Pillars of the Wu family

Hattori Baochang's eyes flashed fiercely: "Don't try to scare the old man, don't you know your deceitful ability to be an old man? The forces you control in the capital city are generally clear, don't blame me for talking nonsense! "

Layman Guoxin is not afraid of the old Baochang Hattori, and his delicate and clear voice is mixed with charm: "But I don't know that Ishijian Shouden would care about the enemy warriors. Could it be that he is hiding the purpose of not being superior? Tell my concubine Okay? The concubine will never say anything."

"Let's talk nonsense, old man, no matter who you work for, the death of Ashikaga's stepfather should be regarded as an accident. Ashikaga Yoshiaki must not die easily." Hattori Baochang remained unmoved. Do not pour him down.

Seeing that it was not possible to follow the rules, the layman Guoxin turned his eyes and raised another plan: "Is this an order from the Guandong government? I don't believe it. The sudden death of Ashikaga's relatives is only six or seven days, and the Guandong government will receive the information. Pass the order back to Kyoto, this will not be an unauthorized action by Hattori Iwami Shouden!"

Hattori Baochang's voice became even deeper: "The old man said, you don't need to know about this!"

Layman Guoxin ignored his expression and said with a light smile: "Calculating the mileage, even if it takes a long time to go to the Katsura River, Yodo River, enter Osaka Bay, and then detour to Edo Castle, I know that this round trip is not a seven-year journey. It can be completed in eight days..."

"Don't you dare to capture and kill you as an old man? If you are sensible, leave quickly and don't make trouble here. It is best not to appear in the capital city forever, and return to your Kyushu country to be a wild crane! The old man still has to guard Koizumi City, you go !" Hattori Baochang chose to ignore her.He was about to leave as soon as he disappeared.

"Didn't Shi Jian Shoudian hear the words Remnants of the Southern Dynasty just now? I happen to be a remnant of the Southern Dynasty, and we should be a whole with the same disease."

Hattori Baochang froze, turned around and said solemnly: "You are wrong! His Royal Highness is the governor of the Kanto Ashikaga family, but he is not the remnants of the Southern Dynasty that Ashikaga Yoshiaki said. If you want to talk about the remnants of the Southern Dynasty, this city You're probably the only one here!"

"The concubine is indeed a remnant of the Southern Dynasty. I never thought of concealing this identity. Anyway, there are many samurai families in the Southern Dynasty, such as the Jinxiaolu Temple, the Shangsuo Ashikaga Family..." Guoxin Layman seemed to be convinced that the head of the service department did not dare To act recklessly, neither side is sure to win, in this heavily guarded city of Koizumi

Bossaga Hattori seemed to be doing exactly what she expected.He warned in a low voice: "Stop talking nonsense. Get out of Koizumi City immediately, don't force this old man to kill you! This old man is a rough man, but he doesn't know how to be sympathetic."

"Who wants to take this life of a concubine casually, but the concubine is the one who is least afraid of Shi Jianshou's intimidation." Layman Guoxin covered his mouth and chuckled lightly and charmingly.It's a pity that her actions are for the blind to see.Hattori Yasunaga didn't even roll his eyelids.Annoyed that he couldn't act rashly in the city to expose Xingzang, and he had to secretly stop Layman Guoxin's crazy actions.

Annoyed and silent for a long time, he said: "Say what you have to say quickly. Just leave after you finish speaking, don't waste time here."

Layman Guoxin let out a sigh of relief, secretly excited that years of hard work were finally close to his goal, so he said softly: "I hope to cooperate with His Royal Highness Guandong Gongfang."

Hattori Baochang raised his eyes and stared at Guoxin Layman, and said with a sneer: "You, a descendant of the prince of the Southern Dynasty, a woman who is also a Kinai untouchable Heyuan person and a Kyushu Southern Dynasty remnant leader, want to cooperate with the governor of my Kanto Ashikaga family? What?"

"Isn't this dual identity enough? There are tens of millions of people in the world, but those who have to eliminate Heyuan are accounted for separately, and eight of the people in Heyuan live in Kinai, and five of them live near Kyoto. Is it not enough for all the clean jobs, down to collecting corpses, begging and other filthy jobs, to be from Heyuan, and all the big names are surrounded by my friends from Heyuan?"

Hattori Hosho frowned and said, "I don't know what you're planning? It's up to me to decide whether to cooperate or not."

"Shi Jianshou reported the truth and went back! The concubine has resigned." The figure of layman Guo Xin gradually disappeared into the secret forest.

……

On May [-]th, the Miyoshi family, which had been silent for many days, made a sudden move. Not long after dawn, the Miyoshi Army's [-] troops, led by the Miyoshi Trio, Naito Zongkatsu and Matsunaga Michi, took the Kiyomizu Temple to participate in the attack. The purpose is to be stationed in Kyoto swaggeringly in name, while Matsunaga Hideo serves the Toji Honjin who stays in Shimokyo beside Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

The townspeople in the city of Kyoto noticed that the streets were crowded with neat formations of the Miyoshi Army. The warriors of the Miyoshi family were very arrogant, and without giving any reason, they launched a siege operation on the Nijo Imperial Palace in a grand manner. It took less than half an hour. The Nijo Imperial Palace was surrounded in all directions, and the [-] troops from Xiangguo Temple also left the barracks to support them, and blocked all the streets leading to Kyoto from Zuakyo.

The three good people immediately issued an order of martial law, even if Ouchiri ordered that they could not leave the city, and the officials were blocked at the door of their own houses and were forbidden to go out. The townspeople had to close the door and huddled in the corner of the house, praying to the gods and Buddhas about this event. Don't let the war affect you. For a while, people in the capital were panicked, and the atmosphere of the war was very strong.

A long time ago, Konoe walked back and forth in his own palace in a hurry. He wanted to go out several times but was driven back by the Miyoshi samurai patrolling the streets. Without realizing it, he pushed and shoved the driver of the Konoe family back to the imperial palace.

Katsuhime Ashikaga stood in the corridor worriedly, looked at her worried husband and comforted softly: "His Royal Highness, don't worry, brother Yi is the official of the shogunate, and nothing will happen anyway. I believe that Miyoshi's family should have many believers."

Konoe exclaimed angrily for a long time: "I'm afraid that Miyoshi's family will mess up! I heard that Jueqing met Nijo Haruyo in Koizumi City yesterday and announced that he was also known as Ashikaga Yoshiaki. I don't know what they talked about. I only heard that He intends to compete for the position of general."

"Ah! He wants to compete for the position of general? What about the brother-in-law?" Ashikaga Katsuki asked in surprise.

Jinwei sighed a long time ago: "Who said it wasn't! Jueqing's nonsense is to put pressure on His Royal Highness, and he thinks that the capital is not chaotic enough, so he insists on lighting a fire at this time! What a worry!"

At the same time, the Nijo Imperial Palace was surrounded by Horikiri vertical and horizontal stone walls.The inside and outside of the imperial palace are guarded by more than 100 Fenggong warriors. This force is the only force in the hands of the shogunate. Seeing the weak warriors face an enemy a hundred times their own, let them unconsciously Thinking of the embarrassing scene more than ten years ago, it is also the embarrassment that no one can use, and the pain of being strangled by someone, which makes people angry just like it did back then.

The heads of many shogunate officials will not be able to turn around for a while. A few years ago, the shogunate used [-] troops to control a mountain city and a country. In just a few years, the situation has changed suddenly, the territory has lost its troops and dissipated, and the huge gap can not be brought up. people accept.More importantly, there are three thousand troops led by Akechi Mitsuhide in Cizhao Temple.This is the only strength you can rely on.

Ashikaga Yoshiki was sitting in the Imperial Palace in military uniform, and on the left and right sides were kneeling on the left and right sides of the shogunate in armor to serve the public. In just a few days, the anxiety and fear on the faces of the samurai became more and more intense. Worrying and not knowing what to do. 160 against 5000.Unless everyone has the ability of Xiang Yu Lu Bu.Otherwise, I really don't know how to win.

Thousands of sails fluttered and flags printed like a forest outside the imperial palace, and tens of thousands of troops clamored and shouted and released a huge noise, breaking the peaceful atmosphere of the ancient temple in Youjinghuafu.It put heavy pressure on more than 100 Fenggong people in the Nijo Imperial Palace. Even if the Miyoshi Army did not take any further military action, it had already disturbed the defenders in the Imperial Palace. This cage city battle can no longer be won in a military sense. Look at it as a defeat.

The shogunate and the public are very worried. Everyone is guessing what the Miyoshi army outside the imperial palace wants to do. Even if the truth is very likely to be the worst one, it still can’t stop the optimists’ imaginations. Such optimistic warriors are needed in times of adversity. Morale, always persevere even if you know you are losing, this is the way of the samurai family.

In fact, the shogunate genealogists started to act very early. As early as a few days ago, taking advantage of the death of Ashikaga's brother-in-law, the shogunate genealogists lobbied Ashikaga Yoshiki to leave Kyoto as soon as possible and go to Omi Sakamoto Castle to seek refuge. The shogunate forcibly refused on the grounds that the dignity of the shogunate must not be lost. The repeated requests of the shogunate were ruthlessly rejected by the shogunate, leaving no room or even any chance for discussion. The reasons given by Ashikaga Yoshiki were very legitimate and very strong. The retainers of the shogunate were speechless and had to bow their heads in resignation.

Since the 19th year of Tianwen (1550), Ashikaga Yoshiharu, the ancestor of Manshoin Temple, died of illness in Sakamoto, and the Battle of Fukakusa broke out outside the city of Kyoto, and Ashikaga Yoshitoki miraculously repelled the Miyoshi family, protecting the general Ashikaga Yoshiki, and returning to power since 19 Regardless of the ups and downs of the tide in Kyoto during the year, the shogunate still stands in the Nijo Imperial Palace in Kyoto.

Such a strong stability is the only support to maintain the declining reputation of the shogunate. Ashikaga Yoshiki believes that the shogunate cannot lose this supporting force. The townspeople in Kyoto, the samurai family in Kinai, and the heroes of the world were disappointed with the shogunate. There was an abyss behind him, and he could not take a step back anyway.

"Perhaps there is another reason. The role of His Highness Kanto's letter of advice cannot be ignored." Settsu Haruto secretly sighed for the letter of advice a few months ago, and secretly blamed Kanto for not being so eager I wrote a letter of exhortation a few months ago.

At that time, although the city of Kyoto was already in turmoil, it did not develop into the situation it is today. Neither the shogunate Lord Ashikaga Yoshiki nor the shogunate Fenggong had any thought of fleeing before the Miyoshi family moved. General Zhengyi scared away. Wouldn’t it be a shame to spread the news? It was sent in triplicate letters from different channels in a form that was least acceptable to the shogun. The shogunate felt that his dignity was insulted and became more determined. Willingness to leave Kyoto.

Now it seems that Ashikaga Yoshiki's prediction was very accurate, but the Miyoshi family sent [-] troops outside the Nijo Imperial Palace against their will, but Ashikaga Yoshiki has also made a decision that he will never compromise The decision to retreat.

These days, the shogunate’s spirit is very poor. After many days of rest, the dark circles under his eyes are severe. Ashikaga Yoshiki took advantage of the short time to close his eyes and rest his mind. : "What did Miyoshi's family say?"

Mibuchi Fujihide saluted respectfully, and said in a low voice: "Miyoshi Changyi said that they came to ask for a complaint."

"Appeal? It can be done by sending an envoy with a paper of complaint. Does it need to dispatch [-] troops to surround the Nijo Imperial Palace? This is the first time I have heard of it!" , The ministers could only hang their heads in silence in the face of the general's doubts.They really didn't know how to answer the general's question.

Isshiki Tengchang hesitated and said, "Why don't you send an envoy to ask Miyoshi's family what they want to appeal before making a decision?"

"What's the use of sending them out?"

Settsu Haruto persuaded: "It's better than passively waiting!"

Ashikaga Yoshiki snorted softly: "Okay! Since you don't give up, then run with Jinshi Misaku Shouden!"

The Jinshi family served the Ashikaga general's family from generation to generation, and was responsible for the implementation of the royal family's Taoism and food practices, and was gradually promoted and reused as a member of the third division of Fenggong. The attendant married Ashikaga Yoshiki as a concubine, so he was promoted to the shogunate Shinjicho, and the head of the Shinjicho Odate Haruki retired, and Akechi Mitsuhide, who had taken over as the chief before, left the town of Jizhao Temple.Daguan Huiguang is temporarily in the second place.Served as the chief of the shogunate Shinji.

Ashikaga Yoshiki seemed very relieved about this cheap father-in-law, watched him go, and continued: "I heard that Jueqing had a big banquet outside the city last night. The minister was very excited, and threatened to ask Yu to abdicate and live in seclusion, and hand over the position of general to him. .is that so?"

The vassals didn't know how Ashikaga Yoshiki got the latest information from last night.Nervously bowed his head and shrunk his head to pretend to be a tortoise.Fearing that Ashikaga Yoshiki would cause embarrassment by naming them, Settsu Harumon glanced at the lack of responsibility of the ministers, sighed secretly and said: "I just heard the news. It's not clear whether it's true or not."

"Look what this is!" Ashikaga Yoshiki took out a two-finger-wide slip of paper from his cuff, on which there were only two lines of small characters that roughly wrote about the situation of Miyoshi's family holding Ashikaga Yoshiaki yesterday, including Nijo Haruyoshi and Kujo Kanekyo I met Ashikaga Yoshiaki alone, and there were also some fragments of people discussing the abolition of the establishment during the banquet.

Ashikaga Yoshiki saw that the family members of the genealogy were waiting silently, his heart couldn't stop sinking, and he sighed secretly: "Sure enough, all of this was expected by Ashikaga Yoshitoki, who is trying to gain fame. Without his support, the shogunate is like fine sand." The piled castle looks beautiful, but its foundation is weak like a tower in the sky, and it will fall apart as soon as the waves sweep in..."

The shogunate is really doomed!This is an absurd thought that flashes through every samurai's mind. He thinks that a few years ago, prosperity and wealth were easy to obtain, but in the blink of an eye, the wind has changed drastically. Facing the grave crisis of the end of the road, many people can't turn their minds, and they appear to be lost and at a loss.

The young Ueno Kiyonobu jumped up and shouted: "There is no chance! Just fight!"

"Fight it! Just fight it! Afraid of what they will do! The worst thing is to die!"

"Let them know that my shogunate man is not afraid of death!"

……

At noon, the sun was particularly strong. Fifteen thousand troops outside the Nijo Imperial Palace were tortured by the scorching heat and huddled in the shade of the trees, not wanting to move. Miyoshi Changyi was still patiently negotiating with Jinshi Qingshe. The old man always has a bit of a mouthful, just a few words of reasoning over and over again, and he is so anxious that he will always get angry.

"I can't go on like this. If you wait until evening, today's day will be wasted. I have to wait and act as soon as possible." Song Yongtong fixed his eyes on Iwasei Yutong who was sitting next to him, hoping that he would intervene and say a few words to get Jinshi as soon as possible. Qingshe was detained or expelled, but it was a pity that Yancheng Youtong seemed to have a lot of concerns, or he was simply unwilling to erase Miyoshi Changyi's face, in short, he just didn't move.

Now it's not just the young Matsunagatoshi who is a bit swollen, Miyoshi Masayasu and Naito Sokatsu are also very high-ranking. The two exchanged opinions in a low voice and initially decided to terminate this meaningless negotiation. After all, these 5000 people are standing in the sun Being exposed to the sun in the field is just to listen to the old man and the shogunate envoys talking about the reasons for sending troops, and finally the issue of whether to sue or not is involved. Isn't this idle and idle.

"Cough! Hyuga Shouden must be tired, let me say a few words!" Miyoshi Masayasu said solemnly: "Please ask the angel to restore His Royal Highness, I will withdraw the troops tomorrow at the latest, please rest assured Kyoto safety, we are willing to guarantee that there will never be such bad behavior as arson and arrest a few years ago, and if there is any occurrence, it will be executed immediately and will not be tolerated."

After dismissing Jinshi Qingshe, who was full of doubts, Miyoshi Changyi said with an unhappy expression: "The old man is discussing with Misakushou about the matter of entering the army. It is really rude to interrupt Shimono Shouden arbitrarily! And Shimono Shouden What's the matter with deciding to withdraw the troops without permission? In case there is a disharmony in the event of the capital, wouldn't you want to strike the troops and leave the capital?"

Miyoshi Masayasu said angrily: "The soldiers have been standing under the sun for half a day in order to listen to Hinata Shouden's long speech. I have no choice but to interrupt Hinata Shouden's high-level speech. We really can't wait!"

It was very embarrassing to be told by the nephew that he couldn't step down. He hated Miyoshi Zhengyasu for not saving him face, but there was no sign of displeasure on his face. Instead, he asked, "Then what should we do now? Enter the army? Or ..."

"Of course we must march in as soon as possible! Your Highness has already urged you several times! Immediately march in and expel the Shogun Palace from Kyoto!" Matsunaga was impatient, wishing to lead the troops out immediately, even Miyoshi Zhengyasu was a little ready to move , Breaking into the imperial palace and exiling the general seems to sound like a very fulfilling look.

Naito Zongsheng also encouraged: "It's not too late, let's take advantage of Jinshi Misaku's return, and we will attack immediately, and we can catch him by surprise!"

"Second it!" Yancheng Youtong raised his hand in agreement.

Miyoshi Changyi saw the situation without any hesitation, and immediately decided: "Then the whole army will attack! The target is the Shogunate Palace in the Nijo Imperial Palace!" (To be continued...)