ほらの達人 秀吉・「中国大返し」考 Thoughts on “Chugoku Ogaeshi (Bicchu Ogaeshi)” of the Boaster HideyoshiQIR(機関リポジトリー)6月12日登録 http://catalog.lib.kyushu-u.ac.jp/recordID/1516170 キーワード 明智光秀 織田信孝 飛脚 書状 備中 高松城 備前 野殿 沼城 姫路城 山崎 山陽道 Keywords AKECHI Mitsuhide, ODA Nobutaka, Hikyaku (express messengers), Bicchu Province, Takamatsu-jo Castle, Bizen Province, the Sanyodo Road, Nodono District (in Okayama pref), Numa-jo Castle, Himeji-jo Castle, Yamazaki district (in Osaka pref), Hideyoshi’s letter 主たる論点 本能寺の変、明智光秀による主君織田信長・殺害事件の情報は、備中の戦陣 にいた羽柴秀吉（のち豊臣秀吉）のもとに二日後に届いた。敵方毛利氏との停 戦をとりまとめ、秀吉は光秀との決戦に臨むべく、山陽道(中国筋)を京都に向 かった。いわゆる「中国大返し」、「備中大返し」である。 そのおり「二十七里を一日一夜」で駆けたと秀吉が書き残している。備中国 高松城から決戦場となる山崎まで、九日間の行程、全距離232キロ（五十八里） の半分、中間点の姫路城まで「二十七里」を、秀吉はわずか一昼夜で駆け抜け たというのだが、およそありえないことだ。だが、秀吉のそのことばにより、「中 国（備中）大返し」は神業に近いものだったとされてきた。秀吉によれば、六 月六日未刻（午後2時前後）に備中高松城を出て、七日には姫路城に入ること ができたという。しかしこの言葉は、のちになって、秀吉に敵対しはじめた織 田信孝(信長三男)と周辺に対し、「大坂にて危機にあったと聞いた信孝様をお救 いするために、秀吉が日夜懸命に馳せ参じたのです」、と秀吉が説明した文脈中 のものである。真実というよりは誇張、なかば「ほら話」である。 秀吉本人が行軍中に記した六月五日秀吉書状（梅林寺文書）、つまりリアルタ イム史料によれば、すでに秀吉は敵国、備中国・高松城を引き払っており、五 日に属国＝安全地帯たる備前国・野殿（山陽道）まできていた。毛利側の様子 をうかがい、何事もなければ沼城まで行くと書いている。よって正しくは、秀 吉本人は備中高松城を五日に出て備前国境を越え、七日の姫路入城までに、三 日をかけた行軍であった。前提として道中の警護を担う先遣隊が、四日には備 中を出て、六日には姫路城に入城していた。このこともリアルタイム史料（六 月八日杉若無心書状）に記述がある。六日に高松城を出発し、七日に姫路城に 入城したというのは、リアルタイム史料の記述に矛盾しているし、物理的に不 可能でもあるから、虚偽と判断する。 Thoughts on “Chugoku Ogaeshi (Bicchu Ogaeshi)” of the Boaster Hideyoshi HATTORI Hideo Contents Introduction １Conveyance of information on “Honno-ji no Hen” (Honno-ji Incident, 1582) 2 A march from Takamatsu-jo Castle to Himeji-jo Castle through Numa-jo Castle 3 Conclusions Keywords AKECHI Mitsuhide, ODA Nobutaka, Hikyaku (express messengers), Bicchu Province, Takamatsu-jo Castle, Bizen Province, the Sanyodo Road, Nodono District (in Okayama pref), Numa-jo Castle, Himeji-jo Castle, Yamazaki district (in Osaka pref), Hideyoshi’s letter The Main Point of Argument HASHIBA Hideyoshi (later TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi), who was fighting at Takamatsu-jo Castle in Bicchu Province, heard the news of the Honno-ji Incident two days later that AKECHI Mitsuhide rebelled and killed his lord ODA Nobunaga at the Honno-ji temple. Hideyoshi immediately entered the cease-fire negotiations and concluded a peace with the Mori clan and headed for Kyoto by way of Sanyodo Road (Chugoku-suji Road) to fight a showdown with Mitsuhide. That is, so called, “Chugoku Ogaeshi (Bicchu Ogaeshi)”, a great rush-back from Chugoku (Bicchu Province). Hideyoshi himself wrote about the return that he ran “27-ri (about 108 kilometers) round the clock.” Takamatsu-jo Castle was 58-ri (232 kilometers) away from the Yamazaki district in Settu-no-kuni(Osaka-Hu), where the showdown took place. Although it took nine days for Hideyoshi to travel that distance, yet he said he ran half of that distance, from Takamatsu-jo Castle to Himeji-jo Castle, in a whole day and night. That is absolutely impossible. His words, however, were believed and “Chugoku Ogaeshi (Bicchu Ogaeshi)” has been said to be nearly divine work. He also wrote that he was able to enter Himeji-jo Castle on June 7th after leaving Takamatsu-jo Castle in Bicchu Province at around two o’clock on June 6th. When ODA Nobutaka (Nobunaga’s third son) and his vassals later became hostile toward Hideyoshi, he tried to explain “how he hurried night and day to rescue Nobutaka in crisis in Osaka.” His remark was made in this context. I think that was an almost tall story, exaggeration rather than the fact. According to Hideyoshi’s letter (in the Bairinji Letters) written on June 5th, on a real-time basis, while he was on the march, he left Takamatsu-jo Castle in Bicchu Province and came to the Nodono district in Buzen Province (Sanyodo Road) on that day. He wrote he would go to Numa-jo Castle if everything was going all right with the surrendered Mori clan. The truth is that he came to Bizen Province on 5th, leaving Takamatsu-jo Castle in Bicchu Province on the same day and entered Himeji-jo Castle on 7th after marching for three days. SUGIWAKA Mushin’s letter written on June 8th, also on a real-time basis, tells us that advance troops left Bicchu on 4th and entered Himeji-jo Castle on 6th. Hideyoshi’s remark was inconsistent with these two letters and it was physically impossible to leave Takamatsu-jo Castle on 6th and enter Himeji-jo Castle on 7th. Based on these facts, I concluded Hideyoshi told a falsehood. ＊ 先遣隊・6月４日清水宗治切腹の日のうちに高松出発→６日姫路着。途中も分散し て道中警護。 ＊ 秀吉隊・６月５日高松発 備中・備前の国境を越えた野殿で待機、そのあと沼城へ →６日宇根泊（推定）→７日姫路入城