Minamoto Yoritomo
Shogun of All the Japans
from his most humble and loyal servant
Hidetomo Nakadai
My Liege,
You have suggested I advise you in matters of conducting the business of the realm. I beg your forgiveness for my intrusion into the affairs of great men such as yourself, but that you say I have proven myself to you over the long years through my service further gives me the honorable desire to serve you with all of my heart, mind, and soul for my entire life.
Please forgive my arrogance in thinking that I can put my ideas down for your consideration. I assure you that they are granted me by Heaven and that you are the only recipient of them.
May I suggest that the words be read with the true spirit of understanding that comes from my many years of contemplation on the ideas I am presenting. I humbly present my thoughts to you on the following matters and pray that you do not think of me as one who would consider himself as wise as you.
— Your esteemed servant, Hidetomo Nakadai
CHAPTER ONE
How Power Comes To Be
Power comes to a man in various ways. Undoubtedly, it is granted to a man by his own personal choice. It is based on his desire to rule or to be ruled. The extent to which that desire is expressed will be made manifest in his life. It does not matter if it is the desire to control an entire country or a desire to control a small faction with a private interest. It depends on a man’s thoughts and the manner in which he accepts the truth of his own greatness.
Such was the thinking of your brother, Yoshitsune, when he wrested control from the Taira clan. He observed their obvious weaknesses, which became more evident when they expressed a preference to live the aristocratic life and forgot the ways of the warrior. They forgot how they took control from the Fujiwara clan and soon became arrogant and slovenly in their attitudes and actions. Your brother imposed his desire on those circumstances, and it permitted him to become a great general.
Power is a private matter, recently structured as new or passed from generation to generation, being subject to the fates and a man’s desire. The civil domain is maintained by means of subjecting the population by force, irrespective of appearance, and only works when there is respect for the leader. It does not matter if this respect is in the form of love or fear. Leaders maintain power by a consensus of opinion and the timely showing of strength: their own. As shogun, you control the entire country, and should anyone interfere with your authority they should be eliminated, including their entire bloodline. This is always reasonable if anyone interferes with the shogun’s control.
There is little difference in civil or private control; it is always based on desire and the personal ability of the leader. To maintain control in either public or private matters you must understand the rules which you yourself establish for control. You must be quick of mind to change these rules when it befits the needs of the moment. It is also important to understand the temperament of the people you presently command and those you wish to command. Then, with correct action, changes can be made and you can progress to your liking. Under no circumstances can you ever remain passive and static. If you are indecisive you will jeopardize your authority. There are times, however, when your strength can be reinforced through leniency, but you should show no indulgence when dealing with dissenters.
It is also a requirement that you come to terms with and appear to be friendly with all of the people in your domain. Your feelings must be sincere when they are expressed, although your thoughts may be grounded in deception. There can be no room for mediocrity in the shogun’s thinking. This will permit insolence and subterfuge to develop which must be guarded against wholeheartedly with regard to both friends and enemies. It will also permit flatterers to interfere with your decisions.
Flatterers must be especially guarded against, but they can be used to your advantage by deceiving their affections. It is better to use them if you feel they have any value at all, and it doesn’t matter who they know or the power they may think they wield. If they are useless, rid yourself of them.
Remember, if you will, when Nobunaga Oka was governing Miai Province. He constantly found himself surrounded by well-wishers who only sought to maintain their own positions when Emperor Antoku gave him special consideration during the Taira reign. The people in his domain continually sent him gifts of all types entreating him to intercede on their behalf with the emperor until Oka became enamored of himself. It was then that he found himself unable to deal harshly when it was required. He soon lost control of the government, fell out of favor with the emperor, and was deposed by his own generals. They saw he was not being sincere with anyone, including themselves, unless he was approached with a gift. Nobunaga’s acceptance of flattery led him to arrogance, and he thought he could demand anything of anyone in his court. Eventually, no one would heed his orders. In dishonor, he was requested to commit suicide.
If you are in power then everyone must know you are in command or, simply, you are not. If you maintain control in this manner, all the people will think they are deriving advantage and enjoying your personal guarantee. If you do not act in such a manner, you may be considered weakminded, and it will cause your downfall. Everyone, myself included, should be used as a tool for the realization of your greatness.
There are many things to know, and there are many things to learn. It is a never-ending process.
CHAPTER TWO
Private and Public Domains
It is easier to maintain private control than to supervise a public undertaking. If the controller of the private enterprise does nothing except keep the status quo of the hereditary hierarchy, nothing will make the people rebel against him. If change is made in a private domain the members of the clan will seek to assist the leader in an endeavor to maintain their own prosperity based on the leader’s new vision.
Maintaining private control takes two factors of acquisition into consideration. One is by ascension through normal inheritance. Changes in leadership are maintained as private affairs throughout the domain that they are directly concerned with. The other is through outside negotiation such as marriages and mergers under any guise. You accomplished one type when you took the Lady Reiki as your consort. Her father was honored by your choice of his daughter and gave you extensive lands as a gift to celebrate the arrangement.
Each of these situations presents benefits and difficulties for maintaining control of the governing factors. When control of a private clan is passed from generation to generation, the common people will consider themselves fortunate in having a benevolent leader still rooted in the original family structure. The nobles of that clan generally will not feel the same way since they are not the absolute leaders. The common people will tend to live in peace accepting their lot in life, and care must be taken that not too much liberality is introduced into their lives. They will not understand such gifts, and if they get them they will not know what to do with them. It is better to keep them slightly suppressed, which should not be confused with oppressed. The people must also know that any outside interference will be taken care of by the leader. It is likewise important to restrict the freedom of the nobles, but that must be done with great consideration to prevent interfamily conflicts.
If misfortune besets the leader of a private domain then the people will rise up and defend their clan, especially against outside threats. Even if the leader suffers from a peculiarity of character, the people will tend to see it as part of the leader’s nature and it will be overlooked. Unless he begins to torment the people they will do no more than complain about him. As well, if they feel they are being treated too harshly they may seek outside intervention.
When outside intervention seems necessary, another in the hereditary line of succession can be granted permission, usually by the leader’s family itself, to wrest control and change authority. The new authority will more than likely put things back in order and will probably promise new conditions to the people. These promises may not necessarily