The Kira family's land inspection within Kyushu shook the entire western country, just like my acquisition of the position of elder of Genji. This book comes from the fact that some people suddenly realized that the reason why I wanted to fight for the position of elder Genji was to carry out this step smoothly. You know, since ancient times, in Kyushu, the name is very useful, before the identity of outsiders, the Shimazu family and the Otomo family, who ruled Southern Kyushu and Central Kyushu for hundreds of years, all claimed to be from the Minamoto Yoritomo Dynasty of the Rakin (illegitimate son), in order to make their own name more orthodox; At the beginning, the Ashikaga clan suffered defeat and fled to Kyushu almost alone, however, with his status as a descendant of the Genji family, he soon won the support of the major wealthy families in Kyushu, and pulled a large number of reinforcements who didn't even need to eat, and fought back to Kinai in a mighty way, defeating Kusunasari and Nitta Yoshisada, who were in the limelight.

This is the reason why I asked Hideyoshi to cooperate in Kyoto, and it was clear in my words that obtaining the position of elder of Genji was a prerequisite for me to carry out land inspection in Kyushu. With Hideyoshi's cleverness, he may not fully believe my words, but he must be happy to see that I am too busy with the affairs of the land inspection to interfere in the affairs of Kinai, so he readily made his position clear to Sekihaku Ichichiki, and my plan was carried out smoothly.

However, I did not personally preside over the matter, and after sending the three letters, I handed over all the matters to Shinkei and Shigeharu Takenaka, and I took Tokuki to the Kira Castle Museum in Tosa to meet Konatsu, and did not appear in public for two months. Even the official land inspection order was issued by Shinkage, and then it was sent to Maeda, Sawaki, Beehouse, Gamo and other families to block the blockage, and the order to adjust and transfer the feudal families was also in his name.

In November, Shinkage intervened in Nankaido, announcing the recovery of Tosa Province and Minami Iyo under the name of Zhou Jing, and transferred him to Kii Province, which had not yet completed the land inspection. This order made many people wonder if something was wrong with me, so Shinkei drove his cousin away from Tosa Province, which was the head of the Kira family, in order to weaken his influence and prestige? Some wealthy families in Kyushu who have not yet returned to their hearts and are unwilling to accept the adjustment and transfer of their titles, such as the Toyozen Utsunomiya family, the Higo Kai family, and the Osumi Ichi Chi family, etc., have taken the opportunity to spread rumors in the territory and the country, trying to provoke Toichi to fight against Shinkage. Even Yoshikawa Motoharu in San'in began to move, wanting to teach the Nagato Shimazu family, who had been constantly provoking before, a lesson, or simply take Nagato Kuni back.

When I heard the bad news, I didn't really care. On the Kyushu side, the Otomo family already has an arrangement, and the Satsuma Shimazu family has tasted the sweetness, and I also know that I have the means of checks and balances, so I will not do anything; And as long as they don't move, those wealthy families can't make any waves, so it's just time for Xinjing to practice and clean up these unstable factors. As for the Mori family, I believe that Takakei Kobayakawa will control the situation and avoid breaking the contract between the two families.

What I'm concerned about now is Zhou Jing's resealing.

"The geography of Kii Province is similar to that of Ise Province, and I believe that after the root of the temple is removed, the stone height can exceed 500,000. Add to that the Kumano area, so Ishitaka is even more...... This is one of the largest countries in Japan! I sighed to Zhou Jing.

"Yes. Thank you for your kindness. Zhou Jing replied. He naturally understood that Xinjing's order to transfer his order was at my behest.

"Therefore, no matter what merit you make in the future, it will be impossible to increase the territory, and you will only be rewarded in the official position, and it cannot be on par with Xinjing, let alone exceed. After that, the rest of the Imperial Gate family will also follow your precedent and give a large country of more than 500,000 stone to guard various regions for the clan. I told him solemnly.

"I understand," Zhou Jing laughed calmly, "The Muromachi shogunate is weak and weak, and the center is weak, and this family must take warning. ”

"It would be nice if you understood this," I was very relieved, "So, how are you going to govern Kii Province?" ”

"In terms of governance, I think there are two main points. One is the excessively powerful Genrai Temple, and the other is the Kumano place that is too remote, "Zhou Jing is confident, obviously he has already had a draft, "Regarding the Genlai Temple and the remaining small and medium-sized temples, I have a plan with Master Tianhai and Master Xuanyi, that is, to imitate the practice of Zen Buddhism to set up Luyuan monks, set up management institutions in each sect, strictly regulate the temple grid and temple leaders of each temple, and centralize the management of most of the small and medium-sized temples, and then the temple and community will send people and the general mountain to manage together; The main mountain between the main mountain and the small and medium-sized temples is directly supervised by the temples...... This plan could even be extended to the rest of the sub-countries, but in order to avoid causing turmoil, I decided not to announce this plan for the time being, and I will not move the root of the temple, and wait until the Kinai is pacified. ”

"Well, your consideration makes sense," I nodded, "and what about the Kumano area?" ”

"In the Kumano area, I plan to divide Mulou-gun into four, and then place the Honda and Katsugano families in Shimokumano, and the two families of Anzhai and Sanki in Kamikumano, so as to strengthen control over there." Zhou Jing replied.

His plan was the same as that of the later Tokugawa Shogunate Kishu Domain. The original Mulou County was divided into four new counties, and the lower Kumano was Nishimulu County and East Mulou County, and two old clans of Tanabe and Shingu were set up; Kamikumano was divided into Kita-Mulo and Minami-Mura Counties, and when the feudal domain was abolished, it was divided into Mie Prefecture, where Ise-kuni was located, along with Iga Province.

So I agreed with this plan and made a further suggestion: "The two families might as well use the current Tanabe Castle and Shin-Miyagi Castle as their residences, and divide the Kumano area, and the territory will be about 30,000 koku each...... As for the Anzhai family and the Three Ghost families, they are obviously not of the same level. Moreover, the Anzhai family may have to be transferred to Yijing, so I won't arrange them for the time being, and it's good to maintain the status quo for now. ”

Jing replied.

"There is one more thing that I hope you will be able to do right away," I continued, "and once the family intervenes in Kinai, you will be a very important force. In addition to the existing Hasuike Reserve, I will allow you to establish a new reserve in Wakayama Castle, and the Zong family will also support you financially and humanly. ”

"Understood." Zhou Jing nodded, "Then I will arrange it immediately, and strive to move to Wakayama Castle within the year, so as to complete my father's trust as soon as possible." ”

"Let the kinzhen, Zhengxin and Yuanxin be responsible!" I thought for a moment, "During this time, you will spend more time with your mother." I've already asked her, and she said that she wants to stay with me at Kira Castle Pavilion, and if she wants to meet in the future, it won't be as convenient as it is now. ”

"The child understands." Zhou Jing nodded. The relationship between him and Xiao Xia is very good, and now they live close, only separated by a Niyodo River and less than ten kilometers away, and can come to visit at any time. However, when it is transferred to Kii, it will be separated by mountains and seas. Perhaps thinking of this, he couldn't help but show a little melancholy on his face.

"Akiko too! I snubbed her for so long before, and I have to make up for it," Seeing that he was a little lonely, I laughed and joked, "At least, I have to add a sister-in-law to the family!" ”

Jing hurriedly responded, but his attitude was very solemn.

……，……

Zhou Jing was a little reluctant to Xiao Xia, and Xiao Xia naturally would not feel nothing. However, in this regard, she is more open-minded, not to mention that she also has Jing Liulang, who is the youngest son who is ready to inherit the family business of the Kamikawa family, and his love for him is deeper than that of Zhou Jing; She also has her adopted daughter, Senjuhime, two daughters, Aketsu and Kaijin, and I am by her side.

If there is anyone in the family who is happiest during this time, it is undoubtedly Konatsu of Kira Castle Hall. She saw that I was slowly delegating power to Xinjing, and had been by her side lately, thinking that I was ready to fulfill my previous promise and go into seclusion with her. Therefore, this period of time can be said to be her happiest moment, and there is often a satisfied smile on her face, and I am also relieved to see it.

"Really, how many years have you been a husband and wife, and you're still so pestering." I sometimes deliberately make fun of her like this.

"That's different," Xiao Xia retorted seriously, "Only now, His Royal Highness belongs to the concubine." ”

I couldn't help but laugh. If this goes against the current general concept, it can probably be said by Xiao Xia.

"That's right," Xiao Xia asked me again for confirmation uneasily, "When Zhou Jing goes to Wakayama Castle, His Highness will immediately give Hasuike Castle to Tokuji and let her live there, right?" ”

"How many times have you asked?" I looked at her a little speechlessly, "You're full of hope that Zhou Jing will move away soon, right?" Is...... In vain, he is still so melancholy, and he deliberately took time out to accompany you. ”

"These are two things," Xiao Xia blushed slightly, maybe she really had such an idea, "After all, the concubine is old, Deji is only in her twenties, and she is also beautiful, Her Highness often goes to her room this time, and maybe she will be more spoiled in the future...... Although His Royal Highness said that he would always accompany me, only when she went to Lotus Pond City could the concubine be relieved. ”

"Don't worry, I will not leave you behind," I comforted her, "and when it comes to age, you are not yet forty years old, and you look even younger...... As for appearance, if I only valued that, I wouldn't have sent Janet back to Otomo's house. ”

Natsu didn't care about my assumptions in the first sentence, she only noticed my assurances and compliments, and a happy smile appeared on her face.

However, I certainly wouldn't have gone into seclusion so soon. Kyushu information from Shinkei, Kinai intelligence from Hidekei, and Tokaido information from Keimasa were sent to my desk in a steady stream. Most of them, after I saw them, I left them aside and let the situation develop on its own; Sometimes, I also give a sentence or two of instructions, and then send them back to them separately.

In terms of Kyushu, among the three kingdoms of Bunzen, Higo and Osumi, there was a series of doichi wars provoked by Utsunomiya Zhenbo, Kai Soun, and Ijichi Shigeko, but the scale was not large, and it was not long before it was suppressed by Satake Nobuhide, Maeda Toshiie, and Gamo Nobuhide, and took the opportunity to change (confiscate the territory) a group of wealthy families implicated in it, and the obtained territory was partly returned to the direct collar and partly given to his own retainers, thus greatly improving the control of the territory. For example, Utsunomiya Townhouse, originally Shinkyo also gave him a step, and wanted to transfer him to Minami Iyo, inheriting part of the territory of the original Iyo Utsunomiya family, but Utsunomiya Townhouse didn't appreciate it, and wanted to find a reason to shirk it like last time for me, but Shiyi time has changed, and the current situation is not as good as before, Shinkyo simply announced the change of his Utsunomiya family, and then Satake Nobuhide wooed his two family elders, and captured the strong castle of Itani Valley Castle without bloodshed, Utsunomiya Zhenfang and his sister-in-law were angry and incited the people to provoke a fight, As a result, both died in the battle, leaving only their five-year-old daughter Tsuruhime, who was adopted by Wasuka Keikatsu and Akitsu.

In addition, Yoshiyuki Sawaki, who was over forty years old, had no heirs, so he adopted his brother Maeda Toshiie's two-year-old son, Matawakamaru, as an adopted son. This matter was approved by Shinkage, but in this way, the Sawaki family fell into the competition for the seat of the ruling family, after all, the adopted son is not more justified than the parent, and it is impossible for me to allow the two children of the retainer to become the head of the ruling family together, even if it is the Maeda Toshi family. Compared to the harshness of the Tokugawa shogunate in history, this was already a very generous decision.

On the Kinai and Tokai sides, Hideyoshi really started the story with Master Nakishi, and he sent a letter to Niwa Nagahide, confirming that Azuchi Castle had been repaired, and then ordered Hori Hidemasa to bring the oath that Nobutaka had drawn at the beginning, asking him to escort Yoshihoshi back to Azuchi, and entrusting Nobuo to take charge of this matter. Nobutaka didn't want to give up Yoshi-shi in the first place, let alone Nobuo, who was seeking to replace him as Yoshi-shi's post-meeting, was in charge? On the pretext that Yoshi-ho had just contracted a cold, he refused Nobuo and Hori's request to see Yoshi-shi. When Hideyoshi received this reply, he seemed to give Nobutaka half a month in a reasonable manner, but in fact he began to secretly gather troops, and at the same time waited for the snow to become heavier and completely blockade the Shibata reinforcements in Hokuriku.

At the beginning of December, heavy snow fell on Hokuriku, and Hideyoshi immediately ended his wait early and made a big move from Fushimi Castle. He summoned his subordinates Harima, Tanba, Yamashiro, and Minami-Kawachi to join the Oda relatives such as Owari Oda Nobuo and Settsu Ikeda Tsuneko, and entered Mino Province in the name of welcoming Yoshihoshi and besieged Nobutaka's Gifu Castle; The remaining Tango Hosokawa Tadashiko, Bizen Ukita Tadashi and other external daimyos, with Keihide as the general general, surrounded Nagahama Castle, where Shibata Katsutoyo was located, on the one hand, to attack Kita Omi, and on the other hand, to officially oppose Shibata Katsuie. Our Ikoma parents and Tsutsui Shunkei also received an invitation from Hideyoshi to join the battle, and they each sent part of their troops to Kita-Omi to support them according to my instructions. The head of the Ikoma family sent it was his brother and the elder Ikoma of the family; Tsutsui Shunkei sent it was his genealogy family, the old Matsukura Ukinshinobu.