"There really is Yamaguchi Sasumasuke. There is not a single time when I deal with him that I can escape unscathed. He always finds a place to take advantage." The dumbfounded Imagawa Yoshimoto shook his head repeatedly, and felt that it was useless to complain to this confidant.
"My lord has said that he is in business. As the saying goes, you can't do business without a girl. I hope His Highness Jibu will understand." Honda Tadanobu bowed to Imagawa Yoshimoto again, "But no matter what, the Yamaguchi family has no We are enemies of the Imagawa family. Peace brings wealth, but my lord still does not want to go to war with the Imagawa family. I hope there will be a chance to cooperate next time."
"I hope so." Imagawa Yoshimoto picked up the tea cup to see off the guests, while Taiyuan Yuzhai on the side became happy after Honda Tadanobu left.
"What's wrong, teacher, are you happy to see that I have been tricked?" Imagawa Yoshimoto rolled his eyes at Taiyuan Xuezhai.
"I laughed because you asked the Yamaguchi family so seriously why they lied to me, and the Yamaguchi family actually explained it to you seriously." Taiyuan Xue Zhai laughed as he spoke. Several times, "In troubled times, how can there be any trust between families? If you are cheated, you will admit defeat, and if you cheat others, you will behave. There is nothing to hide. The Yamaguchi matter was handled smoothly, and it was acceptable to the Imagawa family. It won’t make the Imagawa family prosperous, and at the same time, he will make a lot of money... Not bad, not bad.”
"Why, the teacher likes him?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked curiously.
"If he were born into a great family, he would be a scheming tycoon. It's a pity that he is just a small wealthy family in Owari, and he will probably only be able to move around in Owari throughout his life." Taiyuan Xuezai stood up. Walking up to Imagawa Yoshimoto, he patted his shoulder and said sincerely: "So it doesn't mean that people from famous families are any better than people from small wealthy families and national families. It's just that the level of reincarnation is different. Some people are reincarnated at different levels. If a person is too low-level, his platform is too small, and he has no chance to show his talents, he will be looked down upon by the world and future generations. But if they are given the opportunity, even if you are a genius of the generation, they can overthrow you."
"What did the teacher want to say?" Imagawa Yoshimoto probably understood what Taiyuan Xuezhai meant.
"Don't underestimate the little people." Taiyuan Xuezhai looked into Imagawa Yoshimoto's eyes, "What they lack is just opportunities, not abilities. And you, must not be the one who gives them opportunities."
"Okay, okay, I got it." Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded perfunctorily as if he didn't listen. When Taiyuan Xuezai wanted to preach again, Hayasaka Nao came to the door to report the battle situation, interrupting the conversation between master and disciple.
"Your Highness, Master Yukisai." After Nao Hayasaka saluted the two of them, he reported: "The troops have completed the inventory of the battlefield. Our army has beheaded more than 100 people and captured nearly 600 people. Basically, they are from Kariya Castle Mizuno Bei."
"The Mizuno family only has a territory of 30,000 koku in total..." Imagawa Yoshimoto recalled the territory documents that he had prepared before the expedition, "This time, it can be considered a thorn in the side..."
"It's just breaking the backbone, and the family is about to be wiped out." Taiyuan Xuezhai laughed and interrupted Imagawa Yoshimoto's words, "We have lost a lot of young and strong labor. Not only can we not produce a single man in a short time, There will be problems with the troops, even the harvests in the territory, and the livelihood of countless families who have lost their mainstay. It is estimated that many of the Mizuno family's own middle-level samurai have been killed or captured. The command system and organization have completely collapsed. Mizuno Toshichiro will even Losing the ability to command troops and control territory, not to mention the devastating impact this defeat had on his prestige.”
"Yamaguchi Saumasuke is going to succeed." Imagawa Yoshimoto felt a little headache, but also a little admired, "The Mizuno family is so dilapidated that it will definitely not be able to stop his erosion. If he controls the Mizuno family, the entire Chita Peninsula will be under his control Under his control. By that time, he will probably be stronger than the descendants of the Oda family."
"Of course we can't let him succeed." Taiyuan Xuesai took out his folding fan from Imagawa Yoshimoto's waist and knocked on his head, "Let's release all the ashigaru and civilian husbands captured by the Mizuno family. When we return, the samurai will be detained by us and handed over to Obara and the others under house arrest in Yoshida Castle."
"Huh?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was stunned when he heard this, "After a hard-fought battle, why did you let all the prisoners go? Logically speaking, shouldn't it be up to the samurai who captured them to decide how to deal with these prisoners?"
"Otherwise, how about you watch the Yamaguchi family swallow up the Mizuno family? He is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and you must not let Yamaguchi become a big man." Taiyuan Xue Zhai opened the fold
Fan yourself and fan yourself leisurely:
"Return the Mizuno family members and continue to check and balance Yamaguchi, and he will have to ask for help from us and continue to cooperate with us. If Yamaguchi is obedient, we will detain the Mizuno family samurai in Yoshida Castle for the rest of his life and let the Yamaguchi family stay in Yoshida Castle. We can have the upper hand against the Mizuno family. If he is disobedient, we will release the Mizuno family samurai as well and let them fight with the Yamaguchi family until both sides suffer. Moreover, with these hostages in our hands, the Mizuno family will Their actions must also be restricted to see if they dare to follow the Oda family and openly oppose our Imagawa family."
"Looking at it this way, it can be said that we have tricked Yamaguchi Saumasuke." Imagawa Yoshimoto showed a happy smile, and then joked to Taiyuan Xue Zhai: "You are really vicious. As expected, only a cunning and cunning counselor like the teacher can deal with it. Yamaguchi Zuomasuke is a duplicitous person."
"A mountain is higher than a mountain. No matter how high the "mountain pass" is, it can't be higher than "Taiyuan"." Taiyuan Xuezhai didn't mind the irony in Imagawa Yoshimoto's words at all.
"What about the prisoners in the Oda family?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked casually again. He was already a little sleepy and planned to go to bed after talking about this.
"Be demoted to slaves and take them to Mikawa to build the city." Taiyuan Xuezhai yawned, looked at the map hanging on the side, and casually responded: "It will take several years of fighting with the Oda family to get Mikawa. Come down, it is still necessary to build some city fortresses. During the civil strife in the house governor, many families who supported Imagawa Yoshima were demoted as slaves. At that time, some young men will be recruited from here and sent to Mikawa Build the front line and defend the city."
Little did the master and disciple know that this casual conversation would bring about earth-shaking changes in the history of the Imagawa family.
·
On September 24, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543), after a day of reorganization, the Imagawa army reorganized from the Mikawa front line and released all the prisoners of the Mizuno family. On the same day, the Imagawa family also officially promulgated two decrees involving temples. With Zenru's mediation, the Jodo Shinshu Temple in Mikawa acquiesced to the decree's entry into force without making a clear statement. In exchange, the Imagawa family did not continue to embarrass Kamigongji. After executing the murderous bandits, they decisively withdrew and left.
On October 2, the twelfth year of Tianwen (1543), Imagawa Yoshimoto returned to Imagawakan. I never expected that this private visit to Sanhe Weifu would last for 2 months.
"The revision of the "Kana Directory" is almost complete." Imagawa Yoshimoto submitted 21 additions to the 33 items of the Imagawa clan's "Kana Directory" to Taiyuan Xuezhai, which he had visited various places these days. Xinxue, "Teacher, take a look?"
"Well, I need to take a closer look to see if your kid has stabbed something else." Taiyuan Xuezhai tightened his belt, but did not reach out to take the stack of paper handed over by Imagawa Yoshimoto, but shouted He shouted: "Amano? Are you there? Help me take it to my room."
"Go back to Master Xueshai, Master Amano is out!" Kinoshita Tokichiro, who was on duty at the stairs of the castle tower, straightened his back and replied in a loud voice after hearing the shout.
"Oh, that's it. Then you can get it for me, little monkey." Taiyuan Xuezhai smiled and ordered Kinoshita Tokichiro. Kinoshita Tokichiro immediately responded excitedly, bent over and trotted all the way to Taiyuan Xuezhai to pick him up. He passed the document and then quickly walked back.
"Teacher, aren't you watching now?" Imagawa Yoshimoto looked suspiciously at Taiyuan Xue Zhai who was walking out the door.
"Go to the Whale House and drink flower wine." Taiyuan Xuezhai responded carelessly. At the same time, he twisted his waist with a mischievous smile and did a few warm-up movements. "I feel refreshed when I come back. I'll see when the time comes. Work is the most important thing." Efficient."
"Ha...it's really yours." Imagawa Yoshimoto rolled his eyes at Taiyuan Xuezai, took off his shoes and was about to walk into the house. At this time, Kinoshita Tokichiro had already delivered the documents, and trotted over again, helping Imagawa Yoshimoto pick up the cloth shoes. Ready to take it for cleaning.
"Thank you for your hard work, Kinoshita." Imagawa Yoshimoto encouraged him.
"No hard work, no hard work!" Kinoshita Tokichiro nodded hurriedly and bowed to Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"Yeah, what's the trouble for you little monkey? We're fighting on the front line, why don't you just warm your straw sandals in the back?" Akai Kurotaka, who walked into the castle tower behind Imagawa Yoshimoto, glared at Kinoshita Tokichiro and raised his voice. He said in a loud voice: "Quick, take my shoes too."
"Yes!" Kinoshita Tokichiro didn't mind Ma Zhongzhong's rudeness at all. He knelt down again and helped Akai Kuroko take off his shoes and put them away.
"Akai, you should be polite." Imagawa Yoshimoto waited until Kinoshita Tokichiro walked away before he politely lectured Akai Kuroko.
"For a child from a peasant family, it is already a great blessing to be able to stay in this castle tower. Do you still want to look good?" Akai Kuroko laughed nonchalantly, with a look that said "every man understands" Looking at Imagawa Yoshimoto, "If it's a pretty little surname, I have to pay attention to my wording, for fear of offending the person next to His Highness. But if this little monkey is so ugly, he can't necessarily sleep with you, right? Then, can I? What are you afraid of?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Imagawa Yoshimoto gave a look that said, "Every man knows a thing."
"However, that little monkey probably doesn't care about that." Himura Hiroyuki on the side also interjected: "For him, whether he is treated with contempt by the superiors or does these groveling things, it is all in the past. It's just a necessary way to climb up. If you have great ambitions, how can you care about these treatment issues?"
"Can you also find an angle to praise this?" Akai Kuroko fully admires his long-time partner's ability to praise people.
