After bidding farewell to Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Imagawa Yoshimoto went to see Hosokawa Harumoto again. This was the first time he saw a dignified shogunate leader. Rumor has it that he was once a very heroic samurai in his early years, but now he is dressed like a nobleman, and his every move has a high-spirited air. He is not even as good as Ashikaga Yoshiharu - he must have been away from war for a long time. I don’t know whether he was assimilated by the culture of Kyoto, or whether he lost his enterprising spirit after becoming famous and resigned to self-destruction.
"It's a joke to have outsiders help with your own housework. Bad things spread thousands of miles..." Hosokawa Harumoto seemed to have a strong feeling of being a superior, and said to Imagawa Yoshimoto with an air of air: "Thank you. The Imagawa family's assistance to the governor's family is really reminiscent of the deeds of your grandfather who traveled thousands of miles to Luo to fight for the Eastern Army of my Hosokawa family during the Onin Rebellion."
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, is ridiculous." Imagawa Yoshimoto then cooperated with Hosokawa Harumoto and said in an official tone, "This is what you should do as a retainer of the shogunate."
"It would be great if all the retainers thought the same as the Imagawa family." Hosokawa Harumoto sneered twice, and the hostility in and out of his words was no longer concealed, "Just now, Kizawa Nagamasa left, and another Miyoshi Chizen came. , just like his father, he has no sense of propriety and does not take the master's family seriously. Previously in Kyoto, if you Imagawa family hadn't immediately asked us to come out to clean up the situation, then Miyoshi Chikuzen planned to take the credit for suppressing the rebellion alone. By the way, I’m going to clean up my Hosokawa family’s troops in Kyoto, don’t think that I don’t know what he’s thinking.”
"Your Highness..." Seeing that Hosokawa Harumoto suddenly spoke so directly, Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't know how to respond.
"There is nothing to be shy about. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Miyoshi family is now the master of great achievements. He is simply the second Kizawa Nagamasa. What's more, Miyoshi Nagasaki's kid has resentment towards me. He always felt that I was also involved back then. To force his father to death." Hosokawa Harumoto waved his hand, as if chasing away an annoying fly, "If the Miyoshi family wants to defeat them, I wonder if the Imagawa family will lend a helping hand like this time. Woolen cloth?"
"Thank you for the kindness of the supervisor. However, the Imagawa family and Kinki are thousands of miles apart, and there are many hostile forces in between. I'm afraid it will be difficult to make the trip." Faced with such a naked wooing by Hosokawa Harumoto, Imagawa Yoshimoto was also a little uncomfortable, so he declined appropriately. road.
"It doesn't matter. Didn't your late grandfather also travel thousands of miles to Luo? I will help you clear your joints and clear the way for you to go to Luo. Just come. Help me put down the traitor Miyoshi, and I will let you Imagawa family be the governor of Kanto. It can be regarded as a reward for your Imagawa family's successive conquests of Kanto for the shogunate." Hosokawa Harumoto unceremoniously painted an unrealistic pie for Imagawa Yoshimoto (the Uesugi family did not replace it at all), but he did not know This did not appeal to Imagawa Yoshimoto, who did not care about fame.
"Thank you, Your Highness." But seeing that Hosokawa Harumoto was talking about this, Imagawa Yoshimoto had no choice but to thank him.
·
Everything was done and it was time to leave Beijing. Except for Taiyuan Yuksai and Takeda Hironobu who continued to stay in Kyoto to take charge of the follow-up work, Imagawa Yoshimoto and Takeda Harunobu and others all embarked on their return journey. Several friends including Nakamikado Nobuhide, Yamashina Yantsugi, and Ichijo Kanemasa also came to meet them. deliver. In return for the Imagawa family helping the Konoe Ue family to overthrow Kizawa Nagamasa and stabilize the position of Taizheng Minister, the official positions of these agents of the Imagawa family in the court have also increased - it is said that they will all be promoted to around three. Zhongnayan.
"Congratulations on your promotion." Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled and joked to his childhood friends.
"Isn't Chengfang also promoted?" Yantsugi Yamashina returned the greeting with a smile, "It is said that Chengfang, you are the senior minister of the Ministry of Administrative Affairs, and the Takeda family's highness is the chief chef of the dining hall."
"From fourth place down? Didn't you say up before?" Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't expect that he would be promoted by half a place, which was a big leap for the Wu family. Since the Onin Rebellion, ordinary local samurai daimyo have only risen to the top, and rarely have the opportunity to continue to rise.
"Your performance this time has made His Highness the Prime Minister and the ministers in the court very satisfied. It is said that His Highness the Crown Prince also spoke well of you." Nakamikado Xuanxiu whispered the gossip he heard from his friends: "So... I persuaded His Majesty and promoted you to a higher rank. Unexpectedly, His Highness the Crown Prince has never been interested in political affairs, but this time he suddenly spoke for you."
"Huh? If you are lucky enough, you can go and visit me later." Imagawa Yoshimoto himself was also surprised.
"Your appointment should be to send someone to Jun in a few months.
River declares the decree, get ready to receive it. "Nobuhide Nakamikado shook his head as he spoke, "But you have always been arty and proficient in etiquette, and Master Xue Zhai is here, so we shouldn't have to worry about this kind of thing. The Takeda family also has a daughter from the Sanjo family, so it's not a big problem. "
"Why not declare the decree directly now? We happen to be here." Takeda Harunobu on the side intervened and asked a question that was somewhat unknown in the circle of ministers, and everyone laughed in tacit understanding.
"Going out to deliver orders is a bad job. Everyone has to fight to get a chance. This time I go to the Imagawa family and the Takeda family to deliver orders. I am determined to get it!" Kanamasa Ichijo slapped his chest loudly and said carelessly. : "Usually in Kyoto, salaries are very tight, and I don't dare to lavish food. If I go to convey the order, then the daimyo will provide me with delicious food and drinks. Who wouldn't be happy? I don't want to go back to Kyoto!"
·
After bidding farewell to everyone, the delegations of the Imagawa family and the Takeda family left directly. It was a perfect spring day, and the scenery along the way was so beautiful that Imagawa Yoshimoto was in a daze. He not only muttered: "I didn't expect such a beautiful scenery..."
"You've seen it all before... you must have followed this path a few years ago..." Ginkgo muttered beside her, speaking feebly, as if she hadn't woken up - yes, at this moment she had already put the entire The body was slumped on the horse's back, hugging the horse's neck, resting on the horse's mane, squinting his eyes and dozing off.
"Maybe when I came back last time, I felt sad when I thought about being separated from you at the end of the journey. No matter how beautiful the scenery was, I had no intention of watching it." Imagawa Yoshimoto turned back to look at Ginkgo, the love between his eyebrows and the accident were a bit... The flirting words made Ginkgo blush, and she pursed her lips and said:
"I'm sleepy and can't ride the horse anymore. Sir, please carry me."
"Why did you get sleepy so soon? You just got up not long ago." Imagawa Yoshimoto said sarcastically with a smile.
"If you don't have Jinping candies, you will feel sleepy." Ginkgo pointed to her shriveled cloth bag - many of the Jinping candies she bought later had been quickly eaten by the greedy cat.
"Go to sleep if you feel sleepy."
So Imagawa Yoshimoto rode his horse to Ginkgo, carried the latter onto his horse, and let Ginkgo sit behind him. Ginkgo immediately leaned on Imagawa Yoshimoto's back like a kitten, folded her hands in front of her, closed her eyes, and quickly fell asleep. Imagawa Yoshimoto held the horse's rein with one hand and Ginkgo's hand with the other, feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of the woman behind him.
"I wish I had bought more Kinpei candy in Sakai Town." Imagawa Yoshimoto sighed with regret and looked at Takeda Harunobu next to him, "I don't know when the next time I can buy Kinpei candy."
"After I conquer the world, I will seal Sakai Town. You and your sister can live there and eat as much as you want." Takeda Harunobu laughed and praised Haikou, giving a thumbs up to Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"It's a deal!" Imagawa Yoshimoto also laughed, stretched out his hand, and fist bumped Takeda Harunobu hard. The two looked at each other and said nothing.
That's great. Is this what friends feel like?
Since childhood, Imagawa Yoshimoto has lived in the temple. The only person he is close to is the old monk Taiyuan Xuezai who is a few rounds older than him. Although the young novices around him also play together, they all know that the people in front of them are the four members of the Imagawa family. Young Master, everyone is respectful to Imagawa Yoshimoto and cannot be said to be much of a friend.
When I arrived in Kyoto, I met playmates of similar ages such as Nakamikado Nobuhide, Yamashina Yantsugi, and Ichijo Kanemasa. But at the same time, they also knew that Imagawa Yoshimoto was a descendant of the powerful Imagawa family, but their own family relied on the Imagawa family. The young master who faced the "gold master" naturally did not dare to be disobedient. He would occasionally tease him with one or two words and stop it. There was rarely laughter and curses among friends. In addition, these ministers were very strict in their upbringing, and their dress and behavior were also very old-fashioned, which did not fit well with Imagawa Yoshimoto's uninhibited temperament. So although we are familiar with each other, we are not friends yet.
When I returned to Suruga and became the governor, I became further and further away from the concept of "friends". All the people around him were retainers, they didn't dare to break the rules, and they were all afraid of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Even the low-arrogant Asahina Taino, Akai Kurotaka, Kira Uishari and others understand the difference between master and slave in their hearts and never go beyond the rules. Therefore, although Imagawa Yoshimoto seems to be living a carefree life, he actually feels quite lonely like "it's too cold at a high place". A famous disciple like him is destined to be unable to make friends.
Unless you can accidentally make friends in an informal setting with another daimyo who also can't make friends - this is the luck of Imagawa Yoshimoto, who met Takeda Harunobu.
He is also the son of a powerful daimyo, he also succeeded the family governor, and his age is almost the same - this is the only "friend" Imagawa Yoshimoto has met in his more than twenty years of life who can be friends with each other and who are not superior to each other. You can say whatever you want without worrying about offending the other person or worrying about the other person being afraid to speak. So there will be quarrels and quarrels, but more importantly, there will be trust and comfort in each other's company. Those unspeakable concepts and ideals can be freely discussed with Takeda Harunobu.
Therefore, Imagawa Yoshimoto particularly cherishes Takeda Harunobu and his hard-won only friend. Perhaps it is because of this that when Takeda Harunobu massacred the city of Shinano, Imagawa Yoshimoto was not determined to stop it. He did not want to lose this only friend. friend.
But this is a martial arts family in troubled times, and how fragile is the friendship between the two great names? If one day, the Imagawa family and the Takeda family become enemies, can this friendship still be maintained?
"Hey, Tora Chiyo." Imagawa Yoshimoto suddenly spoke, saying illogical words: "If one day, the Imagawa family and the Takeda family are forced to become enemies, let's have a gentleman's war."
"A battle between gentlemen?" Takeda Harunobu looked confused.
"Agree a time, place and number of people with each other, and fight openly and honestly on a fair battlefield. Do not harm the people, do not embarrass the prisoners, and the winning side should not pursue, and the losing side should not stubbornly resist. The decision will be based on victory or defeat. The conditions for post-war peace talks." Imagawa Yoshimoto proposed an ideal battle-perhaps it only existed before the Nara era. Of course, his focus was still on the last sentence: "The two of us should not quarrel with each other, just like Like the old enemy samurai who cherished each other on the battlefield, they drank and talked happily after the war."
"Ha, don't think about it. Then I will definitely launch a surprise attack with twice the number of people a few days before the appointed time, and then chase you all the way while you are sick and kill you, and directly destroy the Imagawa family." Takeda Harunobu laughed. He sarcastically asked Imagawa Yoshimoto's imagination, "Are you dreaming? How can a person who is so warlike still drink and talk happily?"
"Hey..." Imagawa Yoshimoto sighed and shook his head helplessly, "That's right, that's the kind of person you are, Tora Chiyo."
"Don't worry about this. Didn't I tell you that even if the Imagawa family is destroyed, I will spare your life and invite you to be a diner at the Tsugasaki Hall and recite poems for me?" Takeda Harunobu looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto's words. Feeling a little depressed, he patted his horse and came to Imagawa Yoshimoto and patted him hard on the back. .
"It's a deal." Imagawa Yoshimoto was amused by Takeda Harunobu's words.
"But, if you were still alive, I probably wouldn't have dared to use troops against the Imagawa family." Takeda Harunobu looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto and said, half jokingly, half seriously: "To be honest, I would be afraid of you. You are very strong. , just because of your weird cleanliness and kindness, you try your best to restrain your abilities and refuse to do evil. If you are really pushed into a hurry, let you use your abilities without any scruples, and even use the things you used before The terrifying mental power that restrains oneself is also used redoubled in the fight. I guess no enemy can resist it, right?"
"I didn't expect you to think so highly of me." Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't know whether to be happy or depressed.
"So, live well, as long as you are still alive, I will not do anything to the Imagawa family. Live well, don't die, do you hear me?" Takeda Harunobu punched Imagawa Yoshimoto hard on the chest, but it seemed that he Feeling that these words were too disgusting and a bit shameful for a man, he immediately added the second half: "If you die, I will eat up your Imagawa family and wipe it clean within a few years."
"Okay, let's live a good life together." Imagawa Yoshimoto glanced at Takeda Harunobu gratefully, and then felt a little numb, and turned his face away in embarrassment, "But you do unjust things every day, and you might die suddenly one day. It’s over.”
"Come on, come on, if you want to die suddenly, you, the foolish king who spends every day lingering on the bed with your sister, will die of exhaustion first!"
Friendship between men is so awkward and weird.
