marriage of convenience; marriage for political reasons
to be furious; to seethe with anger; to have one's blood boiling
shameless; brazen and unscrupulous
to evaluate; to appraise; to comment on
to be a background factor; to be an underlying reason
cruel; brutal; savage; barbarous
philandering; itch for women
absurd; unreasonable; excessive; very; extremely; excessively
in some cases; sometimes; on occasions
nonsensical; unreasonable; awfully; extremely; disorder; confusion
to come to nothing; to be spoiled; to be spoilt
distortion; falsification; perversion
national mood; national sentiment; national feeling
public opinion; popular voice; public sentiment; consensus
demonstration; protest; (giving a) demo; demonstration; presentation
court noble; nobility; Imperial Court
royal authority; regal power; authority of the king
on the surface; ostensibly; superficially; apparently
government; administration
morale (of troops, team, etc.); esprit de corps
to prove successful; to take hold; to amount to something
revival from the brink of death; recovering from a hopeless situation; resuscitation; revitalization
one move (in go, shogi, etc.); only way; only means; doing alone; doing single-handed
private; confidential; informal; secret; (within the) family circle; (on the) inside
domestic and foreign; inside and outside the country
chief vassal; senior statesman
behind closed doors; behind-the-scenes; (under the veil of) secrecy
planning; devising (a plan); drafting; drawing up
accomplishment; execution
no matter what it takes; by any means necessary; at all costs; by hook or by crook
apron of a gun; cover for the touch-hole on a cannon or matchlock
both armies; both teams; both sides
to clash; to collide; to conflict; to meet (by chance); to come across; to run into
massing (of troops); gathering
kind; cordial; hospitable; serious (of an illness)
pile; pool; gathering spot; waiting place for a wrestler beside the ring; liquid runoff from miso preparation; tamari
climax; peak; zenith; apex
blitzkrieg; lightning war