Chapter 1413 A soft-hearted man and a sinister woman
Yiyin frowned.
"His Majesty Oda is so generous, I am afraid that the war will continue and all sentient beings will suffer in recent times."
Asakura Kageki sighed.
"Even if Her Majesty Oda ends up miserable in the end, before her defeat, the Asai-Asakura coalition's losses will not be small."
Yiyin nodded.
Oda Nobunaga is like a hunter surrounded by wolves. The shotgun in her hand still has one or two bullets, which is enough to kill.
The two unlucky Asai and Asakura wolves have already hit the muzzle of the gun. Even if the Oda family is eaten to death by a pack of wolves in the future, the two unlucky ones who rushed up first will probably be buried with them.
No wonder Kasuke Manara did not look for Oda Nobunaga, but for Yoshigoshi Shiba. Because she did not think highly of the fierce personality Oda Nobunaga, let alone the mediocre and incompetent Yoshikage Asakura.
The safest way is to live a stable life with the wealthy and kind-hearted Spo Yiyin.
The port of Tsuruga is booming with gold, and Yoshino Shiba is kind and nostalgic. When the situation is chaotic and unclear, following such a boss is at least not the worst choice. This port can give you peace of mind.
Asakura Kageki said softly.
"Not only did Kasuke Mahara bring greetings from the Mahara family, he was also accompanied by the Horie son.
The Horie family made a splash in the Daishoji River battle and was considered the most powerful outside the Asakura family. However, because of this, they were feared by Asakura Yoshikage, which made life very difficult in the past few years.
This time, the Governor of the Horie family, Jing Li, also came with us in the name of bodyguard."
Yiyin raised his eyebrows.
"Is there someone from the Horie family? Then let's call him in and see him. The Shiba family will not turn away Governor Horie."
A hundred years ago, the Kai family conquered the Asakura family, and the Shiba family sadly lost the wealthy territory of Echizen. Those who fought and shed blood for the Shiba family at that time were the ancestors of the Horie family.
After the death of the ancestor Horie in the war, the Shiba clan really lost the Echizen Kingdom. The Horie clan even became extinct because of this, and the family name was inherited by a branch of the common people.
No matter what kind of mess the Horie family is in now, Yoshigan will take over the relationship between the emperor and his subjects that existed a hundred years ago on behalf of the Shiba clan. After all, he is the patron saint of the samurai family with righteousness and kindness.
It was still a question of whether Maara Kasuke would see him or not. But since there was a descendant of Horie accompanying him, Yoshigan had to meet him.
Asakura Kageki bowed and exited the room, and soon brought back two Ji Samurai, and the three of them saluted Yoshibank together.
"Foreign minister Zane Kasuke, foreign minister Horie Kageriti, have seen Tsuta-den, your highness is in good health and blessed."
Yiyin looked at one of them with a smile and said.
"A descendant of Horie Toshima, he looks like a brave warrior."
Horie Jingli kowtowed and said.
"Foreign ministers are frightened and ashamed."
She was secretly happy because people said that Shiba Yiyin was the incarnation of the Wu family's moral principles. She came to test this time with extra expectations.
In fact, after the death of Horie Rizhen, he did not leave any heirs, and the family name was inherited by Shuzhi. However, the Wu family valued the family name over bloodline, so there is nothing wrong with calling Yoshigami this way.
Now it seems that Horie Keiri made the right bet. Horie Toshiba died in battle for the Shiba clan, and Shiba Yoshigan really recognized this loyalty and looked at the Horie family in a different light.
Makara Kasuke, who was on the side, subconsciously glanced at the beaming Horie Keiri. He couldn't envy this kind of ancestral favor.
Asakura Kageki introduced the two of them, Shiba Yoshigan whispered concern, but no one pushed the topic to reality.
As Asakura Kageki said before, today's request for a meeting is just that the people of the former South Vietnam admire Sibo Yiyin, and they have nothing to ask for, and it does not involve politics.
But Yiyin knew clearly in his heart that this meeting with him was tantamount to being involved in a relationship. If he backed away from things in the future, he would inevitably be despised by the martial arts family in the world and his prestige would be damaged.
And there are two sides to the matter. If Yiyin can really protect the people of the former South Vietnam, it will be equivalent to adding another layer of insurance to the safety of Tsuruga Port.
Echizen Province has a unique terrain, with plains in the northeast, mountains in the southwest, and further south is the isolated Tsuruga County.
Echizen and Wakasa were originally one country, bounded by the mountain ridges of the Yamazaka Pass, the Kinoge Pass, and the Tochinoki Pass. The north was the Echizen area, and the south was the Reinan area, also known as the Wakasa area.
Therefore, from a geographical point of view, the connection between Tsuruga County and Wakasa Country is closer than that of Echizen Country. The people of the South Echizen area are located on the mountain line bordering the two areas of Wakasa and Echizen.
The Fukui plain in the northeast is occupied by the Asakura family's first clan and direct descendants. The former South Vietnamese clan is more like a watchdog, standing on the mountain pass along the Konoha Pass.
Now, Asakura Yoshikage has given Kanazaki Castle to the people of the former South Vietnam for their care.
The entire mountain defense line of the Echizen and Wakasa areas was in the hands of the South Vietnamese people, and they could even overlook the coastline of Tsuruga Bay.
From this point of view, the people of the former South Vietnam country are really qualified to win over Yiyin, and they are very sincere in taking the initiative to introduce two powerful martial arts families, Zhenbang and Horie, to come for an audience.
In the hands of Yiyin, the Hokuriku Dou trade route, which was growing in gold every day, and the inexhaustible gold mine of Tsuruga Port stood beside the people of the former South Vietnam.
How can the people of the former South Vietnam remain unmoved when they see huge amounts of wealth flowing in front of them every day? As long as Yiyin is willing to share some benefits with them, they will definitely help Asakura Kageki defend Tsuruga Port.
Although Yiyin's meeting with them did not involve any commitment, both parties knew in their hearts that the pier was indeed a success.
Asakura Kageki was also relieved. At least with the support of the former South Vietnamese people, her pressure would be much less.
The meeting was a joyful one for both host and guest, but because Si Boyi was tired from traveling, the meeting ended early so that he could have a good rest.
After Asakura Keiki and other outsiders left, Yoshihiro did not take a rest immediately. Instead, he looked at the documents brought by Momochi Santai and listened to her introduction to the latest recent situation.
———
Kyoto, Shiba Residence, Tea Room.
Akechi Mitsuhide looked at Matsuhisa with a smile on his face, but his mood was very bad, and he even had the urge to drive her away.
Yoshihiro Shiba came back anyway. He ignored Mitsuhide Akechi's advice and returned to Konko early, which disrupted Mitsuhide Akechi's plan.
Of course Mitsuhide Akechi understood what Shiba Yoshigan was thinking, and he had to sigh in his heart, this kind and soft-hearted enemy is really both loveable and hateful.
Matsunaga looked at Akechi Mitsuhide's iconic elegant smile, but seemed to notice a slight fluctuation in it, so he asked.
"Akechi-hime, I heard that Tsudaden is coming back?"
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"Matsunaga-hime's news is quite good. Tsutaden landed at Tsuruga Port the day before yesterday. He is probably rushing to Aifa Pass and is preparing to enter the Kita-Omi boundary."
Matsunaga sighed.
"That's good, that's good. Tsudo-den is back, and we have a backbone inside and outside Kyoto."
Matsunaga's seemingly casual words made Akechi Mitsuhide's eyes flash.
The two of them also met in a teahouse a while ago. At that time, Matsuzuki Nagahide begged Mitsuhide Akechi to write to Yoshihiro Shiba, asking him to come back and mediate disputes between various forces in recent times, but Mitsuhide Akechi prevaricated him.
Unexpectedly, Shiba Yoshigan came back on his own initiative, which made Mitsuhide Akechi a little embarrassed, and made Matsunagahide seem to have caught some inspiration.
It seems that Tsutado-don is not really at ease with Akechi Mitsuhide. This discovery surprised Matsunaga. The seemingly omnipotent Akechi Mitsuhide turned out to be frustrated.
Come to think of it, who can really rest assured about a poisonous snake like her? I'm afraid not only Yoshigan Shiba, but also Oda Nobunaga and Ashikaga Yoshiaki both use and guard against her.
There was an undercurrent surging in Matsunaga's heart, but Akechi Mitsuhide had no time to take care of it at this time. She was worried about the unexpected return of Shiba Yoshigan, which indeed disrupted her plan.
With the entry of the Ichiko Sect and the Tendai Sect, Oda Nobunaga is encountering unprecedented difficulties.
Asai Asakura's coalition forces retreated to Mount Hiei, just to drag down the Tendai Sect. But Oda Nobunaga was surrounded by enemies on all sides and had no time to dally with the Tendai Sect.
If there was no intermediary recognized by both parties to mediate, Oda Nobunaga would probably jump over the wall and attack with troops to attack Mount Hiei.
Although the mountain master of Mount Hiei is famous, the current situation is not the same as that of the Emperor's court. Although the Ni soldiers are fanatical and not afraid of death, the samurai are better at fighting and killing people.
Oda Nobunaga is a powerful daimyo with two million koku and tens of thousands of female soldiers under his command. If she can't kill even a few thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of believers, how can she have the confidence to spread her power all over the world and conquer the world?
What Akechi Mitsuhide was looking forward to was not that Oda Nobunaga would be defeated on Mount Hiei. She was waiting for Oda Nobunaga to attack Mount Hiei and burn down Enryaku Temple.
At that time, Kofukuji Temple in Yamato was accused by the Miyoshi family soldiers. Shiba Yoshigan used coercion and inducement, so that the head of Kofukuji Temple took the blame and made Miyoshi Chokei an enemy of the Buddha. Miyoshi Chokei was very worried.
Miyoshi Nagakei's enemy of the Buddha was only pointed out by Master Nagakaku in a presumptuous manner. Later, with the help of Ashikaga Yoshiteru through the Tendai Sect, he reluctantly recognized him.
With such a name that has no credibility as an enemy of the Buddha, the three good and long-lasting heroes will cause a fire in the backyard, making it difficult to clean up.
Oda Nobunaga had already fallen out with the Ichigo clan, and Honganji Temple seemed to have no way out and could only fight to the death with the Oda family.
If another Buddhist tragedy occurs in Mount Hiei, and the Tendai Sect is the leader of Buddhism in the world, and Master Kakushu comes forward to accuse Oda Nobunaga of being an enemy of Buddhism, then the Oda family will be in big trouble.
The Buddhist enemy finalized by the masters of the Tendai Sect and the Ichiko Sect is much more valuable than the Buddhist enemy of Miyoshi Chokei, enough to make Buddhist believers all over the world regard Oda Nobunaga as their mortal enemy and vow to fight to the death.
Akechi Mitsuhide saw that his plan was about to succeed, but at this critical moment, Shiba Yigen came back.
She couldn't help but sigh, and said with a smile from the opposite side, Matsuhisa Nagahide.
"Akechi-ji seems to have something on her mind? Aren't you happy that Tsudo-den has returned to Koji, and there is hope for peace in Koji?"
When Matsunagahide made a sarcastic comment, Akechi Mitsuhide didn't get angry, he just smiled and changed the subject and said.
"Matsunaga-hime is really a good trick.
Araki Murashige and Wada Taimasa had a decisive battle on the banks of the Ibaraki River. Wada Taimasa was killed on the spot, but this eliminated a serious problem for you.
Miyoshi's military front is pointing directly at Izumi and Hanoi. Mibuchi Fujihide is in panic all day long, and he has no intention of causing trouble for you right now.
Awesome, indeed awesome.”
Matsunaga forced a smile. She came here this time without any trouble, and her attitude towards Mitsuhide Akechi was not as humble and flattering as before.
Akechi Mitsuhide was satirizing her for being courteous in front of others and arrogant in back. She looks forward when she uses people and looks after people when she doesn't use them, which is very unkind.
Matsunaga suddenly became alert. Mitsuhide Akechi was obviously in a bad mood. He had to be careful not to offend this poisonous man who was sweet-talking and dangerous. This would not do him any good.
She laughed and said.
"It is a blessing from heaven that is beyond my control, and I should not be praised by Mingzhi Ji."
Akechi Mitsuhide was reluctant to give in to her, and said again.
"How can there be so much luck in the world? It all depends on people. I heard that after the death of Wada Weizheng, his daughter Wada Weichang was very dissatisfied with Takayama Shigetomo.
If I remember correctly, this person was once a Higashisettsu Riki warrior assigned to you by His Highness Miyoshi Nagakei.
Yes, Wada Weimasa is sending troops this time, and there are many people from Tosettsu who are accompanying him under his command. These people have close contacts with you.
The Miyoshi family did not attack Settsu, and they had a tacit agreement with Araki Murashige not to invade each other. Only then could Araki Murashige send his army eastward and kill the last person guarding Settsu, Wada Taimasa.
The Miyoshi family sent troops to Izumi and Hanoi, and fought with Araki Murashige in the north and south of Yodogawa. This tacit understanding must have been achieved through someone's thread, right?
Mibuchi Fujihide hates you Matsunaga-hime, you really caused a big trouble for her."
Matsunaga smiled and said nothing, and her heart became more vigilant. Akechi Mitsuhide was actually very aware of the little tricks he secretly performed on her, and it was obvious that he had someone keeping an eye on her.
Thinking of the group of Shiba family ninjas under Akechi Mitsuhide's command, who were all the elites among the old Iga clan, Matsunaga's heart also tightened.
Akechi Mitsuhide said it right, this time Araki Murashige was able to kill Wada Weimasa, and Matsunaga Hide played a major role.
As for the Miyoshi family, Matsunagahide still has some connections, so he can naturally help connect the two parties and let the Miyoshi family pinch the soft persimmon of Miyoshi Fujihide.
But it is not good for Oda Nobunaga to know about these things that are not on the table, otherwise it will be very detrimental to Matsunagahide.
After all, Wada Weimasa and Mibuchi Fujihide had taken refuge with Oda Nobunaga. Oda Nobunaga still needed them to block the Miyoshi family's troops so that he could deal with Asai and Asakura's coalition forces first.
Because Matsunagahide was causing trouble behind his back, Wada Taimasa died in battle, and Mibuchi Fujihide was confused. Oda Nobunaga's back was completely empty, and he could only rely on an outsider like Araki Murashige to support the overall situation of Settsu.
If Oda Nobunaga knew the inside story, he would definitely pluck out the skin of Matsunagahide.
Akechi Mitsuhide's tone was so calm that he clearly explained the cause and effect. Even though Matsushita Nagahide was frightened, he could only bow his head and shut up to avoid extraneous matters and new worries.
How can Akechi Mitsuhide be in the mood to criticize Matsunaga Hide at this moment? This person is the one looking for scolding, so just give her a few words.
After picking up the tea soup and taking a sip, Akechi Mitsuhide was about to serve the tea to the guests.
"I won't leave Matsunaga-hime sitting here any longer today. I'm going to Nijo Castle later to ask the general to come forward and give Master Kakushu and His Highness Oda a step forward.
Mount Hiei is right next to Kyoto. If there is a war, Kyoto will definitely suffer disaster. We hope that all parties can take the overall situation into consideration and prevent Kyoto from suffering a military disaster."
Matsunaga nodded and said.
"Since Ji Mingzhi has something to do, I'll take my leave first."
Akechi Mitsuhide was not compassionate and pitied all living beings in Kyoto. She had no choice but to change her ways because Yoshihiro Shiba came back and the method of blazing fire across the river was no longer feasible.
Akechi Mitsuhide knew that once Yoshigan Shiba returned, the predicament of Mount Hiei would inevitably be reconciled. This man was too soft-hearted and took all the problems on his own.
Now that he understands the master's thoughts, as a diplomat in Spo, Mitsuhide Akechi must also cooperate to calm down the crisis on Mount Hiei.
That's why she asked Ashikaga Yoshiaki to come out and help Yoshihiro Shiba set up the stage before the master could sing a good show.
Since we can no longer see the beautiful view of the burning Mount Hiei, at least we should take this opportunity to establish a glorious image of Yoshigan Saba, so that all our hard work will not be in vain.