However, Sena Shijun and the others waited at the post station in Kotani Castle for most of the day, but they only received news that Asai Hisamasa was ill and would not be able to meet Sena Shijun for a few days.

"So coincidentally?" Maeda Toshiya smiled, "As soon as you came, that head of the family got sick?" ”

"I don't know, those of us who just came here have no information." Yu Qiuping shook his head.

"Yes." Sanada Masayuki shook his head and analyzed: "When I saw the young master of Asai coming to deliver the news today, his face was flushed, it seems that a quarrel had just broken out, and there was resentment between his eyebrows, he should be very aggrieved. ”

"And the only one who can make the young master Asai have to be wronged because of concessions in the quarrel is Lord Asai Hisasa." Sanada Masayuki smiled, "After Young Master Asai reported the news that we had asked to see, he had a quarrel with Hisamasa Asai. The most likely reason is that Hisamasa Asai does not want to see us, but is willing to maintain peace with the Rokkaku family. But the young master longs for change, hoping to regain his dignity and independence. ”

As a result, a violent argument broke out between the two. In the end, with the mediation of the retainers, such an agreement was reached - neither refusal nor consent. Instead, on the grounds of being ill, he delayed for a period of time and let the Asai family think clearly. Sanada Masayuki ended his analysis and looked at the crowd.

"Amazing, terrible." Sena Shijun praised, "The ability to read words and emotions can be said to be not lost to the old ministers who have been up and down in the sea for decades, and they are also very sensitive to intelligence. Momiji, you've picked up a treasure. ”

"I haven't picked it up yet, he's just with force. Such a good baby, Dr. Dashan will definitely go back! Yu Qiuping's words caused everyone to laugh.

"In that case, let's wait a few days." Sena said, "If there's anything you'd like to see in Omi, just go." If you are not from this family, please feel free to do so. ”

Yu Qiuping had planned to visit the village of Kuniyu in Omi to see what the muskets of this era, known in Japan as iron cannons, were like. However, on the evening of June 30, Kenmasa Asai found him in a hurry.

"Shinkuro, what's the matter?" Yu Qiuping asked.

"Brother." Kenmasa Asai took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, "It's not a secret, my father is in good health. I just don't want to meet with you, and I apologize for that. ”

"It's not your fault, His Highness Asai must have his own considerations." Yu Qiuping was relieved.

"What can my father consider!" Kenmasa Asai shook his head in disappointment, "Ever since he lost to the Rokkaku family, he has been disheartened, and all he thinks about is how to show obedience to the Rokkaku family and not provoke right and wrong. ”

"Yesterday, I and many retainers urged my father to let him meet you," Kenmasa Asai sighed, "But he just said something, the Asai family's army is weak, and there is no point in cooperating at all, as long as you surrender to the Rokkaku family and keep the peace in the territory." ”

Sure enough, it was not bad as Sanada Masayuki expected.

"That's why I decided to train!" Kenmasa Asai looked at Yu Qiuping, "If I can train an elite soldier like my brother Tokiwa who is enough to be outnumbered, my father will definitely be moved by me and have the courage to fight the Rokkaku family!" ”

"But my training method is still quite demanding." Yu Qiuping explained, "The recruits... It's best to be honest people with no background, scheming, and able to unite. ”

"I'll prepare for this, brother, don't worry." Kenmasa Asai assured, "The Asai family has a territory of more than 200,000 koku, but its armament is lax, and there is a serious shortage of troops. The remaining places are enough to recruit a new reserve team. Among the original 300 subordinates, there are also many people who are eligible. Asai Kenmasa looked at Xingyu Qiuping, "What else does my brother want, just ask!" As long as I can regain the dignity of the Samurai family, I will never give up! ”

"It is necessary to give dignity to each ashigaru, and it is better not to have a difference in rank in the reserve team..."

"We need an adequate supply of food to ensure that the ashigaru people can have enough physical strength and will not mutiniate because they are dissatisfied..."

…

Yu Qiuping put forward a series of demands, originally hoping that Asai Kenmasa would retreat in the face of difficulties. But the latter has a stunned energy, no matter what Yu Qiuping says, he guarantees to complete it, and in the end, even Yu Qiuping was moved by his determination and obsession.

"If Shinkuro is so determined." Yu Qiuping smiled, "I will ask His Highness Sena to stay here and help you train, anyway, I have no other tasks after that." ”

"Then thank my brother first!" Kenmasa Asai said excitedly, "I'm waiting for good news from my brother!" ”

"Momiji's request..."Sena Shitoshi frowned after hearing this, "There are some..."

"The people of the Imagawa family are helping the young master of the Asai family train the army..."Sena Toshitoshi pondered, "Could there be something inappropriate." After all, this is not the meaning of the Asai family governor, but the private request of the young master. ”

"Then I can assist him as a friend of the young master of the Asai family." Yu Qiuping said, "As long as you don't wear a shawl with red leaves, you should still be able to hide your identity." Just under a few other companions, there are Mino, Kai, Owari, and Mikawa, and they are not easy to be suspected. ”

"That's okay," Sena sufficiency's sigh of relief, "it's just... Momiji, why do you plan to help this young master? ”

"Because he's my brother-in-law, and he's my friend." Yu Qiuping said with a smile, "And he, like Zaixia, is willing to uphold righteousness to face this dark and troubled world, which can be regarded as sympathy." He wants to train so much, and it is human nature for me to help him. ”

"In that case, you can go. But don't divulge your Imagawa family background, and the mission and I won't interfere. "My gut tells me that the contradictions within the Asai family may erupt within a year or two. So you have to be careful not to get involved. ”

"It's worthy of His Royal Highness Sena, my intuition is really accurate." Yu Qiuping secretly admired. Indeed, in the next year, the Asai family will depose Asai Hisasa, and support Asai Kenmasa as the governor of the family, and launch a counterattack against the Rokkaku family.

On July 1st, Akihei took Honda Nabenosuke, Matsushita Kamisaki and his three attendants, Sanada Masayuki, Amano Keitori, Maeda Toshiie, and Honda Nabenosuke, to help Kenmasa Asai start a series of training preparations. Kenmasa Asai wants to recruit a reserve of 500 people. The requirements for recruitment are very simple, no matter where you come from, no matter how high or low, as long as you are a man who is unwilling to the current humiliation of the Asai family, and a man who is eager to fight for the glory of the Asai family, you can come to apply. In order to avoid Asai Hisasa's questioning, Asai Nagamasa did not say that he had established a new reserve on the grounds that he had increased the number of troops in his banner.

On 4 July, the recruitment process came to an end. During this period, Asai Hisamasa seemed to be very dissatisfied with Asai Kenmasa's private recruitment, but under the call of his retainers to strengthen their armament, he had no choice but to do so.

Seeing that the personnel of the reserve team were already in order, and in the midst of the five hundred who were eager to regain their dignity from the Rokkaku family, Kenmasa Asai couldn't help but be a little excited: "Brother! What do we need to do next? ”

"Naturally, I'm starting to train!" Yu Qiuping said with a smile, "Let these five hundred hot-blooded men have the strength to protect the righteousness of the samurai." ”

How to train, Yu Qiuping and Amano Jingde can already be called familiar with the road. They first trained fifty selected ashigaru heads and ashigaru generals, and then asked them to teach the same training methods to ashigaru. Since Kenmasa Asai himself practiced and participated in the training himself, he tried to do his best in every movement. Since the young masters are so hard-working, the ashigaru people are naturally embarrassed to be lazy. Even the rest time given to them by Yu Qiupei will be practiced under the leadership of Kenmasa Asai.

Of course, the most important system of corporal punishment was naturally introduced first. At Yuqiuping's strong request, he and Amano Keide were in charge of supervising the movements – picking out those who needed to do push-ups. This naturally brought great pleasure to Yu Qiuping. At the beginning of the three days of standing training, Yu Qiuhei and Amano Keitoku unceremoniously slaughtered all sides, basically except for Kenmasa Asai, each ashigaru had to do more than 100 push-ups. The worst one, Yu Qiuping remembers that he basically does more than 200 every day.

After the standing posture training, Yu Qiuping immediately abolished the kneeling salute and implemented the military salute system. However, this caused quite a few protests in Ashigaru, and most of the old subordinates were in positions and were unhappy that they could not enjoy the respectful salute of their subordinates, believing that the dignity of the samurai was being treated with contempt. There are also some people who are unwilling to be so snub to the young master, and still insist on using the kneeling salute - Yu Qiuping estimates that many of them want to shoot Asai Kenmasa's ass, but this is on the horse's hooves.

Kenmasa Asai is desperately eager to build a strong army, revitalize the Asai family, and restore the righteousness of the samurai family. For this, he can give up anything. He did not hesitate to punish those who still bowed to him to do push-ups, and in accordance with Yu Qiuping's requirements, he propagated the idea of equality and mutual respect among the troops. Although they can't be compared with Yu Qiuping's 200 subordinates at that time, there is still a lot of resistance and a lot of practices that violate yang and yin, but no one jumped out to oppose it.

On the seventh day, the team began training on the three-sided rotation method. After just seven days of training, the team's spirit has been completely renewed. One by one, they maintained a straight posture and carried out the instructions meticulously. As Kenmasa Asai gradually became accustomed to this training method, Yu Qiupei also began to gradually let go - after all, Kenmasa Asai has an unparalleled prestige in this army, and it is obvious that training by him will have better results.

When the five hundred ashigaru finished the day's training, after Asai Kenmasa announced his disbandment, they saluted and shouted "disbandment" in unison, and that invincible spirit made Asai Kenmasa couldn't help but burst into tears. And the ashigaru did not disperse as before, but stood silently in place, waiting for something. Because they learned that Kenmasa Asai and Akihei Akihei would give them the flag of the reserve today, as well as the name of the reserve.

"With such a strong army, why should my Asai family be afraid of the hexagonal family!" Kenmasa Asai excitedly shook his fist and yelled, "You are all good men of my Kita-Omi Asai family!" ”

The ashigaru people used a neat "Hey! Hey! Roar! In response to the commander's praise, he looked at Kenmasa Asai with expectant eyes.

"Please also ask my brother to give the reserve a name." Xianmasa Asai turned around, hugged his fists to Yu Qiuping and said: "Thank you brother for your advice, share such training secrets with me, and let me achieve such a strong army!" ”

Yu Qiuhei looked at Kenmasa Asai, the famous general of the Warring States whom he used to admire.

In your previous life, you were praised by the world as the "Eagle of Omi" because of your righteousness and bravery.

In this life, I am fortunate to witness your growth, witness your blood, witness your struggle for the glory of the martial family, and witness hundreds of good men forming an army for the dignity of the martial family. Witness you, like an eagle, about to take off.

"Name the Eagle." Yu Qiuping said loudly. At the same time, Honda Nabe Nosuke behind him took out a white eagle flag with a blue background and handed it to Kenmasa Asai.

"The eagle is the most remarkable, the most backbone and righteous bird." Kenmasa Asai took the flag, put it on the flagpole, looked at the five hundred ashigaru, and said in a loud voice: "They will not be willing to be like fowl, sending people under the fence, and exchanging obedience and submission for a worry-free life. Instead, they give up all comfort and enjoyment, spread their wings and fly high, yearning for mountains and white clouds. They fought with their lives, fought against the storm, fought against the lightning and thunder, just for the freedom and dignity that soared into the sky! ”

"At the end of every eagle is the sky!" Kenmasa Asai said sharply, waving the White Eagle Banner in his hands with both hands. The white eagle is fighting the sky vividly.

"The Eagle of the Asai family! Fly with me! ”