Chapter 8 Chapter 7 Serial Set

The racetrack of Kariya Castle.Under the scorching sun, the sea breeze rolled up the billowing dust, and all the people and horses were covered in dust. "Drive! Drive!" On the left is the moat, on the right is a log cabin.Under the scorching sun, everything was listless, and the green leaves on the embankment also changed their color.On the racecourse, riding a four-year-old deer-maned horse galloping wildly was Mizuno Nobumoto, Yuda's older brother, the new castellan of Kariya who had just been appointed Shimono guard one month ago.Today he received two guests.After his father Yuda got married, his health was poor and he had alienated government affairs, but he was still not at ease with the young Shimono Mamoru and did not entrust all affairs to Xinyuan.

"Okazaki's wife is pregnant." When Dang Zhongzheng heard the news, he said happily: "Good! So she is a woman who can bear children. Good, great. My grandson, Qingkang's grandson, is about to be born. "At this point, he handed over all the affairs in the city to Xinyuan.In the eyes of Zhongzheng, although Songping Qingkang who lost his beloved wife is hateful, he is also a hero worthy of his nostalgia.Only Qingkang did not give in to Oda Nobuhide, who was on the verge of starting a prairie fire, and even attacked Moriyama in Owari in one fell swoop, which made Nobuhide fearful.In Zhongzheng's view, Qingkang's move was completely reckless without strategy, and it was precisely because of this recklessness that he was assassinated in the battle of guarding the mountain, and his lofty ambitions were wiped out.But in any case, his courage and decisiveness are indeed extraordinary.

"I hope that the child born will have my patience and healthy determination." Yu Da's pregnancy brought Zhongzheng's dream one step closer to reality.As long as Yu Da can give birth, she will be able to give birth to an ideal child.All that remains is to pray.Zhongzheng secretly sent someone to send a petition to Fenglai Temple. He felt that his body was gradually weakening, but as long as he could exchange for the safe birth of his child, everything would be fine.Moreover, he decided to strengthen the majesty of the new castellan who is in charge of the affairs of the castle at this critical juncture in front of the important officials of Kariya.

At this time, Xinyuan ushered in two guests.After half an hour of secret talks with Xin Yuan, they left immediately.Even those close entourages and bodyguards could tell that the two were envoys of the Oda Clan with a major mission. "The battle is about to begin." "The lord will definitely not follow the Oda clan this time, and the old castellan and Tokuro are also unwilling to have a war with Okazaki." "Besides, Okazaki's wife is pregnant now. The old castellan will definitely refuse to form an alliance with the Oda clan on the grounds of poor health."

All kinds of rumors spread like the wind inside and outside the city.People can get a clue from the expression on the face of the envoy when he returns and the expression of Xin Yuan when he sees him off.When Xin Yuan is depressed, he often rides wildly on the horse farm, but today he looks even more irritable than ever. "Drive! Drive!" Xinyuan raised his whip, lashed the horse, and galloped on the horse field under the scorching sun.He was soaked all over.If it was normal, he would run to Yanbin, let the sea breeze dry his sweat and blow away the boredom in his heart.But today, the more he ran, the more irritable he became.The messenger's words were like dust on his brow, mixed with a cloying taste that deeply displeased him.

The emissary is Daisuke Pingzhong, the chief staff officer of Nobuhide, and the teacher of Master Ji.His tone of voice is reminiscent of Nobumoto's father Tadamasa Mizuno, neither humble nor overbearing, he speaks slowly and clearly.This is the family tradition of the Oda family. Going on an envoy is not only to deliver an order, but also to give the other party an irresistible coercion.The listener is often confused whether the messenger is delivering the message on behalf of the lord or expressing his own opinion. "My lord said that your father is too cautious. The military generals teamed up with distant daimyos to attack the surrounding small feudal clans, but your father often did the opposite. A while ago, he even married his daughter to last year's enemy, Matsudaira... Really insightful Ah!" At this point, he squinted his slender eyes to observe the change of Xin Yuan's face, and said: "In the long run, the situation will be difficult to deal with. Neither follow Oda nor seek refuge with Imagawa. On the other hand, he has a close relationship with the Oda clan... This must not be the case in the future. In any case, when it comes to your generation, you should realize that the current severe situation does not allow hesitation. If you don’t attack others, you will Being wiped out by others. This is Fang's sorrow this year."

Then he began to gossip, or praised the exquisite design of the garden, or asked about the situation of the saltworks, or commented on Imagawa Yoshimoto and his son and Matsudaira Hirotada, and occasionally talked about the decline of the Ashikaga family.In fact, the purpose of the envoy's trip is to let Nobuo serve as the vanguard to attack Imagawa. Xin Yuan wanted to think about it for a few more days on the grounds that his father was seriously ill, but the other party seemed to have seen through his mind, and unexpectedly said something unexpected: "I almost forgot, I heard that my lord met at Xiong Ruogong's mansion. Mr. Master Ji. Is the wife whom you have seen, still in the city? Master Ji asked me to say hello to Mrs. "

Xin Yuan immediately felt a slap in the face.He recalled the evil thoughts in his heart at that time.This can be interpreted as Oda's warning to him, to tell him that Oda doesn't fully trust him; but it can also be understood as Oda has regarded him as an enemy, and he is not allowed to say no .As the lord of a city, he actually had an affair with a woman outside the city, and even talked sweetly in front of Master Ji, saying that he would marry this woman back to the city. Does he still have the Oda clan in his eyes?The messenger's tone was full of sarcasm. Xinyuan dismissed the messenger on the pretext that he had to discuss with his father before replying, but the depression in his heart could not be lingered. "Father won't ignore it. He was the one who married Yu Da to Guang Zhong..." He circled the racecourse six times, and when he was riding past the cabin, a figure rushed over and blocked him.

"Brother!" the man yelled.Xinyuan was taken aback, and he reined in the reins abruptly, and his pedals left the horse's belly. "Idiot!" Xin Yuan almost fell to the ground, and staggered when he jumped off the horse. "Tokuro, you are reckless, what if you are stepped on by a horse?" "No." The other party replied firmly, "Brother, I have something to tell you!" The person who came was Yuda's brother Tokuro Nobukami.Xinjin still has forehead hair and pale face, but he is handsome and heroic, much like his mother Huayangin.At this time, his eyebrows were raised, and his head was sweating profusely.

"If you have something to say, you have to wait until I rein in the horse. Teng Jiu, don't be too willful." "No. Brother, you are self-willed. You completely ignore your father." "I ignored my father?" "How did you reply to the Oda Clan's envoy? Didn't you already say that you will not send troops this time on the grounds that your father is sick?" Xin Yuan gritted his teeth.He didn't lose his temper as usual.He gave the servant a wink, and threw the reins to the servant, "Is this why you made such a fuss?" "Of course, this is Mizuno's major event."

"No. Not only Mizuno, but Matsudaira is also at stake." Xinyuan wiped the sweat off his face, and said, "I know. I understand your thoughts." He originally wanted to say, maybe it was because of Okazaki Do you have your mother and sister in the city, but he swallowed the words again.Among the five children of Huayangin, Tokuro Nobukami is the most impatient and straightforward.The reason he was sure of, even nine cows couldn't pull it back.Among the brothers, Xinyuan and Xinjin can be said to be incompatible.Father has no intention of fighting Okazaki, if Nobumoto insists on sending troops, he will probably get rid of Nobuchi first. "I heard that you told the messenger that you have to think about it before replying, right? I want to hear your plan!" "Of course I have plans!" Xin Yuan didn't want to show weakness in front of his younger brother, so he purposely put on a serious look and said, "It's too hot here, let's talk under the big camphor tree over there." He took the lead and walked slowly towards the camphor tree go.Just now the horse shook so badly that he felt the ground tremble. Tokuro Nobukaki seemed to have made up his mind to compete with his brother, so he followed Nobumoto to the shade of the tree.Xinyuan sat down on his buttocks: "It's so hot!" Xinjin stared at his brother closely and showed no sign of weakness: "I am not afraid of you attacking my mother. I am just afraid that you will join this meaningless war, so that you will kill each other and die in vain. Why don't you explicitly refuse? Messenger? I want to hear what my brother thinks." The words were righteous, but it was obvious that what he was most afraid of was the attack on the city where his mother lived. Zhizhi yelled tirelessly above the heads of the two brothers.Xinyuan smiled secretly, but said: "Don't worry, sit down first." Xinyuan said in his heart: Fujikuro, Fujikuro, you have learned all of your father's weaknesses.The originally bright and clear mind was ruined by emotions.His father often said: "Everything is for the great cause of Mizuno." But he still can't forget his wife who was taken away by Qingkang.Isn't it the expression of this emotion that he married Yu Da?He was robbed of his wife but he didn't hold grudges. Instead, he married his daughter and let the son born by the daughter inherit the other party's family business.If understood in this way, my father has generosity and foresight beyond the reach of ordinary warriors.But in fact, all this is just out of the inseparable affection for his wife.Although Tokuro has a strong temperament, he is very similar to his father in this regard. In Xin Yuan's view, Xin Jin's words are not a calm conclusion drawn after seeing the current situation clearly, but an unforgettable one for his biological mother and younger sister.This world is not as simple as he thought, and emotions are the weakest in this troubled world. "You said it was a meaningless sacrifice?" "Yes." The young and vigorous Fujikurō Nobuchi nodded, and continued: "I think it is extremely stupid to participate in this kind of war that will not bring us any benefits, and thus deepen the hatred with Matsudaira. .” "Extremely stupid... Haha. What you said is interesting. In your opinion, should we rely on the Oda clan or the Imagawa clan?" "No one will seek refuge! We are not Oda, nor Imagawa, we are Mizuno!" "Having said that, look at my name. Xinyuan's 'Xin' comes from Zixiu, and 'Yuan' comes from Yiyuan." "If you take this into consideration, it is the best policy not to join any party." Xin Yuan sternly said: "Childish! One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Now that the two tigers are fighting, it is impossible to remain neutral and wait and see." He lowered his voice and continued: "Do you know that although the Imagawa family and General Ashikaga came from The family has long been in decline, but they are just rotten trees that admire the elegance of Kyoto. The Oda family is a thriving tree, unstoppable. When both trees are flourishing, let’s just cut down one of them. , when the other tree can't grow...you shouldn't understand the reason." "I don't even—" "You still don't understand?" Xinyuan suppressed the anger in his heart, and smiled wryly, "I'll say it again. We should all let go of our feelings at this time. Even I don't like Oda at all. But one mountain cannot have two tigers, you can only choose another One, now is the time to make a decision.” Tokuro Nobujin took a step closer to Xinyuan, laughed loudly and said, "This is my brother's foresight?" "how?" "One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Haha, there is indeed such an old saying. But I also know another old saying, that is, when two tigers fight, one is bound to be wounded. Elder brother, knowing this, still actively joins this battle?" Hearing what Xinjin said, Xinyuan lost all color immediately.If it was normal, Xin Yuan would definitely swing his sword at each other.But now that he is the lord of a city, he must have the capacity and responsibility to tolerate dissent. "Oh? There is another old saying..." Xin Yuan suppressed the growing unhappiness in his heart, and nodded vigorously. "But... Fujikuro, when you know in advance which tiger will die and which tiger will be injured, what will happen? You still have to wait and see what happens?" "Brother, you seem to know the result?" "Exactly." "That's why we won't turn to the Oda clan. Because..." Xinjin thought he could convince his elder brother, so he pulled up his hakama and sat down under the tree. "If this tiger wins easily because of our help, what do you think will happen to him? How can he allow others to sleep soundly next to the couch? We are bordering on Kariya and Owari, how can the Oda family let us go? If they find an excuse to ask How should we respond when we send troops?" "good……" "Therefore, we can only wait and see what happens... This is a decision made after discussions between my father and all the retainers. If the tiger is seriously injured, we will also preserve our strength, and the tiger will not attack us easily. Brother, you should have understood this truth a long time ago. .” In any era, the sorrow of a small country and a weak vassal is the same.Either they advocated taking refuge in this side, or they advocated taking refuge in that side, or they advocated maintaining neutrality. The three parties debated endlessly all day long.Mizuno is no exception. Seeing Xin Yuan's silence, the young Xin Jin thought that his brother had given in.But how did he know that words can't change others at all, and sometimes the victory of words will make the other party lose their patience.However, Xinjin didn't understand this, and he did a stupid thing unknowingly.How could Xinyuan succumb to this articulate younger brother, he couldn't bear it anymore. There is no right or wrong in this matter, it is the fate of the world. I must kill him!Xin Yuan thought.As soon as this thought came up, Xinyuan immediately found the reason: Xinyuan had fallen into the emotion for his mother and sister, couldn't extricate himself, and lost the ability to judge correctly.If this continues, it will only sow the seeds of disaster, which will eventually lead to the demise of the Mizuno family.But he didn't know that behind his decision was his jealousy towards this half-brother.Xin Yuan lost his mother since he was a child, so he doesn't know what a mother's love is. "Oh... your thinking also makes sense." Xin Yuan softened his tone, but thought to himself: Where should I kill this guy?He suddenly had a plan. A deformed era creates a deformed character.In this bloody and chaotic world, it is not surprising that brothers and sisters can fight each other.In order to survive, various strategies are required.In this sense, there is no difference whether it is the common people who are running around all day long for daily necessities, or the pampered daimyo, they all live in this unprecedented chaotic world at the same time. In the eyes of Xinyuan, who believes that only by relying on the Oda family can he survive, his younger brother has become his biggest threat.If he is determined to join Oda, Nobukaki will definitely swing his sword at him.But when he thought of getting rid of Xinjin in Xiong's mansion, so as to kill two birds with one stone, he couldn't help feeling a chill down his spine.He also felt that it was very sad to have a fratricide, but sentimentality was never allowed in this troubled world. Xinyuan calmed down, and said: "Maybe I did not think about it. Tokuro, don't say anything about this beforehand." "Why?" "I will tell you what I think, and I will listen to your opinions carefully. But it would be bad if outsiders listen to it. I am very busy now. We will go to Xiong Ruogong's mansion to continue discussing this topic later." Said After that, Xinyuan stood up abruptly.Shinji nodded.He was really happy to see that his brother followed his advice. "Remember, don't let people find out. The suspension bridge of Xiong Mansion will be lowered by itself. You can go in secretly." "when?" "Before the moon comes out, around Xu time... After crossing the bridge, go to a small door and knock three times, twice each time. This is a secret signal." This is the secret code for Xin Yuan to enter Yu Guo's boudoir. "Knock three times, twice each time." "Yes, you must wear a mask at that time. The woman who comes out to greet you must think it is me, and you must not speak at this time. I have already been there before. I will tell you at that time why I did not make a clear statement to the Oda envoy. Then , we carefully scrutinized." Xin Yuan looked at Xin Jin, nodded, and strode away.The cicada above the head rested for a while, and then began to sing again.Whenever the sea breeze blows, it will roll up smoky dust.Xinyuan began to sweat on his back.He spat the dust out of his mouth and stared up at the sky. The overly calm expression of Oda Nobuhide's envoy, Hirakami, and Nobuchi's face overlapped and appeared in front of his eyes.In any case, letting Oda know that he had an affair with a woman outside the city was very bad.Yu Guo is delicate and lovely, and Xin Yuan is overwhelmed by her delicate mind and body.But if we marry her back to the city, it will be difficult to deal with the affairs of the city in the future.However, if he deceived Nobuchi to Yuguo's residence and got rid of him with the help of Oda's people, he would not only get rid of Nobuchi, but also quell the rumors that he had fornicated women outside the city.This matter is not only killing two birds with one stone, but killing three birds with one stone, because Yu Guoke has given up on Xinyuan. Xinyuan shielded himself from the scorching sun with his hands and walked into the city. He dismissed his personal guards and walked into the yard.Under the scorching sun, Gonrokuro Akutagawa, who is tending the garden, instructed three craftsmen to play with the stones by the small river to draw water to the spring. "Quan Liu, can you bring the water here?" Xin Yuan asked. Quan Liulang, who was watching everyone busy with his hands behind his back, replied solemnly: "City Master. The place where you are standing is to put lanterns." Oda secretly ordered Hirate-sama to return to Naguno as soon as possible, if you don't want to join, there is no need to wait for your reply." "Sure enough. Any news?" There was a smile on Quan Liulang's face, and he said: "The villain thought other things were not important, so he didn't inquire. My lord, the other party has even controlled the Xiong Mansion, and may send someone to attack you at any time. You must not go out of the city casually." .” Xin Yuan chuckled.If he refuses to form an alliance with the Oda clan, how can Oda Nobuhide let him go easily?This point does not need to be reminded by Quan Rokuro, Xinyuan's heart is like a mirror. "Brat, you don't know what to do!" Oda will definitely order soldiers from Ueno, Sakurai, and Anxiang to attack, cut off the connection between Kariya and Okazaki, and then crush Xinyuan like a mouse in his pocket. pulpy.Once Xinxiu made up his mind, he would first attack Xinyuan at Xiong Mansion.Although no one in the city knows the secret of Xin Yuan haunting the Xiong Mansion, the Oda clan knows it all. "Quanliu, come here." Xinyuan pretended to appreciate the courtyard view, and walked seven or eight rooms away.Akutagawa Gonrokuro is actually a ninja.Since the Nanmu family began to cultivate ninjas in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, military generals from all over the world have followed suit, and ninjas have spread all over the world. "Quan Liu, are you my subordinate or... father's ninja? I want to figure it out first." Xin Yuan said nonchalantly, staring closely at the other party. "My lord's question is weird." Akutagawa Gonrokuro also stared at Nobumoto, and said, "The ninja has no two hearts. The villain is a secret weapon passed down by the old castellan to the lord... The lord regards me as your inheritance A weapon will do. It is impossible for a weapon to have a different heart." Xin Yuan smiled and said: "That being said, aren't you guys good at deceiving? Don't tell my father what happened just now." Quan Liulang also smiled slightly: "Even if the adults ask me to take the head of the old city lord, the young ones are obliged. Whoever holds the big sword will obey whoever orders it." "Shut up!" Xinyuan scolded softly, "Stop talking nonsense! If you don't trust the ninja, you can't use the ninja. You have to mention this to your father!" "Ninjas have no mouth." "Tonight I will secretly go to the Bear Mansion." "Ah! This..." "It's okay. I know, I will go to Miss Yu Guo via the drawbridge as usual. I have confidence in myself." "The villain knows, but it's still..." "Huh! I will be cautious in the yard. I won't be afraid when I enter Miss Yu Guo's room. But Yu Guohui hung my knife on the knife holder. The Oda Assassin must think that is the best time to assassinate me. "Quan Rokuro has no expression on his face. This is the habit of ninjas. He stood there motionless like a stone, and he understood what his master meant. "I refused to join the Oda clan on the grounds that my father was ill. How could Oda let me go? Listen, I'm going to Xiong's mansion in Xu time." Ninja remained silent. "Don't cover me up. I'll walk across the drawbridge and enter by the back door." Quan Liulang said: "Your Excellency, you want Fang Xing, Miss Yuguo, to kill you?" "Yes, I must die." "Then...the villain won't go with you." "Okay. Do you understand?" "Since there is no doubt about death, the villain will inform the Oda Assassin and tell them your whereabouts." "Have they sneaked into Kariya Castle?" "Yes. They are the assassins of Zushie Gate. There are three groups, three people in each group. They have infiltrated into the city two days before the envoy arrived in Kariya." "Oh, what are they dressed up for?" "There are beggars and fathers and sons, as well as grooms and monks of Shugendao." Before Quan Liu finished speaking, Xinyuan turned and left.As long as this is said, this ninja with no words and no heart will incite the assassin to go to the bear mansion. Xinyuan suddenly felt that this move was too cruel, but he shook his head and drove away the sadness.