In the side hall, Oda Nobunaga knelt on his seat, silently looking at the ambitious Ashikaga Yoshiaki in the court.
In this world, there are always some lucky people who, by chance, are swept up into the sky. They seem to be the proud women of heaven, but in fact, the vast majority of them are just mediocre people.
Mediocre people often cannot see themselves clearly. They are immersed in the past trajectory, thinking that they can always succeed by repeating the past path.
Oda Nobunaga patted his seat gently, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki, a bastard, arranged for him to sit in the back seat without taking into account the huge help he had given her.
I really don't know whether to praise her for her confidence or laugh at her for being stupid.
Oda Nobunaga glanced at Asai Nagamasa, who was also sitting at the side table next to him. Her eyes also exuded dissatisfaction.
Both of them were powerful feudal lords outside the screen, and they were also local daimyo with low family status.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki rose to power based on his bloodline, and placed too much importance on family background. She was confident that she could do whatever she wanted because of her noble bloodline.
A sneer appeared at the corner of Oda Nobunaga's mouth. The Samurai family values respectability, but more importantly strength. Ashikaga Yoshiaki will pay the price for today's arrogance sooner or later.
But now, Oda Nobunaga is not willing to argue with her because...
Oda Nobunaga looked at the main hall opposite, and could faintly see the man in white sitting on the main throne. He was so charming, like a deity descending to earth, or a living god sitting upright on earth.
He naively thought that this corrupt shogunate could still be saved, and he also expected these rotten shogunate warriors to help him.
Oda Nobunaga couldn't help but want to laugh. He felt that he was so stupid that people were speechless, and so cute that people couldn't help but pity his kindness.
———
As the ceremony progressed, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, under the guidance of the samurai performer, entered the main hall and looked up at Yoshigan Shiba.
Yoshigami picked up the golden seal of the sword on the case and felt it was as heavy as a stone. He lowered his head and remained silent for a long time, which made Ashikaga Yoshiaki's heart beat fiercely.
Afterwards, Yoshigami smiled with relief, quickly stepped down from the throne, and wore the golden seal of the sword for Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
He said softly while taking action.
"The Ashikaga General's family will be left to you."
Ashikaga Yoshiaki stiffened and nodded to Yoshigan.
She slowly turned around and walked out of the main hall. The concubines waiting in the side hall followed the etiquette instructions and walked out. They all kowtowed to her and presented the small sword to her.
"Kowtow to the Lord Gongfang!"
———
After the ceremony, there is a traditional feast.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who has officially become Ashikaga Shogun, will entertain the high-ranking samurai attending the ceremony at Nijo Imperial Palace.
At this time, Shiba Yoshigan was no longer the imperial palace of the Ashikaga shogun, but the grand imperial palace revered as an ancestor.
The banquet prepared for the ceremony in the imperial dining room was on the other side of the imperial palace, and everyone went to sit down in sequence.
On the way, Ise Sadakyo slowed down his pace and approached Ninagawa Makoto.
The others kept walking. Ninagawa himself looked at Ise Sadakyo, saw her smiling and nodding, and also slowed down.
After a while, the two of them fell behind some distance, talking while walking on the corridor.
Ninagawa himself smiled.
"Lord Ise, do you have something to tell me?"
Ise Sadakya shook his head and said.
"You and I have been colleagues for many years, why can't we just have a casual chat?"
Ninagawa himself didn't understand what this old fox meant, so he said with a smile.
"I'm afraid of delaying your business. After all, the general has succeeded to the throne, and many things will be put on the agenda. Let's discuss it carefully."
Yoshigan Shiba gave Ninagawa a reassurance and told her that after Ashikaga Yoshiaki succeeded to the throne, he would write a letter to kill Ise Sakyo.
Ninagawa himself made a sarcastic comment, but Ise Sadakyo laughed dumbly. She shook her head and said.
"Ninagawa-hime, what are you referring to? My funeral?"
Ninagawa himself didn't expect the Isezada Church to be so direct, so he tried it respectfully.
"What do you mean, sir? I don't quite understand."
Ise Sadakyo glanced at the hypocritical Ninagawa Makoto. This person was as timid as a mouse, and it was easy to judge his psychology of taking refuge in Shiba Yi Bank to ensure his safety.
She would definitely not have the guts to draw her over to deal with Yoshigan Shiba. But it would still be feasible to imitate Mitsuhide Akechi's tactics against Ashikaga Yoshiteru and scare her into standing aside.
Ise Sakyo said in a low voice.
"Aren't you waiting for me to be liquidated by the shogunate to eliminate a hidden danger?
It’s a pity that Mr. Gongfang’s idea may not allow you to achieve your wish, and I won’t be able to die for the time being.”
Ninagawa's eyes flickered and he said.
"What happened between you and the Miyoshi family will not be forgiven by Oitaisho."
Ise Sakyo smiled.
"Ninagawa-hime, your information is not well informed.
Don’t you know that the Oda family is what the Odaisho is guarding against?”
Ninagawa's pupils shrank, his brows furrowed, and he said nothing.
Shiba Yoshigami didn't have a deep relationship with her, so he naturally didn't reveal his intention to deal with Oda Nobunaga.
Everything has a sequence, and the powerful local factions within the shogunate must be the priority targets for persuasion. Hosokawa Fujitaka went with Haru Mibuchi to plead guilty, but he heard a few words from Yoshigan Shiba's heart.
As soon as Hosokawa Fujitaka colluded with Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Ise Sadakyu, Yoshigan Shiba's mind was revealed to the fullest, and Ise Sadakyu knew the details.
Ninagawa himself didn't believe it.
"The Oitaisuo has a deep relationship with the ancestors, how could it be possible to let go of the Miyoshi family so easily?
Oda has always been cautious since his army entered Luo, so how could he be suspicious of His Highness Oda?"
Ninagawa himself didn't believe it, and Ise Sadakyou laughed and said nothing. To be honest, if it hadn't been revealed by Hosokawa Fujitaka, Ise Sadakyou himself wouldn't have believed it.
Is Yoshihiro Shiba confused? How can he occupy the moral high ground in the subsequent ranking of power positions in the shogunate without clinging to the tail of the Miyoshi family?
Miyoshi's regicide is a heinous crime. The power struggle after the shogunate will inevitably revolve around the verbal and written attack on Miyoshi's family. Using the slogan of fairness and justice to pull the tiger's skin is convenient for political operations.
Each family in the shogunate was loyal to the king. They asked for more power, not for their own benefit, but to prepare for the attack on Sanhao and avenge their ancestors.
Just like a scholar who has been living in poverty for ten years and goes to Beijing to take the exam, it is not for the sake of career and success, but because he wants to make decisions for the people and never forget his original intention.
The principle is the same.
The Miyoshi family was an excellent target, so Yoshigan Shiba abandoned it and instead targeted Oda Nobunaga. This operation was incomprehensible to Ninagawa himself and made Ise Sakyo ecstatic.
The Miyoshi family was already beaten by everyone, and Yoshigan Shiba did not want to beat up the drowned dog, but wanted to provoke Oda Nobunaga, who held two million koku.
Is there something wrong with his mind?
Ise Sadakyo didn't bother to care what Yoshigan Shiba was thinking. After confirming it from Hosokawa Fujitaka, she just wanted to take advantage of Yoshigan Shiba's stupidity to gain the maximum benefit for herself.
The purpose of revealing this matter to Ninagawa Akiko today was to make her wary and stop following Yoshigan Shiba.
As expected, Ninagawa himself became suspicious after hearing this.
Ise Sadakyo said with a smile.
"I don't know what Ootai is thinking, I'm just a little worried.
The Oda family now controls the security of Kyoto. If the shogunate treats the Oda family harshly, will it cause new troubles?
The Miyoshi family stayed in Kyoto for one winter, and sent troops to plunder the castle towns several times.
The Oda family is pretty well behaved now, but I’m afraid that the shogunate’s targeting will make His Highness Oda dissatisfied in the future, which will cause trouble.”
Ninagawa's brows trembled. She knew that Ise Sakyo was provoking, but this incident really hurt her heart.
The Makuomi Group has been rooted in Kyoto for two hundred years, and each company has industries in Kyoto.
Kyoto is the center of the world, connecting Kanto and Kansai. The castle towns are prosperous and prosperous, and they have always been the pocketbook of the shogunate group.
The Miyoshi family plundered the castle towns of Kyoto and caused heavy losses to the ministers.
If Yoshihiro Shiba dealt with the Oda family, forcing Oda Nobunaga to become ruthless, and imitate the Miyoshi family to get a vote and leave, the ministers would be in tears.
Ninagawa is the second-ranking official among the shogunate, and her property in Kyoto is not small. Because she opposed the Miyoshi family, she had been beaten, looted, and burned, resulting in a lot of losses.
As soon as I heard Ise Sadakyo talk about this, my heart suddenly trembled, and I was afraid that my family would suffer another round.
Seeing her pale face, Ise Sadakyo felt secretly happy. He did not ask Ninagawa himself to change his family, as long as she had some scruples in her heart and did not dare to express her position easily, many things would be easy to handle.
Of course Ninagawa himself understood the sinister intentions of the Ise Sada sect, but it was related to his family's vital interests and he could not ignore it.
She was silent for a while and then said.
"How do I know if what you said is true?"
Ise Sadakyo smiled and said.
"Since the Grand Imperial Office is serious about it, sooner or later it will be necessary to negotiate with everyone and explain it.
When the time comes, just think more about it."
Ninagawa Makoyo stared at her and said.
"It is impossible for me to betray Odaisho."
She sent her daughter Ninagawa to join the Shiba Doshins, and it was impossible for her to rebel at this moment.
Ise Sakyo smiled.
"Who wants you to be sorry for Odaisho? It's just that the shogunate has rules for doing things, and there must be no less procedures that should be followed, don't you think so?"
Ninagawa Himashi nodded thoughtfully.
Ise Sadakyo's idea is actually the same as dealing with the Rakuchu legal system proposed by Oda Nobunaga, which is to use the procedures that the shogunate is best at delaying.
It's not easy to get something done in the shogunate, but it's really not that difficult to mess up something.
Ninagawa himself lowered his head and thought, while Ise Sakyo walked quickly ahead.
She had finished what she wanted to say to Ninagawa himself. The two of them had been at odds for a long time, and there was nothing much to say.
Ise Sakyo just wanted Ninagawa to understand two things.
First, Ashikaga Yoshiaki will protect him, and Yoshigan Shiba cannot kill him, which shakes Ninagawa's original idea of closely following the Shiba family.
Secondly, the fact that Yoshihiro Shiba wants to deal with Oda Nobunaga may affect the interests of the Ninagawa family, making the Ninagawa family wary and afraid to express their opinions casually.
The greatest value of Ise Sadakyo to Ashikaga Yoshiaki was to get rid of Yoshigan Shiba and kick him out of the Ashikaga Shogun family.
She must go all out to get this done and prove her worth in order to keep the Ise family business.
Therefore, before taking action, Ise Sakyo must first weaken Shiba Yoshigan's supporters in the shogunate and isolate Shiba Yoshigan.
And Shiba Yoshigan's inexplicable hostility to Oda Nobunaga gave Ise Sadakyu an excellent opportunity to operate.
Ise Sadakyo walked towards the banquet ceremony, unable to hide the smile on his face.
The Ise family is inexhaustible, and the stupid Yoshigami Shiba.
———
By the time the feast was over, it was almost midnight.
Yoshigan Shiba left Nijo Imperial Palace and returned to Shiba's mansion. Before he could rest, there were guests following behind him and came to visit him.
"Hatakeyama Takamasa and Suzuki Shigehide want to see me?"
Kamojigo said.
"Hey, Odaisho, it's already very late today. How about I ask them to come back tomorrow?"
Yiyin thought for a while and said.
"Take them to a side room to wait. I'll be back later."
Kamoji bowed and left, Yoshiyin rubbed his brows and stood up.
Ii Naomasa put a coat on him, and when he saw that he looked tired, he couldn't help complaining.
"If there's anything we can't talk about tomorrow, do these people know the rules?"
Yiyin shook his head and said.
"Leaving aside Suzuki Shigehide, Hatakeyama Takamasa is a member of a high family, how could he not understand etiquette?
The two of them are anxious to see me, so something must have happened and they need to tell me immediately."
Yoshigan was confused. Ashikaga Yoshiaki had just succeeded to the throne today and had not yet intervened in the shogunate affairs. What happened to make Hatakeyama Takamasa so impatient.
Dressed neatly, Yoshigan came to the side room. Hatakeyama Takamasa and Suzuki Shigehide were sitting at the critical moment, and they both bowed to the ground and saluted.
"See the Grand Imperial Palace."
Yiyin stepped up to the throne and said with a smile.
"Please get up, everyone. We are all old acquaintances. There is no need to be formal."
Hatakeyama Takamasa respectfully said.
"The re-establishment of the shogunate and the succession of the generals all depended on the great imperial palace to bring order out of chaos. The world cannot be without the shogunate for a day, and the shogunate cannot be without the great imperial palace for a day.
Respect Heavenly Dharma Patriarch, and be careful to pursue your destiny.
Odaisho is a living god sent by heaven to save troubled times, and is the guardian of the samurai family recognized by Hachiman Tainiang Minamoto Yoshie.
No matter how cautious I am in respecting you, it will never be as good as the kindness you show to me and other Wu family members."
Hatakeyama Takamasa kept talking and said things that made Yoshigage blush.
Yiyin didn't even know how she could take such an exaggerated and shameful compliment and say it seriously in front of her.
Suzuki Shigehide on the side was dumbfounded and looked in admiration. This ability to talk nonsense with a serious face was something she couldn't even match up to.
During the Nankawachi Crusade, Yusa, who had betrayed the Hatakeyama clan, believed in religion and died in despair.
Yoshigan Shiba just talked, and the governor Yukimori Yamanaka, Fujihide Mibuchi, Shigehide Suzuki, and Junkei Tsutsui rushed into Minamikawachi.
Under siege from all sides, Yusa's religion was betrayed by the Minami Kawauchi samurai family, and he ended up in a miserable state. The Kawachi Yusa family was slaughtered by Hatakeyama Takamasa who had driven him away, avenging his previous humiliation.
After Hatakeyama Takamasa felt refreshed, he was even more in awe of Shiba Yoshigan. The Odaisho mobilized several powerful feudal lords with just a few words to help the Hatakeyama family regain the land of Nankawachi.
Hosokawa, Mibuchi, Suzuki, and Tsutsui didn't even dare to take the opportunity to secretly occupy several villages in Minamigouchi to get some bargains.
Such prestige convinced Hatakeyama Takamasa. Whether it was for practical considerations or spiritual admiration, Hatakeyama Takamasa was determined to get involved with Shiba Yoshigan.
But her enthusiasm made Yiyin feel off-putting. The flattery was so harsh that it made people feel sick.
Yiyin couldn't help but interrupt.
"You came here today just to talk about this?"
If Hatakeyama Takamasa dared to say that she came to disturb his rest just to flatter him, Yoshigan would immediately fall out with her.
Fortunately, Hatakeyama Takamasa noticed Yoshigami's impatience and spoke solemnly.
"Grand Imperial Palace, something doesn't seem right about today's ceremony."