Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Ishikawa Runs Away

As soon as Ishikawa Shusho returned to Okazaki Castle, he locked himself in the room immediately.He sat quietly at the table, picked up the pen on the inkstone, and saw the faces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.He bit off the nib of the pen, dipped it in ink, and first wrote "Tokugawa's military situation" on the white paper. "Shu Zheng, don't you regret it?" Shu Zheng murmured and asked himself.At this time, his heart was very peaceful.He wanted to write down the details of Tokugawa's military affairs and bring them to Hideyoshi.This is obviously treason and defection, and the loyal Sanhe warriors will definitely think that he is shameless, unfaithful and unrighteous.

"My lord was bitten by my dog." Thinking of Yashiro Ohgami, everyone in Tokugawa would not only scold him, but probably blame Ieyasu for being too tolerant!Some people will think that he became cowardly because of Katsuchiyo who is in Osaka; some people will spread rumors that he had an affair with Hideyoshi as early as after the Battle of Komaki... that's fine. Even if everyone doesn't understand the heart of positive numbers, there are still three people in this world who do.One is Hideyoshi, the other is Ieyasu, and the other is Honda Zuzaemon Shigeji who pretends to be tough.Even if these three people misunderstood him, there are still gods and Buddhas who understand him.Shuzheng wants to go beyond the routine and morality of Mikawa samurai, and put himself deep in the enemy's line, in order to save the Tokugawa family, save Hideyoshi, and at the same time save the suffering of the people caused by the fierce battle between the two heroes.

On the surface, Ieyasu was pecked by the docile hawk he raised, but the hawk would take off the mask whenever he saw his master shake hands with Hideyoshi.With the current situation, Hideyoshi will delay attacking Ieyasu, wait until Shikoku and Kyushu are pacified, and then attack Odawara with all his strength.Even if the Hojo clan in Odawara wants to cooperate with Ieyasu, if they are not sincere, the Tokugawa clan will lose their foothold.Teaming up with the Hojo clan to fight against Hideyoshi, and fighting against Hideyoshi alone, the Tokugawa clan will have the same fate.The time to shake hands with Hideyoshi has been chosen, that is, before the attack on Kyushu!

Shuzheng felt that this was a good time.What he was thinking at this time seemed to go against the trend of the world.Hideyoshi can be so powerful because his lofty ambitions are consistent with the will of the people who have suffered from wars and longed for peace. "Those who can follow this trend by force will win in the end." Shuzheng wrote in plain terms, feeling very sad for the stupidity of those beasts who only know how to follow righteousness. It seems that Ieyasu didn't expect Suzumasa to be so decisive, and Hideyoshi also didn't expect that when he was asking for hostages, Suzumasa came alone.If Ishikawa succeeds in fleeing this time, the two sides will be shocked.

Counting positively, this move has a huge impact on both parties.For the Tokugawa clan, it was a wake-up call. The planned military secrets were taken away, so Ieyasu had to change the plan, but it was difficult to immediately exert combat effectiveness by rearranging troops.For Hideyoshi, it is to enhance his self-confidence so that he is not in a hurry to start a war against Tokugawa Ieyasu.Shu Zhenghui persuades Hideyoshi that attacking Ieyasu will damage his reputation and face. "Don't fight pointless battles, and urge the matter of marrying Princess Asahi first, and Ieyasu will not object."

But this trip, will it really be as expected? Okazaki is in Nishimikawa, not the border of Tokugawa territory.Even if everything is in place, there will still be sharp-eyed raptors watching over the border.Not only that, but some of the samurai around him also spread rumors among each other: "Master Ishikawa must be monitored!" Even wherever he went, someone would follow him secretly.If he was killed halfway, wouldn't all the plans come to naught? Since the second day Shuzheng returned to Okazaki from Hamamatsu Castle, he has been living in seclusion. Apart from writing "Military Affairs", he is thinking about ways to leave.For three days in a row, Shuzheng stayed in his room; on the fifth day, he went out of the city to visit the camp of Genjiro Matsudaira's family.

Because Matsudaira Genjiro was still young, Matsudaira Gozaemon Kinmasa was his replacement.Shu stayed there for an hour, drank tea and chatted, and then returned home. On the 6th, he called Tokikatsu Sugiura Tojiro, a samurai who lived in the city, intentionally prepared food and drinks, and said, "Sugiura, this month has become obviously warmer. When the weather changes, there will be many strange rumors in the city. Some There is no such thing?" "It feels warm in the past two or three days. Not only is it warmer, but some people are worried that war or earthquakes may occur."

"Oh, the so-called war is between Tokugawa and Hideyoshi? Can you tell me the rumors?" "Originally?" "Don't worry! Tell me." "Yes!" The young Shi Sheng puffed up his chest and leaned forward, "Everyone is saying that if a war breaks out, there will be someone who colludes with the enemy and will immediately lead the enemy into Okazaki..." As he said, he Holding his breath, he secretly looked at Shuzheng. Shuzheng deliberately asked harshly: "Who is the internal respondent referring to?" Sugiura Tokatsu is a typical Mikawa samurai, he said: "It's you, my lord!" After speaking, he immediately turned around.

"I?" "It's purely a rumour." "Sugiura, do you believe this rumor?" "I don't want to believe it." Shuzheng smiled for the first time, "If I am really the collaborator, what will you do when the enemy attacks?" "Needless to say, I will remove your lord's head." "Oh. I'm relieved to hear you say that. There are quite a few people with this spirit, right?" "Of course! Shinjo Nananosuke and Namiki Harukatsu, they will all do this, and they are all paying close attention." "Okay! However, Sugiura, if a war breaks out, who do you think will win? Don't worry, let's talk about it."

"This is something you don't even need to think about! So far, Sanhe has never been defeated!" "Oh. In order to keep us good-hearted people from being harmed, keep an eye on the border and don't be careless." "Obey!" Shi Sheng said proudly. Seeing him like this, Shuzheng thought to himself: He has started monitoring me! Everyone has deep doubts and antipathy towards Susho, who has been in contact with Hideyoshi, and believes that every battle must be won, and they have never thought about the miserable humiliation when they are defeated.From this point of view, it is very dangerous to be in a dangerous situation!

In the evening, Shuzheng sent Shisheng away as if nothing had happened.For the next two or three days, he continued to patrol the city on horseback with a calm look.But no matter where he went, someone always followed.Ieyasu probably wouldn't have given such an order. It must be some important minister who ordered the samurai around him to monitor and incite resentment against him. On the tenth day, Shuzheng still did not publicly tell his family about his determination.On the morning of the 11th, after walking around the city, he returned to his room and said to the eldest son Kang Chang, "Bring Ban Saburo and your mother to my room." Watching three people. "I'm not asking for your opinions on this matter, I'm just giving an order!" He said, his voice lowered, "I'm already very disappointed with the lord of Hamamatsu, and I plan to leave him, leave Okazaki tomorrow, and join Hideyoshi. You have to make some preparations in your heart.” Shuzheng said these words suddenly, but his wife and children didn't react for a while. "What did you say?" The lady looked at the eldest man and asked suspiciously. "I will leave here tomorrow to follow Hideyoshi." The mother and son stared blankly at each other.From Madam's expression, it can be seen that her doubts gradually deepened, and then she laughed out loud. "How strange! Oh Kang Chang, how could your father be disappointed in the lord?" "Father!" Kang Chang seemed to finally understand, "So, have you got permission from the lord?" "allow?" "Is it pretending to take refuge and take off Hideyoshi's head when he is not prepared?" The room gradually darkened, and the room was filled with a gloomy chill.After hearing this, Shuzheng remained silent with a bitter expression, trying to control his excitement.His previous idea was indeed the same as that of Kang Chang, he wanted to deliberately create the illusion of being forced to seek refuge with Hideyoshi, and let him see the spirit of the Samurai warrior, but this idea has faded away. This method can't solve the problem, how can it make Nobunaga's ambition to quell the war justly come to naught?Bringing peace to the world is not only Ieyasu's ambition, but also Hideyoshi's goal.However, if you add "ambition" and "selfishness" to this ambition, as well as the innocence and futility of the people around you, if you are not careful, the world will immediately fall into chaos.Therefore, he left Tokugawa and voted for Hideyoshi, so that Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu would be passed on like flowers in nature.However, does Kang Chang understand this?After all, he was a Mikawa samurai who grew up in an environment of loyalty to Ieyasu. "Chang Chang," Shu Zheng said again, "Can you trust me and follow me without saying a word?" "Even for the concubine, it's inconvenient to explain in detail?" Madam said. "You will know for yourself!" Kang Chang's face suddenly changed, and he turned to his mother: "Mom, what should we do? It seems that father has not obtained the consent of the lord!" The madam stared at her husband with eyes like swords, but did not answer right away. "Father, don't you know?" Kang Chang said, "Without the Lord's permission, no one is allowed to leave the city with their family members. There are rumors in the city that you have an affair with Hideyoshi, so even I am followed." "Master Kang, are you scared?" "Father, aren't you afraid? If you succeed, let it go. If you are arrested halfway, you will definitely suffer unbearable humiliation. Therefore, in order for others to understand, you must have a written order from the lord." Shuzheng nodded slightly. "I don't have that, nor should I." "What did father say?" "I don't." "Then, father didn't get the lord's permission after all!" Shuzheng smiled apologetically. "Bringing that kind of letter, what if it is exposed in front of Hideyoshi? Isn't it all the same? After leaving Mikawa, he will still be beheaded by Hideyoshi somewhere!" Kang Chang held his breath and turned to look at his mother.Only Hansaburo seemed to be looking forward to something easy. His eyes were shining, looking at his father and then at his brother.Mrs. Shuzheng bowed her head and remained silent. "I'll say it again, I, Ishikawa Hoki, is a righteous man, and I hate the lord of Hamamatsu Castle so much, so I want to leave this city and follow Hideyoshi. Can you just follow me without saying anything? Tell me back!" "If I say no, what will happen to my father?" "Kill!" Shuzheng's voice was as ruthless as Yan Dong, "Since you already know such an important matter, how can you survive?" "So, it's not because of the need for strategy, but because of the need of strategy, father is going to follow Hideyoshi wholeheartedly?" "again!" "Mother, what do you say? Why don't you talk? You should come up with an idea!" The lady's hands slipped quietly onto the tatami. "Please take my concubine away." "agreed?" "Yes, I don't think you will do evil. It's just that if you encounter obstacles on the way, please kill me on the spot. I don't want to suffer shame." The youngest son, Hansaburo, immediately said: "Yes, father will not do evil! Elder brother, I also follow father." Kang Chang hurriedly stopped his younger brother, "It's too early to say, Hansaburo! Can we get out of the city safely? Our family has already been closely watched, and you don't know yet?" "Kang Chang, restrain yourself!" The mother stopped the eldest son, "Are you trying to overturn your father's decision by saying such words?" Hearing what his mother said, Kang Chang became even more anxious: "Can you leave this city without the permission of the lord? How is this different from betrayal? Although the younger brother Katsuchiyo is a hostage in Osaka, but for him What should the great-grandmother and the rest of the clans do who have betrayed the lord?" "Oh, wait a minute!" The lady gently stopped the eldest man again, peeking at his face secretly.Shuzheng closed his eyes slightly, silently listening to the conversation between the mother and son. "Father has already weighed it, and probably has found a way to get out of the city safely, you just listen to father!" "What does mother mean? If the family has to be sacrificed because of this, the child thinks something is wrong." "Of course!" Madam turned to Kang Chang anxiously, "As long as father thinks it is correct, it is appropriate and should not be obstructed. I have known him for more than 20 years of life. Can you comply with father's choice? " "Yes!" The young Hansaburo responded energetically, "Father can do no wrong." "Wait!" Shuzheng still closed his eyes, and stopped Hansaburo, "For the sake of my achievements, Kang Chang may not go, and I will not kill you, you go to the great-grandmother in the family temple." The great-grandmother Shuzheng mentioned was the wife of his grandfather, Ishikawa Yasuhiro, a devout Shingon sect believer, who now lives in a nunnery, and her dharma name is Myosini.After hearing this, Kang Chang suddenly fell silent.He can claim that he did not know that his father was a defector.If this kind of excuse could save his life, there must be some kind of tacit understanding between his father and Ieyasu. "Since Uncle Jiacheng is also present, your defense may save you from death. Well, gather your retainers and call them, will you?" After Shuzheng finished speaking to Kang Chang, he ordered Ban Saburo, "Bring the lamp and the stove." Kang Chang sat upright like a stone statue, without moving. "Kang Chang, you can leave the table!" "Are you bringing any family members with you?" "Yes. Without a confidant, you can't survive there. My confidant doesn't trust me as much as you do." At this time, headed by Amano Matazaemon, Watanabe Kinnai, Sano Kinemon, Honda Shichibei, Murakoshi Denshichi, Nakajima Sakuzaemon, Ban Sanemon, Arakawa Sozaemon, etc. Shuzheng's confidantes all came in quietly.When the eight of them sat down quietly around the table, the eldest man Kang Chang suddenly put his hands on the ground and said loudly: "I want to go too!" "Okay!" Shuzheng nodded lightly, "You finally understand?" He immediately turned to everyone with a smile on his face: "I just told my family something very important." "You mean..." Nakajima Sakuzaemon said in surprise. "If it leaks out, everyone's lives are in danger. We have already contacted Weizhou, do you know?" "Yes. Sanshirō Nakagawa of Yoneno told us to rest assured that he would bring a hundred horses and a hundred hats to the border to meet us," Nakajima said.Nakagawa Sanshirō of Yone, Oshu, was a retainer of Oda Nobuo and a distant relative of Mrs. Susho.Shu Zheng feared that he planned to spend the night there, and after a short rest, he went straight to Osaka. "Okay! Then, tomorrow afternoon, can Mazaemon ride to Daigi's Jindai?" Amano Matazaemon was resolute and upright, and he replied loudly: "Okay!" "Hehehe, Zaemon is too aggressive." "yes." "This is also a last resort. Daji's representative, Matsudaira Gozaemon Kinmasa, is the most stubborn in the family. To persuade him to leave and vote for Hideyoshi, we must use extraordinary means." Suzheng deliberately let his son Yasunaga hear, " You left, tell him that when I went to Osaka to celebrate the New Year in the first month, he asked me to tell Hideyoshi that he would leave Sanhe with me." "Yes, I know." "Be careful, Jinzheng will kill you if he gets angry. Just say, you are an envoy, and you only want his answer. Don't let him get too close to you." "Understood." Amano Matazaemon replied.Shuzheng turned to Kang Chang again: "I have been to Daji a few days ago, and I will go to Youzuo tomorrow. Those hot-blooded doubters will stare at Youzuo. Taking this opportunity, the children and clan members of the family leave at night Okazaki, this is the first wave. When it gets dark the next day, I will go down to the city with everyone, and leave the city while having dinner." "In this way, do you feel at ease?" Kang Zhang leaned forward and asked. Shuzheng said very seriously: "Dagi's representative specially asked me to leave the city in the first month of the month. Thinking about it carefully, I feel uneasy." "Then, now it's time to determine who will leave Okazaki tomorrow night and who will accompany you in the future." Watanabe Kinnai urged more calmly.Listening to his tone, it seems that everything has been arranged. The next day, November 12th. When Amano Matazaemon Asada set off, the people who watched Shuzheng paid all their attention to him.Because the crowd gathered in the main mansion in the city last night, it has been leaked out. After hearing the message from Amano Matazaemon, the Daiichi's representative, Matsudaira Gozaemon, slapped the handle of the knife angrily and said, "Hmph, let me answer, what a joke! If you come again, I'll cut you off!" He drove Mazaemon away in a rage, but he didn't report to Ieyasu immediately because it was getting late. The next day, Gozaemon participated in a Buddhist ceremony held by Genjiro's house.On the fourteenth day, he suddenly thought: "Since someone dares to tempt you, how can I take advantage of it?" Regardless of his son Shinjiro being a hostage, he immediately sent two retainers to see Ieyasu of Hamamatsu.But at this time, Ishikawa Shuzheng had already left Okazaki Castle. On the evening of the thirteenth.The attendants inside and outside the city went home, changed their clothes, and were about to sit down comfortably for dinner when the alarm bell in the city suddenly rang.At first people thought it was a fire, and went out to check, but there was no sign of fire. "What's up?" "You have to go to the city to have a look before you can rest assured." "The clock is striking so quickly, something must have happened!" Sugiura Tojiro Tokatsu, who arrived first, only saw a few miscellaneous soldiers fleeing slowly near the moat, and he didn't figure out the truth of the matter for a long time. "Guard, what's going on? Why is the clock striking so fast?" "Ishikawa Hokishou is fully armed and has left the city with his retainers." "What, Ishikawa..." Just when Shisheng was in a hurry to check the matter, Xincheng Nanosuke arrived, and the two hurriedly asked someone to close the city gate.They couldn't believe it.Under strict surveillance, they believed that Shuzheng would not leave with his tribe. The envoys rushed to all directions, and the city gradually became commotion. Some say that Hideyoshi's army came nearby, while others say that soldiers marched east of the Yahagawa River.The city was still quiet, with guards strictly guarding the gates below the city, and scout cavalry leading infantry to guard the city gates.Unlike the Yashiro Ohgami incident, no matter how you say it, Ishikawa Shumasa is the mainstay of the Tokugawa clan.This matter was too unexpected, and it was too late to chase him, so we could only strengthen our defenses to stop the spread of rumors. "Quiet, don't make noise!" It was almost midnight when Songping Jiazhong came sweating and galloping from a deep ditch more than twenty miles away.Then, Matsudaira Densaburo Shigekatsu also arrived with his troops. It was around Chen o'clock in the morning on the 14th that the city became quiet. It was already after Tadashi Sakai arrived from Yoshida.Ishikawa was running away, and Sanhe was in chaos.However, Susho, who has crossed Jingchuan and entered Owari, is also worried.If he is killed on the way, not only his painstaking efforts will be in vain, but also the bond that maintains peace between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Tokugawa clan will be broken. Probably even if Ieyasu knew that he was running away, he would not come to chase him immediately.He thought so, but just in case, he was still extremely cautious. Nakajima Sakuzaemon, Ban Sanemon, and Arakawa Sozaemon, three confidant retainers, went to Yone in advance the night before to arrange for horses, hats, and greetings at the border.Therefore, Watanabe Kinnai, Sano Kinemon, Honda Shichibei, Murakoshi Denshichi, etc. are now cut off with their armed families. Those who walked in the front were Shuzheng's eldest son, Kangchang, and his youngest son, Hansaburo, followed by women and children, and Shuzheng patrolled back and forth between the women, children and the rear team, so that they could echo back and forth when sudden changes occurred. Choosing the thirteenth day is of course taking into account the moonlight.Only a few people rode horses, and everyone else walked.The hundreds of steeds needed by the group are very important to the Tokugawa clan, who are always prepared to deal with emergencies. The number of horses can't bear to reduce the number of Tokugawa clan's war horses - I got the mounts from Owari, Will those who oppose me know? Shuzheng thinks that even if he leaves, Ieyasu will not blame Ishikawa Iecheng, or make things difficult for his grandmother Misini.However, if they were arrested in Sanhe, they would definitely be tied to a cross and nailed to death.In that case, his grandmother, who had been preaching the teachings of Buddhism to him since he was a few hours old, would surely die of grief. "If there are pursuers, everyone will draw their swords and face each other, and then shout loudly, there is an army to meet us on the opposite side of Jingchuan." It seems that in order to find out the truth, Tanma went to the border.Shuzheng later learned that Nakagawa Sanshirō and the guide Nakajima Sakuzaemon with a hundred horses had come to meet them.Under the moonlight, the person who came to meet him should be clearly visible.However, the smoother the plan went, the more Ishikawa Shumasa became a conspirator who betrayed his lord and abandoned the city to the enemy, leaving him with a bad name among the Samurai warriors—the most indifferent person on the surface, but the most greedy of the unrighteous.That's fine, whenever I think of these things, Ieyasu's face emerges in front of Suzumasa: the innocent face when he was sent as a hostage when he was six years old; , the childish face; the face of the young samurai when he married Mrs. Tsukiyama; .In fact, he admired his lord very much. Admiration often has to go beyond reason. When Ieyasu was sent as a hostage at the age of six, he and Shichiro were ten years old.In the following decades, he worked hard and lived for Ieyasu without any selfishness.To be loyal to this, Shufan is always satisfied. If there is anything incredible in the world, there is nothing more inconceivable than this loyalty: when Jiakang smiles, he is happy; when Jiakang is sad, he is sad; when Jiakang is passionate, his blood boils. Now, the number is still the original intention.On the surface, he is based on the idea of ​​the Buddha's salvation of all living beings and strives for peace in the world. In fact, he hopes that Ieyasu can win the world in his heart!This simple desire is buried deep in my heart.Now, even if he is regarded as a fool and a traitor by the world, he still laughs in his heart. Who is this for?For Tokugawa Ieyasu, of course!Shuzheng asked and answered, and couldn't help laughing: I don't know when, the lord and I have become one.Yes, Ishikawa Suzuma is now leaving Okazaki for his great cause. On the night of the thirteenth, the moon had risen to the middle of the sky. Yasunaga Ishikawa, who was at the front, suddenly roared, and the team stopped in unison.Everyone was relieved that there were no pursuers behind, but someone seemed to be approaching in front. "Kang Chang, what happened?" Shuzheng rode his horse and whipped his whip, and rushed to the front. "It's the concentric cavalry guard at the carp guard in the pond." Kang Chang said. "Who is here?" Shuzheng said loudly. "Nonoyama Fujigoro!" The visitor rode on the horse and replied loudly, the tip of the knife gleaming coldly. "Oh! Noye-san? Thank you for your hard work! I am Ishikawa Susho." "In the middle of the night, where is Joyo going?" "Teng Wu!" Shuzheng saw clearly that he had only two servants with him, and said, "If you let me pass like this, you will feel that your face is so dull? Then you are going to die here, or go back to the hill as soon as possible Saki to report?" Speaking of this, Shuzheng suddenly thought that Togoro might not have heard the rumors at all, "Hahaha! I'm so disappointed in the lord, I'm going to run away! You want to stop me?" "Extremely disappointed?" "Yes! The army that came to meet me has arrived. Where to go, you should take it as a decision, and don't become the laughing stock of future generations because of a moment of confusion." "Oh!" Fujigoro murmured on the horse. "Haha! No one knows about my escape. Should I be killed, or should I report it first?" "Huh!" Togoro pulled the horse, and stabbed with a gun. Shuzheng flashed nimbly, and shouted at his son who wanted to kill him: "Don't mess around, Kang Chang!" He said again: "Tengwu, if you have the ability, kill him!" "You traitor!" "I advise you to report to Okazaki as soon as possible, otherwise you will only be ridiculed!" At this moment, Nonoyama Togoro assumed a positive offensive posture again, and stabbed the second shot.With a bang, his gun flew into the air.When the two horses crossed each other, Nonoyama Fujigoro galloped eastward like an arrow from the string. "Don't chase the poor! Hurry up and go!" Shuzheng inserted his knife into its sheath and shouted towards the team.The opponent's two attendants fled to the field on the left and disappeared into the grass. "Kang Chang, this guy is quite capable!" "yes!" "As soon as he makes a shot, he is full of fighting spirit. Therefore, I deliberately let him run away when he shoots the second shot. As long as he has this kind of spirit, the Sanhe warriors will not lose." As he said that, Shuzheng seemed to think of something, he grabbed the horse's head and laughed, "Hahaha! Now, I have become the enemy of Samurai Samurai, how can I still praise him? Let's go!" The team was headed by Kang Chang and continued to move forward. Only then did Kang Chang gradually understand his father's true meaning.Ban Saburo who was following him asked, "Why didn't you kill him, brother?" "You don't understand?" Kang Chang hurriedly mumbled, "He is so skilled in martial arts that he can't be killed. No, chasing him will take time and trouble, and we have so many women and children to take care of." "it's a pity!" "Well, that fellow runs very fast." Kang Chang said, looking back at his father.The horse's father is looking up at the moon quietly, letting the horse walk forward.His father's high and shiny nose made his entire face as expressionless as a Noh mask.The father left his hometown like this, and he must have obtained the permission of the lord. The more this is the case, the more he must not be negligent in telling the truth. "Ah, I saw Jingchuan!" After a while, Kang Chang looked back at his father and said loudly.He knew that Ma Ma's father should have seen Jing Chuan earlier than him, but he still couldn't help but speak out. "Advance quietly! On the other side of the Jing River, there are lanterns everywhere to welcome us!" They could already hear the sound of water...