On the evening of August 29, the main force of the Oda family had arrived at the castle of Kannonji Temple and immediately surrounded it. When they arrived, they received news that the ninjas of the Rokkaku clan had declared that they were dedicated to the king, and that they had now responded to Ashikaga Yoshiteru's call to join the Joraku army.

"What can I do?" Yu Qiuping was already preparing to give the order to attack the city, but at this moment, he suddenly made a difficulty. When they attacked before, the Hexagon family was still friend or foe, and there was nothing morally wrong. But at this time, since the Hexagonal family has announced that they have joined the alliance, it will be against morality to continue the attack.

Just when Yu Qiuping, Mori Kecheng and Inaba Ittetsu didn't know what to do, they suddenly received a report that a messenger from Gifu Castle arrived.

"Your Highness Lin, why did you come here in person?" As soon as Yu Qiuping saw that the messenger wearing ashigaru clothes was actually Lin Xiuzhen, the latter was obviously riding a horse in the dust, and his face was so tired that he was sweating.

"Go in and say, go in and say." Lin Xiuzhen made a silent gesture to Yu Qiuping, signaling him to keep quiet, and then followed everyone to the Chinese army's tent.

"The old man knows that you are confused now, don't be in a hurry to ask." As soon as Lin Xiuzhen entered the account, Yu Qiuping couldn't help but want to ask a question, but the latter immediately stretched out his hand and waved it, and said in a low voice: "The old man will repeat the meaning of the lord first, and then ask if you don't understand something." ”

"It's not for nothing that the lord wants you to attack the Hexagon family immediately." Lin Xiuzhen sighed, wiped the sweat on her forehead with a handkerchief and said, "Our ninja received news that tomorrow, the governor of the Rokkaku family, Rokkaku Yoshiji, will personally rush to Omi to discuss the alliance with the Gongfang Palace. If left unchecked, the Hexagons will join the Shangluo Alliance and become our allies. ”

"Isn't that a good thing? Why did the lord make such a move and ruin the alliance's affairs? Turned an original friend into an enemy? Seeing this, Inaba Ichitetsu muttered very dissatisfied.

"Does His Highness Inaba think it's a good thing?" Lin Xiuzhen laughed a few times when she heard this, shook her head slightly, and said, "The lord and the old man don't think so. ”

"You don't really think that the lord is loyal and courageous, and he is dedicated to the shogunate, so he supports the general Shangluo, right?" Lin Xiuzhen asked slowly, looked around, and saw that everyone shook their heads before continuing with satisfaction: "That's right. In the final analysis, we support the establishment of the Gongbo Palace, and in the final analysis, it is for the benefit of our Oda family. The lord wanted to dominate, so he raised troops to Shangluo. ”

"However, if the Rokkaku family joins the alliance, even if we succeed in defeating the Miyoshi family and taking Kyoto, it will be just an uncontrollable enclave for our Oda family." Lin Xiuzhen slowly paced to the place where the map was hung in the camp tent, and pointed on the map with her hand: "North Omi is the Asai family, and if South Omi is also the territory of the ally, won't Kyoto be cut off from our Mino-Owari?" How will we manage Kyoto from such a distance? ”

"If the Rokkaku family, which has a deep friendship with the shogun's family, really joins the alliance, it will definitely become a pawn of the shogun to balance our Oda family, just like the Asakura family." Lin Xiuzhen paused, and whispered meaningfully: "When the time comes, we are far from Kyoto, and the Gongfang Palace, which has the support of the Rokkaku family and the Asakura family, may be able to turn against the guest and seize control of Kyoto." ”

"If this is really the case, who is it for our Oda family to send troops and money and efforts? Finally defeated the Miyoshi family, but in the end nothing was gained? Do you think this is the style of the lord? ”

"I see." Yu Qiuping nodded suddenly and said, "So the lord is going to get rid of the Hexagonal Family before it forms an alliance!" On the one hand, he broke off one of the general's arms, and on the other hand, he allowed the Oda family to capture the rich territory in a solid manner, and at the same time, he was able to use Minami Omi to control Kyoto nearby, killing three birds with one stone! ”

"Momiji is right, and he has won the hearts of the lord." Lin Xiuzhen nodded with great satisfaction, but still sighed a little helplessly: "But even so, the passage connecting Minami Omi and Mino is still controlled by the Asai family, which is very inconvenient. If you want to enter Minami-Omi and Kyoto from Mino, you will either have to pass through the territory of the Asai family, or you will have to climb the Ibuki Mountains with great difficulty. ”

"What does His Highness Lin mean by this?" Yu Qiuping was shocked when he heard this, and stood up in a hurry, "Does the lord want to be the enemy of the Asai family?" ”

"Momiji thinks too much, the Asai family is an important ally, and the lord also appreciates the talent of His Royal Highness Asai." Lin Xiuzhen smiled, and Yu Qiuping breathed a sigh of relief. However, he couldn't help but have a knot in his heart. As the brother-in-law of Asai Nagamasa, he made up his mind to avoid the tragedy of the Asai family and the Oda family later turning against each other in this life.

"But the Rokkaku family has already announced in the afternoon that they have joined the alliance of the Gongfang Palace." Sen Kecheng reminded worriedly, "Now that they are our allies, are we going to continue to attack?" ”

"Of course." Lin Xiuzhen nodded as she should, "It's not a secret, at noon today, the Gongfang Palace has already sent a messenger to note the lord, asking the lord to order you to retreat." But the lord's intention is very resolute, and he must eradicate the hexagonal family. After that, even if the lord is forced by the pressure of the Gongfang Hall or His Royal Highness Asakura to order you to withdraw your troops, you should not accept the order and continue to attack. ”

Do you want to disobey again? Yu Qiuping couldn't help muttering in his heart. I've already confronted Ashikaga Yoshiteru once before, and last time I had Oda Nobunaga's order to support him. This time, if Ashikaga Yoshiteru sends someone to take Oda Nobunaga's withdrawal order to let him retreat, it will be impossible to disobey the order.

Lin Xiuzhen saw Yu Qiuping's troubles, and smiled kindly: "Don't worry about Momiji, the old man will explain it to the lord for you, everything is for the great cause of the Oda family." ”

"But we only have 6,500 people on hand, and we can't afford to take the Guanyin Temple City, and there are at least more than 3,000 people in the city." Yu Qiuping wanted to find an excuse to prevaricate.

"It's fine." Lin Xiuzhen shook her head confidently and said, "Didn't the Hexagon family already announce that they would join the alliance?" You used this as a reason to order the important families of the Gamo family and the Goto family to surrender to Ikeda-sama, the clan-sama, and Ando-sama. After that, you will assemble all the troops of the advance team to attack Kannonji Castle, and the first reinforcements of the Oda family are already on the way, so don't worry. ”

"If there is nothing else, the old man will go back to his life."

·

Since Lin Xiuzhen and Oda Nobunaga were resolute, Yu Qiuping had no choice but to do so. However, Lin Xiuzhen's strategy played a huge role. The wealthy families of the Rokkaku family have already separated from the Rokkaku family after the two incidents of Rokkaku Yoshiharu killing Goto Kentoyo and the commotion at Kannonji Temple. Now seeing that the Rokkaku family is surrounded in the city of Kannonji Temple, the momentum of the Shangluo army is unbearable, and the Rokkaku family itself has given up resistance and begging for mercy, so naturally there is no idea of fighting to the death with the Oda family. As a result, after receiving the guarantee of territorial security, nearly half of the wealthy clans led by the Gamo family threw themselves into the Oda family.

Ikeda Hengxing and the others then took the hexagonal family who surrendered, and quickly swept away the surrounding wealthy families who refused to surrender. On the morning of September 2, Ikeda Hengxing and others led a large army to meet with Yu Qiuhei at the castle of Kannonji Temple, with a total strength of nearly 20,000 men. Yu Qiuping was even more unkind, and launched a fierce attack on the same day. In the face of the huge disparity in numbers, the Rokkaku family was powerless to resist, and Sannomaru and Ninomaru fell one after another, and had to send an envoy to sue for peace in the afternoon of the same day.

·

At this time, the camp tent of the Oda family. The messenger of the hexagonal family, Sanyun Cheng, is right, and he is reasonable and emotional.

"Your Highness Momiji! Our Rokkaku and Oda families are now allies! We have all announced that we will join the alliance of the Gongfang Palace, and we will support the Gongfang Palace Shangluo together! Sanyun Cheng knelt down in front of Yu Qiuping, and complained in a righteous tone: "Why is Your Highness so unreasonable, tweaking the wealthy families of the alliance, attacking the territory of the alliance, and besieging the city!" Isn't that too much deception? ”

"What is too much deception, I, Yu Qiuping, have always believed: reason goes all over the world, and it is difficult to move an inch without reason." Yu Qiuping said confidently in front of many colleagues: "This alliance is a consensual thing, and it's not like you said that you will form an alliance!" You said you want to form an alliance, and you need us to agree! Otherwise, we are now in the Oda family, and we have formed an alliance with the Miyoshi family out of thin air! Isn't there no need to fight this battle? ”

"But His Royal Highness the General has already agreed! You've promised us an alliance! Seeing that Yu Qiuping seemed to have the upper hand, Sanyun Nariji hurriedly interrupted in a loud voice.

"Oh? Is it? Why didn't I know? Yu Qiuping shook his head ignorantly with a harmless expression.

"Look! I have a reply from the general here! Sanyun Cheng hurriedly took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Yu Qiuping. Yu Qiuhei opened the envelope in two by three and found that it was indeed Ashikaga Yoshiteru's handwriting. He granted the Rokkaku's request to join the Alliance, and also guaranteed that the Rokkaku clan would be safe from the Minami Omi Prefecture.

"Oh, okay, I know what the palace means." Yu Qiuping nodded with an expression of "I understand", returned the letter to Sanyun Chengzhi, and then said to Honda Tadashi at the door: "Send off guests, and continue to attack later." ”

As soon as Yu Qiuping said this, Ikeda Hengxing, who was sitting next to him, burst out laughing, amused by Yu Qiuping's complete scoundrel appearance.

"Alas! Alas! Your Highness Momiji, what do you mean by this! As soon as Sanyun Chengzhi saw a samurai with a tiger's back walking in and was about to drag him away, he shouted helplessly: "His Royal Highness the general has agreed to the alliance!" We're always allies now! ”

"That's an alliance between the Rokkaku family and the shogun's family, what's the matter with my Oda family?" Yu Qiuping made a puzzled expression and looked at Sanyun Chengzhi.

"His Royal Highness Oda is also a retainer of the Gongfang Palace! How could His Highness Oda disobey the orders of the Gongfang Palace! Although everyone knows that Ashikaga Yoshiteru is just a puppet general, this does not prevent Mikumo from holding the tiger skin as a banner.

"The retainers of the retainers of the Gongfang Palace, not his retainers." Yu Qiuping once again paraphrased the old saying, this time with a series of awkward explanations: "My territory was given by His Royal Highness Oda, not by His Royal Highness." Obligations arise with the division of the territory, and I naturally only have obligations to His Highness Oda, and have nothing to do with the Gongfang Palace. Yu Qiuping's string of twisting and turning logic made Sanyun Chengzhi stunned for a while. By the time he came back to his senses, he was almost knocked out of the door by Honda Tadashikatsu.

"Unless there is an order from the lord to retreat, I will never stop attacking." Yu Qiu waved his hand righteously, "It's that simple. ”