There was no doubt that the battle with Tokugawa Ieyasu and his allies would be on the Fujigawa front, and preparations for this goal would naturally be intensified. In fact, my ninja has long known that in addition to the 30,000 troops gathered by the Hojo clan, the armies of the daimyo such as Satomi, Sano, Soma, Utsunomiya, Nasu, and Ashina are also constantly moving towards the Hakone area.

"In this way, their men will reach 80,000, maybe they can compete with me, right?" I secretly calculated this in private, secretly rejoicing in my little "cunning".

Since I have been a businessman for a while, I naturally understand a truth: as long as the purpose of monopolizing the market can be achieved at a loss-making price, then I will not hesitate to sell! And those people in the eastern kingdom are essentially just some "rich people", and they can only simply see the 100,000 horses that continue to increase at my disposal. They forgot to calculate how many more people can be mobilized in, Nishikoku, Kyushu, and Shikoku, and where I will use them!

Now that almost all the major daimyo in the west are in front of my army, and even if not myself, they are indispensable and important people in the family, so it will not be very difficult for me to continue to recruit their strength, right?

I would like to thank Heaven for the good weather since the great disaster of 1580, which allowed me to accumulate enough food in two years. You must know that although a huge army can be collected throughout the country, it must not be used in such a way to provide food and grass.

In the Middle Ages, when there were no modern means of transportation, accidents and losses on large-scale transportation were inevitable. There is a world-famous Grand Canal on the land of the Central Plains, but once you use troops inside and outside the Great Wall, it will still make the parties have a headache for food, not to mention that this is still in Japan, where the terrain is complex and there are several pipes all the way!

No matter how smoothly it all went, I kept saying in my heart that I wanted to keep a low profile. Even if it's an occasional show, it's best to feel complacent!

"How long has he been waiting inside?" When I came to the corner of a hallway, I stopped, turned my head and asked the Gamo clan who was following me.

"It's been two hours since morning!" He replied without thinking, a vague smile on his lips.

"Then I think his mind is more stable, let's go and meet!" I said and walked on with satisfaction.

In fact, what the Gamo clan said was not accurate, Honda Masanobu waited for more than just two hours, but was "squatted" for three days. Originally, I really wanted to see him the next day, but then I thought that it would be more desirable to delay for a few days, which was more in line with my mentality in the eyes of outsiders.

Of course, you can't just just wait, that will inevitably make people see fake! Over the course of three days, more troops were gathered on the west bank of the Fuji River, and occasional attempts were made to cross the river, all in the prelude to a major attack.

"Whew!" The next door was opened by the attendant, and I didn't drink because I was just seeing a person. As soon as I entered, I saw a man kneeling on the ground with his forehead touched, and I don't know if it had been like this all the time or if he had just fallen down when he heard footsteps.

"Meet His Highness Da Nayan!" Honda greeted respectfully, and there was not the slightest anger in his voice.

"I've been busy with mundane affairs these days, and I'm really slacking off Lord Benta!" I looked down at the people below, my face was gloomy, I didn't say "I'm sorry", I didn't even mean "accommodating" at all.

"I really don't dare to be, I have to come down recklessly and interfere with His Highness Da Nayan's plans!" Honda replied with sincere trepidation, raising his head slightly just to knock down again. "The Tokugawa family was sincerely afraid of the court when they saw that they were guilty of the court, and thanks to the full support of His Royal Highness Da Nayan, the Tokugawa family was grateful. Today, I heard that you are in Suruga, and the people of the eastern country are very lucky. The contemptible lord also knew that he had the care of His Royal Highness, so he trembled and sent his ministers to greet him! ”

"You ...... Alas~! I stretched out my hand and pointed at him with a folding fan, but finally sighed and said helplessly: "If you have anything to say, you should get up first!" ”

"Yes, His Royal Highness Xie Danayan is massively tolerant!" With my permission, Honda straightened up, but his head was still bowed.

"His Royal Highness Tokugawa has gone too far this time, and he actually treated me with such kindness!" I said to him resentfully, but at least not in the same cold as ice. "According to the original intention of the imperial court, it was originally to recover all the territories of the Tokugawa family, but it was only after I went up and down that I was able to recover only the two countries. Is that a lot? Not even half of it has arrived. In order to have this result, how many words I have spent and how many favors I have taken are completely in mind of the affection I have had with His Royal Highness Tokugawa for many years. But where did you put me in this attack on the official appointment of the imperial court? ”

"What is His Highness Tokugawa asking you to do today? If you don't want to recover from the catastrophe, it is right to surrender as soon as possible and take the initiative to ask the court for guilt! "As soon as Honda Masanobu opened his mouth, he was stopped by the Gamo clan shouting." If the great names are all here today, it has become a gushing trend to crusade against the Tokugawa family out of righteous indignation. You better go back quickly and persuade His Highness Tokugawa to stop making those unrealistic fantasies!" ”

"The Tokugawa family's crimes are unforgivable, and the foreign minister is also sincerely afraid, but please let the foreign minister say a lot of words!" Honda Masanobu was heartbroken, and said with a sincere face: "His Royal Highness Da Nayan's kindness to the Tokugawa family is high and deep, and it can be said that he has worked hard to calm down the previous incident, but he can only hate the previous envoy to Kyoto Okubo Tadasa's renefarious remarks, which angered the imperial court and committed this irreparable sin!" He rolled his eyelids slightly.

I looked much better by now, at least not as excited as I had just been.

"Most of the warriors of the Three Rivers are foolish people in the countryside, and it is inevitable that many fierce acts will break out when they hear that they have reclaimed their hometown!" Seeing that I had no intention of reprimanding and listening, he continued to say tentatively: "After returning from Kyoto, Okubo Tadasaku did everything in his power to cover up his foolishness, and many people were instigated by him, and many people were indignant because of his demagoguery. The contemptible lord is also well aware of the care of His Royal Highness Da Nayan, but he has no choice but to be held hostage by their warriors, which is why he later resisted the vain act of the imperial court to protect and receive, and now he regrets it! ”

"Your Highness Tokugawa won't be easy......" I said "subconsciously" after a long sigh.

"His Royal Highness !! Great Nayan" Hearing my words, the two of them exclaimed in unison, the difference is that Honda Masanobu is infinitely surprised, while Gamo clan is surprised and "inexplicable".

"Is there anything else Your Highness Tokugawa has to say?" I raised my hand to stop the Gamo clan, who had already opened his mouth, and asked Honda Masanobu who was kowtowing again.

"Although these words are really rude, the contemptible lord also said that I will plead with His Highness Da Nayan on his behalf!" Honda said with emotion. "Since the time when he went to Luo with Nobunaga, the contemptuous lord has deeply felt the benevolence of His Highness Zhuxing. Later, the sisters Chuan, Sanbunhara, and Nagashino, until the defeat of Takeda Katsuyori, His Royal Highness Da Nayan has benefited the Tokugawa family many times. So far, the contemptible lord can only hide his face and beg, begging His Royal Highness to help again, and beg for the Tokugawa family in front of the imperial court and the world's daimyos! After saying that, he raised his head again and stared at me with a somewhat complicated gaze.

I didn't speak for a long time, just hung my head slightly, and looked at the three feet in front of me a little distractedly. There is a Xuande copper incense burner with a hundred lions, and a wisp of white smoke with a strange fragrance rises and hovers from it. In the corner of the house stood a Nanban chiming bell, which kept making a clicking sound, and because it was quiet in the room now, it could be heard very clearly. Perhaps to some of the people in the room at this moment, the sound seemed to knock on his heart.

It seemed like I was supposed to break the silence at the moment, but I didn't know how to get a more powerful effect. This is an occasional detail that has not been thought out too much before.

But it turned out to be somewhat unexpected, the silence was not broken by me, and it was not due to my prior arrangement.

"Enlighten the lord!" From the gate that appeared at the front open, Gobenmaru knelt down and reported to me: "Your Highnesses Otomo (Yoshito), Ito, Omura, and Nabeshima have now arrived, please meet your lord outside!" ”

"Ask them to rest first, I'll see them later!" I replied casually.

"His Royal Highness Otomo has repeatedly requested, hoping to go to the front line to participate in the war as soon as possible!"

"Got it!" After sending the Gobenmaru away, I thumped my head and said to myself in "distress": "The army of the various daimyo has exceeded 100,000, how can I explain this......

"The Tokugawa family, everyone and others rely on the blessing of His Royal Highness Da Nayan!" Honda Masanobu's tears flowed, and you will never find anyone more "sincere" outside of a professional actor.

"The matter has come to this point, and the Tokugawa family is afraid that it will not be able to get over if they don't give an 'explanation'!" I thought about it for a long time before I gritted my teeth and said: "At this time, the court is thundering and angry, and the daimyo from all walks of life are angry, and I am not very easy to say certain things. If you only use the previous requests in Kyoto, you will definitely not agree to them. Although I can't bear it, the Tokugawa family's territory is definitely going to be further reduced! ”

"Obey the instructions of His Highness the Great Nayan!" When Honda Masanobu said this, his eyes didn't flicker.

"The specific matter still has to be reported to the imperial court, but Suruga and Kai are definitely going to be taken away!" As I said this, my eyes were fixed on his expression. At this time, Suruga is actually not a problem, but Kai's gains and losses are not such a simple problem. "I think the Tokugawa family will continue to keep 200,000 koku in the four counties of Chikuma, Suwa, Ina, and Saku in Shinshu, which is still acceptable in all aspects!"

"Although it is extremely rude, the foreign minister really has some unavoidable feelings to return!" Although Honda Masanobu was extremely embarrassed, he still noticed the cold eyes hidden behind the "mask" by him.