Ninagawa's mother, Ninagawa's mother, followed Shiba Yoshigawa. Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Oda Nobunaga fought fiercely, and had nothing to do with Shiba's group of forces.
Yoshihiro Saba was in the capital, with the Ninagawa Prince and the governor Hatakeyama Takamasa as his minions. He was also the leader of a powerful local faction in the shogunate, and his status was very transcendent.
He retreated bravely. He left Kyoto on his own, returned to his residence, and became a monk to practice Buddhism. The martial artists spoke highly of his initiative to retreat.
The Ninagawa family followed him around and didn't pay much attention to the fight between the shogunate and the local powerful feudal lords. They leaned against the big tree to enjoy the shade.
Seeing that Ninagawa's elder didn't talk to him, he seemed to be quite wary. Yamaoka Keitomo smiled awkwardly, but she was helpless. In fact, she was not willing to be a lobbyist for Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki has been having a hard time recently. She provoked a commotion in the Isebu family, but Oda Nobunaga slapped him and knocked him to the ground, howling and screaming.
This general had the ability to instigate, but not the ability to help. He had no choice but to watch the Ise samurai family being suppressed, which made everyone see clearly her true nature of being tough on the outside and soft on the inside.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki felt as if he had been slapped twice by Oda Nobunaga. His cheeks were hot and he was unable to fight back.
The funniest thing is that she actually wants to copy what Yoshigan Shiba once did, unite the shogunate samurai family to fight against the Oda family.
The Ninagawa family, which currently controls the political office, is one of the people she wants to win over. In addition, there is the Hosokawa Mibuchi family, a powerful local faction.
Yamaoka Keitomo was speechless about this.
At the beginning, Yoshigan Shiba wanted to join forces with Ashikaga Yoshiaki wholeheartedly and was sincere. However, Yoshiaki Ashikaga took the opportunity to stab him and drove Yoshigan Shiba away with dirty tricks.
Now that she has taken charge of the shogunate, she realizes how difficult Oda Nobunaga is to deal with, and realizes that Yoshigan Shiba's approach is correct.
The internally fighting shogunate was unable to fight against the Oda family. Only by uniting could they have the power to fight. So, she began to poach Yoshigami Shiba.
Taking advantage of the absence of Yoshihiro Shiba, she poached Ninagawa and Mibuchi Fujihide on the one hand, in an attempt to bring the shogunate group and local powerful factions into her camp.
What a suffocating operation this is. Can this really enhance the strength of the Ashikaga family?
If Yoshigan Shiba is furious because of this, is Ashikaga Yoshiaki prepared to fight one against two against the two forces of Shiba Oda?
But Yamaoka Keiyu had no choice.
The Yamaoka family has clearly sided with Oda Nobunaga, so Yamaoka Keitomo, who was kicked out to serve as Ashikaga Yoshiaki, can only follow Ashikaga Yoshiaki all the way to the dark side.
Yamaoka Keito smiled awkwardly, and was about to say something when Ninagawa suddenly said.
"Yamaoka-hime, have you heard that Hosokawa Fujitaka and Mibuchi Fujihide had a falling out?"
Shanggang Jingyou said in surprise.
"Is there such a thing?"
The relationship between the Hosokawa and Mibuchi families is unusual. They are called two families, but they are actually one family.
The two house governors, Hosokawa Motonsune and Mibuchi Haruhiro, are biological sisters, and the two heirs, Hosokawa Fujitaka and Mibuchi Fujihide, are also biological sisters.
Moreover, these four people are a carrot and a trap. Each of them is the governor of the family, each is the heir, and they all have a bright future. There is no basis for internal strife among other martial arts families to seize power.
The Izumi-Hosokawa family is a local powerhouse outside, and the Mibuchi family is a minister inside. They cooperate and support each other, which can be said to be the best combination.
Hearing that the heirs of the Hosokawa Mibuchi family had a falling out, Yamaoka Keitomo was also very curious.
Ninagawa gave her a meaningful look and said.
"The Hosokawa-Mibuchi family was originally dominated by the Izumi-Hosokawa family, with the Mibuchi family as the auxiliary. Hosokawa Fujitaka has long been designated as the future leader of the two families.
However, the general wanted to win over Mibuchi Fujihide and gave him the position of Fushimi Castle, and he received constant honors and favors every day.
Mibuchi Fujihide also had a big heart. She believed that the general valued her and became unscrupulous in her actions. She even got close to Matsunagahide and started planning the Wada family's high-definition castle."
Yamaoka Ketomo's pupils shrank and he said solemnly.
"Ninagawa-hime, do you have any evidence for what you say?
Lord Wada Weimasa and Lord Mibuchi Fujihide are both people valued by the general, you cannot listen to some rumors and damage the reputation of important ministers."
Ninagawa smiled softly and said.
"I, the Ninagawa family, are now the head of the cabinet. Although I may not have great power, I still have more tangled news than others.
For the sake of our dear friends, I just said it casually and you just listen to it. If you want to believe it, then believe it; if you don’t want to, then don’t believe it.
To put it bluntly, the general's methods of winning over people are really unsightly.
Mibuchi Fujihide used to be a submissive member of the Hosokawa Mibuchi family, but she has been so lucky these years that she forgets everything and really takes herself seriously.
First, Tsudo-den rewarded her with the title of guardian of Kitakawachi, and now she is favored by the general and is in charge of important areas of Fushimi Castle, which is the envy of others.
But as a human being, you must know how to be content.
You and I both know who Matsunagahide is, and Hosokawa Fujitaka even more clearly. She has contributed a lot to the Miyoshi family's decline to what it is today.
Mibuchi Fujihide was actually instigated by Matsunagahide to covet Takatsuki Castle and interfere in Settsu affairs, and even fell out with Hosokawa Fujitaka. I think the good days of the Hosokawa Mibuchi family are coming to an end.
Settsu has been troubled recently, and it seems like it's just a dispute between the local samurai family, but you and I both know in our hearts that the general and His Highness Oda are wrestling behind this.
Yamaoka-hime, let me tell you the truth. I really don't want to get close to our general. The Ninagawa family is now following Tsutado-don, and they don't want to be successful, but at least they haven't caused any misfortune.
But if I were persuaded by you today, I'm afraid my Ninagawa family would never have a good life after that. My mother is not very timid to others, but she still dared to break my legs and lock me in the house.
There are clouds in the sky, a lesson from the past and a guide for future events.
As the two sisters of Hosokawa Mibuchi are fighting against each other, I can only politely refuse to accept the general's kindness. Please understand my difficulties."
After saying that, Ninagawa bowed slightly, leaving Yamaoka Keitomo on the spot, and he floated up.
How could Yamaoka Keito feel embarrassed at the moment? Although Ninagawa rejected the offer simply, he still revealed an important piece of information to her.
Mibuchi Fujihide is going to attack Wada Yaimasa's Takano Castle, and the two generals under Ashikaga Yoshiaki are going to have internal strife.
Yamaoka Keitomo sighed, she had to go to Nijo Castle immediately and report the matter to Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
———
Kyoto, Shiba Residence, in the side room.
The angry Hosokawa Fujitaka pointed at Akechi Mitsuhide's nose and shouted.
"Is it you! Is it you who is causing trouble behind my back?"
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled slightly and said.
"Futaka, although you and I are good friends, this is the Shiba residence after all, and I am the diplomatic representative of the Shiba family in Beijing. Don't be too rude.
The majesty of the Sibo family cannot be challenged."
Hosokawa Fujitaka pursed her lips, and although Mitsuhide Akechi spoke with a smile, her words struck a chord with Hosokawa Fujitaka, making her indescribably uncomfortable.
Seeing her silence, Akechi Mitsuhide explained again.
"When Tsudo-den left Kinji, he gave me a death order, hoping that the local powerful factions could remain united.
You have made random accusations about me sowing discord between the two heirs of Hosokawa Mibuchi. This is a very serious accusation. If Tsutado-don misunderstands me, I will be in serious trouble.
It was obviously Mibuchi Fujihide who got lost on her own. She thought the general needed her and had no taboos in doing things. What does it have to do with me?
Wada Yaimai worked hard for the general, and finally earned a Higashisettsu guardian back. Mibuchi Fujihide was better off, and directly set his sights on Takashi Castle.
You know better than me how great the benefits of Takaki Castle are. You said it yourself, if Higashisettsu lacks Takaki Castle, what role would Wada Yaimai have as a guardian?
If you have time to yell at me here, why not find a way to persuade your stupid sister not to be stupid and be used as a knife by Matsunagahide.
Even if it doesn't work, we have to inform Nijo Castle and see if the general can stop her from acting recklessly."
Hosokawa Fujitaka said frustratedly.
"It's too late, the benefits of Gaogui City are too great, and those fools in Beihanoi have been swayed by my stupid sister.
The busy work of spring plowing and farming is almost over, and they should have started mobilizing their troops by now."
Akechi Mitsuhide raised his eyebrows and said.
"How dare Mibuchi Tōhide start a border provocation. What reason does she have to send troops?"
Hosokawa Fujitaka ignored her question and asked Akechi Mitsuhide instead.
"You just said that Matsunaga was the instigator of this incident?"
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled and said.
"I need information when doing work in Beijing, and Tsutado-dono gave me some command rights of the confidentiality team.
As far as I know, Matsunaga Hide is very attentive to your sister."
Hosokawa Fujitaka's voice came out from between his teeth.
"This idiot is so stupid."
Akechi Mitsuhide shook his head.
"Sex makes one's mind dim, so what can be done about it."
Hosokawa Fujitaka took two deep breaths and said.
"Wada Taimasa asked Matsunagahide to hand over the jurisdiction of the Higashisettsu samurai family under his command. I don't know what went wrong. Some samurai families went into commotion and even crossed the border to plunder the Kitakogenchi samurai family.
Mibuchi Fujihide just wants to use this as an excuse to attack Takaki Castle, take the city first, and then go to the imperial court with Wada Weimasa to judge the situation."
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"What went wrong? Of course it was Matsunaga Hide who instigated it.
Mibuchi Fujihide used an excuse to attack, and first took possession of Takagu Castle, and then slowly filed a lawsuit, dragging it on, and Takagu Castle became hers.
That’s not a bad idea.”
Hosokawa Fujitaka cursed in anger.
"It's not bad, if the Wu family has a dispute in an ordinary place, this trick of delaying and waiting for change can still be effective.
But who is Wada Weimasa? He is one of the three guardians of Settsu appointed by the shogunate just now, a supporter of the general.
The shogun just pacified Settsu, and he also used this incident to reestablish the authority of the Ashikaga family and secure his position as shogun. Mibuchi Fujihide is going against the shogunate's decision, and something big is going to happen!"
Hosokawa Fujitaka glanced at Akechi Mitsuhide and saw that she was smiling and silent. He had clearly seen through his intentions, but she still refused to express her position.
Hosokawa Fujitaka secretly hated it, but had to swallow his anger and bowed.
"Before Tsuta-den left Konge, he hoped that the powerful local factions in the shogunate could maintain unity and stability and not be bullied by outsiders.
Nowadays, some people are using local powerful factions to cause trouble. As the leaders of local powerful factions, the Shiba family, I implore you to come forward on behalf of the Shiba family and warn external forces with malicious intentions."
Akechi Mitsuhide said gently.
"This is right, Fujitaka, this is the attitude of asking for help."
The moment their eyes touched, it was like lightning. Hosokawa Fujitaka clenched his fists, but had to lower his proud head.
She came angrily, seemingly asking for help, but actually she came to ask for help. It was just that she didn't want to show weakness to Akechi Mitsuhide, a bastard, so she acted very tough.
Akechi Mitsuhide saw through her insincerity, so he kept talking to her in circles, waiting for her to ask for her own initiative, and humiliating her in a low voice.
The situation of Hosokawa Mibuchi's family has changed a lot, and Hosokawa Fujitaka's life has become increasingly difficult.
With the Miyoshi family withdrawing from Nishisettsu, the threat of destruction that had hung over the Izumi-Hosokawa family for many years was finally dissipated.
The Hosokawa Mibuchi family is a family, and the Izumi-Hosokawa family actually owns the territory of Izumi Province and Kitakawachi, a total of about 250,000 koku.
Without the suppression of the Miyoshi family, and with the strength of the Izumi-Hosokawa family, the retainers were unwilling to be left alone, and their minds gradually became more active.
The Izumi-Hosokawa family, located at the intersection of the shogunate and the Miyoshi family, was originally threatened by the Miyoshi family, so the retainers always maintained an attitude of being on good terms with the Shiba family to fight against the Miyoshi family.
Hosokawa Fujitaka also relied on the attitude of his retainers to drive his mother, Hosokawa Motonsune, who did not want to get too involved with Shiba Yoshigan, to live in Shoryuji Castle for retirement, and for a time he took charge of the family.
But the situation today is different.
The Miyoshi family was driven back to Shikoku Island, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki devoted himself to wooing Mibuchi Fujihide, which made the Hosokawa retainers see their own value and hoped to obtain more benefits.
Kitakawachi also relies on the Yodogawa River. In the past, it did not dare to compete with the Settsu Kingdom samurai family for benefits, and was suppressed by the Settsu clan under the Miyoshi family.
Now that things are changing, why should the Settsu clan, a group of surrendered ministers, compete for benefits with the Izumi-Hosokawa family, a direct lineage of the shogunate?
The profit from the Yodogawa water transport was so great that it made the Hosokawa retainers jealous. Mibuchi Fujihide was the general's holy family, and Matsunagahide encouraged the Higashi Settsu people to cause trouble, so Settsu was the first to take the blame.
Mibuchi Fujihide felt that she was in the right, and she wanted to seize the opportunity to seize Takaki Castle. In fact, she wanted to seize the leadership of the Yodogawa River, which is the actual dividing line between Settsu and Hanoi, and this water transport hub.
Without the threat of the Miyoshi family, and with the support of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the Hosokawa retainers and other profit-minded guys certainly wanted to take a gamble.
They chose to support Mibuchi Fujihide, while Hosokawa Fujitaka's strategic plans had been frustrated several times this year, which had already damaged his prestige and no one listened to his words.
Hosokawa Motonsune and Mibuchi Haruka were both old, and their restraint on the retainers was not strong enough to prevent Mibuchi Fujihide's military adventure.
The anxious Hosokawa Fujitaka could only come to Akechi Mitsuhide for help, hoping to use the power of the Shiba family.
She sees the situation very clearly and does not expect Mibuchi Fujihide to benefit from Settsu Country.
She was even more afraid that the Hosokawa-Mibuchi family would be forced into the Ashikaga-Oda dispute, and would be torn apart in the struggle between the two major forces.
Hosokawa Fujitaka can no longer take care of his dislike for Akechi Mitsuhide, because the stupid Mibuchi Fujihide is about to drag the Hosokawa Mibuchi family into the abyss.