Shindo Nagayuki (進藤長之)
Nagayuki SHINDO (1666 to January 26, 1727) was an aozamurai (literally meaning "blue samurai," a fifth-rank warrior who serves for a royal family or a court noble) who served for the Konoe family as Shodaibu (fourth and fifth-rank officials). His official rank was Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) Gyobu no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of Justice). It is said that, among his clan was Toshimoto SHINDO, a feudal retainer of the Ako clan, and he was on good terms with Yoshio OISHI while he was staying in Yamashina.
He was born as the second son of an aozamurai Nagamasa SHINDO, a vassal of the imperial prince Shuchoho in Rinno-ji Temple. The mother of his father Nagamasa was a daughter of Yoshikatu OISHI (Yoshio's great-grandfather). Because the eldest son Yasumichi SHINDO succeeded Nagamasa as the head of the family, Nagayuki became the adopted son of his relative Nagafusa SHINDO, who was a vassal of the Konoe family. Thereafter, he served the Konoe family through three generations: Motohiro KONOE, Iehiro KONOE, and Iehisa KONOE. Because he was a Shodaibu of the Sekkan Konoe family, he was often given official rank from the emperor. In 1680, he was appointed Shorokuinoge (Senior Sixth Rank, Lower Grade) Shurinodaijo (senior secretary responsible for repair), got promoted to Repair Ryoninkan, and in 1701, he became Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) Gyobu no taifu.
Moreover, in March of the same year as the bloodshed incident of Naganori ASANO, he went downward to Edo with Sukekado YANAGIWARA and Yasuharu TAKANO, who were messengers of the emperor. After the bloodshed incident, Nagayuki, who returned to Kyoto, reported on details of bloodshed to his master Motohiro KONOE, and KONOE then reported to the Higashiyama Emperor. According to "Motohiro KONOE's Diary," both KONOE and the emperor were pleased with this situation, which seems an abnormal reaction.
Perhaps related to this, after the surrender of the Ako-jo Castle, Nagayuki received his relative Toshimoto SHINDO, a feudal retainer of the Ako clan, into Yamashina, which was a territory of the Konoe family managed by Nagayuki SHINDO. Moreover, he also received Yoshio OISHI into Yamashina, after he had ended the unsettled affairs of the Ako feudal administration. However, anecdote says that, when OISHI was moving downwards to Edo from Yamashina, he begged Nagayuki for money, but Nagayuki refused. Nagayuki later regretted not having lent the money when he knew that OISHI had asked for money for the purpose of avenging his master. If this anecdote is true, it means that Nagayuki did not know anything about the revenge. On the contrary, if OISHI could beg Nagayuki for money, Nagayuki must have been quite close to OISHI. It is unknown to what extent Nagayuki was related to the revenge.
He was appointed Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) in 1703. Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade) in 1708. Furthermore, Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) in 1716. He retired in 1725, got his head shaved, and moved to Sambongi near Seigai (West Cliff) of the Kamo-gawa River. He died in 1727, and was buried in the Joke-in Temple. The Buddhist name was Unnunantansuiichiyo (so-and-so hermitage, one leaf on fresh water). Passed away at the age of 63.