On April 21 of the 10th year of Tensho, Oda Nobunaga triumphantly marched to Azuchi Castle. The team was mighty and magnificent, not to mention the people of Koshin, even the people of Suruga, Enoe, Mikawa, and Owari were dumbfounded. Nobunaga deliberately brought a large black man with a length of six feet and two inches from Azuchi to Kofu, and gave the attendants a holiday to go home to visit their relatives, leaving only the fire gun team to serve as the honor guard. This black man was given to Nobunaga by the missionary Variani on February 23 of last year, and he appeared to be twenty-six or seventeen years old, and he seemed to be a Tianzhu man. Nobunaga named him Yasuke and stayed by his side.

"He is swarthy, strong as an ox, heroic, and powerful, and can be a ...... of ten" This black man is particularly eye-catching with the archery team and the fire gun team, and the surprise of the people at that time can be imagined.

In the final battle of Takeda Katsuyori, Tokugawa Ieyasu made a great contribution, and Nobunaga gave him Suruga Ichikuni as a reward. In order to welcome Nobunaga's party, Ieyasu deliberately renovated the roads in the territory, built teahouses, stables, toilets, etc., and prepared delicious food and wine to welcome Nobunaga's army. For this reason, Ieyasu also sent people to Kyoto and Sakai Port to collect rare treasures, spending a lot of gold and silver, which also shows that Ieyasu was deeply afraid of Nobunaga.

When he came out of Hamamatsu and arrived at the Imakiri ferry port, he was greatly appreciated by the exquisite decoration of the official ships and the new bridges specially erected on the Ohira River, Mutsu Okuda River, and Yasugawa River. As soon as he returned to Azuchi, Nobunaga immediately summoned Hinata Mamoru Akechi Mitsuhide in the hall on the third floor of the castle tower, which was extremely luxurious.

"I think I'll have to call Ieyasu to Azuchi anyway. Nobunaga and Mitsuhide discussed, "Although Takeda was wiped out, Hojo despised me, and he only sent a few soldiers and horses to Ukishimahara to make a show, and immediately retracted. I have to let Ieyasu firmly contain Hojo so that I can pacify Chugoku and Kyushu with peace of mind. In early summer, Nobunaga wore a thin silk shirt, but Mitsuhide was neatly dressed, and his forehead was already covered with shiny beads of sweat.

"Even if I summon Ieyasu, I'm afraid he won't come right away. ”

"You mean he's wary of me, bald?"

"Tokugawa-sama has always been cautious, I think ......"

"Hahaha, don't be cranky. Nobunaga smiled heartily, squinting at the vast lake in front of him, "Actually, at first, Ieyasu seemed to be wary of me. However, when I wanted to give him the whole of Suruga as promised, he was hypocritical, saying that Suruga was originally the old domain of the Imagawa clan, so not to mention the whole of Suruga, even half of Suruga would be enough, and he said that if it was given to the clan, he would be willing. ”

"Hmph, Tokugawa-sama really said that?"

"I said no, the clan who will only Keju in front of me, let him dominate Suruga, sooner or later there will be chaos, so the whole of Suruga will belong to his Ieyasu...... After hearing this, he immediately lifted his guard. Therefore, if I call him, he will come gladly. With that, Nobunaga smirked.

Mitsuhide still looked up at Nobunaga. "If the lord looks down on Tokugawa ...... so much," he said when he immediately stopped again. In Mitsuhide's eyes, the outspoken Nobunaga in the past seems to be very different lately.

When he was young, Nobunaga, in order to defeat his younger brother Nobuyuki, was willing to forgive even Shibata Katsuie, who tried to rebel. At that time, he was kind to his retainers, corporal Lixian, and as long as he was a talented person, he would try his best to recruit his subordinates. When it comes to seeking talents, he can be described as the best in the world. However, that Nobunaga has changed, and this change began when Ieyasu's son, Nobuyasu, was seppuku. Nobunaga, who was cruel and ruthless to his enemies and loved his own people, became equally cruel to his enemies and his own people. Not to mention the severe punishment of the Araki Murashige clan who betrayed him in Itami Castle, even the general Sakuma Nobumori was angry because he spent some more time attacking Ishiyama Honganji Temple, and was ruthlessly exiled for the crime of delaying the fighter plane, and died of freezing in Kumano in the first month of this year. Hayashi Watari Mamoru and Ando Iga Mamoru father and son were also exiled one after another. Now, Hideyoshi Hashiba is going all out to attack the Chugoku region, but Nobunaga often vents his frustration about this. Is this because Nobunaga was born with a cold personality, or is it because he feels that the great cause is in full swing and has entered the stage of pacifying the world, but his son still has not much to offer? Mitsuhide often wondered. Recently, Nobunaga's surroundings have gathered all kinds of characters of all levels, and compared to these first-class people, there is always a sense of nondescript and petty in the retainers who have followed him since the Owari period.

Just as Mitsuhide was deep in thought, Nobunaga suddenly slapped the bed a few times rudely. "Bald, I just said I wanted to call Ieyasu, but you didn't agree?"

"No, no, no, how dare I ......"

"So, you're saying that Ieyasu is disgusted with me and won't come?"

"This ...... I don't dare to speak falsely. Mitsuhide glanced at Nobunaga cautiously, "Now, no one in the world dares to be dissatisfied with the authority of the lord. Therefore, I think that he will come gladly......"

"Come on, do you have any other doubts?"

"The lord pleases Tokugawa...... However, don't you be considerate of other retainers......"

"Hahaha......" Nobunaga's eyes lit up and he laughed, "Bald, are you a little jealous of Ieyasu?"

"Where did the lord go? There is no such intention in the following. ”

"No, it's true. I will reward those who have meritorious, right? This time, I can destroy Takeda, and the biggest contribution is of course none other than Ieyasu. If Ieyasu hesitates to come, it is because he feels that he has been associating with me as a family member in the past, but he will have to act as a retainer in the future. I know this best. Well, you will receive it for me. In order to dispel Ieyasu's doubts, you tell him about my long-term plans. Got it?"

Now that Nobunaga has given the order, Mitsuhide can't refuse. "I will definitely live up to the expectations of my lord. ”

"Oh, by the way, on the way back, Ieyasu was very pleasant to me, and I was surprised by the extravagance, so I must not lose to him. Nobunaga commanded sternly.

Mitsuhide came out of Nobunaga's hall and sighed as he looked at the countless roofs that spread out at the bottom of the mountain. The task of entertaining Ieyasu this time seems easy, but it has a lot of meaning. Today, Nobunaga used the word "in-laws" that he hadn't used for a long time, and then he said, "Tell him about it." Not only did Ieyasu feel like he was entertaining his in-laws, but he also had to let all the great names in the world see that Ieyasu had come to Azuchi to pay tribute to Nobunaga in gratitude after receiving the Suruga country. In other words, it was necessary to give Ashieyasu face and show Nobunaga's authority to the world.

Since he accepted this errand, he had to consider Ieyasu's residence first. The Azuchi Castle built by Mitsuhide is too luxurious, and the apartments that are too simple may be rude. Just considering the cost and the detailed arrangement, Guangxiu was worried.

First of all, summer meals are not worry-free. Fresh fish and chicken are easy to spoil, and if cold dishes are the mainstay, they will attract mosquitoes and flies, and if you want to avoid mosquitoes and flies, the meal will lose its fresh and cool taste. "But ......," Mitsuhide muttered to himself as he looked up at the bright sunlight reflected in the seven-story building that he had personally supervised, "this reception is extremely important, and Mitsuhide can't do it." ”

Out of the city, the trees on both sides of the road at the foot of the mountain were already a pleasant cicada chirping. The silver-like surface of the lake shimmered through the cracks in the trees, and the castles built on the hill made the whole mountain seem to be transformed into a huge castle. Ieyasu would have been astonished if he had seen this city.

Gradually, Mitsuhide forgot about this mission and began to feel proud: in the sea, there is no one else who can design such a majestic castle except for me, Mitsuhide. I am the wise Mitsuhide who built such a glorious Azuchi Castle, so Ieyasu's apartment must also surprise the guests.

Now is the time for the crusade against the Chinese region, and Hashiba Hideyoshi, who was fighting against the three armies of Mori, Yoshikawa, and Kobayaka, kept sending messengers back to ask Nobunaga to send reinforcements quickly. Therefore, Nobunaga will definitely go out in person after entertaining Ieyasu. Therefore, this reception of Ieyasu must also end as soon as possible. You have to hurry up and get ready, you have to ...... in mid-May Guangxiu went down the mountain, while repeatedly thinking about the details of the reception, there is, the Dabaoyuan is good, the apartment can be set there, go and see it first. The beautiful annex was built in Dahoin Temple, and Ieyasu was allowed to visit Nobunaga from there, so that the faces of both sides were naturally saved.

After descending the mountain, Mitsuhide went straight to Daehoin Temple.

The woods of Daehoin Temple are lush and shaded, and the ground is covered with moss. Mitsuhide plans to build a temporary annex for Ieyasu here.

Architecture is a real delight. Perhaps, Nobunaga, who was sneering at Mitsuhide on the surface, must also think that Mitsuhide could complete such a heavy task, and Mitsuhide alone would definitely be happy for his excellent dispatch. The timber should be Kishu and Kiso, and the carvings and decorations on the pillars should be no less than those of Azuchi Castle...... Before he stepped out of the woods of Dabaoyuan, Mitsuhide had already built a clear outline in his mind.

He immediately went back and reported to Nobunaga: "I want to choose the address in the Daehoin ......."

Nobunaga had just received a messenger for help from China, and he replied dryly, "Oh, plan well, don't make any mistakes." ”

Mitsuhide immediately sent people to split up, and at the same time sent an envoy to Ieyasu, saying that on the way back from Kai, Ieyasu asked Nobunaga to visit Tokaido, and as a token of gratitude, he wanted to ask Ieyasu to visit Azuchi, Sakai Port, and Osaka.

Ieyasu solemnly replied: "I will arrive in Azuchi on May 15 to thank Nobunaga for his reward." ”

Everything is going very well. As I walked southwest from the main hall of the temple, a splendid hall appeared in front of me, decorated with exquisite furniture and other things that Mitsuhide had painstakingly transported. The pillars and doors are all carved with dragons and phoenixes, which is extremely luxurious, as if a small Azuchi Castle has been moved.

After more than 20 days of working day and night, on May 12, the annex was finally built, and Mitsuhide proudly invited Nobunaga to inspect it.

"Oh, yes, it's luxurious. Under the guidance of Mitsuhide, Nobunaga entered the mountain gate with Moriranmaru, but they immediately covered their noses, "Mitsuhide, what a strange smell, what is it?"

"The fresh fish prepared may be a little spoiled, so ......"

"It's not good to make the whole temple smell of stinky fish, so you have to get rid of it quickly. With that, Nobunaga walked into the newly built apartment.

"Mitsuhide!" Suddenly, Nobunaga's face changed, "Who the hell lives in this building?"

"Is the lord dissatisfied?"

"Don't look at it. Moranmaru, let's go!" As he spoke, Nobunaga angrily walked out of the building where he had just stepped further and out of the temple.

"My lord, please stay. Mitsuhide hurriedly chased after him. Perhaps because it was almost the same as Nobunaga's room, and there was a famous painting by Eitoku Kano on it, the lord was unhappy about it? "My lord, if you have any grievances, please let me explain them in person. ”

However, Nobunaga did not even look back, and the green tendons on his forehead jumped violently, and he quickly walked out of the mountain gate in the afterglow of the setting sun. Although he had been busy with the war in the Chugoku region and did not make the slightest suggestion for the construction of the building, the completed building seemed to be far from Nobunaga's expectations.

"My lord!" Mitsuhide stubbornly pursued, and finally grabbed Nobunaga's sleeve by the mountain gate. If you don't apologize on the spot, you will deepen the estrangement in the future. Therefore, no matter how angry Nobunaga was, Mitsuhide was not afraid and was stubbornly entangled, which was Mitsuhide's character. Sure enough, Nobunaga's entourage and guards were also very surprised and fell to their knees on the spot.

"Mitsuhide, don't be verbose!" Nobunaga, who was pulled by Mitsuhide's sleeve, stopped at this time and reprimanded fiercely, "This is not the place to talk, enter the city!" After speaking, he brushed his sleeves away, and Moran Maru also came over with a big knife in his hand to block it. Mitsuhide fell to his knees in despair. The people around him didn't even dare to breathe, and froze there.

This was not a boy or a close attendant who was reprimanded, but the cousin of Nobunaga's wife, Mrs. Nobunaga, a minister of the Oda clan, and the lord of Kameyama Castle, who had 540,000 stone taels in Tanba and Omi, knelt on the ground. Of course, Nobunaga is long gone.

Although Nobunaga was furious, it was inconvenient to vent his dissatisfaction with Mitsuhide here, so he let him enter the city before he spoke. However, Mitsuhide didn't react. Kneeling there, he remembered the scene of Nobunaga's burning and killing at Mt. Hiei, and the brutal battles in Nagashima, Hokuriku, and other places. When Nobunaga gets angry, he doesn't know what he will do......

At this time, Wise Zuo Masuke came over and helped Mitsuhide up. It seemed that he had inquired about what had happened, and his face was paler than the bright one. "Let's go to the guest hall for a while. Zuo Masuke dusted off Mitsuhide's body and helped him up, but Mitsuhide shook his head weakly, "No, it can't be like this. I'll have to see my lord right away and ask him what he's dissatisfied with. ”