On the afternoon of September 25, the tenth year of Astronomy (1541), Zentoku Temple in Suruga Province.
"I'm sorry to bother you, the Soldiers' Department." Imagawa Yoshimoto gave a slight salute to Fuji Nobutada, who came in a hurry.
"Since it is an order from His Highness, it is my responsibility." Fuji Nobutada did not wear a military uniform, but was dressed as a shrine priest. Behind him were many priests of Fujiyama Sengen Taisha Shrine, "I just didn't expect that. , His Highness actually gave up the opportunity to march, and instead prayed for the soul of Hojo Sakyo in the temple."
"After all, there is a kinship. If a blood relative dies, how can a junior not burn incense and pray for blessings?" Imagawa Yoshimoto sighed and looked towards the east, "I have sent Master Lengquan to Odawara Castle to express my condolences, but I definitely can’t go there in person, so I’ll just recite sutras for my cousin uncle here. I’d like to thank the Fu soldiers for setting up some arrangements in the temple. After my teacher left, the abbot of Shande Temple has been vacant, and no one can cope with the occasion. .”
·
Fuji Nobutada made arrangements in the temple, and Imagawa Yoshimoto led a group of guards to the mountain behind Zentoku Temple, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar mountain scenery. Imagawa Yoshimoto originally thought that after living in Zentokuji Temple for a long time, he would definitely be reluctant to leave this place. However, after returning to my old place, I didn't feel very comfortable. When he was a child, every plant and tree in Mingming Temple and in the mountains made him happy, and every day he spent Mingming made him feel fulfilled. It would be great to peek at one or two poetry albums and picture albums in your spare time. But at this moment, I can no longer understand the mood I felt at that time.
Imagawa Yoshimoto finally understood that what he missed was not Zentoku Temple itself, but the time with Taiyuan Xuezhai. The smelly old man who always wants to confiscate his treasure is gone, and no matter how good the flowers, birds, fish and insects are, they are boring.
Imagawa Yoshimoto walked down the foothills and took another mountain road back to the temple, but happened to meet a group of travelers in a pavilion on the roadside. The leader is a man over fifty years old. He is very clean, but the wrinkles left by years of hard work cannot be concealed. He didn't look very good either. He was old and had no vitality left. The few followers behind him were carrying some small luggage, and they seemed to be businessmen coming and going.
When Kentaro Tian Shen and Yoshira Kira saw the stranger, they both took a step forward, pressed the knife on the handle, and protected Imagawa Yoshimoto behind them. However, Imagawa Yoshimoto himself felt that it was nothing. The group of people did not feel any murderous intent on their bodies, and they did not seem to be dangerous people.
"Your Majesty, please..." The middle-aged man saw that Imagawa Yoshimoto's bodyguard was not a friendly person, so he hurriedly explained, "We are passing business travelers. We wanted to go to Zentoku Temple to burn incense, but we were told that the temple was preparing for rituals. They stopped us outside the house and took shelter in the pavilion on the mountain for a while, hoping to wait until it was over before entering the temple."
"That may have to wait a long time. You should find a hotel to spend the night first, at least the day after tomorrow." Imagawa Yoshimoto also reminded kindly, and at the same time, he signaled Kentaro Taro Shen and Kira Usei not to be too rude.
"Does it take so long?" The middle-aged businessman heard this with regret. "I just heard that an old acquaintance passed away, so I hurriedly wanted to go to the temple to pray. If it takes so long, then..."
"I'm sorry, it's official business of the Imagawa family, so I can't accommodate you." Imagawa Yoshimoto apologized a little,
"If we go forward, how long will it take to encounter the temple?" the merchant asked again.
"Going forward from here, across the Fuji River, there is the castle town of Kamahara Castle. But right now..." Imagawa Yoshimoto pointed to the way he came. The merchant looked in the direction of Imagawa Yoshimoto's finger and found that the road was full of Imagawa Army camps, and it was estimated that the merchants would not be allowed to pass.
The merchant showed a troubled look again, and Imagawa Yoshimoto couldn't bear it, so he asked: "I wonder who you want to pray for? If you don't mind, you can tell me, and I will go to the temple to offer incense on your behalf."
The merchant hesitated for a moment, and finally chose to tell the truth: "Every ordinary citizen like me knows this, and the adults of the Imagawa family must have known it as well. To be honest, I ran a shop in Odawara Castle and suffered a lot back then. The care of His Highness Sakyo Hojo. Now that I heard that His Highness Sakyo has passed away, I want to pray for his soul."
Imagawa Yoshimoto was stunned when he heard this, and looked at each other with Furunoji Yutaka - if even ordinary business travelers knew about it at this time, it means that the Hojo family either did not want to block the death information, or the situation was completely out of control and out of control. Living. However, Hojo Uzuna has already been told that he is located in Hojo Ujiyasu in the prequel, and he has actually lived in seclusion. Perhaps it was for this reason that the news was not blocked.
"If this is the case, your Excellency will be distracted. The Imagawa family's move is precisely to pray for Hojo Sakyo." Imagawa Yoshimoto bowed in the direction of Zentoku Temple from afar, "I carry your thoughts with you, Let’s recite sutras together.”
"Ah?" The merchant was stunned for a moment. After thinking about it for a long time, he seemed to feel that his speech was inappropriate, but he finally asked, "I see that there are troops gathering on the road, and I thought that the Imagawa family wanted to take advantage of His Highness Sakyo. At the time of his death, he was attacking Hojo."
"Don't talk too much." After realizing that the merchant wanted to test for information, Furunoji Yutaka immediately reminded him coldly, and the merchant immediately apologized.
"The mourning of the enemy is ultimately inconsistent with etiquette." Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't care, but sighed with some emotion, "His Royal Highness Imagawa Yoshitaka (Imagawa Yoshitada) died unexpectedly, leaving His Highness (Imagawa clan) an orphan. As a widowed mother, the disaster only happened in an instant, and she was saved only by Mr. Soun. Now it is the turn of Mr. Soun's son, Hojo Sakyo, to pass away. The Hojo family is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and I am afraid that it will be in turmoil at this moment. If the restoration of His Highness's son (Imagawa Yoshimoto) ) Instead, taking advantage of people's danger to invade, wouldn't it be a disgrace to our ancestors? It is really a disregard of kindness. Although Imagawa and Hojo are enemies now, they should be upright and decisive on the battlefield, how can they do such an indecent thing?"
"This samurai of the Imagawa family is a well-educated and reasonable person." The merchant was also infected by Imagawa Yoshimoto's conversation, "I hope that your Majesty will think the same way."
Kira Weicheng laughed out loud after hearing this and whistled to Kentaro Tian Shen on the side.
"Then I won't wait any longer. It seems that I don't know when the official road will be opened, so I will go home first." The merchant bowed deeply to Imagawa Yoshimoto, and then led his entourage down the mountain. After Imagawa Yoshimoto said goodbye, he also returned to Zentoku Temple to see how Fuji Nobutada was preparing.
He didn't know that the group of merchants had gone around to the back of the mountain more than ten miles away - that place was full of ambushes wearing the Hojo scale pattern and the flag.
"Father, where have you been?" Hojo Ujiyasu came up to him with some dissatisfaction when he saw Hojo Uzuna returning with someone, "I've been looking for a long time and I haven't seen anyone."
"The Imagawa Army will not advance. Let's retreat and wait for the Takeda Army at Mizō Pass." Hojo Utsusuna coughed twice and no longer concealed the sickness on his face. While handing over the salute he was carrying to his entourage, he said, "There is no need to keep troops in the Kadong area, and the same goes for Izu. Send them all back, and beware of the Ogitani Uesugi family."
"Ah? Dad, are you afraid that you are an old fool?" Hojo Ujiyasu laughed dumbly, "I told you to eat on time. If you don't eat, you will be so hungry that you can't even think about it."
"I'm not kidding." Hojo Utsuna just shook his head, waved to his subordinates, and reiterated his order.
"Why?" Hojo Ujiyasu became serious when he saw how serious Hojo Uzuna was.
"The features and eyes look very much like his father's, but he is a completely different person in his behavior. It is not appropriate to mourn someone's death. I didn't expect that there would really be a humble gentleman in this world." Hojo Ujitsuna spoke, but he couldn't hear what Hojo Ujiyasu said. If he understood, he turned around and walked outside the camp.
"Dad, I think my brother-in-law Yoshimoto noticed that you were faking your death? He also noticed that there was an ambush here? That's why you didn't march?" Hojo Ujiyasu asked in confusion, following Hojo Ujitsuna's footsteps.
"No, he just doesn't want to take advantage of others' danger. Because my father helped his father in times of need after his grandfather was killed in battle. Now it's my turn to 'die', and he doesn't want to retaliate. As Imakawa The son of the repairman, he wants to repay the favor from that time." As Hojo Utsusuna spoke, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"There won't be such idiots in the world, dad." Hojo Ujiyasu laughed again, "If that's the case, isn't it just a snap to destroy the Imagawa family?"
"You think he's an idiot?"
However, Hojo Utsuna suddenly stopped and turned to look at Hojo Ujiyasu, with a solemn look in his eyes that Hojo Ujiyasu had never seen before in his life.
"What do you mean, father?" Hojo Uyasu asked stammeringly.
"Human nature is inherently evil. In this world, whoever is worse will win. Some people are not bad enough in their bones, and sooner or later they will die. Some people just follow the crowd, and although they do bad things, they are not cruel enough and live a mediocre life. A few people are born villains, and they can dominate a party by unleashing their malice unscrupulously. But some people are different. They go retrograde in a world of great evil, deny themselves and restore etiquette, and suppress their hearts with spiritual power that is unimaginable to ordinary people. All malice. What kind of strong cultivation can make a warrior become a gentleman in troubled times?"
"But have you ever thought about what would happen if one day he no longer uses his mental power to suppress malice, but instead helps others to do evil? He has suppressed it for most of his life, and the malice that bursts out will be difficult for ordinary people to resist, and even more so. It’s unimaginable. So, I still hope that such a gentleman will always be a gentleman.”
Hojo Ujiyasu took a deep breath.
Hojo Ujitsuna put his hands behind his back and was silent for a long time. He looked at the birds flying towards Odawara Castle and the clouds floating towards Odawara Castle. Finally he sighed and said:
"Didn't I leave you 'five admonitions' when I faked my death? There's no need for them now. Just one is enough."
"Don't force that gentleman to become a villain, don't release the evil spirit in his heart from hell."
