On the afternoon of March 30, the Weaving-German coalition launched an attack on the opponent Tube Mountain City. The weakly defended Tetsuyama Castle was swept down, and the Oda family's army took advantage of the victory and arrived at Kanesaki Castle on April 1.

On the same day, Yu Qiuping also personally rode his horse to the castle of Kotani and asked to see Asai Nagamasa.

The people of the Asai family had a very bad attitude towards the Oda family, and the previous envoys of the Oda family were locked out of the door and not allowed to enter. However, since he came to have an old Yuakihei with the Asai family, the doorman didn't embarrass him too much, but took him to the castle tower.

On the way to the castle tower, Yu Qiuping's heart was beating fast. He didn't know how to face Asai Nagamasa, and he didn't know how to say the first sentence. Oda Nobunaga made such a treacherous and disrespectful thing to the Asai family, which made Akihei feel embarrassed. He wanted to change history and change the tragedy of the Oda family and the Asai family facing each other. However, Oda Nobunaga reneged on his promise to Akihei Kazuyu. Now, if you want history not to repeat itself, the only way to persuade Asai Nagamasa not to break with the Oda family is to do so.

Yu Qiuping knew that it was difficult. According to Asai Nagamasa's temperament, it is too difficult for him to endure humiliation like this. However, there was no other way for him. He also firmly believes that with his eloquence and friendship with Asai Nagamasa for more than ten years, he may be able to do something.

All these thoughts came to naught the moment he opened the door and saw Asai Nagamasa dressed in white.

Because of the perseverance on Asai Nagamasa's face, Yu Qiuping has never seen it.

·

"Changzheng!" Almost as soon as he spoke his first sentence, Yu Qiuping was already close to losing his temper, because Asai Nagamasa's calm and resolute attitude seemed to have made a decision.

"I'm so sorry!" Yu Qiuping gave a big gift to Asai Nagamasa on the spot, "The lord is perverse, treacherous, and has done such a rebellious thing in vain for the friendship of the Asai family!" I'm here to give you on behalf of the lord and apologize to the Asai family! ”

"What is my brother's sin?" Asai Nagamasa hurriedly helped Yu Qiuping up, but he smiled bitterly in a low voice, "And His Royal Highness Oda, how could he ever think that he was guilty?" ”

"Not really." Yu Qiuping grabbed the arms of Asai Nagamasa who was holding his shoulders, and said hurriedly, "My lord, he also feels very sorry, I am definitely sorry for the Asai family, so I let me..."

"Brother, don't say it again, I understand." Asai Nagamasa looked at the panicked look on Yu Qiuping's face, and suddenly sighed a little distressedly, "I still remember that when I was in Kyoto last year, my brother asked me, if the Oda family and the Asakura family are enemies, where should I go?" ”

"I was a little scared, worried that this was going to happen." Asai Nagamasa raised his head slightly, and his gaze drifted far away, as if he was reminiscing about the past, "But when I think about it, I think that His Royal Highness Oda will never be like this, and my brother may be worried." After all, my Asai family is also an ally of the Asakura family, and even if the Oda family is an enemy of the Asakura family, I will ask the Asai family for advice in advance. ”

"But now that I think about it, my brother knows His Highness Oda better, and it's me who is naïve." Asai Nagamasa smiled bitterly and shook his head a little dejectedly, "His Royal Highness Oda only has the world and his interests in his eyes, how can he care about the so-called righteousness?" He can give up anything for the sake of his goals. The Asakura family is like this, the Asai family is like this, and the righteousness of the world is also like this. How could such a person send his brother to apologize for his treachery? I'm afraid this is just my brother's own efforts to bridge the war. ”

Seeing that Asai Nagamasa had already spoken, Yu Qiuping couldn't continue to cover it up. He took a deep breath, focused his gaze on his knees, kept telling himself to calm down, and said in a casual whisper: "Changzheng, then what are you going to do?" ”

"Brother understands." Asai Nagamasa raised his head and looked directly into Yu Qiuping's eyes. The clarity in his eyes was as simple as a snowflake in winter. And the firmness of his face is more unshakable than the pines and cypresses in the cold winter.

"I will fight for righteousness."

·

"Changzheng! Calm down! Yu Qiuping's mind that had just stabilized was in turmoil again, and he pressed Asai Nagamasa's shoulder, as if this could stop the Asai family's actions, "The Asakura family is much weaker than the Oda family, and the Oda family is already powerful at this moment, even if you go to help the Asakura family, it will be difficult to change." ”

"In the past, the Asai family was much weaker than the Rokkaku family, and they were bullied again and again, but the Asakura family reached out again and again to save my Asai family like fire and water." Asai Nagamasa recalled the past again, and his voice gradually carried a strong sense of gratitude, "The Asai family has been on the verge of extinction several times, and it is the Asakura family that has helped to ensure the survival of the Asai family's incense, and only then can the Asai family be strong today." This great kindness is remembered by our Asai family for generations. Now that the benefactor is facing a desperate situation, how can the Asai family sit idly by? Asai Nagamasa paused, and his tone became extremely firm here. He pressed his right hand on the hilt of his family heirloom katana, and said in a deep voice: "If you are so ungrateful, what face will Changzheng have in the future when he sees his ancestors and ancestors under the Nine Springs, and what face does he call himself a samurai?" ”

"Changzheng, I know you're fighting for righteousness. But at this moment, you and the Oda family are also allies, you are still my brother-in-law, the husband of Ashi, and the sister-in-law of the Oda family. Yu Qiuping said like a cannon, trying in vain to convince Asai Nagamasa, "The Oda family did not turn their backs on the alliance with the Asai family, but only attacked the Asakura family. And if you help the Asakura family, you are the one who takes the initiative to break the alliance! The Asai family is going to have a reputation for treachery! ”

"And the lord is going out in the name of the shogunate this time, if you assist the Asakura family against the Oda family, it will not only violate the righteousness of the covenant, but also violate the orders of the shogun, and even more so the righteousness of the samurai." Yu Qiuping took a breath, shook the hand that held Asai Nagamasa's shoulders vigorously, and continued to speak: "And now, the Oda family has become the strongest in Japan, and it is the best candidate to unify the world and end the troubled times. If Nagamasa does not assist the Oda family, but instead goes to war against the Oda family, it will hinder the pacification of the world, let the people of Omi and even fall into the flames of war again, and let the people of the whole world struggle in the war for years or even decades! In this way, it is against the righteousness of the world! ”

"Aren't you the most righteous, aren't you fighting for righteousness?" Yu Qiuping was already so anxious that he couldn't choose to speak, and asked in a deep voice: "How can you do this in such a vain regard for the righteousness of the world, Changzheng!" ”

In the face of Yu Qiuping's questioning, Asai Nagamasa's eyes did not waver in the slightest. He looked at Yu Qiuping, and after being silent for a long time, he suddenly spoke: "Brother, do you remember that sentence?" ”

"If you don't know the small righteousness, how can you understand the big righteousness?" Asai Nagamasa glanced at Yu Qiuping, who was stunned in place, and said to himself: "If everyone in the world understands the small righteousness, the great righteousness will come naturally." If the lesser meaning is not understood, the so-called great righteousness is just an excuse for violating morality. ”

"A discerning person can see at a glance that the Oda family is much stronger than the Asakura family now. If you don't want to take risks, if you want to grab profits, the Asai family just needs to remain neutral. And just as my brother just said, there are too many excuses to find a reason for his cowardice. However, when Asai Nagamasa said this, he shook his head first, "But I don't know the small righteousness, how can I talk about the big righteousness?" The Asakura family has the grace of rebuilding the Asai family, if they can't even do the small righteousness of knowing the grace of the retribution, what kind of face do they have to talk about the righteousness? What face does the Asai family have in this world? That being the case, I chose the hardest path to defend my righteousness. ”

"It's useless, Changzheng! Don't be stupid! Yu Qiuping saw that Asai Nagamasa was so resolute, and he was already in chaos, but he still persuaded him, "If you didn't help the Asakura family, the Asakura family would have been saved from annihilation!" The Oda family sits on a territory of more than 2 million koku, which is no match for the Asai family and the Asakura family! It's just a drop in the bucket for you to help the Asakura family now! In the end, the Asakura family will still be wiped out by the Oda family, and there is nothing you can do! On the contrary, the Asai family's inheritance, which your ancestors and ancestors have worked so hard to pass on, will be destroyed! You can't do it! ”

When Asai Nagamasa heard Yu Qiuping's analysis so harshly, he didn't get angry at all, but suddenly interrupted:

"Brother, do you remember, you told me before that people grow twice in their lives."

"The first time is when I realize that I am not omnipotent, and there are many things that I can't do no matter how hard I try."

"The second time is when you realize that you can't do something anyway, and you still try to do it."

Yu Qiuping was stunned when he heard this, and the hand holding Asai Nagamasa's shoulder also hung down weakly, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

"Now, after realizing that there are some things that can't be done, I have to work hard to do them. Whether it's saving the Asakura family or defending the righteousness of the samurai. Even if I am destined not to do it, I will fight for righteousness. Asai Nagamasa bowed to Yuqiu apologetically, "So I'm sorry brother, I can't accept your mediation." Please bring the news to the Oda family on my behalf that the Asai family is about to become an enemy of you. ”

·

Yu Qiuping was silent for a long time, his eyes swept wildly on Asai Nagamasa's face and body, and his thoughts were also wandering. He seemed to see the future, and saw the future meet with the Asai family.

"When we meet again, are we enemies?" Yu Qiuping suddenly said for no reason.

"On the battlefield there will be enemies, but my brother will always be my most beloved brother! The brother's favor to Nagamasa, as well as to Nagamasa's family, and to the Asai family, even under Jiuquan, Nagamasa still remembers it in his heart. Asai Nagamasa was also a little sad when he heard this, and said in a low voice.

Yu Qiuping continued to look at Asai Nagamasa, but suddenly there was a sharp pain in his head. He suddenly found that Asai Nagamasa was wearing the white clothes from his nightmare at the moment, and the scene in the surrounding castle tower was no different from the nightmare.

As if he had been awakened from a nightmare in an instant, Yu Qiuping took a step forward, grabbed Asai Nagamasa's shoulders again with both hands, and roared sharply: "Nagamasa! You're going to die! You can't beat Oda Nobunaga! The Asai family will perish! With his character, he'll kill you! You're dead, what should Ah Shi do? What to do with Chacha Cha? What to do with Ah Chu! What to do with Shinkuro! And what about the newborn Ajiang? Have you ever thought about it? Are you worthy of them? ”

Yu Qiuping's continuous roar and shouting made him almost lose his strength, and tears burst out of his eyes, so that when he shouted the last sentence, his voice was so hoarse that he couldn't speak.

"Do you really want to die that much?"

·

When Yu Qiuping talked about Ah Shi and his children, it seemed to poke the softest place in Asai Nagamasa's heart. The corners of his mouth twitched, his eyes moistened slightly, and his mouth opened and closed a few times, but he couldn't speak.

After a while, he suddenly got up, turned around, and turned his back to Yu Qiuping, not wanting his tears to be seen by his brother-in-law. The two brothers were silent, and the only thing in the room could be heard was the ticking of tears falling from their cheeks and falling to the floor.

For a long time, Asai Nagamasa didn't know how many things he was thinking, and suddenly smiled and said:

"Brother, do you remember? That was almost a decade ago, and the first time you mentioned the cycle of chaos to me. Asai Nagamasa remembered the past and whispered thoughtfully: "You told me that the reason why the world continues to control the cycle of chaos, and the reason why the people of the world have to suffer from war again and again, is because every time the regime rises, it relies on darkness and killing methods, and ignores the light and righteousness. This dark memory cast a shadow over the world, so much so that later generations of heroes also wanted to overthrow the regime in the same way and replace it. ”

"And the elder brother also said that if we want to truly end this cycle of chaos and restore peace to the people of the world, we must defend the right path and use laws and systems to safeguard the light and righteousness." Asai Nagamasa talked about his ideals, and his tone gradually became more and more excited, "Isn't this what our samurai should fight for with all their lives!" ”

"I can see my brother's efforts, my brother's attempt in Hanoi and Izumi is to use the checks and balances of power to restrict everyone and maintain the law and the system from being trampled on!" The more Asai Nagamasa spoke, the faster he spoke, and the more he spoke, the more excited he became, "Nagamasa is stupid, he doesn't have a talent like his brother, and he can't think of those laws and systems that can correct the world!" ”

"But the laws and systems that my brother came up with, in the final analysis, are also to be used to defend the light and righteousness. If there is no light and righteousness in the world, if the world does not want to believe that the light and righteousness are still there, then my brother's laws and systems have no foundation, right? When Asai Nagamasa said this, he suddenly turned his head and smiled proudly at Yu Qiuping, and his right hand was slowly pressed on the hilt.

"Brother is talented, and he must not fall in troubled times, but Changzheng is different. Changzheng can only gamble everything and fight to defend the light and righteousness. If Changzheng's righteous act can make all the people with lofty ideals in the world excited, can awaken all those who are intoxicated with darkness and killing, and can make everyone in the world take Changzheng as a pioneer to defend the righteousness, what is Changzheng afraid of? ”

·

Asai Nagamasa said as he slowly drew his knife out of its sheath. Let the sharp katana bathe in the sunlight and reflect the dazzling light. The blade of the sword reflects everything like a mirror, and through the blade, it seems that you can see countless scenes behind you. There is a tearful rain and autumn flat; There is the gate of the castle tower behind Yu Qiuhei; There is the castle of Kotani Castle outside the gate; There is a bustling castle town outside the castle; It is as if there are the people of the whole, all the people of the whole world; And the peaceful and prosperous world that is ethereal, but seems to be clearly visible.

He raised his head, looked at the family crest of the Asai family on the hilt, and shouted loudly:

"Changzheng is willing to die for the peaceful and prosperous life of his brother-"

"Get out of the way!"