When the reply letter that was quickly brought back to Osaka was opened, apart from Acceptance and Ina Chuji, the only ones present were Tokugawa Ieyasu and Honda Masanobu.
The first thing that caught my eye was this sentence: "The rise and fall of the Uesugi family depends on this, please think twice..." Isn't this the sentence that Cheng Cheng racked his brains to write?
Everyone is focused on acceptance, and Inai Books is no exception. After reading just a few lines, Chengcheng's face turned red, his hands kept shaking, and his face and lips convulsed. The situation was unbearable to witness.
Acceptance is rarely so embarrassing. When Hideyoshi read out the envoy's canonization letter in front of Hideyoshi, when he read the sentence "I canonize you as the king of Japan", his reaction was just like today.
Surprisingly, Ieyasu and Honda Masanobu were not very surprised. It took him a quarter of an hour to finally read the letter and then silently handed it to Ieyasu. While accepting the letter, Ieyasu neither laughed nor asked anything.
"It seems that his tone is not light." Ieyasu put on his glasses - they were ordered from Kyoka and made by the Shimazu family of Satsuma Domain as a gift to him from Chaya Shirojiro in the first month of this year - and he leaned on the armrest and unfolded the letter.
It's no wonder that the face of the Acceptance Council changed drastically. The letter written by Naoe Yamashiro Kanetsu was very rude from the beginning, almost all ridiculing, and he completely treated the Acceptance as an ignorant child.
"About my leader, there are indeed many rumors in the world, which aroused the suspicion of the Zuofu. It is not surprising. During Taikaku's lifetime, there were constant rumors between the capital and Fushimi. What's more, Aizu is located in a remote place and my lord is a junior. Master It’s really too much…”
Since the lord who is six years older than him is described as a junior, what will the acceptance be regarded as? Out of years of friendship, Cheng Cheng went to great lengths to write that letter to him, but he ridiculed Cheng Cheng as a dog biting a mouse. He was so arrogant!
Seeing this, Ieyasu smiled and said: "Master Abbot, this is not a letter written to you. He knew that I would also read this letter, so he wrote it like this on purpose. Master, there is no need to be upset." After that, , he read on with a smile on his face.
Ina Shoku glanced at Ieyasu secretly from time to time, and he was quite puzzled by Ieyasu's calmness. He originally thought that Ieyasu would be furious when he saw this letter. However, the reality is that Ieyasu is not only not annoyed, but also smiles from time to time, and even shakes his head, reading with gusto, as if he is reading a magnificent masterpiece.
After reading it, Ieyasu put the letter on the table and said to Honda Masanobu: "Sado Mamoru, it seems that Naoeyama is an unusual person. He thinks quickly and is well organized."
"Ah?" Before Honda Sado could respond, Chengcheng, who was pale and trembling all over, stretched his neck and asked hoarsely: "Such rude words, Zuofu... actually still praise him?"
Ieyasu nodded slowly: "Speaking of rudeness, it is indeed very rude. Ieyasu has never read such a rude letter in his life."
"Yes! Halfway through the book, the poor monk wanted to tear it into pieces."
Ieyasu smiled slightly, but did not answer the acceptance. Instead, he continued to Honda Masanobu: "The letter said a few things: first, let Toyokoji not worry. Second, Kagekatsu just changed the territory the year before last, so he immediately entered After arriving in Beijing, he finally went back, and asked him to come to Beijing again, for fear of delaying his own political affairs. Therefore, he believed that even handling his own political affairs was considered to have different intentions, which was completely unreasonable."
"That makes sense." Honda Masanobu's expression was a little strange, but he agreed with his words: "So, he thinks that the Lord is deliberately making things difficult for him?"
"Exactly." Ieyasu nodded lightly, still keeping the smile on his face: "Thirdly, the letter said that Jing Sheng was tired of writing oaths, and no one would believe him no matter how much he wrote, so he no longer wanted to write. In addition, since Taige, Jingsheng has been famous for his loyalty and integrity, and there has been no change so far, which distinguishes him from ordinary people."
"Haha, ordinary people, is he referring to you, sir?"
"Perhaps so. He also said that the so-called Jing Sheng has different aspirations is purely a deliberate slander. It is really unfair for me to just blindly listen to the slander and not find out the truth.
Of course, the more exciting thing is yet to come, Sado. He gritted his teeth and sarcastically said to me, "I am really impressive if the Kaga Hizen Mamoru matter can be solved smoothly." He also said that he would contact Masuda, Otani and others if he had anything to do. As for Sakakibara and Honda Sado, that’s not necessary. "
"Oh? He can't trust me?"
"Of course. He said, you will only believe Hori Hideji's words, which completely misled me, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Are you Tokugawa's loyal ministers or sycophants? Let me think about it. Hahahaha, Sado, tell it yourself, you Is he a sycophant of Tokugawa or a loyal minister of Tokugawa?" Ieyasu said jokingly.
Honda Masanobu scratched his temples and smiled bitterly: "It's really embarrassing! Judging from what this letter says, Sakakibara and the subordinates have been pretending to be loyal ministers for decades. This is really not easy. However, since I have already At such an age, I’m afraid I don’t have much left in my life, so why not just pretend to be the last few years and save yourself a lot of trouble.”
Ieyasu laughed, and everyone laughed too. After laughing, Ieyasu threw the letter to Masanobu: "You'd better read it, I think it will be helpful to you."
He picked up the letter, read it respectfully, and passed it to Inai Bookstore.
When he opened the letter and read it, Ina Chuji couldn't help but feel stiff all over. This was the first time he had seen such a bold and unabashed letter. Kanetsugu, who calls his master "junior", really has no regard for Tokugawa Ieyasu, the leader of the five elders.
The letter stated that the delay in entering Beijing was entirely due to military preparations. The samurai in the capital are now fascinated by the exquisite Ming porcelain, silk, glass and other famous items sold in Beijing, while the samurai in the countryside are preparing guns, bows and arrows. This must be due to different people's sentiments and different customs.
He also asked, considering the strength of the Uesugi family, what kind of armaments should Jing Sheng possess? It would be foolish to be afraid of the Uesugi clan even if they have the armaments that match their status.
Whether it is building roads or building bridges, they are just steps to prepare for military preparations. As for the fact that Japan will send troops to Korea again next year or the year after, who will believe it? The failure of the Battle of Conquest has shown that there is a huge gap in strength between Japan and Ming. Today, it would be good if Japan is not attacked by Ming. It is ridiculous to even talk about sending troops again.
What surprised the book even more was what was said at the end of the letter: "There is no need to argue, my master has no treasonous intentions. If he does not go to Beijing, it is entirely because someone is obstructing him. Only the Zuo Mansion can conduct a thorough investigation. Even if it is He violated the Taige's last words, tore up the oath, abandoned the young master, and even fell out with the Zuofu to seize the world. So what? After all, it is difficult to escape the infamy.
How could he endure this humiliation after being the military god Qian Xin Gong? Uesugi knows the shame of rebellion and would never be so stupid, so don't worry. However, if Zuofu insists on listening to the slander and has evil intentions, then what’s the point of tearing up the oath..."
Shu Shu felt like he was about to suffocate. Ieyasu once said that he needed to gauge the strength of Naoeyama Castle's guardian, but this letter seemed like Naoeyama Castle was testing Ieyasu's strength.
This letter refutes the acceptances point by point. The letter of acceptance was protracted and long, but the continuation was enjoyable. The meaning of the article is very simple. As long as they think it is reasonable, they will even be enemies with Ieyasu. There is no possibility of communication between the two. Ina Chuji rolled up the letter and couldn't help but want to ask Ieyasu what he meant.
Ieyasu's expression was still very calm, perhaps he had already expected such a reply from the other party. After receiving the letter, he said to Honda Masanobu: "Sado, has Naoeyama Castle seen through my mind?"
The book was astonished. Cheng Sheng was even more horrified. He said "ah" and stretched his neck, like a child who was at a loss. Ieyasu heard the exclamation of acceptance and moved his gaze to his face: "I mean, did Yamashiro see through my mind, or did he write like this without knowing anything about it?"
Chengcheng was even more confused: "What can I do if I know Zuofu's thoughts?"
"That shows that he is indeed an admirable man of great ability! But for the Uesugi clan, he became a disloyal minister... His ability is greater than that of his master, Uesugi Kagekatsu."
Without waiting for a reply, Ina Chuji asked: "Sir, what do you mean?"
Ieyasu clicked his tongue, glanced at Masanobu, and said, "Masayoshi, please tell the book."
Masanobu smiled broadly. It seemed that he was the only one who understood what Ieyasu meant: "Yes, but my understanding may not be correct..."
"Books are younger than you. You can say whatever you think."
"Yes!" Zhengxin turned to the book and said, "In my opinion, your Excellency has already made up his mind."
"What determination?"
"Conquer Uesugi." Masanobu subconsciously lowered his voice and glanced at Ieyasu quickly.
If he said something wrong, Ieyasu would definitely speak. But Ieyasu just silently admired the scenery in the courtyard. So Honda Masanobu continued: "If the other party sees that you have made up your mind, they will understand that all reasons and explanations are useless. They have only two ways to go, either apologize and then surrender obediently; or they can resist and fight with swords. "
Having said this, Masanobu lowered his head, clearly considering more cautious words. "In this case, they appear to be enemies of us, which shows that they have two considerations: first, to join forces with Zhibu and others to challenge us; second, to deliberately pretend to be against us As an enemy, I secretly help you make your final decision..."
"Please forgive me for being rude, poor monk," Chengdui suddenly interrupted, "Naoe Kanetsugu is so rude and wants to secretly help Mr. Zuofu? How is this possible?"
Masanobu glanced at Ieyasu quickly again. He must have wanted Ieyasu to answer. It was a serious matter, but he was just speculating. But Ieyasu said nothing, still squinting his eyes and staring leisurely at the late spring sunshine outside the courtyard.
"Master, this is completely my wild guess. If I am wrong, I am afraid I will be reprimanded by you... Your Excellency has decided not to forgive the Uesugi family anymore, and will send troops in the name of attacking Uesugi, deliberately leaving Osaka Castle to lure the administration to launch... ...Of course, this is just my speculation.
Assuming that Naoe Kanetsugu has seen through and is not really loyal to the Uesugi family, he will pretend to be an enemy of the Lord, anger the Lord, and ask the Lord to send troops. As a result, the Administrative Department was bound to fall into the trap, and they immediately sent out troops to cooperate with the Uesugi family, causing us to fall into war in both Kanto and Kinki, and we could not look after each other. "
Zheng Xin finished speaking calmly. Although Shu and Cheng were shocked by what he heard, they both breathed a sigh of relief: "That makes sense. In this way, Naoeyama Castle Shou will become your lord's assistant."
"Don't be too happy too early, Shushu." Ieyasu suddenly scolded, but still looked outside, "Don't speak before you've heard Sado's final words."
Zhengxin lowered his head in embarrassment. Like Mitsuhide, he has traveled all over the world and knows that speaking freely may bring danger to himself at any time. Therefore, he would not like to talk about big things on this occasion. Once Ieyasu's thoughts are revealed, it may arouse suspicion; but if Ieyasu's thoughts cannot be seen, the meeting will not proceed.
This is not without precedent, just as Lord Nobunaga once claimed that Takenaka Hanbei was a strategic talent, but in the end he did not promote him to daimyo...
"Your Excellency also doubts whether Jing Sheng has great talent."
"Oh?" The acceptance man asked in confusion.
"If Naoe Yamajoshou understood your thoughts, he wanted to help you quietly for the sake of the world. Therefore, after repeated weighing, in order to create an excuse for you to attack Uesugi, he wrote such an arrogant and rude letter. , if so, he is really a rare person with great ability...
But it’s also possible that this is just wishful thinking on our part. Maybe he is full of anger and is ostensibly friends with us. After luring our main force to Oshu, he will then show off his talents and stop him with all his strength. By then, we may really be in the dilemma of fighting on two fronts. "
"rational."
"That's why I doubt whether Yamashiro can really read his mind."
"Brilliant!"
"I don't know the truth, so I don't dare to make any judgments. I can only talk about it here. What is the inside story, you still need to discern it in detail."
"My lord, what you mean is..."
"Whether he wants to help you, or you just want to fight to the death with us, Aizu will never be safe. Judging from the current situation, in the eyes of the world, as long as Kagekatsu refuses to come to Osaka, he is disobeying the order of the regent. This He can't escape the crime no matter what."
"good……"
"Therefore, the sentence written in the master's letter that 'the rise and fall of the Uesugi family depends on this' is not unreasonable. Even if there is no decisive battle, the master will send troops with an order from the young master, which will cost him at least one million dan. If he lets the master I paid a price of one million koku just to show off my strong words. Then Naoeyama Castle Keeper cannot be called a loyal minister... My lord, I have finished my words." Masanobu nodded to Ieyasu.
Ieyasu smiled with anger: "Sado, why do you always think the worst of people? Whether it's me or Naoeyama Castle."
Honda Masanobu's words all reflect Nakaeyasu's thoughts. Ieyasu even regretted a little - he shouldn't have let Masanobu speak, and there was no need to worry about Ina Books, but Toyokoji's acceptance was not reassuring. Although he now also loves Tokugawa, after all, he and Mitsunari and other close friends have always had many friends. There is contact. Once this matter is leaked by him, he will be in endless trouble.
Ieyasu had no choice but to deny it flatly: "Besides, Sado, your idea is still too much on paper. Soldiers are also deceitful. Victory with less and more is too numerous to mention. Even if I send troops under the order of the young master, I may not be able to win."
"yes."
"Do you know how cautiously I got to where I am today? The hardships involved are beyond your imagination. So, your words really make my hair stand on end and make me wary."
"I am so sorry."
"But there's no need to feel guilty. It's just that we should be cautious in this important matter." What Ieyasu wanted to say was for the acceptance: "It is the rule of the world to receive such a rude letter and ignore it. There will be chaos. Therefore, we must attack the Uesugi family! The guy from Yamashiro has long seen that if Jing Sheng does not come to Osaka, I will definitely send troops to attack him. He knows this very well, but he dares to provoke me... I think he may also have What you rely on.”
"Your Majesty, it's clear."
"Having said that, the war cannot be launched at will. We must attack Uesugi while avoiding conflicts with the Jibu. This is what I hope Master Toyokoji and Sado will think carefully about.
You can't help but see that if I capture Aizu and the decisive battle with Uesugi happens, and the Administrative Department sends troops to Osaka Castle, what will be the outcome? At that time, I could neither advance nor retreat. Wouldn’t the world’s stable situation be completely over? "
Masanobu seemed to understand what Ieyasu meant when he said this, and rolled his eyes, but didn't say much.
"What Zhengxin said is completely nonsense. How can things be so simple? The most important thing at the moment is to avoid angering the administration at all costs."
"Yes. The most important thing at the moment is to concentrate our efforts and attack Uesugi with all our strength. It seems that it will be impossible for me not to personally take command this time." Ieyasu said with a face: "I have never seen such rudeness in my life. The letter... I’m getting angrier the more I think about it. This is a trick, and I will never let him go!”
The issue of sending troops to conquer has become a foregone conclusion. Of course, it seems unclear whether the real enemy is the famous Uesugi family or the newly risen Ishida Mitsunari.
——
Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "I am Liao Zhenxin", "iron_Cb", "Yun Fuyueyu", "doni", "Lilin00" and "malyvu" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
PS: As you readers can see, although Gao Wuchen is currently in the capital, he controls three strategic directions: Japan in the east, Bangladesh in the south, and Yarkand in the west. My original idea was to describe it completely according to the timeline, but after writing a paragraph, I felt that it might be a bit messy to read (although I have an outline, I am not messy), so now I am hesitant to write it in one direction and one direction. Better?
(End of chapter)
