"What do you think?" Ikeda asked me softly.

"How's that?" I asked casually, but my eyes didn't take my eyes off the group of people in the inner circle in front of me. Shortly after Ashikaga Yoshiaki arrived in Gibu, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Asai Nagamasa, who had been invited by Oda Nobunaga, also arrived. After a series of high-level secret talks, the plate was basically set. Since I didn't participate directly, I only got a little gossip. Tokugawa Ieyasu had no difficulty as a vassal of the Oda family, but he simply reaffirmed his previous covenant and asked the Oda family to provide two to three thousand reinforcements in the planned Enoe raid next year, and Oda Nobunaga to coordinate with the Takeda family when the Imagawa territory was divided equally in the future. Asai Nagamasa was a little more troublesome, and he made a request for the territory. After some bargaining, Oda Nobunaga finally agreed to give him 100,000 stone of land in the two counties of the Rokkaku family, south of the southern Omi, and the two counties, which not only did not create a barrier between the two, but made them respect each other more. After the important event is decided, there is a ceremonial meeting, and after today's official meeting between the three parties, it is time to meet Ashikaga Yoshiaki together.

He turned his head to look at the west side of the main hall, where Tokugawa Ieyasu's men and horses were sitting. Tokugawa Ieyasu is slightly thinner than when they first met a few years ago, and he looks more stable, it stands to reason that the age of twenty-three should not have such a sense of vicissitudes, but it is no wonder that although the hostage career has ended in recent years, life has not been easy! First, the remnants of the Imagawa family were cleared and the Higashi-Mikawa territory was recovered, and then there was a rebellion of the Ichijo sect that almost shook the foundation, and after several years of hard work, it was just enough to control the 290,000-stone territory of Mikawa. Looking behind him, there are Ishikawa Shumasa, Honda Masanobu, Okubo Tadayo, and Torii Tadayoshi sitting next to him, although their abilities are extraordinary, but except for Honda Masanobu, I always feel that they are all characters who are about to become obsolete, so I don't care much. However, the "Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa" that I have always wanted to know was only introduced to a thirty-year-old ape-like Sakai Tadaji, and I can only guess who is who is among the more than ten young people in the back row! "Hey! It's a pity that I can't wear armor on an occasion like today, otherwise at least I would have recognized Honda Tadashi from the 'Antler Persimmon Helmet'! I thought to myself.

"I'll talk to you!" Ikeda whispered discontentedly, and followed my gaze. "What's so nice about those hillbillies who look at the face of the lord and live their lives!"

"Hillbilly? In the eyes of those 'nobles' who came down with His Royal Highness Ashikaga Yoshiaki, we are afraid that we are just some hillbillies! I chuckled. At this time, I can't tell him that if he follows the development of the canonical history, he will die at the hands of these 'hillbillies'!

"You think a lot of about them!" Ikeda Hengxing didn't say it angrily, and then hurriedly asked, "I'm talking about shallow well!" That Nagamasa Asai! What do you think of this person? ”

"Oh, he......" Hearing his words, I turned my gaze to the east side of the main hall again. It should be said that Asai Nagamasa is a rare "handsome guy" in this era, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a high nose and ingots, a thin white and pink melon seed face, eyes like electricity, heroic and extraordinary, elegant attitude and witty speech. But there was an occasional look of hesitation between his expectations, and perhaps it was this little worry that made him make the wrong decision at the last critical moment. "It's okay!"

"Is it okay? Is it just okay? Ikeda looked at me in surprise. You're asking too much, aren't you? Such a talent even convinces me, you must know that I was a follower of Princess Ashi in the first place? ”

"You?! You too? I looked back at him and asked, and it was a surprising answer. How could you have such delusions? I really didn't expect to be, how old were you when Princess Ashi got married? ”

"I'm sixteen, Princess Ashi fourteen, what's wrong?" Ikeda was a little resentful of my contempt. "At that time, I felt that I had the greatest hope among all the retainers of the Oda family! The Ikeda family was one of the most relied on by my lord, and since I was a child, my lord has looked at me differently, most notably because I am a perfect match for Princess Aichi. Princess Aichi is the lord's favorite sister, and the lord will never marry him to an old guy like Shibata Katsuya! Whatever way I thought about it, I felt like I was the best fit. ”

"There's some truth to that...... I tilted my head and thought for a while. Ay! It's not good when you catch up, and you're meeting the Oda family who need this ally very much, and that 'eagle' is indeed a character, so you might as well accept your fate! ”

"Do you seem to have comforting words? Besides, I don't need your comfort! He pouted at me proudly. I may really not be as good as you in terms of knowledge, but I'm also a man who can afford to put it down! Although it is the biggest regret of my life that I was not able to get Princess Ashi, it makes me even happier to see her be able to get greater happiness than marrying me! That's true love, you know?! ”

"Huh?! You guys can think like that! "I really think it's incredible, in this era, in this society where men are superior to women, and in this fashion of relying on force to have everything as the goal, there are still samurai with this kind of cognition?

"What's wrong with you?" Maybe he felt my eyes were too strange, he asked.

"Nothing?" I stabilized my mood and turned my head. "If that's really your case, I think Princess Ashi might be happier if she marries you!"

"Do you really think so?!" Ikeda was excited for a moment, and then gloomy. "Although our brothers have a good relationship, you really don't need to praise me like this. I'm relieved to see Asai Nagamasa today, he's really a great character, Princess Aichi will be happy! ”

"Huh, hum!" I chuckled twice, no one would believe me if I said it now, and I didn't have to rush to characterize this "tragic figure". Looking up again, the meeting was nearing its end.

"I am grateful that the two Highnesses were able to come to Nobunaga this time, and thank you again here!" Oda Nobunaga bowed slightly. "This time, we are waiting to raise troops to Shangluo is a major event to assist the imperial court to revitalize the shogunate, and things must be carefully planned! If it is not such a big thing, it will not be possible, and at the same time, it will not be able to win the trust of the people of the world, I wonder if the two highnesses still have any opinions? ”

"His Royal Highness Dan Zhengzhong is polite!" Asai Nagamasa smiled slightly, and it seemed that he was already confident about this matter. "Since this matter was initiated by Nobunaga, we naturally do everything! This time, the Asai family sent 12,000 troops, all of which obeyed His Highness's orders! ”

"Then thank you, Your Highness Changzheng!" Oda Nobunaga nodded in satisfaction and turned to Tokugawa Ieyasu again. "What does His Highness Tokugawa think?"

"I have no objection!" Tokugawa Ieyasu bowed his head respectfully and said. "This time, the Tokugawa family sent 5,000 troops, and only Nobunaga's orders were followed!" This result is similar to my prediction, although the territory is about 300,000, but the strength of the Tokugawa family and the Asai family is not the same, after all, the Tokugawa has just restored the territory, and it has experienced a rebellion in a few years! Besides, the target of this attack is the only enemy of the Asai family, the Rokkaku family, so naturally he can go all out. And behind the Tokugawa family, there is also a Imagawa family whose relationship has reached the freezing point!

"Good!" Oda Nobunaga raised his hand and tapped it twice, and a dozen attendants walked in from outside the door, came to each of them and put down a glass of wine. "Everyone!" Oda Nobunaga raised his glass. "Let's drink this cup together and wish it success!"

"He's really in a hurry! Now he is in a hurry to identify himself, and he doesn't even wait for Ashikaga Yoshiaki for the alliance ceremony on the scene. I looked at the scene in front of me and couldn't help but think of the allusion of Song Xianggong and King Chu Cheng in the Spring and Autumn Period.

"His Royal Highness Asai and His Royal Highness Tokugawa are really giving face!" After coming out of the main hall, Oda Nobunaga said with a spring breeze on his face.

"It's all due to the lord's virtue!" Lin Tongsheng had a sycophantic smile on his face.

Just then, an attendant hurried up and handed a letter to Nobunaga.

He ...... What did he send people for? After reading the letter, Oda Nobunaga's face suddenly turned white.

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Bear in Winter: I used the title "Hou" in yesterday's content, in fact, I mentioned it in a book called "Takeda Shingen" that I read on the Internet two days ago, and I used it to make a certain number of powerful third person, since so many people are not used to it, I will no longer use it in the future.