Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Antu Meeting

Just three hundred pieces of armor are already unexpected, and three thousand taels of gold is even more unexpected. Although Ieyasu owns Tone and Mikawa, due to years of wars and the poor livelihood of the people, Suruga has only just acquired it, so his income should not be good, and Nobunaga spent a lot of money when he visited the Tōkaidō a few days ago.Could it be that Ieyasu is also a shrinking turtle who is afraid of Nobunaga?These gifts must have come from frugality.Thinking of this, Guangxiu felt sorry for Ieyasu, and he felt that he should look at the upright fat man in front of him in a different way.

After Ishikawa Boqi finished reading the gift list, Ieyasu bent his round waist again and bowed to Guangxiu: "It's just some thick beards, just to express my heart, please pay my respects to Lord Youfu." "So many presents are really bothering my lord. I will report to Lord Youfu right away. During this period, distinguished guests can take a bath and change clothes, and rest for a while." If it was Mitsuhide in the past, after seeing Ieyasu's gifts, he would definitely think that Ieyasu was afraid of letters. long. Of course, this is not fear, but a decision made after calmly analyzing Nobunaga in the recent period, and it is a heart of vigilance for Nobunaga.

Of course, Guangxiu also has a deep understanding of this.In this sense, Mitsuhide is still more willing to serve a lord like Nobunaga. Just as Mitsuhide was about to leave his seat, Ieyasu seemed to have remembered something and stopped him. "Hinata Mamoru, actually, I have an idea. I want to send troops to the Chinese battlefield as soon as I go back. In order to understand the real situation of the battlefield in advance, I have sent Torii Hikemon to the battle of General Hashiba. Please also Hinata Mamoru relayed the message to the Right Mansion Dairu." "I made a note of it." After Guangxiu finished speaking, a wry smile appeared on his face.Looking at Ieyasu who succumbed to Nobunaga's despotic power, the feeling of meeting a confidant that Mitsuhide had at the beginning is now gone.

As soon as Oda Nobunaga returned to the city, Hideyoshi's envoy arrived.Hideyoshi has surrounded the Takamatsu Castle in Bichu to the brim, and made full use of the terrain to block the water flow of the Ashori River and the Koya River, and then persuaded the lord of the castle, Shimizu Nagaemon Zongji, to surrender.However, at this moment, reinforcements from Mori Terumoto, Yoshikawa Yongchun, and Kobayakawa Takakage arrived and confronted Hideyoshi.Now, Hideyoshi can't attack, can't retreat, and is in a predicament, he can only say: "Please help." Hearing that Mitsuhide asked to see him, Nobunaga asked the messenger to avoid him. "Guangxiu, there's nothing wrong with the guests from the east, right? I'm busy with business these two days, so I may not have time to meet you. You should take care of everything first, so that nothing goes wrong."

"Of order." Mitsuhide bowed respectfully, and at the same time felt that he was a little too humble in front of Nobunaga, and he actually hated himself, "All the gifts presented by Mr. Regards." "Oh." Nobunaga nodded lightly, and glanced at Xi'an who was serving beside him, "Bring me the gift list and read it." Xi'an respectfully took the gift list from Guangxiu, and read it aloud. "What, three hundred pieces of armor, three thousand pieces of gold?" Nobunaga suddenly became gloomy and laughed, "Three hundred pieces of cavalry armor, good! Take a look."

After saying that, he put away his smile and resumed his serious expression, "Mori Ranmaru, you go too. Mitsuhide, lead the way!" "yes." "Xian, you go too. It's best to learn more and see what the armor that the guest gave me looks like." Saying that, Nobunaga stood up and walked out with great strides. The armory was built under the seven-story tower.As night fell, Mori Ranmaru, who was following Nobunaga, asked the guards to hold the lights, and ran down the stairs quickly by himself. When Nobunaga came to the mountains of tributes, Mitsuhide picked up a piece of armor and showed it to him.The entourage held up the lamp and saw the leather lacquer shimmering under the lamp, giving it a heavy feeling.

"Senranmaru, pick it up and have a look." "Yes." Mori Ranmaru picked up one and shook it left and right in front of Nobunaga's eyes. The dry paint and leather rubbed against each other, making a crisp echo in the stone cellar. "how?" "Excellent." "Mitsuhide, do you understand Ieyasu's intentions?" "My lord means..." "Carving dragons and phoenixes on the pillars, throwing a lot of money at tea parties, these are all ironic to me. However, when you look at Ieyasu's gift, the implication is that the defense on the east side should not be underestimated. What else did he say?"

"Hmm..." Guangxiu lowered his head and thought for a while, "My lord asked this, I remembered. Ieyasu said that after this trip, he wanted to send troops to China immediately, so he had already sent important officials to Yuchai's formation." Explore the situation." "What?" Nobunaga stared at Mitsuhide's forehead with bright eyes, "Baldy!" "Ah, yes." "Why didn't you say it sooner! Is your sleek bald head just good-looking? You bastard!" "Oh." "This Jia Kang is really not to be underestimated. Before I said it, he said it first. No wonder...he has already gone to the monkey. This time the battle monkey is the general. Even if he is inferior to others, he will not refuse. This Jia Kang is really hateful! "Nobunaga suddenly pointed at Mitsuhide's smooth forehead and poked it hard.Mitsuhide staggered, and fell on the armor that Mori Ranmaru had put down just now, and fell on his back.When he went down the stairs a few days ago, he just fell down, and his left leg is still not working.

"Bastard!" Nobunaga scolded, "Look at your bear... well, you don't look like a sumo wrestler at all. If Ieyasu saw it, it would be a joke!" "I'm laughing, I'm laughing." Guangxiu hurriedly got up, bowing his knees, and he felt very disgusted again. "I don't think you're old enough to poke the ground with a single finger. What's in your stomach? Even the guards are laughing at you, you bastard!" Nobunaga stomped the floor loudly, "You being ridiculed by Ieyasu is the same as being ridiculed by me." Mitsuhide was dejected and said nothing.This seemed to arouse Nobunaga's anger even more. "Maybe it was a mistake to let you go to the reception. It has not been flexible until now... If you still want your old face, you should make a good total. Listen, take out one piece of gold from the three thousand taels of gold." Qianliang, return it back."

"This...return..." "Why, still don't understand? I'm so stupid, this is a return gift to Ieyasu." Nobunaga said, angrily walked towards the exit, after a while, he turned his head and looked at Mitsuhide with disdain, "When you return the gift, you know How do you say it?" "I dare to ask again, is one thousand taels too much?" "Hey, what's the matter with you?" Nobunaga stomped his feet again angrily, "Why don't you understand, I let you do this on purpose to save face. I accepted them all. It’s just that Tokugawa will go to Beijing in the future, and he will have to spend a lot of money, so I only charge two thousand taels of gold, and the remaining one thousand taels will be used as transportation expenses for him. Do you understand? Ieyasu and you are both My retainer, you will never be allowed to look down on him!"

Mitsuhide fell on the ground, listening to the sound of Nobunaga's footsteps gradually going away.The specially shipped gold had to be returned as a gift of a thousand taels... Nobunaga must have felt that the amount of three thousand taels of gold was too much. Instead, it was a satire on him, thinking that he had never seen big money, and in order to show his authority, he returned one thousand taels.Guangxiu, who has an annual income of 540,000 shi and is over fifty years old, is not an ignorant child, but he can only bring the gold he has received back to Dabaoyuan. "It's Master Youfu's order, so..." If you tell Jiakang like this, you will be in a very embarrassing situation. Not only will you lose face, but you will also be embarrassed.Nobunaga also borrowed flowers to offer Buddha, and asked Guangxiu to return a thousand taels, just to earn a reputation as a confidant.But it also depends on who the other party is, Guangxiu is not a born stupid person.The chief trustee has clearly given the order, so it can be seen that things are not that simple... The guard handed the lamp to Kuding, Guangxiu seemed a little relieved and sat down.Not long after, he raised his face again. "Transport the one thousand taels of gold back to Dabaoyuan..." If Jiakang refuses to accept it, then he may have to cut seppuku.It's really like accompanying a king like a tiger! Guangxiu lightly brushed the dust off his body, suddenly, his vision blurred.He felt that behind Ieyasu's peaceful words, there was an unshakable resilience hidden. "If you don't accept it..." Guangxiu quietly turned his face away and wiped away his tears. When Guangxiu hurried back to Dabaoyuan, the guest hall had already prepared meals and was waiting for him to come back.While carefully counting the meals and candles, he was thinking about how to tell Ieyasu.If you are guilty and timid at the beginning, once the other party refuses to accept it, it will be troublesome.If you want to avoid punishment, you must tighten a string in your heart.For example, it is not in accordance with the etiquette to forward it during a meal.Thinking of this, Mitsuhide made his heart skip a beat, walked through the aisle, and went straight to the newly built Ieyasu's apartment. Ieyasu still greeted him with a smile.Before he could open his mouth, Guangxiu said first: "I'll convey the words from Lord Youfu to Lord Tokugawa." "Oh, luckily I haven't changed my clothes yet. Ieyasu is here to listen to Master Youfu's teachings." "Your Excellency's sincerely sent armor just came in handy. I accept all of it. As for the gold..." At this point, Guangxiu hurriedly wiped his sweat, and secretly glanced at the attendants standing on both sides of Ieyasu and ministers. "The matter of gold... how did Master Youfu say?" "Your Excellency said that two thousand taels of the three thousand taels will be accepted as His Excellency Tokugawa's will, and the remaining one thousand taels will be used for future travel expenses and will be returned face to face." "Oh?" Ieyasu seemed surprised, and leaned forward, "Ieyasu begged Hinata Mamoru to report to Lord Youfu again, saying that Ieyasu had other plans for the travel expenses, so please don't worry about it." "But this is the intention of the lord..." This time, Ieyasu secretly suppressed Mitsuhide. "Master Youfu's intention, I also understand, is to understand that Jiakang has just spent a lot of money, and he is afraid that Jiakang will not have enough money. But please rest assured, my lord. I live frugally and live frugally just in case of unexpected needs. Lord Youfu I am now fighting in China. This is a major battle that concerns the unification of the world. It is the cornerstone of peace that the people long for. At this critical moment, Ieyasu can do his best. It is a great honor. If you are considerate of Ieyasu, it will be contrary to Ieyasu’s original intention. , and please Hinata Mamoru forward it to Lord Youfu again." "This..." A few words left Guangxiu speechless, and she couldn't help but sigh deeply.The soft knife he was most worried about finally came out.However, Ieyasu's reasons are impeccable.Since Ieyasu said it so clearly, he really couldn't refuse.But after returning in vain and reporting to Nobunaga, Mitsuhide didn't even dare to think about it. "I have something to ask Mr. Tokugawa..." Guangxiu's face turned blue, his hands trembled, and he kept wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Hinata Mamoru has something to do..." "Yes. This is a life-and-death request for Yu Guangxiu... Please, my lord, please condescend to listen." After saying that, Guangxiu couldn't help but fell on the ground, staring at the tatami, motionless.Seeing that this move was unusual, Ieyasu was puzzled.The attendants and ministers present also looked at each other in blank dismay. "Tell me, Hinata Mori. If Ieyasu can help, I am willing to help." "Actually..." Mitsuhide was still staring at the tatami, "Master Tokugawa must also know that Master Youfu has always had a stubborn temper." "Oh." "Once a word is spoken, it is hard to follow...Your Excellency didn't need to tell Guangxiu just now. Since the gold has arrived in the city, let's accept it. Guangxiu has also persuaded the Lord." "Oh." "As a result, the lord's stubborn temper was aroused. The more you consider Your Excellency's wishes, the more you can't accept it, and you are strictly ordered to return Qianliang immediately to use as military resources for your lord." "Oh?" Ieyasu shifted his gaze to Honda Heihachiro and Sakai Chuji next to him, "Since the order is strict, Ieyasu has to consider Hinata Mori's situation." Of course, neither of them answered Ieyasu.Ieyasu suddenly closed his eyes: "Hinata Mamoru." "yes." "I understand. Although this was not my original intention, there is no other way. Ieyasu had no choice but to take back the returned thousand taels." "My lord agrees?" "It's hard to be generous. Everyone agrees?" Suddenly, Guangxiu lowered his head, his body trembled uncontrollably.Everyone could see that this was a forced but unrestrained cry. After a while, Mitsuhide apologized to everyone for the delay in dinner, and then led Ieyasu and his important officials to the guest hall.People above daimyo were all present, and Mei Xue was also seated. There were four seats in total. Nothing happened all night, and on the sixteenth day, there was still no news of Nobunaga's interview.There must be important military affairs going on in the city.Of course, no important officials of the Oda family came to visit Ieyasu, only Mitsuhide treated him meticulously. On the evening of the 16th, an envoy finally arrived from Nobunaga's place, with the following greetings: On the 18th, Nobunaga will welcome Ieyasu at Somiseji Temple, so please rest well before Ieyasu. However, shortly after the envoy left, Mitsuhide's shadow also disappeared from Daihoin, but Horikutaro came. "From today onwards, I will replace Hinata Mamoru to receive everyone, please take care of me." Ieyasu was just a little puzzled, and didn't ask for details.On the second day, as soon as I opened my eyes, I could smell the rancid smell of fish.Not only inside and outside Dabaoyuan, but also on the streets of Antu, the stench was so suffocating that passers-by covered their noses and frowned.It turned out that Guangxiu's servants had thrown all the fresh fish they brought into the ditch. On the 16th, at dusk, the documents came.To the effect that: Exempt Mitsuhide, who was previously dedicated to receiving Ieyasu, from the errand, and order him to rush to Bichu immediately to meet Hashiba Chikuzen and guard Hideyoshi.In Dabaoyuan, after Mitsuhide took the paperwork from Mr. Tsumaki, he was out of breath and motionless for a long time.No, it's not that he didn't rob, but that he was unable to move.What is coming is finally here... Once you start to hate the other party emotionally, you will never give him a chance to breathe, and you must put him to death. This is the character of Nobunaga.At some point, Nobunaga's image has changed in Mitsuhide's heart.The storm that Guangxiu had been waiting for tremblingly finally came surging. Sure enough, I was not mistaken...Nobunaga will never let it go, but because Ieyasu is right in front of him, he has to let himself continue to receive him, and he is secretly looking for the next opportunity... Then, how should I deal with it? it is good? Guangxiu didn't even say hello to Ieyasu, and went straight back to the mansion.In the meeting hall, headed by Sa Masuke, important ministers Jizaemon, Juro Zuo, Dengoro, Tajima Shou and others all surrounded the document without saying a word. "It's finally decided to let me play." Guangxiu tried his best to avoid stimulating everyone, and sat in the front seat. "My lord, please look, the wording of this document... is too wasteful!" Siwang Tiandan Shou angrily threw the document in front of Guangxiu, gnashing his teeth. "But Ma Shou, stop gnashing your teeth." Guangxiu said in a low voice, and unfolded the document in front of the lamp. 〖This time, in order to cope with the preparations for the war, troops must be dispatched in the near future.Therefore, the vanguard should arrive at Beizhong first, and all of them should be dispatched by Yuchai Chikuqian. Katsuzaburo Ikeda Ikeda Sanzaemon Horikyutaro Hinata Mamoru Daisuke Hosokawa Nakagawa Sebei Takayama Ukon Abe Niemon Shiokawa Hokimori (Nobunaga draws a note)〗 Guangxiu read it calmly, and said: "I think this document is not worth it, but Ma Shou is so angry." "My lord!" It was Dengoro Fujita who spoke this time, "You are a general of the Akechi family. If it is said that the Tomo family is loyal to the imperial court, besides the Kyogoku and Kuchiki families, there are countless other generals and Tanba. In Nobunaga Among the genealogy daimyos of the public, except Shibata Xiu Liangsheng family who owns 750,000 koku in Echizen Kitazhuang, no one can compare with the adults. He actually wrote the names of famous families after the unknown people Ikeda, Horihisa, etc. Isn't it outrageous that even I have been put under the control of Hideyoshi and others who rely on opportunism to get promoted and get rich?" "Wait." Mitsuhide turned pale and stopped the other party, "Wars cannot be won just by birth. Now Yu Chai is rushing to attack Takamatsu Castle, and it is about to fall. Therefore, we should support Yu Chai and obey his command. Best policy." In fact, Mitsuhide's own anger far surpassed that of his retainers, and he didn't even have time to wipe off the sweat from his brow. "Although my name is ranked after Ikeda, Horihisa and others, getting angry can't solve any problems. The old saying goes: Although a king is not a king, a minister must be a minister. Therefore, we should return to the territory immediately and obey the orders of Lord Youfu , to make meritorious service on the battlefield, to show our strength of character." "But you don't regret that you were dismissed from the reception for no reason?" "That's another matter, Lord Youfu is our master." "Then..." Dengoro took another step forward, "You were beaten by Mori Ranmaru in front of a full audience... you still walk with a limp, do you think we don't know?" Guangxiu was taken aback when he heard this, then smiled again. "Everyone misunderstood. The leg pain was caused by my own frustration. I stepped on the ground and fell when I went downstairs. By the way, I can't keep the messenger waiting. I have to go to the lobby to stamp the paperwork." Guangxiu got up and walked out. Zuo Mazhu followed behind, gnashing his teeth in hatred. In the hall, the envoy Qing Shan and the president had long been fidgeting, impatient to wait. "I've kept you waiting." Guangxiu sat down, deliberately avoiding the eagle-like eyes of the president, unfolded the receipt on the table, and stamped it, "I understand the meaning of Lord Youfu, and I will execute it immediately." .” "Hinata Mamoru, you have put a lot of thought into the reception this time, and the adults have told us many times. The handover is actually due to the urgency of the war, so Hinata Mamoru should hurry back and prepare." At this time, Guangxiu realized that he was extremely angry.He understood that Qing Shanyu always said a few more words out of good intentions, and it was this kind of sympathy that made his long-standing anger erupt like a volcano. "Is this your word, or your grown-up's word?" "Where did Hinata Mori go? I often hear adults talk about it, of course it's me." "You are fine now, because you have to hand over official duties suddenly, you are too busy physically and mentally, so I don't have time to accompany you." Qing Shan and Zong's expressions changed instantly. "Then, I'll take my leave." After saying that, he put the receipt in his arms and walked away sadly. Zuo Mazhu sent the envoy back, only to see Mitsuhide sitting there quietly, staring at the flickering lights in a daze.Although he has made up his mind that for the sake of the whole family, he can endure even a great shame, but for some reason, Guangxiu can only feel the blood bubbling all over his body, and he can't control his emotions no matter what. In fact, Guangxiu had already made up his mind at this moment, a thought he had never had before.His heart was already in extreme pain.At this moment, another bad news was received.His subordinates were enraged by this incident, and threw the leftovers, fish meat, and even pots and stoves into the ditch. "Poured all the leftovers into the river ditch?" Hearing the words of Minaka Kohachiro who hurried over and raised his eyebrows, Mitsuhide suddenly felt dizzy.Even if he can endure the lord, his subordinates cannot.Alas... Guangxiu was in despair. It was May, and if leftovers, leftover soup, raw fish and raw meat were all poured into the ditch, by tomorrow afternoon, Antu City would definitely become stinky.This is not only disrespectful to Ieyasu, but also like directly smearing the face of the right minister Nobunaga.The impetuous Nobunaga will definitely rush his horse and fly into a rage. If it was in the daytime, you can still find some excuses and find someone to salvage it, but it is already night, if you send people down the ditch to salvage it, it will definitely disturb the guests near the ditch, Guangxiu can't even think about it—could it be? My life is going to be buried here? Guangxiu only lit one lamp and opened all the windows on all sides of the room.He was so preoccupied that he even hoped that someone would assassinate him.When the important ministers heard about this, half of them went to the river ditch to see it, but until now, they were powerless to recover. At this moment, another messenger came, still Qingshan and Zong.Mitsuhide's face was pale, at this moment he just wanted to commit seppuku and apologize to Nobunaga and Ieyasu for his dereliction of duty, hoping that Nobunaga would appoint his son Shibingwei Guangqing as his successor.However, if Nobunaga hates Mitsukei Jubingwei because of this... Guangxiu entered the hall, only to see Qingshan and Zong's faces full of joy. "Congratulations, Hinata Mamoru. This time, the lord has rewarded Izumo and Ishimi to your Excellency again. Congratulations." He said, and he put the documents on the incense table. "Hey! What are you talking about, Envoy Qingshan?" "My lord rewards you with the two kingdoms of Izumo and Ishimi. In this way, the entire mountain vagina is under your control." "What a blessing from heaven..." Guangxiu bowed respectfully.In the blink of an eye, the hope of letting his son inherit the family business was completely shattered.It is of course a blessing to worship the two countries, but I am afraid that I will take back my old leaders Danba and Omi soon.These Kwang Soo had anticipated a long time ago. "You understand. My lord is really considerate this time. I have been thinking about Hinata's replacement mission. Hurry back to the neighboring country and prepare for the expedition." "Thank you for your kindness." Qingshan and Zong stood up, this time Guangxiu personally escorted him outside the gate.Seeing Mr. Yu's figure disappearing outside the mansion, Guangxiu's body couldn't help shaking violently for an instant, and he looked around quietly.Tomorrow afternoon, Azuchi will become a rotten city.I can't stay here no matter what.Lizi's hope is also shattered, Nobunaga must hate him very much, if he still wants to live, there is only one dangerous way... There is only one dead end!Thinking of this, Guangxiu quietly looked around again.