During the banquet at Okatoyo Castle, Heide Honhide suddenly announced to his soldiers his plan to march into Iyo, and sent someone to send an urgent letter to Kinai asking for support.

The high-ranking Ashikaga Yoshiaki symbolically agreed with this aggressive posture, but at the same time, he also wrote a letter to Shikoku Island, and went straight to invite Awa Miyoshi Nagaharu and Tosa Nagamune's head relatives to report on their duties, with the intention of being quite intriguing.

The former gladly agreed, replying, "In the near future, important ministers will be sent to Beijing to visit the shogunate." ”； The latter had an ambiguous attitude, and said: "The soldiers are dangerous, and there is no time to take care of them for the time being, and I will see the princess when the war is over." ”

After hearing this, the draw was completely unimpressed.

is now an undercurrent surging, brewing countless crises, when the time comes, where does Ashikaga Yoshiaki still have the leisure to go to Shikoku Island to do any small actions?

Oda Nobutada sent someone to congratulate the victory, and mentioned by the way: In order to reward the righteous act of giving up the territory and returning to Gifu City at the critical moment, Sasa Narumasa has been included in the ranks of the central auxiliary government and enjoys the treatment of a quasi-gate, which is also to make the identity of his son Matsuchiyomaru more compatible with the Yukichiyo lady of the Heite family.

This incident can only make people smile bitterly.

The friendship of the general horn and the promotion of the future in-laws seems to be celebrated.

However, Hisei knows the details of Sasa's politics - this old friend is tenacious, brave and good at fighting, and knows the truth of governing politics, but he is by no means a clever person who is good at dancing left and right.

In this delicate situation, I am afraid it is not a good idea for him to be a central family elder.

To deal with the mess, you have to use a quick knife, and you can't smash it with a hammer!

The phrase "everything is not harmonious, you can ask Takechu Shigeji, Hayashi Sado", which was deliberately emphasized in the past, did not seem to be taken to heart by Oda Nobutada.

According to the letters of relatives and friends, and the return of the ninja, it can be seen that in addition to Sasa, there are also the generals Ikeda Tsuneko, the second commissioner Takei Yuan, who is second only to Murai Sadakatsu, the former Sugaya Nagayori, and the Yubi Matsui Tomokan, who was recommended by the equal, as well as the ministers of the hidden palace, Hidetaka Kawajiri and Hiromasa Ryoda.

In terms of the ability to penetrate people's hearts, these people are only as strong as Zuo Chengzheng.

Shigeharu Takenaka and Hayashi Hide-sada, despite their prominent positions and reverence, seem to have been subtly alienated, and were hardly privately summoned by Oda Nobutada.

Hirate Hoshu still has an incense love for Oda Nobutada, but it is impossible to take the initiative to jump to the center of the vortex to withstand the wind and waves for the sake of this incense. A reminder before leaving is already a rare kindness.

I could only sigh lightly and leave the matter behind.

Asai Nagamasa, who was busy digesting the new territory, naturally had no time to take care of the affairs of the four countries, and did not make any positive or negative statements. His job is not only to integrate the local tyrants, but also to try to eliminate the commercial coercion of the Heite family, and he must do his best to stabilize the position of Kuroda, Araki, and Bessho, which is not easy for the Asai family, who are not good at internal affairs.

For the success or failure of Iyo's strategy, the attitude of the heroes actually does not have any key impact, and the real interests involved are the Kansai overlord Maori and the Kitakyushu giant Otomo.

The story started more than ten years ago.

Hakata Port Town, located in Chikuzen Province, is considered to be the second largest commercial city in Fuso after Kaimachi due to its strong commercial and commercial wealth.

In order to compete for this treasure land of feng shui, Mori Moto and Otomo Yoshizhen were opposed, and launched countless armed conflicts, and the intensity of the attack and defense of the five Monji Castles was no less fierce than the battle of Takeda Uesugi on Kawanaka Island, and the Battle of Tatara and Hamama is considered to be "the largest battle in Kyushu during the Warring States Period".

The two main heroes are in full swing, and the second-rate forces such as Urakami and Ryuzoji are lying on the side waiting for an opportunity to take profits, and Ouchi, Niko, Akizuki and other down-and-out famous families are also trying to revive with troops.

Iyo, sandwiched between Saikoku and Kyushu, was affected and became a secondary battlefield.

Mori supported Kono and Saionji, and Otomo supported Ichijo and Utsunomiya.

Three years ago, Kobayakawa Takakei personally went into battle and led the troops to the south to Iyo, and the effect was outstanding, just like parents intervened in the brawl between kindergarten classes, beating the enemy children to the bottom of the ball.

Since then, Kono and Saionji have occupied the obvious initiative. Chosamune's relatives also took the opportunity to gain an independent status in Tosa.

But there could not be a second time in that kind of thing, and the Maori family had many enemies, and they were facing the important juncture of the change of generations, and they could not invest too much force in the secondary battlefield.

On the other hand, the Otomo family is worried about the rise of Takanshin Ryuzoji Hizen, and is concentrating their forces to contain it, and the possibility of dividing the army into Shikoku is very slim.

It seems that the "Iyo Raiders" that were announced on the spot, but in fact, they hit an excellent time.

The Yamauchi clan, a countryman under the banner of the head of Chosō's department, contributed Kuwagawa Castle in western Tosa as the base camp of the front-line garrison, and Herate Honhide held a special military meeting here for this crusade.

Nakamura's subordinates kept an eye on Iyo Province, Ishikawa Goemon had left a foothold in Aki and Bigo two years earlier, and the ninjas of the Tarao-gumi had arranged to infiltrate Bungo Province in Kyushu in early June.

After integrating the intelligence of all parties, Honda Masanobu reported as follows:

"Otomo Kingo (i.e., Otomo Yoshizhen) completed the autumn harvest ahead of schedule, left Funai Castle, led tens of thousands of troops into Hizen, and besieged Saga Castle of the Ryuzoji family. As for my family's allies, the Maori clan...... Due to the deterioration of the condition of Lord Mutsu Okumori (Mori Motosho), and his time was short, he ordered Yoshikawa and Kobayakawa to return to the mountain castle of Yoshida County to stand by, and within a few months, they would probably only be able to hold on and not be able to send troops out. ”

In other words, this expedition will not encounter a strong enemy that will be difficult to defeat, nor will it have to deal with "friendly forces" that may steal the fruit.

What about potential enemies in Iyo Province?

The Utsunomiya family, which had served as a guardian during the Kamakura period, had been in a state of collapse since their defeat to Mori three and a half years ago, and had not been able to choose a recognized heir since the capture of the governor, and it was only with the support of their allies that they would not collapse. As for the Ichijo family, the Kyoto-born Koshimi family has never been known for its military force, but it is still quite prestigious in the hearts of the people, and the Utsunomiya retainers of Minami Iyo have rallied around Major General Zuo (Ichijo Kaneda), and there are also many people in Nishitosa who ostensibly serve the Chosho Ibu family, but secretly they are connected to the Ichijo family.

So a loose alliance was formed between Ichijo and Utsunomiya, led by Ichijo and supported by Otomo Yoshizhen, estimated to actually control the territory of 100,000 to 150,000 koku, and at present, under the command of the old Tuju Zongshan of the Bitou family, there has been a certain Zhongxing situation, recovering several castles in the middle of Iyo, and there is also the leisure to sneak attack the Chozong department.

When he heard the names "Ichijo Kande" and "Doi Soshan", Hiseju immediately thought of the tried and tested method of "anti-intermittent scheme". I just don't know if the history I've learned from video games is in line with the reality of the plane.

On the other hand, the Mori family fully recognized the authority of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, so they were not enemies but friends.

Therefore, the younger brothers supported by Maori are also loyal subjects and obedient to the people.

The legitimacy of the Kono family's possession of about 150,000 koku in the northern half of Iyo Province cannot be easily deprived, but their family governor suddenly suffered a stroke at the beginning of the year and became delirious, and left no biological heirs, and his only adopted son is only six years old, and he is a young child of the old Murakami Toyasu, but Murakami Toyasu also died of illness two years ago, which means that except for the Maori family, the young family governor has no other supporter...... This may be a good starting point.

There is also a Saionji Gonghiro who was also born in Kyoto, who is in the prime of life, both civil and military, and has achieved both war and governance, and has a close relationship with the Maori family before, so he can't find any weaknesses worth mentioning. Fortunately, this person's power is limited to one county, and the total territory does not exceed 50,000 stones, which is smaller than the territory of Changzong's department.

"Iyo is a country that is very rich." In the face of complicated information, Hirate Honhide did not make any decisions, but instead had an irrelevant feeling, "After years of war, it is estimated that there are still more than 300,000 koku of land production, accounting for nearly half of the entire Shikoku Island. It's a pity that this land has not raised military generals who call for wind and rain. ”

The ministers who heard this looked at each other and did not know how to respond.

Imagine, if there is really a "military general who calls the wind and rain", will it be your turn to covet it? Don't get cheap and sell well!

However, in an instant, Hirate Hohide regained his composure and threw out a sharp question: "I have the impression that the Kono family has served as the guardian of Iyo Province for hundreds of years, but judging from the statements and titles on the official pleadings of the parties in the past twenty years, it seems that the situation is not quite right...... Who can put an end to this for me? ”

When the words landed, Honda Masanobu, who was in charge of processing the information and reporting, suddenly realized, and then his face turned red and he was speechless - he actually missed such an important clue! In fact, when I overlooked the documents, I noticed something unusual, but the time was limited, and I focused on other places, so I didn't think about it anymore.

Mitsutoshi Tarao, who attended the meeting as a front-line investigator, was not only nervous, although he didn't get involved much. Not only did he set up multiple intelligence organizations to compete with each other, but he was also able to keenly spot suspicious points in the case, which was really awe-inspiring. In comparison, the old master Hexagonal Clan is not enough to see the same amount at all.

"This is the negligence of his subordinates, and he really deserves death." The one who really stood up and took responsibility was Ji Yin, who was temporarily sent over to help analyze and sort out, and the letters and official documents that the ninjas had collected with great difficulty were handed over to him to read carefully and then classify.

It is natural for a family to be treated preferentially, let alone a cousin who intends to cultivate.

Tieshou Tsuyoshi immediately criticized: "It's too careless! There is a lot of information in the details of the text, and it must be meticulous! But then he added: "From now on, it is important to get this issue to the bottom of the matter." ”

Iwanari Youtong, who was sitting in the corner, wanted to speak and stopped, as if he knew the whole story. However, in the end, he didn't say it on the spot, but decided to communicate with Ji Yin in private.

This episode made the atmosphere in the military discussion a little more depressing.

It didn't take long for Hite-ho to throw out a second question: "The Ichijo clan and the Saionji clan seem to be branches of the Gongqing family, I don't know what their relationship with the master family in Kyoto is?" ”

"In recent years, the Tosa family has twice reprimanded the Tosa family for being infected with rural habits and corrupting the manners, and it should not be very harmonious with each other." Tie Ji Yin was finally able to answer half of the answer this time, "Lord Zuo Minister Xiyuan Temple Gong Dynasty...... It's not clear about the attitude towards Iyo's separation, and his subordinates will immediately investigate. ”

"Hmm......" Pingshou Fan Xiu didn't get angry, and his face turned to the next topic with a grim face: "Let's talk about the opponent's generals, the victory is ultimately achieved by the sword." ”

The retainers breathed a sigh of relief.

Military information has always been the focus of attention of ordinary people at the bottom of the population, and it is also a point that ordinary intelligence personnel cannot ignore.

"The one who commanded the combined forces of Nishi-Tosa and Minami-Iyo was Doi Sozan, who became the elder of the Ichijo clan a few years ago. This person is known for being good at using soldiers, and he has won and lost with the Kono clan in the past...... The rest are Hanyu, Weimatsu, and Yasu...... Judging from the sequence of sending troops and inviting generals, I suspect that there are obvious factions within the Ichijo family, but it cannot be confirmed at this time...... The origins of the retainers are a bit complicated, I don't know if it has anything to do with it......"

The quality of the report made by Honda Masanobu himself after compiling the information was obviously much higher, and Hirate did not ask any more questions.

Tosa countryman Nagamune Ibu was greatly inspired, and behind the success of all battles was not only his intellectual talent, but also his great attention to pre-war intelligence.

But this is a method that the poor cannot learn.

Several detachments add up to nearly 400 field service personnel, and more than 30 bookkeepers who specialize in sorting out documents, and the annual operating expenses are unimaginable.