Matsugami Yoshimitsu seems to have had a dream, which is both long and real, as if he has lived with another identity for more than ten years. But this dream is only half a dream, not a dream that wakes up naturally, but a dream that is suddenly interrupted in the middle of the dream.

"What a long dream!" Matsugami Yoshimitsu who was sitting in the sedan chair couldn't help but sigh in his heart, he was on his way back to Matsumoto Castle at this time after the Matsugami Castle discussion.

As for the fact that Changlianping still did not get the security of inheriting the Changlian family after all, Matsugami Yoshimitsu knew that this was Ohno Heinobu targeting him, so he had to fund Changlianping first to temporarily maintain the retainers of the Changlianjia under him.

"One flat." Matsugami Yoshimitsu, who forcibly pressed the real and clear dream in his mind, asked Yoshihei Yoshiki, who was accompanying him, "How long is it until Matsumoto Castle?"

Hearing this, Yoshiki Ippei, who was accompanying him, hurriedly dismounted and walked quickly to the side of the sedan chair and replied, "Lord, you can return to Matsumoto Castle in half a day." ”

"Speed up, and the main hall will hold an assessment in the city today."

"Haha." Yoshiki Ichippei replied and quickly got on his horse and shouted, "Speed up, we must rush back to Matsumoto Castle before sunset!"

"Haha." Immediately, the team of more than a dozen people hurried towards Matsumoto Castle.

That night, Matsumoto Castle was assessed.

The retainers who stayed behind in Matsumoto Castle quickly gathered in the assessment room because of Matsugami Yoshimitsu's summons, and everyone understood that the lord must have something important to discuss at this moment.

Really!

After briefly explaining the situation in Matsugami Castle to everyone, Matsugami Yoshimitsu said directly: "Everyone, war is coming!" Although the young master of Wusanmaru has inherited the position of the head of the family of the ancestor father, there is no convincing power, and after a long time, there will be turmoil in the Matsugami family sooner or later. Matsumoto Castle is in turmoil, so what do you think our family should do?"

"Lord!" As the elder of the family, Saigo Kanhisa was the first to ask: "Dare to ask the lord whether he wants to be a loyal minister of the Matsugami family or his own loyal minister?"

"What does this mean?" Matsugami Yoshimitsu couldn't help asking.

"If the lord wants to be a loyal servant of the Matsugami family, then the future will be to protect the Matsugami family, even at the cost of weakening the power of the family, and if the lord wants to be his loyal minister, the family will focus on expanding the power of Matsumoto Castle in everything from now on. It is difficult to achieve the so-called unclear will, and if the lord is not clear about his ambition today, it will be difficult for us to speak to the lord. ”

The rest of the retainers also felt justified when they heard what the elder said.

"Yes, my lord! If the lord does not tell everyone's mind, we will not dare to speak falsely and harm the lord's affairs. ”

"That makes sense, but what do you think?"

At this time, although the people's hearts are in turmoil, the more this is the case, the more the world attaches more importance to morality and ethics, but the years of peace and prosperity are more beneficial and less righteous. After all, Matsugami Yoshimitsu has received Matsugami Yoshiyuki's great favor, although he has the heart to stand on his own, but he is not easy to talk about without trying the tone of his retainers first.

However, unexpectedly, the retainers in the assessment room were all persuading their lords to seek their own plans.

"My lord, the Matsugami family has suppressed the family many times before, and now is the time for the family to stand on its own." These are the retainers who have long been dissatisfied with the Matsugami family.

"The turmoil in the Matsugami family is a godsend, and the Lord should lead us to the glory of the family." These are the retainers who are bent on making a difference.

"Although the Matsugami family is the head of the family, it seems that there will be endless turmoil in the next ten years, and for the sake of the overall situation, the lord should draw a clear line with the Matsugami family as soon as possible." These are the more objective retainers.

In fact, Matsugami Yoshimitsu's previous worries were unnecessary, and his retainers did not have much affection for the Matsugami family.

Among them, the Ryoki people who were born in Ryoki Village were retainers promoted by Matsugami Yoshimitsu from among the commoners, and these people naturally did not have any feelings for the former lord; The Tsuno people belong to outsiders, and the moral concept of the bandits is like that; Not to mention the Shenmu people who originated from the former ministers of the Shenmu, after all, their former head of the family died at the hands of the Matsugami family.

Matsugami Yoshimitsu saw that his retainers were unanimous, so he also took the opportunity to say: "Since you all said so, the goal of this family is to inherit the will of the ancestor in the future, but the young master of Gosanmaru must not be cut off from the hands of my Yoshimitsu, do you understand?"

"Haha." When all the retainers saw that the lord had finally made up his mind, they were all convinced.

"Irrigation for a long time!" After a while, Matsugami Yoshimitsu asked his old man Saigo Kanhisa again: "The affairs of Matsumoto Castle have always been coordinated by you, what is the situation in the city now?"

"My lord." Saigo Guanjiu seemed to be ready to take out the pamphlet in his arms and said: "Since the old Shenmu clan was transferred to the old collar of Shenmu, there are only more than 1,000 new miscellaneous rice harvested, and there are currently more than 60 people in the city, which can last for about 8 months according to the calculation of 2 stones per person a month during the war. In addition, after the cost of building Matsumoto Castle, there were 460 pieces of silver produced by Matsumoto Ginzan, and more than 1,800 pieces of Yongle money remained. ”

"Too little!" Matsugami Yoshimitsu said irrevocably: "Ohno Heinobu has accumulated far more than his own family over several generations, and these are not enough to cope with a big war. There are too few soldiers, and too little food. Within a month, the family's ashigaru must be expanded to 140 people, and military rations must be stockpiled enough to meet the family's needs for half a year. ”

"My lord." Saigo Kanjiu couldn't help but be embarrassed when he heard this, and said: "The military system of this family is not as good as that of other families, not only providing weapons to soldiers but also providing food during non-war periods, and the cost is several times that of other families, and if it is expanded, I am afraid that it will be difficult for this family to maintain." ”

"Yes, my lord. If the war continues, the family will definitely be dragged down, and the lord should think twice about the number of troops. "Ryoki Kazuhei, who has always been a political enemy of Saigo Kanhisa, also agrees with Saigo Kanhisa for the first time.

For a while, many retainers were embarrassed, and it was not uncommon for two families to fight for a small place for more than ten years in these years.

"The war won't last long!" Matsugami Yoshimitsu interrupted the concerns of his retainers and said, "Although the next war is fought between the main family and the Ohno family, the former ministers of the Matsugami family are also waiting and betting. If the war is decided as soon as possible, it is better to say, otherwise if it drags on for a long time and causes other countries to participate, it will definitely lose both. This is understood by the main hall, and Ohno Heinobu also understands, so the main family and the Ohno family will definitely have a great battle of victory and defeat within a year at the latest. Now what we have to do is to build up as much strength as possible, and if we lose, we will have nothing. ”

"Haha." Saigo Kanhisa and the others saw that Matsugami Yoshimitsu was so resolute, so they had to grit their teeth and accept their orders.

"You don't need to worry too much." Matsugami Yoshimitsu saw that everyone was still embarrassed, so he threw out the prepared killer weapon and said: "This time the main hall is not for nothing, the 500 stone old leader of Liangmu Village has returned to the hands of the main hall. ”

"What!" The retainers who were originally a little bitter were overjoyed.