Two days later, as an envoy of the Oda family, Yu Qiupei rushed to the castle tower of Akasaka Castle in Mino Province as promised. The envoy from the Ashikaga family, Akechi Mitsuhide, made an appointment and talked with him in detail at noon today. According to Oda Nobunaga's meaning, the general sent someone to contact him this time, and he must have wanted to organize an alliance to send troops to Kamiraku. He told Yu Qiuping Qian that he must occupy the leading position in the alliance. If Ashikaga Yoshiteru still wants to pull the Asakura family he is attached to to go to Luo, then he must let the Oda family become the leader of the alliance this time, and he can't make a wedding dress for the Ashikaga shogun or the Asakura family.

"What a troublesome request." After Yu Qiuping entered the city gate, he handed over the reins of the horse to Ryuko on the side, and walked quickly to the castle tower, while complaining in a dissatisfied whisper: "The Asakura family is a famous family, and with Echizen Wakasa, how can they be willing to help an upstart like our Oda family." Ashikaga Yoshiaki is no better than Ashikaga Yoshiaki in the previous life, but he is a very strong man, how can he be willing to be at the mercy of others? ”

Yu Qiuping muttered that the person had already walked to the castle tower. However, to his surprise, when he walked to the meeting room on the second floor, he was told that Akechi Mitsuhide had been there for a long time.

"So early?" Yu Qiuping couldn't help but be shocked when he heard this. Before, he was very excited at the thought of seeing a famous person in history again, so he had arrived half an hour earlier than the appointed time. Unexpectedly, Akechi Mitsuhide actually arrived earlier than himself.

Yu Qiuping opened the door of the room, and a faint fragrance immediately refreshed people's hearts. He turned his head in surprise to see a man in a loose samurai uniform kneeling there in a very elegant posture - a sitting position that Akihei had only seen on Kaede Imagawa and Yoshimoto Imagawa. On the table in front of him, there was a complete set of tea sets. I saw that his dexterous hands were carrying out complex operations with various tea utensils, and it seemed that he was making tea.

He didn't know if he was too addicted to the tea ceremony or what the reason was, but he turned a deaf ear to Yuqiuping's sound of pulling the door and saying hello. It wasn't until Yu Qiuping knelt down in front of him that he suddenly realized that the person he wanted to negotiate with had come.

Yu Qiuping took a closer look at this famous Warring States celebrity - he was also the one who carried out the most powerful rebellion in the history of the Warring States in his previous life, but he made Oda Nobunaga, who was about to unify the world, into a barbecue in Honnoji Temple, and single-handedly ended the hegemony of the Oda family.

Wise Mitsuxiu has a delicate face, a thick layer of powder on her face, and her eyebrows have also been painted, which is the kind of etiquette used in traditional public households, and you can hardly see the original appearance. And his figure is a little thin, estimated to be only about 1.6 meters. However, to Yuqiuping's surprise, Akechi Mitsuhide looks very young. If Yu Qiuping is not mistaken, in the history of his previous life, Akechi Mitsuhide was already in his fifties when he launched the Honnoji Rebellion, and he should be nearly forty years old by now—but he looks like a young man who is not yet thirty. Is it because of self-cultivation and good maintenance?

When Akechi Mitsuhide noticed that Yu Qiuping was seated, he quickly stopped what he was doing and prepared to say hello to Yu Qiuping. However, when his gaze gradually fell on Yu Qiuping's face, he was suddenly stunned, and the greeting could not be spoken.

"Your Highness Wise, I have long admired the great name." Yu Qiuping smiled and took the lead in saluting, "When I see it today, it really lives up to its name." ”

"His Royal Highness Yuqiu has won the award. Compared to His Royal Highness's famous names, what are these floating names below? Akechi Mitsuhide came back to his senses, smiled modestly, and returned the salute very respectfully, "I hope Your Highness waits, the tea ceremony below is still a little short." ”

"Okay, okay, no problem, after all, I'm still early, and I haven't arrived at the appointed time." Yu Qiuping smiled very generously, and at the same time looked very curiously at Akechi Mitsuhide fiddling with the tea set on the table. I saw that his sitting posture was still so elegant, the movements of his hands were meticulous, and the complicated and troublesome tea ceremony processes and movements were completed smoothly in his hands. When he was finally done, Yu Qiuping was still unsatisfied.

"Your Highness Yuqiu, please." After completing all the processes, Wise Mitsuhide poured a cup of tea for Yu Qiuping, and served it in front of Yu Qiuping with both hands.

"Thank you, Your Highness Wise, then I will be disrespectful." Yu Qiuping took the teacup handed by Akechi Mitsuhide, and began to taste the tea slowly and methodically according to all the etiquette that Imagawa Yoshimoto had taught him. Akechi Mitsuhide was slightly stunned when he saw this, and then a satisfied look appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"I didn't expect His Royal Highness Yuqiu to also be quite familiar with the tea ceremony." Akechi Mitsuhide exclaimed in some surprise and nodded approvingly, "There are always rumors in Echizen that Ono are vulgar samurai who don't understand customs, but that's not the case when I see it today." ”

"The customs of various places are different, some are affectionate, some are courteous, and there is no distinction between high and low." Yu Qiuping took another sip of tea, and said euphemistically: "One side of the water and soil raises one side of the people, and most of the gentlemen of Echizen are people who love their hometown, so they naturally feel that the culture of their hometown is unique, and it is really human nature to criticize Ono. ”

"His Royal Highness Yuqiu's conversation is really the demeanor of a man who has attained Taoism in the Ming Kingdom." Wise Guangxiu smiled with satisfaction when he heard this, and then respectfully said again: "I am not talented, I am willing to make friends with His Royal Highness Yuqiu." If His Royal Highness Yuqiu doesn't think I'm climbing, just call me Guangxiu. ”

"Guangxiu is polite." Yu Qiuping also arched his hand and said, "I'm not too hypocritical, just call me red leaves." ”

"Okay." Wise Mitsuhide bowed slightly when he heard this, "Since the red leaves are so refreshing, then I won't be polite to you." I have been sent on the order of the Shogun to discuss the matter of Kamiraku with the Oda family. The traitor Matsunaga sought power and usurped the throne, and the minister Miyoshi aided in the abuse, deposed the orthodox general, and replaced it with the pseudo-general Ashikaga Yoshiei. My lord saw that the society was overturned, and it was difficult to sleep and eat, and he sighed day and night. The righteous people of the world are also heartbroken, and they wish to correct the world, eradicate the traitors, and let the general return to Kyoto. However, Miyoshi Matsunaga is so powerful that it is difficult to defeat it with the strength of my lord and the Asakura family alone, so he sent me to invite the Oda family to join him in the army of King Rakuto. ”

Here it comes... Yu Qiuping thought secretly in his heart. And this wise Mitsuhide's rhetoric is really powerful, and at first glance he is a diplomat who is good at arguing. In just a polite paragraph, it seems that nothing has been said, but everything has been said. He first stated the legitimacy of Ashikaga Yoshiteru and the rationality of raising troops in Shangluo, and pointed out that everyone in the world wanted to support Yoshiteru to return to Beijing, as if he would be an unrighteous person if he did not do so, and let himself stand on the moral high ground. Subsequently, he also euphemistically admitted that he was not strong enough, but he refused to say that he was not the opponent of the Miyoshi Matsunaga coalition, but said that it was "difficult to win completely", so that the Oda family's participation was no longer a "charcoal in the snow" but "icing on the cake", reducing the weight of the Oda family. In the end, it was said that Ashikaga Yoshiteru invited the Oda family to Kamiraku, not Oda Nobunaga to support Yoshiteru Kamiraku, thus making Ashikaga Yoshiteru dominate the Allied forces.

Yu Qiuping thought about it for a moment or two, and at this stage of the negotiation, it was necessary for both sides to ask for a price and constantly test the bottom line of the other party. At such times, we must not give in, but take a tougher stance.

"Guangxiu, you're right." Yu Qiuping nodded, and then pretended to sigh regretfully and said, "It's just that I am grateful for the love of the Gongfang Palace." The Oda family has just been pacified by Mino, and the foundation is not stable, and there are still many remnants of the Saito family. And Owari Mino has been fighting for decades, and it has long been sparsely populated. The old power of the Oda family is gone, and the new power is not born. Even if my lord is loyal and courageous, I am afraid that he is powerless at this moment. ”

Wise Mitsuhide didn't have any expression fluctuations when he heard this, as if everything was expected by him. He slowly picked up the teacup, took a shallow sip, and continued to look at Yu Qiuping calmly.

Yu Qiuping saw that Akechi Mitsuhide seemed unmoved, and his heart was slightly nervous. But he still turned the teacup in his hand unhurriedly, and continued to say in a very pragmatic tone: "Moreover, the Miyoshi family is also a strong person with a territory of more than 1.5 million stones, and the Matsunaga family has a territory of more than 600,000 stones after controlling the Yamashiro country, which is by no means an easy person. I hope that His Royal Highness the General will think about it in the long run. ”

"Momiji is right. The Matsunaga family controlled most of the territory of Yamato Province and part of Yamashiro Province, with an estimated territory of around 600,000 koku. The Miyoshi family, which controls Hanoi, Izumi, Settsu (except Ishiyama Gobo), nearly half Tanba, nearly half Harima, a small half of Kii, Awaji, Awa, and Sanuki, is really a behemoth in, and the total number of stones may exceed 1.5 million stones. Akechi Mitsuhide seemed to approve of Akihei's statement, but then, he immediately changed his words and said, "But the Oda family controls Owari and Mino, and the total number of stone heights is about 1.1 million stone. The Asakura family's territory, which controls Echizen and Wakasa, is about 600,000 koku. If the Oda family and the Asakura family join forces, the strength is not inferior to the Miyoshi family and the Matsunaga family. If you can also pull up the Asai family, which has more than 40 thousand stones in Kita-Omi, you can even gain an advantage. The Asai family, as a common ally of the Asakura family and the Oda family, will not refuse to help. ”

"What Mitsuhide said is very true." Yu Qiuping smiled and nodded, put the teacup flat on the table, and pushed it slightly in the direction of Akechi Mitsuhide: "It's just that our side is a coalition army, and there may be people who are not in harmony." ”

When he said this, he was actually a euphemism to remind Akechi Mitsuhide: The coalition forces are not united in their hearts and need to dominate the hearts of the people. In other words, it was necessary to elect a leader - and the Oda family, which had the most territory, was naturally the only one.

"Could it be that the Miyoshi family and the Matsunaga family are monolithic?" Akechi Mitsuhide shook his head disapprerovingly and said, "Our army can use His Royal Highness the General as the core to unite the army's heart. The pseudo-general on the opposite side is obviously not enough to convince the public. ”

Wise Mitsuhide's words made Yu Qiuping's attack ineffective like cotton. Not only did he point out that Yu Qiuping's worries were excessive, but at the same time, he also skillfully used his strength to say that Ashikaga Yoshiteru was the core of the coalition army, leaving Yu Qiuping speechless for a while.

If such a condition is accepted, Oda Nobunaga will definitely let Yu Qiuping go away without eating.

"Alas, with the leadership of His Royal Highness the General, we are naturally relieved." Yu Qiuping laughed dryly twice, and said in a low voice: "It's just that the Oda family is really powerless now. Many important ministers in the family do not have the same feelings as the lord, and if they can't increase their territory, they are not willing to go on an expedition. ”

After Yu Qiuping proposed a new interface, Wise Mitsuhide didn't see the move like before, but just lowered his eyes silently and sighed slightly.

After a long time, he whispered in a faint voice:

"Momiji, you know what? The reason why the world is chaotic is because of people like you. ”