Akechi Mitsuhide's mansion is a little smaller than mine, and it's far from being as ornate, but I have to admit that when it comes to elegance, it's better than that!

The gray tiles and white walls are all very ordinary things, and a few pine and bamboo trees are not unusual, and the beams and pillars are simply waxed and not even painted, which is really not how he passed Oda Nobunaga's harsh inspection.

The whole mansion was very quiet, and I think most of the people had already slept. Only one gatekeeper remained at each gate, and after a few whispers from the wise man, he let us in. Without any trouble we entered the inner courtyard, and through a moon gate, at the end of the gravel path there was a lonely hut, which looked like a study in the garden.

"Click, click" came to the door, and Wise Shuman gently knocked on the wooden door twice.

"Is it Xiuman?" The lights in the room flickered, and the voice of Akechi Mitsuhide came from inside.

"It's me!" Akechi Shumitsu replied. "Your Highness the Stars has arrived!"

"Come in!" Akechi Mitsuhide appeared at the door opening and reached out to let me into the house. "It's none of your business here, go get that guy here!" He commanded Wise Hideman again.

I also let Shinhachiro and the others stay outside, and followed him into the house alone. I don't know why he had to see me tonight, it seems like something big.

"Your Highness is still reading so late? Oh...... It's my Highness Lao who has been waiting for a long time! "I couldn't help but be a little surprised when I saw a pot of tea and an ancient book, but as soon as the words came out, I realized my stupidity.

"Nothing! I've just come back...... "He poured me a cup of hot tea with his own hands, and in this respect he behaved no less than the proper minister." "Fortunately, those old robes in Mino know my abilities, so I was able to get out of the way!"

"I'm laughing at you, I just lack this self-control!" I took a sip from my cup, it was very warm and comfortable. "I don't know if you have any instructions?"

"Please Your Highness, there is something to ask for!" He sat back in his seat and said with a smile on his face, "His Royal Highness Niwa has fully taken over the duties of the head of the family, and the work in all aspects is becoming more and more arduous, although Azuchi Castle is only half a day's journey from Kyoto, it is not very convenient after all. Recently, the Takeda family has been working on recuperation, so the lord arranged for me to help His Highness Niwa. Of course, the person who introduced the envoys of the daimyo to the imperial court was His Royal Highness Niwa, and I was only responsible for contacting the relationship between my family and the various forces of the imperial court! ”

"That's congratulations!" I think it's a good fit for him.

"You're here, but I'm feeling a little powerless!" Akechi Mitsuhide sighed slightly. "Although I was born in the old family of Meinong, and I have some relationship with the imperial court, after all, the time has already passed now, and the heads of each family are not familiar to me. If you act superficially, you may live up to the trust of the lord! ”

"Your Highness is too humble!" I don't know what he has to worry about, now the relationship between the Oda family and the ministers is like that of a master and a minion, so the identity of Akechi Mitsuhide is like a housekeeper who manages the minions. This kind of work just needs to be shouted, and will anyone be able to do it badly? "Is there anything I can do to be effective?" I think his "embarrassment" must have something to do with me.

"His Highness Zhuxing himself is famous, and Ling Yue is also a famous Honqin Town, so the influence goes without saying!" When he saw me asking, he got straight to the point. "Because I am confused by the constraints of my identity and I am afraid that it will be difficult to open up the situation, I would like to ask His Highness for help. Can you hold a small tea party in Kyoto in a private capacity, so that you can communicate with some of the ministers who are close to you? ”

"This ...... No problem! Looking at his slightly expectant gaze, I immediately understood what he was thinking.

The troubled times are coming to an end, and you don't need too keen eyes to understand this! But after that, it was a little difficult to figure out where each one would go. Akechi Mitsuhide was not an accident, but he suddenly set his sights on the central power. As long as Oda Nobunaga opened the shogunate or established a separate one, then he had to attack that similar position to the ruling power, which required that he must have a wide range of contacts in the imperial court that held the name of righteousness, and it was not simply obtained by just a few "shouts", but must be mixed into the "minions" pile. Niwa Nagahide is old and unforgiving, and he is not out of the question. It seems that although he has left Asakura Yoshikei and Ashikaga Yoshiaki for so many years, the "residual poison" has not been completely purged.

"Your Highness Wise, please rest assured, please leave this matter to me completely!" I swore that it had nothing to do with me anyway.

"Then I'm here to thank you in advance!" Akechi Mitsuhide looked extremely excited, as if he could really pull something out of Oda Nobunaga's palm.

"So I'll take my leave, and I'll make arrangements as soon as the New Year is over!" It's just a little thing, and I'm ready to say goodbye and go home to sleep.

"Please wait a little longer, I have someone I want to introduce you!" He straightened up slightly, and as he spoke, there was another knock on the door. "Come in!" It seems that he knows very well who is out there.

Akechi Shuman appeared at the door, but instead of coming in, he let in a person behind him. It's just a middle-aged samurai dressed in coarse cloth, with dark skin and a rectangular face, and a medium stature that looks powerful and powerful.

"In Shimonakajima Konosuke, meet His Highness Zhuxing Yuzhou!" When he came in, he knelt down to me first, which showed that he was already quite familiar with Akechi Mitsuhide.

"This is ......," I looked at Akechi Mitsuhide with an inquiring gaze.

"Let him say it himself!" He waved his hand at the middle-aged samurai.

"Yes, I'm a retainer of the Tosa Chozong clan!" Kanosuke Nakajima straightened up, but his eyelids still drooped. "The contemptible lord has long admired the fame of the highnesses of the Oda family, and I also hope to be blessed by His Royal Highness the Right General to serve the court. Shikoku is located in a remote area and it is difficult to bask in the grace of the Holy Grace, so it has always been poisoned by the three good traitors, and the people of the Shi clan are miserable. When the lord heard that His Royal Highness the Right General wanted to ask for it, he was overjoyed, and sent a small one to pay his respects. And expressed his willingness to lead the children of his own family and lead him to the front of His Royal Highness the right general! ”

"It turned out to be someone sent by His Royal Highness Changzong and my department......" I nodded, and my tone seemed very flat.

This person came to meet Oda Nobunaga, and he asked for someone to introduce him, and he asked for Akechi Mitsuhide, which is nothing to be suspicious of, and although it was unexpected, it was not surprising. The ability of the head relatives of Chozong is very strong, and the Tosa army is also a well-known strong army. It's just that he doesn't seem to look down on me much, and he wants to get a place directly in the hands of Oda Nobunaga. He may not be able to afford to look down on Akechi Mitsuxiu, this person may just be a relationship he found.

"This Nakajima-sama is related to my subordinate Saito Toshizo, so I found this place directly......" Akechi Mitsuhide saw that I was a little slow to react, thinking that it was the result of excessive drinking, so he took the initiative to introduce it. Although Nakajima-sama wants to meet the lord directly, I myself think this is a good thing, but after all, it is your Highness Zhuxing who is in charge of the affairs of the four countries now, and it is better for you to introduce him to him. His Royal Highness Changzong has such a deep understanding of the general situation, which is a commendable move! ”

"Yes, please let His Highness the stars come true!" Kanosuke Nakajima said the same. "In order to repay His Highness's favor, the contemptible lord has prepared when the little one comes......" he touched his hand into his arms.

"Thank you for the gift, there is no need, I will arrange for you to meet the lord as soon as possible!" I reached forward and made a stop gesture. "Presumably, when your lord came, His Royal Highness Chozong and my department must have already told you a lot of things, such as loyalty to the right general, the situation in Shikoku and other places, the future of Changzong and my family, etc., and maybe how to say to whom, and how to phrase other people......"

"His Royal Highness Yushu......" Kanosuke Nakajima's head beaded with sweat, and his eyes protruded like goldfish, probably because of his dark skin, the discoloration on his face was not very obvious.

"Listen to me!" I raised my palm again to stop him. "This has nothing to do with me, and I won't ask you, Nakajima-sama. It's not interesting at all, you can do whatever you want! I will ask His Royal Highness the Right General to meet you, and I will not do anything unfavorable to His Highness the Changzong or the Changzong family!" After seeing him breathe a sigh of relief, I said again: "But as a person, I still want to make a word to your lord and His Royal Highness Changzong: Your Excellency can take this opportunity to see and listen to more things and then reply to your lordship." Ask him to think carefully about whether the 'future' he thinks is realistic! ”

Akechi Mitsuhide looked at me in surprise, probably doubting his own conclusion that I was already drunk.

Kanosuke Nakajima's eyes continued to protrude outward, and his throat kept squirming and swallowing saliva. He didn't know what was going on, and it wasn't possible for him to figure it out with his identity and intelligence. "I ...... When the little one goes back, he will definitely tell you what he taught! That's all he can say.

"Then I'm relieved! Let's talk about the things that General Jin Jianyou needs to pay attention to......" In the stunned eyes of the two of them, I talked endlessly about the problems and taboos that might be involved in this foreign affairs activity, until a hazy white fish belly began to appear in the east. "Then I'll take my leave!" I stood up and prepared to leave.

"I'll send His Highness Yushu out......" Akechi Mitsuhide also immediately stood up.

"It's okay to have Xiuman, it's not good for His Highness to be so solemn!" I refused.

"It's good!" Akechi Mitsuhide is not a procrastination either.

"May I ask a question?" When the door had been opened, Kanosuke Nakajima finally asked. "Why did Your Highness say what you just said to the little one, the little one really can't think of it!" He felt that at least there should be an explanation for his master in the future.

"Don't you understand?" I sighed. "Whether I want to or not, I will be connected with Shikoku for this period of time in the future, and I can't break up if I fight!" With that, I walked out.

There was one word I was thinking about all the way home, and that was "so ambitious"!