"Take back Kadong?" Imagawa Yoshimoto gave the answer after thinking for a while, "Restore the Imagawa family's territory to before the civil strife? Our Imagawa family is regaining our homeland. It is natural. This bottom line should make the Hojo family believe it, right?"
"You are dreaming, Chengyang. Kadong is such a large piece of land, and Juntō County is also the official road connecting Sagami and Izu, and it is the transportation center of the Hojo family. If you really want to give them all back to us, Hojo Ujiyasu would rather choose to be with us A bloody battle to get back. Moreover, a large area of territory in the northern part of Fuji County and Jundong County is still controlled by the Takeda family. How can it be returned to us?" Taiyuan Xue Zhai laughed again and again, "But you can take 'back to Hedong' As the bottom line of the first version shown. As you said, the Hojo family should have some confidence in our determination to regain Suruga's homeland."
"Then what should be our bottom line?" Imagawa Yoshimoto gave up thinking.
"You think for yourself." Taiyuan Xuezhai didn't want him to be lazy.
"Hmm...half of Hedong? Give Fuji County back to us, and then return all the hostages of Fuji County's wealthy families." Imagawa Yoshimoto thought for a long time this time, "This way, loyal Japanese people like the Fuji family and the Imamiya family can return ”
"Okay, but it's a little conservative. After all, we have now reached Yoshihara, the Kamahara family has turned to us again, and half of Fuji County is also under our control." Taiyuan Xuezai nodded this time, "It's okay. Add something else.”
"What should I add?" Imagawa Yoshimoto wanted to be lazy again.
"Let's act on the spot. We can't say this right now. We also have to see where the other side's bottom line is and what additional benefits they are willing to give up to compensate. Anyway, if you only want to take back Fuji County, our Imagawa family can still accept it reluctantly, as long as It's just very unpleasant." Taiyuan Xuezai clapped his hands and signaled Imagawa Yoshimoto to cheer up, "Next, I will tell you what you need to pay attention to in negotiations, so as not to make you stupid."
"What? Why are you talking to me? If you don't take the lead, old man, can you just follow me and listen?" Imagawa Yoshimoto immediately protested loudly.
"One of the people coming to negotiate is Young Master Takeda and the other is Young Master Hojo. They are both future heirs! As a teacher, I will go to negotiate with them. If the status is not equal, you will suffer a disadvantage. Only you can do it. You must be the main force. , as a teacher, I can only help from the side." Taiyuan Xuezhai glared at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had no choice but to raise his hands and mumbled helplessly:
"There is really no other way. Then, old man, please tell me."
·
"First of all, remember, the interests of the Imagawa family can only be protected by the Imagawa family. Our interests conflict with the Hojo family, and there are many differences with the Takeda family. Don't expect to rely on others, you can only rely on yourself. It is necessary. When the time comes, we must consider the Takeda family as our enemies.”
"Then what's the point of having an alliance?" Imagawa Yoshimoto tilted his head and said sarcastically with a smile, "Teacher, you and my mother went through a lot of trouble to arrange a marriage for me and concluded a marriage alliance. Now you Are you saying it’s useless again?”
"An alliance is an extremely fragile thing. It is just a product based on common threats and common interests. Don't think too much about it and think that once you form an alliance, you will be friends forever." Taiyuan Xuezhai slowly walked around Imagawa Yoshimoto. Circle, just like the lessons taught in childhood, "The conclusion of the covenant is to allow both parties to confirm that the other party also perceives the same threat. What prompts the two parties to cooperate is not a paper covenant, but a common threat."
"The purpose of the alliance treaty is to delay the 'betrayal' reaction of both parties to the change when the common threat and common interests change. To avoid the situation of 'the allies on the back foot stabbing each other in the back as soon as the common threat disappears'" ' situation, so that both parties can deal with common threats with peace of mind. Because after the alliance is concluded, the two families will inevitably have contact. High-level samurai are related to each other, so they will have scruples when betraying, and they will also worry about being 'betrayed'. The reputation of "unjust alliance".
"But the alliance treaty can only delay the 'betrayal', but it can never prevent the 'betrayal'. As long as the common threat of the Hojo family is still there, no matter how simple the alliance is, the Takeda family and the Imagawa family will still be allies. If the Hojo family is no longer there , even if the covenant is written in a fancy way, the alliance cannot be maintained, and it will inevitably break up after both parties make up their minds. What the Takeda family must be thinking about is that they will strengthen themselves in the process of annihilating the Hojo family, which will in turn overwhelm our Imagawa family, and what we are thinking about is also The same thing. Therefore, although both of us are consistent in fighting against the Hojo family, there are definitely conflicts in dividing the spoils."
"So I don't have to worry about the Takeda family?" Imagawa Yoshimoto followed Taiyuan Xuezhai's logic and came to a simple conclusion, trying to prove that what Taiyuan Xuezhai said was wrong, "You don't need to treat it as an ally, how can you cheat it?" How can you trick it?"
"Of course not. If you go too far, be careful of the Takeda family and the Hojo family forming an alliance to deal with you together." Taiyuan Xuesai knocked a chestnut on Imagawa Yoshimoto's head.
"But Hojo and Takeda are feuding, how could they form an alliance immediately?" Imagawa Yoshimoto laughed dumbly.
"Imagawa and Takeda are also feuding. Wouldn't they immediately form an alliance?" Taiyuan Xuezai, in turn, directly choked Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"That's because Takeda Sakyo married Ginkgo..." Imagawa Yoshimoto still wanted to argue, but was interrupted by Taiyuan Xuezai neatly:
"What, do you think the Takeda family is short of daughters or the Hojo family is short of sons? Isn't this kind of thing as much as you want?"
"What should I do? I can't regard the Takeda family as a friend, and I can't ignore it?" Imagawa Yoshimoto spread his hands and gave up thinking again, "How to solve this alliance dilemma?"
"The alliance dilemma can never be solved, it can only be alleviated to a certain extent." Taiyuan Xuezai seemed to be tired from walking, and sat down opposite Imagawa Yoshimoto again, and imparted to Imagawa what he had learned and understood throughout his life. Yoshimoto.
"There are two kinds of alliance dilemmas, being implicated and being abandoned. The weak party is afraid of being abandoned by the strong party, so it is willing to pay more for the alliance; the strong party is afraid of being implicated by the weak party into a situation that it does not want to be involved in. Therefore, support for allies will be reduced. But when the weak party continues to contribute, it will also worry about being involved in the fierce conflict with the strong party because it is too deeply involved in the alliance, and will not be able to protect itself wisely; similarly, when the strong party continues to decrease When supporting, they are also worried that the alliance will become fragile, the client countries will become alienated, and eventually abandon themselves.”
"Currently, the Takeda family is the weakest, with only 2,000 people at hand; and now the Kawa family and the Hojo family have in-laws and decades of alliances. So the Takeda family must be afraid of being abandoned by us, and afraid that we will form an alliance with the Hojo family to attack them. . Therefore, the Takeda family will be willing to do a lot for the Imagawa family in this negotiation and support us to avoid the risk of being abandoned. At the same time, because he has few troops, he will not become the main force even if there is a fight, so he We are not worried about being implicated at all, nor are we worried about the situation intensifying, nor are we worried about a war after the negotiations break down.”
"And our Imagawa family is stronger, and at the same time we really want to promote peace talks, and we want the Hojo family to return the east side of the river to us through peace talks. Therefore, we don't want the peace talks to break down, and we don't want to be involved in the war. Compared to Being abandoned by the Takeda family, we are even more worried about being involved in the conflict with the Hojo family. The Takeda family themselves are barefoot and are not afraid of wearing shoes. They will definitely open their mouths to the Hojo family in negotiations and risk the breakdown of negotiations to demand Many benefits. Anyway, even if the negotiations break down, he will not lose much. Instead, Takeda Sakyo's main force can make a fortune in Odawara Castle."
"So, we must not give excessive support to the Takeda family, because our support will make the Takeda family more confident and put forward stronger conditions to the Hojo family, which may lead to the breakdown of negotiations. On the contrary, we must always make the Takeda family feel The fear of being abandoned made him realize that if he messed around in the negotiations, we probably wouldn't support him. As long as the Takeda family restrained themselves, peace talks would be easier to reach. But you can't do it too much. If the Takeda family is too disappointed , may give up the Kojun Alliance. You must control your support for the Takeda family within a reasonable range, so as not to make him feel discouraged or overconfident."
·
"How is it? Do you understand?" After finishing a long speech again, Taiyuan Xuezhai took a long breath and looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"Although I really want to say, 'What's this, I don't want to hear it anymore'." Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled and pointed at his temple again, "But don't worry, old man, I've kept it all in my mind. Got it."
"Oh? Really? Family politics and diplomacy are great subjects. In my opinion, you need to study for at least four years to lay the foundation, and then study for five years before you can be considered a beginner. Just listen to what I say You think you 'completely understand'?" Taiyuan Xuezai was amused by Imagawa Yoshimoto's appearance.
"To put it bluntly, this kind of thing is all false. What the old man just said can be said by a driver who often pulls ox carts for daimyo. Doesn't it sound reasonable at first glance? But is it accurate? Only the truth You can only know after testing it with a real sword. The question is, how can ordinary people have such a chance?" Imagawa Yoshimoto unceremoniously mocked this knowledge.
"Then if family politics (international politics (not)) starts to be taught in private schools and temples in the future, will you learn it?" Taiyuan Xuezhai asked the question with great interest.
"Only fools learn if they don't learn." Imagawa Yoshimoto shook his head decisively, "Children from princely and aristocratic families can learn well, but what's the use of children from ordinary families learning? There is no place to put it to use. When the time of peace comes, you let them How can I make a living with this knowledge?”
"Let them continue to teach and teach others about family politics." Taiyuan Xuezhai made a suggestion.
"Huh? Continue to mislead people? It's like the Yixiang Sect is preaching. When the number of people increases, there will be a day when it can't hold on anymore, right?"
"If there are more people learning this knowledge, the world will naturally be in chaos, and they will not have to worry about finding a living." Taiyuan Xue Zhai burst out laughing, making Imagawa Yoshimoto's face covered with black lines.
"In short, it is useless knowledge. I suggest you don't learn it, even in some of the best private schools in the world. There is really no way..." Imagawa Yoshimoto raised his hand and concluded the conversation. , "So, old man, when will the negotiations start? Where?"
"The master has been finalized with the diplomatic monks of the Takeda family and the Hojo family." Taiyuan Xuezai stood up slowly and snapped his fingers toward the northeastern hill.
"See you at Zentoku Temple tomorrow morning."
