Chapter 821: Kampaku
Sage Qingwei was about to receive the mountain gods from various regions, so he did not keep the young ones any longer.
The group left Sage Qingwei’s command tent and proceeded to a separate tent designated for meetings.
Li Tiangang said, “The Sage Commander has other matters to attend to, so I will explain the arrangements regarding the Toyotomi clan.”
With that, Li Tiangang turned and pointed to the map of Fenglin hanging on the wall. “Take a look—Totomi Province is closest to Xiujing, followed by Owari Province, and then Omi Province, which is the farthest.”
After the previous Kampaku, Toyotomi Hidesugu, died unexpectedly, the main branch of the Toyotomi clan no longer had a suitable heir. Toyotomi Hidesugu had no sons—only a younger sister, Toyotomi Chiyo. There had never been a female Kampaku, and she lacked the capability for such a position. Thus, the successor had to be chosen from the Three Noble Houses.
Qi Xuansu asked, “If we let Toyotomi Chiyo become the regent, she’ll have to rely on the Daoist Order to hold her position since she has no foundation and inadequate abilities. In that case, won’t that make it easier for us to control the Chancellor’s Office?”
Li Tiangang replied, “Deputy Hall Master Qi, your thinking isn’t wrong. With the current instability in Fenglin and the divide within the Chancellor’s Office, the Daoist Order doesn’t need a puppet who blindly obeys. Rather, we need an ally or subordinate who can actually contribute. So, making Toyotomi Chiyo the Kampaku is ill-timed.”
Qi Xuansu nodded in understanding.
Li Tiangang continued, “As I mentioned earlier, among the Three Noble Houses, the Omi Toyotomi branch is the farthest from Xiujing and has the weakest foundation here. Thus, before the Daoist Order intervened directly in the Chancellor’s Office, the main contenders for the regency were the Owari and Totomi branches.
“This brings us to a key figure—Ii Naosada. He was the daimyo of Hikone Domain in Omi Province and concurrently served as the Chief Elder of the Chancellor’s Office. This position was akin to that of a Chief Councilor, second-in-command only to the Kampaku.