Chapter 31 Chapter Thirty-One

Yagyu Mataemon returned to Edo that night. Before and after the battle of Sekihara, Zong Mo went to Tokugawa Ieyasu's side, so he knew Ieyasu's thoughts like the palm of his hand.Ieyasu trusted him, and he respected Ieyasu.It's just that his respect is somewhat different from that of Naruse Masanari, Ando Naoji and other confidants to Ieyasu.After all, Naruse and Ando are excellent retainers under Ieyasu, but Sokichi doesn't want to be a retainer.From this point of view, he calmly waited on the sidelines, serving as both a colleague and a friend. This was the case in the past, and it is still the case now.

This thought originated from his father Shi Zhouzhai's compassionate wish of "a sword without a sword". "Take without sword" refers to the Mahayana sword that does not kill or kill. This sword coexists with the heaven and the earth, and will not flatter and submit to the powerful and powerful.Therefore, Youemon, with self-esteem and self-discipline, regards himself as a "teacher" rather than a "shogun's revision".The sad thing is that in today's world, he can't keep this kind of mind outside.If he speaks out his will, he will be considered rebellious and intolerable, and he will be criticized a lot.Therefore, he was content with the old collar of Liusheng's three thousand stones, and has always refused to accept the title.

Xiuzhong thought it was Zong Ju's stubbornness, Zong Ju just smiled and said: "Then I don't listen to the orders of the Great Imperial Palace. All the property and life in the world are borrowed from gods and Buddhas..." He replied with Buddhist teachings, but Xiuzhong Completely unknown. However, when Jiakang learned about it, he couldn't help but patted his knees and said, "He is the real correction!" Ieyasu asked him to investigate, which naturally had a deep meaning.Needless to say Koga and Iga, all famous names in the world have learned the art of war from Yagyu.Liusheng's sect can be regarded as a sect that has spread branches and leaves, and Liusheng Shizhouzhai is the founder of the mountain.

After Zong Ju returned to his house in front of the main gate of Edo Castle, he first gathered his family members together for a secret talk. Zong Mo had already contacted Oshu Hyogo Jie Riyan, and asked his family to contact Gonemon, the third son of Yan Sheng's elder brother Yan Sheng who was a teacher in Sendai.The Ikeda family in Bizen has three elder brothers Ryuzoin Tokusai, so there is no need to worry; Hyogosuke lived in Kato's house in Higo for a while, so he is also prepared for this. On April 30th, Zong Ju himself rode to the Eighth Prince in the name of condolences to Chang'an.

Masashige Hattori, the son-in-law of Chang'an, was the first to welcome Masashige Yagyu when he arrived at the Eighth Prince. Zhengzhong was not surprised.The Hattori clan, the leader of the Iga Clan, and the Yagyu family are not totally unconnected.The Hattori clan paid homage to Yagyu Ishizusai and communicated with each other in terms of information collection.Zhengzhong is very clear about Zongju's ability and reputation, and Zongju also knows Zhengzhong's character quite well. Zong Mo led Masashige down to the coffin, met Tojuro and others who were kneeling in a row, and then noticed that Hattori was lowering his head and trembling.

Chang'an's body was packed with salt in time, so despite the hot and humid weather, there was no foul smell.Masashige had probably already made preparations, thinking of this, Yagyu couldn't bear to look at the faces of those children below Tojuro again.Chang'an has worked hard all his life, and ended up with such a sad end. Is it really due to a momentary negligence? Yagyu Mataemon and Okubo Changan took different paths.Chang'an forgot to control his own ambitions, just blindly desire, and the result got deeper and deeper; on the contrary, Youemon devoted himself to self-cultivation and strictly controlled his desires.

After Zong Ju paid his respects, Zheng Zhong got up immediately, "Mister, please rest in another room." Masashige was sensitively aware of the purpose of Yagyu Mataemon's trip.The two sat down facing each other in the other room, Zheng Zhong immediately said: "Mr. Liu Sheng, have you heard the rumors in the capital?" "Wind rumor?" "Ishi Jian Shouyi passed away, and the capital is about to rain!" After saying that, he placed the refreshments brought in front of Yaemon, and said: "The foreign believers in the capital are ready to move."

"Has the news reached here?" "Yes. Shi Jianshou is gone. As soon as they got the news, they started to prepare. I'm afraid this chaos will not stop easily." "Hmm." Zong Ju seemed to understand Zheng Chong's words, and responded calmly, "Is there another riot in the capital?" "The believers of foreign religions have lost their support. They see that Miura Yasuke will rule the world in the future. Soon, the Portuguese and Portuguese missionaries will be expelled from Japan. They just caused trouble and wanted to flood into Osaka Castle."

"Oh." "There is a reason for this. Sir, please read this." What was being brought out was a joint certificate that Youemon had also heard about, but it was not the original, it was just a copy.Mataemon's expression changed: Where did the real thing go? To have a copy of the joint signature, Masashige must have personally found the small green box somewhere in the mansion.Mataemon felt so bitter in his heart that he couldn't breathe.He quickly glanced at the joint signature. "In order to make Japan the largest country in the world, those who are willing to sign here." The opening sentence is Ishimi Mamoru's handwriting, nothing more, and there is no conspiracy to overthrow the shogunate.Perhaps it was Okubo Chang'an who lured everyone into the bait with his eloquent tongue, and tricked them into signing in the name of doing business.What do people who don't know the truth think about this?

Matsudaira Tadaki was the first to sign, followed by Okubo Sagami Shouzhong.Since the initiator is Okubo Chang'an, it is not surprising.However, different people's signatures will inevitably produce various complicated meanings.Signatories include Echizen Hideyasu, Toyotomi Hideyori of Osaka Castle, then Ikeda Teruma, Maeda Toshinaga, and the late Kobayakawa Hideaki, Asano Yutaka, Kato Kiyomasa, and Fukushima Masanori.Arima Harunobu also signed, and Ishikawa Yasunaga, who was related to Changan by marriage, also signed on the paper.Among the names of Okubo Tadasuke, Satomi Tadayori, Tomita Nobudaka, Takahashi Motokind, Ishikawa Suki, Sano Masatsuna and others, there are also Oda Yurakusai, Ono Jichang, Katagiri Kamoto and other Hideo The names of the people around him, as well as the Takayama Yukin doctor and Konishi Ruan who lived in Kaga.The names of ministers, monks, missionaries, wealthy merchants and rich merchants are even scattered among them, so that those who really know Okubo Chang'an will laugh out loud when they see it.Rather than saying that this is a conspiracy, it is better to say that it is a "friend post" in the life of Okubo Changan, a person who likes to be lively.

However, after thinking about it a little bit, it is indeed strange and confusing: in this joint signature, there is no one who is recognized by the world as the Honda father and son, and there is no one who is loyal to the general Hidetada and the imperial court.Yagyuemon knew the meaning of it: because these people were quite conservative, they disdained the boastful talk of Chang'an, who was "humble and rich".Chang'an also knows how to arrest them, so he doesn't get close to them. However, the world's wind critics have cleverly interpreted this.If Ben Duo and his son saw the joint signature, they would definitely say: "Chang'an must be looking for a way out to plot a crime..." Such a joint signature will only make people think so. "Shoshige, this is a transcript, can I have a look at the original?" Another Weimon rolled up a joint letter, pointing out what he was most concerned about. "The original document is not here, it has been handed over to Mr. Honda Uenosuke of Junfu." Masashige replied nonchalantly. "Have you delivered it to Junfu?" Maetemon's previous anxiety became reality. Zhengzhong replied indifferently: "Mr. Yagyu, I hope you will understand. Dongliang like this will cause riots. I don't think it is better to keep it in my own hands, especially if I am a son-in-law..." "Seriously, have you really not shown this copy to anyone else?" Hattori Masashige still shook his head quietly, "We are the general's retainers..." "So, the general knows?" "In short, the original copy was sent to the Junfu, and the copy was sent to the general. Other than that, nothing was leaked." Zong Ju suddenly sighed heavily: I'm late! The share sent to Junfu must have been safely handed over to the Imperial Palace.The Imperial Palace has strictly ordered the integrity, and it must not be disclosed to anyone before the decision is made.Once the manuscripts reached Edo, however, things changed significantly.Hidetaka has a straightforward personality, and he definitely thinks that he must hand things over to Masanobu Honda and Toshikatsu Doi, who were sent by his father to assist him, to discuss together... After the important ministers have discussed it, they will send envoys from Edo to "obey the orders of the Great Imperial Palace" Junfu.From then on, Lord Jiakang could no longer protect others. However, what he was thinking about right now was something else. He said, "I will take you to a secret place. There are things that will surprise you." "Surprised?" "It's a vault. I'm startled—there's gold under the floor." "meet." "I believe that the master is sent by the Great Imperial Palace, so I will report the personal matters one by one. After returning to Edo, I will be more cautious..." Now even Zhengzhong also uses the word "seeking selfishness", but he doesn't feel anything wrong.This is not to blame him for being ruthless. For him, this matter is too important and complicated for him to bear. "No." Masashige Masashige was interrupted solemnly, "I came here to express my condolences, but when things have come to this point, I have to let you stay here until everything comes to light." "Sir, what do you mean..." "I'll go to Edo first, report your concerns to the general, and then rush to Junfu... Even so, there is still fear of chaos!" Masashige seemed to think of something again, and asked an even more frightening question: "Mr. Yagyu, what should I do if foreign believers from Kinki and Kinki swarm into Osaka Castle for help?" Yagyu Mataemon didn't quite understand why Hattori Masashige always thought of Osaka.Chang'an's main wife is an enthusiastic believer in foreign religion.Perhaps influenced by her, Tojuro's wife, Geiji's wife, and the eldest daughter of Chang'an have all become devout believers, and now the Eighth Prince has become one of the secret holy places of believers scattered all over the country.The believers thought that as long as they contacted the Eighth Prince, they would not be persecuted like Hideyoshi. Naturally, they hoped to rely on the power of Chang'an to protect them, which was almost unrealistic.The male believers kept in close contact with Dr. Takayama Ukon and Konishi Roan who lived in the Maeda family, while the female believers relied on Hachioji in everything and had frequent exchanges with this place. Hattori Masashige is well aware of this.So when he learned of Chang'an's death, he realized that the Kinki believers would flock to Osaka Castle to seek asylum out of fear, but Yaemon didn't know what was going on. "Master Hattori, why do you always mention Osaka?" "The disagreement between the southern barbarians and the red-haired people was finally eased thanks to Ishi Jianshou's previous efforts, but now the embankment has collapsed." Hattori is grinning bitterly, "It's a pity that Ishi Jianshou treats women very badly." The unusual fanaticism has turned the women of the Okubo clan into devout believers. The beliefs of these women were previously a levee that could restrain the riots of the believers." "These humble people have never heard of it. So, as soon as Okubo Ishi saw the guard, the embankment would collapse and the believers would be in chaos?" "yes." "I don't understand anymore..." Youemon was a little passionate, but he didn't continue.He thought about it, and felt that it would be better not to press the question here.But of course the matter cannot be left alone.Okubo Chang'an has such an important position among foreign believers. If Chang'an perverted the law for personal gain and punished his bereaved family, what would be the consequences?I'm afraid that foreign believers will mistakenly think that this is a conspiracy by Miura Anzhen, so as to cause even greater chaos.Hattori seems to have not considered this step. "Master Hattori, have you investigated the letters sent to this woman by the believers?" "Yes, I sent those letters and the joint letter to the general." Acting seriously, every single thing runs counter to Yareemon's intentions! "I still have one or two things to ask my lord, and then I will go to Edo." Youemon tried to speak in a nonchalant tone, "Is it for self-protection that your lord handed over the women's letters to the general so quickly?" "Yes... things are not under my control." Hattori Masaru's face turned pale. "Oh." Mataemon had always believed that Masashige had not participated in Chang'an's selfishness, but now that he was confirmed, he changed the subject again, "Don't you think Date Mutsu Mamoru can help? Mutsu Mamoru He even accompanied Shi Jianshou to the territory to help Sodero." "Don't dare to hope." "Why?" "The name of Date-sama is not included in the joint signature. This shows that Ishi Jianshu has been alienated from Date-sama from the beginning, or he respectfully keeps him at a distance." "Because Mutsu is so thoughtful?" "I'm afraid that's the case. In addition, Date may not leave the territory for the time being." "Why?" "Bringing Sodero to the territory, or entertaining General Biss in his own territory, are all preparations for today. This is how I see it." "meet." "Right now, in Yukatsuhama, Taosheng County, within Lord Date's territory, Admiral Mukai, the Maritime Admiral of the General's Mansion, is leading eight hundred carpenters, seven hundred blacksmiths, and three thousand men to help Lord Date build a ship. This is for Lord Date. Before the matter is resolved, there is an excuse not to leave the collar to avoid the limelight." "Do you think Okubo Ishimishou is planning to rebel with the help of Sosuke Matsudaira Kamisuke Tadaki?" Maemon Mataemon said nonchalantly, but clearly touched the core of the matter. Hattori Masashige resolutely said: "This is for the general to make a judgment himself. I am just collecting evidence to help the general make a judgment." "Understood." Zong Ju nodded vigorously, "You have already handed over the evidence to Edo. This answer is enough. I will leave now." "Mr. bother." "Ah!" After sighing, Zong Ju stood up, "I will try my best to protect the children." Zheng Zhong did not stand up to see him off, he was full of conflicts in his heart. When Zongju arrived in Edo, he was taken aback.The fire was raging, more ferocious than he had expected.Due to Masashige Hattori's report, the reputation of "Okubo Ishimi Shousheng has a betrayal heart" has become "an ironclad fact" in the hearts of all important ministers. "Since the son-in-law said so, how could there be anything wrong?" "Invite Sagami Mamoru first. Sagami Mamoru also signed the joint paper, so we must make it clear." Around Hidetada, there are still many voices against Okubo.However, when Tadao Okubo was invited to attend in the name of Toshikatsu Doi, Tadao Okubo refused without knowing it: "I am old and in poor health. If necessary, please send an envoy to the sick bed." Zhong Neighbor was originally very sad because of the death of his son Zhongchang, and he basically stopped serving the public. In addition, Honda Masanobu was by Hidetaka's side and manipulated Hidetaka arbitrarily, which made him very unhappy. The news of Okubo Chang'an's death made him very sad and sick. Also within reason. However, the reaction of the people around the general was quite the opposite: "This person will not serve the public when he finds out that the matter has been revealed? From this point of view, we can't give him a chance to breathe. We should conquer Odawara immediately." From their point of view, the joint certificate submitted by Hattori Masashige and the correspondence between the women are solid evidence.Echizen Hideyasu, who signed the joint certificate, has died of illness. His younger brother Kamisousuke Tadaki is highly praised for his talent as a young general.Toyotomi Hideyori, who met Ieyasu in Nijo Castle a while ago, has grown into a stalwart six-foot man, and Ieyasu praised him unceasingly.They secretly colluded with Okubo Sagami, the elder of the shogunate, and conspired to rebel. Nothing could cause more disturbance than this. When Munemo Yagyu arrived in Edo, Toshikatsu Doi was about to rush to Junfu to listen to the order of the emperor, and everyone was discussing lively.Hidetada did not ask Maemon to participate, so he stopped the discussion and called Maemon to his room. "I heard that you went to the Eighth Prince under the order of the Imperial Palace?" Usually, Xiuzhong was expressionless when encountering anything, but now his face was flushed. "Yes. There are rumors that Shi Jian is guarding for personal gain... This rumor is very popular, so the Lord of the Imperial Palace ordered his subordinates to investigate." "Have you found any problems?" "It's not that there are no problems at all, after all, he has been practicing Jinshan for so long." "You mean... he hid gold and silver?" "Yes. Besides that, there's..." "Didn't you ask about the joint certificate?" Xiu Zhong wanted to pretend to ask casually, but coughed violently twice. How could he not be excited, Shi Jianshou and his brothers wanted his head! Yagyu Mataemon thought the matter was serious, so he didn't answer immediately.If the answer is not appropriate, it will only deepen Xiuzhong's misunderstanding, and Zhonghui will be subjected to all kinds of suspicion.Okubo Changan is the elder of the family, and his father-in-law is Date Masamune. Moreover, when Hideyori refused the call of Fushimi Castle, Tadaki visited Osaka Castle on behalf of the general. Therefore, there will naturally be rumors that Zhonghui has formed an alliance with Osakajo Hideyori and has made a plan to usurp him.Even if this is not the truth, there must be many Tokugawa genealogy daimyo who believed in Toyotomi's desire to get rid of it quickly, and insisted that this is the truth.At that time, within the walls of Tokugawa Xiao, a single spark can start a prairie fire. "Zong Ju, you haven't heard of the joint name certificate?" Another Weimon pretended to be calm, and said: "I have heard about it, but the rumors seem to be too much." "You think things are true, but you can't believe them?" "Exactly. There are three major hidden dangers in the world today." "Well... tell me." "The first is the sectarian dispute between the Nanman and the Red-haired." "But the red-haired man..." "In any case, they haven't been beaten to the point of bleeding. But the Nanman people are uneasy, worried that they will be driven out of Japan by the general sooner or later." "This is the so-called cup bow snake shadow." Youemon said: "Secondly, it is the thoughts of the rogues since the Sekihara War. They are worried that if the peace continues, they may have no chance to succeed, so they are always gearing up, hoping for another turmoil." "Well. I know that very well." "The third is the disagreement between the Toyotomi family and the Tokugawa genealogy daimyo. Although this conflict has gradually faded, once something intensifies, it can set off a huge wave. The joint signature is over exaggerated by these three hidden dangers ... Regardless of whether the joint signature is true or false, these situations must be fully assessed." "Well. You mean, even if the joint signature is true, you should be extra cautious in handling this matter?" "My..." Mataemon frowned, and said resolutely, "I think, the joint petition is not for conspiracy, but Okubo Chang'an's indiscretion to give facts. General, what do you think?" Xiuzhong fell into silence.It's not like he doesn't have this feeling at all: Okubo Chang'an is indeed boastful and frivolous sometimes.But for those who signed the name, how can we take it lightly? "So, what do you think it's about?" "As I said at the beginning, Chang'an often talks about it: enter the world's seas and make Japan more prosperous..." "So you don't think the signer is suspicious?" "Exactly." "However, Date Masamune is not among them." Mataemon smiled slightly, "The general thinks there is a conspiracy without Mutsumori's name?" Xiuzhong pondered Youyouwei's words carefully in his heart, and said: "Okay, then I will ask you again, if you are, how do you want to deal with it?" "First of all, Okubo Changan will be punished for the crime of concealing gold and silver." "Well." "Because there is a lot of discussion in the world about this, we can't ignore it. Those who have meritorious deeds will be rewarded, and those who are guilty will not be punished, and disasters will inevitably arise." "Hmm, hiding gold and silver...only punished in this name?" "The matter of the joint signature is kept strictly confidential. I believe that the best way is to burn it." "Oh?" "In this way, the relevant people can be convinced that the matter is over, the source of the disturbance can be cut off, and the prestige of the shogunate can be established." "If..." Xiuzhong said slowly while thinking, "If the matter calms down, those ambitious people relax and show their fox tail instead, it is very possible." Youemon didn't say a word.Maybe things are true as Xiuzhong said, but as the revision of the General's Mansion, he can't think so. Xiuzhong sighed: "Oh! Sir, please go to Junfu immediately." "yes." "I'll let Doi Daiyaku wait for a while. You can report to the Imperial Palace that Okubo Chang'an is seeking personal gain, so his survivors must be arrested immediately and punished." "What about the joint signature?" "Sir, just listen to Da Yu's instructions and don't say anything about me." "yes." "The matter has something to do with Mr. Shang. It would be against filial piety to let the father who is not much time know that the brothers are at odds. When I heard you just now, I was quite touched." Andemon was speechless, bowed down to salute——Hidetada really restrained himself strictly according to giri. "For the sake of prudence, please repeat it below: The general's intention is that Okubo Chang'an is using his position for personal gain, so his family members should be arrested and investigated. That selfishness is..." Before Youemon finished speaking, Xiuzhong continued: "Practice as a gold mine, conceal the amount of harvest, lose his family property, exile the clansmen, there is still more to be done. The joint name letter flows into the world, even if it is burned according to the words of the master It doesn't make any sense anymore." Zong Ju solemnly lowered his head again, "Speaking of the survivors in Chang'an, most of them are adults. Knowing that the head of the family is seeking personal gain but not stopping it, they should be regarded as accomplices." Xiuzhong didn't answer.After Emmon said again, he immediately stood up.The surrounding area is very quiet, and the room is full of chills. After walking through the long corridor and arriving at the gate, Maemon was already sweating. No matter how many doubts Xiuzhong had in his heart, it seemed that he planned to hand Zhonghui over to Jiakang.However, Ieyasu, who has seen the joint signature certificate, what do you think now?Regarding Ieyasu's thoughts, Mataemon couldn't guess at all.Until the Sekihara battle, he had mixed respect and fear for Ieyasu, but recently there has been a change.Is there anything more terrifying than playing with the enemy in the palm of your hand?This may just be Mataemon's imagination, but it did make him feel tense all over his body. This feeling is the same as the fear that a believer feels when he cannot sit upright in front of a god or Buddha. This incident seems to be the ridicule and hatred of the gods and Buddhas towards the world.Jiakanggong Yingjie I, in his twilight years, such a shocking thing happened.Dayusuo had a rough life, and he did his best for a peaceful and prosperous world. However, what is sad is that someone dug a deep trap under his feet-his son joined hands with Dabancheng, and after his father died, he would kill his elder brother ! But Zong Mo had to go to see Ieyasu.He came to the tethering post in front of the gate, and there was a light rain in the sky, but at this time Mataemon didn't feel anything.He was just thinking hard, how would Ieyasu decide? Ieyasu believes that he is the creator of the peaceful and prosperous world, but now, this arrogance has torn a hole under his feet.What will happen to him?Zong Ju had a hard time imagining how the Ieyasu Guild, who had lost his confidence and was helpless, would act.He firmly believes that, just like his father forged the "sword of innocence" and reached the absolute state, Ieyasu is like a Buddha or a god, like Mount Fuji, but now... I have to admit that Ieyasu piled up many small stones one by one When they got together, they suddenly found that it had already collapsed... Ieyasu quelled the troubled times by force - properly handled the Korean War, and eliminated the hidden dangers of the troubled times in the Sekigahara Battle.Then, he worked hard to spread Confucianism, traded with overseas countries to strengthen the country, established strict levels, and stabilized people's hearts. Finally, he built a peaceful country that even the Nanmans and red-haired people admired.Finally, when it was time to quietly recite "Namo Amitabha Buddha" and read Buddhist scriptures every day, waiting to die, I unexpectedly discovered that a big hole had been opened under my feet. Munemo Yagyu returned to the mansion and immediately made arrangements to go to Junfu, but he was shaking all the time.There is no such thing as eternal "peace of mind" in life. In the endless flow of time, poisonous buds often sprout.However, he didn't feel that Okubo Chang'an was trying to trouble Ieyasu. Miura probably couldn't imagine it, his existence made the old believers transfer their resentment to Ieyasu.Hideyori from Osaka and Tadaki from Echigo both grew up in peace.If there is any entanglement, it is the struggle between the Honda father and son and Okubo Tadao, but it is just a slight difference in how to serve the shogunate.However, these good intentions collided with each other, and instantly threw Ieyasu into the turbid current of misfortune... Another Weimon and two entourages with guns and horses left Edo overnight and rushed to Junfu.