Chapter 3 Chapter Three

Sanada Izu Moriyuki's residence was newly built in Imai, Azabudai, Edo, and the aroma of wood still lingers inside and out. Before dusk, Nobuyuki ordered the doors and windows to be closed, and had a secret conversation with his uncle Sanada Oki Shou for nearly two hours.Of course, the servants were all dismissed.Waves of heated arguments came from the room from time to time, blending into the silence of the mansion. In the 18th year of Qingcho, it was almost the end of the year, but the turmoil caused by Okubo Changan was still rippling terrifying ripples in the world, not only Sanada, but also a cloud of fear shrouded the hearts of most foreign daimyos.Tokugawa Ieyasu has left Edo, but he did not return to Sumfu, but moved from Musashi Nakahara to Kosugi's tea house, where he is said to be staying.This unexpected stopover aroused even more uneasiness and speculation among the daimyos.

"You count it." Oki Shou said, "Just the matter on the surface is already extraordinary. First of all, the Great Imperial Palace specially called Katagiri City, and said in person that he would seal ten thousand stones to the Toyotomi clan, but the voice On the first day of October, he transferred the seal of Ueno Banbi Castellan Tadayori Satomi. On the 13th of the same month, the old collar of Nakamura Chuichi's survivor was confiscated. On the 19th of the same month, he exiled Shinano Fukashi Castellan Ishikawa Yasunaga went to Saeki Bungo. On the twenty-fourth of the same month, the fiefdoms of Nobudaka Tomita, the lord of Iyo Uwajima, and Gentane Takahashi, the lord of Hinata Nobeoka, were confiscated, and Ishikawa, the lord of Shinano Chikuma Castle, was confiscated by Xuanyi..."

"I've known this for a long time!" Izu Moriyuki interrupted his uncle impatiently, "The general's extraordinary determination is deeply distressing to the Imperial Palace, and Nobuyuki knows it very well." "Oh?" Oki Mamoru seemed quite dissatisfied when his words were interrupted, "Don't think that you are the son-in-law of Honda Tadakatsu, so everything will be fine. Although your wife is Honda's daughter, she is also a grand imperial court." Your lord's adopted daughter. In this way, the lord of the Imperial Palace is your father-in-law. Don't you want to understand your father-in-law's difficulties, and you want to persuade Genjiro of Jiudu Mountain? It's not justified in terms of emotion and reason."

"..." "Are you still silent? Can you keep silent? Once Genjiro of Jiudu Mountain is left alone, he will probably go to Osaka Castle. In this way, your brothers will be fratricide." Izu Mamoru remained silent.He felt that this uncle didn't understand the ins and outs at all, which could be described as the temperament of the Sanada clan.The fate of the Sanada people comes from his father's extraordinary persistence and insights throughout his life.Since the battle of Sekigahara, his brother Yukimura has been receiving teachings from his father. He has another kind of "ambition" in his heart, which is like a rock, which he cannot shake.Uncle didn't understand this at all... Thinking of this, Xinzhi felt an unbearable pain in his heart.

Believe me, I know that if this situation continues, the world will not be peaceful.After disposing of the daimyos involved in the Okubo incident, Ieyasu left Edo with peace of mind, and why he stayed at Kosugi's tea house, of course, is also very clear to Shinyuki.Also, Okubo Sagami, who should rush to the top immediately, is a loyal neighbor. Why did he not leave Odawara Castle for so long?The letter is also well known.The loyal neighbor who has been stubborn all his life must have regarded his order to be sent to the top as a conspiracy by Honda's righteous and pure father and son.He firmly believed that Honda and his son were traitors who would use any means to get rid of him, so he wanted to stop Ieyasu on his way back to Junfu, force him into Odawara Castle, and speak directly to him to remove the traitor from the general. .In fact, when Ieyasu arrived in Musashi Central Plains, someone secretly reported these things to Ieyasu.

Xinzhi even knew that the informer was Baba Hachizaemon.In this way, Ieyasu will become a hostage of Odawara Castle, and in this way, the world will truly fall into chaos. Doi Toshikatsu rushed from Edo to the Central Plains with a bloodless face. Under his advice, Ieyasu temporarily moved to Kosugi's tea house.In such a state of emergency, if Yukimura enters Osaka Castle again, within the Tokugawa Xiaoqiang, between Edo and Osaka, will fall into an unmanageable chaos.Because of this, even without Oki Mori's persuasion, Nobuyuki himself was about to fly to Mount Kudo to stop Yukimura.But things are far from that simple.Nobuyuki is very clear that his brother Yukimura, who inherited his father's paranoid temperament, will not easily accept his elder brother's advice.This is not because of differences in personality, but differences in views and understanding.Both Ieyasu and Nobuyu firmly believe that only by teaching can a person become a "good citizen" who respects etiquette and abides by the law; while Nobu's late father An Fangshou Changxing believed that "that can only be wishful thinking, and not all people like a decent and peaceful life." He is a person who believes in "strength" thoroughly.

In this world, winners and losers, and the strong prey on the weak are the eternal rules.Therefore, Ieyasu's idea of ​​completely eradicating war from the world is really naive.But there are no generals who are always victorious in the world. Those who defeat others may be defeated immediately.As long as people exist in this world, wars will never end.That's how my father laughed at Ieyasu all his life before he left the world. "Genjiro, you don't have the heart of gods and Buddhas like Ieyasu." Because of knowing this, Nobuyuki did not act rashly, otherwise, once he was rejected by Yukimura, he would only be in a dilemma.

"It seems that your lord is going to insist on your own opinion." Sanada Okimori sighed helplessly, "The Great Imperial Palace has always trusted our Sanada clan. Once the world is in chaos, Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu, after three generations of hard work, will be It will come to naught. The old man is begging you here. This is definitely not a betrayal of heaven, it is for Sanada Kazumon. However, you only wrote a letter and wanted to abandon the flesh and blood brother. He refused to listen twice, you Just write the third letter, and if you don’t listen to me three times, you can tell it yourself, only with such sincerity can you show filial piety to the father who went first.”

"Uncle, wait a moment." Izu shook his head faithfully, "I'll tell you the truth. Uncle, you don't really know your brother or my father." "What are you talking about? An Fangshou is my elder brother who has been on the battlefield with me since I was a child. Why do you say that I don't understand his thoughts?" "Uncle doesn't know something. As we all know, my father was the head of the six guards of Prince Takeda Shingen since he was a child." "That goes without saying. He is the first one among the guards beside Lord Xinxuan, and even Lord Xinxuan often marvels that he is a real unicorn."

"Yes. Father-sama Yuraku Weijie. However, Yingming's father is really warlike. He lost two uncles, Gentazaemon Nobutsuna and Hyogo Cheng Masaki, in the Battle of Nagashino, and inherited the family as the third son." After graduating, I haven’t missed a single shot.” "Exactly. It's an old story. Your father made his name as Kihei Muto during the decisive battle at Kawanakajima. It was his first battle. It is said that he was only fourteen years old. During the siege of Odawara , he and the Baba Mino Warden Army, together with Sone Uchicraft in the Battle of Nirayama, were praised by Lord Shingen as "two eyes". After that, he first took Numata Castle, and took the 38,000 stones of Ueda Castle in Shinshu into his bag Middle. In the tenth year of Tensho, when Lord Nobunaga attacked Koshu, in order to rescue Duke Katsuyori, your father urged Mr. Katsuyori to enter Iwakuyama Castle in Shangzhou, his territory. But Mr. Katsuyori refused to listen, and instead went to beg for Iwaden Castle in Oyamada, In the end, it turned into the dewdrops of Tianmu Mountain, and the country was destroyed..."

"Uncle!" Nobuyuki couldn't bear it anymore and interrupted Oki Mamoru, "As uncle said, father is invincible, but I have to say that it is this kind of victory that misled father. Speaking of which, Uesugi Naoe Kanesuke , Toyotomi Otani Jubu, Ishida Jibu Shaosuke, etc., are all fascinated by father's art of war. However, these people are all desperate because of their wariness." "What does that have to do with going to Jiudu Mountain this time?" "Uncle, please listen to me. According to the Imperial Palace, my father is a soldier and a sick man." "What are you talking about? How did he become a sick man?" "There are only three such sick men in the world. One is Kuroda Rushui, the other is Date Masamune, and the third is my father. They all firmly believe that the world is always accompanied by wars and chaos, and they always want to be the masters of the world. Alas, they are all sick. The three great mountains that took over the disease of the world. Genjiro Yukimura, my younger brother, is my father's loyal son. Do you understand, uncle?" "Even so, you can't let it go." Oki Mamoru replied.Nobuyuki hurriedly stopped his uncle: "Uncle, please listen to the following words. Even so, I don't think my father is just warlike. My father first asked me to marry the adopted daughter of the Otani Imperial Palace, and then asked Genjiro to marry the daughter of the Otani Criminal Department. , joined the Western Army during the Battle of Sekigahara. What my father said at that time, I still can't forget it. He said: Izu Mori, in this way, no matter which side wins, the Sanada clan can survive. Don't you put your father Think of Sanada as a sinner..." "If this is the case, I've heard it often. It is because he is always far-sighted that he sent you to the Imperial Palace and put Genjiro next to Taiko. He is always on guard against accidents." "Exactly. During the Battle of Sekigahara, why did my father join the Western Army? Uncle, do you know what he thinks?" "That's because he has a deep friendship with Naoe Yamashiro, Otani Jubu, and Ishida Osamu. He joined the Western Army because he wanted to do his best." "No." Shinzhi shook his head and waved his hands, "That's not the case. Wars in the world are the norm, and peace is just a sporadic embellishment. This concept has been deeply rooted in his father's heart. He believes that the world of peace will never last ten years. Therefore, one's life should be gambled on war. Based on this idea, he regarded the Sekihara War as a war of seven points against three points." "Seven points and three points... So, he thinks the Western Army has a seven point chance of winning?" "No, only three points. However, if you bet on the seven-point side, even if you win, you will at most add 10,000 to 20,000 shi to Xinzhi's 100,000 shi. However, what will happen if the Western Army wins?" What? The masterminds of this war, Ishida, Otani, and Naoe Kanatsugu, are all disciples of his father and lord. It is hard to say that they will not be able to win the world? Even if there is no such cheapness, at least they can become the head of a million-dollar vassal Lord, that’s why my father bet on the Western Army. Although my father said it with a smile at the time, I was in a cold war. The difference in the way of life, the difference in the view of the world—these are the only things that cannot be shaken.” "Ok." "This gamble ended with my father's failure. In order to beg for my father's life, I gave my life to the Imperial Palace." "I know all of this." "At that time, my father also laughed. He said, how many years will the peace last this time? Maybe it will last for about ten years. But Ieyasu is a kind person, and it is estimated that he will leave a way for Osaka, so , I want to recuperate after being exiled to Jizhou, refine my strategy, and wait until that day..." "It seems that brother is indeed an extraordinary person!" "Yes, father is not an ordinary man. He teaches Genjiro every day that the next battle will be between Edo and Osaka. This is how Genjiro grew up, do you understand, uncle?" After finishing speaking, Izu Moriyuki stared at Oki Mori closely, and let out a sigh of relief.Xinzhi had already written a letter to Jiudushan, deeply clarifying the importance of Taiping, but the letter was returned intact.This is Shinji's current situation. If Xingcun is really the kind of person who is arrogant and rebellious by nature, Xinzhi will definitely send someone to reprimand: "It is extremely rude to send back the letter from my brother unopened!" However, Xingcun has a gentle and honest nature.When Nobuyuki goes into battle, he will deliberately assume a vigorous and mighty attitude, roaring endlessly, pretending to be tough; but Yukimura never even said serious words to anyone.Perhaps, Yukimura is naturally gifted with the ability to keep a low profile and strategize.Even when Nobuyuki was furious, Yukimura was always smiling, yet tolerant.If there is a fault, he will take the initiative to apologize, but what should be persisted, he must persist to the end.Therefore, although Yukimura grew up in troubled times, he rarely made enemies. Just as Nobuyuki was sent to grow up with Ieyasu, Yukimura also lived as a hostage for some time.After he changed his childhood name Akimaru to Genjiro, he became a hostage of the Uesugi family shortly after.There, he became acquainted with Naoe Yamashiro Mori Kanesuke.Kanesuke almost worshiped Changxing, so he also had an extraordinary friendship with Genjiro.At that time, Masako was fighting against the Tokugawa forces, so Uesugi's help was needed no matter what.Later, under the mediation of Toyotomi Taiko, the two families negotiated peace, so Yukimura was sent to Taiko's side again, and he could neither be called a hostage nor a servant boy.From then on, he got acquainted with Ishida Zhibu and met Otani Xingbu.Yukimura married Ishida Osamu's daughter as a matchmaker.Like Nobuyuki's marriage to the daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa, this marriage was also arranged by An Fangshou. Since then, Changxing has determined that Hideyoshi and Ieyasu will start a battle for supremacy in the near future.Although this battle did not occur during Hideyoshi's lifetime, but in the third year after his death, the Sekigahara War started, and everything was expected by Chang Xing. The Western Army was defeated, and thanks to Xinzhi's efforts, Chang survived, but he made a prophecy for the next battle.While living in Jiudu Mountain, he instilled his thoughts into Yukimura: "Peace is only temporary. In such a world where the weak prey on the strong, how can people be insulated from war?" If you want to think about your strategy in your spare time, Jiudu Mountain is indeed the best place to live in seclusion.All kinds of ronin pretend to pay homage to Koyasan, and come and go frequently in the guise of shugenjas or monks.Among the Iga and Koga samurai, there were also some frustrated people who gathered under Masahuki's men.Together with Yukimura, Changxing placed like-minded people in nearby villages. After more than ten years of management, Changxing has quietly developed into a powerful force.But he died closely after Okubo Chang'an, and finally failed to raise the command flag for the decisive battle between Toyotomi and Tokugawa.But when he was dying, he called Yukimura to his knees and left his last words, saying that his thoughts were correct throughout his life. That's why Yukimura typed back his brother's letter intact, and even if Oki Mori didn't understand the meaning of it, Nobuyuki could have keenly guessed that it was a sad but firm letter of breaking up the relationship. "So, Jiudu Mountain is already determined? Even if Yukimura enters Osaka Castle, you can only stand by and watch?" Oki Shou could not bear to see his nephew being driven to death like this.From his point of view, Ieyasu seemed determined.At this juncture, the number of ronin gathered in Osaka Castle continued to increase. If Sanada Yukimura and Takayama Ukon entered the city, Ieyasu would resolutely lead his troops to attack.When things got to that point, it was too late.Although Masako has the honor of never losing to Tokugawa, it would be a big mistake to think that his son will do the same.If Xinzhi can convince Yukimura and make him repent, Ieyasu may still give Yukimura his famous status.Oki Mori sincerely hopes that Nobuyuki can personally tell Yukimura about these interests. "I think you should still be a bit of a brother, don't get angry at Yukimura's rudeness." "Hey!" Izu Shouxinyuki sighed, "That's the end of the matter. Uncle is also a member of the Sanada clan. It seems that I, the Sanada clan, have always been stubborn." "Huh?" Oki Mamoru was also angry, "Once there is a decisive battle, do you think the chances of victory will be on Toyotomi's side?" "uncle!" "What?" "You are so persistent about this matter, why don't you go to Yukimura yourself?" "What are you talking about! Even your letter was returned intact. He originally regarded me as a confidant of the Great Imperial Palace. Even if he went, he would have to be rejected. That's why I came to ask you, you How can you not even see this?" "Since that's the case, I came up with a trick. You said that the letter written by you was returned, and I was furious..." "Come on, it's useless to go." "Who asked you to go in person? Since he doesn't even see you, why don't you entrust Matsukura Bungomamori, who is very close to Yukimura and his father, to go there?" "Let Matsukura-sama..." "Yes. Mr. Songcang's territory is in Hezhou, not far from Jiudu Mountain. Just say that I am very angry, and I will join the conquest army in the near future. I don't need to pretend to be someone else, and I will go to kill Xingcun. It made my late father feel sad, so Master Matsucang went to mediate it." "But, will this impress Genjiro?" Xinzhi said impatiently: "It seems that even uncle is angry. If he ignores this, Mount Jiudu will be under the surveillance of Matsukura Bungou-sama." Hearing what he said, Oki Morai nodded bluntly, slapped his knees and said: "Okay, this plan is indeed appropriate." Izu Mamoruyuki also slowed down his tone: "For Yukimura, compared with his elder brother who is far away in Shinano, it is more terrifying to have people who are close at hand staring at him. Therefore, if Mr. Matsukura visits, Yukimura will never refuse him." outside the door." "Ok." "Also, if I explain to him my anger, my uncle's heartache, and the decision of the Imperial Palace, no matter how stubborn he is, he will definitely not dare to be arrogant." "Hey! You are worthy of the blood of Sanada, you are so witty!" Nobuyuki smiled bitterly, "Uncle is finally in a better mood. Uncle, you think, with Matsukura Homorushige in Yamato staring at Yukimura's every move, even if Yukimura has the idea of ​​entering Osaka, he can't move. You can firmly hold him If it is tied there and does not move, the misfortune that my uncle worried about will not come. And... it is better to add one more, just say that in the near future, Okubo Sagami will rush to Kyoto and Osaka to suppress foreign believers .” "Will Sagami go? The Great Imperial Palace is still in the Kosugi area." "Don't worry. With Okubo's disposition, no matter what happens, he will let the general's decision be carried out. In addition, Matsukura has to let Matsukura say that Okubo Sagami actually has one more thing to do, which is to go to Kaga to negotiate." "Go to Kaga...to negotiate what?" "Either exile Takayama Youkon, or make him seppuku." "This... is this true?" "If this is not the case, the situation will not be calmed down. At the same time, it must be hinted that the same danger will also come to Sanada Yukimura." "Genjiro?" "Yes, at that time, it will be Matsukura Bungomamori who will be ordered to conduct an autopsy. It is best to tell Bungou Mamoru about this too. In this way, Bungou Mamoru will try harder to persuade. If Bungou gets serious, Yukimura may be punished. Forced to reconsider. Faith is not talent, it can only be like this, the rest is resigned to fate." After Xinzhi said, he clapped his hands. I don't know when, the night has fallen, and the surrounding area is pitch black. "Hold the lamp. The matter is over." In the dimness, Sanada Okimori patted his knee again in admiration, "Xingimura really can't be captured by a sneak attack." "Yeah, let's attack head-on. Yukimura is not born to be a soft-spoken person, he is overconfident. This is where he is most like his father." "Always a good-natured and benevolent demeanor." At this time, a young servant came in with a lamp, and Yin Qishou hurriedly stood up, "It's time for Matsukura-sama to return from the city. This matter cannot be delayed for a moment. Even though it is night, I still have to hurry Go visit him." I don’t know what Sanada Okisori said to Matsukura Bungomamori. Anyway, shortly after, Matsukura returned to Xiyuan in Edo Castle, visited Ieyasu, and then set off directly from Edo and went west along the Tokaido Road. , entered Kishu from his own territory Yamato, and visited Kudo Mountain where Sanada Yukimura lived in seclusion.At this time, it was halfway through the first month of the nineteenth year of Qingchang. Jiudu Mountain is located in the north of Koya Mountain and on the south bank of Jichuan.Crossing the bridge to the south is a gentle slope, and climbing the gentle slope to the right is a slope bathed in sunlight.There is a tall and majestic pavilion on the slope, with rows of stables, which seem to be built by Changxing. It is hard to imagine that this is the residence of exiles, just like a city wall.On the way here, Matsukura Shigesho heard about two major events: one is about the removal of Okubo Tadao who is frequently destroying foreign churches in Kyoto and exiling missionaries. Edo has already made a decision—served The pillar of the Okubo clan of the three generations of Tokugawa was deprived of the status of Odawara castle lord because of flaws. When Zhong Neighbor left Odawara Castle, he seemed to have vaguely known about this punishment.He wanted to keep Jia Kangqiang in the city to speak out, which was the main reason.Times have changed, and it is no longer the era when masters and slaves share joys and sorrows together in Sanhe, and retainers are no longer allowed to go their own way.Fearing that his ancestors had done their duty faithfully, Jiakang left his loyal neighbor with his life.But thinking of the righteous indignation of his honest and loyal neighbor when he heard the punishment from Soshidai, Matsukura Shigemasa felt depressed. In contrast, Matsukura did not particularly care about another matter, namely the arrest of Takayama Ukon, Naito Ruan and others in Kaga.However, those two are estimated to be able to save their lives.Because Matsukura had heard a long time ago that although Takayama Ukon had received invitations from Osaka Castle many times, he always told the envoys: "We can't fight now." Mamoru Matsukura walked to the gate with a heavy heart, cleared his throat vigorously, and said to a young man at the door: "Please inform Mr. Sanada that Matsukura Byomori is on the way back to the leader and stopped by to visit Jiuwei. An old friend I met." The young man was a handsome young man with forehead hair, probably Yukimura's son, and Matsukura didn't bother to ask his surname. "Understood. Please wait a moment." However, after the boy went in, he didn't come out for a long time, but Yukimura himself came out to greet him. "Oh, Mr. Sanada, I haven't returned to Japan for a long time, and today I came to pay homage to Koyasan. On the way back, I suddenly wanted to see you." But Yukimura did not let Matsukura into the house immediately, but calmly looked at the older uninvited guest, and said, "Then please tell me about your visit here." There was no smile on his face, nor did he feel any How indifferent, but revealing a kind of gentleness. Matsukura Shigeno's eyes flashed, and a smile appeared on the corners of his mouth, "Mr. really lives up to his reputation, he really is soft and tough. No wonder you returned all the letters written by Brother Ling. You can understand this stubbornness." But Yukimura still didn't change his expression, "So, your lord's coming this time is because of the same thing as my brother?" "The same... No, to be precise, Izumori got the instruction. Not only that, but the Asano family in Kishu and others also had the same intention. They happened to recall the friendship with your father, and also thought of his spiritual progress. , so I came here to disturb each other. I wonder if this is abrupt?" Yukimura's face couldn't hold back any longer, and he turned red all of a sudden, whether it was because of anger or shame.He said: "Since it is to pay homage to the dead father, how can a son refuse it? Come in quickly." "Haha!" Zhongzheng smiled boldly and took off his shoes, "Even though An Fangshou has passed away, the scenery of Jiudu Mountain is still there. It's really gratifying." "It made adults laugh. In fact, there has been an endless stream of visitors from all over the world recently, so I have no choice but to decline them all." "Oh? So, you have decided to rush to Osaka Castle, so you declined everyone related to Tokugawa? I don't think this kind of rumor is groundless, right?" "Yes, the mouth grows on other people, and no one can stop the rumors in the world. Nevertheless, thanks to the unremitting efforts of the elder brother, the deceased father and Yukimura were allowed to live here in seclusion and became confinement." Yukimura's tone became frank , let Matsukura Bungou into the hall. Entering the living room, Bungo immediately knelt and sat in front of the Buddhist altar next to the alcove, as if it was dedicated to pay homage to a deceased friend.Offering incense, he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. "My late father must be very pleased." "It is rumored that when the Imperial Palace heard that the envoy from Osaka had visited Mount Jiudu, his expression changed. I am afraid that he will throw his old fist in the near future." "Oh?" Yukimura pretended to be surprised. "Of course it's not Mr. Fear. I'm afraid he thinks your father is still alive, and he is afraid that those people will win over your father, so he can't hold back." "Haha!" Yukimura laughed for the first time, "That's not the case, the Imperial Palace is not that timid. In fact, the envoys in Osaka were very disappointed after learning of his father's death." "Oh? Who are these people from Osaka?" "It's Naisuke Watanabe who claims to have come here under the secret order of Ohno Sosuke." Yukimura replied calmly.From his tone and expression, he didn't feel any estrangement or sullenness at all, but showed friendliness and open-mindedness everywhere. "Saemonsa, I heard that you married your young lady to the heir of Date's retainer Katakura Kojuro?" Matsukura asked deliberately. "Yes, Katakura has always taken care of Sanada Kazumon." Yukimura replied indifferently, "I heard that Honda Sado Mori Masanobu's younger son is the adopted son of Uesugi Clan Naoe Yamashiro Mori." "Exactly. The Lord of the Imperial Palace always wanted to put this chaos to a satisfactory end, but the people around him just spread rumors and deliberately made things difficult for you. That is to say, you married your daughter to the Katakura family. Just this incident caused an uproar. There was an uproar." "Oh? This is the first time I've heard it. What kind of rumors are there?" "This...it is said that Sanada Zaemonzuo inherited his father's behest and decided to enter Osaka Castle and fight against the Kanto. The basis is this marriage." "It really makes sense! What is the relationship between Katakura-sama and Osaka?" "Here is the problem. The scale of the commotion this time is very large. It not only involves the issue of believers in foreign religions, but is also mixed with Tokugawa internal strife. Between Katakura and Matsudaira Kami Sosuke Tadaki, between Katakura and the general... " "Haha!" Yukimura laughed loudly, "It seems that the world always likes to create something out of nothing, and there are such rumors!" "It is said that those who have always been in close contact with Kamisousuke Tadaki include the late Okubo Changan, Okubo Sagami who is now in Kyoto, and Kamisousuke's father-in-law Date Masamune... It is said that those people will join Osaka One side. In this way, Zaemonzuo, the central dispatcher in Osaka, must first establish a good relationship with Date." "Haha, in this way, naturally there is a matter of marrying the daughter to the Katakura family who is the pillar of the Date family?" "Yes. Therefore, Honda and his son couldn't stand by and watch, so they immediately reached out to the Uesugi family and sent Uenosuke's youngest brother to Naoe Yamashiro as an adopted son." "If Uesugi and Osaka get closer again, something big will happen." "Saemonzu!" "Oh." "Now that I've come to this point, I think you must have understood what I mean. Please forgive me, just thinking about it right now can cause chaos in the world, and you need to think twice before making a decision!" After uttering the truth, Toyo Matsukura pulled the shredded tobacco tray to his side.Yukimura's face remained unchanged, he probably expected this from the beginning.He thought about it for a moment, and then he said something completely unrelated to this: "It seems that Yukimura returned his brother's handwritten letter intact, and my brother seems to have misunderstood this matter." "What did you say?" Feng Hou couldn't help taking the pipe out of his mouth, and asked anxiously, "Misunderstand you?" Yukimura smiled slightly, "Maybe Yukimura will not be like his father thinks, he always hopes that there will be more wars in this world, and he wants to put all his eggs in one basket and join the Osaka side." "Hmm." Toyo Matsukura knocked on the pipe impatiently, "So you didn't have that kind of consideration?" "Yukimura doesn't think his father's thinking is wrong. During the Sekigahara War, my late father and Yukimura stopped the current shogun's advance at Ueda Castle. But Yukimura's plan is a bit different from the gamble at that time." "So, you didn't consider joining the Osaka side from the very beginning? If so, I feel at ease. In fact, I was entrusted by the Oki Moriya and after I accepted the entrustment of the Ogosho in Xiyuan. Come to your land. Ou said that Zaemonsa must never be allowed to enter Osaka Castle. He has ordered Asano of Kishu to closely monitor him, and there will be no incident for the time being. He also asked me to tell Sanada about the matter after meeting with Sanada. You, just say, if you don’t go to Osaka, he will give you 10,000 stones in Shinano, and I hope that the Sanada brothers can live in harmony and make contributions to the peaceful and prosperous age.” After Matsukura Toyoko said so much in one breath, Yukimura's face turned red again, "Please wait a moment. My lord seems to have misunderstood Yukimura's meaning." "misunderstood?" "That's right. Yukimura won't gamble like his father, but it's not impossible to talk about getting into Osaka." "You...you...what did you say? You have promised to go to Osaka?" Yukimura shook his head lightly, "Of course, I didn't agree, but I didn't refuse either..." "Saemon Zuo, if this is the case, let's save face for Izu Mori and Oki, and also for this humble person. Don't underestimate Kanto, please make a decision as soon as possible!" Before Matsukura Toyoko finished talking, Yukimura asked back: "Master Bungo, so you think that if Yukimura does not go to Osaka Castle, the war will not start? Do you have a definite basis?" "The exact basis?" "Exactly. Yukimura hasn't decided to go to Osaka yet, but he has to go to the city. Yukimura is troubled." "This is strange. From your point of view, you already understand that even if you enter Osaka, the Osaka side will lose. However, even though you know this, you still have to be buried for the Toyotomi clan. Don't you owe the Feng family justice?" ?” "Ah! If it weren't for this, my late father's idea of ​​'there will always be wars in the world' would be a joke, and my father would be reduced to bandits and thieves. Yukimura would never do such a thing." Hearing what Yukimura said, Toyo Matsukura couldn't help being dumbfounded. What is Yukimura thinking, what is he trying to say?Matsukura Byogo became confused.He murmured: "So... so, you know that the Osaka side will lose, but you still have to join?" Yukimura didn't nod, but sighed, and said with a smile, "Don't you understand, sir?" "Unknown! Brother Izumori is worried about you. As a brother of flesh and blood, it is natural, but there is also an extraordinary meaning in the words of the Great Imperial Palace." Yukimura didn't say anything, he knew how conflicted he was.He doesn't hate Ieyasu, on the contrary, he respects Ieyasu and respects his rare tolerance.Even though his elder brother Nobuyuki is Honda Tadakatsu's son-in-law and joined the Tokugawa side, but he was a strong enemy of the Tokugawa during the Sekigahara War, and it is enough to surprise the world that he can live safely until now... If Hideyoshi Duke or Nobunaga, would you treat yourself like this?Whenever thinking of these, Yukimura is full of reverence for Ieyasu.Ieyasu even promised that as long as Yukimura does not go on the same journey as Osaka this time, he will make Yukimura his daimyo.Who in the world can match this kind of generosity?This is the heart of the gods and Buddhas.But the more he understands these things, the more bitter Yukimura becomes. "It seems that you still can't understand the painstaking efforts of the Great Imperial Palace." "Master Bungo." "If you don't understand, it's useless for me to come here... excuse me." "Matsukura-sama, Yukimura just wants to tell you one thing." "What else?" "My lord, please only pass this message on to the Imperial Palace and elder brother: Regardless of whether there is fortunate village or not, this battle cannot be avoided." "Oh?" "Your Excellency must have vaguely felt it in your heart. It is only the long-cherished wish of the Imperial Palace to eliminate wars and turn this world into a pure land, but wars will never be wiped out from this world. Father's assertion contains the truth." "But what does that have to do with what's at hand?" "Ah! The war is bound to come... Thinking of this, the sorrow of Lord Toyotomi is vivid. Yukimura can't bear this." "Is this even weirder?" "That's right. How can ordinary people think so? Yukimura returned his elder brother's handwritten letter intact just because of this thought. Matsukura-sama, if the war in this world is inevitable, it is better to win the war than to win the war." To succeed, Xingcun would rather give this six-cent flag to the poor orphan, and fight to the death with him.” Matsukura Toyo was dumbfounded, he finally understood that this was Yukimura's sincerity!Yukimura disregarded his own glory and the wealth of his children and grandchildren, and resolutely supported Osaka.Just as people are born with different faces, everyone has a secret room in his heart that no one else can enter.Bungo Mamoru is the one who cannot enter the secret room in Yukimura's heart.What Yukimura thinks and feels is very different from ordinary people, and Mamoru Bungo can only explain it in this way.If you don't understand it this way, Yukimura is a gambler just like his father. "Since that's the case, I have to tell you again." In fact, Bungo's honesty is no less than Yukimura's.He pushed aside the shredded tobacco tray in front of his knees, and said, "I think there is a huge omission in your thinking, do you notice it?" "Omission?" "Yes. I have understood your determination. In your eyes, the war is inevitable, and, even if it is inevitable, you will support Osaka for the sake of the poor widow and orphan, right?" "..." "But how did you get to Osaka? You know that the Asano clan in Kishu has already stationed troops to watch." "Yukimura is fully aware of this." "Of course, if there is only Kishu's surveillance, there is still a possibility of running away. Asano is originally a relative of the Toyotomi family, so maybe he will turn a blind eye and let you go. But now, you have rejected the advice and advice of the Great Imperial Palace. kindness." "This is really for adults..." "No, I'm fine. As long as I remember that Saemon Sa is An Fangshou, I will be relieved. However, there is one thing..." "Oh?" "I'm going back to Kanto now. No matter what, I must report today's events to the Great Imperial Palace. That's the problem. As you just said, the Great Imperial Palace always wants to eliminate wars and turn this world into a pure land. Such a large Imperial Palace, Once he knows that you are going to Osaka no matter what, how can he sit idly by? Even though war is inevitable, he will try his best to keep the chaos to a minimum. Once he thinks you will enter Osaka, it will only cause greater riots , how can you easily let you out of Jiudu Mountain? He will definitely order my servant or others to march straight in. Since I have served as an envoy once, it is difficult to refuse the crusade. Not only that, brother Ling also had to send troops out of righteousness 。在这种情况下，难道你还是要为丰臣氏遗孤殉葬？你就如此置兄弟情义不顾，真要与亲兄刀兵相向？”言及此，松仓丰后守眼里已噙满泪水。 其实，幸村也欲大哭。松仓丰后守情绪大乱，竟说错了话，他原本想说的，并非什么“殉葬”而是——我得到真田伊豆守的支援，在大和五条对你严加监视，你还能平安进入大坂城？但他深深挂念着真田一族，担心幸村，以致语无伦次了。 幸村心中也矛盾重重，“丰后守大人，先父生前十分固执，看来幸村也不亚于父亲啊。” “这……这就是你的答复吗？” “虽如此，幸村也绝非完全对大御所背信弃义，唯有这一点，大人若有机会，请一定禀告大御所。” “唉！大御所原谅了令尊的过错，大大封赏了令兄，还说连你都要立为大名，你分明对这些恩情一清二楚，却还非要进入大坂城，与大御所为敌不可？” 幸村道：“幸村无比敬慕大御所，后世恐怕也会盛赞他乃是一位旷世雄杰。尽管如此，幸村还是有一点……不能赞同大人。” “你是不是还想说，这个世上不能没有战事，若不继承先父遗志，便无法尽孝？” “在幸村眼里……”幸村一字一句道，“此次战事已无可避免。大御所的夙愿的确不错，即使说成神佛慈悲，亦毫不为过。” "Ok." “或许，大御所才是要把众生拯救至净土的佛陀化身。但是，他的愿望里面，有着幸村无法赞同的天真，无论他心底藏有何等博大的关爱，也终无法完全拯救尘世之人。当浪人的不平愈甚，新旧教的冲突加剧，憎恨、欲望和野心都纠缠到一起，必会酿出天道和神佛也无法裁断的混乱，结果，一切还是归结为战事。如果有机会，请您如此告诉大御所，就说左卫门佐是这般说的：若有幸村一人挺身而出，可以为秀赖母子带来安泰，幸村就绝不会退缩。但事实却非如此，报应正在将大坂城牢牢束缚起来，现在已经进退两难。正是因为看到了这一点，幸村才这般说。或说，真田左卫门佐幸村乃是为了减少哪怕一丝报应，才欲投丰臣氏。这种心境，即如关原合战时的大谷刑部……” 刚听到这里，松仓丰后守猛起身，“今日就到此为止，告辞！” 幸村忙拽住丰后衣袖，“大人不能就这样走了。幸村已命人备好粗茶淡饭，还请您好歹用些。”说着，他拍手把儿子大助叫来，在大助的侍奉下，为松仓敬献了一杯酒后，才让其回去。此时，松仓丰后实已无法释然。在不知情人的眼里，松仓的脸上甚至现出了惊恐之色——幸村难道想在敬完酒后，杀人灭口？ 把松仓送出门后，幸村感慨地环视一眼身周群山。春日尚远，枯树、发黑的扁柏、杉树，都不由令人想到生之艰难。但意外的是，幸村不觉孤独：看来，还是父亲有远见卓识啊。若加入丰臣遗孤的阵营，进入大坂城，唯有一死。但在信浓的一角，真田的子孙不正盘根错节地成长吗？在乱世，人生原本就是建立在他人的死伤之上，不只如此，它甚至是建立在骨肉相残之上。即使在兄弟姊妹当中，究竟谁繁荣兴盛，谁会成为他人阶梯，人皆无法参透…… “丰后守大人的深情厚谊，幸村没齿难忘。”幸村忽然念叨出声，一起送客的十五岁的大助突然担忧道：“父亲，松仓大人说他绝不会就这样让您赶赴大坂，他必亲自带领人马前来阻拦。否则，他身为武士的颜面就丢尽了。”他一面笑着，语气却甚是认真。 “我也是这么看的。” “那么，父亲是不是对他透露得过多了？” “不用担心。很遗憾，咱们真田一族有的，只有松仓大人阻止不了的兵略智慧，它已由祖上传入我们的身体之中。” 刚说到这里，幸村忽又有些后悔：一旦动起刀兵，松仓丰后守之辈自不值一提，但这种自豪与松仓的诚意比起来，是不是显得太浅薄了？ 天阴沉沉的，看来马上就要下雪了。 “走，回家。”幸村催促着大助走进家门。 “父亲，看来大御所还是想以世俗的诱饵，来钓父亲上钩啊。” “大助，你是这么看的吗？” “大御所想将父亲立为大名。松仓大人不是这般说的吗？” 幸村微笑了，却是苦涩的笑，看来大助偷听到了。处世理所当然要小心，这无可厚非，却总让人伤感。 若父亲还在，他会如何处理？他定会和幸村完全相反，觉得这是一个把大坂城纳入囊中的绝好机会，迅速行动。与父亲相比，自己却……幸村一面如此反省着，一面进了家门。