On the afternoon of September 25, the Tenth Year of Astronomy (1541), Zentokuji Temple in Suruga Province.
"I'm sorry to bother you, the Soldiers' Department." Imagawa Yoshimoto gave a slight salute to Fuji Nobutada, who was in a hurry.
"Since it is an order from His Highness, it is my responsibility." Fuji Nobutada did not wear a military uniform, but was dressed as a shrine priest. Behind him were many priests of Fujiyama Sengen Taisha Shrine. "I just didn't expect that.
, His Highness actually gave up the opportunity to march and instead prayed for the soul of Hojo Sakyo at the temple."
"After all, there is a kinship. If a blood relative dies, how can the younger generation not burn incense and pray for blessings?" Imagawa Yoshimoto sighed and looked towards the east, "I have sent Master Lengquan to Odawara Castle to express my condolences, but
I definitely can't go there in person, so I'll just recite sutras for my cousin uncle here. I'd like to thank the Fu soldiers for setting up some arrangements in the temple. After my teacher left, the abbot of Shande Temple has been vacant, and no one can cope with this occasion.
."
Fuji Nobutada arranged the decoration in the temple, and Imagawa Yoshimoto led a group of guards to the mountain behind Zentoku Temple, looking at the familiar and unfamiliar mountain scenery. Imagawa Yoshimoto thought that he would definitely be very happy after living in Zentoku Temple for a long time.
He couldn't bear to leave here. However, after returning to his hometown, he didn't feel very comfortable. When he was a child, every plant and tree in the mountains in Mingming Temple made him happy, and every day he spent in Mingming made him feel fulfilled. Being able to spend time in free time made him feel happy.
It would be perfect if I peeked at one or two poetry collections and picture albums from time to time. But at this moment, I can no longer understand the mood I felt at that time.
Imagawa Yoshimoto finally understood that what he missed was not Zentoku Temple itself, but the time of Taiyuan Xuezhai. Without that stinky old man who always wanted to confiscate his treasures, no matter how good the flowers, birds, fish and insects were, they would be boring.
Imagawa Yoshimoto walked down the foot of the mountain and took another mountain road back to the temple, but happened to meet a group of travelers in a pavilion on the roadside. The leader was a man over fifty years old. He was quite clean, but he had been working hard for years.
The wrinkles left behind cannot be concealed. His complexion is not very good, he is old and lifeless. The few followers behind him are carrying some small luggage, and they seem to be businessmen coming and going.
When Kentaro Tian Shen and Yoshira Kira saw the stranger, they both took a step forward, pressed their swords on the hilts, and protected Imagawa Yoshimoto behind them. However, Imagawa Yoshimoto himself felt that it was nothing.
He didn't feel any murderous intent, and he didn't look like a dangerous person.
"Your Majesty, please..." The middle-aged man saw that Imagawa Yoshimoto's bodyguard was not a good person, so he hurriedly explained, "We are passing business travelers. We wanted to go to Zentoku Temple to burn incense, but we were told that the temple was preparing for rituals.
They stopped us outside the house and took shelter in the pavilion on the mountain for a while, hoping to wait until it was over before entering the temple."
"That may have to wait a long time. You should find a hotel to spend the night first, at least the day after tomorrow." Imagawa Yoshimoto also reminded kindly, and at the same time motioned to Kentaro Taro and Kira Hoshige not to be too rude.
"Does it take so long?" The middle-aged businessman heard this with regret, "I just heard that an old acquaintance passed away, so I hurriedly wanted to go to the temple to pray. If it takes so long, then..."
"I'm sorry, it's an official business of the Imagawa family, so I can't accommodate you." Imagawa Yoshimoto apologized a little.
"If we go forward, how long will it take to encounter the temple?" the merchant asked again.
"Go forward here, across the Fuji River, and there is the castle town of Kamahara Castle. But right now..." Imagawa Yoshimoto pointed to the way he came. The merchant looked in the direction of Imagawa Yoshimoto's finger and found that the road was full of Imagawa troops.
It is estimated that the merchants will not be allowed to pass through the camp.
The merchant showed a troubled look again, and Imagawa Yoshimoto couldn't bear it, so he asked: "I wonder who you want to pray for? If you don't mind, you can tell me, and I will go to the temple to offer incense on your behalf."
The merchant hesitated for a moment, and finally chose to tell the truth: "Every ordinary citizen like me knows this, and the adults of the Imagawa family must have known it too. To be honest, I ran a shop in Odawara Castle and suffered a lot in those days.
The care of His Highness Sakyo Hojo. Now that I heard that His Highness Sakyo has passed away, I want to pray for his soul."
Imagawa Yoshimoto was stunned when he heard this, and looked at each other with Furunoji Yutaka - if even ordinary business travelers knew about it at this time, it means that the Hojo family either did not want to block the death information, or the situation was completely out of control and could not be controlled.
Live. However, Hojo Utsuna was already located in Hojo Ujiyasu in the prequel, and he has actually lived in seclusion. Maybe it was for this reason that the news was not blocked.
"If this is the case, your Excellency will be distracted. The Imagawa family's move is precisely to pray for Hojo Sakyo." Imagawa Yoshimoto bowed in the direction of Zentoku Temple from a distance, "I carry your thoughts with you,
Let’s recite sutras together.”
"Ah?" The merchant was stunned for a moment. After thinking about it for a long time, he seemed to feel that his speech was inappropriate, but he finally asked, "I see that there are troops gathering on the road, and I thought that the Imagawa family wanted to take advantage of His Highness Sakyo.
On the occasion of his death, he will attack Hojo."
"Don't talk too much." When Furunoji Yutaka realized that this merchant was trying to get information, he immediately reminded him coldly. Upon seeing this, the merchant immediately apologized.
"The mourning of the enemy is ultimately inconsistent with etiquette." Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't care, but sighed with some emotion, "His Royal Highness Imagawa Yoshitada passed away unexpectedly, leaving His Highness Xiu (a relative of the Imagawa clan) an orphan.
As a widowed mother, the disaster only happened in a blink of an eye, and she was saved only by Mr. Soun. Now it is the turn of Mr. Soun's son, Hojo Sakyo, to pass away. The Hojo family is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and I am afraid that it will be in turmoil at this moment. If it is repaired to His Highness's son (Imagawa Yoshimoto)
), instead of taking advantage of people's danger to invade, wouldn't it be a disgrace to our ancestors? It is really a disregard of kindness. Although Imagawa and Hojo are enemies now, they should be upright and decisive on the battlefield, so how can they do such an indecent thing?"
"This samurai-sama of the Imagawa family is a well-educated and sensible person." The merchant was also infected by Imagawa Yoshimoto's conversation, "I hope that your Majesty will think the same way."
Kira Weicheng laughed out loud after hearing this and whistled at Kentaro Tian Shen beside him.
"Then I won't wait any longer, little man. It seems that I don't know when the official road will be opened, so I will go home first." The merchant bowed deeply to Imagawa Yoshimoto, and then led his entourage down the mountain. Imagawa Yoshimoto
After Yuan said goodbye, he also went all the way back to Zentoku Temple to see how Fuji Nobutada was preparing.
He didn't know that the group of merchants had gone around to the back of the mountain more than ten miles away - that place was full of ambush troops wearing Hojo stripes and banners.
"Father, where have you been?" Hojo Ujiyasu came up to him with some dissatisfaction when he saw Hojo Uzuna returning with someone, "I've been looking for a long time but I haven't seen anyone."
"The Imagawa Army will not advance. Let's retreat and wait for the Takeda Army at Mizō Pass." Hojo Utsusuna coughed twice and no longer concealed the sickness on his face. He saluted with the bag he was carrying on his back.
He handed it over to his entourage and said, "There is no need to keep troops in the Kadong area, and the same goes for Izu. Send them all back, and be on guard against the Uesugi family of Ogidani."
"Ah? Dad, are you afraid that you are an old fool?" Hojo Ujiyasu laughed dumbly, "I told you to eat on time. If you don't eat, you will be so hungry that you can't even think."
"I'm not joking." Hojo Utsusuna just shook his head, waved to his subordinates, and reiterated his order.
"Why?" Hojo Uzuna became serious when he saw that Hojo Uzuna was so solemn.
"The features and eyes look very much like his father's, but his behavior is completely different. It's not appropriate to mourn someone. I never thought there would be a humble gentleman in this world?" Hojo Ujitsuna said, but he couldn't hear what Hojo Ujiyasu said.
If he understood, he turned around and walked outside the camp.
"Dad, I think my brother-in-law Yoshimoto noticed that you were faking your death? He also noticed that there was an ambush here? That's why he stopped marching?" Hojo Ujiyasu followed in Hojo Ujitsuna's footsteps and asked in confusion.
"No, he just doesn't want to take advantage of others' danger. Because my father helped his father in times of need after his grandfather was killed in the battle. Now it's my turn to die, and he doesn't want to repay the favor. As Imagawa
The son of a repairman, he wants to repay the favor from that time." As Hojo Utsusuna spoke, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"There won't be such idiots in the world, dad." Hojo Ujiyasu laughed again, "If this is the case, destroying the Imagawa family is not a matter of a snap?"
"You think he's an idiot?"
However, Hojo Utsuna suddenly stopped and turned to look at Hojo Ujiyasu. The solemnity in his eyes was something Hojo Ujiyasu had never seen before in his life.
"What do you mean, father?" Hojo Uyasu asked stammeringly.
"Human nature is inherently evil. And in this world, whoever is worse will win. Some people are not bad enough in their bones, and sooner or later they will die. Some people just follow the crowd, and although they do bad things, they are not cruel enough and live a mediocre life.
A few people are born to be villains, and they can dominate a party by unleashing their malice unscrupulously. But some people are different. They go retrograde in the evil world, deny themselves and restore etiquette, and suppress their hearts with spiritual power that is unimaginable to ordinary people.
All malice. What kind of strong cultivation can make a warrior become a gentleman in troubled times?"
"But have you ever thought about what would happen if one day he no longer uses his mental power to suppress malice, but instead helps others to do evil? He has suppressed it for most of his life, and the malice that bursts out will be difficult for ordinary people to resist, and even more so.
It’s unimaginable. So, I still hope that such a gentleman will always be a gentleman.”
Hojo Ujiyasu took a deep breath.
Hojo Ujitsuna put his hands behind his back and was silent for a long time. He looked at the birds flying towards Odawara Castle and the clouds floating towards Odawara Castle. Finally he sighed and said:
"When I faked my death before, didn't I leave the 'five admonitions' for you? There's no need for them now. Just one is enough."
"Don't force that gentleman to become a villain, don't release the devil in his heart from hell."