In the castle tower of Sunfu Castle, Tokugawa Tadanaga looked at Inaba Masanori, who was kneeling in the lower room, and rushed back to report the news, and his heart was also quite moved.

He then spoke, "The fact that Inaba Hall was able to rush back to Junfu City overnight to report the news is enough to prove your loyalty to me. Now you go down to wash up and rest first, and wait for my orders, I'm afraid there will be a lot of affairs to ask Inabaden for a while in the future. ”

Inaba Masato suppressed his uncertain heart, calmly agreed, and then lowered his head and retreated out of the next room. As soon as Inaba Masanori left, Tokugawa Tadanaga couldn't help but ask the few retainers who were left behind, "What do you think we should do now?" ”

Torii Seiji, Asakura Nobuya, and the monk Somoto could not answer Tokugawa Tadanaga's questions for a long time, because they knew that when they spoke, they would change not only Tadanaga's fate, but also their own future.

Seeing that Tokugawa Tadanaga became a little impatient, Torii Seiji couldn't help but say at first: "The news brought back by Inaba Masatoshi has been confirmed, and the authenticity of the news from Osaka. Since Edo already suspects that the fall of Osaka has something to do with His Highness, the personnel sent by Edo this time must be more than just bringing His Highness back to Edo. Therefore, we must not allow the envoys of Edo to bring His Highness back..."

Listening to Torii Seiji's rambling words, Tokugawa Tadanaga suddenly turned from anticipation to impatience, interrupted him and said, "So, what does Torii ten think we should do with the envoys of Edo?" ”

After Torii Seiji took a deep breath, Huo Dibai fell to the ground and said tremblingly: "Your Highness, let's raise troops." At this point, I can only give it a go. ”

The eyelids of Asakura Xuanzheng and the monk Zongyuan jumped, and Asakura Xuanzheng subconsciously dissuaded: "Do you want to think about it again?" Once the army is raised, there is no turning back. No matter how much the Lord of the Great Imperial Palace loved His Highness, it was impossible for His Highness to raise troops against the shogunate. Is Your Highness really ready to be hostile to the Lord of the Great Palace? ”

After saying the suggestion to raise troops, Torii Seiji was out of the way, and he immediately retorted to Asakura Nobumasa's words: "The matter has come to this, do we have any other way out?" There were only two days left for the Edo envoys to arrive at Sunpu Castle at most, and once the Edo envoys were allowed to enter the castle and control the army, it would be too late for His Highness to resist.

In addition, the Great Imperial Palace has been in poor health since the beginning of the year, and His Royal Highness has entered Edo Castle in obedience to the shogunate's decision this time, can he return to Sunfu? Besides, the rebels in Osaka are not unrelated to us. ”

Listening to the two retainers arguing with each other, Tokugawa Tadanaga was also very entangled in his heart, although he spent most of the treasury in his domain and borrowed a lot of money from the copper merchants, but until now, he still had unrealistic expectations for his father, hoping that he would be able to hand over the shogun's throne to him at the last moment.

If it weren't for the men and horses that Akito trained for him, and the merchants who were behind his back, perhaps he wouldn't have had the courage to take the first step against Edo. And what Li Chenfang did in Osaka completely cut off his back road. forced him to choose between the two paths of raising up the army and accepting the interrogation of the shogunate.

Tokugawa Tadanaga was 99% determined, but the last step was difficult for him to overcome. He thought about it for a long time before he turned to the monk Zong Yuan and asked, "Master, what do you think?" ”

Zong Yuan thought for a long time before he said: "Your Highness, the poor monk thinks that the important thing now is not whether to raise an army, but how many people in the three kingdoms of Kai, Yuanjiang, and Suruga will support His Highness to raise troops, at least we also need to know the army in Junfu City, how many people are willing to follow His Highness to oppose the shogunate, right?" ”

Seeing that Tokugawa Tadanaga was hesitating, Torii Seiji couldn't help but say again: "Matsuno Shigemoto's subordinates already know about Osaka, and many of them have already asked Matsuno Shigemoto that if His Highness does not launch a mutiny here, they hope to go to Osaka to support their colleagues."

Your Highness, once the hearts of the people are scattered, even if Your Highness wants to repent, I am afraid that no one will obey your orders anymore.

Now there are more than 800 soldiers in the city, and the more than 100 people in the Honmaru where His Highness lives are extremely reliable, while the other soldiers in the city may not be. In addition, the three hundred banners guarding the Toshogu Palace and the treasury on Mt. Kuno outside the castle must have obeyed the orders of the shogunate.

If you want to raise an army, you must take the gold hidden in the vault of Mt. Kuneng. In November of the 2nd year of Yuanhe, the treasury was counted once, and the total amount of gold was about 2 million taels, including 470 boxes of gold and 4,953 boxes of silver.

In that year, the gold and silver were divided between Owari and Kii 300,000 taels, Mito 100,000 taels, and 1.3 million taels of gold remained. In the 7th year of Motowa, a fire broke out in the Owari family, and he lent about 200,000 taels to the three relatives.

Now there are about 100,000 taels of gold in the treasury, and with this money, His Royal Highness can recruit troops and buy horses, or buy guns from the Ming Kingdom, which is the foundation of his life. Even if there is a discord, or if you retreat to Osaka or even overseas, Your Highness will need money to support you. ”

Nobumasa Asakura and the monk Somoto were also persuaded by Torii Seiji's words, and even if the army really failed, it was better to retreat to Osaka or Ming than to wait for the mercy of the shogunate.

Tokugawa Tadanaga finally made up his mind and said, "Asakuraden, in the name of having an order from the shogunate for me to convey, you summoned the samurai above the head of the castle to come to Honmaru. Torii Palace, you ordered Matsuno Shigegen to enter the city with his subordinates, and took advantage of the absence of these samurai above the head of the group to control all the key points in the city. ”

Asakura Nobumasa hesitated for a moment before he said, "Then what does Your Highness plan to do with these samurai who came to Honmaru?" ”

Tokugawa Tadanaga thought for a moment and said, "Let them write me a letter of cut, and according to the statement of Osaka Castle, Fengtian will be martyred, and the three generations of shoguns will be expelled, and the government will be returned to His Royal Highness." ”

Tokugawa Tadanaga was still a little hesitant when he said the words Fengtian Jingjing, but he quickly felt happy. These Ming people are really good, and even the reason for the rebellion has been thought of for him, and he fights against his brother under this banner, and it is difficult for the daimyo of the Eastern Kingdom to intervene in this war for a while, I hope that my father can remember the favor he used to have, and don't stand too much on the side of my brother.

There were about 3 or 40 people in Junfu Castle, and there were about 3 or 40 people in the group, and when they received the order from Asakura Nobumasa, they didn't suspect anything, so they put down their business and entered Honmaru with their subordinates.

As is customary, Torii Seiji took away the weapons carried by these samurai in front of the castle tower, and Naito Masakichi smiled and asked Torii Seiji what orders the feudal lord conveyed to the shogunate.

Torii Seiji took away his weapon and said with a smile: "What are you doing in such a hurry, isn't it good to listen to His Highness with everyone later?" I see that Your Highness is very happy today, and I don't think it will be bad news..."

When Naito Masayoshi and other retainers entered the castle tower, it was not the feudal lord Tokugawa Tadanaga who came out to meet them, but Asakura Nobuyasa and Torii Seiji.

In front of everyone, Nobu Asakura told the story of what had happened in Osaka and the news that Edo was going to take away the head of the family, Tadanaga, and then looked at everyone and said, "The shogunate is trying to add to the crime, and all of you here should know the best about the force of the domain.

Where can you send an army to attack Osaka? Besides, can Osaka Castle be captured by sending an army at random? The Great Imperial Palace is still there, and the Shogun has already sharpened his sword towards his brother, and I, as a retainer, is it tolerable but unbearable, how can I watch the head of the family being taken away by Edo and ponder? ”

The young Arima suddenly said indignantly: "We must not allow the head of the family to go to Edo to be humiliated, the so-called lord is humiliated and the subject is killed." I am willing to go to Edo to tell His Highness the Shogun and the Great Imperial Palace, if it doesn't work, Yoriji will never survive..."

The white-haired Asai Michita interrupted him with a frown and said, "Don't talk nonsense, since the shogunate has already sent an envoy, if Your Highness disobeys the shogunate's orders, won't it confirm Osaka's rebellious accusations?"

Asakuraden, since you summoned us here, you must have come up with a solution. Everyone is a courtier of His Royal Highness, so why do you hide it? Say what is possible. ”

Asai Michita's words immediately won the echo of many people, and Asakura Nobuya looked at the loyal retainers sitting in the vast room below, most of them were old and incompetent, and there were very few young people, and he was also a little skeptical, whether it was a wise decision to approve of the army.

He shook his head and waved away those inopportune thoughts, and said to his colleagues below, "I mean, everyone will advise His Highness Tadashi to raise an army against the shogunate." Borrowing the slogan of those Osaka rebels, Fengtian appeased, and asked the general to abdicate and return the great government to the Great Imperial Palace, so as to protect the brotherly righteousness of His Highness and the general. ”

Asakura Nobuya's words suddenly made the retainers below lose their voices, and Naito Masakichi almost jumped up and fell to the ground, and it was also a loss to this Asakura Nobumasa who dared to speak. Although His Royal Highness Tadashi has 550,000 stone high in the Three Kingdoms, but the Kai Mountain is high and dense, and the local wealthy people are not attached to the people, where will they confront the shogunate army for His Royal Highness Tadashi.

Although the two countries of Enoe and Suruga owe allegiance to His Royal Highness Tadashiga, this allegiance is based on the Tokugawa family. From Gonkenden to several generations of lords of the Tokugawa family, the Tokugawa family's control of the two countries has penetrated deep into the countryside.

If a foreign enemy wanted to invade the two countries, these people would probably stand firmly on the side of the Tokugawa family. However, if you want to rely on them to attack the Edo shogunate, which represents the orthodoxy of the Tokugawa family, it is estimated that the day the shogunate army arrives, these people will honestly surrender.

Although Naito Masakichi wanted to jump out against it, he immediately bowed his head when he saw Tokugawa Tadanaga in full armor appear in Uema. Due to the impatience of Tadacho, these retainers did not express their thoughts, so they succumbed to Asakura Nobuya's proposal.

When Matsuno Shigegen rushed into the castle tower with his soldiers and reported to Tadashi that he had taken over the entire castle, the retainers finally silently wrote a letter of support for Tadadenaga's expulsion of the shogun.

Later, Tadanaga accepted Matsuno Shigemoto's suggestion, and in the name of the shogunate's envoys, he deceived the Somonban and Somon Banmu on Mt. Kuno into going down the mountain, and took advantage of the darkness to attack the leaderless mountain troops, forcing the defenders of Mt. Kuno to surrender and seizing Toshogu and the treasury in the palace.

A day later, Yagyu Muneju and Kinjiin Takaden of Kamiyoshiharajuku on the edge of the Fuji River received news that Tadanaga had rebelled and captured Mt. Kuno. Surprised, the two immediately stopped their advance and ordered the latest news to be delivered to Edo.