The racecourse of Kariya Castle. Under the scorching sun, the sea breeze kicked up billowing dust, and people and horses were covered in dust.

"Drive!"

On the left is a moat, on the right is a small wooden house. Under the scorching sun, everything was lost, and the green leaves on the embankment changed color. On the horse farm, riding a four-year-old deermane horse galloping wildly is Mizuno Nobumoto, the elder brother of Kariya New Town, who had just been appointed as a Shimono Mamoru a month ago. Today he received two guests. After his father got married, his health was not good and he had distanced himself from government affairs, but he was still not very comfortable with the young Shimono Mamoru and did not hand over all the affairs to Nobumoto.

"Mrs. Okazaki is pregnant. When Tadaseong heard the news, he rejoiced, "Okay! So she's a woman who can have children." Okay, great. My grandson, Qingyasu's grandson, is about to be born. Only then did he hand over all the affairs of the city to Xinyuan. In the eyes of Tadamasa, although Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, who took away his beloved wife, is hateful, he is also a good man worthy of his nostalgia. Only Kiyoyasu did not give in to Oda Nobuhide, who had the potential to burn the plains, and even attacked Owari's Shoushan in one fell swoop, which made Nobuhide fearful. In Zhongzheng's view, Qingkang's move was completely reckless without strategy, and it was precisely because of this recklessness that he was assassinated in the battle to defend the mountain, and his ambition came to naught. But in any case, his courage and decisiveness are truly extraordinary.

"I hope that the child I will give birth to will have my patience and the determination of my health. ”

Yu Da's pregnancy brought Tada's dream one step closer to reality. As long as she is able to have children, she will definitely be able to give birth to an ideal child. All that's left is prayer. Zhongzheng secretly sent someone to send a petition to Fenglai Temple, and he felt that his body was weakening step by step, but as long as he could exchange it for the safe birth of the child, everything would be fine. Moreover, he decided to strengthen the majesty of the Shinjo lord, who was in charge of the affairs of the city, in front of the important ministers of Kariya.

At this time, Xinyuan welcomed two guests. They talked with Shin Yuan for half an hour and then left. Even those close to the retinue and personal guards could tell that the two were messengers of the Oda clan with a great mission.

"The war is about to begin. ”

"This time, the lord will definitely not follow the Oda clan, and the old castle lord and Fujikuro do not want to go to war with Okazaki. ”

"Besides, now Okazaki's wife is pregnant. The old castle lord will refuse to form an alliance with the Oda clan on the grounds of poor health. ”

Rumors spread like the wind in and around the city. People can see the clues from the face of the envoy when he returned and the demeanor of Nobuyuan when he saw him off. Nobumoto was depressed and often rode wild on the horse farm, but today he looked even more irritable than ever.

"Drive!"

Nobumoto raised his whip, whipped his horse, and galloped across the horse field under the scorching sun. He was soaking wet. As usual, he would run to Shiohama and let the sea breeze dry his sweat and blow away the boredom in his heart. But today, he is getting more and more irritable as he runs. The messenger's words were like dust on his forehead, mixed with a greasy smell that made him deeply unhappy.

The envoy is Daisuke Heisho, who is Nobuhide's chief staff member and the teacher of Yoshi. The tone in which he spoke was reminiscent of Nobumoto's father, Mizuno Tadamasa, who was neither humble nor arrogant, slow and soft, and coherent. This is the family style of the Oda clan, and the envoy is not only to pass on a command, but also to give the other party an irresistible coercion. Listeners often wonder whether the messenger is speaking on behalf of the lord or expressing his opinion.

"My lord said that Ling Zun was too cautious. The generals all joined forces with the distant daimyo to attack the surrounding small domains, but Ling Zun often went the other way. In the past, he actually married his daughter to the Matsudaira clan, the enemy of last year...... What a vision!" Speaking of this, he narrowed his slender eyes, observed the change in Xinyuan's face, and said, "In the long run, the situation will be difficult to manage. Neither follow Oda nor take refuge in Imagawa. On the one hand, he had a close relationship with Okazaki under Imagawa, and on the other hand, he broke off the connection with the Oda clan...... This must not be the case in the future. In any case, your generation should recognize that there is no room for hesitation in today's dire circumstances. If you don't attack others, you will be eliminated by others. This is the sorrow of this month. ”

He then began to gossip, either praising the ingenuity of the garden's design, asking about the salt works, or commenting on Imagawa Yoshimoto and Matsudaira Hirotada, and occasionally talking about the decline of Ashikaga Ichi. In fact, the purpose of the envoy's trip was to have Nobumoto act as the vanguard of the attack on Imagawa.

Xin Yuan wanted to think about it for a few more days on the grounds that his father was seriously ill, but the other party seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and actually said something unexpected: "I almost forgot, I heard that my lord met Master Kichifa in the Kumawaka Palace." Is the lady you have seen still in the city? ”

Xin Yuan immediately had the feeling of being slapped in the face. He remembered the evil thoughts that had sprung up in his heart at that time. This can be interpreted as a warning from the Oda clan to him that Oda does not fully trust him, but it can also be understood that Oda has already regarded him as an enemy and is not allowed to say a word. As the lord of a city, he actually had an affair with a woman outside the city, and he also spoke in front of Master Kichibo, saying that he wanted to marry this woman back to the city, and there was still the Oda clan in his eyes?

Under the pretext that he had to consult with his father before replying, he sent the messenger away, but the annoyance in his heart lingered. "Father won't leave it alone. It was he who married Yu Da to Guangzhong...... "He circled the horse farm six times, and was riding a horse in front of the cabin, when a figure rushed in front of him.

"Brother!" cried the man. Nobumoto was startled, grabbed the reins sharply, and kicked off the horse's belly.

"Stupid!" Nobuen almost fell to the ground and stumbled as he jumped off his horse. "Fujikuro, what should you do if you are reckless, and you are trampled on by a horse?"

"No, it won't. The other party replied categorically, "Brother, I have something to say to you!" Xinjin still has forehead hair and a pale face, but he is handsome and heroic, much like his mother, Hua Yiyang and Yiyuan. At this time, his eyebrows were raised, and he was sweating profusely.

"If you have something to say, you have to wait until I rein in my horse. Fujijiu, don't be too capricious. ”

"Nope. Brother, you are willful, you completely ignore your father. ”

"I ignore my father?"

"How did you reply to the envoy of the Oda clan, didn't you already say that you would not send troops this time on the grounds that your father was sick?"

Xin Yuan gritted his teeth. He didn't lose his temper as much as he usually did. He glanced at the subordinate and threw the reins to the subordinate, "Just because of this fuss?"

"Of course, this is a big deal for the Mizuno clan. ”

"Nope. Not only the Mizuno clan, but also the Matsudaira clan. Shin Yuan wiped the sweat from his face and said, "I know." I know what you're thinking. He wanted to say, isn't it because Okazaki Castle has your mother and sister, but the words came to his lips and swallowed back. Among the five children of Hua Yiyang First Hospital, Fujikuro Nobujin is the most impatient and the most straightforward. The reason he recognized couldn't be pulled back by nine cows. Among the brothers, Xinyuan and Xinjin are incompatible. His father had no intention of fighting Okazaki, and if Nobumoto insisted on sending troops, he would probably get rid of Nobujin first.

"I heard that you told the messenger that you should consider it before replying, right? I want to hear your plans!"

"Of course I have a plan!" Xin Yuan didn't want to show weakness in front of his younger brother, so he deliberately looked solemn and said, "It's too hot here, let's go there and talk under the big camphor tree." He led the way slowly towards the camphor tree. He had been shaking so his horse that he felt the earth tremble.

Fujikuro Nobukin seemed to have made up his mind to compete with his brother, and followed Nobumoto to the shade of the tree. Xinyuan sat down: "It's so hot!"

Shinjin stared at his brother tightly, showing no weakness: "I'm not afraid that you will attack my mother. I'm just afraid that you'll join this senseless war and kill each other in vain. Why don't you explicitly reject the messenger? I would like to hear my brother's thoughts. The words were righteous, but it was clear that what he feared most was an attack on the city where his mother lived.

Knowing it, it screamed tirelessly above the two brothers' heads. Xin Yuan smiled secretly in his heart, but said, "Don't worry, sit down first." ”

Xin Yuan said in his heart: Fujikuro, Fujikuro, you have learned all of your father's weaknesses. was originally a smart and clear mind, but it was ruined by feelings. My father often said, "It's all for the sake of Mizuno." But for his wife who was taken away by Qingkang, he has always been unforgettable. Isn't it the expression of this emotion that he married Yu Da in the past? He was robbed of his wife, but instead did not hold a grudge, but married his daughter to the same place, and let the son born to his daughter inherit the other party's family business. In this way, my father had a generosity and foresight that ordinary samurai could not match. But in fact, all this is just out of inseparable affection for his wife. Although Fujikuro has a strong temperament, he is very much like his father in this regard.

In Xinyuan's opinion, Shinjin's words are not a calm conclusion drawn after seeing the current situation, but an unforgettable memory for his biological mother and sister. This world is not as simple as he thinks, and emotions are the most weak and powerless in this troubled world.

"A senseless sacrifice, you say?"

"Yes. The young and vigorous Fujikuro Nobu nodded and continued, "I think it is simply foolish to participate in such a war that will not bring us any benefit, and thus deepen the hatred with the Matsudaira clan. ”

"Stupid...... Ha ha. That's interesting. In your opinion, should we take refuge in the Oda clan or the Imagawa clan?"

"No one takes refuge! We are not Oda, we are not Imagawa, we are Mizuno!"

"That being said, look at my name. Xinyuan's 'letter' takes self-confidence, and 'yuan' comes from Yiyuan. ”

"If you take these things into account, it is the best policy not to take refuge in any side. ”

Xin Yuan said sharply: "Childish! One mountain does not tolerate two tigers. Now that the time has come for the two tigers to fight, it is impossible to remain neutral and wait and see. He lowered his voice and continued, "Do you know that although the Imagawa clan and the Ashikaga shogun originated from the same family, they have long since fallen, but they are nothing more than rotten trees that admire the elegance of Kyoto. And the Oda clan is a thriving tree, unstoppable. When both trees are thriving, the other cannot grow without cutting down one of them...... You shouldn't fail to understand the reasoning. ”

"I'm not the slightest—"

"You still don't understand?" Shin Yuan suppressed the anger in his heart and smiled bitterly, "I'll say it again." At this time, we should all let go of our feelings. Even I don't like Oda at all. But there are no two tigers in one mountain, you can only choose one of them, and now it is time to choose. ”

Fujikuro Shin took a step closer to Nobumoto's side and laughed loudly: "This is my brother's foresight?"

"How?"

"There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. Haha, there is indeed such an old saying. But I also know another old saying, that is, when two tigers fight, one must be injured. Brother knows this, but he still wants to take the initiative to join this war?"

Hearing what Xin said recently, Xin Yuan suddenly lost color. If it was usual, Xin Yuan would definitely swing his sword at him. But now he is the lord of a city, and he must have the measure and responsibility to tolerate dissent. "Oh, there's an old saying......"

Xin Yuan suppressed the growing unhappiness in his heart and nodded vigorously. "But...... Fujikuro, what happens when you know in advance which tiger will die and which tiger will be injured?

"Brother, do you seem to know the result?"

"Exactly. ”

"That's why we won't go to the Oda clan. Because ......"

Thinking that he could convince his brother, he pulled on his hakama and sat down under the tree. "What do you think will happen to this tiger if he is able to win easily because of our help? How can he be allowed to sleep soundly next to the couch? How will the Oda clan let us go if we have a border between Kariya and Owari? If they find an excuse to send troops to us, what should they do?"

"Not bad......"

"So we just have to wait and see...... This was a decision made by my father after consulting with his retainers. If the tiger is seriously injured and we have preserved our strength, the tiger will not attack us easily. Brother, you should have understood this a long time ago. ”

In any era, the sorrow of a small country and a weak vassal is the same. Either they advocate taking refuge in one side, or they advocate seeking refuge in the other, or they advocate neutrality, and the three parties argue all day long. The Mizuno clan is no exception.

Seeing that Nobumoto was silent, the young Nobujin thought that his brother had succumbed. But how did he know that words could not change others at all, and sometimes the victory of words would make the other person lose patience. However, Shinjin didn't understand this, and he did something stupid before he knew it. Where would Xinyuan succumb to this articulate brother, he couldn't bear it anymore.

There is no right or wrong in this matter, but it is the fate of the world.

I'm going to kill him!" As soon as this thought came to him, Nobugen immediately found a reason: Nobujin had fallen into feelings for his mother and sister, unable to extricate himself, and had lost the ability to make correct judgments. If this continues, it will only plant a bane, which will eventually lead to the demise of the Mizuno clan. He didn't know that behind his decision, there was a hidden jealousy for this half-brother. Nobumoto lost his mother when he was a child, and he doesn't know what mother's love is.