Vocabulary

as selfishly as one pleases; as willfully as one pleases

having the face of a devil and the heart of Buddha; having a stern face but a tender heart

one's doubts being cleared away (dispelled, resolved)

come-from-behind victory

saving a nation and providing relief to the people

wicked and perverse; weird and incoherent

put heads together and confer; convene and discuss; go into a huddle (over)

put heads together and confer; convene and discuss; go into a huddle (over)

go into a huddle (over); hold a secret conference (about); put heads together and conspire

going into a huddle (over); holding secret (closed-door) conference (about); laying heads together in secret consultation

a cornered rat will bite the cat; one who is cornered will fight like a devil

suddenly turning for the worse; sudden deterioration

the shogunate period; the days of the shogunate regime

archery, horsemanship, spearsmanship, and swordsmanship; martial arts in general

archery, horsemanship, spearsmanship, and swordsmanship; martial arts in general

breaking down antiquated notions; abandoning old-time ways; correcting long-standing abuses

coercive (high-handed) measure; strong-arm method

trying to straighten the horns of a bull, and killing it in the process; trying to correct a small defect and ruining the whole thing; the cure is worse than the disease

flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface; something that is visible but having no substance; the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words

learning good manners through apprenticeship (to an upper-class family)

pincer operation (tactic)

fake (staged) robbery

fake kidnapping; staged kidnapping

competitive relationship; rivalry

very truly yours; very respectfully yours

very truly yours; very respectfully yours

tough measure; firm step; strong measure

force (bulldoze) one's way through

the peddling trade

combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)

skill at administration; one's administrative skills

arena of competition

fellow pupil; fellow apprentice

complicity (in a crime); collusion

defeat is inevitable for an overconfident army; being arrogant and overconfident inevitably leads to defeat; pride comes before a fall

combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)

readiness to cooperate; framework for cooperation

being the strongest; being powerful (mighty) without equal

the principle of honorable death and no surrender

breakthrough in the situation; break in the deadlocked situation