The time went back three months ago - August 15th, the fourth year of Tensho (1576), in a forest hut outside the new military camp in Izumi. Suzuki Shigehide read the piece of paper handed to him by Hosokawa Shinyuki over and over again.
, which contains the truth about his brother’s death.
"How's it going? What do you think, Suzuki-sama? If you want to avenge your brother, the Miyoshi family can help you at any time." Hosokawa Masayuki continued to use his inflammatory tone to persuade Suzuki Shigehide, and the latter's
His expression was already one of conflict between heaven and man.
"Can I think about it for a while? After all, this is a major matter that concerns the whole family." Suzuki Shigehide took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled it and whispered.
"Yes, of course." Hosokawa Shinyuki smiled and nodded, "Your Majesty, please do so."
"Then where should I find you next?" Suzuki Shigehide raised his head and looked at Hosokawa Shinyuki.
"You don't need to come to us, we will come to you." Hosokawa Masayuki did not mean to tell Suzuki Shigehide where he was hiding, "We will see you later."
"See you later."
·
After returning to his residence, Suzuki Shigehide couldn't sleep. He couldn't believe before that his eldest brother, who had always been such a good brother, would betray the family and even want to kill his father and younger brother. Today, all the answers were finally solved. His brother was fighting for the family.
, burdened with sin and infamy alone. He sacrificed himself to save the Suzuki family in troubled times. The hatred for his brother lost its direction in an instant, leaving Suzuki Shigehide at a loss.
Early the next morning, Crow's ninjas would patrol the room as usual. The difference was that this time it was Amano Keitoku himself. What was even more different was that Amano Keitoku stayed in Suzuki Shigehide's room, saying that he wanted to talk to him
Let’s talk. Suzuki Shigehide’s heart suddenly rose to his throat. He had long heard of the powerful ninja organization of the Yuqiu family. Could it be that the secret meeting he had without anyone noticing last night had been discovered?
Who would have thought that the first words Amano Keide said were:
"Want to know the truth about your brother?"
It’s exactly the same as Hosokawa Shinyuki’s first sentence.
Suzuki Shigehide nodded blankly, and then heard Amano Keitoku, the murderer of his brother's death, recount what he had done.
"He has loved you, your father, the Suzuki family, and everyone in Zahezhong from the beginning to the end. Everything you have seen before is an illusion, and it was all performed by your brother to deceive you."
The beginning of the story told by Amano Keitoku is exactly the same as that told by Hosokawa Shinyuki.
"I found him before the war and told him that as long as the Zahe people have military power, they will always be a threat to the Yuqiu family, and the Yuqiu family will never let it go. When the time comes for a military confrontation, your entire clan will be in danger.
Because the gap in strength cannot be made up, you are destined not to be the opponent of the Yuqiu family. But I gave him a choice, as long as he acts as a spy to help us, and becomes a villain who betrays the family and attracts your hatred from the Yuqiu family to him.
If he takes it upon himself, then the Suzuki family and the Zahezhong will not have to be eliminated. I promised him that as long as he is willing to help me, I will save the lives of the Zahezhong and his family."
"Your brother agreed. He is a great man." After Amano Keitoku finished speaking a long paragraph, he raised his head and stared at Suzuki Shigehide, and asked in a low voice: "Not surprised, right?"
"Uh...huh?" Suzuki Shigehide was shocked when he heard this. But he, who has always been a straight-faced man who doesn't understand the mind, didn't know how to act in order to look normal at this moment.
"Because you have already heard a similar story last night." Amano Keitoku's tone was so calm that Suzuki Shigehide instantly turned pale. "You have met the Miyoshi family."
"I...I'm..." Suzuki Shigehide even trembled a little when he heard this. He was a traitor to foreign enemies, but he was punished without mercy. He not only harmed himself, but also harmed others. "I didn't know about them before I was called.
I'm from the Sanhao family...I'm..."
"It's okay. Your father has secretly met with the Miyoshi family ninja countless times during his period of house arrest." Amano Keitoku shook his head and handed a stack of paper in his arms to Suzuki Shigehide - it recorded
The time and place of each secret meeting between Shigei Suzuki and the Miyoshi family ninjas.
At this time, Suzuki Shigehide was completely dumbfounded and could not even speak. He understood that Amano Keitoku came to his room this time, probably to send him on his way. Both father and son had private contact with foreign enemies, and Suzuki
The house is in ruins. Maybe there are ninjas waiting outside the house, ready to come in and execute Suzuki Shigehide on the spot.
"This matter was done by me and my father. I have nothing to do with other people in the Suzuki family... I hope you will find out..." Suzuki Shigehide, a stubborn man, plopped down and knelt down in front of Amano Keitoku, "Amano-sama..."
"It doesn't have to be like this, I won't kill anyone in the Suzuki family. Even your father who has collaborated with the enemy." Amano Keide was indifferent to Suzuki Shigehide's kneeling, and he still looked straight ahead, minding his own business and said.
"Ah?" Suzuki Shigehide couldn't believe his ears. Why was this murderous crow judge so merciful at this time?
"Your brother won this for the Suzuki family." Amano Keide suddenly raised his voice, stared into Suzuki Shigehide's eyes and said in a deep voice, "No matter how you say it, I am not a decent person, I do dirty things.
But your brother is not only a person who does dirty things, but also a good person. This is what I promised him. I promised him to give the Suzuki family, you and your father a stable life for the rest of their lives. Although I did it for the Yuqiu family
He may regard his promises as dirt, but I will never forget what I promised him."
"This is my respect for him."
Suzuki Shigehide was stunned when he heard this, with tears glistening in his eyes. He suddenly felt that his brother's death was not so sad anymore. Isn't it also an honor for his brother to meet such a close friend?
Amano Keitoku suddenly raised his hand, pointed at Suzuki Shigehide's eyebrows, and asked in a deep voice: "In order to protect the family, to protect you and your father, your brother is willing to bear all the sins and infamy and die alone. What about you? Are you willing?
Do you want to do something for your dead brother, for the Suzuki family that your dead brother wanted to protect all his life? Or do you want to foolishly take revenge on the Yuqiu family, and finally destroy the Suzuki family that your brother risked everything to continue?
"
"I don't dare!" Suzuki Shigehide kowtowed three times to Amano Keitoku, "I can't live up to what my brother has done for the Suzuki family even though I'm so heartbroken! I will definitely dedicate my loyalty to the Yuqiu family and protect the Suzuki family!
"
"Okay, I want you to do something for me. After it is done, I will give your father and everyone in the Suzuki family freedom." Amano Keide said as he took out a dark gun barrel from his arms.
It was handed to Suzuki Shigehide.
"This is..." Suzuki Shigehide looked at the iron cannon without a match rope and raised his head in confusion.
"The only new thing His Highness bought from the Nanbarians is an iron cannon that can be fired without ignition." Amano Jingtoku paused and imitated Yu Qiuping's weird pronunciation, "It's called a flintlock gun."
"What do you want me to do?" Suzuki Shigehide looked at the treasure in his hand in disbelief, realizing that the person he was giving this order might not be simple.
A fierce look flashed across Amano Jingtoku's brows, mixed with some complicated emotions.
"Kill the three good righteous men."
Three days later, Hosokawa Shinyuki once again found an opportunity to escape the surveillance of Crow's ninjas, and informed Suzuki Shigehide of the time and place of the meeting. However, when he was waiting in the dilapidated temple and saw someone coming, he
I found that there were two.
"I am Amano Keitoku, I have met Young Master Hosokawa." Amano Keitoku greeted the surprised Hosokawa Shinyuki with this long-lost title.
"Do you want to avenge your murdered father and your forcibly taken mother? If you want to take revenge by killing Miyoshi Yixian, the Yuqiu family can help you at any time."
"We pretend that you have cheated on Suzuki-sama. In the subsequent battles, I will continuously leak the true information of the Oda Army to Hosokawa-sama through Suzuki-sama, and you will then convey it to Miyoshi Yoshihide. As long as every piece of information
If the information is true, Suzuki-sama can win the trust of Miyoshi Yoshihide. At that time, you lead Suzuki-sama to visit Miyoshi Yoshihide during the war, saying that you have important military information to report, and Suzuki-sama takes the opportunity to assassinate him.
And you don't have to do it yourself and shirk all the responsibilities. Afterwards, you are welcome to join the Yuqiu family. We will report your achievements to the Oda Hall on your behalf and protect Awa, who should belong to you and your father.
I will return your position to you and help you return to Awa. Let you take back everything that once belonged to the Hosokawa family."
·
Time goes back to the battlefield of Settsu on November 18, the fourth year of Tensho (1576), in the shogunate of Awa Zhong.
When everyone saw Yoshihide Miyoshi being shot to death, with his brains and blood splattered, no one understood how he died - was it magic? Or witchcraft? Why could an unignited iron pipe actually kill someone?
Beaten to death? When everyone in the shogunate was in panic, Suzuki Shigehide rode on an unattended horse nearby and ran outside without saying a word.
"Hurry up and catch him!" When Hosokawa saw Suzuki Shigehide riding his horse and rushing out of the shogunate, Hosokawa shouted deliberately half a beat later. Then he got on his horse and rushed after Suzuki Shigehide.
At the same time, he gave blind instructions to his own guards, "Go to the south to investigate, there are still accomplices in the south!"
Miyoshi Yoshiken's bodyguards heard Hosokawa Shinyuki's order in panic and carried it out without thinking. They all headed south, while Suzuki Shigehide and Hosokawa Shinyuki rode towards the north one after the other.
The troops of Awa Zhong didn't know what was happening in the shogunate at this time. They only saw their young master and another man galloping on horseback, and they didn't know what to do. While the army was hesitating, Suzuki Shigehide and Hosei
Chuan Zhenzhi had already taken advantage of the chaos to escape from the battlefield and headed towards Yu Qiu's house along the mountain road they came from.
Not long after, inside the Yuqiu family’s camp.
"Your Highness! Lord Suzuki is back!" A messenger ran to Yu Qiuping excitedly and said, "Sir Suzuki didn't run away! He said he also killed Yoshihide Miyoshi! It's true, our sentry has seen Awa
There is great chaos in all the positions! Suzuki-sama brings Hosokawa Shinyuki to see His Highness!"
"Ah?" All the retainers except Yu Qiuping and Amano Jingtoku were at a loss at this time. Only Yu Qiuping and Amano Jingtoku looked at each other with a relieved smile, and the joy in their eyes could no longer be hidden.
"I have deceived you before, and I am willing to apologize to you. It was all a plan." Amano Keitoku, who had kept secret for several months, finally revealed the truth to his colleagues after the work was completed: "I had an affair with Lord Hosokawa, Suzuki
Your Excellency is a double agent sent by me. I told Lord Suzuki about the information and movements of the Oda Army, and Lord Suzuki passed the information to Yoshihide Miyoshi through Lord Hosokawa, thereby gaining the trust of Yoshihide Miyoshi. When the war broke out, the war was in chaos.
At this time, Suzuki-sama will take the opportunity to run away, led by Hosokawa-sama, to ask for a meeting with Miyoshi Yoshihide, and take the opportunity to assassinate him."
"You?" Takenaka Shigeharu stood up angrily after hearing this, walked quickly to Amano Keitoku, and asked in a deep voice: "I just said that the movements of the two armies in the past few days cannot be seen at all. It turns out that it is
There is a traitor in our own family! Look what you did with the information you leaked! His Highness Araki was forced to rebel, His Highness Hashiba was defeated, and the Oda family army was almost defeated! This is all your fault!"
"Those who can't give up anything can't save anything. If you want to kill Miyoshi Yoshihide, you have to pay the price." Amano Keide's face didn't turn red, his heart didn't beat, and he answered without any guilt.
"Then why did you leak real information? And leak such crucial information? Harm the army to this?" Takenaka Shigeharu still couldn't accept it and continued to ask.
To be continued...