On August 12, the sixth year of Tensho (1578), Kyoto welcomed a guest. Oda Nobunaga summoned Akihira Ame, Hideyoshi Hashiba, and Mitsuhide Akechi to Kyoto to accompany him, leaving all three of them confused.
Mizu Akechi Mitsuhide has just recovered from a serious illness, while Hideyoshi Hashiba is still busy with the confrontation on the front line, and Ume Akihira is also planning a rotation operation to Awaji Island. Who will the guest they come back to greet specially?
"Who the hell is this?" Hashiba Hideyoshi, who was sitting in the Honnōji Temple reception tea room, took advantage of the fact that Oda Nobunaga and his guests had not yet arrived. He couldn't help complaining to Akechi Mitsuhide and Amakihei, "I have been preparing for a long time.
I want to take back Akashi from the Harima Kingdom. The battle is about to start, and all the troops on the front line are in place. My lord suddenly called me back. It’s really uncomfortable!”
"It's not like you don't know my lord's temperament." Yu Qiuping smiled and comforted, "But my lord has made such a big fuss, and the people he wants to see must be distinguished guests. Moreover, he didn't call His Highness Shibata and His Highness Sakuma, only
The three of us might have something to do with the Western Kingdom Raiders."
"Oh? That's what Hongye said." Hideyoshi Hashiba raised his eyebrows excitedly when he heard this, "That's it..."
Before he could finish speaking, the sound of footsteps could be heard from the far end of the corridor. Amakihei and Hashiba Hideyoshi quickly stopped talking, and together with Akechi Mitsuhide, they bowed down respectfully, waiting to greet Oda Nobunaga.
"Everyone, get up. What are you doing kneeling there? Our Oda family's army commanders all have this groveling virtue. Isn't that making outsiders laugh?" As soon as Oda Nobunaga entered the door, he looked at his three proud subordinates and was satisfied.
He burst into laughter, but kept complaining.
Yu Qiuping raised his head and found that Oda Nobunaga had brought two people. One young man was about 25 or 26 years old, a little frail, and his face was not very good-looking. The other was dressed as a samurai, probably the same as Yu.
Qiuping is about the same age. He looks much more haggard than the young man, but his bright eyes sparkle with extremely firm belief.
"This is His Highness Niko Katsuhisa, the governor of the Niko family, and this is Mr. Yukisho Yamazaka." Oda Nobunaga briskly introduced the two guests to the retainers, and his brisk tone contrasted with the heavy fate of these two people.
, there was a strange harmony.
"I have met His Highness Nizi, Lord Yamanaka." After Uakihira, Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide greeted them, Oda Nobunaga took over and said, "Your Highness Nizi, these three are the Yu Oda family responsible for the strategy of the Western Kingdom.
If you have any requests, you can just ask them directly. There is no need to ask for help." After that, Oda Nobunaga didn't want to delay for a moment, got up and left, leaving a confused person behind.
Three people.
"Your Highnesses!" Before Yu Qiuping could come to his senses, Yukimori Yamazaka in front of him suddenly bowed down and prostrated, and said in a deep and sincere voice, "Please give your three Highnesses a helping hand to the Nizi family! If the Nizi family can be revived,
, I am willing to work for your three highnesses for the rest of my life!"
"Yamanaka-sama doesn't have to be like this." Hashiba Hideyoshi now understood the whole story. Presumably these two people found Oda Nobunaga, hoping that the Oda family could support them in reviving the Nizi family. The Nizi family was originally a daimyo with great influence in China.
At its peak, it once had power in the eleven kingdoms of Shanyin and Shanyang, so the overlord of the Nizi family, Nizi Jiujiu, was also known as the "Prefect of the Eleven States of Yin and Yang". However, with the death of Nizi Jiujiu and the collapse of the Nizi family
Talents withered one after another
Zero, the Maori family gradually rose up, gradually encroaching on the Nizi family's territory. Finally, the Maori family captured the Nizi family's hometown, Getsyama Tomita Castle, and the Nizi family perished. After that, the Nizi family's relics began to fight under the leadership of Yukimori Yamazaka.
Each revival movement was defeated by the Maori family. With no other choice, he had no choice but to seek refuge with Oda Nobunaga.
The Nizi family and the Maori family are sworn enemies, and they will spare no effort in fighting against the Maori family. However, the centipede will not die, and the Nizi family also has huge influence in China. If the power of the Nizi family can be used well,
, presumably they can get twice the result with half the effort in the Western Kingdom Strategy. This is why Oda Nobunaga introduced these two people to Hashiba Hideyoshi and three others.
However, Oda Nobunaga's goal was to spread military power across the world, and he would naturally not help a daimyo who was on an equal footing with him to restore the country. So, he directly asked Katsuhisa Nizi to negotiate with his retainers, and the retainers would help the Nizi family recover. In this way
As a result, even if the Nizi family really regains its power in the Western Kingdom, it will still be inferior to Oda Nobunaga. At best, it can only exist as a vassal, even worse than Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose status is ambiguous.
After figuring out these joints, Hashiba Hideyoshi was naturally very enthusiastic about Nizi Katsuhisa and Yamanaka Yukimori, "A few days ago, I heard that Nizi-sama and Yamanaka-sama were still active in Inaba, and for some reason they suddenly came to Kyoto?"
"Yamana Yutoyo..." When mentioning this, Nizi Katsuhisa, who had been calm at first, suddenly gritted his teeth with hatred, "He actually betrayed us for the second time! Do you still have any sense of martial law in your heart?"
"Six years ago, we relied on the Yamana family to attack Inaba. Yamana Yutaka had already betrayed us once, but after being defeated by us, he promised to forget about the past and rebuild old friendships. We did not hold him accountable, returned Tottori Castle to him, and made peace with him.
He formed an alliance. Who would have thought that last year, when we were fighting on the front line with the Maori family, he suddenly stabbed us in the back and attacked us from both sides with the Maori family. Inaba, which had been in business for so many years, was gone, and we were forced to become homeless...
"
"Yamana Yutoyo is even more shameless and hateful than Yin Qiyue... When we returned to Izumo for the first time, the situation was very good, but Yin Qiyei, who was originally our ally, suddenly turned to Mouri..." Ni Zisheng
After talking for a long time, I was so angry that I could hardly speak anymore. I was gnashing my teeth and even tears would fall down. "It has been more than ten years since the Nizi family was subjugated, and they have been fighting for the restoration of the country unswervingly. At critical moments, always...
Youxiao's betrayal... The price is the lives of the loyal ministers and generals of the Nizi family... After three failures, we now have only a few thousand people left... I have heard for a long time that the Oda family has become more powerful in the world, and this time we can finally find a samurai family worth entrusting to us!"
When Yu Qiuping and others heard this, they were also sighing. The Nizi family's already bumpy road to national restoration was almost destroyed because of these three betrayals. This family seemed to be cursed. It was really unlucky.
After some discussion, Hashiba Hideyoshi decided to temporarily bring Nizi's family under his command and let them serve as the vanguard in the Harima strategy. Later, Hashiba Hideyoshi took Nizi Katsuhisa to discuss the placement and status of Nizi's legion, and
Yamanaka Yukimori stayed to communicate with Yu Qiuping and Akechi Mitsuhide.
"What a misfortune." Yu Qiuping deeply regretted what happened to Nizi's family. "I met the treacherous Xiaoxiao twice in a row. No wonder His Highness Nizi hates them so much."
However, Yamanaka Yukimori did not echo Yu Qiuping's condemnation of Yinqi Qing and Yamana Yufeng.
On the contrary, his expression was a little gloomy. Yu Qiuping felt a little surprised - when Nizi Shengjiu scolded these two people just now, Yamanaka Yukimori also didn't answer.
"Don't you hate them?" Akechi Mitsuhide also had the same question as Yu Qiuping.
"Actually, neither Mr. Oki nor His Highness Yamana are bad people." Yamanaka Yukimori glanced at Yu Qiupei and Akechi Mitsuhide, and then looked at the direction Ni Zisheng was going, and then said with some embarrassment, "Say no.
Hate... I am not a saint, and I ask myself that I can't do it. But in the turbulent times of the Warring States Period, it was not easy for everyone. The Maori family is at the peak of the sun, while the Nizi family is just a candle in the wind. People with a discerning eye will know who to support at a glance. Lord Yinqi and His Highness Yamana
Being able to help us and take us in when we are in trouble is already a great kindness."
"As for the subsequent defections... I can only say that under the pressure of the Maori family, they had to make a choice to preserve the family. After all, they are not the relics of the Nizi family, and they have no obligation to fight for the Nizi family." Yukimori Yamanaka sighed.
In a tone of voice, he shook his head helplessly and said, "Although their betrayal did cause us heavy losses, we must not forget the kindness they treated us before. I, Shikanosuke, will never do anything about dou Mien and rice enmity."
It won’t come out.”
"By the way, your two highnesses." Yamanaka Yukimori suddenly remembered something, Asame Akihei and Akechi Mitsuhide bowed, "If the Western Kingdom strategy is successful, and Yamana-sama and Oki-sama fall into the hands of the Oda army...
His Highness Nizi and his colleagues will definitely demand their execution and even bring harm to the family... Due to my status, I cannot stop them, so I hope that your Highnesses will intercede on my behalf."
Yamanaka Yukimori's words made Yu Qiuping and Akechi Mitsuhide silent for a long time, looking at each other speechlessly.
"You look a lot like someone."
Akechi Mitsuhide suddenly looked at Yamanaka Yukimori and said these words.
Do you want to say that good people are bad? Yu Qiuping glanced at Akechi Mitsuhide, whose eyes were already a little moist.
"Don't worry, we will not only help you restore the Nizi family to the country, but also intercede for you." Akechi Mitsuhide agreed to Yamanaka Yukimori's request without hesitation. Yu Qiuping was stunned when he heard this, and his expression was a little frightened.
Yamanaka Yukimori stood up with red eyes and looked at Akechi Mitsuhide and Yu Qiupei: "Thank you two highnesses! There are so many people with lofty ideals to help on the road to the restoration of the country! It must be the blessings of the ancestors of the Nizi family! How can Shikanosuke be so virtuous?
Can...should bear such responsibility."
"After the fall of Tsukiyama Tomita Castle, the Mori family hunted down the remnants of the Nizi family throughout Kansai. Those who could persevere and continue to fight for the Nizi family were loyal ministers who had been favored by the Nizi family for generations... But I was useless, I had no choice.
Letting these loyal ministers be granted the title of wife and yinzi, there is no way for them to return home in fine clothes, and there is no way to collect their remains... I can't even give them hope of seeing the revival of the Nizi family... They will probably doubt and worry until they die.
I don’t know if the ideal I have been striving for all my life has been fulfilled, and I don’t know if the Nizi family has a future..."
Having said this, the man Yukimori Yamanaka was already in tears. He couldn't help but kneel down to Yu Qiuping and Akechi Mitsuhide, took off his helmet and placed it in front of him, kowtowed a few times and said, "I'm here.
I would like to swear to Mikazuki Shikaku Kabuto that I would rather bring seven hardships and eight hardships to my body than to revive the Nizi family. If the Oda family can help the Nizi family to restore the country, I am willing to commit seppuku in front of Tsukiyama Tomita Castle to repay the kindness of the Oda family!"
Chapter completed!