Chapter 26 Chapter 26: The Frog of Edo

The inner courtyard of the Shogun's Mansion in Edo Castle is very simple. It is only a place for General Hidetada to rest, eat and sleep when he returns from the outer courtyard. It is not as spacious as the longhouse behind. Only a few cronies can come here to be summoned by the general.Toshikatsu Doi is one of them, along with Tadamoto Mizuno, Munemo Yanagi, Mrs. Fuku, the wet nurse of Takechiyo who lives in Xiyuan, and Axiao, the maid of Chihime who came back from Osaka.Ah Xiao has become the general manager, and is no longer called the Ministry of Criminal Justice Bureau, but renamed Ah Wei.

Xiuzhong usually does not bring the government affairs that are handled in the hall back to the inner room. Therefore, the main wife A Jiang and his wife are completely ignorant of political affairs, let alone intervene. On that day, Xiuzhong returned to the inner court with a gloomy face. Ajiang and the adults mentioned Qianji who is still depressed, "It's better to find a good family and remarry her." Xiuzhong didn't speak.Ajiang and his wife said this because Tokugawa Ieyasu's granddaughter and Honda Tadaka's mother, Xiong Ji, had secretly talked with her, but Xiuzhong really didn't have the heart to deal with it at the moment.

Xiuzhong was still thinking while eating.After eating, he called a servant boy and said, "Liu Shengdang is still in the vestibule, invite him here." Munemo Yagyu had just returned from Sumfu.At noon, Hidetada received him, and heard him relay Ieyasu's meaning: let Takechiyo come to Beijing next year, as the heir of Tokugawa, and ask the emperor to give him an official position.Sishi Ieyasu will also go together, and Yagyu Somo will be the guard along the way.Xiuzhong and his important ministers had expected this, but in addition, Ieyasu must have secret orders.There were many people in the vestibule, but Xiuzhong didn't ask Zongju.If the matter is important, Zong Ju will meet Xiuzhong alone.However, after the matter was over, Zong Ju did not request to meet alone, but he was not in a hurry to retreat, as if he was waiting for something.As a result, Xiuzhong felt that he should be invited to the inner court.

In recent days, the tacit understanding between Xiuzhong and Zongju has become more and more tacit, and it can even be said that they have a tacit understanding. Not long after, Zong Ju came in. "The general summoned me, and I hurried here." He first saluted Xiuzhong solemnly, then turned to A Jiang and his wife, and said, "The Imperial Palace hopes that the lady can write him some letters occasionally." Seeing that Zong Ju was talking about family affairs as if nothing had happened, Xiu Zhong sent A Jiang and his wife away knowingly. When there were only two people left in the room, Xiuzhong looked at Zongju silently, waiting for him to speak.But Zong Ju still put his hands on the ground, looked up at Xiuzhong solemnly, and said: "May I ask you, General, what are your orders?"

Xiuzhong bit his lip and said, "Father said he would come to Edo soon?" "Yes. He sent the chief supervisor, Matsudaira Katsutaka, to Echigo to punish the chief executive. After Katsutaka returned, the Imperial Palace first listened to the lectures of the monks of the Caodong sect, and then summoned Nanguangfang Tianhairen from Kitain to ask about the Dharma. , and went hunting." "What do Buddhism, hunting, and coming to Edo have to do with each other?" Zong Ju said solemnly: "Buddhism talks about compassion, but hunting is killing. We ordinary people would think so. But the Imperial Palace believes that killing is also compassion."

Xiuzhong tilted his head and thought for a while, then said: "So, in your opinion, father's hunting is to strengthen his body and prepare for coming to Edo?" "Exactly. As usual, at such an old age, the Imperial Palace shouldn't have gone out, but he decided to come here once. He must make some preparations for this. The Imperial Imperial Palace is still so strict with self-discipline, I really admire you." "Oh." "This time when I visited the Imperial Palace, I heard him say something admirable, that is: honesty without compassion in your heart is really cruel."

"Integrity without mercy?" "Exactly. Integrity is originally a virtue, but if there is no compassion in the heart, integrity will only bring harm to others. I believe that this is the experience of a father teaching his son, and I have engraved this statement in my heart." "Oh." Xiuzhong turned his head and thought about it again, and said, "You mean to punish the boss?" "No, not only Sosuke-sama, but Date as well. I think this is the care shown by those who stand on a high ground. The Imperial Palace has decided to train its muscles and bones in the hunting ground first, and then come to Edo at the end of the month."

"At the end of the month?" "Before that, it's better to send Mr. Doi to Junfu to ask about the specific travel arrangements." Xiuzhong said: "Mataemon, in your opinion, how long will father stay in Edo?" "I don't know." Zong Ju simply shook his head. "I don't know?" "I think that this is not something that can be determined by the Imperial Palace. It depends on Yida. When he gives up his delusions, the Imperial Imperial Palace will go back." Zong Ju's answer was taken for granted. A blush suddenly appeared on Xiuzhong's face: it turned out that his father was doing it for this!He felt ashamed of his stupidity, and said, "If Ida is still ignorant of current affairs, father will send troops to destroy him?"

"No!" Zong Ju shook his head with a sneer on his face. "Ok?" "The Great Imperial Palace feels sorry for the gods and Buddhas. He thinks that on the eve of the battle in Osaka, he should personally go to persuade Hideyori's mother and son." "Osaka?" "Yes. According to Dayu, this was the biggest mistake he made in his life, and he himself neglected it. He said that he was old, relying on his status, and did not contribute enough. The battle in Dasaka was the punishment of the gods and Buddhas. If you want to eliminate the chaos of war, you must not be negligent in the slightest."

Xiuzhong stared at Zong Ju with his eyes wide open, holding his breath, "Father actually said such words?" "Yes. Moreover, he has personally made a schedule. As long as Date does not give up his ambition, the Imperial Palace will not return to Junfu." Xiuzhong let out a long sigh.Angry, he nodded and said: "Oh. In that case, Li Sheng should be sent to Junfu." "The Great Imperial Palace also said that if the frogs in Edo don't know what to choose, they will become real frogs in the well." Xiuzhong's face became even redder, "Oh? The Frog of Edo... Hurry up and vacate Xiyuan and tidy it up."

"What did your lord say?" "Takechiyo is still a child. If father lives here for a while, Xiyuan must be vacated so that father can live comfortably." "General!" "Any objections?" "I think that if you do this, the Imperial Palace will scold you for not understanding his thoughts." "Oh……" "The Great Imperial Palace decided to solve Date's difficulty with his own hands, and then took the young master to the capital to face the saint. He wanted to take this matter as his last effort." "Father's care is really meticulous." "Therefore, even if he comes to Edo, he will not live in Xiyuan. Because Xiyuan is the residence of the third generation general who inherited the Great Imperial Palace and the Shogun." "You mean that father is going to live in this city?" "No. This city is the residence of General Zhengyi. If the general wants to prepare a residence for the Imperial Palace, he should choose Erdao City. In this way, the Imperial Palace will be very happy." "Zong Ju, you even know your father's schedule and where he lives... You really make things difficult. If I don't ask, you don't tell me! It's like a lamp, turn it on and turn it on!" Xiuzhong scolded with an angry look on his face. Zong Ju gave a salute indifferently, and said, "Exactly." Seeing Zong Ju's response in this way, Xiuzhong became even more angry.Although he has always been serious, he can't tolerate such teasing, "Although you know everything, you don't want to take the initiative to say it?" "Exactly." Zong Ju replied without hesitation again, "The general and the father and son of the Great Imperial Palace must be in the same heart and in step. If we intervene in it and destroy the harmony between your father and son, it is inappropriate. Therefore, apart from the Great Imperial Palace, Let me convey the words, other things, as long as the general does not ask, I will never dare to say more." Xiuzhong gritted his teeth and said, "It makes sense." "My lord general, if you understand this, I will have a foothold." "Ataemon, when the Imperial Palace comes to Edo, I will live in Erdo Castle. However, my father is old and has not yet recovered from the exhaustion of the Battle of Osaka. As a son, I should try my best to arrange everything so that Father will return to Junfu as soon as possible." "This is filial piety." "I have one more question to ask. If I invite Date to Edo and let him swear in person, will the matter be resolved?" "This……" "The matter will be resolved temporarily, but there will be turmoil afterwards, so the root cause of the disease cannot be eliminated. What's your father's idea? Although I haven't said it yet, my father has definitely considered it in his heart. Sir, what are your thoughts?" Zong Ju was slightly startled, he thought Xiu Zhong was angry, but he didn't expect him to ask so patiently. "Don't dare to take it." He had just started to speak, but stopped quickly.If there are no ministers below, there will be no masters above.He still refuses to be granted a title or be promoted to a noble, just because he wants to serve the general as an admonishing minister. "The general asked this question, so I might as well talk about it." He deliberately put on airs and said, "The Imperial Palace asked a question that is difficult to answer next." "what is the problem?" "He said that a man-eating tiger appeared, unwilling to step into the gate of Taiping." "Man-eating tiger?" "Yes. If the general goes to bliss in the future, but the tiger is still in the world, I don't know how he will treat the young master. This question surprises me, and it is difficult to answer." "Ok." "The Great Imperial Palace also said that by that time, he would have long since passed away. The man-eating tiger might make trouble, so what should we do?" Zong Mo's tone was stricter than Ieyasu's, and he stared at Xiu Zhong closely. A man-eating tiger unwilling to step into the threshold of peace... Xiuzhong closed his eyes, and two faces appeared in front of him, one was Date Masamune and the other was Zhonghui. "If you ignore it, the man-eating tiger will definitely break into the market, causing rivers of blood to flow." Zong Ju seemed to be talking about other people's affairs, "However, if the guns are fired, not only may the tiger backfire, but may also hurt innocent people. When this chaos occurs, some people will drown and die while fleeing along the river, and some people will set fire to their homes during the chaos. Besides, if the tiger is allowed to escape, the people will fight and the world will be trembling, how can we feel at ease?" Xiuzhong nodded lightly, opened his eyes, "How did you reply, sir?" "I haven't found a suitable answer, but I just said that the young master should keep an eye on the tiger." "Let Takechiyo take care of you?" "Yes. The young master is definitely not its opponent. He can only try to get the tiger into the cage obediently before he raises his gun and fires the cannon, and then keeps an eye on it, but does not kill it. In this way, the world will have no worries..." Xiuzhong responded with a low voice.He has always behaved well-behaved, in his opinion, Zongji's statement is almost like a joke, even if it is so, but he said it clearly and logically, so it is inconvenient for him to refute deeply.He then said, "Father agrees with your statement?" Zong Ju took out the dagger that he was wearing with him, "Da Yu said it was very good, and I will give you this dagger as well." "Oh." "If you have any doubts, general, please feel free to speak up." "If Takechiyo doesn't have this ability, what should he do? If his eyes are not majestic enough, he won't be able to deter the tiger." "No." Zong Ju puffed up his chest and said, "The general is not good enough. Even the general's eyes are majestic enough." "I?" "The Great Imperial Palace invited many scholars headed by Lin Daochun to teach the way of saints in times of peace. The holy science is integrated with the military power of the great general who conquered the barbarians. Under the deterrence of this power, who dare not be afraid? People are not afraid, it can only be said that the general does not understand this reason, and will not frighten people with his eyes." "Oh..." Xiuzhong's face flushed slightly again, as if out of shame, "You mean I'm too cowardly?" "Only the cowardly and guilty will draw the sword immediately. Holding the knife in hand is like shooting a tiger blindly with a gun. It will only make the tiger crazy and hurt the people. Therefore, Xinyinliu, our school, advocates that it is not appropriate to draw the sword lightly. , Draw your sword and you will win." Xiuzhong silently stared at Zongju.His face was as calm as water, but Zong Ju could hear his violent heartbeat - he was desperately comprehending Zong Ju's words.Xiuzhong is a rare honest and upright person, so Ieyasu chose him as the successor of the great cause and trusted him a lot. "Is what your father said consistent with your swordsmanship?" "Different routes lead to the same goal." "Thanks to sir, I understand what father means. You go and call Dazhu, and we can discuss going to Junfu." Liu Sheng Zongmo bowed respectfully and respectfully, got up and went out. The general seemed to understand.Zong Ju thought of this, although he still felt a little uneasy, but after thinking about it for a while, he felt that there was no big difference.Doi Toshikatsu will go to Junfu, and the Imperial Palace will ask Hidetada's thoughts again, and if he feels that there are deficiencies, he will definitely give advice. Munemo Yagyu walked along the corridor to the vestibule. Not only did Toshikatsu Doi not leave, Masanobu Honda, Tadashi Sakai, Tadamoto Mizuno and others were all there, still talking about Ieyasu's coming to Edo. Zongji walked up to Doi Lisheng, and whispered a few words in his ear.Doi Toshikatsu stood up and hurried to Xiuzhong's inner court. Xiuzhong sat quietly in the room, folded his arms, closed his eyes, and seemed to be asleep.There were so many ashes in the coals in the stove, and the wicks on the lampstands became very long. "Master General?" Li Sheng sat down, cut off the wick, and whispered. "Dazuo, have you discussed everything about father's coming to Edo?" Xiuzhong didn't open his eyes, but just put his hands on his knees. "Not yet." Li Sheng took a step forward on his knees, shaking his head and said, "Hondo Sado Shou suggested that as soon as the Great Imperial Palace arrives in Edo, they should occupy the Date Mansion in Edo, capture Mrs. Date and Mrs. Zhonghui as hostages, and then watch Date reacted. But the crowd objected." "The opponents are saying that the Sendai samurai in Edo may cause chaos?" "Leaving aside this." Li Sheng said, "The Great Imperial Palace will come to Edo, and he wants to sit in charge himself. The most important thing right now is for the general to have the determination to attack Date." When Xiuzhong heard this, he opened his eyes. "Da Cook, father doesn't have such thoughts." As he said this, a smile could not help but float on his lips. "What is the Imperial Palace..." "There is no special order. Knowing the father is not the son, I can roughly understand his thoughts. Therefore, I want to send you to Junfu as soon as possible." "Next?" "Yes. According to father's plan, he will leave this month. We must discuss the itinerary with him first." "It's a matter of course, but...we should make up our minds before the Great Imperial Palace arrives in Edo." "No, I already have an idea in my mind." "The general has an idea?" "Yes. When you arrive at Junfu, tell your father that you want to ask him where he wants to go hunting. No, you can't ask like that, you will be scolded for asking." "Why are you being scolded?" "Father will definitely say: it depends on the situation... Maybe he will go to Ozhou." "So, the general thinks that the Imperial Palace is going to fight against Date in person?" "On the contrary. Ha ha!" "on the contrary?" "Father is trying to scare Ida's tiger with his eyes." "Eyes?" Even Li Sheng, who was always alert, widened his eyes at this moment, confused. "Yes. If you are afraid of that tiger, there will be wars. How could father be afraid of that tiger all his life?" "what?" "Therefore, if he stares closely at the tiger, the tiger will obediently walk into the Gate of Peace. By the way, you can say that after his father, Xiuzhong will also use his eyes to intimidate the tiger. Please tell my father how to deter the tiger... ...that way, it's safe to say." Doi Lisheng tilted his head and thought for a while, then suddenly patted his knees and said, "Yes! General Shengming!" "Da Cook, father said we are frogs in a well." "A frog in a well?" "Edo is not a well. We just yell here and there, but ignore the crux of the problem. After careful reflection, we do have some good things, but we are also a little cowardly and cowardly." Xiuzhong said here, picked up the tongs and took the thick water from the stove. A reddish coal was pulled out from under the ashes. "There is one more thing, Mr. Shang. Mr. Shang will go to the deep valley according to his father's order. You can ask your father, before he comes to Edo, can he meet with Zhonghui again?" Doi Toshikatsu suddenly straightened his upper body and looked at Xiuzhong.The Great Imperial Palace has no intention of fighting, but it cannot just sit idly by, so it has to come to Edo in person to warn Masamune not to be rude to the shogunate.Xiuzhong interpreted this matter as convincing people with deterrence.Li Sheng can understand all these things, but he can't understand the matter of the boss—does Xiuzhong really want his father to meet Zhonghui again, or is he begging for Zhonghui on the surface, but actually urging his father to deal with it as soon as possible?This statement is very ambiguous.Li Sheng opposes Xiu Zhong and pity Zhong Hui, and advocates to act thoroughly, like beating a snake half to death, which will only bring disaster. "I take the liberty to ask, what should I do if the Imperial Palace refuses to meet with Mr. Shang Zongjie?" Li Sheng's question was cryptic, and he wanted to judge his true meaning from Xiuzhong's reply, "I think that you should meet Mr. Shang Zongjie." My lord's punishment is a great deterrent to Date Masamune." "You mean, don't mention it?" "Well. If you are not careful, you will disturb the mood of the Great Imperial Palace. It is better to let Mr. Shang Zongjie live in deep valley city, so that Masamune will be afraid..." "Yes." Xiuzhong was still very frank and sincere. Doi Lisheng believed that if Xiuzhong was sincere, he would definitely say: "You don't understand brotherhood, I want you to intercede for him." But Xiuzhong remained calm, and in this way, Lisheng knew . "I believe that the Imperial Palace made such sacrifices to deter Date Masamune for the sake of peace in the world. If we intervene and ruin a major event, we will be a little confused." "You mean I didn't think carefully? Well, then we don't want to interrupt when the issue of the president is still inconclusive." "It's so good." "I'll talk about this later. If my father leaves immediately, I should go to the Kawasaki area to meet him. You go to Haosheng and Ueno, what places you will pass on the way, and how to guard the road. Father is old, and if there is an emergency, you are the only ones." ask!" "Please rest assured, General!" "You set off early tomorrow morning. We need to let father know that the frogs in Edo also have frogs in mind. If not, it is unfilial." Doi Toshikatsu heaved a sigh of relief and bowed his head in salute.He doesn't actually want to fight.However, when it comes to how to deal with Date, he really doesn't have much confidence, so he must rely on Ieyasu's wisdom.