Hida country, Kogen Suwa Castle.

Heavy snow covers the mountains and the four fields are covered with snow, making Suwa Castle, a highland located among the mountains, feel a little lonely.

Located on the Hida Highlands with an average elevation of 1,300 to 2,000 meters or more, Kogen Suwa Castle has a history of nearly 100 years as the main castle of the Eima family of the Hokita wealthy family.

Now the Kogen Suwa Castle is deserted, and it doesn't look like it's just over the New Year.

In the castle tower of Kogen Suwa Castle.

Despite the charcoal fire burning in the brazier, it does not drive away the cold and dampness of the high mountains, but as locals who have lived here for generations, they have long been accustomed to such an environment.

"Lord, since this is the case, we will retreat first."

As the four great retainers of the Eima clan, the Kawagami clan, the Wahito clan, the Kamiyo clan, the Yoshimura clan and others withdrew from the castle tower one after another.

Jiangma Shisheng, the head of the Jiangma family, is now staring at the charcoal fire in the brazier, and is in a daze, except for him, the only thing left in the assessment room is his third son Jiangma Huisheng.

"Father."

Jiang Ma Shisheng suddenly came back to his senses, faced the other corner of the room, and asked, "Are you asking me?" ”

Jiangma Huisheng glanced at Jiangma Shisheng and thought: Father, if you are really old, under this great change, you have become numb and sluggish, and you can't come up with any ideas.

Jiangma Shisheng is over sixty years old, his hair is gray, according to the general practice, when the family governor reaches this age, he has to abdicate or live in seclusion, but he is still in charge of the affairs of Jiangma's family.

Jiangma Huisheng bowed his head and said, "Yes, father." ”

Realizing that he had lost his mind, Jiang Ma Shisheng exhaled, raised his hands up, and let the sleeves of the wide straight robe hang down naturally, and then the hem fell beyond the knees and put it down again.

At the same time, Jiang Ma Shisheng took out a folding fan, opened it with a pop, restored the grandeur of the head of the family, and asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Efsheng Eima secretly scoffed at his father's pretentious performance, but he still replied respectfully: "It's still for the sake of the four adults, and the matter of the alliance between Sister Koji Yoshiyori and Echigo Uesugi was formed." ”

Mentioning the name of his sister Xiaolu Lianglai, Jiangma Shisheng's face showed a sense of anger, and he scolded with hatred: "Miki Lianglai, this bastard thing." ”

Miki Lianglai is the sister Xiaolu Lianglai.

During the Warring States period, Tosa's Ichijo family, Hida's sister Koji family, and the Kitada family in Ise were called the Three Kingdoms Division, and they were the only three forces that were transformed from ministers to Sengoku daimyo during the Warring States period.

As can be seen from the noun, the kokuji is the head of a country, but this is a public position, not a samurai shogunate. The shogunate granted the lord of a country is guarded, guardian generation, such as Takeda Shingen, who was canonized by the shogunate, Kai, Shinano and Shinano.

The sister Koji family is the Hida National Division, ruling a country, and it was canonized by the Southern Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. After the fall of the Southern Dynasty, the Koji family officially surrendered to the shogunate under the attack of the Omi, Hida, and Oki Three Kingdoms Guardian Kyogoku Clan, which was appointed by the Muromachi Shogunate.

Later, the sister Koji family split into, Kojima sister Koji clan, Kotaka sister Koji clan, and Furukawa sister Koji clan.

At this time, the Miki family was only a retainer who went to Hida Province as the Kyogoku family and monitored the sister Koji family, and later the Miki family went through the hard work of several generations of family heads and occupied the entire territory of Masuda County in Minami Hida.

In the hands of the current head of the Miki family, Miki Yoshiyori, the Miki family has been out of control from now on, connecting with the Uchijima family, another powerful force in Hida, and successively destroying the two families of Kojima sister Koji clan and Kotaka sister Koji clan.

After the first year of Miki Ryo Yongroku, he worshiped Hida Shou, and in the second year, he made his eldest son inherit the name of his sister Xiaolu's family and changed his name to Sister Xiaolu Yoritsuna.

At the same time, Miki Yoshiyori also changed his name to Sister Koji Yoyori, and at this point, the Miki family officially changed its family name, inheriting the family name of the former Hida Country Commander Koji, which he destroyed.

Sister Koji Yoshiri is good at power diplomacy, at the beginning of the throne Eima Shisheng united, the Hirose clan, the Terurenji Temple, and the forces of most of the three sister Koji families, most of the Hida country, besieged the sister Koji Yoshitsuna.

But he was relied on by his sister Xiaolu Liang to join the law of vertical and horizontal, which caused several infighting, and in the end, he was safe and sound, but he also destroyed several small wealthy families.

So Sister Koji Yoyori was once called Saito Michizo of the leading country Mino.

Therefore, in the confrontation of the hegemony of the original Hida country, the Jiangma family was inferior to his sister Xiaolu Lianglai father and son.

Now that Sister Koji Yoshiyori has revealed his ambition to dominate Hida Province, after winning over the Uchijima family, another major force in Hida Country, he ordered his son Sister Koji Yoshitsuna to marry the daughter of Saito Michizo, thus stabilizing the situation in Mino's rear.

Now that my sister Koji has inherited it again, the position of the national secretary of the Hida country, and he has the reputation of crusading against the disobedient forces in the Hida country, and the situation is even more unfavorable for the Eima family, which was originally the enemy party.

And just now, just after the New Year, the spy report of the Eima family in the sister Koji family was rumored that the sister Koji Yoshiyori actually hooked up with the Uesugi family in Echigo.

Looking at his father's hatred for his sister Xiaolu Lianglai, Jiangma Huisheng understood that the hatred in his father's heart was more out of jealousy.

At the beginning, the old head of the Miki family was newly mourned, and Jiangma Shisheng took advantage of the enemy's mourning period to contact various forces to send troops, but was defeated by his sister Xiaolu Lianglai, who was sixteen years younger than him.

How did this convince him, and later the Jiangma family clashed with the sister Xiaolu family several times, but they have always fallen behind, seeing that the power of the sister Xiaolu family continues to grow, but he is helpless, and finally came to this desperate scene.

Such an incompetent father is also worthy of being in charge of the Jiangma family, Jiangma Frasers thought so in his heart.

But he still said in a deep voice on his face: "Yoshiyori Koji is standing behind him now, the two major forces of the Mino Saito family and the Echigo Uesugi family, this is definitely not something that our current Guma family forces can contend with, so I think that there are only two ways to go in front of our Eima family at the moment." ”

"Which two paths?" Jiangma Shisheng asked.

"The first one is as Lord Fangcai said on the river, my Jiangma family surrendered to my sister Xiaolu family."

"It can't be." Jiang Ma Shisheng roared, asking him to surrender the great enemy who had been attacking each other for decades, and this sister Xiaolu Lianglai was still the one who had succumbed to him in the first place, how could he be willing.

Jiangma Shisheng said loudly: "My Jiangma family is a descendant of the dignified Hengwu Ping clan, and the Miki family was originally just a local land, and Tian shamelessly impersonated the family name of the sister of the country Xiaolu family, such a person who betrayed righteousness, I, Jiangma Shisheng, would rather surrender to the Uchijima family than surrender to the Miki family." ”

Hida country, the third largest force in the Uchijima family, the family origin is actually from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the descendants of the military god Kusunoki Masanari.

Such a family is a fight with the father and son of Kiso Yoshiyasu in Shinano Kiso Valley.

The four retainers of the Eima family came to visit, and in addition to discussing the alliance between the sister Koji family and the Echigo Uesugi family, the heads of the two families of the Kawagami family and the Kamiyo family all unanimously wanted to submit to the sister Koji family.

However, the Kazuhito family and the Yoshimura family have unclear attitudes.

The four ministers of the Jiangma family were originally very high in reading, so their opinions, even if they rebelled against Jiangma Shisheng's intentions, Jiangma Shisheng did not dare to do anything to them for the time being.

Moreover, the head of the River family has always been an important minister of the Jiangma family, and his opinions are also quite influential.

So Jiangma Shisheng just blindly persuaded and comforted, and then claimed to come up with a better way in a few days.

In fact, Jiangma Shisheng didn't know that the Shendai family, one of the four great ministers, was instigated by Jiangma Huisheng to put pressure on his father's side.

Father's reaction was completely expected by Jiangma Frassing, Jiangma Fraser secretly sneered, and then said calmly: "Since my father is unwilling to surrender to my sister Xiaolu's family, then we have to take the second way." ”

"What way?"

Jiang Ma Hui said: "Just follow the example of the sister Xiaolu family, and also find a backer for the family?" ”

Jiang Ma Shisheng's eyes flashed, Huo Ran stood up, pointed at Jiang Ma Huisheng's head with a folding fan, and said, "You want my Jiang Ma family to seek support from the Takeda family?" ”

In addition to the forces that can affect Hida Province, the Mino Saito family in the south, Echichu in the north, and the Uesugi family in Echigo, there is only the Takeda family with their backs to the east.

So Jiangma Shisheng reacted immediately, Jiangma Huisheng nodded and said: "Father, what you said is good, there is only this way to go now." Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin compete for Kanto, and there can only be one winner for the two people. For Takeda Shingen, Hida Province is Shinano's link to Vietnam.

"In Yuezhong, Takeda Shingen can seek the support of the Wing Zong, as long as the Takeda family soldiers arrive, it seems that the only name of the Yuezhong family, the Shenbao family, will be destroyed if they either surrender. Takeda Shingen can use Hida to establish a front line in Echichu to attack Echigo. In this way, Hida Kuni's important surname to Takeda Shingen is self-evident. ”

"It is foreseeable that sooner or later Takeda Shingen will send troops to Hida, either this year or next year, instead of waiting for the Takeda family to attack the door, it is better for us to take the initiative to take a step ahead of the time, contact the Takeda family, and win the initiative, and at the same time, we can also borrow the power of the Takeda family to fight against the sister Xiaolu family."

Jiangma Fraser made this tirade, he had been preparing for a long time and thought about it several times, which made Jiangma Shisheng fall into deep thought.

Jiang Ma Shisheng was pacing back and forth in the house, so it could also be seen that he was restless and indecisive.

"You make me think again." Jiang Ma Shisheng said quite weakly.

"Father, what are you still hesitating about at this moment, on the river, Lord Shendai is waiting for our news, if you miss the opportunity, Sister Xiaolu's family will attack the door, the attitude of the two adults is ambiguous, if you fall to the enemy, it will be a big deal, please father must make a decision quickly."

"You know what?" In the face of Jiangma Huisheng's step-by-step advancement, Jiangma Shisheng finally took out the majesty of the head of the family and his father, and scolded him angrily.

"You think the Takeda family will be so kind and help us for free. Even Uesugi Terutoka, who has always valued righteousness, would not do such stupid things. Not to mention Takeda Shingen, he is a Kai Tiger who eats people and does not spit out bones. Plotting with the Takeda family, my Jiangma family's family business is likely to be gone. ”

Halfway through Jiangma, Shisheng added: "In this regard, Taro, thinking and scheming are much more stable than you." ”

When Jiangma Huisheng heard his father mention the word Taro, his face twitched slightly, and then he buried his head and said, "I understand, it turns out that my father was worried about the family business and was embezzled by the Takeda family." It's that I'm too inconsiderate. ”

Seeing that his son admitted his mistake, Jiangma Shisheng's face softened, and he said: "We also need to contact the Takeda family, but on the Uesugi family's side, we also need to send someone to understand." You're right, we have to find someone to support us. As far as Takeda is concerned, Uesugi Teruhu is a person who values righteousness, if I don't do too much, I think he should be kind to my Ema family. ”

After a pause, Jiangma Shisheng smiled self-deprecatingly again, and said: "Who knows, let's take a look at the meaning of the Takeda family and the Uesugi family, whoever offers generous conditions, our Jiangma family will serve whomever it wants." In this troubled world, it is not something that a great name like Uesugi Takeda can say, and our small wealthy family also has our way of survival! ”

"Father, wise," Eima Frasson bowed, and then added, "In that case, please ask Father to be in charge of the contact with the Takeda family." ”

"Yes, but in what name are you going?"

Jiangma Huisheng replied without hesitation: "I heard that Li Xiao, the general of the Takeda family in charge of a place in Antan County, is going to get married in a month, so I went in the name of Daohe to try the attitude of the Takeda family. ”

(To be continued)