The water of Lake Biwa is still blue and vast, but most of the leaves have fallen from the trees around the lake. In early autumn, I left early winter and came back, and finally came back safe and sound.

Uesugi Kenshin is dead, and a generation of heroes was assassinated while going to the toilet, which is really a slightly black humor! But Uesugi Kenshin is Uesugi Kenshin after all, and after being seriously injured by an accidental attack, he still killed the assassin ninja on the spot, and left behind the full arrangement of the secret withdrawal of the army in the last few days.

But one thing is even more ridiculous: although I learned most of the details before and after this incident in a few days, the most crucial thing was not clear: to whom did Uesugi Kenshin's will be passed?

Uesugi Keitora and Uesugi Keikatsu both claim to be the rightful heirs of the family governor, and the two sides gather their men and horses to prepare for war, and the prelude to the Imperial Palace Rebellion is slowly beginning. Although Uesugi Jingkatsu has the support of Naoe, Usami, and Kakisaki, Uesugi Jinghu is recognized by most of the peripheral wealthy families, and there is a powerful Hojo family as Austrian reinforcement, so in the current situation, he still has the advantage!

Shibata Katsuie and I both sent a hundred thousand urgent advice to Oda Nobunaga, and Shibata Katsuie's opinion was to take advantage of the mourning to send troops in one go and directly pacify Echigo and eradicate the Uesugi family, a major problem; I suggested that it would be better to take a look at the situation before we saw it, and I also faintly pointed out the battle for the inheritance of the Uesugi family, which may be a key opportunity to disintegrate the triangular alliance of Jia, Xiang, and Vietnam.

Oda Nobunaga chose my plan without much consideration, and Shibata Katsuie continued to stay in Echichu to observe the movements, and ordered me to bring someone back first. Naturally, I was so happy that I set off on the road, and sent another request to Oda Nobunaga asking for the next steps.

At first, I wasn't in a hurry, I just walked slowly all the way, anyway, there was still a long way! But slowly, I felt that something was wrong, and my troops passed through these countries one by one, from Echichu, Koga, Echizen, and Kita-Omi to Minami-Omi, but Oda Nobunaga's orders never came. Now that I'm on the shore of Lake Biwa, less than half a day's walk from Azuchi Castle, and I'm about to enter the mountain castle and reach Kyoto, what is Oda Nobunaga thinking?

I'm worrying about this now, and it's obviously not good to return to the territory without getting an order, but it's obviously not a problem to stop so close to Azuchi Castle, which will arouse suspicion.

The tent was on the shore of the lake, in a wide and flat place, and although it was a relatively stable area, the camp was well established. Most of the generals are doing their own things in their own camps, so there are not many people in my body. Some of the flags and attendants were watching Shinhachiro practice martial arts, clapping their hands and shouting yes.

I didn't have much of this mood, sitting on a big bluestone not far away in a daze.

"Your Highness, is there anything you don't worry about?" Gamo clan and Shimakatsu walked over together.

"It's not those things yet, there is something in my heart that is not in decline!" There was nothing polite to them, so I didn't stand up.

"This highness doesn't need to be in a hurry, it should be soon!" The Gamo clan snapped his fingers left and right, his expression casual and natural.

"How?" I looked at this Oda Nobunaga's son-in-law, and it stands to reason that if there was "inside information", he should have told me as soon as possible, and I still have this confidence.

"Actually, there is nothing, just compare the heart to the heart!" The Gamo clan was about to continue, but there was a shout from Shinhachiro.

At this time, Shinhachiro was shirtless and did not wear a shirt, and the tiger and tiger who danced the "Fury of Shura" in his hand were difficult to penetrate, and the grass, trees, rocks, bones, and tendons near the blade flew sideways, and it was difficult to enter within a radius of ten zhang. Although the weather was already very cold in early winter, the top of his head and body were still steaming.

"Lord Kiyohiko has won the famous general Onikojima Yataro in Echigo this time, and his reputation is even more prestigious, and he is afraid that the title of the world's first martial and brave general will not be fought for by others!" He suddenly changed the topic and sighed.

"A reckless man who lacks brains, the deterrent force is only far from the actual effect!" It's not that I'm polite, and that's exactly what I think in my heart. In this era of increasing firearms, there are still a few people who will fight you one-on-one.

"Your Highness is right, it is this deterrent force!" The Gamo clan turned around and said with a smile: "This time, the lord of the Tetorigawa battle must also be aware of a problem, he was too confident in the past. In front of Uesugi Kenshin, Shibata was defeated, and Yushiba fled without a fight, and only His Highness could still fight hard. What does all this mean? If you think about it, you'll find a lot of interesting content behind it! ”

"Is the lord in trouble? Wish I could help! A dried yellow leaf fell onto my knee, and I lowered my head and reached out to flick it.

"If the three major corps of Zhuxing, Shibata, and Hashiba are all cleaned up by Uesugi this time, then things will really become out of control!" The Gamo clan looked at the sky with his hands on his shoulders, and the topic he was talking about at the moment was really in line with the current season. "The foundation of the Oda family is so big that countless people covet it, so big that even if a pillar falls, the whole house will be shaken. Things have been going on in the west for a month, and there is no sign of calming down. Everything is very clear, without the deterrence of a powerful army of force, His Royal Highness Niwa and Sakuma alone will not be able to hold the situation! ”

"Japan, a small island country, lacks everything, that is, there has never been a shortage of careerists!" I was also affected by his emotions and felt a little lonely and helpless.

"If you lack the support of a strong guard, then the overlord of the world is just a puppet, Ashikaga Shogun is like this, and the Miyoshi family is also like this!" Suddenly, like a child, he jumped on a boulder beside me and looked far away. It's the direction of Kyoto, but you can't see anything here. "What a wonderful thing to control the imperial court! But because of this, it has become the target of countless people in the world who want to eradicate it. Now is a critical moment for the lord and the entire Oda family, further is the pinnacle of glory, and taking a step back is a catastrophe! ”

"The lord can promote some new people! He was an old man with a good eye for this...... "I knew what he meant, but I asked him in a joking way.

"Maybe it was possible in Owari, but it's not so easy now!" He jumped down from the stone and walked straight in front of Shima Katsuto, and his skills were quite athletic. "Shima-sama! Ask you a completely hypothetical question that I hope you ...... Oh, and don't mind, Your Highness the Stars! He asked.

"Oh...... Please! Shima Katsutoshi was a little flustered by this sudden "attack".

"If something happens to Your Highness the Stars, what will you do next about your life?" Gamo asked with a sly expression.

"Gamo-sama!!" Shima Shengmeng's voice was raised, and his face was red.

"I just said that this question is completely based on assumptions, adults don't need to be angry!" Gamo hurriedly explained. "Besides, this is also to help His Highness the Stars analyze the current situation, so please don't hide it!"

"Naturally, I am assisting the young master and continuing to revitalize the great cause of the Zhuxing family!" Although the Gamo clan gave an explanation, Katsutoshi Shima was still angry.

"Looks like you still don't understand what I mean!" The Gamo clan sat down on the stone he was standing on as if deflated. "I mean, if you don't consider the factor of the Star Family in the middle, how much confidence and enthusiasm will Shima-sama have for Oda's cause of dominating the world?"

"This ......," Shimakatsu stiffened, a little flustered. This is a critical issue, and the slightest carelessness may lead to being put on the line. "This ...... I don't know, I've never thought about this before! I didn't find a clear indication on my face, and I didn't dare to answer casually.

"Your Highness, you saw it! This is the most standard answer among the non-answers...... "The Gamo clan looked at me and then at Shima Katsuto. "A famous general like Shima-sama, who has mastered the powerful arms of the armored cavalry, is not sure what his relationship with the Oda family is, let alone those low-level samurai and ordinary ashigaru! Although the lord was an innovative man, the foundation of the Oda family he created was still an old-fashioned shogunate in general. Shogun, or another name, relied on the management of the leader, the guard, the commissioner, the samurai, and the ashigaru. As far as the current situation is concerned, it is unrealistic to want to remove the middle link and change the way! ”

"Although you say this for a while, it also makes me more worried about the future!" I stood up, and I felt a little uncomfortable after sitting on the stone for a long time. "According to you, when the world is settled in the future, won't I also receive the same treatment that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu did to the Yamana clan? So what am I busy with now! ”

"Who can say for sure what will happen in the future!" He also stood up and did not comfort me with the identity of Oda Nobunaga's son-in-law. "Not only me, but many people have actually advised the lord to ask him to be more restrained. Especially in governing the world, you can't do it rashly! ”

"Oh, did he listen?"

"With his temper, who can he listen to?" The Gamo clan sighed, looking very helpless. However, although the lord is too confident, he is not a person who cannot see the situation clearly, and this defeat can make him calm down to some extent. As long as there is a little bit of wind and grass, those 'little reptiles' in want to jump out and make waves, but there are many people who are hostile to the Oda family! ”

"So it's a good thing to have a lost battle?" I asked solemnly.

"A good thing, naturally a good thing!" The Gamo clan listened to my words and immediately nodded. "Anyway, now that Uesugi Kenshin is dead, the threat of Echigo no longer exists. Let the lord realize what kind of people in are full of sycophants, and carefully consider the reality and future of the Oda family. That's why I said that Your Highness doesn't need to be anxious about not receiving an order, the lord just didn't think about where the most powerful son in front of him was going to fall for the time being! ”