Chapter 15 Chapter Fifteen

In the eleventh year of Tianzheng, Xia.Chaya Shirojiro hurried to Yahagi Bridge.On the surface, he is a businessman raising cloth for the Tokugawa family, but in fact, he is a spy for Tokugawa Ieyasu to inquire about news about the capital. As soon as he stepped onto the bridge, the tea house immediately changed into the appearance of a businessman, and his keen eyes became as leisurely as a rich man.The two personal guards are like two capable men.Walking leisurely to the middle of the bridge, the tea house stopped.He looked at the flowing water under the bridge, and then looked up at Okazaki Castle hidden in the dark green in the distance. "How, do you feel that there is a different world here?"

"That's right. Wartime is different from peacetime. Even the wind blowing in front of you is completely different." "However, I don't know what will happen this time." "What do you mean, it is inevitable that there will be a disaster here?" "Of course Lord Tokugawa doesn't allow this... Anyway, Mikawa is also a place where heroes gather." Saying that, Chaya Shiro Jiro bent down in a shady place and tightened his shoelaces. "What does the shopkeeper mean, that after Chikuzen Mamoru finishes handling Hokuriku's affairs, he will extend his demonic palm here?"

"I guess so. The fate of Gifu has already been decided anyway. Since Chikuzen Shou wants to bring peace to the world, naturally the Tokugawa Clan cannot be allowed to be safe in the east." "If that's the case, something big will happen." "Not yet. But I guess it is the biggest trouble in the adult's life. Don't talk, let's go!" "Well, we're not going to Okazaki Castle anyway." Saying that, the three master and servant continued to move forward.After walking a few steps, Yoshihaya turned around. "I didn't want to stay in Okazaki Castle and go directly to Hamamatsu, but I changed my mind again..."

"The shopkeeper wants to drop by Okazaki Castle?" "Yes. I have to go into the castle. Now, Okazaki Joyo is Ishikawa Hoki Shoushusho-sama. There are some things I have to discuss with Ishikawa-sama in secret." The "man" was silent, and Chaya continued: "Beizhuang Castle has fallen, and the defense of Hokuriku has taken on a new look. If Lord Tokugawa doesn't send an envoy to congratulate him immediately, it may increase the friction between Chikuzen Mori and Chikuzen Mori in the future..." In fact, the tea house made a special trip to Hamamatsu this time to report the news to Ieyasu and offer advice to him.He has been thinking for a long time on the road, as an envoy to negotiate with Hideyoshi, neither face nor feelings will be hurt. Talents with this kind of skills are currently rare among Mikawa samurai.If the person sent there is brave and foolish, and only regards Hideyoshi as an opportunist, it will be bad, and they may be played by Hideyoshi instead.Hideyoshi is indeed a genius in this regard, with incredible magic power. If the other party is that kind of upright and simple person, he just needs to go over and pat this person's shoulder lightly, and he may soon become his man.It seems that Ishikawa is none other than Ishikawa on this trip, but can he listen to other people's suggestions?

Okazaki Castle looks very different today than it did in the past.As the achievements and power of the Tokugawa family flourished, the city walls became more imposing, and the archery towers also stood tall. Even the trees surrounding the city walls seemed to be more luxuriant, and the whole city was very strong.The strong city wall and deep moat seem to tell people the story of the hard work of the three generations of the Matsudaira family.However, compared with the Beizhuang City that had just fallen, it was still much inferior, with shorter archery towers and streets that were not wide enough. "In fact, victory or defeat does not depend on the strength of the city, but on the hearts of the people in the city..."

Unconsciously, he arrived in front of Jodai's mansion, and while wiping the sweat from his face, Chaya Shiro Jiro walked to the gate of the mansion, and politely said to the guard at the gate: "This is a businessman in the capital, called Chaya Shiro Jiro, who is engaged in the silk business. If you have something important to see Lord Chengdai, please tell me..." "A silk merchant in the capital?" It seemed that the soldier guarding the gate didn't know Chaya Shirojiro. "What's the matter with you? Master Shiro is busy with his work." "That's right. I was on my way to Hamamatsu to do business with Lord Tokugawa. I just passed by here and wanted to say hello to you."

"Do you think that Lord Chengdai will see you after I go to inform you?" "Yes, I think Joshiro-sama will definitely meet me." "Well, since I'm not afraid of making a trip in vain, I'll report it for you." After hearing this, Chaya couldn't help but glanced back at the two guys, and smiled wryly.This is Samurai Samurai. He is simple, but a little arrogant and unreasonable. Although he is also cute, his words always hurt people.Even the little pawns have this kind of spirit. If they go to war, they will naturally be extremely brave.If you negotiate with people, it will be troublesome.There is no shortage of such precedents.Sakai Tadaji and Okubo Tadayo who went to Nobunaga's place took the life of Ieyasu's eldest son Nobuyasu.But this time, the opponent is Hideyoshi who is more difficult to deal with than Nobunaga, and he has to fight...

Chaya Shirojiro had to wait outside the door.In fact, there was a waiting area for visitors' attendants inside the gate, and there was also a reception room. Even if the gatekeepers asked him to wait there, they were not even accommodating. "Mr. Chaya, come in." "I just said, the adults will definitely receive me." "Are you a businessman?" "yes." "Are you old friends with Mr. Joshiro?" "Yes, we have been friends for many years." "No wonder my lord told me to lead the way. Please." Shiro Jiro couldn't help but smiled wryly again. "My two buddies are still waiting."

"Oh, there are two more? Let's wait there first, I forgot to tell the adults about the two of them." The tea house asked two attendants to wait at the door, and entered the middle gate of the city by himself.At this time, two young guards came out from the gate. "You are Mr. Chaya, this way please." The tone was the same as that of the gatekeeper.Probably because the guest was actually a businessman, he felt contemptuous. At this time, Ishikawa, who the tea house is going to visit, is chatting with Yubi in a small academy in the city.As soon as he saw the tea house, he hurriedly greeted him. "Ah, Mr. Matsumoto, rare visitor. Please come in quickly." Then, he winked at Yubi and the guards, telling them to retreat.

Only then did Chaya raise his lowered head.Ishikawa is four years older than Ieyasu, and he is forty-six this year.When he was ten years old, Shuzheng was around Ieyasu, and he was always by his side when Ieyasu was a hostage.When he went to Junfu to welcome Ieyasu's eldest son Shinyasu back to Okazaki, he and Shinyasu rode the same horse.It can be said that he is a great hero of the Tokugawa clan.Among the Sanhe samurai, Shuzheng is the most sophisticated, and he is very mature and prudent in his dealings with others. "Mr. Matsumoto, is the overall situation of the Northern Kingdom settled?"

"Yes, everything is under Chikuzen's control." "Please come closer. Don't worry, no one will eavesdrop. Tell me your thoughts first. To whom did Chikuzen entrust the affairs of the North Country?" Chaya Shiro Jiro leaned forward unhurriedly, wiping the sweat that gushed out. "Actually, this time I'm going back to meet Master Tokugawa. I wonder if Master is in Hamamatsu Castle?" "My lord should have rushed back from Kai. The system of Kai must have been decided. However, my lord plans to visit Kai and Suruga in autumn." "My lord can't be idle." "Yeah, I think so too. My lord once said that when Chikuzen is attacking the city over there, we should also strengthen the city defense here." "Yes. I'm not worried about the city defense at all. I'm worried about other things..." "Is there anything unusual about Chikuzen?" "Not really. Chikuzen gave Niwa Nagahide Echizen and the two counties of Nomi and Enuma in Kaga. Nagahide's previous territory, Wakasa, was also under his jurisdiction. He also took out the two counties of Ishikawa and Hebei from Kaga, plus Noto, I gave it to Toshiie Maeda..." "Wait, that means giving the entire Echizen to Nagahide Niwa?" "Yes. Kaga and Noto were almost given to Maeda and his son. The Toshi family moved from Noto's Nanao to Kanazawa fortification. Toshicho moved from Fuchu to Kaga's Matsuto. Nanao was guarded by Maeda Yasushi, Chang Renlong and others. Sato Chengzheng has already rushed to the Hatake (Zai) Mountain in Yuezhong to negotiate with the Uesugi family." "Oh. In this way, the Maeda family has more territory. Then, what happened to Xuanbo Sakuma? I heard that during the most intense battle, he disappeared..." "I heard that Xuan Fan and Quan Liulang were caught on the way. At the beginning, Hideyoshi seemed to keep trying to persuade him to surrender, but Xuan Fan refused to surrender, so he was taken to the capital, where he showed his head to the public." "So, Shibata's clan is all extinct." "I've heard people say that members of Shibata's family are obsessed with saving face and don't think carefully..." "What do you think the dynamic will be from here on?" "In this way, Nobutaka will be finished... It is estimated that Hideyoshi will build a city in Osaka next. He will definitely learn from the late Lord Youfu and build a luxurious city in Osaka to guide the world. He wants to let Everyone knows that the world is already in the hands of Hashiba Hideyoshi... In this way, it has a great relationship with the interests of the Tokugawa clan." Said, Shiro Jiro stared at Suzheng. Shuzheng listened and nodded slowly.Now that the war is over, the Tokugawa clan had no choice but to send envoys to congratulate them.Who can take on this responsibility?This is not only a concern of the tea house, but also a concern of Shuzheng. "Master Joshiro," Chaya Shirojiro looked around vigilantly, and said, "Who do you think is the most suitable for this mission?" "Originally, I can send anyone there, but..." Shuzheng looked away from Chaya, "I'm afraid there will be some troubles after I go." "trouble……" "Zhuqian Shou must have spent all his time trying to force the envoy to ask the lord to serve him." "That's exactly what I'm worried about." Chaya moved forward.His worries didn't stop there. "What if the envoy is forced to accept Chikuzen's conditions... what should I do, Joshiro-sama?" Shuzheng shook his head lightly. "It goes without saying, my lord, I'm afraid even the veterans will not agree. Therefore, if the envoy decides on his own initiative, he will have to perform seppuku upon his return." "Everyone knows that they will have to cut seppuku after they come back, so naturally no one wants to go." "I suppose so." "Since we need to come here to congratulate, and the other party specially extended an invitation to us, this... I'm afraid it's hard to refuse." A wry smile appeared on Shuzheng's dark face. "If you refuse bluntly, it will definitely hurt Chikuzen Mamoru's face. This would be bad, and it would be better not to congratulate in the first place." "This is not good." Chaya couldn't help frowning and smiling bitterly, "But, the other party will never let it go..." "This is a tricky thing..." "Master Chengdai!" "Do you have any good ideas, Matsumoto-san?" "No. I just feel that it must be wrong if I don't send an envoy to congratulate." "I think the same as you. But who should I send?" "Yes, ordinary people are not competent. If adults ask me who is the most suitable..." After Chaya said this, Shuzheng couldn't help but looked up at him vigilantly: "I wonder who Mr. Chaya will list?" "This..." Chaya collected himself and stretched out his right hand to count, "Master Ii and Lord Kanbara are too young, if they are sent there, it will definitely cause dissatisfaction among the guardians of Chikuzen." "Come down?" "Master Honda is too straightforward...Because of the young master's matter before, you will definitely not allow Sakai and Okubo to go." "So……" "Except for you and Honda as the left, I can't name anyone else." Chaya Shiro Jiro seemed to have seen through Susho's thoughts completely, so he fell silent.Ishikawa Shuzheng just looked at the yard silently and didn't answer. Chaya continued: "Young people don't see how important this matter is. Even among the veterans, those who can clearly see into Chikuzen's mind are rare. I don't know when, Chikuzen has put I completely see myself as the son of the sun who was born to bring peace to the world. This kind of thinking is truly terrifying...Anyone who does not obey the order is a person who hinders the unification of the world, and he is his sworn enemy, and he will never let it go." "..." "In the process of attacking Shibata, Chaya finally saw the terrifying side of Chikuzen. Shibata-sama is a famous fierce general, and Chikuzen is also extremely tough, and he refused to back down even a single step. If it's just like this, it's not scary. Terrible Yes, Chikuzen not only has a strategy comparable to that of the late Ufu-sama, but also has a magic power to attract people's hearts. All the businessmen in Sakai Port, Capital City and Osaka, Chikuzen will come to him without exception... Nobutaka's retainers are like this , Shibata's retainers are also like this..." Ishikawa was staring outside, but Chaya's words made him nod his head.He knew too well that Hideyoshi was not only a peerless genius, but also that the great ambition of world peace he enshrined was the meaning of gods and Buddhas. The gods and Buddhas are speechless, but the wishes of the people who yearn for peace are the wishes of the gods and Buddhas, and that is Hideyoshi's strongest backing.Ieyasu also has ambitions similar to Hideyoshi.The difference is that Ieyasu focuses on the present world and wants to gradually achieve peace in this world; while Hideyoshi firmly believes that he was born to bring peace to the world.This difference actually contains the danger of triggering a huge conflict. "Anyway, the candidates listed by Mr. Chaya are quite interesting." After a while, Suzheng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the Chaya, "It seems that this important task falls to me and the upright Zuo Zuo .” "Forgive me." Shiro Jiro lowered his head with a smile, "In my humble opinion, the two of you are very similar." "Oh, people say that I'm getting older, but Zuo Zuo is getting stronger and stronger. The two of us are so similar. Where do we start?" "This similarity does not lie in the appearance, but in the loyalty in the chest." "Oh?" "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, in my opinion, the two adults best represent the demeanor of Mikawa warriors." "Haha..." Shuzheng laughed, "Mr. Matsumoto is worthy of drinking the water in the capital. He is really eloquent. How could he think of someone like me..." "My lord's words are wrong. The two of you have both the firmness to never give in to Chikuzen and the courage to speak up, so..." After hearing this, Shuzheng turned around again and looked at the yard silently. "Master Chengdai, you said just now that I drank the water in the capital, and I became more articulate, but I was surprised." After speaking, the tea house moved forward again, "I understand the saying that one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. If you don't Considering Chikuzen's strength and his character carefully, I think the Tokugawa clan may suffer the greatest disaster since the Battle of Mikatahara." "You mean, Chikuzen will take the initiative to come to challenge?" Suzheng was still looking outside, "I don't think my lord will accept the challenge easily." "No, Chikuzen will not initiate a challenge. On the contrary, he will definitely come and force Lord Tokugawa to bow to him. Now, both Niwa Nagahide and Hosokawa Fujitaka are his retainers." "Are you worried that the lord will also become Chikuzen's retainer?" "It depends on what Tokugawa-sama wants. Of course, all the retainers will never agree. I mean, we have to guard against..." "Haha..." Shuzheng laughed again, "I understand what you mean. Please just rest assured, my lord is definitely not that kind of person. Of course, I will keep my words in mind. If my lord really orders, I will Of course, I don’t hesitate. I think it’s better for Mr. to rest here for one night, and it’s not too late to go to Hamamatsu tomorrow morning.” At this moment, the tea house still had more to say, and wanted to continue, but Shuzheng had already said so, so it was hard to say anything more.He seemed a little disappointed—he had expected that Shuzheng would lower his face and respond positively. "Okay, if that's the case, let me go on a mission. I want to see what kind of unusual big man Chikuzen is." However, Shuzheng did not seriously respond.It seemed that he underestimated Hideyoshi too much.Numbers are very different from before.He became flexible, and his vigorous spirit disappeared without a trace.When the tea house thought of this, the delicacies in front of it had no taste, and the wine was no longer fragrant. Now, the territory of the Tokugawa family has expanded to the four countries, and as the current great vassal, their status has naturally improved.Is it because of this that there is no need to hide your strength and bide your time, and you can be arrogant? That night, Chawu lived in the same room with his two attendants, and when he set off the next morning, Shuzheng didn't even show his face.Therefore, Shiro Jiro always has a feeling of being indifferent, and feels very lonely in his heart.The number is not enough to be satisfied with the mere post of Chengdai, right? After the tea house set off, Shuzheng said to his son Yasuhiro nonchalantly, "Has Matsumoto Shirojiro gone yet? That man talks too much." In fact, Ishikawa Shumasa couldn't be more clear about Chaya Shiro Jiro's meaning, because in the first month, Shumasa had already argued with Ieyasu on the same issue.Not knowing what Ieyasu was thinking, he frequently communicated with Oda Nobuo of Kiyosu.This makes Shuzheng deeply disturbed.Nobuo did not form an alliance with Shibata and Takikawa like Nobutaka did, but frequently interacted with Ieyasu. In fact, like Nobutaka, he disliked Hideyoshi very much in his heart.As early as when Ieyasu and the Hojo clan were at war, Nobuo had frequently sent letters and gifts to Kai's formation.The meaning is obvious. The situation in Kinki is very critical. I hope that Ieyasu will quickly negotiate peace with the Hojo family and lead his troops to help him. At first, Ieyasu took advantage of this cleverly, letting Nobuo mediate between him and the Hojo clan.However, in Shuzheng's view, that is tantamount to playing with fire and setting oneself on fire.It was precisely because of his alliance with Nobutaka that Shibata Katsuie led to his demise.And Ieyasu and Nobuo get too close, it is bound to ignite the fire in Hideyoshi's heart. "I hope my lord will think twice about dealing with Qingzhou. It is not worth it if you cause innocent disasters." Unexpectedly, Ieyasu, who has always respected Shuzheng, was a little displeased when he heard this, and turned his face away. At the end of last year, when Hideyoshi was about to send troops to Gifu Castle, Nobuo actually sent people to meet with Ieyasu many times.Unexpectedly, Ieyasu easily agreed to the other party's request, and in the first month of this year, he specially welcomed Nobuo into Okazaki Castle for a secret talk.What is even more puzzling is that an important minister was not allowed to participate in the meeting. It is still unclear what was discussed.After that, the two rode horses to Kira to hunt together. That was on the 20th day of the first month of the eleventh year of Tianzheng. As soon as Ieyasu came back from hunting, Shuzheng sarcastically said: "Master, you must have a good harvest today?" "Only a few hares and pheasants were shot." "It's not that much, is it?" "Huh?" Ieyasu smiled and blamed Shu Zhenglai, "I have an unusual relationship with the late Lord Youfu. I just want to comfort the frustrated Nobuo...it doesn't matter if you can't kill the prey." "Since there is no prey, it's better to stop watching. Otherwise, wouldn't it be too boring?" "boring?" "Yes. Such boring things as pheasants and hares, if you exchange the lives of the most precious retainers, surely they won't be boring?" "Shut up, the number is right! What do you mean!" "That depends on the situation." "Shut up! I have my own plans, don't talk about it!" Since they lived in the same city, Ieyasu would probably tell Shuzheng about his so-called "planning".However, not long after, Ieyasu returned to Hamamatsu, and the matter was left alone.Therefore, regarding Hideyoshi's future movements, Shuzheng's judgment is no different from Chaya Shiro Jiro's.It's just that he has become more cautious in his words. "Kang Chang, call Asheng here." Ishikawa Shumasa looked at his son with a smile after learning that Shiro Jiro had left the city, "The guest said an interesting thing last night." "Father mean the talkative guest who just left?" "Exactly. As expected of the lord's eyeliner, he is really a talented person, but this time he talked too much. He said that there are only two people who can serve as envoys for the Tokugawa clan and can make people feel at ease. The father and the ghost are on the left." "This...is interesting?" "Yes, it's interesting, it's so different. In Sanhe, people like Weifu and Guizuo are like gravels on the river beach. There are countless people. Go and call Asheng." Shuzheng has three sons.The first son, Yasunaga, has already held the Yuanfu ceremony, and the second son, Katsuchiyo, and the third son, Hansaburo, are still young.Since Shuzheng had sworn in his early years that Ieyasu would remarry after he became famous, he did not start a family until very late.Therefore, the age gap between Shuzheng father and son is particularly large. Not long after, Kang Chang led Katsuchiyo over.Although Katsuchiyo is physically strong, but after all, he is only fourteen years old, and his eyes are still shining with the innocence and childishness of a teenager. "Kang Chang, Ah Sheng...Father wants to ask the two of you one thing today." "Father, what's the matter?" "You often hear some Buddhist teachings from your grandmother, don't you?" "Yes." His younger brother Katsuchiyo answered first, while Yasucho began to ponder.Katsuchiyo said again: "I often hear it, but I can't understand it. The Buddha's teachings are profound..." "Father also thinks so." Shuzheng nodded, "Yinbi, I want to ask how much you understand. What you understand and what you don't understand, but it doesn't matter." "yes." "Do you know why father risked his life to serve the lord?" "I know." Kang Chang replied, "It's because our family has been greatly favored by the lord for generations." "Hmm. What about you, Asheng?" "I'm the same as my brother... Also, father respects and loves the lord." Shuzheng nodded. "Let me ask you again. If the father has already started to tire of the lord, and now there is a person who gives the father greater favor, can the father leave the lord and serve that person?" The two brothers couldn't help but looked at each other and lowered their heads. How could father ask such a strange question? "No." Kang Chang said, "Even if there is such a person, father should not go to him." Katsuchiyo kept his eyes open and bowed his head in silence. Shuzheng laughed out loud. "Haha... Ah Sheng still has a scheming mind. If you are in doubt, keep silent, and there is a city... haha." "No, it's not scheming!" Katsuchiyo shook his head childishly, "I'm thinking about how to answer." "Oh? Well, think about it again. My brother has already said that this is wrong, then you must have the right idea. You have to think about it carefully, and I will ask you again." As he said, Shuzheng opened the fan and shook it slowly up. "I don't understand why!" After a while, Katsuchiyo said, "My thoughts are the same as my brother's. No matter how much that person is to father, father should not leave the lord... I only know that, but The reason, the child will not understand." "Okay, Ah Sheng has already answered. Kang Chang, how about you?" Kang Chang gently wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the roof. "I already understand, don't you need to say any more?" "Oh, if that's the case, then there's no need to answer." "This...you have to abide by the way of the warrior. Even if someone else gives you kindness, the previous kindness will not disappear. Therefore, whether to repay the kindness or keep the chastity, you must consider..." "Chang Chang, if father makes a great contribution to repay the previous kindness, can I go elsewhere after that?" "This……" "Think about it, is father really that kind of person?" "Well, I don't think father was like that." "It makes sense. Think about it again, why can't father go?" Just like this question, Kang Chang couldn't answer it. "The child really can't tell, please tell the father clearly." "Haha... Father generally understands your thoughts. It seems that you are still far from comprehending the teachings of the Buddha that your grandmother taught you." The two brothers looked at each other again, scratching their heads anxiously. "I found that, I don't know when, the lord began to follow the way of Buddhism. Therefore, no matter how unreasonable the lord is and how indifferent he is to me, I will never leave him." "It's Buddhism..." "Yes. My lord was just brave at the beginning, and later became a military commander with far-sightedness. Recently, he became a benevolent man who followed Buddhism. Do you know that Buddhism advocates not to kill, not to fight, and to let everyone Everyone is alive and happy. He has a strong temperament and is not a real general. The good news is that the lord has already understood this truth, so I will follow the lord forever." Katsuchiyo lowered his head on purpose, and pretended to mutter: "What is Father thinking? Why are you asking us these questions today? Katsuchiyo can't understand." Compared with Buddhism, he seems to be more interested in his father who talks about Buddhism today. "Don't interrupt." Shu Zheng smiled wryly. "It's not me who interrupted, but my father deliberately interrupted." Katsuchiyo countered mercilessly, "What do you think, brother? Why did father ask a series of questions just now? We must first figure this out. That's another matter." Kang Chang was afraid that he would make a mistake, so he remained silent.He also seemed to feel his father's distress slightly. In fact, before Chaya Shirojiro's special visit this time, Shuzheng had talked with Ieyasu long ago.At that time, Kang Chang rushed to Hamamatsu with his father. While waiting outside, he heard the conversation between the two inside the house intermittently. "It seems that the matter above has been resolved completely according to Chikuzen's intention. Therefore, we must send an envoy to congratulate. After thinking about it, I always feel that others are not suitable. You just go there." "Everything else is easy to talk about, but this is the only one, please forgive me for being difficult..." Shu Zheng said. "Why?" "Going to the top to negotiate is tantamount to stepping into the gate of hell. If you go down this time, Chikuzen will definitely ask us to help him build the Osaka. This kind of request is really hard to refuse. If you accept Chikuzen's conditions and come back, you will definitely attract the lord And the old minister's complaints; if he refuses Chikuzen's request, he will definitely lose face of Chikuzen. In this case, what's the point of going on an envoy? Therefore, I won't go..." When Ieyasu heard this, he changed the topic, and after about half an hour, he brought it back again. "The number is positive, this time the messenger is none other than you, I don't worry if someone else goes." The key point is that this time, on the one hand, it is necessary to minimize the money wasted on helping Osaka, and on the other hand, it is necessary to gain insight into Hideyoshi's mood, so as not to give him the opportunity to seize the opportunity and make things difficult for the Tokugawa family. "It's easy to talk about everything else, but this is the only thing, please forgive me..." Suzheng continued, "When the construction of Azuchi was built, Sakai and Okubo had learned from the past. As long as it is related to the construction of the city, the messenger is no different. Go to the gate of hell." Ieyasu seemed a little unhappy, he was silent for a while, and then he said sharply: "Discuss with Zuo Zuo and see who to send. In short, ordinary people cannot afford this important task." This statement is not false.The purpose of Hideyoshi's fortification this time is undoubtedly to show his prestige to the world.Therefore, if he finds out who is richer than him, or dares to compete with him, he will naturally increase his tax.But the Tokugawa Clan is currently facing many difficulties. It has to strengthen the defense of countless new territories and build many fortifications. Coming out of Ieyasu's room, Shuzheng went to Honda Zuakuzaemon's again, had a secret conversation for more than half an hour, and then returned home. Although Kang Chang didn't hear the specific content of the discussion at the time, when he left the city, his father's face was obviously not very good, and there must be something that made him painful.Thinking of this, Kang Chang was silent. Shu Zhengyi smiled wryly and said, "I don't know if you understand why my father would ask you this..." "The kids would love to hear it." "Maybe I have to go to Yuchai Chikuzen for my father." Shuzheng stopped, and slowly waved his fan again. "Then... is it really that difficult to go to Chikuzen as a mission?" His younger brother Katsuchiyo opened his eyes wide, desperately looking for answers on his father's face. "This... This mission is far more difficult than when we went to Junfu to welcome back the wife and the young master." "Why...why?" "Because soon, my lord will become a thorn in Chikuzen's side. If I were Chikuzen, I would do the same. If I want to build a castle, I can grandly order my daimyos to provide gold, wood, stone, and husbands." The two brothers fell into confusion again, looking at each other in blank dismay, still vaguely understanding what their father said, not knowing why his father was so confused. "Then, when I am on a mission, I will bring you along with me. However, once you go, you may never come back... Do you understand?" "As long as father lets us go, we'll... you're right, Katsuchiyo?" "Yeah." Katsuchiyo replied vaguely, "I'm afraid this is 'one must follow the principles of Buddhism'." "Yes." Shuzheng felt that the children seemed to be beginning to understand his original intention, and nodded vigorously, "Do you know that father can't make up his mind to go on an mission this time, but when he thinks of the great kindness the lord has shown me, he always Thinking of the situation where I risked my life to rescue the eldest son of the lord, Nobuyasu, from the Imagawa family, I am ashamed. Moreover, the lord killed his own son with tears for the sake of the Tokugawa family and for the sake of the world... Thinking of the suffering of the lord , I finally made up my mind for my father." The two brothers seemed to gradually understand their father's mood, and they stared at Shuzheng without blinking.When my father mentioned Xinkang, there were always tears in his eyes. "It's not just Nobunaga, it's the same with others. When a person comes to demonstrate to the world by building the best castle in the world, he will be no different from a ghost. Of course, Chikuzen will do the same. Therefore, even if you are a ghost , if you don’t have amazing dedication and talent, you definitely can’t go on an envoy rashly.” "Father!" Katsuchiyo trembled, "Then let's go together. If that's the case, we can die together." "What are you in a hurry for, Katsuchiyo!" Kang Zhang hurriedly stopped him, "Father naturally knows whether it is life or death. We just need to do what father wants. Don't interrupt casually, and listen carefully." "I'm listening. When is the mission, father?" Shuzheng's eyes were moist, he wiped his tears and smiled. "Hearing what you said, I feel relieved. I believe that I have this talent. It is estimated that the lord will let me go to Hamamatsu in the near future. At that time, I will make a decision with the lord after careful planning. In three to five days After that..." "Before that, let's get ready too, Katsuchiyo." "yes." Shuzheng looked at the two children and smiled in relief.