Winter passes and spring comes again, flowers fade and bloom again.
Since the Battle of Sekigahara in the fourth year of Tianwen, the Kyogoku family, under the overall leadership of Kyogoku Gaomasa, has begun to develop everything in its territory on a large scale.
The most important thing before the Kyogoku family is the consolidation of the Rokkaku family's territory in Minami Omi.
As for the local wealthy families, after the most powerful wealthy leaders of the original Rokkaku family, such as Goto and Hirai, announced their seclusion, the Kyogoku family gradually divided and won over the old ministers of the Rokkaku family.
Except for some die-hard loyalists of the Rokkaku family who were exterminated, most of the retainers swore allegiance to the Kyogoku family.
After more than two years, Minami Omi gradually came under the complete control of the Kyogoku family.
After the Rokkaku family, his henchmen, were beaten to the ground, Kyogoku Takahiro, the leader of the Kyogoku family, gradually let himself go. A magnificent villa was built in Imahama Castle in Jucheng, and various famous paintings and calligraphy collected from Guanyin Temple Castle were implanted in it.
I spent the whole day either inviting officials from Kyoto to Omi, or playing mahjong with hostages from various wealthy families in Imabin City. It was very pleasant.
Although many retainers complained about this, the Kyogoku family at this time was no longer what it used to be. After destroying the Rokkaku family and surrendering to the Wakasa Takeda family, the Kyogoku family's reputation in the Kinai region was unparalleled for a while.
As the head of the Kyogoku family, Kyogoku Takahiro has many shortcomings, but he is definitely not something that retainers would dare to comment on.
However, what is different from the past is that today, Kyogoku Takahiro rarely went to another temple. Instead, he took Hatamoto out of the city early in the morning and went straight to Kyogoku Bodhi Temple Seitakiji Temple.
"Father, will my brother come too today?"
In the team, a boy asked Kyogoku Takahiro next to him while looking at the scenery along the way.
"Don't worry, my family has sent someone to Inabayama Castle a few days ago. Saburo will definitely arrive as scheduled." Kyogoku Takahiro cast a reassuring look at his youngest son.
"Brother, it would be great if you could come!"
"If the Yuanfu Ceremony is not attended by my eldest brother, it will be meaningless!"
"Haha! My son should learn from your brother more in the future, and he will definitely become a world-famous warrior in the future!"
"Yeah!" A determined look appeared on the young man's face.
...........
Mino, Inabayama Castle, the residence of the Toki clan.
A young warrior wearing hunting clothes was sitting on his knees in the hall. Although he had no armor, he still had an extraordinary aura. There were two women kneeling beside them, one was graceful and smiling, the other was younger but had a bulging belly, and was obviously pregnant.
"Sister, I explained my intention to Mino Mamoru, and I will return to Omi later."
"My sister is pregnant now, and her health is the most important thing in everything. As long as she listens and watches more about things in the Toqi family, don't get angry even if there is something you don't like. Just send someone to Omi to inform my brother, and he will do it himself I will make the decision for my sister!"
"Don't worry, Saburo!" Sensing the concern from her younger brother, the young woman said with joy on her face, "Tomorrow is the day when Gorobei will take his first uniform. Unfortunately, I am unable to go back due to inconvenience. This is what I have prepared for Gorobei." The gift can be regarded as a token of appreciation, Saburo can help me give it to Gorobei."
Kyogoku Takamasa took a tasseled sword from his sister Ashan and placed it in front of him, and then said, "This sword is good, Gorobei will definitely like it."
After finishing speaking, he turned to the other woman beside him and said, "After I leave, you will take care of my sister. It's so hard. After my sister gives birth, I will send someone to take you back to Guanyin Temple City."
Shen Fangye nodded slowly and said: "Don't worry, Sanlang, I will definitely take good care of my sister."
After saying that, his face turned red, obviously he was still a little uncomfortable calling a little girl who was nearly ten years younger than himself, "Ajie".
Fuka Yoshino, born in the Tango Isshiki clan, was once the concubine of Toki Yorigi, and was later given to Nagai Shinkuro (Saito Dozo). However, in an accident (see above for details), he was "captured" by Kyogoku Takamasa.
What's even more outrageous is that Fuka Yoshino discovered that she was pregnant afterwards, so she has always been obsessed with Kyogoku Gaozheng.
Two years ago, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Toki Yorigi became a monk and lived in seclusion, and the head of the Toki clan was officially succeeded by Toki Yorijun. The power of Nagai Shinkuro, the junior guardian who had previously supported Toki Yorigi, was naturally liquidated. Nagai Shinkuro himself committed hara-kiri at home under the instruction of Kyogoku Takamasa, and the posthumous son (actually Kyogoku Takamasa) became the head of the Nagai family. succession.
Under the instruction of Kyogoku Takamasa, Toki Yorijun did not choose to exterminate the Nagai clan, and the Nagai clan was re-included into the Toki clan's retainer system.
Today, Toki Yorijun has regained control of the territory with the support of the Kyogoku family and the Asakura family.
It turned out that Toki Yorijun's main wife was the princess of the Asakura family, but unfortunately she died in childbirth last year, so Kyogoku Takamasa took the opportunity to propose to Toki Yorijun that Kyogoku Takahiro's second daughter Asahi be married to her.
Toki Yorijun did not dare to agree to the olive branch offered by the Kyogoku family at the first time because Toki Yorijun was worried about offending the Asakura family.
However, under the persuasion of retainer Inaba Yoshimitsu and others, Toki Yorijun finally agreed to the matter.
Afterwards, the Asakura family was really furious. They sent people to question him and even expressed their willingness to send another princess to Meinong, but in the end, nothing happened.
The Toki family and the Asakura family have been at odds since then, and their relationship is far worse than before, but the Toki family and the Kyogoku family have taken a step further.
Anyone with a discerning eye knows that the Kyogoku family wants to expand its influence in Mino, and the Asakura family had the same plan in the past. But Toki Nori is a person with no ambition at all, and he yearns for the life of a minister in Kyoto all day long.
After he succeeded to the throne, he never interfered with government affairs and left everything to the family's important ministers, Saito, Inaba and others. He even secretly went to Imahama Castle to participate in the Japanese singing party organized by Kyogoku Takahiro, which caused constant complaints from the retainers.
However, such a "puppet" is obviously more in line with the interests of the Kyogoku family and the Mino people. Therefore, in just two years, the power in Mino has actually been taken over by Inaba, who is pro-Kyogoku family, and other Nishi-Mino people. As well as the guardian Dai Saito.
Although the Saito family suffered a lot in the previous civil strife in Mino and was no longer as strong as it once was, after all, it still has its power after being rooted in Mino for many years, so Kyogoku Takamasa is also willing to share a piece of the pie with the Saito family to avoid What happens again in Meinong?
As for the Kyogoku family's show of goodwill, the Saito family naturally followed the slope and gradually moved closer to the Kyogoku family.
As a result, although the country of Mino still belongs to the Toki clan in name, it is actually the Kyogoku clan that has the final say.
Therefore, although in the past two or three years, the Kyogoku family has suspended the pace of external expansion and vigorously developed internal affairs, it has also strengthened its efforts to win over Inaba, Saito and other people through marriage with the Toki family, and controlled the Nagai family and others through Fukayoshino. The method actually controlled the country of Meinong.
Although the Kyogoku family now only controls Omi and several northern counties of Yinshi, the two countries of Wakasa and Mino are also firmly controlled by the Kyogoku family.
In just ten years, the Kyogoku family has grown from the tens of thousands of koku in Kita-Omi Sakata County to now spanning the three roads of Hokuji (Wakasa), Higashiyama (Omi, Mino), and Tokai (northern Yinshi), guarding the throat of Konji. A powerful name.
Like a dream and an illusion.
