The Shogun's Scroll. Stephen F. Kaufman

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       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 be delivered or deliverable, but the people know they are incapable of taking control and will acquiesce accordingly. Of course, should there be serious complaint, the development of a faction can occur, causing further trouble where it tends to stir the people to revolt. That person or persons responsible for the unrest must be removed from office. This is not an act of cruelty. It is an act of maintaining control by intelligent means.

      This is not so in nonmilitary affairs where people can become quickly annoyed with anything the leader tries to develop. The shogun may inadvertently create a problem that he is unable to rectify without harsh action, whereas in the private domain the leader can revert back to the original idea of the enterprise with little difficulty, unless he commits a severe breach of conduct. In public matters a leader can be constantly assaulted and forced into compromising situations, which may bring an unwanted change in conditions unless he is ironfisted. If he is, the above problem will probably not develop.

      To remind you of this situation, please remember when Yoshikai Bento sought to favor his own family with court positions and overlooked the desires of the emperor’s family. He gave everyone of his bloodline positions of authority and entirely overlooked the consternation of others more closely aligned to the emperor. The incompetence of Bento’s family became legendary, and he was soon replaced himself when the emperor, who had been lenient, was constantly assailed by reports of ineptitude. To alleviate the condition and to put things back in order, the emperor removed Bento and replaced him with the empress’s brother. That her brother was also incapable did not matter as much as the tranquillity that was restored to the emperor’s household.

      The public domain is the entire realm inclusive of private matters. All matters public and private concern the shogunate. The entire country comprises the public domain because it is legislated by the overall rules of the entire society. It doesn’t matter who appears to own anything. It is only by the grace of the emperor that the people may have their own lands. Because of this, men will want to please those in control, regardless of the manner in which that control has been appropriated. The people will be happy in mind and spirit when they know they are governed by a benevolent leader.

      Because you and the emperor may have differences of opinion, it can become necessary for you to change policy at any given time. You should get an agreement from the emperor and advise your subjects that the change is due to divine intervention. In this manner you won’t be looked upon with disfavor by your own people. It will appear that you are only following the directives of the emperor, and you must never show any form of disdain when you are doing this. As a wise shogun, you will understand the powers expressed by the emperor, and you should permit your own actions to please him as well. Regardless, your own ideas will eventually be put into play, permitting yourself to control the entire domain without interference if you are astute. This includes using deception to maintain your position of authority.

      Deception is an art naturally developed as one of the most important qualities of leadership. It permits you to remain alert to sudden changes in the domain as to who may be silently creating dissension. Should you determine any distractions that can keep you from attaining your goals, remove them. Awareness of conditions makes it easier to root out those who would usurp the shogunate for any reason.

      The general population is easily maneuvered into thinking along the lines of those who are in power. Once the people are assuaged and under control, differences in policy can be easily implemented. There will be no confusion among the masses as to who is in charge. They will agree with the strongest, and they will do so out of fear— your benevolence notwithstanding.

      There can be no lack of growth in the future development of the domain. The people must be kept busy or their idleness will degrade into irreverence. If this is allowed to happen they will develop fantasies of power that they do not know how to use. This will permit others with designs upon your position to gather the discontented to their side, creating additional difficulty for you. This cannot be permitted to happen and should be stopped the moment it is detected, without regard for the consequences visited upon those who created the problem.

      Current and accurate information is essential in order to maintain control. If information cannot be determined to come from actual fact, then it is suggested that you consider the occurrence of the rumor to be reason enough for quelling any potential disturbance. There is always some truth behind any rumor. If someone shows a desire to wrest control from you they should not be lightly overlooked. Detractors must be removed from office by any means you deem appropriate.

      Sugiwara Michizane, a regent in the Fujiwara clan, was unjustly accused of having illicit relations with one of the emperor’s consorts, the exquisite Lady Chiba. Michizane was sent into exile even though no one could actually prove that he had disgraced the throne. The cause of his downfall was his overbearing attention towards Lady Chiba whenever she was in his presence. Rivals, jealous of his position at court, spread rumors that created great difficulty for Michizane. His wife committed suicide because of the disgrace that befell her family. The emperor, although unable to prove anything, had no choice but to remove Michizane from the court in order to maintain the dignity required for the proper conduct of state business. No one ever knew if any impropriety was committed.

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