A Pawn’s Passage

While the battle in Ise raged on, Sage Qingwei had already completed his inspection and returned to the Xiujing command camp.

His responsibility as the Sage Commander was in the overarching strategy. The specifics of battlefield command were left to the professionals since there was no need for him to interfere. Unless absolutely necessary, he would not even inquire about it.

This was both a great display of trust and a testament to his boldness.

Naturally, Sage Qingwei returned to Xiujing to address some matters regarding internal governance.

After all, suppressing Fenglin's rebellion by force was only the beginning. What came afterward—the governance—was just as crucial.

The Daoist Order's dominion stretched even broader than that of the Great Xuan Court. Its principle had always been to rule without direct governance and let professional bureaucrats handle court affairs. Daoist priests, who were unfamiliar with civil administration, would not interfere.

Structurally, the Daoist Order sat at the top, beneath which were several courts. The largest was the Great Xuan Court, which was the core region and the pillar of the Daoist Order. It was regarded as the foundation and could not be compared on equal terms with the other "lesser" courts, including Borneo, East Shakya, Liaobei, the Western Region, the Grasslands, and Fenglin, among others.

Each had its own minor kingdoms and courts that paid homage to the Daoist Order. These local courts also underwent dynastic changes, and new rulers would often seek investiture from the Daoist Order as soon as they ascended to secure legitimacy. They also paid tribute to Great Xuan Court and entered its tributary system. However, the Great Xuan Court would not meddle in the internal governance of these autonomous regions.

For Fenglin, this role was held by Chancellor Toyotomi's Office.

Thus, Sage Qingwei's task was to pave the way for the Chancellor's Office to ensure smoother governance of Fenglin in the future.

Led by Shen Yuqing, Yagyu Sosei entered Sage Qingwei's central command tent.

Like Katsura Yoshiyuki, Yagyu Sosei was also a Kengo. However, the former had a tragic death, with his remains scattered on the Ise battlefield. The latter, who had befriended Sage Qingwei, now strode openly into Xiujing's command camp as an honored guest.

Once seated, Sage Qingwei said, "Sekishusai, I've invited you here this time for both official and personal matters, a blend of duty and friendship."

"What is it?" Yagyu Sosei asked, neither humble nor arrogant.

In truth, their relationship was not purely one of superior and subordinate. It was somewhat a friendship, much like Yagyu Sosei's bond with Toyotomi Hidemochi. This reflected the Yagyu family's stance of refraining from political entanglements and maintaining a detached position.

Sage Qingwei said, "These two matters are actually one and the same. If I recall correctly, Hidemochi has not yet married. The Kampaku has always had the custom of marrying a royal princess. The last time, it was Chief Elder Ii Naosada who conducted the negotiations for Hidesugu's marriage."

"Yes," Yagyu Sosei replied. "After negotiations and discussions, Lady Fukimiya agreed to marry. Lord Hidesugu sent tribute, dispatched envoys to request her hand, and had messengers enter the palace to express thanks. They then paid respects at Katsura Palace, offering betrothal gifts and completing the engagement ritual. The following year, Lady Fukimiya married into Xiujing. Their relationship was very harmonious, which was rare among Kampaku and their consorts, since usually the consort was merely symbolic, even derisively called a decoration of the Kampaku's household. Lord Hidesugu had no concubines other than Lady Fukimiya. After his death, Lady Fukimiya became a widow and soon after became a nun."

Sage Qingwei nodded. "Well, I invited you here precisely for Hidemochi's marriage. I wish to ask you to act as the matchmaker."

Yagyu Sosei asked, "Do you intend for me to travel to Heian Capital?"

"No, no, not yet." Sage Qingwei waved his hand. "Sekishusai, you must have heard of Princess Tamako of Kissho-no-miya?"

"I have heard of her," said Yagyu Sosei. "It is said that after she was named Imperial Princess, she is likely to become the next Saio."

"Not long ago, Deputy Hall Master Zhang invited Princess Tamoko to the encampment as a guest." Sage Qingwei finally revealed the plan. "What do you think of having Hidemochi marry her?"

Yagyu Sosei thought for a moment, then clapped his hands. "Excellent. I agree to be the matchmaker. But I'm afraid it won't be sufficient with only me as the intermediary."

Sage Qingwei asked, "Whom else do you think is needed?"

"Lady Fukimiya is Princess Tamako's elder sister. Have Lady Fukimiya persuade her, while I explain the situation to Hidemochi," Yagyu Sosei replied.

Sage Qingwei pondered briefly, then nodded his assent. "Well then, I'll let you handle matters with Lady Fukimiya as well."

"It's within my duty." Yagyu Sosei agreed.

Just then, Shen Yuqing entered, holding two documents in his hand.

Yagyu Sosei rose at once. "If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"I won't see you off," Sage Qingwei said while rising briefly out of courtesy.

After Yagyu Sosei departed, Shen Yuqing placed the documents on the desk and reported, "Sage, there are two main matters. The first report says that Katsura Yoshiyuki is dead."

Sage Qingwei showed no surprise and only asked, "How did he die?"

"He was jointly slain on the battlefield of Ise by Deputy Hall Master Qi and Deputy Commander Jia Chen," Shen Yuqing replied.

"Escorting the new Regent, pacifying Suzuka Gozen, capturing Hisai Castle, and now slaying Katsura Yoshiyuki—Tian Yuan never ceases to impress me." Sage Qingwei chuckled. "If nothing unexpected occurs, once the Fenglin campaign concludes, he will no longer be merely a Deputy Hall Master."

Sage Qingwei then asked, "And the second matter?"

Shen Yuqing replied, "Our spy has delivered a letter from Maeda Masao."

Sage Qingwei immediately took the letter and gave it a quick scan. After a brief pause, he instructed, "Send this letter to Spirit Guard Jia Shen. He may decide whether to accept the surrender and under what terms based on the situation. My opinion is that Maeda Masao will prove highly useful in sweeping away the remnants of the Sonno-joi ronin, so he should be preserved."

Shen Yuqing acknowledged the order and left.

By this point, the outcome of the Ise battle was already clear. There was no room for a feigned surrender.

The next day, the new Kampaku Toyotomi Hidemochi, the former Kampaku's widow Lady Fukimiya, and Yagyu Sosei visited the field camp.

The Daoist Order emphasized equality, especially between men and women. As such, a certain proportion of high-ranking female Daoists was mandatory. Across all Daoist Mansions, Palaces, and Halls, very few women held the very top position, aside from rare figures like Sage Cihang or Li Ruoshui. Men still dominated the upper echelons of the Daoist Order. However, there was always at least one woman in deputy positions, which was the Daoist Order's version of equality.

From this arose another unwritten rule—a woman had to be shown more overt respect.

It was common to see male Daoists being scolded harshly, but female Daoists rarely faced such treatment. For example, when a male Daoist hosted his superior, he had to observe every courtesy. Yet his female counterpart could behave more casually or even disregard propriety altogether without the superior ever taking offense or showing any sign of disrespect.

This was the version of equality within the Daoist Order.

The men who truly held supreme power within the Daoist Order demonstrated their commitment to equality in this way.

Since they already wielded absolute power in the world, flaunting superiority no longer held meaning. Such things were for newly rich upstarts. What they sought was balance and image. They could admonish and berate their subordinates as they wished, but when facing the weak, there was no need to project dominance. On the contrary, they displayed benevolence and humility.

This was the advantage women enjoyed within the Daoist Order.

Regardless of rank, Daoists would always treat ordinary female Daoists with relative gentleness. Even the fifth Grand Master, known for being strict even toward the Sages, would speak kindly when meeting their Daoist companions. Such treatment was nearly impossible for ordinary male Daoists to enjoy.

But advantages came with drawbacks. Women often received only superficial respect. True recognition was far harder to attain.

That was because Daoists essentially regarded women as the weaker party. It was like adults humoring children with a casual dismissal or a perfunctory gesture. It was nothing more than a facade.

On the one hand, women could easily attain a relatively high status and enjoy treatment of equality that ordinary men could hardly obtain. On the other hand, this treatment was merely surface-level and not taken seriously. Having the chance to speak on equal footing did not mean having any real say. When it came to seizing power, this superficial equality became a disadvantage. The simplest example was that there had never been a female Grand Master in all of Daoist history, not even when the sixth-generation Grand Master, who was widely regarded as weak, was chosen.

Zhang Yuelu detested this. It was precisely because of this hypocrisy that so many female Daoists longed to support her in ascending to the Grand Master's seat.

As one of the three "heirs apparent" of the Daoist Order, Sage Qingwei naturally understood these unwritten rules. Thus, when he received the three visitors, he treated Lady Fukimiya with utmost respect and did not adopt any lofty posture. Instead, he placed her on an equal footing, conversing with her as though she were a friend. This left Yagyu Sosei and Toyotomi Hidemochi greatly astonished.

That was because Fenglin still operated within the old framework of male dominance. Their understanding of Daoist equality remained superficial, that female Daoists could become high officials. They did not grasp the deeper, unwritten rules behind it. Lady Fukimiya herself was flattered and overwhelmed. Previously hesitant and conflicted, she now resolved to help Sage Qingwei persuade Princess Tamako.

As for Toyotomi Hidemochi, he agreed to marry Princess Tamako as his consort and even invited Sage Qingwei to witness the ceremony.

Naturally, Sage Qingwei gladly accepted the invitation.

The conversation ended on a harmonious and cheerful note.

At that moment, Shen Yuqing walked in and softly said, "Sage, we have good news."

Sage Qingwei asked casually, "What is it?"

Shen Yuqing cleared his throat. "It's news from Ise Province. Maeda Masao has defected on the battlefield and surrendered with his troops. The two Deputy Commanders annihilated over 18,000 reinforcements of the Sonno-joi faction, including two of their leaders, Katsura Yoshiyuki and Amemori Unko. It's a resounding victory for us."

A faint smile finally appeared on Sage Qingwei's face. "Once we capture Mie District, the February Offensive can be successfully concluded."