"TOEI COMPANY LTD." "LADY KASUGA (Jotei Kasuga no Tsubone )" "SEKIGAHARA FIELD - 1600" "The East Force, which was led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, gained a signal victory at the battle in the Sekigahara Field, one of Japan's greatest civil wars, which eventually decided the fate of the country." "The East Force owed its victory to the betrayal of Kobayakawa Hideaki, one of the warlords which had participated in the West Force." "My lord, Kobayakawa Hideaki is here!" "Hideaki is?" "Tell him to wait." "Welcome, Hideaki." "I'm glad you could come." "Come here." "What are you doing?" "Give him a stool!" "Come on, be seated." "Sir Hideaki, I shall never forget what you did for us today." "I'm more than pleased that you joined us." "I appreciate it." "I'm very grateful." "Thank you, my lord." "I'm taking sides with you because I believe that no one else but you could be the supreme ruler of the world in these turbulent times." "Well said, Hideaki." "Sir Hideaki..." "From now on, I shall regard you as my son." "Thank you!" "So, you are Inaba Masanari, the major-domo to Hideaki, right?" "Yes, my lord." "You are?" "I hear that you were the first attacker to the enemy force." "Is that right?" "Masanari is the bravest person in my clan." "He beheaded three of the enemy generals." "As many as three generals?" "I envy you Hideaki, because you are favored with such a good retainer." "Masanari, you can come to me whenever you feel like it." "I shall employ you with the annual stipend of 50,000 koku, no, 100,000 koku of rice!" "Oh, I was only joking." "If I took you away, Sir Hideaki would be enraged." "Kobayakawa Hideaki was promoted to the greatest feudal lord in the western part of Japan." "And Inaba Masanari enjoyed a high annual stipend of 20,000 koku of rice." "But only two years later..." "Hideaki abruptly went out of his mind and died." "The Kobayakawa clan became extinct." "The world laughed at the clan, saying that the incident was a just reward for their betrayal." "All his retainers, including Inaba Masanari, lost their jobs all at once." "FUSHIMI CASTLE, KYOTO" "The wife of Inaba Masanari was called Ofuku." "Are you thinking that you can see the Shogun directly anytime now that you are in his castle?" "Pardon?" "Even lords with a stipend of 100,000 koku of rice are awaiting their turns." "Is that so?" "I humbly apologize for my innocence." "However, my husband received very kind words from the Shogun at the time of the Sekigahara Battle." "I would be extremely grateful if you could kindly announce me to the Shogun, sir." "Will you wait here?" "Certainly, sir." "She's nice." "Inaba Ofuku..." "Come with me." "Certainly." "Would you please take off your clothes?" "Hurry." "Do you plan to meet the Shogun without cleaning yourself?" "So you are Inaba Masanari's wife Ofuku?" "You are as beautiful as I'd heard!" "Let me go!" "How unreasonable!" "What are you doing?" "Your Excellency, are you all right?" "Yes, I am all right." "Leave us alone." "Insolent!" "Stop it!" " Someone, come!" "What are you saying?" "!" "I told you to leave!" "Leave!" "But..." " Leave!" "Get out!" "You made a bump on the head of this Ieyasu." "That was very courageous of you." "But, Ofuku, you cannot resist me for a second time." "I shall not resist, Your Excellency." "I shall obey you." "But, in return for it," "I would be grateful if you could promise... that you will employ my husband Inaba Masanari." "Ofuku... what did he get paid when he was serving the Kobayakawa clan?" "He was given a stipend of 20,000 koku of rice." "As much as 20,000 koku?" "That's a little too much." "I'm told that, at the time of the Sekigahara Battle, you said that my husband deserved a 100,000 koku." "He is still young..." "And I'm not certain that this is not a bad deal." "Ofuku..." "You are also a very good negotiator, aren't you?" "I like it." "I like you." "It's been such a long time since I became excited so much." "Now, come." "Young lady, hand on!" "Young lady, you are good!" "EDO CASTLE - 1605 Young lady, you are good!" "EDO CASTLE - 1605" "EDO CASTLE - 1605 One more time!" "EDO CASTLE - 1605" "I heard that Lord Hidetada's wife is pregnant." "Is she expecting a baby?" "In these days, the master of Edo castle was Lord Hidetada, the third eldest son of Ieyasu." "But actually he was a mere feudal lord ruling only the Musashi province." "The actual political power still lay in the hands of Ieyasu who lived in Kyoto." "My lord, you and your wife live very happily together, and you have many children." "But they are all girls, including your eldest daughter, Princess Sen." "Under these circumstances, the Shogun is waiting for a son to be born." "He said that when you are favored with a son, who will be your successor, he shall be named 'Takechiyo', the name of the Shogun when he was a child." "Is that so?" "My father will give him his name?" "What a kind and thoughtful consideration!" "Oeyo, you must have a boy at any cost, then." "Despite your words, it is God's or Buddha's business to decide whether the coming child will be a boy or a girl." "There is nothing I can do about it." "You are logically right, but..." "The prophet says that this year falls on a very fortunate one for Lord Hidetada and his wife, and that they will most certainly be favored with a male child this year." "I wish it to come true." "The family master of the Tokugawa has no successor... although we have been waiting such a long time." "My father-in-law in Kyoto doesn't like me from the first." "Because I'm the sister of Lady Yodo in Osaka..." "Because the late Lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi forced you to marry me... he detests me." "Oeyo, what are you saying?" "My lord..." "I shall have a male child!" "If my wish cannot be granted, I shall kill myself!" "Masanobu, tell the Shogun so!" "Very well, my lady..." "I want a successor very badly myself." "Is that your goal?" "But it is beyond me." "Minbu, render him hearty hospitality." "Yes, my lord." "Lord Honda, I cannot disregard what you said a while ago." "Rumor has it that the Shogun said he would not give away his post to such an incapable man as could not even have a male child." "That's the trouble." "The Shogun is already 60 years old, but he has had three more sons lately:" "Goro-maru, Chofuku-maru and Tsuruchiyo." "It is said that people hold their children especially dear when they have the children when they are old." "The Shogun is no exception." "The young mothers are pushing him, too, and he seems to be wondering which of his sons he should select as his successor." "But the three sons in Fushimi are only small, and it will take at least ten more years to hold their coming-of-age ceremonies." "And no matter how healthy the Shogun may be, he won't live that long." "That's why he thinks that he should select his successor quickly." "But, it goes without saying that Lord Hidetada who lives in this castle is closer than anyone else to the post of the second Shogun." "That's why Lord Hidetada ought to have his father's first grandson this time at any cost, do please him." "The child in Lady Oeyo's womb is a boy." "There is no mistake about it." "Lady Ohba!" "As long as deities and Buddha exist, the wish of" "Lord Hidetada, Lady Oeyo and us will certainly be granted some day." "I can see the baby in Lady Oeyo's womb has the spirit between its small legs." "I can see the baby in Lady Oeyo's womb has" "I can see it clearly." "TAGUCHI VILLAGE, MINO PROVINCE" "Hey, Shichi!" "Tsume, come back!" "Wait!" "Young Lord Senkuma!" "Wait!" "Hey, Shichi!" "Wait!" "Wait!" "You fighting again?" "That's enough!" "Shichinojo, stop it!" "That hurts!" "You surrender?" "Mother, Tsume hit me!" "That's because you hit my buttocks!" "Be a good boy..." "Are you hungry?" "Your mother will give you milk very soon." "That's all for today." "You may go and play." "Thank you!" "That baby is really cute." "You will be able to have one before long, too." "Mother, I'm hungry, too." "Give me some food." "Wait until supper." "You are a samurai's son, aren't you?" "Iwamatsu's drinking milk." "He's still a baby." "And Father is drinking 'saké'." "'Saké'!" "Give me more 'saké'!" "Tsume, will you please see to the baby?" "Very well." "One is for your brother." "I know." "My lady, what is the matter?" "Nothing." "My lady, isn't it morning sickness?" "You are expecting!" "Nonsense." "Well, maybe I'm mistaken." "Since Lord Inaba came home, he's been drinking all day and every day." "Where's my 'saké'?" "!" "I will bring him the 'saké'." "Make a ball of betel nut powder." "And apply peppermint water and mercury to it." "Then use your fingers to insert it deep into your womb and leave it in there for a night." "Then the fetus goes rotten and flows out." "Give me a silver coin or a 'to' of rice for this trick." "My lord, did you know that Lady Inaba is pregnant?" "And that she went to see an old lady abortionist?" "My lord, you are smart, aren't you?" "They all say that Lord Inaba lost your capability as a man together with your stipend of 20,000 koku of rice." "But they are all wrong." "Your wife is so beautiful and kind." "And she has many children." "I wish I could have such a lovely child." "Listen, I want your child...!" "Hey, Shichi, wait!" "Wait!" "My lord, what's the matter with you?" "!" "My lord, I want your child..." "My lord, I want a child like your..." "Senkuma, Shichinojo and Iwamatsu..." "Please!" "My lord...!" "That hurts!" "What are you doing?" "!" "Damn it!" "Don't act big!" "Your husband is impotent after all!" "I know!" "I know that you procured abortion by that old woman!" "Who was the father?" "A demon?" "!" "I have something to tell you." "As Tsume said, I meant to procure abortion." "But I did not have an abortion." "I decided not to." "Please divorce me." "I beseech you!" "Who was the father?" "I'm asking who the father was!" "I will not tell you." "Kill yourself!" "Commit suicide!" "No, I have no intention of dying." "What a shameless woman you are!" "You have disgraced not only me but the entire Inaba clan." "For a woman, children are Heaven-sent treasures." "They cannot be replaced with anything else." "How can I kill my child?" "Call me an adulteress if you like." "But no matter what you call me, I shall not kill the child in my womb." "Shut up!" "Damn you!" "Are you acting in defiance of your husband?" "!" "Yes, I am!" "I would even fight against deities or Buddha to shield the child in my womb!" "Shut up!" "What a shame!" "Look at yourself!" "How can I believe that you were once called the bravest... warrior in the Inaba clan?" "Shut up!" "Silence!" "No, my lord!" "You mustn't kill your wife!" "It's your fault, my lord." "You are to blame!" "Step aside!" "My lady, please forgive me." "Forgive me!" "Tsume, I must leave together with the children." "You stay and take care of my husband." "No!" "I will go with you!" "No, you won't." "I will go with you." "I will follow you if I have to leave home by myself." "I don't want to part from you and your children." "I will work hard for you." "Please!" "Please take me with you!" "What a girl." "EDO CASTLE, INNER PALACE" "Kagawa, how is it?" "It's already five months since she was delivered of a child." "But she still has plenty of nourishing milk." "Thank you for coming." "I'd appreciate it if you could choose me." "She's the wife of a samurai, isn't she?" "Yes, her name is Sato, and she's the wife of" "Aoki Jonoshin, a samurai with a stipend of 50 koku." "She's a distant relative of Nobleman Sujaku." "How many more women have we left?" "Servant of Lady Inaba Ofuku!" "Servant of Lady Inaba Ofuku!" "Here, madam." "My lady!" "Tsume, bring my baby." "The ladies here insist on seeing him." "What a good child!" "How old is he?" "Precisely fifteen days, ma'am." "Did you bring him all the way from Mino to Edo right after he was born?" "I brought five more children with me." "As many as five?" "Right, madam." "How many male children do you have?" "Four, madam, including this baby." "The eldest one is seven years old." "Are they all well?" "The never fell ill, madam." "Inaba Ofuku happens to be the daughter of Saito Kuranosuke, the major-domo to Lord Akechi Mitsuhide... who betrayed his master Lord Oda Nobunaga and assassinated him." "On the other hand, the wife of Lord Tokugawa Hidetada is the niece of Lord Oda Nobunaga." "In short, they are enemies." "Do you think that it is right to employ such a woman as the nurse of her child?" "I recommend Ofuku because she has good milk." "She has delivered four male children and has reared all of them without losing any of them." "I agree with Grand Lady Ohba myself." "And I hear that Ofuku was educated at the home of" "Sanjo-Nishi, one of Japan's highest aristocrats, when she was a child." "Speaking of family," "Aoki Jonoshin's wife Sato is also from an aristocratic family." "And I heard that she, too, is a woman of ability, who is very good at martial arts and an excellent scholar at the same time." "Anyway, we should choose one of these two women." "We have no choice but to ask Lord Hidetada to decide." "I suppose..." "I'm still worried about what family Ofuku really comes from." "Excuse me." "Lord Hidetada's wife has begun to feel pains." "The doctor says she will deliver the baby at midnight." "What?" " Why, it's so sudden." "Everyone, get ready!" "Lady Ohba..." "What's the matter?" "Lady Minbu, come closer and listen." "What do you plan to do if the coming baby happens to be another girl?" "I will think about it when it actually happens." "I'm more worried about this premature birth of the baby." "Lady Minbu, would you please leave everything up to me?" "Would you please forget about everything you might hear or see today?" "I wonder what on earth is on your mind?" "Even if this new baby happens to be a girl, we shall rear her as a boy." "What?" " Quiet!" "Lady Ohba, are you insane?" "Staying sane, we cannot compete with the Shogun in Kyoto." "Lord Hidetada is so dear to me, because I reared him with my own milk." "And you are the chief of the entire ladies-in-waiting and maid-servants in this inner palace." "Should the post of the second Shogun be taken away by someone else, it would be the greatest disgrace for both of us." "Still, I do not think it possible to pretend that the girl is a boy." "How could we keep the secret?" "We shall use every possible method to hide the truth and rear the baby." "Should the truth be revealed," "I shall commit suicide to apologize." "Enough!" "You are certainly out of your mind!" "Lady Minbu!" " Say no more!" "I shall not listen any more!" "Sagami, how is Oeyo?" "My lord..." "They informed me that she is heading for the lying-in room." "Though this is a premature birth, there appears to be absolutely no problems about her delivery." "She is peacefully waiting for her child to be born." "I wish it to be a boy this time." "In those days, mothers were delivered of their babies, while taking a sitting posture." "To pray for the health and longevity of the baby, it was once deliberately abandoned and later a specially-selected man picked it up." "This was the tradition preserved among samurai families." "The best samurai of all the retainers was selected." "As another tradition, strong samurai shot arrows in the four directions to exorcise evil spirits." "My lady, why are we left alone here?" "They have already selected someone else as the nurse, haven't they?" "Stop it!" "I will bring these home to your sons." "I suppose they are missing us." "My lady." "Ofuku, I'm sorry to have left you for so long." "As a matter of fact, the madam suddenly began to feel labor pains." "So, at my own discretion, I have kept you here as a nurse." "But, my lady, I hear that someone else has already been selected as the nurse." "That woman?" "Forget about her." "In my opinion, I rate you as high; you were courageous enough to leave your husband and come to Edo with only your children." "I would like you to work for me keeping close contact with me from now on." "Thank you very much, my lady." "I shall stake my whole heart and body on this work." "By the way, will you give me your baby?" "Pardon?" "Worry not." "I shall rear him by myself." "I hope you do not oppose." "I'm sorry, my lady, but this is so sudden that" "I cannot agree to give away my child so easily." "If you are trying to test my loyalty, it's very unreasonable of you, my lady." "Shut up, Ofuku!" "Don't you think it's insolent of you to give the same milk to Lord Hidetada's child and yours at the same time?" "I understand, my lady." "You shall have my baby." "Well, nurse, hurry." "Hurry up." "Please try!" "Hang on, my lady." "You are almost there." "Push, my lady..." "A little more, my lady." "It's late." "Isn't it taking too long?" "What?" "Foot presentation?" "!" "That's because she twisted herself, since she's having such a difficult delivery." "Staying like that, anything can happen to both her and her baby." "I beg you to call a doctor." "No male doctors can be admitted into the lying-in room." "You must save the baby at any cost." "Save the baby at least!" "Lady Ohba!" "Kagawa!" "Do whatever you can!" "Yes, my lady!" "Lady Minbu, worry not." "This foot presentation proves that the baby is so healthy and active." "It must be a male child!" "Push, my lady." "Push!" "I can see the baby!" "Hang on, my lady." "It's here!" "Try, my lady!" "It was born!" "A boy!" "It's a boy!" "A boy!" "You did well, my lady!" "You did well!" "A male child..." "What's the matter?" "Where's the first cry?" "!" "Why doesn't he cry?" "!" "Why doesn't he cry?" "!" "Pour water on him." "Spray cold water on his thighs." "I'm very, very sorry for this." "Kagawa, why is this?" "He's the successor to the Tokugawa clan." "Hurry!" "Do something!" "I'm sorry, but he was already dead while he was in the womb." "His navel cord had strangled him." "Shut up!" "Say no more!" "Call the doctor!" "Call Doctor Nakarai Ho-in!" "Lady Minbu, what makes you so upset?" "When a baby fails to cry, it's best to ask for a cat's help." "It's been regarded as the best for many years." "It's because a cat's meow sounds very much like a baby's cry." "A baby?" "That's good." "My lady!" "It was born." "Excuse me." "Good news, my lord." "Lord Hidetada's wife has delivered a baby boy." "What?" "A boy?" "Congratulations!" "Well, well..." "You are cleaned up, young lord." "You are closing your eyes happily..." "Well, Nurse, give your milk to the young lord." "Come on, what are you waiting for?" "The young lord is crying for your milk." "Give him your milk." "Hurry up!" "What an incapable nurse!" "You are useless!" "Ofuku, come here." "Lady Ohba!" "Have you forgotten her?" "She's Inaba Masanari's wife, Ofuku." "I have kept her here just in case." "Ofuku, will you give your milk to the young lord?" "If things are going like this... it will be very bad for him." "Very well." "I will take care of him." "I do not understand this..." "Lady Ohba, how do you plan to settle this?" "Do something or anything could happen, which is far beyond us!" "You are right." "I never expected this disaster." "It's all our fault." "But Lady Minbu, the young lord is alive." "Another nonsense!" "It's too late to pull any tricks!" "It's not a trick, my lady." "The young lord, the successor to the Tokugawa clan, was born safely." "This will certainly make the Shogun in Kyoto approve our lord Hidetada as the second Shogun." "Lady Minbu, be delighted!" "Be pleased!" "Ofuku, come with me." "He's sound asleep." "Ofuku..." "I took your child because I was afraid that such a situation as this might happen." "I hope you understand." "Do you understand?" "Yes, I do." "Well, well, I have picked up such a healthy baby boy!" "Will any of you bring him up in my place?" "Sir, I will bring him up, if you do not mind." "You will?" "I do not know who you are, but it must be God Hachiman's wish that you were passing by." "Well, you shall have the child." "Please receive him and declare it." "I declare that I have received the child." "Make way for the young lord!" "Make way for the young lord!" "Lady Minbu..." "Make way for the young lord!" "Make way for the young lord!" "Make way for the young lord!" "Make way for the young lord!" "In the following year, Tokugawa Hidetada assumed the post of the second Shogun." "Ieyasu had a castle built in Sunpu, present Shizuoka City and retired into it." "He was called the retired Shogun, but he still kept himself in the position of power." "Masanobu..." "I wonder what is going on in the inner palace of Edo castle." "(Takechiyo, later knows as Iemitsu ) As I heard, everyone is under the thumb of Takechiyo's nurse." "That's the point, my lord." "The woman called Ofuku, who is the nurse, is rearing the young Takechiyo in a very strange way." "First of all, about the young lord's residence..." "She had two-story rooms built deep in the South Dormitory and has the young lord live with her own five children." "Under these circumstances, the women in the inner palace call it Ofuku Palace." "The way of Ofuku to raise children can be called, in a word, 'Natural School'." "She stubbornly observes the rule of 'thirty percent of hunger and ten percent of cold'." "She treats the young lord and her children equally." "On the other hand, she is careful as the three of her children taste everything, ranging from drinking water to salt, sugar and herb tea, to be offered to the young lord." "She insists that old people's used clothes are the best for his diaper, because they will bring him a long life." "She made me offer my old clothes, too." "Then, did the retired Shogun give her his used clothes, too, because she asked him to?" "What?" "Then are they using my clothes to wipe out the baby's shit?" "Hot!" "Idiot!" "It's too hot!" "Please endure it, my lord." "This moxa treatment helps you recover your energy." "Masanobu..." "Who on earth is this Takechiyo's nurse?" "Have you forgotten, my lord?" "She is the wife of Inaba Masanari, who was the major-domo to the late Kobayakawa Hideaki." "You met her in Fushimi Castle." "The one who made a bump on your head, my lord." "Oh, yes!" "That woman!" "She was some woman." "And she had a properly matured body, too." "At that time, you promised her that you would promote her husband, Inaba Masanari, to daimyo, didn't you?" "Ofuku sent me a number of reminders." "Well, if I kept every such promise, this country would be full of daimyo." "Your treatment is over, my lord." "Katsuyama..." "As I heard, the Shogun and his wife have not yet met their child, Takechiyo." "Is that correct?" "Yes, my lord." "Lady Minbu, who is the head in the inner palace, and Lady Ohba shut him in a room and let no one meet him." "That's what I'm told, my lord." "Is that so?" "Let no one meet him?" "Masanobu..." "Katsuyama..." "Chances are that Takechiyo might be my child." "My lord!" "What nonsense!" "I was joking." "Because I had a dream like that last night." "No!" "Takechiyo is not my child!" "What's the matter, Oeyo?" "No!" "I can tell." "Takechiyo is not my child!" "Oeyo, calm yourself!" "My lord, have you not noticed it?" "How arrogantly the nurse has been acting since Takechiyo was born..." "Even Minbu and Ohba are keeping me, the child's mother, away from him." "They seem to be doing something bad." "There is something behind this!" "There must be something!" "No one can deceive me!" "My lady!" "Hurry!" "Call the doctor!" "She has a fever, but it's nothing serious." "She is all right." "I'm under the impression that she is pregnant." "What?" "Did you say that she is pregnant?" "It seems that she and Lord Hidetada are getting well." "Anyway, we must congratulate ourselves." "Lady Ohba!" "Lady Ohba, what's the matter?" "Lady Minbu, I never expected this auspicious sign!" "How can I stop laughing even if you tell me not to?" "Now I see deities and Buddha bless us!" "This time, too, it must be a boy!" "When a woman delivers a boy for the first time after having only girl babies, she will keep giving birth to boy babies!" "The second boy baby that Oeyo delivered" "(Kunimatsu, later know as Tadanaga ) was named Kunimatsu." "From Lady Ohba..." "Kumoi, will you remind Lady Ohba of this?" ""Haste makes waste..." ""Do be careful not to act carelessly or thoughtlessly."" "Look, everyone!" "Let's celebrate!" "THREE YEARS LATER..." "TAKECHIYO IS FOUR YEARS OF AGE" "Wait!" "Shichinojo, don't let him flee!" "Wait!" "Coward!" "Shichinojo, that way!" "Wait!" "Coward!" "Shichinojo, this way!" "Wait!" "I said wait!" "Wait!" "Shichinojo, that way!" "Coward!" "Halt!" "Shichinojo!" "That way!" "Darn you!" "Wait!" "Shichinojo, the West Mansion is over there." "Don't go there or you will be scolded." "Shichinojo!" "Eat, please." "Excuse me!" "What are you doing?" "Young master!" "What's the matter, Shichinojo?" "!" "That woman poisoned the food." "I saw it." "The one from West Mansion..." "Tsume, no use chasing her!" "See to the young lord!" "Call a doctor!" "Man, bring soy sauce!" "Shichinojo, hang in there!" "Shichinojo, can you hear me?" "Shichinojo!" "Throw up!" "Vomit everything you have eaten!" "I didn't expect this intruder." "Ofuku's son saw me meeting you." "Do you think he knew me?" "I don't know..." "Anyway, the poison only worked on Ofuku's son and turned useless." "I apologize for it." "As arranged, I shall set out on a journey right now." "Would you pay me what you promised?" ""Because this baby keeps crying..." ""I've lost so much weight." ""My sash, just long enough to circle my waist twice..." ""can now circle thrice."" "Tsume..." "Is Shichinojo dying?" "He's the strongest of the Inaba brothers." "He will be all right." "Now, go to sleep." ""My sash circles around my body thrice..."" "Shichinojo!" "Don't die!" "Die not!" " Brother!" "Shichinojo!" "My lady..." "Would you please send this to my father back in my country?" "I shall kill Kunimatsu." "Tsume..." "Lord Takechiyo is the son of the retired Shogun in Sunpu." "My lady, then why didn't you tell him so?" "Why not?" "If I had, not only Ladies Minbu and Ohba, but each and every person in this Edo castle would become Takechiyo's enemy." "Then the retired Shogun would not take sides with Takechiyo, either." "We must wait." "We must endure." "Tsume, do you know how I feel?" "!" "I loved Shichinojo." "He was as dear to me as Takechiyo was." "But I must endure..." "All I can do is endure..." "My lady..." "I shall make Takechiyo a Shogun without fail." "I swear!" "I shall make Takechiyo the third Shogun." "Look what you have done!" "I'm sorry." "I did it at my own discretion so as not not to involve you, Lady Minbu." "Enough!" "Although I could manage to settle this smoothly..." "Worry not." "I am fully aware of the position you are in." "Lady Minbu, you seem worried." "Is there anything else that ails you?" "It's Ofuku." "Ofuku?" "When her son had to die like that, she seemed so calm." "Today, too, she said we should refrain from investigating who was responsible for his death, in order to avoid confusion in the inner palace." "Refrain from investigation?" "Actually, I heard something that bothers me." "What can it be?" "I heard that Ofuku had met the retired Shogun before she came to Edo." "What?" "Is that for certain?" "She went to Fushimi castle to ask him to employ her husband, Inaba Masanari." "At that time, she stayed by the side of the retired Shogun Ieyasu for three days." "Three long days?" "Do you not think that Ofuku is perfectly the retired Shogun's type?" "Lady Minbu, do not tell me that Lord Takechiyo is his son!" "We cannot overlook it." "We must inquire of Lord Honda Masanobu, no," "Lady Katsuyama whether it is true or not." "Not people in Sunpu." "You'd only stir up a hornet's nest." "Then what do you plan to do?" "This is really something to decide the fate of Edo castle." "Lady Ohba, I have an idea." "So, do play innocent this time." "Neither too tight nor too loose." "That's it." "Wind it firmly." "Tattano, do you really think this works?" "This stem is a speciality from Higo province." "When it's used, any women go all but insane from extreme pleasure." "Some even die from shock, they say." "I feel my fingers are beginning to itch." "What?" "Is it working so soon?" "I can hardly wait..." "Excuse me." "Lord Honda just arrived back from Edo, and is here requesting to see you." "It's already late at night." "Tell him to make it tomorrow." "My lord, it will be too late if we make it tomorrow." "This is an emergency!" "Excuse me." "Very well." "Oroku, you go to bed first and wait." "Be certain to wait." "My lord." "What on earth is that?" "This?" "It's a speciality from Higo province." "It's the stem of a taro." "It works better than sliced sea cucumber." "It's something special, isn't it, my lord?" "Why don't you use one, too, Masanobu?" "No, thank you, my lord." "In my case, something most important is already worn out." "Really?" "That's too bad." "Lord Honda." "This is no time for such jokes, is it?" "Well, that reminds me." "My lord, I took a close look at Young Lord Takechiyo in Edo castle." "He looked exactly like you." "A ceremony was held to announce the end of Lord Takechiyo's infancy." "I was invited there as a special guest, too." "After this ceremony, children begin to grow their hair long and enter boyhood." "He's grown into such a good boy." "The retired Shogun will be very glad." "You have done a good job, Nurse." "Your word is far more than I deserve." "Thank you very much." "He looked exactly like you, my lord..." "Not only his countenance, but also the way he acted." "There is such a thing as resemblance between strangers." "You once said that Lord Takechiyo might be your son." "Actually, your words have been lingering on my mind." "I have been to the province of Mino to meet Ofuku's husband, Inaba Masanari." "On the way, I met someone unexpected." "So Minbu met Masanari, too?" "Yes, my lord." "And what did Masanari say?" "I'm ashamed to tell you this..." "The fourth eldest son is not my child." "Did Masanari say so himself?" "Since he came to Mino, he and Ofuku have never done what a married couple are supposed to do." "That's what he said, my lord." "And, did Ofuku mention the name of the child's father in Masanari's presence?" "Ofuku is not the sort of woman to commit adultery under any circumstances." "If she had a child by someone besides me, he should be the son of Japan's greatest warlord." "I make a guess that the only person I can think of is the great devil who was in Kyoto at that time." "What?" "He called me the great devil?" "Masanobu..." "Kill him to keep him quiet!" "I gave him a stipend of 10,000 koku." "What?" "If we kill Masanari, we must kill Ofuku, too." "And Ladies Minbu and Ohba will also be involved." "They are foxes!" "They are all united in deceiving me!" "They outwitted us smartly." "Unforgivable!" "But, my lord, you caused all this." "Whom are you taking sides with?" "In any case, it is evident that Takechiyo is Ofuku's child and that he's only a dummy that Ladies Minbu and Ohba framed." "Now, everyone is wise to it, and wonders whether or not he is the retired Shogun's child." "Ofuku is the only person who knows the truth." "Then call Ofuku here." "She will never leave Edo." "What if I order her to come?" "A while ago, one of Ofuku's sons died suddenly after tasting the food for Lord Takechiyo." "What?" "Since young Lord Kunimatsu was born, dangerous events keep taking place around Lord Takechiyo." "Struggle for the post of successor will only bring turbulence to the Tokugawa clan." "Please do something, or something irrevocable could happen." "That's enough." "I shall go to Edo soon to settle it by myself." "How do you like this, Oroku?" "It's wonderful..." "Is it that good?" "My lord..." "I can't endure anymore..." "What?" "My father?" "The news has arrived that he suffered a heart attack and is in critical condition." "Critical condition?" "!" "Sakai, our lord is going to visit his father." "Make preparations!" "Tadachika..." "If he passes away now, the Tokugawa clan will be finished." "Your Excellency, you can rejoice." "Rejoice, you say?" "The world has come into your possession... truly and finally." "Is that so?" "So from now on, I can do anything I please, without minding my father." "Right, my lord." "He was cursed!" "My father-in-law forgot how much he was indebted to the late Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and tried to dominate the country by himself." "How could he die peacefully?" "You have probably heard already... last evening, the retired Shogun suddenly fell ill." "And how is he, my lady?" "I'm not fully informed yet, but it seems that he is in critical condition." "Shogun Hidetada wishes to select his successor while the retired Shogun is still alive." "All the high officials and ladies-in-waiting have decided to recommend Lord Kunimatsu." "Lord Kunimatsu, you say?" "You know why." "There's no need to explain." "Ofuku, worry not." "Lord Takechiyo will be given a new surname from the Shogun." "He is supposed to establish a new branch family." "He will probably become a feudal lord with a fief yielding more than 500,000 koku rice." "By the way, about yourself..." "You lost one of your children, but still have four of them." "We do not want to make you suffer from any more hardship." "So, we have decided to dismiss you." "Of course, we are not telling you to leave empty-handed." "You shall receive an annual stipend of 50 koku of rice for the rest of your life." "Your eldest son, Senkuma, shall restore the Inaba clan and be employed as a page." "But, my lady..." "Yes?" "First of all..." "Would you please tell me why Lord Kunimatsu will be recommended as the successor instead of Lord Takechiyo?" "It goes without saying that Lord Kunimatsu is the only legal descendant of Shogun Hidetada and his wife." "Do not tell me that you have forgotten what happened when the Shogun's wife gave birth to a baby." "I remember well." "Lord Takechiyo was born as" "Shogun Hidetada's first boy baby and eldest son." "But Lord Takechiyo is your..." "My what?" "Are you accusing me, Ofuku?" "Try to remember, my lady." "At that time, Lady Ohba gave me the baby the Shogun's wife had delivered, and told me to give him my milk." "I am certain you saw it, too." "He was a little weak, but I have devoted my heart and body to rear him." "Lord Takechiyo is evidently the Shogun's eldest son." "No matter what people may say, he is the only person to be called "the Shogun's successor"." "Excuse me." "Stop!" "Ofuku, you have forgotten who you are." "You seem to harbor undesirable ambition." "Capture her!" "Hurry up!" "Be good children." "Everyone, leave!" "Give me Lord Takechiyo." "Give him to me!" "What do you think you're doing?" "!" "Give Lord Takechiyo back to me!" "Servant!" "Get out!" "Give him back to me!" "Young lord!" "Damn you!" "Wait!" " Tsume!" "Wait!" "Halt!" "Someone, come!" "Someone!" "Ofuku's servant is kidnapping Lord Takechiyo!" "Tsume!" "Lord Senkuma!" "Where is she?" "!" "Where is the maidservant who's kidnapped the young lord?" "Where did she go?" "Speak!" "I do not know." " Lying will do you no good!" "I really do not know." " She's in the kitchen!" "There's someone who saw her in the kitchen." "Let's hurry!" "Lady Minbu's order!" "Close the gate and let no one in or out!" "Lady Minbu..." "We could find neither maid nor the young lord." "Send a ninja!" "Search outside the castle, too!" "Lady Minbu!" "She's passing away!" "Lady Ohba..." "I guess that you are much vexed." "You had to be injured by such a humble maid." "Poor lady..." "Lady Minbu, Ofuku is such a dreadful woman." "If we leave her alive, she will take over this castle." "Do be careful..." "Be careful!" "An incident took place..." "I can think of it as nothing but a nightmare." "Your servant, Tsume, murdered Lady Ohba, kidnapped Lord Takechiyo and fled." "Tsume did?" "We have looked everywhere in and out of the castle for her, but she is missing." "We are now searching the moats just in case." "Do you have any idea where she is?" "I hope you know that shielding her may cause not only you, but also your children to be severely punished." "You people may be beheaded or crucified." "I do not think that Tsume murdered her for no reason." "Maybe she had to do it to save Lord Takechiyo from danger." "Shut up!" "Are you protecting the murderer?" "!" "I hate to say this, but Lady Ohba reaped the harvest of her own sowing." "What?" "!" " Kumoi!" "Continue, Ofuku." "For some reason, you and Lady Ohba have been trying... to appoint Shogun Hidetada's second eldest son, Kunimatsu, as his successor." "When we heard the rumor, Tsume told me to appeal to the retired Shogun in Sunpu." "Are you saying that Tsume has left for Sunpu with Lord Takechiyo?" "Then it's no use." "The retired Shogun is critically ill now, and even the Shogun, his son, is unable to see him." "So I heard." "Do you think that it's really true?" "What?" "The retired Shogun is a notorious tactician." "Are you saying he's only pretending to be ill?" "Up to now, we have been deceiving him." "It's natural that he is planning retaliation." "I will send someone to chase her immediately." "Tsume has faster and stronger legs than a deer." "If she is heading for Sunpu..." "Ofuku..." "You have made a big mistake, haven't you?" "You are still unaware of how fearful the retired Shogun really is." "Years ago, he even dared to kill his own wife and son to maintain the peace in his family." "I am certain that he will get rid of Lord Takechiyo for the Tokugawa clan's sake, too." "It's like you have dug your own grave." "Well, I wonder if this is a dream or reality..." "Reality, my lord." "He is really Lord Takechiyo." "Takechiyo, I am your grandfather." "Come here." "Do not be afraid." "Come here, I said." "Is this child mute?" "No, he is not, my lord." "Who is that?" "She is Ofuku's servant." "She brought Lord Takechiyo here all by herself." "It sounds like she is young." "Bring her here." "But my lord, her clothes are so dirty now." "I do not mind." "Bring her here." "Let the servant in." "My lord!" "My lord!" "Please remember that you are ill, my lord!" "Look at me." "You brought Takechiyo all the way from Edo by yourself?" "Yes, my lord." "What is it that took place in Edo castle?" "Tell everything to the retired Shogun." "No, save the questions for later." "Katsuyama, give her new clothes." "No, wait..." "Have her wash up first." "Lady Minbu, do you intend to keep silent forever?" "Why don't you leave me with your message to the retired Shogun?" "No matter how long you may stay here, it is impossible to see him." "It's not only because he is ill." "He is very angry at the mistake you have made for the second time." "He even says to banish all the elders in Edo castle." "Hurry and speak, Lady Minbu." "I am old now, and feel like going to the toilet." "I shall not tell what brings me here to anyone but the retired Shogun himself." "If I spoke now, the authority of the Tokugawa Shogunate would be damaged." "The authority of the Tokugawa Shogunate, you say?" "What a laugh!" "You only came to make an excuse, didn't you?" "If you want to survive this crisis, confess to the retired Shogun every evil act which you have done up to date and ask him for mercy." "Come, come, speak." "I have been serving him for fifty years since he was a mere regional warlord." "I hear and see things on his behalf." "Think of me as him and speak." "What are you waiting for?" "!" "Speak!" "Lady Minbu became insane!" "Capture her!" "Everyone!" "Capture her!" "Halt!" "Out of the way!" "Halt, Lady Minbu!" "This is the retired Shogun's private room!" "Lady Katsuyama!" "Please, please announce me to him!" "No, I won't." "I have something I must tell him at any cost!" "Please announce me!" "I'm sorry." "He is very much delighted to see" "Lord Takechiyo, because he didn't expect it at all." "Right now, he is taking a bath with him." "I have something to tell the retired Shogun!" "I have something to tell Lord Ieyasu!" "The only lineal descendant of the second Shogun who lives in Edo castle is Lord Kunimatsu!" "Even if Lord Takechiyo is Lord Ieyasu's child, we cannot approve him as the Shogun's successor!" "Kill her!" "Kill her now!" "I stake my life on this petition!" "I beg you to grant it!" "What a mess!" "Everyone knows it now." "It is no longer just a rumor." "My lord..." "I am worried about the future of Kunimatsu." "Please appoint him as his successor as soon as you can." "We shall not talk about it." "My lord!" "That's enough." "Your Excellency!" "An emergency messenger is here." "He says the retired Shogun has left Sunpu and is coming to Edo without any previous announcement." "He also says that the retired Shogun is galloping at full speed and that there seems to be some unusual air about him." "Maybe he is coming to discuss the successor matter." "Didn't I warn you?" "My father only pretended to be ill to test me." "Tadachika, you said for me to rejoice, didn't you?" "!" "My father got wise to it!" "Your Excellency, I beg you to be brave." "This is a battle between Edo and Sunpu, you and your father." "Shut up!" "You keep making so much ado about Takechiyo and Kunimatsu!" "Anyone will do as my successor!" "Anyone can be a Shogun as long as he's a man!" "The retired Shogun Lord Ieyasu has arrived!" "Everyone, look at me!" "I came to Edo because there is something I must discuss and make certain of in the presence of the Shogun." "Takechiyo's nurse, Ofuku, come here!" "Yes, my lord." "Come closer." "Is Takechiyo my child?" "Lord Takechiyo is the child of Shogun Hidetada and his wife." "There is no mistake about it." "Are you certain?" "Yes, my lord." "I was with her when she delivered him." "I received the healthy child myself to take care of him." "Let me ask you again." "Takechiyo is not my child, is he?" "Yes, my lord." "He is the child of Shogun Hidetada and his wife." "You are lying!" "May I ask what makes you think I am lying, my lord?" "It's Lady Minbu." "Just before dying, she said that the only lineal descendant of Shogun Hidetada is his second eldest son Kunimatsu." "You know that, don't you?" "Certainly I know that, my lord." "But she went all the way to Sunpu by herself, injured people and even tried to directly appeal to you." "I regret very much that a man of your position must believe what such an insane woman said." "Let me speak." "Lady Minbu had served the Shogun's wife since before she married him." "She was such a faithful woman." "I do not think that she lied." "She even staked her life on her appeal!" "If truth can be proved only by staking life," "I shall be glad to die any time!" "What a sophism!" "What about you, Sir Tadachika?" "What do you know about the inner palace?" "Please refrain from interfering, my lord." "Let me speak to you, my lord." "You shall never know the truth from this woman, Ofuku, even if you have to kill her." "The appointment of a successor should only be handled by the Shogun and us ministers." "Please leave it to us." "I am imploring you, my lord!" "Ofuku..." "Listen very carefully." "This is the last discussion." "If Takechiyo is my child, he cannot be the Shogun's successor." "That's the rule to keep order in the world." "But I'd rather wish he was my child." "I wish I could have a child by a woman like you." "Even though he cannot be the Shogun... he will certainly grow up into a great man because he is the child of you and me." "And I would like to see it." "Ofuku..." "Think that there is no one but you and I here." "Speak the truth." "Is Takechiyo my child that you delivered?" "A dream..." "It was a dream." "A dream?" "Every woman who was born in a samurai family wishes... to have a child by the greatest warlord in Japan." "We call it a dream." "How else could we call it?" "But a dream is just a dream after all." "And I shall never... never dream again...." "Never dream again about what happened years ago." "Lord Takechiyo is absolutely the present Shogun's child." "I understand." "Hidetada, as you heard." "It has been decided that your successor shall be Takechiyo." "I appreciate your kind consideration, Father." "Excuse me." "Let me announce that Lord Takechiyo has arrived from Sunpu just now." "Has he?" "Bring him here immediately." "Come, come." "Seat yourself here." "Everyone, this is Takechiyo, the successor to the Shogun." "Takechiyo later changed his name to Iemitsu and became the third Tokugawa Shogun." "By the way..." "Ofuku, let me introduce you." "This is the treasure which is dearest to me now." "You know what I do, don't you?" "I change my mind so often." "Remember that." "Very well, my lord." "I shall remember it clearly... and never forget it." "Ofuku was called Lady Kasuga afterward." "It is said that she exercised her great authority which" "( Ooku = Shogun's harem) matched with her nickname, 'Empress; over the Ooku which she established and was a rarity in the world's history." "CAST" "TOAKE Yukiyo NATORI Yuko TORIGOE Mari" "KANEDA Kenichi YOSHIKAWA Towako" "HARADA Daijiro HONDA Hirotaro ASARI Kazuyo NINOMIYA Sayoko" "NAGATO Hiroyuki AWAJI Keiko KUSABUE Mitsuko" "WAKAYAMA Tomisaburo" "Directed by NAKAJIMA Sadao"