In the era before Emperor Tenmu, there was an ancient "Yue" country in the Hokuriku region.

Fujiwara Minorukata, a singer in the Heian period, once had a song about wanting to cross the country, but he was afraid of heavy snow.

In the eyes of people at the time, Yuedi was a snow country.

Later, the ancient Yue Kingdom, at the time of the Taika reform, was divided into the three kingdoms of Echizen, Echichu, and Echigo, and then again into the three kingdoms of Noto, Kaga, and Sado.

And the ancient Yue country is added, Wakasa country, which is now called Hokuriku Province among the seven provinces of the five ki.

Castle Castle, in the castle tower.

Li Xiao listened to Honda Masanobu explain in detail the alliance between Li Xiaofang and Honganji Shengxing Temple on behalf of Li Xiaofang this time.

With Honda Masanobu's narration, the more Li Xiao listened, the more satisfied he became, and he couldn't help but nod.

After Honda Masanobu finished narrating, Li Xiao smiled and said: "Thank you for your hard work, Masanbe, if it weren't for your mediation this time, it would be difficult for me to reach an alliance with Shengxing Temple." ”

After hearing this, Honda Masanobu said 'oh', and said: "Finally, I am fortunate not to be dishonored, and I really trust the lord to deal with this matter in the territory, Master Xuanli, if it is not for the fact that all the forces in the city have been subdued, whether to agree to the alliance or not, it is still unknown." ”

Li Xiao snorted and said: "Zhengxin, what you said is right, Yuezhong is like a table, only powerful people can come to the table and share the food on the table with him Honganji, if the family does not have a little skill, it has been annexed by Honganji, how can it be said to be an alliance." ”

Li Xiao saw that Honda Masanobu showed a puzzled expression, and immediately realized that he himself was a separate meal system, unlike Chinese who eat at a large table, so the meaning of Li Xiao's words, no wonder he didn't understand it very well.

Honda Masashi said, "However, the intention of Honganji Temple is to let the lord defend him against the Echigo Uesugi family, and if this point is not handled properly, the lord will likely become the target of the Uesugi family." ”

"So I should be more cautious. But. ”

Li Xiao exhaled, stood up, pushed open the pane of the castle tower, and looked at the Shentong River under the city.

Li Xiao pointed to this river, and said what he had not finished speaking, and then said: "However, the alliance with Honganji Temple also means that I have temporarily gained a firm foothold in Yuezhong, and now this river and land are finally owned by me." ”

Li Xiao is right, after removing the threat of Honganji, at this moment, he has just become the real elder of the Takeda family's 20,000 stones.

Otherwise, what is the use of Takeda Shinxuan's security paperwork, Honganji will not buy your account, and Li Xiao will not be able to sit in the position of Chengsheng City at all.

Honda Masanobu said in a rather admiring tone: "My lord, with the strength of one person and the body of a prisoner, he has only been in the Takeda family for three years, and he has become the elder of the Takeda family with 20,000 stones, which is really not something that ordinary people can do. ”

Li Xiao smiled, Honda Masanshin is not a lie, compared to the three heroes, when Oda Nobunaga succeeded as the governor, there was half of Owari Province left by his father, Kinoshita Fujiyoshiro was clothed, and Oda was born for five years before he obtained the status of a samurai, and although Tokugawa Ieyasu has been displaced since childhood, when he debuted, he was served by a group of fierce people from the former Matsudaira family.

However, obtaining the position of the lord of the daimyo is only a new starting point on the road to usurping power, not the end.

Li Xiao turned around and saw Honda Masanobu looking at him, as if he was thinking about what to say.

Honda Masanobu pondered for a while and asked, "Lord, now that the Takeda family is old, dare to ask the lord, what are the next steps?" ”

Li Xiao did not hesitate at all, and said: "Of course, it is to advance and expand the territory." ”

"And after that?" Honda Masanobu asked, "Is it just an attack on Echichu?" Can the lord understand the situation in Vietnam and China? And the situation in Hokuriku as a whole? ”

Oh? Li Xiao saw that Honda Masashi seemed to have a stomach to say, and was ready to speak at length.

Indeed, now Li Xiao wants to take Chengshengcheng as the foundation for establishing a foothold in Vietnam, and to march to Vietnam, he must first understand the local situation.

According to what he used to advise Takeda Katsuyori, it is that those who do not seek the world are not enough to seek a moment, and those who do not seek the overall situation are not enough to seek a city.

Li Xiao sat down again and asked Honda Masanobu very sincerely, "Masanshin, what do you have to teach me?" ”

Honda Masanobu hurriedly said: "Don't dare, Your Majesty only has a few suggestions, and I want to give advice to the lord." ”

"It's okay to be outspoken."

Seeing Li Xiao's humble look, Honda Masanobu nodded, he first analyzed the general situation in the entire Hokuriku Province in Vietnam.

Honda Masanobu stretched out his hands, made a gesture of seven, and said: "Hokuriku Province has a total of seven countries, although it is frequently close to the coast, but because of the cold climate, so the transportation is inconvenient, which is not as good as Tokaido, but for the relatively barren and difficult Nakasendo Road, it is really a great help for my Takeda family to get Hokuriku Province." ”

To Honda Masashi's words, Li Xiao nodded, Shangluo is Takeda Shingen's first ambition, and it is of vital significance for the Takeda family to dominate the world.

From Kanto to Kansai, there are three roads that can go to Luo, and Tokaido has a strong feudal town like Tokugawa Oda, and Imagawa Yoshimoto, who cupped the cup, died tragically on this route.

The Nakasendo was difficult to travel and was not suitable for large-scale troops, and at that time, Takeda Shingen Kamiraku mainly took the Tokaido, and the Nakasendo only allowed Akiyama Nobutomo to lead 5,000 people to make a partial army, distracting the attention of the Oda family.

Honda Masanobu then exclaimed, "Among the seven kingdoms of Hokuriku, according to the distance from, they are Wakasa Province, Echizen Province, Kaga Province, Etchu Province, Echigo Province, and Noto Province is located in the northern part of Central Echi. ”

Honda Masanobu then analyzed the current situation of the Hokuriku provinces in turn.

In Wakasa Province, its guardian daimyo Takeda Yoshitomi, Wakasa Takeda is a branch of Yasuku Takeda, and the Kai Takeda family is the same clan, and now Wakasa Takeda has fallen into civil strife, and is gradually invaded by the Asakura family and becomes his puppet.

Echizen Province, the Asakura family originally belonged to the head of the Sanguan Leader Spo family, and later became a Sengoku daimyo from the Spo family, and then fought several battles with Kaga Ichijomune, and now both families regard each other as the number one enemy.

Kaga Province was founded after the people of Kaga came to Hokuriku Yoshizaki Gobo (who was burned down by the Asakura family after the Battle of the Kowloon River) to preach and the people of Kaga Province united with the forces of the Ichijo clan to overthrow the Tomiken clan, the guardian daimyo.

Now it has become the base camp of Hokuriku of the Iskonomi sect, and Honganji Temple uses this as a base to infiltrate Echichu, Noto, and Hida.

The country of Noto, which is above China, is now controlled by the Hatakeyama family, the original three-management leader, but the real power of the Hatakeyama family has now been roughly hollowed out and is controlled by the seven people of Hatakeyama in China.

As for Sado Province, the country is small and barren, and its influence is too small for the entire Hokuriku.

Echigo was under Uesugi Kennobu.

After a general explanation, Honda Masashi said, "The Etsu China that the lord wants to seek now will be followed by the three kingdoms of Noto, Kaga, and Echigo." ”

"The Noto no Hatakeyama family, although it is the original owner of the two guardian generations of the Shinho clan and the Shiina clan, is mired in domestic turmoil, and its influence on the central part of the country is negligible. At present, the most influential force in Vietnam is none other than Kaga's Honganji Temple, and the Echigo Uesugi family. ”

After a pause, Hondo Masashi said: "If the lord wants to capture Yuezhong now, the necessary diplomatic strategy is to link Honganji Temple in the west and reject the Uesugi family in the east. ”

Li Xiao listened to Honda Masatin and understood the meaning of his words.

For example, the strategy adopted by Honda Masanobu Li Xiao now is similar to the countermeasures that Zhuge Liang persuaded Liu Bei to implement when Longzhong was in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

First of all, the opening remarks.

Li Xiao said: "The eldest husband holds the genius of the world, how can he be empty and old under Lin Quan? May Mr. take the common people in the world as his thoughts, and enlighten the foolishness and give teaching. ”

Honda Masanobu smiled and said, "I wish to hear the will of the lord." ”

Next, the two began to rip off.

In Li Xiao's understanding, at present, Chengsheng City is the new field where Liu Bei was entrenched at the beginning, Li Xiao is now only a few hundred soldiers, and he will not be able to reach the island, and there are several people in Shigang, compared with Honganji Temple and the Uesugi family, they are all huge things for Li Xiao now.

Honganji, among the Uesugi family.

The Uesugi family is the most powerful, and there is also the will of the emperor, which is equivalent to the name of the Son of Heaven, and can crusade against unrighteous ministers, so the Uesugi family can be compared to Cao Wei of the Three Kingdoms.

For Li Xiao, in the face of Uesugi Kenshin, who has a strong general and is known as the god of war, the strategy he adopted is, in Zhuge Liang's words to Liu Bei, 'this sincerity cannot compete with each other'.

As for Honganji, in a nutshell, the offensive power is extremely poor, but the defense is very strong.

To cite two examples, in the Battle of the Kowloon River, Ichimune invaded Echizen and was defeated by Asakura Sect with 15,000 people and 300,000.

In the defensive battle, Oda Nobunaga of Ishiyama Honganji Temple could not be defeated for ten years, attacked Nagashima Honganji Temple, the Oda family lost troops, attacked and attacked Hokuriku, Shibata Katsuie, Maeda Toshinaga and the two joined forces to kill for decades.

Therefore, at this point, it is not inappropriate to compare Honganji Temple to Sun Wu in history.

Therefore, Li Xiao's strategy for Honganji Temple, in the words of Zhuge Banxian, 'This can be used for help, but not for help'.

And if Li Xiao wants to expand his strength and make progress in Yuezhong, he can only use the Shenbao family and the Shiina family to do it.

Now Yuezhong is Jingzhou for Li Xiao, located in the main road of Hokuriku, the land is fertile and rich, the same as Yuehou, and the stone height is 400,000.

And the two guardian generations of Yuezhong, the chief of the gods, and the Shiina Yasuin are not famous masters, although they are superficially subjugated under the banner of the Uesugi family, but in fact they are two Warring States daimyo with the surname of Reading Force, and they are secretly attacking each other, which is equivalent to Liu Biao and Han Xuan in the eyes of Honda Masanobu.

After conquering the country of Vietnam, for Li Xiao, it can be said that it is equivalent to realizing the leap from the city lord-level daimyo to the country-lord level daimyo at one level.

In fact, after the capture of Vietnam, there was further development.

Next, Li Xiao can now form a naval army to take the Sado country on the sea.

Although the Sado country is barren and hangs overseas, there is a Sado gold mountain, which is equivalent to the 'capital of the king' who enterprises the world for careerists.

At the same time as capturing Sado, Li Xiao could also march into Noto and capture the Hatakeyama family, which is now unknown, so as to add Sado Province.

If Li Xiao can achieve this goal, the generals will have Hida, Yuechu, Noto, and Sado Shikoku, and become the real Li Xiao million stones.

(To be continued)