It really was an incredible time when there were no other materials available…

It’s fine even if the content of the dream is absurd, as it doesn’t feel particularly out of place…

Haa… a monk, huh…

Perhaps it is.

It must be an illusion.

Is it like a raid boss from a social game, or something like that?

In the past, the boundary between reality and fantasy was probably low like this.

It is written that way in the Kojiki as well.

Let’s prepare.

Untrustworthy writer

If there are no other historical sources that can deny what is written, then for now, we have no choice but to accept it.

Oh, you’re a monk.

Ah hi

Until the time machine is created, I guess we just have to be patient and believe…

The “noja loli fox spirit” actually exists…!?

This is how the truth about ninjas is born…

There are somewhat more grounded materials available, just in case.

But the escaping young man progresses the conversation based on the historical perspective of the “Taiheiki”…

Even the Bible.

I wonder where the Prince Shōtoku and the Myōō, who appeared to assist, disappeared to afterwards.

I killed the enemies of faith.

That number… six hundred million! There are even serious historical accounts that state this.

Is there really only the Taiheiki that writes about this period in history? Really?

As proof of having annihilated the enemy, you gather ears and make an ear mound, right?

I secretly hide it because I will be called a barbarian in the next generation.

Unlike the Taiheiki, there are diaries that seem reliable, but since they are just diaries, I can’t help but trust the publicly created Taiheiki more. It’s not written like the Taiheiki, which presents a clear overall narrative, so when viewed as a whole, I think the Taiheiki is better.

Due to the Taiheiki, fraudulent dojos that taught swordsmanship and military science, handed down from Prince Shotoku to Kusunoki Masashige and passed down through my ancestors, became wildly popular during the Edo period.

Is it FGO?

Is the Taiheiki perhaps an entertainment book?

The Taiheiki features tengu participating in wars naturally, and various yokai also make quite a few appearances.

To selectively pick and discard the contents of the historical materials based on convenience…

In that case, there are yokai in the Azuma Mirror and the Tale of the Heike.

Thank you in advance.

The Kōyō warship has been subject to much praise and criticism, but it seems that in recent years, there are many descriptions that are worthy of attention and it is being reevaluated.

If there are no counterarguments, then it can’t be helped, can it?

It’s amazing how much popularity the Taiheiki gained, filled with exaggerations, lies, and embellishments for the sake of entertainment.

It’s normal to have unpleasant dreams before a war, and it’s also common to start saying strange things as an excuse for losing.

The Taiheiki is fundamentally a military chronicle.

It’s not much different in credibility from a newspaper that writes about a great advance despite losing, but it is still a valuable source of information that was published at that time.

Well, even in Chinese history, it was said that burying 200,000 people alive was an exaggeration, but now that layers of human bones have been found, it might actually be true…

Well, the idea of Toyotomi Hideyoshi being a high school girl…

The Taiheiki contains many exaggerations, but on the other hand, it is based on well-collected information.

The creation itself is quite serious.

I heard a perspective biased towards the Southern Court.

Isn’t it a bit too much to say that Bai Qi buried 200,000 people alive?

Since it’s written in the Records of the Grand Historian, let’s all believe it.

No matter how good the material is, it’s over once it’s gone.

So when it comes to history books that are written to seem realistic (like the official ones from the Chinese dynasties), are they more reliable?

That’s not the case, you know…

In other words, is Taiheiki a secondary creation of historical works like Romance of the Three Kingdoms…?

In historical texts of China, there are serious accounts stating “the unicorn and phoenix appeared in the heavens, leading to the emperor’s ascension to the throne.”

Unless there is more credible evidence than what is clearly altered, we have no choice but to consider it as fact.

In the past, people didn’t really worry too much about truth or consistency.

Especially when hearsay is mixed in, it tends to become a big deal.

Kūkai’s unparalleled records are interesting to watch.

There is no evidence to deny the possibility that a Holy Grail War involving gods and great figures suddenly occurred in this era…

I know, I know. It’s said that Prince Shotoku, who intended to manifest as a savior in the afterlife, emerged during a rehearsal and showcased his unparalleled skills in celestial arts, right?

I learned in the East.

Chinese historical texts, or more officially recognized history books, fundamentally operate within a cultural system where they must assert legitimacy through that means.

The point is that the purpose is not to record the facts in the first place.

The Taiheiki is written with the intention of being propaganda, so it is conversely easier to understand.

The truly vile ones write big lies in a serious tone with a stiff style.

The shape-shifting tanuki played a big role in the Russo-Japanese War, didn’t it?

There was also a time when the Heike army mistook a flock of wild birds taking flight for a surprise attack by the Genji side and ended up in disarray and fleeing on their own.

It’s scary, isn’t it?

Group psychology

The apparition of Saint George also appeared during WWI, and this kind of illness runs deep.

During the Sengoku period, a considerable number of stories were collected after entering the Edo period, and I’ve heard about them from my grandpa, so they are mostly summarized tales like that.

At the relatively early stages of this manga, there were depictions of otherworldly beings like gods and demons who could use their powers in the final era, and seriously, it seems that deities, buddhas, and historical figures were lending their strength like in Megaten.

Monsters die from arrows or guns.

“Because there was a god behind us, we won, and that’s been written everywhere in abundance.”

It’s okay to go a bit fancy and make it an all-star.

If it’s just that I lost in that way, it can just be taken as the fact that I lost in that manner.

Since it’s being said like this, it must be written in a way that makes it difficult to interpret otherwise.

The template where past heroes and deities appear to solve events like the end of the world.

I remembered the story in Yokoyama’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms where Kongming won using an army dressed up in godly costumes.

The Taiheiki itself has many elements that were added later, and the original version, especially the sections on Enkan, was fairly well researched and obtained permission from Noriyoshi.

This is why source critique is important.

Chen Shou’s “Records of the Three Kingdoms” is from an old era, but it is highly valued as a historical text.

Why Prince Shotoku?

It’s certainly a primary source, but it’s a common fallacy seen in discussions related to Japan’s aggressive wars.

It is probably a secondary reference from scholars like Takashi Ito and those in that same realm.

The Records of the Grand Historian returns to a treatment that suggests while it is periodically questioned and has some suspicious aspects, that doesn’t mean everything in it is wrong.

“I will commit suicide, so please let the Genji take the world three generations later; is that from the Nantaiseiki?”

There are no diaries or history books written from a 100% credible and impartial standpoint, not just in China.

At that time, the total population of the Chinese mainland is estimated to be around 20 million, so the 400,000 buried alive by Bai Qi seems like a plausible figure, which I dislike.

Bai Qi is overhyped.

At most, it’s about 4000 people.

The matter of Xun Yu’s empty box isn’t from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms but rather from the Book of Later Han, and it seems there might be things that Chen Shou, even with his skills, couldn’t write about.

As a basic principle of source criticism, consider “by whom” and “for what purpose” it was written.

There are no writings or records without intention; it is extreme to think otherwise, as the author’s intent inevitably comes through.

Even if there is some bias, the system of compiling historical texts about China’s previous dynasties every time is impressive.

Without that, we would have understood much less about ancient Japan.

It is written that 400,000 people are buried alive.

I will believe.

There’s a story that a strange yokai appeared in Ieyasu’s castle garden and chased it away.

Actually, there are so many human bones emerging that it’s not just a matter of dozens of people; it’s about the case of the burial alive.

It is also written in the Taiheiki.

I will believe.

It is written that he died of rage, so I will believe it.

So what is “death from anger”?

Events that can only be thought of as strange phenomena.

There are some things that can’t be explained, like brain bugs or hallucinations when you’re half asleep.

The most interesting thing about Taiheiki is that there is no volume 22.

Especially in Chinese historical materials, it’s not that they are doing it out of vanity.

There was a historical background where it was necessary to politically hype things up and appeal to both domestic and international audiences.

The appeal to legitimacy was also important in the Middle Ages.

It’s a shame that the documents from that time, which were burned in the Onin War, are lost.

It is also written that way in the Kojiki.

It is written that way in the Kojiki as well.

It was the correct expression.

Why is a firebird fading in on the latest episode of such a major, major work?

You better start drawing some serious erotic stuff already…!

The important point is that it’s not there, yet that is ignored in the story on the next page.

Unless it is an observation record by highly advanced aliens observing Earth from outside, historical materials will inevitably contain the author’s intentions, whether intentional or unintentional.

Therefore, critical examination of sources is always necessary.

The fact that the necessity of this process was already discussed during the Tang Dynasty shows how amazing China is.

Did he die from having a burst blood vessel in his brain due to anger?

In the current Ukraine war, Tokyo Sports reported that the water spirit Vodyanoy has annihilated a Russian battalion…

The cause of death in the records seems serious, but there’s also something that feels hidden, which is quite extreme.

Once you get labeled as someone who can be hit, it’s the same as always—you get beaten up from all directions.

It is written that the head of the samurai fell from a horse and died.

Let’s believe.

There is divine punishment! That guy is infuriating! Just by adding a sentence that says “this guy is a psycho!” you can’t help but express that Yuuki Souhiro is truly making too much of a contribution to the Southern Dynasty.

It wouldn’t be strange for someone who has many opportunities to ride horses to die from falling off.

There are clearly only families that have taken over future governments around, but it is a fall from a horse.

Let’s believe.

It might be the case that someone tries to cover up their dishonorable death by saying it was a fit of rage.

People with a driver’s license can also die in traffic accidents…

It felt like there was an unspoken understanding that the high number of deaths from anger was something people should just sense.

The Taiheiki, being written by a monk, often intertwines dubious stories with the virtues of Buddhism and the concept of cause and effect.

Conversely, someone like Naoyoshi has no clear evidence but in the Taiheiki, he is portrayed as a dangerous guy who just keeps assassinating people.

Well, it seems that nobody is really doubting it since there hasn’t been much contradiction since then…

Well, there were more deaths from illness in the past, but many of them weren’t diagnosed.

I feel like the cause is probably being lumped together like this, and it’s just making me really frustrated.

Therefore, it’s better to compare various records from the same era.

Old warriors probably had their blood vessels all messed up from too much salt intake.

It feels like I’m summarizing it roughly because it would be in poor taste to write in detail about how to die.

When the UK also checked the materials from Boutika with some skepticism, geological features of the same era turned out to have tens of thousands of bones emerging.

When I started research for the restoration of Jildre’s honor, I found more children’s bones than the documents indicated…

It is written that a turtle fell from the sky and hit me on the head, causing my death.

I will believe.

In localized battles, they write ridiculous numbers like over a million, which is more than the final battle of the Warring States period, so when I see books that include this without question as part of castle history, it’s at an embarrassing level.

Regardless of gods and Buddhas, do you think the foot soldiers of this era are aware of historical figures?

I can’t say for sure that this is not a time when common sense is different from now.

Let’s believe.

Even in modern times, there are stories of goblins appearing in Africa and ninjas assassinating sorcerers in Southeast Asia, and there’s also the great figures all-stars.

It was a natural belief until around the middle of the Muromachi period that if someone became ill or faced continuous misfortune, it was undoubtedly due to a vengeful spirit.

Official titles were tied to such spiritual matters and superstitions, granting titles to sinners and raising ranks for gods and mountains.

There’s a story about a fool who distinguished between ethnic groups by their appearance and killed many during the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians, but when I look at the actions of modern dictators, I wonder if something like that could really happen…

The concept of declining health caused by the emergence of the living spirit, to which there seemed to be a limit in blaming only the dead for the causes.

Since Kanjō-ji is saying that the statue is of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the person depicted in this painting must be Yoritomo.

Believe me.

In terms of what was a fact in the perception of people at that time, it is an important document.

Let’s believe…!

These kinds of things in documents often can’t write the truth, which is why it’s done this way.

As an example, I can’t write that the emperor lost because this guy is worthless! So I’ll have to somehow make it so that Tokiyori had some virtue.

Emperor Go-Daigo is so inadequate that he regularly gets penetrated by that.

What’s important here is that there was a difference in morale… it’s not really the true history… you understand what I mean, right? The author emphasized this, but it didn’t work out.

Let’s believe (Maybe the morale was super low and they were unmotivated, so they’re making up this stupid excuse for losing, you know? Don’t believe it, okay?)

It’s clear that there are various factors like age, unhealthy habits, and trending illnesses that seem to be affecting health.

If we don’t blame it on curses or vengeful spirits, it would create friction…

When you feel unwell, you might even see hallucinations.

Kita-batachi Chikafusa and others believed that Hojo Yoshitoki implemented good governance and possessed both virtue and popularity.

It’s only natural that the emperor lost in the Jōkyū War, isn’t it?

The Takahashi brothers might have been acknowledged if they had that much virtue and popularity.

It’s probably just an excuse from the commander after being brutally defeated by PTSD that feels too realistic.

The Taiheiki exaggerates things like “Kitanokata-kun led 500,000 soldiers from Oshu southward! It’s all over now!!”

Because the future was shrouded in darkness, I believe the desire to rely on divine intervention, dreams, fortune-telling, and the supernatural was stronger than it is now.

I have no choice but to believe the documents written at that time, even if they are a bit exaggerated.

It should be easier to get stuck now, so there should be more opportunities to pray.

The Taiheiki contains “content written during that time,” “content added or changed later,” and “parts that have somehow disappeared, possibly due to inconvenient circumstances.”

That’s right, that’s right.

I can probably speculate that there was a background like this, but there is no data to support it…

Let’s believe!

I guess we have no choice but to rely on the area since we can’t trust the numbers the enemy is saying.

This document is extremely suspicious for a military chronicle of later generations…!

There are also examples like the Kōyō Gunkan, where materials from that time really surfaced later to provide corroboration.

The Kōyō Military Ship is a valuable document that allows us to glimpse the circumstances of the time when viewed purely as a highly subjective diary of Kōsaka Masanobu.

The old army also said that a divine wind would blow until their defeat, so humans haven’t changed much.

It’s common to exaggerate numbers to intimidate, claiming to have an army of tens of thousands, but I often wonder if that’s too much of an exaggeration.

Maybe everyone started saying things like, “We lost badly because of that time we burned the temple!” and that’s how this story came together…

Should I also carve both truths and lies into the tablet…?!

However, this interpretation was interesting…

The aristocrats were seriously keeping diaries just with the facts, so there are too many patterns that can be verified!

Is that the case in the taiga drama too?

Let’s believe.

There are reports that several mounds with traces of about a hundred people buried were found related to Bai Qi.

Before I knew it, they are saying it’s a layer of human bones that’s really buried in hundreds of thousands.

Humans have always loved to exaggerate excessively.

I wish there were more instances in historical dramas where the sections lacking documentation could be done freely.