On October 10, Tenmo 9 (1540), with the secret mediation of Yamaguchi Kyoutsugi and Imagawa Yoshimoto, the Mizuno family separated from the Oda family. Matsudaira Hirotada married Mizuno Tadamasa's second daughter Yuda, and the two families formed a marriage alliance.
Once the Matsudaira-Mizuno alliance was established, the situation of the Oda army that invaded Mikawa became instantly passive. The Sakurai Matsudaira family, the Fujii Matsudaira family, and the Fukugama Matsudaira family echoed Kariya Castle, forming a semi-siege of Anxiang City, and Anxiang City's grain routes were also threatened. The Oda Army had to withdraw its main force to Owari to reduce the pressure on food and grass supplies. On the one hand, Oda Nobhide built a rock stronghold in Chili to ensure the safety of the grain road. On the one hand, he asked his eldest son, Oda Nobhiro, to stay in Anxiang City and protect the Oda family's territory in Mikawa.
In exchange for coming to Anxiang Castle, Oda Nobuhide gave the free right to attack the Chita Peninsula to Yamaguchi Kyotsugu - this is what Imagawa Yoshimoto learned from the emissary sent by the Yamaguchi Kyotsugu in front of him.
"My Lord, Tadayobu Honda, I would like to pay my respects to His Highness Imagawa." The somewhat frail warrior spoke, but his tone was neither humble nor arrogant. He greeted Imagawa Yoshimoto in a low voice, "I have come to express my gratitude to His Highness as ordered by our lord. Thank you for keeping your promise and restraining me. The Songping family did not attack Anxiang City, allowing my lord to successfully use the city to claim credit."
"Your attitude is much more straightforward than that of Yamaguchi-sama. On the contrary, he looks more like a servant." Imagawa Yoshimoto admired Honda Masanobu's magnanimity and praised him.
"My lord is a businessman, so naturally you have to be polite. It is easier to negotiate a deal if you are polite. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, but it makes it easier for others to look down on you and gives you the opportunity to make profits." Honda Masanobu said very forcefully. Defending his master, Yamaguchi Kentsugi, "We are all little people, so naturally we cannot compare to His Highness Imagawa's magnanimity and ambition. If little people want to survive, face is the most important thing."
"What about you? Why are you not as 'polite' as His Highness Yamaguchi?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked with interest, "According to your theory, aren't you a 'little person' who is smaller than him?"
"I, like my lord, are both businessmen. It's just that I feel that it is easier to gain trust by showing an upright image, and thus have the opportunity to plot against the other party secretly." Honda Tadanobu was honest, and he said it bluntly without hesitation. Imagawa Yoshimoto choked and couldn't understand.
"Okay, there's no need to say thank you. After all, His Highness Yamaguchi helped me a lot first." Imagawa Yoshimoto waved his hand, signaling Honda Tadanobu to leave. Honda Tadanobu then stood up and left, not forgetting to leave a message before leaving:
"My Lord has said that His Highness Imagawa is by no means a creature of the pond. Sooner or later he will have to send troops to Luo. If Owari comes to Owari again, don't forget him as an old customer."
"Shangluo..." Imagawa Yoshimoto was slightly surprised. Even he himself had never considered this word.
·
After the Oda family withdrew, the Imagawa family had no reason to stay in Okazaki Castle. Imagawa Yoshimoto then bid farewell to Matsudaira Hirotada, and Matsudaira Hirotada personally went 10 miles out of the city to bid farewell to Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"There is no need to give it away anymore, Hirotada." Imagawa Yoshimoto raised his hand, and at the same time, with his horse's reins, he stood sideways in front of Matsudaira Hirotada, "I have already felt your friendship."
"After ten years of suffering, how can it compare to the kindness of my brother?" Matsudaira Hiroshi just shook his head.
"It's better not to leave Okazaki Castle for too long now, in case something changes." Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled and found a reasonable reason, "Go back quickly, don't let so many people in your family die and be ruined." The situation that took so much effort to stabilize is in vain.”
"Brother taught you a lesson." Matsudaira Hiroshi responded immediately after hearing the words, and solemnly bid farewell to Imagawa Yoshimoto again: "I wish you a safe journey! If you have a chance to come to Mikawa again next time, I will personally take care of my brother!"
"Okay, see you later."
Imagawa Yoshimoto also bowed his hand and sent this precious blessing in this unpredictable and troubled world.
·
After leaving Okazaki Castle, Imagawa Yoshimoto did not return directly to Higashi Mikawa, but first went south to the Kira family territory of Tojo Castle and Nishio Castle. After Kira Mochihiro was killed, the inheritance of the Tojo Kira family became a problem. The Saijo Kira family, who had been enemies of the Imagawa clan many times before, must also be taught a lesson.
The Imagawa army was pressing down on the border, and the Matsudaira family was now an ally of the Imagawa family. The Kira family knew that they had no chance to resist, so they had no choice but to send envoys to surrender. At the insistence of Na Furuno Ujitoyo, Imagawa Yoshimoto announced that he had deposed Kira Yoshihiro as the head of the Kira family, and that his third son Kira Yoshiaki would succeed him. At the same time, he also abolished the power of Kira Yoshiyasu, who had murdered his adoptive father, to inherit the Tojo Kira family. Take both of them back to Imagawa Hall and put them under house arrest.
But this raises a new question - who should inherit the Tojo Kira family in the future? Kira Mochihiro has died, and Kira Yoshihiro only has three children. Now the eldest son died early, the second son was deposed, and the third son has inherited the clan family. There are no heirs to adopt to the Kira branch.
Just when Imagawa Yoshimoto was worried about this matter, Kira Yoshiaki's third son Kira Yoshiaki took the initiative to come to the door.
"I have met His Highness Imagawa." After Yoshiaki Kira was led into the tent by Hayasaka Nao, he immediately possessed himself and apologized, "On behalf of my father and brother, I would like to apologize to His Highness Imagawa for their unfaithful, unjust and unfilial behavior! Can you forgive them both?" I’m so grateful for this man’s life!”
"What your father and brother did is none of your business, so why do you need to apologize?" Imagawa Yoshimoto had already inquired before he came. The third son, Kira Yoshiaki, had a good reputation in the leadership, and he was an upright and honest man. He is completely different from his bastard father and brother, so he has the unanimous support of the Kira clan.
"The fault of my father and brother is the fault of the Kira family, and the fault of the Kira family is my fault. How can I not thank you?" Yoshiaki Kira respectfully bowed down again, kowtowed heavily on the soil several times, and whispered: " I came here this time to boldly ask His Highness Imagawa for permission to inherit the Kira branch."
"Oh?" Imagawa Yoshimoto heard something different - such a statement was inconsistent with the good impression Kira Yoshiaki had left on Imagawa Yoshimoto before. Does he actually want to take advantage of the fact that the Kira branch family is extinct, inherit both families by himself, and annex the branch family together?
"Yes." Yoshiaki Kira replied without changing his expression, "I would also like to ask His Highness to agree that I would like to give up the position of governor of the Kira clan to my elder brother's youngest son."
"Huh?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was even more surprised this time - Kira Yoshiaki actually wanted to give up the inheritance rights of the Kira clan with a huge territory, but wanted to take the initiative to adopt the Kira branch family with a weak military general, and also wanted to give up the inheritance rights of the clan. To his rebellious brother.
"Please give me your permission, Your Highness!" Yoshiaki Kira bowed deeply.
"I need a reason." Imagawa Yoshimoto asked calmly - in fact, he was just curious.
"Now that the Kira family is extinct, an adoptive person must take over. But the only remaining male members of the Kira family are my father and brother, and my brother's youngest son. My father and brother committed a serious crime, and they will definitely not be able to return to the territory. And My nephew is still young. If he is adopted into the Kira branch of the family where he is unfamiliar, life will probably be extremely difficult. After all, His Highness Mochihiro (Kira Mochihiro) was killed by my brother, and the Kira family of Tojo My retainers will definitely not welcome this enemy’s son.”
Yoshiaki Kira calmly recounted the reasons.
"So you decided to adopt him?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked.
"Yes, after all, I am an adult and can handle this situation. If my elder brother and younger son succeed to the throne in the clan, they can also be taken care of."
"But the territory of the Zong family is much larger than that of the branch family... If there hadn't been this rebellion, wouldn't you have inherited the Zong family? You obviously didn't make any mistakes, so how could you be adopted into the branch family? "
"Brothers' names are immutable, and I have already criticized this arrangement. Is there any reason for the younger brother to inherit the clan and the elder brother to inherit the divided family? Isn't this contrary to ethical principles? Compared with the principles of justice, a few terrestrial lands are nothing. What are you going to do?" Yoshiaki Kira shook his head and said righteously, "So I want to take this opportunity to ask His Highness for permission."
"Okay, I can promise you." Imagawa Yoshimoto was moved by Kira Yoshiaki's righteousness and said with some emotion, "It's just that your brother's son is still young and cannot handle political affairs. What should we do?"
"Just let the ministers in the family assist you. If Your Majesty Imagawa is worried that they will cause trouble again, you might as well appoint someone as a posthumous officer to monitor your brother's youngest son and the Kira family. The Kira family will have no complaints about this!" Yoshiaki Kira replied without hesitation! road.
"Okay then, I will assign you to be the post-commissioner. You will be the commander of the two Kira families until your brother and the youngest son come of age." Imagawa Yoshimoto raised his hand and snapped his fingers at Kira Yoshiaki, but the latter directly stunned.
"Your Highness...this..."
"Didn't you say that 'the Kira family has no complaints about this'?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked with a smile.
"But, wouldn't this be like taking advantage of others' danger and swallowing up two families..." Kira Yoshiaki wanted to say more, but was directly interrupted by Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"I assigned you for a reason. You have the mission to bring the Kira clan back to the right path." Imagawa Yoshimoto pulled out the folding fan from his waist and tapped Yoshiaki Kira's chest. "Our Imagawa family is originally from the Kira family. , this kinship cannot be eliminated, and we naturally hope that the Kira family can be stable and prosperous. But during this rebellion, the Kira family killed each other, and your father and brother conspired to assassinate the clan brother and adoptive father. It is really a heinous crime. With such a family tradition, it will definitely Let the Kira family be laughed at by all the loyal people in the world. If the Kira family is humiliated, the Imagawa family will naturally be disgraced."
"So I assigned you, Kira, to revitalize the family tradition, eliminate the confusion that this chaos has on the hearts of the clan, shine a bright light on the Kira family, and once again become a dignified family with clear principles and principles, and don't bring shame to the common ancestors of our two clans! Such a heavy burden belongs to you alone. Do you still want to shirk it?"
Seeing Yoshimoto Imagawa's serious expression, Yoshiaki Kira took the order without saying a word. After a long time, he slowly stood up and responded in a deep voice: "Your Highness, rest assured, I am determined to fulfill my mission and personally educate the hearts of my family, so that the loyalty of the Kira family can be passed down from generation to generation, praised by the world, and this humiliation can be washed away!"
"Okay, then I'll wait and see."
·
Imagawa Yoshimoto did not know that his small action would cause earth-shaking changes in history.
A few years later, at a banquet held by the shogunate, Asano Naganoki, who was serving as a receptionist, made a fool of himself by misremembering the procedure. Instead, he became angry with Kira Yoshio, who was the etiquette director of the shogunate, and criticized him in public. Kira Yoshio couldn't bear the humiliation and drew his sword and wounded Asano Naganoki. According to the samurai law, Kira Yoshio, who injured his colleagues in the shogunate castle, was sentenced to hara-kiri on the spot, and the Kira family changed the name.
The news spread back to Nishio Castle, the headquarters of the Kira family. Tominaga Nazosuke, the elder of the family, refused to accept the shogunate's decision and secretly contacted the former retainers who became ronin to avenge the family head. The samurai of the Kira family remember the principles of loyalty, filial piety and justice set by their ancestor Yoshiaki Kira from generation to generation, and they are all filled with righteous indignation. A total of 47 samurai joined the ranks of revenge. They lurked for several years, and finally waited for the opportunity to assassinate Asano Naganoki in one fell swoop. They brought the enemy's head to the tomb of the family leader to worship, and then all committed seppuku and died - known in history as the "Nishio Forty-seven Martyrs".
