On the night of March 25, the twelfth year of Tianwen (1543), Anrakuji Temple in Kyoto.
As the information from Settsu and Hanoi continued to come back, the faces of Taiyuan Xuezai, Imagawa Yoshimoto and Takeda Harunobu became increasingly ugly.
"It was completely arranged by Kizawa Nagamasa." Taiyuan Xuezhai put the pile of letter paper in his hand into the stove next to him. He picked up the tea and sipped it carefully. After feeling uncomfortable, he simply called the waiter to bring some wine.
.
"I didn't expect that Miyoshi Chikuzen would be pushed to this point by a little guy like Kizawa Nagamasa?" Takeda Harunobu, who had always been very confident in Miyoshi Nagakei, was also shocked. "Could it be that I had a glimpse of the world's heroes? I couldn't have done it before.
I have never heard of a person like Kizawa Nagamasa."
"He has only recently become famous. Before, he was just the head of a country under the Hosokawa family.
But in less than a year, his power suddenly penetrated into most of Kinki, almost rivaling the Hosokawa family." Imagawa Yoshimoto recalled the information he heard from the casino, and then looked at Taiyuan Xuezai: "
Now that the situation has gotten so bad, shouldn't we look for an opportunity to evacuate? Otherwise, when Kizawa Nagamasa destroys the Miyoshi family and goes back to search Kyoto, we won't be able to escape our involvement."
"Not necessarily,
The situation is really uncertain." Taiyuan Xuezhai drank a large bowl of wine.
Face turned red from drinking,
But my mind was spinning faster.
"The Miyoshi family has run out of food, and their military strength is only one-third of the enemy's. Kizawa Nagamasa doesn't even need to fight, he only needs to trap the Miyoshi family for half a month." Takeda Harunobu also doesn't understand why Taiyuan Xuezai did what he did.
With this kind of judgment, he asked with a rare humility: "Why did Master Xuezhai say this?"
"There is no food in Kyoto. If you start directly from Kyoto, take the northern road and detour through Danba Country, you can directly deliver it to Iku Castle in the northern part of Settsu Country." Taiyuan Xuezhai drew a northward path on the map in front of him.
The arc bypassed the Kizawa Army lying between the Settsu battlefield and Kyoto.
"But Kyoto is also under the control of Kizawa Nagamasa's ally, Prime Minister Miyoshi. How could Prime Minister Miyoshi send food to Miyoshi Chikuzen, his mortal enemy?" Takeda Harunobu was confused.
"Miyoshi Echigo won't send it, but Commander Hosokawa will send it." Taiyuan Xuezhai judged very firmly.
"Why?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was also confused now, "Didn't the teacher say before that Hosokawa knew how to watch the feuding among his retainers and then come out to mediate and reap the benefits? How could he fight so hard for Miyoshi Chizen?"
"Control the water temperature, control the water temperature. Only warm water can cook frogs. If the water heats up too quickly, the frog will jump away. Kizawa Nagamasa just doesn't know how to control the water temperature." Taiyuan Xuezhai shook his head repeatedly.
Then he burped and said:
"He is going to put the Miyoshi family to death in one fell swoop, and then Chief Hosokawa, who was originally prepared to sit back and watch the success or failure, can't sit still. If the Miyoshi family is forced to surrender to the Kisawa family, then Chief Hosokawa will even contain the Kisawa family.
All the chess pieces of the Hosokawa family were gone, and the entire power of the Hosokawa family fell into the hands of Kizawa Nagamasa. If Miyoshi Chikuzen only suffered a small loss, perhaps the leader of Hosokawa would not end it personally. But now Miyoshi Chikuzen is all over
, then Commander Hosokawa can only do his best to help him deal with Kizawa Nagamasa."
Taiyuan Xuezhai's prediction was true. In the early morning of March 26, the twelfth year of Tianwen (1543), Hosokawa Harumoto had already led a group of bannermen to ride into Kyoto overnight and went straight to the residence of Prime Minister Miyoshi.
"My lord is here, but I couldn't welcome you from far away. I'm ashamed of myself!" Chief Miyoshi hurriedly came out to greet him, bowed to Hosokawa Harumoto and said hello: "I just don't know why my lord came suddenly in the middle of the night."
Hosokawa Harumoto used the light of the torch to look at Mayor Miyoshi in the middle of the night - the latter was dressed in military uniform and was obviously not ready for bed.
Could it be that he knew I was coming back here?——Hosokawa Harumoto couldn't help but feel "thumping" in his heart.
"These days, the security and dispatch of Kyoto have been entirely entrusted to my beloved. It is really hard." After all, Hosokawa Harumoto also comes from a famous family, and he politely leaves room for rhetoric.
"My ministers are working so hard, and as the Lord, I cannot continue to slack off. From today on,
I will go back to Kyoto and do the work myself. Aiqing can finally go back to the territory to have a good rest and spend time with her family."
"Please make atonement, my lord! I have disobeyed my lord for some reason, please make it clear to me!" When Mayor Miyoshi heard that Hosokawa Harumoto wanted to seize his military power and drove him back to his territory from Kyoto, he suddenly became anxious and apologized repeatedly.
"What's your crime, my dear? I just can't bear your troubles." Hosokawa Harumoto didn't have time to continue writing with Miyoshi, so he said a little more directly: "I have already sent someone to Hosokawa's house in Kyoto.
We have also sent people to inform the public at the Gongfang Hall that I will personally arrange the arrangements from tomorrow on. Those who love you can also prepare for the handover."
Having said that, the Hatamoto samurai behind Hosokawa Harumoto stepped forward one after another and put their hands on the handle of the sword. Prime Minister Miyoshi did not have many confidants in his residence at Dairenji Temple in Kyoto, so he was naturally not an elite Hosokawa Harumoto.
Hatamoto's opponent. What's more, he is also a subject of the Hosokawa family. Since the master's family has expressed his position to this extent, he has no other choice but to obey the order.
——Hosokawa Harumoto thought so, but the situation did not develop as he expected.
After the sound of an arrow, thousands of ambushes with torches suddenly appeared in the alley behind Dairenji Temple. The Hatamotos of the Hosokawa family were shocked when they saw this, and hurriedly stepped forward to protect Hosokawa Harumoto behind them.
.
When the ambush gradually approached, Hosokawa Harumoto finally saw the leading samurai - none other than his biggest enemy - Kizawa Nagamasa.
"Aren't you supposed to be assisting Miyoshi Chikuzen in Settsu to suppress the rebellion? Why did you come back to Kyoto? Could it be that you rushed back from the front line overnight?" Hosokawa Harumoto's eyebrows twitched and he asked with a smile: "
It's not Sakyo Kizawa's style to leave your post without permission."
"My lord, shouldn't I be on guard against the Rokkaku family's provocations in Makishima Castle? Why are you here in Kyoto? Could it be that you rushed back from the front line overnight?" Kizawa Nagamasa retorted coldly, "It really chills my heart to be idle.
."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "How outrageous!" The Hosokawa family members were furious when they heard this, "What do you care about what the lord wants to do? Do you still have any etiquette?"
"Ha, I'll tell you for you." Kizawa Nagamasa was not angry, but calmly and contentedly raised his horse, "My lord wants to take over the military power in Kyoto, and then transport food to Miyoshi Chizen on the front line through Tamba Country."
?”
"Why go to all the trouble? Wouldn't it be better to just ask the Kizawa family to help transport them through the direct official road?" Hosokawa Harumoto obviously did not mean to pierce the window paper. Seeing that Kizawa Nagamasa spoke so aggressively, he had no choice but to
He turned around and said, "Why, could it be that Aiqing and Miyoshi Chizen had another conflict before and were unwilling to help the friendly forces transport food? It really gives me a headache."
"No, no, no, I rushed back to Kyoto from the Settsu front line all night just to transport food for Miyoshi." Kizawa Nagamasa also didn't intend to directly quarrel with Hosokawa Harumoto, so he also took advantage of the donkey road down the slope.
"No need to worry about it, my lord, just leave the matter of suppressing the rebellion in Setjin to our ministers."
"Then I'll help you." Hosokawa Harumoto saw that Kizawa Nagamasa had a large number of people and knew that his possibility of forcibly taking back Miyoshi's military power was gone, so he retreated and signaled the bannermen to prepare to withdraw, "I
Let’s go back to Makishima Castle to confront the Rokkaku family.”
"No, please be careful, my lord!" However, Kizawa Nagamasa took a step forward and waved his hand at the same time, and his ambush soldiers came forward, "I heard a few days ago that there were assassins from the Eastern Kingdom infiltrating Kyoto. It might be
I came here for my lord!"
"What do you mean, Ai Qing?" Hosokawa Harumoto narrowed his eyes and squeezed the hand holding the horse's rein tightly.
"Naturally, I will protect the lord first. After catching the killer of Togoku and ensuring the safety of Kyoto, I will send you away from the capital!" Kizawa Nagamasa threw his hand down, and the ambushers took Hosokawa Harumoto and his
Hatamoto was surrounded by a crowd of people.
"You dare to rebel?"
"Are you going to put the lord under house arrest?"
"Kizawa Nagamasa, are you treason?"
Hosokawa Harumoto's bannermen were shocked and angry, pointing at Kizawa Nagamasa and scolding him.
"Oh my, my lord's servants seem to have misunderstood my loyalty." Kizawa Nagamasa still looked confident and confident, dismissing the anger of Hatamoto, "How many loyal ministers have been ruined by the little ones on the left and right?"
I hope my lord is aware of people's slanderous words."
After saying that, Kizawa Nagamasa raised his hand: "Please, my lord, I will escort you to Awata Shrine."
The time when Imagawa Yoshimoto and his party learned of the above changes was already in the early morning of March 26, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543). The person who informed them of this incident was not the ninja of the Imagawa family, but the panting Kanemasa Ichijo.
At this moment, he was looking around fearfully, and the hand holding his parcel was shaking.
"We saw the Lord Minister running away in panic on the street. We remembered that he seemed to be an old acquaintance of His Highness, so we helped him escape in hiding." Tsuchizumi helped him Ichijo Kanemasa into the room while talking to Imagawa Yoshimoto and Takeda Harunobu.
and Taiyuan Xuezhai Road.
"Ichijo, how did you end up like this?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked worriedly while offering another cup of tea to Ichijo Kanemasa to calm his shock.
"It's over, it's all over." Ichijo Kanemasa just smiled bitterly when he heard this, and fell down on the tatami: "Kizawa Nagamasa suddenly returned to the capital late at night, set an ambush, and captured the governor who came to Kyoto to try to seize the military power of Masaka Miyoshi.
The leader is under house arrest!"
"What?" Everyone present was shocked, even Taiyuan Xuezhai's expression changed.
"Not only that, even the public hall of Nijo Castle was impounded, and all our ministers who opposed Kizawa Nagamasa and supported Konoe Prime Minister's faction were also arrested in one sweep!" Kanemasa Ichijo said with a sad face and ruthlessly rubbed his hair.
It was a mess, "I saw with my own eyes the Kizawa army heading towards Nijo Castle with torches, and I also saw Chief Miyoshi leading people to the place where our ministers live, including Konoe Prime Minister, Nakamikado and Yamashina.
, they must have all been arrested! Then they came to my house again. Fortunately, I ran fast and met your ninjas again, otherwise I would be dead too."