Todo Takatora trembled twice, not knowing what to say for a moment. Her mother sent her to see him in order to clear up the relationship between Todo leader.
Now, luckily, Otani Yoshitsugi chased her to Gifu Castle, dragged her along to plead with the Odaisho for Maeda's benefit, and immediately forced her into a corner.
If it is said that Maeda was completely unaware of the interests, it would definitely be a lie. That guy was obsessed with his lord, and he was both angry and outspoken against the Ashikaga Shogun who wanted to forcefully marry his lord.
Todo Takatora really didn’t know what Akechi Mitsuhide had done. But what Maeda had done was not hidden from Toudo Takatora in his own small circle.
Through his daughter Toudo Takatora, Todo Takataka knew that Maeda's interests were involved in the Kyoto Incident, and immediately ordered her to come to Gifu Castle to see the master, in order to extricate the Toudo family.
Takatora Toudo also thinks this is reasonable. Although we are good sisters, Maeda's interests are so desperate that the sisters have to find their own way out.
She has always prided herself on her outstanding abilities, but even when she surrendered to Shiba Yiyin, she felt a little weird. Samurai Ji should serve seven lords throughout her life and constantly look for ways to climb up.
Although Shiba Yiyin is powerful, he is still a man. The future of the Shiba family is murky and unclear, so we should not get caught up in it.
It's just that this idea of Takatora Toudo has been suppressed by her mother. Her mother has never been a serious person in half her life. Once she got the opportunity, she was very satisfied with her current family business and was content with the status quo.
Toudo Takatora's active thoughts have never been exposed. Until today, she did not hesitate to betray Maeda's interests, finally showing a little bit of her cold nature.
But Otani Yoshitsugi's statement in front of Shiba Yoshigan made Takatora Toudo not know what to do.
Although Takatora Toudo wanted to sever the relationship, Maeda was still the boss of the Suba Military Admiralty Faction, so his intention to betray him should not be too obvious, otherwise he would not be able to continue to lead Shiba in the future.
She thought for a moment, gritted her teeth, bowed with Otani Yoshitsugi, and said.
"Your Majesty means the same thing.
Maeda Yoshida has worked hard and achieved great results, and her achievements in suppressing the Rokkaku family in the past two years are obvious to everyone. She just made a momentary oversight, and she has absolutely no second thoughts about you.
At the Imperial Palace, I dare to guarantee with my life that Lord Maeda Yoshida is a loyal minister of the Shiba family!"
Otani Yoshitsugi took a trick, and Toudo Takatora quickly reacted and picked up the conversation.
Sibo Yiyin sneered at their cleverness and was helpless.
Is Maeda loyal to her? She must be loyal. But the question is, whether she is loyal and whether she participated in the Kyoto Incident are not the same thing!
The retainers of retainers are not my retainers. This is a characteristic of the feudal system.
Ashikaga Shogun is rich in the world, and it is said that all the samurai families in the world are the servants of Ashikaga Shogun. But specifically, Maeda Yoshiki is not the retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, but the retainer of Shiba Yoshigan.
She is loyal to Shiba Yoshigan, and she can stab Ashikaga Yoshiki without any conflict!
Otani Yoshitsugi was confusing right and wrong, secretly changing concepts, and forcibly blocking the loyalty of Maeda's interests to Yoshihiro Shiba from the truth of the Kyoto Incident.
Anyway, Fujibayashi Anya is dead, and there is no evidence of his death. Who will prove that Maeda's interests were really involved? Who would believe what that bastard Mitsuhide Akechi said!
Yiyin sighed, feeling melancholy.
He recalled that when he was in Owari, he had nothing, and it was Maeda who led him to clean up the evil gangs in the wilderness and taught him the skills of fighting and killing.
It can be said that without Maeda Yoshida, the first retainer, there would be no Shiba Yoshi Bank today.
Yoshitsugi Otani can ignore Yoshitsugi's sophistry. But can Yoshigan have the heart to really bring down Maeda's interests?
He rubbed his forehead, feeling weak.
He couldn't be cruel to Takada Haruno. He still couldn't be cruel to Maeda's interests. After all, Ashikaga Yoshiteru's death was really in vain.
Yoshihiro could even see Akechi Mitsuhide's mocking smile of false elegance flickering in front of his eyes. That bastard had long known that there was nothing he could do.
If you can't even take care of your retainers, how can you take care of your foreign ministers? If you favor one and favor others, Yiyin's reputation for fairness and strictness will inevitably be damaged.
Yiyin slowly closed his eyes and said.
"I'm tired, please leave."
Otani Yoshitsugi and Toudo Takatora looked at each other, neither of them could figure out their master's thoughts.
After a long silence, Otani Yoshitsugi mustered up the courage and asked.
"Odaisho, the matter of Lord Maeda Yoshida..."
Yiyin closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the shadow of Akechi Mitsuhide dangling in front of him, and sighed leisurely.
"You have finished explaining the truth, what else can I say? She has merit and hard work, and I also remember the good things she did when she followed me.
That’s all, I just believe her.”
Otani Yoshitsugi couldn't bear it when he saw the tired look on his lord's face. He felt that what he did today was a violation of etiquette.
But after thinking about it, she didn't know what to say to comfort her lord. In recent times, these important ministers in Sibo have been really bastards, and she has lost her face as well.
So she kowtowed to the ground and retired together with Takatora Todo.
After the two of them left, Yiyin slowly opened his eyes and looked at the rafters.
Rituals are ruined and music is ruined. Jackals are in charge and lead the beasts to eat people. The way of the world is that there is no way for people to survive. They must either join in the evil or die quickly.
It's so difficult to be a human being.
———
Todo Takatora walked out of the inner courtyard and looked up at the New Year's sunshine, as if he was in another world.
Otani Yoshitsugi walked up to her silently, stared at her and said.
"Toudo Takatora, do you still remember the oath you made back then? What did you and I say in front of Maeda Hime?"
Toudo Takatora lowered her head, her sight that had just seen the sun was a little blurry, she said with a wry smile.
"Otani-hime, I have no intention of betraying you, but I cannot disobey my mother's orders. After all, I am not the governor of the Todo family yet."
Toudo Takatora completely shifted the blame and put it all on his mother Toudo Takataka. She was just the heir to the Toudo family and obeyed the orders of the family governor, so this was not considered a fault.
Otani Yoshitsugi snorted and said nothing more.
She had been wearing a headband for many years due to illness. Todo Takatora couldn't see her face, but he knew that this incident would definitely cause a rift and suspicion in the relationship between the two.
Todo Takatora secretly sighed, Otani Yoshitsugi is really stubborn and does not understand the principle of assessing the situation.
A good bird chooses a tree to roost in. Maeda is so greedy for profit. He is not a good boss, so why would he hang himself on this tree with a crooked neck?
Friendship? Can we talk about friendship these days? In troubled times, all the loving and righteous people have died long ago.
Takatora Toudo felt that she was right, but she knew Otani Yoshitsugi's temper, so she didn't dare to say anything, so she just said casually.
"Otani-hime is really powerful. You spoke frankly to the imperial office and actually made your Majesty give in and recognize Maeda-hime's loyalty."
Otani Yoshitsugi said with a look of shame on his face.
"The imperial office is a benevolent and righteous monarch. I am using villainous tricks to hide justice. This is not the behavior that a loyal minister should have.
I had no choice but to do it for Maeda-hime, and I really feel unworthy of my lord's kindness."
Takatora Fujido disagreed.
Shiba Yiyin is indecisive and a person who values friendship too much. In troubled times, this is the way to die.
This incident further strengthened her view. She really couldn't see a bright future by following a sentimental man.
The Sibo family lacks a successor, has no young master, and the family governor is a man. One day Siba Yiyin accidentally dies, no matter how big the family fortune is, it will collapse in an instant.
It's just that his mother was stubborn, and thinking of Shiba Yoshigan's support, Toudo Takatora could only hold back many words in his heart and did not dare to say them randomly.
Todo Takatora was thinking about his thoughts and never forgot the compliments.
"Otani-hime is humbled.
It was only because of your strong arguments that Maeda-hime could successfully pass the test. I am really happy for her."
Otani Yoshitsugi looked at her seriously for a moment and finally sighed.
"Todo-hime, together with Maeda-hime, you and I fought through thousands of troops and finally gained the power and wealth we have today.
I won’t care about what happened this time, but don’t let it happen again, okay?”
Todo Takatora groaned in his heart, but with a pleasant look on his face, he nodded in agreement.
"This is natural.
This time it was my mother who forced me to leave, so I didn’t have the chance to go to Iga Country to discuss it with you. But I also wrote a letter specifically to give you a warning."
Otani Yoshitsugi's attitude softened and he bowed.
"I was too harsh, please forgive me Todo-hime."
Todo Takatora quickly bowed in return and said.
"I didn't think well, please forgive me Otani-hime."
After understanding each other, the atmosphere warmed up, and the two walked out while talking. Kamao clan had prepared a place for them to stay, and they just went to rest together.
The two of them seemed to have no grudges, but it was impossible to tell whether they had any grudges in their hearts.
———
With the arrival of Takada Harano, Toudo Takatora, and Ohtani Yoshitsugi, Yoshihiro Shiba's doubts about Shiba's leadership in recent years were gradually dispelled.
Only then did Yiyin realize that he was far more powerful than he thought. He just refused to return in anger, which frightened the ladies in the nearby Sibo leaders to come to express their loyalty, fearing that they would be left behind and become cannon fodder.
With this momentum and new ideas from Spozhong Fund, the time is ripe for Spozhong Bank to return to Japan.
But at this time, he had already made an agreement with Oda Nobunaga to jointly support Ashikaga Yoshiaki's trip to Raku, so naturally he could not return to Koki without permission.
He ordered Takada Harano, Toudo Takatora, and Otani Yoshitsugi to return to Konki first to arrange follow-up matters for the army to go to Luo.
Oda Nobunaga had spent a winter planning to collect the supplies, and all the military forces were fully mobilized.
Maeda Toshiie mobilized Owari Shiba to lead the army to join them, and together with Yamanaka Yukimori's Hime Warriors, they formed the Shiba family's Kamikawa army.
Tokugawa Ieyasu also came with the Tokugawa family's military force and arrived at Gifu Castle.
The three families of Oda, Shiba, and Tokugawa expected to mobilize more than 30,000 soldiers, and everything was ready. They only had to wait for Ashikaga Yoshiaki to come, and then they could go to Kyoto and regain the shogunate.
———
Ashikaga Yoshiaki looked at Gifu Castle ahead and hesitated.
The coalition forces that supported her to ascend to power were right in front of her, and she was clearly only one step away from the Ashikaga Shogun's throne, but she still felt resentful.
Everything has changed.
As Ashikaga Yoshiki's sister, she traveled to various powerful lords within and outside Japan. Although the attitudes of each family were different, due to her deference to the Ashikaga Shogun family, Ashikaga Yoshiaki enjoyed a lot of honors.
But with the return of Sibo Yiyin, the attitude of each family changed instantly.
He was born into a noble family of the Shiba clan, and was the fiancé of Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He held a royal sword, wore a gold seal on his body, and had a white flag on his back. Which identity of Yoshigan Shiba is less orthodox than Ashikaga Yoshiaki?
He is recognized throughout the world as a direct descendant of the Kawachi Genji family, and he is much better than Ashikaga Yoshiaki, a Xibei who was born awkwardly.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki finally felt the meaning of Wada Weimasa's and others' advice to him these days. As soon as Shiba Yoshiaki came back, he became useless and no one cared about him anymore.
What's even more hateful is that Wada Yaimai and others were also frightened by Shiba Yoshigan. They didn't dare to help Ashikaga Yoshiaki fight for the orthodox status of the direct descendants of the Kawachi Genji family, and they were frightened to their knees.
Not only did they kneel by themselves, but they also persuaded Ashikaga Yoshiaki to kneel with them. How could Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who had just enjoyed the honor of Ashikaga General, endure this!
But the situation was stronger than the people, so Ashikaga Yoshiaki finally came to Gifu City holding his nose, and as the surviving daughter of the Ashikaga shogun family, he begged Yoshigan Shiba to help him ascend to the position of shogun.
Her eyes were full of anger and shame. She should have been the most noble person in the world, but she had to endure the manipulation of a man.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki secretly made up her mind that one day, she would become a veritable master of the world. No one could climb on top of her and dominate her, no one could!
———
In the Gifu Castle Castle Tower, Yoshigan Shiba is sitting on the main seat. The lower half of the seats are empty, and this is the seat reserved for Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Further down, sat Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, as well as various high-ranking samurai families who participated in the reception.
Yoshigan Shiba was a little bored sitting in the main seat, and Yoshiaki Ashikaga's speed was much slower than expected.
Oda Nobunaga was obviously impatient with waiting and shouted outside.
"Isn't anyone here yet? Send someone to check it out again!"
Tokugawa Ieyasu said with a smile.
"Your Highness Oda, please be patient. It may be that His Highness Ashikaga is new here and is not familiar with the roads, so he was delayed a little time."
Oda Nobunaga knocked on the tatami with the paper fan in his hand and said.
"I clearly sent someone to guide me, why are you still so slow? Lord Qianxin is tired of waiting!"
Tokugawa Ieyasu smiled and said nothing, while Shiba Yoshigan glanced at the arrogant Oda Nobunaga and said nothing. This bastard was obviously unhappy with himself, so he insisted on using Yoshigan's tiger skin to make excuses.
With the status of the three people present, it is normal for Yoshigage to wait for Ashikaga Yoshiaki to see him. He is the widow of Ashikaga Yoshiteru and the direct descendant of Kawachi Genji.
But Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu are more subtle.
If Yoshigan Shiba was not here, they would definitely go out to greet Ashikaga Yoshiaki to show their respect for the Ashikaga Shogun family.
But when Yoshigan Shiba was here, Oda Nobunaga was so careless that he didn't go to greet him, as if he were waiting together for Ashikaga Yoshiaki to appear in court. It was really too arrogant.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was a little uneasy, but she was an ally of Oda Nobunaga. If Oda Nobunaga didn't go, if she went, wouldn't she lose her status?
Originally, the alliance between Oda and Tokugawa was somewhat unbalanced. If Tokugawa Ieyasu were to be inferior in political behavior, it would be even harder to get along with each other in the future.
As a result, it ended up like this. The three of them were waiting for Ashikaga Yoshiaki at the castle tower. It was already a bit embarrassing, but it became even more interesting when Ashikaga Yoshiaki was late.
The Wu family attaches great importance to courtesy, so of course they will make proper arrangements for the audience and plan the route in advance to avoid waiting for the noble person for a long time.
But just as Oda Nobunaga forgot to greet him, Ashikaga Yoshiaki also seemed to have forgotten the time.