THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
thousand of his soldiers. At that moment a messenger arrived carrying a letter from Ando's niece, who was married to Nitta Yoshisada, commander-in-chief of the hostile forces. She advised Andō to surrender to Yoshisada, pledging herself to intercede for him. It is related that Andō's answer was: "A soldier's wife must have a soldier's heart if she is to bear him children worthy of his name. All men knew that it has been my privilege to live a warrior's life, and if now, when fate has found me, I yielded to the foe, shame would be my lot. Yoshisada may have thought to put me to the proof, but his wife should not have helped him to insult me by such a proposal." Then, wrapping the letter round the hilt of his sword, he disembowelled himself, and his example was followed by all his soldiers.
Uyesugi Kenshin, desiring to secure the province of Shinano against the enterprises of his rival, Takeda Shingen, gave it in fief to his brother-in-law, Nagao Masakage. Presently doubts began to be thrown on the fidelity of Masakage. Kenshin resolved to have him put to death, and took counsel as to how the decision might be carried out. His chief vassals urged him to desist, pointing out that only vague suspicions existed; that to act on such evidence might involve the very catastrophe they sought to avert, namely, the loss of Shinano, and that to compass the death of his own brother-in-law would be a disgrace to Kenshin. But he overruled their
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