Inside the castle tower of Joseijo Castle.

Eleven-year-old Fujido Takatora split his legs, grabbed the baked rice cake with one hand, and devoured it in his mouth.

The freshly baked rice cake was very hot, and Fujido Gaohu put it in his mouth without hesitation, and chewed it with a click.

In the end, between the temptation of food and the hot food, the two struggled, but they also ate very deliciously.

I watched Fujido Taka Tiger eating rice cakes.

Li Xiao suddenly remembered that in history, there was an interesting anecdote about this celebrity.

At that time, Fujido Takatora was in decline, and ran away from the Asai family.

When he passed by a rice cake shop in Yoshida Sukuyi in Mikawa Province, he saw the boss baking rice cakes, and without saying a word, he picked up the rice cake and stuffed it into his mouth.

In the face of the Fujitang Gaohu who had lost a place on the Character Festival, the innkeeper not only did not ask the other party for rice cake money, but also gave him a sum of travel expenses.

More than 30 years later, Fujido Takatora, who had become a 220,000-stone daimyō, led a large group of men and horses to pass by here again.

Seeing that the original boss and the rice cake shop were still there, Fujitang Gaohu immediately dismounted and recognized the boss, and told the retainers in detail about the local decadence, and rewarded the boss with a large amount of gold, and finally ate a meal of rice cakes with the retainers.

Gotodo Takatora also made a rule that the rice cakes that the Tsu clan had always eaten must be eaten from Mikawa Yoshida Shoku Station and Saemon Shop.

Thinking of this story, and then looking at Fujitang Gaohu who ate rice cakes, Li Xiao speculated maliciously, where is this rice cake given by the boss, I'm afraid I don't dare not give it.

Historically, Fujido Tall Tiger was tall, with six feet and three inches (i.e. 190 cm), and in the face of such a tall wild samurai, it should be very difficult for the boss to ask for money from the other party, so it is estimated that it is a matter of course to be a favor.

Fujitang Gaohu was eating happily, and when he raised his head slightly, he saw the lord Li Xiao opposite, looking at him with interest.

Immediately, Fujitang Gaohu hurriedly put down the rice cake in his hand, bowed down in front of Li Xiao, and said: "I'm sorry, lord, I lost my temper, because I ran out of entanglements and didn't eat for three days, so I was very hungry." ”

Li Xiao glanced at Fujitang Gaohu and said, "That's right, I can see that you can eat half of the rice cakes prepared at my New Year's banquet alone." ”

When Fujitang Gaohu heard Li Xiao say this, he was immediately extremely ashamed.

However, Li Xiao immediately laughed and said, "You have such an amazing amount of food, so you have a tall figure and a lot of strength, which is very good for a warrior." ”

Fujitang Gao Hu looked overjoyed, and said with a sigh: "Lord, what I Gao Hu have is this brute strength, and I hope to borrow weight from the lord." ”

Li Xiao smiled and said nothing, is there only a brute force?

The most famous king of job hopping during the Warring States Period, the character of the owner of the Seven Changes, the wrapping and cutting division of the festival, the sleeping master.

It was very difficult to convince Li Xiao that the other party only had a warrior with brute strength.

Then Fujitang Gaohu and Li Xiao slowly talked in detail, saying that his father Fujitang Tiger Gao was originally from the local country, and Fujitang Gensuke Tiger Gao once even went out of the Takeda family, and he was given by the former lord Takeda Xinhu, who was biased.

However, later Fujido Toraka was squeezed out by his colleagues, and returned to Omi, and successively went out of Shikyogoku and Asai family.

It is said that Fujitang Tiger Gao has also changed three or four masters, and Fujitang Gaohu is a son inheriting his father's business and changing seven masters, and the fine tradition of Fujitang family, which has changed hands, has been passed down from generation to generation.

During the Boshin War, Fujido Takayu, the lord of the Fujido Iezu Domain, was himself on the side of the Shogunate Army, but was rebelled by the new government forces of Emperor Meiji, which became one of the final causes of the Shogunate Army's defeat. …,

As a result, Fujido Takayu was also infamous as the dog of the cutter by the defeated shogunate army.

Li Xiao looked at Fujitang Gao Hu and said: "I know that you want to be a warrior of your own family, but first, you are too young, and secondly, you are rashly promoted, I am afraid that people will not be convinced, and you must go through one thing in advance. ”

Fujitang Gaohu said with a sigh: "Please make it public, I will not be afraid of life and death, and complete the task of replacing the main bus." ”

"Very good," Li Xiao nodded, and said, "In the near future, I will send you as an envoy to Guiyun City to reprimand the Inner Island family, and you will be responsible for this matter at that time, and you must not lose the face of your own family." ”

When Fujitang Gaohu heard this, he said: "Thank you to the lord, your subordinates will definitely swear to complete the lord's entrustment." ”

"Very well, let's go down."

Li Xiao said with a smile.

Fujitang Gaohu solemnly kowtowed to Li Xiaoyi, then turned around, clenched his fists and walked out of the room with a look of hesitation.

After Fujido Gaohu withdrew, the paper door next to the room was pushed, and Honda Masanobu slowly walked in with a folding fan in his hand, walked to Li Xiao and sat down and said, "I don't know if the lord has any intention in sending such a young man to the Uchijima family as a messenger?" ”

"Does that seem like a misstep?"

Li Xiao snorted, smiled and said: "I just want the Uchijima family to feel inappropriate, what do you think when the Uchijima clan sees that I actually sent a half-old child to be a messenger?" ”

"It turns out that the lord wants to provoke the Uchijima family, I understand." Honda smiled slightly at the folding fan.

"That's right," Li Xiao's eyes flashed, he stood up, and said, "Uchijima will be angered by my rudeness and shame. So I can find an excuse to use domestic soldiers against the Uchijima. Of course, I also want to test the courage of this Fujido Tiger. ”

Speaking of this, Li Xiao couldn't help but smile, thinking of the so-called 'two masters' of the vine hall Gaohu, and the 'incorruptible as water' of the Great Tibetan Chang'an, these two people will really seem to be the two best in my retainers in the future.

Honda Masanobu opened his mouth and asked at this time: "My lord, as far as your subordinates know, since the lord released a rumor and accused the Uchijima family of sending troops to help the sister Xiaolu family for no reason in the matter of the Nabeyama family, and being an enemy of the main family. The relationship between the two families has been deteriorating. ”

"In the past half a year, the island family has been actively preparing for war, and they have been constantly strengthening Guiyun City, and their cultivation is impregnable. From the perspective of His Majesty, if there is a ranking, Guiyun City can definitely be included in the top five difficult and difficult cities in the world. ”

And not only that, the Uchijima family has also had an alliance with the Pure Land Shinshu in the Hida no Fen Temple Teruren Temple, and in the past six months, they have been actively moving closer to Teruren Temple, and the two families have also made a marriage contract. You must know that the Pure Land Shinshu is an important support for the family to gain a foothold in Hida-Etsu. If we attack the Uchijima family, and if we attract the interference of Teruren Temple, how should we respond? ”

Li Xiao nodded and said, "I believe your words, it's really a golden word." In the past six months, the Uchijima family has been actively preparing for my family's battle, and we have not been lazy. After more than half a year of integrated training, Qibenbei has formed a combat force and can fight a battle, and this expedition can be of great use. ”

After a pause, Li Xiaoyan said: "Now in order to prepare for this flag, the funds that I can embezzle from all parties have been basically exhausted. If you can't capture Guiyun City as soon as possible and capture Guiyun Jinshan, you will either disband the flag in the future, or you can only borrow money to get by. Therefore, this attack on the Uchijima family is imperative for me. ”

"As for Guiyun City, I naturally have a plan to capture him, you don't have to worry about it, but as for Zhaolian Temple, you have to be cautious. Although Teruenji Temple is only a last temple, it represents Honganji Temple behind it, and in any case, I can't afford to offend it at the moment. ”…,

Li Xiao thought for a while, and replied to Honda Zhengxin: "Zhengxin, it seems that I have to bother you to go around for me." ”

Honda Masashi sighed and said, "If you can maintain the harmony between your family and the Pure Land Shinshu, you should work hard. ”

Li Xiao nodded and said, "Zhaolian Temple only needs to say hello, and the focus must be on the body of Honganji Xianrong." You go to Katsukoji Temple and tell him that I plan to attack the Uchijima family immediately, and then promise that if you take Guiyun Jinshan, you will give 1,000 kan a year as a reward for this matter. ”

Honda Masashi sighed in faith and said, "My lord, this is very good, and with the friendly relationship between Honganji Temple and the family, it is very likely that he will agree to it. In this way, as the abbot of the Echichu Miyama Shengxing Temple, Honganji Temple can restrain Teterenji Temple on our behalf, and we can avoid the consequences of fighting with the Pure Land Shinshu. ”

Hida, return to Cloud City.

Guiyun Castle is located in Ono County, Hida Province, in the northwest of Hida Province.

Guiyun City is backed by the steep Guiyun Mountain, and at the foot is a river named Zhuangchuan.

Like most mountain rivers, the river is fast-flowing, and along the river, there is a very difficult path to reach Tonba-gun, Vietnam.

This is the alpine area of Hida, and heavy snow falls in winter, making it difficult to get around.

Since the discovery of Jinshan by the Uchijima family in Guiyun Mountain, the population has gradually become dense, but despite this, this place is still not suitable for farming, and the Zhuangchuan River, which is the main river in the territory, is often flooded and uncontrollable, so the stone height of the Uchijima family is less than 3,000 stones.

This is far less than the sister road house located in the southern river valley of Hida.

However, after Li Xiao implemented grain and salt monopoly, although the inner island family lacked rice and grain to plant, the people's lives were not as poor as that of Sister Xiaolu's family.

The main thing is that the Uchijima family has Guiyun Jinshan to rely on, and they have enough money to buy salt and grain from Kamioka Castle.

In addition, among the common people, they mainly raised silkworms for a living, exchanged silk for a living, and also made saltpeter and washi paper.

With the support of sericulture, the livelihood of the common people can be maintained.

In order to facilitate silkworm raising and to cope with the heavy snow in the mountainous areas, the locals also created special houses to build houses.

Gassho-zukuri is characterized by a thatch-covered roof, and the herringbone roof resembles hands together, hence the name gassho. The gassho-zukuri roof is steep to prevent the snow from falling down due to heavy snow in winter.

In 1995, the house was designated as a World Heritage Site.

And now, as Li Xiao's envoy group, Fujido Gaohu, Rui Costa and his entourage, after a heavy snowfall, came to Guiyun City to visit the head of the Uchijima family, Uchijima Clan, ......,