"We must risk it. Unless the Lord is willing to give up the ambition of the descendant of the gods, we must help Naoyoshi Banzawa, otherwise she will not be able to break this deadlock.
Umino-hime, as you just said, this matter involves a wide range of people, including the Samurai Giri Promotion Association, the Kanto Service Office, and all parties in the Martial Arts Association, there are hundreds of people involved.
Do you think that if the saint was informed of this matter through formal channels, the saint would be able to deal with so many people ruthlessly?
There is a cloud in the sky, and the law does not blame everyone.
Everyone is guilty, which means everyone is fine. If you want the saint to punish you severely, you must make a big noise.
Although the hundreds or thousands of participants are horrifying, the number of victims is not just tens of thousands.
The Wujia Yili Promotion Association made a ten-year water conservancy plan last year and planned to borrow 20 million dan in ten years to carry out water conservancy projects, covering the entire Guanbazhou area.
In recent years, we have borrowed more and more loans for water conservancy projects, three to four million dan, right?
According to Sarutobi Hime's information, food stamps worth at least half a million ken, or millions of koku, flowed to Sakai Port in Kinki to earn interest differentials for those corrupt participants.
A million-stone food stamp is simply shocking.
Although the loan from the Wujia Yili Promotion Association was guaranteed by the reputation of the saint, the borrowers were thousands of local servants in Guanbazhou, who were borrowing money for water conservancy and farming to repay the loan.
If they were told that there was something wrong with their loan and the money and food were not in their books at all, would they panic and cause a commotion?
If these evidences were only reported privately to the Tongxin Secretariat, the saint would definitely not want the matter to escalate into a big deal, and would compromise and conceal it to avoid the aggravation of the scandal.
But what if Hanzawa Naoyoshi really scared away the nun who was in charge of the accounts and exposed the matter to the world?
The saint must give an explanation to the middle and lower-class martial arts families in Guanbazhou, sacrifice hundreds of corrupt people, and restore the trust of thousands of Guandong Princess warriors.
Umino-hime just said that no one in the Kansai Province is clean except for the marginalized Satomi Satake and other oriental people. In fact, that is not the case.
Lord, we Sanada people are honest and responsible, and the money we earn is the treasures dug out from the mountains with hard work and the cotton cloth woven with heart.
In the past few years, I have been very careful not to get involved in the business of the Wu Family Giri Promotion Association, but the Sanada family has not been involved at all.
Once Guanbazhou is in chaos, in order to stabilize the people's hearts, the Saint must find a neutral party that is not involved in the case to stabilize Guanbazhou.
The Uesugi Hojo Takeda Yura family, even Yamanaka-sama, Shima-sama, and their retainers must be involved, and they can only avoid suspicion.
Ozo Changan, Okuma Asohide, and Ina Chuji, and their followers were among the hardest hit areas and could not be avoided.
At this time, you are the only one who can step in for the saint to stabilize the Guanbazhou region and isolate the corruptors and victims with a neutral stance.
In order to achieve our goals, we need an upright man like Naoyoshi Hansawa to uncover the shady curtain and pierce the window paper. Even if we take some risks, we must not back down."
After Miyoshi Sekai finished speaking, he bowed deeply towards Sanada Nobunshige.
Umino Riichi seemed to be convinced by her, no longer raised any objections, and looked at Sanada Nobushige.
Sarutobi Sasuke, like them, also looked at Sanada Nobushige.
The three people's eyes were focused on Sanada Nobushige's face, waiting for her decision.
Sanada Nobushige frowned and gritted his teeth.
"Give the evidence to Hanzawa Naoyoshi! If something goes wrong, I'll carry it!
I have long been dissatisfied with those bastards. They eat the saint's food, drink the saint's food, and are greedy and secretly ruin the saint's fortune.
Even if it's not for myself or the Sanada people, I still want to help Hanzawa Naoyoshi.
This is for the saint I swore to follow my whole life! I, Sanada Nobushige, made the bet!"
———
The shady curtain of Kanto is about to be revealed, and a fierce storm sweeping across the eight states of Kanto is about to come.
At this time, Shiba Yoshigan did not know that the collapse of Kanto was imminent. He was anxiously waiting for news from the Western Kingdom and praying for the safe return of Nizi Shengjiu.
But Yoshigan Shiba didn't know that Nizi Katsuhisa's enemies were not only the Maori family, but also the hidden arrows behind his back, which had become even more bleak because of Yoshigan Shiba's compromise.
Harima Country, Himeji Castle.
It was already dark, and Hashiba Hideyoshi in the room silently listened to the words of the person sitting down, and just waved his hand to let her leave immediately.
The man bowed and saluted, and when he raised his head, his true face was revealed in the flickering candlelight. He turned out to be Mukuro Fujibayashi from the confidentiality team.
"Master Hashiba, I will wait for your reply in the castle town and say goodbye."
Fujibayashi quietly slipped out of the room and disappeared in the corner of the courtyard. Hideyoshi Hashiba waited for a while before slowly speaking.
"Come out."
Behind the screen, Takaka Kuroda walked out, dragging his legs with an ugly twist.
Kuroda Takaka kowtowed, while Hashiba Hideyoshi waved his hands.
"There's no need for formality. There are no outsiders here. Tell me what you think."
Kuroda Takataka didn't have any idea at the moment, his heart was like a turbulent sea, turbulent.
Hashiba Hideyoshi actually teamed up with Akechi Mitsuhide and secretly communicated with the Mori family to conspire to frame Nizi Katsuhisa.
If this matter spreads, it will definitely cause an uproar.
Kuroda Takagao narrowed his eyes and asked.
"Why does the Lord want me to know these secrets?"
Hashiba Hideyoshi looked deeply at Kuroda Takaka and said slowly.
"Takenaka-hime recommended you before her death and asked me to reuse you. I believe in her and hope you will not disappoint her, let alone me."
If given a choice, Hideyoshi Hashiba certainly didn't want anyone to know this secret.
Fujibayashi is just a ninja. If Akechi Mitsuhide is willing, he can secretly silence her at any time and cover up the matter tightly.
But Kuroda Takaka is different. She is a Harima warrior with status, status and friends, so the risk of information being leaked is much greater.
But Hideyoshi Hashiba has no choice, because the current situation is far more complicated than she imagined, and she needs someone to help her fill in the gaps.
No one expected that the saint would be so nostalgic that he was willing to pay a huge political price for the safety of Nizi Shengjiu.
The Maori family would most likely be unable to resist the temptation and would gladly accept the saint's olive branch and make peace with the Shiba family.
In this way, Nizi Katsuhisa can come back safely, but Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide are in big trouble.
No one can guarantee whether the Maori family will reveal any information when releasing Nizi Katsuhisa, let alone whether Nizi Katsuhisa will have doubts about the defeat of the Western Kingdom and pursue it to the end.
Nizi Katsuhisa has been in charge of Kinki Shiba for nine years and has great influence. If she really wants to investigate, she will always find some clues. Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide will not have an easy time.
Akechi Mitsuhide sent ninjas to contact Hashiba Hideyoshi, just to prevent Nizi Katsuku from returning. This bastard refused to take the blame alone, so he must drag Hashiba Hideyoshi into the water.
Hashiba Hideyoshi's people provided information, and Akechi Mitsuhide's people took action. They were all accomplices, and no one could try to distance themselves from the affair.
Hashiba Hideyoshi already had some regrets at this time. He seemed to be being dragged into a bottomless quagmire by Akechi Mitsuhide, sinking deeper and deeper into it.
The Maori family has lost control, and Mitsuhide Akechi will not let go. If the truth is exposed in the future, Oda Nobunaga will definitely skin Hideyoshi Hashiba's monkey skin.
Hashiba Hideyoshi had no escape route, so she could only place her hope in Akechi Mitsuhide, hoping that that bastard would kill Oda Nobunaga soon so that both of them could find relief.
But seeing Mitsuhide Akechi's insidiousness made Hideyoshi uneasy.
After Akechi Mitsuhide kills Oda Nobunaga, he will definitely deal with himself. He has many conspiracies with her. How will he protect himself and prevent her hidden arrows from hurting him?
After the death of Takenaka Shigeharu, Hashiba Hideyoshi found that he lacked a strategist and felt quite powerless in the face of Akechi Mitsuhide's machinations.
Letting Kuroda Takataka get involved in knowing these secrets was Hideyoshi Hashiba's last resort.
She needs resourceful people to help her plan to prevent herself from falling into Akechi Mitsuhide's trap. It would be best to dig a hole and trap Akechi Mitsuhide in turn.
For the current plan, he can only take the risk of involving Kuroda Takataka to help him make suggestions.
Facing Hashiba Hideyoshi's respect, Kuroda Takaka bowed and then lowered his head to think.
Hideyoshi Hashiba did not rush and waited silently for her answer.
After a while, Kuroda Takagao said.
"A month ago, Lord Kuuki Yoshitaka led the armored ship, the Anzhai navy that Niwa Nagahide-sama persuaded, and the Kurushima Murakami navy that you won over, my lord, gathered in Osaka Bay.
The three families joined forces and fought against the Maori Navy at Harima Beach, defeating more than 600 ships of the Maori Navy.
The Maori navy was forced to retreat to defend the back beach, and the Maori threat to the coastlines of the two Harima-Bizen countries was basically eliminated.
And you also defeated Bessho's army a few days ago, forced Bessho's chief to commit seppuku and committed suicide, and surrendered the Higashi-Harima samurai families.
Behind our army, the threat on the flanks is gone, the time is ripe to advance to China and start a land war with the Maori family.
The Mori family also understands this, and will definitely agree to the sage's conditions, release Nizi Katsuhisa, and make peace with the Shiba family."
Hideyoshi Hashiba asked.
"So? Should I cooperate with Mitsuhide Akechi and continue to be used by her to become her accomplice in killing Nizi Katsuhisa?"
Kuroda Takaka nodded decisively.
"You must help her and never let Nizi Katsuhisa return to Kinki safely. This is not only to help others, but also for yourself."
Hashiba Hideyoshi frowned.
"But in this case, I will be coerced by Mitsuhide Akechi, and I will fall deeper and deeper into it. I will inevitably be harmed by her in the future."
Kuroda Takaka said with a smile.
"It's the lesser of two evils. You and she are just using each other. It's unclear who will take advantage of this matter in the future and who will trick whom.
Akechi Mitsuhide can plot, and we can also plot against her. We have to wait and see who will be splashed with the death of Nizi Katsuhisa."
Hideyoshi Hashiba burst into laughter.
"What you said... made Nizi Shengjiu seem to be dead."
Kuroda Takaka sneered.
"Of course she is going to die, she must die.
Just imagine, if Nizi Shengjiu survives, with the saint's promise, the Shiba family will definitely abide by their promise and make political concessions to the Maori family.
In this way, the pressure on the Maori family on the front line of Sanin will be reduced drastically, and the threat will be gone, and they can concentrate all their efforts on dealing with your Sanyo army.
With the Izumo Kingdom back under the control of the Maori Family, the U.S. Army has become the frontline, and the pressure is on your side. The Maori Family can suppress our army from two directions, preparing for China and the U.S. Army, which will be very troublesome for our army.
Furthermore, the Shiba family's concession means that the Oda family cannot continue to use the shogunate's righteousness. The political loss will make the Harima, Bizen, and Mimasaku Three Kingdoms samurai families who have just come over feel hesitant.
This will inevitably lead to conflicts between the main hall and the saints. The discord between the Shiba family and the Oda family will also affect the Oda family's support for the Western Kingdom strategy.
At that time, my lord, you will really be fighting alone, challenging the Maori family alone."
Hideyoshi Hashiba sighed and nodded slightly.
Kuroda Takataka is right, Akechi Mitsuhide is a bastard, but on the matter of Nizi Katsuhisa having to die, the interests of both parties are consistent.
When Nizi Katsuhisa comes back, he will probably be able to find out the clues about Mitsuhide Akechi. The internal strife of the Shiba family is not the result Akechi Mitsuhide wants to see.
From Hashiba Hideyoshi's perspective, she cooperated with Mitsuhide Akechi and tipped off the Mori family in order to hold back the Shiba family and gain an advantage for herself, not to disrupt the Western Kingdom Raiders.
Besides, I don’t know if the Mori family will take the initiative to reveal any news to Nizi Katsuhisa, leaving Hideyoshi passive.
In fact, even if the Mori family didn't say anything, Hideyoshi Hashiba, who had a guilty conscience, could not tolerate the time bomb of Nizi Katsuhisa.
It has always been that one can only commit a thousand days to be a thief, not a thousand days to guard against thieves. Only the death of Nizi Katsuhisa can make Hashiba Hideyoshi completely at ease.
Hideyoshi Hashiba narrowed his eyes.
"Then I will help and let Akechi Mitsuhide's people solve this problem."
Kuroda Takagao nodded.
"Yes, as long as Nizi Katsuhisa dies in the Western Kingdom, the Maori family will be unable to prove their innocence, and a deadly feud will be formed between the Shiba family and the Maori family.
The Nizi family has great influence in the Western Kingdom, and the threat to the Maori family is deep in their bones. No matter how the Maori family explains it, they cannot win the trust of the saint.
Only the Maori family can bear this blame, even if the saint does not believe it."
Hideyoshi Hashiba understood clearly.
Regardless of whether the saint believed or not that the Maori family sent someone to assassinate Nizi Katsuhisa, he could only choose to believe it.
The Shiba family can be devastated and share the same hatred, and the Oda family can continue to conquer the Western Kingdom without any constraints. This is the best outcome for both parties to the alliance.
In fact, this matter is also due to Sibo Yiyin's eagerness to save people and his confusion of proportion.
Even if Yoshihiro Shiba doesn't take the initiative to contact the Maori family, the Maori family may not dare to actually kill Nizi Katsuhisa.
Nizi Katsuhisa's status in the Shiba family is not low, and the Mori family is not blind, so naturally he does not want to form an insoluble grudge with the Shiba family.
However, Shiba Yiyin took the initiative to send people to contact the Maori family and was willing to use political concessions in exchange for Nizi Katsuhisa's life. This approach actually harmed Nizi Katsuhisa.
The Mori family can indeed benefit from it, but the interests of the Shiba family and the Oda family have been greatly damaged.
The Shiba family completely lost the reason to march into the Western Kingdom. The Oda family had no political and military cooperation from allies, so they could only attack the Mori family independently, which was half the result with twice the result.
Both sides suffered heavy losses, how could the retainers accept it so easily?
