◆ Jiang Feng, chief writer of "Japanese Overseas Chinese Daily".
As one of Japan's "Three Masters of the Warring States", Oda Nobunaga is regarded as the closest Japanese man to the top of national unification before Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Whether it's a book, a wild history, a novel, a TV series, a literary stage, or a game world, Oda Nobunaga has never been cherished for "pen and ink". Compared with Oda Nobunaga's full and rich sense of historical existence, as the daughter of Saito Michizo, who was also talked about by later generations, the "Nohime" who married into the Oda family due to a cruel political marriage was able to sit firmly in the "main room", and the topicality was not inferior to her husband.
However, just like in China's Three Kingdoms period, even if the women who are famous are limited by historical and social limitations, few women are found in history books or even nowhere to be found. The same was true of Japan's Sengoku period. Due to the fact that rich records and materials are rarely found in historical materials, "Nohime" is believed by many Japanese researchers to have withdrawn from the stage as early as the middle of the stage due to the nature of political marriage and the disagreement between the two families, and returned to his "hometown", and his life and death are uncertain.
However, the most powerful impact on the above statement is the historical fragment of Mino Province that Saito Michizo left to his son-in-law Oda Nobunaga in his suicide note. Although this suicide note has not been circulated in the world, and its credibility has been questioned by many parties, as "ironclad evidence", there is another suicide note hidden in Myokakuji Temple in Kyoto, written by Saito Michizo to his youngest son Saito Hirara, who is the abbot of the temple the day before he faced off with his eldest son Saito Yoshi. In this letter, it is clearly written that he handed over the Mino country, which is now Gifu Prefecture in Japan, to which he belonged all his life, to Oda Nobunaga. To say the least, the relationship of trust between Michizo Saito and Oda Nobunaga can be seen in the text. On the other hand, with such a relationship between the father-in-law and the son-in-law, it is difficult to imagine that the marriage between "Nohime" and Oda Nobunaga will change and suffer unbearable.
The name "Nohime" is derived from the name "princess from Mino", indicating her origin. But whether this name is accurate or not is also not supported by reliable historical sources. Another word about its name is "Gui Die", and such a somewhat romantic name even appears in video games with the theme of Japan's Warring States history. In the "Nobunaga Official Chronicle", it is only recorded that the two came together through a political marriage under the mediation of Masahide Hirate, and the names of Nohime or Guidie never appeared. Relying on the well-known literary works such as "The Story of the Picture Book Taiko" and "The Feeling of the Military General", "Nohime" entered people's field of vision and was quickly circulated. In film and television works, "Nonghime" also frequently appeared on the screen, and the writer vividly interpreted the story of "The Three Ladies of the Warring States" by well-known historical figures. The word "Ji" not only expresses her noble background and strong local color, but also adds a layer of complexity as a woman to the fate of the political marriage role.
Those who know Japanese history should be familiar with Nohime's father, Michizo Saito. Michizo Saito is regarded by many Japanese scholars as a highly famous conspirator of the Warring States period, and to put it nicely, or strategist, the symbol nailed to him is "Xia Ke Shang". Saito Michizo went from a little-known oil seller, first became a retainer of Nagahiro, the patriarch of the Toki clan who was the guardian of Mino Province, and plotted all the way, and at the age of 37, he "killed the lord" and killed Nagai Nagahiro, and then replaced him as the guardian of Mino Province, and finally expelled Toki Yorii and became the lord of Mino Province. Japanese historical writer Ryotaro Sima even portrayed him as a shameless thief, which also made his nickname "Mino Viper" seem to be well deserved. No matter how disgraceful the oil seller's "grassroots counterattack" is, the legend is indeed full of this hero's life, isn't it quite a bit of "stealing and stealing"?
From the perspective of Nohime's existence and Oda Nobunaga, Saito Michizo's historical name is not only from an oil seller to a country, but also to fulfill his son-in-law and daughter in the form of a political marriage. Nohime's mother is the daughter of Mino's famous family, Akechi Mitsutsugu, and as the daughter of the main room, so Nohime's status is also very high. Oda Nobunaga's fathers, Oda Nobuhide and Saito Michizo, went through the Battle of Kana and moved towards peace, and in 1548 Nohime and Oda Nobunaga formed a political marriage. As one of the most classic anecdotes, Michizo Saito gave his daughter Nohime a short knife when she got married, telling her that if Oda Nobunaga was a fool, he would end his name at any time. But Nonghime "replied" that perhaps this knife ended your father's life. What a "strong" response Nohime's response was! In my opinion, I was born in a family of strategies in troubled times, and I watched my father climb up step by step with his power skills. And in the era of "marrying a chicken and marrying a dog with a dog", Nonghime's thoughts must be complicated. On the one hand, she knows what she faces about the complex world and power vortex she is deeply in. On the other hand, just like Lan Qier, who was married to Geldan by Kangxi because of his affinity, how to treat his future husband and family is related to the fate of the real individual. Isn't that the case with Nohime?
Due to the limitations of historical records, it is difficult to find more material on how Nohime and Oda Nobunaga lived together. Judging from the ending of Michizo Saito in his suicide note to his son-in-law, Nohime played a pivotal role in Oda Nobunaga's career as a horseman. At least in two ways, Nohime played a good role as a mediator between her father and husband, so that Oda Nobunaga changed from the object of her father's initial interest dispute that she "wielded the sword" to a trusted ally or family relationship. Second, under the background of Nohime's special growth environment and married life, her intelligence and intelligence are the right-hand man for Oda Nobunaga's homeopathic development. I am very emotionally moved by the fact that in the troubled times where the marriage of children is used as a chess piece in the game, Nohime went from a small person who was almost regarded as a "spy" and a "spy" by her father, leaving a strong sense of existence to consolidate the friendship between the two families and help Oda Nobunaga become famous, and also embodies the connotation and style of "a heroine among women". Breaking through the shackles of the world and the fate of being coerced, Nonghime has also created a vivid history of "women are virtuous when they are talented".
Nohime left no children, and there are very few of them passed down from generation to generation, and little is known about her experience in the second half of her life. However, there are three theories, the first is that Oda Nobunaga died before he captured Mino, the second is that he was exiled to Mino by Nobunaga, and the third is that he never changed his identity as a regular room and died under the pseudonym of "Azuchiden". Personally, I prefer the third one, because it's in line with Nohime's "deservedness". No matter what the official history is, the name of "Returning to the Butterfly" is more attractive, just like "The Return of the Kirin", "Nonghime" and other Japanese-related theme film and television works, she turned into a butterfly and told the story of the Warring States heroine. (Written on June 26, 2024 in Chiba "Fengrakusai")