October in Mutsu is already full of snowy northern scenery, but thousands of miles away in Kyoto it is still the beautiful season when the maple leaves turn red. The Nijo Imperial Palace located in Ukyo is picturesque, and Ashikaga Yoshiteru stands by the pond casually.
Throwing bait and food soon attracted a group of red koi carp.
Ashikaga Yoshiki watched the fish swimming gently in ecstasy, and murmured to himself: "Eating and sleeping peacefully day after day, this kind of life is really happy! Yu Zhen wants to give this kind of life a try.
What does it feel like..."
In just a short while, a handful of bait was eaten by the koi carps. The koi carps that had eaten the bait still gathered at the edge of the pond for a long time. Ashikaga Yoshiki clapped his hands to indicate that there was no bait in his hand, and they swayed
They leisurely dived into the water and gathered together in twos and threes to play casually. Ashikaga Yoshiki stared for a moment and slowly left with a sigh. His steps were staggering, as if there was a heavy weight on his shoulders.
A tall, burly middle-aged man stepped out from the corner door on the other side of the courtyard. He looked to be in his fifties, with a thick beard on his mouth, and his bronze complexion and angular features looked imposing.
The handsome man, with his gray hair and weathered eyes, reveals his rich life experience.
Wearing a shabby and simple navy blue straight-hanging gown, the most conspicuous thing is that he did not shave off the moon hair that all Western samurai love to wear, but simply put it up with a hair tie like Oda Nobunaga's hair. This samurai is
Ashikaga Yoshiteru's hired guide to the art of war, Uizumi Hidetsuna.
Kazuha Shioka walked out of the shadows of the woods and said, "His Royal Highness Gongfang has been in a bad mood recently. In the past few days, he has often stopped by the lotus pond and said some strange things."
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna looked down at the clear blue water from the pond. A koi carp was swimming freely and said meaningfully: "Kyoto has not been peaceful recently. Rumors are flying all over the city. It is probably the fluctuation of people's hearts that affects the public.
Your Highness is in a good mood!"
"Rumors? What rumors?" Hayasaki Jinsuke was stunned for a moment, patted his head and said, "Sorry! I was a little distracted just now and couldn't remember any rumors...what rumors are they?"
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna's eldest disciple, Oda Keikane, grinned and said: "Jinsuke is distracted all day long. He is thinking about his research on Iaijutsu and that new swordsmanship every day. When he comes back to the house at night, he closes the door and doesn't know what he is thinking about.
Thing, I’ve been living next to him for a few years and I haven’t seen him go out to play, it’s really boring!”
Yagyu Soyan said curiously: "Hey! It really is like this. I, Soyan, have never seen Jinsuke going in and out of the wine house or Whale House. Isn't there a problem if he doesn't drink or be lewd?"
"This...probably...probably there is no problem!" Hayashizaki Jinsuke lowered his head in embarrassment, causing several big and thick men to laugh loudly. Not only will such harmless jokes not affect the friendship, but it will also make the boring training process easier.
An essential adjustment step.
The rough-and-tumble swordsmen live a very simple and simple life. They practice swordsmanship or spearmanship from morning to night every day. Occasionally, they go out together to compete with swordsmen from various dojos in Kyoto. Or they go to Enryakuji Temple in Hiei Mountain in Omi Province and Enryaku Temple in Yamato Province.
Kofukuji Temple competes with the monks and soldiers in spear skills. Unknowingly, the news that the Kyoto Shogun has a group of swordsmen spread like wildfire. Everyone knows that Ashikaga Yoshiki loves swordsmanship, and the level of the swordsmen around the Shogun is also high.
It's even more eye-catching.
This group of swordsmen is led by Uizumi Hidetsuna, who comes from the war-torn Ueno Kingdom in Kanto. He once served under the Ashikaga family in Kanto for a period of time. It is said that he resigned due to personal reasons and wandered around various countries to practice swordsmanship, and came to Kyoto four years ago. Recruited by the shogunate, he was soon valued by Ashikaga Yoshiteru for his amazing swordsmanship. Within a few years, he was taken as a confidant by the shogun. He seemed to have become a new force in the Nijo Imperial Palace.
Hayashizaki Jinsuke, a ronin swordsman from Dewa Kingdom; Kazuha Oka, an outstanding disciple of Tsukahara Fukan; Keikane Oda, a favorite disciple who inherited the mantle of Uizumi Hidetsuna; and Yagyu Mune, a Yamato swordsman who has become famous in the Kinai area in recent years. Yan, one after another joined the Nijo Imperial Palace and served as the shogun's swordsmanship instructor. At first glance, this combination is really a shining star, and all of them are masters of hiding dragons and crouching tigers.
But the actual situation is that their reputation is not great. As Hidetsuna Kamiizumi gets older, he is less willing to go out and make troubles. His eldest disciple Kagekan Oda is talented in swordsmanship and has extraordinary attainments, but he is too young and likes to be brave and fierce, so he can only be considered young. A relatively well-known samurai in the circle of swordsmen, the unknown Hayazaki Jinsuke came from the remote countryside of Dewa. In the past few years, his killing of enemies on the street was barely a piece of news. Other than that, the introverted Hayazaki Jinsuke had almost no deeds spread out.
Only the young and powerful Yagyu Sogan and Shioka Kazuha are somewhat unknown. The two even competed with real swords in Sakyo's dojo in Kyoto. The very powerful Bellmaki Ittōryu faced off against Katori Shinto, who was also good at fighting. Moreover, the duel between the two real swords made the competition between the two full of legend. The two fought fiercely for dozens of times without deciding the outcome, so he was invited by Kamiizumi Hidetsuna to join Nijo Gosho as a sword master.
The lives of swordsmen are very simple. They practice in pairs or alone, occasionally travel for a few days to find masters to learn from each other, or they go alone into the mountains of Danbo to exterminate bandits and gain great fame. Their lives are simply simple. Like the idols of the Warring States Period, they were so carefree and free without getting involved in complicated battles. Their income and reputation were not even half inferior to those of the hard-working samurai. This good life was simply not too comfortable.
For example, the Kashima sword master Tsukahara Fuden is so transcendent that everyone respects him. In Kyoto, Ueizumi Hidetsuna was regarded as the new generation of sword master by Ashikaga Yoshiteru. Another example is Hayazaki Jinsuke's quick and decisive way to kill a person in ten steps. The joyful revenge of killing more than a dozen Sanyoshi samurai in a row is a good life that young people yearn for. It is not surprising that in recent years, more and more samurai have come to seek apprenticeship.
In the evening, Kamiizumi Hidetsuna liked to walk in the red leaf forest of the Imperial Palace. The melodious bells could sometimes be heard from the woods near the edge of the imperial palace and adjacent to Ukyo's temple complex. He walked in the red leaf forest in late autumn and admired the red and golden leaves. The beautiful scenery The red leaf forest complements the surrounding quiet and elegant temples. The beautiful natural madness makes people forget their worries and indulge in a paradise.
Deep in the woods sat a middle-aged samurai who was about forty or fifty years old. He had an ordinary appearance and was dressed in simple clothes, unlike the luxurious clothes in the imperial palace. However, he appeared for no reason in the red leaf forest within the imperial palace wall, which seemed very strange and even stranger. What was surprising was that he would doze off against a towering tree in the red leaf forest of the imperial palace. His strange behavior was full of weirdness.
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna seemed to have expected that there was someone in the woods, so he walked to the middle-aged samurai and sat down next to him. After waiting patiently for a while, he heard the dozing middle-aged samurai talking in his sleep unconsciously: "Mitsuo Repair There may be a hidden reason behind the death of the temple, and the chaos in Kyoto is closely related to the Matsunaga bombardment adding fuel to the flames. Perhaps the target is His Highness the Shogun of the Nijo Imperial Palace."
The lack of beginning and end of the words made Uizumi Hidetsuna hesitate for a long time. He seemed to be deliberating the meaning of this short sentence and said in a deep voice: "Thank you for your hard work, Iwami Mamoru. How much adverse impact will the chaos in Kyoto have on the Nijo Imperial Palace?
What kind of danger will His Royal Highness encounter?"
Hattori Chief paused for a moment and said: "There are many rumors circulating in Kyoto. Some are made by the subordinates, some are made by Matsunaga Danmasa, and there are also people in the market who are walking around casually. The true and false news are mixed together and it is difficult to guess Miyoshi.
The specific behavior of the family... I can only find out that there is a huge controversy within the Miyoshi family. Miyoshi Yoshitsugi does not have the authority to suppress internal disputes. The Miyoshi family is in chaos and no one can tell what their next step will be."
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna said: "So, rumors are elusive. Maybe the people who created the rumors cannot grasp the exact direction of the rumors. So what does Iwami Moriden think of Miyoshi's sudden death at the repair hall?"
Hattori Chief closed his eyes again: "The Miyoshi family has been completely defeated. It may not necessarily fall apart soon. Kyoto will soon be in chaos. I hope His Highness the General will make plans early."
"What kind of plans should we have made... It is very difficult to make plans for the current situation of Nijo Imperial Palace." Kamiizumi Hidetsuna smiled bitterly and asked: "How could the Miyoshi family fall apart? The three of Miyoshi and the others are waiting for a gang to return.
Arimatsu Nagahide and Naito Munekatsu are still there. The Miyoshi family should not fall apart so quickly!"
Hattori's answer was ambiguous: "I just want to say that it is possible that the Miyoshi family will become stronger or weaker, but whether the Miyoshi family gets better or worse, it will be bad news for His Highness the General.
The attitude of Miyoshi and the others toward Nijo Imperial Palace is far less respectful and restrained than that of Miyoshi Xiuden, which is a huge hidden danger."
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna comforted him: "It's still unknown how many threats there are. Don't worry about Ishimi Mamoru unreasonably. Maybe His Highness the General will be safer. After all, with the support of His Highness Kōkata, the samurai family in Kinai will not dare to act rashly!"
"I hope so!" Hattori Chief smacked his lips and smiled disapprovingly. If the samurai in Kinai were so obedient, they wouldn't have to work hard. Fighting for world hegemony is not about adding and subtracting numbers in a business house. All he has to do is show the stone.
Gao asked all the heroes to surrender and worship. This kind of good thing has never happened since the Genpei era to today.
The two looked at each other and fell into a brief silence. It was impossible to tell whether Hattori's face was good or bad. He always had a poker face that never changed. Ueizumi Hidetsuna didn't know him before, and he only knew him in Kanto.
I have heard his name for a long time but never seen him in person. When he joined the Kanto Shogunate, Hattori Baochang was already far away and hibernating in Sakamoto Castle.
He once suspected that this poker face that had remained unchanged for thousands of years was Yi Rong's fake face. He had never seen a smile or a normal expression other than a straight face. If it wasn't Yi Rong, it must be because this person had a gloomy personality and never smiled.
That kind of thing is not a good thing for Uizumi Hidetsuna. From the side, it shows that Hattori Bouchou is a difficult samurai to deal with.
After being silent for a while and seeing that Hattori Chief didn't express anything, he tried to ask: "If... I mean if Nijo Imperial Palace is in danger, how much support can Sakamoto Castle provide?"
"There shouldn't be much support!" Hattori Baochang replied expressionlessly: "The Ise Wardian should know the situation in Kinai. Since the Takaya Temple caused trouble in the sixth year of Eiroku, Kyoto has been completely out of the control of the shogunate.
, the pressure on Dewa Morden to take charge of Sakamoto Castle is very great.”
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna frowned and said: "I know that Yamamoto Sado Moriden resigned from his post and returned to Kanto to live in seclusion, which had a great impact on Sakamoto Castle, but do you really have no spare power to help His Highness Kikata?"
"No, I know the inside story in Sakamoto City. The six thousand troops stationed in Sakamoto, Otsu, and Katada must be guarded unshakably. The six thousand troops stationed in Ixiang County must withstand the pressure of the Asakura clan and the Asai clan.
It cannot be moved. There are only 20,000 troops left to call upon as a special force, but Shogunyama Castle and Nakao Castle also need to be watched, and at least 5,000 troops are needed to assist in defense to ensure the military threat of the Miyoshi Army."
"This is a difficult problem. Can't we make peace with the Asakura clan and the Asai clan?"
Hattori Bouchou shook his head and said: "It was very difficult to test it once. Asai Nagamasa's asking price was too high, and this person seemed to be biased against our family, so the negotiation failed."
"What if we raid Shogun Yama Castle and Nakao Castle seizes the initiative on the battlefield?"
Hattori Chief looked at him unexpectedly and replied: "Do you mean to start the war first? It is not difficult to capture the two cities. What is difficult is that capturing the two cities will attract the Miyoshi family, the Asakura family, and the Asai family to attack.
Sakamoto Castle poses a huge threat."
"If His Highness the Shogun is in danger, what about the Shogun Mountain Castle and Nakao Castle?"
Hattori Warden's face fell, and he was not satisfied with Uizumi Hidetsuna's whole-hearted consideration for the Nijo Imperial Palace. He said in a stiff tone: "Sorry, I can't answer this question. If Ise Mamoru is interested, you can ask Nakajo Izuku Imperial Palace."
.”
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna smiled awkwardly, and his tone became more soothing: "His Royal Highness Kōkata ordered me to protect the safety of His Highness the Shogun, so please forgive Ishimi Mamoru for saying a few more inappropriate words. After all, we are still ministers of the shogunate.
, I have added a guide to the art of war from His Royal Highness the General, and it is appropriate to do what you can."
Hattori Baochang glanced at him and said expressionlessly: "The mood is understandable, but after all, we are the retainers of His Highness Kōkata. It is enough to respect His Highness the Shogun. The difference between the Shogun and the Kanto Shogun must be
It’s very obvious! The Kanto samurai should adhere to the banner of His Highness the Kanto Lord and be willing to die. This has been the principle of the samurai family for hundreds of years. As a Kanto samurai, Ise Mamoru must be able to understand this truth!"
Kamiizumi Hidetsuna remained silent. He was born, raised, received education and had family connections in Kanto. However, he is currently the royal swordsman at the Nijo Imperial Palace. Although he is not responsible for the duties and is not simply serving the general, he still wants to do something for the general.
The shogun does what he can, perhaps because of his small idealism as a swordsman.
The complicated thoughts in his mind went back and forth. When he came to his senses and looked up again, he found that there was no one in the woods. Hattori Warden had disappeared without a trace while he was lowering his head in thought. He couldn't see him from left to right.
After hesitating for a moment, he sighed: "They are originally from the same origin, but why are they like this?"
