Yoshihiro Shiba allowed Hosokawa Fujitaka to stay at the Shiba residence after the banquet, which sent a clear signal to all the people attending the banquet.
Shiba Yiyin, who was once regarded as a chaste widow, is succumbing to reality. Now that he has an illegitimate daughter, his attitude towards the defense of men and women is beginning to loosen.
This signal was quickly received by everyone.
Politics is the art of compromise, and there is never anything clean when it comes to politics. As long as the interests are sufficient, you can have sex with your enemies of life and death. Once your interests conflict with each other, like sisters, they will draw swords against each other.
Shiba Yiyin has become the most influential ruler of the island country, and there is no need to add one. The disputes surrounding his interests can no longer be slandered by just saying that a man is unchaste.
As long as the benefits are sufficient, some people will take the initiative to clear his name. As long as the benefits are substantial, countless Ji warriors are willing to live with him and have children.
Whether Spo Yiyin himself is saintly or dissolute is irrelevant. Whether enough political benefits can be obtained from him is the most important.
Do the high-ranking nuns of the Shingon sect, Tendai sect, and Yixiang sect really think that Yoshiyoshi is a god descending to earth, so they are dedicated to building momentum for him?
Do the powerful samurai inside and outside the shogunate really think that Yoshigan is a living god, so they would happily accept the illegitimate children of a slut to become the bloodline of gods?
In the final analysis, everyone is following the trend and working hard where there is least resistance in order to obtain the greatest political benefits.
As the saying goes, if you are in good ways, you will get many help, but if you are in bad ways, there will be few. Yiyin also relied on the combined force of the various appeals of the girls to be pushed to the forefront and achieve his own new Shinto.
No one is a fool, and no one wants to have trouble with themselves. Everyone is pursuing maximizing interests wholeheartedly.
But humans are not grass and trees, nor are they absolutely rational robots. After all, they have their own feelings. For example, Maeda Yoshi is very depressed right now.
Maeda's love for Shiba Yoshigan has not wavered over the years. Mitsuhide Akechi promoted Hosokawa Fujitaka, and the two stayed at the Shiba residence together. Maeda was naturally unhappy.
But she couldn't have the attack again, so she could only drink a lot of wine and return to Fushimi Castle.
Fushimi Castle is an important town in the south of Kyoto. It protects the Yodo River that runs through the Osaka Plain and the Kyoto Basin. Its main tributaries are in the Kyoto section of the basin.
It can be said that most of the supplies entering and leaving Kyoto have to be transported ashore from the southern suburbs and moved under the nose of Fushimi Castle.
Sakamoto Castle oversees the mouth of Lake Biwa, Yodo Castle oversees water transport to and from Settsu Province, Yamashiro Province, and Fushimi Castle in the southern suburbs of Kyoto.
These three important towns form the three nodes of water transportation in the entire Kyoto Basin, especially Fushimi Castle, the gateway to the southern suburbs of Kyoto, which is the most important city among the three cities.
Since Yoshigami Shiba led his troops to Luka and drove out the Oda family's forces in Kyoto, Maeda took over Fushimi Castle as the general general of the Shiba camp and commanded the defense of Yamashiro from here.
Tonight, Maeda returned to Fushimi Castle drunk and was about to take a rest when the guard told her that Maeda Riku had arrived from Iga Country and was waiting for her in the council hall.
Maeda was surprised and hurried to the meeting hall, smiling at Maeda Riku who had been waiting for him for a long time.
"Mother, why are you here?"
During the days when Maeda's interests were in Raku, Maeda Toshihisa had been guarding Ueno Castle in Iga Province, arranging supplies in the rear, and coordinating the support of the recent Shiba Territory to the Kyoto Shiba garrison.
Maeda Riku looked at the drunk Maeda in front of him, feeling a little distressed and a little dissatisfied.
"Why are you so drunk? You really don't know how to take care of your body!"
Maeda Riku helped Maeda Mitsuru to the throne, went out and called the waiter, and brought hot water to wipe Maeda Mitsuru's face.
Maeda, who was dizzy after drinking under his mother's careful care, showed a silly smile and waited patiently for his mother to ease his drunken discomfort.
After Maeda Riku finally poured a cup of hot water and slowly fed it to Maeda Yoshida, he frowned and sat back down in his seat, looking at the half-drunk and half-awakened Maeda Yoshida with a look of hatred.
Maeda asked with a smile.
"Mom, why are you here in Kyoto? Is the situation in Iga country okay?"
Maeda Toshiie said.
"The defenses in Iga are very good.
Otani Yoshitsugi has lived up to your trust, and even personally led people to guard the front line of the Suzuka Mountains in the middle of winter. Tarao Mitsujun of the Koga clan sent people to spy several times, but she blocked them all."
Maeda nodded.
"Otani-hime is worthy of me, and I feel at ease with her taking care of my back."
Maeda Toshiie asked.
"I heard that you vouched for Miyoshi Yoshitsugu in front of your Majesty. Are you planning to entrust her with an important role when the war starts next year?"
Maeda said with a smile.
"Yes, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu is a fierce general, and his prowess is comparable to that of the Miyoshi family's number one general, Tokawa Ichibun."
Maeda Toshiie shook his head and said.
"But after all, she is Shihe Icun's daughter. You also know that in the battle of Yamato, Shihe Icun was beheaded by the king himself.
If Miyoshi Yoshitsugu has a grudge against him and makes a counterattack in next year's war, affecting the war situation, you, the guarantor, will also be implicated."
Maeda sighed.
"My mother doesn't know that although I am trusted by your Majesty and, as the recent general of the Sibo family, am in charge of the military affairs of the Sibo coalition, this job is really difficult to do.
Not to mention that Nizi Katsuhisa and Takada Haruno were in charge of my logistics, and I had to discuss many things with them. Just saying that each of our allies had different ideas and treated me so perfunctorily made me feel very uncomfortable.
There's no way I can just complain to Tsudo-dono whenever I have a conflict with an ally, right?
Once or twice is okay, but after too many times, Tsutama will doubt my ability and feel that I am unable to control the situation.
Among the allied forces, Miyoshi Yoshitsugi was the most resolute in supporting Jun Shang's war. Whether it was military discussions or mobilization, she went all out, putting great pressure on other allies.
With her playing such a bad role, I can deal with those allies who don't agree with me much more easily.
These days, I have been in close contact with Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, and I have discovered that she is actually quite upright, and now she just wants to hug Tsutado-dono's lap tightly and prepare a way out for her future.
Since she does sincerely support Jinduoden and is very helpful to me, I am willing to give her a hand and use her as a helping hand, which will be beneficial to the war and the future."
Maeda Riku nodded and said.
"It's not easy for you either. The position of general is indeed not easy to occupy. If Miyoshi Yoshitsugi sincerely joins Tsutado-don, it would be a good idea to give her a hand.
What's the matter with you looking like this now?
Today’s banquet is supposed to be a banquet for the shogunate concubines at Tsudo Hall. Why are you drinking like this? If you accidentally lose etiquette at the banquet, wouldn’t it be a joke for outsiders to see?"
Maeda smiled bitterly.
"Mom, I feel really uncomfortable.
Akechi Mitsuhide is really not a thing, and he actually helped Hosokawa Fujitaka stay at Shiba Mansion. Isn't this a smear on Tsutado-don's face?
I don’t know what rumors will spread outside, but you really don’t want to be a subject of others, this treacherous sycophant!”
Maeda complained to his mother, and his anger towards Mitsuhide Akechi was beyond words.
Maeda Rihisa asked her in return.
"Benefit, how long has it been since you slept with your Majesty?"
Maeda Yoshida was frightened by his mother's words and subconsciously looked at the closed sliding door.
"Mother, why do you say this?"
Maeda Toshihisa sneered.
"Don't worry, there's no one at the door, it's just you and me, mother and daughter.
Why are you pretending to be in front of me? As early as Owari, I knew that there must have been something between you and Tsutama.
I'm just annoyed with you, why are you becoming more timid and fearful now, instead of being as bold as you were back then?"
Maeda Yoshiko smiled bitterly.
"Today is different from the past. Your Majesty's status has become higher and higher over the years, and I have also been entrusted with important responsibilities. However, I cannot be free and free and act as recklessly as I did back then.
Mother, haven’t you always been opposed to my obsession with the king and my jealousy with Maeda Toshiie? What happened to you today? You suddenly asked me about this?”
Maeda Toshiie glared at his daughter.
"Is it useful for me to object?
It has been six years since you came out of Owari. Half of the girl has grown into an old girl, but she is still stubborn and refuses to marry a husband honestly.
Also, the Li family is your fourth aunt. How can you call her by her first name? You don’t understand any etiquette.
Speaking of which, Li Jia is also a stubborn person. She is several years older than you. If she continues to be obsessed with her, she will become an old woman soon."
Maeda Riku became angrier as he talked, shaking his head and sighing.
In this medieval era, people get married very early, and they can become grandmothers and old women at the age of thirty. Toshiie Maeda is now twenty-seven or eighty years old, isn't he going to be an old woman?
A younger sister and an adopted daughter were all blinded by lard, and all they could think about was Shiba Yoshigan. What could Maeda Rihisa do?
To be continued...