In the days that followed, Hosokawa, Uesugi, and Takeda staged the three commercial kingdoms, playing games with each other for their own interests.

The Hosokawa family is desperately biting on the 20,000 yuan of help funds every year, and naturally they don't want to raise and strengthen the Uesugi family.

The Takeda family also had to get a good land cession, which could be regarded as a robbery while the fire was burning.

With the passage of time, in addition to the Hosokawa family's 100,000 soldiers in Vietnam, even the Takeda family also raised tens of thousands of troops to force the country of Echigo. Not only that, but the Hojo family and the Tsugawa family also met to raise troops, and Echigo was about to become the center of the tornado.

Naturally, Uesugi Keikatsu did not allow the four-way war to unfold in Echigo, so he had to compromise.

First of all, he agreed to a grant of 20,000 yuan from the Hosokawa family. Second, it was agreed to cede Ueno Province to the Takeda family and reduce the contribution to 10,000 taels.

On the surface, it seems that the Uesugi family has lost a lot, but in fact, it has also earned 10,000 yuan. Because it is said that it is ceded to Ueno Province, but the territory is only Kita-Ueno, and this is also the fief of Hojo Takahiro, a major minister of the Uesugi clan, and if this place is ceded to the Takeda family, the Uesugi family will not border the Hojo family.

Hojo Takahiro, although he also has the surname Hojo, but the Hou Hojo clan of Sagami is not from a family, and his ancestor is the Oe-based Mori clan, so his family crest is a three-star character. And he supported Uesugi Keiho's side, which was tantamount to letting the Takeda family help Uesugi Keikatsu eliminate the judges.

Speaking of which, I have to mention that Hojo Sakumo, the originator of the Go-Hojo clan, is definitely a legend within a legend, and he opened up the pioneer of the "Sengoku Daimyo".

Hojo Sakumo, formerly known as the Ise Naga clan, is the son of Ise Sadato, the 11th generation head of the Kan Wupei clan and the lord of Takatsu Mountain Castle in China. When he became the lord of Xingguoji Castle, he changed his name to Shengshi, and when he was visiting Zen in Kyoto, he took the name Zongrui, and called himself the lord of Zaoyun Temple. Later generations were collectively referred to as Hojo Sakumo-an Sorui, referred to as Hojo Sakumo.

When he was in his twenties, he was recommended by his fellow Ise clans and served as the special introducer of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimi (the consent of the introducer was required before the major names could meet the shogun), and he still inherited the 3,000-stone of Bichu Takatsu Mountain Castle.

Later, a turning point in history broke out: the Onin Rebellion, the rights of the shogun were completely lost, and the guardians and wealthy clans in various places supported their own troops and fought against each other. When Yoshimi was able to return to Beijing, Sakumo chose to give up his territory and the identity of an introducer, and lived in seclusion in the Ise Mountains and became a ronin.

At this time, Hojo Sakumo was not really a recluse, but a coalition with six people, including Araki Hyogo, Yamanaka Saishiro, Tame Gonbei, Arakawa Matajiro, Daido Tera Taro, and Zaitakebei, and threatened: "Now is a good opportunity to make a name for yourself!" Guanbazhou has been a place of division since ancient times, as long as you control this place, you will definitely be able to seize the world! Let's work together to create a new world! ”

The seven of them then traveled to Suruga Province together, and on the way they paid homage to Ise Jingu, drank the sacred water, and swore before the gods, "No matter what happens, the seven will never turn against each other." Help each other, strive to establish military merits, and make a name for themselves. If one is lucky enough to become a daimyo, the other six must bow down and assist that person in governing the country. ”

In the second year of Onin (1468), the seven men marched eastward along the Tokaido and arrived at the Suruga Province Junfu Castle, where they took refuge in Suruga to protect Imagawa Yoshitada. When Sakumo was originally serving as an introducer in Kyoto, he once married his sister (Kitagawa Palace) to Yoshitada, who went to Beijing to meet the general, as a concubine. Later, Kitagawa Hall was deeply favored by Yoshitada, and gave birth to his only son, Ryuomaru (later the Imagawa clan, that is, the father of Imagawa Yoshimoto).

The Seven Samurai led by Hojo Sakumo have always been guest kings in the early days, only occasionally participating in small battles, and doing nothing. It was not until 1476 that Hojo Sakumo reappeared on the stage of history when he was 44 years old.

Imagawa Yoshitada was attacked and killed by a crowd, and there was no queen in his main room, and only Kitagawa Daisheng had a 6-year-old concubine, Ryuo Maru. The Imagawa clan was greatly alarmed, and in the midst of the chaos, they split into two factions, either supporting Yoshitada's only son, Ryuomaru, or supporting Yoshitadada's brother Oga Fan Man as the new master.

In the end, a serious physical conflict broke out between the two factions, and even Ashikaga Masato, the Duke of Diguetsu, united with Yamauchi Uesugi Kenmasa and Ogiya Uesugi Semasa, and Chen Bing outside the country, intending to take advantage of the chaos to annex the Suruga Imagawa clan.

Hojo Sakumo turned the tide and persuaded the coalition forces to retreat, forcing the ministers of the two factions to agree to a compromise: "Ryuomaru is the successor of the Imagawa family, but at present, Oshika Vamitsu is the successor of Ryuomaru." Fan Man can temporarily act as the political agent of the Imagawa family before the Dragon King Pill is served."

Instead of taking credit for his successful return, Sakumo left Suruga in the 11th year of civilization (1479) and returned to the dilapidated Kyoto, where he once again assumed the position of Shinjizhong of the shogunate. (Shin Jizhong was an official who arranged for local samurai to meet with the shogun, and at the same time handled the shogunate's chores, and had more real power.) During the Muromachi period, Shinjizhong was controlled by the Odate, Ueno, Tayama, and Ise families)

Time passed, and in addition to going out on official business as necessary, Zaoyun spent most of the rest of his time in the Zen temple where he lived to cultivate his mind. By the time of the first year of Chojo (1487), the young Ryuomaru was already seventeen years old, and he was about to perform the Motofu ceremony to officially inherit the Imagawa family governor. However, Owka Fan Man, who was originally the guardian acting as the governor of the family, and his henchmen refused to hand over the power of the governor, and made many unreasonable demands to delay the time of the dragon king's service.

Seeing that the situation was not right, Kitagawa immediately sent a secret envoy to Kyoto to inform Sakumo. After receiving the secret letter, Sakumo and Araki left Kyoto overnight for Suruga, and gathered the Imagawa retainers who supported Ryuomaru. Based on the original treaty, and with the testimony of the two princes and the two rulers, they had the absolute righteousness to raid the Xiaolu party that night. After a fierce battle, all the retainers below Fan Man were killed, and Fan Man himself was killed on the spot.

With such a great achievement, the Imagawa family decided to let Sakumo choose for himself, and Suruga was the richest prefecture in the country as a reward. However, Sakumo chose Kokokuji Castle on the border of Suruga and Izu, as well as the twelve surrounding villages, as rewards. This request surprised everyone in the Hojo family.

Because Kokokuji Castle and the surrounding Twelve Towns are the most barren and desolate land in Suruga, either swamps or wetlands, the overall income can support 200 to 250 subordinates at most. Moreover, Xingguosi Castle is not so much a city as a temporary cottage. In other words, Hojo Sakumo only really became the lord of the castle at the age of 56.

Zaoyun began to develop in this small Xingguo temple city, personally understood the local farmers, implemented a series of policies to benefit the people, constantly developed new fields, reorganized water conservancy, took the lead in various military or civil construction works, and changed the tax system in the territory to the four public and six people's system that greatly reduced the burden on the people, which was the lowest tax in the whole day.

In the following 20 years, Hojo Sakumo defeated the Horikoshi Gongkata, pacified Izu Province, captured Odawara Castle, and unified Sagami, laying the foundation for the Later Hojo clan to dominate the Kanto region for more than 100 years. From a ronin to pretending to be a Hojo family, he became the first successful Sengoku daimyo in history.

Glittering titles such as "Rare Heroes of the Late Bloomers", "Heroes of Troubled Times", "Heroes of the Creation of the Foundation", and "The Head of the Three Heroes of the Warring States" will forever commemorate Hojo Sakumo... Can't find the latest chapter of a book you want to read? cough cough cough, it's not a thing, I recommend a public account, there is a young lady here to help you find the latest chapters, and chat with you!