Just after the New Year, bad news came to the Imagawa family. It was that the backbone of the Imagawa family, Imagawa Yoshimoto's mentor and assistant to the government, Taihara Yukisai, died suddenly of illness. It was said that the old man passed away peacefully and had participated in the New Year the day before.
During the banquet, I happily composed a few Japanese songs to praise spring. However, when I opened the door the next day, I found that the old man had passed away suddenly.
Taiyuan Xuezai's sudden death from illness dealt a heavy blow to Imagawa Yoshimoto and even the entire Imagawa family. All the arrangements of the Imagawa family needed to be overthrown and restarted. Only then did Imagawa Yoshimoto realize how much the Imagawa family relied on this teacher.
Losing Taiyuan Xuezhai will bring much harm to the Imagawa family.
In terms of military affairs, Taiyuan Xuezai is fully responsible for the formation. Diplomatically, Taiyuan Xuezai is the chief executive responsible for promoting the peace of the Kaso Shun Alliance. In terms of government affairs, he assists Imagawa Yoshimoto in perfecting and promoting various implementations. This auxiliary politician is always there.
The role of the Imagawa family far exceeds that of Tokiyuki Yamamoto of the Kira family, and the impact of his departure on the Imagawa family cannot be eliminated in the short term.
For this reason, Imagawa Yoshimoto had to give up the offensive plan against Owari, and majored in internal affairs instead to appease the retainers and people, maintain the Imagawa family's dominant position in the Kaso Shun alliance, strengthen the alliance with the Kira family, and improve the relationship with the Kira family.
Kyoto court and shogunate enshrined level to gain greater influence.
The plan to attack Owari was a big plan made ten years ago, before the Mikawa Kira clan was surrendered. The original plan was to use five to seven years to consolidate and digest Mikawa's territory after capturing the entire Mikawa, and ensure that several
This major city was in the hands of Imagawa Yoshimoto, ensuring the Imagawa family's territory in Mikawa and the lord's control over litigation, taxation, taxes, and servitude.
Then the troops were sent to Owari, and the Owari people were recruited step by step. Then the Owari people were borrowed as the leader. The Imagawa family led the army to conquer the entire territory of Owari in one go, in order to achieve the strategic goal of replicating the complete strategy of Mikawa Kingdom.
But now Taiyuan Yuksai has died of illness, and the important general who perfected and executed the plan has been lost. There is no general in the Imagawa family to replace him. Asahina Yakino is nearly seventy years old. He has aged very badly in the past few years and his abilities are more suitable for him.
As a deputy general, Okabe Motonobu is currently the most powerful general of the Imagawa family, but there is still some distance to go before becoming a general.
The Imagawa family was in a gloomy mood. However, the Kira family was brightly lit, and everything inside and outside Kasugayama Castle was full of joy. The long-tailed tiger princess was holding the wine, followed by Numata Sandalwood, Ii Naotora, and Mochizuki's money bag also behaved in the same way.
He raised the wine cup and said with a joyful smile: "I wish your highness good health and a long-lasting military fortune for the Ashikaga family!"
Several girls raised their wine cups with smiles and said: "I wish the Ashikaga family a long military fortune!"
"Okay! I'll drink this cup to the full!" Seeing that the relationship between the several girls was initially harmonious, Kira Yoshihashi said happily.
Wine is still a high-end product. There are neither suitable oak barrels nor advanced brewing methods. The wine fermented from grapes and white sugar has a weird taste. It is sweet and sour, which makes several first-time women
The well-dressed girl's eyebrows were knitted into knots.
"Pfft! It tastes so bad!" Chiyoko Mochizuki spat out in one gulp. Fortunately, Naotora Ii, who was sitting opposite her, reacted quickly and dodged over. Several maids were left with wine stains all over their bodies, which was very embarrassing. Some of them were younger.
The maid's eyes were red, and she looked like she wanted to cry but didn't dare.
"I told you not to drink too much. You can see what a waste it would be if you vomited it. Your Highness worked so hard to brew a few more jars..." Hu Ji scolded and called the maid to clean up the scattered wine stains.
"It doesn't matter, just spill some wine. Anyway, it can still be brewed... This time the wine was indeed bad enough." Kira Yoshi smiled bitterly as he swallowed the wine. This wine-making process was obviously not up to par, and he could only hope to slow down in the future.
Slowly improving.
At this time, a maid hurriedly came over and whispered a few words in the ear of the long-tailed tiger princess. The girl frowned and stood up hurriedly: "Your Highness, my sister is about to give birth, I will go and take a look first."
Sister, would you like to accompany Your Highness again?"
"Go quickly! Sister Ayahime's place is more important. You can drink this wine at any time." Kira Yoshishi watched her leave safely. Nagao Ayahime became pregnant within a few months of coming to Kasugayama Castle.
, if this child were a boy, he would probably be the legendary "Silent General" Uesugi Kagekatsu.
"Now with the intervention of the main family, the Nagao family has undergone such a big change! Joetsu and Nakatsu are completely in control. Nagao Masakage lost the suppression of Nagao Kagetora and lived a very happy life in Kasugayama Castle. This time he even has a child, and Shimotsu also
Being dismembered by my family, it is useless, so should I look forward to further goals?" Kira Yoshih picked up the unpleasant wine and swallowed it while pinching his throat.
Northern Shinano was initially determined, and the initiative of the Ueno Kingdom and even the entire Uesugi family was also in his hands. Whether it was attacking Shinano or sending troops to the field, he was not lacking in names. Now the Kira Army has eight thousand tigers and beni, mainly composed of the original members of the headquarters.
It consists of just over four thousand people, two thousand people from the Shimotsu country, and two thousand people from the Northern Shinano country.
These 4,000 new troops have good combat capabilities. After more than a year of reorganization and training by Yamamoto Tokiyuki, they have begun to take effect. His master is best at training troops. He has never worried about this, especially now that he has a younger brother.
Numata Yumitsu is smart, hard-working, and has a humble and pragmatic temperament that endears him to Tokiyuki Yamamoto. Judging from his demeanor, he has great plans to pass on his legacy.
Strictly speaking, Kira Yoshitoki is not the heir to inherit Yamamoto Tokiyuki's military strategy, fortification skills, and political methods. Yamamoto Tokiyuki's education to him is more of an inspiring education, and he often asks a few questions.
Or deliberately put forward a wrong idea to let him think about the feasibility.
When the answer comes to a negative result, throw out the correct answer and let him think backwards about why it is feasible to do so and what are the blind spots he overlooked? This kind of exercise is the foundation laid as early as the Mikawa era, which leads to
The benefits will last him a lifetime.
After many years of observation by Yamamoto Tokiyuki, he discovered that Kira Yoshitoki had his own complete values, superb judgment, and the ability to interpret and grasp situations, so he dared to use this heuristic education method. This teaching method
It is also a type of teaching students in accordance with their aptitude.
And Numata Yumitsu is another kind of person. He does not have the "natural wisdom" of Kira Yoshiki. At present, his understanding of military and political strategy is still very superficial. But his learning ability is not bad at all. He gets started quickly.
The ability to imitate is very strong, and the ability to grasp details is very important.
His temperament is also very similar to that of the young Yamamoto Tokiyuki. Every battle is deduced with the basic strategic goal of winning steadily. He is especially good at using single ashigaru formations and tactics matched with various arms to defeat the gun and shield of the new army.
Bing liked it too.
This characteristic destined him to be a Tokiyuki Yamamoto in the future, which was not in line with Kira Yoshitoki's psychological expectations. In recent months, he planned to drop Shima Tokikatsu and Numata Yumitsu into the newly established staff group. Shima Tokikatsu has already mastered archery skills from Naito Masashige, and he is also a talented samurai who is good at figuring out the battle situation. It would be a waste to put him in Chibei.
At the same time, there will be a new round of adjustments. General Akabi Shitara Sadachi will be transferred to General Shinano Bei. The other general is Kato Kyouaki, the former Grenadier Corps. The two of them parachuted to the top of the mountain without any followers. In the Shinano reserve team, with his excellent skills, he easily suppressed the two thousand Shinano people who had no backers.
The general of Akabei will be Takikawa Tokimasu. The Grenadier still maintains its strategy of elite troops, and the overall size will be doubled to become a 200-man team. The general will be Naotaka Nomura, the commander of Teppa Binai, and his deputy will be Tanaka Shigemasa. These two people Both are from Omi. And coincidentally, one is from Kunitomo Village, and the other is the son-in-law of Kunitoyubei. Both of them are also worthy of trust.
Recently, we are studying a test to strengthen long-range attacks with iron cannons. According to the feedback from the iron cannon general Masushige Takigawa, who cooperated with the test, the matchlock gun cannot guarantee the safety of the grenade team. Those flammable and explosive gunpowder cans are easy to touch The burning match rope is like thunder and fire, whoever plays with it will die quickly.
"Your Highness, Ogasawara Shinano, the guardian of the front hall, has something important to see you!"
"I got it!" He took a handkerchief and wiped the corners of his mouth. Kira Yoshihi smiled and said to several girls: "I still have something to do, you can eat first!"
"Farewell, Your Highness!" The girls stood up and sent him away. Chiyome Mochizuki took Ii Naotora's arm and said, "Sister Naotora, Chiyome wants to watch you practice shooting, let's go play together for a while?"
"Okay, I'm going to change my clothes first. Do you want Chiyo to come too?" A faint smile appeared on Ii Naotora's face. The little girl is cute and lacks scheming. She is deeply loved by everyone including her. In the eyes of Ii Naotora, who was raised as a boy, Chiyo Mochizuki is just an ignorant little sister.
"Okay!" Seeing Chiyo Mochizuki and Naotora Ii leaving hand in hand like good sisters, Numata Sandalwood frowned slightly and turned to leave the hall.
As soon as she returned to the room, she saw an older maid with a strange face walking quietly. She closed the door gently and leaned over in a low voice. She asked, "Your Highness, the host, hasn't you touched your body yet?"
"Didn't I tell my father already? I should ask less about the affairs of the inner court! And take back all the messy things my father gave me. I don't want to hear any family secrets." Numata Sandalwood frowned in disgust. He frowned and turned away from looking at the maid.
The maid did not take it seriously to Numata Sandalwood's disgusted expression, but she still muttered: "My lord is also doing it for our Numata family's family fortune! My lord intends to marry Princess Enka to His Highness Nangoka Tōfō, and also gives Princess Nagaka to Honda. Your Highness, Princess Wanxiang is marrying His Highness Shan Gang Shichang. This requires Your Highness the Princess to put more effort on His Highness the Head of the Hall..."
"That's enough! Shut up! You are just an outsider raised by my father, but you dare to interfere with my Kira family's family business?" Numata Sandalwood's eyebrows were raised, and he shouted angrily: "Leave immediately, and don't do it again in the future. Don’t come here either! I don’t want to see you again!”
"You...you!" The maid turned pale for a while and said with an angry smile: "What a sandalwood princess! She is indeed the strange woman of my Numata family! But don't forget it! You have blood flowing through your body.
As a member of the Numata family, don’t forget the original purpose of my lord ordering you to benefit the family as much as possible!"
"I always remember my father's words...but it's not your turn to preach!" Numata Sandalwood sneered: "Now I am His Highness's woman, the Kira family's woman! I want to protect my Highness, the Kira family, not the other party."
Numata family!"
The maid heard her statement and shook her head with a smile. Numata Sandalwood said angrily: "Why are you laughing? What's so funny! Do you think that an outhouse can be compared with the concubine that I, the matchmaker, are marrying?"
"I'm not laughing at anything else, but I'm laughing at how naive the princess is! Do you really think that you can forget your identity by climbing to a high branch? No matter the main wife or the side wife, your status is determined by your status.
!So how can Princess Sandalwood compare with other princesses?"
Facing the maid's slightly sarcastic smile, Numata Sandalwood's complexion suddenly turned frighteningly white. She lowered her head and remained silent. That smile seemed to say: "I am of low status and not worth mentioning. Therefore, I am despised and looked down upon by you, so you
What does it mean to be a princess?"
The maid continued: "Princess Torahime is the head of the Echigo Kingdom, Princess Naotora is the adopted daughter of Imagawa Harubu, and even the lowest-status Princess Chiyo represents the Mochizuki Ninja. And if you leave the support of the Numata family, how can you interact with these few
Competing for favor? How can we ensure the status of our children in the future without favor?"
"That's right! What should I do with my child in the future? My child can't be held back because of his mother!" Numata Sandalwood's expression changed back and forth, like a paint tray with various colors applied on it, and the colorful paints were applied at will.
will evolve into more complex colors.
The maid knew that Numata Sandalwood had been persuaded. She did not forget to pursue the victory and said: "The Numata family is unanimously optimistic about the Kira family. Now it is not enough to have His Highness Youmitsu and the princess. My lord wants to use the many daughters of our Numata family.
Advantages, establish in-law relationships with talented people in the Kira family!
Even if they cannot be biased towards our Numata family, they will have more support for Her Royal Highness the Princess and her future children. If Her Highness the Princess can give birth to a Lin'er for the owner in advance, the prosperity and wealth of our Numata family will be great in the future.
It’s just around the corner! Her Royal Highness’s children will also get better treatment!”
Numata Sandalwood frowned and thought for a long time. When he found that the maid was still standing quietly, he immediately said to her with a straight face: "I understand, there is nothing else. Please leave! And don't come over in the future.
It's not good for anyone if His Highness finds out! You should know the strength of the ninja army of my Kira family."
"Well! I won't come here anymore. If there is any news, let Achun pass the news on my behalf." The maid stood up gently and pushed the door open.
Watching the paper door gradually closing, Numata Sandalwood suddenly felt the urge to cry. After holding on for a long time, she still couldn't hold back the tears accumulated in her eyes. Big teardrops fell down, and she said with a sad expression: "
Why is my father forcing me? Ever since he knew I was going to marry His Highness, he has tried every means to force me to learn things I don’t like, from dancing to painting, from flattery to intrigue... But His Highness’s attitude towards me has gone from eager to cold.
, isn’t it because my father’s teachings are wrong? Why are you still forcing me to do this now? What did I do wrong? Who can tell me? What do I owe the Numata family? Why are you doing this to me? "
…
A wisp of green smoke floats leisurely from the incense burner. The hollow brass incense burner with dragons and phoenixes is from the Ming Dynasty, and the built-in incense comes from the finest spices from Kyushu.
He had been sitting with Kira Yoshitoki for nearly half an hour, and the topic had not yet gotten around to the topic.
"We can't wait any longer!" Ogasawara plucked up the courage and said loudly: "Please help me take back Shinano and regain my lost old territory. I am willing to give you half the country of Shinano..."
"Haha! Ogasawara Shinano Mamoru probably doesn't know this, right? His Royal Highness, Kōkata, who is in Kyoto, issued a royal decree to my family and ordered me to be the guardian of Shinano, so I will definitely do it to take back the Shinano family, but not for anyone, but for
Shogunate, please Ogasawara Shinano Mamoru not to use the wrong words!"
"What! How could this happen!" Ogasawara suddenly straightened up for a moment, his voice was like a rooster whose throat had just been cut off, his tone suddenly changed eight tones, his whole face turned as red as a red apple, and he stared at the young man beside him in stunned silence.
A piece of silk was hurriedly handed over, and unfamiliar handwriting appeared on the paper.
"I heard that Kai was guarding the Takeda clan when they invaded Shinano and caused great chaos. Shinano was guarding the Ogasawara clan. They were unable to resist and fled, so they were unable to fulfill their duties as guardians. Therefore, Kira Yoshitsune was ordered to guard Shinano. From now on, he will suppress Shinano.
Let’s attack those who are trying to suppress the rebellion! Ashikaga Yoshiteru, on the third day of the first month of the second year of Hongji’s reign.”
Looking at this royal book, he has realized that it is the true handiwork of the shogun. Others cannot imitate the special silk fabric used in the royal book. Back then, his ancestor also collected a copy of Ashikaga Yoshi of the Fourth Generation.
The texture of the fabric is also the same as the one that holds the royal teachings. This is absolutely unmistakable.
"This family will not engage in deception. If Ogasawara Shinano Mamoru doesn't believe it, you can send someone to Kyoto to find out the authenticity of the news. If you don't believe it, you can wait for half a month. This news must have been spread all over the world, and it won't be long before the whole world
Echigo and even Shinano will know..."
Ogasawara felt a sharp pain for a long time, his head hurt like a hammer being hit hard, and he fainted as soon as his eyesight went dark. Several people were shocked by this sudden change. They were so panicked that they didn't know what to do.
good.
"Hurry up and help Shinano Shoden to rest. Please come here to diagnose and treat Shinano Shoden." Kira Yoshi was also startled. A strong and powerful man fell down like this. I was still worried that he would die.
If he hangs up like this, he won't be able to explain clearly if something happens to him.
In a panic, several young people drove Ogasawara long time to the side hall to receive treatment. Fortunately, Morishin Suminaoze was also in the city. He hurried over when he heard the greeting. He watched and asked all the questions before he came down.
Sweat dripped from his face and he said angrily: "The Shinano guard was so angry that he fainted. I will prescribe a few soothing decoctions. Just pay more attention to rest."
Knowing that Ogasawara had no serious problems for a long time, he also breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Fortunately, there was no problem, otherwise my family would have been involved too... Let's not talk about that, how is Kunimatsu's body now? He is recovering so much.
How is your recovery going?"
"The situation is not bad! Guosongdian's situation is relatively complicated. Some of the congenital problems can only be treated with a combination of medication, diet therapy, and physical therapy. The gentleman has drawn up a treatment strategy. It will take about five years to basically return to the level of a normal person.
"As the royal physician of the Kira family, Morishin Qunaose has now become a disciple of Nagata Tokumoto to learn authentic Kampo medicine.
Compared with the frivolous and hair-brained samurai fantasy when we first met a few years ago, this young man who has just passed his twenties now has a bit more calmness and rigor. Back then, his father Nause Michizan's sincere persuasion was in vain.
The effect I have achieved is now being worked hard under the training of Nagata Tokumoto.
He once lamented how young and ignorant he was, and how little he knew about medicine and career. For someone like him who came from a medical family, he would not be able to get what he needed if he gave up his ancestral career and joined the ranks of unfamiliar warriors.
, it can be considered a great blessing that this trial was self-defeating and led to his current status.
"Five years will be five years! As long as we can cure Kunisatsu, no matter how much effort we put in, it will be worth it!" As early as two years ago, Kira Yoshitoki had made up his mind to save Kunisatsu's fate. This was due to natural closeness in personal favor and also to
Political strategic thinking and planning.
The current situation is that in the three years since Kira Yoshitoki entered Echigo, the right to speak of the former Echigo Uesugi family has been greatly weakened, their influence in Kasugayama Castle has been greatly reduced, and the independence of the Yohoku clan has been completely dismantled.
Several famous thorns were either subdued or scared out of their wits. As the Kira family and Nagao family's land ownership increased sharply, more than 90% of the influx of refugees were controlled by these two families. No one in Echigo could
Threaten the long tail, the foundation of Kira's duopoly.
During this period, the Ueda Nagao family stood firmly in the camp of Kira Yoshitoki. Instead of political speculation like Usami Sadamitsu, he bet his money on him. He would be the first to implement any decree implemented by the Kira family.
a supporter.
Regardless of the reason why Nagao Masakei made this choice, what he did greatly increased Kira Yoshitoki's affection for the Ueda Nagao family. In addition, Nagao Masakei's wife, Nagao Aya, was good at dancing with long sleeves, which greatly improved personal relationships.
Established an extremely close relationship with Nagao Torahime, and gained the respect and trust of Kira Yoshitoki.
Therefore, in more than a year, Kira Yoshitoki promoted Nagao Masaki step by step from an insignificant position to the number two figure in the Nagao family's ranking, second only to the elder of the Nagao family.
This village is real.
This success made him stand out from the many followers of Kasugayama Castle, making his political stance more clear. He is also a core member of the Kira faction with a clear-cut stance in the Nagao family. Another key member is Saito Nobunobu who is preparing for his wedding.
In the second half of last year, this reckless man did something earth-shattering. He piled thousands of bouquets of wild flowers in front of the Kasugayama Castle's Hime Wind, and loudly shouted the slogan that he wanted to marry Atago Kikuhime. The people who followed behind him
There were more than a dozen tall and strong men who followed them, yelling at the top of their lungs. Finally, Nagao Kagetora couldn't stand it any longer, so he sent Nagao Kagetora over and took these troublemakers to the castle tower for questioning.
.
Saito Asanobu showed his ability to act shamelessly, first he shamelessly explained his love for Aju, and then under the banner of Kira Yoshitoki, he said that he was tacitly agreeing to do whatever he wanted, and finally he carried out his dead father with all his heart.
, recounting how his father fought so hard for Nagao and King Jinggong, how his father immediately joined the army when King Jinggong came out of the mountain, and what achievements he has made for the Nagao family over the years.
He almost spit on Nagao Kagetora's face, wrote the words "The Nagao family owes me" on his own face, and choked Echigo no Dragon for a long time. Let's see how this guy develops in the end.
If you go down there, you'll have to throw some tantrums and wallow, and it's worth discussing countermeasures with Yoshitoki Kira while getting angry and laughing.
Kira Yoshitsune also saw that Aju's sister and Saito Asanobu were in love, but Aju's situation was very special, and this silly sister didn't know what to say, and was embarrassed to say it.
That layer of window paper has been scratched for several years. If Saito Asanobu hadn't acted so recklessly this time, I don't know how long it would have been.
So I heard that Nagao Kagetora also wanted to match up, so he expressed his support along the way, and then asked Torahime to go with a message to test Aku's intention. I don't know if Aku was frightened by this move. At that time,
He covered his burning face and nodded stupidly, and then the matter was settled in a daze.
A family governor of the Ueda Nagao family. The Ueda Nagao family controls nearly 90% of the land in Uonuma County. It is equipped with its own standing armed forces and a complete group of retainers. Back then, the Ueda Nagao family dared to fight against the powerful Nagao family in the mansion.
Don't worry, it's just because of the advantage of being very independent.
Another patriarch of the Saito family, one of the four elders of Echigo, the Saito family was originally the patriarch of the Echigo Uesugi clan. He had the same family background as the Nagao family, and he was the first to join the Nagao family's camp. For decades,
The family has developed smoothly, leaving the other two Ishikawa and Chisaka families of the same family far behind. Their popularity and deep connections in Echigo are very strong.
Coupled with the local influence of Hojo Takahiro, Honjo Banjo, and Kurokawa Kiyomizu, former Echigo compatriots, there is almost no force in Echigo that can compete with them. This is why Kira Yoshi originally considered rescuing Kunimatsu.
Another motivation to deepen the relationship between the two families is the bond between Guosong.
Even Nagao Kagetora, the Dragon of Echigo, still couldn't let go of Nagao Masakei's rebellion that year, and could not change the change of the general situation. In this way, the treatment of their eldest son Kunimatsu became even more important. As long as Nagao Masakei's
As long as the eldest son dies, the Ueda Nagao family will not change. For the Ueda Nagao family who are friendly to the Kira family, Kira Yoshitoki supports it with both hands.
But the problem arises again. With the lack of medical treatment and medicine in Echigo, it is impossible to treat the symptoms faced by Kunimatsu. It is difficult to treat diseases caused by congenital problems that cause physical weakness. In the face of this kind of disease, the only way is to use warm tonic.
Qi and blood regulate the internal organs and slowly improve.
At the same time, it is also necessary to strengthen Kunimatsu's will to survive and make him more cooperative with the treatment. Five years is just a preliminary strategy. There may be another five-year strategy in the future to consolidate the curative effect. Of course, this is not a problem.
Ten years old has plenty of time. As long as you can survive healthily, it won't be a problem.
"Kunimatsu is still very young. He can't afford to wait for five years. We must strictly control this and ensure Kunimatsu's physical and mental health. Do you understand?" Yoshihiro Kira repeatedly warned.
"Understood!" Qu Naoze Moruma's spirit perked up, and he quickly said respectfully: "Please rest assured, Master, I will try my best to do it!" (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature, the novel will be better and updated faster!
