377

On February 23, 1584, Oda Nobunaga left Azuchi Castle for Kyoto as the shogun of Seiyi and the minister of Taisei.

In addition to his retainers and Oda Nobutada, who had just arrived from Mino, there were also Kanto daimyo such as Hojo Clan, Uesugi Keitora, Satake Yoshishige, Yuki Harumi, Utsunomiya Kunitsuna, and Nasu Haruko.

It is worth mentioning that in addition to Satake Yoshishige and Uesugi Keitora, Yuuki, Nasu and others have been the [servant daimyo] of the Hojo family for a long time, and they went to Beijing with the Hojo family's army.

What's more, as an object of attention, the owners of the two families of Date did not come, which made Oda Nobunaga feel very unhappy.

However, the treatment of the two families is not the same, the younger brother of Yoshimitsu Mogami Mitsunao, because of the relationship of offering five thousand taels of gold, and Oda Nobunaga was overjoyed———— what really made him happy was not gold, but the sincerity of the Mogami family, not only did they send their younger brother over, but also in the barren country of Dewa, they forced together five thousand taels of gold, how difficult it is!

Also, when Mitsunao Naoka met with Oda Nobunaga's father and son, he mentioned the dispute with the Uesugi family.

[The dispute between the main family and the Uesugi family is all due to the fact that the Uesugi family took advantage of the [Daihoji Rebellion] in the three counties of Shonai last spring and sent troops to invade, and the family is just recovering the lost territory...... As for the subsequent expedition to the west, it was because as an ally, supporting the Date family, the family actually did not have the slightest disagreement with the land of Echigo, and in addition, the reason why the brother could not go to Beijing in person was also because he was worried that the sudden change in the war would endanger the safety of the people. 】

【Reconquista? Supporting allies? Worried about the people? …… Hehe, Lord Mogami is really a gentleman! 】

Wise Kogoro, who was sitting below, smiled coldly, he originally had a good relationship with Naoe Kanesui of the Uesugi family, and he had planned to participate in the war in Echigo as a reinforcement, so he was full of bad feelings towards Mogami Yoshimitsu and Date Masamune.

[In this Warring States Period, where everyone is treacherous, I can't imagine that there are still loyal and simple, benevolent and righteous samurai like Lord Mogami Dewa Mori Yoshimitsu, which is really admirable, and I, as a junior, really want to see what kind of honor he has. 】

Such a straightforward and spicy sarcasm directly angered Mitsunao Sakagioka, who was almost forty years old, and he was about to get angry, but he was stopped by the retainer next to him, Irako Shinano Mamoru is different from his young master, and has a general understanding of wise Kogoro.

[This majestic adult at a young age must be the famous [Izumo no Dragon] wise Kogoro-sama, right? Even if I'm in the middle of the feather, I've heard of your name. 】

[Don't dare to be, I'm just a young junior who does nothing, and I haven't done anything worthy of [fame], how can I compare with the Mogami Dewa Mamoru who is known as the [Dewa Shogun]? He's ......]

[Alright, wise lord, you can say a few words! Lord Mogami has come all the way here, how can you embarrass the family so much?! 】

Wise Kogoro himself is a civil official and is good at words, and just when he wanted to satirize Mogami Yoshimitsu for another sentence or two, Oda Nobutada stopped shouting.

Unlike his brother-in-law, [Nidaime] has a very kind tone, and it is rumored that before meeting Oda Nobunaga, Mogami Yoshimitsu has sent his retainers to offer Oda Nobutada a rich gift, hoping that he can come forward and change Oda Nobunaga's prejudice against the Mogami family, and it would be better if he could stop the actions of Wise Kogoro who was about to send troops to Echigo.

Whether or not this is really the case, has not yet been decided, but now, Oda Nobutada really doesn't look like he hates Mogami too much.

[The thoughts of Lord Dewa Mamoru and I can understand both the Shogun, but, even if it is to support the allies, now the army of the Mogami family has also reached Echigo, presumably Lord Dewa Mamoru should know that the family has already agreed with the Uesugi family's rule over Echigo before the opening of the mansion, and until now, Lord Uesugi Keitora is also an important helper in assisting the Shogun to create a peaceful and prosperous era, do you say? 】

When he said the last sentence, Oda Nobutada glanced at Wise Kogoro meaningfully, which was regarded as giving the latter a face, so that he had nothing to say.

[Of course, my father and I know this, and our father and son also hope to do our part for the peace of the world like Uesugi Echigomori-sama. 】

[So good! 】

Oda Nobunaga suddenly spoke, his voice was loud, and his eyes were burning staring at Mitsunao Aoka, who had never seen such sharp eyes, and was immediately overwhelmed.

[If Mogami-sama really has this intention, then please withdraw from this war and stop embarrassing Uesugi Echigomori, okay?] 】

[No problem, since it's the Shogun's order, the family doesn't have any reason not to obey it, and when the Kasuga Festival is over, I'll go home and tell my brother what the Shogun means, and prepare to make peace with the Uesugi family.] 】

[Don't be busy going back yet, the things I explained are not finished yet? 】

[Huh? If there are any other requirements of the adults, the family will do their best to do it. 】

[When I was talking with the Uesugi family back then, I had already clearly sent it to Uesugi Jinghu, admitting that he knew that Echigo's security was blocked, and in addition, his official position [Echigo Mamoru] was also applied for by me on his behalf, so ...... You know what to do. 】

[This...... Well, we have received the Shogun's will, and when we return home, we will start preparing for the withdrawal of the troops, but, the Shogun, ......]

Mitsunao Nakaka was about to say something, and Oda Nobunaga waved the folding fan lightly, making a pair of [Sensei talk nonsense with me!] I don't want to hear anything].

[I know the painstaking efforts of Lord Dehana, and I also know that it is not easy for him, since he is canonized by the imperial court [Dewa Mamoru], then I will give him the control of the three counties in Shonai! 】

[Thank you, Shogun, for making it happen! The whole family is grateful! 】

This is said sincerely, the territory of the three counties of Shonai is as much as 140,000 koku, even if Mogami Yoshimitsu can no longer occupy the north of the country, this expedition can be regarded as a fruit.

The three districts of Shonai have maintained a close relationship with the Uesugi family since the time of Kenshin Uesugi, and the Daihoji clan, which rules the three counties of Shonai, has accepted the son of the eldest son of Honjo as their heirs, so it can be said that the three guns of Shonai are actually the domain of the Uesugi family.

Wise Kogoro has been by Oda Nobunaga's side for many years, so he naturally knows what he means———— Mogami family should be dealt with well, but it can't make the Uesugi family too happy.

This is good, all three counties are assigned to Mogami Yoshimitsu, so the Uesugi family will inevitably be hit hard...... No way! As a friend and admirer of Kenshinko, I can't just watch the decline of the Uesugi family with my own eyes!

Wise Kogoro was a little depressed, but also a flame rose in his heart, he used to laugh at the "fools" in novels and dramas who went to the trouble for his friends and lost their lives in the end, but now it seems that he is actually a "fool" too!

However, what he did for the Uesugi family later, although it did not restore much vitality to the Uesugi family, but on the contrary, his reputation was greatly increased again, to the point of high mountain admiration.

[Kogoro, do you have any opinion on the punishment of the Mogami family? 】

After the people of the Mogami family retreated, Oda Nobunaga stared at Wise Kogoro with a smile, and the latter hurriedly said:

[Your handling couldn't be better, I admire it very much. 】

[Really? That's great...... By the way, how are the people of the Date family? 】

A spark of wisdom crossed Wise Kogoro's heart, and he suddenly felt that the opportunity had come!

However, before he sells his power, he has to consult Oda Nobutada's opinion again, so as not to be ruined by his brother-in-law again.

Coincidentally, just when he wanted to speak, his eyes met Oda Nobutada's eyes in the air, and then, as if he understood his thoughts, the brother-in-law made a look, saying that he was [already tired, I don't want to care about anything], and he was relieved.

[General, that Date child didn't come!] And that's not all! He didn't send any relatives either, and the person who came was his teacher, Endo Yamashiro Morikinobu, and...... The only gifts he brought with him were the Oshu eagle and a horse, as well as a few swords. 】

[Is it very little?] 】

[Well, to be precise, there are ten eagles, fifty horses, and five famous swords. 】

[That's a lot, there weren't so many gifts from the Date family in previous years, how can you belittle people so much? ] 】

In fact, Oda Nobunaga hated Date Masamune very much, and he asked so knowingly, which was really unbearable.

[In the past, the Date family was just a medium-sized daimyo of 300,000 koku, but now, the Date family not only possessed 200,000 koku of Sendo, but also destroyed the Ashina family and captured 730,000 koku from Aizu, and...... He also occupied a large area of Echigo's territory, which probably exceeded 1.3 million koku...... The territory has tripled, but the gifts have not increased significantly, hehe, if this is the sincerity of the Oshu famous Ida, then I would rather believe that these things have other meanings. 】

[What is the other meaning?] 】

Wise Kogoro's reaction was exactly what Oda Nobunaga expected, but that's what he wanted.

[I don't know what kind of person Yoshimitsu Mogami is, but he offered real gold, and Oshu is also a place rich in gold, but Date Masamune, who is the landlord, didn't bring any of them, and ...... General, please don't blame me for talking nonsense here and stirring up right and wrong, just because I don't give one or two golds, I should behead the Date family! 】

Oda father and son originally knew the relationship between Akechi Kogoro and the Uesugi family, and then understood how disgusted he was with the Date family, so they also had an attitude of resigning themselves to what he said, but when he heard him say the four words "full door copying", Oda Nobutada was shocked, and Oda Nobunaga was also stunned.

[Wise lord, you can eat indiscriminately, you can't talk nonsense, gentlemen don't stop heirs, just for some gold, you will behead the Ida family, this is really too much! 】

[No, young master! I don't think there's anything wrong with my words...... General, please allow me to lead my troops out of the battle and kill Oshu, and I will definitely kill the Naida clan cleanly! 】

【Wise Lord!】 】

"Don't stop him...... Kogoro! You have always been cautious in your words and deeds, but today you are so belligerent, I'm afraid it's not just such a simple relationship, come! Let's talk about it! Why destroy the Date family! 】

Seeing that his son-in-law was so [vicious], Oda Nobunaga's face also became solemn.

[Then please forgive me for talking nonsense here...... Before Date was younger, the Date family also had a nine-generation family governor Masamune with the same name as him, this nine-generation eye, when Ashikaga Yoshimitsu inherited the position of general, he offered gold, and then got the right to participate in the decision-making of shogunate affairs, and then he donated gold to Ashikaga Yoshimori, and he got the name of Oshu Exploration...... After that, the Date family followed suit from generation to generation, and the three generations of Date Uemune, Harune, and Terumune all received the general's favoritism because of their contributions to the shogunate, as well as the guardian position of Oshu. 】

Oda Nobunaga's expression gradually became gloomy, he already understood what Akechi Kogoro meant, but Oda Nobutada still looked like he didn't know why.

[In this process, the significance of gold has become very large, it is no longer exactly the role of money, but more of a symbol, a symbol of submission to the central power...... This Date Masamune didn't offer a tael of gold to the family, doesn't it mean that this guy doesn't plan to surrender to the family, and is he ready to compete with the family? 】

[This...... It's a bit too much, right? Maybe Date Masamune was just a momentary oversight. 】

When he said this, Oda Nobutada secretly glanced at Oda Nobunaga a few times, wanting to ask for his opinion.

Oda Nobunaga didn't know when he switched to [Demon King Mode] again, and he nodded at his son-in-law.

[Amazing, Kogoro, you have made great progress, I haven't noticed, you've noticed. 】

[Don't dare to be, everything is taught by the general. 】

[Father, do you agree with the words of Lord Wise, but I think ......]

[Nobutada, don't make it simple, if this time it was Date Masamune's negligence, then what about before? I have deposed the rules and regulations of the Ashikaga shogunate, but he came to me like a stinky foot to ask for the position of [probe], is this also his negligence...... Oh yes, the shogunate he identified with was the shogunate founded by the Ashikaga clan, the shogunate where his ancestors sprinkled money, not the shogunate founded by me, Oda Nobunaga, and ......]

He suddenly slammed the teacup to the ground, although the tatami itself was made of wood and thatch, and the texture was relatively soft, but such a blow still made the cup fall apart, and the son and son-in-law who were sitting on the side were startled.

[This kid also said that I was pretending to be the Taira clan, and after being Fujiwara Sanyin, he was going to raise troops to fight me for the world...... Hahahaha, since Takeda Katsuyori died, it's not easy to find such an ambitious young man!! 】

[So that's the case, this damn thing, it was going to provoke us from the beginning! 】

Oda Nobutada is not stupid either, although he is sometimes slow to react.

[Then how should we treat Kishin Endo?] He's already in Azuchi! 】

[Although Date is hateful, but this Endo Kishin is a great talent, when Date Hui was in charge, he was the official in charge of diplomacy with his family...... Forget it, considering that he is already old, let him go back, as for the gifts...... Hum! Date keep it for herself! 】

[Don't you even let Date's family participate in the spring festival?] 】

[It's not entirely like this, if Endo Kinobu goes back like this, it will be too pitiful, he will definitely commit suicide because of the insult he received from his own family, and the guilt of not being able to complete the mission, so let him hurry back and tell Date Xiao'er, this matter is not so easy to solve, Date father and son, at least one person, need to go to Beijing to explain to me what is going on, otherwise, they don't want to live a good life! 】

[However, the spring festival is about to begin, can the Date family still catch up?] 】

[That's their business, and if I give them a chance to explain, it's already magnanimous! 】

Wise Kogoro and Oda Nobutada glanced at each other, and they both felt that this kind of domineering personality was in line with Oda Nobunaga's style!

When the two [brothers] stepped back and walked to the stairs, Oda Nobutada suddenly asked Akechi Kogoro:

How much did you charge? 】

[Huh? 】

[Don't pretend to be stupid, I know you must have taken the Uesugi family's money, otherwise why would you work so hard? ] …… Say it! I don't blame you. 】

Oda Nobutada's expression that seemed to be smiling made Wise Kogoro uncomfortable for a while, and it seemed that the accuracy of his brother-in-law's prediction ability was much higher than he imagined.

[In the name of Sugi Jinghu, Naoe sent me two famous knives, a horse, and ...... Three thousand taels of gold...... By the way, there is also a book of the art of war that Qian Xingong wrote in the barracks. 】

[Ahh It's amazing, just for you, there are three thousand taels of gold, this Uesugi Jinghu has lost half of the country, and he can be so generous, it's really admirable, and there is the art of war, Qian Xingong left it, I should expect the younger generations to use this to protect the family and defend the country, I didn't expect it...... Uesugi Jinghu, this guy, is really not the son of Qian Xingong, and he casually gave the country and the art of war to others. 】

Wise Kogoro actually didn't say anything———— if he could help the Uesugi family repel the enemy in Echigo later, then Uesugi Keitora would pay him another 5,000 taels of gold, of course, if he could use the power of Oda Nobunaga to settle the two houses by diplomatic means before the Kasuga Festival, it would be better, and the 5,000 taels would also be his.

Who said that Uesugi Jinghu didn't feel sorry for the family business? He's made a lot of money for it. I'm not a hot-blooded idiot, and I'll do some risky things for the so-called [friendship].

Although Oda Nobutada was laughing at Akechi Kogoro and Uesugi Keitora, in fact, he knew that he was not a good thing———— Mogami Yoshimitsu sent Irako Shinano Mamoru to give him a lot of rich gifts to intercede for his family.

Out of the castle gates, Akechi Kogoro was about to break up with Oda Nobutada, but the latter grabbed him by the shoulder.

[Don't be busy leaving, come to my house and sit down today, I still have something to tell you? …… I'm in charge of the reception for lunch. 】

[But ......]

[But what?! Don't tell me you're actually a person who is afraid of his wife? I'm afraid my Ah Xiang isn't that scary, right? …… Don't worry, I'll send someone to explain it to her...... Less nonsense! Brat! 】

Wise Kogoro couldn't guess Oda Nobutada's motive for doing this, so naturally he was not very happy to go to his house. But Oda Nobutada didn't care about this, and dragged his brother-in-law away.

Not to mention what the two of them would say later, in the living room of Azuchi Castle, the envoy of the Date family, Endo Uchisho Kinobu, was still anxiously waiting for the Oda family's reply.

Although Endo Kishin is highly respected in the Date family, he is not a retainer of a large family, but the son of a monk.

However, since his father was the abbot of a prestigious temple and was respected by the villagers and the daimyo, in fact, he was equivalent to a lord.

Endo Kinobu, who grew up in a temple, received a good education since he was a child, and learned Buddhist scriptures and the art of war (monks taught the art of war, which is not surprising, Tokugawa Ieyasu's early art of war was taught by Taiyuan Xuesai, and after he returned to Mikawa, under the guidance of the light temple Yissho, he completed the practice of the art of war in forty-eight volumes left by the Minamoto Yoshika. ）

After the age of 30, Endo Kishin was appreciated by Date Harumune, and was sent to work beside the young lord Date Terumune, and because of his outstanding talent, he was favored and trusted by Date Terumune, and then became the ruling elder of the Date family, and he was active and received 1,500 stones.

During the Tensho period, Endo Kinobu was responsible for the contact with Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hojo Clan, Uesugi Kenshin and others as the elder of the Date family, and exchanged books and gifts with them frequently, and the alliance between the Date family and the Hojo family was completed under his promotion.

In addition, he was also the teacher of the one-eyed dragon Masamune, and also guided the future pillars of the Date family, Ita Minori and Oniwa Tsunamoto, and the famous general Katakura Kojuro Keitsuna, who later became Date Masamune's military advisor, was also recommended by him, which can be described as a discerning talent.

But right now, he has a lot of differences with Date Masamune, the current owner of the Date family———— the reason for the disagreement is very simple, Date Masamune did not hesitate to provoke Oda Nobunaga in order to compete for the world, which made Endo Kinobu very worried.

Later, this worry became stronger and stronger, and after destroying the Ashina family, who maintained close contacts with the Oda family, and embezzling half of the Uesugi family, the people in the family misjudged the strength of Oda Nobunaga and the Date family itself, and even his old friend, the battle-hardened veteran Oni Court Satsuki Sai Yoshinao, also said after a drunkenness, "The public side has a false name, so why not raise troops to replace it?" 】

This is obviously just a drunken talk, but it has been unanimously applauded by the entire Date family, not to mention Date Masamune, who has always had the ambition to seize the world, and even the steady Date Terumune also thinks that the Date family, which has a million-stone territory, already has the capital to compete for the world.

Only Kishin Endo, the only one who kept a clear head, felt uneasy, and he didn't say whether Oni Ting Satsuki's words were correct or not, this kind of character who had obviously not fought a war but had already underestimated the opponent's ability was already very dangerous.

Helplessly, his words were not taken seriously by anyone, it would be nice if Zen Master Huyi Zongzai was by his side, Date Huizong's father and son almost obeyed his words, and he was also more judgmental about current affairs, but unfortunately the Zen master had recently traveled abroad.

This time for the spring festival, the Date family was also invited, and Date Masamune didn't plan to pay attention to it, didn't Uekyo surrender to Oda Nobunaga on his behalf and admit defeat?

However, he eventually changed his mind———— mainly because the Hojo clan sent people to inform him that he would be going to Beijing.

The Hojo family was an important ally of the Date family, and Date Masamune thought that if he wanted to fight Oda Nobunaga, he had to maintain a common relationship with the Hojo clan, so he also sent Endo Kinobu to Beijing.

However, before, Endo Kishin had repeatedly begged him to at least send someone from Date to go with him, and it was best to have one of the fathers and sons of Huizong, and no matter how bad it was, he had to choose a close family.

There is no doubt that this request was unexpectedly vetoed by Date Masamune, and [One-Eyed Dragon] made up his mind whether to give Oda Nobunaga this face.

However, Oda Nobunaga gave him a lot of face, for example, today, he was summoned by Oda Nobunaga and came to the sixth floor of the castle tower.

Endo Keshin had heard before that Oda Nobunaga had a very bad temper, and he was brutal and easy to kill, and he was a complete [Sixth Heaven Demon King], but when he saw the latter, the general politely poured him a cup of tea.

[In this spring festival, the regent of my family and the lord of my family were unable to come because of their physical illness, and there were special ministers who came to make amends, and I hope that the general Haihan is rude to my family. 】

(The author thought about it for a long time, but he couldn't figure out how Date Terumune should be called after retirement.)

[The Great Hall]? Already retired...... [Lord Huizong]? It seems that there is no direct name...... It is mentioned in Yamaoka Shohachi's "Date Masamune" that after Date Terumune retired, he moved to Nishiyama Castle next to Yonezawa Castle with his wife and youngest son, so should he be the only one [Nishiyama Temple]? I don't think I've ever heard of such a name.

In the end, after thinking about it again, I felt that Date Terumune's status after retirement was similar to that of the Hojo clan, and they were all [retiring without rest], so it should not be too much to call it "Regent" as well. ）

Oda Nobunaga is very arrogant, very respectful, and even in middle age, he takes it as a pleasure to make fun of others (I personally think he lost his life because of this temper in the end), but there are occasional exceptions.

For example, he is very courteous to people who have ability and virtue, and even has three points of respect, for example, the Kinobu Endo in front of him, who can see the trend of the situation clearly, heard that he is one of the very few people in the Date family who advocates easing relations with the shogunate.

[Thank you for your hard work, Endo-sama, I'm afraid it will take a lot of time and energy to come here from Oshu, you are at this age, can you still afford it? ] It's not that I underestimate Misaku-sama or you, doesn't Misakumaru have other younger retainers to send him? 】

It's good not to mention this, but when I mention this, Endo's heart is even more aggrieved———— originally he didn't have to come, and Date Huizong's father and son don't know how to respect the old man, but the problem is that there are few people in the family who are willing to go to Beijing, and only a few people are willing to come, in Date's family, either their diplomatic skills are not enough, or they can't say much among the ministers, so in the end, he has to come in person.

[I'm tired of the relationship with the general, but I've always been an old guy who is [people don't accept the old, and beat the old Huang Zhong], as long as I can bring the heart of my family to the eyes of the general, even if it's the end of the world, I can go on. 】

[Since you say so, then I'm relieved, the extra greetings will end here, and let's talk about business.] 】

Oda Nobunaga took a sip of tea and rubbed his ears. In the eyes of ordinary people, this is a very ordinary action, but for the retainers who know him well, such as Akechi Kogoro and Hashiba Hideyoshi, it is a rather terrible omen.

Generally speaking, Oda Nobunaga in this situation is on the verge of getting angry, but it's really embarrassing for him, he can endure the people of the Date family for so long before he has an attack, and if he is an ordinary retainer under his hands, he will already be scolded.

[I've always stayed in, so I don't know much about things in the Northeast, and the news I heard is a little one-sided and vague, and I'm not afraid of Endo-sama's jokes when I say it, so that I actually did two stupid things back then...... One is to grant the Shirakawa family the positions of [Dewa Guardian] and [Hashu Exploration], but to give the Daihoji Yoshiji who supported Uesugi Kenshin the title of [Yagatata], and in the future, he did a lot of evil in the village, causing the people to complain, and being scolded as [Evil House], which always made me feel ashamed. 】

[Hahahaha...... The general doesn't have to blame himself, didn't Zhu Zi say that [the paper is shallow, and you must bow to it]? Without knowing the real situation, people will inevitably make mistakes. 】

[Well, Endo-sama is right, so it just so happens that I've always been fascinated by Dr. Sakyo (the official position of Date Teizune before his abdication) and Misakumori, and I can never see each other, may I ask, do they also think the same way about me? 】

[Haha, of course, the general rules the world, he is a great hero, if it is not for this two adults in my family will be infected at the same time, they will definitely come to visit the general's majesty. 】

[Really? If Dr. Sakyo and Misaku-samaru really said that, then I really can't afford Nobunaga...... Every time I hear the report of the war from the Date family in the Tohoku, saying that they have won the war again, I am very happy...... Alas, I've always been troubled because my hands are too short to estimate the situation in the Northeast, now look at it, there are unparalleled generals like Dr. Zuojing and Misakumoru guarding the Northeast for me, what else is there to worry about? 】

The smile on Endo Kinobu's face disappeared without a trace in an instant, if he couldn't hear the sharp thorn in Oda Nobunaga's words, he would go home early to retire and stop being a diplomat.

On the surface, Oda Nobunaga is praising the bravery and divine might of Date Terumune's father and son, but in fact, he is spicy and satirical that these two men are fighting everywhere, and they have become the biggest source of trouble in Oshu and even in the entire Tohoku.

[Hands are too short], it makes people even more angry, you two don't fight too early, now although you are invincible, you are invincible, it is just because I Nobunaga has not intervened in the Northeast, and when I [Hands Chief], you will not be able to jump up.

The last sentence "Defend the Northeast for me" further illustrates the shogunate's intentions, although the Date family now seems to be thriving and prosperous, everything they do is in vain, and sooner or later, the Date family will become a vassal of the Oda family.

If it were someone else, saying these provocative words, Endo Kishin would definitely be furious and argue with him to the end, but the person in front of him was Oda Nobunaga, the leader of the samurai family canonized by the imperial court, and nominally, the Date family should indeed obey him.

[The shogun has won the award, and everything the family has done is just doing their duty, because the family has been the backbone of the protection of Oshu since the Muromachi shogunate, and now the Muromachi shogunate is no longer there, but this responsibility remains on our shoulders. 】

[Everything is the duty of the Date family? 】

[Yes, in the eyes of outsiders, the family is fighting everywhere and disturbing the peace, but in fact, everything the family does is justified, and there is no situation where they fight against it in order to annex other people's territory. 】

Endo Kinobu's voice was loud and loud, and he countered Oda Nobunaga's difficulties and sarcasm with different tones.

It's been several years since Oda Nobunaga died, and no one dared to speak to him like that. And Uesugi Kenshin was far away in Echigo, and out of sight was pure, but the old guy in front of him was clearly singing against himself.

His temper was not very good, and the anger in his heart suddenly burned like a fire.

Date Masamune, the one behind Kishin Endo, is a guy who doesn't know the height of the sky, and he dares to insult His Excellency the dignified Shogun Seiyi, and he doesn't want to think that just eliminating the Ashina family, who has maintained close ties with the shogunate for many years, is enough to bring a catastrophe to him! Not to mention the wild words he made in Oshu to compete with himself for the world!

[Hahahahaha...... Endo-sama is really a veteran minister who is good at words, no wonder Date Misaku Mamoru trusts you so much and entrusts you with the important task of going to Beijing, I know it now, but can you answer me a few questions? 】

[Just ask, Shogun, I must know everything.] 】

Seeing that Oda Nobunaga was not angry but laughed, and also mocked himself as a retainer with less than words, Endo Kinobu's heart suddenly sank, and he felt that the war he was about to face had finally arrived!

[Kotemori Castle in Anda County, Ouchi Dingzuna has obviously surrendered, why does Misakumori still wave the butcher knife at the people in the city? A full 800 people, killed all overnight, no matter the old or the young, the people are different from the samurai, they are all unarmed, and the character and heart of Misakumori should probably be carefully considered...... By the way, I heard that Misakumori-sama is the reincarnation of ten thousand sea people, so why don't you even have this kind of compassion? 】

Although Oda Nobunaga asked so, in fact, he also had no bottom in his heart———— as a samurai, after the end of the war, slaughtering the enemy's people, this is what he has done more than once, not to mention, he has done the [Ise Ichijomune Massacre] and [Hiei Mountain Buddha Destroying Incident] that made the world indignant, compared to himself, the people killed by Date Masamune are almost negligible.

[What's this...... Adults don't know.,The people in the city,Extremely hostile to the family.,After the family entered the small hand forest city,,There are constantly soldiers in the city who are still supporting the Ouchi Tsunado,And,At that time, there were many people in the city who were plotting,To cooperate with the thief's immortal Ouchi Tsunado,Rebel together,The family was driven out of the small hand Mori Castle,So ...... I told my lord that it was useless to keep these people, so it was better to kill them! 】

Listening to Endo Kishinobu's words, Oda Nobunaga narrowed his eyes, at this moment, he felt that he admired the old guy in front of him even tighter, for the sake of the lord, he was willing to carry the black cauldron of the slaughter of the city alone.

Having said that, Oda Nobunaga really admires him now———— if the person who slaughtered the city was done by Date Masamune alone, and the idea came from his brain, then, of course, the people will say that he is brutal and unkind, but at the same time, because of the psychological effect of [little people worship heroes], people will see him as a real hero with courage and hands, this can't be helped, in history, the [heroes] who are worshiped because of killing people are like the sand of the Yellow River, and they can't be counted.

But what if it's Kinobu Endo's opinion? Then it's debatable, he's not a [big man], just a retainer, at most a little old, but not more than a [little person] to look up, people will say that he is a minister and traitor who has a dark heart, slanders and harms the people. This is another strange psychology, [a thousand mistakes, the emperor is right], it really makes people feel powerless.

As long as he spreads out what Endo Kishin just said, it will be enough to ruin this old guy's reputation. However, this seems to be his own idea, to bear all the blame for his lord.

You say, can Oda Nobunaga not admire such a loyal old minister? …… However, admiration is admiration, Oda Nobunaga will not give up making things difficult for Ento Kishin because of this, and he hasn't fully figured out the affairs of the Northeast.

[So, how to explain the things of the Soma family before? ] If I'm not mistaken, the Soma family and the Date family are relatives, but the war between you has been going on for decades, and that's how relatives greet each other? 】

The story of the Date family and the Soma family is more complicated, probably from the 11th year of Eiroku (1568), Date Terumune was openly hostile to Soma Kenyin, and the two sides went back and forth, and fought endlessly all year round. At first, the two sides fought only at Kojima Asakawa and ended up winning and losing each other.

In May of the second year of Tensho (1574), the battlefield gradually expanded to Tone; Two years later, in August of the fourth year of Tensho, the battlefield was moved to the vicinity of Igu, and many local powers were involved.

However, Soma Kenyin and the Date family originally had a deep blood relationship, and Soma Kenyin's wife was actually the daughter of Date Huimune's grandfather, Date Uemune, that is to say, Soma Kenyin was actually Date Huimune's uncle, and, from this relationship, it can be known that Date Huizong and Soma Kenyin's son Sheng Yin are cousins, and this is the reason why outsiders can't understand this war [between relatives] at all.

According to the last words of his father-in-law, Date Zhimune, Soma believes that he has the right to rule part of Date County, but Date Terumune refuses to admit it, so how can there be any talk of ceding his own territory to outsiders?

Thus the flames of war were provoked. This in-law war not only caused heavy casualties in the northeast, but also caused a great loss of confidence in each other, before the astronomical chaos, the relationship between the Soma family and the Date family was quite good, and the era of Date Harumune was quite passable, but now it has completely entered the [Ice Age].

Throughout the battle, Soma Xianyin always brought his son Soma Shengyin to the battlefield together, and never forgot to remind the soldiers of the Date family.

[We are the son-in-law of the Date family and the grandson Sheng Yin, who is most favored by the Emperor of the Uemune, why don't we become the retainers of the Date family? In fact, this was originally what Zhi Zonggong meant, and our father and son just wanted to fulfill the old man's wish. If Hui Zonggong, who is a grandson, still refuses to accept us as a retainer, then wouldn't it be against the will of the old man? And it's no harm to you that we've become Ida's retainers! 】

His words really caused the morale of the Date family to drop significantly. As a result, the soldiers at the grassroots level felt that this war between [their own people] was meaningless, and began to talk about it, eager to know what the truth was.

In short, the reasons for this are quite complicated, and Endo Kinobu felt that it was necessary to take some time and ask Oda Nobunaga to explain it well, so as not to leave a handle in the future......

Although he is the [crown prince], Oda Nobutada rarely feels that he is a great person, he is almost thirty years old, but Oda Nobunaga has not let him participate in many political affairs.

And the wise Kogoro, who was sitting across from him, was always able to follow Oda Nobunaga and be reused, and. , As Shibata, Niwa and other old ministers either grow old or pass away, this degree of reliance is getting bigger and bigger, and maybe in a few years, he will be the real [first retainer].

【Young Master...... Young master, why don't you drink? Didn't you deadlift me to your house? Why do you just drink alone after you come, and you don't even touch your glass? 】

Oda Nobutada woke up from his contemplation and melancholy, hurriedly raised his glass, gave a smile to the wise Kogoro, and said apologetically:

[Forgive me, Kogoro, I just had a little desertion and thought about it a little, so much so that I forgot that you are still by my side...... Hahahahahaha, the hospitality is not good, as an elder brother, I punish myself! 】

Hearing him call himself [brother], wise Kogoro smiled bitterly and shook his head————Oda Nobunaga always wants to be his father, and this Oda Nobutaka has also begun to be his brother, dare to love this Oda family, they all have the habit of taking advantage of others, isn't it?"

[Let's continue the previous topic, after your father sent you to the Echigo front, you are basically the highest commander of the family, and even Mori Musashi Mamoru has to obey your orders, and you can decide the affairs of Echigo alone...... Come, tell me what you think, even if you say it to my face, there are no outsiders here, maybe I can give you an idea. 】

[What's this...... I've also discussed it with the Shogun before, and militarily, we're going to contact the Satake family and the Soma family to attack Aizu and Sendo on the other side, of course, neither the shogun nor I have much hope for Soma Moriyin and Satake Yoshishi, as long as they can contain some enemies somewhat. 】

[Well, well, the previous thing, the Soma family and the Date family have completely turned their faces, and because of the inheritance problem of the Ashina family, Date Masamune and Satake Yoshishige also hated each other to the core, and it was a good idea for them to take action to beat the water dogs. 】

Oda Nobutada nodded yes, while enthusiastically pouring wine for Akechi Kogoro, although his face was very fresh, but deep down, he was somewhat depressed, his father discussed such an important matter with his son-in-law, but did not mention a word to his son, this gap is so uncomfortable.

[Now that my father has made some arrangements, then I will no longer doubt the outcome of this war, but what should I do with the Date family after the war? They're going to be too much?! 】

[Date house? Uh-huh...... Date Masamune's one-eyed dragon, for his own ambitions over the years, has almost offended all the neighbors around him, and this time once the Date family is in trouble, I'm afraid there won't even be a person to intercede...... However, the shogun and I both think that although this little ghost is hateful, it is also quite interesting, and the Date family is a famous family that has been handed down from the Genhei era, so it is a pity that it perished like this, so ...... As long as they don't cause trouble in the future, give them a way to live. 】

[Hehe, you verbally say that you will give him a way to live, but in fact, with the temper of my father, the person who offends him, even if he can get a way to live, I am afraid it is very narrow-minded, and it must be full of thorns. 】

[Hahaha...... It is said that [Zhizi Mo Ruo's father], when he came to the young master, this sentence can be said in reverse, you guessed correctly, the original intention of the general was that before Date Masamune, all the territories seized by force must be handed over! 】

[All of them have to be handed over? …… I'll do the math, the Nobuo and Anda counties in the Sendo region, as well as the entire Aizu area, and by the way, the Echigo territory he occupied...... No, this calculation is already more than a million stones! 】

[Hahaha...... So, Date Masamune is estimated to be heartbroken and about to commit suicide, even if he doesn't die, I estimate that this kid will definitely be depressed for a while if he is hit so badly. 】

After two sips of wine, Wise Kogoro was in a good mood, half lying on the tatami mat of Oda Nobutada's house, imagining the regretful and regretful appearance of the invincible [Little Overlord] Date Masamune.

But because he and this gentleman have never known each other in their lives, they really can't imagine what it will look like, so they have no choice, so in the end, they had to use the appearance of Ken Watanabe in "One-Eyed Dragon Masamune" to make up for it, and it felt quite enjoyable.

However, at the same time, in his mind, a new plan emerged.

This plan has changed the pattern and trend of Northeast China in the future.