In Fushimi Castle, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's body lay quietly in a room. Of course, just like when he was bedridden, there were still two imperial doctors waiting at the bedside, and two more on standby outside.
At the entrance to the room where the remains were kept were all Mitsunari's cronies, such as his brother Masaki's sons, Lord Mizumasa, Ukon, and his legitimate son Hayato Masashige. Sons of Masuda Nagamori, Nagasuke Masakaie, Maeda Genichi and others were also ordered to come early and started taking turns a few days ago.
Therefore, until noon on the 18th, no one in the family knew that Hideyoshi had passed away. From the maid to the monk in charge of tea, everyone firmly believed that Taige was just seriously ill and had not passed away.
Just after the end of the day, Qu Naoze Xuan Shuo announced to everyone as usual: "Taiko has recovered a little today. He doesn't appear to be in pain. He is sleeping peacefully now."
If you are interested, you will have doubts just by looking at Xuan Shuo's expression at this time. If Tai Ge is indeed sleeping peacefully, why are your Xuan Shuo's eyes red and your voice trembling? However, when people later heard that everyone in the city would eat big carp, they were confused.
"I heard that this is a carp to celebrate His Highness Taige's recovery from health."
"Since the 15th, His Highness has been critically ill. Now he can finally breathe a sigh of relief."
"Yes, yes, I thought I would be fasting during this period... How happy and congratulatory!"
The number of people who come in and out of Fushimi Castle every day, including the maids, is more than 2,000 (Note: Japanese castles generally refer to residential castles, not counting castle towns. Residential castles are usually military castles, while castle towns are commercial and handicraft areas, so this sentence It is similar to saying that the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty had two thousand people coming in and out every day). At best, the unknown person can only taste the carp soup, but this is enough to cover up the truth of Hideyoshi's death.
Master Kushoku of Daigo Sanhoin came under the orders and hid in Maeda Genyi's mansion. A beautifully painted long cabinet was brought in, said to be to contain treasures donated to the Great Buddha Hall, but no one thought it was suspicious.
On the contrary, people connected it with the carp soup incident, and some people commented: "It seems that His Highness Tai Ge is really about to recover. This must be a thank you gift for donating to the Great Buddha Hall."
At the same time, at the Fengxing Palace, the carp had also been served. Ishida Mitsunari held the soup bowl in both hands and drank it with relish.
Among the five people, only Nagashu Masakajia, who was responsible for staying in Osaka, was not there. Masuda Nagamori, who was originally in Osaka, was looking for a consultation with Beizheng on all matters, so he also rushed over at this time.
Ishida Mitsunari looked around at everyone and said, "Come on, everyone can take advantage...it's such a rare delicacy."
However, Maeda, Asano, and Masuda looked at each other secretly. No one was moving quickly, and everyone's expression was extremely heavy.
"Your Highness Asano, why can't I see you holding chopsticks?"
"..." Asano Nagamasa remained silent.
"Your Majesty Masuda, you're going to feel cold." Mitsunari turned to look at Masuda Nagamori and advised him with a blank expression.
"Just think I've already eaten. I really can't swallow it." Masuda Nagamori turned his face aside violently. His eyes were red now and there were tears in his eyes.
Mitsunari sighed slightly, then turned his attention back to Asano Nagamasa, shook his head slightly, and said, "Is it possible that you all can't trust me, Ishida Mitsunari?"
"Your Highness Jibu, anyway, the fishy food has been served. As for whether to eat or not, I think it's up to each of you to do whatever you want." Asano Nagamasa said and glanced at Masuda Nagamori, as if he wanted to gain his support.
Sure enough, Masuda Nagamori also took advantage of the situation and said: "Yes, please. When I think of His Highness, I feel extremely uncomfortable."
Sancheng frowned, with an expression on his face, and his tone was slightly unhappy: "Why I did this, I will tell you the truth later. However, if everyone else eats it at this time, only the carp from Fengxing Palace will remain intact. If the move is returned, then the chef will know about Taige's death, and then it will be spread to ten, ten, and hundreds, and eventually the whole world will know it. I hope you don't lose a big deal for a small amount."
After hearing what Ishida Mitsunari said, Masuda Nagamori, who was sitting on his knees with his head down, suddenly raised his face, kneaded his knees with his hands, and finally couldn't help but slap his thigh.
He was very excited, perhaps because he was in Osaka at the time but could not see Hideyoshi for the last time, so he felt sad, and his tone was naturally very fierce: "Your Highness Jibu, I have something to say. Today's carp , is it dedicated to His Highness Taige? This matter is extremely important, and I need His Highness Zhibu to give an explanation now!"
Sancheng's eyes wandered a little and said: "Does His Highness Masuda want to say that His Highness Taige's spirit in heaven should be enshrined?"
"No, I want to ask His Highness Jibu, should we swallow this fish soup with tears now?"
"What you said is too much. While we are grieving for Taige, we must always think of the young master... Except for the young master, the lost people of Yodo - and of course the Beizhengshuo, everyone else does not know that Taige has passed away.
Now that things have come to this, do we still have to pretend and write sadness on our faces? Sancheng has been deeply benevolenced by Taige and will never dare or forget it. Naturally, it’s not that he has never thought of enshrining Taige, but he is really helpless at the moment! "
Ranwen
As soon as he said this, the whole audience fell silent. Ishida Mitsunari said that he was greatly favored by Taiko, and there must be no doubt about it. However, Chang Sheng didn't know if he still felt that Sancheng was trying to make excuses, so he still turned his head to the side with red eyes and stared out the window blankly.
"I know you won't think so easily, but Sancheng still wants to tell you how I feel at this time. Do you think I'm being clever during today's carp feast?"
"I don't think so, but it is said that the carp sent to His Highness Tokugawa has been released, and it is said that it is used to pray for Taiko's recovery..."
Before Asano Nagamasa finished speaking, Mitsunari immediately interrupted with disdain: "It is precisely because I am afraid that this kind of thing will happen, so I sincerely advise you to eat it. This carp shares the honor and disgrace of the Toyotomi clan, which is of great significance." He said at this moment The tone was not only extremely firm, but also sharp, and none of the three of them knew how to respond.
"What does His Highness Jibu mean?" Asano Nagamasa was a little confused. He first looked at Masuda Nagamori, then turned to Ishida Mitsunari and asked, "I would like to hear how amazing this carp is."
"Then listen carefully." Sancheng said proudly: "First of all, Taige's death has two meanings. I think there is no need for me to say this."
"Has two meanings?" It seems that Asano Nagamasa still needs to explain.
"Of course. First, this means that a person in the world has died; second, the leader of the Toyotomi clan has fallen."
Sancheng paused, as if to see if everyone could understand his words, and then he sighed softly and said: "If the death of Taige is understood to mean the death of people in the world, then a question will naturally arise: who will be the next person in the world? Who is it? If it is understood that the head of the Toyotomi clan has passed away, then another question is: who will be the next governor of the Toyotomi clan?"
"Please forgive me for interjecting: I don't understand at all..."
Before Maeda finished his words, Sansei shook his head vigorously and waved his hand to interrupt him: "Don't interrupt yet. Don't hinder me from speaking! The leader of the Toyotomi clan is a member of the world, and now that the member of the world has passed away, Toyotomi Of course, the governor of the family is still from Tianxia... In this way, the two problems become one.
I think you have no objection to this. And I, Ishida Mitsunari, have long sworn to share weal and woe with the Toyotomi clan, so I expect you all should do the same, right? "
"Oh." Changsheng nodded and murmured to himself: "However, those who have forgotten the grace of the Toyotomi family are very likely to divide the problem into two parts."
Sancheng nodded, with a smile on his face: "Everyone must know that Zuofu and others only obeyed Taige after the Battle of Komaki, and after that, it was difficult for Taige to say how much favor he had... …Therefore, he will not admit that he has received Taige’s grace.”
"But..." Asano Nagamasa frowned and thought: "His Majesty Jibu is so outspoken. Under the current situation, it is inevitable..."
"The matter has come to this, I can't care about this much anymore." Ishida Mitsunari interrupted again.
"But if you say it this way, Zuofu is not the only one who thinks that he has not been favored by Taigu. Whether it is Yinda from Oshu, Maori from China, or Shimazu from Kyushu, they all just obey Even though I came to Taige, I didn’t receive any special favors..."
"Listen to me first!" Mitsunari interrupted Nagamasa sharply again, then raised the white fan on his knees and said with a gloomy look: "What I want to say is actually the same as His Highness Asano! I don't know how grateful I am to the Toyotomi clan. Zuofu is definitely not alone in his heart, but this is exactly the problem!
What if these people think that the person who controls the world and the governor of the Toyotomi family are two different things? With all due respect, if all of them are like this, then the young master may not have any chance in the world. And if we just give in, how can we have the face to see His Highness Taige in a hundred years? "
With a sad expression on his face, he looked around the three of them with bright eyes: "Don't you understand yet? If we don't seize the opportunity at this moment, the kingdom of God will soon be in chaos!"
The three of them looked at each other and sat upright. It seems that the current facts are indeed as Mitsunari said. Regarding the world and the Toyotomi clan, if everyone has different ideas, the results will naturally be different. You can think that the two are the same problem, or you can think that they are very different. Therefore, while there are people who think of these two things separately, there are also people who think of them as one.
"It seems that you have figured it out, so let's continue talking." Mitsunari glanced around the crowd with squinted eyes, and then said slowly: "I and Wu Fengxing will definitely destroy the world that His Highness Taige conquered and the Toyotomi clan. Treat them as one, hope they last forever, and help them last forever.”
"It makes sense." Asano Nagamasa first nodded in agreement and said: "Only by thinking and doing this can we live up to the late Taiko's kindness to us."
"You have to pay attention, how can you say the word 'deceased' easily?" Sancheng warned sternly: "There are some people around Taige who have the same thoughts as us, but if they listen to the enemy's rhetoric, they may unknowingly treat us unfavorable."
"The enemy's rhetoric..." Maeda Genyi was a little confused: "Who listened to the enemy's rhetoric?"
"Let me tell you the truth: I am talking about Mrs. Beizhengsuo."
"Madam?" Asano Nagamasa was taken aback, shook his head abruptly, and said firmly: "Absolutely impossible - Madam is definitely not an unreasonable person. Your Highness, the Governor, should not be suspicious."
"Don't be impatient, Your Highness Asano. Sanzheng will never say anything without any evidence. I was worried that my wife would become a nun, so I went to beg her. Unexpectedly, after her idle chat, she said, 'Taiko My lifelong ambition is to unify the world and create a peaceful and prosperous age... This is the first wish we should stick to'."
"What's wrong with this? Isn't it the same as what you said?"
"Your Highness Asano, don't jump to conclusions. Haven't you discovered the sinister intention hidden in these words? Creating a peaceful and prosperous age is Taikaku's lifelong wish, which means that it is enough to maintain peace. As for the future of the young master, it does not matter. Worry.
In other words, Madam's meaning is that whoever can defeat the others will win the world. But Sancheng has to ask you: If you only hold on to Taikaku's ambition, wouldn't you betray the Toyotomi clan? "
"You are overthinking... Even though the young master is not Madam's biological child, after all, he is Taige's bloodline. Madam has always obeyed Taige's words throughout her life, and there is absolutely no reason to hate the young Master so much." Nagamasa retorted fiercely.
But Sancheng picked up the carp soup with a smile, waved his hand and said: "It will be really cold if you don't drink it. If you are of the same mind as me, please take a sip. As for the matter of Mrs. Beizhengsuo, we can talk about it later."
We still have a long way to go, and I'm afraid it will be much more difficult than drinking this bowl of carp soup. In order to commemorate Taige and face the difficulties in the future, I ask you to try this soup no matter what. "
After hearing this, the three of them had no choice but to pick up the soup bowl. Of course, they did not completely agree, but they were frightened by the power of 30% and had no choice but to do so.
Sancheng looked at everyone drinking soup with a stern expression. Although these three people might have different ambitions, he believed that the situation was favorable enough. After all, his position as "chief assistant" among the five practices has been recognized.
However, they didn't know that Mitsunari had met Ieyasu early this morning - this visit was actually an important step in Mitsunari's long-term plan. He has always shown his dislike for Ieyasu in front of everyone before, which is also related to his long-term considerations.
In Ishida Mitsunari's view, after Hideyoshi's death, everyone will definitely be divided into two factions. One group's view must be that "whoever becomes the governor of the Toyotomi family will belong to the world." Therefore, the first thing Mitsunari has to do is to prevent the world's great names from overestimating the strength of the Tokugawa family.
Therefore, he always talked about "Ieyasu and his ilk" and so on, showing a strong aura at all times, and being unruly in front of everyone.
Despite this, he did not dare to underestimate Ieyasu's strength at all. He even believed that the person in the world who understood Ieyasu's terrifying side best was Ishida Mitsunari.
Taking advantage of Hideyoshi's death, Mitsunari began to get close to Ieyasu. In order to let Ieyasu know that he was deliberately getting closer, he staged a secret meeting with Ieyasu this morning... Of course, he did not change his always tough attitude towards Ieyasu, nor did he show any condescension or flattery.
In short, Mitsunari first visited Ieyasu secretly without telling the other followers, hoping that Ieyasu would treat him as one of his own - as one of his own who was not convinced. According to Sancheng's idea, this is a bridge plank that has been laid in advance and will surely lead to a bright road in the future.
Now, Ieyasu wants him to rush to Hakata immediately with a secret order jointly signed by the five elders. This is actually killing two birds with one stone for him.
What Mitsunari is most worried about is that Ieyasu rushes to Hakata in person on behalf of Taiko. The reason is simple: among the generals who are about to withdraw, there are far more people who are extremely disgusted with Ishida Mitsunari than those who have a favorable impression of him.
Therefore, if the generals who are disgusted with Sancheng meet with Ieyasu, it will be tantamount to handing the ferocious beasts directly into the hands of the trainers, which is too dangerous.
----------
Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "malyvu" and "Cao Mianzi" for their monthly support, thank you!
PS: I took my children to swim today. Both father and son came back exhausted. I fell asleep after dinner and didn’t start typing until I got up, so this chapter is a little late, sorry.
Bookmark
