Hosokawa Mototsune was furious with Mibuchi Haru, while the two daughters, Hosokawa Fujitaka and Mibuchi Fujihide, knelt down and remained silent.
"What on earth did you say you were doing?
It has been clearly agreed that you and Fujitaka will go to the capital to inquire separately. You will go to the Imperial Palace, and she will go to Nijo Imperial Palace to find His Highness Yoshiaki.
It would be better for you to force her to go to Sibo Mansion to plead guilty.
You don't know that Fujitaka is hated by the emperor because of his cooperation with Wada Weimasa and others. What do you mean by this?
Our two families were on a crusade in Nanhanei and missed the battle of Shangluo. The imperial office should have appeased us and given us benefits.
You took Fujitaka to plead guilty, and now we are at fault. How do you want me to ask for compensation from the Imperial Office?"
Mibuchi Haru had a wry smile on her face and was so sprayed by Hosokawa Motosune that she didn't dare to raise her head.
She said sarcastically.
"I think Odaisuo is pitiful. He worked hard for the shogunate and was so tired that he fell ill in the end, so he made his own decisions..."
Hosokawa Motonsune glared and cursed.
"Is he pitiful? He is the current imperial palace, the holder of the golden seal of the Ashikaga family's sword, the unparalleled Ashikaga military god in battle, and the Chosen One who attracts the attention of the world.
What kind of situation is the Izumi Hosokawa family in? You have time to pity him, but why don't you know how to pity me?"
Hosokawa Mototsune was furious. He really hated his sister who was not young but was extremely politically naive.
The three leaders of the shogunate are all members of the Ashikaga family, which can be said to be the three most powerful families in the world under the Ashikaga family.
But in fact, the Shiba family began to decline very early, followed by the Hatakeyama family. The only shogunate leader who has controlled the center for the longest time and can even confront General Ashikaga is the Hosokawa family.
Although the Hosokawa family's family status is not ranked high among the Ashikaga sect, their strength has always been very strong. In the history of the shogunate, there have been several times when the Ashikaga shogun was weak and the Hosokawa family controlled the power of the shogunate.
However, with the rise of Miyoshi Nagakei, the Hosokawa clan was brutally wiped out, and the situation of the Izumi-Hosokawa family, which was entrenched in Izumi Province, became very bad.
Izumi Country is at the forefront of the Miyoshi family's invasion of recent times, and the Izumi-Hosokawa family is always living in fear of destruction.
The Izumi-Hosokawa family was able to survive because of their superb team-building skills. Although their fighting skills were average, they never made any big mistakes in politics.
At the sensitive moment of the handover of power to the new shogunate, Haru Mibuchi changed his strategy without authorization and dragged Hosokawa Fujitaka to the Odaisho to plead guilty, leaving the Hosokawa and Mibuchi families very passive.
First, the losses caused by the two families missing the Battle of Jogaku were likely covered up by Hosokawa Fujitaka's fault. The merits and demerits were balanced, and Hosokawa Motonsune could no longer ask for compensation from Yoshigan Shiba.
Secondly, what will Ashikaga Yoshiaki think if the two families convict Hosokawa Fujitaka? If the conflict between Ashikaga and Shiba intensifies, will the new Ashikaga general judge that the two families must follow the Shiba family?
Hosokawa Motonsune's original strategy of sitting on the fence was to maintain ambiguity with both Ashikaga and Shiba as much as possible so that he could seek benefits from both parties.
Being interfered with by Mibuchi Haru, if wrong information is released, resulting in misjudgment by both parties, the loss will be immeasurable.
Mibuchiharu knew she was in the wrong, but she still reluctantly defended herself.
"We are a member of a powerful local faction. The leader is ill, so we go to visit him first. Isn't this a mistake?
The imperial court has been too kind to us. If we appear too indifferent, how will others view our family?"
Hosokawa Motonsune narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
Hosokawa Fujitaka glanced at the two mothers and said.
"Manyuan's mother is right. Our visit to the Imperial Palace is reasonable and does not offend His Highness Yoshiaki.
This matter was confirmed when I visited Nijo Imperial Palace later."
Mibuchi Haru breathed a sigh of relief. After all, she was his own daughter. Although the two had an unpleasant encounter before, her daughter still saved him at the critical moment.
Hosokawa Motonsune turned his attention to Hosokawa Fujitaka and asked.
"you sure?"
Hosokawa Fujitaka nodded and said.
"I'm sure that His Highness Yoshiaki values our family very much, and she even intends to put Sister Fujihide in charge of the defense of Fushimi Castle.
Of course, this matter must be completed after the handover of power from the shogunate is completed and the Oda army returns to its original duties."
As soon as these words came out, not only Hosokawa Motonsune was moved, Mibuchi Fujihide could not help but ask.
"Futaka, are you serious about this?"
However, Mibuchi Haru's heart sank. After all, her daughter was separated from her. On the way back, she did not mention this matter to herself.
Hosokawa Fujitaka didn't care about Mibuchi Haru's embarrassed expression and nodded to Mibuchi Fujihide.
In fact, she took the initiative to mention this condition to Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Ise Sadakyu after they reached a tacit understanding.
The Hosokawa Mibuchi family was caught in the buffer zone between the shogunate and the Miyoshi family. The strategy of the family had always been very clear, and the most important things were always two points.
First, to ensure the security of the territory. Second, to expand influence on the shogunate.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki hopes that Hosokawa Fujitaka will marry Shiba Yoshigan, and Hosokawa Fujitaka is of course very willing. But even with her own efforts, it is not enough to completely bring down the Hosokawa Mibuchi family.
That's why she suggested to Ashikaga Yoshiaki to hand over Fushimi Castle to Mibuchi Fujihide in order to win over her sister.
Mibuchi Fujihide was ordered by Shiba Yoshigan, so he had to raise troops to attack Minamikawachi and use up his own strength to compensate Hatakeyama Takamasa.
After missing the Battle of Sangluo, Mibuchi Fujihide was under greater pressure. The retainers did not dare to complain about Shiba Yiyin's strategic mistakes, so Mibuchi Fujihide became the scapegoat.
Among the Hosokawa Mibuchi family, who resented Shiba Yoshigan the most, it was Mibuchi Fujihide who was helped by Shiba Yoshigan to become the prince of Kitakawachi.
Although Mibuchi Fujihide is the guardian of Kitakawachi, she does not have enough prestige and has no say in the Hosokawa Mibuchi family. The situation has always been very aggrieved.
Yoshigan Shiba's kindness is said to have helped her, but in fact, the real benefit lies in the entire Hosokawa Mibuchi family. But if something goes wrong, she will be blamed for it. How can we not feel resentful?
If Ashikaga Yoshiaki can lure her over with benefits, Hosokawa Fujitaka will have the confidence to persuade Hosokawa Mototsune to side with Ashikaga Yoshiaki in the subsequent shogunate alignment.
As for Mibuchi Haru, she is a stubborn pro-Sports fan, so there is no need to waste time trying to win her over, just find a way to marginalize her.
Mibuchi Fujihide was indeed very happy when he was confirmed. However, Hosokawa Motonsune was very cautious and asked.
"Why would His Highness Yoshiaki give Fujihide such a big benefit?"
Hosokawa Fujitaka knew clearly that it was of course because of his own suggestion.
There are a large number of pro-Shiba factions among the retainers of the two families. This is not because they sincerely support Shiba Yiyin, but because the threat from the Miyoshi family is looming on their backs, forcing them to rely on the Shiba family.
To leverage the internal attitudes of the two companies, of course, we need to offer benefits that the two companies cannot refuse.
For the Ashikaga Shogunate, Fushimi Castle was an important military town guarding the southern suburbs of Kyoto.
If the Oda family withdraws its military power after the shogunate is stabilized, Fushimi Castle can only be handed over to the non-direct descendants of Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Because Ashikaga Yoshiaki's foundation in the shogunate was shallow, there were not many direct descendants who could be placed in Fushimi Castle.
In this case, Ashikaga Yoshiaki is of course willing to treat Fushimi Castle as a favor and give it to Mibuchi Fujihide. But from the perspective of the Hosokawa Mibuchi family, this is a huge pie.
The Shoryuji Castle of the Izumi Hosokawa family is not far from the Yodo Castle of Matsunaga Hide. It is also an important town along the Yodo River in Yamashiro.
Kitakawachi, which was guarded by Mibuchi Fujihide, faced Settsu Province of the Miyoshi family across the Yodo River.
If she gets Fushimi Castle in the southern suburbs of Kyoto, the Hosokawa-Mibuchi family will be able to control half of the Yodogawa waters, which will bring huge benefits.
You must know that the Yodogawa River is the water transportation channel between Sakai Port and Kyoto. This road not only has military value, but also has great economic value.
Kyoto and Sakai Port are the most prosperous commercial towns in recent times and even in the world. The Hosokawa-Mibuchi family, which controls half of the Yodo River water area, can be merciless just by setting up card charges.
As for Mibuchi Fujihide, who occupies the land of Kitakawachi, her status in the two families will inevitably rise after she obtains Fushimi Castle, and she must be extremely grateful to Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki used Fushimi Castle, which he could not occupy in the first place, in exchange for the strong support of the Hosokawa Mibuchi family, which was of course a very cost-effective deal.
After Hosokawa Fujitaka's analysis, Ashikaga Yoshiaki immediately made the decision and agreed to hand over Fushimi Castle to Mibuchi Fujihide after the Oda family retreated.
At this time, facing Hosokawa Motonsune's question, Hosokawa Fujitaka said something else.
"Your Highness Yoshiaki will soon become the shogun. Her strength and prestige are seriously lacking. In order to govern smoothly in the future, she always needs some reliable helpers."
Mibuchi Haru, who was listening in, felt something was wrong and interrupted.
"Futaka, the Imperial Office has been kind to us, we cannot be ungrateful..."
Before she could finish speaking, Hosokawa Motonsune interrupted her impatiently.
"you shut up!
What is ingratitude? We are all ministers of the shogunate, so naturally we must be loyal to Ashikaga Shogun.
You yourself said just now that the Imperial Council wants us to support the new shogunate, so what's wrong with us being respectful to the new Ashikaga shogun?
I believe that the imperial office also hopes that we will support the new general in successfully taking over the affairs of the palace."
Mibuchi Haru was speechless, and Hosokawa Fujitaka continued without even looking at his biological mother.
"His Royal Highness Yoshiaki's background has been criticized. If she wants to secure the shogunate, she must make a political statement.
Sanhao went to Luo to kill his ancestors. Although Sanhao and the other three were dead, the Sanhao family must pay the price.
His Highness Yoshiaki hopes to take revenge on the Miyoshi family after taking office to prove his orthodox status.
She intends to counterattack the Settsu Kingdom."
Hosokawa Motonsune was overjoyed.
"Okay, His Highness Yoshiaki wants to avenge his ancestors, of course we should support him."
Hosokawa Fujitaka secretly smiled.
No one knows the predicament of the Izumi-Hosokawa family better than her. The Miyoshi family is the Sword of Damocles hanging above their heads. This is also the fundamental reason why the Hosokawa-Mibuchi family closely follows the Shiba family.
If Ashikaga Yoshiaki counterattacks the Miyoshi family, the pressure on the Izumi Hosokawa family in the frontier areas will be greatly reduced. How could Hosokawa Motonsune not support it?
Hosokawa Fujitaka said calmly.
"But there is still a little problem with this matter."
Hosokawa Motonsune asked with a frown.
"what is the problem?"
Hosokawa Fujitaka glanced at Mibuchi Haru and said.
"I followed Sanyuan's mother to Shiba's residence to plead guilty to the imperial court.
In Yutai's words, he didn't seem to have any intention of taking revenge on the Miyoshi family.
Instead, he was wary of the Oda family and hoped that after the shogunate was stabilized, it would take the threat of Oda Nobunaga seriously."
Hosokawa Motonsune's face turned cold, and Mibuchi Fujihide also became uncertain.
The strength of the shogunate was not enough to deal with both ends of the East and the Konjac at the same time. The Oda family had replaced the Rokkaku family and became the powerful eastern sect, and the Oda family was stronger than the Rokkaku family.
Hosokawa Motonsune didn't quite understand why the Odaisho didn't go to Nishikonchi to beat up the Miyoshi family, but instead wanted to confront the Oda family who supported the shogunate. Was he too sick to be confused?
Mibuchi Fujihide's dissatisfaction is more direct. Fushimi Castle is now under the control of the Oda family. If the shogunate and the Oda family are at odds and the Oda family refuses to return Fushimi Castle, what will happen to her interests?
Even if the Oda family is willing to return Fushimi Castle and leave, once the shogunate and the Oda family turn against each other, Fushimi Castle, an important town, will inevitably become the focus of competition between the two sides.
If Oda Nobunaga can go to Luo and attack Fushimi Castle once, he can attack a second time.
The Oda family owned a territory of two million koku, while Mibuchi Fujihide's Kitakawa only had a mobilization force of one hundred thousand koku. She was not willing to become an enemy of Oda Nobunaga.
Mibuchi Fujihide couldn't help but said.
"Is Yu Taisuo too ill and talking nonsense?"
Sanbuchi Haru shouted.
"Fujiei! No nonsense!"
Mibuchi Fujihide lowered his head and said nothing, and Hosokawa Motonune said calmly.
“The imperial office has a far-sighted vision and naturally sees things more clearly than we do.
But the Mihaoshi family committed regicide, and if we let it go easily, I'm afraid the martial arts families in the world will never take the shogunate seriously again."
Hosokawa Fujitaka bowed.
"My mother is wise, and His Highness Yoshiaki means the same thing.
The Oda family's imperial concubine went to Luo, which is a meritorious service to the shogunate. If you have meritorious service, you will not be rewarded, but you must be on strict guard against it. Doesn't this chill the loyalty of the foreign vassals?"
During the conversation between the two of them, although Yoshihiro Shiba was not mentioned, their attitude was already very biased towards Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Mibuchi Haru looked worried and murmured.
"The Imperial Palace...he is kind to us..."
Hosokawa Mototsune and Hosokawa Fujitaka glanced at Mibuchi Harumi with the corners of their eyes at the same time, and then continued the conversation.
Hosokawa Motonsune asked.
"Futaka, you are going to Nijo Imperial Palace this time. Does His Highness Yoshiaki have any other instructions?"
Hosokawa Fujitaka shook his head and said.
"His Royal Highness Yoshiaki has not yet succeeded to the throne, and the golden seal of the sword is still at the imperial office. She can't say or do anything now, she can only be cautious.
She just revealed a few thoughts to me, but if the emperor knew about it and caused his dissatisfaction, it would be very troublesome."
Hosokawa Motonsune nodded and said.
"No one will spread rumors to ruin the harmony between His Highness Yoshiaki and the Imperial Palace."
Mibuchi Haru swallowed her saliva and stopped talking dejectedly. She didn't understand why things turned out like this.
Every word of Ashikaga Yoshiaki mentioned points that the Hosokawa Mibuchi family cared about. Although Hosokawa Motonsune did not express his position, he was obviously attracted by Ashikaga Yoshiaki's conditions.
Compared to Mibuchi Haru who is emotionally driven, Hosokawa Motonsune is much more utilitarian. She is a qualified family supervisor and only sees the interests of the family business.