Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The Monk Knows the Potential

Two years passed, and it was the summer of the seventeenth year of Tianzheng. Hojo Shizheng has been standing on the watchtower, looking at the ants-like civilian husband at the west entrance.At the outer city gate from Hayakawaguchi to Yumoto and Dicang, a samurai kept whipping a civilian husband.The samurai was extremely rough, but the person who was beaten was indifferent. Is it because the civilian husband slowed down his work due to the scorching heat, or did he find out that he was an infiltrated spy? "Gen Saburo, look there." Shizheng pointed to that place with his fan, and said to the guard Kuno Gensaburo who had just arrived, "The one who beat someone was furious, but the one who was beaten was very calm."

"Oh! He is really arrogant." "Haha." Shi Zheng covered his head with a half-open fan and smiled, "Because people who are restless are easily agitated." "Agitated?" "I ordered the samurai at the site to finish the work yesterday, but it's not done today. He'll be restless." "Oh." "Yes. Looking at that scene, I will think of Yu Chai's furious look." Shi Zheng said.He still doesn't refer to Hideyoshi as "Kanbai" or "Sir".Of course, in front of Hideyoshi or Tokugawa's envoys, Ujimasa would never call Hideyoshi "Hashiba".Although he would call "Master Guan Bai", his tone was full of hatred.

"Yu Chai must be very anxious at this time, but I remain calm as usual." "The Tokugawa clan has sent another envoy." "No matter what he said, our father and son will not go to Beijing to please Yu Chai. If it is just to make people delay sending troops, it is not impossible to go to Beijing." "We might as well take this opportunity and send troops immediately." "Hmph!" Shizheng smiled contemptuously, turned around and walked straight down the stairs, "It's so hot! Let's go down and set the abacus, Genzaburo." "yes."

"When do you think Yu Chai will be unbearable and send troops?" "This...will be in autumn, right?" "No." Shizheng shook his head, "Tokugawa will send people to urge us to go to Beijing, and everything will be safe until the first month. Yuchai will send troops, and it will not be until next spring at the earliest." "By then, we'd be well prepared." "That's right. The militiamen have been training for three years. I want to show them how powerful Odawara is!" Shi Zheng stumbled down the stairs, but his words were full of pride.

"Gen Saburo, bring the abacus!" Shizheng returned to the room, wiped off his sweat, turned away the maid, and opened the account book. "Here comes the abacus." "Three hundred and thirty-eight villages in Wuzang." "Well. Three hundred and thirty-eight." "Sagami three hundred and fifty-nine villages." "Yes, Sagami three hundred and fifty-nine." "One hundred and sixteen villages in Izu." "One hundred and sixteen." "Xiazong thirty-eight villages." "thirty eight." "Shangye, Ueno, Xiaye Hachimura. How much is the total?"

"Eight hundred fifty-nine." "Eight hundred and fifty-nine villages, thirty people from each village, how much?" "Eight hundred and fifty-nine villages, thirty people from each village...a total of twenty-five thousand seven hundred and seventy people." "Fifty people from each village, how much is the total?" "Forty-two thousand nine hundred and fifty people." "Under special circumstances, one hundred people per village can also be recruited. Don't say anything about it. Let's look at the actual income of each place." Shi Zhengdao, looking at the number of salaries written in red pen for each territory.Recently, Shizheng often rode horses to inspect the territory in person, inspected the harvest of the crops, picked rice ears, counted the rice grains, and marked them with a red pen to compare the difference between the book and the actual harvest. "How? How many in total?"

"Two hundred and fifty-six thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight stones." "Hmph! Two million and a half million stones?" "That's the actual income." "Trying to deceive me, what on earth are these people trying to do? Those who can be accepted must be accepted!" Shi Zheng narrowed his eyes, picked up the red pen himself, and wrote down the total amount. "Listen well. With these 2.56 million shi, if every 10,000 shi feeds 300 soldiers, how many people can there be in total?" "Feed three hundred people?" "This is just a hypothesis. In the event of an emergency, there may be more people to be recruited. There are still many wild warriors and homeless people in the territory. If necessary, even they will be recruited."

"A total of 76,800 people." "Yeah. Add some more, and we can reach 90,000. Then bring the militia into the banner. In this way, the actual strength will be 150,000." "Such a huge army..." "Haha, if the enemy wants to deal with an army of 150,000, they must have 300,000 horses and 100,000 stones of food and grass. So, will they dare to attack? This is the interesting point." "If there is such a large army coming, how can it be good?" Yuan Saburo seemed a little scared.Shizheng gave him a hard look, and reprimanded: "You know what! From Duke Soun to my son's five generations, the Hojo clan has never been defeated. Even if the territory is scorched, I will not surrender to the Yuchai generation. Besides , Tokugawa and Oshu Date are allies with me."

Shizheng picked up the red pen again, he was speechless for a long time, thinking about something in his mind. Not to mention the Hojo clan, the Hojo clan had no intention of compromising with Hideyoshi from the very beginning.He sent people to Sakai City to buy muskets, incorporated all the streets into the city wall built with high walls, and cast middle barrels in three places.The so-called middle barrel is a powerful weapon between a cannon and a musket. It is so big that it needs to be carried by four strong men and ignited by one person. "Borrow the bells from various temples for the bronze needed to cast the middle cylinder." When Shizheng proposed this, Shizhi objected: "Let Osaka know about this matter, Zensheng is better?"

"Hahaha, I think differently from you. If they know our war preparations, they will be subdued. Once the war starts this time, the monastery can't stay out of it. Doing this will also let the monks and benefactors understand the situation clearly. This is to boost morale. Write them a letter saying that as long as we win, we will cast a better clock and return it to them. This is the way of government." As a result, large bells that greatly exceeded actual needs were transported from various places to the castle of Odawara.It wasn't just bells that were brought into Odawara.From the spring of the 17th year of Tianzheng, almost every day, cattle and horse carts from all over the country were loaded with rice grains and transported into the granary built in Hamate.Anyone can see that such a huge amount far exceeds actual needs.

"We are sticking to the city, do we really need so much rice?" Hearing the whispers of the servants, Shizheng raised his half-white head and said with a smile: "These rice grains are collected not for us to eat, but for the enemy's army to come. and leave them without food." Soon after, an order was issued that anyone in each village who secretly hid more grain than daily needs would be severely punished!As a result, the common people became more and more uneasy, and they hid the surplus rice grains in the temples one after another. "Don't worry, when you are about to run out of food, I will distribute it as soon as I give an order. If you cherish the fields and homes, you should practice martial arts diligently in addition to taxes and duties to prevent the enemy from attacking." After the notice was posted, Shizheng thoroughly inspected the rice warehouses of various monasteries and ordered them to hand over the remaining grain.This move caused people to discuss: "When will the war start?" "almost……" Everyone holds bamboo spears, draws bows and sets arrows, eagerly waiting for the start of the battle.Shizheng is very satisfied with this.As soon as they caught people who seemed to be spies sent by Osaka, they deliberately let them see the battle preparations in the city, and then let them go. "My lord. Dr. Zuo Jing, please see me." Hearing the notification from the servants, Shizheng put down his pen, "Shizhi? Let him in." When Shi went straight in, he glanced at the account book on the table and sat down in front of his father.Uji Nao's mother is the daughter of Takeda Shingen, and his demeanor is vaguely like that of Shingen when he was young. Shi Zheng looked at his son and said, "Doctor Zuo Jing, this year is another good year. It seems that even the heavens are helping me, Hojo Clan." Shi said straightly: "My boy just saw a suspicious person at the entrance of Zaochuan." "Oh? The one who was whipped? There's no need to punish him. Let him have a good look at our combat readiness and let him go back." "But I heard people say that he is a monk who practiced with hair, and he wants to have an interview with our father and son." "So he's not a spy?" "It's not clear yet. But he said he wanted to talk to us in secret." "Well... well, it's okay to meet him, let him come to the vestibule." Shi gave Genzaburo a wink, "A monk with hair?" "Yes, he calls himself Suifeng. I heard that he used to make unforeseen prophecies. He is a strange monk." "Oh. Just for fun, and hear what he has to say. Oh, minus the weapons." "It's natural." "Maybe he only knows how to say good things and get some benefits." Just as he was talking, two guards brought in a man who looked like a peasant with his hands bound.But he really looks like a monk. His hair is nearly three or four inches long, standing upright like chestnut thorns.But he had a straight back and strong shoulders, and he looked like a warrior.It is not easy to tell this person's age from his appearance, but his eyes are unbelievably deep and clear. "You said you want to see our father and son, so please register first." The man replied gently: "The poor monk follows the wind, and wandering is a good tourist." "Oh. What do you have to say?" "If your excellency deems it necessary, it is not inconvenient for others to be present." "I see that you have no intention of harming others. How about untying the rope?" "No. You can talk like this, I don't want to disturb you." "Weird." Shi Zheng looked back at Shi Zhi, "Doctor Zuo Jing, let's listen." "yes." "Okay, Sui Feng, if you have something to say, just say it, don't mind." "Yes." Suifeng nodded, and sat down on the stone in the courtyard, "The first thing I want to ask is, do you two adults plan to fight Daban with an egg?" "Hitting a rock with an egg?" Shi Zheng was furious.The armament that he has always been proud of, Suifeng actually dismissed it so much. "Your name is Suifeng?" "Yes. I took this name as I wandered around with the wind." "You really are Hashiba's spy!" "No! I am not a spy sent by heaven, nor a spy of Hideyoshi or Ieyasu." "Oh. That's really shameless. Where did you practice Buddhism? Which sect did you study?" "The poor monk has been practicing for the longest time at Mt. Hiei, and he has also learned tranquility and contemplation. He should have learned the eight sects at the same time." Speaking of this, Suifeng suddenly lowered his voice, "My lord, you haven't answered my question yet. Woolen cloth." "your problem?" "Are you ready to fight Osaka with such a vulnerable armament?" "Yes." Shi Zheng replied coldly.He is usually not like this, but for some reason, in front of this strange person, he just can't get angry, and his words are like a cool breeze blowing past him. "If you are a famous monk who also studied the Eight Schools, then I can be said to be a military commander who is proficient in strategy. My strength is that if you don't fight, you can't win." "Great, the poor monk doesn't have to worry about going to war." "Suifeng, I didn't say I wouldn't fight this battle." "Then...my lord can win?" "Don't you see it?" "I can't see it. The poor monk only saw that if you go to war, you will definitely lose. I said this casually on the construction site before I was brought here." "Interesting! Let's talk about it, why do you lose when you start a war?" "Forgive me. Your call to the people and the collection of food have already spread to Osaka." "Oh, even so, it does me no harm." "But Hideyoshi is a good fighter." "Good at fighting?" "Exactly. I'm afraid that when he attacks, he will lead a huge army and transport a large amount of food and grass from land and sea, which will make you daunted and lose all fighting spirit." "How can I be afraid? I have already prepared an elite division that can fight against it." Suifeng shook his head and smiled, "No. Your status is different. In this world, there is nothing more terrifying than a different 'bit'." "Suifeng, what do you mean?" Shizheng's expression turned ugly, "What's the difference between Yuchai and me?" "My lord," Suifeng said with smile lines on his face, "You know, in this world, everyone's level is different. But if there is only a difference in level, given time, the loser will win, and the winner will still lose." "Well, it seems to be getting more and more interesting." "However, if there is a difference in 'position', there is nothing to do. It is absolutely the winner who wins, and the loser loses. This is unreasonable human feelings. Those who are high will have good luck, while those who are low will be entangled in poverty and disasters, and they cannot escape. If this is the case, even if you win, you will still lose, and those who kill will always be killed. It is as if everything is unfavorable, and the unfavorable trend will gradually increase. If you look at history, there is far away the destruction of the Heike family, and the collapse of Takeda, Zhizhi, and Shibata's generation is near." "Follow the wind!" "My lord, are you angry? Please forgive me. Suifeng is not your subordinate, nor is he a fanatic. It is not easy for you to reorganize your armaments. Why don't you propose peace talks based on this. Then the Hojo clan can be an indispensable daimyo in the country. , eternal glory." Seeing his father's fury, Shi hurriedly said: "My lord, this man is extraordinary. Let the child ask him, you rest for now." "Well, that's fine." "Your name is Suifeng?" "Yes, the poor monk will chatter endlessly if he is worried about something." "It can be seen that you are very concerned about my family. I have something to ask you." "What's the matter? The poor monk will know everything." "Where have you been before you came here?" "I've been to Junfu and traveled around the world." "So, do you know Mr. Ieyasu?" "No, I haven't seen him. But the poor monk has heard about his benevolence and righteousness." "Let me ask you, if Hojo and Osaka go to war, which side will the Ieyasu Guild be on?" "This..." Suifeng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Do you want to back away from the left and right? Even though they are all close ministers..." "But it doesn't matter." "Okay. Mr. Ieyasu is the father-in-law of an adult." "so what?" "The concubine Du, who was born in the Liangxiang Bureau, should have been born in the third year of Tianzheng, and she has reached the age of ji... She is indeed deeply loved by Duke Jiakang." "So, do you think the Ieyasu Guild is on our side?" "No. He won't stand on your side, and he doesn't want to fight with you. He took great pains for this. When the poor monk was in Junfu, he could feel it." Sui Feng looked straight at Shi Zhi. Shi Zhi glanced at his father in a panic, and then at Sui Feng.Why does this monk speak so sharply?If he angered his father, wouldn't his life be in danger?Shi was very confused, but Sui Feng didn't take it seriously. "So, have you visited Tokugawa-sama?" Suifeng shook his head slowly, and said, "Even if I go to visit, he won't tell the truth." "Let me ask again: Do you know the relationship between my family and Guan Bai?" "On the surface, it seems that you are at odds with Sanada Masayuki of Shangshu. The Naikuta Castle that Hideyoshi bestowed on Sanada Masayuki was taken away from the Hojo Clan, but the actual conflict does not add to this—whether you are willing to respond to Hideyoshi's call Going to Beijing. Speaking of which, it’s just a little bit of air.” "Spirit? The five generations of the Hojo clan ruled the Kanto region, how could they easily bow to Hideyoshi?" "This is not surrendering to Hideyoshi, but becoming a retainer of the emperor, obeying the imperial family's orders for the sake of domestic unification. Thinking about it this way, it is not difficult to let go. It seems that the Hojo clan is not well-informed." "Insufficient knowledge?" "That's right. You have Mr. Ujiki from Izu Nirayama and Mr. Ujibo from Musashi Iwaki, but why didn't you come to Beijing when the Emperor of April came to Juraku? Those who care about the Hojo clan and hate war want to persuade you, but you Refusing to enter Beijing, burying their heads in war preparations, they bear the notoriety of destroying the peace of the world. Those who bear the notoriety of war are the most stupid, only seeing the strength of the army, but ignoring the aspirations of the people." "Shizhi!" Shizheng finally couldn't bear it anymore, and said to his son, "I have nothing to say to him. This guy must be a spy sent by the enemy to disturb our army's morale!" "Oh, sir, do you think so?" Suifeng smiled softly, "The poor monk just shut up." "Take him away!" Shi Zheng was so angry that his shoulders trembled, he shouted, "Put him down, let him go, let him go wherever he wants." "Wait!" Shi looked at Suifeng, hesitantly said, "Is he really a spy sent by the enemy, as my father said? This guy is not easy to deal with, if you let him go, there will be no peace in the future, why don't you kill him !" Shi Zhi said coldly, watching Sui Feng's expression all the time. There was no change on Suifeng's face.He was smiling as always.If he really was a spy, he was a bold and careful monk with an iron will.Shi shuddered. Shizheng also said: "Speaking of which, he can speak like this in front of our father and son, it is absolutely extraordinary. For the future, he should be killed." Hearing the words, he shouted impatiently: "Gen Saburo, kill him!" "Yes." Kuno Gensaburo took the knife and walked into the courtyard.Sui Feng was still sitting there, looking at the father and son with a smile on his face.Gensaburo approached, and pulled out his sword with a whoosh.The sun was setting in Xihu, the white blade reflected the dazzling light, shining on Suifeng's face.Suifeng laughed. "What's so funny? Do you have a last word?" Shi felt that his whole body was stiff, and his tongue was also a little knotted. Suifeng shook his head slowly, "There's nothing to say. It's useless to say anything to a crazy person." Yuan Saburo raised his knife. "Wait! Wait a minute, Gensaburo!" Shi Zhi hurriedly shouted, "I'll kill him! It might be bad luck to get blood stained here. Drag him to the racecourse. I'll kill him with my own hands!" Suifeng seemed to have expected it, and slowly stood up. "Drag away! Go to the racecourse." Shi yelled, and went down to the yard by himself, "Gen Saburo, stay with father." Shi Zheng tilted his head slightly, but had no objection. Shi went straight out of the wooden door, and behind him came his father's voice talking to Genzaburo: "Doctor Sakyo has also become refreshed." Shi said frankly, it seems that they really thought I would kill Suifeng.The leaves in the mountains gradually turned red, Shi Nao walked out of the gate while admiring the beautiful scenery, and walked towards the racecourse full of cherry blossoms. The escorting infantry stopped.Shi said straightly: "Untie the rope. It is not an honor to tie him up and kill him." "Haha. How about it, do you understand the difference in 'position'? Suifeng will still not be killed by you. Although the poor monk is a wandering monk, he can speak freely, but he can tell whether the other party has murderous intent." After the rope was untied, he rubbed his wrist with the wind and looked up at Shi Zhi.There was no malice in his eyes, as gentle as a child's. "You see that I brought you here to save you?" Suifeng nodded: "If you really want to kill me, I will be defeated. I don't have the intention of harming others, so I won't arouse the other party's murderous intent. If not, it means that I can't practice." "..." "Lord Hojo, in the old days, the poor monk was called the noisy follower of the wind, because wherever the poor monk went, there would be noise and bloodshed." Shi was as motionless as a stone statue, even his eyes seemed to have forgotten to blink. "At that time, even the passers-by on the street deliberately provoked me. When I went to temples and famous houses, the monks and guards rushed towards me... The poor monk was deeply ashamed, so he started practicing again. Do you understand?" "..." "If you have a fighting spirit in your heart, it will also arouse the other party's fighting spirit; if you lose your temper, the other party will not be calm, so you must show kindness to the opponent. Once you are honest with each other, the other party will not be wary and can listen to you This is the truth that the poor monk took fifteen years to realize, so no matter how much I talk, I will not arouse people's resentment. Since the lord sent the poor monk here on purpose, the poor monk will tell the lord again, To show my thanks." Suifeng narrowed his eyes, "Recently, Osaka will send an envoy, and the poor monk knows this person very well, he is a monk named Miaoyinyuan, and he has a good relationship with Hideyoshi." "Will Osaka send monks?" "Exactly, about half a month later." "This... How do you know about this?" "The poor monk knows him. But this should be the last emissary. This trip will decide whether to conquer Odawara or make peace with you." At this point, Suifeng lowered his voice, "The poor monk came here specially, not because of the Tokugawa's order, but it can't be said that Tokugawa has nothing to do with this matter. There is a man named Moto Ami Koetsu who respects Tokugawa-sama, and he has tried his best for Tokugawa-sama and you. Therefore, Before they can open their mouths, I'll come here to babble. Listen up, my lord, the intention of harming others will lead to the intention of harming others, the murderous intent will arouse the murderous intent, and the fighting spirit will arouse the fighting spirit. This is the principle of thinking over and over with the wind, There will be no fakes. When the monk named Miaoyinyuan comes, it is the last chance." His entire body was numb, and he forgot to nod his head.After a long time, he raised his hand and called back Suifeng who was about to leave. Suifeng really has no intention of harming others, I am afraid that what he said is the truth.No one made him do it, and he was no one's spy.As a monk practicing Buddhism, he didn't want more disturbances in the world, and he came to persuade him out of kindness to the Hojo family.Knowing this, Shi Zhi wanted to ask this monk for more advice. Now, the Hojo clan's biggest backer is Ieyasu, and the clan always respects his father-in-law.And his father had always considered Ieyasu to be his equal, or a loyal ally.But Shizhi doesn't think so.The relationship between the Tokugawa family and the Hojo family is very different from when Du Ji first married.Now Hideyoshi has pacified Kyushu, entertained the emperor at Juledi, and has a deep relationship with his sister-in-law Ieyasu.There are also differences in their official positions.Ieyasu was from the second rank Quan Da Nayan, who also served as Zuo Jinwei General, and Zuo Maliao Yujian; and as Hojo's family governor, Uji Nao was only from the fourth rank Zuo Jing doctor, and his father was only mediocre. "What else is there for, my lord?" Sui Feng came back.Shi went straight up to meet him and ordered his servants to "bring the scorpion". "Master Suifeng, please sit down first." "Don't dare to do it. My lord doesn't blame me for talking too much, and treats me with courtesy. I am really grateful." "Master, you just said that your coming here has nothing to do with Mr. Tokugawa." Sui Feng nodded heavily, "Speaking of which, it has nothing to do with Guan Bai." "Something to do with Guan Bai?" "Exactly. You don't need to talk about Mr. Tokugawa. Both your lord and your father mistook Kanshiro as an enemy. In fact, Kanshiro has no hatred for the Hojo clan." "what?" "In the world, if you have doubts, you will regard people as enemies. People will doubt loyal ministers and banished virtuous wives. Once this kind of thinking endangers a country and family, it will lead to ruin. This kind of person will put all Everyone imagines that they are enemies, and finally make enemies on all sides. Now the Hojo family has this phenomenon. Please calm down and think about it carefully. Once such delusions arise, they will take the offensive and lead to destruction. People who take defensive positions will never perish." Shizhi sat quietly, looking at the clear and lofty autumn sky through the gaps in the cherry tree leaves, and the surroundings were unbelievably quiet.Looking at Suifeng again, he has already dozed off.This monk is not easy!The monk was invincible in his heart, sat in the sun with peace of mind, and fell asleep. In all history, no one has perished by taking the defensive.Those who fail are those who cannot judge the situation and bring their own destruction.If Takeda Katsuyori hadn't gone to Nagashino to recover the lost land, he would not have perished; Imagawa Yoshimoto also died in Tian Lewa because he wanted to enter Beijing.Thinking of this, Shizhi had a question in his heart: Why did Hojo fight Guanbai?If Hideyoshi's call is to go to Beijing and work together to calm the world, there will be no battle similar to Ueno's Nai Walnut Castle.So, the Hojo family may have delusional thoughts and embarked on a meaningless path of destruction? "Master Suifeng." Shi Zhi whispered.Suifeng opened his slender eyes, Tingshi said straightly: "My father is worried that if he goes to Beijing, he will be murdered by Hideyoshi, or his territory will be changed. Do you think these are delusions?" But Suifeng didn't answer, he seemed to be listening, but he didn't seem to hear. "Master thinks I also have delusions?" "..." "Master said that Tokugawa wouldn't be on our side if we went to war?" "..." "You also mentioned the difference in 'position'. So now there is only one way: through Mr. Tokugawa, ask to enter Beijing as soon as possible; or wait for Guan Bai's envoy to arrive and tell him that we have no intention of going to war?" "grown ups." "Is Master listening?" "It's really rude. I can't help falling asleep, the poor monk is too tired." "I really envy the master, it's like being in the pure land of bliss." "It's time for the poor monk to leave. From here, go to Hayakawaguchi to soak in the hot springs. Tomorrow, go to Hakone to pray to Quanxian, and then go to Junfu." Seeing that he had no intention of saying anything, Shi winked at the pawns who escorted Suifeng here, "Master, don't worry." "Thank you, my lord! This poor monk's one wish will be fulfilled. Next, we will see the strength of my lord and his son." Suifeng stretched his waist, straightened his back, and smiled, "Suifeng has no enemies, because he always It’s a heart for a heart.” "Follow your heart and mind." Shi said straight. "Okay. I will tell Master Tokugawa exactly what you said, and it is also for Hojo Clan!" Suifeng said, and walked away, followed by the two pawns who had untied him from the rope just now.Shi stared at them intently.