Chapter 22 Chapter 22: The Eagle and the Wild Tiger

Endo Yahei returned to Date House, and Date Masamune was chatting happily with his close Kanze Sakino.Zhengzong recently invited General Xiuzhong to his mansion to enjoy ape music together, so he invited Guan Shizuo to discuss with him what program should be staged at that time. "How about "Shisheng"?" Masamune said. "Good regards, my lord." "What's the beginning of "Shi Sheng"? It's gorgeous, but it's just as old as gold and iron horses. It's still heroic and heroic..." Ida tapped her knees with her fan and sang loudly.

Zuo Jin first said: "My lord, Shi Sheng is too old, my lord should play a younger and more energetic person." "Haha, you said we are not of the same age? The battle in Osaka, I really feel old, I know my destiny." "How about changing the track?" "I can act" "It's rare for the general to come to the mansion once." "Haha, that's why I think it's good to play "Shisheng". Now that I know my destiny, I no longer want to compete with young people for fame, but if I have to fight, I will dye my hair black and white, and I will be killed on the battlefield." Let’s talk about it.” At this point, he seemed to think of something, and said in a low voice, “Very well, the Mengda Imperial Palace and the general did not give up, granted the dog son Xiuzong Iyo Uwajima 100,000 stones, and also recommended me to the imperial court as a fourth-rank counsellor. When you meet the general, tell him that Zhengzong is very grateful to the general. I played "Shisheng" to express my gratitude to the general."

"Oh." "Although I am old. But once the Kamakura incident happened, I will follow the example of Saito Mimori, dye my white hair black, and serve as the general's saddle." "Yes, when the villain pays a visit to the general, he will definitely convey the painstaking efforts of the general." Guanshi Zuojin said.At this moment Endo Yahei came in and sat aside without saying a word. "Yabei, what's the matter?" "I was ordered by my wife to go to Asakusa. I just came back and I have something to report to my lord." "Oh. I just finished talking with Guanshi, let me listen to you. Zuo Jin, I will send someone to invite you another day, and please give me your advice." Masamune sent Guan Shi Zuo Jin away, and asked Yahei as if nothing had happened: "Is there any Liu Sheng?" Reveal what?"

Yahei was stunned for a moment, and said: "This... I will go to the mansion of Mr. Shang Zongjie..." "I told Madam. You don't have to worry, Kamishosuke will not come to Edo. I have already made arrangements for him to go to Echigo along the Shinano Road. The child has just been born, and he is planning to go to Takata. Zheng Zong narrowed his one eye and smiled slightly. Yahei didn't know what to do.He originally thought that he was going to Asakusa by his wife's order, but it was Masamune's arrangement.When Masamune asked Liu Sheng, he was even more surprised.The chief executive Zhonghui, whom Wulang Baji had been thinking about day and night, had sneaked into Gaotian Castle instead of Edo. The news shocked him even more.The lord just asked Guanshi Zuojin to convey his loyalty when he met General Xiuzhong in a serious manner, but at this moment... I don't know what he wants to do?

"Haha!" Masamune saw Yahei panic-stricken, and laughed loudly, "I told you, you don't have to be so surprised. Calm down and talk back. What did the miss say?" "Miss is naturally looking forward to Mr. Sosuke's return to Edo day and night." "I've asked Kamishosuke to go to Echigo. If he returns to Edo right now, it's not good for me." "unfavorable?" "My hands and feet will be bound. The chief executive will go to see the general, and Shi will defend himself. He will say that I ordered it, and it will bring me endless trouble."

"grown ups!" "What's wrong with you? You want to say I'm ruthless?" "No! These things have already..." Mi Bingwei took two or three steps forward, and said, "I'm afraid the general and the Imperial Palace already know these thoughts of your lord." "Hahaha! I know, I know, it was Yagyu who said that." Yahei kept silent. "Don't worry, Yahei!" "yes." "I'm not stupid. Because of this, the Imperial Palace rewarded my concubine's son with one hundred thousand stones, and also elected me as a fourth-rank counselor."

"But, this..." "Are you trying to say that this is just a trick to deceive people?" Masamune suddenly widened his one-eyed eyes, but the smile was still on his face, "Yabei, do you know why the Great Imperial Palace conferred Xiuzong to Iyo Uwa Island and rewarded 100,000 stones?" ? You must not know, this is the evidence that the Imperial Palace and the general are afraid of me." "..." "Hmph, if Xiuzong and I returned to Xiantai with an army of tens of thousands, would the general and the Imperial Palace be alarmed? That's why he sent Xiuzong to the Four Kingdoms and divided us into two branches."

"Oh." "I am grateful for receiving the title for my son. Now that I have received the title, I should divide the retainers into two, and I have to be prepared." Masamune stared at his sharp one-eyed, but sighed, "Father and son of the Great Imperial Palace He is a hunter who has come all the way from troubled times. But Date Masamune is not an ordinary tiger or leopard. They put the cubs in Shikoku first, and then point the arrows at the tiger. I must be prepared, how can I sit and wait for death? These are all precautions. Only In this way, he did not dare to underestimate me. I am still a fierce tiger, and I can still make them fear."

Endo Yahei trembled all over: Masamune's thoughts were very different from Yagyu Somo's.Masamune viewed the world and feared people with long breath; Yagyu talked about people's hearts and convinced people with virtue.Behind the arrogance of Yagyu and Ogosho is self-confidence, because the Tokugawa shogunate has absolute strength.The two battles in Osaka were like a drama, which was due to the disparity in strength. "What's the matter, Yabei?" Masamune said in a joking tone, "When people are trying their best to get rid of me, a tiger who came from troubled times, if there is a little tiger who has not experienced the world by his side If it falters, the tiger will be restrained by others. Now do you know why I asked Kamishosuke to go to Echigo?"

"..." "Haha, there is no one else. I said to Mr. Shang: I will personally apologize to the general for him. The child has just been born, so I will go to Gaotian City and wait for the good news." "But, this..." "You mean it's impossible? Haha, yes. But it's also a strategy. If Xiaohu staggers to Edo, he will only become a hostage in the hands of the general. But if you let him go back to Echigo, even a small tiger will be very difficult for him." General, is a fearsome beast." "..." "At the beginning of the battle, the most urgent thing is to confuse the opponent and mess up his position. Masamune alone is enough to make the general fearful, and his own brother echoes me in Echigo. This so-called complements each other perfectly. In this way, the opponent will be worried, which just disrupts the battle situation. "

"But since your lord has such an idea, you still invite the general..." "Yes. I would like to extend the invitation respectfully, as a thank you for awarding Zihe Dao Shiwanshi and me as a councilor." "However, Lord Yagyu said that if things go on like this, the general might not accept the invitation." "It doesn't matter if he doesn't come." Zhengzong waved his hand and said, "I never thought he would come." "Oh?" "That's enough. I've already strengthened the roof and walls. Seeing that I'm ready, he doesn't dare to come. If he doesn't come, how can he act in haste and conquer me as an unknown army?" Endo Yahei felt a chill down his spine again.Although Masamune acted cautiously, he had no fear in his heart.His conceited expression terrified Yahei. "What else did Yagyu say?" Masamune asked after a while. Endo Yahei knew that he could not just be silent like this, nor could he talk nonsense, a little carelessness would lead to chaos.Just as he didn't know what the Imperial Palace and Hidetada were thinking before, Masamune was even more vague about their thoughts.If the two sides have disputes due to misunderstanding and arrogance, chaos is inevitable... Thinking of this, Yahei couldn't help but ponder for a moment. "Forgive me for your boldness." Not long after, Yabingwei was a little apprehensive, and tentatively said, "I think that there is one thing that Liu Sheng said is quite important." "Oh? Okay, tell me." "Actually, the Imperial Palace and the General have no intention of competing with the lord, on the contrary..." "on the contrary?" "Yes. They hope to resolve the rift between the two families with virtue, and hope that the two families can live in peace forever." "Huh?" Masamune put his hands behind his ears and laughed loudly again, "Yabei, that's ridiculous. Hahaha. Yes, as long as the opponent obeys, no one wants to start a war. Hahaha, okay, okay, these You don’t have to say any more. But you have to remember one thing, as long as there is a chance, your own dog will bite the master. The world is difficult, and we have to be prepared for this.” "Forgive me for being bold." "Ok?" "I haven't told my lord about Mrs. Chief Jie's wife, our young lady." "Say it quickly." "Yes. The miss is very worried about the suspicion of Mr. Zongshang Temple, and wants to meet Master Tianhai, who is deeply trusted by the Imperial Palace, through the master of Zojo Temple." "Oh! What did she do seeing Tianhai?" "I would like to apologize to Dayu, and I hope the people from Tianhai can explain it for Mr. Shang Jie. The young lady said that if you don't do this, it will be against women's morals. She has asked Liu Sheng to contact the people from Tianhai." "Ok?" "Liu Sheng also felt quite appropriate, so he agreed." "Why didn't you say it earlier!" "I originally wanted to say, but my lord..." "Girl Goro Baji, Zhonghui won't be able to set foot in Edo in the future, and she doesn't know that she's going to see Tianhai! Alas!" Masamune gritted his teeth, very unhappy, and fell into silence.Wulang Baji is the jewel in his palm, he dotes on him very much, he never thought that his daughter would stand in front of him because of her love for her husband.He murmured, "Liu Sheng agrees?" "One more thing..." "Fast fart!" "Yusheng said that the reason why the Imperial Palace punished Mr. Shang Jie was because he didn't want to fight with you. He also said that the Imperial Palace would rather his son suffer for the sake of peace in the world..." Date Masamune stared at Yabei with a cold gaze.He had long seen that there was an extraordinary power in Yagyu Somo.Living in this mortal world, no matter how high-sounding your mouth is, how can you not be moved in front of territories and rewards?Whether it is the Taige or the Great Imperial Palace, they must be clear about this, so that they can lead the world's famous names.However, there is only Yagyu Zongmo as an exception.In the Battle of Daban, Zong Ju stood in front of the general's horse and saved the general's life, but refused to add Lu Zengfeng. Zhengzong also euphemistically suggested that Zongju be granted a title, but Xiuzhong said: "He does not want to be anyone's retainer, and he is proud of it. He said that if he is blocked from admonishing because of his salary, he will not be able to truly serve the world. Be content with what you have." Zhengzong laughed it off, but since then, he has become very interested in Zongju: this person refuses to add a title, so what does he want?Now Zongju asked Goro Baji to meet Tianhai, begged for Zhonghui's life, followed the thoughts of the Great Imperial Palace, always cared about the common people in the world, and took great pains to avoid the Tokugawa Date War. What is his intention? Masamune stared at Yahei closely, and sighed forcefully, "Yahei, do you think what Yagyu said makes sense?" "Yes. Miss's worry is to follow women's ways. If she is not allowed to see Tianhai, I'm afraid she won't give up." "If Tianhai intervenes in this matter, my thoughts will be exposed, have you never thought about it?" "I thought about it." "Then why didn't you stop Miss? You were deceived by Liu Sheng." "I'm terrified. My lord knows Miss's temper. Whatever I say, she will..." "Okay!" Masamune interrupted Yahei anxiously, "Yagyu clearly told you that the Imperial Palace and the general have no intention of doing anything?" "Yes." Endo Yahei lowered his head and fell on the ground. "So, I'm going to start a war? Huh, he's bluffing you. He said that if I continue to provoke, there will be a war, is that so?" "Your Excellency is wise." Yahei raised his head, his face convulsed, "If I don't say it clearly, I am disloyal. Yagyu said that the Imperial Palace and the Lord are both good at using military skills, but their visions are far apart. The Lord is in the valley. , so what you can see is not far away..." "Hmph!" Zhengzong shouted loudly, and Xuan burst into laughter again, "Hahaha, that guy Liu Sheng thinks he knows the way. I am now in the valley, and I can't see far away. Hahaha!" Masamune's laughter displeased Endo Yahei: I risked my life to remonstrate, but you laughed out loud, what is this!He then said, "Forgive me for your boldness, but there is one more thing." "Okay, I'll know if you don't tell me." "No, I have to say it. Liu Sheng also said that the Imperial Palace would rather punish his son than avoid disputes with the lord. In order to persuade the lord to give up the idea of ​​raising troops, Tianhai and Miss should first meet." "Oh?" "Yusheng said that if the young lady knows what the Imperial Palace is thinking, she will tell the lord, and Tianhai will also help her plan. He said that for the sake of Date's future, it is time for the two to meet." "shut up!" "My lord! I have one more statement, which is the original words of the young lady." "Miss..." "Miss said that she would like to apologize to the Imperial Palace through the Tianhai people first. If the Imperial Imperial Office still does not change her mind, she will try her best. But, she can't separate from Mr. Shang, otherwise she will commit suicide." "Stupid! The doctrine forbids suicide!" "I also said this, but the young lady didn't listen, and said that there are precedents for this, such as Cressina who married into the Hosokawa family. She said that the daughter of Date should not lose to the wise daughter. I think that, I'm afraid no one can change Miss's mind." "shut up!" "I won't say any more. It's just that after the young lady made such a decision, the husband who had been longing for days and nights went to Gaotian under the instruction of the lord. If she knew, what would happen? Will she choose to commit suicide, or go to Echigo alone? Just thinking about it, I feel like my liver is torn apart." Mihei finished speaking in one breath, straightened his posture, and said, "I'm rude, if you want to be beaten or punished..." He grabbed the ground with his forehead, wept with trembling shoulders . Only then did Zhengzong regain his composure, and said, "Idiot, don't cry." "..." "I didn't blame you, I just made you worry." After hearing this, Yahei became even more sad - no matter what he said, the lord just told him not to worry.How could he not be worried? "Don't cry again! I am the father of Goro Baji, and I know it well." "Yes. But... the father of Mr. Shang Zongsuke is the Great Imperial Palace." "Oh." Masamune closed his eyes and folded his arms, "You and Madam both said that I should help Goro Baji and follow her wishes. I understand, I understand." Endo Yahei stopped talking, and thought to himself: Masamune said it was clear, but he fell into deep thought with doubts on his face, which seemed to move his heart.If Goro and Baji meet Tianhai under the arrangement of Liu Shengzong, they will understand the inside story-the punishment of Zhonghui by the Great Imperial Palace is a warning to Masamune.But if Goro Baji knew this, what would she do?If she thinks she can't convince her father, she might go to the Imperial Palace or the general in person, which will bring chaos to the Yida family. Masamune looked bewildered, and sighed in a low voice, "Ah Sheng is still as stubborn as before." "Yes. Miss always." "It seems that I shouldn't let Zhonghui go to Gaotian, right?" "Miss thinks that Mr. Chief Executive will come back in two or three days, and wants to clarify the matter before he comes back." "I'm not talking about this!" "Ah, my lord means..." "I mean, I should go hunting with Sososuke before he goes to Takata." "hunting?" "Yes. People will become fat and stupid if they don't move for a long time. If you want to keep your body fat and stupid, you can only hunt." Endo Yahei was stunned, not knowing what to do.He originally thought that Masamune was still thinking about how to persuade Goro Baji, but unexpectedly he suddenly talked about hunting.That being the case, Masamune was still unwilling to admit defeat. Suddenly, Masamune's one-eyed eyes widened, and he said, "Yabei! If you become stupid even with your roots, you'll be in trouble. So, I'm going to take the eagle to hunt." "When will my lord leave? Where are you going?" "Tomorrow morning, it will be at the Kasai hunting ground specially allocated to us this spring. You gather more than a hundred people and arrive there before dawn, get ready, and wait for me to arrive." Yahei was silent, and looked at Masamune blankly. He was full of suspicion, but he didn't dare to ask further questions. "Understand?" "clear!" "It's boring if there are fewer prey. If you can't catch prey in Kasai, you have to go looking for it. You have to go on and move lightly when you move, so as not to startle the prey away." "Obey!" "Also, tell everyone, don't make me angry. I'm in a bad mood." "Obey!" "Don't be so nervous, I'm blaming you. I'm blaming myself, lest I become a blunt object." Yabei looked bewildered, hurriedly lowered his head, and left. Pingkou, Masamune is always arrogant, but when he is angry, he is like thunder, coming and going quickly.This kind of temperament became his strength to attract his retainers, and it was also his means of controlling them.No matter when or where, he would never say the word "embarrassed".If he is not angry, he has a chest like ten thousand rivers, and when he is angry, he is powerful. Yahei has never seen a person with such patience.Since following Masamune, Yahei has also seen Masamune sick, but he has never seen him lying down during the day.Even if he was seriously ill, he would only rely on the support for a while, and would never go to bed until bedtime.He is even more restrained in his intercourse. His concubines include not only those from his own country, but also those from the Southern Man and North Korea, but he has never been late because of his lust for women. Seeing that Masamune was angry today, and something happened suddenly, Endo Yahei had no choice but to immediately prepare according to the master's order.He pondered, the lord was afraid that he wanted to take advantage of it to relax and think about Mr. Zongjie's affairs. "My lord is not in a good mood today, everyone must be careful with your words and deeds." Mihei ordered.Although it has entered autumn, it will take some time before there are more wild geese and cranes.He said again: "Even if there are not many wild ducks. You must try hard to catch them, and don't let adults get angry because they can't hunt anything." "Why do you want to hunt all of a sudden?" Yahei was silent.Masamune was always intimidating, and everyone didn't dare to ask any more questions, and began to prepare nervously. Early in the morning of the second day, more than a hundred people set off from Shibakou by boat and arrived at the hunting ground ahead of schedule, waiting for Masamune's arrival.Naturally Endo Yahei was not among them, he was in charge of guarding the mansion when the lord was away. After Yahei sent away the crowd and the twelve knights led by Masamune, he breathed a sigh of relief and went back to his room to start eating. It was a sunny day, and all the pheasants came out to look for food.Even if there are no wild geese and wild ducks, we can hunt some pheasants... Just as Yahei was thinking, one of his wife's maids came in and said, "Sir Endo." "It's so early, what's the matter?" "Madam, please enter the city quickly and report to the general the news of your return to the territory." "Your Excellency, return to the collar?" Endo Yahei trotted all the way to Mrs. Miharu's place, and saw Mrs. leaning on the table, holding a letter, lost in thought. His wife is the daughter of Kiyoaki Tamura, the lord of Miharu City, named Aihime, she is both talented and beautiful. Although she is over forty years old, she is still dignified and beautiful, without a single wrinkle on her face.She gave birth to Wulang Baji and Zhongzong. When she sat with her children, she was often mistaken for the eldest sister of the two.Zhengzong also respected his wife very much. No matter what happened, he would consult with her. Most of the letters he wrote when he left home were for his wife. "Ma'am, you said that your lord will return to the collar, is it true?" Mihei ran into the room panting, and asked right away. Madam frowned and said, "It's not a big deal." "what?" Madam said helplessly: "I'm afraid he wants to start a war." "fighting?" "He wrote on it that he would preemptively strike. When he returned to the collar, he immediately discussed with Katakura Jinggang and made a decision. If there is any emergency, Mrs. Shang Zongjie and I can decide whether to stay or not." Yahei was worried and his face was pale.Both the Imperial Palace and the general have no intention of fighting, why is this?Date Masamune went out twice from last year to this year, and he can return to the territory as long as he greets the general.He pretended to be hunting in order to retrieve it?Did he really think he could defeat the shogunate? "Yabei." "lady." "Although the adults didn't say it clearly..." "Ma'am, do you mean that your lord did not expressly say that you want to return to the territory?" "Yes, my lord is going hunting now." "Exactly." "However, since there is not much prey, the adults are depressed, so they have to go back to the collar to hunt." "Oh……" "Just say: My lord was going to return to the territory, but I stayed in Edo for fear of official business, but now it seems that there is nothing serious, so I ordered you to report to the general during the hunting, saying that he wanted to return to the territory. Already." Madam seemed to have thought it over, paused, and said, "You go again this evening, if you go too early, you will be seen through." After saying that, Madam looked calm and remained motionless.Endo Yahei felt lonely in his heart, but until now, it could only be like this. "I will follow Madam's order." Yahei Wei said, leaning forward and lowering his voice, "But Madam, do you really want to start a war?" "This... who knows?" "Madam, what do you think we have a chance of winning?" The madam slowly shook her head, "There is no chance of winning. My lord should be clear about this." "Then... why did my lord do this on purpose?" Madam didn't answer, and said, "When you go to see the general, add another sentence." "yes." "You just say that my lord will go back to the territory, and think about taking care of the affairs of the shogunate. If the shogunate is on business, please don't be polite, send someone to inform, and your lord will return to Edo immediately. If you add such a word, It's safe." "yes." "Your Excellency is really relieved to keep us here." Yahei gritted his teeth and said, "I think it's better to report to the shogunate first, but I'm afraid this matter won't stop here. I have one more matter..." "You mean Miss?" "Exactly, if it continues like this, I'm afraid the lady won't follow me, I don't know what Madam is thinking about." Madam closed her eyes slightly, she was also quite worried. "Miss will see Tiankai in these two days. Tianhai has come to Zojoji from Kawagoe." "Yabei. When you go to report to the shogunate, meet the lady by the way." "Advise her not to see Tianhai?" "No." Madam shook her head slowly, and said, "She is the same as her father. Once she decides, other people's words must be ignored. Then you can say this to her..." "how?" "Just say that my lord was very angry at the punishment of Mr. Shang Zongjie, and decided to fight the shogunate, and returned to the territory directly from the hunting place. My lord is as fierce as a tiger, and can walk thousands of miles in one breath. Of course, my lord should fight with Mr. Shang Zongjie." discussed the matter." "Have you discussed?" "Yes, you should also think the same way in your heart. Let's say that Mr. Kamisoussuke also had the same thoughts as us adults. On the way back to Edo, he diverted back to Takata. The war is inevitable, please be prepared, miss." Endo Yahei was speechless, staring closely at the dignified and beautiful face of his wife, his face was like water, his words were like a knife, if the lord is the tiger of Takano, what is his wife? "Do you understand?" Madam's voice was still calm, "Since Mr. Shang Jie has returned directly to the territory, and the war is inevitable, Miss must be very surprised to hear you say that. But what happens next , don’t talk too much, I have my own idea.” "This...but, if these words reach the shogunate..." "It doesn't matter." Madam said with a smile on her face, "If you think about it carefully, you will know that your lord has really deceived us." "how do I say this?" "He not only lied to me, the letter also said that if there is any danger, let me resolve it myself. Once rumors of the war are spread, Yida will be criticized by thousands of people, but it is also time for adults to show their talents!" Yabei couldn't breathe, and stared at his wife closely.There was a smile on her lips, as if she was sneering: No matter what rumors there are, they have nothing to do with me!This made Yabei very worried: Does the wife really care about her husband? "Yabei, a man should have the wisdom of a man." "This……" "Your Excellency, you have to stand against the shogunate. The future of the Date family is very clear—either they will win the world in one battle, or their family will be ruined in one battle." "lady……" "Hehe, yes, a veteran general in his fifties is like a young warrior in his twenties. He went back to the collar in a rage. If he didn't expect that this would trigger a war, he was not just blind." One eye, but completely blind!" "..." "When he returns to the territory, he will definitely discuss with the retired Katakura Jinggang. Jinggang is ten years older than him. After discussing with two people of this age, they decided to start a war. It is hopeless. gone." Yahei looked at his wife in surprise and remained silent. "Yabei, this time I'll just watch the jokes of adults." "This……" "Your Excellency seems to be making trouble. If it wasn't so, he would definitely not let Mr. Shang Zongjie go back. After you go and report to the shogunate, we will spread rumors that Your Excellency will start a war and make things difficult for him." "Oh?" "What the adults will think in the future, let's just watch from the sidelines. The Date family was originally a thorn in the side of the shogunate, and one or two twists and turns are inevitable. As the saying goes, if you really love a child, let him travel far away. We will make fun of this long journey. Tiger, look at his joke." After speaking, Madam curled her lips and smiled. Yahei was greatly puzzled by her words.Looking at her beautiful face, he only thought of the eagle full of fighting spirit.