Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide complimented each other, chatted for a while, and finally got down to business.
Akechi Mitsuhide held the tea soup and exhaled slightly, causing waves to rise on the tea soup.
"Hashiba-hime, look at the ripples on the tea soup. Doesn't it look like today's world, where people want to be calm but the turmoil continues."
Hideyoshi Hashiba smiled.
"Akechi-ji is used to drinking tea with the noble nuns in Kyoto. She is filled with a sense of Zen, but I don't have this leisurely mood. I can't explain why, which makes Akechi-ji laugh."
Akechi Mitsuhide nodded.
"That's right, I'm so stupid that I can't see the general trend of the world, so I want to go against the will of the world. But her stupidity also puts Hashibahime in a dilemma.
Hashiba-hime's difficulty is Nizi Katsuhisa's advantage. With Hashiba-hime holding down the main force of the Mori family for her, it seems that her attack on Izumo country will be a success this time.
Poor Hashiba-hime, if you don't work hard, I'm afraid His Highness Oda will be dissatisfied, and there will be changes in Mimasaku.
After all, Mimasaku Country is the main entrance and exit of Izumo Country. Once Nizi Katsuhisa achieves brilliant results in Izumo Country, it is logical for the saint to ask Mimasaku Country to serve as a rear military station.
By that time, His Highness Oda has lost face and may be angry with you, so you have to make preparations in advance."
Akechi Mitsuhide hit Hashiba Hideyoshi's pain point with just a few words. This was exactly what she was most worried about and helpless about.
The foundation of the Maori family is in Aki Country, and the main Maori forces have not yet come out in force, but are waiting and watching.
Now the Maori family is like setting up a bow and arrow, but there is only one arrow in their hand. Where will the arrow go? This is what the Maori family is discussing fiercely.
There is only one arrow, but the enemy has two.
Hashiba Hideyoshi of the Oda family conquered Sanyo and arrived at Bichū. Behind Bichū was Tomo of Bingo Province and the pseudo-shogunate of Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
This place, Tomon, was once the starting point for the first shogun and the tenth shogun to return to Kyoto. Ashikaga Yoshiaki opened here, and it has extremely important political and symbolic significance.
Once the Maori family fails to prepare for China, and Hashiba Hideyoshi threatens Tomo, or even takes away Tomo, and even Ashikaga Yoshiaki himself, it will be a huge political disaster.
Although the Maori family, with the Tomon shogunate in their hands, were at a disadvantage politically, as long as they had Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the Ashikaga shogun, they would eventually have a bargaining chip with the Kyoto shogunate.
If the Maori family loses the political bargaining chip with the central government and becomes a traitor, then there will be no room for improvement.
This is a political battle, and political accounts must be settled. The front line of Bei China is the bottom line that the Maori family cannot easily miss. Defending Bei China means stabilizing the Tomon shogunate of Bingo country.
On the other side, Izumo Country is one of the rare rich areas in Sanin, with plains and mineral deposits, no shortage of recognized food, and no shortage of iron weapons and armaments.
The self-sufficiency of Izumo Country gave birth to one of the two major civilizations of the island country, Izumo Civilization.
Although the Yamato civilization ultimately defeated the Izumo civilization, the mythological system of the Izumo Kingdom was completely different from the Shinto system of Emperor Yamato and formed its own system.
The influence of the Nizi family in Izumo country is very great. Once Katsuhisa Nizi is allowed to gain a foothold in Izumo country and revive the Nizi family, it will immediately threaten the economic foundation of the Mori family.
The commonly used currencies in Western countries are copper coins and rice, and the circulation of silver is almost monopolized by the Maori family, relying on the huge production capacity of Iwami Ginzan.
Onsenzu in Iwami Province and Itsukushima in Aki Province are the two largest silver distribution centers in the Western Kingdom, and they are also the core of the prosperous Maori trade.
The precursor to the collapse of a regime is often reflected in financial collapse.
With eight points of Sanyang Kingdom and five points of Sanin Kingdom, the Western Kingdom seems to have thirteen kingdoms, but in fact most of them are small mountainous countries with very little rock height. The food output of the entire Western Kingdom may not be as good as that of the Nobi Plain.
However, the Western Country has its own advantages. The Chinese mountains running through the Western Country are rich in minerals, especially the huge Iwami Silver Mountain, which has become one of the most important sources of financial income for the Maori family.
The Maori family cannot afford to lose Iwami Ginzan, otherwise they will not have the financial resources to fight against the central government.
Moreover, the fall of the Izumo Kingdom also means the loss of the Sanin Five Kingdoms. Nizi Katsuhisa will directly threaten the Maori family of Aki Province, which is something the Maori family will never tolerate.
Therefore, for the Maori family, Sanyo's Beichugoku and Sanin's Izumo Kingdom were battlegrounds that could not be lost.
But the arrows in the hands of the Maori family are only enough to shoot in one place. This is the dilemma why the main force of the Maori family is reluctant to move. The Maori family is also weighing the pros and cons, who to choose and who to give up.
What Hashiba Hideyoshi feared most was that the Mori family chose to point the arrow at him and treat him as a weakling.
Because behind Hideyoshi, Bessho Choharu was in rebellion, and in front of Bechuu, the local samurai people did not support the Oda family.
If the Mori family decided to quickly deal with Hashiba Hideyoshi first, and then turn around to deal with Nizi Katsuhisa, Hashiba Hideyoshi would be in trouble.
The main force of Mori came to attack, and even if Hashiba Hideyoshi could block it, his vitality would be severely damaged.
On the other side, Nizi Katsuhisa will achieve greater victory and progress in Izumo Country because the Mori family puts the main force behind Hashiba Hideyoshi.
This is equivalent to asking Hideyoshi Hashiba to use his own strength to carry the thunder for Nizi Katsuhisa, watching others eat meat, and he can't even drink the soup.
What's even more frightening is that Oda Nobunaga has never been a tolerant master.
If she wins, she will be willing to reward him heavily. If he loses, she will be ruthless.
If Hashiba Hideyoshi's fight was too ugly, Oda Nobunaga would not listen to any reason and would only think that Hashiba Hideyoshi was incompetent.
Hideyoshi Hashiba risked everything, gave up the wealthy territory of 120,000 koku in Kitohimi, and went to fight in the mountains and valleys of the Western Kingdom. She couldn't afford to lose!
Although Miasaku Country is the territory of Sanyodo, it is also the rear area of Izumo Country.
If Nizi Shengjiu's record is outstanding and fruitful, the Sibo family can definitely ask for the United States to be taken over as their own logistics station.
After all, Hashiba Hideyoshi can't even control the Harima Kingdom now, and Higashi-Harima is in rebellion, so what qualifications does she have to compete with Nizi Katsuhisa for the United States and the Kingdom?
Akechi Mitsuhide is the operator of the Fushimi Castle system and can directly communicate with the saint and Oda Nobunaga. Her words are not without purpose, but are analysis that can really put pressure on Hashiba Hideyoshi.
Hearing this, Hideyoshi Hashiba could no longer hold his breath and asked calmly.
"Mingzhiji came here specifically to watch my jokes?"
Akechi Mitsuhide shook his head and said.
"I just want to ask Hashibahime to write a letter and send it to Azuchi Castle."
Hideyoshi Hashiba was stunned.
"What letter?"
Akechi Mitsuhide showed a strange smile.
"I would like to ask you to inform His Majesty Oda.
Bessho Choharu is the daughter-in-law of the Hatano family, and her husband is from the Hatano family. She is actively communicating with Hatano Hideharu and is preparing to further expand the rebellion."
Hideyoshi Hashiba's eyes widened.
"Do you know what you are talking about? Do you know what the consequences will be if I send this letter?"
Akechi Mitsuhide said coldly.
"Oda Nobunaga will kill Hatano Hideji as soon as she enters Azuchi Castle and not give her a chance to launch a rebellion."
Hideyoshi Hashiba narrowed his eyes.
"Your father is being held hostage by the Hatano family. If Hatano Hideji dies in Azuchi Castle, your father will be killed by the Hatano family immediately."
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled and said nothing. Hashiba Hideyoshi's heart grew colder. He looked at the elegant woman in front of him and was confused.
The geographical location of Tamba Country is extremely important. It is the starting point and barrier for Kinki to face the Western Kingdom. Moreover, Tamba Highlands is also condescending to the Kyoto Basin and can attack the center of Kyoto at any time.
Therefore, Oda Nobunaga has always paid close attention to Tanba Kingdom, but Hatano Hideji huddled in the mountains, and the city was easy to defend and difficult to attack, like a hedgehog that no one could eat.
There is a marriage between Bessho Choharu and Hatano Hideharu. If the two parties join forces to start a rebellion, everything from Higashi-Harima to Tamba Highlands will become a place of turmoil.
The rebels can attack Harima Country, the Settsu country that the Oda family just captured, from all angles at any time, causing a serious setback to the Oda family's Western Kingdom strategy.
With Oda Nobunaga's current stubbornness and eagerness for quick success, she would never leave this hidden danger behind.
The previous governor of the Hatano family was incompetent and was captured alive by Miyoshi Yoshihide, which forced the Tanba samurai family to surrender to the Miyoshi family and live in humiliation.
Hatano Hideharu was an outstanding figure in his generation. He led the Tanba samurai family to rebel against the Miyoshi family and maintained neutrality in the turmoil of Kinki for many years. His talents should not be underestimated.
This time Hatano Hideharu went to Azuchi Castle through the operation of Akechi Mitsuhide and the Fushimi Castle system as a guarantee.
Mitsuhide Akechi took his father as a hostage, which made Hideharu Hatano decide to go down the mountain. Such a good opportunity would never happen again.
If Hashiba Hideyoshi wrote a letter telling Oda Nobunaga that Bessho Choharu colluded with Hatano Hideyoshi, the rebellion in Higashi-Harima would spread to Tamba Country.
Oda Nobunaga will never give Hatano Hideharu a chance to explain. She will definitely seize the opportunity and eradicate the root cause.
The Hatano family is a traditional samurai family's ruling method, and the core figure is Hatano Hideharu.
Once Hatano Hideharu dies, the Tanba samurai family, who are pinched together by the Hatano family, will inevitably go their own way and find a way out.
Without a strong figure to take the lead, Tamba Country will definitely return to the chaotic state of female separatism. This is the political form that is most conducive to Oda Nobunaga's attack on Tamba Country.
But this incident did no good to Akechi Mitsuhide at all. Hideyoshi Hashiba couldn't figure out why she would do this?
Oda Nobunaga broke the contract and killed people, and the credibility of the Fushimi Castle system was questioned. Other samurai will doubt the binding force of the Fushimi Castle system on Oda Nobunaga.
Akechi Mitsuhide travels around the world, and the biggest capital he holds is the Fushimi Castle system cooperated by the Shiba and Oda families, which makes samurai from all over the world take a look.
The credibility of the Fushimi Castle system has been severely damaged, and Akechi Mitsuhide's influence will be less than before.
Furthermore, Akechi Mitsuhide Kurama worked for Oda Nobunaga many times, but in the end her father died and she became the laughing stock of the samurai family. What did she want?
Hideyoshi Hashiba sighed deeply.
"Akechi Ji, I don't understand, what are you thinking about? What do you want?"
Akechi Mitsuhide shook his head, restrained his usual elegant smile, and showed a hint of coldness.
"You don't need to understand my thoughts, you just need to know that doing this can help you get out of trouble. It depends on whether you are willing or not.
You can secretly hint at the Maori family.
You have no time to take care of the Chinese front, and you must concentrate on dealing with Bessho Choji who rebelled against Higashi-Harima. Even if the Mori family breaks through the Izumo Kingdom, you will not have the strength to support Katsuhisa Nizi."
Hideyoshi Hashiba looked serious.
"You want me to collude with the Maori family? Once the matter is exposed, I will die without a trace."
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"Let the Maori family take care of Nizi Katsuhisa, and you concentrate on exterminating Besho Jangji. It will be a good thing for both of you. Isn't this a win-win situation?
I believe you are not that stupid. You only need to find an intermediary to hint a few words to the Maori family. Do you still need to say it yourself?"
Hideyoshi Hashiba asked coldly.
"Why should I trust that you won't betray me?"
Mitsuhide Akechi raised two fingers and put one down.
"You owe me two lives, one for Kanazaki's escape and one for Kaga's disobedience. Now, I want you to give me back your life.
Of course you can trust me, because from the moment I asked you to write a letter to slander and frame Hatano Hideji, we were already a grasshopper on a rope.
I bet you don’t like the current situation, and coincidentally, I don’t like it either.”
Hashiba Hideyoshi looked at Akechi Mitsuhide and could no longer say a word, but the words Takenaka Shigeharu said before his death came to mind.
Oda Nobunaga will die a good death...Do you, Akechi Mitsuhide, want to...
There was silence in the tea room for a long time before Hideyoshi Hashiba spoke slowly with a gloomy face.
"You have to promise not to let Nizi Shengjiu go back alive."
Akechi Mitsuhide nodded.
"Don't worry, Nizi Katsuhisa will definitely die in Izumo Country."
Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide smiled at each other, raised the tea soup at the same time, took a sip, and completed this dirty political transaction.
The two will use Nizi Katsuhisa's blood to win each other's trust, form an alliance, and test each other towards a further goal, which is called Oda Nobunaga.
The death of Nizi Katsuhisa will be a secret shared by the two, and this secret prevents both parties from betraying each other.
Because once it is revealed that the death of Nizi Katsuhisa is related to the two of them, the saint will never let them go. Neither of them can afford the price. This is called a declaration of surrender.
Hashiba Hideyoshi wanted Nizi Katsuhisa to die, because only if she died, the Shiba family's Western Kingdom strategy would be devastated and stagnant for at least a year, and Hashiba Hideyoshi would stand out in the Western Kingdom.
Only after betraying Nizi Katsuhisa, killing his own father, and destroying the credibility of the Fushimi Castle system did Hashiba Hideyoshi reluctantly trust Akechi Mitsuhide.
Believe Akechi Mitsuhide, she really really wants to kill Oda Nobunaga.
Hideyoshi Hashiba's fingers were so excited that the opportunity she had been waiting for finally came.
Takenaka Hime, have you seen it? Oda Nobunaga is going to die. She will die from the backlash of the poisonous snake Akechi Mitsuhide!
Even though Hideyoshi Hashiba tried his best to hide it, Akechi Mitsuhide still noticed her excitement and sneered in his heart.
Akechi Mitsuhide wanted Oda Nobunaga to die from the beginning to the end.
The purpose of using Hideyoshi Hashiba to sacrifice Nizi Katsuhisa was to create an irresolvable mortal feud between the Shiba and Oda families.
The cheap father who was the hostage was fake, and Mitsuhide Akechi didn't care about the credibility of the Fushimi Castle system.
Since Oda Nobunaga is destined to die, is there any need for the Fushimi Castle system where the Shiba and Oda families cooperate to exist?
The Oda family, which lost Oda Nobunaga, was just a tiger with its claws removed, and there was no longer any threat.
As for Hashiba Hideyoshi, she will become a tool, a useful tool to kill Oda Nobunaga.
Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuru appear to be in harmony on the surface, but in their hearts they are thinking about how to use each other to maximize their own interests.
