Chapter 32 Chapter Thirty-Two

On the night of the eighth day of June, Hashiba Chikuzen's guard Hideyoshi withdrew his troops from Takamatsu, passed through Numa Castle in Bizen, and stationed in Himeji, his home city.At this time, Nagahama in Omi had been captured by Mitsuhide, and Hideyoshi's mother, Taisho, fled to Himeji Castle for refuge. "It's already midnight, see mother tomorrow." Hideyoshi hurriedly took Koide Harima and Miyoshi Musashi who stayed behind to inspect the city, and he wanted to personally confirm various reports. Because it is an emergency, all kinds of newspapers may not be beneficial to Hideyoshi.In Kyoto, in order to gain popularity, Mitsuhide gave the citizens a big gift-free land money.Then he broke into Omi.The army encountered almost no resistance, except that the Yamaoka Misaku Mori brothers burned down the Seta bridge, which slowed Mitsuhide's attack a little bit, and everything after that went smoothly as expected.

Compared with Mitsuhide's smooth sailing, Fang Oda was defeated.Due to this sudden incident that no one thought of, the Oda family has been torn apart.Kazuyoshi Takikawa, Oda's chief minister, is running a new territory at Stable Bridge in Shangzhou, surrounded by enemies, unable to advance or retreat.Kawajiri Hidetaka was far away in Kai, so he couldn't catch up for a while.Morinaga has just acquired the four prefectures of Takai, Mizuchi, Sengina, and Naike in Zhongxinano, and they are in Haijin Castle on Kawanaka Island; , and now Uesugi Castle, the city of Uesugi Jingsheng, has just been captured, and it is impossible to return it immediately.

Nobunaga's third sons Kobe Nobutaka and Niwa Naghide fought preemptively in Osaka and defeated Amagasakijo Oda Nobusumi who was considered to be Mitsuhide's accomplice. However, due to rumors spreading, morale plummeted, and the soldiers kept fleeing. From this point of view, the situation is already very clear: whether willing or not, there is no one who can immediately challenge Mitsuhide except Hideyoshi.Hideyoshi put these in his stomach. "I want to take a bath, go and boil water for me." Hideyoshi ordered the attendants. The situation is by no means optimistic, but it is not so pessimistic.

The key to deciding the outcome lies in the support of the daimyos around Kinki.Among them are Mitsuhide's former generals Takayama Ukon and Nakagawa Kiyohide, who are also Mitsuhide's relatives, and life and death friends Hosokawa Fujitaka and his son Tsutsui Junkei.It seems that there is only one person who is very likely to become Hideyoshi's ally, and that is Kona Katsuzaburo, and Ikeda Nobuki of Seshu Hanakuma who has been serving orders with Hideyoshi in front of Nobunaga's tent. "The bath water is ready." The guard Ishida Sakichi came to report.Without saying a word, Hideyoshi took off his dirty underwear, threw it aside, soaked it in the bathtub, and fell into deep thought again.The world is torn apart, and there are many wars.From the son of a farmer in Owari Nakamura, he turned into the lord of Himeji City worth 560,000 koku, and he is on the rise again.Hideyoshi couldn't believe his fate, would he inherit Nobunaga's great career, or would he disappear like dewdrops on summer grass?

After pondering for a while, Hideyoshi jumped out of the tub and shouted, "Hachisu Kahikoemon come over here." Soon, Hachisu Kahikoemon, who had only taken off half of his armor, was called by his attendants and knelt down on the ground that hadn't been splashed wet yet.It was still early in the morning, under the steaming light, Hideyoshi squatted in the bathtub, his body was white and small, which made people feel uneasy. "Hasn't there been so much dirt for a long time?" "Yeah, I haven't been rubbed yet...I remembered something." Hideyoshi stared straight at Hikoemon like a sharp arrow, and smiled, "The withdrawal of troops from Takamatsu Castle was too successful."

"Yes. My lord has a clever plan, and everyone admires it." "It's not a clever calculation, it's my sincerity connected with Soji that moved Takakage Kobayakawa. If Yoshikawa Motoharu knows about the misfortune of the Ufu and finds out that I have deceived him, he will be furious." "Yes, if they come after us, maybe we are fighting bloody battles." "What do you think our success in negotiating with Maori means?" "Your Excellency is strong in martial arts. This is a sign that our army will surely win and defeat Guangxiu. Now even the little soldiers are very excited."

"fool!" "Yes... what did your lord just say?" "I said you are a fool. This is the gods and Buddhas testing Hideyoshi's heart. First let me feel that my martial arts are prosperous, and then I will see if I get carried away and fail miserably, or do my best to live up to the expectations of the gods and Buddhas The gods and Buddhas are trying to test me." "That's really good... really don't be careless." "What's so careless? It's about putting your heart and soul into it... Well, you'll understand soon. Hikoemon, I order you to do something right away. You immediately send your retainers to all the land and river routes from Sakai Port to the capital. Spread some rumors."

"Spreading rumors?" "Yes. Since you were a wild samurai, there have been many ronin left in that area, and there should be a lot of them now. Go among them and tell them that Hideyoshi's vanguard has quietly arrived at Amagasaki Castle." Hachisu Kahikoemon was very puzzled. "With the wild samurai..." "Of course, spread the word to merchants and boatmen. Tell the wild warriors: 'Now the outcome has been decided. If you serve in the Chikuqian defense, you will be able to stand out in the future.' You should say this to the boatmen: 'You can't get out of the boat easily. Once the enemies of the Chikuqian garrison run into them, let alone making money, I’m afraid they won’t even be able to save their lives and boats.’”

Hearing this, Hikoemon couldn't help but patted his thigh with joy. "Citizens can't be ignored either. Not only weapons, but also rice, wheat, and horse food. You can say that Chikuzen Mamoru will come to buy all goods, no matter whether they are valuable or not." "As ordered." "Now that I understand, choose someone to go immediately. The soldiers are very fast. The people in Kinki are at a loss. They are weighing Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide, who will win. Everyone is betting, so I don't need to say these. According to the current situation Given the current situation, even if both Zhongchuan and Gaoshan fall to me, the final outcome is hard to predict."

"yes." After Hikoemon went out, Hideyoshi soaked his whole body in the bathtub again, and put a towel on his forehead. "Ichimatsu, Sakichi, rub your back." If you only listen to Hideyoshi's voice, or only look at his vulgar behavior, you will feel that this person is extremely stupid.However, this is what he deliberately did for others to see, it is a philosophy of life.What Nobunaga showed in front of people was outright majesty, but if Hideyoshi, who was born as a farmer, imitated him, he would definitely be disgusted by others, and the scene would eventually fail.

"Come here and rub." Hideyoshi jumped out of the tub, Otani Hirama and Ishida Sakichi came to rub him up, and Fukushima Ichimatsu, who had been waiting outside just now, disappeared. Hideyoshi's thin frame is simply amazing, where is such a strong will hidden in this thin body? "My lord, come out, come out, rub out the dirt." The flat horse turned behind Hideyoshi and shouted. "Hush!" Sakuji stopped him - Hideyoshi was thinking about something again. The two quickly finished rubbing, and poured several pots of hot water on Hideyoshi, but Hideyoshi didn't seem to realize this at all.So, the two quietly retreated to a corner of the bathroom, waiting for orders. "Hirama, Saki..." After a while, Hideyoshi shouted, his voice was very small, as if he was probing.He closed his eyes again and said, "Hideyoshi has no lord..." "yes." "Whose retainer is Hideyoshi from today on?" This question was asked so suddenly, the two looked at each other, not daring to answer, after a long time, Zuoji said: "As we all know, Your Excellency is the emperor's retainer." Hideyoshi shrugged proudly. "In the past, I was loyal to my lord, but from now on, I will be loyal to the emperor." As he spoke, his voice dropped again.Of course, this was not for the two of them, it seemed to be questioning themselves. "Even so, Hideyoshi understands this truth, but the world doesn't understand it. People in the world thought that Hideyoshi fought a life-and-death battle to avenge the lord." After a while, Hideyoshi seemed to forget the existence of the two of them again, and fell into deep thought. "Okay!" He suddenly yelled, and sank into the water again.At some point, the windows turned white like the heat.From time to time, horses neighed outside, and Hideyoshi, who was extremely tired, fell into a dream. "My lord, is the water cold?" "Ok." "Let's add some hot water." "No, there's no need." After finishing speaking, Hideyoshi quickly got out of the bathtub and wiped it off by himself, "Okay, my heart is clear, and the dirt is gone. It will be dawn." "yes." "Sakichi, why is Ichimatsu missing? Call me. Hirama, ask Hachisu Kahikoyou to call the finance supervisor and treasury supervisor. Oh, call here. If you are sleeping, wake up immediately." , Hideyoshi laughed and wiped his body happily. Hikoemon was in front, and Fukushima Ichimatsu, Koideban Momori, and Miyoshi Musashimori were behind. When they rushed to the bathroom, Hideyoshi was wearing only a Linon, and sat proudly by the tub. All the questioning seems to be over.Just like a celebrity playing chess, he calculates carefully in his heart step by step, and after the calculation is completed, the moves are like a storm.Of course, these are not only learned from Nobunaga, whom he admires, but also tempered from his innate meticulous mind and bold personality. "Musashi." He called out to his brother-in-law who was walking in the front, "I used to be a farmer in Owari Yijie, right?" "Yes... That's right." "I was born naked, and my mother watched me grow up." "Yeah, now my lord has such a great future. I don't know how happy she is to see such a magnificent city." "I don't want you to make me happy. I want to go back to being naked again. Now, how much money is there in the vault?" "Eight hundred guan of silver and eight hundred and fifty ingots of gold." "Okay. Harima, where's the rice?" "Eighty-five thousand stones." "Okay, very good. Give the gold to Hikoemon at once - Hikoemon." "exist." "All the gold and silver are handed over to you. You can weigh your own. Don't even miss the infantry." "Huh?" Hikoemon didn't seem to be able to react yet. "Harima!" "exist." "You distribute 85,000 shimi, five times the usual amount, to the wives and children of all your retainers. Thank you for their dedication to Hideyoshi. From now on, Hideyoshi will return to the era of nothing, regardless of life or death. , will never return to this city. You tell them, if I die, this is my little wish; if I am still alive, I will definitely get a bigger city." "My lord means that I will not return to this city..." "Yes, I won't be returning to this city again." Hideyoshi suddenly closed his eyes and patted his thin chest. Everyone understood Hideyoshi's determination and couldn't help being dumbfounded.In his eyes, there is no Himeji Castle anymore.Do you want to seize the world?Want to expose corpses to the wilderness?In other words, should Mitsuhide be wiped out and Nobunaga's great cause should be inherited, or should the great cause fail and be broken rather than destroyed? It is Hashiba Hideyoshi's character and determination to never be satisfied with the comfortable life of more than 500,000 koku in Himeji Castle. "Get started immediately. Ichimatsu." "exist." "After dawn, after the distribution of gold, silver, grain and rice, go out immediately. You go and blow the assembly horn for the first time. Hurry up, the arrow is on the string, and you have to go!" After giving orders one by one, Hideyoshi himself hurried out of the bathroom.He immediately put on his armor and went to meet his mother who had taken refuge from Omi.However, he only stayed with his mother for half an hour, and said: "This time, I will leave Miyoshi Musashi and the young monk Moshou to guard Himeji Castle, please rest assured." After speaking, he asked his wife Ning Ning again, He immediately walked out of the room. "Bring the rice. It's the Lord's mourning period. The basic dishes are pickled vegetables and stir-fried sauce." Hideyoshi ordered the attendants, and happily ate the meal for three people.While eating, I heard the horn blasting for the first time.Hikoemon, Kuroda Kanbei, Mori Kanpachi who had already distributed the gold and silver, and President Yakuro Konishi who was in charge of the rear affairs came one after another. "Guan Bingwei, we are leaving Himeji Castle today. Pack your bags and don't miss anything." "Understood. When the horn sounds for the second time, it is estimated that everyone will be here one after another." "Little Nishiyakuro." "exist." "How much military spending do you have left?" "There are more than ten pieces of silver, and less than five hundred ingots of gold." "Okay, as long as you have these, I believe you can spend ten times or a hundred times their value. You have the ability. You have the people of Sakai Port behind you. Make good arrangements, and don't let people who come to join Hideyoshi on the way Samurai and ronin say I'm a miser." "yes." "Hikoemon, how's the morale of the retainers who got the gold and silver?" "Everything is grateful to Dade. Don't worry, my lord." "Okay, that's good! Then, blow the horn for the second time. I will leave the city immediately and move the tent of the Chinese army to Nanye. You first set up the tent there." "yes." "Also, call Koya Harima and Miyoshi Musashi again. I still have something to say." After a while, the attendants called over the two who were distributing grain and rice. "I will leave the city when the horn blows the second time. I have already told you what should be said. Victory or defeat is a common matter in military affairs. If I am killed by Guangxiu, you will burn this city and leave nothing behind. Excuse me. As for the mother and wife, I will entrust them all to Musashi. Do you understand?" At this time, Taro Horikutaro, who was once a counselor next to Nobunaga, said: "My lord's arrangement is really smooth and flowing. Then, after leaving Himeji today, I will rush to Osaka immediately to meet the third son of Youfu lord Nobutaka?" Hideyoshi laughed. "If you don't go to Osaka, you can go straight to the capital!" "Ah, then Nobuhyo-sama..." "In order to avenge his late father, he will definitely rush to Amagasaki." After saying that, Hideyoshi stood up and left the table.He took his attendants, Hikoemon, Kanbei and others to the archery tower to check the preparations of the army.I saw a long rainbow with wings of seven colors hanging in the western sky.Hideyoshi smiled boldly, and Xuan suddenly became serious again. The horn sounded loudly for the second time.Never set foot in this city again!This kind of determination reminded Hideyoshi of the pain of five years of management.Every brick, every stone, every plant and tree hides unforgettable memories.Hideyoshi never thought that Nobunaga would be attacked unexpectedly. He had long been determined to take root in the Chinese region and fulfill his duty of exploring problems in China.Streets had turned into towns, markets flourished, and farmers embraced him.Now I have to abandon those streets, cities, and citizens, and cross the rainbow across the sky... When the officers and soldiers in the city heard the horn for the second time, they immediately became flustered.They also seemed to feel Hideyoshi's determination. Looking down from the watchtower, they seemed to be able to see the infinite energy contained in those figures. "Man, it's unbelievable..." Hideyoshi recalled the situation when Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto in Tianlewa.At that time, Nobunaga resolutely broke the boat and bravely challenged fate.That year, Nobunaga was only twenty-seven years old.I was forty-seven years old when I abandoned Himeji Castle with the same vigor. "Okay!" Hideyoshi shouted, his voice was like an arrow leaving the string, with the potential to pierce through the air.Then, he went down the archery tower, and instead of going back to his room, he went straight to the gate. "Lead the horse!" he shouted. The rainbow disappeared, and the rising sun had climbed overhead.The soldiers who were raising the smoke and preparing to cook, when they saw Hideyoshi, burst into cheers.Now that the generals have left the city, the soldiers have no shame in staying for lunch. "Hurry up, turn off the fire. Otherwise, you won't be able to catch up with your lord." "Quick, go to the camp!" Hideyoshi led the world-renowned iron cavalry, took Kuroda Kanbei and Hachisu Kahikoemon, and galloped towards Innanye.Xiao Nishiya Jiulang, who left the city first, had already arrived at Yinanye, set up the tent and set up the handsome chair. On both sides of the avenue, family members of the leaders and soldiers who heard about Hideyoshi's expedition came out with tears in their eyes to see him off.In the sound of seeing off, Hideyoshi smiled and waved to the people. "I, Hashiba Hideyoshi, will come back, everyone must be strong. I will definitely cut off the head of the traitor and return victorious." He laughed loudly.This is probably the difference between him and Nobunaga. After arriving in Yinnanye, the first person to come was Kamei Tomoki from Luye Castle, and then there was an endless stream of generals and schools reporting to the big tent.At night, the bonfires illuminated the sky red. At this time, more than 10,000 soldiers had gathered in Yinnan Field. At about four o'clock at midnight, the mighty army set off from Yinnanye. It was dawn, and the rising sun on the 10th day of June reflected the sea on the right side goldenly. They lined up in the rustling pine forest and marched on the seashore of Akashi against the morning breeze.Before the brigade arrived in Amagasaki, Nishiya Kuro had already sent several secret envoys forward. "Master Yuchai's 20,000-strong army is marching towards Setjin Hanoi with the momentum of thunder." "Nobuki Ikeda of Hanakuma is going to defect to Chikuzen Mamoru, and he is leading an army of 5,000 in pursuit of most of them." "Mitsuhide's Awaji Sumoto castle lord, Captain Sudairaemon, Kaesong surrendered to the Chikuzen guard..." On the one hand, these rumors restrained Kiyohide Nakagawa and Ukon Takayama, making the generals of Tsutsui and Hosokawa at a loss;These fruitful advance works gradually gathered an unshakable popularity. At about 11 o'clock, Hideyoshi arrived at Qixian Temple in Amagasaki.During the rapid march all day and night, the number of troops increased a lot. After arriving in Amagasaki, Hideyoshi deliberately did not send envoys to the two generals Nakagawa and Takayama who were close at hand, but sent secret envoys to Tsutsui Junkei of Yamato and Hosokawa Fujitaka of Tango.The content of the envoy is to avenge Nobunaga no matter what, and kill the traitor Akechi Mitsuhide and so on. In the evening when the troops arrived in Amagasaki, a large amount of supplies were successively transported from Sakai Port and Osaka, and the nearby Changzhou to Daimoura area was crowded with horses and ships.People lighted a bonfire together and started camping. "This time, it will be hard to tell the winner." The farmers and citizens were shocked by this situation, and began to discuss quietly. At night, firewood boats and rice boats are still coming in an endless stream, and piles of bonfires soaring into the sky are breathtaking. "Don't be afraid of wasting firewood, burn it fiercely." These are of course the embodiment of Hideyoshi's character, and it is also a strategy.Even the garrison Qixian and the young monks of Guangde monasteries boasted for Hideyoshi: "How much money does he have for such a wealthy general?" Amidst the noise, Hideyoshi shaved his head by the hand of the monk of Guangde Temple. "This is the inscription to my dead king!" The monk sighed again and again, feeling that it was a pity, and Hideyoshi himself seemed to feel a little weird, so he couldn't help laughing.For strategy and tactics, he even used his hair, and he couldn't help laughing. After Hideyoshi shaved his head, in order to show off to the soldiers, he deliberately went through piles of bonfires to meet his adopted son Hidekatsu at the Karageen Temple.Xiusheng is the fourth son of Nobunaga, and as a general, he also followed him from Himeji. "Hidekatsu, I have something to say, let someone call Horikyutaro too." Hideyoshi solemnly urged. Seeing his adoptive father's head turned into that of a bald monk, Xiu Sheng couldn't help being startled, and hurriedly sat upright. "Father, you are..." "As a retainer, it should be so. I didn't shave it before because I haven't made the preparations for the decisive battle. Now the preparations are ready. I have something to say later, and I will wait for Kutaro first." Hideyoshi no longer needs an honorific title. Hidekatsu went out to meet Horiku Taro, and Hideyoshi called Omura Yuko who was on standby outside. "Yougu, you should record everything that happened tonight outside." Yougu was originally a Confucian monk, and previously, he had been with Hideyoshi as a singer.Now, it has completely become a Yubi waiting for Hideyoshi to send, making some records such as war records, and also serving as a lecturer and reader. "The title of this battle record should be 'Mitsuhide's Conquest' or something like that, so as to pass it on to future generations. Whatever you think of Hideyoshi in your eyes, you can remember it. You have to sharpen your eyes and understand my sincerity." Yuki Omura, the future author of "Tianzhengji", couldn't help admiring the great future in front of him from the bottom of his heart at this time.In his eyes, Hideyoshi is really an unborn star, careful and bold, false and true, good at bragging but full of true feelings, these contradictions are integrated, but he doesn't find it annoying at all.He is sometimes childish and blunt, sometimes boastful, but in the blink of an eye, he is willing to be smashed to pieces for reality. In Hideyoshi, arrogance is no longer arrogance, and boasting is no longer boasting.In his body, childishness and tension, ferocity and compassion are integrated into one, naturally revealed, luring people into a trance.In this sense, he is a monster, possessing magical powers. Facing the fierce battle that determines the general trend of the world, he is still full of leisure and courage, allowing readers to interpret himself by his side.Except for Hideyoshi, there is probably no other person in the world who can do such a feat.In this sense, he presents himself as truth, he is conceited, he considers himself the sun. Yougu retreated, and when Xiusheng and Horikutaro came in, they almost passed Yougu. "Kyutaro, listen carefully too." Kutaro looked at Hideyoshi's face and collected himself. "I'm going to put all my eggs in one basket now, and put my bet on this decisive battle." Hideyoshi's eyes lit up, radiating courage, "It can only be Hideyoshi Hashiba who can accomplish this career, and Hideyoshi Hashiba is also the one who commands the entire army. Hideyoshi! " "exist." "You are my son, and the blood of the lord. Guangxiu, a traitor, is your biological father's enemy to you; to me, the adoptive father, he is the lord's enemy." "Father is right." "You must go forward bravely! You must be worthy of your identity as the son of Youfu and the adopted son of Chikuqian. Don't miss the glory of this life, and become the flower of future generations." "yes!" "Once you and I hesitate, then the heroic spirit of Master Youfu will never be at peace. It's God's will if your son doesn't arrive in time, and there's no other way. However, I, as I should, run to the battlefield day and night. The first battle You are the one who died, and I am the next one. I am already an old warrior, but I also want to swing my spear and kill Guangxiu. You must remember these words carefully." Hideyoshi said this, don't say Hidekatsu, even Horiku Taro's eyes shined brightly. "Father's teaching, Xiu Sheng will keep it in mind, and he will definitely take revenge." Encouraged by his adoptive father, Xiu Sheng couldn't help but feel excited and ready to fight. Behind Hideyoshi's words, there is another intention - who should be the general in this battle.He wanted to make a final decision with these words.Is it Nobutaka or Nobuo, Shibata or Hashiba?Once a few people argue, it will not only delay the fighting opportunity, but even drive those daimyos who are willing to take advantage of the wind into Guangxiu's camp.Now, the crux of the problem lies in Nobutaka Osaka's attitude. If Nobuyoshi sticks to his insignificant status and asks Hideyoshi to come to him to say hello, it will waste time in vain, and may even lead to the overall passiveness. "Do you understand?" Hideyoshi seemed to be emphasizing to Hidekatsu, but also to Horiku Taro, "Even Nobutaka-sama must act under my arrangement. Therefore, we father and son must always set an example and sacrifice our lives for righteousness." At this point, he shifted his attention to Taro Horikutaro: "Tomorrow is the key to this decisive battle." "tomorrow……" "Yes. Although Tsutsui and Hosokawa haven't responded yet, there will definitely be news from Shinkawa Kiyohide and Takayama Ukon. In this way, we will have my younger brother Hashiba Nagahide, as well as Kuroda Kanbei and Mikoda Shoji, Takayama Ukon, Nakagawa Kiyohide, and Ikeda Nobuki, Kato Koyasu, Kimura Hayato, Nakamura Kazushi, etc., plus you, after all of us join forces, Nobutaka-sama will not be inconvenient to neglect." Listen, listen. Suddenly, Horiku Taro Hidemasa suddenly felt that he seemed to have become Hideyoshi's subordinate since he didn't know when, and he took it for granted. Why is this?Could it be that he is possessed by a demon?After seeing Xiu Sheng with flushed cheeks and shining eyes, this feeling disappeared, and the bottom of his heart was also occupied by the determination to fight, which is incredible. "Therefore, after understanding the determination of our father and son, I would like to ask Kutaro to inform Osaka. I guess I won't be free tomorrow." "Of order." Xiuzheng thought it was like magic again.However, he knew the importance of what he was told, so he immediately started to prepare, which is really strange. After Hidekatsu and Hori Hidemasa left, Hideyoshi called Kanbei Kuroda and told him that from today onwards, he could eat meat, but others forbade it.In order to maintain his old body, chicken and fish were piled up like a mountain, and Hideyoshi ate a lot. "Don't laugh at me. You eat fish with a bare head. This is also an offering to the late Lord Youfu. If your physical strength declines, you won't even be able to swing a gun." Hearing what he said, the officer and soldier guard said: "I also stopped eating vegetarian food because of my old health problems. But..." He had a regretful expression, "In order not to forget the dead king, I named my name 'so high' The word 'good' in the text was changed to the word 'filial piety'." From then on, both Hideyoshi and the officers and soldiers had devoted themselves to the preparations for the battle. It was inconceivable that the two of them would take a break from their busy schedule to have fun during such a highly tense time.That day and night, the two stayed up all night, chatting and laughing while continuing to study tactics. Dawn is June 12th. Hideyoshi's prophecies were all incredibly fulfilled.This day is indeed a day that determines the general trend of the world. At daybreak, Tsutsui Junqing's secret envoy was the first to arrive at the camp of the Chinese army. Although the secret letter did not state that troops would be dispatched immediately, it had clearly stated that he would not join forces with Mitsuhide to the death. Then, Nobuki Ikeda led 5,000 soldiers from Tango.While negotiating with Xinhui, Matsui Yasuyuki, the important minister of Hosokawa Fujitaka and his son, also came to Hideyoshi's tent as an emissary. "Oh, Hosokawa's messenger has arrived..." Hideyoshi puffed out his chest in front of Shinki. "Well, this horn should be blown vigorously. Haha, even Tango heard it. Please hurry up." Hideyoshi left Xinhui in Qixian Temple, and immediately rushed to Guangde Temple where the envoy was.Hideyoshi walked across the courtyard filled with soldiers. "Get out of the way, get out of the way, get out of the way. Tango's Hosokawa father and son have come to submit the letter of surrender. I have to go to the messenger quickly, get out of the way." He never let go of every opportunity to show off to the soldiers.He has become one with boasting. "Wow, it is said that Hosokawa and his son came to submit the letter of surrender." "Tsutsui also came to surrender. This way we won. Victory! Victory! Victory!" The soldiers cheered.Hideyoshi laughed loudly and walked into the room of the abbot of Guangde Temple. "During this extraordinary period, polite words are completely avoided. Pick the important ones. Have you brought the letter of surrender?" "Yes. As soon as Hosokawa and his son heard about the incident at Honnoji Temple, they said they would never join hands with Mitsuhide, and even cut off their hair buns to show their condolences. Then, I went to Mitsuhide's camp in the capital, and told Akechi Samasuke that they had broken off diplomatic relations. " "Cutting off the bun... Oh, why..." Hideyoshi stroked his smooth head, "As expected of Hosokawa, just like Hideyoshi. Is Yoichiro's wife, Mitsuhide's daughter, gone?" "Yes." Matsui Yasuyuki respectfully handed over the surrender letter to Hideyoshi, "Madam still doesn't know anything about the incident, but if you delay such a thing, won't she be laughed at by Chikuzen. I want to confine her immediately until three In Huyeshan, let her reflect on herself, I wonder if this is an appropriate way to deal with it?" "Not bad... step by step, methodical. Yuichiro's wife is deeply favored by the Youfu. She is a woman with both sex and art. It is not good to commit suicide in case, so you have to take care of one or two." "Yes...you must report to Lord Zhongxing when you go back." "Oh, you have worked hard. However, you have to work hard. When you go back, please stop by Osaka and convey the greetings from our father and son to Mr. Nobutaka for me." Of course it is no exception, seemingly respecting Nobutyo, but actually demonstrating against him. At this time, Hachisu Kahikoemon came to report that Nakagawa Kiyohide and Takayama Ukon came to visit together and had been waiting for a long time. "I'm receiving guests, let them wait first." Hideyoshi immediately changed his face, said sternly, and chatted and laughed with Matsui Yasuyuki, the important minister of the Hosokawa family for a while. In fact, such small talk is by no means a waste of precious time.This was carefully calculated, and Hideyoshi wanted to use it so that Kiyohide Nakagawa and Ukon Takayama, who came late, could fully feel his majesty here.Kiyohide Nakagawa and Ukon Takayama, who were under Mitsuhide's command before, must have been invited by Mitsuhide several times.However, they gradually felt that Hideyoshi's prestige had risen and the team was much stronger, so they stopped hesitating and finally came to surrender.For these, Hideyoshi knows everything.The two of them came together, which also showed that the two had already discussed it, and felt that Guangxiu really had no chance of winning, so they had to switch sides.The general trend is set! Having said that, it would be a mistake to think that they could win by forming an alliance with Hideyoshi. This is just a small step in the game.Next, of course, cannot do without Ieyasu's strong support behind.Regarding this matter, Hideyoshi had already talked with Kuroda officer Wei Shen last night.Ieyasu has sent troops to the vicinity of Kiyosu. On the one hand, he is assisting Nobuo in Gifu behind his back, and on the other hand, he is cleverly speaking to the Omi area to contain Mitsuhide.There were even rumors that Ieyasu had approached Azuchi Castle.Therefore, Mitsuhide was in a difficult situation, and it was impossible for him to mobilize all of Omi's troops to fight Hideyoshi.In this way, Hideyoshi's advantage became obvious, and the situation gradually became clear. "I always feel that Ieyasu seems to want the adults to seize the world on purpose. If not, I'm afraid he would have gone straight to Azuchi Castle and fought with Mitsuhide." Kuroda Kanbei thinks this way, and Hideyoshi's point of view is also closer.But, who made Ieyasu make such a decision?Was he an outstanding man among his retainers, or was he a farsighted confidant in Sakai Port?Hideyoshi is from the west, and Ieyasu is from the east. After the two work together to eliminate Mitsuhide, conflicts are bound to occur.War is fate, when a dragon and a tiger meet, there must be a war.Is there really someone who persuades Ieyasu like this? The chat lasted for more than half an hour, after Hosokawa's envoy was sent away, Hideyoshi came to Nakagawa and Takayama with half serious, half joking expressions. "Ah, you two are here..." Hideyoshi patted the duo who couldn't wait and were a bit suspicious, "I didn't lose face after all. If you don't come, I have to rely on my own strength. Things in the world are really strange. Hey, it's not you Are you two sons?" It turned out that both of them brought their ten-year-old son with them. "Two, what is going on?" "Both of us are willing to use our son as a pledge to mourn the lord with Chikuzen Shou." "Oh? What are you talking about?" Hideyoshi sat down, shrugged his shoulders, and stared wide-eyed, "Take them as hostages... I didn't miss this sentence. Don't you two understand the mind of a man with a shaved head? Isn't this a curse on me?" Hideyoshi's voice was too loud, scaring the two children to hide behind their father. Nakagawa Kiyohide was more irritable than Takayama Ukon: "What did Chikuzen-shou say! We brought hostages and led the army here, so Chikuzen-shou still suspects us?" He took a step closer and looked directly at Hideyoshi. "Ah!" Hideyoshi's voice became louder, "I didn't expect you to imagine me as a hostage-taker. Hideyoshi abandoned the most beloved Himeji Castle, and he will not stop until Mitsuhide is wiped out! See, my Their heads were all shaved, and they had no intention of going back alive. Where is the place where the hostages were taken? Where did you ask me to put the hostages?" "So, Chidou Chikuzenshou is dissatisfied with us for bringing us hostages?" "Do I still need to say that?" Hideyoshi asked angrily, "I have no idea of ​​taking hostages at all. I don't think we should have such a relationship. We are all fighting to the death to avenge the dead king, so hurry up Take the child back." Qingxiu couldn't help turning her head to look at You Jin, who nodded her head. "What I'm saying is, maybe I misunderstood. After all, this is not an ordinary battle." "I don't even have a way out, what kind of hostage do I need! Of course, I hope that you two will be prepared, either to celebrate the victory with me, or to die in battle together." After finishing speaking, Hideyoshi suddenly changed his tone, "Just now The Chuan family has already sent a letter of surrender. Even Fujitaka, who is so close to Mitsuhide, put his wife under house arrest in the mountains. Not only did he break off justice with Mitsuhide, but both father and son broke up to show justice. Now not only the Hosokawa family, Tsutsui Junqing An envoy also came there. Even if it is only in terms of status, you cannot follow Mitsuhide. The Maori clan in China also saw this and made peace with Hideyoshi. In this kind of just battle, you will treat me wholeheartedly, But if I want to take your hostages, won’t I be laughed at by future generations? How can I not be angry if this happens?” "We blamed Chikuzen for guarding. Then, send the hostages back, Ukon." Youkon nodded silently, he must have realized that Hideyoshi was hypocritical, but he was not allowed to think deeply, Hideyoshi continued: "Ah, it is enough to understand this point. Hideyoshi has been waiting for the visit of the two of you." Hideyoshi said lightly, as if nothing happened just now.He suddenly took out a token from his pocket. "How about it? All actions will be dispatched by Hideyoshi. The entire army is about 25,000 people. I want to divide it into three groups. The left wing is on the mountain, the middle is the official road, and the right wing is on the river. Send troops today without delay! If there is a moment of delay, the number of enemies will increase a lot. I think it is more appropriate for the most important center to be led by the two of you." Hideyoshi's sudden attack left no room for respite. "Let me be the vanguard of the Central Army." You Jin had to agree. "Hahaha..." Takayama Ukon happily agreed to be the vanguard, and Hideyoshi squinted his eyes and smiled, "That's good. If Ukon goes to the vanguard, then the spirit of Akechi's army will be frustrated from the very beginning. The battlefield is probably near Tianwang Mountain. The old thief Mitsuhide大概还梦想着你们二位会加入他的阵营呢。” “啊，请稍等。”中川清秀打断了二人的对话，“这次的先锋，希望委我中川濑兵卫。如果在这里让右近打前锋，那我濑兵卫的颜面简直要丢尽了。” “哦，清秀也想打头阵？” “此战是为亡君雪耻的决战，如不打头阵，无颜面对九泉之下的右府大人。” “不，你且等等，清秀。右近已请命在先，已经决定了。” “不，还没有决定。”不知何时，中川清秀竟然忘记了事先和右近商量好的事，“右近有此希望，我也有此希望。可是，毕竟筑前守还没有决定到底委谁去啊。” “你就莫要再争了，清秀。山崎的大道不可能有两支队伍并排做前锋。是右近先提出来的，你就由他去吧。” “如果是战败逃跑，我倒可以让他先行。可是，这是进攻，我决不退让，濑兵卫就是这个脾气。筑前守大人，请裁决。” 清秀这么一说，秀吉不禁拍了一下大腿，一切尽在他的意料之中。“真是难得，不愧是仁义之将。秀吉都感动得流泪了……二位的气度真是让人仰慕啊。可是，如右近所讲，二人并列打前锋，队伍无法前进。这样吧，头阵由我重新安排，怎样？既然二位都这么有决心有气魄，秀吉一时难以决定，就按照你们居城的位置吧，右近的高规城比清秀的茨木城离战场近，所以，前锋还是由高山右近长房来担任……” “什么？还是让右近打先锋……” “等一下。要不这样，中川濑兵卫清秀可以取道官街的左侧，这样，虽然先锋还是右近，可是，根据敌人的出击方向，首先出击的说不定就是清秀呢。作战需要灵活多变，只有洞察对方的动向，才能出其不意，取得胜利。这个决定该无可争议了吧？” 秀吉如此一说，清秀无言以对。接着，秀吉又继续下令：“既然中路已经决定，左右两翼也得决定。左翼靠山一侧，为羽柴秀长、黑田官兵卫、神子田正治。右翼靠河一侧，为池田信辉、加藤光泰、木村隼人、中村一氏。中路由堀秀政在二位后面接应。本将和信孝的麾下作为预备队，待机而行……既然决定了，就当不可稍懈。二位立刻出击，以雷霆之势，先抑制住敌人的攻势。”不愧是连续五年在中国征战的秀吉，每一句话都刚劲有力。 高山、中川立刻奉命行动起来，两队人马先行出发。 “大河之水已经汹涌而起。我们也不能停留在尼崎了。”秀吉立刻把众将召集到广德寺的正殿，进行了最后一次军事部署。 虽然前天夜里由堀秀政再次派出使者，催促倩孝前来参战，可他还没有从大坂赶来，可是，秀吉依然认为不会有什么异常，世人没有不赞同他的讨逆决战的。因此，仅仅为了脸面，信孝也不能不行动，这些都在计算之中，所以，在会议上并未特意提起这件事。 虽说是会议，仍然是秀吉一个人唱主角。无论是池田信辉、信辉的儿子元助，还是堀秀政，都只有听着。秀吉再次把他的安排给大家通报了一遍。 右翼军（靠近淀川河岸） 池田信辉、加藤光泰、木村隼人、中村一氏。 中路军（中央大道） 高山右近、中川清秀、堀秀政。 左翼军（靠近山的一侧） 羽柴秀长、黑田官兵卫、神子田正治。 后备部队秀吉及神户信孝、丹羽长秀。 众将明白了布局之后，全军立刻出击。此为辰时左右。到处号角长鸣，人喊马嘶。虽然天空并非万里无云，可已酷热难当了，海风挟着浓重的湿气吹过来，旌旗招展，盔甲哗哗作响。 “运送物资的船队已经填满了淀川。我们也应该在今日之内到达富田。将士们，加油啊！”秀吉回头看了一眼蜂须贺彦右卫门和秀胜，大声喊道。接着，他飞身上马，一时不知又想到什么“有一事忘了告诉大家。明智方的四王天政孝刚刚来到这里观光，看到我军的威武阵容，吓得慌忙逃了回去。”这样的情报究竟是真是假，没人知道。说完，秀吉悠然地催马向中川清秀的居城茨木奔去。 这次的先头部队是堀秀政一行，然后左翼部队跟着出发，官道上全是人马。大道两边送行的居民，大概绝不会对秀吉抱有反感。 离开送行的人群，来到梅雨期间贮满了雨水的水田之侧，秀吉把手搭在额前，张望着跟来的右翼部队。这时候，故作的轻松已经不见了，冷峻的皱纹爬到了秀吉的面颊。 风吹得旗帜裹到了旗手身上，太阳偶尔露出脸来。这位总大将的眼里放着夺目的光，似乎要把人看穿。“秀吉，决定你命运的日子终于来了。干得不错，好样的！”虽也夸奖别人，自夸却是秀吉的习惯。 队伍浩浩荡荡，像一条长龙，前不见首，后不见尾。这不正是绘于大地上的秀吉的长虹吗？如果按照计剡，信孝和丹羽的七千人马赶来汇合，大军的总人数便可超过三万。而且，控制着河道的堺港，以及大坂的淀屋，也都作了周密的部署。 秀吉甚至异想天开，如光秀的头上没有被冠以逆贼名义，说不定也会失去战斗的意志，前来投降呢。 到达茨木的时候，中川清秀似还要跟高山右近争夺前锋，已向前进发了。从不断汇集的情报来看，明智一方的准备似乎并不充分。 秀吉指挥着自己在大地上的长虹不断前进。当天晚上，队伍在高规和茨木之间的富田宿营。两军决战的时刻已经越来越近。如果一鼓作气，继续前进，人马就会过于疲劳。但这些却不是秀吉在这里停留的根本原因。 “你们知道今晚我为何要在此整顿人马？”安营扎寨后，秀吉坐在侍卫燃起的火堆旁，对大家道。 篝火的周围有蜂须贺彦右卫门，还有福岛市松、山内猪右卫门等，大家都眨着眼睛，看着秀吉。 “不明白吧。”还没等大家考虑，秀吉就封住了大家的嘴巴，“这是我体贴有情有义的信孝。” “哦，筑前守是在此等候信孝大人了？”山内猪右卫门问道。 “对。还是一丰有眼力。”秀吉眯着眼睛点了点头，“大家想想，父亲被逼自尽，信孝心中会怎样？一定深感耻辱。他现在恨不能一刀就结果光秀的性命，为父亲报仇雪恨……” 这时，一旁的大村幽古慌忙取出了纸笔。如此有情有义之言，此时不仔细地记下来让它流芳后世，更待何时！幽古已把这看成了自己的使命。 秀吉瞥了幽古一眼，继续道：“如不体谅信孝的心情，我独自一人贸然进军，剿灭了逆贼光秀，后人就会嘲笑说秀吉只是一介武夫，不懂得人情世故，我才强压心中焦急，在此耐心等候。我相信，明天信孝定会赶来。到时候，秀吉必定会拉着信孝的手痛哭流涕，男儿有泪不轻弹，只是未到伤心处。那时，大家休要笑话我。秀吉就是这样的人，打起仗来坚强无比，可是，情意上却生来脆弱。” 大敌当前的秀吉，又在偷空找乐子。这些话是真是假，他是与生俱来的谎言家还是诚实人，甚至连他自己都弄不清楚了。 已经半夜了，天上乌云笼罩。野营的人们燃起一堆堆篝火，于是，地上又有了一条巨大的虹在蜿蜒盘旋。