After listening to his adoptive father's analysis that the problem was not serious, Ii Naomasa finally breathed a sigh of relief and said.
"Since the matter is still under the control of the saint, I can shamelessly plead for Hanzawa Naoyi again, hoping to spare her life."
Ii Naotora sighed.
"If I were you, I wouldn't take the blame.
Hanzawa Naoyi acted recklessly and has already caused public outrage. If you come forward to excuse her, you are afraid that you will get burned and make the Kanto samurai family dissatisfied."
Ii Naomasa sneered.
"I don't follow the Guandong style. What does the dissatisfaction of those stupid people have to do with me? I am a hawk under the saint, and only the saint's interests come first."
Ii Naotora said helplessly.
"That's all, I know I can't help you, let's see if the saint is willing to let her live.
But I want to remind you that you can pray to the saints, but everything is too much, and you don’t want to get angry and attack the saints again, which will be counterproductive."
Ii Naomasa said melancholy.
"I know in my heart that I won't displease the saint anymore. If I really can't spare Naoyoshi Hanzawa's life... just think I'm sorry for her..."
Seeing that Ii Naomasa was no longer stubborn and had some flexibility, Ii Naotora was relieved.
My words today were finally not in vain. After all, this papaya's brain has finally opened up and he no longer insists on having his own way.
———
While Ii and his daughter were discussing the Kanto issue, Yoshihiro, who was temporarily stationed in Hamamatsu City, was also receiving Tokugawa Ieyasu who came to report the matter.
Yiyin shook his head and said.
"Your Highness Tokugawa made a mistake. The four nuns you captured are fake and fraudsters trying to fish in troubled waters.
The Kanto Secrecy Team recently sent an urgent report.
It has been found out that the four abbots, Yu Xin of Miao'an Temple, Shanghui of Sanguang Temple, Zhehuang of Wuliang Temple, and Kaixin of Yanglin Temple, were robbed by bandits while visiting friends in the mountains, and suffered tragic accidents.
At this moment, the bodies of the four people have been sent back to various temples for cremation and resting, and the relevant information has been officially announced to the public through the Wu Jiayi Promotion Association."
Tokugawa Ieyasu was stunned. She never expected that the bargaining chip that she thought was a rare commodity would be rejected by the saint.
The original plan was to trade these four nuns in exchange for a favor from the saint, which would be used to communicate with Sakai Port about reopening the Tokaido trade route.
Unexpectedly, the saint directly refused to recognize the identities of these four nuns, which made Tokugawa Ieyasu's flattery look particularly glaring and sentimental.
Tokugawa Ieyasu looked at the account she had just presented to the saint's desk and was in a dilemma.
Yiyin smiled, stood up and said.
"It's getting late, and I'm tired from the long journey. His Highness Tokugawa had better go back and rest early. We'll talk tomorrow."
Tokugawa Ieyasu hurriedly saluted, respectfully excused himself, and was about to leave.
Yoshihiro took the opportunity to copy the account presented by Tokugawa Ieyasu from the document, walked to the porch, and without blinking, threw it into the brazier in the courtyard below the porch.
The winter night was extremely dark, and the smashed account caused sparks to fly, and the flames grew stronger, reflecting Yi Yin's rosy and shiny complexion.
Tokugawa Ieyasu looked at the leaping flames and squinted his eyes. This account, which was related to the interests of countless samurai families in Kanto and affected the hearts of countless people in Kanto, was turned into ashes.
Yoshigan looked back at the cowering Tokugawa Ieyasu. His clear statement was that he did not like Tokugawa Ieyasu dictating Kanto affairs. This was a warning. Apparently Tokugawa Ieyasu understood.
But Tokugawa Ieyasu's status was very sensitive. She was Oda Nobunaga's Tokaido ally, and also the childhood friend of Oda Nobunaga and Yoshigan. Even if she was beaten hard with a stick, she would be rewarded with a date.
Yiyin said.
"Your Highness Tokugawa."
Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was about to duck down and leave, quickly bowed and obeyed the order and asked respectfully.
"What did the saint command?"
Yiyin looked at the accounts burning in the fire and said slowly.
"Let's go to Sakai Port."
"Forehead?"
"Regarding the matter of the Tokaido Trading Route, I talked with Takada Haruno, and she said that it is not difficult to reopen the trading route, but the difficulty lies in appeasing the shareholders of the Hokuriku Road Trading Route.
Over the years, the Shiba family has accumulated many friends through the Hokuriku Trade Route. You can't just throw away your old friends and offend them all just for a small profit from the Tokaido Trade Route, right?
Her idea was to merge the newly opened Tokaido Trading Road into Hokuriku Road Trading Stock and reorganize it into United Trading Road Stock, taking into account the common interests of old and new friends.
If you are interested, you may wish to visit Sakai Port.
On the one hand, it is to show sincerity and dispel the concerns of Sakai Port. On the other hand, it is also to see if we can make some new friends so that we can sit down and cooperate together to make some money in the future.
what do you think?"
Tokugawa Ieyasu bowed deeper, his back bent like a lobster, extremely submissive.
The saint finally recognized his favor and gave himself a ticket to enter the game.
Speaking of the re-opening of the Tokaido trade route, the Hojo Takeda family is descended from the gods, and the Imagawa family really returns to the Suruga country, they are the puppets raised by the Shiba family themselves, and there is no problem for everyone to share the profits.
There is only Tokugawa Ieyasu, a little girl who has forced his way over. He is essentially an outsider. Why should he get a piece of your pie?
Takada Harano of Sakai Port is also under pressure from allies on the Hokurikudo trade route, so naturally he is not willing to change easily.
The saint was relieved at this moment and gave Tokugawa Ieyasu a chance.
But Sakai Port was far away from the territory of the Tokugawa family. Tokugawa Ieyasu had to travel almost across the entire Kinki region to go to Sakai Port. She was a little undecided about traveling light and far away from her hometown.
Yoshigan didn't get a response from Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately, so he looked back at her.
"What? Are you unwilling to merge the Tokaido Trading Road and the Hokuriku Road Trading Road? Or are you worried about the safety on your own road?"
Tokugawa Ieyasu came to his senses and immediately shook his head.
"No, the saint is far-sighted and far-sighted. I am far inferior. The joint operation of the Hokurikudo and Tokaido trade routes is indeed the best way.
As for a trip to Sakai Port, I would of course be very happy.
Under the care of the Saint and His Highness Oda, the land of Kinki is in order and peaceful, so I have nothing to worry about.
I have long heard that Sakai Port is rich and prosperous, but I have never been able to get close to him. This time I have a chance."
Yoshigami nodded, and the two of them exchanged pleasantries for a few more words before Tokugawa Ieyasu left.
Looking at Tokugawa Ieyasu's disappearing back, Kamaojigo, who was serving at the side, stepped forward and asked softly.
"Sage, do you think she would believe the story about the four nuns who died in the mountain?"
Yiyin gave Pu Shengshixiang a white look.
"Can she believe something that I don't believe in?
I just didn't expect those people from the Wu Jiayi Li Promotion Association to jump over the wall and come up with such an idea, which temporarily stabilized the hearts of the people in Guanbazhou, and they were still smart.
In fact, no one cares where the four nuns went, dead or alive, but they must not abscond out of fear of crime.
As long as they did not run away but died unexpectedly, then the boiling public opinion in Kanto would hesitate and there would be room for change in this matter.
This is very good. Many things can be solved secretly without being exposed in public. Only by handling them in this way can we have a chance to reduce major problems to minor issues. Those bastards in Kanto finally have some brains.
Tokugawa Ieyasu has got what she wants, and will soon go to Sakai Port to find Takada Harano to reopen the Tokaido trade route with my permission.
She didn't care about the disturbances in Kanto, and she didn't dare to intervene in the political situation in Kanto, which aroused my disgust and vigilance towards her.
I bet you that the first thing she did after returning was to secretly kill the four nuns and destroy their bodies."
Pushengshixiang said hesitantly.
"Officially, the four nuns were killed in the mountains, but secretly, they were dealt with by His Highness Tokugawa, and even the ledgers were burned clean.
In this way, the corruption of the Wu Family Giri Promotion Association is over?"
Yiyin sighed.
"It's not that simple.
The accounts are gone, but there are no real food stamps in the warehouse. It can't be fake, right? Without the accounts, at most the corrupt people can breathe a sigh of relief. I can't find the specific person who took the money for the time being.
I don’t have to hold them accountable, but I have to make them spit out all the funds on their books.
Also, Hanzawa Naoyoshi is also in a prison cell in Kanto. With this witness, can I not pursue this matter if I don’t want to pursue it?
I could pretend not to know before, but now that everything has been exposed, if I continue to pretend not to know, it will only make those people have no scruples, and they will become more and more unscrupulous in the future.
Therefore, since the corruption has been exposed, let’s rectify it by the way. I only hope that after this time, the order in Kanto can be renewed and I can be quiet for a few years.”
———
The saint has not yet returned to Kanto, but the Wu Family Giri Promotion Association has already launched a self-rescue. They were clever enough to publicize the defection of the four nuns as accidental deaths, trying their best to appease the people of Kanto.
This approach was exactly in line with Yoshigan Shiba's thoughts, so he simply passed on this rhetoric to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and secretly killed the four troublesome nuns to avoid future troubles.
Without the nuns and accounts, the corruption problem of the Wu Family Yili Promotion Association has no conclusive evidence that can be made public, and it has returned to a behind-the-scenes operation.
The fig leaf that Hanzawa Naoyoshi had opened at the risk of his own life will probably be covered up again.
Before Yoshihiro Shiba returned to Kanto, he had already thought of a countermeasure.
What he wants is money and food to return to Kanto, and what he wants is for Hanzawa Naoyoshi to shut up and beat the hawks and dogs working in Kanto.
But all this cannot be revealed to the middle and lower classes in Guan Bazhou, and the middle and lower classes in Guan Bazhou cannot be allowed to know that the high-level institutions they rely on are just a group of greedy turtle bastards.
It is impossible for Yiyin to clean out all the Kanto warriors who work for him. Even if he has the ability to do this, there is no guarantee that the new ones will be more reliable than the old ones.
People who are loyal, filial, and righteous are like a handful, and people who are utilitarian and selfish are like a crucian carp crossing a river. Yiyin has no choice but to scrape by and use it first.
At this moment, Hanzawa Naoyoshi of Kanto was already in prison, and was taken to the prison of Edo Castle to wait for the saint's disposal.
Shima Katsuo, who was in charge of Edo Castle, didn't make things difficult for her. He wanted to take care of her first, but he didn't want to have contact with her, so as not to cause trouble.
This time, the Wu family's moral promotion association exposed a corruption case, which affected the Kanto shrine office and the members of various famous families. This is why everyone is in danger.
The three strong clans of Uesugi, Takeda and Hojo and Shimakatsu Tao had divine descendants, and they never interfered with the affairs of the Samurai Giri Promotion Association, so their mentality was calm.
However, their disciples, former officials, retainers, relatives, and friends and associates are inevitably affected, and they must always avoid suspicion in their actions.
Therefore, Hanzawa Naoyi was well fed and housed in Edogawa's cell, but his status was as sensitive as the plague, and even the jailer avoided him for fear of getting into trouble.
On this day, Hanzawa Naoyoshi was lying on the stone floor and taking a nap when he suddenly heard the sound of unlocking outside. He turned around and saw Sarutobi Sasuke fiddling with the chain lock on the doorpost.
"Why are you here? Are you here to kill me and silence me?"
Sasuke Sarutobi had just opened the lock and was circling the chain to loosen it. When he heard Hanzawa Naoyi's teasing words, his face suddenly darkened.
"I'm kindly coming to see you, so don't be ungrateful!"
Hanzawa Naoyoshi stood up and smiled.
"No one dares to talk to me these days. I'm bored to the point of panic. Finally, I have someone to chat with. I'm so happy."
Sasuke Sarutobi casually threw the open chain lock on the ground, picked up the two wine bottles he brought with him, and threw one of them to Naoyoshi Hanzawa.
Hanzawa Naoyi raised his head and took a sip, sticking out his tongue and gasping for air.
“It’s spicy, but tastes good.”
Sarutobi Sasuke smiled.
"The spirits brewed and steamed by Qingquan in the mountains have become rich in the past two years and they are willing to waste food to improve the taste. In the past, they only used wild fruits, which was very unpleasant to drink.
I said you are not even afraid of death, so how can you be afraid of alcohol burning your mouth? I saw that the weather was getting colder, and I was worried that you wouldn't be able to withstand the cold, so I brought you some strong alcohol to warm you up. You don't know a good person's heart."
Hanzawa Naoyi patted the quilt on the stone floor and said with a smile.
"Look at how thick the quilt is, how could I be freezing?
At this juncture, Lord Shima Shengmeng doesn't dare to let me freeze to death, otherwise she won't be able to deliver people to the Tongxin Secretariat.
If that were the case, she wouldn't be able to explain clearly."
Sarutobi Sasuke sighed.
"Tell me, why have you come to this point? Why bother?"
Banze Naoyi raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"Isn't this just what you want?"
Sarutobi Sasuke was speechless.
From Sanada's point of view, Hanzawa Naoyoshi naturally thinks that the bigger the fuss, the better.
But Sarutobi Sasuke, who has been following Naoyi Hanzawa for more than half a year, personally admires Naoyi Hanzawa very much and is impressed by her personality charm.
Sarutobi Sasuke remained silent, Hanzawa Naoyi took another sip of strong wine and said.
"Why are you here? Are you worried that I won't be able to withstand the pressure and sell you out?
Don't worry, after the four nuns read the evidence, didn't I burn it in front of you?
I said that I only want to uncover the secrets and will never betray my collaborators. I will keep my word. If the Tongxin Secretariat asks, I will keep it secret and take it to my grave. Don't worry."
Sarutobi Sasuke smiled bitterly.
"The more open you are, the more guilt you will make me feel. Is it worth it?"
Hanzawa Naoyoshi shook his head.
"You have asked me several times, and my answer is always worth it.
Sasuke, you are different from me.
Although you were born in the barren Jiaxin Mountains and have a hard life, I can see that you have friends you trust and comrades you can rely on to support you. You are lucky.
But I am different. The Kanazawa Plain where I was born was conquered by the Yixiang Yikui early on. My whole family wandered around and was bullied. I am a person without roots.
The Sibo family gave me a plan and a future for me. They told me what the dignity of the martial arts family was, the principles of the martial arts family, and why we should end this troubled world and create a new order.
From then on, I turned from a ghost into a human being. From the moment I ate the food of the Sibo family, I vowed to do my best to be responsible for the future of the Sibo family and to fight for the righteousness of the Wu family."
Sarutobi Sasuke raised his wine bag to show respect to Hanzawa Naoyoshi, then took a sip and said.
"You said that there are so many high-level martial arts masters, and the high-ranking officials and generous salaries are not as particular as yours. You, a grassroots newcomer who earns six stones a year, are not willing to fight for your life.
Furthermore, the saint's attitude is also very clear. He doesn't like what you do, and he will send you to jail with just one imperial order. This is a thankless task for you."