"This Sazuo Chengzheng, it's so unimportant! Mt. Hiei Enryakuji Temple, what is that place? Even if there is any unavoidable reason, you should not fight each other privately and disturb the mountains and forests! Even if he didn't set the fire himself, but the crime of causing the fire disaster is unshirkable, and I, as the young assistant of the Imperial Court Criminal Department and the guardian of the Three Kingdoms of the Shogunate, must be investigated to the end and will not be tolerated! None of you ask for mercy, and it's useless for anyone to intercede! ”

After listening to the scouts' private reports, his expression became more and more unkind. When he finally returned to the public eye, he was already tightly locked, his face was pale, his voice was like a bell, and he was righteous and strict, expressing the courage of the law to be merciless and severely punished. He has been on the battlefield for a long time, he is accustomed to holding authority, and he has cut off countless heads directly and indirectly in the open and secretly, and once he is angry, there is an awe-inspiring evil aura on his body, even if he is an innocent person, he can't help but feel a little frightened when he sees it.

Hiei Mountain was pressed down by such a big thing as the burning, and everyone was ignorant, anxious to report back, and consider the follow-up response, not many people could notice the subtleties.

However, in the end, there are still some people who are more tolerant, more thoughtful, and more sensitive who notice the strangeness in what he just said.

The left sentence "Even if there is any last resort", and the right sentence "It was not him who set the fire", this is obviously a tie Tsunohide is defending Sasa Chengzheng!

said so high-soundingly, saying that "to the end, never tolerated", in fact, it was thunder and rain, raised high and gently fallen.

It can be seen that our dignified equal-handed punishment department still has a lot of connivance and forgiveness for his old friends and in-laws.

It's human nature, and it's not enough to ridicule. However, from this move, the information that someone with a heart can analyze is that most of the people who are tiring already know that Sasa Narumasa is the culprit! (Although I don't know if it was investigated, or if I sent someone to inquire about it directly) Otherwise, why do you need to put on this posture in advance?

That's a big issue that's worth noting.

……

In the early spring, when the night came very early, and it was too late for the soldiers to make a fire to make food and eat hot food, so they hurriedly urged them to go up the mountain to maintain order and extinguish the fire.

However, when it gets dark, the fire spreads faster. Although the people were sent up, the raging fire on Mt. Hiei became more and more intense, and in less than an hour, it stretched one after another, and it was innumerable, and it was difficult for human power to stop it.

I saw that the large and small flames were particularly conspicuous in the dark night. The smell of burnt paste constantly came from the direction of the mountain, and occasionally the crackling of dead branches and dry grass could be faintly heard.

However, as it got dark, a small north wind blew again. Everyone was just south of the fire, a few hundred steps away, and they felt the wind of early spring, but there was no coolness at all, but it became a stack of boundless heat waves.

After a while, Horio Yoshiharu, who had passed the military order on behalf of the injured Konishi Yukinaga, came from the front line to report that the soldiers were using stupid methods to deal with the mountain fires, such as soaked linen cloth, wet branches, and sand, gravel and earth, etc., in a truckload.

Pingshou Fan Xiu was dumbfounded, and then he reacted, patted his head and said regretfully: "We can only fight, and we have no experience in fighting fires, so we really shouldn't act rashly, so that it is useless." ”

After speaking, he immediately asked the onlookers next to him who knew the tricks of fire prevention and fire fighting, and quickly taught it.

It made everyone look at each other speechless.

In these years, everyone is either practicing swords, bows and horses, or studying poetry, books, rituals and music, and no matter how hard they try to make money, who will be idle and consider the "trick of fire prevention and fire fighting"?

But staring at me, I look at you, and after watching it for a long time, it's not all fruitless.

The shogunate's Ise Sadako and Odate Harutada, who heard the news, rushed from the imperial palace and arrived at this time. Then a merchant said, "I remember that last year, a fire broke out in the spring on the five main streets of Kyoto, and it was Ise-sama, with 200 guards, who quickly extinguished the fire without causing any major obstacles. ”

Hite-suhide immediately made a "overjoyed" expression, abdicated and made way for Xian, claiming: "Since Ise-sama is a master of controlling the flames, please give orders!" The soldiers of this family will certainly obey the command. ”

That Ise Sadako had just arrived here, and before he had time to catch his breath, he heard such a request, and immediately changed his expression, and tried his best to prevaricate: "The Lord of the Criminal Department is sitting here, how can I speak?" ”

But the tie did not relent: "The so-called art industry has a specialization, this matter of fire and water, the contemptible people really can't understand it, so that it is messed up." The failure to extinguish the fire is a small matter, and it is a great sin to destroy the thousand-year-old temple of Enryakuji Temple. ”

After this high-sounding slogan, Ise Sadako did not dare to resist, and could only promise to say, "Let me look at the fire first."

Pingshou Fan Xiu immediately stretched out his hand to invite him to the most conspicuous position in the center of the crowd, and handed him the "clairvoyant mirror" of the Southern Barbarians with both hands.

Ise Zhenxing took it very unnaturally, made a very serious appearance, looked at it carefully for a while, put down the mirror tube, shook his head helplessly and said: "In this piece of peaks and mountains, the settlements are scattered and scattered, and most of them are still moist jungles...... Now that the fire is complete, there is no other way but to wait for the combustible materials on the mountain to burn out, and we can only try to save the monks and peasants who have escaped......"

Hearing this, Hisho Tsunohide could only sigh helplessly, nodded reluctantly, and continued to instruct Horio Yoshiharu to let the soldiers give up fighting fires and turn to pick up the fleeing.

Horio Yoshiharu looked embarrassed and explained, "Just now...... The soldiers climbed the mountain in order to extinguish the fire, and perhaps because of a misunderstanding, many monks and peasants who looked like refugees immediately ran in the opposite direction when they saw us. At that time, we were only thinking about carrying out the orders of the Lord, and did not pay attention to this verse. Now that I think about it, that's really ......."

Pingshou Fanxiu's face was embarrassed, and he could only tell him to do the next thing well, and not to think too much.

Horio Yoshiharu took the order and left.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from the crowd: "Ise-sama said that Hieiyama is not at risk of fire. Looks like someone must have set it on purpose today! ”

When the words landed, Pingshou Fanxiu suddenly changed color, and reprimanded with a serious face: "Who is making up rumors again?" Which temple and shrine is it, the messenger of the people? Or is it the disciple of a minister or a craftsman? Do you have the courage to come out and debate in public? ”

Ise Sadako also immediately said: "At such a critical moment, no one will be allowed to make rumors and destroy the good situation of Kinai unity and resistance to Takeda!" ”

The local powerful clan and the central officials all said cruel words, and the person with a deep voice naturally did not dare to show up, but it was another envoy of the shogunate, Odate Haritada, who walked out with a leisurely face, bowed lightly, and said: "Ise-sama, this is a bad word!" When you say that, it seems that our shogunate is overpowering...... When this kind of thing happens, of course, everyone will have some guesses about the truth, which is human nature. Even if you guess wrong, it's not a sin! ”

The dignified deacon of the shogunate office, Ise Sadako, was so questioned by his colleagues in front of him that his face suddenly turned red and he was speechless.

Others should just be watching the joke.

However, Tieshou is keenly aware of two hidden messages:

The first point is that in the political struggle within the shogunate, the balance has probably been broken, and the "pro-Takeda faction" to which Odate Haritada belongs is estimated to have gained the upper hand with the support of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, otherwise it would not have been possible to directly oppose Ise Sadako.

The second point is that this Odate Harushi is not a smart person, even if he has the upper hand a little, he should not get carried away in public and let outsiders know about the contradictions within the shogunate! From this point of view, the days when their faction will be in power will not be long.

It is said that Ashikaga Yoshiaki had already been persuaded that day, in favor of the idea of "resisting Takeda", and also filmed Hosokawa Fujitaka to dissuade (and then was forcibly stranded by Shingen).

Later, relying on Konoe Maehisa's endorsement, coupled with the widow of the previous general Yoshiki who succeeded to Asakura, Takeda Shingen wanted to directly deny the legitimacy of Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

The two sides should not be in harmony with each other, why did the momentum of the shogunate change?

It's really hard to explain what is going on inside their Ashikaga family.

However, Tie Sho is very firm in his plan.

As time progressed, the soldiers of the Heite family put away their swords and iron cannons according to the order, urgently built a shelter for refuge, prepared dry food and hot soup, and entertained the monks and farmers who ran down from the mountain, including several senior monks of the Tiantai sect, led by the head of the Tiantai sect, who was born in the royal family and had not been in office for a long time, and the dignified prince Jueshu who enjoyed the treatment of "quasi-three palaces".

This prince is amazing, and his theoretical status is higher than that of the shogun and Sekihaku, let alone the country samurai of Owari.

At first, he was at a loss, hiding behind two tall monks like a frightened chicken, not daring to see the light. But after confirming his identity and receiving hospitality, he began to gradually gain color, and he found fault with the soldiers who came to serve and begged for complete blame.

Even when Pingshou Fanxiu went to see him, the prince said in a loud voice: "Lord of the Criminal Department! I heard that Sasa-sama from Owari is your old friend and in-law? This man's actions are too much! First of all, he slandered our Enryakuji Temple for harboring criminals, and asked for something 'the murderer of Oda Danmasa', but after I sternly refused, I didn't give up, and brazenly led troops to raid the mountain, and even set fire! If this kind of behavior is not punished with capital punishment, I am afraid that all Owari Takeshi will not have the shame to gain a foothold in Kyoto in the future! ”

"The contemptible people will definitely ask the shogunate and the Oda family to come forward and punish them appropriately." Heite Honshu clearly wrote the word perfunctory on his face, and changed the topic indifferently: "As for the murderer of Oda Danmasa, whether or not it was hidden in Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei, I'm afraid it also needs to be investigated." ”

Prince Jue Shufa was stunned at first when he heard this, and then he was furious: "Lord of the Criminal Department, I'm afraid your attitude is not suitable!" What if some criminals get lucky enough to get mixed up in Enryakuji Temple? Do you know the history of Mt. Hiei? Did you know ......"

Hisho didn't bother to pay attention to him, and turned around and left without listening to the nonsense.

The "Ghost Boy Keiji" next to him was a little slower, standing in place, yawning boredly, stretching out the little finger of his right hand and digging out his ear, as if unintentionally saying the prepared line: "It seems that too much time has passed since Kiso Yoshinaka's affairs, and the people of Kyoto seem to have forgotten why they respect us country samurai, hehe......"

The prince was dumbfounded, and then with a "snap", he fell flat on the carpet and couldn't get up for a long time.