Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen

The Mitsui Kannon Hall in the West Country is located in about five towns northwest of Jinsong Temple in Omi Shiga County, and was built on Takaoka.It's the middle of winter, and the leaves are falling.The rare sunlight passed through the bare tree gaps like a tailor's needle and thread, and projected warmly on the ground.Here, you can see Jinsongji Temple on the right, and overlook the towering temple of Enjoji Temple on the left. However, the fifteen or sixteen people who were walking on the hill at this time did not have the intention of looking at the extreme beauty.The attendants are nervously guarding the master.

"Have you found anyone acting suspicious?" A forty-seven or eighteen-year-old warrior asked in a low voice. "Only the mother and son who came to visit are resting there." A young follower replied. "Oh, take good precautions from the bottom of the hillside to the left and right woods." "Obey." The young attendant left in a hurry. "My lord, can you see this area?" The rest seemed to be the master and three attendants. The master looked to be about twenty-five or sixteen years old, and seemed to be a noble person.This group of people didn't look like they were on a tour. Although their steps were easy, their eyes were very sharp, and they kept observing the surrounding terrain.The four nodded to each other and sat down on a stone by the roadside.

"Does this mountain path in the south go all the way to Fengban Mountain?" asked the person who looked like the owner. "Yes. Soon, Hideyoshi should come over." The man raised his pale face and looked towards the mountain road with his hands on the shade.This face is very similar to Nobunaga when he was young.It turned out that this person was rewarded by Hideyoshi to the three kingdoms of Iga, Ise, and Owari. The current lord of Nagashima, Kuwana Prefecture, was Oda Nobuo. "Hideyoshi's Osaka Castle has probably been completed?" "Yes. It is magnificent, surpassing the previous Azuchi Castle. There are rumors that the Osaka Castle Castle Tower seems to have only five floors, but there are eight floors inside." The person who spoke was Tsugawa Yoshifuyu, who was over forty years old.Yifuyu is Nobuo's important minister, and he controls Matsushima Castle in Ise.

"The achievements that my father spent more than 20 years building were easily taken away by Hideyoshi within a year." "My lord's words are very true. I didn't expect Hideyoshi to be a big traitor." "No. Everything in the world depends on strength. In this respect, I am indeed far behind him." "That being said, however, it is widely rumored among the people that Hideyoshi is behind the instigation of Mitsuhide's rebellion, and everything is planned by that villain." Nobuo smacked his lips lightly after hearing this, and turned his face away.This time, he came all the way to Mitsui Temple in order to meet Hideyoshi, who came from Osaka and passed through the capital.Now, before Hideyoshi comes, let's walk around.

In the past, Nobunaga subdued Saito Dozo, known as the "Mino Viper" at Shotokuji Temple in Tomita.But today, Nobunaga's son Nobuo is going to meet with his father's subordinate Hideyoshi at Mitsui Temple, and I don't know whether this negotiation will be successful.Of course, for this meeting, Nobuo also took great pains, even more nerve-wracking than Mikawa's envoy.Today I took the three elders for a walk here, and also met again to make final preparations for the meeting. "There are a few things, I want to confirm what the Lord means." Nobuo looked up at the blue sky, and Okada Shigetaka next to him interjected, "First, what kind of covenant did the Lord make with Tokugawa-sama?"

"Everyone can rest assured about this matter. There is neither affection nor morality between Ieyasu and Hideyoshi. Therefore, Ieyasu will support me vigorously behind the scenes, and we have made an appointment." "If Tokugawa-sama is on our side, the Hojo clan who has a close relationship with him will naturally do the same?" Nobuo looked back at Ding Chongxiao, and his tone seemed to be scolding: "That's needless to say! The important thing is, I don't know if the eyeliner you sent to Osaka misjudged Hideyoshi. This is the most worrying thing." This time it was Asai Tamiyamaru who spoke, "The results of the eyeliner investigation are consistent, please rest assured, my lord."

"If Hideyoshi has no dissent, why did he go in and out of Azuchi Castle by himself, and let me go to Osaka? Obviously, he already regards me as a retainer." Nobuo's voice was too loud, Tsugawa Yoshifuyu looked around vigilantly. "I'm afraid my lord is overly concerned. Hideyoshi's actions are all in accordance with the Kiyosu Conference. Didn't he once swear that everything he does is to let the three priests inherit the Oda clan's family business." "He usually talks nonsense, how can he believe it so easily?" "Indeed, Hideyoshi speaks very casually. Therefore, it is unreasonable for him to let the Lord go to Osaka this time. As soon as he said it, the Lord believed it easily, and rushed to Mitsui to meet him."

"I'm really not convinced. It's also a meeting, why not go to Antu? ​​In Antu, in front of the three mages, it is right to say everything clearly." Dong looked at each other in blank dismay. "Why did Hideyoshi suddenly propose to meet me? I doubt his intentions. He must have some intentions. After the construction of Osaka Castle, he will command the world. The obstacle to his hegemony is me, Nobuo. Nobutaka is dead. The third mage is just a young child who doesn't understand the world." Zhongxiao and Yidong nodded firmly.It seems that since the three old ministers returned from their missions to Hideyoshi's new Osaka Castle, Nobuo has had some doubts about them.This surprised the three of them.Hideyoshi even asked the three veterans to bring a letter to Nobuo, urging him to go to Osaka. "Master Nobuo must not only want to see the face of Mr. Nobutaka, but also want to visit my newly built Osaka Castle, so please go back and persuade Mr. Nobuo to let him come."

At that time, when Nobuo read the letter, he couldn't help being furious: the world that his father had painstakingly managed for more than 20 years was completely usurped by Hideyoshi in less than a year.This is not counted, and now he has to force himself to surrender to him.Nobuo was so angry that his eyes were dazzled, he immediately sent three veterans to Hideyoshi to condemn Hideyoshi for his rudeness.Hideyoshi finally admitted his mistake, and gave the three veterans enough face, and agreed to meet Nobuo at Mitsui Temple. It can be said that Nobuo has achieved his goal and won a round.However, since the three veteran ministers stayed in Osaka, rumors spread: "After the three important ministers of Nobuo arrived in Osaka, they couldn't help being shaken when they saw Hideyoshi's strong deeds, and finally changed their hearts."

The three veteran ministers heard these rumors only after returning to Long Island.Not only did everyone look at them with cold eyes, but even when they reported in front of Nobuo, Nobuo spoke coldly to them: "I heard that Hideyoshi treated you warmly." When the three reported to Nobuo their decision to go to Mitsui Temple to discuss future matters, Nobuo said again: "Why should I go to Omi to seek death?" At the beginning, Nobuo couldn't listen no matter what, so the three of them had to persuade them earnestly: "Confronting Hideyoshi now is tantamount to flying moths into the flames and taking the initiative to get into the trap that the other party has set up long ago. No matter what, follow the rules first." As Hideyoshi said, it is the best policy to go to Mijing Temple to meet once, to show that you have no dissent, and then implement our strategy."

The strategy mentioned here refers to trying to encourage Hideyoshi to guard against Tokugawa Ieyasu, who has allied with the Hojo clan, while his own side openly approached Ieyasu. Under the repeated persuasion of the three, Nobuo finally agreed to meet Hideyoshi at Mitsui Temple.However, when he got to the mountains, he wavered again. Obviously, the reason was the rumors about the betrayal of the three of them. Yidong winked at Zhongxiao, then turned to the furious Nobuo, and said in a solemn tone: "I'll just tell my lord cruelly." "whats the matter?" "I think the lord's doubts about the three of us seem to have not dispelled, so we might as well disclose our plan to the lord." Nobuo was shocked and stood up. "Okay, tell me, I'm all ears. You don't want me to hand over the head to Hideyoshi here, do you?" Yidong ignored Nobuo's excitement, and said calmly, "The three of us have discussed it. Since even the lord suspects that we have betrayed, today we will use Mijing Temple as a place of burial to prove our innocence." "You...why exactly?" "Of course it's for the safety of my lord." "I don't understand. The more you talk about it, the more confused I become." "My lord, we have secretly made up our minds, and when Hideyoshi arrives at Mijing Temple, we will kill him..." "what?" "We didn't intend to tell the lord, and we directly killed Hideyoshi with our own hands. But we were worried that if something happened, it would affect the lord, so we told you." Nobuo was very surprised when he heard this, and stretched his neck forward.Okada Shigetaka stepped back. "The three of us hated Hideyoshi to the bone. That villain, on the surface, gave the three of us face and fully accepted the conditions, but secretly pushed us into a trap cruelly. It was not someone else who released rumors to frame us for surrender. It's Hideyoshi himself. If we don't take this humiliation, our morality will be tarnished." Listening to this, Nobuo also stared angrily and clenched his fists. "When Hideyoshi arrived at Mitsui Temple and met with the lord, we proposed to pay homage to him, saying that we had something to report to him quietly. That villain knew that we were in a difficult situation, and would definitely agree with a smile. Of course, Hideyoshi's side will definitely There are people protecting him. If there is an important matter to be reported secretly, there may not be many people around him... The three of us launched a surprise attack on him at the same time. Even if two of them were killed on the spot, one of them would behead the culprit We have carefully discussed the details." At some point, the melancholy and anger in Nobuo's eyes disappeared without a trace, replaced by an inexplicable excitement.I'm afraid even he didn't think that was impossible.Nobuo exhaled, looked up at the sky through the gaps in the trees, and stared at the layer upon layer of temples at Miiji Temple. In fact, Nobuo did not want to believe that the three veterans had an affair with Hideyoshi.The three veterans also believed that Hideyoshi had spread the rumors alone. It was this resentment and hatred towards Hideyoshi that made them determined to kill Hideyoshi, which is not surprising. After thinking for a moment, Nobuo let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "You really decided?" "My lord!" Tian Kanmaru stared and shouted, "Since this is the case, I would like to ask my lord one more thing. I hope that my lord will try not to make Hideyoshi feel suspicious when he meets Hideyoshi." Nobuo nodded firmly. "Of course I know that." "We have one more request. In case the three of us are killed by the enemy... Of course, I hope that such a thing will not happen. However, it is also very possible that when Hideyoshi was stabbed, the three of us were also killed. In short, I hope Your lord, get ready." "Oh... of course." This time, Nobuo widened his eyes, and he also considered this.If all three were killed and Hideyoshi's head was beheaded, where would the situation in the world go?I'm afraid it was as chaotic as when Guangxiu was punished, or even worse. "I'm sorry for the three of you." Nobuo sincerely bowed his head to the three of them. After a while, he hurriedly shook his head again, "I never doubt the loyalty of the three of you. It's just that after listening to the words just now, I realized that the You have been wronged. I first apologize to you.” "Can you really understand our feelings?" "Why don't you understand? My thoughts are actually similar to yours. Since I came all the way to Omi, I want to kill Hideyoshi, a villain no matter what... But don't forget, Hideyoshi is famous for being scheming." "Since the lord can understand our difficulties, we can feel at ease." The three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Then, please consider it carefully. In case of the accident that Asai just mentioned... please be prepared." "Oh, I'm ready." Nobuo puffed up his chest, "If the three of you are killed by Hideyoshi's bodyguards, I will immediately withdraw from Omi, rush back to Nagashima, discuss with Master Tokugawa, and immediately mobilize my troops to eliminate the traitors." If the three of you are killed at the same time, but Hideyoshi's head is beheaded, then I will go directly to Azuchi City, support the three mages, and announce to the world the news of the murder of the treacherous Hideyoshi. Everyone used to be my father's servants. It’s just that Hideyoshi is fascinated for a while, and everyone will wake up from the nightmare and go to Azuchi to support the three masters. We have Tokugawa and Hojo as the backing, and Uesugi and Mori have no chance.” After hearing Nobuo's words, the three of them looked at each other and lowered their heads weakly.I'm afraid the question they want to ask has nothing to do with Nobuo's answer.Nobuo seemed to understand it, so he emphasized his tone: "You will all become the mainstay of revitalizing the Oda family business in the future. I will give each of your sons a vassal state and make them famous. Even if you fail to kill Hideyoshi, Instead, I ran away, as long as I, Nobuo, have a life, I will give each of you a city, and I will never neglect you. Do you understand?" "Understood." Only Tsukawa Yoshitou murmured in response, while the other two remained silent. Hearing Yoshifuyu's answer, Nobuo seemed relieved.The three of them became depressed for some reason. "Is this the only thing you have agreed upon?" "yes." "Let's go back to the temple before it's dark. When we get back to the temple, we must be careful, lest the other party get suspicious." "Yes." Yidong was the first to stand up, and saluted Nobuo respectfully.Nobuo walked forward, the three of them looked at each other again, their shoulders drooped weakly, with extremely disappointed expressions on their faces.The entourage gathered sparsely from the front and back, and the group began to descend the mountain, heading straight for Mijing Temple. Asai Tiankanmaru and Okada Shigetaka deliberately slowed down and walked behind side by side. "It's troublesome." Shigeko said in a low voice, "It seems that they are indeed of a different size." Tamiya Maru didn't answer, just nodded quietly, and turned his gaze to the mountains in the distance. What they mean by "different scales" is to compare Nobuo with Hideyoshi, and to compare Nobuo with Nobunaga.Nobunaga is holding high the banner of "Peace the World", and with the slogan of "Emperor Qin", he will fight unremittingly with all the forces that hinder the unification of the world.Therefore, Guangxiu, who rebelled due to personal grievances, was unpopular from the very beginning, and fell before he radiated a glimmer of brilliance. Hideyoshi was well aware of the reason, so he raised the two banners of "revenge for the lord" and "realize the last wish of You Fu", and there were a lot of people responding for a while.Now, his power is in full swing, and he is advancing his plan in an orderly manner. Compared with the two of them, how ambitious and courageous is Nobuo?After the three assassinate Hideyoshi, who will Nobuo conspire with, and what kind of ambitions will he have?The three wanted to hear this from Nobuo, but Nobuo's reply only showed humble personal feelings: "I will make your descendants all become famous names with high positions..." Soon after the group arrived at Mitsui Temple, Hideyoshi also crossed Aisaka Mountain and entered Omi.Surrounded by the guards, he arrived at Mijing Temple in a sedan chair.In fact, the total number of people brought this time was only more than 300.In the unlikely event of a major conflict, Nobuo's side might have a greater advantage.Because Nobuo brought more than 600 guards, but many of them were mixed with ordinary people.Seeing Hideyoshi entering the temple, Nobuo looked back at the guards confidently. Hideyoshi left the guest rooms on both sides of the main hall to Nobuo, and went into the back wing by himself. "I didn't expect Hideyoshi to be very courteous to the lord." Someone said something, Okada Shigetaka pretended not to hear, and turned his face away. At si o'clock on the second day, Nobuo and Hideyoshi held a formal meeting in the main hall. A golden screen was erected on the front of the main hall, and each side sent eight important officials to attend.Hideyoshi came out first and greeted Nobuo at the edge of the corridor. "Oh, Lieutenant General, long time no see, how have you been?" Hideyoshi gave a deep salute first, then narrowed his eyes, and laughed haha. The meeting ended without much effort.Hideyoshi barely let Nobuo speak, just talking on his own.Nobuo kept silent from the beginning in order to prevent Hideyoshi from realizing the murderous intent. Hideyoshi first grinned at Nobuo with a big grin, and then chattered like a reprimand. "Hideyoshi was very surprised when I heard that the lieutenant general suspected that Hideyoshi had a different heart. Since the lieutenant general was young, Hideyoshi has been following the late Lord Youfu. Teaching, and the lieutenant general, can be said to be different bodies with the same heart. How could I have a different heart? Hideyoshi's wish in this life is to fulfill the last wish of Lord Youfu and realize the great cause of reunification. However, some people are very jealous and spread rumors behind their backs. Nothing in the world It can be hidden from my eyes. It can be said that only Hideyoshi is the Oda clan's Tadyoshi. I think the lieutenant general is aware of this. Therefore, if the lieutenant general becomes suspicious, Hideyoshi feels really wronged. These things, We laughed it off today..." What he said made Nobuo's face turn pale and blue for a while.Nobuo was most worried about Hideyoshi's words: "Nothing in the world can be hidden from my eyes." Perhaps, Hideyoshi said it to him on purpose? Did he know about the secret conversation in the mountains yesterday? "Since Chikuzen-sama said so, I don't think there will be any more rumors in the future. Of course, I, Nobuo, never have any doubts about Chikuzen-sama, I can swear." "Okay, have fun!" Hideyoshi slapped his thighs happily after hearing this, "Actually, when the lieutenant general sent three senior ministers to Osaka, I made an agreement with the three of them, and we must not cause the lieutenant general to misunderstand. Today I still have to repeat after meeting the Lieutenant General. In fact, Hideyoshi has a lot of things in his heart that he wants to say to the Lieutenant General. The Lieutenant General always lives in Long Island City, so it may be inconvenient. To my lord. Or, I can also bring you to Osaka to visit Hideyoshi’s newly built city... By the way, Hideyoshi shouldn’t tell the lieutenant general specifically—the lieutenant general has three retainers of outstanding stature, Hideyoshi You should have a good talk with them first, and then let them report to you." Hearing Hideyoshi's words, Nobuo felt relieved, but also felt like a sharp knife had been pierced into his heart.The elders of the three families have already made up their minds to assassinate Hideyoshi even if they die, but Hideyoshi seems to be completely unaware, and keeps getting close to the old ways of the three families.Is this good or bad?Perhaps it was Hideyoshi's bad luck, or someone had already reported it to Hideyoshi... Nobuo's neck could not help but feel chills. "Please Lieutenant General, please trust Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi will never disagree." Hideyoshi tried his best to express his loyalty to Nobuo. When Nobuo got up to leave, Hideyoshi personally sent him out of the corridor, bowed several times behind him, and said loudly: "How similar, Hideyoshi seems to have seen the Lord Youfu again when he was young. With a raise of his hand, a Throwing your feet, you really look like the Lord Youfu back then." The elders of the three families couldn't help but look sideways when they heard this. Not long after Nobuo retired from the main hall, Hideyoshi's retainer Ishida Sakichi came to call the three elders. "My lord is busy with business affairs due to the affairs of Osaka City, so I want to return early in the morning. Also, my lord would like to invite the three elders to have a talk, hoping to show respect." After the envoy returned, Nobuo looked at Yoshifuto, Shigetaka and Tamiya Maru with a tense pale face. "It's strange, he came here to invite you specially, what's going on..." Asai Tamiyamaru said nervously: "This is God's will, it's wonderful! Once he becomes suspicious, it will be bad, so I think it's best for us to go now. Shigeko, Yoshifuyu, you have no objections, right?" ?” "Then act according to Asai's wishes." "Okay, hurry up and listen to what that guy has to say." Since the three of them had no intention of surviving at all, they were all a little lonely at this time.Yidong said: "Wait a minute... If there is any emergency, try to evacuate immediately..." "Understood, I have already prepared." The arrow was on the string and had to be fired. The three of them straightened their clothes and went straight to Hideyoshi.On the way, no one spoke.In order to repay Nobunaga's kindness, the three veterans had to take the risk to assassinate Hideyoshi.Everyone thought about it, and there was always an unspeakable uneasiness.This is probably because of seeing the gap between Nobuo and Nobunaga. "Chikuzen said he was going back tomorrow." "Oh. If he could go back, we'd be dead by then." "However, this winter is very warm." Going around to the back of the main hall, the three of them exchanged winks and walked straight into Hideyoshi's lower quarters. Hideyoshi had been getting impatient for a long time.A vegetarian meal was prepared, and three Western-style wine jugs were placed side by side on the table.Standing on the left and right are twelve bodyguards, and four other young monks from the monastery. "Oh, you are here." Hideyoshi still had the kind of smile that would melt even the ice, and when he saw them, he said, "Quick, please come closer. Under the careful training of the three of you, Nobuo finally It looks like an adult, but you have to make persistent efforts, so don’t take it lightly.” Tsugawa Yoshinto was taken aback, and quickly asked: "Don't take it lightly...can you elaborate more, sir?" "You can tell by looking at his eyes, blinking, half awake and half confused. Of course, you have all done your best, and you can't blame you." The three of them couldn't help but look at each other after hearing this.Hideyoshi's tone of voice seemed to regard them as his own family who had betrayed Nobuo and surrendered to him. "Why are you looking at each other? Haha... Did Nobuo make things difficult for you again, or let the three of you come to assassinate me?" Hideyoshi's unscrupulous laughter shook the old beams slightly, and the elders of the three families were so frightened that they couldn't even lift their heads, and their souls were scattered.There's no way things will ever get leaked.It is Hideyoshi's usual trick to use speculation to frighten others.The three of them knew this well, so they didn't answer immediately. "Excuse me for your bold question, what your lord said just now..." Adjusted his mind, Asaida Kanmaru said, "We really don't know, please..." "Since you don't know, don't ask any more." Hideyoshi gently interrupted Asai's words, "I know that the three of you will work together with me to help me supervise Nobuo, so I am very relieved. But, in this world , there is nothing more troublesome than someone who cannot know people." "Excuse me for asking..." It was Tsugawa Yoshifuyu who spoke this time, and it seemed that he no longer wanted to keep silent about Hideyoshi's words. "Work together with me and help me supervise Nobuo" Yunyun, if it reaches Nobuo's ears, it will definitely ruin their reputation, and the way of the samurai will disappear. "We spy on the lord? I am deeply surprised by Chikuzen-sama's words." "Oh?" Hideyoshi leaned forward in feigned surprise, "So, you mean, you and Hideyoshi have different ideas?" "Forgive me, we are the retainers of the Lieutenant General." "Don't be stupid, Yidong. That's why I said that you think the same as me. Don't you? The late Youfu entrusted Nobuo to you, and he must have wanted you to help him well, so as not to delay him. Although Hideyoshi did not serve Nobuo himself, he also adopted a son from Youfu as an adopted son, so it can be said that he is in the same family as Oda. In order to prevent Nobuo from having any accidents, I also worried about it, but my good intentions were not good Nobuo doesn’t understand my feelings for him, maybe even send the three of you to assassinate me. So, we should sit down and have a good talk, and take good care of Nobuo.” Hideyoshi grinned again and smiled bluntly, "If I hadn't had such worries, I wouldn't have come here either. Anyway, if you brought Nobuo here, you have already made a great contribution. Hideyoshi will never Will forget. Come on, cheers!" In this way, the situation of the three became more and more delicate. If people listen to such words, it can only be understood that they have had an affair with Hideyoshi and are trying their best to please him.On this occasion, the three of them couldn't think of a suitable response for a while.As Hideyoshi said, since Nobunaga passed away, the three elders have been assisting Nobuo, and Hideyoshi has also been supporting the Oda clan.The crux of the problem is whether Nobuo is hostile to Hideyoshi.If Nobuo recognizes Hideyoshi's strength and heals the three vassal states in an orderly manner, perhaps he will be able to spend his life in peace. "Don't you guys still not understand?" Hideyoshi asked with a smile while asking for wine to be poured. "Of course we have no objection. It's just..." Asai Tamiyamaru said cautiously again, "We're monitoring the lord, it sounds suspicious." "Well, I won't say that." Hideyoshi nodded lightly, and winked at the little monk, asking him to bring the wine to Tamiya Maru, and looked very happy again, "Speaking of Nobuo's matter, Hideyoshi probably knows better than the three, as the saying goes, "I don't know the true face of Mount Lu, I only live in this mountain." At this time, it was gradually getting dark all around, and the howling north wind swept across the lake, knocking desperately on the windows of the temple, mixed with the sound of monks chanting sutras, which made the three elders even more anxious.The three of them were by no means overwhelmed by Hideyoshi's aura, but Hideyoshi brought his proud personal bodyguard and sincerely toasted them frequently, which really gave them no chance.Although the distance between the two sides is only eight or nine feet at most, before they get up and pounce on Hideyoshi, Fukushima Ichimatsu at the right rear of Hideyoshi and Kato Toranosuke at the left rear will immediately draw their swords, so it is too early to make a move .Yoshifuto, Tamiya Maru, and Shigetaka winked at each other.Hideyoshi is not the kind of person who relaxes after drinking. If he wants to find an opportunity, he can only wait for the guards to become paralyzed. Time passed bit by bit, and the candlelight gradually dimmed in the night.At this time, Hideyoshi changed the topic to the great victory of Chiyake that he was proud of. "Everyone in the world knows the art of war, but they don't know how to strategize. The brave are easy to find, but the wise are hard to find. This is the case with Maeda and his son. In this way, Nobuko is even more pathetic." Speaking of this, Hideyoshi seemed to suddenly remember something. "By the way, there is one thing I almost forgot. It was because Nobutyo didn't see the strength of the important ministers, and deliberately drove them away from his side, which led to a tragic end. I'm afraid the same tragedy will happen to Nobuo." Hearing Hideyoshi mentioned the lord again, the elders of the three families couldn't help becoming nervous. "Yoshifuyu, Tian Kanmaru, and Shigetaka, it seems that you are not convinced, are you? Nobuo does have a side that you don't understand. In my opinion, let's just negotiate with Nobuo today and take you back to Osaka as hostages. Do you agree?" How about next?" "What... what, want us as hostages?" "How, do you dare to take a gamble?" Hideyoshi stretched out his slender neck jokingly, "I did this for the sake of the three of you." "My lord...for our own good?" "Of course. Listen to me. First of all, Nobuo is a suspicious person just like Nobutaka. It's not like he doesn't believe you guys had an affair with me." Hideyoshi suddenly lowered his voice and laughed. "My lord suspects that we have an affair with you, are you going to take us as hostages..." Jin Chuanyi was in a hurry. "People have no long-term worries, but they must have near-term worries!" Hideyoshi still spoke in a low voice, as if afraid of being heard by outsiders, "I mean, if you have such worries, I will take you to Osaka as hostages." Go, this will save your life." "Master Chikuzen, I never expected you to say such a thing!" "What's the matter. Nobuo's safety can only be guaranteed if the three of you are alive. Therefore, I want to help the three of you...don't you understand?" "Excuse me for being so hard to follow." "Oh, you're not worried anymore, Yidong? Chongxiao, how about you?" "Of course I'm the same as Tsugawa... our lord will never be like Chikuzen-sama said." "If that's the case, then it's worthy of congratulations. Tian Guanmaru, how about you, are you the same as the two of them?" "That's needless to say! Our three elders and the lord are of the same mind. I don't know what kind of intentions Chikuzen-sama has to say such words. Tamiyamaru really doesn't know." "Well, I'll tell you." Hideyoshi's eyes were burning, "Nobuo and Ieyasu are going to join forces to deal with me, Hideyoshi. Someone from Ieyasu has already reported to me." "What? There will be such a thing..." Okada Shigetaka couldn't help but be tongue-tied. If Ieyasu really has Hideyoshi's undercover agent, Hideyoshi probably already knows everything.After thinking about it, this is probably Hideyoshi's usual trick, trying to lure them to show their flaws.Zhongxiao hurriedly adjusted his mentality and tried to calm down. "Now you should understand? Nobuo is such a person, so I want to take you as hostages to Osaka. If you are not with Nobuo, Ieyasu will feel that Nobuo is not trustworthy. Naturally, nothing will happen. On the contrary, Ieyasu may There will be unreasonable thoughts. In this way, the world that has finally become peaceful may be involved in a storm... This is one. Second, as I said just now, in case Nobuo suspects you and tries to harm you ...It's come to this point, you still don't understand?" Asai Tamiyamaru felt dizzy for a while.It seems that Hideyoshi has seen everything through, and every sentence he said is the truth, not just talking about it.But until now, he had no choice but to go all out.Even if he couldn't rush in front of Hideyoshi, at least it would be convenient for the other two to move. "Yes, I understand." Tamiya Maru fell on the ground, touching the handle of the knife with his fingers. "Report!" Suddenly, an old man's hoarse voice came from behind. "Oh, it's Heiemon, what's the matter?" Hideyoshi asked loudly.For Tian Guanmaru who is about to rush forward, now is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity.But for some reason, a burst of fear suddenly swept over his body, and he couldn't help but look back. The speaker was Tomita Heiemon, the emissary they were very familiar with.Why is Tomita here?All kinds of doubts and curiosity prevented Tian Guanmaru from standing up. "Everyone, listen carefully to the outside, if what the lord is concerned about." "Listen carefully...Okay, everyone calm down. Ah, I heard it, I heard it, someone neighing outside." Hideyoshi waved to everyone, put his hands behind his ears, and laughed. Sure enough, waves of people shouting and neighing came from not far away, breaking the silence of the night from time to time.The three elders couldn't help but look at each other—everything was predicted by Hideyoshi!Hideyoshi seemed to have no intention of calling Nobuo and others here, but at night, he secretly surrounded the temple.It seems that they have nothing to do. "Sure enough, as I expected." Hideyoshi squinted his eyes, looked at the gradually pale face of Sanjia Lao, stood up gently and walked to the eaves. "Oh, I see, the lantern torches are hurrying east. Look, Heieemon!" "yes." "Did you come here to report this to me?" "Yes, my lord." "Probably Saburo Takigawa is spying on here too. Yoshifuyu and Shigetaka, you guys also come over and have a look." "us……" "Yes. Look, over there, they are retreating in a hurry to the east." "Yes... who is retreating?" Tsugawa Yoshitoshi stood at the front. "Then there is no need to ask, besides your lord, who else can be, of course it is Nobuo!" "What?" Tian Kanmaru and Shigetaka immediately jumped up and ran to the eaves. At this time, there were no guards around Hideyoshi, and it was the best time to assassinate him.However, knowing that Nobuo Oda retreated without permission behind their backs, the elders of the three families were in a state of confusion, and they would not even think of assassinating them. "Ah, it is indeed my lord..." "Why didn't you tell us..." Hearing Yoshifuyu and Tamiyamaru whispering, Hideyoshi laughed out loud. "What, now you should understand my words? Nobuo was worried that you would cut off his head while he was sleeping, so he fled out of the monastery in a hurry." "How could this be?" "He has no other choice, God is sorry. Who made him suspicious? He already believed that you have surrendered to me, Hideyoshi." Nobuo's three elders returned to their seats without saying a word.They never expected that at such a critical moment, Nobuo would abandon them and flee from Mijing Temple in panic.All three were at a loss, as if in a dream. Hideyoshi also returned to his seat, laughing loudly. "Heiemon." "exist." "I'm really clairvoyant. What time is it?" "It's about four o'clock in Xu time." "Even the timing of my calculations is not bad at all." "My lord has a wonderful plan." "Okay, okay. Those who are timid and fearful, let them go. However, there is still one problem that needs to be solved urgently." "Oh?" "Of course. Yoshifuyu, Shigetaka, Tamiya Maru." None of the three said anything, they all looked at Hideyoshi in unison. "Do you know that not only Nobuo is suspicious by nature, but also the sycophant who knows this weakness and tries to take advantage of it?" Hideyoshi gets so carried away for a moment that he forgets that he is the one who takes full advantage of the other party's suspicion. "As for this person... I don't need to tell you. This person is deliberately designed to make the three of you lose Nobuo's trust and try to control Nobuo's traitor alone. It is this kind of villain who wants to create rumors behind your back, saying that you All three of them have surrendered to me. That's why I want to tell you that once you return to Long Island, you will fall into a dragon's pool and a tiger's den. Now, you should understand, right?" The three of them looked at each other in blank dismay again, unable to say a word, they had never experienced such indescribable annoyance.Rather than sighing at Hideyoshi's prophecy, they felt helpless, as if they had fallen into the clutches of the devil, and they had no power to resist, and could only let the devil manipulate them as they wished. "Well, I knew from the beginning that Nobuo would do this. Come on, keep drinking. Let's discuss the future while drinking. From the beginning, I only regarded the three of you as my real opponents. Is it the confidant of the late Lord Youfu?" The monks brought wine again.At this time, the three of them had lost their minds, and they drank from their glasses in a daze. "Come on, I did it in one breath, and I did it too." Hideyoshi pursed his lips happily, smiled, and called the messenger, "Heiemon. You have worked hard, but I still have to trouble you to go to the temple again."巡视一圈。虽已无大碍，可是，万一寺院里面还潜藏着刺客，出来刺杀三位大人的话，那可不得了。”仅仅在一瞬间，形势就发生了逆转。原本前来刺杀秀吉的三个人，如今竟然成了在秀吉庇护下逃难的人……