"The traitor... doesn't exist at all."
Just this sentence made Sena Ujitoshi and Asahina Taito froze in place again.
"Your Highness..." Sena Ujitoshi shook his head and said, "In order to track down this traitor, we have invested countless efforts in the past two years. The incredible surprise attack on the Oda family two years ago did not happen without the help of the traitor.
It’s almost impossible. Your Highness, why do you suddenly think that there is no traitor?”
"I will reconsider." Asahina Taitomo also said, "When the late lord was alive, he asked us to secretly investigate the traitor many times. I have also read those investigation reports. The late lord must have believed that the traitor existed, so he acted like this.
"
"That's because you haven't read all the investigation reports." Shouguini smiled helplessly, but did not respond to the confused looks of Asahina Taitomo and Sena Ujitoshi, but continued: "
If I say there is no traitor, there certainly is no such thing. The Imagawa family, from top to bottom, are all loyal to the late lord, and absolutely no one will betray the Imagawa family."
Sena Ujitoshi and Asahina Yasumi looked at each other, and they both saw confusion in each other's eyes. They both felt that a traitor must exist - and it was Okabe Motobu. However, Sugini insisted that there was no traitor, and it was very difficult for them to do so.
Maybe he was hiding something. After hesitating for a moment, Yusena Ujitoshi finally said: "Your Highness, please tell me whether there is any confidential information that I cannot know..."
"That's right." Shouguini said calmly: "But you just need to remember the official statement of the Imagawa family - traitors do not exist. The former lord... died accidentally in battle because of his own carelessness."
Sena Ujijun swallowed. He knew that Sugini's subtext was already obvious. She hoped to put an end to this internal fighting. No matter whether it was Asahina or Okabe, they would not treat each other as the other.
The traitor has no choice but to start a war.
However, the Okabe family is really a traitor! If you keep a traitor, there will be endless troubles! Coupled with the close relationship between the Okabe family and the Takeda family... what if the Okabe family colludes with Takeda! How can you whitewash peace?
I will no longer investigate the cause of death of my late lord! How can I live up to my late lord’s kindness!
"Your Highness!" Sena's heart was full of enthusiasm, and he was about to speak out to dissuade him, but Shouguini shook his head and stopped him.
"I know what you want to say." Shou Guini said slowly: "There is obviously a traitor, but we let it go. What should we do if he causes trouble one day?"
Sena Shijun quietly looked at Shouguini's bloodshot, cloudy eyes, waiting for her answer.
The answer he waited for was the most powerful answer he had ever heard in his life - even more courageous than Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"As long as we don't give him a chance to make trouble, that's it."
The room suddenly became quiet, and the only sound left was the sound of Shouguini playing the rosary rhythmically.
"The First Master... is too confident." Shou Guini sighed sadly, "Believe in your own strength, your own charm, and your ability to overwhelm your subordinates. Therefore, they employ people without suspicion and give their retainers a lot of room for autonomy.
and opportunities to develop our own strength, thus becoming a driving force for our rapid expansion.”
"In the end, he was defeated by this." Shou Guini whispered, "Even if he was not defeated by this, how could Wulang suppress a group of full-fledged retainers after a hundred years have passed, and how could he?
Seize the position of family governor firmly."
"You are all close confidants, and I won't hide it from you." Shou Guini sighed, "My attitude towards retainers is still closest to that of your old lord. I must suppress and check and balance, and I must not give them anything.
Opportunities for development must be firmly grasped in our hands.”
"That time two years ago," Sugini looked at Asahina Taitomo, "your retainer defected to the Okabe family and reported you to conceal the location of the prosecution. It was my plan. The purpose was to get rid of the retainer.
Take back the territory. The late lord still doesn’t think so, saying that he can suppress you.”
Asahina Taichao's eyes suddenly shrank, and he froze in place in disbelief.
"Traitor, traitor..." Shouguini said as if talking to himself: "What kind of person becomes a traitor? A person with two minds."
"What kind of people have second thoughts? Those who are ambitious and dissatisfied with vested interests. In other words, people who are capable of rebellion will have second thoughts."
"However, everyone who can stand in your position will not be a mediocre person without any ambition. In other words, everyone may have second thoughts, so how can you guard against it?" Shou Guini's tone.
Suddenly, there was a sudden drop, and the eyes revealed a sharpness that the two of them had never seen before, which suddenly made the two of them feel scared.
"Relying on emotional loyalty to maintain governance is the most ridiculous thing." Shou Guini shook his head indifferently, "How can something as fickle as emotion be trusted?"
"Your Highness's words... really embarrass me." Sena Shitoshi swallowed, "I am completely sincere to my late lord..."
"I know, but that's only for now. Can you guarantee that this emotion will never change with the increase in strength and status?"
Sena Ujitoshi was speechless for a moment, but Shougui Ni chuckled: "If Ashikaga Shogun had never been sincere to Emperor Go-Daigo, how could he be so reused? But when he arrived in the great land of Kanto, with tens of thousands of troops sitting there,
Or he rebelled under the instigation of ambition. Even if he himself has no idea, why don't his subordinates want to move up a level?"
"Not to mention, Xiaolu Fanman back then was respectful and loyal to the Imagawa direct lineage. However, when he really tasted the beauty of the highest power, he was no longer willing to give it up. How about Tao Longfang?
I am not completely sincere to the Ouchi family, but seeing the Lord’s depravity and the decline of the Lord’s family, I have raised the flag of rebellion.”
Sena Ujitoshi and Asahina Taicha looked at each other, not knowing what to say. They just lowered their heads silently and looked at the tatami in front of them.
"The reason why you are loyal to the First Master now is because the First Master himself is unique and can suppress you. And you have grown up with him since childhood and have deep feelings. In addition, the Imagawa family has been developing continuously in the past ten years.
Your family is also growing." Shouguini changed the topic, "What if the new governor is no longer wise and mighty, but dull. The Imagawa family is getting weaker day by day, and your family is gradually coming to an end along with the Imagawa family. How can you still
Will you remain as loyal as you are today? Don’t you want to find a way out on your own?”
Asahina Taichao and Sena Ujitoshi looked at each other and nodded heavily. Seeing the two people's behavior, Sugini smiled and shook his head, "It's okay, it's not important."
"Over the years, I have already seen through it. It doesn't matter what the retainers have towards the master's family, nor does it matter whether they are loyal or not." Shouguini said with some relief, "As long as we can weaken the retainers' strength and sow discord among the retainers,
Check and balance the retainers so that no one has the chance to rebel, so no one will have second thoughts. Even if everyone in the family has second thoughts, what kind of trouble will it cause? "
"Wu Lang is only the lord of defense at most. It is also his misfortune to be born in this cruel and troubled world." Shou Guini sighed, "There is absolutely no way that he can control the increasingly powerful retainers with his own ability like the former master.
Powerful retainers will eventually escape control. Only by weakening the retainers on a large scale can the Imagawa family be prevented from falling apart. If the retainers cannot be weakened, I dare to conclude that if nothing else, Yuanjiang will be in chaos within five years."
"The thorn that the First Master didn't have time to pull out can only be done by the old man." Shouguini seemed to be tired, and slowly closed her eyes, still playing with her rosary beads in her hand, "This is why I look at
There is no reason why you have not sent anyone to mediate as your internal strife continues to consume you. This is an opportunity to weaken your retainers, sow discord between you, and give Goro the opportunity to establish his authority."
"So," Shouguini suddenly held the rosary in his hand, "I don't care whether the traitor is the Okabe family or the Yuqiu family. As long as I can weaken them, even if they have the intention to cause trouble, I don't care.
, but it’s okay if you don’t have that kind of strength and opportunity.”
"In that case," Sena Ujitoshi asked anxiously: "Since His Highness did not arrest Hongye because he suspected that he was a traitor, why must he be put to death! Could it be that His Highness was just looking for someone for this turmoil?
Scapegoat? Your Highness thinks that the Okabe family is deeply entangled and difficult to clean up, while Momiji has no foundation, so he should be executed!"
Shouguini took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and stared at Sena Shitoshi: "Don't you understand yet?"
"I'm already old and won't be able to help Wu Lang for much longer." Shou Guini once again started to fiddle with the beads in his hand, talking about his own life and death, but seemed to be talking about this unrelated thing: "I ask myself, I'm still a little thin, can I
If I can maintain An Tai under my rule for ten more years and leave a system of checks and balances to my family, I have confidence. Not to mention you two," Shou Guini's eyes flashed, "Even if it's Yuan Xin
Even if there are two minds, this system can suppress them."
"It's just that Yu Qiuping..." Shou Guini smiled bitterly, "I have absolutely no confidence that I can use any system to suppress him. It's okay for me to be alive. If I am a hundred years from now, no one in the next generation of the Imagawa family will be able to suppress him.
Compared with him, how can we control him? What if he wants to usurp power?"
"And don't forget." Shou Guini sighed, "If Goro is the heir, he and Feng's son can become the governor of the family. If he wants to seize power, it will be easy. Keeping him will sooner or later be a threat to the Imagawa family.
Disaster. We can only seize this opportunity to execute him on the two charges of delaying the battle in Narumi Castle, causing the death of the former lord, and privately using troops against his colleagues. Moreover, such a big mess has occurred in the Imagawa family, and someone must be found to take responsibility.
, stabilize people’s hearts.”
"But Your Highness! Momiji is very loyal to the Imagawa family! He will not become a double-minded person, but will become the next mainstay of the Imagawa family! How can he be made a scapegoat!" Sena Ujitoshi defended.
"Emotions will change with status and time." Shou Guini shook his head, "He is indeed loyal now. When he really takes over the power, do you think he will really be like Zhuge Kongming? He is not Japanese.
They are not samurai, but people from the Ming Dynasty. They have no feelings for the samurai tradition and will definitely have thoughts of replacing it. I cannot afford to take this risk."
"But Your Highness... this is too decisive." Asahina Taitomo also supported, "Although Momiji is talented, his foundation is unstable after all. With so many important ministers, we will definitely be able to check and balance him. Your Highness does not need to worry about him so much, right? He
He doesn’t have any unparalleled abilities.”
"As expected of you... Fang Juwan, he is indeed..." Shou Guini nodded slightly, but his words stopped abruptly.
Asahina Taitomo and Senajitoshi were stunned for a moment, not knowing why.
Chapter completed!