Astronomical 19th year, October 5th.

This year's weather is much warmer than in previous years, and this year's autumn harvest is about ten days earlier than last year's.

Xinfu County, Hanging Field Township.

Hanging Tian Castle, which was originally the base of the Hanging Tian family, was burned down in the war, and the head of the Hanging Tian family, Hanging Tian Shunmune, also fled to the Aizu Ashina family, and is currently the domain of the Date family's retainer Katakura Keikin.

Katakura Keiqin has 1500 Zhixing land in Hanging Tian Township, which is considered decent among the retainers of the Date family.

The Katakura clan was born in Shinano Ina Prefecture, and then infiltrated Komatsu Township in Zhishi Prefecture to visit the Date family. At this time, the Katakura clan was just an ordinary retainer of the Date family, and even after the end of the Astronomical Rebellion, Date Harumune's "Harumune Gongcai Underground Gift" was not recorded in the "Heavy Minister 35" family, which shows how marginalized the Katakura clan was.

Therefore, when he was able to get 1,500 stone Zhixing from Hanging Tian Township, the Katakura family naturally cherished it incomparably.

Katakura Keikin's father is Katakura Izu Mamori pro, and he has lived in seclusion at this time. The younger brother Katakura Keishige is the priest of Yonezawa Hachiman Shrine.

"Taro, your brother just got married, don't you go and see it for yourself?" In the Katakura Residence, Katakura Yoriqin came to Katakura Keikin's side with a cane and said with an unhappy face.

Katakura Keiqin replied speechlessly, "Father, it's the autumn harvest right now, and there are a lot of affairs at home, where can I go!" ”

"Besides, I didn't agree to let Jiro marry Honzawa Manao's daughter, and Jiro had to go his own way. I don't understand, the person who remarried, with a daughter, how much charm can make Jiro tempted? ”

"Bastard!" Katakura Keikin's words seemed to infuriate Katakura Yorikin, "If it weren't for the marriage with the Honzawa family, the family would have been able to obtain 1,500 stone of Zhixing?" ”

"In this matter, Jiro is much stronger than your brother!" Katakura Yori said with a hate that iron is not made of steel.

Katakura Jingqin pursed his lips, and was about to say a few perfunctory words when a person approached and suddenly ran in quickly, "Lord, it's not good!" Just now, the heads of six or seven villages, including Komaki Village and Nono Village, came to report that the Ouchi family had come to their own territory to grab grain! ”

"What!" As soon as he heard the words from the side, Katakura Keiqin was stunned for a moment, "The Ouchi family came to grab the grain?" How dare they? ”

"It is said that this year's harvest was not very good because several villages of the Ouchi family competed with the family for water this year. So these peasants broke out into chaos and rushed into their own territory to rob their own food! Fang Jin hurriedly explained.

Katakura Jing jumped to his feet affectionately: "Others come to rob it, so you just watch it and let others rob it?" Won't you organize people to beat the other party back? ”

"Lord, there are one or two thousand people on the other side, and there are not so many laborers in this family!" Embarrassed, he replied.

And as soon as he heard the words of the side, Katakura Keijin was even more annoyed, "Bastard! If it is really a few villages, how can there be one or two thousand young people, this is clearly a conspiracy of the Ouchi family! ”

"Nope! It is impossible for the Ouchi family alone to have so many troops, and there may be a figure of the Ashina family behind this! Thinking of this, Katakura Keiqin suddenly knew that this matter was no longer up to him.

"Father, I'll leave the affairs of the territory to you for the time being, and I'll go to Yonezawa Castle myself!"

Katakura Yorijin also understood the seriousness of the matter, so he nodded solemnly.

......

Yonezawa Castle, Date is already in chaos.

It can be said that all the territories bordering the forces of the Ashina family have had incidents of different scales, and preliminary statistics show that the Date family has lost at least 20,000 koku of grain.

That's not a small amount.

"What does the Ashina Mori clan want to do, isn't the defeat of three years ago not enough for him to understand who is the real overlord of the Michinoku Kingdom?" Inside the Yonezawa Castle castle tower, Date Harumun roared angrily.

After listening to Date Harumune's words, many of the retainers in the hall also looked angry, as if they were waiting for Date Harumune's order and then cut the Ashina Mori clan in half from Kurokawa Castle.

Of course, there are also some more rational retainers who secretly thought in their hearts that the victory of the Date family three years ago was really a fluke factor, and now if Date and Ashina are allowed to fight again, the victory or defeat is really not easy to say.

And some of the more rational retainers thought in their hearts that the overlord of Mutsu was really not the Date family, and the Tsukawa family next door still stood on three-fifths of the territory of Mutsu Province......

"My lord, I think that such a large-scale robbery incident in the territory of the family cannot be a coincidence, it must be the work of the Ashina Mori clan beneficiary Ouchi Yoshitsuna and Nihonmatsu Yoshikuni and others, the purpose is to provoke a war between the family and the Ashina family."

"But this time is different from the past, the losses received by the Ashina coalition in three years have almost made up for it, and if a joint war breaks out at this time, the family really has no certainty of victory, so the lord should think twice!" Sang Zhejing, an important minister of the Date family, said slowly.

Date Harumi's face recovered a little at the moment, but there was still a looming fierce light in his eyes.

"Tokirisuke, is there any news from the Tsugawa family?" It was a long time before Date Harumune set his eyes on an unusually piercing samurai in the crowd.

Nakano Sect hurriedly came out and said, "My lord, the Tsugawa family is still the same." Since the Kasai and Daihoji families surrendered three years ago, the Tsugawa family seems to be in love with the development of the realm, and they have little concern for the outside world. ”

"What does Tokisuke mean that the Tsugawa family has no intention of sending troops at the moment?" Date Harumuni then asked.

Nakano Shotoki nodded, "That's true according to the current situation, but if the situation in Mutsu changes, then it is unknown!" ”

"The damn Tsugawa family is as annoying as a sword hanging from the head! However, for the provocation of the Ashina family, the family cannot completely ignore it. ”

"Harima Mamoru, you immediately leave for Kurokawa City to negotiate with the Ashina family, it is best to settle this matter peacefully, and by the way, let the Ashina family be sure to compensate for the family's losses and hand over the initiator of this matter."

"Chang Lu Suke, you immediately leave for the second county of Shinda, responsible for dealing with the pacification of the people in the area where the grain was robbed, and the family will let Shi Zongmaru and Katakura Keijin and others assist you!" Date Harumunu said loudly.

"Hah! I will definitely live up to the trust of the Lord! Nakano Sotoki and Sang Zhejingcho replied in unison.

At the same time, Soji Tsugawa also learned about this from the report of his ninja, and immediately called Miki Naogo, "The water in Mutsu is not mixed enough, so I ordered to go down and let Iwaki Jiro work harder." ”

"It's not enough to incite the farmers of the Ashina family, but to mobilize the emotions of the farmers on the side of the Date family. It would be better if there was a fight, and in short, the two sides must fight as quickly as possible, even if it was just between the peasants! ”

"Ha~ha!"

Obviously, the fact that the Ida family's grain was robbed by the Ashina family was behind the involvement of the Tsugawa family. Neither the Ashina family nor the Date family seem to be aware of this......