Kichūshin Affair
10th of Rokugatsu Year 3574 (2nd of December 1140)
Atsuma-jo, Atsuma
Background
The Western Shogunate, also known as the Shibuya Shogunate, had been misruled for many years by several ineffective Shoguns that had allowed it to fall into societal and economical decay. One merely had to venture several kilometres from one of the ports, or the capital of Nara to see how poor mismanaged the realm was at this point. The centralisation of past Shoguns was now hurting the people, and feudal lords of the realm to the point that several uprisings had already occurred within the past century, which were put down.
The main reason it was still alive was the efforts of the Daimyos of Kanae, Hanabatake, Toyotomi, Kaida and Kanda but even they were growing rather displeased with the affairs of the Shogunate at this point. They managed to get some reforms in place by strongarming the Shoguns in the early and mid 36th Century but they couldn't help but look at the East and see how far the west had fallen behind despite their efforts. Given that any attempt by one of them, or the many other dissatisfied daimyos would result in punishment from Ichikara itself, it would take an outsider to truly bring change to the leadership that was desperately needed.
Enter Seiho Sasaki.
He was a man of great ambitions, but his ambitions were seemingly not able to be truly met through his loyal service to the Eastern Shogunate. As his Master was preoccupied with the resistance to his rule (which ironically Sasaki himself was helping orchestra), he saw a golden opportunity in the West to perhaps position himself as the next ruler of the west. He sent letters to the most powerful leaders within the west, lamenting their situation and also lamenting his own position in the east, and was able to organize a meeting with who he considered the most important members of the west that would take place within the Kanae Domain, at Atsuma.
Meeting and Plot
After gathering the Daimyos mentioned before (aside from the Daimyo of Kaida), along with a few others, and also even bringing along his friend Yasumasa Hakase as well; he presents his master plan before them all that he believed would benefit them all. Because the Westerners could not as mentioned do anything themselves, he proposed that he and his powerful clan become the rulers of the west. He would personally and unabashedly go to the old Emperor, present to him the evidence that the Western Shogunate needed a change and leadership and ask that he become that new Shogun. He pointed out that his Domain was well known for being efficiently run, and that the Eastern Shogun Hiroyoshi Mononobe would likely support this move also.
The Westerners were hesitant at first, but then Sasaki shocked them all with his next proposal. He didn't plan on stopping after assuming the title of Western Shogun but ultimately planned to become Eastern Shogun as well, unifying the two realms into one which would allow the west to finally get some of the lucrative eastern taxes to their lands to rejuvenate the lands. Money that the KAG and CIO hoarded for themselves would be brought to use as well for this grand project, and both sides of the Empire would prosper under his rule, which he convincingly said would allow them to prosper equally.
To the westerners, the presence of Hakase and several other eastern Daimyos finally made sense. It was quite the proposal, and after some deliberation, all the members of what became known as the "Kichūshin Affair" agreed, signing a document which detailed the issues with the West to the Emperor, endorsing Sasaki, and asking for a decision.
Aftermath
Seiho Sasaki was quick to present this to the Eastern Shogun, who agreed fully under the condition that Sasaki would as Western Shogun assist his plans in the East in return.
When the old Emperor Kōmyō was presented with the Letter, he had no idea how to proceed with this given that in his old wisdom, he knew this was a plot but also knew that this was probably for the best. He issued an edict shortly after declaring that the Shibuya Clan no longer had his permission to rule in the West in his place, and he announced that Seiho Sasaki was to become the new Shogun of the West as of the month of Hachigatsu, Year 3575.
The Shibuya Shogun, Eishun, was outraged at this and immediately organised to fight this usurpation. This would lead to the short Shibuya War, which lasted two months and resulted in the crushing of the Shibuyans almost immediately, the execution of many of their leaders, and the confiscation of their Domain, which went to Sasaki.
Yet another shogi piece was in place as the results of this affair would shake up things even more...