Chapter 14 Chapter 14 The Fall of Hojo

Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu stood on the watchtower of the One Night Castle on Mount Ishigaki, looking down at the Odawara Castle stretching eastward from Hayakawaguchi by the sea. "A shot from here is bound to surprise them. Isn't it, Dainagon?" "good." "Some people look very smart, but deep down they are stupid." "Oh?" "If Hojo and his son are willing to obey, we don't have to attack Sekibashu. However, sometimes, other people's stupidity is the cornerstone of meritorious deeds." While Hideyoshi was talking, he suddenly realized that Ieyasu didn't seem to be paying attention to his words, so he smiled and stopped talking.He understood what Ieyasu was thinking.On the surface, Ieyasu is as calm as water, but inside he is still worried about the transfer of the seal.Nobunaga once aroused Mitsuhide's rebellious intentions for the same reason.

Nobunaga took back Mitsuhide's old territory and said that he would donate it with the new territory of the Sanin Three Kingdoms to encourage him to conquer China.However, Mitsuhide thought that Nobunaga wanted to make trouble because of this, which caused the changes in Honnoji Temple.Hideyoshi is not as careless as Nobunaga, he has seen Ieyasu's dissatisfaction and anxiety, but he knows when to relax and when to tighten up. The words "Use your strength to fight for it" were changed by Hideyoshi to "I want to conquer Guanbashu". In fact, Hideyoshi instigated Uesugi, surrendered Satomi, Yuki, Satake, Date, and sent Maeda Toshiie, Asano Nagamasa, Sanada Masayuki, Ishida Mitsunari, Otani Yoshitsugu, Nagatsu Masaka and others to join the Tokugawa army Fighting in advance, thus making the word "attack" a reality.

Ieyasu was deeply disturbed.So is Hideyoshi.In any case, Ieyasu is strong enough to fight against Hideyoshi. He has painstakingly managed Mikawa, Toe, and Suruga, so Hideyoshi will inevitably be guessed by Hideyoshi, so that he dare not underestimate him. Ieyasu and his retainers have devoted countless efforts to any fortification in Koshu or Shinshu.Attacking Guanbashu sounds good, but it means that the redesignation of Tokugawa has become a fact. This made some important ministers dissatisfied.Honda Zuzaemon Shigeji once uttered angry words in front of Hideyoshi.But this does not mean that Hideyoshi will let Ieyasu go.Ieyasu finally succumbed to Hideyoshi, but behind the succumb was his unbearable strength.But as time goes on, can he never have two ambitions?

Hideyoshi approached Ieyasu, who was always looking down, and patted him on the shoulder, "Dainagon, why don't we pee here, isn't it very enjoyable?" There is no wind in the watchtower. In the silence, it seems that the chirping of insects can be heard.There are layers of stairs under the feet, and there is a deep valley along the way, and the mist is at the bottom.It is really remarkable to build such a city in such a place.Of course, Hideyoshi will not live here for a long time, however, he still spent a lot of money to build this city.It shows that he wants to show off his great achievements, and that he has no scruples about vanity and display.

Ieyasu looked up. "What, let's pee together here!" Hideyoshi's eyes were mischievous like a child's, as if he was about to act. "No, no." Ieyasu shook his hand hastily, and took a step back towards the railing, "Ieyasu is not so bold as to evacuate to Guan Bazhou." "Hahaha, we just evacuated urine from a high place to a low place. What does this have to do with Guan Bazhou?" "No, no, Guan Bazhou, Guan Bazhou... If I don't respect it, I will definitely offend the gods and Buddhas." "Danayan," Hideyoshi narrowed his eyes, "Since you are so respectful, I have something to ask you about Odawara."

"My lord, when is it going to surrender?" "No, no, surrender is a matter of one or two days. I mean, as the master of Guanbazhou, do you plan to live here for a long time and make contributions?" Ieyasu shook his head cautiously. "Don't want to?" "I'm afraid Ieyasu has some prejudices about this place!" "Oh? If that's the case, you just need to send a neat minister here. So, you plan to choose Kamakura?" Ieyasu looked back at Hideyoshi in surprise, speechless for a while. "Don't be surprised. I heard Kuroda Kanbei say that you like to read the notebooks of the Kamakura shogunate period and books such as "Azuma Kan"."

"Yes. If your lord grants Ieyasu Guan Bazhou, Ieyasu should know how Lai Chaogong treats the Guandong warriors." "That's right! As expected of Dainagon, he has thought so thoroughly. In fact, it's good to give up Kamakura." Ieyasu fell into deep thought, and didn't answer immediately.In fact, he has already calculated, whether it is Kamakura or Odawara, it doesn't matter.Kamakura is also regarded as the ancient capital of the Kanto. If you set up a business here, you will definitely be monitored by Hideyoshi.Hideyoshi must have thought that he wanted to use the ancient capital as the foundation of his hegemony, and he wanted to covet the world.This kind of battleground should be avoided as much as possible as the base of family business.Judging from the terrain, not only the entrances and exits of Kamakura are easily blocked, once the enemy attacked from the sea, it became a dead place that could not move.

"Are you still going to want Kamakura?" Hideyoshi asked again. Ieyasu also jokingly asked back: "Why did Lai Chaogong deliberately choose the land of Kamakura?" "Haha." Hideyoshi smiled awkwardly, "Because he is Kamakura!" Ieyasu replied seriously: "Yes, because he is Kamakura." "So you don't want Kamakura?" "Yes. Ieyasu also has some prejudices against Kamakura!" "Amazing!" Hideyoshi praised unconsciously, and the stone in Ieyasu's heart fell to the ground. Ieyasu had already planned for this transfer.Many important ministers already knew that although they won the Guan Bazhou, they would lose the old Sanhe collar.Of course, Ieyasu did not dare to make this matter public.If Odawara fell, even if the transfer was not officially announced, the world would know about it.At that time, Ieyasu must find a way to eliminate their grievances.

Ieyasu learned from his family lineage and his favorite book "My Wife Kan" that the distant ancestor came from the Genji of the Ueno Nitta clan.After some time, Genji returned to Guanbazhou again, which can also be regarded as fate.Ieyasu can encourage everyone to put down roots here.If things go on like this, perhaps they will be luckier than Genji Elder Lai Chaogong. Hideyoshi also wants to become the general of the samurai family as the "general who conquers barbarians".However, he did not have a Minamoto family, so he had no choice but to establish the Toyotomi clan from the status of "Guan Bai" as a public official.In addition, there are still many wandering samurai in the Genji family of Kanbashu, and they still remember that Kanto was the birthplace of Genji.If they can be mastered and declared that "the Tokugawa family is the successor of Nitta Genji", when the time comes, it will be a matter of course for the master who has become a general to return to the old collar.Because of this, Ieyasu is very careful about the land of Kamakura, not wanting to arouse Hideyoshi's suspicion.

"Great! Kamakura is outdated, and the navy is not as developed as here." "That's right, so it's really difficult to choose a piece of land." "Haha. I have a place." "Oh, but Ieyasu hasn't thought about it." "Oh, where? Why don't you tell me?" "It's similar to Osaka." Ieyasu said calmly. "Osaka?" Hideyoshi was taken aback. "Near Edo at the exit of Sumida River and Arakawa in Kamakura." Hideyoshi patted Ieyasu on the shoulder and said loudly, "Your thoughts are the same as mine - Edo!"

Ieyasu felt relieved and left the Tokaido where his ancestors lived, and came to the completely unfamiliar Kanto land. In addition to rectifying the remnants of the Hojo clan, he also had to deal with other enemies.If he fights with Hideyoshi, he will definitely not be able to establish a permanent foundation here.But if he says he can't manage Kanbashu, Hideyoshi will definitely have other ideas.Sasa Naruma was forced to commit suicide due to the riots in Kyushu New Territory, which is a lesson from the past. Seeing Ieyasu relieved, Hideyoshi seemed to be getting happier. "As expected of Dainagon! Edo is really good, and its geographical location is just like Osaka. There are water and land transportation here, and there is also a wide port near the sea. A place cannot develop without a prosperous port. Therefore, Edo is equivalent to the east. Osaka." "yes." "Okay, that's the decision, let's build a big city there, just like my Osaka city." Hideyoshi stared at the road below, both sighing and secretly delighted.He lamented that Ieyasu could focus on the extraordinaryness of Edo, and he secretly liked that Ieyasu built another luxurious city, but it would cost people and money.Although Hideyoshi can control the merchants from Sakai Port to Kyoto, it will take a lot of effort to build another Osaka Castle. Once you devote your energy to it, it is like being locked by thick chains.How will Ieyasu accomplish this task? "Haha, the city that controls Guan Yashu must be luxurious." Hideyoshi narrowed his eyes and said. Ieyasu replied seriously: "Just see the distant mountains." "No, it's not majestic enough." "However, as soon as you enter the new collar, you collect money and conscripts, which will cause riots, which will damage Guan Bai's prestige." "Hahaha. You really put your heart into it, and Chengzheng must have thought of this, but he is different from yours. Sometimes you can see a person's temperament in the city. Soon, I will visit Edo Castle with you." At this point, Kuroda Takataka walked in and said, "My lord, Hojo sent someone here." "Who?" "Oda retainer Takigawa Yuri." "Okay! I'll meet Takigawa. Dainagon, you will go too." Both Hideyoshi and Takataka expected that the Hojo clan would surrender, so they were not surprised.But Ieyasu was different. He didn't know what his son-in-law would say when he was being persecuted.Moreover, the matter of moving the closure of the eight states is a foregone conclusion, and the ending of the Hojo clan will have an impact on Ieyasu.Of course, Ieyasu wanted to avoid bloodshed as much as possible. Bloodshed would definitely cause resentment, which would affect his future in Kanbashu.He hoped to quietly support Hojo's retainers.When Nobunaga eliminated Takeda, he also secretly kept Takeda's survivors, which was of great benefit to both sides. Ieyasu walked down the watchtower with Hideyoshi and Xiao Gao, and suddenly remembered his daughter Du Ji in Odawara Castle.Men are always inseparable from bloody struggles, while women can only go up and down with the waves... "Yesterday, Matsuda Kenhide in the castle left the camp and went to Ikeda Teruma's formation." "Is he going to lure our army into the city from Hayakawaguchi?" Kotaka and Hideyoshi talked loudly as they walked. "Yes. Shizhi seems to know about it." "Matsuda is really hard to deal with!" "Yes, but he has been taken down by Shizhi." "It's really self-blame!" "Everyone in Odawara Castle will gather for the last time to discuss matters." "Okay, okay! If you don't listen to the rest, I will know. If I know everything, it will not discourage Takigawa." "Yes, I shut up." Ieyasu gradually understood the whole story from the conversation between the two.Perhaps this is a play played by Kenhide Matsuda... However, Hojo has lost his chance.Perhaps "Odawara's evaluation" will become a synonym for the general's lack of determination, and it will be a joke for future generations. Walking down the watchtower and coming to the hall filled with woody fragrance, I saw Takigawa Yutoshi sitting with his back facing a peony painting of Kano Yongtoku. "It's been a hard journey! Shizhi must have something to ask you to bring, right?" After Hideyoshi urged Ieyasu to sit down, Fang said, "Shinao should go directly to Danagyan, why are you here? Be frank." "Early this morning, Shizhi and his younger brother Shifang came to the next camp together." "Oh, with Shi Fang? What did they say?" "Sincerely said, as long as the lord gives the order, he is ready to commit seppuku at any time, but please take pity on everyone in the city." After Xiongli finished speaking, he saluted respectfully. Ieyasu thought, Yuri Takigawa must be very sympathetic to Uji Nao who surrendered in Kaesong, and Uji Nao thought that he would end everything by committing seppuku, which is too wishful thinking.Just thinking of this, Hideyoshi asked Xiongli again: "What did Shifang say?" "He is willing to work with his elder brother to make the people in the city surrender and never disobey the orders of the adults." "That's all? Did he say he was willing to do seppuku with his brother?" "I didn't say that." "No sincerity!" "Oh?" "Hmph!" Hideyoshi said in a serious tone, "This will kill his father Shizheng. Didn't he say that he would do seppuku with his elder brother in order to spare his father's life?" "This……" "From this point of view, only Shi Zhi is a filial son." "..." "Did you talk about Kenhide Matsuda?" "Yes. Hyun Soo was arrested when he went to Ikeda camp, and everyone was deciding to surrender in Kaesong, so no punishment was imposed." "Oh, why not punish? What do you think?" "They are probably worried that Xianxiu is facing the adults. If they are punished, the adults will be angry." "Danayan," Hideyoshi turned to look at Ieyasu, and said with a smile, "You didn't ask Matsuda to take over, did you?" "Nothing." "Guanbingwei, what about you?" "No. I don't think there's any need for Matsuda to respond." Hideyoshi frowned suddenly, "Hahaha, Mr. Matsuda, it turned out that he was playing tricks. Dainagon, what do you think?" "good." "That's it. From this point of view, he is also pitiful. Well, Takigawa, since he came to you, you should go and answer together with Guanbingwei." "yes!" "Just to say, I already know what Uji Nao means." Hideyoshi said this, and looked back at Ieyasu.Ieyasu seemed very calm, but inside he was quite anxious.How will Hideyoshi decide?Once he made his decision, it was all over.Although he wanted to intercede frankly for Shi, Ieyasu did not dare to open his mouth.Hideyoshi seemed to understand Ieyasu's thoughts, and smiled on his face. However, his smile became more and more mocking. "Danayan, who do you think among the important ministers misled Hojo and his son?" Ieyasu froze for a moment, bowed his head in thought for a long time, only sighed heavily, and said nothing. Hideyoshi then said: "From the perspective of age and family background, it should be Daodao Temple Zhengfan. Guanbingwei, what do you think?" Ieyasu remained silent, but Guan Bingwei stepped forward and said, "Yes!" "Okay, that's it. Guanbingwei, you tell him that this is not a surrender, but a peace negotiation. Let it be my wish for the Hojo Godai. However, my condition is... Ujizheng and Ujihui will be seppuku." "Ujimasa, Ujiki seppuku?" Takigawa Yuri was very surprised, and Kuroda Takataka was also very surprised. "In addition, make Daidaiji Masashige and Matsuda Kenhide perform seppuku together." "This..." Yuri Takigawa straightened his body and said, "Will Kenhide Matsuda do seppuku too?" "Huh! If I forgive this kind of person who cheated on the enemy when the lord is in trouble, how will Toyotomi Hideyoshi conquer the world?" "yes." "However, Takigawa, that being said, this is only a superficial reason." "A superficial reason?" "I want him to be seppuku, and it's also for his own good. Think about it, he is thinking of his master, and he would rather bear the stigma of a betrayer... Instead of letting him live, it is better to fulfill his painstaking efforts." "I understand." "As for Uji Nao..." Hideyoshi turned to look at Ieyasu again, "For the sake of caution, let him be exiled to Koyasan." Takataka Kuroda smiled and looked at Ieyasu.Ieyasu held his breath, he remained silent all the time, as if he had already understood Hideyoshi's mind. "Danayan, how do you feel?" "My lord's decision is very fair." "Oh? Not bad, not bad." Hideyoshi finally smiled, "Although we let him go to Koyasan, he can still bring Niuyama's Ujiki, Iwaki's Ujibang, Ujibang, etc. By the way, the children of seppuku retainers, too. You can take it with you." Kuroda Takataka sneered a few times, "Before he leaves, shouldn't he give some food, otherwise, how can so many people feed?" These words were not so much for Hideyoshi, but for Ieyasu. Ieyasu savored what Kuroda Takataka said carefully.Hideyoshi really deserves to be Guanbai, he didn't let Shi directly cut his belly, but let the hard-line faction Shizheng and Ujihui who caused this incident commit suicide, it can't be considered cruel to end this matter.Although it seems that the old minister Daosi Zhengfan and Matsuda Xianxiu were executed, it was not the case, because once the clan government was cut through the seppuku, they would also die.As for letting Shizhi take Shigui, Shifang, Shibang and others to Koyasan, it is said that it is for the sake of caution, but it also implies the meaning of leaving an orphan for Hojo.Hideyoshi must have discussed this matter with Kuroda Takataka beforehand, which contained the intention of appeasing Ieyasu and not letting him have any objections. After hearing Xiao Gao's words, Hideyoshi laughed and said, "Haha. Would I let them starve to death in Mount Koya? Don't worry, livelihood is not a problem." Ieyasu bowed his head slightly.The difference between Hideyoshi and Shi's political attitude can be seen from this, so one takes the world, and the other's family is ruined. "Master Tokugawa, do you know the deep meaning of my lord's banishment to Koyasan?" Xiao Gao asked. "This……" "Koyasan is a place where women are forbidden to live." "good." "Therefore, Shizhi cannot go with his wife." "I understand these." Ieyasu replied seriously.It seems that Hideyoshi didn't want to explain himself, but let Xiao Gao hint that Uji Nao will be separated from Du Ji. "My lord, who do you think should be sent before accepting the city? It should be decided in advance." "Guanbingwei, don't ask any more questions that have already been settled." Hideyoshi narrowed his eyes and said, "Guan Yashu is the new leader of Dainagon, let Dainagon decide for himself! Isn't it, Dainagon?" Ieyasu couldn't open his mouth for a moment, he only expressed his agreement with his eyes, and the pitiful expressions of Shi Zhi and Du Ji appeared in front of his eyes. "Guanbingwei, do you have anything else to do?" "No more. Since Tokugawa-sama is in charge of accepting the castle, I and Takigawa will be responsible for the rest..." "Where should we arrange him before Shi goes straight to Mount Koya?" Hideyoshi asked. "Originally, it should be handed over to Mr. Tokugawa, but considering Mrs. Hojo, I think it should be handed over to Takigawa, the retainer of Mr. Youfu." "Oh, good, good. Da Na Yan, did you hear that, you should prepare to accept the city as soon as possible." Ieyasu saluted respectfully and stood up, "Then, I'll take my leave first." The matter of Odawara finally came to an end, his heart felt hot, and his vision became blurred. As soon as Ieyasu walked out of the hall, Honda Satomori who came with him immediately stepped forward worriedly.Ieyasu said in a low voice: "Sado, let's go back. Prepare the horse." "Yes." Sado winked at Torii Shintaro who was standing beside him, and asked in a low voice, "How is Kanbaku-sama feeling?" "The matter of Odawara has been decided." Ieyasu muffled. But Sado didn't seem to care much about this. Perhaps during the meeting between Ieyasu and Hideyoshi, he had already inquired about something from Hideyoshi's bodyguard through his subordinates. He has a special talent in this regard. "Did you talk about the eight states and Kai?" Ieyasu shook his head lightly, "It's not the time yet." "The lord is so easy to talk, once the matter is settled, it will be difficult to speak in the future." Ieyasu avoided answering, "Your family is about to be exiled to Koyasan, this decision is considered very lenient." "That's right, ten thousand shi's worth of grain...does this come from our new collar?" "You seem to be dissatisfied?" "The new territory must be distributed to the clansmen and genealogical generations..." Ieyasu turned his head and stared at Sado coldly, and said angrily, "Shut up! If someone doesn't hand over this land, they will commit seppuku!" Ieyasu strode out of the main entrance, and did not mount his horse immediately, but stood by the courtyard, looking down at the Hojo camp stretching from the Hayakawa entrance to the upper entrance.Sado Honda stood beside him silently. Under the scorching sun, the sea breeze blows the flags and flags, blowing across the green fields, looking from a distance, like a fascinating picture.Of the two masters and slaves, one is calculating the reward, and the other is worrying about the future. "Sado, built the city with this natural danger, but lost without a fight, really..." "It all comes from the heart, and no enemy is more terrifying than your own heart." "Shizhi will stay in Takikawa's camp for two or three days." "yes." "This is my last gift to my son-in-law. You want Takikawa to tell Uji Nao that in order to prevent those meritorious people from encountering difficulties in the future, I will send them a written statement." "Yes. Those who have this piece of paper can defect to Tokugawa..." "Yes, we should take care of all those who are loyal to the lord." After speaking, Ieyasu put his hands together and looked at the enemy line again.People traveling between positions are as busy and eager as ants. Riding out of the city gate, Ieyasu barely opened his mouth along the green mountain path from west to north.It was closer to take the road to the sea from the east side, but the prudent Ieyasu chose to take a detour through the mountain road.On the left is Tadake Hosokawa's big camp. Ieyasu decided to bypass Gamo's village and Oda Nobuo's camp from Mizuoguchi, and return to his big tent in Imai.As they approached the Oda camp, the chirping of cicadas resounded through the forest. "My lord, do you want to go in and take a look?" Honda Sado stopped beside Nobuo's camp.But Ieyasu shook his head and passed. "Sado, I understand another important truth." Ieyasu said when he walked up the mountain road again, "Just wanting to win is the reason for the demise of Hojo and his son." "Oh?" "People who don't know how to fail don't know how to back down." "My lord, what do you mean by asking Mr. Guan Bai?" "Sado, who do you think is the next Hojo Clan?" "This..." Sado turned his head and looked at Oda's camp, the five-leaf papaya flag flickered in the green shade.Sado finally understood why Ieyasu didn't pass Nobuo's camp. "My lord thinks it will be Oda next..." "Shh!" Ieyasu stopped him softly, "How could Guan Bai hand over the old Tokugawa leader to the inner government? If the Oda family can understand the truth that retreat is victory like me, that would be great!" "Will the inner government accept the proposal to change the territory?" "Yes, if Guan Bai gave the order, he just fell into the trap." Sado looked at Ieyasu sharply and held his breath, he didn't need to ask any more questions.Hideyoshi did not ask Nobuo to hand over the old collar Ojo of the Oda family, but only said that he would hand over Ieyasu's old territory to him.But Owari is a place that Oda has passed down from generation to generation, and Nobuo must ask Hideyoshi to keep it.In this way, not only will Hideyoshi not hand over Ieyasu's old leader to Nobuo, but he will be driven out of Owari.Perhaps Hideyoshi has been harboring such thoughts since the battle of Komaki Nagakute.Guan Bai is so deep in the city!As Sado thought, he broke into a cold sweat for Nobuo. "Sado, I won't give too much to my retainers. If you have to be rewarded heavily to serve, you don't need such retainers. Too much salary will weaken the fighting spirit. This is the reason for the fall of the Hojo Clan." Sado looked at Ieyasu in surprise.Hideyoshi took back the old collar that the Tokugawa family had painstakingly managed for several generations, and gave it to the land of Guanbashu. This matter must have caused dissatisfaction among Tokugawa officials, and this is exactly what Honda Sado is worried about.To eliminate dissatisfaction, there is no other way but to increase the seal.Sado once secretly talked with Ii, Honda, Kanbara, Sakai, Okubo and others about the distribution of the city and territory in preparation for answering Ieyasu's inquiry.However, Ieyasu made it clear that he would not give his retainers too much territory.However, how should the lord calm down the dissatisfaction and injustice of his retainers? "Sado, I finally understand the purpose of Sakuzaemon's remonstrance in front of Kanshiro." "Saemon?" "That's right, a rare piece of advice! He wants me to lead the retainers who don't care about their salary to go to Guan Bazhou together, otherwise I will fall into Guan Bai's trap. The painstaking efforts of this old man!" "yes!" "The old man himself stated that he didn't serve me for the sake of salary." There is nothing heavier than this instant hit!Sado Honda was very confused. He originally wanted to assist Ieyasu in making various arrangements, but his efforts were in vain. "Sado, I will redistribute the territory and the city according to everyone's future contributions." "yes." "Anyone who is not fair will come to me for an argument, and I will try my best to convince him." "Yes. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be difficult to govern this new territory." "Governing the new territory..." "Yeah, those rude Kanto warriors, I'm afraid it will take some effort to subdue them." "Hahaha." "What are you laughing at, my lord?" "Sado, I don't just think about governing Kanbashu, everything will not be that simple. It's not just out of patience, Tokugawa Ieyasu is for the sake of the world." Sado was dumbfounded again. Ieyasu rode his horse slowly, looked ahead, and headed east.Based on the rule of the Hojo clan, which was defeated because of ignorance of the general trend of the world, he developed eastward and skillfully defuse Hideyoshi's spear point. The sun had already set, and the wide sea surface on the left was burning like fire.For some reason, Sado couldn't help feeling hot in his chest.