On February 13, the twelfth year of Tianwen (1543), everything that followed was as expected by Taiyuan Xuezhai.
After the Takeda family's troops took over the castle tower, the other Taya family soldiers in Odani Castle instantly became chaotic and leaderless. Akao Kiyosuna and others in the dungeon were also rescued by Takeda Harunobu. Takeda Harunobu and Taihara Sekssai specially apologized to Akao Kiyosuna for their concealment, and received Akao Kiyosuna's understanding - he is also a dirty person. As long as it is for Asai Hisamasa, what does it mean to be tortured? Yamamoto Kansuke also introduced the Tianya army who went up the mountain into the ambush circle. Amemori Kiyosada, who had been ambushing here for a long time, led the ambush troops of the Imagawa family and the Asai family to kill this army to a rout.
On February 15, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543), Tsunachika Kaiboku led the defenders of Kamabana Castle northward, and supported Hisamasa Asai who came down the mountain back to Otani Castle. As soon as the news came out that Tianya Meimasa himself had been killed in battle, the rest of the party immediately dispersed. The rebellion in the Asai family was put down, and they returned to the control of Asai Hisamasa.
On February 16, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543), three family elders, Taiyuan Yuksai, Takeda Hironobu, and Asai Iekai Akaame, secretly finalized a secret alliance between the Imagawa family, the Takeda family, and the Asai family. The covenant did not have too specific details. It mainly required the Asai family to provide convenience for the Imagawa family and the Takeda family's envoys to and from Kyoto in the future. After all, the three families are geographically far apart, and there is no point in drafting an overly detailed covenant at the moment. The main purpose is to leave communication channels between the three families for future needs.
On February 17, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543), the Asai family held a review meeting in the castle tower. All retainers and governors of the wealthy families were present. Apparently, they wanted to clear away the haze caused by the coup and explain what happened afterwards. The purpose of the disposal is to unite the Asai family again and twist them into a single rope. Naturally, the Imagawa family and the Takeda family would not interfere in such an important meeting. They planned to wait for Mrs. Sanjo to recover before going on the road again.
Without any arrangements, Imagawa Yoshimoto took a leisurely walk in the Honmaru, but unexpectedly met the protagonist of the meeting-Asai Hisamasa. He did not go to the castle tower, but instead walked in circles in the alleys of Honmaru thoughtfully. After hearing the footsteps, he looked up and found that Imagawa Yoshimoto had already walked in front of him.
"Sir Shinagawa." Asai Hisamasa could naturally recognize the envoy of the Imagawa family who had saved him from fire and water a few days ago.
"I have met His Highness Shimono Mamoru." Although Imagawa Yoshimoto only plays the role of "Shinagawa Goro", the courtesy he should have is not lacking at all - unlike Takeda Harunobu, who obviously plays the role of "Nishina Goro", but However, he is even more dignified than a family governor, and even the elders of the Asai family are not polite when he sees them - Imagawa Yoshimoto has complained about him many times.
"Your Highness Shimonomori, please forgive me for overstepping my bounds, but the meeting in the castle tower has already begun." Out of good intentions, Imagawa Yoshimoto reminded Asai Hisamasa. After all, Hisamasa Asai was looked down upon by his retainers because of his own weakness, which led to this coup. If he was late for such a key evaluation meeting again, his retainers would be even more disappointed.
"I know, I just simply don't want to go and don't dare to go."
Asai Hisamasa suddenly revealed the truth, leaving Imagawa Yoshimoto stunned for a moment, not knowing how to answer the words.
"It's strange, isn't it? In front of an outsider like Mr. Shinagawa, you would say this inexplicably. But besides Mr. Shinagawa, I can't find anyone to talk to. I don't necessarily have to vent my bitterness with my own retainers, right?" Asai Hisamasa He also laughed at himself, but the smile was so weird and terrifying:
"I know what a competent house governor should do now, and I also know what kind of performance the retainers expect from their house governor. It is nothing more than coming to the evaluation meeting with tears on his face, reviewing his own mistakes sadly, and thanking the people around him for their support. Pay it forward, and finally make a passionate determination to show that you must work hard in the future. After that, your retainers will cheer you again."
"But I just don't want to play such a good governor." Asai Hisamasa lowered his head, and the shadow on his face made it almost impossible to see his expression clearly. "I have no interest, let alone the courage. I am afraid of saying the wrong thing. Embarrassment, fear of being suffocated when everyone is silent, fear of the cold silence when I say a lot of passionate words without getting a response, and even more fear of the expectant looks from my retainers - because I am such an incompetent and cowardly person, I can't respond to them The expectation has been like this since childhood."
"It's really rude to say this to a stranger. Lord Shinagawa must not understand me. Excellent samurai like you all think about making achievements and leaving a name in history, but I really don't have the slightest interest in these. I don’t have any talent at all. I can’t learn anything, whether it’s martial arts or military strategy. That’s why my father once wanted to establish another Ishimi Shou (Taya Akimasa).”
“When the news came, Zenemon (Umikata Tsunachika), Mimasaku (Akao Kiyosuna) and Yabei (Amemori Kiyosada) who had been assisting me all felt like the sky was falling, and they tried to persuade my late father like crazy. I took back my life. But for me, ironically enough, I wasn’t sad at all at the time. I felt completely relieved. I really didn’t want to be the governor of the family, and I didn’t want to be trapped in the fighting and killing of the Wu family all my life. I didn’t want to be punished because of my lack of ability. The family brings disaster. Perhaps if the heir of the Wu family can't even feel the anger of being abolished, this person will be abolished - and today's facts prove that this is indeed the case. It would be great if someone can be replaced. , but it didn’t change in the end. Why did all these tragedies happen to me because I am the eldest son of a martial artist?"
"Shinagawa-sama, do you really want to scold me? It's just that you seem to be a very polite samurai and can't do such a thing. But my retainers have already warned me a thousand times because of my lack of ambition. A hundred times." Asai Hisamasa held his forehead deeply, and after a while he raised his head and looked at Shinagawa Goro:
"Maybe Shinagawa-sama, you can't understand me, but you can certainly understand the angry mood of the Asai family retainers, and their hatred of iron. After all, the situation of the Imagawa family is exactly the same as ours."
Imagawa Yoshimoto was stunned, while Asai Hisamasa was still minding his own business:
"I heard that Your Highness Yoshitsune doesn't want to be the governor like me, but he is much braver than me. He dared to say that he didn't want to be the governor many times in public, but I don't have the courage. I also heard, His Highness Yoshimoto never deals with political affairs, and entrusts all government and military affairs to Master Sekssai, the family minister. The retainers have been resentful about this for a long time, and it was only under the pressure of Master Sekssai that it did not explode."
It shouldn't be the case, I've never heard of it... Imagawa Yoshimoto felt chilled when he heard Asai Hisamasa's words.
Is it true that, as the old man said, it was because I only stayed in the Imagawakan castle tower all day long, and the only people I contacted were close servants, and rarely contacted the retainers, so I didn't notice the retainers' dissatisfaction with me?
No, no, no, it's definitely not that miserable... Imagawa Yoshimoto comforted himself silently: it must be the Asai family's retainers who deliberately exaggerated the Imagawa family's story in order to dissuade Hisamasa Asai and want to spur him on.
"I wonder if Shinagawa-sama also hates His Highness Yoshimoto. He feels that he is depressed and depressed all day long and does not strive for progress. Just like the retainers of the Asai family hate me." Asai Hisamasa saw Yoshimoto Imagawa fell into silence and said Thinking that he was right, he said with relief: "Please, Shinagawa-sama, please be considerate of His Highness Yoshimoto in the future. He may be a weakling like me. We are destined not to be strong, and we cannot kill decisively and have high aspirations, nor can we be strong." There is no way to suppress all personal feelings for the benefit of the family and to strengthen the family by any means, we can't do it."
"But this does not mean that we do not cherish our retainers, do not care about our retainers, and do not care about this family. We are just weak. We have no ability, let alone interest, let alone motivation. If we have a choice, we would rather abandon all power and glory Fugui, give up the responsibility of being the governor of the family to the talented people in the family, but this does not allow us to choose. I hope to have an adult child soon, give up the throne to him, and leave all the troubles of the Wu family to him. But I feel sorry for him. It would be nice if he was a dignified martial arts man, but what if he doesn’t like this either?"
Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't know how to answer, nor how to comfort him, because he couldn't deceive himself.
"I'm really sorry that I talked too much to Mr. Shinagawa." Asai Hisamasa seemed to have said enough. He laughed a few times apologetically, then shook his head vigorously, clenched his hands into fists, and tried to encourage himself, "I want to go back. I will try my best to act as a good governor in the minds of the retainers. Although I know that I will probably not be able to do it, I will probably disappoint the retainers, and the Asai family will probably perish in my hands."
"Sometimes I really envy your Lord Yoshimoto." Before leaving, Asai Hisamasa turned around again:
"You can ignore the feelings of your retainers, insist on being yourself, and insist on being the 'most benevolent person in Tokaido' who ignores political affairs. How great would it be if I had such a blessing?"
·
On February 18, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543), a group of people bid farewell to the Asai family and took a ferry from Lake Biwa to Yamashiro Country.
Under the night, Imagawa Yoshimoto was sitting alone on the bow of the boat with many thoughts on his mind. During the day, the blue and clear water of Lake Biwa is completely black at night, reflecting the stars and a bright moon. On the quiet lake, only a few fishing fires flickered around the distant lakeside, but Imagawa Yoshimoto seemed to be in the depths.
"What's wrong?"
Ginkgo's voice came to his ears, and he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders - that was the coat that Ginkgo put on him.
"Why didn't you sleep?" Imagawa Yoshimoto felt the ship's hull shake slightly, and Ginkgo sat down next to him.
"The quilt leaked after you left, and I woke up from the cold." Ginkgo made an awkward excuse. Then, whether to hide it or out of fun, she took off her shoes, immersed her feet in the cold lake water, and fiddled with them gently, "What's the matter, sir? It doesn't look good."
"Hey..." Imagawa Yoshimoto lowered his head, looking at the blurry reflection of his face under the dark water with the help of the weak moonlight, and his tone was also very low: "Do you think I will end up like Asai Shimonomaru in the future?" What's the same fate? Are you really disappointed with me? I thought I wouldn't care about this, but when I mentioned it, I found that I am not immune to it. But the past me has already been formed, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to change in this life. Yeah. I guess I will be like this in this life. There is really no way..."
"Snapped!"
The sound of splashing water was heard, followed by Ginkgo's clear and naughty laughter as silver bells - she raised her foot and kicked the cold lake water into Imagawa Yoshimoto's face, and the lake water poured down her neck into her collar.
"It's so cold!" Imagawa Yoshimoto was shivering from the cold, but his first reaction was to pick up Ginkgo from the side of the boat in order to lift her feet out of the lake. "Why are your feet so cold?" Be careful of catching cold or wind chill in the water."
"Sir, you know it's cold, right?" Ginkgo shrank into Imagawa Yoshimoto's arms, "Why don't you come back with me to warm up the bed?"
"Okay." Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled and hugged Ginkgo back to the quilt in the cabin. Ginkgo immediately crawled into Imagawa Yoshimoto's arms like a kitten, and the warm and soft body gradually dispersed the whole body of Yoshimoto Imagawa. The chill actually made me feel a lot better.
"I don't care what happened in the past, and I don't bother to think about the future. Anyway, today, my husband can be by my side."
Ginkgo rubbed against Imagawa Yoshimoto's chest and kissed her gently.
"It's like those lines about beautiful women who charm kings." Imagawa Yoshimoto complained with a smile. Ginkgo rolled her eyes at him, but gradually she couldn't open her eyes.
"I'm sleepy." Ginkgo murmured softly, "I'm so sleepy."
"Go to sleep if you're sleepy." Imagawa Yoshimoto gently stroked her cheek.
Ginkgo opened her mouth, as if she still wanted to say something, but she fell asleep quickly with her pillow on Imagawa Yoshimoto's shoulder.
Yes...it's useless to think about it that much.
Anyway, my life so far cannot be changed, and I don’t know what will happen in the future. Isn’t all I can do to cherish the hard-won beauty of the present?
Imagawa Yoshimoto looked at the stars reflected in the dark lake, looked at the gentle sleeping face of Ginkgo, and softly chanted:
"Yesterday's なし, tomorrow's またしらぬ, people's はただ, today's のうちこそ, life's なりけれ. (Yesterday is over, tomorrow is unknown, people live and die only today.)"
"It's so noisy...I can't understand..." Ginkgo mumbled something vaguely in her sleep. Imagawa Yoshimoto was amused, kissed her deeply on the lips, and then fell asleep peacefully.
Imagawa Yoshimoto slept extremely soundly. Because he knew that when he woke up tomorrow morning, the girl in his arms would still stay in bed and refuse to get up. She would stretch herself out of the quilt with difficulty, and murmur to herself:
"Good morning, sir."
As always and always will be.
