There is no doubt that Tokugawa Ieyasu is good at forbearance, but what is more important is that he is also a person who is extremely able to create and seize opportunities. Although Jinghua's attitude is not stated clearly now, it has been made clear that Japan's civil war is almost impossible to avoid, so for him, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the part that can be proactive becomes very limited.
First of all, he knew that his time was limited, because the longer the civil war erupted, the more time Jinghua had to level the strength of the two sides in the civil war, which in turn made both sides unable to fight against Jinghua after the civil war.
It is true that Tokugawa Ieyasu can try to win over some people, but the current situation is not good. He has discovered a huge hidden danger that he cannot eliminate: Jinghua is more powerful than him to do such a thing.
In other words, with his financial resources, it is impossible to outbid Jinghua. Those who originally seemed to be able to be won over by him, once faced with Jinghua who offered a higher price, would definitely have this idea: if they follow Zuofu, they will always be inferior to others; if they follow Jinghua, they may have a chance to become the world's best - as long as they defeat Just Tokugawa Ieyasu!
In this way, no matter how he tries to win over Tokugawa Ieyasu, it will probably be in vain in the end. Therefore, things cannot wait any longer. We will find excuses to start a war in the near future and implement them without hesitation.
The second question to consider is much simpler: Who should we fight against to provoke trouble?
On the surface, the basic condition for becoming a citizen of the world is to control the emperor, but the current reality is more complicated, because in theory, the current citizen of the world should be Toyotomi Hideyori, and the emperor is actually under the control of Hideyori - although Everyone knows that Hideyori is just a child now. What really controls the emperor is the Toyotomi family in the broad sense and the "five elders and five followers" in the narrow sense.
So in fact, as long as Ieyasu can stick to his word in the "Five Elders and Five Followers" Gu Ming system, he will control both Hideyori and the Emperor.
In terms of status and strength, the five followers are far from being comparable to the elders. Moreover, the actual core of the five followers, Ishida Mitsunari, has been forced back into dormancy in his own territory by Ieyasu. In Ieyasu's eyes, the remaining followers are not as good as There is not much difference between chickens and dogs, so there is no need to worry at all. Those who really need to be taken seriously are the elders.
Nowadays, the "Kaga Million Stone" Maeda family has given up, and the remaining three are Mouri Terumoto, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and Ukita Hideie.
Among them, Mouri Terumoto's fiefdom is 1.21 million koku, and Uesugi Kagekatsu's fiefdom is 1.2 million koku. These two people can be said to be powerful. If they oppose Ieyasu at the same time, they will indeed be called powerful enemies.
In comparison, Ukita Hideie is insignificant to Ieyasu. Although he is nominally one of the five elders, his territory is only Bizen 570,000 koku, which is not as powerful as the Shimazu family. .
Not to mention that the Hide family is too young. Even though he was nominally the general of the imperial court, Ieyasu is an old man. It was just the Taige appointment in order to let the Hide family have seniority, and it does not represent the Hide family. The ability is the strongest among the Zongchao army. Therefore, Ieyasu really did not think that Ukita Hideie could do much.
In this way, the target range was further narrowed, leaving only Mouri Terumoto and Uesugi Kagekatsu. In fact, at this point, there is almost no reason to hesitate: Mouri Terumoto's territory is far away from Ieyasu, and Uesugi Kagekatsu's territory is right next to the couch - besides, Hideyoshi arranged for him to come here, and the mission was originally Look at Ieyasu. So, if I don’t hit you, who will Uesugi Kagekatsu hit?
Of course, a division must be well-known, and Tokugawa Ieyasu has a deep understanding of this. Therefore, even if the decision has been made to send troops, the foreplay must be sufficient and done well, and there must not be any mistakes in the name of sending troops, so that others can grasp the situation.
Therefore, after Keicho completed his test of Maeda Toshinaga in four years, Ieyasu began to test Uesugi Keigatsu.
"After Uesugi Nakagan returned to his territory, there were endless rumors that he was treasonous. I believe all of you have heard about it. It seems that it is impossible not to send troops to conquer."
Ieyasu said this in front of Masuda, Nagasuke and the newly appointed new minister Otani Yoshitsugi. However, neither Masuda Nagamori nor Nagasuke Masaie saw that this was Ieyasu testing Uesugi Kagekatsu. After hearing these words, the two of them secretly exchanged glances and turned to Otani Yoshitsugi for help. Of course, the two of them were not unaware of the fact that Mitsunari Ishida frequently dispatched emissaries to the Uesugi family's Lao Naoeyama Castle, but they didn't know that there was Kyoka's hidden giant hand behind it.
Ōtani Yoshiki is scheming and has a far-sighted vision compared to Masuda Nagamori and Nagasuki Masako. He immediately said: "Having said that, I don't think Lord Nagan will sink to the point of forgetting the great kindness of Taige and betraying the young master." The situation. Whether the rumors in the world are true or false, in my opinion, it is better to send an envoy to investigate, so that it can be justified. "
"It makes sense, and it should be so." Ieyasu agreed with Otani's suggestion very simply. In fact, he originally didn't think that Jing Sheng was really rebellious against the Toyotomi family. He just became suspicious of him because of Jinghua's instigation, or...had murderous intentions.
"Then let Inai Shu and Changsheng's retainers go and investigate. What do you think?"
Masuda Nagamori breathed a sigh of relief and moved forward. Although Ina Shoku is Ieyasu's confidant, if he allows his retainers to follow him, there will be no problem, so he nodded and asked, "Do you want to go with a letter of accusation signed by Zuofu and myself?"
"No, since we have sent people, there is no need to go to reprimand and question, that would be unkind. When you pass on my order, tell me that rumors are spreading now, so I invite Jing Sheng to come and explain. Do you have any objections? Also, add Who does Lord Tian want to send?"
"This... the chief guardian of Kawamura has an acquaintance with Nakaton and the castle guard of Naoeyama, so it might as well..."
"Then let him go and have a look. Besides, Toyokoji Temple Acceptance and Yamashiro Shou are close friends. How about asking him to seal a letter to Yamashiro Shou? In this way, the truth will be revealed to the world." Ieyasu didn't wait for Masuda to finish. , has replied very tolerantly.
As we all know, when they were in the capital, the elder of Toyokoji Temple, a small temple affiliated with Sokokuji Temple, had a close relationship with the Uesugi family's old Naoe Yamajoshou, so no one had any objections.
"Then let Inai Shu and Kawamura Nagato go with the letter of acceptance from the elders... That's it." Masuda Nagamori said.
"It depends on how he responds." Otani Yoshitsugi said.
Ieyasu nodded calmly.
In fact, he was not at peace. Compared to Uesugi Kagekatsu, Ieyasu paid more attention to Naoe Kanetsugu. Although Naoe Kanetsugu was a retainer of Kagekatsu, due to his talent and bold temperament, he could meet with all the great names when Taiko was still alive. He once used the name Tongkou Xingliu and worked as a waiter beside Kenshin. During Kenshin's lifetime, due to the untimely death of his favorites Naoe and Heei Nobutsuna, Kenshin joined the Naoe family and married Yohei's beautiful wife. He was able to inherit the Naoe family business and was reused. Not only was he ranked as the elder of the Uesugi family, After the lord Kagekatsu was transferred to Aizu, he was given a salary of 300,000 shi and became the lord of Yonezawa City.
The retainer worth 300,000 koku is unique in the world, which shows how much Uesugi Kagekatsu values him.
Since Naoe Kanetsugu played an important role in the Uesugi clan, Ishida Mitsunari frequently sent emissaries to contact him. Recently, the Uesugi clan has also frequently sent people with outstanding eloquence skills such as Nagao Seishichiro and Irobe Lord Hall to Sawayama Castle. Ieyasu knew all of this. Therefore, the best way to understand the future direction of the Uesugi family is to accept the letter of acceptance and renewal.
Acceptance was summoned from the capital to Osaka. Ieyasu sent everyone away and had a secret conversation with him alone for more than two hours. Then he locked him in a study and asked him to write a long letter to Naoe Kanetsu.
"...This is a truly unkind request. Zhong Nayan's arrival in Beijing has been delayed so far. The Zuo Mansion has a lot of doubts. There are also various rumors between the government and the public, so there is no such thing as sending an envoy. The details are from the envoy's oral instructions, here There is no need to elaborate. However, the poor monk and the benefactor have been close friends for many years, and they dare not conceal their concerns. If the words contained in the words are too sparse and have not been well thought out, the benefactor should bravely state his opinions to clear Zuofu's doubts..."
There is no intention of coercion in this letter, and it does not forget to take the overall situation into consideration. The words are deep and affectionate, and the words of comfort and advice are sincere and straightforward, which is really difficult to accept. Of course, once people realize that this letter was compiled after consultation with Ieyasu, the effect will naturally be greatly reduced. Therefore, the acceptance was altered several times.
"He has a legacy of humility and humanity, and he is worthy of being a strong man..." Naoe Yamashiro Kanetsugu, who was highly praised by the Taiko at that time, had a stubborn nature similar to Ishida Mitsunari. When he was young, he was known as the three most handsome men together with Nobunaga's Ranmaru and Ujigo's Nagoya Sanzo. Today, he is a man who has experienced many vicissitudes of life.
Acceptance finished it painstakingly and presented the letter to Ieyasu. He believed that this was probably the last trace of tenderness that Ieyasu showed to the Uesugi family, and he would not be able to feel at ease without letting Ieyasu see it.
The really useful content of this letter is as follows:
1. Is it necessary to build a new city in Shensashiyuan unless we are dealing with unexpected events?
2. If Jing Sheng has no objections, he can come with an oath to explain. What are your thoughts on this matter?
3. Jing Sheng was a loyal and upright person, and Tai Ge praised him highly during his lifetime. Zuo Mansion was very clear about it, and as long as he explained clearly, he could clear up the past suspicions.
4. If Hori Hideharu’s statement is wrong, he should take the initiative to clarify right from wrong.
5. The Zuofu did not delve into the matter of the Kaga Maeda family. I wonder if this can be a lesson? This matter can be discussed with Masuda, Otani, Kanbaru and others.
6. Ask your elders to advise Jing Sheng to come to Beijing as soon as possible.
7. There is a widespread rumor in the government and the public that Aizu’s military preparations are unusual. It is said that the Ming army in North Korea is also strengthening its war preparations, and Zuofu has sent envoys to North Korea. If the Ming army refuses to compromise and continues the war, Japan will send troops to North Korea in the coming year or the year after. Zuofu wants to discuss this matter with Jing Sheng, so please come to Beijing as soon as possible.
8. The rise and fall of the Uesugi family depends on this, please think twice...
Ieyasu finished reading silently and rolled up the letter. The contents of this letter may be true or false. For example, the so-called North Korean Ming Army has made changes and Japan may continue to send troops to fight. This is obvious nonsense.
The Ming army in North Korea was indeed mobilized, but that was because of the transfer of the Jurchens and other matters. Of course, the troops would be mobilized, but it had nothing to do with the continued conquest of Japan. Ieyasu knew this very well, because that was not what Gao Pragmatic wanted to do at all. , and the North Korean Ming army would never go against the will of this "Ming Guan Bai".
"Is this possible?" Cheng Cheng asked slightly nervously when he saw Ieyasu was silent.
Ieyasu nodded: "The writing is confusing, but it shows your intention. It's really strange. Has the master seen through Ieyasu's mind?"
"Yes...ah, I don't dare, I don't dare."
"Yes, this is Ieyasu's last chance for Nakagami. The master's letter has been written quite clearly. Enjoying a generous salary of 1.2 million koku, if you see that a war is about to break out overseas, and you don't come immediately, then what's the point? He is not even worthy of two or three hundred thousand stones! If the salary he receives does not match his caliber, it will bring disaster to the world."
"Yes. If he doesn't come to Beijing soon, he really should send troops."
Ieyasu smiled and said: "Decisive decision is an indispensable magic weapon for those who rule the world. From this, the ability of Nakagami Yan and Kanetsu is clearly evident."
It was already the first day of April when Inai Shu Akitsuna and Masuda Nagamori's retainer Kawamura Nagatomomo set off from Osaka with the letter of acceptance. On the surface, it seems that Kawamura Nagato has relatives in the Uesugi family, which makes it easier to find out the truth. This is the reason why he was chosen as the envoy. But in fact it's far from that simple.
Ieyasu is very aware of the secret exchanges between Ishida Mitsunari and Naoeyama Castle, but is Masuda Nagamori also involved in this matter? Who are the people behind them who have received support from Jinghua? In any case, let Inai Shu quietly monitor the Kawamura Changmonshou, and the truth will naturally be revealed.
Masuda Nagamori was carefully observed by Ieyasu and his confidants. In front of Ieyasu, Nagamori was full of awe-inspiring righteousness, and he seemed to have secret contacts with Mitsunari, Ukita Hideie, Konishi Yukinaga and others. If you ask him the reason for doing this, he will always answer: "For Zuofu and Shaojun, I must understand their movements."
However, it is obvious that this is his wise way to protect himself. Once something big happens, it is really difficult to judge which side he will take.
"Perhaps he is indecisive by nature, and even I can't be sure. Hum, if that's the case, then he's not a person who can do great things." Ieyasu only said this when Inai Books set off. But with just this sentence, Shu Shu knew what to do. He was a smart man.
The two left Osaka, traveled day and night, and arrived in Aizu on April 13th. Before meeting Uesugi Kagekatsu, the two were received by Naoeyama Castle Keeper Kanetsugu, and took the opportunity to hand over the letter to Kanetsugu.
Since it was already evening when he arrived in Aizu, Ina wrote: "Tomorrow, I will convey the oral edict of Zuofu to Nakagan. Please inform Nakagan in advance." Then, he and Kawamura Changmonshou left the Yamashiro Shou's mansion. Hecun Changmenshou went to a relative's home to rest, while Inatuwei went to the city's pavilion to stay overnight.
Facing the two envoys, Naoe Kanetsugu remained calm and said lightly: "The Uesugi family has Chisaka Kagechin staying in Osaka, so you two don't have to come all the way here." He did not open the accepted letter on the spot. But not long after the two left, he appeared in front of Jing Sheng with a letter.
"I heard that the envoys from Zuofu have arrived. What did they say?" Jing Sheng asked proactively.
Kansu responded with a bold smile: "My lord, didn't you ask the question knowingly? But you don't have to worry."
"So, I have to see them tomorrow?"
"Yes, I hope that when my lord meets them, he will strictly reject their request...please take a look at the letter that this bald donkey has written for me first." Jianxu unfolded the letter in front of Jing Sheng and laughed loudly.
Uesugi Kagekatsu does not have the keen insight of his father Kenshin, but he has been influenced by family tradition for a long time, and his actions are full of murderous intent. Rather than being generous, he is overly conceited.
"What a long letter... What an acceptance." Jing Sheng read the letter indifferently. After reading it, he weighed the letter paper again, shook his head and sneered: "It takes no effort to write this letter."
"I wonder if there is anything that is not to my lord's liking?"
"This is no different from the news sent by Dr. Ishida Harubu and Masudaemon."
"Then my lord plans not to see them?"
"The message spoken by the messenger is probably no different from the content of the letter. I can indeed tell them to go back, but..."
"What are you worried about, my lord?" Kansugu smiled.
"A shrewd person like Zuofu still wants to play such stupid tricks to bluff people? What an old fool."
"Haha, I heard that he also gave birth to a son with Mrs. Agui."
"It's ridiculous. Since my late father, our Uesugi family has never yielded to coercion. It's really a shame that he has even forgotten this."
"Haha," Kanetsugu smiled disdainfully, "What my lord just said is exactly the same as what Ichibu-sama said to incite you."
"What?"
"The Zhibu is trying to trick us...but that's okay. It's just that Zuofu asked Chengcheng to write such a letter. What did he mean?"
"Then do you already know what's going on? Tell me."
"The reason is very simple. Maeda Toshinaga has been frightened out of his wits by the Zuofu. Therefore, the Zuofu wants to repeat his old trick on me, the Uesugi family. He let the acceptance write with a sense of luck."
"Can you tell?" Jing Sheng was a little confused.
Naoe Yamashiro's eyes shone brightly and he said confidently: "I can't be wrong!"
"If you think so, you can't be wrong."
"My lord, please reprimand the envoy severely tomorrow and drive the general out. No matter how excessive my lord, Ieyasu will never dare to send troops."
"How can you decide?"
"Ieyasu wouldn't be so stupid! Once we attack Aizu, the capital will naturally be empty. How could Irubu-sama miss such an opportunity? Ieyasu wouldn't have thought of this."
"My lord, you must make a prompt decision in anything you do." Naoeyama Castle Shou smiled again: "If my lord cannot resolutely scold the envoy Ieyasu tomorrow, not only will we be disgraced, but other troubles will follow. We have ruled Kanto for generations, and we will be honest and trustworthy. The world is famous for their bravery. If such a famous family begs for mercy from Ieyasu, wouldn't it make the world laugh at them? And tomorrow is the perfect opportunity to show the world the majesty of Uesugi."
"Will Ieyasu be angry about this?"
"If being angry can bring benefits, everyone will get angry. But being angry will only bring disadvantages to him, so he will not get angry easily. But we should take this opportunity to give them a good scolding, and do not want to be humiliated by others. .”
The light in the candlestick dimmed, and Kanxu continued to brag about Jing Sheng while reaching out to pluck the wick. People who talk shamelessly are often stupid, but when these words came out of Jianxu's mouth, they seemed to have a solemn flavor, which was incredible. Perhaps because of his eloquence, he not only received praise for his eloquent speech, but also received a generous salary.
"Sir, you don't have to worry. I'm going to write a long letter to tease the acceptance, and tease that old fox Ieyasu, so that he won't continue to send some rude people..."
"I understand. Just do as you say."
"This is the best. We have just moved to a new territory, and all we can do is scold him. What a pity!"
"Our territory has not been fully prepared yet."
"If we have the old territory for many years, maybe we can use the administrative department to seize the world."
"you mean……"
"Just talking. If the governor is smarter or dumber, things will be more interesting... But this is a different matter. There is only one thing that the lord needs to do right now." Kanetsu continued to play with the letter in his hand. In his eyes, Ieyasu is not that scary. As long as Mitsunari, Nagamori and others are delivering news to him, Ieyasu is a weakling who is not worth mentioning.
That night, the two chatted and laughed for a long time before saying goodbye. Jing Sheng received the envoy at six o'clock the next day.
Ina Shoto and the chief guard of Kawamura went to the main hall of the city to meet with Kage Sheng. He preached Ieyasu's oral edict from a high position: "I heard that the Uesugi family was ready for a decisive battle, which caused a lot of discussion in the world. What is the reason? You betrayed Taiko, It’s really sad and regretful. How dare you ignore Taige’s instructions? I hope you change your original intention and enter Osaka as soon as possible.”
Jing Sheng narrowed his eyes and listened happily.
In fact, not all the Uesugi family members are as tough as Naoe Kanetsugu. Chisaka Keichika, who stayed in Osaka, once advised Keigatsu: Deliberately angering Ieyasu may bring disaster to the Uesugi family, so whether you are building a new city or hiring wandering samurai, don't be too showy...
Veteran minister Noto Noto Nobuyoshi Fujita and others who went to Osaka Castle to congratulate Toyotomi Hideyori on the New Year also warned: Being tough on Ieyasu will sooner or later ruin the Uesugi family's strength. He was so angry that he never returned to Aizu. However, because Jing Sheng was very fond of Jiexu and obeyed his advice, he turned a deaf ear to other people's opinions.
After the envoy finished his speech, Jing Sheng asked with a smile, "Is that all?"
"Zuofu wants you to go to Osaka as soon as possible. We are also waiting for your reply!" Inai Books naturally refused to show weakness.
"I don't need to write to Zuofu... just listen to what I have to say."
"I'm all ears."
"I don't have the slightest intention of rebellion in my heart!" Kagekatsu raised his head and emphasized: "Kagekatsu Uesugi has been so favored by Toyotomi, how can he have any intention of betrayal? I don't accept anything you said this time. What I did Everything is very necessary, so how can an idle person make baseless accusations? This is purely a misunderstanding, or even a slander! I hope Zuofu will find out the slanderer first. Before the truth is known, I will not go to Osaka under any circumstances! That’s all! "After finishing speaking, Jing Sheng paused, wanting to see the envoy's reaction.
People tend to be self-intoxicated when they are impassioned. The more intoxicated they are, the less they want to cater to the other party. After a few words, Jing Sheng ended more severely: "Even if he goes to Osaka, Uesugi Kage Sheng will not bow down to Zuofu. Your Excellency, go back here. Just convey my wishes."
This is simply an irreconcilable ultimatum. Uninformed people thought that he had forgotten everything and was completely intoxicated with his own momentum. Perhaps he wanted to give up his status as the elder. He will not be subservient to Ieyasu, which means that as long as Ieyasu is around, he will not even care about Hideyori, leaving absolutely no room for compromise.
Inai Shu quickly glanced at the Kawamura Nagamon Shou. He estimated that Jing Sheng's reply should have been expected by the head guard of Kawamura, who had stayed at a relative's house for a night. Sure enough, Nagato lowered his head and hurriedly avoided the book's sight. It seemed that everyone in the Uesugi clan knew that Kagekatsu would not compromise with Ieyasu. The book then said: "I am very clear about the meaning of Zhong Na Yan. After I return, I will truthfully convey your meaning to Zuofu."
"Okay, other than that, I have nothing to say. It's hard work coming all the way. Mountain city, treat them well, and then send them back."
Kantsuki's expression was stiff, and he reluctantly saluted, "There is a reply letter from Yamashiro. I hope you can forward it to the abbot of Fengguang Temple on my behalf... Thank you both." Before Yamashiro kept his words, Jing Sheng had already walked away.
Had Zuofu already anticipated Uesugi Kagekatsu's reaction?
Inai Shu was very confused. After listening to Jing Sheng's words, it is not difficult to imagine the content of Naoe Kanetsu's letter. Even if Kanetsugu apologized for his master's rudeness in his reply to the acceptance, it cannot be said that the Uesugi family was not hostile.
In fact, although Ieyasu had already understood Mitsunari's intention to fight with him to the end, he never expected that Uesugi Kagekatsu would dare to be so rude. After all, according to Ieyasu's estimation, the contact time between Kyouka and the Uesugi family should not be too long. It seems that the help to the Uesugi family shouldn't be too great.
In any case, the two of them started to rush back to Osaka day and night with a letter of reply to the acceptance in mind.
——
Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "first login", "KIKI Kai", "milan123", "I am Liao Zhenxin", "doni", "chic pig", "o Shangshu Ling", "riding alone to illuminate the heart", "2736" Monthly ticket support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Book Friends 20170107012220447" and "Flexbio" for their support of 10 monthly tickets each, thank you!
Happy holidays to all serving and retired military book friends!
(End of chapter)
