Chapter 15 Chapter Fifteen

When General Tokugawa Hidetada arrived at Nijo Castle, Tokugawa Ieyasu was in surprisingly good spirits.He hid his inner anger and said: "It's against the rules to call the general here even though I'm already retired, but I hope you will be more considerate because I'm old." The first sentence Xiuzhong said revealed infinite majesty. Father is still worried about Hideyoshi's death!Xiu Zhong was a little at a loss, originally he did not disobey his father's intention, but if Xiu Lai is really let go, how will he govern the world in the future?He has been thinking about it for a day or two.Therefore, he made it unnecessary for the generals to suppress their resentment towards Xiu Lai, and forced him to commit suicide.However, Qianji was still alive, and this matter became a burden in his heart.When Chihime interceded for Hideyori and Mrs. Dian, Hidetoshi felt not only confused, but also embarrassed.Xiuzhong was convinced that Qianji would die with her husband when the city of Daban was destroyed, and he had already prepared in his heart: when his elder brother Xinkang committed seppuku suicide under the order of Nobunaga, his father was in great grief. What is it?He even wrote a letter to A Jiangyu who stayed in Edo, to enlighten her earnestly.However, Chihime was rescued, but Hideyori and Mrs. Yodo were no longer alive.Mrs. Dian and A Jiangyu are siblings. For A Jiangyu, the death of Mrs. Dian's mother and child was definitely not what she wanted.

"I don't dare, my son also wanted to see my father, and I am very pleased to see his kind face today." Xiuzhong said shamelessly. "General, originally, after the war ended, I wanted to entrust all the aftermath to the general and go back to Junfu by myself. But after thinking about it later, there was something wrong." "Father means..." "In this way, I am not loyal enough to the general. I retreated early, but I was too self-willed. I often tell the daimyos that in order to build a peaceful and prosperous world, everyone should work hard to be loyal to the general. But I just want to return to Junfu as soon as possible, which is really negligent ..."

"However, father is so old..." "You don't need to comfort me. During this battle, many people risked their lives to fight for the shogunate, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was no exception. Therefore, I want the general to hand over all post-war matters to the daimyo and return to Edo to take care of political affairs as soon as possible. I will stay here temporarily, if everything goes well, I will report to the general, and then I will return to Junfu, I hope the general will agree." Not only Hidetada, but also Toshikatsu Doi, Masanobu Honda and others who were present all looked at each other in dismay.

"This matter is settled like this. There is one more thing. In this battle, one person must be punished..." "Punishment?" "Yes. Matsudaira Kamisuke Tadaki..." Ieyasu's voice trembled.Xiuzhong didn't know what his father meant.It is true that Zhonghui was late at the start of the battle, but he was by Date Masamune's side, and Date also fought bravely at the critical moment and fought bloody battles with the enemy.Zhonghui was only a moment late, why must he be punished?If you want to punish him, you should be punished even more for Zhongzhi's impetuous advance. What is father thinking?Xiuzhong was very puzzled.His father's sudden decision to let him go back to Edo made him feel even more incredible.

Xiuzhong felt that something must have happened, so he asked solemnly: "Excuse my boy for being bold, what did Shang Zongjie do to make father unhappy?" "General, do you think that a father is the kind of person who rewards and punishes the National People's Congress because of his own sorrows and joys?" "No, my child has absolutely no such intention." "Yes, if it makes me feel unhappy, I will endure it. But it is a matter of national importance, so I must not endure it. I am now working hard to create a peaceful and prosperous world." "yes."

"First of all, we must distinguish between public and private, and we must never confuse the two." "Then... what mistake did Zhonghui commit so that he must be punished?" "First, he was a young and strong man, but he was slow to march and missed the battle of Daoming Temple. Isn't this a fault?" Xiuzhong breathed a sigh of relief, he was also dissatisfied with this matter, but if it was just that, he only needed to say a few words of love for Zhonghui, and the matter would be over. "The second mistake..." Jia Kang paused, "Relying on his friendship with his elder brother, he disregarded that he was only a lord, and brutally slaughtered the general's retainers."

"what……" "The matter is obvious. Even his biological mother once complained that this son is too hot-tempered. If he ignores his willful and reckless behavior, it will be difficult for the law to be implemented." "Oh……" "The third mistake is more serious than the first two." "Is there a third one?" "General, since the incident has already happened, how can we turn a blind eye to it? Yesterday, I decided to enter the palace to bid farewell to the emperor. I originally wanted Zhonghui to accompany me, but I had obtained the emperor's permission in advance. Fish, put me in an embarrassing situation. This is a lawless and outrageous act." He said sharply, looking around at the crowd, "You know, Taige's son made a mistake, and I punished him with pain. But, if my son commits a crime Mistakes, but I turn a blind eye, what face do I have to face the world?"

Xiuzhong's face suddenly changed drastically. "Always think about your own mistakes, and don't blame others." Ieyasu continued calmly, "Even if you don't, people always like to spread rumors and make troubles. If the world thinks that I am comforting myself with failures, in order to cover up my mistakes He thinks that the Imperial Palace and the generals are all playing for their own interests, and the world has no rules since then. If everyone in the world thinks this way, the laws and regulations will be ruined. Therefore, we must treat all people in the world equally, regardless of public or private interests."

Honda Masanobu wept silently.He first had a premonition that the pain of Ieyasu's loss of Hideyori would explode, and he would confess to Zhonghui.Zhonghui's three mistakes he listed are not unforgivable as long as the generals and veterans intercede a little.However, Mr. Iekang, under the entrustment of Taige, caused Xiulai to commit seppuku. Who can heal this sickness of conscience in the whole world? Has Xiuzhong understood his father's thoughts so deeply?Beads of sweat oozed from his forehead. Only Doi Toshikatsu seemed quite calm.At this time, he already understood why Honda was not allowed to attend today.The Great Imperial Palace wants Zhonghui to die for Xiulai, in order to be worthy of Taige and comfort his heart...

Li Sheng even thought of the next battle.Now it seems that when the first month comes, Date Masamune may be conquered.In any case, Okubo Changan and Date Masamune are to blame for Zhonghui becoming Ding, an arrogant person who does not take his elder brother seriously. Once he died, it was all over.Toshikatsu Doi felt that Date Masamune must not be left alone to show off his might. "Father, please listen to what my son said." General Xiuzhong didn't bother to wipe off his sweat, and said, "Zhonghui's faults are exactly as father said. But when you think about it carefully, these are also my son's negligence."

"What's wrong with you?" "Father, please hand over the matter of punishing Zhonghui to the child." "General, you have to be careful with what you say!" "yes." "Who do you think is the master of Fang today? Besides, the boss is not my retainer. What do you mean by taking the punishment?" "Zhonghui is Haier's brother." "Yes, he is the brother of the general, and also the son of a hermit like me. That's why I say, you have to punish him with tears in your eyes. From me...from your father's mouth..." Xiuzhong was surprised to see that Ieyasu was already in tears.Zhonghui's fault does not seem to be in these three.These three are just excuses, not real faults.What was the real fault?Xiu Zhong also knew that Xiu Lai's death had dealt a heavy blow to his father.But how could he link Hideyori's death with the responsibility for Zhonghui? "Father said yes." Xiuzhong nodded slowly, thinking in his heart: Could it be that Zhonghui asked his father for Daban City again?No, absolutely impossible.Gaotian Castle has just been built, it is very spectacular, and its territory is also the key.I have told him many times behind his back, and he seems to understand.So why?Is the father still suspicious of Date Masamune?Thinking of this, I just heard Jiakang say: "You can't ignore his three faults. He shrinks back on the battlefield, despises his elder brother, disobeys his father, and is rebellious in the matter of entering the palace. How can a person like this be worthy?" Possess a territory of 600,000 shi? The punishment for him is up to the general, but it should be discussed carefully with the veterans before making a decision." Xiuzhong didn't reply right away, but just looked at his father.Ieyasu still held his chest up and full of vigor, but from his sunken eye sockets, it was obvious that he was exhausted already, and veins burst out at his temples. "General, it seems that you still have something unclear." "Yes. But my father may have misunderstood these three points. My son wants to pass Zhonghui here, and let him make a brief statement..." "That's all." Ieyasu shook his head bluntly, and said, "He is also my biological son. I have heard his statement. This request is only made after hearing the statement." "Then..." Xiuzhong pondered his father's thoughts carefully, "Then, for these three mistakes, the child will punish them as appropriate. I wonder what orders my father has?" "That's right. According to the general, how should we punish him?" "First of all, it should be confinement for some time... The child thinks this is enough." "Too light!" "Do you want to move or cut the seal?" "It's light." Ieyasu said softly, turning his head to the side.Two lines of old tears flowed from his wide-open eyes, and flowed down along the wrinkles. "Ah." At this moment, Honda Masanobu leaned forward, sighed, and said, "I shouldn't have interrupted this matter. However, Mr. Shang Zongjie has just turned twenty-four years old. Or the punishment of cutting the title is too heavy." According to his judgment, Ieyasu probably wanted to kill Zhonghui as compensation for Hideyori's death.He was afraid that Jiakang's next words might be the word "seppuku", so he blocked the danger in advance. "Sado." Ieyasu's voice trembled, "Are you deaf? I mean, it's too light to move or cut the seal." "Then, even more than this..." "The mistakes he made were not just due to his willfulness and incompetence." "My lord is saying that he has other faults?" "These three are enough!" Ieyasu said decisively, "There is no one around him who can blame or stop his mistakes. If things go on like this, he will definitely become a serious problem for the general to rule the world." From this statement, Xiuzhong finally understood his father's thoughts, and he sighed - his father was regretting marrying Date.Hidetada knew very well what Date Masamune was.Regardless of Hideyoshi or Ieyasu, Date has never paid attention to him. He is arrogant and treats others as nothing. Back then in Fushimi Castle Gakuma, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, Maeda Toshiie and Masamune slept together.Taige proposed to everyone to hold a tea party and gather famous names from all over the world.Therefore, these four people acted as hosts and entertained the daimyo respectively in the tea room of Fushimi Castle, showing their dignity.At that time, Taige assigned those big names who had mutual grudges and disliked Masamune to Masamune, and he received them.Those people are Satake Yoshinobu, Asano Nagamasa, Kato Kiyomasa, Uesugi Kagekatsu and others. "Look, there is going to be a good show." But Mr. Hideyoshi was a little dumbfounded, because nothing happened, Masamune deliberately made the tea soup boiled hot, and then distributed the hot tea to everyone. Everyone burned their mouths because of this, and they were eager to ease the pain of their lips and tongues. How could they have a quarrel ?How could such a shrewd Date Masamune take Hidetada seriously?But Zhonghui became Zhengzong's son-in-law.He is competitive, and with Masamune's fanning the flames, he will treat Xiuzhong as nothing.If it weren't for this, Ieyasu wouldn't have said something like "becoming a shogun and ruling the world". After Xiuzhong understood this, Fang felt that he really shouldn't ask his father any more.Once his father said the word "seppuku" himself, how could Zhonghui survive?After thinking about it, Xiuzhong said: "My son understands what my father means very much. Regarding the punishment of the chief minister, my son will discuss carefully with the veterans before making a decision." Ieyasu nodded briskly and changed the subject. For Ieyasu, it was a little unbearable to continue talking about how to punish Zhonghui here. He also immediately changed the topic to post-war rewards and punishments, but his mind still couldn't get away from Zhonghui: I didn't do it out of respect for Taiko. Feeling angry, you have to treat Xiu Lai like this.On the contrary, in the depths of Ieyasu's heart, there is always an inexplicable emotion: Taige, forgive Ieyasu, Ieyasu is not just punishing your son, my son's crimes should also be dealt with.Whoever stands in the way of peace will be punished.Tokugawa Ieyasu must have this kind of magnanimity, and the gods and Buddhas also require me to have this kind of spirit... However, another reason why Ieyasu is determined to punish Zhonghui is definitely not out of such feelings.In any case, Zhonghui and Zhengzong must be separated, this is for the future.Letting Zhonghui, a hummer, get close to a person like Date Masamune is an irreparable mistake in itself.Not only Zhonghui, it was a mistake to let Sodero follow Masamune.When Masamune brought Sodero back to his territory and decided to build ships, his ambitions had grown infinitely.Masamune is such a person, who has the root of the disease of "big robbery" buried in his body that will never be cured. Hideyoshi stole the world, Ieyasu also stole the world, and Masamune wanted to steal the world, so what's wrong with that?Masamune refused to give up his arrogant ambition, and the fire was still burning in his heart.Ieyasu accidentally gave Zhonghui the "oil bottle" to him, so wouldn't a raging fire be ignited immediately? Just because Ieyasu is too conceited.He originally thought that as he grew older, Masamune's ambitions would slow down; he also wanted to make Zhonghui restrain his arrogance through his marriage, but this hope has been defeated. This move just sent the son who looked down on Zhengzhi's elder brother to Zhengzong.Masamune's arrogance and ambition are much greater than Ieyasu imagined, and Ieyasu finally understood: If there is anyone behind me who can cause chaos in the world, it must be Date Masamune.If Masamune allowed Zhonghui to criticize his elder brother Hidetada, causing internal strife in Tokugawa, he could win the world by standing aside.If Zhonghui was a sensible person, all of this would be insignificant, but although Zhonghui talked about domineering and domineering, how could he understand his father's foresight and painstaking efforts! That being the case, in order to ensure peace, Zhonghui has to be severely punished.In fact, this is in the name of punishment, so that Masamune and Zhonghui will sever ties.If this were not the case, another, more brutal campaign would soon be launched. Ieyasu didn't just want to punish Zhonghui severely.He also suggested to Xiuzhong to give fifty thousand stones to his grandson Matsudaira Tadaaki, who is now guarding Osaka Castle, and move him to Yamato Koriyama after sorting out.Ieyasu still felt that he owed Zhonghui in his heart, but he didn't know how the general understood what he meant. Would he immediately order Zhonghui to cut his belly, or would he spare his life in consideration of brotherhood?If you just move the seal, you can't make Yida's daughter leave.If Date's daughter doesn't go, everything will be useless, and Masamune will continue to incite his son-in-law.However, if Ieyasu had just conquered Osaka Castle and immediately went to conquer Oshu, he would definitely be said to be a cruel person who did not fear gods and Buddhas. Besides, he was already in his seventies. "The gold and silver treasures in Osaka Castle are supervised by Shigenobu Ando, ​​and Mitsuji Goto is responsible for minting coins..." Ieyasu made suggestions to Hidetada on post-war matters, and on the other hand felt compelled to mention Zhonghui again, " This reward and punishment, the general must have already figured it out, but I don't know if your actions are in line with the king's way?" Ieyasu suddenly jumped from minting coins to rewards and punishments. Xiuzhong couldn't understand it for a while, "Of course, my child thinks that it is in line with the king's way." "That's right, the general is not the kind of person who relies on domineering and enforces his ideas." "yes." "However, anyway, the war has just ended, and excessive mercy will only leave a source of disaster, which will definitely not be conducive to fulfilling the duties of the general who conquered barbarians." "Xiuzhong also thinks so." "The above incident with the chief executive is an example. If you feel that he is a real brother, you will be punished lightly. If you just change the seal, his wife will definitely not leave..." Xiuzhong was taken aback, and looked at Honda Masanobu.But Zhengxin squinted his eyes under the white eyebrows, showing no expression.Xiuzhong had no choice but to say: "Father said, is it the Goro Baji who was married by the Date family?" Ieyasu nodded slightly, "I heard that they have a very good relationship as husband and wife. Therefore, even if you transfer Zhonghui to a remote place and cut his salary, she will follow Zhonghui." "As a wife, this is a matter of course." "No." "what……" "The general returned to Edo first, and after returning to Edo, ordered Date to bring back the wife of the chief executive. The woman is innocent, and Zhonghui is the one who is guilty." Zhonghui nodded again and again, but still did not understand what Ieyasu meant.He suddenly remembered Qianji, who was about the same age as Goro Baji, and Qianji must also be punished. "About this matter, the child already understands." Ieyasu nodded.Xiuzhong made him feel that the burden on his shoulders suddenly became lighter.He believed in Hidetaka's integrity, even if this son failed to understand his father's true intentions, as long as Goro Baji left Zhonghui, the fire of Masamune's ambition lost its fuse and gradually extinguished. However, Xiuzhong said suddenly at this time: "My boy, there is another matter, which is about Ah Qian." "Aqian... what happened to her?" "She has returned to Fushimi City now, and she wants to ask her father to deal with Ah Qian and hand it over to the child." Ieyasu couldn't help but widen his eyes, "Ah Qian's treatment..." "Toyotomi's Osaka Castle has been destroyed. Although she escaped from Osaka Castle, she is no longer my daughter." "So, the general wants to treat Aqian as Toyotomi's widow?" "Exactly." Xiuzhong's answer was very straightforward, which made Ieyasu a little at a loss.Ieyasu advocated to be strict with everything in the future, but he didn't expect to slap himself in the mouth.He pondered for a while, and finally came up with an idea: "Yeah...it's fine to do it this way. How about following Gaotaiyuan's example? Gaotaiyuan is the widow of Toyotomi Taiko, so first, according to her wishes, let her She lived in Sanppongi. Later, she devoted herself to Buddha and built a temple for her. Ah Qian can follow this example." Xiuzhong corrected his posture, "I think the two things are different." "Oh?" "Before the death of Taige, he entrusted all the funeral matters to his father. Gao Taiyuan, as the head of the Taige, treats each other like this. But Aqian is the wife of a man who caused rebellion twice and never surrendered. .” "Oh!" "If you confuse the two, it will be said by the world that there is no distinction between public and private, and it will become a flaw in the shogunate. Please leave the matter of Ah Qian to Xiuzhong." Ieyasu was at a loss, this is Xiuzhong's kingly way?Laws and laws must be obeyed, but on top of this, there are greater laws of heaven and earth.On top of the law that cannot be violated, there is also "humanity".Human feelings are not derived from morality and laws, but from human nature and the wishes of gods and Buddhas.He then said: "General, I think you are thinking wrong. If you take personal feelings into account, you will not be able to set rules for the world. If you think this way, your laws are not for others. Without human feelings, there is no kingly way." ?” Xiuzhong thought for a while, "It's not human favors... It's not a different way to deal with Aqian and punish the boss." "Could it be impossible to deal with the same?" "Exactly. If the boy imposes a severe punishment on the boss and forces him to separate from Goro Baji, if the boss asks me at this time, how will I deal with Aqian, what can I say? I let my daughter go, but Severe punishments will be imposed on the brothers, and rumors and gossip will rise in the blink of an eye. Therefore, follow the example of dealing with the general manager and deal with the matter of Aqian, and ask the father to hand it over to Xiuzhong. Tu Zhong will definitely take care of what his father said. , deal with it appropriately." Ieyasu almost coughed, it turned out that Xiuzhong cared about this! "The general is an upright man, so it's no wonder that he thinks this way, but this idea is completely wrong!" "Why?" "Think about it, regardless of gossip and the world's thoughts, Zhonghui and Aqian's situation is completely different, the same is only a bond of flesh and blood, Zhonghui is your brother, and Aqian is your daughter. If you stick to feelings, To impose the same punishment on these two people would be a small belly, and it is absolutely not human." "Oh?" "Besides, that unfilial son, sitting on 600,000 shi, was powerful for a while, but committed three serious crimes. Compared with this, Ah Qian is just a poor woman with no strength to restrain a chicken." "yes." "Besides, Aqian didn't escape because she didn't want to die with Xiu Lai. She risked her life and begged for her husband and mother-in-law. She is a virtuous woman... General." "exist!" "Don't you think of Ah Qian as your own daughter, and don't think of her as my granddaughter. You just think of her as a poor woman. Don't you feel sorry for her?" Xiuzhong straightened his upper body, closed his eyes, and remained silent. "People are not plants, how can they be ruthless? General, the human relationship I want to talk about is the relationship between people, not the private relationship of a family. When I say human relationship, I mean the sympathy and compassion for those poor, weak and unfortunate people. Compassion. If there is no such kind of favor, this world will be like a vast desert, how can there be warmth..." Ieyasu wiped the corner of his eyes secretly, and continued, "Ah Qian is not inferior to leaving Osaka City and moving to Mippongi, where he dedicated himself to worshiping the dead souls of Taige Court. Just follow the precedent of Gaotai Court. You think she is guilty of not accompanying Xiu Lai to death, which is narrow-minded." At this time, Xiuzhong opened his eyes and shook his head, "I still can't understand this..." Ieyasu had a big accident, his voice began to tremble: "General, you still can't understand?" So far, Xiuzhong has never disobeyed Ieyasu. If he treats Qianji kindly, he, as a father, should feel comforted.Ieyasu also hoped so, but Xiuzhong couldn't let it go.Jia Kang said again: "Let me just listen to you explain why Qian Ji must be punished!" Xiuzhong stared at his father intently, took a breath and said, "Father is a rare hero in the world." "What does this have to do with it?" "Father is a hero who is once in a hundred years and unique in a thousand years. Xiuzhong and all his cronies are all in awe of him." "I ask you, what does this have to do with it?" "However, it is impossible for a person like his father to live forever. Therefore, Xiuzhong must walk an ordinary path that is completely different from his father's." "Don't beat around the bush. Let me ask why you have to punish Qian Ji?" Ieyasu patted him hard, but Xiuzhong was not afraid, but became more calm: "Therefore, even if it is the human affection just mentioned, there is a huge difference between the father's human affection and Xiuzhong's human affection. At present, Xiuzhong's human affection is only hurt. Know the pain of others... If you don't hurt yourself, you will forget the pain of others. Xiuzhong is such a superficial and stupid person." "Wait a minute!" Ieyasu interrupted him, "You mean, you're going to prick yourself...you're going to punish Ah Qian so that you don't forget the pain, right?" His tone was very severe. "Exactly." Unexpectedly, Xiuzhong's answer was quite straightforward, "If Aqian is not ordered to die and the roots of Toyotomi are broken, Xiuzhong will not have the confidence to manage the peace created by his father." "Root off?" "Yes, Ah Qian may be pregnant." Ieyasu also took a deep breath, and murmured: "General, do you still remember that after Takeda Katsuyori committed suicide on Tianmu Mountain, we still searched for his blood. If someone cuts off the blood, the gods and Buddhas will not forgive. Ah Qian Now that she is pregnant, it is even more impossible to let her die. When that child grows up, the world will be different from what it used to be. At that time, the grievances of the troubled times have long since disappeared." "No!" Xiuzhong retorted calmly, "If this is the case, Xiuzhong will become a violent person who only punishes others but not himself. In just these two days, Xiuyao's orphan Kunimatsumaru will be arrested. Xiuzhong determined to put him to death..." Ieyasu couldn't believe his ears, "What did you say? Xiu Lai's orphan?" "Yes." Xiuzhong raised his eyebrows and nodded, "It's called Kunimatsumaru, and it was born to a maid from Ise." "Hey! He didn't live in the city since he was born, and he severed his relationship with the Toyotomi clan long ago, and sent him to the merchant of the Jingji clan... the Chang Gao Court should have sent him to a low-status person, alas, I hope He is safe and sound. Why do you bother to find him again? It would be troublesome to find him out, it would be better to forget him." "How can things stop here?" "So, someone with good deeds came out to report?" "Yes. It's inconvenient to say the person's name, but he will send him to me within two days." "What did you say?" Ieyasu's face began to contort, and he bit his tongue away, "This is an extraordinary thing! The general wants to order him to be executed?" "After he is a traitor, how can he be extrajudicial? How can he be punished if he is let go? He must be dealt with as an example to others!" "This, these things," Ieyasu hurriedly said, "the general doesn't need to deal with it himself, just leave it to Itakura. Shengjuge will definitely deal with it appropriately." Hidetada seemed to be waiting for this sentence, and said, "Itakura Katsushige was the one who decided to execute Kunimatsumaru." "Success him..." "Katsushige seems to have thought more deeply. The world knows Kunimatsumaru's son, and someone has reported his hiding place. If he is not dealt with, how will he deal with other guilty people?" "other people?" "The Changgaoyuan family and the Jingji family." Ieyasu shut up, yes, everyone knows that the traitor Toyotomi Hideyori has a son called Kunimatsumaru, and this son is hiding in Chang Gaoyuan. Where to escape?Kyogoku will bear the crime of harboring Kunimatsumaru and be punished. In Itakura Katsushige's view, he must be cautious whether to let Guosong go, or to preserve the Changgaoyuan, which spared no effort for peace.After thinking for a long time, the other party suggested that Kunimatsumaru should be executed. "I forced Xiu Lai's mother and son to commit suicide, and ordered Kunomatsumaru to be executed. I have disregarded ordinary human feelings, and I can't care about my daughter Qian Ji. I hope my father will approve this matter." Xiu Zhong mourned. With nowhere to retreat, Ieyasu turned his head away...