Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The arrow is on the string

The main hall of Shobo-ji Temple in Omi Inugami-gun, with Sawayama Castle to the north.The leaves of ginkgo trees in the temple have begun to turn yellow.On this day, the temple ushered in two uninvited guests riding tall horses. They were Ishida Mitsunari and his family, Lao Dao Zuo Konchi.The two dismissed the abbot who came out to greet him and the young monk who was busy offering tea, and concentrated on admiring the autumn scenery. "You don't have to worry about it. The weather is very good today. Let's go for a long trip on horseback. We pass by your monastery and just want to rest for a while." After Sancheng finished speaking, he dismissed the abbot.

"It's such a big monastery, it's best if no one comes to bother you, you all go back." Dao Zuojin also said to his followers. There were only seven riders with them, and they all tied their horses to the open fir forest on the west side of the mountain gate, and went to rest. There was no one else around the two masters and servants. "My lord, 3,000 people in this area are enough to deal with them." When there were only two people left, Dao Zuojin said calmly while sipping the tea offered by the little monk, "Here is the coolness at the foot of Zuohe Mountain, and the second place in Longtan. Temple, and the area around Atang Cave, it is best to choose it as a place to deploy troops." Thirty percent of the time, they listened rather than listened.

"The biggest shortcoming of Zuohe Mountain City is the lack of water. Therefore, it is not suitable to defend the city under any circumstances. There must be strong fortifications around the city. Therefore, the towers and walls of the city need to be repaired. My lord must make up my mind." Sancheng still ignored him, but said: "I heard that Asano Nagamasa retired to Kofu." "Yes. It is said that he was ordered by the Neifu to retreat to Kofu to think about his mistakes, and his son Nagashige has also been sent to Edo as a hostage." "Furthermore, Ono Xiu and Hijikata Kouchi were also exiled to Hitachi. In this way, the Uifu can do whatever they want in Osaka." Sancheng said to himself with a cold face.

"Didn't your lord also make up your mind?" Shimazua Konkatsu sarcastically said, "When I visited Liusheng Shizhou, I already said that the operation of the inner palace is about to start. From today's perspective, it really is so." Sancheng still ignored it, and said: "The most puzzling thing is the thoughts of Gaotaiyuan." "I understand the meaning of Gaotaiyuan." "Oh, how do you understand that?" "She is definitely not just out of dislike for Mrs. Yodo." "It's an astonishing move to voluntarily give up Xiyuan."

"I think it's a gamble. She has already seen that Mori, Uesugi, Maeda and others will not support your lord, so they bet everything on the inner government. Is this understanding correct?" Sancheng's expression relaxed: "Does she really regard Ishida Sancheng as an insignificant person? Hahahaha." At this moment, the sound of galloping horseshoes broke the silence of the Buddhist temple. "Here we come." Dao Zuojin stood up and looked towards the way he came, but Sancheng remained silent. The person who came was none other than Sancheng's close minister Anzhai Zuoemon.Sakuzaemon and Zagabe were in charge of inquiring about the news from the capital to Kaga. They only entered the ground of Omi this morning, and then went straight here.

Sancheng's trip was exactly when Saakuzaemon was coming, but he already knew everything about it.He is most worried about Maeda Toshicho brother.Hijikata and Ohno were exiled to Hitachi, far away from Osaka, and Asano Nagamasa was also ordered to bring Naisiguo back.Therefore, it can be said that 30% of the fingers have been severed, but this is the result he hopes. Shimazakon purposely went to His Highness to welcome Sakuzaemon: "Your Excellency, I can't wait any longer, let's go in quickly." Sakuzaemon has changed his attire, he is dressed like the other guards, he also looks like he is traveling on horseback, but due to the long-distance fatigue, his skin has been tanned to the color of wheat, but it is not so eye-catching.

"My lord!" Sakuzaemon gave a deep salute at the bottom of the steps. Sancheng said: "The red tape will be avoided. Come and sit here." "yes." "How's Kaga?" "Everything went well." Taizaemon said, "It's just that Masuda and Nagatsuka's calculations have come to nothing." "Oh." Sancheng replied and fell silent. Shimazakon was a little puzzled, and asked, "Has the plan of the two adults come to nothing?" Even though he was worried that he would make 30% unhappy, he still couldn't help but want to ask.

"Yes! The Neifu summoned the two adults and questioned the two Maeda brothers for their indiscretion." "What did he say?" "The Neifu said that Hijikata and Ono have been exiled now, and Asano Dansho has also returned to Nai. Therefore, the only one who tried to harm him is Toshinaga. Toshinaga has indeed entrusted many people. Go intercede and apologize. From this point of view, the conspiracy is definitely not groundless." Shimazuko raised his head and glanced at Sancheng.Sancheng was still indifferent, admiring the scenery in the courtyard leisurely. "My lord, do you know how Masuda replied?"

"Of course I know." Sancheng's answer was as calm as water, "All this is my order." Zuo Jin smiled wryly, "My lord, is Masuda pretending to be smart by doing this?" Sancheng replied calmly: "No, it's not enough." "Facing the accusations from the inner government, Masuda-sama and Changshu-sama are naturally speechless. All of this is their own fault." "Hmph." Sancheng smiled mockingly, "That's enough. As you said, Masuda and Nagatsu had nothing to say, so they made the fake come true." "The inner government is really angry, and they are going to send troops to attack Kaga?" Shimazuo said.

Sancheng said: "No, the Neifu may have already seen that Masuda and Changshu were unwarranted slanders, and he was just teasing them." "If this is the case, how should we deal with it?" Zuo Zuowei asked. Sancheng snorted disdainfully again: "The Neifu will not intentionally attack Kaga. But since he is suspected, he will face the danger of being punished. In this way, can the Maeda brothers still sit still? Be the left!" "grown ups." "You also said that Kaga has moved. Tell me in detail." "Yes. In the area around the capital and Osaka, rumors that the inner government is going to crusade against Kaga have spread all over the sky. Therefore, Niwa Kaga Warden Shige, who owns Kaga Komatsu, has rushed to the inner government to request to be the vanguard in the crusade against Maeda."

"Okay. In this way, the fire may be lit. Then, what is the reaction of the Maeda Mansion?" "Hosokawa and the others were very saddened by these rumors, and immediately sent envoys to Jinze. Of course, the intention was to let the Maeda family quickly bow their heads and confess to the inner court." "This was expected by 30%. Who is the envoy sent by Maeda to the Neifu? Is it Hizen Shouji? Hmph, it must not be Rizheng." "It's the old Hengshan Castle Guard." Anzhai said as the left guard. "Do you understand?" Sancheng nodded vigorously, and glanced at Shima Sakin, who was still deep in thought.In his view, the victory or defeat of this battle seems to depend entirely on whether Maeda can be brought over.Once the Maeda family raises troops, Mori and Uesugi will join with peace of mind.But now it seems that things are far from that simple.Ruo Ieyasu's ambition has made him unable to tolerate the existence of his old friends and five elders. In order to defend himself, the Maeda family has no choice but to raise troops to resist.But once the emissary of the Maeda family succeeded in persuading Ieyasu, the two families reconciled, and the situation became difficult to deal with. "It's not that easy!" Zuo Jin suddenly said, "How can you conclude that a reconciliation cannot be reached between the inner palace that has no intention of attacking Kaga and Maeda who went to apologize?" Sancheng smiled confidently: "Zuojin, you have forgotten human nature." He put away his smile and shot his gaze at Zuojin like a knife, "Both sides in a war cannot win." "Of course! Therefore, in order to win, there must be no negligence." "No, no matter how well prepared you are, you can't guarantee victory. What I mean is that since troops are going to be sent, it shouldn't be a decisive battle of equal strength, but a stone to hit an egg." "Unknown." "Humph!" Sancheng snorted softly, "I am not in the same boat as Ieyasu, do you understand? Your thinking seems to be different from mine. I will never fight an uncertain battle. But if I don't fight, I will Ishida Mitsunari." "What does your lord mean, even if you lose the battle, you still have to fight this battle?" "Hahaha. Even if I fight to the death, I will never regret it! For a battle without regrets, for victory, you must make full preparations. What do you think?" "yes." "How can the Maeda family decide this war? How can I be so shallow?" Sancheng's words made Shimazuki tremble.He couldn't help raising his head.Sancheng regained his previous calmness and softness, and said: "As a warrior, Sancheng must resist to the end, even if he dies in battle, he will have no regrets. Zuo Jin, my determination is unshakable. If you don't understand, we have no choice but to part ways. I I don't want to rely on the strength of the Maeda brothers to fight, but rely on my own strength." "I understand." "If the Maeda brothers are won over by others, I will fight alone; if the Maeda brothers join us, we will fight together. In war, I have never been afraid to fight more with less." "There is one more question." "Just ask." "Ieyasu really sent troops to attack Maeda, what should my lord do?" "That is a god-sent opportunity! I will immediately send troops to attack Osaka, support the young master, and order those soldiers who have been favored by the Toyotomi clan to rise up." "What if Jiakang doesn't move?" "The Maeda family is not the only one who can lure Ieyasu to send troops among the famous names in the world." "There are Satake, Uesugi, etc. But, what if Ieyasu is still standing still in Osaka?" "He will not stand still, as long as it keeps causing him trouble. As long as there are interests and emotional quarrels between people, disasters will continue one after another." Ataka Sakuzaemon was at the side, not daring to breathe.At this time, Sancheng has completely lost the intention to listen to the advice and persuasion of Shimazawa Katsumog.He just wanted to tell Zuo Jin his determination, and he spoke loudly.Even so, he arrogantly declared that he didn't care about the movements of the Maeda brothers, which surprised Anzhai deeply. Katsuki Shimazuo frowned fiercely, and kept silent, obviously dissatisfied. "Zuo Jin, it seems that you are not convinced?" "I'm stupid, I don't understand your mind." "Are you trying to tell me not to make the same mistakes as Akechi and Matsunaga?" "My lord means..." "Akechi Mitsuhide knew that he had no chance of winning, but he resolutely raised troops, and the result was that his corpse was exposed in the wilderness." "yes." "And Matsunaga Hideo vowed to win the world, so he defended Nobuki Mountain City, but was defeated by Nobunaga. But, do you understand the difference in the mood of the two?" "Sheng Meng is ignorant, it doesn't matter." "Oh?" Sancheng stared at Sakuzaemon fiercely, and said with a smile, "I won't say anything sensible. But Matsunaga Hideruru, serving Nobunaga and even Taiko-sama, do you know how the world will judge him?" "Could it be that adults also want to seek the world?" Shima Sakon deliberately turned his face away and sighed.Regardless of victory or defeat... Those who dare to launch such a war will be called a patient obsessed with the world.Is San Guoguo really such a patient?Zuo Jin felt suspicious. Sancheng smiled softly: "I don't want you to look at me that way, so I just cite Matsunaga as an example. Matsunaga Hideo betrayed Nobunaga three times in his life, but each time he was forgiven by Nobunaga. This is the most important thing. After Nobunaga, if he continues to serve Taiko-sama and even Tokugawa Ieyasu, how will future generations evaluate him? People will say that he has become an opportunistic snob for the sake of the family, that's all. If he doesn't According to one's ability, delusional attempt to replace Nobunaga, people will definitely pass it on as a joke to future generations." Shimazakon looked at Kazunari in surprise.Only now did he understand what he was thinking—it would be better for the jade to be broken than for the tile to be complete.This is the temperament of Sancheng. "But Song Yongxiu finally died in order to win the world's ambition, so that future generations would not laugh at him. He was also an indomitable man, and his tragic facts proved that he and Mr. Nobunaga are heroes of the world." Sancheng finished speaking heavily, with sharp eyes He looked at Zuo Jin and Zuo Zuo. Shima Sakon gently closed his eyes.He is also a hero on the battlefield, not only that, but he also became close friends with Liu Sheng, Shi Zhouzhai and others, and they often discuss the art of war together, so he has a little confidence.Because of this, although Sancheng's words are reasonable, but they missed a few important points, Zuo Jin believed that he could see clearly. The so-called war must be "famous".Because of this, the participants in the war, just like the original meaning of "Zhi Ge" shown in the word "武", must be warriors fighting for justice.If it is just a private fight for the purpose of publicizing one's personal temperament or for one's likes and dislikes, it is the courage of a man.But 30% "Ieyasu and Ieyasu have nothing to do with each other". Taking Matsunaga and Masahide's defeat as an example, they stated the reasons why it was difficult to change their original intentions, but they deviated from the way of martial arts and became karma.Ieyasu and Sancheng are born to be incompatible, but gods and Buddhas let them be born at the same time. Why? "The words have come to this point, if you still can't understand, I can't do anything about it." Sancheng was still very calm. "Wait a minute." Dao Zuojin hastily raised his hands to stop, his forehead was dripping with sweat, "I have one more question to ask my lord, just this one." "Just ask." "If the Inner Palace allows the Lord to do all these things, how can the Lord tolerate the Inner Palace?" "Hahaha, how could such words come from Shengmeng's mouth?" "It's no longer necessary to ask right and wrong?" "Yes. The arrow is on the string, so I have to send it. Ieyasu is the same." Dao Zuojin let out a heavy breath, and said: "It's a done deal, a man who is a confidant will die... From today, Dao Zuojin Shengmeng will do his best to advise you." Surrounded by a silent sun, not a single bird flew.The sunlight penetrates the canopy and casts spots of light on the ground, making the forest look more secluded. "Hahaha." Suddenly, Zuo Jin laughed loudly, "It's really amazing. Once I understand it, my heart will be much more at ease. I have something to tell my lord." "you say." "The woman who entrusted Yodoya..." "A sleeve?" "That's right, that's a very useful woman. Can you let her go to the hermitage of Sanppongi Kodaiin in the capital?" San Chengyi was stunned for a moment: "Send Axiu to the Gaotai courtyard?" Zuo Jin said: "Now that I understand your determination, Zuo Jin has to change his mind. I believe that you should strengthen your ties with Uesugi and Mori. In order to win, I will do my best, regardless of the so-called righteousness. Please leave the matter of that woman to my subordinates." Thirty-one couldn't react for a while.When fleeing from Osaka, he quietly entrusted Osode to Yodoya.Although it is not clear how Yodoya has dealt with her, he has already sternly told her that before the world is settled, she must be closely monitored and she must not be let go.According to Axiu's temperament, she might be locked up in Yodoya's private prison. Sancheng never wanted to kill Axiu, but just tried to forget about it.If she was released directly, the family members would secretly murder her, and finally they had to leave her in Chang'an of Yodoya.During Taige's lifetime, Yodoya Chang'an had always had great strengths.Therefore, 30% felt that it was the best choice to leave the sleeve elsewhere.At this time, Zuo Jin suddenly mentioned Axiu, which made Sancheng feel very distressed. "You let her approach the Gaotaiyuan, what exactly do you want?" Shima Sakon smiled and shook his head: "It's best not to let adults know." "But you also know that it is difficult for ordinary people to persuade her." "I understand." "It's good if she's willing. If she doesn't want to, it's useless to persuade her. She doesn't even care about life and death." "This is where she can be of great use. In short, I will send her to Kodaiin in the name of the public, and the details will be conveyed to Saakuzaemon Ataka. Therefore, please write a letter from your lord." Sancheng thought for a moment, and took off the pen and paper from his waist.In fact, he had already guessed the general situation.Kodaiin gave up Xiyuan to Ieyasu, and moved to the other garden in Mippongi, the capital.If one of his own people is placed next to the Gaotaiyuan, it is really necessary to grasp the movements of the old generals of the Taige.This important task can be undertaken by extraordinary people.On the surface, Axiu was imprisoned by Ishida, and she was full of resentment towards Sancheng, so she was the most suitable candidate.As for connections, there is no need to worry about rich merchants such as Yodoya.But, will Axiu readily agree? At Zuo Jin's request, Sancheng began to write quickly, feeling pain in his heart, the closer to him, the more ill-fated he would be, but until now, there was nothing he could do.Soon, the letter was written. "Leave everything to Anzhai, my lord should go back to the city." Under Zuo Jin's urging, Sancheng took out a small silk bag from his pocket and handed it to An Zhai: "The next contact point is Atago-dong. Be careful on the way." Inside the small silk bag were heavy letters, some addressed to Ukita Hide's family, Masuda Nagamori...and to the left-behind members of the Mori and Konishi families.The reason why Sancheng deliberately contacted his retainers outside the city was because he was afraid that his whereabouts would be discovered by Tokugawa Seisaku who had sneaked into the city.According to his experience, no matter how tight the defense is, it cannot completely prevent spies from sneaking in.Wasn't even a woman like Axiu a spy in the beginning? Sakuzaemon Ataka collected the letter and galloped away on horseback. Sancheng clapped his hands and called the abbot of the monastery, saying: "If the monastery withers, the lords in the city will not be at peace. If you have any requests, just tell the veterans, you are welcome." After saying that, he offered some gold and silver to the monastery, then got up and left.As soon as he left the mountain gate, Zuo Jin immediately kept a distance from San Cheng, acting like a master and slave. "My lord, are you still tired?" "I took a short rest just now, and my chest tightness has improved." "It's rare to be so leisurely recently, please take care, my lord." "Yeah, it's really rare to be free." Sancheng nodded with a serious expression.In a trance, he seemed to hear the battle.The battle is about to begin, Niwa Nagashige has volunteered to be the vanguard in the crusade against Maeda, and the Toshinaga brothers have also dispatched important officials Yokoyama Yamashiro to Ieyasu to apologize.Did they send envoys thinking that Ieyasu would forgive them, or was it to buy time? But no matter what considerations Brother Li Chang has, there is only one thing for Sancheng to do: force them to go to war no matter what!Even if they secretly encouraged Niwa, and privately fanned the flames of Tokugawa's irritable Ii, Honda, and Kanbara... If Kodaiin was removed by others, how would the situation evolve? In short, to make them realize that the war with Ieyasu is inevitable, this is Sancheng's biggest gain.If he stays silent, Zuoheshan will gradually be cut off by Ieyasu, and finally defeated... Now that the arrow has been wound, the world will be determined in one battle, and he hesitates!Seeing the impoverished and weak town incomparable to Osaka Castle in front of him, Misunari felt his blood boil—Ishida Misunari was the only one who dared to stand in front of the ambitious Tokugawa Ieyasu, the only one who dared to shoot an arrow at the Tokugawa clan! When he thought of this, the gate of Zuohe Mountain City was approaching...