Not only Torii Motoada was seriously looking at his own death, but Ieyasu was also doing the same, but he never said it out loud. At this point, they can only allow themselves to transcend life and death, risk everything, and strive for the best possible tomorrow.
This is both for yourself and for your descendants. After all, clan and family status are almost everything to a samurai.
It had only been half a year since the death of "Man of the World" Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the world had already fallen into chaos. Can such a world be unified again? Is it possible that I, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who has gone through all kinds of hardships and endured for more than fifty years, will end up like Matsunaga Hide and Akechi Mitsuhide in vain?
It was with such worries that Tokugawa Ieyasu had to bow his head to the man who coveted Japan's dominance and win the preservation of his family's integrity through bloodline replacement.
Of course, according to Tokugawa Ieyasu's plan, although the bloodline of the general Zhengyi will be "replaced" by then, his own sons will be preserved as shoguns, and they should even become lords of a feudal clan. In this case, the "Tokugawa Shogunate" is used to maintain the family status, and each biological son also has his own security [Note: "Japan's security" roughly means that the court recognizes the hereditary territory of a person or a certain family], so it is not in vain. A life of hard work.
At this time, Ieyasu and Motoada are in the same mind, and they hold hands and look at each other from time to time, crying or laughing. At dawn, Torii Motochu was pulled back to the bedroom by Ieyasu.
"I have no regrets in this life." Yuan Zhong said casually, and then hurriedly covered it up: "I firmly believe that the Lord will be able to revive the world." He was filled with emotions because he was already past his sixties when he realized how difficult it is to govern the world. .
"Even a person like Taige is helpless. He has more than enough ambition but not enough power... You must not forget this..." Yuan Zhong rambled on.
No matter how extraordinary one's abilities are, one's lifespan is ultimately limited. Without awareness of these, all efforts will be in vain in an instant. Recently, Yuanzhong had someone interpret for him the Tang Dynasty book "Zhenguan Zhengyao" published by Ieyasu Yuanji.
In the past, he was no less stubborn than Honda Sakuzaemon, but now, he said: "Scholarship is the most important thing." and "It is moral ability that ultimately determines whether a great cause can last forever. Too much The pavilion has more than enough weapons but not enough virtue and talent." Or, "Even if there are hundreds of thousands of troops approaching, Yuan Zhong never knows what to fear, and the worst he can do is perish together with the city."
That night, every word he said was deeply imprinted in Ieyasu's mind.
The next day, Ieyasu ordered the army to rest for a day at Fushimi Castle. At dawn on the 18th, Ieyasu set off in a sedan chair. Yuan Zhong, his parents, Kaizhong and Chimasa stood side by side outside the gate to see him off. They all had serious faces and no trace of sentimentality or nostalgia could be seen.
Leaving Fushimi, you have entered the battlefield. Omi, who must pass next, is close to Ishida Mitsunari's sphere of influence.
At noon, Ieyasu arrived at Otsu and was warmly received by Kyogoku Councilor Takatoshi. Takatsuki's wife is the sister of Hideyori's biological mother, Mrs. Yodo, and the sister of Hidetada's wife, Ae. Ieyasu has always regarded Takatsuki as an ally, but it is not yet convenient for him to make it clear to him. At this time, Ieyasu still regarded Uesugi Kagekatsu as his primary enemy and went all out to conquer Aizu.
On the day he left Otsu, Ieyasu rushed to Ishibe with a few close officials. Surprisingly, Chang Shuzhengjia, who had always had a close relationship with Sancheng, came first and asked to pay him a visit. There is no doubt that he must have been ordered by Sancheng to come to investigate Ieyasu's movements.
Changshu Zheng's family's residence of 60,000 shi was at the mouth of the Omi River. The water mouth is in front of Shibu, which is more than 80 miles away. Therefore, Masaiya must have entered his home city first, and then returned to Ishibe to greet Ieyasu. In the eyes of those who don't know the truth, the main family behaves extremely loyally.
Accompanied by family elder Matsukawa Kinchi, the main family came to Ieyasu and said respectfully: "I would like to entertain Zuofu in the city tomorrow morning. Please come and see Zuofu no matter what."
Ieyasu suddenly felt pity for the main family. The man in front of me is indeed a good hand at managing money and food, but he always seems cautious, wavering, and has no independent opinion.
"I will definitely go. As for the banquet, it will be too extravagant." Ieyasu sighed and said half-truthfully: "The national power has been consumed a lot in recent years, so I can save some."
"Just a hint of my feelings."
"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey. However, what are you planning to entertain me, Master Masaiya?" Before he finished speaking, Ieyasu regretted his teasing. The man in front of him has always been good at words. Could it be that he really has "some intention" for himself? Ieyasu suddenly had such an idea, so he asked casually.
As expected, the main family was in a very embarrassed state. Ieyasu felt pitiful, so he took out the Kunimitsu short sword and Yukihira long sword, and said: "I remember that there are many small rivers from here to the water mouth. Loach should be considered a famous product in this area." As he said, he gave the short sword to the main family. , the long sword was given to the son of the principal family.
Zhengjia retreated in fear. It was dusk, and although the main family was riding a horse, it was probably already night when they got home.
Thinking of this, Ieyasu was suddenly shocked: Masaiya came here specially for the banquet tomorrow morning, but he couldn't tell what he was going to entertain him. What did this mean?
Ieyasu waved to Shintaro Torii and ordered in a low voice: "Go and find out how many followers the Masaiya has brought with him."
Shintaro Torii understood and immediately chased after him. When he chased them to the beach of Shirochi River outside the inn, Shintaro saw the main family and seventy or eighty retainers gathered together, and immediately came back to report.
"He asked his followers to wait for him at the river beach?"
"Yes. But why did he take his entourage outside the inn? What a weirdo."
"How far have you traveled?"
"About eight miles away."
"Then there is still time..." Ieyasu began to think carefully. At Xu time, he suddenly stood up and ordered his troops to set off from Shibu overnight. He was obviously worried that he was unprepared in Shibu at night. Once the army was attacked, the consequences would be disastrous.
Shintaro saw Ieyasu's intention, but he was puzzled as to what he based on the inference that he would be attacked.
"Hurry, the moon will come out. If you are slow, something big will happen." Ieyasu said to Shintaro. Shintaro immediately ordered someone to call the bearer.
"Can't someone else carry the sedan?" Ieyasu got into the sedan anxiously.
Since it was so urgent, I couldn't wait for the bearers to arrive. The accompanying Watanabe Chuemon put on straw sandals, tied his leggings, and shouted: "My lord, please be patient." He immediately lifted the rear of the sedan, while the front was carried by the ashigaru samurai of the musketeers.
There were only about twenty personal guards accompanying him, and the female relatives who arrived a little later, as well as Mizuno Masashige, Sakai Shigekatsu, Naruse Shoichi, Honda Tadakatsu, etc. were left behind.
"Shintaro, quietly tell everyone that I will take the first step and ask them not to be careless."
After the sedan passed Sunagawa Bridge, Ieyasu finally showed his face, looked at the sky, and said to the back of the sedan: "Who is carrying the sedan behind?"
"Your Majesty, this is Watanabe Chuemon."
"Okay, you did a great job."
"My lord, you praised me. This is what I should do."
"Tadaemon, do you know why I left Ishibe in a hurry?"
"My lord, this is a difficult question for you... Do you think that Chang Shuzheng's family came here under the instruction of the Shao Fu of the Ministry of Governance, so..."
"Haha, the main family is here to greet me under the order of the Zhibu, so I must leave the Shibu in a hurry?"
"Isn't it? I heard that Ishida has a famous general named Shimazakon Katsuki who is good at night attacks. You must not be careless about such a person. Considering that Nagasuke Masashi's visit this time, he must be under the command of Shaofu Jibu I have received an order to find out whether your Excellency wants to stay overnight with Ishibe. In this case, Ishibe will not be able to stay for a moment. Therefore, Your Excellency..."
"Hahaha, Tadayemon, do you really think you make me feel comfortable carrying the sedan?"
"I dare not. But the crisis has not passed yet, so please continue to be patient."
"There is no need to worry. Even if they want to launch a sneak attack, at least it will have to be late at night or at dawn, and before that, we have already passed the water mouth. The masa family never imagined that Ieyasu would dare to cross him with only such a few people. Below the city. Look, the moon is out, don’t be nervous and relax."
Ieyasu rushed to the spring from Tagawa, and Honda Tadakatsui led his troops to leave Ishibe and pursue him. When the large army arrived at the water bank at dawn, Ieyasu's sedan was already eight miles away from the water mouth.
"Well, you're a long-time man, do you think I'm going to sneak over here? Come on, scare him first, and then rush over."
Honda Tadakatsu ordered Mizuno, Sakai, Naruse and other troops to light the fuses, and other soldiers went to the river beach under the moonlight to set up their positions and shouted loudly. The sudden sound of gunfire broke the dawn silence.
"Okay! Everyone rush over to me!" Honda Tadakatsu took the lead and led his troops to rush through the city like a storm.
Once a war breaks out, he is as youthful as a fish in water. This is Honda Tadakatsu. In fact, not only Honda Tadakatsu, but also Ieyasu, once a battle started, he who usually looked quite short and fat suddenly became sharp and flexible.
The experience accumulated through hundreds of battles has become an incredible habit, hidden in the body. But he is already fifty-nine years old after all. Time is not forgiving, and fatigue is inevitable. The sedan traveled another sixteen or seventeen miles eastward from Shuikou. By the time it reached Tushan, Ieyasu's joints were already sore. However, there are still more than 800 miles from here to Edo. It seems that this journey is another training for the body and mind.
At this age, Hideyoshi had already sent troops to conquer Korea. However, when Hideyoshi was tired of trivial matters, Ieyasu began to fight for unification. Maybe this time it took more time than Hideyoshi's expedition - after all, even Ieyasu himself didn't know what the "Daming Guanbai" would be satisfied with after seeing Japan's fight.
Ieyasu couldn't help but sigh, it's unimaginable that a person can work so hard in his life! Now this war is for the future of the Tokugawa family at a small level, and for the survival of Japan at a large scale. It seems that such a burden will never be lifted off my shoulders in my lifetime...
There was no castle in the Tushan area, so Ieyasu ordered people to set up a temporary tent in front of the house of a family named Tushan Heijiro. Just after lunch, a horse galloped over, and it was Chang Shuzhengjia who came.
In Ishibe, Ieyasu already knew that he was a spy sent by Mitsunari. This time, he must have felt that Ieyasu had seen through the trick, so he was restless and wanted to take the initiative to explain: "It's a pity that I couldn't come to the small town for a rest..."
The principal should have said this, but unexpectedly at this moment he turned pale and said: "I can't bear to leave you so much, Zuofu. I always wanted to come to say hello again, so I came here."
Ieyasu looked at him with a bit of regret and a bit of coldness. Perhaps, with his stronger strength, no one would dare to rebel, and people like Chang Shu Zhengjia would not be so confused. However, Ieyasu also judged that Masaiya was speaking from his heart. He must be thinking that once Zuofu went east, the two sides might never meet again.
"Coming all the way here really frightens Ieyasu, so I'll give this to you." Ieyasu took out a Kunimitsu sword and placed it in front of Masakaya. This sword is exactly the same as the short sword given to Masakaya in Ishibe.
Masato couldn't help but be startled, Lai Kunimitsu was Ieyasu's beloved sword, and now he actually gave it to him. It seemed that Ieyasu had no plans to return to Osaka.
"I really deserve it."
"Just think of yourself as me and cherish this knife from now on."
"How dare the main family?"
"It was only after I set off from Osaka that I finally figured it out. Taikaku was also the same age as me when he marched towards Nagoya. Even though I took the lead in conquering Uesugi, it was not that easy... Hahaha." Although Ieyasu wanted to comfort Masaru. The tone of home is completely that of a fighter.
Masaiya finally felt relieved. Even if Ieyasu had a plan, it would be after victory on the battlefield, so he didn't have to worry about it now. After thanking Ieyasu again and again, he returned to Mizuguchi. Of course, these things that happened above will definitely reach the ears of 30%.
On June 19th, Ieyasu stayed at Seki Jizo, and arrived at Yokkaichi on the 20th. Masayohiro, the head of Kuwana Castle's house, came out to greet him respectfully. He wanted to entertain Ieyasu, but Ieyasu didn't dare to believe him easily.
If they were attacked by a group of 30% here, even if they could break out safely, they would probably be laughed at. More importantly, if someone takes the opportunity to criticize someone, it is very likely to damage their own martial arts and reputation.
"Thank you very much. Ieyasu will pay a visit tomorrow morning." Ieyasu agreed readily at first, then prepared the boat at night and rushed directly to Saku Island in Mikawa, and then entered Okazaki Castle.
Okazaki Castle is the place where Ieyasu was born and the city of his ancestral home. Ieyasu’s struggle is closely related to this city. The person currently in charge of the guard is Noda Naka, Daisuke Yoshimasa of the Ministry of War.
Yoshimasa was once appointed as the governor of Toyotomi Hidetoshi. After the Hidetoshi incident, he was also severely reprimanded by Hideyoshi. Later, he was spared due to Ieyasu's reconciliation. Therefore, he was grateful to Ieyasu.
"This is the birthplace of Zuofu, please rest well."
"It's strange to say that as soon as I came to this city, I felt at ease. Even though Taige deliberately made things difficult, changed my title, and also changed the city lord..."
Ji Zheng scratched his bald head and said with a smile: "The people here are very impressed by Zuofu. After entering the city, I found that Zuofu's kindness is everywhere. It is really admirable..." At this point At this point, he suddenly changed the topic and said, "There is someone waiting to see you. Please allow me to do so."
Before he finished speaking, someone walked into the academy and turned out to be a young nun.
Ieyasu couldn't help but be stunned, staring straight at the nun. He always felt that she was very similar to Yoshimasa, and asked: "Are you the beloved daughter of the Daisuke of the Ministry of War?"
"Yes. The poor nun is the Qingshun nun who lives next to Gaotaiyuan."
"Do you serve Gaotaiyuan?"
"Exactly."
"You haven't come to see my father for a long time, so you came all the way?"
"No, the poor nun came here specially to see Master Zuofu off on the orders of Gaotaiyuan."
"Oh?" Ieyasu was startled at first, and then said solemnly: "I don't dare to take it, I don't dare to take it."
"Kodaiyuan originally wanted to come to see you off in person, but was unable to do so, so he sent a poor nun to Okazaki to say hello on his behalf."
Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded and said thoughtfully: "I wonder if Kodaiin has anything to tell Ieyasu?"
"Everyone can see the internal troubles in the world, but there are still external troubles in the world today... This must be clearly understood by Zuofu." After a pause, Qingshunni said in a low voice: "Today's world, can we truly inherit Zuofu is the only one who left the legacy of Taige, so please take it seriously - these are Madam's original words."
"Ieyasu is really frightened, extremely frightened! After you return to the capital, you must tell Kodaiin that Ieyasu was deeply moved and will never forget Taikaku's legacy."
Although the time was ripe, for Ieyasu, the future of this expedition was still uncertain. Once there is a slight mistake, it is very likely to be defeated like Imagawa Yoshimoto and Takeda Shingen.
The fifty-nine-year-old body is no longer suitable for the rough life of a soldier. Even Hideyoshi, who loved to travel, was obviously aging when he rushed from Hizen to Nagoya. This was seen by Ieyasu with his own eyes. In addition, everyone in the world looked at Ieyasu with strange eyes: "You are still starting a war at your age?" This made him even more painful and tormented.
Guan Bazhou is already in his hands. As long as the Ming Dynasty does not intervene directly, the Tokugawa family will never be in danger of destroying the country. After all, Hideyori is young and cannot surpass Hideyoshi in prestige.
From this point of view, those who are content with eternal happiness should quietly retire and enjoy their old age. This is the smartest way to live. But Ieyasu made a desperate move and once again launched a war that would determine the general trend of the world. People in the world will probably take this to think that Ieyasu is greedy, but they don't know what they are facing at this moment.
Even if he doesn't want to fight, the great Ming Guanbai must have a way to force him to fight - he can support Uesugi Kagekatsu, can't he support Ishida Mitsunari? Or, he could even support Hideyori or Yodono.
In this difficult situation, Kodaiin, who understood Hideyoshi's thoughts better than anyone else, quietly came to support him. This was tantamount to a light in the darkness. Unfortunately, what Ieyasu cannot say clearly is that he has judged the disparity in power. The power of high pragmatism is simply not comparable to that of Japan today. The result of violating high pragmatism will inevitably end with Japan turning into powder.
This cannot be tolerated.
Soon, they started talking about the boring daily life in Gaotaiyuan and the old Taige generals who visited her.
"Who really supports Shaojun often becomes a topic of discussion among the generals." Qingshunni said.
"I think so. Whenever that happens, how will Kodaiin respond?" Ieyasu asked.
"Madam always answered unabashedly that it was herself. Others were just loyal and unprepared for emergencies. Gaotaiyuan also said that for Shaojun, she might have to ask Zuofu for help at some point. Yeah. But it would be better if you don’t have to ask..."
Qingshunni was so straightforward that even Ji Zheng blamed her with some embarrassment: "Who doesn't know these things? You need to tell me!"
Ieyasu forced a smile and said nothing.
The march east of Okazaki turned into a pleasant excursion.
On the evening of the 23rd, Ieyasu was welcomed by Horio and his son Yoshiharu Yoshiharu at Hamamatsu Castle; on the evening of the 24th, he stayed at Nakayama in Sayo. On the same day, he passed by Kakegawa and Yamauchi Tsushimamori Kazuhiro specially came to offer lunch. . Ieyasu knew that Ippo was determined to follow him.
On the 25th, Ieyasu sent an envoy to Sunfu, which he missed very much, to check on the condition of Nakamura Kazuo, the lord of the city. He himself stayed in Nidō Castle and was entertained.
That night, the sick Ichi came to Erdao City in a sedan chair. For the future of his family, he prayed to Ieyasu with tears in his eyes: "You must have seen it, my lord. I am now seriously ill and cannot go with you. It is really a pity. The children are young, so please let your foolish brother Hikoemon Ichirō join the army and do your best for the adults."
The generals headed by Fukushima of Kiyosu were originally specially placed by Hideyoshi to suppress Ieyasu, but now they have all become Ieyasu's allies. It was only after they took over Ieyasu's old territory that they deeply felt how stable Ieyasu's local rule was and how far-reaching his influence was, and they gradually became convinced.
On the 27th, Ieyasu arrived at Odawara, and on the 28th he arrived at Fujisawa. The twenty-nine people met with Kaiji's father, Narita clan leader, at Tamana Castle... No one knows what they talked about.
When Ieyasu entered Edo, where the generals were gathering one after another, it was already the second day of July.
——
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(End of chapter)
