| As a young acolyte Ekei had caught the attention of [[Mori Motonari|Môri Motonari]], who had ordered him into his service. A man of exceptional intelligence and insight, Ekei accompanied Motonari on most of his campaigns, who enjoyed conversing with his "little monk". When Motonari died in [[1572]], Ankokuji traveled about for some time before returning to serve [[Mori Terumoto|Môri Terumoto]] and becoming the abbot of the [[Ankoku-ji]]. Later, during the long war with the [[Oda clan|Oda]], Ekei would act as a negotiator with Hideyoshi, whom he had met in [[1573]]. Hideyoshi developed a fondness for Ekei, and awarded him a fief worth 60,000 koku in [[Iyo province]] (Shikoku). Ekei became a member of Hideyoshi's close entourage, along with [[Hosokawa Fujitaka]] and [[Sen no Rikyu]]. | | As a young acolyte Ekei had caught the attention of [[Mori Motonari|Môri Motonari]], who had ordered him into his service. A man of exceptional intelligence and insight, Ekei accompanied Motonari on most of his campaigns, who enjoyed conversing with his "little monk". When Motonari died in [[1572]], Ankokuji traveled about for some time before returning to serve [[Mori Terumoto|Môri Terumoto]] and becoming the abbot of the [[Ankoku-ji]]. Later, during the long war with the [[Oda clan|Oda]], Ekei would act as a negotiator with Hideyoshi, whom he had met in [[1573]]. Hideyoshi developed a fondness for Ekei, and awarded him a fief worth 60,000 koku in [[Iyo province]] (Shikoku). Ekei became a member of Hideyoshi's close entourage, along with [[Hosokawa Fujitaka]] and [[Sen no Rikyu]]. |