Maeda Yoshitsugi, Ohtani Yoshitsugi, and Toudo Takatora were the first batch of side warriors who were loyal to the king. They were born in a high status but had different personalities.
Maeda was capable of both literary and military skills, and was the first retainer accepted by the emperor. His position as the chief general of the Shiba family was stable and no one could shake it.
Todo Takatora was arrogant and dissatisfied with his mother's death, so he decided to leave the Shiba family. But even though she was so ignorant, the emperor did not argue with her, but acquiesced in her departure.
Otani Yoshitsugi has a loyal heart, knows how to repay kindness, and is very compatible with your Majesty's temperament, so your Majesty has always looked upon her with special eyes and trusted her very much.
I can guarantee that Otani Yoshitsugi will not be jealous of Maeda's military rewards, but will be happy that Maeda's ambitions have been rewarded."
Hosokawa Fujitaka nodded.
"It seems that Yoshitsugi Otani is a rare loyal person who can be entrusted to his comrades behind him."
Akechi Mitsuhide stopped chatting with Hosokawa Fujitaka and said directly.
"The relationship between Maeda Yoshi and Otani Yoshitsugi is good or bad, and we don't need to worry about them.
When I come this time, Jindo Palace also has a reminder for you.
Thanks to my efforts, the land of Sakai Port and Tsutado-den were handed over to you by Matsuguchi, but the Hokurikudo trade route controlled by Takada Yono is too closely related.
It is best for you and Takada Haruno to maintain harmony, follow Miyoshi Oda as a precedent, and just take advantage of the detention center and avoid any conflicts."
Hosokawa Fujitaka couldn't help but rolled his eyes at Akechi Mitsuhide and said.
"If I don't cause trouble for Takada Haruno, can she just swallow her anger?
Takada Haruno captured Miyoshi Yasunaga. How much effort did that waste? She just hoped to control the Sakai Port Customs Office through Miyoshi Yasunaga and further control the entire Sakai Port.
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, as the governor of the Miyoshi family, ordered the territory to be changed. Miyoshi Yasuo was unable to continue to stay in Sakai Port due to both sentiment and reason, so he had no choice but to hand over the Sakai Port Customs Station to me.
Are you going to push me in and make Takada Haruno’s hard work go to waste? Can she swallow this sigh of relief?
You first put me on the fire to roast, and now you want to warn me not to mess with Takada Harano? Is this a human thing?
You and I both know that Takada Haruno is not a good person. Instead of restricting my hands and feet, you should first consider what I should do after Takada Haruno makes me lose the Sakai Port Customs Office!"
Akechi Mitsuhide said with a smile.
"With Fujitaka and your wisdom, it's no problem to deal with Takada Yono, a talented businessman. I'm not worried at all.
Okay, stop whining.
I will be sending my envoy to Wakae Castle tomorrow to negotiate with Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, you must be prepared and don't give Miyoshi Fujihide a chance to counterattack."
Seeing Mitsuhide Akechi change the subject, Hosokawa Fujitaka nodded helplessly. Regarding the matter of Sakai Port, it seemed that he could only rely on himself to compete with Takada Harano.
she said.
"Don't worry, Mibuchi Fujihide can't change the world.
As long as Wakae Castle is still in the hands of Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, the responsibility for the defeat and loss of territory will be the knot between her and the two retainers of Hosokawa Mibuchi, and the stain of her incompetence will never be cleansed.
The two mothers are old, and I have the advantage of Sakai Port to win people's hearts. The Hosokawa Mibuchi family cannot escape my control.
But having said that, Tsudo-den is really willing to give away more than 300 Shiba preparations at one time, which is really generous.
Especially for those Kanto students studying abroad in the Shiba system, this pension is too generous."
Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.
"Is Fujitaka jealous of their rewards?
After all, you were the one who discovered the unfavorable situation of the battle in time and rushed into the battlefield, which is a big credit."
Hosokawa Fujitaka shook his head.
"I'm not jealous, I'm just feeling emotional. I'm satisfied with the benefits of Sakai Port.
Those foreign students were indeed not afraid of death, and their weapons were extremely crude. They dared to confront the elite Awa people of Shinohara Chofusa, and they were able to defeat the many with less, causing the Awa people to retreat in embarrassment.
These little girls are really not to be underestimated. I am very impressed with their performance on the battlefield. They are worthy of being the young ladies who claim to be responsible for the revival of the Wu family."
Akechi Mitsuhide shook his head and said.
"A group of young people don't know that the sky is high and the sky is high, and they regard the revival of the Wu family as a game of playing house
Nothing in this world is so simple.
When they get older, I wonder if they will dare to have such a big heart and take the rejuvenation of the Wu family as their own responsibility. It's such a big statement."
Hosokawa Fujitaka smiled.
"Guangxiu, you seem to look down on them?"
Akechi Mitsuhide poured himself a glass of wine, drank it in one gulp, and spoke slowly.
"I met their leader today, the one named Mikami, he is an outstanding young warrior.
But her vision is not pure, there are impurities in her heart, maybe she herself doesn't know clearly what is ideal and what is ambition.
There are so many temptations in this world, and how many people can let go of everything and die for their ideals.
They are just too young and don’t know that everything in the world has already been marked with a price, and they don’t know how much their ideals cost.”
Akechi Mitsuhide's tone was a bit erratic. He always felt that she had other intentions. He didn't know who he was talking about. Hosokawa Fujitaka couldn't even speak.
Seeing that the scene had cooled down, Akechi Mitsuhide smiled slightly, poured wine and confessed.
"I was drunk and made Fujitaka laugh by talking nonsense."
Hosokawa Fujitaka followed with a few jokes and disapproval, and the scene became heated again.
Yes, there are many vulgar people in the world, but how many of them can stick to their ideals and not be moved by temptation?
Young people appear so arrogant because they have too little experience.
———
In Hanoi Kingdom, Akechi Mitsuhide is busy negotiating after the battle of Jiuboji Temple.
At the same time, in Tamonyama Castle in Beidawa, following the Doshin Secretariat's new military camp, Honda Masanobu, who was sent by Akechi Mitsuhide to participate in Shiba selection, had completed the process and started to form the Wenzhu party.
As a new department under the Tongxin Secretariat, the Inquiry Party received special attention because its work involved the Hokurikudo trade route.
Of course, the Tongxin Secretariat, headed by Kamao Clan, will not leave such an important department to Akechi Mitsuhide, and will also send Tongxin people to help manage it.
Therefore, Honda Masanobu needed to meet his future subordinates one by one in his temporary residence to determine the working relationship between them.
At this time, she was greeting a vigorous warrior Ji, whose waist was always straight and his eyes were filled with fierce passion.
"In the second half of the night, Naoyoshi Sawa, I would like to pay my respects to Lord Honda. Please take care of me."
Honda Masanobu bowed slightly in return and said with a smile.
"I don't dare. Since the beginning of Qizhu Fang's creation, I also need to ask Hanzawa Ji for advice on many things."
Hanzawa Naoyoshi said seriously.
"My lord, you are welcome. This is my duty and I am bound to do so."
Honda Masanobu's eyes narrowed slightly. This young Samurai Hime named Hanzawa Naoyoshi spoke like an unsheathed sword.
What does it mean to be obligated? When you meet your future boss for the first time, can't you speak more respectfully and humbly?
The two had just met, and Honda Masanobu had a vague feeling that being the boss of Hanzawa Naoyoshi would not be an easy and pleasant thing.
"Hanzawa Hime, did you enter the Tongxin Clan through the last Shiba selection? So, you can be considered my senior in the Tongxin Clan."
Facing Honda Masanobu's temptation, Hanzawa Naoyoshi said calmly.
"I only entered the company half a year earlier than you. I have just been an intern at Tongxinzhong for three months. How dare you call me a senior? You are the chief officer of the Qingzhu side, and I will be the top in the future."
Honda Masanobu asked with a smile.
"Where is Hanzawa-hime from?"
Hanzawa Naoyi replied.
"My lord, I am from Kanazawa, Ishikawa County, Kaga Province."
Honda Masanobu thought for a while and said.
"Kaga Ishikawa? That shouldn't be within the Shiba Three Territories, right?"
The selection of Shiba was not open to the world's samurai families, but was recommended internally by Shiba's retainers. Theoretically, the Hime warriors who passed the selection were all from the three Shiba territories in Kokomo, Owari, and Kanto.
Honda Masanobu herself was promoted by Akechi Mitsuhide and belonged to the recent Shiba clan. She asked Hanzawa Naoyoshi about her origins to find out which faction of the Shiba family she belonged to.
But Naoyoshi Hanzawa said that he was a Samurai Hime from Kaga Kingdom, which made Honda Masanobu a little confused as to what was going on.
It was obviously not the first time that Hanzawa Naoyi encountered this kind of question, and he answered it very smoothly.
"Hi, Kaga Country is now a territorial country occupied by the Ichigo Sect. My hometown is in the Kanazawa Plain, and it is the core area of the Kaga Ichiko Sect."
Honda Masanobu nodded and said absentmindedly.
"Are you always happy? How are the warriors in your hometown doing?"
Hanze Naoyoshi said with a solemn expression.
"The Yixiangzong people have been encroaching on the territory of the traditional martial arts family, and the Yixiang sect temple has always favored them. The local traditional martial arts families have been working very hard.
The Wu family that can survive in this kind of environment are all very tenacious people. For example, the family motto of my Banze family is to treat the evil people who bully you, and you must repay them in kind."
Honda Masanobu looked at Hanzawa Naoyi. As a follower of the Ichijo sect, she was somewhat unhappy with Hanzawa Naoyi's blunt criticism of the Ichijo sect temple.
"Then it's really difficult for you. Since you are a local samurai family in Kaga, how can you participate in Shiba selection?"
Hanzawa Naoyi bowed slightly, with a bitter look on his face.
"In the past few years, in order to attack Noto Kingdom, Kaga Ichikui expropriated and raised military resources in the Kanazawa Plain. My mother could not bear it anymore and was forced to resist. She died at the hands of the Kaga Ichikui.
In order to avoid pursuit, my father and I led our tribe across the Liangbai Mountains and fled to Shangjun, Meinong County.
Later, the territory of Maeda Toshiie-sama was re-confederated by His Majesty Oda to the Gunjo County. I was fortunate enough to join Maeda Toshiie-sama, and was later recommended by him to participate in the Shiba selection, and I was lucky enough to pass."
Honda Masanobu nodded and understood.
It turns out that Hanzawa Naoyoshi was a ronin who lost his territory. Fortunately, he did not become a gangster in the mountains. Instead, he was favored by the Maeda Toshi family and became an official. From this point of view, she must be very capable.
Maeda Toshiie was the acting magistrate of the Owari Shiba Territory, but most of the territory of the Owari Shiba Territory was moved by Oda Nobunaga to the northern mountainous area of Mino Province, with the two countries of Echizen and Kaga separated by the Ryoshiro Mountains.
No wonder Hanzawa Naoyoshi, who was born in Kanazawa, was able to participate in the Shiba selection. It turned out that she was the Hime Samurai recommended by Owari Shiba.
Honda Masanobu was a little unhappy. He was obviously from Owari Shiba, but he deliberately said that he was from Kanazawa. This Hanzawa Naoyoshi was really a dishonest Hime warrior.
She couldn't help but sarcastically said.
"I admire Hanzawa-hime for not forgetting her homeland.
However, since you have been recommended by Maeda Toshiie-sama and passed the Shiba selection, you should be proud of being a Shiba family princess samurai.
You have to remember who you are now and not always miss the past."
Hanzawa Naoyi stared at Honda Masanobu, his eyes became sharper, making Honda Masanobu feel more and more uncomfortable. He just listened to Hanzawa Naoyoshi's words.
"Lord Honda, I have never forgotten the kindness that Lord Maeda Toshiie and the Shiba family have shown me.
I will treat the Han Dynasty with the same attitude as Wuhou of the Celestial Dynasty, and I will be loyal to the Sibo family and work hard until my death.
But this matter doesn’t conflict with me being born in Kanazawa and missing my hometown, right?”
Honda Masanobu now fully understood that she would never be happy getting along with Hanzawa Naoyoshi in the future. This guy was a complete thorn, she scolded.
"You are so loud, calling yourself Zhuge Wuhou? Are you cursing that the Sibo family's fortune will rise and fall like that of the Shu Han Dynasty?
It’s so rude! You should think carefully about whose food you are eating!”
Hanzawa Naoyi straightened his back and said.
"I know very well whose food I am eating! I know even better that no matter who you are, if you want to survive, you need money, food and dreams!
The Sibo family gave me a salary, and Jinduodian pointed out the direction of my dream. Of course, I must be as loyal as Zhuge Wuhou treated Emperor Zhaolie of the Han Dynasty!
Maybe my ability is not worthy to be compared with Wuhou, but my loyalty to the Shiba family is no less than anyone else, I hope Lord Honda can understand!"
Honda Masanobu's expression is not very good. After all, no one wants to be thrown into trouble when they just start to form a team, and they are the kind who refuse to change despite repeated admonitions.
She had already begun to think about how to kick Hanzawa Naoyi away, and said with a smile.
"I understand, where did you work for Tongxinzhong before?"
Honda Masanobu was quite confident about kicking Naoyoshi Hanzawa away, and he was ready to tell her to go back to where she came from.
Honda Masanobu was personally recommended by Lord Akechi Mitsuhide, and was approved by Tsutado-den as the chief official of the Kansho. It was not difficult to refuse to accept a disobedient newcomer.
Hanzawa Naoyoshi replied.
"I used to work under Ii Naomasa-sama. This time I came to inquire about the prescription. It was also recommended by Ii Naomasa-sama to Kamao clan-sama."
Honda Masanobu's expression froze and he looked at Hanzawa Naoyi blankly. Isn't this Hanzawa Naoyi a member of Owari Shiba's leadership? Why is Lord Ii Naomasa involved again?
Ii Naomasa is the second-ranking figure in Tongxinzhong. Like the Kamao Clan, she is from the Tsutado-den family, and she is a close confidant.
But compared to Kamao Clan, Ii Naomasa is a more troublesome existence, because she is mainly in charge of the supervision affairs of the Tongxin Secretariat.
Ii Naomasa is young and energetic, with an upright personality. When his temper gets worse, even Tsutado-don dares to contradict him.
Although she does not have as high authority as the Kamao Clan Township, she has supervisory responsibilities for economic policy and welfare matters such as the Hokuriku Road Trading Road, Naoejin Customs Office, Shiba Tadashi Foundation, and Kanto Public Security Bureau.
No matter it is Okuma Asahide and Ozo Changan from Kanto, or Takada Harano and Ishida Mitsunari in recent times, they all do not want to offend Ii Naomasa.
How many people can stand the thorough investigation of Tongxin Secretariat?
Moreover, Ii Naomasa and Takada Yukino are still good friends, which is another evil star.
The Mikazuki Munechika in Takada Yukino's hands has the privilege of killing it first and telling it later, given by Tsutado-den.
Just last year, Yukino Takada supervised the Shiba Chu Fund corruption case. The entire Shiba Chu Fund was almost replaced by a new group of executives. The resident was killed by the Shinsengumi. The bloody smell has not dissipated yet.
These two troublesome little girls are the evil stars that no one in the Sibo family wants to deal with.
Although Honda Masanobu didn't know how Hanzawa Naoyoshi gained the attention of Ii Naomasa, she knew in her heart that the idea of driving Hanzawa Naoyoshi away was no longer realistic.
There is no need for him to drive Hanzawa Naoyoshi back to Ii Naomasa's supervision department just to satisfy his anger. Doing so will only bring greater trouble to himself.
Honda Masanobu pretended to be nonchalant and smiled and said.
"The inquiring party will officially list the company soon, and I would like to ask Hanzawa-hime to take care of it then."
Hanzawa Naoyi bowed deeply and said.
"Lord Honda is too polite, this is my duty.
Tsudoden regards the revival of the samurai family as its own responsibility, and since the subordinates are not talented, they are willing to fight for the concept of justice and do their best to safeguard the future of the samurai family."