Now that he has decided to take action, Mekada Tsunayoshi is also a ruthless person. After much deliberation, he could not let his retainers participate. So he decided to take four of his own banners and find the evil party group that supported him to do it.
In the recent years of war, there have been many wild samurai without support. The ronin recruited by each family are willing to kill people for food, regardless of who they kill, and the Mekada family has dozens of these evil gangs.
Magada Castle is located on an important trade route, and the income from the castle town belongs to the owner. Naturally, he has to find other sources to make up for the losses. Supporting evil parties to extort caravans has become a secret that cannot be told.
As a local snake, he knew which caravans could be offended and which ones could not be offended. And he controlled the time of entry and exit of the pass, so the evil party's extortion could be easily grasped and secured.
Don't do anything to the limit. If you do it too harshly, you will cut off the business route. Not only will you lose your long-term income, but if the income of the castle town of the master's family collapses, you will have to kill this stupid dog Mokarada.
Over time, everyone has formed a tacit understanding. The caravan also makes money by being harmonious. If it can ensure that there is no trouble on this road, just pay the membership fee. The wool comes from the sheep, and it is added to the cost when it arrives in Kyoto.
Mekarada learned this trick from the master Rokkaku family. During the years when the Rokkaku family was severely beaten by the Ashikaga family, from time to time they would go to the mountains south of Omi to fight guerrillas.
That is the territory of the Koga clan. Twenty-one of the fifty-two Koga clans have been canonized by the Rokkaku clan. However, turning the business of a regular customer for many years into a lord and minister is also a feat.
The Mekarada family is a hexagonal loyal dog, and this habit has followed the master's family. To be honest, the evil gang south of Lake Biwa is the most arrogant in her family, and there are really people in her family.
The retainer system of the Wu family was stable, but it was too expensive to maintain. The minimum salary for Ji Ji warriors to serve was thirty thousand years of salary. The wars continued endlessly, and every family was in poverty.
It is comfortable for the evil party to use it. They usually give them food to keep them from starving to death, but in wars they use it to throw money at them. Some of them are wild samurai who don’t care about their lives.
The business ability of killing people is not necessarily worse than that of the Ji warriors at home. They are just afraid of death and cannot fight against the wind. They will run away if the momentum is not right. There are also some losers who collect money from both sides and rebel in front of the battle. Some martial arts families are tricked into extermination due to ignorance.
If these two shortcomings were not so serious, the retainer system would have been replaced by the mercenary system long ago. However, the price advantage is too obvious, and each family now uses half and half.
Mekarada Tsunayoshi did this with the belief that he would never fail this time. The four flags had been following the side for many years, and their loyalty in martial arts was guaranteed. The evil party had brought twenty people, all of whom were capable wild warriors.
Then find a familiar mountain stream to ambush, block it in front and behind, and catch the turtle in the jar without letting anyone go. The opponent is only twenty-three peasants and soldiers, one sick woman, and one guard. This matter is safe.
As for Shiba Yoshigan himself, what use is a man? Don’t cry and pee your pants when the time comes. You want to taste it before killing him, for fear of being disgusted. After all, he is also the legitimate son of the famous Shiba, Mekada Tsunayoshi thinks about it. excited.
The preparations here in Mujiada are complete, and the Yi Bank group has been away for two days over there.
It's funny to say that Hosokawa Akechi and the two girls, who had been having a pleasant outing before setting off, were alert at this time. But Yoshigami, who had relaxed due to Hosokawa Fujitaka's words, was talking and laughing in a relaxed and comfortable manner.
In addition, because of Yiyin's non-rejecting attitude, Otani Yoshitsugi, who was a little grateful in his heart, secretly hesitated and couldn't bear the misfortune of this aristocratic young master who treated him like a human being.
The world is full of people eating people. Otani Yoshitsugi has seen clearly and understood clearly for a long time. But who would have thought that after studying Taoism at home for several years, he would meet a foreigner like Yoshiyin as soon as he left home.
Some things are carried in the bones. Even if the skin is peeled off, the tendons are cramped, the bones are shaved off, and you change the world and start a new life, you will still be incompatible with this world.
Yoshigan really treats everyone equally, no matter you are an Ashikaga general or a roadside village woman, you are all an ancient fool.
In addition, the gender outlook is opposite. He does not rely on women, is independent and considerate of women.
Think about how the male society has produced a version of a strong woman who is not only self-reliant and self-reliant, but also understands the hardships of men. How can such a person not attract attention?
As the saying goes, a man will not shed tears easily, but he has not yet reached the sad point. When he meets the right person, men are also made of water.
Turning this thing around, this is the current situation of Yoshigan. Whether it is Oda Nobunaga, Maeda Toshiie, or Maeda Yoshie and other samurai who are familiar with him, it is really more and more weird and quite attractive.
It's not that Otani Yoshitsugi's life is opaque, it's just that he met the wrong person at the wrong time. Seeing his daughter's iron-hearted feelings, I almost couldn't hold back.
They were still talking and laughing, but suddenly Maeda's smile disappeared and he suddenly raised his head to look at the mountains on both sides.
"My lord, something is wrong, there is murderous intent."
Yiyin's face was stunned for a moment, then became serious.
Benefit is a born warrior. Not to mention martial arts and strategy, this keen intuition is also her bread and butter.
On the way to Kyoto, apart from the time when Guo Xin capsized, he never made a mistake, so Yiyin couldn't help but believe it.
Turn on the insight mode, glance forward twice, and turn it off. No response. Maybe this situation is not considered a battlefield recognized by the system, so it cannot be displayed.
The pause took too long, and behind him Hosokawa Akechi rode forward.
"What's wrong?"
"There is an ambush."
Yiyin made his judgment on interests categorical, he believed in interests.
"Ahead is Mukada Castle. The owner of the city, Makada Tsunayoshi, is a die-hard loyalist of the Rokkaku family, so this may be the place. Further ahead is the core territory of the Rokkaku family. It is not convenient to attack there."
A few words from Hosokawa Fujitaka made Yiyin nervous, while Otani Yoshitsugi lowered his head and his eyes wandered.
"What do you mean? Didn't Mr. Hosokawa say before that he came out this time to be an envoy, and there are still people who want to attack us?"
Yoshigan was confused, and Akechi Mitsuhide on the side spoke.
"There is something wrong with the environment here. At the beginning of spring, there are no traces of birds flying in the forest in front, and not a single caravan has been seen on the road.
Further ahead is the mountain stream valley, the valley road is narrow, and it is difficult to fly if it is blocked on both sides."
Yoshigan looked at the two girls Hosokawa Akechi and asked.
"The two adults are not surprised at all. Did they already know that we were going to be attacked?"
Hosokawa did not answer him directly, but looked at Yoshitsugi Otani.
"The Rokkaku retainers are strong and the envoys of the shogunate have a distinguished status. How could they send a sick woman to protect them? And these twenty-three peasant soldiers are so slack. Doesn't this force the shogunate to be angry?"
"You don't know, I'm just following orders."
Otani Yoshitsugi raised his head and looked at Hosokawa Fujitaka.
"Of course you don't know, because you are also an insider who will be stabbed. Only when everyone here is dead can the news of the Rokkaku family's attack on the envoy be concealed, but they missed something. I, Hosokawa Fujitaka, am here
.”
Hosokawa Fujitaka had a smile on his face, as if he had pearls of wisdom in his hands.
Yiyin had no time to watch her show off, and was weighing the information he now knew in his mind. The Rokkaku family wanted to kill him, and although he still didn't know why, he could never sit still and wait for death.
"Profit, take the flag."
As soon as Yiyin opened his mouth, everyone felt that his aura had changed.
After all, he had the foundation to kill eleven Ji warriors in a row on the battlefield. Yiyin had confidence in his cheat and showed his murderous intent.
"Otani Yoshitsugi, I know you have something to hide. You and your peasants and soldiers should go. There is an ambush in front of you. There is no need for you to accompany us to die."
Yoshigan spoke to Otani Yoshitsugi gently. This sick girl was already pitiful enough, and he didn't want to continue to deceive her.
Otani Yoshitsugi swallowed and asked.
"What about you, Master Shiba?"
"Me? I'm going to the front to ask for an explanation."
With a sudden sound, interests waved away the crumpled white flag of Ashikaga, reflecting Yoshigan's handsome face.
He has a cold brow and cold eyes, but he is not angry and is proud of himself.