By the middle of September of the sixth year of Tensho (1578), the war in Iyo had largely calmed down, and after more than two months of "painful torture", the Mori family finally chose to withdraw their troops in a dignified silence. In the previous two years, the Maori family suffered serious losses in the competition in the eastern part of the western country, and although they barely retained their position as the hegemon of the western country, their military and financial resources were much worse than before. Although the Kono family was an important ally, the value of the Karujima navy was greatly reduced with the destruction of the Kurishima navy, and the top decision-makers of the Maori family decided to protect themselves first.

The Kono family can't even defeat the head relatives of Chozong and my department on their own, let alone add the 30,000 soldiers and horses of Takenaka and Gamo. As the Maori army began to retreat, panic arose within them, and the Iyohao clan, who nominally existed as retainers of the Kono family, began to scramble to find their way out.

Unexpectedly, the blow of the enemy's iron fist did not come immediately, and Takenaka and Gamo not only slackened off their work passively, but also used practical actions to slow down the advance of the Tosa Legion of Chozong's department. The nobles who had shown themselves were immediately protected, and the banners with the mark of "Stars Maru" were sent to them, and they were told that they would be fine as long as they hung them. Although I have not yet been to that country, my name of righteousness has been proclaimed in the mouth of the naughty child.

Nagamune's relatives didn't bother much in Nanyu, and when they arrived in Nakayo Kita County, Takenaka and Gamo were already waiting there. Faced with the Kono family, who had lost their support, of course, he didn't want to wait any longer, and led his Tosa army to continue to advance violently. But while fighting, he suddenly felt that something was wrong!

The Kono family is naturally not the opponent of Changzong's army, but although there is a defeat, it has not collapsed, although the head of Changzong and my department have also captured some cities, but there is not even a Kono retainer or vassal clan who has come to surrender. On the other hand, behind him, the 30,000 troops of Takenaka and Gamo stayed quietly in place, and the cities in the north of Zhongyu and Nanyu were hung with the banners of the stars to express their position, and they actually crossed a large piece of land that did not belong to them to fight, which was really a little weird!

I sent me a letter from the head of my department, and I didn't say anything but congratulate him on his victory. He also sent a letter to Takenaka Hanbei and Gamo Clan, and the answer he received was: His Royal Highness Yushu has ordered us to help you fight, but you don't need help now! We're here to watch, you're welcome! By this time, the nobles of Nanyu and eastern Iyo, who had submitted to him at the beginning of the war, had also become ambiguous. As a last resort, the head relatives of Changzong and our department had no choice but to retreat back after a series of victories.

The war is over, but nothing has come to an end! The Maori army is gone; The Kono family was the vanquished; Takenaka and Gamo are bystanders who don't want to speak; The small and medium-sized wealthy are not qualified to speak; Changzong and my relatives wanted to speak, but they didn't know what to say! Because everyone in Iyo kept their mouths shut, they had to find someone abroad who could talk.

"Hmm~cough!" I didn't let me tell you because it was a private occasion, but I coughed before I entered the house. "Adults don't need to be polite, let's introduce ourselves first!" Before I could sit down, I spoke to one of the prostrated men in the middle.

"In the lower Utsu Palace, I am specially entrusted by the lord of the Iyo family to come and meet His Highness the stars of the city!" The visitor raised his head and introduced himself, showing a heartfelt reverence for me. This is a figure between a samurai and a minister, somewhat like Ashikaga Yoshiaki, but more vulnerable.

"It's Utsunomiya-sama!" After I sat down, I motioned for the attendant to serve tea, and then said, "Although I have never heard of the great name of the lord before, I have long admired the reputation of the Utsunomiya family. Moreover, the aristocracy has lived in Zhongyu for generations, and the maintenance of the local area has made a lot of contributions to the imperial court. Now that the entire territory of Shikoku is about to be stabilized, I hope that Utsunomiya will be able to make persistent efforts to carry on the past and open up the future! ”

"Thank you for the praise of His Royal Highness Yushu, Utsunomiya is ashamed!" Utsunomiya Fangtsuna looked a little worried and a little relieved, and it seemed that not only did he not care about my "I haven't heard of it", but he was moved by my straightforwardness. It's just that since I haven't heard of it, it means that the weight is not enough, so can this mission be completed?

"Utsunomiya-sama! …… Utsunomiya-sama? "It took me two screams to bring back his thoughts outside of the object." I don't know what kind of advice adults have when they come to the disdainful place? ”

"Oh...... It's really presumptuous to come down! Utsunomiya Fangzuna was stunned for a moment, and then remembered that he had to work hard anyway. In the lower is also a humble status, should not be so presumptuous to come to disturb His Highness. But now Iyo's situation is really dangerous, so I'm entrusted by the people of Iyo......"

"Iyo? What will happen to Iyo? I asked, surprised. I've been busy with recovery since the end of the Awa War, and I didn't care much about Awa and the Shoki lords saying goodbye one after another. Later, when I heard that they were involved in Iyo's dispute, I felt that something was wrong, and I had already ordered Shigeharu Takenaka and Gamo-sama to rush to settle it. Didn't the news come two days ago that there was a truce? What's going on here! ”

"It's a truce...... But the trouble is getting bigger and bigger! "Utsunomiya Fangzuna has a bitter look and is almost about to cry." Iyo has been divided for a long time, and Kono Gate, which is the guardian, has repeatedly declined, and there have been endless internal and external battles for many years, and the grievances of all parties are no longer a matter of gaining or losing a city or a place! Although there were disputes earlier, there was nothing major about everyone's strength being balanced. This time, the situation is different, and with the help of His Royal Highness, the Changzong family has a strong power, and it has the potential to swallow our old Iyo clan in one bite. The city lords of all the wealthy clans are now panicking, and they are really in a precarious situation! ”

"What do you mean...... I understand! I touched the two mustaches on my upper lip and fell into deep thought, and the Utsunomiya Fangtsuna opposite me looked nervously at me. I thought that the entry of the Takenaka and Gamo armies would restore calm to Iyo, but it seems that I was wrong! After a long time, I looked up and said, "Although Takenaka and Gamo have betrayed my trust, I still have an unshirkable responsibility. When His Royal Highness Changzong came to me, he also said that he would maintain the place for the imperial court, but why didn't I think that it would lead to the escalation of old grievances? Well, I'll just order the two of them to come back......"

"No, no, no, Your Highness Yuzhou, you misunderstood what I meant!" Hearing that I was going to transfer back the Takenaka Hanbei and the Gamo clan, Utsunomiya Fangtsuna's face turned white with fright. "The reason why everyone is still safe and sound in Iyo now is because there are two adults, Takenaka and Gamu. Otherwise, more than half of the wealthy families will disappear within three days, so please don't let such a terrible thing happen! ”

"Then I don't understand what you mean!" I folded my hands on my chest and frowned, looking at him with a puzzled look. "If you follow what the adults mean: it was Takenaka and Gamo who went to Iyo at the wrong time, but now they are stuck in the mud and can't leave! If you really look at it that way, I can keep them there in order to maintain Iyo's stability, but it's not a long-term solution! That's a troop of 30,000 people, and if you stay outside the territory for a long time, don't talk about me, even His Royal Highness the Inner Mansion can't afford it. So you'd better plan early, and Iyo's affairs will have to depend on yourselves! ”

"This is also the main purpose of coming to meet His Royal Highness Yushu this time, to create a long-term peace and stability strategy for Iyo a country!" Utsunomiya Fangzuna finally let go of the "baggage" and decided to open the window to say something. "The reason why Iyo is in this situation now is because there is no influential person who is acceptable to all parties to come forward to preside over the overall situation. Now the vast majority of the city lords have said: Only His Royal Highness Zhuxing Yushu is the savior of Iyo! First, you are an important minister under His Royal Highness the Inner Palace, and you have always been relied on by the imperial court, and the plan you presided over will not be rejected when sent to Kyoto. In addition, you are highly respected and have just been greatly favored by the people of Awa, Sanki, and Tosa, so you can create a favorable external environment for the stability of Iyo. Third, you still have strong strength, giving all parties a certain amount of ......"

"It's not good, it's not good, isn't that a way to convince people?" I shook my head repeatedly. "If others intervene by force, although it will be temporarily settled, in the long run, it will only hide all contradictions. If it can't be solved from the inside, something big will happen sooner or later. His Royal Highness Kono is still the guardian of Iyo Ichikoku, so it is only right that he will preside over the reconciliation meeting! ”

"Asking Your Highness to come forward is precisely to solve it once and for all, and for this reason, I did consult everyone before I came!" Utsunomiya Fangzuna took a step forward with his hands on the ground. "The reason why Iyo has fallen to this point today is that the Kono family can be said to be guilty of injustice, if it weren't for their weakness and greed, why would they be coveted by foreign enemies. The Kono family no longer has such qualifications, and Your Highness Yuzhou is what everyone wants! ”

"Even so, isn't there still His Highness Kobayakawa? I heard he was in Iyo! "I thought about it and shook my head." When I was in San'in, I had contact with His Royal Highness Kobayakawa and although everyone was a little unhappy at the time, I still greatly admired his character. The Maori family has been in charge of the Western Kingdom for a long time and has a deep relationship with the Shikoku, and many people from the wealthy clan participated in this war, so it seems that the mediation of His Royal Highness Kobayakawa is the right way! ”

"Rumors, this is definitely a rumor!" On the opposite side, Utsunomiya Fangtsuna's head shook like a rattle. "Yes, there are some Sanyo forces that have entered Iyo, but they are only because of personal friendships that have helped the Kono family, and they are all gone now. Before leaving, they repeatedly said that the Mori family had no opinion on Shikoku, and as for the legend of His Royal Highness Kobayakawa, it was even more nonsense! ”

"That's ......" I raised my face, and my two eyes went straight to Utsunomiya Fangzuna. Just in time for him to look at me, he immediately lowered his head when he came into contact with my gaze. "You're really ...... I've got a problem! ”

"No matter what, please give your Highness the state, just make it difficult!" He bent down again, his forehead touching the floor.