After dealing with these affairs, I left Gifu for Kono Castle, and then escorted Mitsu back to the Mie Prefecture territory with Naotoro Ii and Fuhide Gamo.

When I arrived at Mie Castle, it was already mid-July, almost eight months after my last trip to Izumi Province, and Nana and Konatsu were already in labor. When I went to see Hoshinin, she was praying for the blessing of her two unborn children. Judging by her complexion, she was much better than she had been in Tosa last year, and she had already taken off her blue cloth robe and put on a delicate dress with light purple and light lines.

"It's so reassuring to see my mother so energetic!"

"I think you should come back too," Hoshinin said with a smile, "Isn't Jiro left together?" ”

"He's guarding Kishiwada Castle."

"That's right!"

"Exactly. There's been some unrest over there lately. I explained.

"You don't need to tell me these things," Hoshinin shook his head, "By the way, Keijiro, now that you have rebuilt your family business, are you just here to rebuild your family's Bodhi Temple?" ”

"Ah......h

"Regarding this matter, I originally wanted to rebuild the ...... on the original site after retrieving the old collar."

"Well, your idea makes sense...... "Baoxinin muttered.

Then I smiled and continued, "But since Mother said so, it doesn't hurt to build it here!" ”

"Then I'll be relieved," Baoxinyuan smiled very kindly, "The candidate for the abbot should be considered now, right?" ”

"I just got acquainted with a master and I have a lot of experience." I nodded.

Speaking of which, it's been nearly ten days since Hyotaro Ashina and Masanobu Honda came to Miejo, and it's time to meet them.

When I came to the Takenaka Jinya, Shigeharu Takenaka, as the owner, was not there, only Masanobu Honda and Hyotaro Ashina. The two of them set up a banquet in the porch and drank happily. I walked straight over and sat down in the upper hand position for the two of us, and found that the banquet was really good, with fresh tuna sashimi, imperial seaweed, pork rice, squirrel, umeboshi, sorrel, and spicy sorrel.

"It seems that Chongzhi is very diligent!" I exclaimed slightly.

Honda Masanobu was saluting me, and when he heard my words, Honda Masanobu showed a peculiar expression; And Ashina Hyotaro simply cracked his mouth and laughed.

"It's not that Lord Takenaka is kind...... "He held out his hand to me, "can you take two hundred pieces from His Royal Highness the Castle Lord?" ”

"Yes," I readily agreed, "but what are you going to do with so much money?" ”

"It's not what you're going to do, it's already spent!" Hyotaro Ashina smiled and pointed to the banquet in front of him.

"All this food was brought on credit in the name of His Royal Highness the lord of the castle in the castle town...... In addition, Hyotaro also gave some food, clothing, and medicinal herbs on credit, and gave alms to the poor and sick townspeople, also in the name of His Royal Highness the lord of the castle. Honda Masatin explained to me.

That's how it is...... Is this a robbery of the rich to help the poor?

"I really can't imagine that Mie Town is really prosperous, and there is a lot of food that even Sakai Town has, so I spent so much money before I knew it," Hyotaro Ashina was not ashamed, "Speaking of which, the name of His Royal Highness the Castle Lord really works!" Knowing that we were guests of Mie Castle, those merchants did not hesitate to agree to the credit, and they didn't even need to leave a name! ”

I smiled. I'm self-conscious about this. In Mie Town, my name is prestige.

"Last time, I was busy with military affairs in Yuye Castle, so I didn't have time to talk to the two of you seriously, and then I delayed my trip because of some things, so I only returned to Mie County now...... Fortunately, the two of you are doing well here, so I am relieved. ”

"Your Royal Highness the City Lord is polite." Honda Masanobu owes a debt.

"So what are the two of you looking for me?"

"I'm here to ask for the help of His Royal Highness the Castle Lord," Honda Masanobu bowed down deeply, "though it's very presumptuous...... But please allow Your Highness to temporarily leave the Shijira family in the next place! ”

"For the time being?" I asked rhetorically.

"Yes," Honda Masanobu nodded, "The original intention of the next was to return to the Tokugawa family, but His Royal Highness Mikawa has been reluctant to receive him. Therefore, I hope to temporarily join the Oda family, which is allied with the Tokugawa, and impress His Royal Highness Mikawa with his excellent performance! ”

"I see." I nodded. This is indeed a good note.

Historically, after being expelled by Nobunaga, Yoshiyuki Sachiyo, Yazaburo Kato, and Hasegawa Hashisuke chose to leave the Tokugawa family and returned to Oda after trying to establish a career. It's a pity that their luck was not good, and they all died in Sanfangyuan. However, because of this battle, Nobunaga finally accepted their family, and Sakyo Yoshiyuki's wife also became the nurse of Nobunaga's niece, Asai Koto.

"It's just, why did you choose my Kira family?"

Honda Masanobu smiled, his attitude was still very respectful: "If it was His Royal Highness Oda Danmasa, he would not dare to make such a request at all; It is difficult for several other important ministers in the family to have such a measure as His Royal Highness the City Lord. What's more, His Royal Highness the lord of the castle has a great favor to the Tokugawa family, and the territory is also opposite to the Mikawa country across the sea...... So I had to ask His Highness with a cheeky face. ”

"Since His Highness Honda believes in me so much, please leave my Kira family for the time being!" I thought about it and agreed to his request.

This is a rare blessing. Moreover, even if it is only a temporary appearance, it will form an insurmountable master-slave relationship. Honda Masanobu is undoubtedly a man of great ability, and if he wants to attract the attention of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he must behave well and do his duty for me within the scope of his affairs. The deadline for service will probably not be until after the Battle of Changhua...... Maybe he'll change his mind then.

It's okay if Tokugawa Ieyasu lent me the strength.

"I'm so grateful!" Honda worshipped and bowed, "My lord! ”

I nodded and turned to Hyotaro Ashina: "Then Hyotaro...... Or Master with the Wind? ”

"Please call the poor monk Hyotaro." He folded his hands.

"But why would you rather be called by a common name?" That's a question I wanted to ask last time.

"Well, I want to be different from those guys." Hyotaro Ashina replied.

"Those guys...... Does it refer to the people from the monasteries where the master practiced? I continued.

"Those are the people," Ashina Hyotaro sighed, "and the current Buddhism has long since completely degenerated. Whether it is Ishiyama Honganji Temple, Kii Fenhe Temple, or Genrai Temple, they have all become places where criminals are harbored and dirt are hidden, and those owners, courtyard owners and officials are the biggest criminals! They hid in the fortified palace hall and the main hall, sitting on beautiful believers, squandering the blood and sweat of the believers; And those monks and soldiers composed of congregations and pedestrians are their accomplices and minions, large and small. Even the monks of Koyasan, who were once revered as 'Koyassan', are now called 'Night Monsters', and the women in their farmhouses will be disgraced by this......

The more Ashina Hyotaro spoke, the more angry he became, the light in his eyes became more and more intense, and even slowly covered with a layer of mist:

"The small but hard work of the common people, donating their meager income, and building temples like bees building beehives, was originally a fortress and a barrier to protect the common people. In order to protect these last pure lands, they even did not hesitate to pay their lives! Today, however, monasteries have become a nest of silverfish and those in power, who have been passed down from generation to generation, and in turn have squeezed the blood and sweat of the common people and believers, and have eaten their brains and intestines, so that they can suffer the double oppression of the lords and the owners. And most of the people who can be protected are villains who can help them fight...... Your Highness Masanobu, what did the bald donkeys say after the robbers who committed robbery and murder in Osaka fled to the Ishiyama Imperial Workshop? ”

Honda Masanobu replied helplessly: "Those who come do not refuse, those who go do not chase, the Imperial Workshop is a very strong fortress, as long as everyone dedicates their strength, even the daimyo and the shogun will not be able to invade." Moreover, as long as you recite Nam no Amitabha, no matter how evil a person is, he can also be forgiven by the Buddha; If you want to receive good retribution in the next life, please make offerings in front of the Buddha; This is the decree left by the Venerable Lotus Buddha......"

"In the past, the lotus was like the teachings of the Venerable Master, and they used it as a pretext for collecting money. At such a point, do you expect them to be able to do something to the world? Hyotaro Ashina asked.

Honda Masanobu looked up at the tree in the corner of the courtyard, where two crows were perched and screamed.

Looking at it like this, he had learned the tongue of Hyotaro Ashina so many times that he would rather listen to the noisy crow call.

However, it is undeniable that he was almost convinced. Ashina Hyotaro's words, as well as what he saw and heard at Ishiyama Honganji, almost destroyed his devout faith in the Ichijo sect. Otherwise, he would not have been able to get along with Hyotaro Ashina like this, and it would have been impossible for him to give up his past and seek to re-enter the Tokugawa family.

"Since he despises Buddhism like this, why does the master still want to become a monk?" I asked curiously.

"Naturally, it is to follow the former sages and seek the method of purifying sentient beings," Hyotaro Ashina's expression turned serious, "What the poor monk admires the most is the former Venerable Lianru." The Venerable Master went deep into the people to develop followers and built fortified castles in Osaka, Nagashima, Kaga, and other parts of the world, with the original aim of building an earthly Buddha kingdom in the Buddha Kingdom and achieving the goal of benefiting all sentient beings. It's a pity that he has his own limitations, and he still can't abandon himself, sitting on more than a dozen waitresses, giving birth to dozens of children, and letting them inherit his career...... However, since the Venerable Lotus traveled westward, the wars in the world have intensified, and Buddhism has become more and more corrupt, and the country of ordinary people such as Kaga has also been in war for many years, and has even become a paradise for assassins, killers, and sinners, and the foundation of the earthly Buddha kingdom has collapsed. However, the descendants of Lianru only cared about their own enjoyment and honor, and used the hell and the Elysium after death to confuse the people and collect a large number of offerings, while the monks under his command only knew how to recite sutras through funeral rites to satisfy their stomachs. Such a despicable act may affect Lianru himself and prevent him from becoming a Buddha! Not to mention fulfilling his ambitions! ”

"However, these Buddhist things have nothing to do with you coming to see me, right?" I shook my head.

"How can it be okay? The affairs of Buddhism are the affairs of the world...... Since Buddhism can't be completed, it depends on the power of the samurai! Ashina Hyotaro looked at me with blazing eyes, "When the poor monk was in Tsutsui Castle, he heard two things about His Royal Highness the Castle Lord. One is that Yonglu helped the Tsutsui family defeat the Gushi and Ten Cities coalition forces in the seventh year, showing superb tactics and strong combat power; One is the pacification of Iga and Yamato in the 11th year of Eiroku, showing a benevolent heart and excellent political strategy. Moreover, in the past four years, the strength has grown so rapidly, it is really amazing, the poor monk has traveled around the world, and he has never seen such a samurai...... Now that he has seen the demeanor of Mie Castle and Mie Town, the poor monk is even more sure that His Royal Highness the Castle Lord is the person who can put an end to the troubled times, rectify the Buddhist Gate, and benefit the world! ”

I looked at him seriously, and his expression was very serious.

I really didn't expect that someone would bet on me now, and I am still such a magical character.

And what he said was not entirely unreasonable. However, his emotions are so emotional that his views will inevitably be biased. At least I know that the Honganji Senru is not such an incompetent person.

It can be said that the current Ashina Hyotaro is very similar to some angry young people in later generations, or he is an angry young man with ideals and culture.

Thinking of this, I shook my head: "The master really underestimates the characters in the world, and I don't have such thoughts. Things like ending the troubled times and rectifying Buddhism are in my Oda family, and I'm only in charge of my part. ”

"Even if His Highness can put an end to the troubled times, it is difficult to say that it will help the common people of the world. Such a thing can only rely on His Royal Highness the City Lord! He looked at me eagerly, "The poor monk heard that Grandfather Ling and Uncle Ling's grandfather studied under Master Nancun Meixuan of the Nanhai School, and His Royal Highness the City Lord has been taught by Uncle Ling's grandfather since he was a child, so he is proficient in Sinology and Confucianism, but is there such a thing?" ”

"I've learned a bit, but I'm not proficient." I was secretly surprised, this monk is really well-informed, and it is likely that he has been to Tosa Province, otherwise he would not know so much about it.

"Then what His Royal Highness the City Lord said is an idea that will help the world!" Hyotaro Ashina clasped his hands together, but recited a sentence from the Confucian scriptures, "If you are good, you will help the world, and if you are poor, you will be good alone." ”

The monk interprets the four books, Xiucai goes to catch ghosts, and the Taoist priest worships Mida, which is really an inexplicable thing...... However, this monk does have some meaning, especially his views on Honganji and Renru himself, which are similar to me in many ways.

I stood up and nodded, "It's the first time I've heard such an opinion from a master, it's really refreshing!" Since the master is still used to living here, why not stay for a while longer? I will send someone to deliver the amount requested earlier...... After a while, there may be something important to ask the master! ”

(To be continued)