Maeda was the adopted son of Toshihisa Maeda. When the house of Maeda was passed along to Toshiie Maeda, Keiji took to the road and soon gained honor and fame in various battles. He rode his horse Shofu into battle, brandishing a two-pronged spear. He was barred from Toyotomi’s Kyushu campaign for his wild ways. But Kagekatsu Uesugi’s trusted assistant Kanetsugu Naoe liked him and invited him to provide aide in the attack against the Honma family on the island of Sado. Afterwards, he returned to the capital and devoted himself to art and literature. When Tokugawa challenged Uesugi, he once again fought with Uesugi’s army. During the battle against Mogami, he broke through the enemy base with only eight riders and blew the enemy formation apart.