Shigenari and Shumenosuké arrived on horseback, escorted by a little band of some eighty men. On their appearance before the camp of Tōdō Takatora, the sentinels one after the other called out:—
“Halt, sirs! As His Highness’s camp is so near you must dismount.”
Shumenosuké hurriedly pulled up and was about to get off his horse; but his superior stopped him with a gesture, and looked haughtily at the men in front. He cried loudly:—
“We are Kimura Shigenari and Kōri Shumenosuké, the representatives of Lord Toyotomi, Minister of the Right. No code of etiquette requires anyone to dismount before his equal in rank. You are insolent! We proceed.”
Then Shigenari rode calmly forward followed by his suite.
When the envoys came to General Ii’s camp his sentinels likewise demanded that they should dismount.
Giving the same reply as before, Shigenari, disregarding their attempts to stop him, put spurs to his horse and rode on.
At the camp of Lord Echigo more strenuous efforts were made to force the strangers to proceed on foot. In great wrath Shigenari protested against such unwarranted discourtesy.
“What mean you by such conduct?” he cried. “Judging from our reception I conclude it is the intention of Iyeyasu to disregard the Imperial mandate to make peace. Well, then, it is useless to go further. We will return at once to the castle and report to our lord the shameful treatment we have received!”