Harima Province is located at the eastern end of Sanyo Road. To the east are Settsu and Tanba; To the west are Bizen Province and Misasaka Province; To the north are Tajima Province and Inaba Province, all three of which are surrounded by mountains. The Harima Beach in the southern part of the sea allows Harima-kuni to face the three kingdoms of Awaji, Sanuki, and Awa across the sea.

The Harima Plain is a vast plain along the Harima Beach, and the Kakogawa, Ichikawa, and Kajiho rivers intersect each other to form a relatively fertile soil, which is suitable for farming, and in ancient times, it was a land with high utilization value, and the yield was also among the best.

At the same time, there is a rich fishery along the Harima Beach, and many of the seafood produced by Nobunaga's Cuisine are produced here.

Akashi Castle, the gateway to the east, is separated from Awaji Province by only one Akashi Strait, and is also an important passage to and from Settsu Province. Therefore, it is the main road connecting Sanyo Province and on the land route, and it is also the key point of the Seto Inland Sea to Awaji and Shikoku on the sea.

Harima Province has been the birthplace of the Akamatsu clan since ancient times, and the Akamatsu clan was in control for hundreds of years, until Urakamimura Mune assassinated Akamatsu Yoshimura in the first year of Oei (1521) and seized the family business of Akamatsu Yoshimura. In order to be recognized by the world, he made Akamatsu Maru (Akamatsu Harumasa), who was only eight years old at the time, the governor of the family and used him as a puppet, so as to grasp the real power of the three kingdoms of Harima, Bizen, and Misaku.

As the power of the Akamatsu clan, the guardian of Harima Province, continued to decline, and the power of the Daikan Urakami clan overrode the main family. Local forces such as Miki's Bessho, Gosho's Koji, Uno in Nagasui Mountain, and Kamitsuki in Kamitsuki Castle also began to strengthen themselves, gradually becoming semi-independent existences.

After the death of Urakami Munemune, Urakami Munekei and his brother Urakami Masamune split over the position of family governor, and Urakami Munekei relied on Tobigo and Nannasaku to declare independence and continue to fight against the Akamatsu family. And Urakami Masamune, who held Nishiharima, returned to the Akamatsu family, and this Kumatsumaru was Masamune's grandson.

Obviously, Hisamatsumaru has the inheritance of the Urakami family to a certain extent, and Takataka Kuroda is still his uncle.

"Did you bring him here to entrust it to me?" Hosokawa Nobumoto figured out the key, and looked at the child carefully again, his eyebrows were clear, and his eyes were also full of a little cleverness, which was really likable.

"Exactly! Only you, Hosokawa Palace, can shelter this child. Moreover, not only him, but also Matsujumaru, the younger man in the next place, please take him in. Takataka Kuroda once again said amazingly, the reason why he took these two children along the way was for this moment.

"What are your requests?" Hosokawa Nobumoto was also amazed by Kuroda's courage, while Honda Masanobu was amazed by his foresight.

"I only hope that your family can support my Xiaoji family, and on behalf of the Xiaoji family, I am willing to follow the Hosokawa family for generations, and I hope that the Hosokawa main hall will be completed!" Kuroda Takataka said, handing over the oath of the Kodera family's vows.

"You put so much effort into it, just for the sake of the small temple family?" Hearing this request, Hosokawa Nobumoto felt that Kuroda Takataka had paid too much, and for the sake of his main family, he willingly sent his two children out as hostages.

"Exactly!" Takataka Kuroda is like a bowl of calm white water, and his emotions are not twisted and turned, as if the price paid is deserved.

Kuroda Takataka has been highly praised in history, not only has the reputation of "the first military division of the Warring States", but is even a person who has the ability to seize the world.

Historically, Takataka Kuroda gave advice to monkeys and made great contributions. Someone once said: "I am afraid that half of His Royal Highness's great achievements are due to the strategy of that lame man (referring to filial piety)." However, after Toyotomi Hideyoshi (monkey) took over the world, Takataka received only a very meager reward, that is, a fief of more than 100,000 koku per year in the Nakatsu region of Toyozen Province.

Someone asked Hideyoshi why he gave Takataka such a small fief, and Hideyoshi replied with a smile, "Don't be kidding! If he gave that lame man a fief of one million stones, he would definitely take the whole world. And if I die, the one who takes the world will be the lame. ”

Everyone was not convinced, thinking that Kuroda Takataka only had a fief of more than 100,000 stone at best, and he could not recruit soldiers from all over the world with such a small income. Hideyoshi shook his head vigorously and said again and again, "No, no...... Don't you know, that lame man is terrible! I have shared weal and woe with him in the wilderness in the past, and only I know him. ”

Kuroda Takataka also knew that Hideyoshi was jealous of his talent, and he did not show any dissatisfaction with the unexpectedly meager treatment he received. On the contrary, after becoming famous, he took the initiative to withdraw from the center, and even gave up his family wealth and city to his son Kuroda Nagamasa, and he cut his hair and became a monk, and escaped into the empty door, and his law name was like water.

"Like water... The heart is like water... Is it? Hosokawa Nobumoto couldn't help but read what was in his heart, it was this calm state of mind to face everything, which was really a sublimation.

"What? Hosokawa Castle, what do you say? Kuroda Takataka suddenly heard such an inexplicable sentence, and wondered if he had heard it wrong.

"Oh, nothing, it just feels like your personality is like water." Hosokawa Nobumoto said this casually, but Kuroda Takataka silently wrote it down.

"Okay, don't say anything else, I agree to your proposal, but I want you to turn it to me." Hosokawa Nobumoto nodded and agreed to the Kodera family's servants, but then made another request.

"It's... First of all, I would like to thank Hosokawa Daiden for his support, but the matter of the transfer is very important, so I need to go back and ask for the lord's approval, so please understand. Kuroda Takataka was obviously stunned, obviously not expecting such a request, this kind of digging into the wall would definitely be disgusted by his lord, and he didn't understand why the wise Hosokawa Nobugen would make such an excessive request.

"Hahaha! Can I call you Kansui? "Hosokawa Nobumoto is in a good mood, although he already has a top military advisor Honda Masanobu, but talent... Who is too much?

Moreover, Honda Masanobu, as the chief thinker of the Hosokawa family, has always been by Hosokawa Nobumoto's side, and rarely takes charge of the military alone; And Kuroda Takataka is extremely good at strategy, and he is a geek who commands troops to fight, which the former does not have. But when it comes to governance, there is no doubt that the faith is first-class.

"The officers and soldiers have thanked Hosokawa Hall for their love." Kuroda Takataka understands that Hosokawa Nobugen really values him, not intentionally disgusting his own father-in-law, it seems that he must enlighten his father-in-law after he goes back, and don't be resentful.

"Since Hosokawa Hall attaches so much importance to the next, can you let me analyze the current situation for the Hosokawa Hall's reference?" In return for valuing himself, Takataka Kuroda simply sat cross-legged on his knees, looking like a retainer of the Hosokawa family, but his eyes were bright and shining with wisdom.