Tokugawa Ieyasu was ordered by Oda Nobunaga not to enter the Azuchi Castle Castle, so he could only stand at the door and look up. When he saw the important ministers of the Oda family, including Oda Nobutada, walking down the steps in disgrace,

His expression darkened instantly.

"Your Majesty Tokugawa, I'm sorry!" Akechi Mitsuhide walked up to Tokugawa Ieyasu with tears on his face and bowed deeply to him, "My son's matter..."

"In any case, thank you Akechi-sama." Tokugawa Ieyasu felt that his body had lost his soul and his steps were light. He just mechanically bowed according to etiquette and said the words of thanks on his own.

"Your Highness Tokugawa..." Hashiba Hideyoshi also looked gloomy, sighed helplessly, and patted Tokugawa Ieyasu on the shoulder, "Even an honest person like you... My lord is really..."

"This is too much!" Tsuneki Ikeda yelled in front of the guards of the castle tower, saying what Hideyoshi Hashiba did not dare to say, "What kind of thing is this? You know it is an unjust case, you know it is what the princess wrote in anger.

, why are you insisting on it? What kind of fool would collude with the Takeda family at this time? My lord, I don’t even believe it, but you take it seriously? You must kill Master Tokugawa and his wife?"

"Hengxing." Maeda Toshiie hurriedly stepped forward and covered Ikeda Hengxing's mouth. Sawaki Yoshiyuki also came up to hold him, and glanced at the guards around the castle tower - Kamao clan smiled bitterly at them.

After a while, they shook their heads helplessly without any expression. Only then did Sawaki Yoshiyuki and Maeda Toshiie feel relieved.

"Please express my condolences." Sakuma Nobumori walked to Tokugawa Ieyasu and whispered to him, "I am very sorry about your son. We will all bear in mind the Tokugawa family's hard work for so many years."

"Thank you, Your Highness Sakuma." Tokugawa Ieyasu bowed to Sakuma Nobumori and the surrounding Oda family warriors, and everyone returned the favor. Only Shibata Katsuie kept muttering after he came out of the castle tower.

He walked toward the door without saying a word, without even looking at everyone. At the door, he kicked a lantern angrily and broke it, then strode away.

"Your Highness Tokugawa, why don't you go and ask for your help, Your Highness Momiji?" Just when everyone was silent, Hosokawa Fujitaka suddenly raised a topic that everyone had tacitly avoided, "Your Highness Momiji is eloquent and has repeatedly stood up before.

A wonderful feat, maybe I can persuade the lord."

"What did Hosokawa-sama say?" Hengxing Ikeda was annoyed when he heard this, and raised his tone to Hosokawa Fujitaka, "Who doesn't know about Momiji's situation? His wife and children are also today... This matter does not involve him.

That’s great, do you want to push me into the fire pit?”

"How dare you?" Hosokawa Fujitaka shook his head repeatedly without blushing when he heard this, "I have always heard that His Highness Momiji and His Highness Tokugawa have been friends for almost 20 years. Now that something big has happened to Young Master Tokugawa, His Highness Momiji

I’m sure you won’t just sit back and ignore it. As long as Tokugawa-dono goes to ask for help, Momiji-dono might be able to help.”

"That's..." Tokugawa Ieyasu swallowed and did not say the words.

That is the past... I betrayed Momiji in Mikachi Town, and now we have... lost contact.

Hosokawa Fujitaka's words aroused public outrage. Several samurai who were close to Amehei, such as Ikeda Tsuneaki and Sawaki Yoshiyuki, surrounded him and started arguing with him. Akechi Mitsuhide took the opportunity to pull Tokugawa Ieyasu back two steps and whispered to him.

road:

"Please, this is my personal request, don't go to him, okay?"

"Your Highness Akechi?" Tokugawa Ieyasu looked at Mitsuhide Akechi in surprise.

"I know that you have already sworn off before... but he is a fool, a bad guy, and he still misses the past. As long as you invite him, he will definitely come out to help you. But as soon as he comes out, he will be in trouble.

It's hard to say whether the young master can be saved, I'm afraid that Mrs. Kaede and Mr. Shang will also be implicated." Akechi Mitsuhide bowed deeply to Tokugawa Ieyasu again, "Please, please don't involve him."

In the evening, after Tokugawa Ieyasu returned to his residence, a group of retainers who had followed him immediately gathered around him. Needless to say, they saw the clues from Tokugawa Ieyasu's expression.

"It failed...really?" Honda Masanobu asked in a low voice.

Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded and sat down feebly. He put his hand into his arms and touched a handful of ribs that he kept close to his chest. It was given to him by Tokugawa Nobuyasu on his birthday a few years ago, and Tokugawa Ieyasu has always treasured it.

In body.

I'm sorry, Sanlang... It's no use being a father. I can't even save the lives of you, mother and son, so what's the use of these three rivers far away...

Tokugawa Ieyasu rubbed his ribs, tears rolling down his cheeks, and he collapsed on his seat.

"Why don't you invite His Highness Hongye? Your Highness Hongye can always do things that others can't do. Maybe there is a way to save the young master." Honda Masanobu suddenly suggested.

"Don't you know? Because of what happened back then, Hongye has already severed ties with me." Tokugawa Ieyasu refused.

"His Royal Highness Hongye is kind-hearted and nostalgic, and he has watched the young master grow up. If His Highness comes forward to ask for it, given the person Hongye Highness is, he will definitely not refuse." Honda Masanobu persuaded with great certainty.

"Wouldn't that implicate him?" Tokugawa Ieyasu still shook his head, "The relationship between his family and the Imagawa family is deeper than mine. Young Master Yuqiu's military strategy is even more famous throughout the world, and I am afraid he is even more feared. He has not been

It's a blessing that I'm involved, so how can I drag him into the pit of fire?"

"Lord!"

Hearing what Tokugawa Ieyasu said, Sakai Tadashi, Ishikawa Sumasa, Takatiki Kiyonaga, Hiraiwa Oikayoshi and other retainers who usually assist Tokugawa Nobuyasu all knelt down at once, kneeling at Tokugawa Ieyasu's feet and said, "

Save the young master, my lord! Even if there is a glimmer of hope! If this continues, the young master is going to die!"

"No." Tokugawa Ieyasu refused again in a low voice, "I owe Hongye so much and I can't repay him, so how can I harm him?"

However, after nightfall, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was restless and tossing and turning, touched his ribs in his arms and thought about the voices and smiles of Tokugawa Nobuyasu and Mrs. Tsukiyama, but he still couldn't help but feel the hope in his heart that he could save them both. Even that faint hope

The hope is so slim - yes, even if Yu Qiupei is invited, what can Yu Qiupei do? Shouldn't he persuade Oda Nobunaga, and then be scolded like other important ministers?

Tokugawa Nobuyasu lay down and sat up, sat up and lay down again. He repeated the same action countless times, but still couldn't make up his mind. In the end, the attachment and reluctance in his heart for his wife and children still overwhelmed other emotions and urged him to

He stood up quickly, without even putting on his coat, and ran to the Yuqiu family's mansion alone in the heavy snow, as if he was afraid that Yu Qiuping would leave if he came a step too late.

However, he ran all the way to the door of the Yuqiu family's mansion, raised his hand, but could not knock. He knew that once he made a plea, Yu Qiuping's temperament would definitely soften his heart and come out to help. At that time, the Yuqiu family would

He will definitely face the same disaster as the Tokugawa family. Wouldn't that affect Yu Qiuping's wife and children?

I have been taking care of Yu Qiuping for so many years, and I have received so many favors from Yu Qiuping, but I have not been able to help Yu Qiuping. I have been indebted to him... Now that things have happened, do I want to drag him into trouble again?

No, it can't be like this, I can't drag him down. Because he is the only friend who is willing to treat me sincerely.

The hand raised in front of the door slowly lowered, Tokugawa Ieyasu took one last look at the Yuqiu family's mansion, turned around, and prepared to leave in the wind and snow.

Cold tears kept rolling in his eyes, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was shivering from the cold. He felt that he was in a trance, as if he was hallucinating before his eyes.

That was 20 years ago, outside the gate of Okazaki Castle, a boy supported another boy.

The moment he stood up, Matsudaira Motoyasu suddenly felt that his eyes were blurred and he was about to fall to the ground.

A pair of hands supported him.

After a moment of daze, Matsudaira Motoyasu immediately realized that this was extremely disrespectful behavior. He hurriedly gritted his teeth and tried to stand upright, his wandering eyes focusing again in front of his eyes.

A young man with a ponytail and side bangs on his forehead looked straight at him, his eyes full of concern and worry. The outstretched hand was still on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Yu Qiuping asked.

He was asking me if anything was wrong? Is this because he was concerned?

Matsudaira Motoyasu felt his heart tightening, and tears almost came out of his eyes. However, years of determination allowed him to quickly adjust his state, and that humble smile appeared on his face again.

However, I couldn't say "thank you" because I was choked with sobs.

In the heavy snow, Tokugawa Ieyasu staggered and almost fell down. Suddenly the door opened and a pair of hands supported him.

The young warrior with a ponytail and side bangs on his forehead has now become a world-famous general.

But his voice didn't change much.

"Are you okay?" Yu Qiuping asked.

He was asking me if anything was wrong? Is this because he was concerned?

Tokugawa Ieyasu felt his heart tightening, and tears almost came out of his eyes. However, his determination over the years allowed him to quickly adjust his state, and that humble smile appeared on his face again.

This time, he said "thank you".

"Have the red leaves been waiting behind the door?" Tokugawa Ieyasu glanced at Yu Qiupei through the light and found that the latter's body was also covered with snowflakes.

"Who knows?" Yu Qiuping smiled bitterly.

Then, before Tokugawa Ieyasu spoke, he added:

"Leave Saburo's affairs to me."

"You?" Tokugawa Ieyasu was stunned for a moment. His hands suddenly grabbed Yu Qiuping's shoulders and shouted to him, "Are you crazy? You can't participate in this matter!"

"I am your friend and Saburo's uncle. That's it."

"But you are also a samurai!" Tokugawa Ieyasu didn't know why he was suddenly more anxious than Yu Qiupei.

"As a samurai, you should no longer have human emotions. Whatever you do, you must put the interests of the family first. It is impossible to let personal relationships override the interests of the family." Yu Qiuping repeated Tokugawa's words.

What Ieyasu said to himself back then, "Is that what you want to say?"

Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded.

"Then I answered it back then." Yu Qiuping showed a smile towards Tokugawa Ieyasu, "If the so-called family interest is to abandon your companions, then I don't want such an interest."

Then, Yu Qiuping repeated it again.
Chapter completed!