April and May are the seasons with the least rainfall in Echigo country. As the sun shines and the weather in the northern hemisphere warms up, the thick snow towering in the mountains melts. The melted snow water just makes up for the water-deficient rivers. This season is exactly the time for farmers.
During the busiest season, the critical period of jointing and booting of seedlings, it is very important to maintain adequate moisture.
All adults over the age of 13 in the territory work in the fields, and the standing army also assumes the important responsibility of assisting the villagers in irrigation, fertilization, weeding, and insecticide. People depend on food, and the samurai are a group that rises from the peasant class.
It was only part of the story that the servants of wealthy families took the lead in working in the fields. Kira Yoshishi further emphasized that the army and the people should help each other. In peacetime, more people should help the people, and in time of war, more people should support the army.
It is absolutely not allowed in Echigo to have samurai who run rampant on the street with a tachi all day long, and they are not allowed to kill civilians with a tachi in the name of testing the sword. Such people will be hanged immediately as soon as they are discovered, no matter who can intercede.
There will be no mercy. Those who kill will be put to death, those who hurt others and steal things will be punished. Those who are unfilial will be paraded in the streets with shackles. Those who are loyal, filial and honest in the countryside can be recommended to the Tongxin Police.
Under the iron-fisted control of the Kira family, there were fewer and fewer provocations and troubles by ronin in Echigo. Those who did not show filial piety and loyalty were dismissed one by one. Later, the Kasugayama Castle garrison cooperated with the public and launched illegal prosecutions to arrest many corrupt officials.
The adherents who violated the law, enriched their own pockets, and neglected their duties swept away the unhealthy trends in the territory, and the name of the new appointee, the implementer Wangyue An Yun and the auspicious leader, gradually became known.
Ten kilometers southwest of Kasugayama Castle, there is a wooden and stone stockade hidden in the deep valleys of the mountains. More than 6,000 Takeda Army prisoners are detained here. They are strictly guarded by 2,000 guards. Three sentry posts are set up around the perimeter to protect the birds.
It's hard for a bird to cross.
The lives of the captives were not easy. During the busy farming season, they were urged to do voluntary labor by thousands of garrison troops. Farm work in the Guanchuan River Basin and the renovation and reinforcement of water conservancy facilities were all subcontracted to these prisoners. They were a group of slaves without spending a penny.
The slaves, the slave owners are the Echigo masters on the towering mountains.
They ate corn tortillas, pickled radish and potato kelp soup for three meals a day. They worked from dawn to sunset every day. They returned to the cell every day tired and fell asleep. They had no time or energy to think about escape or other things. They were fulfilling and productive.
The oppressive life forces them to forget the scars of defeat, the hatred of their relatives and colleagues who died, and even their own past.
The fortified castle was actually a prison for guarding prisoners. Not only did it contain 6,000 prisoners, but also many bandits and strongmen in Echigo Kingdom. Criminal samurai were also imprisoned inside. They went out to work voluntarily during the day and came back to rest after dark. There were garrison troops.
, the double insurance of the Tongxinzhong and the guards from all directions after Echigo, there is no fear that these prisoners dare to escape and escape in broad daylight. Those who dare to test the law are hanged on the gallows of the prison. So far, no lucky person has been able to escape.
.
On this day, the prisoners were driven out to work early. Only a few guards gathered together in twos and threes to brag and chat. Sanshirō stood on the oar and looked listlessly. He played Cuju all afternoon yesterday. In the evening, he was taken to play for half a night by his colleagues.
The military chess game caused him to almost not get up today. He was severely sleep deprived and just wanted to rest with his eyes closed.
"I will never play military chess in the future. I, Sanshirō, swear to the gods and Buddhas!" Sanshirō tried hard to support his heavy eyelids, but still couldn't help but gradually close his tired eyes. In his dream, he saw that he had married a beautiful wife and gave birth to a pair of twins.
The lovely children made great achievements on the battlefield and were recognized by the town government and promoted to warriors. He returned to his hometown in high spirits on a tall horse. When he saw his longing wife and children in the distance, he felt an indescribable feeling of happiness.
Just as he was hugging his wife and kissing her wildly, a rumbling vibration broke the peaceful dream. He opened his eyes and found that he had been hugging a pillar and kissing her for a long time. His mouth was filled with the bitter and salty taste of the wooden stake, which was disgusting. Sanshirō just wanted to vomit, and he was about to vomit while holding the arrow oar at the lookout, but he accidentally caught a glimpse of hundreds of red-armored cavalry rushing outside the village. At the front of the group of cavalry was a large Ashikaga Niyinryō flag.
"Is this... the royal horse returning to the crowd? The Lord of the town! Oh no, I have to rule them quickly!" Sanshirō was so anxious that he didn't even care about the taste in his mouth. He ran over and sounded the alarm bell, and the bells rang rapidly one after another. Awakening the leisurely warriors in the village, they hurriedly gathered to ask what was going on. Soon several nearby arrow oars reported the same message, and His Highness Gongfang's team was on the way.
The prison guard Suzuki once again led the defenders to escort the prisoners to work. The highest official in the city was Miyake Masada. When he learned about Kira Yoshi and made a sudden inspection, he was shocked and could no longer care about the dark circles accumulated in the middle of the night. He hurriedly ordered the drawbridge to be lowered and the city gates to be opened wide to welcome him. The hurriedly arranged team was scattered and disheveled to welcome the review.
The dejected cowards of Miyake Masada and several samurai leaders quickly attracted the attention of the horse-riding crowd. They did not laugh or joke or sarcastically, but just watched indifferently, as if they were watching a group of funny street performers performing burlesque. , five or six hundred horsemen broke into the camp as if there were no one around, completely ignoring the warriors on both sides of the queue.
Yamaoka Tokichō was very annoyed and glared at Miyake Masada. He secretly cursed this bastard for embarrassing the Mikawa samurai. He caught up with him and carefully looked at Kira Yoshitoshi's face. Furui Muha seemed as if nothing had happened. However, there was no expression of anger or disgust at all, but he really couldn't rest assured. He knew too well the character of Kira Yoshihide who couldn't get the slightest bit of sand out of his eyes.
Walking along the steps of the camp, everyone dismounted in front of the first gate of the camp and walked. They had to pass through another gate to find the prison area where the prisoners were guarded. Not long after entering the depths of the prison area, they heard Ji Liang's voice. Yoshitoki said calmly: "Tomorrow, the Watanabe Takatsuna team will be transferred to guard the camp, and the Suzuki Juji team will be transferred to Shimogoshi Niigata Town to wait for arrangements."
"Yes!" Yamaoka Shichang did not dare to speak for them, and could only mourn for them in his heart.
The construction of this large prison began two years ago. It took a year to use materials and in vain to guard the prisoners who committed crimes in the country. Although the punishments of the Middle Ages in Japan included many systems of the Tang Dynasty, with the comfort and corruption of the Heian period, After the Genpei era and the rule of the samurai shogunate, the relatively strict laws of the imperial court were replaced by the relatively loose samurai laws of the shogunate, and the original prison and exile system collapsed.
The samurai who committed the crime was either dismissed and exiled, or simply beheaded. Minor crimes were likely to be exempted from punishment by the intercession of other samurai. This was tantamount to placing human feelings above legal principles, as long as the criminal samurai had a close relationship with the master. You can be pardoned, otherwise you will be severely punished. For example, Maeda Toshiie killed Juami and was exiled relatively roughly.
With prisons and guards, the next step is to provide a loose space for the execution of prison crimes. Prisoners are free labor. They work in the fields during busy farming periods and are organized into spinning, weaving, printing and dyeing during busy farming periods. Those who are convicted of serious crimes will be sent to Sado Island to mine and work as a miner for the rest of their lives.
Climb the gates one after another and enter the most heavily guarded central area, where the senior samurai of the Takeda family are imprisoned. The once-all-powerful Takeda generals are imprisoned in cubicles wearing white prison uniforms with disheveled hair, and have not seen the light of day for months.
Covered in dust and unkempt, they looked like a group of beggars.
In a separate compartment at the far end, Takeda Nobushige held a painting of the Battle of Fujikawa and closed his eyes in meditation. He seemed to be thinking about a problem that troubled him. He didn't care much when he heard the dense footsteps in the distance. What was on his mind?
A samurai came over to persuade him to surrender without giving up. He was already familiar with the Kira family's methods of persuading them to surrender. He simply put down Kira Yoshitoshi's handwritten paintings and continued to fall asleep against the straw.
After waiting for a while, he heard the familiar sound of locks being locked. Takeda Nobushige still closed his eyes and said nothing, making up his mind to pretend to be asleep and avoid this situation. He had successfully used this method several times, and the Kira family's envoys to persuade him to surrender knew that he was
Pretending to be asleep but not daring to make a move, and unwilling to yell at the top of his lungs, he usually kept talking for a long time, until his mouth was dry and he didn't make any move, so he was forced to retreat in dismay.
This time he planned to use the same method to pretend to be asleep and hide away, but after waiting quietly for a long time, there was no movement outside. Takeda Nobushige subconsciously noticed that something was wrong, and opened his eyes slightly to see Kiragi looking at him with a smile.
He sat up subconsciously in shock and immediately began to regret his recklessness.
He didn't have time to straighten his clothes, so he hurriedly bowed down and bowed respectfully: "Takeda Nobushige comes to the Zhenfu Palace!"
"Ahem! But there has been no light these days. I think Dian Mang Palace is still unaware of the changes in the outside world. When His Majesty the Emperor officially ascended the throne and changed his reign title to Yonglu, my family master received three conferments from the Emperor. Now he is the noble one.
He is the Lord of the Zhenfu, and the shogunate also conferred the title of Lord Lord as the guardian of Ueno. I must be able to understand the significance of this, right?"
Yamaoka Tokichō interjected very cleverly, and it immediately had an immediate effect. Takeda Nobushige was excited when he heard that, knowing that the smiling young man in front of him had already left his brother far away, he thought to himself: "I never thought of this.
Defeat will lead to such a change. It seems that my brother still misjudged the background and skills of the Lord Town! Now that the defeat has occurred, I don’t know what the situation in Shinano will be like? If the Takeda family wants to beg for help under the attack of the Kira family,
If we want to survive, we must establish a good relationship with this Kōfōdōn, as we, the Takeda family, will definitely not be able to make dangerous moves again."
Kira Yoshi said a few words to the samurai behind him, and then said with a smile: "The Takeda Nori stable is fine. I have been separated from Qingliu Castle for several years, but I didn't know that we would meet again here. I couldn't help but sigh at the passing of the sun and the moon.
Things are fickle! Nobuya and Yu belong to two camps. It is blameless to attack each other for their own reasons. But now that His Highness Nosu is a prisoner of my Kira family, Nosu-dono should change his position. Why do he still have to do so?
Are you stubborn and stubborn about clinging to your limitations?"
Takeda Nobushige replied respectfully but bluntly: "Master Zhenfu, I'm sorry! I have my own persistence, family members and friends to protect, and a warm land that raised us. No matter how dilapidated our hometown is, it is still our home.
What the warriors pursue is to protect the inheritance and glory passed down by our ancestors. For this, we will not hesitate to sacrifice everything, so I will never surrender! Please forgive me!"
"As expected of the Kai samurai, the Takeda family samurai I admire most..." Kira Yoshi smiled and shook his head, as if he had expected this answer, and said: "The Nomiya is what I admire most.
If Dian Mang was persuaded by Yu's few words to volunteer, that would not be the example of a samurai that Yu admired... Whatever! Yu didn't bother Dian Mang. He cleaned the cell, opened a transom for ventilation and lighting, and washed it every day.
, our daily diet must be carried out according to the standards of a reserve general, don’t let the Takeda family’s samurai look down upon us!”
Takeda Nobushige never expected that he would leave so casually, without any expression of anger or displeasure, and just let him go so easily. He looked at the retreating figure in confusion and said hesitantly: "I didn't expect that the Zhenfu Guild would be like this.
A majestic warrior. Is this the magnanimity of a famous martial family?"
Picking up the carefully drawn painting again. Takeda Nobuyoshi led an army to raid the Taira camp, causing birds to fly high on the Fuji River. Taira Weisheng panicked and was coerced by the gang and fled in embarrassment. Countless white flags among Minamoto Yoritomo's main force were fluttering in the wind.
, it was a soul-stirring era, and it was the first time Genji in Kawachi showed his sharp fangs to the world with a killing of iron and blood.
Takeda Nobushige knelt down devoutly and bowed deeply: "May Namu Hachiman Bodhisattva bless the Kawachi Genji martial arts for a long time, and bless our Takeda family to be prosperous forever! Bless our Takeda family to survive the disaster!" What he worshiped was not a painting but a painting.
They are ancestors. They are not worshiping people but the gods of the Genji clan.
In another cell, when Takeda Yoshinobu glared at Kira Yoshi angrily, he still remembered the physical characteristics of the general who rushed into the formation that day. Most of the samurai in the entire East Kingdom who were over 1.7 meters tall were in Echigo.
, now that I think about it carefully, I vaguely remember that the red armor worn by that general was unheard of.
The barrel-shaped armor was able to block the sword's slashes, and he was hit by several arrows at close range without noticing it. The gold-plated Ashikaga two-biki-ryō pattern was faintly visible on the red armor. He was certain that the two-biki-ryō pattern was completely different from the ordinary Ashikaga two-biki-ryo.
, in the entire Kanto region, only Furukawa is the only one qualified to wear it.
Takeda Yoshinobu's whole body trembled with anger, but he was helplessly unarmed and surrounded by more than a dozen elite warriors holding sword scabbards. He suppressed the anger in his chest and asked: "You... you are the samurai who killed my father that day, you are...
Is that the governor?"
Yamagang Shizhang stood aside with his sword in hand and reminded: "Yixin Palace should pay homage to the Duke of Zhenfu!"
Takeda Yoshinobu woke up and saluted quickly. People had to bow their heads under the eaves. Takeda Nobushige had already told him not to confront the Kira family's samurai. This would not be a good thing for himself or the captured samurai under his subordinates. Maybe they would not
How about taking the young master of the Takeda family, but there are still more than 6,000 fellow gangsters imprisoned in this prison.
If the samurai of the Kira family were so angry with him that he turned around and attacked his sons, wouldn't it be his own fault? As the future governor of the Takeda family, how could he bear to watch his own gang members being persecuted, so he had no choice but to continue to endure it.
I can bear this breath for Liu Qianerlang.
It is clear that Takeda Yoshinobu is three years older than him, but the scene looks completely opposite. Takeda Yoshinobu is like an immature child with the impulse of a teenager, with anger appearing on his face. On the other hand, Kira Yoshinobu is still the same.
Looking at him with a smile, he said gently: "How has Yixin been living in the past few months? Is it comfortable? How is your mood? You can tell the guards what books you need to read, and they will try their best to satisfy you..."
"...No need, we Kai samurai are the most tenacious and we dare not trouble the town magistrate for inquiries!" Takeda Yoshinobu replied stiffly.
Seeing Takeda Yoshinobu's angry expression, he knew that this trip was in vain. The two men were determined and could not persuade anyone in a short time, so he smiled and nodded and said: "Well, then please invite Yoshinobu Your Majesty, please calm down and spend more time thinking about life choices, it may be helpful to you."
Seeing Kira Yoshihi nodded and turned around to leave, Takeda Yoshinobu couldn't help shouting: "Wait! I have something to say! Where is the envoy sent by my father? Why don't you let us go! You need it I can give you anything, whether it's money, food or territory, as long as you let us go, I can give you anything!"
The royal horsemen all showed disdain in unison, and Takeda Yoshinobu said angrily: "What are you looking at! Don't you know who I am? I am the young master of the Takeda family, how could you treat me like this! It's impossible to catch us. What does it mean to kill without letting go? Is there any martial artist who does this? Answer me!"
Kira Yoshitoki glanced at Yamaoka Tokicho, who saw this and strode up to him and sneered: "Yoshinobuden must not have figured out the situation yet! Your father was completely defeated by us, with more than 20,000 troops. Only 6,000 people escaped, and even the core warriors such as the nobles Yoshinobuden and Nomadoden were captured. Last year, Saku County was defeated in an instant by our army. Now Chikuma County is in danger, and the Takeda family is tense. How can I have enough energy to redeem the Yixin Palace? So please be patient and stay for a while. Maybe you can reunite with your father here in a year and a half."
Everyone who was listening to the audience burst into laughter. Takeda Yoshinobu grabbed his sleeves and staggered back with an expression of disbelief, muttering: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I am my father's only legitimate son. Father, I must They will come to rescue me, they will definitely... You must be lying to me! I don’t believe your lies! Don’t think that I will listen to your words, I will never believe you! Don’t even think about it!”
Takeda Yoshinobu was struck incoherently. Although he did not believe all this, he subconsciously accepted this statement. In fact, he also had a blind younger brother, Umino Nobuchika, who was the same age as Kira Yoshinobu. He got a disease a few years ago. The severe illness caused a high fever that kept burning until his eyes were blinded.
People are always hypocritical. According to common sense, he should not say that he is the only legitimate son. Only in this extreme situation will his true views be exposed. The proud Takeda Yoshinobu does not recognize his blind brother, the so-called brother. Youdi Gong was just putting on a show for his family and parents to see. Pride is also one of the bad qualities of human beings.
At the same time, it can be seen that Takeda Yoshinobu trusts his father very much, but he does not know that his father did not think about him at all, and forgot him on Kawanaka Island together with his biological brother. Maybe he has his own unspeakable difficulties, but even a Not sending an envoy is unjustifiable.
Yamaoka Tokichō grasped this point and continued to stimulate Takeda Nobuyoshi's fragile nerves: "Yoshinobuden carefully thought about the few months he had lived here. From late autumn to late spring, had any envoys come to visit? Have you ever heard of Takeda? Is there any news from the family? Yoshinobuden can think that the Kira family deliberately obstructed it, but why did the Kira family capture you? Isn't it a ransom?
You can't detain Yoshinobuden for the rest of your life. That's not what we do in the Takeda family. Sooner or later, Yoshinobuden will return to Kai. Your Majesty very much hopes that the Takeda family will be replaced by a more sensible family governor who will not always think about conspiracy and treachery. What a trick, why should the Miao descendants of Hanoi Genji fight to the death, only to damage the hundreds of years of foundation accumulated by their fathers and ancestors!
But the problem is that the Takeda family's envoy did not arrive. The Lord waited at Kasugayama Castle for a whole winter and the whole spring. This shows that Takeda Daisen lacked the goodwill he deserved. Perhaps he thought that the Takeda family could lead an army to retake the land, and then borrowed The machine forces us to exchange hostages, but in this way, your status in Yishinden will become dispensable."
"I will not believe your words! I will never believe it! My father will definitely come to save me! Not later but now, the messenger will definitely come, either today or tomorrow! You go! Go quickly! I don't want to see you again! "Takeda Yoshinobu was hysterical and crazy, and everyone on horseback rushed forward with quick eyesight and hands to hold him down.
Even so, he still yelled and acted loudly. Yamaoka Tokinaga and a dozen personal guards tightly protected Kira Yoshi when he exited the cell, cursing and saying: "This Takeda Yoshinobu really doesn't know what is good and what is good. Do you think I am a member of the Ashikaga family?" Is it a habit of cheating like them? If you still don’t believe me when you tell him the truth, you are really hopeless!”
The surrounding warriors showed expressions of approval, but Kira Yoshitoki shook his head and said: "Yoshinobuden's mood is understandable. His proud father abandoned him when he needed help the most. This is probably the most tragic moment in life. You have to Understand him with a tolerant heart and should not ridicule him."
"Yes! I'll wait and see." Yamagata Shichang listened solemnly to the order. Although he couldn't make great military exploits due to his duties after many battles in the past few years, he showed up and performed in every battle. After several battles, he improved the achievements he had made in his youth. The hair is washed off, revealing the simple and unpretentious warrior temperament. Having this temperament is the beginning of giving birth to a good general.
Looking back at the roaring in the cell, it quickly stopped. It seemed that a certain samurai had given him a blow on the back of the neck to completely relax him. It would be better to take a rest early after experiencing huge mental stimulation. The large group of people surrounded Kiragi and quickly left the dirty air. , and the humid and dark hinterland of the prison, the proud Yuma Hui people really did not want to stay in this dirty and dark prison for even a quarter of an hour longer.
Kira Yoshishi looked back at the deep prison, smiled slightly and thought to himself: "The seeds of distrust have been quietly planted, but I don't know when it will take root and sprout?" (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature, novels are better. Update faster!