ninja that is south of Echigo to deal with the problem, or bring the Metsuke in Noto down. Doing both would be preferable, as it would increase our chances of successfully ridding our lands of this threat.

"I would also request that we begin the mass recruitment of ninja, and form them into two man teams, always within two provinces of each other. Each agent will be trained in either assassination or sabotage. A ninja specializing in one field will allow him to be more successful when on mission, and having them close by each other ensures more jobs can be completed in the shortest amount of time. No longer will we need to choose between assassinating a general or sabotaging a gate."

Mokudo shifts his gaze to the other officers, the Tatami master and Sword master in particular. "Now, I have a request for both of you; Having fought as a Kisho ninja for years myself, I can attest to the effectiveness of these units. My request to both of you is to be able to recruit several units of these ninja. Since we don't have any recruitment centers set up, I would request that we build two, one on our southern frontier, and one on our northern frontier. Once this is completed, I humbly ask for at least one unit be folded into each major army, but preferably two.

"And finally, I believe that a Metsuke should be assigned to our Daimyo for protection against enemy shinobi. You are too important to loose, my lord."

(I actually did make notes.)
 
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Yusei waited until the Shinobi Elder finished his suggestions to speak, "Yes indeed Mokudo-sama, Kisho Ninja are amazing troops to have on the battlefield especially Tokugawa Kisho Ninja, which I hear, are specially trained. I will work with Motohisa-sama to coordinate the construction and recruitment of a kisho ninja in a designated province that can be provided to our armies easily." As he finished his sentence, he glanced over at Motohisa and gave him a nod to confirm that this is true.

He turned his attention to the Head Priestess,"What a stroke of luck you mentioned Echizen and making the Ikko Ikki our vassals is a great idea I needed, Fujiko-sama. I had been racking my brain to find a good way to utilize Tokugawa Mochimori in his current state. I thank you for this great idea and will gladly accept your advice and use it in my offical orders."

From the time he came here, Yusei was waiting to state his plans and ideas for the Tokugawa situation. He took out a small scroll and reviewed his notes before speaking, "Alright, it is time to begin preparations for war with the Shogun's lapdogs. For starters we must immediately begin to defend our borders. Right now I currently am proposing recruiting 2 units of the honourable Katana Samurai in our capital, Mikawa to send to Owari, which is a pivotal chokepoint versus any kind of western threat."

He took a sip of sake and began again,"Seeing how war with the Date is inevitable, we must begin sending the Daimyo, honourable, Hirotada to go and attack the remaining Uesugi lands near the Date to further boost our economy and set up for war with the Date, which could happen sometime by the summer of next year or later."

Taking a brisk break and reviewing his notes, Yusei lifted his head up and finished,"Furthermore, it is certain the Chosokabe will take great pleasure at being at war with us. They will most certainly land large armies, yet we lack any naval protection for the shores of the capital or former Hojo lands. We also lack a military port! We must send all combat ready navies to defend exposed shores at once or our Western front will fall from within.

Yusei nodded to finish off his suggestions and take a larger glass of sake.



 
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Hirotada snorted after Yusei's words, Yusei looked at the Daimyo and then around at the others perplexed wondering what he had done wrong.

Hirotada didn't leave Yusei pondering for long. "Sent!!? I have no qualms about taking up arms and leading my men against the Uesugi, hell I would welcome it. However please do not infer that you are sending me anywhere. I go of my own volition. You may request that I lead the charge on the Uesugi's last, pathetically defended lands but it is up to me if I accept."

Yusei blushed, nodded at Hirotada and fumbled with his notes.
 
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Yusei immediately bowed before Hirotada, "Of course my lord, I simply mean that it would be recommended that you lead the charge against the Uesugi. You must forgive my dishonorable reference to my great Daimyo. You must realize I read off of my notes sometimes, and it was a simple slip of the tongue when I said sent. I will most definitely prepare my speeches before coming to your grand hall. It is simply on such short notice that I had come with these notes."
 
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“Now I have heard all of your ideas I can put these is some kind of format that will not make us bankrupt within the year” Motohisa calmly said.

“First off Fujiko-Sama, I suspect the 3000 shall not be needed instantly, would it not be possible to give them this as a tribute every season? The First two seasons we could give them 1000 Koku , and then for the next two we could please them with 500 each. This would allow for more construction work in a shorter space of time while still keeping the Hattori happy. However, I would request you set up trade with our proposed vassals as soon as possible, preferably within the season we restore them to power. I do not necessarily agree with allowing those Ikko Ikki scum a place to gather and rule, however needs require it and I will submit to your authority on matters of religion. ” Briefly, Motohisa glances at Fujiko, trying to judge her reaction. To all he has said.

Turning his attention towards Mokuda, Motohisa methodically explained “ Mokuda-Sama, this will require a large portion of the treasury; I would like to know exactly how much you propose to spend as I believe it would be most advantageous to expend our limited resources on improving the Internal and External Trade of the clan, so we can support ourselves when the Shogun rallies his foul minions against us. As you want Kisho Ninjas, I propose the best way to gather them would be to allow crime organisations to develop elsewhere in our lands so they will be in a centralised location. If we invest into this area, we can strategically control the crime to force the development of large organisations, we can use these organisations to recruit Kisho Ninja. However, we would not want this anywhere need the capitals tainting them, and the process will take over a year I suspect, so we will have to be patient for now. After the original process is done, I shall appoint someone to handle the crime in the area and how it develops in future.” Once again Motohisa scans over Mokuda attempting to judge his reaction, all the while Motohisa kept his face expressionless.

Systematically, Motohisa finally faced Yusei and began to calmly talk “Recruiting only a few hundred troops will be no problem for the treasury, in such troubling times I had expected more, I shall be more than happy to provide the finances you need and also order the construction of a larger docks that will be able to build larger ships” Motohisa then briefly studied Yusei and then faced no one in particular.

“Now I am sure that you are all interested in my plan, not that the specifics concern you much but the general concept is to improve the farms, and encourage trade among the main cities of the clan, to generate revenue for the clan. I request that as many vassals as possible are created on our western border so as we can establish trade in a more organised manner, and negotiate with more intelligent people than common Merchants, although none of them will be as wise as our most honourable Daimyo. Soon, mass rebuilding and demolition work will have to begin to reform the provinces to acceptable standards. Also the capital will need to be improved to make it more like our Capital truly should be, even more graceful and magnificent than it already is. Other details you need not worry yourselves with, I can handle them perfectly fine on my own and I will cover them in more detail on my official orders.” Motohisa then proceeded to stop speaking, allowing others to voice their thoughts.
 
Naughty_Ranko
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Fujiko tapped her fan against her chin in thought and then finally nodded. "Very well, Motohisa-sama. If it takes the strain off the treasury, then I'll defer to your payment plan on the Hattori matter. Rest assured, you'll get your money's worth. Trade rights with the Ikko Ikki are the first thing on my list, once the clan has been established.

Perhaps I ought to go a little more into my thoughts on religion and vassals. I sense your concern about the Ikki, after all and I've heard murmurings from the people.

I am a Shinto Priestess and I do not want any other religion within Tokugawa lands, be they Ikki or Christian. It would harm our public order. But that is exactly why I want to make the Ikko Ikki our vassal. Give their religion a place outside our lands, but still under our overlordship. Thus there can be no public order problem for us. Indeed, Echizen is the stronghold of the Ikko Ikki belief. Were we to capture it for ourselves, we would have a hard time to pacify the region and keep order.

That is why it is more beneficial to delegate the responsibility. Shinto and Ikki, Tokugawa and Ikko can coexist," Fujiko's lips curled into a smile. "Of course Shinto and Tokugawa being the ones in power. I tell you, officers and Tokugawa-sama. Making the Ikki our vassals will actually solve a lot of religious problems for us rather than create them. They can have their faith and we can have ours. But both our clans will work towards making Hirotada-sama Shogun." (Remember, vassal provinces count towards the campaign total objective!)

Fujiko's eyes darkened then. "Now, those Christians are another matter altogether. I hope you entertain no ideas of engaging in the Nanban trade, Motohisa-sama. The way our good people have shot down this foreigner's proposal recently shows that they do not wish a Nanban trade port and I couldn't be happier about that. What the foreigners always omit is the price. Christian missionaries who fill the heads of the gullible with nonsense and incite to rebellions. I will not have that and I hope you'll work with me in tearing down Nanban ports in any future provinces we might conquer. I have information that the Date in fact succumbed to the vile whisperings of the foreigners and built such a port."

Fujiko then turned to the Shinobi Elder. "I might need your help in the future, Mokudo-sama. We'll need to recruit monks and send them into regions that have been corrupted by the Christians. But we'll talk more of that once we cross that bridge, as they say."
 
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Mokudo bows his head slightly, smiling slightly at the convenience of the situation. "Fujiko-Sama, are you sure that you are not a mind reader? On my journey here I witnessed the foreign devil spouting his corruption to the villagers; thankfully, most of them saw through his lies. There were a few who did buy into it, but they ate the majority. As to your request, I would gladly have a few monks dispatched in the near future. I have a great respect for those who walk the enlightened path. And, if the situation gets to be too troublesome, I can have a shinobi eliminate the foreigner; if that is too extreme, a Metsuke could pull him off the streets and bring him back here for... Re-education.."

Mokudo smiles once more, and turns to the tatami master. "Of course, I understand the time consuming and expensive nature of training that amount of Kisho ninja. Let me correct myself; I am not asking for an immediate recruitment of these agents. I propose a gradual process of a few years. At least 3, but if the coffers do not allow it, possibly more. And as Fujiko-Sama has pointed out we will need monks, so this will also slow down the recruitment process. If we fan afford it, wonderful, if not, then that is unfortunate, and we must all come to a compromise on what to spend the funds on."

(Ranko, it's funny that you brought up the nanban trade port, because I just sent a pm to Damo yesterday about bumping off the guy who started the petition)
 
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Motohisa responded to Mukudo “Mukudo-Sama, I will allow you a certain amount of our tresuary every season to finance your plans, however I would request that you do not spend all of the koku I allow you, as some of that will be from the stockpile and any unsused finances from that season will be added to the stockpile. I will hold you responsible if the reserve tresuary falls too low, and less support will be given to your future plans in terms of the financial aspects”

Calmly Motohisa then began to adress Fujiko, now having of had time to make sure his face was completely emotionless, to mask his true feelings at the accusation. “You think I would risk the blessings of Daikokuten by opening trade with these eueopeans? We can not allow the true faith to be destroyed by these strange teachings, we must make sure all know the actual truth. I see your point regarding the Ikki however I still caution you to be wary lest they try and convert some of the clan nearer them to their false teachings. Although I am a man of faith, realisticly speaking the tresuary can not support the construction of many more religious buildings, you will have to make do with what we have, al least until the clans economcy is more stable.

Rather abrubtly, Motohisa stops talking to Fujiko and begins to say “Yusei-sama I would request you consider the defence of the capital and the near by regions from both land and sea, as I will order the construction of a larger port I hope to see it used, also, if something goes wrong with our diplomacy, I suspect it won’t but who knows how upredictable the Hattori can be, I would like to know the capital is safe from land invasion as imagine how devestating it would be to the clan if we were to lose our precious capital. Castles near the area have been planned to be enlarged and their structural defences increased so the tresuary can spend some money on an issue as important as our capital.”
 
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