On the evening of August 15, the 10th year of Tianwen (1541), I was at the head of Yancheng City.
The ninja who secretly sneaked into the Imagawa family camp has returned in a hurry and reported to Takeda Harunobu: "Young Master, the lord has been notified! The lord is ready to evacuate at any time. The Imagawa family's army is currently defenseless!"
"Okay, let's go down first." Takeda Harunobu sent the ninja away, and then continued to stand at the top of the city, staring at the lights in the Imagawa family camp. A long time passed, but there was still no intention to take action. Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Koyasu who were accompanying them were a little impatient and couldn't help but said: "Young Master, when will we act?"
"Doing something? What do you do?" Takeda Harunobu asked, pretending to be confused.
"Young Master?" Itagaki Nobukata was stunned when he heard this, and then reminded in a low voice, "According to the master's plan, we will raid the Imagawa family's army and then invade Suruga."
"'Lord'?" Takeda Harunobu shook his head repeatedly, "Didn't I just say that? Now I am the lord of the Takeda family?"
"Young Master, don't be ridiculous, things are important at this time." Kanli Hutai couldn't help but persuaded, "The nights are long and there are many dreams. What should I do if the Imagawa army realizes that this is a ruse and be on guard?"
"Isn't that great? Let's withdraw our troops and go back?" Takeda Harunobu moved his neck nonchalantly.
"Ah?" Amari Kotai was stunned, "But the master is still in the Imagawa family camp..."
"Didn't I say that I am the lord of the Takeda family now." Takeda Harunobu slowly turned around and said in a deep voice word by word, "Why, don't you understand?"
Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Toyasu both swallowed their saliva and realized what Takeda Harunobu was trying to do - fake it, and use this strategy to really banish Takeda Nobutora and become the governor of the Takeda family.
"Now that the opposition to my father in the territory is surging, and the support for my ascendancy has been established, you don't think there is a chance for him to return, right?" Takeda Harunobu stared into the eyes of the two important ministers in the family, "He himself has made people angry. , now it can be considered as reaping the consequences.”
"Young Master..." Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Koyasu were both stunned, not knowing what to do.
"Call 'Lord'." Takeda Harunobu clasped his hands behind his back and lowered his eyebrows. He showed murderous intent for a moment, "I know that you are all gangsters in Kai's separatist side, and I also know that you have great influence among Kai's people. Ugly words. At the front, don't think that this will keep me tied. Support me, and your territory and power will be preserved. If you insist on welcoming my father back, then you can face the excited tribesmen and retainers yourself. "
·
At this time, inside the Imagawa family’s camp. The guards around Takeda Nobutora were waiting, but they didn't see the Takeda army raising their weapons, and they couldn't help but feel a little impatient. But Takeda Nobutora himself didn't care at all, lying on the bed leisurely.
"My lord, why don't you take action, young master?" The captain of the guard became more and more anxious as he waited, and couldn't help but asked Takeda Nobutora, "Did something happen?"
"Haha, it would be strange if something unexpected happens, right? I raised that tiger cub with my own hands. How big is his appetite? How big his ambition is?" Takeda Nobutora laughed loudly, then waved his hand and said in a deep voice. The order was given, "Arrest that follower Okabe Gennobu outside the tent!"
Although they didn't understand what Takeda Nobutora was going to do, the Takeda family's guards immediately launched an attack, knocking out Okabe Motobu who was caught off guard, and took him back to the tent and tied him into rice dumplings.
"What do you mean, lord?" the guard captain confirmed in a low voice while checking the rope on Okabe Motonobu's body.
"That kid must be trying to fake it and take this opportunity to really banish me so that he can become the governor of the Takeda family." Takeda Nobutora crossed his legs and whistled contentedly, "But I had expected that. He has no good intentions and has already prepared a deputy plan."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sound of footsteps outside the tent that was as subtle as a wild cat. A moment later, a kunoichi flashed into the tent - it was Ginkgo's maid Mochizuki Takaki.
"Have you done everything you were asked to do?" Takeda Nobutora asked in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, I will do as you command." Takaki Mochizuki leaned over and replied cautiously, "While the lady was cooking, I had drugged Imagawa Yoshimoto's portion. It will take an hour and a half after eating. Comatose, unable to sleep for at least a whole night."
"Okay, it's not in vain that I let you serve my daughter for so many years." Takeda Nobutora laughed a few times, raised his hand and pressed it on Mochizuki Takaki's head, "As long as you listen to my instructions and do things well, go back Then I will avenge you so that you can kill your enemies with your own hands. They are now locked in the dungeon of Tsuzaki Mansion, with their necks cleaned and ready to be slaughtered."
"Yes! Your Highness! As long as it is for revenge, I am willing to do anything." Mochizuki Takaki kowtowed on the ground several times with tears in his eyes, and then hurriedly left in the night.
"Do you understand?" Takeda Nobutora looked at the guard captain on the side and explained his plan, "I have already arranged for my direct descendants to hide in the mountainous area east of Minobu City, waiting for me to raise a fire as a signal. They will kill the Imagawa Army. Now that Imagawa Yoshimoto is in a coma, the troops under his command will be in chaos without a leader. The Takeda Army who is lurking here will definitely ask everyone to fight when they see the chaos in the Imagawa family. Harunobu's bastard is not stable and will definitely not be able to restrain his subordinates. , we can only let them attack."
Gu: "The battlefield will be in chaos by then. We will go straight to Yancheng and control Harunobu. He is surrounded by my old troops, and there are not many people who are loyal to him, so we can only be captured. After we are done, I will turn to order the attack." The Takeda Army is under my command. With the achievements of this battle and the fertile Suruga River, all previous conflicts can be resolved. As long as I issue an amnesty order, the rebellion can be eliminated."
"What a dangerous plan... Lord Rong, please forgive me for speaking frankly. This plan is a bit fanciful, and its success depends on luck..." At the critical moment, the captain of the guard did not care about etiquette and said directly, " Lord, please think twice! This is really not like your usual level of planning..."
"How can we achieve such a grand plan without taking risks? If we want to alleviate domestic dissatisfaction and expand the power of the country in one fell swoop, how can we not risk it with our troops?" However, Takeda Nobutora seemed to have already suffered. After deciding on this plan, "I have finally seen through it. My son-in-law's character is destined to despise and disdain to pay attention to the dark tricks. He is most unable to guard against such a desperate surprise attack."
"Let's do it. Wait another quarter of an hour and the drug given to him will be almost gone. Let's raise fire as a signal." Takeda Nobutora waved his hands involuntarily and said, "Follow my orders! We have already sent the Imagawa family to Okabe Motobu, who came to monitor, was knocked unconscious. There is no turning back. We have to do it to the end! Also, I..."
However, before he finished speaking, Takeda Nobutora suddenly felt that the world was spinning in front of him, and an almost uncontrollable dizziness spread throughout his body. Before he could figure out what happened, he lost consciousness and fell down on the bed.
·
At the same time, in Imagawa Yoshimoto's main tent, Mochizuki Takaki, who was tidying up his fragile body, tried his best to keep his expression calm, but in fact, he had been secretly observing Imagawa Yoshimoto's movements - waiting for the moment when the medicine took effect. At this moment, Ginkgo beside her suddenly said to her:
"Guishu, the medicine you added to the rice won't kill you. Are you sure it's just a drug?"
Mochizuki Takaki, who had already tightened his strings, was instantly frightened and panicked, and the clothes he was holding suddenly fell to the ground. Hayasaka Nao on the side was also startled by the sudden movement and hurriedly tried to pick up the clothes that fell on the floor, but seeing the atmosphere, she also stood aside honestly.
"I know, you joined the Takeda family's ninjas to avenge your parents, right? Because your enemy who killed your parents fled to the Takeda family to become a ninja, and you wanted to assassinate him secretly." Ginkgo said Mochizuki Taka. The secret that Shu has always hidden, "When my father assigned you to me as a maid, I was curious and searched for your information."
"Miss, forgive me! Miss, forgive me!" Mochizuki Takaki was already in a state of confusion. He knelt down and kept kowtowing, "I really want to follow the lady, and I also think that the lady is really a good person! It's just that the slave wants revenge... …”
"Did my father say that as long as you follow his instructions, he will give you the opportunity to kill your enemy?" Ginkgo interrupted Mochizuki Takaki's confession and asked directly.
"Yes! Your Highness Sakyo wants your servant to put poison in His Highness the House Governor's food! Once the deal is done, you will give your enemy to me and let me deal with it!" Takaki Mochizuki was so flustered that he revealed the whole truth.
"Huh?" Imagawa Yoshimoto, who realized it later, smiled bitterly and glanced at the dinner plate he put aside, "Isn't it right? Why don't I feel anything?"
"Because I exchanged the two portions of rice at the last moment. My husband's was given to my father, and my father's was given to my husband." Ginkgo smiled evilly, tilted her head and sighed, "There is really no way...it's him too. It’s your own fault.”
"Miss, have you noticed that this slave has a different intention?" Mochizuki Takashu suddenly felt a basin of cold water being poured on his head, "Then why are you so nice to this slave?"
"You are also a forced poor person, why should I embarrass you? But I want to remind you that you don't have to serve my father at all." Ginkgo sighed, and then stretched out his hand to signal Mochizuki Takaki to stand up, "Your The enemy died in a mission a few years ago. My father kept it secret from you just to take advantage of you."
Mochizuki Takaki was suddenly stunned. The past few years of duplicity and lying seemed to be meaningless.
"Forget the hatred and live well. Your parents definitely hope that you can live happily in the world." Ginkgo smiled and supported Mochizuki Takaki, staring into her eyes and said, "If you still want to be my pawn, Maid, of course it's no problem. If you want to leave, I won't stop you, just think about it yourself."
"So it's my father-in-law who is drugged now?" Imagawa Yoshimoto said with a smile, soothing the somewhat depressing atmosphere.
"Yes, my husband and my brother must have colluded secretly. They faked it and actually exiled my father. My brother was appointed as the governor of the Takeda family, while my father stayed in Suruga to retire. "Ginkgo seemed to have understood everything a long time ago, and just smiled and asked Imagawa Yoshimoto, "The reason why I pretended to lead the army to follow my father secretly, pretending to help him put down the rebellion, but in fact I just wanted to stop the Imagawa family from being invaded. Come back from Junbei Territory."
"Just as you expected. But you saw through it a long time ago, and you didn't even remind your father, but instead you charmed him?" Imagawa Yoshimoto laughed and took out the secret letter he and Takeda Harunobu agreed on and handed it to him. While picking up the ginkgo, he took out the folding fan from his waist and tapped his palms, "Other people's daughters are like their father's little cotton-padded jacket. You, on the other hand, are like your father's little shroud."
"I'm doing this for her own good, what do men know?" Ginkgo turned away and sighed, "Fighting every year, something will happen sooner or later. Even if you are lucky enough not to die on the battlefield, maybe you will." He died at the hands of the rebels in the territory - he was not an ordinary unpopular person. The people who wanted to kill him could not be accommodated in the entire Uzaki Mansion. Even if he was lucky enough to survive, he would have been worrying about the family all day long. She is probably too tired to live long, right? My father is not young anymore, so it would be nice to retire and live in seclusion. I will be with her at the Imagawa Pavilion, and she can also see her grandson and granddaughter, and enjoy family happiness. I can live a comfortable life and maybe live longer than my brother.”
"You're not satisfied with being lazy yourself, so you insist on dragging your father into being lazy too?" Imagawa Yoshimoto revealed Ginkgo's little thoughts with a smile.
"What's wrong with letting him enjoy happiness? Really, maybe he will fall in love with this lifestyle even more." Ginkgo also laughed, "Who doesn't like to be lazy?"
