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| Shioya gate in Ako |
19p
April 19 was the day when two Jujoshi(officer to confiscate Ako castle),
Wakisaka-Awajinokami, who had Banshu-Tatsuno-Han 53,000 koku, and
Kinoshita-Higonokami, who had Bichu-Ashimori-Han 23,000 koku confiscated
Ako castle. They arrived on the morning of the 19th with 4,500 people from
the
Wakisaka family and 1,500 people from the Kinoshita family.
It was a very large-scale army.
At seven in the morning, the Awajinokami's party got in to the castle
from Otemon gate, and Higonokami's party got in to the castle from
Karamete-mon(the back gate of the castle). They investigated the watchmen
and all kinds of papers, and then they took over one by one. Both
familys' samurai were stationed at each gate or Bansho, the Asanos'
samurai surrended the castle.
A notice board was erected which said, "Warning to the Asanos' retainers
leave Ako
within 30 days".
On 21 May, Kuranosuke finished the rest of work of Ako-han, so he
closed Enrinji temple.
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Ohishi's house
in Yamashina |
20p
Chapter 4
From restoring of the Asano Family to Revenge.
After that, Kuranosuke temporarily lived in Osaki village
on the east bank of the Chikusa river. At this time, Kuranosuke had a
Chou(boil) on his left arm, treated. And then
he prepared to move to Kyoto Yamashina from Ako.
Kuranosuke made his wife and childlen leave for Osaka. After Kuranosuke
led the Buddhist service for Takuminokami in Kagakuji temple on the
hundredth day after his death, he went off to Osaka on the 25th of
June. He had promisted to meet with his wife and children when he arrived
in Yamashina on the 28th. Then, he used the name of Ikeda-Kyuemon
which has his maternal name to settle down there.
When Kuranosuke managed the rest of the work of collected debts,
he had more than seven hundred Ryo. According to "Kingin
Ukehari Cho"(a income and expenditure note),
we can see the later activety of Roshi(a masterless samurai), who used
this money to try to restore the Ako family.
The receipt of money", shows us that Kuranosuke depending on
the acquaintance of the Buddhist priest, Yukai (in charge of Enrinji
temple), the main family of Asano and the kinfolk of the Asano family,
appealed to Roju and the Shogun for support.
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