Chapter eight hundred and seventy seventh bad situation
Sakamoto Castle was a benefit that the shogunate took out from the Rokkaku family after the Battle of Noragada. It is located on the southwest bank of Lake Biwa and monitors the entrance of Lake Biwa into the Seta River.
The Seta River is an important waterway leading to Kyoto and has extremely important strategic value between Yamashiro Country and Omi Country.
Since the shogunate established Sakamoto Castle, Ashikaga Yoshiteru has always held the castle in his hands.
In the beginning, she asked the ministers to ask for it, and she even let it slip to Shiba Yoshigan. Now that her power has grown, she has made no secret of the Ashikaga family's will to monopolize this place.
If chaos breaks out in Minami Omi and Rokkaku's retainers move southward to force Koga County, Sakamoto Castle behind them will be a sharp knife thrust into the waist of the Rokkaku family.
By going down the river, Sakamoto Castle can sweep across the business circle around Minami Omi and Lake Biwa, and all the richest coastal areas of the Rokkaku family are within the attack range.
No matter how unhappy the Hexagonal Retainers were, they would not dare to make fun of their own bosses. They could only be played by the general.
If Ashikaga Yoshiki can win over the Koga people, she can suppress and subjugate the Rokkaku family from north to south. This temptation is too great for the general to resist.
And with the departure of the Ashikaga family's military force, what will the shogunate group that has been breathless for more than a year do due to Ashikaga Yoshiteru's strong pressure?
Maeda and his daughter didn't know what Akechi Mitsuhide was thinking. But it was certain that Akechi Mitsuhide would transfer the general's military forces away from Kyoto.
Maeda Riku frowned.
"Don't mess around. No matter what Mitsuhide Akechi wants to do, don't interfere."
Maeda said with a smile.
"Don't worry, mother, I don't know anything.
The reason why I want to make peace with the Rokkaku family is because the Lord is short of food in Kanto and asks the Rokkaku family to buy some food.
I don’t even have to use weapons anymore, so I can buy some food, right? Does Rokkaku Yoshiji still want to force me to send troops to rob it?
As for whether the harmony between the two parties helped Mitsuhide Akechi, I don't know what conspiracy Mitsuhide Akechi is up to. He has been messed up by her recently, and I still want to accuse her of her disorderly behavior in front of the lord.
By that time, the deposed general and the sinister Akechi Mitsuhide will no longer have the possibility of becoming friends with the Lord, haha."
Maeda Riku shook his head and said helplessly.
"Anyway, please be honest with me. Takada Haruno is responsible for buying food. We are just ordered to cooperate.
In the past two years, Peking University and Iga have experienced many turmoils, wars and immigration. The local areas are extremely weak and need to recuperate.
Don't empty your family fortune just to get credit. When the time comes, the Lord will return to Japan and find that Iga Country is in a mess, and you won't be able to enjoy your good harvest."
Maeda nodded.
"I know it well.
On the north Omi side, there is Todo Toradaka, and on the south Omi side, I and Otani Yoshitsugi are helping us. The channels have been opened up, and we are just waiting for Takata Harano to come in with copper coins and supplies.
This small role in running a lowly business of merchants is starting to tremble now. Machi Fengxing, ah, a low-class man who plays with money and food, also wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with us warriors who lick blood from the edge of their swords."
Maeda Riku sighed again.
My daughter knows best. She has never cared about the rules of the Wu family and has a very indifferent view of dignity. Now that she dislikes Takada Haruno, it is not at all because of her business career.
The master Sibo Yiyin is really harmful to people. There is no peace in Sibo's family.
Seeing that his daughter was not in a good mood, Maeda Riku had to change the subject.
"Although Omi State has a stone height of 800,000 yuan, the Asai family is recuperating and the Rokkaku family is in constant internal strife, so they are probably unwilling to spend too much food. To solve the big gap in buying food, we have to look to the Toshi family.
The Oda family occupies the Nobi Plain, which is agriculturally fertile land, with stone heights exceeding a million koku. If you want to buy enough food, you must start with the Oda family."
"When my mother told me about her, did she already have an idea?"
Maeda Rihisa said.
"My Lord asked the Toshi family to go to His Highness Oda, hoping that the Oda family could sell grain, but I don't think well of it.
His Highness Oda is a realistic person. Since the marriage between the Asai family and the Oda family, the Shiba family has become of little use to the Oda family.
To put it bluntly, Oda-sama has the Asai family in Kita-Omi and a window to peek into Konki, so there is no need for my Shiba family anymore.
She has great ambitions and is working hard. Although there is a lot of food in the Nongwei Plain, it may not be enough, and there is no reason to give it to my Sibo family."
Maeda said impatiently.
"Mother, just tell me directly what solution you and Maeda Toshiie came up with."
Maeda Toshihisa smiled awkwardly. She didn't want to be so verbose. It's just that Maeda's interests were very prejudiced against the Maeda Toshi family and he was afraid that she wouldn't agree if he didn't explain the difficulties clearly.
Only when Shiba Yoshiyin is involved, Maeda's interests will disregard past grudges and help Maeda Toshiie.
she said.
"What I mean is to use Suzuka Pass as a bargaining chip to persuade His Highness Oda to let go and sell grain."
Maeda narrowed his eyes.
Suzuka Pass is located in Koka County and is the most important pass in the Suzuka Mountains. In the past, the Rokkaku family mostly used this pass to communicate with Kitai Ise.
The last time Maeda led his troops to attack Koka County, he defeated the Koka people and took the Suzuka Pass.
From then on, the communication between Minami Omi and North Ise could only rely on the mountain road over the Suzuka Mountains. This is why Kenhide Kamao was unable to persuade the Rokkaku families to support the eight counties of North Ise.
Sending troops across the mountains would place too much logistical pressure. If the caravan could go through the Suzuka Pass, the caravan could discuss it, but the army would never be able to do so, and neither side would feel at ease.
Nowadays, Maeda Toshiie lacks the chips to persuade Oda Nobunaga to sell grain, so he has set his sights on the Suzuka Pass, which Maeda's interests won with a bloody battle. No wonder Maeda Toshiji didn't dare to talk nonsense for a long time.
Maeda said calmly.
"Just give it, as long as it's for the Lord, a mere Suzuka Pass is nothing.
It’s just that the Oda family hasn’t taken over the eight northern Ise counties yet, so even if I’m willing to give it to them, will the Oda family be willing to exchange it?”
Maeda Toshihisa sighed.
"Both the Toshi family and I believe that His Highness Oda will agree. Her ambition has long been unsuppressed. How can the eight northern Ise counties take her seriously?
Mino State's unbreakable barrier leads to Kita Omi, and then by taking Kita Ise and Suzuka Pass, there will be a passage from Minami Omi to Konki.
The north and south roads for the Oda family to enter Konki have been opened up. His Highness Oda will only be happy and feel that he has taken advantage of it, so he will not be worried about not being able to capture the eight counties of Kitaise.
You underestimate her too much."
Maeda nodded with great interest.
When the Oda family takes over the eight counties of North Ise, she will hand over the Suzuka Pass. With such a powerful and aggressive force as its neighbor, Iga country is under great pressure.
Thinking of the recent times, the Miyoshi Rokkaku family is weakening, and the general in Kyoto is being plotted by Akechi Mitsuhide, the situation becomes more and more confusing.
If the Oda family really succeeds in taking Kitaise, and something big happens in Kyoto, where will the situation in the next few years go?
Maeda couldn't help but frown.
My lord, when will you come back? Things don't look good here.