Half a month later, Oda Nobumitsu, the lord of Shoushan Castle, was assassinated in his own castle.

The murderer of Nobumitsu is said to be his retainer Sakai Sunhachiro, but no one knows why Sakai Sunhachiro committed murder against the lord.

News of Nobumitsu's murder spread quickly in Owari and the surrounding areas of Mino and Mikawa, and a few days later, it was claimed that he had seen Sakai Sunhachiro on the Nishi-Mikawa border.

Nobumitsu was a well-known scholar in the Oda family, and he was known for his courage and skill.

Ironically, Nobumitsu did not have any heirs, so after his death, a large area of territory centered on Moriyama Castle was naturally taken over by Nobunaga as a direct leader.

Anyone with a little bit of brains understands that Sakai Sunhachiro is just a knife to kill, and the real murderer is someone else. People in Owari began to speculate.

Is it the Imagawa side?

-- Sakai Sunhachiro was seen entering Mikawa Province, and besides, the Oda family and the Imagawa family were enemies.

This speculation was reasonable, but a gossip about Oda Nobumitsu's greed for a lot of money quickly spread in Owari Japan.

In Kiyoshu Castle, Nobunaga summoned Sasa Narumasa and Maeda Toshiie.

A few days ago, a merchant came from Nanban and brought some very rare things, and Nobunaga had a lot of money left in his hand, so of course he bought a lot of them.

In front of Cheng Zheng and the Li family, there was a kind of crystal clear particles, and the Li family said excitedly:

"Could it be...... This is Konpeito? It is said to be very delicious......"

The undisguised urgency in his words made Nobunaga laugh:

"Taste it, half yours, half yours."

"Thank you, my lord!"

The Li family carefully pinched a piece of Jinping candy and put it into his mouth, repeated **** with that flexible tongue like a dog, and caught the thick sweetness of Jinping candy with his taste buds without landing.

"Crunch", Cheng Zheng didn't blink, grabbed a handful of Jinping candy and chewed it.

"The lord called the two of us here separately today, probably not just to eat the candy that children like."

Nobunaga was not surprised by Naruma's reaction, this guy Gainzozo Seimasa has always been incomprehensible to him, and he has always been able to surprise him, so he said slowly:

"You're so smart, you should know what's going on."

"Yes, of course I do."

Cheng Zheng also immediately picked up the conversation.

"Bridgehead sacks! What is it? ”

The Li family stared at the two of them with a puzzled expression, and there was no doubt that this kind of dumb riddle-like conversation made his IQ a little anxious.

"Masaka...... Was it the assassination of Lord Oda Nobumitsu? The lord is going to let the two of us go to track down the murderer......"

Although the Li family's reaction was a beat slower, he was also a young talent with a lively mind, and he quickly thought of Xinguang, and immediately denied the conjecture of tracking down the murderer.

"No...... Nobumitsu-sama is dead, and even if it is to track down the murderer, it is useless, but his death has changed the situation in Owari once again, and the lord's meaning is ...... Is it to prevent the son of Nobuyuki from taking the opportunity to rebel? ”

In just a few words, Maeda Toshiya had already gone straight to the heart of the problem, and although this strain was a beat slower than Sasa Narimasa, it was enough to satisfy Nobunaga.

"Yes, I am also sad that my uncle was assassinated. However, if Nobuyuki puts this basin on my head, it will be the real trouble. ”

“…… That being said, Lord Nobumitsu was obviously assassinated by Sakai Sunhachiro at the behest of the Imagawa family, so how could Prince Nobuyuki blame the lord for this? Could it be that Sun Hachiro was instructed by Shinyuki's salary? ”

"Wrong! Dog, you're wrong! ”

Nobunaga's handsome face suddenly darkened, and the Rike family couldn't understand how his mood changed so quickly, and there was a feeling of uneasiness for no reason.

"Yozo, you explain."

"Hay! Nobumitsu-sama's death is, of course, a conspiracy, but it must not be Nobuyuki's plan. The reason why the assassination was carried out was because the death of Lord Nobumitsu was particularly beneficial to someone. Lord Shinmitsu has no heirs, and once he dies, all the territories will be taken back to his family, so from this point of view, it is the lord who benefits the most. On the other hand, Lord Nobumitsu had presided over the battle against the Imagawa and Matsudaira clans for a long time, and his death was also beneficial to Imagawa Yoshimoto. Judging from the principle of 'whoever does it, who benefits', the black hand behind the scenes is either the lord or Imagawa Yoshimoto, and it will never be Nobuyuki Gongzi. It's just because of the death of Lord Nobumitsu that the strength of the lord is even stronger, and the situation of Prince Nobuyuki is also more and more unfavorable. ”

"I see......"

Maeda Toshiya suddenly realized, his brain turned, and then said:

"Although it was not Nobuyuki Gongzi's doing, we must also beware of him using this to launch a rebellion, and because of the murder of Nobuyitsu Lord, public opinion in the country is against the lord, if Nobuyuki Gongzi raises troops at this time, it can be said that there is still a chance to win."

"yes, that's why I called you both over."

Nobunaga twisted his waist and lay down on the tatami mat, saying casually but unquestionably:

"Yosa, you did a good job last time you went to Mino, so I'll let you go this time! Go to Inabayama Castle to test Saito Yoshiryu's attitude, and if possible, borrow some reinforcements, I guess Nobuyuki will soon be unable to sit still. ”

"Hay!"

"Dog, you have another mission."

"My lord's command."

Nobunaga turned to his side, staring at the Rike family with a pair of bright eyes, and suddenly a slight chill was revealed from it:

"I want you to betray me and go to Shibata Katsuya on the Shinyukata side!"

"Huh?"

Maeda's eyes widened suddenly, and there was a look of horror in his eyes.

A few days later, rumors spread in Owari Province that Nobunaga had murdered Nobumitsu in order to seize his possession, and Sasa Narumasa set off again, crossing the Nagara River to the mouth of Minoi.

And Maeda Toshiya, who was Nobunaga's favorite minister, suddenly ran away from Cheongshu and came to Kamisha Castle and became a retainer of the fierce general Shibata Katsuya.

Oda Nobunaga's prestige was disgraced, "Even the little surname ran away to follow the enemy, Oda Nobunaga is really a fool," said the wealthy people of Owari.

On May 24 of the old calendar, Oda Nobuyuki became independent in Suemori Castle and declared that he was Nobuhide's designated governor, and he did not know where to get a "Nobuhide suicide note" to prove the legitimacy of his succession to the governor.

In Nobunaga's view, Nobuyuki's deliberately false "legacy of the ancestors" is nothing more than a fig leaf that cannot hide shame. The reason why I connived at the rumors was not to lure out these disobedience, so that they could be wiped out?

Thinking of this, Nobunaga couldn't help but look to the north frequently.

The key to this victory or defeat may not lie under the castle of Cheongju, but in the giant python of Mino.

If Saito Yoshiryu is a wall-watcher, then Oda Nobuyuki has no possibility of turning the tables, but if Yoshiryu leads the army south...... Thinking of the 18,000 people mobilized by Yoshiryu during the siege of Saito Michizo last time, Oda Nobunaga couldn't help but gasp.

"Baga Chengzheng...... It's up to you......"

At this moment, Narumasa who was sitting in the castle tower of Inabayama Castle suddenly sneezed.