As autumn turned to winter, the Miyoshi family and the Oda family, who had been facing off for months on the Settsu-Harima border, finally ended their long sit-in war. Oda Nobunaga and Miyoshi Nagakei signed an armistice, stipulating that each side would withdraw its troops. And this armistice agreement also had far-reaching implications, announcing the complete withdrawal of the Miyoshi family, which had dominated for decades, from the stage of. Since Ashikaga Yoshiteru Kamiraku, the six-year battle for supremacy in has come to an end over the Oda family and the Miyoshi family. Since then, the Oda family has replaced the Miyoshi family as the world's number one name, while the Miyoshi family has only become a regional hegemon.

Obviously, the Miyoshi family is not reconciled. Not long after they withdrew, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who had fled to the Mori family, once again called on the world's daimyo Kamiraku to encircle and suppress the rebel Oda Nobunaga of the shogunate. Ashikaga Yoshiaki's call was answered by the Mori family, the Miyoshi family, the Honganji family, the Uesugi family, the Takeda family, and the Hojo family, and almost all the daimyo families except the Oda family. However, this second Nobunaga siege was far less dangerous than the first. The first time he encircled the net, the Oda family himself was not that strong, and his enemies were all around him, pushing Oda Nobunaga into danger. At the most critical moment, Oda Nobunaga couldn't even send a single soldier in his hands, and if it weren't for Yu Qiuhei's defeat of the Takeda family in Enoe, the Oda family would probably no longer exist at this moment. Although this second encirclement network was huge, the hostile daimyo were far away, and it was difficult to pose a real threat to the Oda family, which was already in full swing.

To celebrate this great victory, Oda Nobunaga announced that this year's New Year, a grand banquet will be held at Kannonji Castle. The generals of the Oda family, who had not gathered for a long time, were also asked to rush back to Kannonji Temple for a meeting. Now the Oda family is basically stable on all fronts, and it is because of this that we have the confidence to recall all the important ministers, which is actually to show off the strength of the Oda family to the whole world - we can already call all the important ministers in all aspects back to drink during the New Year, and if you dare to disagree, you can take a look, right?

As for why the meeting place was chosen at Kannonji Castle instead of Gifu Castle, the home city of the Oda family, Oda Nobunaga did not explain. Some have speculated that this was because Kannonji Castle was located in the center of the Oda family's domain, while Gifu Castle was too far to the east. In case something happens at the front, the retainers can't rush back. Yu Qiuping didn't think so, but he couldn't share his thoughts with everyone - that was the advantage of the traverser.

However, before Yu Qiuping set off, he received a somewhat difficult task from Oda Nobunaga.

·

On December 24, 1574, on the east hill of Maple Leaf Mountain Castle.

As always, Akihei rode a horse every morning to worship Asai Nagamasa, and Aichi knelt down in front of the tomb early, as always, talking to himself as if chatting.

After hearing the footsteps behind him, Ah Shi didn't look back as usual - because the only one who would come here was Yu Qiuping. However, Yu Qiuping's behavior this time was a little embarrassing, and he hesitated for a while. The empathetic Ah Shi frowned slightly, and guessed Yu Qiuping's thoughts.

"Did Oda Nobunaga ask Brother Momiji to call me back to Kannonji Castle for the New Year?"

Aichi's casual tone and the "Oda Nobunaga" who called him by his name poured cold water on Yu Qiuping at once, making him realize that his mission was probably going to fail.

"Yes." Yu Qiuping replied honestly.

"Do you want to say anything again, such a thing of fratricidal is inevitable in the troubled times of the Warring States. As the daughter of a samurai family, you must be enlightened. Live well, for yourself and your children. Ah Shi laughed miserably when he heard this, shook his head, and his voice became a little sad, "There are so many people up and down the Asai family, and there is no one left. If it weren't for Brother Momiji's previous entrustment to send away my child, he wouldn't have let go of such a young life, Oda Nobunaga, and he would have hunted down that child all over the territory and searched for his sister's own son... Why should I go back to see such a person? ”

"My lord, he misses you very much... In fact, I feel very sorry for you in my heart. Yu Qiuping was speechless by Ah Shi, and it took him a long time to say this pale defense.

"What Brother Momiji said, does Brother Momiji believe it himself?" Ah Shi lowered his head and did not answer directly.

Yu Qiuping was stunned for a long time when he heard this, and he didn't know how to explain it.

"Brother Momiji doesn't have to do these things against his will, Ah Shi won't go back." Ah Shi took a deep breath, turned around, and tried to squeeze out a smile at Yu Qiuping, trying to reassure him, "I understand Brother Momiji's intentions, but I think it's good to be like this now, I'm also clean alone, and I can still come to accompany that fool every day." When he raises his three daughters, and then waits for the hard-working child to live alone, Ah Shi will have nothing to worry about in this life. ”

"Alas..."Yu Qiuping just sighed and whispered in a somewhat sad voice, "No matter what, you have to live well." You only have one life, you can't do it all over again. If you see that you are having a hard time, Changzheng will also feel distressed in heaven. ”

·

When Yu Qiuping and his attendants arrived at Guanyin Temple City a few days later, they found that the city was already overcrowded. The samurai who came from all over the country were all carnivaling in the streets, pushing cups and changing bullets and crowns to celebrate, making a lot of noise. Yu Qiuping wanted to quietly avoid these crowds and go to the samurai house he prepared for himself, but he was suddenly discovered by Yuchai Hideyoshi, who saw it, and pulled him to the restaurant where the high-level samurai had a dinner.

Yu Qiuping went up to the third floor of the restaurant, followed Yushiba Hideyoshi around to a private room, and immediately found that his good brothers were basically here. Although Ikeda Hengxing was farther away than him, he had long since left the shore and Tian Castle and ran over to be happy. And Maeda Toshiie, Naomasa Tsukasa, and Yoshiyuki Sawaki are all already drunk and red. However, Niwa Nagahide didn't know why he didn't attend. And Sen Kecheng will never be able to drink with everyone again.

Thinking of this, Yu Qiuping suddenly felt sentimental, and sat silently at the table, planning to listen to a few brothers bragging and farting themselves. But who would have thought that as soon as he arrived, he immediately became the focus of everyone.

"Why are you here alone? What about Princess Ashi? After drinking, the Maeda Toshiya, who had not become more stable for a few years, also lost some of his temper and revealed his true colors. He pointed his wine glass in the direction of Yu Qiuping and spilled a lot of wine.

"Princess Ashi refuses to come back, so she can't be persuaded to move." Yu Qiuping shook his head helplessly and said.

"You're really not powerful! I've been waiting to see Princess Ashi for so long, but Momiji came alone empty-handed! Ikeda Hengxing pretended to be angry when he heard this, and said, "What's the matter, you! ”

"You're going to see yourself and go to Maple Mountain City to ask for a meeting, it's so close, and I didn't stop you, why are you complaining about me?" Yu Qiuping spread out his hand and replied innocently.

"Princess Ashi refuses to see it, not only me, but even the envoy of the lord refuses to see it." Ikeda Hengxing scratched his head in annoyance, and his hair was also rubbed unkempt, "Last time, Fujihachi was sent by the lord to ask to see Ah Shi, and he was directly closed. At this point, Ikeda immediately glanced at Yoshiyuki Sawaki, who nodded vigorously to testify to Ikeda.

"Anyway, except for you Momiji, no one else is there!" Hideyoshi Hashiba snorted with some jealousy.

"What are you going to do one by one?" Yu Qiuping saw that everyone seemed to be more and more excited, and whispered with some dissatisfaction, "They are all people with wives, why are you in a hurry to see Princess Ashi." ”

"What if you have a wife, Princess Aichi is the dream lover of all our Owari people." Ikeda shouted loudly and unashamedly, so frightened that Naomasa Tsukami felt like he was looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Then the princess of Ashi has suffered such an unfortunate thing, all thoughts are discouraged and physically and mentally exhausted, you don't think about it for her, and you still think about seeing people all day long? Is it worthy of saying that the lover of your dreams is just that? Yu Qiuping unceremoniously raised his voice, and the meaning of dissatisfaction was already obvious. Seeing this, Ikeda Hengxing and the others hurriedly shut down, not daring to speak more. However, the single-celled creatures didn't pay attention, and after a while they started talking about other things.

Everyone talked for a while, Yu Qiuping suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach, and remembered to go to the toilet, and Yuchai Hideyoshi also went with him at the same time. As soon as they walked out of the private room, they found Shibata Katsuya standing by the stairs on the third floor with a handrail, looking at Yu Qiuping without saying a word.

"Yo? His Royal Highness Shibata is so interested, and he came to the place where our people are eating! Don't you always go to the better restaurant over there! "Yushiba Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuya have always been at odds with each other, and when they saw this, they immediately said sarcastically.

"I'm not here to eat." Shibata Katsuya spit out this sentence coldly, and he didn't even look at Hashiba Hideyoshi, making him so angry that he jumped to his feet. Shibata Katsuie walked straight to Yuqiuping and whispered in his ear, "Your Highness Momiji, I'm here to wait for you." ”

"What are you waiting for me to do?" Although the relationship between Yu Qiuping and Shibata Katsuya is not as bad as that between Hashiba Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie, because of Kondo Yasuso's death, there is always a pimple in his heart, so there is very little communication at ordinary times.

"This..."Shibata Katsuie, a man who has always been rough and deep on weekdays, is slightly twisted at the moment, which makes Yu Qiuping quite depressed. After Shibata Katsuya pondered for a long time, he finally deliberately used a calm tone to quickly spit out such a sentence: "I heard that His Royal Highness Momiji has been taking care of Princess Ashi, I wonder how Princess Ashi is doing recently?" ”

"I've recovered, but I still have a knot in my heart for the lord, His Royal Highness Shibata doesn't have to worry." Hearing this, Yu Qiuping nodded suddenly in realization - Shibata Katsuya was also one of Ashi's admirers back then. I didn't expect that after so many years, I still remember Ah Shi in my heart. In the history of Yu Qiuping's previous life, Ah Shi was arranged to marry Shibata Katsuya after the change of Honnoji - it can be seen that Shibata Katsuya is infatuated.

When Shibata Katsuya heard this, there was a touch of tenderness and peace of mind on his old face, which had always only shown a fierce and angry expression. He coughed heavily to hide his embarrassment, and at the same time turned around quickly and said in a low voice: "Princess Ashi these days, there is His Royal Highness Lao Hongye. ”

After saying that, he immediately turned his head, worried that Yu Qiuping would see the expression on his face, so he went downstairs and left.