Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen

After Tokugawa Ieyasu arrived at the hill, Nagai Naakatsu suddenly became busy.Not only because of the complicated affairs in the formation, but also because he was handling affairs with Honda Sado, who couldn't fundamentally understand Ieyasu's mind, and Masanobu's son, Masamune. "If you are worried about the situation in the west, you can go back at any time, and I will not stop you at all." Ieyasu's straightforward treatment of the generals who have been deeply favored by Toyotomi made the senior minister Pudai quite opinion. "Even if the adults say that, the people below should think about it, right?"

Honda Zhongsheng and others were obviously dissatisfied with Zhisheng.However, since all orders came from Ieyasu, at this time, Zhisheng had no choice but to respond: "Please ask your lord directly about this matter." All letters were conveyed to the generals under Ieyasu's instructions, and everyone believed that Ieyasu did not let the generals know about the letter that should be notified to the generals.This letter was nothing else, but it was sent by Mori, the leader of the Western Army supported by everyone headed by Sancheng.The recipients are Kanbara Komasa, Honda Sado, and Nagai Naokatsu.

The senders of the letter were Maori ministers Masuda Genbotou Gensho, Kumagai Toyozen Morimoto Nao, and Shishido Bizen Morimotoji from Osaka. "I'm willing to wait. This time I went out with Hui Qiong of Anguo Temple and arrived in Omi. I was stopped by Shaosuke Jibu and Shaosuke Xingbu, and invited me to go to Osaka..." The purpose of the letter is to explain that Mori Terumoto was completely unaware of Anguoji Huiqiong's return to Osaka.If Huiyuan knew this, he would be shocked.As a person left behind, if you don't report these things, it is very likely to cause great misunderstandings, so I wrote here.

The letter was dated July 13th.After it was circulated, everyone believed that there were friends of Ieyasu in Torres, which would be very useful for boosting morale, but Ieyasu did not allow anyone to make this letter public. Then, the Hiroshi Yoshikawa family of the Maori clan sent another letter written on the 14th. "On the fifth day of July, we set off from Yunzhou and arrived in Akashi, Banzhou. We met Huiqiong of Anguosi, Omi Ishida, and Otani, and told us to delay our journey. Please go to Osaka to discuss things. After learning about the three people's plans, we waited Surprised..."

What Yoshikawa Hiroka meant was that this matter was entirely Anguoji Huiqiong's idea and had nothing to do with Mori Terumoto. Although the truth will be lost in the near future, in order to avoid misunderstandings, I still edit the book to explain it.The recipient is Yasomasa Kanbara. This is also a letter that clearly shows that the Mori family has internal strife, but Ieyasu does not allow it to be made public.He disclosed all the things that were not good for him, but concealed all the letters that were good for him, which made Zhisheng puzzled. Just when everyone was wondering, on the morning of the 25th, Ieyasu held a major meeting in the hills to discuss whether to go east or go west.This is the second day of the Fushimi battle.

"Naokatsu, call Honda Tadakatsu and Ii Naomasa." Ieyasu calmly ordered Nagai Naokatsu to circulate the documents to the generals present, and then said, "Don't worry about the riots in the west. The Ministry is not Shaojun's men either. This is the rebellion of Ishida and Otani." Zhisheng hurriedly asked, "Ishida and Otani?" "Yes. We need to understand this fact. In this way, you will have a clear judgment on this war." "But... I don't know if everyone can understand this..." Before Zhisheng finished speaking, Ieyasu shook his head lightly, "I will not attend today's meeting."

Zhisheng almost doubted his own ears.What is Ieyasu thinking about when he worked so hard to come to Xiaoshan from Edo but did not attend the meeting? "I said, I will not participate in today's discussion." "Then... why is that? Everyone wants to hear your lord's bold words." "I know. I'll have Zhongsheng and Naomasa attend in my place. That's enough." "But in that case, wouldn't it be a little too contempt..." Before he could finish speaking, Zhisheng quickly closed his mouth. He found a sneer in Ieyasu's eyes: "Zhisheng, can you use your brain and think more deeply?"

"Forgive me for being stupid." "Or, I will attend the meeting as you wish, and sit there with a straight face, what do you think?" "In this way, everyone will have a bottom line in their hearts and feel at ease." "Nonsense! In this way, everyone will be frightened and dare not speak the truth." "Oh." "Didn't you realize that at the beginning of a war, the most important thing is to boost morale. Now that the cover of the war has been lifted, you must lead the way. Before starting the war, there is no need to shout or bluff. The most important thing is to find out the strength of the enemy and ourselves."

"Forgive me for being stupid." "Targeting people who have no strength, there is no such stupid way in the world. This kind of wrong calculation will inevitably lead to failure. Therefore, I will not attend today, and let Naozheng and Zhongsheng calculate everyone's strength." "Oh, I'm so stupid." "In order to understand the facts, I came to Xiaoshan from Edo on purpose." Ieyasu Yunshan was shrouded in mist, and smiled, "You call the two of you, and you'd better listen by yourself." Nagai Naokatsu immediately went to call Honda Tadakatsu and Ii Naomasa, still puzzled.The Hiroshi Yoshikawa family of the Mori family quietly expressed their willingness to be an internal response, but said that Hideyori cannot be regarded as an enemy.Among those daimyos who followed Ieyasu on the Eastern Expedition and received the grace of Toyotomi, there were not a few who wanted to use Ieyasu's power to seek Xiu Lai Antai.Even so, the statement "Ishida and Otani conspired against each other" is still a bit unfamiliar, but it is easy to make a deep impression.It contains a bit of humor and a bit of insult. It not only accurately clarifies the nature of the war, but also fully expresses Ieyasu's mentality.

For this reason, the so-called "incriminations of the inner government" and "for the sake of Shaojun" made by the Western Army seem very ridiculous and extremely ridiculous.Those who signed the call to action, such as Changshu Masaka and Masuda Changsheng, actually communicated with Ieyasu secretly.The matter was not so serious, but the enemy put on an exaggerated threat, like a yelling furry child. Moreover, both Mori and Ukita are nothing more than puppets, insignificant people, this statement is really wonderful.Of course, Xiu Lai is young, so it is absolutely impossible to have anything to do with this matter.This is also a well-known fact.In this way, this war can only be "the rebellion between Ishida and Otani", and it has no meaning other than that, and the people who joined them are nothing but duckweeds who don't know right from wrong.What's more, Ieyasu has already understood all of this. As long as they repent, they will not only forget the past, but also tolerate them.In this sense, this sentence hides the meaning of persuading surrender.

From Ieyasu's tone, the purpose of coming to Xiaoshan this time is not just to start a war with Uesugi.Then, Nagai Naakatsu still didn't understand what was going on in Ieyasu's mind. Honda Tadakatsu and Ii Naomasa came, and Nao Katsu brought them to Ieyasu.At this time, Ieyasu was discussing enthusiastically with Honda Sado and his son and Shen Yuan Yasuzheng. The main formation of Xiaoshan is located on the site of Xiaoshan Xiugang City in the northwest of Xiaoshan Post Station.Xiugang fell together with the Hojo clan in the eighteenth year of Tianzheng, and the city became ruins.For emergency, Ieyasu had the abandoned city repaired briefly, and entered a corner facing away from the city.In order to hold the meeting, he also asked Kanbara Komasa to build a 24-foot-square hall.Following the arrival of Xiuzhong, Xiukang and others, the generals rode to the hall one after another. Seeing Tadakatsu and Naomasa, Ieyasu stopped talking and turned to the two of them: "I heard that after Sanada Yasuo and his son came to Inubushi, they turned back." This sentence was not meant for Naomasa, but rather a deliberate remark to Ben. Duo Zhongsheng asked questions. Zhong Sheng said with a serious expression: "There must be a reason..." He tried to defend himself.So far, only Sanada and his son have hurriedly retreated after hearing the rumors of the disturbance on both sides.Moreover, Nobuyuki, the son-in-law of Sanada Yasuo Masayuki, is Honda Tadakatsu's son-in-law, so Zhongkatsu must have been very depressed. Ieyasu gently interrupted Zhongsheng: "I don't mean to blame you. The Sanada father and son withdrew, which only shows how Ishida took great pains to win over his accomplices. Also, it shows that the Sanada father and son received very little salary." "In the next day, I will definitely..." "Don't blame yourself too much. This is also true. I don't plan to attend today." Naomasa Ii was quite surprised: "What's the point of the meeting if your lord doesn't attend? What are your considerations?" "Naozheng, Zhongsheng, I want you two to listen carefully to everyone's opinions." Ieyasu said with a serious face, "Today I want to ask you two to be my eyes and ears. If you have any opinions, you just listen to them. If you don't have any opinions , and discuss it in two or three days." "Having said that, however, Uesugi has completed the formation. Naoe Kanatsuki led 10,000 troops from Nanshan Pass to Shimono and assembled on the plateau. Honjo Shigecho and his son Matasaki led 8,000 troops to Tsuruga and Takasuke. Yasuda Nomoto and Shimadzu Shiatada entered Baichuan, and Ichikawa Fanggang and Yamaura Keiguo entered Guanshan...Jingsheng himself led 8,000 soldiers under his command and 6,000 backup troops out of Wakamatsu City and marched towards Changwei. The enemy is now, We can't call the generals who are deployed between Xilianchuan and Baize for meetings again and again." Once the topic left Sanada and his son, Zhongsheng immediately became eloquent. Ieyasu nodded and said: "You are right. Moreover, the enemy is not just in front of our eyes. There are indications that Mogami Yoshimitsu is very likely to join Jing Sheng's group, and the turmoil in the west is also gradually spreading. So Ah, we must keep calm." "What my lord wants to tell the generals is..." In order to prevent the topic from changing, Ii Naomasa interjected. "I was just about to say. The most important battle is about to start. Please tell everyone—the turmoil in the Jingban area, as I expected beforehand, is the rebellion of Ishida and Otani. At present, they still claim that it is for Shaojun Besides, if the generals' wives and children are in Osaka, it is human nature to be worried and bored, so why not ask them to go back temporarily." Everyone present fell into silence as if frozen: Why is Ieyasu so different this time from before?Under the severe situation of facing enemies from both sides, how could he say such words?Knowing that it was not good for him, he still reported the news from the west to the generals one by one. This was already a big surprise, but now it is even worse, and everyone is asked to go back.Is this really Ieyasu's sincerity?If it wasn't true, Ieyasu didn't even reveal his thoughts to his cronies, which would be too much worry. Just when everyone was worried and afraid to show their anger, Ieyasu said as if nothing had happened: "Even if it is a lie, they are for Toyotomi. In this way, it will be difficult for the generals to disobey the order. As I told them, even if you want to Seeing my wife and children being killed, and having to serve my family, I feel quite uneasy. In troubled times, there are countless examples of friends today and enemies tomorrow. Therefore, if the generals care about their families, please hurry up and set up camp , Return to Osaka, even if he becomes an ally with Ishida, Ieyasu will not hold any grudges." "My lord!" Naomasa couldn't bear it any longer, he yelled loudly, almost jumping up in desperation.Could it be that Ieyasu is old, faint, and crazy? "Don't be in a hurry. This time, Ieyasu never wants to fight a battle with only a body but no soul. Listen, anyone who wants to withdraw his troops can do as he pleases, and I will never stop him. Besides, I have already had people in the territory I have prepared accommodation, food and fodder, please feel free to use them, and return west as soon as possible. I will attend this meeting, and the generals will stick to human feelings, and even feel depressed. So I avoided it on purpose. I hope you two will tell them earnestly, please Don't misunderstand, those who want to go back can go back immediately..." This is neither Ieyasu's strategy, nor is it arrogant.This is Ieyasu's sincere heart after sixty years of suffering and suffering in the world... "My lord," Zhongsheng asked with a hint of worry in his eyes, "Is this your sincerity?" "You think so?" "If this is the sincerity of my lord, once everyone disperses, how will my lord deal with it?" "Zhongsheng, if I only rely on intrigue and trickery, how can I survive to this day!" "No, that's not what I mean. But for a person who can't even save himself, will gods and Buddhas help him?" "You are right. What I did was to save myself. Tokugawa Ieyasu has done his best. What I just said is also what I must do. For a person who has no intention of fighting at all, you just let him go to the battlefield, and the result So what? Let him go if he wants to go. Tokugawa Ieyasu obeys God's will. Yesterday's Tokugawa Ieyasu is dead, and today is the new Tokugawa Ieyasu." Honda Sado Mamoru trembled and began to cry. Recently, Honda Sado seems to have really understood Ieyasu by keeping his faith.The previous Zhengxin was not like this. He was always proud of his talents, which was both wise and bright, and also like Song Yongxiu.Those who rely on their talents will inevitably be betrayed.But Zhengxin's unruly heart gradually disappeared, but it was completely the result of Ieyasu's influence.When a person feels that he is not getting what he deserves, injustice and rebellion will arise.Ming thinks he is superior to others, but has been under others for a long time. Is there a more unfortunate life than this?Because of this, San Cheng's mind became distorted, but this can only be attributed to his guilty conscience and low self-esteem... This is Zheng Xin's recent experience. Zhengxin did not find this worry from Ieyasu.When Taige was alive, Ieyasu assisted him earnestly, but now he is doing his best in accordance with God's will.In other words, Ieyasu does not regard people as his enemy, but regards the sky as his enemy, taking care of the world with the heart of a god and Buddha. "Please forgive me for being superficial and dull. I finally thought about it, and I really should ask the two adults to directly convey it to the generals." Zhengxin wiped away his tears, a little ashamed.Ii Naomasa also nodded in agreement. "It seems that this is a decision that adults have no choice but to make." "That's right." Kanbara Yasumasa looked back at Honda Tadakatsu, and said, "If all the generals go west because of this, wouldn't we be the only ones left?" "No, it won't. After hearing what your lord said just now, all the generals must be very excited, and even burst into tears. If this is the case, the victory or defeat has been decided." Sado Masanobu murmured cautiously again: "The Ishida and Otani people insisted on pulling over those who intend to follow the Lord. However, the Lord was magnanimous and let the generals who followed here decide whether to stay or not. Think about it, Are there people in the world who are so ignorant of the virtuous and the ignorant, who can't even tell the difference? No!" "That's right. It's hard for them to disagree." Even the stubborn Honda Tadakatsu seemed to understand. "In this way, everyone will not go back, and the fighting spirit of the Eastern Army and the Western Army will be completely different. The Western Army is a mob of hard-pressed mobs, and we are a like-minded army of millions." "Yes, my lord is following the will of the gods and Buddhas." Sado Masanobu gave Ieyasu a quick look, but Ieyasu was still silent. "Yes. That's the decision!" Jingi Naomasa said loudly, closing his fan, "Today's discussion will end with the opinions of adults. If you want to stay, you can stay. We will hold a meeting at another day to discuss whether to discuss Uesugi first or first. Cutting stone fields..." Under the leadership of Naomasa Ii, the important ministers walked to the hall still filled with the fragrance of pine wood. Only Ieyasu and Torii Shintaro were left in the room. "Shintaro, at this time, your father must be fighting bloody battles at Fushimi Castle. I can even hear the sound of killing." "My lord!" Shintaro couldn't bear it anymore, and leaned forward, "Father has already prepared for the worst. Manateemon has already told me what happened in detail. However, after following your lord, Among the generals, will any one of them leave camp and go west and go to Ishida? This is what Shintaro is most worried about." Ieyasu closed his eyes and shook his head slightly: "Ieyasu doesn't know about this either. But don't worry, Shintaro, Naakatsu will report soon." The conversation between the two of them stopped there, the room fell into silence, and Shintaro felt uneasy.Ii Naomasa, who followed everyone into the hall, was even more worried and confused: Ieyasu is generous, can the generals really understand?Will the meeting be in chaos? Sure enough, as he had feared in advance, when Naomasa Ii said that everyone can set up camp freely, the generals were obviously shaken.Asano Yukinaga, Fukushima Masanori, Masanori's younger brother Masahiro, Masanori's son Masayuki, Kuroda Nagamasa, Hachisuka's son Toyo, Ikeda Teruma, Teruma's younger brother Nagichi, Hosokawa Tadakashi, Tadakashi's son Tadakayoshi Xingqiu, Ikoma Kazumasa, Nakamura Kazutada, Nakamura Kazuei, Horio Tadashi, Kato Yoshiaki, Yamauchi Kazutoyo... A closer look reveals that they are all former officials of Toyotomi. They are not direct descendants of the Tokugawa family, so of course there will be waves in their hearts .Even the genealogical daimyos of the Tokugawa family were deeply surprised, and no one responded. "If it is for the young master, it will be difficult for the generals to disobey the order..." Hearing this, all the generals were stunned, and the Pudai daimyos opened their eyes in amazement, and soon after, they lowered their heads deeply.However, when it came to Ieyasu's reason for not attending, and talking about Ieyasu's guarantee that everyone retreated safely, everyone's attitude changed, and some people's eyes turned red when they heard it. "I think everyone understands. Needless to say, the culprits of this riot are Ishida and Otani. Even so, their fire is too great. If everyone here feels betrayed by the Toyotomi family, my lord will also I can't bear it. It is precisely because I am worried about these things that my family puts righteousness first and allows you to freely decide whether to stay or not. I hope you can understand my family's painstaking efforts." Before Jing Yizhisheng finished speaking, a person shouted: "Wait a minute!" It was Fujido Gaohu, he leaned forward, "I was lucky enough to hear the words from the heart of the Neifu just now, the matter has come to an end, I left the Neifu to seek refuge in Ishida, why do I still come here? In a word, Fujido Gaohu has no second thoughts!" Hearing what he said, Fukushima slammed his military fan on the floor vigorously, took over the conversation, and said: "Master Fujido said well! This incident is entirely due to Ishida's despicable ambition. I don't care what others do. At this time, Masayoshi Fukushima will never trample on samurai morality because he is worried about his wife and children. As long as the master of the Neifu respects Taige's last order and supports the Young Lord, I am willing to do my best for the Neifu!" Masamori Fukushima's words were powerful and resounding.Everyone said one after another: "I, like Zaemon, firmly support the Inner Palace." "How can I be left behind?" "It's over, what's the point?" After everyone calmed down, Kuroda Nagamasa spoke.In fact, he had already visited Masanori Fukushima, and the two had made an appointment to firmly support no matter what Ieyasu said. "Everyone's wishes are now very clear. As Master Fukushima said, why do we want to bow down to Ishida today? If we still have the backbone of warriors, we should live and die with the Inner Palace." In fact, what Nagamasa is calculating is whether Ieyasu will win or 30% will win. If Ieyasu has no confidence, he will never say such words, and Ieyasu has never said that he will be an enemy of Hideyori. Kazutoyo Yamauchi also solemnly expressed his loyalty: "Master Ii, when I conquer Keizan, I will bring all the troops of Kakegawa with me. Therefore, after vacating the city, I would like to invite the nobles from the inner government Choose one of the retainers to live in my small town to look after my house, no matter who it is. In short, from now on, I will completely obey the instructions of the inner government!" Seeing that everyone expressed their determination one by one, Hosokawa Tadakashi, who had been watching silently before, finally concluded with a solemn expression: "No one is willing to withdraw. Mr. Nagai, please convey this result to the inner government." Nagai Naokatsu immediately stood up and went out of the living room. The hall was sultry and hot, but the sunlight outside was even more scorching.Under the scorching sun, Nagai Naokatsu hurried to Ieyasu's residence. No one wants to go back!Nagai Naakatsu was very excited.Ieyasu saw it through from the very beginning, and his previous worries only showed his immaturity. Ieyasu was sincere from beginning to end, and it was this kind of sincerity that finally made everyone bow down at his knees.Even so, what expression will Ieyasu have after learning the result? "My lord." Zhisheng went in and saw Ieyasu still leaning on the support table, seemingly in deep thought. "What's the matter?" Ieyasu raised his face, faintly worried. "No one said they would break camp and go back. The first to speak was Todo Takatora, followed by Fukushima, Kuroda, Yamauchi and others. Everyone expressed their determination and must firmly support you." "Oh." "Finally, Tadake Hosokawa confirmed again, so I hurried over to report." "However, it's too early to be happy." Ieyasu suddenly lowered his voice and stood up.This sentence does not seem to be addressed to Zhisheng, nor does it seem to be addressed to himself, "I will ask you about the specific situation on the way. Now that the decision has been made, I have to say thank you." His face Showing a leisurely expression, everything is under his control. "Tododo is the first, and Fukushima is the second?" "Exactly. Master Fukushima said, as long as you don't see Mr. Qi..." "I understand. Then, what did Kazutoyo Yamauchi of Kakegawa say? Enshu is the key to suppressing Tōkaidō." "Yamauchi said that if my lord goes west, he will lead the whole army to go together. Please choose someone to help guard the city, and hope that it will last until the end of the war." "Izutoyo said that?" Ieyasu opened the fan to cover the sun, and then lowered his voice again, "Okay, I'm going with Shintaro later. You go ahead and tell Naomasa that I want to show off." "Obey!" Nagai Naakatsu bent over and ran out. Ieyasu turned his head and glanced at Torii Shintaro, who was holding a big sword, and said, "Everyone has worked hard, and the weather is quite hot." Torii Shintaro bowed solemnly and tilted his head slightly.For him, recent Ieyasu has become more and more difficult to see through. As soon as all the generals in the hall heard that Ieyasu was coming, they all sat upright at the same time.Ieyasu's figure appeared next to Naomasa, and everyone hurriedly made a space for the seat. Ieyasu sat down next to Naomasa: "I just heard about the wishes of the generals, and Ieyasu is very grateful." He bowed solemnly and bowed, "I planned not to show up, but I don't come to express my gratitude to everyone. I am really sorry. Since All of you are willing to join forces with the Tokugawa clan, and the war cannot be delayed for a moment. Therefore, I would like to discuss with you immediately: should we directly attack Aizu and then advance to Keizan, or should we abandon Aizu first and immediately go west?" Nagai Naokatsu suddenly laughed, and Xuan hastily put on a straight face.Ieyasu said: It's too early to be happy. "The final general wants to talk about his views." Masanori Fukushima was the first to speak, "Uesugi is nothing to blame for this incident, and the rebellion of Ishida, Otani, and Ukita is the root cause. Aizu should be abandoned first and quickly return to the west. The best policy. I don't know what the master of the inner court thinks?" Ieyasu nodded vigorously and looked at Tadake Hosokawa. Hosokawa Tadakashi hurriedly said: "I also agree with Fukushima-sama's opinion. If we don't go west now, the number of people who will be forced to join the Western Army will continue to increase." At this time, Zhongxing had not only learned of the loss of his wife, but also I also know that my father is fighting hard in Tango. "Those who agree to attack the top first, please raise your hands." Zhizheng said. Except for the genealogy daimyo, all the generals agreed unanimously, and Fukushima Masanori also added: "Actually, just now, Lord Kakegawa Yamauchi has also stated clearly that he is willing to lead all the troops to the expedition, and the city will be handed over to the retainers of the inner government first. This approach reassures both parties. For this proposal, Zhengzheng fully agrees. Qingzhou is a must pass, please use it as much as possible, and go west as soon as possible." Regular speeches enliven the atmosphere.To march west first, we must ensure the safety of the city on the main road. "Thank you!" Ieyasu bowed again.At this moment, he didn't need to say a word.Although those daimyos who have received Toyotomi's grace have expressed their loyalty to Tokugawa, just one sentence is not enough to reassure them. This is common sense in war.But at present, it is not possible to propose to hand over the hostages, otherwise, the sincerity before will become a lie.It was precisely because of this awareness that Kazutoyo Yamauchi proposed first, and Masanori Fukushima also proposed to let Ieyasu use the residence at will.Entrusting one's own city to others to take care of, which shows incomparable trust, is it comparable to handing over a hostage? Following Masayoshi, Nakamura Ichiei, Hamamatsu Castle Horio Tadashi, Yoshida Castle Ikeda Teruma, Okazaki Castle Tanaka Yoshimasa and others followed suit: "My residence is also used by the Inner Government." "My The inner government of the city can use it freely, and I have prepared enough food." "My city is also at the discretion of the inner government." It is an excellent strategy to stop fighting without fighting.Jun, Yuan, San, and Kiyosu of Owari were all shaken by Ieyasu for a while, and Ieyasu was regarded by the generals as a giant worthy of entrustment. "Then, Ieyasu will follow everyone's advice and go west first." Ieyasu said calmly.In this way, the meeting decided the general trend of the world, and the rest is how to make Uesugi stop. Ieyasu asked someone to bring out the wine and food, and once again handed over the matter to Ii Naomasa and Honda Tadakatsu, and left the hall by himself.Nagai Naakatsu, Honta Masanobu, and Torii Shintaro followed behind, all of them blushing.From their point of view, everything is as expected by the lord, and it seems that there is an incredible power at the mercy. "Sado." At the lower entrance, Ieyasu turned his head.Zhengxin hurriedly stopped, only to hear Ieyasu say: "Who do you think should be left to watch Uesugi?" The question was so sudden that Zhengxin didn't react. Ieyasu asked again, "I'm asking who should stay and look after Uesugi." "This... I think that there is no one more suitable than Yuki Hideyasu-sama." "Oh. Then, call him here before he goes back." On this day, Yuuki Hideyasu also came from Utsunomiya and attended the meeting. "Obey!" Honda Sado turned back to call Xiukang, but there was some resentment in his heart.Ieyasu's reply was so quick, which showed that he had already decided on a good candidate in his heart, but even so, he still asked him on purpose. On the other hand, Nagai Naokatsu thought that this was simply a "flowing decision", and he sighed more and more: "My lord, we are going to win." Entering the room, he was still very excited, and couldn't help saying: "It seems that the gods and Buddhas are helping you. Us. What extraordinary luck!" Jiakang said coldly: "It's too early to be happy!" "what?" "We have only just arrived in Qingzhou, and we have to go through Mino and Omi to get to Osaka. The battlefield is ahead. The mountain city, Yamato, Izumi, and Hanoi are all enemy territories." Zhisheng couldn't help being stunned, scratching his temples.Ieyasu's face was indifferent, without a trace of excitement, he might feel that he just got what he deserved. Not long after, Yuuki Hideyasu and Honda Masanobu came together.Xiu Kang has no nose.Some people say that since he inherited Yuki's family business as Hideyoshi's adopted son, he has frequently been in and out of brothels, and accidentally contracted a haemorrhoid disease, and even lost his nose.It is also said that he cut off his nose because he was very dissatisfied with his debauchery.In short, unlike his younger brother Xiuzhong, Xiukang is ugly and fierce, and he can be called a fierce general.When Ishida Mitsunari was hunted down by Seven Generals and had to flee to Fushimi City for help, Xiuyasu escorted Mitsunari back to the neighboring country under the orders of Ieyasu.At that time, Xiukang was very dissatisfied, and said: "If you save him, it will be a legacy of raising a tiger, and let the tiger go back to the mountain." When he learned that Sancheng rebelled against his father while his father was away, he said: "If you don't go west immediately to destroy A rebellious army will be a laughing stock." In short, he strongly advocated the Western Expedition. "Father!" Xiukang came to his father and said impassionedly, "Sado Mamoru has already told the boy about the general situation. Xiukang never thought that he would stay here. The boy just wants to be a striker who will attack 30% of the war. Please change your mind and let the boy do it." baby." Zhisheng couldn't help being startled.Everything was so perfect, but the father and son in front of them were about to quarrel. "Xiu Yasushi, don't you hate Uesugi?" "The western expedition is the first, and the child must be the pioneer of the father." "So, who do you recommend?" "Recommendation?" "Replace the father, replace you, and defeat Jing Sheng. Who do you think is the most suitable?" Jiakang asked calmly, and leaned on the table with a serious face, "Marshal Zhengxi is his father. But when Jing Sheng finds out that I am going to the west, he will definitely mobilize troops. Even if Jing Sheng does not move, he has been secretly communicating with Sancheng Naoe Kanetsugu of the song will not sit idly by. In this way, Yoshinobu Satake will also move with the wind. So, who else do you think can completely suppress these opponents, Hideyasu?" Xiukang couldn't help feeling embarrassed.Staying to suppress Uesugi, ordinary people really can't do it.If he were to command the entire army in the future, he would be Xiuzhong, and there would be no one else... Xiukang was thinking about this, and he heard Ieyasu calmly say: "I can't stay. Don't blame me for complaining, I think of you again My elder brother Xinkang. If Xinkang is still alive, he will firmly hold my ground for me at this time, so that I have no worries. Xiuzhong and I go west together, and people will say, Ieyasu and his son are here. Greatly boosted morale. But Xiuzhong lacks strength and actual combat experience, Jing Sheng and Zhijiang Shancheng will definitely not take him seriously." "Father!" "Don't worry, you have to think carefully. This person needs to be majestic enough to fight the enemy at any time. With such a person stationed here, Jing Sheng's fighting spirit will be greatly reduced. Jing Sheng Sheng didn't have much ambition in the first place, he would not covet the world like Ishida, and he would not take the initiative to provoke." "but……" "It's not Jingsheng who has ambitions, but Zhijiang Shancheng. But this kind of ambition is also short-sighted, just for personal calculations. If someone in the family objects, he can't force the army. Therefore, the key to the problem is our left-behind coach. Coach As a fierce general, Uesugi would never dare to attack Edo when I return to the west. During this period, I will complete my expedition to the west and then go east.” Xiukang was about to interject when Ieyasu stopped him gently: "Therefore, you'd better write a letter to Jing Sheng. That is to say, although Xiukang is young, he is also the son of Taige and Ieyasu, and he is determined to replace his father and wait for him at any time. Before the enemy crosses the Kinugawa River, they must stand still and closely monitor the movement of the enemy. The enemy boasts that they are the most powerful in the world and dare not lose face, so they will not move lightly in all likelihood. But once our army commander is underestimated by them, the situation will be different It's completely different. Ishida must try hard to encourage them to raise troops, and if they raise troops, the Western Army will also be motivated. In this way, the situation will change drastically. Who should take such an important responsibility?" Xiukang stared at his father with great admiration - his father had already made up his mind to let him stay in Edo.He said loudly: "Father, Xiukang is willing to stay here. With Xiukang here, he will definitely block Jing Sheng!" "This is a filial son." Ieyasu's red eyes filled with tears. Although he said he didn't care, his life was hanging by a thread if he really wanted to stop Uesugi's attack. Ieyasu knew this all too well.Wars are ever-changing, and even Ieyasu's life and death are unpredictable. "Crying tears will affect morale." Although he was also blaming himself, he couldn't control the worry in his heart.The sins of war cannot always be eradicated, and it brings endless disasters to all living beings, and he and his son are also in danger. He only hopes that one day he will be able to get rid of all the hardships... "It seems that you still know how to be a father." Although he encouraged Xiukang on his lips, Ieyasu felt very sad in his heart.He has experienced countless joys and sorrows in his life, but he still shed tears involuntarily.War and death are always bound together.Even if Xiukang can survive, Ieyasu may not be able to guarantee all safety.The terror and emotion that the young Hideyasu couldn't understand surged in Ieyasu's heart, and Honda Masanobu was also weeping. "This is just like my son. This is a war about whether the world can be peaceful! You are the commander, good job!" "Understood. My son is very happy to be treated differently by my father." The young and energetic Xiukang still can't understand the cruelty of life. "Sado, give that armor to Shuyasu." Zhengxin hurriedly urged Bansaka Buzhai to move the armor box from the warehouse. "Xiu Kang, this armor is for you. This is the armor that my father has been wearing since he was young. So far, he has not suffered a defeat in it. It is the armor of luck. You wear it to command the three armies. Note Don't act rashly. But if the enemy crosses the Kinu River, don't let them go lightly! Please keep my entrustment in mind." Xiu Kang laughed.For him, he cared more about his father's armor than the weight on his shoulders.My father even prepared the armor, but he still said "who should be left behind", which is really ridiculous.Xiukang smiled and said, "Thank you, my lord, the child is accepted." Back in the corridor, Masanobu was still persuading Xiukang: the Western Army is a mob, and Uesugi is the formidable enemy... "I know. How could I let Jing Sheng look down upon him? If Jing Sheng dared to cross the Kinu River, I would make him lose all his armor! With this kind of courage, Jing Sheng dare not withdraw his troops? Once he withdraws his troops, I will wipe them out in one fell swoop. "Xiu Kang proudly said. Utsunomiya Honjo was guarded by Hideyasu and Gamo Hideyuki, Erdo Castle was in charge of the experienced Ogasawara Hidemasa, and Sandao Castle was guarded by Satomi Yasushi, with a force of 20,000. The defense of the east was thus decided.All that remains is when the old general Toyotomi will leave camp.Ieyasu set the time at noon on July 28.Before that, the generals were only allowed to meet for the last time on the hill, and then went straight west. On July 28th of the fifth year of Qingchang, it has been raining heavily since the morning.In the heavy rain, people once again gathered on the hill.Since all the ministries had set off first, the only people who gathered here in the rain were the horse guards. Led by Fukushima Masanori, Ikeda Teruma, Asano Yukunaga and others only held a long spear, one or two seal cages, and more than ten infantry, all of them went into battle lightly.Obviously, there is not much to discuss at this meeting.Everyone just met each other, according to the previous oath, returned to their own city, and prepared to welcome Jiakang. Of course, Ieyasu was going along the Tokaido, and Hidetada was going along the Higashiyama Road. As for Maeda Toshinaga, who was about to go east, Ieyasu ordered him to stop marching towards Aizu: he just attacked the western army along the way, and went to Mino and Owari.会合。另，家康命水野胜重先返回刈谷城继承家业，之后，再在西三河至东尾张、伊势一带巡视，密切监视伊势、伊贺诸城主动向，一旦发现形势不对，就立刻密令柳生宗严之子宗矩返回乡里，相机行事。 西征的准备已一切完毕，可家康却迟迟不从小山出发。大雨一直从二十八日下到二十九日，诸将只好各自踩着泥泞回去。 平静地送诸将回去之后，家康又认真地关注起景胜，不，更确切地说，是观察起直江兼续和佐竹义宣的动静来。尽管早已布置好对付二人的一切，但他们是否会提早让此次的骚动扩大，关系甚大。 到八月初四晨，家康方从小山出发，乘小船逆古河而上，让人把栗桥切断之后，直奔江户，随行只五六艘小船。