In the early morning of September 24, the 9th year of Tenmon (1540), the Imagawa-Matsudaira coalition forces surrounded Matsudaira Hirotada, crossed the Oto River in a mighty manner, and headed for the castle town of Okazaki Castle Nanjo Castle. Matsudaira Nagachi (Matsuhira Hirotada's great-grandfather) and Matsudaira Nobutaka (Matsudaira Hirotada's uncle and the head of the Miki Matsudaira family) took the initiative to open the city gate and welcomed Matsudaira Matsudaira into the city. Matsudaira Nobusada, knowing that he was unable to resist the army, had already opened the west gate in embarrassment and fled, crossing the Yahagawa River and returning to his home. Went to Sakurai Castle.
By the time they settled down, it was already morning. Matsudaira Hirotada went into the city to meet with his clansmen and appease his subordinates. However, Imagawa Yoshimoto placed his troops in the castle town and did not enter the city - this was also Matsudaira Hirotada's request. He did not want to be The Matsudaira family regarded him as a traitor who led the wolf into the house. However, in order to show his courtesy to Imagawa Yoshimoto, Matsudaira invited Imagawa Yoshimoto and his horsemen to visit the city as a guest. The cautious Nagoya Ujitoyo immediately put forward a condition-Imagawa Army must Taking control of a city gate to ensure that Imagawa Yoshimoto could enter and exit safely, Matsudaira Hirotada removed all guards at the south gate.
Riding a horse and walking in Okazaki Castle, Imagawa Yoshimoto felt a completely different atmosphere from Imagawakan. Although it is also a large city that is the capital of a country, and even Okazaki Castle is larger in area, it gives people a far different feeling. Imagawakan. To be more specific, Imagawakan has a more lively atmosphere: the people are rich, and entertainment and catering are more developed. Teahouses can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, providing literati with the ability to recite poems and write poems.
However, there is an obvious feeling of desolation in Okazaki Castle. People carrying farm tools and crops on the streets are walking in a hurry, seeming unwilling to stay outside for a moment longer, and their clothes are shabby and rudimentary. There are few restaurants and restaurants in the castle town and inner city blocks. There are not many stall holders or businessmen, and the few hotels and accommodations are not doing well.
At first glance, it looks like a place that has been in chaos for many years.
Thinking of this, Imagawa Yoshimoto had already arrived in front of the castle tower. Under the personal leadership of Abe Nobuyoshi, he went all the way to the assessment room of the castle tower. Matsudaira Hirotada himself sat in the main seat, leaving the first guest seat on the left hand side. Imagawa Yoshimoto. There are three people sitting in the room: a samurai who is vaguely 70 years old and has a gray beard must be Matsudaira Nagaki. The other two samurai have somewhat similar appearances. The older one is Matsudaira Nobutaka, and the younger one is Matsudaira Nobutaka. His name is Matsudaira Yasutaka. Both brothers are uncles of Matsudaira Hirotada and younger brothers of Matsudaira Kiyoyasu.
"Thank you, Your Majesty Imagawa. We will definitely remember the kindness of the Imagawa Army to me and the Matsudaira family. From now on, the Matsudaira family should be our allies forever." Matsudaira Hirotada first saluted Imagawa Yoshimoto and handed him over. After entering the table, several other members of the Matsudaira family also leaned over to greet him.
"You're welcome." Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded and sat down, but found that everyone's eyes were turned to the door - there seemed to be some dispute there. The Matsudaira family's Hatamoto seemed to want to ask Imagawa Yoshimoto's bodyguard to wait in the guest room downstairs, but That Furunoji Yutaka refused to give in no matter what. He led Hayasaka Nao, Kira Hoshige, Tagami Kentaro, Okabe Motsuna, Asahina Taitomo and others without retreating, insisting on guarding the safety of Imagawa Yoshimoto next to the castle tower.
"It's okay, just let everyone wait outside the door and serve them tea." Matsudaira Hirotada naturally understood the worries of the Imagawa family's guards, and gave the order without hesitation with a wave of his hand.
"It's really ridiculous that I have to bother His Highness Imakawa to come all the way to mediate our household affairs this time..." Matsudaira, who was sitting opposite, smiled kindly, like an old man who cares about his younger generations, and his tone was also
It was so slow that it almost made people fall asleep, "Your Majesty Imagawa is a talented person, but he is a hero at a young age. He has the same demeanor as your father did back then."
"Thank you, Izumo-sama." Imagawa Yoshimoto bowed his hand and politely thanked Matsudaira Naganchika. At the same time, he quietly looked at this old monster who had made great changes in Mikawa. Back then, his father, the Imagawa clan, personally led the army to conquer Mikawa and Hojo.
Soun himself was the vanguard, but Matsudaira Nagachika fought back with all his strength. At one point, even his horse seal was rushed down. Thinking that his great-uncle Hojo Soun was defeated by him, Imagawa Yoshimoto did not dare to underestimate him.
Look at this man - Matsudaira Nagachi looks very old, as if he has lost the vigor of his youth.
"The Imagawa family is very happy to see the Matsudaira family get back together and His Highness Hirotada return to Okazaki Castle." Imagawa Yoshimoto bowed his hand again, "I hope that the two families will help each other in the future and not fight each other like the previous generations.
Already."
"That's natural, that's natural..." Matsudaira Changqin nodded repeatedly when he heard this, and a smile appeared on his aging face, "It is a great blessing for the Matsudaira family to be on good terms with the Imagawa family. Takematsumaru (Matsudaira Hirotada)
It was a good job, but I always looked down on him in the past and favored the incompetent third son, which brought countless troubles to the Matsudaira family..."
After saying that, Matsudaira Nagaimaki turned to Matsudaira Hirotada. Regardless of his seniority or age, he leaned deeply to bow and apologize. Matsudaira Hirohito was so frightened that he hurriedly stepped forward to help his great-grandfather, "What are you doing?
So? Don’t let this happen!”
"It's my great grandfather, I'm sorry for you... I'm also sorry for your father who died young. I failed to protect his young son. Instead, I was confused and soft-hearted for a moment and allowed that bastard third son to bully you orphans and widowed mothers. I'm really not a thing."
Ah..." Matsudaira Nagaki hugged Matsudaira Hirotada and cried, "After you ran away from Okazaki Castle, I would dream about my dead eldest grandson every night. I dreamed that he asked me, 'Takematsu Maru'
Where?' Every time I don't know how to answer, I wake up suddenly. I'm really sorry for him..."
"Fortunately, you are back safely now, giving me, an old and immortal guy, a chance to make up for the crimes he committed before. From now on, the Matsudaira family will be yours. If anyone dares to do anything to you again, I will be the first to stop him."
Agree. If that useless third son refuses to surrender, I will personally go to Sakurai City and chop him alive!"
"Grandpa..." Matsudaira Hiroyuki was in the arms of Matsudaira Changqi. Hearing those touching words, how could he not shed tears? He cried like a baby and kept whispering: "Please don't worry, I
I will never embarrass my third uncle. As long as he is willing to surrender, Sakurai Matsudaira's old collar will remain unchanged."
"Good boy, good boy..."
Looking at the warm scene in front of him, Imagawa Yoshimoto couldn't help but be moved. Did he wrongly blame Matsudaira for getting married? He may have been a scheming tycoon back then, but he is no longer so strong-willed when he gets older. I'm afraid he just
Think about having children and grandchildren and a harmonious family.
At this moment, Tsuchi Atsune hurried upstairs and asked to see Imagawa Yoshimoto. Knowing that there was an important military situation, Imagawa Yoshimoto hurried to the assessment room.
"Your Highness, last night, the Toda family suddenly launched an army to retake Yoshida Castle, insisting that the Makino family had deceived you. His Highness Udono himself was small in numbers, and the outer city was breached, so he quickly asked for help from the Makino family. Now the two families are united.
We just barely managed to save the Yoshida Castle Honmaru, and the situation is very critical. However, there are faint movements in the Saigo family and the Okuhira family, and there seems to be signs of instability." Tsuchi Atomsuke anxiously reported in a low voice, "Your Highness, please send troops to return as soon as possible!"
"The Toda family... really don't give people any peace of mind." Imagawa Yoshimoto sighed, calculated the possible number of rebels from these three wealthy families, and then whispered, "Let Gamaobei, Osawabei and Matsuibei
Let’s go back together to quell the rebellion and stabilize our retreat and food routes.”
"It's just your highness...who should I let take command?" Tsuchizune was a little confused after hearing this, "Matsui Saeemon Monsa-sama (Matsui Munanobu) has the largest number of troops, but His Highness Osawa Saeemon Monsa (Osawa)
Prime Minister) has the most seniority, and His Highness Matsui Hyogo (Matsui Sadamune) is also the father of Lord Matsui Zaoe Monsa..."
"Good question." Imagawa Yoshimoto also fell into deep thought after hearing this. During the Warring States Period, the superiority and inferiority among samurai was very critical. If the command authority was not arranged well, it might lead to tragedy - a samurai might be dissatisfied because of
Another samurai came to command him, and he committed seppuku in anger. The most extreme example is Akechi Mitsuhide. There is a saying that he was just dissatisfied with Oda Nobunaga asking him to accept the command of Hashiba Hideyoshi, so he launched the Honnoji Incident out of anger.
, roasted the master directly.
"Takeohmaru, please come and go." After cheering up, Imagawa Yoshimoto turned his attention to Yutaka Furunoji at the door, "As a member of the clan, you will supervise the army and coordinate the progress of each department. The specific command authority will be given to you.
they themselves."
"Yes." Yutaka Furunoji felt that Imagawa Yoshimoto's arrangement was quite clever, and immediately took the order and left. After a while, he saw the Imagawa army outside the south gate detached a force of nearly 2,000 people, and marched toward them in a mighty manner.
Open the way from the southeast.
"Your Majesty Imagawa, what's the matter?" Seeing that Imagawa Yoshimoto had not returned for a long time, Matsudaira Nagachi personally came to the door to look for him.
"No problem, let's continue the tea party to celebrate the reunification of the Matsudaira family." Imagawa Yoshimoto avoided the question with a smile.
September 26, Tenmo 9th Year (1540), Okazaki Castle, Mikawa Kingdom.
In the past two days, Matsudaira Hirotada, who returned to Okazaki Castle, sent messengers to each branch of the Matsudaira family, and received unanimous support and support from the Matsudaira family. The Lianfukuma Matsudaira family originally stood by the Matsudaira family.
The branch of the Shogaoka family also announced its return, and the Matsudaira clan was only one step away from formal reunification. Regrettably, after more than two days of negotiations, Matsudaira Nobusada was still unwilling to join the Matsudaira clan. Matsudaira Hirotada and Matsudaira Nagaki
Even though he still missed his old love, he couldn't bear it anymore and decided to send a crusade to Sakurai Castle.
"Please leave this task to me." At the evaluation meeting, Matsudaira Nagasaki volunteered in person, despite all objections. "I can only clean up the house by myself for this unfilial son. Although Takematsumaru is the governor of the family, after all, you have seniority.
If you are lower than him, it may not be easy to be harsh. But I am his father, so it is only natural for me to teach him a lesson."
"How can you lead an army on an expedition even though you are over seventy years old?" Matsudaira Hiroshi shook his head after hearing this.
"Yes, why bother my old lord?" Matsudaira Hirotada's cronies such as Abe Sedakichi and Okubo Tadashi also tried to dissuade them - but they were thinking about something else - they didn't want the military power of the Matsudaira clan to return to Matsudaira.
On your hands.
"Takematsumaru, all this chaos is ultimately caused by me. If I am not allowed to clean up this mess personally and reunite the Matsudaira family, how will I be able to meet my ancestors after my death?
With your father and grandfather?" Matsudaira said the emotional part and burst into tears again, "Please, for the sake of the old man's hard work, give me a chance to restore my reputation!"
"Grandpa..." Matsudaira Hiroyuki was stunned when he heard this, and he could no longer find an excuse to refuse.
However, Abe Nobuyoshi was very alert. He was worried that once Matsudaira Nagauchi led the Matsudaira clan's troops across the Yahagi River, he would switch sides and return to Matsudaira Shinsada's side. Someone had to monitor him. He was also worried that once the Matsudaira clan's army left, Imagawa Yoshimoto
There is a chance to control Okazaki Castle - although after leaving a force in Tojo Castle and sending troops back to Yoshida Castle to quell the rebellion, Imagawa Yoshimoto only has 1,300 people left on hand, such as Shidunbei and Ma Zhongzhong - but that battle
Li still cannot be underestimated. So, he suggested: "If this is the case, please ask His Highness Imagawa to lead the army together."
"Okay." Imagawa Yoshimoto naturally understood the subtext of Abe Nobuyoshi, but he didn't say much to refuse. What he wanted now was to end the matter quickly and return to the Imagawa Pavilion to see Taiyuan Xuezhai's precious broken box - this was
Taiyuan Xuezhai promised him in exchange.
"Please, Your Highness Imagawa!" Matsudaira Hirotada, who was completely unaware, glanced at Imagawa Yoshimoto with great gratitude, "My great-grandfather, please take care of me!"