"Don't be upset, Miyoshi, this is not because the general is deliberately humiliating you. It's just that in Kyoto now, Mr. Gongfang has no one available.
Besides Mesuke, a low-class swordsman like Yagyu Sogan, who else can she use, and who else can she dare to use?"
Miyoshi Yoshitsugi shook his head and sighed.
"The Ashikaga family has declined to this point, and the shogun is still ready to take action. I don't know whether to call him brave or stupid."
Hosokawa Fujitaka sneered.
"Our Mr. Gongfang grew up in Xingfukuji Temple. He studied Buddhism, not the martial arts education. He always does things without boundaries.
She thought that with the reputation of Ashikaga Shogun, the martial arts families in the world should be allowed to be driven by her without any complaints or regrets. How could such a cheap thing be possible?
If family lineage was really that useful, how could the world be in such chaos?"
Hosokawa Fujitaka was deeply touched.
The Hosokawa family has a profound heritage. Since the establishment of the Ashikaga shogunate, the Hosokawa family has been one of the main power holders in the shogunate.
It was a pity that the Hosokawa family had too much internal strife, and eventually the lineage was cut off by the head of the family, Miyoshi Chokei, leaving only the Izumi-Hosokawa family to survive.
If family lineage is so useful, how come the Hosokawa family was defeated and replaced by the Miyoshi family?
Hosokawa Fujitaka glanced at Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, and he was even less sad.
The once powerful Hosokawa family and Miyoshi family have now become lackeys of the Shiba family. Their former opponents have become their current colleagues, and things are changing.
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"Our general has always been obsessed with status, valued family status over heroes, was ungrateful, and was motivated by profit. He is the one to blame for his current fate.
It's a pity that she doesn't see it that way, and always feels that others have failed her.
If the Shiba and Oda families go to war, it would be the best outcome for her if both sides can lose. But now, both families are unwilling to fight anymore, so she is naturally anxious."
Mitsuhide Akechi knew the situation in Kyoto much better than Yoshitsugu Miyoshi and Fujitaka Hosokawa.
With the assistance of Fujibayashi Mukuro, after Shiba Yoshigina came to control Kyoto, nothing in Kyoto could be hidden from Akechi Mitsuhide.
Akechi Mitsuhide not only knew that Ashikaga Yoshiaki was very concerned about the battle situation on the front line, but he also continued to send battle reports to Ashikaga Yoshiaki through various channels.
After the Battle of Yuwu Lake, the Shiba and Oda families intended to reconcile and started negotiations for a truce.
Akechi Mitsuhide had already leaked the news to Nijo Castle before he went to Nagahama Castle to talk to Oda Nobunaga, which caused Ashikaga Yoshiaki to panic.
Since Ashikaga Yoshiaki succeeded to the throne of Ashikaga Shogun, the political arena in recent years has generally maintained a situation in which Ashikaga, Shiba, and Oda are the three pillars.
Among the three parties, Ashikaga Yoshiaki is the weakest.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki originally thought that this time when the Shiba and Oda families went to war, she would be a snipe and a clam fighting each other, and the fisherman would gain. But she never expected that the eldest and second child would start fighting, but it would be the third child who was far away in Kyoto who died.
If the Shiba-Oda family really joined forces, how could Ashikaga Yoshiaki still have a chance to succeed? Wouldn't she have to let Shiba-Oda control her for the rest of her life?
Akechi Mitsuhide knew that Ashikaga Yoshiaki had already thought of leaving. This was also the result of Akechi Mitsuhide always giving her information and misleading her.
If Mitsuhide Akechi hadn't been sending news to Ashikaga Yoshiaki through various channels, how could that poor official have the ability to quickly know the external situation?
However, the general was still trying to be smart, thinking that there were loyal people in the world who were willing to tip her off.
The reason why Ashikaga Yoshiaki has been secretly keeping in touch with Miyoshi Yoshitsugu through Yagyu Soen is because Mitsuhide Akechi has been misleading her, making her think that Miyoshi Yoshitsugu is a so-called loyal person.
Even though Akechi Mitsuhide and Miyoshi Yoshitsugu are looking friendly and friendly at the moment, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu stands firm and always knows where his butt should sit.
If Miyoshi Yoshitsugu had really been seduced by Ashikaga Yoshiaki and had other thoughts, he would have been punished by the law and committed seppuku.
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"Miyoshiji, I just returned from a mission in Changbin City, and you are eager to see me. Is there any new trend on the general's side?"
Miyoshi Yoshitsugi nodded.
"Yes, Yagyu Sogan sent me another letter yesterday, hinting to me that the general intends to hunt westward, and hopes that I can take care of him when the time comes."
Hosokawa Fujitaka's eyes widened.
"Xishui? The general wants to escape..."
Hosokawa Fujitaka forcefully suppressed the running words at the end.
Akechi Mitsuhide chuckled.
"It's true, General, what on earth is she thinking? If you can't live in Nijo Castle, where are you going to hunt in the west?
Araki of Settsu Country? No, no, no, Araki Village has no guts to receive her, and neither does Hatano of Tanba Country, so the general wants to travel far away."
Hosokawa Fujitaka narrowed his eyes.
"Shikoku? Western Country? Kyushu?"
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"The general can go wherever he wants.
Miyoshi Ji, just write back and tell her that you are willing to help her and give her some confidence."
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu was dumbfounded. She didn't know if what Mitsuhide Akechi said was ironic, so she didn't dare to speak up.
Hosokawa Fujitaka frowned.
"Although Ashikaga Yoshiaki is a fool, she is an Ashikaga General after all.
If she is allowed to successfully escape from Kyoto, follow Ashikaga Takauji's wisdom, and seek support from the powerful daimyo of the west, it may lead to catastrophe."
Hosokawa Fujitaka was already very impolite in his speech, even using the honorific title.
At that time, Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, was defeated and fled to Kyushu. He regrouped in Kyushu in the Western Kingdom and fought back to Kyoto.
At that time, it was the imperial family of Kyushu in the Western Kingdom who were dissatisfied with the imperial court's perverse behavior and harmed the interests of the samurai family, so they supported Ashikaga Takauji and fought back to Kyoto to establish the Ashikaga shogunate.
And now, Shiba Oda joins forces, and sooner or later they will conquer the samurai daimyo of the Western Kingdom, Kyushu and Shikoku, seeking unification of the world.
If the samurai lords in the west raise the name of Ashikaga Yoshiaki to resist, it will be very troublesome in terms of status and will make the nearest side very passive.
Akechi Mitsuhide disagreed with this, she smiled.
“A big disaster? It’s a big opportunity.
When the Shiba and Oda families join forces, there will always be some troubles and enemies before they can share the same hatred and deal with the outside world.
As long as Ashikaga Yoshiaki doesn't leave, Tsuta-den can never do anything to her, and they still have to maintain the safety of Nijo Castle and prevent His Highness Oda from persecuting her.
Now, Ashikaga Yoshiaki is leaving on his own, giving us a reason to go west to conquer Shikoku, Saigoku, and Kyushu. This is a great thing that we can only hope for.
It would be best to let her visit the Araki family and Hatano family and clean them together."
Hosokawa Fujitaka was thoughtful and nodded silently. Miyoshi Yoshitsugu looked horrified. Is this a political shady story that she should know?
From the beginning, Akechi Mitsuhide intentionally guided Ashikaga Yoshiaki to get out of his own way.
Shiba Yoshigan went to Luka and drove out the Oda army. Today, Kyoto is protected by the Shiba family.
Even if Shiba and Oda join forces in the future and the Oda family returns to Kyoto, Yoshihiro Shiba cannot let Oda Nobunaga harm the general in Kyoto, and the Shiba family cannot be stained with this stain.
Therefore, Ashikaga Yoshiaki must take the initiative to leave, so that the Shiba family can continue to pretend to be white lotuses and let the Oda family rush ahead and destroy the old order of the Ashikaga Shogunate.
As long as Ashikaga Yoshiaki leaves Kyoto, even if she holds high the banner of Ashikaga Shogun in the Western Kingdom, Kyoto can still claim that she was coerced into sending troops to conquer Buchen.
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu was the first place to lure Ashikaga Yoshiaki out of the capital.
Akechi Mitsuhide looked at Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and said softly.
"In this battle of Shiba Oda, Miyoshi Hime took the lead in righteousness, fought in the first battle, and stood up for the righteousness of the samurai family. Your Majesty praised her very much.
So now, Sanhao Ji, are you willing to share your worries and solve problems for me again?"
Miyoshi Yoshitsugi asked with his eyes wandering.
"Does Your Majesty know about this?"
Akechi Mitsuhide shook his head and said.
"Of course your Majesty doesn't know, but Your Majesty will definitely know your loyalty."
Miyoshi Yoshitsugi's eyes flashed, he was obviously fooled by Akechi Mitsuhide.
"For the sake of Tsutaden, Miyoshi Yoshitsugi is willing to go through fire and water, no matter what the orders."
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"There is no such thing as going through fire and water. Come on, let's figure it out. How can we make the Lord Gongfang feel at ease and hunt westward and never look back?"
The three of them talked for a long time before Miyoshi Yoshitsugu said goodbye reluctantly.
Akechi Mitsuhide and Hosokawa Fujitaka sent her outside the camp, Akechi Mitsuhide suddenly said.
"Miyoshihime, do you remember Honda Masanobu?"
Miyoshi Yoshitsugi was stunned and said with a complex expression.
"Remember."
When Miyoshi went to Luo, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was murdered, and the Miyoshi family fell into a state of eternal destruction.
The reason was that Matsunagamichi, who served as Miyoshi Yoshitsugu's side, encouraged Miyoshi Yoshitsugu to go to Luo behind her mother's back.
The person who made the plans behind Matsunagamichi was Honda Masanobu. Miyoshi Yoshitsugi was deceived so badly, how could he forget this person.
Akechi Mitsuhide nodded.
"Masanobu Honda is now in charge of the Shiba family and is trusted by your Majesty. Don't worry about those little conflicts you had back then."
Miyoshi Yoshitsugi's eyes were startled, Akechi Mitsuhide smiled and nodded.
Akechi Mitsuhide was not concerned about the conflict between Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and Honda Masanobu, she just reminded Miyoshi Yoshitsugu with vague words.
The person who was suspected of killing Ashikaga Yoshiteru has now become an important minister of the Shiba family. How deep is the water involved?
Yoshigan Shiba, who was far away in Kanto at that time, could not have known about the plot to kill Ashikaga Yoshiteru, so it must be the group of Shiba's retainers who were plotting.
The Shiba retainers went crazy and even dared to kill Ashikaga Yoshiteru, so what the heck is Ashikaga Yoshiaki?
Now that Miyoshi Yoshitsugi has embarked on this boat, she shouldn't be half-hearted, otherwise it will not be good for herself.
Akechi Mitsuhide borrowed the tiger skins of the entire Shiba retainers group to scare Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, in order to warn Miyoshi Yoshitsugu to be a good chess piece and complete his plan to deceive Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
As expected, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu became suspicious, bowed respectfully, said goodbye, and left in a hurry.
Hosokawa Fujitaka asked in a low voice to Akechi Mitsuhide.
"Is this person available?"
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"A good knife."
At this time, Mitsuhide Akechi's mind flashed with the figure of his old friend Matsunaga Hide. He might not know that this knife could be used for other purposes in the future.
Back in the camp, Akechi Mitsuhide smiled at Hosokawa Fujitaka.
"The outsiders are gone, let's talk about something else."
Hosokawa Fujitaka nodded.
"I'm all ears."
Akechi Mitsuhide held her hand and said.
"You and I, sisters, don't be honest, how much reward do you think will satisfy the Hosokawa family for their sacrifice in this fierce battle?"
Hosokawa Fujitaka frowned slightly.
"With the relationship between Tsutaden and me, I have nothing to ask for, but the Hosokawa retainers group is hard to say.
This time, my family was the first to go out and attack Mount Iwasaki, and we suffered a lot of losses. If we don't get a generous reward, the people below will inevitably complain."
Akechi Mitsuhide nodded and said.
"Yes, being rewarded by the public is the cornerstone of the Wu family.
In this Battle of Saba Oda, tens of thousands of people were lost in the battle at Yuwu Lake alone. Now that Saba has won a great victory and the war has ceased, everyone is naturally eager for the heavy rewards after the war.
It's just that the Shiba family won but won, and the Oda family lost but was defeated. After the negotiation, both sides will most likely return to their original positions, and the Oda family will not give up much land due to defeat.
This post-war reward will probably embarrass Jindo-dono. As Jindo-dono’s caring people, you and I must think more about it for Your Majesty.”
Akechi Mitsuhide is responsible for negotiating with the Oda family, and she knows Oda Nobunaga’s thoughts best. Oda Nobunaga has given in, but this does not mean that the Shiba family can push further.
The strength of the Oda family is still there, and it is impossible for them to lose their power and humiliate the country by giving up a large amount of land and letting Yoshigashi Shiba distribute the favors and reward the meritorious officials at will.
But if there is no land reward and they are just paid with money and food, it will be difficult to satisfy the appetite of Ji warriors.
The Wu family still cares most about land. Land means population, food, and military strength. If there is no land in the post-war rewards, many people may be dissatisfied.
Shiba Yoshigan is a living god, and the samurai families dare not complain against him. In the end, the finger of blame will definitely be pointed at the person who negotiated peace with the Oda family.
As the person in charge of the negotiations, Akechi Mitsuhide would be stupid if she fell into a passive position. Therefore, she had to prepare for a rainy day.
Akechi Mitsuhide has nothing to do with the Kwantung Allied Forces.
If there is any dissatisfaction over there, it is naturally caused by Yamanaka Yukimori and Shima Katsuo, who are the nominal chief officers of the Kanto Palace and the leading generals of this troops.
What Akechi Mitsuhide needs to deal with is mainly the recent coalition forces.
Logically speaking, Mitsuhide Akechi should communicate with Maeda Benedict, because Maeda Benefit is the general-in-chief of the recent coalition forces and a close confidant of the king. It is Maeda Benefit's obligation to share the worries of the king.
But Akechi Mitsuhide has a lot of entanglements with Maeda's interests, and she is also afraid that Maeda's interests will take the opportunity to trick her.
Just as she said to Hosokawa Fujitaka, public reward is the cornerstone of the samurai family. Anyone who proposes not to grant land reward at this time will definitely be hated by the recent coalition forces.
All it takes is a little guidance from Maeda and Mitsuhide Akechi.
Akechi Mitsuhide did not believe in Maeda's interests, so he brought this idea up to Hosokawa Fujitaka.
The Hosokawa Army was the second largest force in the Kwantung Allied Forces after Shiba Army. Hosokawa Fuji Matata was the first to go into battle and led troops to attack the Iwasaki Mountain defense line head-on.
Although Hosokawa Fujitaka had in mind the idea of consuming the strength of the opponents in the family, the military achievements of the Hosokawa family were obvious to all, and they would definitely be among the best after the war.
If Akechi Mitsuhide could convince Hosokawa Fujitaka to be upright and take the initiative to refuse the heavy reward, then those who ranked behind Hosokawa's army in terms of military merit would be embarrassed to make any excessive demands.
