On the city wall of Odana Furuno Castle, Oda Nobunaga, dressed in a white military uniform, was standing there looking at the mountains at the end of his field of vision.
At the end of the clear sky, there are lush vegetation and undulating mountains. Everything seems to be so peaceful. You can see a few birds soaring under the blue sky.
Behind Oda Nobunaga, a thin man asked: "My lord, are you waiting for someone?"
"You can say yes, you can say no." Oda Nobunaga smiled, still looking ahead: "Monkey, if that big idiot Yoshimoto Imagawa really wants to attack, which direction will he attack from? come over?"
The thin man known as the monkey stood on tiptoes and looked in the direction Oda Nobunaga was looking, and then said: "Imagawa Yoshimoto is in the east. If he wants to march, then he must come from the east."
Oda Nobunaga laughed and said, "It would be great if everyone thinks so."
"If this is the case, Imagawa Yoshimoto will receive a great gift from me."
After Oda Nobunaga's words fell, the samurai known as the monkey continued: "However, Miss Aichi still went out and has not returned. At this critical juncture, shouldn't we send someone to search for her?"
"If a war is imminent, we should shrink all our troops and not expose our weaknesses. Just like a turtle, retracting its limbs and head into its shell can ensure that it will not be bitten by wild dogs."
"If you only shrink your head, even if you can ensure the fate of not being eaten for a while, you will still starve to death in the end." Oda Nobunaga smiled: "I entrusted Aichi's name to The knight I have never met is in possession of me. If he is willing to accept my entrustment, then he will bring my Ah Shi back properly."
"But what if the knight is not as powerful and heroic as the lord thought?" Monkey asked: "Wouldn't that mean Miss Ashi will be in danger?"
"You must know that Miss Ashi is my lord's most cherished family member."
Oda Nobunaga smiled: "Monkey, let me teach you a lesson."
"I'm all ears." Monkey looked at Oda Nobunaga and said.
“When you expect something, you have to pay the equivalent price.”
"If you expect a person to be like a god or a Buddha in your imagination, then you have to offer him a tribute equivalent to that of a god or a Buddha."
"Just like Ah Shi is my most cherished family member, so when I place my expectations on someone, I should also entrust my most cherished family member to him."
"If I'm not wrong..." Oda Nobunaga stopped here.
"Master, what did you guess wrong?" the monkey couldn't help but ask.
Oda Nobunaga shook his head and smiled: "This is not something you need to know for the time being, monkey."
"Anyway, I came to this city wall today. On the one hand, I wanted to test the defense of my Furuno city, and on the other hand, I wanted to see where Imagawa Yoshimoto planned to be buried."
"On the other hand, I calculated the time and found that if Ah Shi will come back, it will be today, so I am here to greet Ah Shi."
The monkey showed an incredulous look: "So, my lord, are you going to wait for the knight to send Miss Ashi back to the Furuno Castle?"
"This is incredible."
"Who would do such a thing!"
Oda Nobunaga laughed loudly: "So, monkey, would you like to wait here with me? I will prepare you the bagels and tea you like to eat."
"That's really embarrassing, lord." The monkey said reflexively, and then jumped up: "Why should I accompany the lord to do such a thing? Didn't it mean that Imagawa Yoshimoto was about to attack? Shouldn't I be arranging my troops now? Are you checking your armaments and getting ready for an attack?"
"Don't be too hasty about this. Imagawa has too many soldiers and horses. Even if he wants to attack, it will take a long time to sort out and collect the soldiers and horses bit by bit. Besides, anyone who is alive needs to eat. As long as Imagawa Yoshimoto No army of ghosts and gods has been used, so we will always have plenty of time." Oda Nobunaga said with a smile. At the same time, servants had already come up from under the city wall and presented low-table futons, bagel snacks, teapots, teacups, etc. A corresponding appliance.
Seeing such a calm and composed Oda Nobunaga, the monkey couldn't help but feel convinced: "So is this the magnanimity of a monarch? Looking at Oda-sama, I finally feel that I am following the right lord."
"I will probably never be able to be as calm and composed as Oda-sama."
Oda Nobunaga shook his head and handed a bagel to the monkey.
This kind of bagel is made by grinding rice into pulp and then baking it with salt, sugar and other spices. It is hard and chewy. It is a very suitable refreshment, which can not only replenish energy but also satisfy hunger. However, it is difficult to make because it is hard and chewy. It is very delicate, so it is not a food that ordinary people can often eat.
The monkey was stunned for a moment, then reached out and took it.
"I still remember the first time you ate bagel, you said where can I get the fragrant rice? As long as there is rice, you are willing to follow me for the rest of your life." Oda Nobunaga looked into the distance and said: "But Now you, you can already appreciate the delicious taste of bagels. Because bagels are hard, they need to be chewed slowly. Because they are dry, they should be eaten with tea. Ordinary farmers, even if they want to eat rice every day If you can’t even get enough food, how can you find the time to make bagels and tea and sit on the city wall in this weather, basking in the sun and enjoying the breeze?”
Oda Nobunaga said this, so much so that the monkey held the bagel and didn't even bite it for a moment.
"But what about you now?" Oda Nobunaga continued: "You have become a samurai under me and got your own subordinates and surname. Although your surname is still Kinoshita, I think you will be able to get more in the near future. Prominence can be used to pass on a resounding surname to your children and grandchildren. Is this a life you can imagine if you didn't even have enough rice to eat before?"
The monkey nodded dully.
"All of this is the Lord's great kindness."
"I gave you food and status not because I like you." Oda Nobunaga looked down at the monkey and said: "But because you are really smart and capable. You have gained my trust with your own ability, and then step by step Climb up step by step, and maybe one day you will become a daimyo guarding a place like me, and even after my death, you will be able to stand at the top of Japan."
Upon hearing this, Monkey plopped down and knelt on the ground: "Lord Oda, I have never had such an overbearing thought. You are simply trying to offend me by saying this."
Oda Nobunaga smiled and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Eat the bagel first."
The monkey knelt on the ground and did not dare to get up.
"I said, eat the bagels first. If this is my order, your current behavior is disobedience." Oda Nobunaga said.
After hearing this, the monkey awkwardly knelt down on the futon again, picked up the bagel and started eating it. Such hard food requires good teeth to bite off the crispy and hard piece, and then carefully chew it in the mouth. Chew, and finally take a sip of warm tea. At that moment, you feel like your soul is going to be in a state of ecstasy.
Oda Nobunaga couldn't help but laugh out loud when he looked at the monkey happily eating bagels and tasting tea.
It was Oda's laughter that reminded the monkey of his gaffe.
"I'm so sorry," the monkey whispered.
"No one is born with the ability to learn everything. Fifty years of life are like a dream, so you should not waste this life." Oda Nobunaga said with a smile.
"If you can't even eat rice when you are born, and you still can't eat rice when you die, such a fifty-year life will be a bit too boring, isn't it?"
"And just like you, monkey, now you are able to sit with me and eat bagels skillfully, while waiting for the return of my sister. In the future, you may have more amazing achievements, and I may be able to see these achievements. Maybe I won’t be able to see it in the future.”
"But if one day you can set up a low table, pour tea, and put bagels on such a sunny afternoon, then you may look in all directions and no longer find your enemies, but at the same time, You may not even be able to find someone to talk to you like I am now."
"At that time, if you think of what I am saying to you now, you will probably understand my mood at the moment."
Saying this, Oda Nobunaga put a piece of bagel to his mouth and chewed it with a click.
"Although I sound like Imagawa's big fool, I am not called the big fool of Owari Province. It's just that I think there are too many fools in this world. These fools calling me fool are simply complimenting me, so I I am happy to accept this title.”
"And in this world, you are among the smart people I recognize."
This time the monkey did not kneel down.
Perhaps Oda Nobunaga's words infected him and made him think about what would happen decades later.
What I will be like at that time and what achievements I will achieve are things that I cannot imagine now.
But now being able to get the approval of the lord whom I admire most is the most important thing at this moment.
This is probably what it feels like when a scholar dies for his confidant.
"If I am unfortunately defeated by the idiot I call myself soon, my head may be hung on the city wall for public display, and the Oda family may perish. Those retainers who serve the Oda family may surrender or would rather die than surrender. I I often say that I have to be responsible for all those who are loyal to me, because their life or death depends on my thoughts. This weight is really too heavy. Sometimes even I want to run away, but on the other hand, if I ran away, so who else can take on this burden?" Oda Nobunaga murmured.
At this time, there were only two people on the city wall, Oda Nobunaga and Monkey.
The monkey looked at the lord who was not so confident for a moment and couldn't help but said: "I believe that the lord will always be victorious and undefeated. Just like you said, he will spread his power across the world and bring peace to all directions."
"How can there be anyone who is always victorious and invincible in this world?" Oda Nobunaga laughed loudly: "As I often say, after fifty years of life, there is not even anyone who is immortal. How can there be anyone who is always victorious?" Loser?"
"It's just that I don't want to lose, so I need to work harder to win."
Saying this, Oda Nobunaga looked at the thin samurai in front of him: "If unfortunately I lose this battle with Imagawa Yoshimoto, then I will definitely die on the battlefield instead of being captured by that big idiot. I was ridiculed and punished by him, and eventually even said I would do some things that I was unwilling to do until my death.”
"However, those who are lords can die, but those who are ministers can survive. You are just a wandering warrior who came to seek refuge with me. No one will care about you. You can surrender to Imagawa Yoshimoto. I believe that with you With your abilities, you can still get ahead even if you are not under my command."
"I don't have any other skills, but I'm pretty good at judging people."
Hearing Oda Nobunaga's words, the monkey couldn't help but choked up, so that the sweet and delicious bagel in his mouth became a little salty.
"grown ups."
He spoke these two words.
"Why are you crying? I'm not dead yet!" Oda Nobunaga laughed again: "I just talked about the worst possibility in the future. Life is short, but I haven't lived enough yet, so I First of all, I must defeat Imagawa Yoshimoto, swallow his land and people, and create my own hegemony."
"Of course it is not advisable to declare defeat before fighting, but similarly, although I keep saying that Imagawa Yoshimoto is vulnerable, he can gather a hundred thousand soldiers and horses under his command. It is true that one person and a spit can defeat the Owari Kingdom. Flooded."
"That's right." Oda Nobunaga looked at the monkey: "Do you have a clear count of how many men and horses our Owari country has now?"
"Owari Elementary School, adults can recruit the gathered troops, which will not exceed four thousand people." Monkey said in a low voice.
Oda Nobunaga nodded approvingly: "This is why I admire you. You are just my Ashigaru leader, but you can roughly estimate the military strength of Owari Kingdom, and it is almost the same as the actual number. Just this alone A little is enough for you to make a name for yourself under Imagawa Yoshimoto."
Seeing Oda Nobunaga making this joke again, the monkey couldn't help but get angry: "Oda-sama just doesn't believe that I will be loyal to you?"
"It's not that I don't believe it, it's that I don't hope." Oda Nobunaga laughed: "It's like I want to use Owari's three or four thousand troops to defeat Imagawa Yoshimoto's fifty thousand army. This idea of killing an egg against a stone, Would you like to do it with me?”
"Through fire and water, I will do whatever it takes." The monkey stood up instantly: "When that time comes, I am willing to be your vanguard and behead Imagawa Yoshimoto for you."
"Imagawa Yoshimoto's head, I won't bother you monkey." Oda Nobunaga smiled and shook his head.
He looked outside the city wall.
"The person who will take the title of Imagawa Yoshimoto for me has arrived."
The monkey also looked outside the city wall and saw a group of three people slowly walking towards the ancient wild city. The person in the middle looked vaguely like Ah Shi.
"It's Miss Ashi!" Monkey shouted instantly.
