Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The Salt of the Earth

In May of the tenth year of Tianzheng, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was in a good mood, ushered in Okazaki Castle, and the whole city was full of festive atmosphere. When the castle abandoned by the Imagawa clan was taken over by Ieyasu, the Matsudaira clan was in a trough when the three cities of Lian Mihe could not be controlled.Today, however, Ieyasu has completely mastered the Three Kingdoms of Mikawa, Enjiang, and Suruga, and has become a hero surpassing the old master Imagawa Yoshimoto. Needless to say, Ieyasu's emotions, even the important ministers and generals who followed to Antu were all beaming and filled with emotion. Looking at this, touching that, and thinking about the past, tears filled their eyes.This time following Ieyasu, in addition to Sakai Zaemon Wei Tadaji, Ishikawa Hoki Shoushusho, Torii Hikoemon Mototada, Honda Hei Hachiro Tadakatsu, Kamihara Kodaira Tai Yasumasa, as well as Amano Yasuke, Takari Kiyoshi, and others. Okubo Tadasa, Okubo Tadarin, Ishikawa Yasunori, Abe Zenkuro, Honda Hyakusuke, Einuma Sakazo, Watanabe Hanzo, Makino Yasunari, Hattori Hanzo, and others, and the remaining 28 people also belonged to territories. people.

Besides Torii Matsumaru, Imachiyo and other fourteen personal guards, there is also the famous general Nagasaka Blood Spear Kuro Nagasaka who spent seven days and seven nights to persuade Anayama Rendou Meiyuki, a famous family member of the Takeda clan, to surrender to Ieyasu. Therefore, the inside and outside of Okazaki Castle are full of people.Even so, Luka at each sentry post was well organized as usual to prevent accidents. As soon as Ieyasu arrived in Okazaki on the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, he went to visit Dashu Temple, and then went to Sandaocheng to visit his biological mother, Mrs. Yu.

Fifty-five-year-old Yu Dayi saw Ieyasu coming, and immediately stood up from his seat, congratulating his son nonstop. "My son has finally become the guardian of the Three Kingdoms, congratulations!" As she said, her mother's eyes were already red. This time Ieyasu has Suruga, the one who feels the deepest emotion is probably this mother!When Okazaki was the poorest and weakest, his mother married here and gave birth to Ieyasu.When Ieyasu was six years old, Matsudaira was forced to send him away from Okazaki to Shunfu out of fear of Imagawa.The sadness at that time may never disappear from the mother's heart.

Ieyasu knew his mother's mood well, so he sat down on the porch, took the guards Miura Yuki, Torii Matsumaru, and Imachiyo aside, and said, "Go outside and let the air cool down. call you." "Mother, are you okay?" There were only the two of them left, and Ieyasu stared at his mother, whose gray hair was gradually growing, and felt very nostalgic in his heart. "It's so strange. When I see you, I can't help but think of your grandmother." Ieyasu nodded silently.The grandmother is the mother's biological mother and the grandfather's wife.Grandma followed Ieyasu, who was sent to the Imagawa family as a hostage, and traveled all the way to Junfu, where she became his only relative.

"Yes, it's all thanks to the grandmother's grace that the child is today... So, Ieyasu probably still retains his grandmother's imprint somewhere on his body." When Ieyasu said this, Yu Da couldn't help laughing. "Compared to your appearance, your character has indeed inherited the characteristics of your grandmother." "It should be. I heard that my grandmother was the number one beauty in Kaido back then. Even though she was over half a hundred years old when she died, she was still a beautiful and elegant nun. I was only fourteen years old at that time..."

Ieyasu unconsciously recalled the past.Mother took a step forward quietly, and gently fanned Ieyasu with the round fan.Ieyasu didn't deliberately stop it. "Your grandmother said that your grandfather and maternal grandfather are the most similar." "Yes, they are all dead now. In terms of character, I am still the most like you." "What nonsense are you talking about?" "No, this is indeed a rare blessing for my child. I heard that from the time I was conceived to giving birth to me, my mother insisted on purifying herself and praying every day, hoping to give birth to a son who can calm the troubled times."

"Who told you these things?" "Grandmother..." Ieyasu looked at his mother jokingly, and smiled slightly, "Probably because of this. In this battle, I killed the remnants of Takeda and Lord Youfu." "grown ups!" "Mom, what's the matter with you, you don't even want to keep your hands idle when you talk. I feel uncomfortable when you fan like this." "Okay, okay. If you keep fanning for a while, I will stop." Yu Da nodded affectionately, and then said: "You must not compete with Lord Youfu!" "Hehe. Does mother see that we will fight?"

Yu Da didn't answer directly. "Master Youfu will definitely order you to send troops to China." "perhaps……" "Since you understand this, why don't you take the initiative to tell Lord Youfu that you are willing to send troops to China... I have been thinking about this matter." "Yes, why don't I take the initiative myself..." Ieyasu said solemnly. O mother who sees the world clearly!Ieyasu's blood boiled all of a sudden.In fact, even if his mother didn't say anything, he also had this intention, but he never thought that the person who gave him such a suggestion was not his retainer, but his mother. Could it be that there is no such person among the retainers?The power of maternal love is enormous.

"What mother said is that there is nothing wrong with doing this." Ieyasu nodded vigorously like a child again, and looked at his mother. Yu Da suddenly stopped the fan in his hand, with a more obvious sadness in his eyes. "This trip to Antu, for some reason, always disturbs my heart." She lowered her voice and changed her tone of confiding, "Don't blame the old lady for being talkative. Master Oda Youfu seems to be no longer the right you used to be." Your Excellency." "really……" "Some time ago, Lord Youfu came to live in Okazaki. At that time, I was secretly expecting that Lord Youfu could visit the daughters of Tengyunyuan (Xinkang)."

"they?" "Yes. The two daughters are the only two granddaughters of Lord Youfu. If the former Lord Youfu would have called them in front of him and said something like 'what a poor child'. But, no , He left Okazaki without even looking at the child." Ieyasu nodded silently a few times. "Master Youfu is probably busy with business, forget about it." "No!" Yu Da interrupted Jiakang, "Master Youfu is not a forgetful person. He clearly remembers it in his heart, but he just doesn't want to see it." "That's right, I didn't even notice."

"In the eyes of the old woman, the Lord Youfu who speaks as straightforwardly as beans poured from a bamboo tube, for some reason, has become such a person... Whether it is for the sake of the world, even disregarding family affection." Jiakang was stunned again, and looked again I gave my mother a moment.The feeling of uneasiness towards Nobunaga was actually explained from his mother's words. "Mother, that's why you told me not to argue with Lord Youfu?" "Yes, ah, no..." Yu Daban shook his head and nodded, looking fixedly into his son's eyes. Yu Da looks at things, never confines himself to a certain aspect, and always looks at things from the outside to the inside, which is very similar to Ieyasu. "I also know that you are not the kind of person who argues with others without thinking. However, once the Lord Youfu has spoken, even if he knows that he is wrong, he will never turn back. He has become such a person. So, you must always remember, just like playing chess, you must play chess to grab the upper hand and be careful with your moves." "Thank you, mother!" Ieyasu couldn't help but tightly grasped Yu Da's hand and pressed it to his forehead, "I have already made up my mind. No, it's because of my mother's kind words." "do you understand?" "Understood, what mother said is very true." This is Ieyasu's sincere words, without any concealment, and there is no element of pleasing.What Ieyasu is worried about now is how he should answer if Nobunaga asks how many soldiers he can send.Of course, Ieyasu didn't want to speak first, saying that he wanted to send troops.In fact, he didn't want to send a single soldier.Now is a good time to consolidate the territory left by Takeda and spy on the Tokaido. However, once Nobunaga asks him to send troops, he will not be able to refuse.What my mother said just now pointed out the way for the confused and restless Ieyasu. "My lord." Yu Da slowly waved his fan again, "I heard that the general who attacked China was called Hashiba Chikuzenshou?" "Yes. He is Lord Youfu's right-hand man, Hashiba Hideyoshi who has a salary of 560,000 shi in Banshu Himeji." "My opinion is that you took the initiative to send an envoy to Chikuzen Mamoru... I don't know what you want?" Although it was his mother who spoke, Ieyasu felt awe-inspiring.What his mother said coincided with what he thought!He has no other way to deal with Nobunaga.After arriving in Azuchi, Nobunaga must first comfort Ieyasu. Of course, Ieyasu's subordinates will also be entertained.Then, Nobunaga will definitely seize every opportunity to encourage Ieyasu to send troops.If you really try to deal with it at that time, it will be too late; you should make a request as soon as you see Nobunaga: "Master Youfu, please allow Ieyasu to send troops to China." Hideyoshi to inquire about the situation.In this way, if Hideyoshi's battle was not particularly difficult, he would definitely say that there is no need to send troops.Because once Ieyasu sent troops, Hideyoshi's military exploits would be halved.However, even the subtleties of these military strategies were accurately calculated by my mother! "Mother shouldn't worry about these things." Jiakang deliberately smiled lightly, "After listening to what mother said, the child already has a good idea in his heart." "In any case, don't be careless." "If my mother is a boy, she must be my strong opponent." Ieyasu smiled, and grabbed his mother's wrist again to prevent her from slapping her again.The mother has a vision that even a man can't have, even surpassing many famous generals in the world, but these are all out of family affection-an incredible family affection, a family affection that makes people have to re-taste. "Then, Ieyasu is going to visit his granddaughter who has not been visited by Master Youfu. Mother should also pay attention to her health and be careful of heat stroke." Ieyasu stood up. "Okay, you have to take care of yourself." Yu Da also stood up, reluctantly sending his son to the gate. "Matsumaru, Manchiyo..." Ieyasu stood on the steps and called out to the guards loudly, shouting, and suddenly felt surprised: as soon as he came to his mother, he unknowingly became Takechiyo when he was a child.In Hamamatsu, I was a general who felt depressed all the time. At this time, Yu Da fell on the ground again, and resumed the respectful attitude Mrs. Hisamatsu Sado Mori showed towards the Three Kingdoms.Manchiyo and Matsumaru were enjoying the shade of the pine tree opposite, when they heard the shout, they rushed over and knelt down.Ieyasu saluted his mother again and walked out. Probably because I haven’t seen my mother for a long time. It used to be called Hachimanen, and in the era of my father Hirodada, it was renamed the city of Takechiyo. The smell of soil, the smell of grass, and the whirling The leaves all make Ieyasu feel deeply about his childhood.The handsome face of his father, who died young at the age of twenty-four, is still deep in his memory, and the voice and appearance of his grandmother seem to be still lingering in Furo Valley. "Takechiyo, grandma is here." On the Saburo pine, which is covered with luxuriant branches and leaves, you can still feel the breath when your grandfather planted it with his own hands. On the cherry blossom trees beside the wine valley, it seems that there are still shadows of Aai and Awan who are not around. From this point of view, Sena Hime is also a poor woman, and Saburo Xinyasu, who was born to her, is even more sad. "Saburo..." Ieyasu stood under the rows of cherry blossom trees and closed his eyes. Standing here, Xin Yasu, who used the excuse of visiting the city defense fortifications and pestering Ieyasu to tell about the general's state of mind, appeared in front of his eyes.Round eyes, immature and lively lips, and that thirteen or fourteen-year-old bamboo-like breath... "I'm now... going to see the two daughters you left behind." Behind Imachiyo and Torii Matsumaru, fourteen or fifteen guards followed at some point.They seemed to understand Ieyasu's mood. As soon as Ieyasu stopped, they knelt quietly in the shade of the tree, trying not to make a sound. "...Tell your mother that Ieyasu just took back the old territory of Imagawa Yoshimoto... not long after, he will move to Junfu, which your mother has always dreamed of..." I don't know when, Xinyasu's phantom changed into the appearance of Ieyasu himself when he was a hostage in Junfu.At that time, Ieyasu was bullied as soon as he went out: "That's Sanhe's orphan." At that time, he was very fond of hawks, but he couldn't get any, so he domesticated the mozu and let it catch sparrows.It was that morah that actually caused a lot of trouble.Because of this, Matsumaru's father Torii Hikoemon Mototaka, who is now beside him, ridiculed him and was beaten up by Takechiyo back then. "Matsumaru..." Thinking of this, Ieyasu called out. "exist." "Your father Hikoemon is three years older than me. He was thirteen when I was ten." "yes……" "One day, I remembered that I lost my temper and scolded Yuan Zhong, who was older than me, and was scolded by my grandmother... At that time, Ieyasu, thanks to the care of your grandfather Zhongkichi, managed to get a job in Junfu. Live..." Matsumaru didn't know why Ieyasu said this, and looked at him puzzled. Ieyasu suddenly laughed out loud, and the corners of his eyes were a little moist. "Hahaha...how can I think of this again. Ah, yes, it's because I remembered your grandfather. He is a good man. I was being scolded, but when he came, he praised me desperately, saying that you can't punish your retainers when you are angry I scolded Yuanzhong severely. Your grandfather also sighed and said: "The sky is fine, the sky is fine... Do you know, Matsumaru, since then, whenever I When the retainers get angry, they quietly look around and reflect on themselves...Put insults in praise, your grandfather is really amazing." Saying that, Ieyasu smiled heartily again. "Because he is your grandfather's son, your father Yuan Zhong has become stronger than me." "Hey, what did your lord just say?" "You are not children anymore, so it doesn't hurt to listen. This is what happened when Koshu was attacked." "Oh." "Someone came to report that the daughter of Baba Minomori was hiding in a certain place. She was a beautiful woman. She was so frightened that she screamed and begged for mercy. Dai Puchi laughed, and hurriedly pretended to be coughing. "Manchiyo, do you know about this?" "No, no, not at all." "Haha, since you don't know, then you laughed before I finished speaking? Therefore, I ordered Hikoemon Mototada to protect that woman." "what……" "Because of the busy military affairs, although I remembered this matter at the time, I still forgot it later. Do you understand? I remember it in my heart, but I forgot it. There are often such things in the world. Whenever I have time, I remember it. Someone sent the girl to me, but the girl..." Ieyasu seemed amused, and narrowed his eyes, "hikoemon Mototada said, the girl left with the army and is no longer here. I let Motochu take good care of her She, but he treats her as a good job, and the golden house hides the beauty. Hahaha..." Matsumaru blushed with embarrassment, bowed his head and remained silent. "Haha..." Ieyasu laughed again, "Don't just take it as a romantic thing. If this happened to others, I would be very angry. But at this time, I suddenly remembered what your grandfather said , When you get angry, you have to scold your retainers... What a terrible word. When I scolded, Yuan Zhong just smiled wryly, which is really cunning... Later, I remembered your grandfather's words and suppressed the fire. Thousands of generations!" "exist." "Why don't you smile? Smile, you are allowed to laugh." After that, Ieyasu walked forward again, "I tasted the soil in this city, and it was salty. The lord and retainers, generation after generation, sad Together, we share weal and woe... and taste the salt of the earth carefully, and I have to go to Antu..." Nobunaga's heart is like a circle expanding outward, while Ieyasu's is just the opposite.The further Nobunaga goes outward, the closer Ieyasu moves to the center of the circle.One expands outward while the other seeks inward, never having to worry about two hearts colliding.However, if the expansion is in the same direction, it will inevitably lead to unfortunate conflicts.While Nobunaga was devoting himself to pacifying the world, Ieyasu was savoring the tears that had penetrated into the hometown where he was raised... On that day, Ieyasu visited his two granddaughters. The next day, he ordered people to enshrine the dead souls who had been sleeping in the cemeteries of various temples.Of course, there are countless spirits of misfortune that he himself has to pray for.First Mrs. Tsukiyama, then Shinyasu, and of course father, grandfather, grandmother, Mrs. Honda, Sekiguchi Xingbu, Zhongkichi, Iris... Therefore, when Ieyasu's team set off westward on the twelfth day of May, everyone in Okazaki The temple resounds with the sound of chanting. Ieyasu crossed the avenue that Nobunaga had just walked, entered Owari with Umeyuki, and then headed from Mino to Omi.Compared with the majestic and jaw-droppingly gorgeous team that Nobunaga led the black waiters and musketeers for the guard of honor last time, Ieyasu's team seemed ordinary, bland, and without any publicity. Probably under the order of Nobunaga, wherever Ieyasu went, the local daimyos would personally come out to greet him and treat him wholeheartedly.The other party specially ordered Takano Fujizo, Nagasaka Sujuro, and Yamaguchi Tarobei to be supervisors, and tried their best to repair the road.However, Ieyasu did not dare to be rude, and greeted the people who received him solemnly one by one before passing.In the past Jun, Yuan, and the three guards, Imakawa Yoshimoto called himself the Imperial Palace, and painted his eyebrows and teeth to show his power, while Ieyasu was the complete opposite, with a completely simple and cautious posture. Arrived in Fanchang on the 14th and stayed there for one night.Niwa Goro Zaemon Nagahide set up a special annex to welcome him. Of course, Ieyasu could not have known about the unhappiness among Gorozaemon, Mitsuhide, and Nobunaga surrounding his reception.After Ieyasu decided to stay for one night, he immediately instructed his subordinates: "All retainers are not allowed to be arrogant, and everything must be handled with care." He not only told his close ministers with these words, but also had strict requirements on ordinary soldiers. The local area seems to have made careful arrangements. Although the banquet was held very late, because of Ieyasu's arrival, the sound of silk and bamboo was not heard at night. On the 15th, the team set off at 4:00 a.m. and arrived at Antu Dabaoyuan around 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.Mitsuhide Akechi, who specializes in reception, specially greeted him out the door.When Mitsuhide saw Ieyasu getting out of the car, he couldn't help being shocked.In today's world, Tokugawa Ieyasu is worthy of Nobunaga's shoulders.I didn't expect Ieyasu's clothes to be so simple, in stark contrast to his gorgeous clothes. "The guest has come from a long way and has had a hard journey, but Ren Hinata Mori Mitsuhide welcomes the distinguished guest to arrive safely." Ieyasu stared at Mitsuhide's face and said, "This time I came here to thank Mr. Nobunaga for his gift, and I was overwhelmed by the warm hospitality along the way. Please Hinata Mamoru convey my greetings to Lord Youfu." That looks like a humble country name. Under the leadership of Mitsuhide, Ieyasu came to the hall.He caressed the pillars in amazement, looked up at the roof, admired the murals, Fei sighed endlessly. "Hinata Mamoru, I can't bear such a magnificent building. Although this is your duty, it can be seen that you must have put a lot of effort into it." Ieyasu said, his heart became more vigilant.Behind this extravagant hospitality, he felt more and more pressure. Mitsuhide had a completely different feeling: My painstaking effort was not in vain, the customer really liked it... Since Nobunaga scolded him just now, Mitsuhide naturally compared Ieyasu's character with Nobunaga's, and suddenly, He felt sad. "Hinata Mamoru feels... deeply honored after hearing the praise from the lord." As he spoke, he seemed to meet a confidant, and his eyes were red with joy. Ieyasu couldn't help being startled when he heard this, and turned his gaze to the railing again. "A craftsman who can create such an exquisite project must not be found in my territory. It is indeed the residence of Lord Youfu. Because of his generosity and kindness, it is such a godsend!" "It's true." Mitsuhide finally held back his tears, "Mikawa doesn't set up checkpoints, it's all thanks to your lord. Now, the prosperity of Azuchi has almost caught up with that of Sakai Port." "Yes, these are beyond the reach of others. Ieyasu was so moved that he almost lost himself. It's really beyond the sky. If possible, I would like to try to build such a palace. Please pass on what I just said to You Your Excellency." "It is the honor of Mitsuhide's life to be appreciated by adults." While the two were being polite to each other, Ieyasu's gifts to Nobunaga were carried to the living room and piled up one by one.Kan Jiakang dressed plainly, like a country lord with at most two or three hundred thousand shi.Therefore, Mitsuhide was also very worried that the gifts brought by Ieyasu would look shabby. It was Mitsuhide's job to present the gift, and when presenting the gift list, Nobunaga would definitely comment.If there are too few gifts, Nobunaga will be unhappy. "It's clear that you despise me, Nobunaga, and think I'm easy to dismiss. It's all your fault." If there are too many... How can it be too much?Looking at Ieyasu's plain attire, and looking at the rustic appearance of his subordinates, maybe Ieyasu was born to be a miser. "The tribute gifts have been unloaded. Please check it out." When Sakai Chuji came to report, it was already sunset.Ieyasu nodded lightly: "Hinata Mamoru, these small things are just a little thought from Ieyasu, and I hope you can accept them. Please pay my respects to Lord Youfu." After Ieyasu got up and left, Mitsuhide also followed.Looking through the guest hall, even the well-informed Guangxiu doubted his own eyes—almost all the horses were carrying tributes! After the two were seated, Ishikawa Bokishou began to read the gift list: "Three thousand taels of gold, three hundred pieces of armor..." Mitsuhide couldn't help being so shocked that he couldn't even breathe.