Chapter 22 Section VI

In the eighth year of Qingchang, a new city was built for Xin. He was fifty-three years old this year, and he probably had a premonition that the days to come were not many.He was eager to fulfill his dream of building a great castle that would symbolize the unification of Tsugaru. First he tried to find a place to build the city. Oura, Horikoshi, Kuroishi... These lands that used to be bases no longer attracted him. And Ishikawa, Hetoku, Daikoji Temple, Langoka, Inakakan, Asase Ishi...these castles that Yushin had conquered by force, also seemed inappropriate because they left too much atmosphere of the former lords Nanbu and Kitabata.

Thinking for the letter: There doesn't seem to be a suitable castle in the central area of ​​the Tsugaru Plain, so I have to find a new location. What kind of place is suitable? ——Tsugaru will never start a war again.Think for the letter.Therefore, the new city does not need to be built on a steep fortress, even if it is built on a plain with a clear view.What matters is that transportation must be convenient.At that time, Tsugaru's main external traffic was by the Iwaki River.Most of the materials and new knowledge that Weixin loved in Gyeonggi passed through the North Front Sea to the west coast of Tsugaru, and then were transported to various places by the Iwaki River.

Soon, Weixin found an excellent place that could meet various conditions, and that was Takaoka next to the Iwaki River. Gaogang used to be a place where the masters of Gyeonggi often came to falcon, so it was also called Yinggang.It is a hill full of pine forests with a slight slope.Although the slope is not big, but because it is surrounded by plains, the view is excellent.Standing on the highest point of the hill, you can see the front of Mt. Iwaki. After deciding to build a new city in Takaoka, Yuishin once again reused Numata-men Matsuzai, who was familiar with Ibu and astronomy. Building a new city is not an easy task.

Not only the castle, but also the town next to the city.Such a huge project can only be completed with the concerted efforts of all ministers and citizens. As expected, Numata-men Matsuzai lived up to the high expectations of his faith. After reviewing the astronomy, meteorology and geomantic omen, he said to the family ministers: "There is no more suitable place to build a new city than Takaoka." "Yes." Master Weixin agreed. "Our project will certainly go well." Therefore, Weixin began to build towns near Takaoka in the eighth year of Keicho.But the establishment of the town this time was not as smooth as moving from Oura to Horikoshi. The common people were hesitant about moving to Takaoka, which had nothing.

Very anxious for the letter.Not only was he worried that no one would move to Takaoka, but he was also worried that he would have to submit a fortification plan to the Edo shogunate starting from this year, but this plan had not been approved for a long time. In the 11th year of Qingchang, Wei Xin decided to adopt the reward system of "Rationing rice for those who immigrate to Takaoka".Since the year before last, Wei Xin has often been ill. He really doesn't want to die without seeing the birth of a new town. The building permits for the new city have not yet been issued.Perhaps it was at this time that Xin was born, and the idea of ​​passing the position of Lord Tsugaru to Shinmei, who had a good impression on Tokugawa, was born.

At the beginning of October in the twelfth year of Qingchang—— Wei Xin's condition worsened.He set off for Kyoto in a cage.On the one hand, he was looking for a famous doctor to treat his illness, and on the other hand, he also paid off his lifelong admiration for cultural relics in Gyeonggi.He often said: If I die, I will die in Gyeonggi. On the way, Weixin suddenly received news of the death of Xinjian who also went to Kyoto to recuperate a year ago.Xin Jian was only thirty-three years old when he died. Once Xin Jian died, Wei Xin had an open reason to change Li Xin Mei as the heir.He passed through Edo on the way, and summoned Nobumei, who was a servant of the shogunate, to go with him to Beijing.

When Weixin arrived in Kyoto on November 10, he already felt that death was imminent.So he immediately summoned the painter in the temple to carve a statue for him.At that time, he was already lying in bed and couldn't get up.The bookmaker sat next to Weixin's pillow, and placed a mirror opposite Weixin who was lying immobile, and carved according to the mirror. Seeing the carved statue, I was furious for Xin. "Not at all!" He didn't know that his face had already been thin and out of shape due to illness. Weixin ordered the painter to re-engraving, until he saw the engraved image with plump cheeks, he moved his jaw slightly in satisfaction, and said with difficulty: "Well, this is what looks like me."

For the letter, he called the veterans Matsuno Nobuya and Moriyama Neizosuke to the bedside, and said to Shinmei: "It's a pity that I can't see the completion of Takaoka Castle. You have to fulfill my will and build Takaoka Castle." Then he told Matsuno Shinan and Moriyama Uchisuke: "You must support Xinmei." After he finished speaking, he took out a letter signed "Naoji Ando, ​​the shogunate veteran", which was actually the suicide note of "Li Xinmei as the lord". On December 5, Wei Xin passed away.He was fifty-seven years old when he died.

According to his last words, Yuishin's body was cremated beside the Rokujo River in Kyoto.Next to the crematorium stood a tin staff gun with the symbol of faith, and a two-layer tent, the inner layer was white cloth, and the outer layer was black cloth, which was dyed with apricot leaf peony patterns similar to Konoe's family crest that Shinto had always admired.There were no monks and certainly no one chanting. ——I am not controlled by heaven, earth and people, nor do I believe in the power of gods and Buddhas. Weixin carried out his credo to the end.In addition, he did not compose the waka of death.It's not that Xin is not good at reciting waka.When he first started to betray the south, before he started military training in Nozaki Village, he once sang this waka:

Even if you are worried about the situation, you will know it even if you escape into the deep mountains. On the one hand, reciting waka is an expedient technique to gather the hearts of the people, on the other hand, it also shows the determination to grow up in troubled times for faith and strive to transcend the limitations of the environment. Soon, the news of Xinjian and Weixin's passing away one after another, and the news that Xinli Xinmei became the heir, spread to Tsugaru.A lot of gossip began to circulate in the market. The problem is that these rumors are not just rumors, since the end of the year, the Tsugaru Prefecture has split into two major factions.