英語訳
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Toyohashi City Historical Discourse (The Situation at the Time of Nobuaki's Return to Office) 334
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This letter was one that Sadanobu sent to Nobuaki as a top-secret document containing his opinions at the time. It was quite lengthy, and it began with: "Reflecting carefully on the state of the world, the two hundred years of continuous peace since ancient times is something rarely seen in historical records, and while this is indeed fortunate, the daily decline in people's hearts and customs in recent times has brought no small number of lamentable matters. Setting aside distant matters for now, in the near past, the ten years or so from when I began my service were truly blessed with favorable social conditions. However, since then, there has been nothing but steady decline, and the matters that meet my eyes and ears morning and evening are mostly painful. I am deeply concerned about what further changes may come. When you retired in the year of the boar, I wrote in a sealed letter that when human affairs reach this state, it is impossible to predict what may happen next."
Originally, Sadanobu first entered government service in Kansei 5, exactly the year of Sadanobu's resignation. From that time until around Kyōwa 2, for about ten years, it was truly a blessed and good era. However, after that, social customs gradually became disordered, and the matters encountered morning and evening brought nothing but heartache. Therefore, when His Lordship resigned in Kyōwa 3, I advised that changes in human affairs were more fearsome than natural disasters and earthly omens, and urged a swift return to office for the sake of the nation - this is the meaning written here.
Next, it states: "Since the rat year when Russian ships arrived, barbarian troubles have continued without cease each year, which is also most strange." And then: "The violent death of a magistrate and such matters - setting aside the reasoning - might indeed be called inauspicious." The rat year mentioned is of course Bunka 1, and the Russian ships refer to Rezanov's arrival at Nagasaki. The violent death of a magistrate refers to the recent incident of Nagasaki Magistrate Matsudaira Yasuhide's seppuku, as I mentioned before.
From there, Sadanobu increasingly turned his brush to lament how the world had gradually declined and people's hearts had turned toward corruption, and then wrote: "There are not a few officials who have served since before your retirement, but following the times, they have all changed their ways, and though they are the same people, matters have greatly changed. Nothing from above reaches below, and lower sentiments are blocked and do not reach above." And so on: "Therefore, good people become indignant that they cannot fully accomplish good deeds, while evil people instead manipulate authority and
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Mayor of Toyohashi Ōguchi Kiroku has devoted his extensive knowledge and inexhaustible energy to compiling the history of Toyohashi City for over a year, and now as his manuscript nears completion
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resent their inability to offer bribes. Among the gentlemen and petty men of this generation, not one is satisfied, and all are disappointed. When they gather, they criticize the times and judge people; there is nothing of the righteous path, and they focus only on evil ways."
Finally, it contains this statement: "The one who will certainly lead the petty men and spread poison throughout the realm is undoubtedly Mizu-Ushū. This person has small talents and loves those with the talents of petty men. He has techniques, and I am aware of his past conduct. He has formed an inseparable bond with Matsu-Senshū, and they mutually support each other with the intention of completely changing the world. Among the lower-ranking people who follow him, there are not a few with small talents... When Ushū and Senshū achieve their ambitions and balance internal and external affairs through their schemes, they also have secret connections with Nina-Sōshū. Their ingenious strategies for infiltrating that house and various places are quite remarkable, and future disasters will inevitably arise from this."
In the text, Mizu-Ushū refers to Mizuno Dewa-no-kami Tadashige mentioned earlier, Matsu-Senshū refers to Matsudaira Izumi-no-kami Norihiro, and Nina-Sōshū refers to Ninagawa Sagami-no-kami Chikafumi.
Given these circumstances, Sadanobu's innermost thoughts at the time were as described above. However, after Nobuaki's return to office, even Mizuno Tadashige and others could do nothing against him, so for a time they completely retracted their claws. But sure enough, after Nobuaki's death in the 8th month of Bunka 14, within just a few days Tadashige was appointed to financial affairs, and in the 8th month of the following year, Bunsei 1, he had already risen to the position of Senior Councilor. Consequently, Matsudaira Izumi-no-kami and others of his faction also found their opportunity, and from the Bunsei era through the early Tenpō period, Tadashige's power and authority reached truly magnificent heights.
Even for ordinary castle attendance, Tadashige was permitted to use a tiger-skin saddle blanket, showing his status. The world again fell into luxury, bribes were conducted almost openly, and the realm truly approached a state of danger.
**Sadanobu's Prophecy**
Indeed, in the letter Sadanobu sent to Nobuaki, he clearly prophesied this situation ten years later, and his foresight was not mistaken in the slightest. His keen insight is truly astonishing. At the same time, it shows how Nobuaki suppressed the petty officials after his return to office, maintained the good customs of the Kansei era during his tenure, and implemented his own policies.
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Toyohashi City Historical Discourse (The Situation at the Time of Nobuaki's Return to Office) 335