On June 10, the 11th year of Tenmon (1542), a joint battle broke out between the Imagawa Army and the Oda Army at Shodozaka in Mikawa. The two sides fought for half a day. In the end, there was no winner, and the casualties were both around 1,000. After the battle, the Oda family broke camp and evacuated overnight, and the Imagawa family did not pursue it. Afterwards, the Oda family promoted their victory, claiming that due to the fierce fighting of the "Azuki Zaka Seven Guns" headed by Oda Nobumitsu, the Oda army defeated the Imagawa army and could not help but rescue the samurai of the Miki Matsudaira family who were trapped in Miki Castle, and also rescued the Miki Castle. The main formation of the Imagawa Army was burned down. When the fighting became fierce, Imagawa Yoshimoto was even forced to flee in embarrassment.
Although Ohara Zhenmi and others also promoted that the Imagawa family had won, in terms of the overall situation, it was indeed the Oda family that was more unrestrained - they entered the hinterland of Mikawa to show off their power, and then left in a swagger. Therefore, public opinion in the Mikawa area generally believed that the Oda family had a small victory - of course the Imagawa family samurai did not agree with this. Of course, this is also related to Imagawa Yoshimoto not paying attention to publicity. After the battle of Shozuzaka, he was busy returning the rescued refugees and prisoners of the Matsudaira clan back to Okazaki Castle, and at the same time comforted the surrounding towns and cities that were indiscriminately arrested.
When it comes to the victory or defeat in the Azukizaka battle, Imagawa Yoshimoto actually admits his own defeat in his heart. If Yamaguchi Kosugi did not choose to waste time and burn the main formation after detouring across the bridge, but joined the main battlefield, the Imagawa family's casualties may have doubled. This understanding became clearer after a secret visit from Yamaguchi Kotsugi’s envoy——
"My lord has sent me down here to apologize to His Highness Imagawa." Tadanobu Honda did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "My lord was not strict with his words earlier and accidentally leaked the whereabouts of the Matsudaira family hostages, which led to the hostages being taken away. I am really sorry. "
"It's really a pity." Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't have high hopes for Yamaguchi Kensugu's moral sense - how could a double-minded person who made deals with the enemy's daimyo behind his master's back be such a tight-lipped and trustworthy person? man of?
"But my lord doesn't want to break his promise to His Highness Imagawa. It's just that the people who paid for the information really gave too much. In addition, my lord also feels that it is more beneficial for our Yamaguchi family to divide the Matsudaira clan into two. That's why we I revealed the information. I couldn't help myself, so don't blame Your Highness." Honda Tadanobu leaned forward again, and his tone of apology was quite sincere, but it was very straightforward and did not say anything about the scene.
"That's something that can't be helped." Imagawa Yoshimoto shook his head lightly, "You can't ask everyone to regard credit as a treasure."
"Your Majesty Imagawa's words are too hurtful. Although my lord failed to keep his word this time, he is not a person who breaks his word." Honda Tadanobu immediately retorted after hearing this, "Your Highness also saw it. My lord is an example. I apologize for deliberately putting water on the battle formation. I hope this little thought can make His Highness Imakawa less unhappy."
"Did His Highness Zuomasuke really do this on purpose?" Imagawa Yoshimoto narrowed his eyes and fumbled with the folding fan in his right hand.
"Yes, my lord has no intention of becoming an enemy of the Imagawa family, so the Yamaguchi family's troops did not join the battle. I hope His Highness Imagawa can understand this intention." Honda whispered loyally and sincerely.
"His Royal Highness Zuomasuke, do you want me to say 'thank you'?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked coldly.
"Don't dare." Tadanobu Honda quickly shook his head, "It's just an apology."
"If I accidentally 'leaked the news' and let His Highness Oda Danmasa know about His Highness Zuomasuke's affair with the enemy and his use of the enemy on the battlefield, I don't know how His Highness Zuomasuke plans to tell Oda Tiantan is explaining?" Imagawa Yoshimoto held the folding fan in his hand and tapped his palms repeatedly, but his words were merciless.
"Your Majesty Imagawa will not do that. My Lord has said that His Majesty Imagawa is a gentleman who keeps his word and will never do such a thing." Honda Tadanobu did not hesitate to relay Yamaguchi Kentsugi's original words very directly. , "In order to avoid trouble, my lord wants to continue doing business with His Highness Imagawa in the future. I will take my leave now. I will see you later, His Highness Imagawa. Please be sure to think of my lord the next time you come to Mikawa."
·
On June 11, the 11th year of Tenmon (1542), the Oda army, fearing a long night and many dreams, retreated across the Yahagi River, and the Imagawa army that followed took over the ferry. The actual control area of the two families returned to what it was before the Battle of Shozuzaka - with the Yahagi River as the boundary, the Nishi Matsudaira clan supported by the Oda Army to the west, and the Higashi Matsudaira clan, an ally of the Imagawa Army, to the east.
After a fierce battle, neither the Oda family nor the Imagawa family had the intention to continue fighting, and they also knew that with the current strength of their troops, neither family could go further. As a result, the Oda family took the initiative to send envoys, trying to make a temporary truce with the Imagawa family and withdraw their troops. The chief envoy sent was Hirate Masahide, and the deputy envoy was Lin Xiuzhen. Along the way, Hirate Masahide, who was extremely resentful, kept talking about it, and when he arrived at the Imagawa family's tent, he was still complaining. Lin Xiuzhen on the side could only smile bitterly, for fear that he would say the wrong thing during the negotiation later.
"Young master, the older you get, the more disobedient you are. Last time, you set a fire in a retainer's house. This time, you took a bunch of kids to someone else's property and openly robbed the Imagawa family. You may not know what will happen next time! If you don't educate yourself well, how will you inherit the Oda family in the future! This is all my fault. When I go back and advise the young master, if he doesn't agree, I will commit seppuku!" Hirate Masahide's face was full of black lines, almost full of resentment. It's all seeping out from the seven orifices.
"Haha, please don't get angry, the supervisor. The young master is still young, and he won't be like this when he matures." Lin Xiuzhen laughed at the side, comforting Masahide Hirate's mood.
"What, when he gets older and his wings harden, do you believe that he dares to go down to Qingzhou City and set fire to it?" Hirate Masahide complained to himself again.
"Going to set fire to His Highness Yamato's residence?" Lin Xiuzhen was shocked by Hirate Masahide's imagination, "What are the supervisors talking about?"
"Sado, do you think he doesn't dare? The young master's temper is really capable of anything! It seems that if I don't discipline him by committing seppuku, he won't be obedient!" Masahide Hirate became angrier as he spoke, waving his hands as if It's like committing seppuku immediately.
"It's better for the prison guards to stop mentioning 'harassment' all the time. Don't you remember? The first time you said you were going to have seppuku, young master, you scared the kid so much that he threw himself at your door crying, begging you not to commit seppuku. But then you did this If you use it too much, the young master won't believe it anymore. Every time you say you want to commit seppuku, he will say something like, 'Ah, old man Hirate wants to commit seppuku again? Let him go!'" Lin Xiuzhen persuaded with a smile from the side. He said, "Don't the supervisors know the story of the boy who cried wolf? One thing can never happen again."
"My lord entrusted the young master to my upbringing, but I brought him up to be so stubborn and unwilling. A hundred times of hara-kiri is enough for him. Aren't you worried about the young master?" Hirate Masahide took a deep breath, and then felt weak. He shook his head and said, "I will know it for real some time. Let him have a longer memory and never do such random things in the future."
"The young master is very intelligent, so he can do things very imaginatively. There is nothing wrong with that. He is much better than those heirs of the Wu family who are mediocre but average in intelligence. They will be able to achieve great things in the future." Lin Xiuzhen patted Hirate Masahide on the back and said, "Supervisor Things, everything should look better."
"It's good to be smart, but if he goes his own way like this, it will only make more people hate his intelligence instead of appreciate it. There will be countless opponents in the future. You know, there are always mediocre people in this world. They hope to follow the rules and everything goes smoothly. They stick to the old rules that they are familiar with, and when they encounter those who are unconventional, they want to attack them in groups, for fear that this will affect their jobs and destroy their traditions, and they don't even think about whether these creations are correct. If the young master is still such a dandy, Sooner or later, you will offend mediocre people, and eventually you will die!" Masahide Hirate became more and more worried as he spoke. At the end of the sentence, his left hand started to tremble slightly, "How can you not worry?"
"If you want to be the governor of this little family, it would be good to choose someone who can cater to the mediocre public. But if you are determined to be in the world, how can you have the leisure to care about those mediocre minions in the dust under your feet. People who can't stand the young master will abandon him. It’s just that the young master is talented and has talented people from all over the world. Only those who can follow in the young master’s footsteps will be left.” Lin Xiuzhen, as always, has endless confidence in Master Oda Yoshi, “Sweep There is no need to sweep the whole house in the world.”
"Why don't I understand what Sado said? But if you ignore the danger at your feet, the secret opposition of those mediocre people will also be fatal. Let alone sweeping the world, you can't even get out of the Yashiki door. One attack after another, a coup. , or even an assassination—these mediocre tricks can destroy a genius." Masahide Hirate held his forehead deeply worriedly.
"That's what we do as retainers." Lin Xiuzhen sneered, "Follow him, help him see the path under his feet, and see the danger in the shadows."
"Sado..." Hirate Masahide wanted to say more, but Lin Xiuzhen had already waved her hand.
"Everyone from the Imagawa family is coming, let's stop gossiping here." Lin Xiuzhen heard the footsteps outside the tent, and then whispered to Masahide Hirate: "Old rules, you are the chief envoy, and I am the deputy envoy."
"I know." Hirate Masahide nodded. There is no need to elaborate on the tacit understanding between old partners. "Sado nods, and I agree."
"Yeah." Lin Xiuzhen also nodded slightly, "I don't want to leave my name if it's signed by you."
"You two, I've been waiting for a long time." Imagawa Yoshimoto opened the tent door and greeted Hirate Masahide and Lin Xiuzhen, "I am Imagawa Yoshimoto, and this is Ohara Hizen Mamoru."
"I have met His Highness Imagawa, Hizen-sama." Hirate Masahide and Lin Xiuzhen both bowed, and then Hirate Masahide also introduced himself to Imagawa Yoshimoto, "I, Hirate Masahide, in the name of my lord, would like to negotiate peace with the Imagawa family."
As soon as Hirate Masahide finished speaking, Lin Xiuzhen leaned down respectfully, took out Oda Nobuhide's autographed letter with both hands, and handed it to Imagawa Yoshimoto. Imagawa Yoshimoto received the letter, and as expected, he did not pay attention to Lin Xiuzhen, but regarded him as an ordinary follower.
Lin Xiuzhen has been familiar with this process countless times.
