The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Chapter 126 Preparations for the Jiaxin Strategy

On the first day of July, Ieyasu and his entourage arrived at Azuchi Castle.

Accompanying him this time were Ishikawa Kazumasa and Honda Shigetsugu, two of the few astute individuals in the Tokugawa family.

After all, Sakai and Okubo were too slow to react last time, which allowed Nobunaga to seize the opportunity.

Mori Nagayoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide stood at the castle gate to greet him, while Nobunaga chose to greet Ieyasu at the second castle.

This is a tactic to blur the lines between vassals and allies.

Nobunaga was welcomed, but he did not leave the castle.

Ieyasu's journey to Kyoto was a grand affair, involving nearly a thousand men, demonstrating his status as an independent daimyo. Thanks to Mitsuhide's arrangements, these thousand men had no worries about food and drink throughout the journey.

"I've kept you all waiting." Ieyasu dismounted. "Hyuga-no-kami's hospitality along the way has deeply moved me."

Mitsuhide bowed and said, "Lord Ieyasu has come a long way and must be tired. Lord Nobunaga has already prepared a banquet in the castle. Please come in."

Ieyasu nodded again to Nagayoshi, "Minister of Justice, we'll need your guidance in the future!"

"Mikawa-no-kami, you're too kind—please come in!"

The governor of Mikawa held a rank below fifth grade. The way the two addressed Ieyasu reveals Mitsuhide's shrewdness.

Nobunaga's retainers and allies were actually of the same rank.

Ieyasu's trip was not only to meet Nobunaga, but also to accompany Nobunaga to Kyoto.

His entourage was loaded with many gifts, half of which were presented to the royal family and the other half to the nobles.

To put it bluntly, he wanted to buy an official position, at least a fifth-rank official, so that he would at least appear different from Nobunaga's senior retainers.

Upon arriving at Nido Castle, Nobunaga, as always, laughed heartily, and then took Ieyasu's hand to the castle tower.

The castle tower was newly built this year and has seven floors. The doors and windows are made of gold, and the interior is decorated with landscape paintings by various famous artists.

Upon reaching the third floor, the view suddenly opened up, which was also where Nobunaga usually received guests.

He dragged Ieyasu up the stairs until they reached the top floor.

This is a banquet hall measuring twenty tatami mats on each side, with the interior covered in gold leaf. Not only that, but the railings on all four sides are also covered in gold leaf, the pillars are carved with flying dragons, and the ceiling is painted with flying apsaras.

Changqing even saw portraits of the "Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors", the "Ten Philosophers of Confucius", the "Four Sages of Shangshan", and the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" here.

Such a pavilion shines with golden light at dawn and dusk; if you looked at it from the foot of the mountain, you would probably be blinded by its brilliance.

However, this also has a drawback: during the hot summer months, the top floor becomes extremely stuffy and hot. Nobunaga had previously received his retainers on the third floor.

Nobunaga leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance, pointing to the shimmering waters of Lake Biwa.

"How is it, Lord Ieyasu!"

"It's spectacular!" Ieyasu, whether out of fear of heights or concern that the railing was not secure, retreated entirely into the house.

The stuffy heat inside made him instinctively open his shirt. "Perhaps it's because it's so close to the sun, it's much hotter than down the mountain!"

Nobunaga turned around and stepped into the house. "Lord Ieyasu is joking. Don't you see Mount Fuji every day? Isn't the summit covered in snow?"

"Oh! Right, right, it's Ieyasu who's confused!"

Nobunaga smiled and gestured for Ieyasu to sit down.

Nagayoshi and Mitsuhide also knelt down to the side, while Masayuki and Shigeji knelt behind Ieyasu.

"What has Lord Ieyasu thought about the matter of Konobu?" Nobunaga asked bluntly.

Ieyasu bowed low like a duck: "Lord Nobunaga wishes to subdue the Takeda clan, and Ieyasu is willing to serve as his vanguard!"

"Well said! After this is done, Suruga will be yours!" Nobunaga said, then turned and asked, "Princess Tokuhime, how have you been?"

Nagayoshi saw Ieyasu's back stiffen for a moment, then relax again.

"My son is young, and I ask for your forgiveness if he has been disrespectful. After this campaign against Takeda, I will have Nobuyasu complete his first battle and assign him to Okazaki!"

Nobunaga picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Fathers are different from mothers; they always have to find fault with their children, right?"

Ieyasu said with a look of disappointment, "My son is unruly; Ieyasu will certainly discipline him severely!"

Nobunaga nodded. "Tokuhime is still young and prone to acting impulsively, which is also my fault for not disciplining her properly. However, a man's inability to properly discipline a child might be due to the child's nature; like me, I was never a good child. But a man who can't control his wife is unacceptable. Anong has been talking more and more nonsense lately, so I'm planning to have her move back to Gifu—"

"What Lord Nobunaga said is thought-provoking—I will seriously consider it."

Princess Sena was called "Tsukiyama-dono" because after Ieyasu moved to Hamamatsu, he arranged for her to live in the Tsukiyama mansion outside Okazaki Castle.

The couple's marriage had long been a sham.

However, since Nobuyasu, whom she gave birth to, was the legitimate son, and the Tokugawa family had many former retainers of the Imagawa clan, Nobunaga never considered having Ieyasu depose his principal wife.

"What is Lord Ieyasu doing?" Nobunaga stood up and sat down in front of Ieyasu. "They're still children; perhaps they'll get along very well in the future!"

"yes!"

"I've met Nobuyasu before," Nobunaga patted Ieyasu on the shoulder. "He's certainly a promising young man. He already shows some of the bravery and tenacity of the Mikawa samurai. With proper guidance, he will surely become a pillar of the Tokugawa clan in the future."

"Lord Nobunaga is overrated."

"The matter of Kakunobu is settled then." He changed his tone and returned to the military council. "At the end of the year, our guild will appoint Nobutada as the commander-in-chief, leading 40,000 troops to attack Shinano. Nagayoshi will be the vanguard, attacking Shinano from the Kiso mountain road."

He looked at Ieyasu, "Then I request that you lead the Mikawa troops to attack Suruga. Once Takeda is destroyed, Suruga will be yours."

Nobunaga's abacus beads were practically bouncing onto Nagayoshi's forehead. The Takeda clan controlled four provinces: Kai, Nobunaga, Suruga, and Ueno.

"Lord Nobunaga—Surugawa was originally Imagawa territory, and even if Lord Nobunaga wishes to return it to Imagawa, I will have no objection!"

"Hahaha, Lord Ieyasu is truly a gentleman! Forget it, Imagawa won't help me stop the Hojo!"

Ieyasu bowed his head deeply, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the tatami mat.

"Ieyasu, I will protect the Tokaido for you."

Nobunaga laughed loudly, "Alright! It's too hot here, let's go downstairs!"

Two days later, Nagayoshi returned to Gifu.

Nobunaga's idea was to wait until winter to attack Shinano, in order to prevent Uesugi from supporting Takeda.

When Nobutada learned that he could attack Shinano, he was overjoyed.

His beloved, Matsuhime, is still waiting for him in Shinano.

"Young Master, do you wish to see Princess Songji?" Changqing brought up the old matter again.

Xinzhong turned around abruptly, his face flushed red: "What nonsense are you talking about! I, I just—I haven't written to her for over a year, and I don't even know if she's married yet?"

Although he loved Matsushita, he never proposed any means to Nobunaga to fulfill the marriage agreement. After sending a challenge to Takeda Shingen, he never wrote to Matsushita again.

He is a classic and clear-headed man in both his career and love life.

Changqing laughed and said, "She's married, so what? What's not meant to be will never be. Why force it and only cause more trouble? Do your best and leave the rest to fate. At least you won't let yourself down!"

"Lord Mori is truly insightful in this regard!"

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