Ishikawa Shuzheng noticed Yu Qiuping's gaze, and couldn't help but look at this simple warrior who had not attracted his attention before: "I wonder who this... sir is?" Ishikawa Shuzheng hesitated, but still used an honorific.
"He's just a nobody. He can't catch the eye of Lord Ishikawa. He's just accompanying His Highness Yuqiu as a deputy envoy," Lin Xiuzhen replied humbly, "Everything is at the command of His Highness Yuqiu."
Yu Qiuping was stunned for a moment, but chose to nod. After all, he had historical knowledge and understood that Oda Nobunaga and Matsudaira Motoyasu would eventually form an alliance, and his choice would not be wrong.
"In that case, please follow me to Okazaki Castle." Ishikawa stood up with relief, and took a dozen guards to escort the group to Mikawa Okazaki Castle before nightfall on November 16.
·
On November 16, the third year of Yonglu's reign (1560), at the fourth quarter of Xushi, inside the Okazaki Castle castle tower.
Yu Qiuping was waiting for the arrival of Matsudaira Motoyasu in the assessment room on the third floor of the castle tower. Amano Keitoku and other followers, because of their insufficient status, could only wait outside the castle tower. Lin Xiuzhen actually insisted on waiting outside the assessment room to let Yu
Akiupei was a little surprised - he originally thought that Oda Nobunaga wanted someone he trusted to monitor the entire negotiation process. Originally, Akiupei wanted to bring Honda Tadakatsu in to meet Matsudaira Motoyasu, but Honda Tadakatsu used his qualifications to
It's not enough reason to refuse.
Matsudaira Motoyasu did not keep them waiting. At 5:00, Matsudaira Motoyasu came to the assessment room alone. Before entering, he asked the guards to close the door and leave far away. Apparently, he wanted to have a secret talk with Yu Qiuping.
"Hongye, long time no see." After seeing Yu Qiuping, Matsudaira Motoyasu unconsciously smiled on his face, "It's really good to see that you are okay."
"Takechiyo, please forgive me for thinking about you," Yu Qiuping smiled bitterly, "You seem to be in pretty good spirits."
"Thanks to you Hongye for this," Matsudaira Motoyasu said gratefully: "Six months ago, when the Matsudaira family was semi-independent from the Imagawa family. If it weren't for you, Hongye, who persuaded His Highness Asahina not to attack me, where would the Matsudaira family be today?"
Yu Qiuping was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile: "Do you want to hear the truth? I was very embarrassed at the time." Yu Qiuping paused, "On the one hand, I am a retainer of the Imagawa family. The late family governor treated me well.
The kindness is as heavy as a mountain, and I hope from the bottom of my heart to maintain the unity of the Imagawa family. But on the other hand, you are my good friend. I not only hope for your help, but also hope that you can live a life without having to grovel..."
"It's just that your highnesses of the Imagawa family don't understand Momiji's painstaking efforts." Matsudaira Motoyasu shook his head, "I'm not stupid, but Momiji definitely shouldn't be exiled. The ones who should be exiled should be Okabe Motobu and his party. Fight.
They were the ones who started the fight, and the late Family Governor was also killed because of his dereliction of duty... I really don’t know why His Highness Shouguini and the current Family Governor treated Hongye so harshly..."
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Talking about sadness," Yu Qiuping waved his hand and interrupted Matsudaira Motoyasu, "It's all over... Those days can never be returned."
"When I heard that Hongye was being exiled, I was really worried," Matsudaira Motoyasu's voice was slightly depressed, "I even thought that if Hongye really couldn't find a place to live, I could go against the Imagawa family's rules.
Ban and keep Hongye for a period of time." He paused and continued: "I feel relieved to see that Hongye can establish a firm foothold in the Oda family and be reused."
"Speaking of which," Matsudaira Motoyasu raised his head and looked at Yu Qiupei, "Tokiwabi's family members are still living in Chiritsu Castle! During this time, martial law is enforced near Chiritsu, and I also specifically asked the Ashigaru not to embarrass them. The red leaves are here
When you go back next time, please bring them back together so that everyone can reunite and have a good New Year."
"Thank you so much, Takechiyo, I don't even know what to say." Yu Qiuping was a little speechless for a moment. He, who is usually eloquent, was moved and speechless at this moment. Matsudaira Motoyasu seemed to have been speechless.
He was kind to the families of his subordinates, and even though he was the first to attack Sanhe, he still kept his promise. And he took the initiative to return the family members to Yu Qiuping, which also allowed Yu Qiuping to avoid the embarrassment of opening his mouth.
"Don't be polite, Momiji. I owed you so many favors before. How can I pay it off with this little effort?" Matsudaira Motoyasu shook his head, "And didn't I also promise you that year at the New Year's banquet?
If you need any help from me, just ask."
Yu Qiuping was stunned for a moment and recalled the scene a long time ago. At that time, the two of them were still working together at the Imagawa family.
·
"At that time, everyone was riding arrogantly. Only Hongye, you were the only one who didn't despise me like that. You even gave me a hand and cared about whether I was okay." Matsudaira Motoyasu said in a low voice, "Later, after the banquet,
Hongye also told me to hurry up and have dinner..."
Matsudaira Motoyasu seemed to be planning to say something else, but his Adam's apple moved up and down. What he wanted to say could no longer be expressed due to being suppressed for too long.
"I'm really touched..." After a long time, he uttered this sentence.
"Takechiyo, you don't have to be like this...it's just human nature." Yu Qiuping explained, but Matsudaira Motoyasu waved his hand.
"Is it human nature? When you become a samurai, you no longer have human nature." He smiled bitterly, "We have been used to seeing the harsh world for so many years. Hongye, you are the first one who is not bound by your identity and is like a friend.
To my people. Really grateful."
"Hongye, if there is anything I need Takechiyo's help with in the future, just ask."
·
"Do you still remember that incident?" Yu Qiuping couldn't help laughing as he thought of the two of them in the past.
"Hongye always does what he says, and as a samurai, I naturally won't lag behind." Matsudaira Motoyasu also said with a smile. The two of them recalled their past encounters and every detail, and unknowingly, they had been chatting for a long time.
"Okay, let's get down to business!" Yu Qiuping clapped his hands, "As His Highness Oda's envoy, I still have important matters to discuss!"
"That's true," Matsudaira Motoyasu laughed honestly. "After all, Hongye and I belong to two camps: our enemy and the enemy. We definitely won't come here to reminisce about old times. If you have anything you want to say, feel free to say it."
"The matter is very simple, just one sentence is enough." Yu Qiuping made his tone a little more serious, and Matsudaira Motoyasu also listened attentively.
"His Majesty Oda wants to shake hands with Takechiyo and make peace." Yu Qiuping said in a low voice.
Matsudaira Motoyasu was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't quite understand what Yu Qiupei meant, but he confirmed: "Hongye, with all due respect, His Highness Oda may be a bit exaggerated. The Imagawa family and the Oda family have a blood feud, and the late family governor, His Highness
How can we form an alliance with the Oda family when our bones are still cold? Even if we form an alliance, it is not up to me."
"No, no, no, Takechiyo, you can be the master." Yu Qiuping stared into Matsudaira Motoyasu's eyes.
"Because His Highness Oda wants to form an alliance with the independent Matsudaira family." Yu Qiuping emphasized the word "independent". It can be seen from the surprise on Matsudaira Motoyasu's expression that he obviously
I understood Yu Qiuping’s voiceover.
"His Majesty Oda wants me to be independent from the Imagawa family?" Matsudaira Motoyasu, who has always been calm, became a little uneasy and his tone became urgent, "But forming an alliance with the Oda family is tantamount to breaking with the Imagawa family!"
"That's right." Yu Qiuping nodded.
Matsudaira Motoyasu's eyebrows were almost twisted into knots. He looked like a young man in his teens, but his demeanor was still quite different from that of the shogun who would dominate the world in the future.
"Hongye, you and I have been friends for such a long time, and I won't talk to you in a bureaucratic manner." Matsudaira Motoyasu was obviously dealing with such an important matter for the first time, and he was a little bit uneasy, "With all due respect, the strength of the Oda family,
It’s still not the Imagawa family. The Okehazama-Oda family just won by luck. If I form an alliance with the Oda family and abandon the Imagawa family, what should I do when the Imagawa family’s army comes to attack?”
Yu Qiuping breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. At least when Matsudaira Motoyasu rejected this proposal, he did not use his loyalty to the Imagawa family as an excuse, but directly analyzed the interests. It can be seen that
, he still hopes that the Matsudaira family can gain independence. This saves Yu Qiuping a lot of trouble. After all, Yu Qiuping himself also has feelings for the Imagawa family. If he wants to persuade an Imagawa family to betray his loyalty, he may have a lot of words in the club.
Not exported.
But...even if I don't say it, the Matsudaira family will form an alliance with the Oda family in two years' time...This is not something I can change. Your Highness the Governor, Your Highness Sena...please forgive me. I also have to let history go for revenge.
Just keep going.
"That's wrong." Yu Qiuping shook his head, "Takechiyo, you might as well think carefully about the strength comparison between the Oda family and the Imagawa family."
Matsudaira Motoyasu was stunned for a moment and looked at Yu Qiuping with doubtful eyes.
"Although the Imagawa family used to be known as the million-koku daimyo...but that was also the heyday created by the late family governor." Yu Qiuping said with some regret: "At that time, the Imagawa family included the Junyuan Sansankuni, as well as Southeast Owari and Chita
Most of the peninsula can only have a territory of nearly 1 million koku. However, His Highness Oda only has a territory of about 300,000 koku because he failed to completely unify Owari."
"But now, the situation is very different," Yu Qiupei pointed to the map hanging on the wall of the assessment room, "The Imagawa family has completely lost Owari. If Takechiyo leaves, Mikawa will also be wiped from the map.
Go. By then, the Imagawa family will only have the 400,000 koku territory of Toe and Suruga. Coupled with this year's disastrous defeat and civil war, their strength will only become weaker." Yu Qiuping paused, "And the unified Owari family
The Oda family, even excluding the territory occupied by His Highness Inuyama, will have a territory of more than 400,000 koku, but in terms of strength, there is no need to be afraid of the Imagawa family. If you, Takechiyo, join the Oda family, the strength of both of us will be