Chapter 34 Chapter 34: The Sunflower Formation

The rainy season that started on the 13th of June finally stopped in the evening of the 14th. It is already an unbearably hot summer day when the sky clears, and the forest in Retian is so densely green that it is suffocating.Tokugawa Ieyasu took the defense of the east as his top priority and moved his camp to Atsuta.He let the forward Sakai Zaemon Wei Tadaji lead the army to Tsushima, but he himself did not move here. It has been three days since they set up camp, and today is the seventeenth afternoon. On the surface, Ieyasu gathered the army here and made a big move to attack Antu City, but in fact, he was only collecting military intelligence from the east and the west, so he didn't bother to move.Among the retainers, of course, there are also ambitious ones, who feel that now is the time to take Owari, Mino, and Omi into their hands, and then take control of the world.However, Ieyasu laughed it off.Instead of taking such risks, it is better to control Nobunaga's legacy in Tokaido, which is easy and risk-free.

Nobunaga's death will definitely make his survivors, such as Kawajiri Hidetaka of Koshu, Takikawa Kazuyoshi of Shangshu, and Morinaga Ke of Shinshu, etc. give up many territories.Taking the opportunity to annex some of the territories they abandoned and consolidate them will help avoid the increasingly chaotic west side. This is not only for the well-being of the family, but also for the benefit of the people in the territory.Therefore, after Ieyasu set up camp, he immediately sent people in all directions to collect battle reports, and even sneaked in to pay homage to Atsuta's shrine, and went to Kato Shusuke, who had an unfortunate childhood, to chat and pass the time.

"Naomasa, have the people sent to Kinki returned?" "not yet." "Oh, the previous news said that Mitsuhide's battle at Yamazaki was unfavorable... Now the next battle report should come." "Maybe Guangxiu retreated to the capital and hid." "Do you think so?" "Yes. The capital is at the foot of the emperor. If he hides there, Mr. Hashiba Hideyoshi would not dare to attack lightly, nor would he dare to burn it. In this way, the war will be delayed." Iwanchiyo Naomasa said with a handsome face. "Haha..." Ieyasu laughed, "In war, you have to look at the character of the opponent."

"My lord means..." "Mitsuhide is not the kind of person who leads the war to the capital. When Lord Youfu burned the mountain, he once remonstrated with tears streaming down his face. Once he was defeated in Yamazaki, because Tanba was already controlled by Hideyoshi, he could only retreat to Sakamoto in Omi... ...If so, he won't be able to hold on for long." "My lord, do you think Guangxiu has been defeated?" "If he loses the battle, maybe he will commit suicide. But why is there no news..." Just as he was speaking, the bodyguard Torii Matsumaru walked into the big tent with a red face. "Report, Matsumoto Shiro Jiro Kiyonobu has returned from Kinki."

"Oh, the tea house is back, please come in." Ieyasu leaned out excitedly, "In this way, my action plan can be implemented. Oh, it's so boring." He glanced at Naomasa next to him, and nodded slightly nod. As soon as Chaya Shirojiro walked into the big tent, Ieyasu said, "Matsumaru and Naomasa stay, and the rest of the people go outside to guard, and no one is allowed to come near!" While wiping the sweat off his body, Shiro Jiro waited for the guards to leave the big tent. "Okay, everyone has quit. Qingyan, has the winner been decided yet?" "yes."

"So, Mitsuhide was defeated in Yamazaki and even lost his life?" "Yes...the battle started on the evening of the 13th, and the winner was decided in less than two hours. Mitsuhide disappeared on the way to Sakamoto..." "I don't know where to go?" "However, on the next day, the 14th, the body was found in a forest and the head was in a field. The place was near Oguriqi, Daigo Village, Uji County, Yamashiro." "Oh? He died in less than two hours..." "Yes. According to the local people, when Lord Guangxiu rode there from more than ten years ago, he seemed to have encountered rioters, and thus encountered misfortune."

Ieyasu narrowed his eyes and nodded. "So, I hid the body in a ditch. I don't know which retainer wrapped the head in a horse felt, probably trying to escape to Sakamoto Castle. However, it seemed that they were attacked by rioters on the way, and they were thrown away. The head of Xia Guangxiu has escaped. Alas, the end of the road is really tragic." "Kiyanobu...ah, Chaya Shiro Jiro." "exist." "Don't talk about Guangxiu's tragedy. I always thought that Lord Youfu was more impatient than Guangxiu, but I didn't expect, alas, the result was just the opposite. After all, Guangxiu's thinking was too simple... Then, after What did Hashiba Chikuzenshou do?"

"Master Hashiba camped in Yodo on the thirteenth day and night, entered Beijing on the fourteenth, went to the ruins of Honnoji Temple to pay homage to Lord Youfu's heroic spirit, and moved to Mitsui Temple on the fifteenth day." "It's really a rare speed. Then, what about Mitsuhide's reserve army left in Azuchi and Sakamoto? It won't be possible to burn Azuchi Castle." "This..." Saying that, Chaya Shiro Jiro leaned forward, "Just when the villain was in a hurry and wanted to tell the lord the news of Mitsuhide's defeat..." "What, burned?"

"Yes. On the evening of the 15th, the flames soared into the sky. Just like that, even the famous city on the seventh floor..." "Alas!" Ieyasu sighed heavily after hearing this, his expression dejected, "If this happens, there will be a lot of trouble. There is no far-sighted person among the wise remnants..." "However, the one who set fire to the city was not Satoshi Saomasuke." "Not a wise man?" "I heard that it was Lieutenant General Nobuo of Qingzhou who ordered the fire." "Nobuo..." Ieyasu said, trying to swallow the rest of the words.

Nobunaga's son turned the famous castle into ashes that even the enemy Akechi Samasuke refused to burn down... What kind of violence is this!Even the scheming Ieyasu didn't see through Nobuo's heart, but just looked at Shiro Jiro blankly. Shiro Jiro seemed to be aware of Ieyasu's thoughts. "The tea house also thinks it's wrong. Azuchi Castle has less than a thousand wise remnants, and they will definitely abandon the city and merge with Sakamoto's two thousand troops, and burn such a famous city..." Ieyasu didn't answer, and seemed to be thinking about something.If he is worried about being used by the current enemy to burn down the city, Nobuo is completely overwhelmed.If he was afraid that Hideyoshi would get it, so he burned it, it can only show that he was too scheming.Is it unwilling to hand it over to the elder brother Nobutada of Gifu, the orphaned three masters, or is he afraid of the city of Kobe?No matter how you reason, since Nobuo burned Azuchi Castle, which symbolizes his father's great achievements, there must be unavoidable disputes within the Oda clan.

But I don't know how Hideyoshi, who has just won the victory, will deal with these problems.Katsuie Shibata would definitely lead his troops back from Echizen, and Kazuyoshi Takikawa in Ueno might also abandon his territory and hurry back.Coupled with the involvement of Nobutaka and Niwa Goro left, this commotion will definitely be sucked into an endless vortex.Just assigning the territory of Nobunaga and Mitsuhide is not an easy task. "Chaya. Fortunately, I didn't send troops to Omi." "good." "The fire in Azuchi has dimmed the prospects of the Oda family. In the future, the governance of Kinki will become a difficult problem." "That's right, even the tea house can't understand what will happen to the stall left by Master Youfu." "Guangxiu was wiped out, good. It's time for me to withdraw my troops, and I can go back and concentrate on consolidating the Tōkaidō. But, on the surface, we still have to act as if we regret that we didn't reach Azuchi Castle." "Yes. Withdraw and prepare well." The two looked at each other and nodded. "Matsumaru, go get Shiro Jiro lunch. By the way, bring mine too." While the two were having dinner, Nobutaka, who stayed behind in Ise, sent an envoy to inform Mitsuhide of his annihilation.The messenger came to Ieyasu and straightened his clothes. "My lord, Chikuzen Mamoru, Gorozaemon, Ikeda Kii and other lords have wiped out Akechi in the capital, so I'm here to report." To put all the credit on Shin Hyo.Not long after the envoy returned, Hideyoshi's envoy also came, and he shrugged his shoulders to deliver Hideyoshi's password: "The matter above has been completely resolved, please withdraw the troops back to the country quickly, Lord Tokugawa." When Ieyasu heard this, he couldn't help wondering.Nobunaga's vassal Chikuzen Mamoru actually delivered the password to Ieyasu. Although it was very strange, he didn't take it seriously.In fact, Ieyasu had been waiting for Hideyoshi's notification for a long time. Although it was a bit strange, he realized Hideyoshi's thoughts through the message. "Ieyasu originally wanted to attack Azuchi, but it's a pity that Chikuzen Mori-sama took the lead. In this case, I will withdraw early and concentrate on managing the eastern part. You should convey my intentions to Chikuzen Mori." After Ieyasu sent the messenger away, he breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart.In this way, everything counts... Hideyoshi must want to take the opportunity to replace Nobunaga.If Ieyasu continues to stay in Owari, he will not only be suspected by Hideyoshi, but also by Nobuo and Nobutaka. Ieyasu called Chaya Shiro Jiro and asked him to go out again, and report everything about Kinki, no matter how big or small.Then Zhongji Sakai was called back from Tsushima, and an important meeting was held with all the important ministers. "The Chikuqian garrison said that we should withdraw our troops as soon as possible. Then, when will we withdraw our troops?" Ieyasu said as if nothing had happened.Honda Zuzaemon, who was at the front, immediately changed his face, and stood up to protest: "It's so strange! When did my lord become the retainer of Chikuzen Mamoru!" "Haha, it is precisely because I am not a retainer that I am asked to withdraw my troops. Zuo, are you not convinced?" "I just refuse to accept!" Zuo Zuo showed his stubborn nature. "Although Mitsuhide was wiped out, there are still many remnants. If we send troops to Mino and Omi at this time, and meet uprightly in Azuchi and Chikuzen, although we can fully demonstrate our army's strength, it will definitely attract humiliation in the future. Do you understand, Tadashi ?” "That's right. Not only will we not get any benefits, but we will also be attacked by Shibata Katsuya who came from Echizen." Ieyasu smiled and looked back at Ishikawa Susho who was speaking. "What do you say?" "In my opinion, it is wise to withdraw troops from this place." "I'd like to hear your reason. I think you're not like the usual Hoki today. Did you get sick from being frightened by Hideyoshi's shattering momentum?" Tsukuru turned around and stared at Shuzheng, as if about to pounce on him.Shuzheng smiled wryly and shook his head. "In short, in today's troubled times, it is the best policy to abandon false fame and gain benefits. If we enter Azuchi, we will only be in danger of conflicting with Hideyoshi, and there is no benefit. On the other hand, if we return to the east, Koshu and Shinshu have many lands that have lost their masters waiting for us .” Ieyasu nodded greatly, turned to Sakuzaemon and Chuji, and said: "Then, as you said, stay for another day to see what happens behind Akechi, and withdraw troops on the 19th. It is precisely because Tokugawa Ieyasu is not from Chikuzen Retainer, so, even if he comes to report that the matter above has been resolved, there is no sense of justice and grievances between me and him. If I consolidate the east, no matter who is in the world, I will have my own foundation. That's it, ten Withdraw on the 9th." In this way, no one will object any more. On the 19th, Ieyasu returned to his hometown of Sanhe from Tsushima and Atsuta classes. Has entered the hot summer season.Since people's attention was focused on Hideyoshi, the people seeing him off didn't comment much on Ieyasu. As soon as the Tokugawa army set off, news of the tragic death of the wise family in Sakamoto Castle came. Akechi Samasuke, who withdrew from Azuchi Castle, retreated to Sakamoto Castle after untold hardships. After expressing firm resistance, he burned the castle with a torch.Things in the world are always like this, the heart of a defeated general is extremely sad. After learning of Guangxiu's death, the soldiers fled one after another.Zuo Masuke summoned more than 300 people who were willing to stay in the city, distributed all the remaining gold and silver artifacts in the city to them, and asked them to escape through the back door and climb over Mount Siming of Hiei to escape.Then, let Guangxiu's wife and children, his own wife and children, and those servants and maids who refused to leave in the end climb up the watchtower, and set a big fire from below. Seeing the red lotus-like flames raging at the feet, I really don't know how Mitsuhide's wife and children feel. What kind of people are they who regard heroic suicide as the glory of the warrior?The murderer is always killed, when will the resentment be reciprocated?The numerous corpses that once filled the Honnoji Temple once again filled Sakamoto Castle, and the punishment imposed by the heavens on the shallow wisdom of human beings is too cruel!It is said that before his death, Zuomasuke handed over to Hideyoshi all the famous treasures and utensils in the city that he could not bear to burn. In this way, the desperate wise family perished. Ieyasu heard this on the way back to Mikawa. "Samasuke is different from Lieutenant General Kiyosu who burned Azuchi Castle. It's a pity that such a person died." Ieyasu said with deep feeling, and looked back at Ishikawa Kazumasa, "When I arrive in Okazaki, you quietly Go on a mission to Chikuqian Shou." "Well, what did my lord say?" "I'm saying that people can't do good things. The world won by force will definitely not last long. You must be patient in everything, let more people live, even if you save one more person, this is the way of the martial arts. Therefore, you Going to Chikuzen Mamoru's place to express congratulations will definitely be beneficial in the future." Ishikawa Hoki Shoujiao stared at Ieyasu for a while, then nodded.He understood what Ieyasu meant.The lord thought that Hideyoshi would definitely pacify the Kinki area next, so in order not to make him suspicious of the east, he let himself go there. That night, after Ieyasu arrived in Okazaki, he took off his armor for the first time and took a hearty bath.Then, he gave wine to the generals, and he himself called back Yu Yimaru who was fostered at the Ike Koi Shrine. Yu Yiwan was almost ten years old, and he fell on the ground respectfully, congratulating his father for returning to camp. "Congratulations to my father for his safe and triumphant return." As soon as Ieyasu saw Yugimaru's appearance, he thought of Nobuyasu who had undergone seppuku under Nobunaga's order.Now, Nobunaga, as well as Mitsuhide who betrayed Nobunaga, have all passed away. Thinking about it, these people seem to be still in front of us. "Yu Yiwan, come here and give father a hug." "yes." Ieyasu stroked his son's head, and suddenly had another premonition.He always felt that Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie, who came from Echizen, would have another large-scale internal strife. Twenty days after Nobunaga's death, the fate of Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi was decided.For Ieyasu, it was also an important opportunity. During these 20 days, Ieyasu re-standardized his way of life and goals, and deeply felt the torrent of history.In the long river of history, human will refers to the will of most people. If a person acts recklessly in disregard of the will of the majority, he is moving against the tide of history. No matter how powerful this person is, he will surely perish in the future. This is the law of heaven. "Yu Yimaru, go, get some snacks." As he spoke, Ieyasu glanced at Honda Heihachiro Tadakatsu who was waiting on the sidelines and never took his eyes off him, "Heihachi, drink." He had a smile on his face, " From now on, the war will continue, in this world, there is no rush." Heihachiro Tadakatsu's eyes still did not leave Ieyasu, and he drank the wine in his glass in one gulp. "What do you think of the death of Mitsuhide's family in Sakamoto Castle?" "This is the fate of warriors, I dare not think about it." "Oh...but I have another idea. Mitsuhide's eldest son, Juhei Mitsukei, fell ill in Kameyama, Tanba. He was already fourteen years old, and he could probably understand what was going on. He stayed at the family in Sakamoto Castle. There are at least forty-seven or eight people... The second son Jujiro is twelve years old, the third son Shisanlang is eleven years old, there is a daughter who is only nine years old, and the youngest son Yishou is said to be only eight years old. A child who is well-versed in the world must be tugging at his mother's sleeve..." After speaking, Ieyasu closed his eyes and stroked Yu Yimaru next to him. Heihachiro Tadakatsu hadn't guessed what Monk Yasushi meant, and he was staring straight at him. "You can't take some things for granted just because you are a general. Parents...children...have to be safe and happy...you should have this desire. Do you understand, I'm not talking stupid, I'm talking about the way to victory , Tell me what you think." "My lord, what do you mean, in order to avoid this kind of tragedy, you can't use light weapons?" "No, no." Ieyasu smiled and waved his hands, "Heihachi, I retreated because I wanted to defeat both Hideyoshi and Shibata." "Retreat for victory?" "Yes. I realized that the real victory does not lie in pure war. Do you understand?" "I don't understand, not at all." "Haha...you will understand right away. At present, I can only work hard to increase the retainers and citizens who live and work in peace and contentment under my care...through this method, I will continue to compete with Hashiba and Shibata." "Not relying on the number of soldiers and horses, but the number of people in the territory?" "That's right. Fulfill their wishes and protect their wishes. The word 'Wu' is written as 'Zhi Ge'. Under my protection, the more people who live in peace and happiness, the greater the possibility of my victory." Ieyasu put down his wine glass, and smiled at Yugimaru again. Zhongsheng couldn't help getting angry, and asked angrily: "Then, when Yuchai and Shibata have many leaders... isn't it the lord's failure?" In Tadakatsu's view, after returning from Sakai Port, Ieyasu always felt a lack of energy.He felt dissatisfied, and couldn't help questioning the lord, even forgetting his own identity, with a tough tone. "Haha..." Ieyasu smiled happily, "You mean, if Hashiba or Shibata has more people than me and lives better than in my territory, I will lose, right?" "Yes, if you understand it according to what the lord said..." "You're absolutely right, Heihachi." "what?" "If that time really comes, I will once again treat Lord Youfu the same way. Whether it is Yu Shiba or Shibata, I will bow my head and bow my head." "This is not what my lord said. Hashiba and Shibata are both retainers of the Oda family, but lord, you are a unique and famous family that even Lord Youfu calls Mikawa's family." "Ping Hachi." "exist." "Mitsuhide probably also thought this way: I belong to the famous Toki clan, so..." "But, these are two different things..." "Okay, don't fight anymore. I will try my best to govern the east and not lose to them. As long as the interior is stable, we will definitely form a torrent of sincerity and cohesion. This is power. If there is no such power, rash actions will be It will end up as tragic as Mitsuhide." "..." "You are still not convinced, are you? Well, let me tell you from another angle. If I see that Hashiba and Shibata are not qualified to govern Kinki, I will resolutely insert the flag of righteousness that is supported by generals, unified by the people, and eager to seek the pure land. land." "That's why the lord returned to the place..." "Yes, retreat back and consolidate power." Ieyasu said firmly, and looked back at Heihachi again. Only then did Heihachi's eyes soften. "Understood?" "It seems to understand..." "Haha, at Mitsuhide's age, he has been suffering like hell for twenty days. This kind of suffering is probably more than ten times more difficult than our return to Mikawa from Sakai Port. However, the reward for these sufferings is the exposure of corpses in the wilderness." , the head was even hung in front of the urchins in the capital." "right." "This lesson, no matter what, must not be forgotten. In the past, Shingen taught me martial arts, and now, Mitsuhide has taught me the way of politics. When the world is stable, if you act recklessly and rashly resort to fighting, you must be evil...Understand After these principles, you should also go back to Hamamatsu to see your wife whom you haven’t seen for a long time, and smile at her. In the past two days, I also want to try to slowly forget about the world.” Heihachiro Tadakatsu still half-understood, and only closed his mouth when he saw Ieyasu's smile.Since there was no wine for a long time, the hall was full of wine and wine, and the spirit of wine was fading.Accompanied by the orchestra, there are bursts of melodious and melodious singing. "From now on...we will win if we win the hearts of the people...the peace that most people want is always right and always power." Ieyasu narrowed his eyes, picked up his wine glass, and suddenly started talking drunk. The next day, Ieyasu left Honda Saemon in Okazaki and led the others back to Hamamatsu. When he returned to Hamamatsu, Takigawa Kazumashi of Shangshu sent two envoys to Ieyasu as the governor of the Kanto.One of them was Nagasaki Yazaemon Motoie, and the other was Honda Yazaemon Masashige, brother of Ieyasu's retainer Honda Hachiro Masanobu.Of course, the two came here to ask Ieyasu for help because they withdrew their troops from Kanto. After Ieyasu met the two of them, he immediately declined the request to borrow soldiers. "If I lend you reinforcements, I will be very passive if there is turmoil in Shinshu and Koshu. So, unfortunately, I can't meet your request. Please quickly convey my thoughts to Lord Yiyi." After sending the two back, Ieyasu immediately wrote letters to Nobubo Ita and Masanobu Honda Yachiro who had gone to Koshu and Shinshu first, ordering them to guard against riots. When he was still in Okazaki, Ieyasu had already ordered Okabe Jiroemon Masatsuna to flexibly deal with the deceased Umeyuki's retainers.Moreover, Ieyasu also secretly ordered Honda Hyakusuke and Nakura Mitsunobu to deal with Kawajiri Hizen Morishutaka in Kofu carefully and not to make any mistakes. In this way, Hideyoshi expanded his influence in Kinki, while Ieyasu consolidated his territory in Koshin.Although Nobunaga has passed away, now Ieyasu has found a new king who is more dignified than Nobunaga.This new king is none other than the criterion of the invisible historical trend that he has witnessed with his own eyes.In this sense, Nobunaga, like Hideyoshi, is a retainer of the lord, and the deceased Ashikaga Yoshiki, Imagawa Yoshimoto, Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin and others are of course no exception.This is by no means empty talk without reason.If a person can conform to the will of the "lord" and follow a certain "Tao", he can be awarded a crown well deserved. After Ieyasu arranged all the affairs, he went into the inner court to visit Ai from the Xixiang Bureau.Aai's son, Changsongmaru, was seven years old, and later gave birth to a younger brother named Fusongmaru, who was also four years old. "Ai, Akechi Hinata Mori has already been defeated." Ieyasu said, winked at the following attendants, and sent him out. "Call the kids over, I haven't hugged them for a long time." Ieyasu was sitting in front of the door, smiling and admiring the scenery in the bright yard.The sea breeze blows, sparkling on the lake. "Father is here." "Oh, it's Changmatsumaru and Fukusongmaru. Come here quickly." As he spoke, Ieyasu opened his arms, but for some reason, he quietly lowered his arms.His "new master" was very demanding.If you dote on your children, you will repeat the mistakes of Xinkang, so he began to discipline himself.Now children don't understand worldly affairs.When will they grow up and go to the long river of history to search for the undefeated truth...