"It's true!" Jing Zhong was as happy as if something, "Then when I grow up, I will be able to catch up with my father......,... No, you can be as good as you! ”

"Hmm," I said with a deliberate frown, "I'm afraid that's impossible." This book is from --\g"

"How could it be?" Jingzhong asked in surprise. Then, he suddenly remembered something, and quickly nodded: "By the way, I can't be as powerful as you." The only one who can be as powerful as you is Brother Xinjing"...... Hey, forget it! Then I'm a little bit worse than you! ”

He nodded seriously, and the expression on his face was very serious, as if he was swearing to the gods and Buddhas.

"I'm afraid it's impossible." I still splashed him with cold water.

"Huh? Father, isn't that allowed? Jing Zhong looked at me in embarrassment, his expression very disappointed.

"It's not that it's not allowed, but there are no conditions!" I finally burst out laughing, "If you want to be like me, you'll have to fight for a decade or two." However, the world will soon be calm, where are there so many battles for you to fight? ”

"So that's what happened...... "Then there's no way!" Jingzhong sighed, "It's true, it's in vain that I'm still practicing horseback riding and swordsmanship so seriously, trying to catch up with my father." ”

"Isn't that great?" I smiled slightly, "You don't have to fight, everyone can live a peaceful life, and you can live happily with your mother, and you don't have to fight everywhere like your brothers!" ”

"It's not good, and it's very unfair", Jing Zhong shook his head seriously, "Why can't I be like Brother Zhou Jing, born a few years earlier?" Look at him now, everyone says that he is a famous general who pacifies Kitakyushu and is second only to you and Uncle Xiujing in the family! ”

After saying this, he began to be bored, and he didn't even respond to my several calls to him.

"Alright, Jing Liulang", I called his nickname, "I'll tell you a secret, only you Brother Xinjing and Uncle Xiujing know in the whole family!" I don't even know about Zhou Jing. ”

"Really!" At this time, Jing Zheng was finally interested, and hurriedly stationed his war horse and leaned over, "What is the secret?" ”

"Want to hear it?" I'm deliberately like-minded.

"I want to hear it!" Jing Zheng nodded repeatedly.

"Then let's change it!" I patted the front of the saddle, "I'll tell you quietly." ”

"How embarrassing that is!" Jing Zheng leaned over and hugged his saddle tightly, for fear that I would carry him over like before, "I'm already in Yuanfu!" It's a dignified half-country guardian general! ”

"However, it is inconvenient to say such a secret publicly", I glanced behind me, "Maeda Toshinaga, Fujido Takatora, Chosamune Ibe Yorikin, and others immediately cooperated with my words, and smiled and distanced themselves from my father and son" "So, if you want to listen to it, you can only change it and let me say it in your ear." ”

Only... All right. Jing Zhong hesitated for a while, and finally decided to give up the dignity of the guardian general, in exchange for this great secret that even Zhou Jing didn't know.

He let go of his hands holding the saddle and let me carry him in front of him.

"Now you can say it!" He couldn't wait.

"Well, it's okay," I nodded, leaned into his ear and whispered, "Actually, in addition to Xinjing, Zhou Jing, Yijing, and Jingzheng," you also have a brother "......"

"Ahh Jing Zhong really couldn't help but scream.

"Well, it's a big secret, isn't it?" I said with a smile.

"It's really a big secret!" He looked back at me, his dark eyes wide.

"So, you're going to keep it a secret for me! Especially don't let your mother know. I said deliberately in a serious and mysterious tone.

"En", Jing Zhong nodded again and again, and couldn't help but lower his voice, "I understand...... "If my mother knows, I will definitely be angry with you again." ”

"That's smart!" I half-truthfully praised.

Actually, Xiao Xia must have heard a little wind about this matter. When I first received the letter from Mayuki Hosokawa, I was living in the Yangikan in Awaji", and Konatsu lived in the Yangikan for a while, so maybe she could hear something from the maids in the museum: or take a step back and say, even if she really doesn't know now, I'm afraid she will understand after a while. However, after so much going through, "she doesn't get angry with me about it now."

"Don't worry, I will never say it", Jing Zhong said with a smile, but asked me instead, "But why did you tell me about it?" ”

"Because of this battle, he also has his share!" I smiled slightly, "I have already sent a letter to His Highness Katsurui before, asking him to bring the child to Utatsu Port, where I will serve him for the Yuan, and then he will serve as the deputy general ......... of His Highness Katsurui with you, so it is not okay to be depressed and depressed like just now, you must cheer up, otherwise you will lose to your brother who is a few months old!" ”

"Got it!" Jingzhong nodded seriously, "I will definitely cheer up my spirits, and I won't disappoint my father!" ”

"Well, that's right!" I smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

……，……

Since my family came to Shikoku Island, the entire island has prospered a lot, and a few years ago, I issued the "Shikoku General Petition Decree" to allow the countries to build official roads in the country, and the Shikoku were closely connected. The main part of the entire official road, because it is roughly along the route of the Buddhist "Shikoku Bunji" pilgrimage (the first pilgrimage of the Buddhist family), is called "the road of the world" or "Kira Road" in the folk, from the heart of the dojo Awa Province to the training dojo Tosa Province, and then to the Bodhi Dojo Iyo Province, and finally to the Nirvana Dojo Zanki Province, that is, the birthplace of Kukai, the first person of the Shingon Buddhist family and the founder of the Shingon sect.

I think that with this "all the way", at least the monks and believers who are on pilgrimage will be much easier. I wonder if the monks and believers who are on pilgrimage will mind because they have lost their original value of cultivation? Anyway, the prosperity of the four countries is inseparable from this official route, and my military movements within the territory have become extremely fast.

Crossing the Shikoku Chuo Mountains along the official road, the 8,000 Tosa troops soon arrived at the port of Utatsu, and the troops of the other three countries remitted money in Utatsu Castle to the south of the harbor. Originally, I had planned to give him the common name "Keigoro" that was predestined for him, but considering Hosokawa Shinyuki's feelings, I gave up this plan and still let him keep the common name "Rokuro" that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Awa Hosokawa family. As for giving him the word "Jing", there is no problem, anyway, according to my habit of giving names, non-related families like the Hosokawa family and the Ouchi family, like the extremely close Renki, the Kamikawa Liangrenzhi family and the son-in-law Wasuga Keikatsu, are all given the next character "Jing" as the upper character (of course, the meaning is somewhat different, the former is used as the lower character of my name, and the latter is used as the new character of the Kira family), but it is adopted sons, nephews or sons-in-law such as Ii Nobunao, Ishiya Nobumasa, and Gamo Nobuhide who are given the upper character "Xuan". to show kinship with the family. Therefore, in the eyes of insiders, Hosokawa Keiyuki is the same Reneda family as Renki and Kamikawa: and before I officially announced the Hosokawa family's family character, most people would only think that he was just worshipping my subordinates like the rest of the powerful retainers.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I gave the title of Zanki Province to Shinyuki Hosokawa as a reward for his loyalty over the years. In this way, the territory of the Hosokawa family exceeded 300,000 stones, and it happened to match the size of the territory I had reserved for the Reneda family, as the general of the East Tosa Guardian and the Tosa ** power, Jingzhong naturally participated in the ceremony, and of course sat in the front row. When I picked up the ebony hat, put on the head of Hosokawa Keiyuki, and showed the judgment paper with "Jingzhi" written on it, he snickered mysteriously, and kept squeezing his eyebrows at me, so that I almost couldn't help but laugh and had to put on a more serious face and complete the whole crowning and naming process.

Because he knew Hosokawa Jingyuki's true bloodline, Jingzhong was very close to him, and Jingzhi quickly became familiar with this child who "squeezed his eyebrows at the ceremony". After all, in the entire expeditionary army, only the two of them were in high positions, and they also had to make the first battle.

After this is done, I am almost going back to Tosa. Before leaving, I invited Hosokawa Shinyuki to take good care of the two children and find a suitable opportunity for the two of them to experience it in person, so as to complete their first battle.

"This is the matter of the subordinate's duty", and the true promise of "fine" said. Because he accepted my gift and made him an official minister of his family, he changed his title as a vassal and vassal: "However, if the war is fierce, for the sake of their safety, I have to give up the plan to let them go into the first battle." ”

"You decide. But in my opinion, you won't experience a lot of battles, and they won't be very violent," I said casually, both in tone and in a very relaxed mood, "After all, both the Yoshikawa family and the Uki family know that they are just agents of me and Chikuzen Mamoru in front of the stage, and the real direction of the war is up to me and Chikuzen Mamoru to decide." If I had subdued the Mori family first, Yoshikawa Motoharu would naturally have to retreat first and wait for Chikuzen to come out: and if Chikuzen had to go out of battle, they would have returned to their command, and the dispute between the two sides of the United States would also be decided by the game between Kira and Yura behind the scenes, or they would simply go their own way and start a decisive battle on an unprecedented scale...... The position of the Uki family is similar to that of the Yoshikawa family, and you are standing behind the Uki family, so naturally you will not encounter any major wars. ”

"Your Highness said so, naturally there is no problem." Shinyuki Hosokawa nodded. He has followed me for nearly ten years, and has never seen a wrong judgment of a situation, and he has reached the level of blind obedience to my judgment, and trusts my judgment more than his own.

"Well, then, I wish you ...... Have a nice trip! ", I said to him with a smile.

Since there will be no war, then there is no need to "have a long military luck", just "have a good journey", and that's it!

I thought to myself.

Around the time I came to Utatsu Port, Yoshihiro Shimazu and Yasuhiro Yamauchi of Nagato Province received my orders. They quickly gathered their forces and were ordered to launch an offensive against Zhou Fangguo. The Yoshikawa Nobuyo, who was guarding the Zhou Defense Province of the Mori family, was naturally not to be outdone, and immediately launched a counterattack based on Yamaguchi Takamine Castle. The two sides fought on the border, Yoshikawa was defeated by Shimazu Yoshihiro, and the battle line gradually moved to the interior of Zhou Fangguo, and behind the two sides, there were three ** forces in Nakyushu and Maori who rushed to help.

However, Kobayakawa Takakei did not stay on the sidelines as I expected, but led the people of the two countries to follow Mori Terumoto into battle. In addition, he sent me a very strongly worded letter of protest expressing to me the strong dissatisfaction of the Maori family and himself: "I persuaded the head of the family to make concessions, and tried to maintain the covenant with the Kira family, because I trusted the character of Taitsune. However, Taichang Gong's subordinates have repeatedly provoked, and now they are using such far-fetched and scoundrel excuses to invade their own family, even if they can unify the world, how can they make the vassals happy and convinced, and set an example for future generations? It is hoped that Taichang Gong will stop in time and end the further aggression against the family, otherwise, the family will have to unify their position, confront Taichang Gong with the supreme determination and will of a million hearts, and seek justice from His Royal Highness Chikuzen Mamoru ............ What the situation will be in the future is in the current thought of Tai Changgong. Please also think twice about the Taichang Gong and carefully consider the position of the family and the following. ”

Putting down the letter, I couldn't help but frown. Perhaps, this time it was really a bit excessive. After all, there is a harmonious covenant between the Maori family and the main family, and it has always been very restrained, without the slightest violation, even if Yoshikawa Motoharu supports Hideyoshi, it is also within the framework of the covenant, because the Yura family and the main family are still allied...... And now that Hideyoshi is about to end the war on the Eastern Front, the moment of the decisive battle between the two families is likely to come soon, if they really completely surrender to the Yura family and desperately contain their own military strength, it will inevitably disrupt my plan and bring great variables to the situation. In particular, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who married Hideyoshi, may also follow the Yura family, so my situation will be very difficult.

Kobayakawa Takakei's words in the letter were not false threats, and from what I know about him, I can be sure of that. Although he took the overall situation into account very much, he also had a tough stance and determination, and he forced the rebel to borrow the three villages in the middle and gathered 100,000 troops to quell the rebellion, which was a move carried out by him single-handedly. In the original history, Hideyoshi once tried to give Hideaki to the Mori family as an adopted son, replacing the adopted heir at that time, Mori Hidemoto, but Kobayakawa Takakei took the initiative to retire and cede his family business to Hideaki, who was not related by blood, thus ensuring the bloodline of the clan...... It can be seen that he can do anything for the sake of the Maori family, including damaging his reputation and trust, including giving up his power and family business. In the face of such a decision, what is Kobayakawa Keimoto who is a hostage?

I can't go back on myself and give up the strategy of Zhou Fangguo, that will seriously affect my faith and the spirit of the upcoming decisive battle: but I can't really fight the entire Maori family to the end, after all, it is very unrealistic to destroy the Maori family in a short time, and if I am entangled by them in Shanyang and have to disperse a considerable part of my forces, it will inevitably make me lose my grasp of the situation and the initiative in the decisive battle with the Yuliang family.

It seems that the family has to change its approach to ......! ~！