After walking out of the Tsugasakikan, Honmaru, Takeda Yoshinobu, Iitomi Toramasa, Katsushi Ikebe and a few other people rode together on horses and slowly galloped towards the castle town.

Iitomi Husho said to Takeda Yoshinobu: "I thought that after Yamamoto Kansuke's success, His Royal Highness Katsuyori would lose a powerful resource, but I didn't expect that Saburo of the Sanada family is young and his knowledge is already extraordinary, and I think he can replace Yamamoto Kansuke in the future by His Royal Highness Katsuyori's side." ”

Hearing Iitomi Toramasa boast of Sanada Masayuki like this, Yoshinobu Takeda gripped the reins tightly with both hands on his face.

Fan Fu Huchang continued: "Right now, thanks to His Royal Highness, his wings have been completed, and with the assistance of a fierce general like Li Xiao, he already has the strength to compete with Your Highness." ”

Takeda Yoshinobu showed a bit of hatred on his face, and he could only hold the reins tightly in his hand, and said: "Let's see if we can buy Sanada Masayuki to our side, or simply send a ninja to assassinate him, without the assistance of a wise man, Li Xiao is just a brave man, I see how Shiro can compete with me for the throne." ”

"Absolutely not," Iitomi Tiger said, "mobilizing the ninja is likely to be known by the lord, and Sanada Masayuki will definitely be used heavily in the future, and it can be seen from the fact that the lord is very serious about him, if you rashly assassinate him, it is likely to cause great trouble." ”

"Then what should I do, could it be that Li Xiao and Takeda Katsuyori continue to be free? In the past few days, looking at their smug looks, I am about to explode. Katsushi said hatefully.

Iifu Huchang smiled slightly, and said: "Your Highness, there is no need to be anxious now, His Royal Highness Shiro has been rushing up recently, isn't it the battle of the Shirane Mountain Palace that defeated Uesugi Huihu?" If we want to re-suppress Shiro's prestige, all we have to do is to overshadow him again in terms of military exploits. ”

Takeda Yoshinobu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked anxiously, "Then what should I do?" ”

"For my Takeda family, the greatest achievement lies in the development of the territory, and the strategy in the direction of Mino has been vetoed by the lord, Suruga, Sagami is the territory of the Imagawa and Hojo alliances, Mikawa belongs to the Imagawa family's sphere of influence, the Hida country has a difficult and dangerous road, and the march is inconvenient, and there is the first strong enemy of my Takeda family, Kamishi Teruto, in Echigo, so the only place where my Takeda family has hope to open up the territory is the direction of Nishiueno. As long as Your Highness can conquer the land of Nishi-Ueno, a half-country, and expand the 200,000 stone heights for my Takeda family, how can Shiro's past achievements be comparable to His Highness? ”

Takeda Yoshinobu nodded after hearing this and said, "Lord Messenger, that's right, but if Shiro also asks the lord to attack Nishiueno, won't I want to rob him at that time?" In case he makes another great achievement. ”

Iitomi Huchang laughed and said: "Please rest assured, Your Highness, the lord has already told me the policy of the Nishiueno strategy a few days ago, and two months later, my Takeda family will send troops to Nishiueno again, and I will lead the troops as the general at that time." ”

Hearing what Iitomi Huchang said, Takeda Yoshinobu and Katsushi Shibe were relieved, and they undoubtedly let go of a big stone in their hearts.

Iitomi Torama continued: "Echigo, the Ueno army, just after the battle at Shirane Mountain, was hit hard by His Highness Katsuyori, and his vitality has not recovered, if we attack Nishi-Ueno at this time, it is our opportunity, and His Highness Katsuyori can be said to have done us a great favor." Even if His Royal Highness Katsuyori has Li Xiao and Sanada Masayuki's help, he has no courage, but he has no use, so he can only watch us establish great achievements in Nishiueno. ”

Yoshinobu Takeda and Katsushi Tracebe couldn't help but laugh in unison when they heard it. Shengzi stepped forward and said: "Fanfu Military Department, far-sighted, with you in charge, His Royal Highness Shenglai and Li Xiao will never cause any trouble to His Highness." ”

Rice Fu Huchang smiled slightly when he heard the flattery of the trace of Shengzi, it seems that an arrogant person like him is the most disdainful of such a sycophant, but he eats this set again.

However, Fan Fu Huchang thought that Fang Cai Takeda Shinxuan summoned Li Xiao to stay alone to summon him, and he secretly felt uneasy in his heart, what was the purpose of this?

The Akazaki Pavilion, in the teahouse of the main hall.

Takeda Shingen looked at the courtyard outside the tea room, at this moment when the cherry blossoms were withering, there was a poignant scene, the garden was filled with water, and the bamboo tube was filled with spring water, and then when it was reversed and poured into the small pool, it touched the stone, and the first sound of knocking on the ground made a particularly quiet crisp sound.

Li Xiao sat in the tea room, secretly observing Takeda Shingen who was standing with his hands in his hands, and wondered in his heart what kind of person this Takeda Shingen was?

banished his father and caused his son to commit suicide, which shows that the other party is definitely a utilitarian realist, so although Li Xiao once saved Takeda Shingen's life in Kawanakajima, he also knows that this is not a weight that he can completely rely on.

Li Xiao had to figure out the other party's surname and principles of doing things, and act on this basis, because he didn't want to try the fangs of this Jiafei Tiger.

At this time, Shingen Takeda, who had been silent, spoke.

"Li Xiao, what do you think if I transfer you back from Shiro's side to be a direct minister?"

started, he was figuring out Takeda Shingen's surname, and the other party was not figuring out himself at the moment? If one is not careful and answers incorrectly, not only will the future of his Takeda family be worried, but his surname may also be lost.

Li Xiao said secretly in his heart, and at the same time began to think about why Takeda Shingen asked such a question. If Takeda Shingen had said so in the past, Li Xiao would undoubtedly agree.

And now after Yamamoto Kansuke Zhishi, there is a vacancy in the position of Takeda Katsuyori's pen retainer, and other candidates such as Sanada Masayuki still need a period of training before they can take on great responsibilities, as for Hoshina Masatoshi, Suwa Manlin and others are not talented.

And now Li Xiao has a good chance to rely on his outstanding performance in the battle of Baigen Mountain to become a powerful retainer under Takeda Katsurai, and it is a pity to leave now this opportunity.

However, if he rejects Takeda Shingen's opinion, how will he think of himself, a rebellious minister with ill intentions who is bent on seducing Takeda Katsuyori and then profiting from it.

Li Xiao thought for a while and replied, "Your Excellency, if His Royal Highness allows His Majesty to leave, His Majesty is willing to serve His Lord." ”

Okay, the responsibility is shifted, anyway, Takeda Katsuyori is now planning to take the heir, and he will definitely not let me go at this moment. How to say that I am also Takeda Katsuyori's match now, if Takeda Katsuyori does not agree, Takeda Shingen does not have enough reason to ask me to be his direct minister.

Li Xiao was playing his own wishful thinking while watching Takeda Shinxuan's reaction.

Takeda Shingen thought for a moment when he heard Li Xiao say this, then smiled, touched the two beards on his lips with his hand, and said, "Needless to say, Shiro will definitely not let you go." ”

Well, Takeda Shingen really didn't want to go back to be a direct minister, he was testing himself with words. Li Xiao began to feel that there was a cold sweat oozing out of his back, as the so-called companion is like a companion tiger, this head is really a tiger that eats people and does not spit out bones.

Takeda Shingen still had his back to Li Xiao, looked at the scenery in the courtyard, paused and said: "Yamamoto Kansuke Zhishi, I strongly recommend you to me, Sanada Masayuki, you two. He spoke of you in particular, saying that your abilities were far superior to him. ”

"Lord Yamamoto praised it falsely, and his subordinates are sincerely afraid." Li Xiao's back was already soaked in cold sweat, and he thought: Dry, Yamamoto Kansuke, you birdman, you don't boast like this, you want to kill me.

"Li Xiao," Takeda Xinxuan suddenly turned around, pointed his folding fan at Li Xiao and said in a deep voice, "I Xinxuan is not a jealous and jealous lord, if you are afraid of your identity as a Ming countryman, and restrain your edge, you don't need to be in front of me." Just now, when I asked everyone a question, Yixin, Huchang, and Changxin all tried their best to behave in front of me, but you didn't mean it, is there something unspeakable? ”

Takeda Shingen is really not easy to match.

In the face of Takeda Shinxuan's questioning, a smile appeared on the corner of Li Xiao's mouth, and he said loudly: "What the lord said is right, the minister really didn't mean to say it just now, because there are some words, and the minister wants to give advice to the lord alone." ”