Harunobu left Kawanakajima and visits Yu-u hime on his way to Kai. He tells her that he plans to make Kansuke marry Ritsu. He knows if Kansuke doesn't marry anyone, he would participate in many battles and tries to die. Yu-u hime is anxious abut the existence of Ritsu and O-Goto hime but Harunobu says that she should not mind them.
Harunobu (ICHIKAWA Kamejirō, right) takes Yu-u hime (Miyuki Shibamoto)'s hand
Kansuke returns to Kai prior to Harunobu and finds that Ritsu visits his house. She serves him with sake as if she were his real wife. He tells her that she doesn't relax him but she asks him why he is still unmarried. He tells her to go home but she will not. And her father HARA Toratane asks him why he never marries her and this offer of marriage is not his will but the order of Harunobu. Kansuke is perplexed by his words.
Ritsu (Aki Maeda) visits the house of Kansuke (Seiyō Uchino)
Then he visits SANADA Yukitaka who also talks about his marriage. He insists that he doesn't want neither have children nor leave his name but establish a well-governed province. He plans to guard Zenkōji Temple where NAGAO Kagetora was based on in the previous battle. Then he tells Harunobu that he taught how to win over Kagetora's vassals to Yukitaka and AIKI Ichibée. Then KOMAI Masatake tells Harunobu that Kagetara visits the Imperial court to meet the Emperor to submit Imperial sanction to beat Harunobu. But Kansuke takes advantage of his absence and sends reinforcements to the HŌJŌ Ujiyasu's army that opposes IMAGAWA Yoshimoto.
Kagetora (Gackt) who visits Kyoto is in full dress and offered sake at the Imperial court
It is Kansuke's strategem. He makes Yoshimoto make peace with Ujiyasu to form the alliance of the the daimyos of Kai (Takeda), Sagami (Hōjō) and Suruga (Imagawa), If the alliance is formed, it will enable them attack their enemies without any worry about their future. Especially Yoshimoto, who also attack the Oda clan in Owari is advised by Taigen Sessai that he can hoist his flag in Kyoto and reestablish Muramachi Bakufu soon.
Harunobu (left), Yoshimoto (Shosuke Tanihara, centre) and Ujiyasu (Makoto Matsui, right) gather at Zentokuji Temple.
Sessai visits the headquarters of Harunobu and Ujiyasu and talks with them about the alliance. In March 1554, the alliance is formed at Zentokuji Temple in Suruga. The daimyos write their signatures on the vow and burn it. then the ash is mixed with sake and they drink it (*). Sessai has a tea ceremony for Kansuke who accompanies Harunobu and talks about human's pride and mercy. Kansuke says that he fights for Harunobu,Yu-u hime and Shirō only. Sessai tells him that his mercy is not real mercy but delusion as vassal.
Taigen Sessai (Masatō Ibu) has a tea ceremony for Kansuke and talks about mercy
Thanks for the alliance, Ume, eldest daughter of Harunobu marries HOJO Shinkuro, later Ujimasa. It makes Sanjō Fujin sad. Obu Toramasa says that he is much better that IMAGAWA Ujizane who is too aristocratic but Hagino feels dissatisfied with his words (**). On the day of the wedding, Ume says farewell to her parents and is about to ride a palanquin but Sanjō Fujin hugs her tightly though Harunobu tells her to stop it and weeps. Both Toramasa and Hagino ask him to overlook it.
Sanjo Fujin (Chizuru Ikewaki, centre) hugs her daughter Ume tightly
Sanjō Fujin tells Ume who also weeps to endure what a difficult position she will be and if she cannot, she should kill herself. Kansuke who sees them thinks it's nothing but real mercy and he cannot take somebody into his confidence.
Yu-u hime coughs violently and vomits blood
In Suwa, Yu-u hime plays the flute but coughs violently and vomits blood. Shima who sees it approaches her in a fluster.
(*) This is a ceremony when an alliance is formed or somebody makes an oath.
(**) As Sanjō Fujin is from the Sanjō clan, famous aristocrat family and Hagino serves her, she finds faults with what Toramasa says.
The images are from the DVD series of "Fūrin Kazan".