"Of course I want to think about future generations, but ...... Now that the country is prosperous, I am afraid that the Han Dynasty will not agree to too embarrassing conditions. Naito Tadashige also had scruples about Sakai Tadakatsu, but now he can't care so much, "Moreover, this is also a huge setback to Japan, not to mention that Kyoto's silk weaving industry relies on the import of raw silk from the Han Dynasty to maintain the industry, and Japan's domestic raw silk can only meet half of the annual demand." If the volume of trade between the two countries is reduced, it will be difficult for the silk weaving workshops in Kyoto to continue, and if all industries are depressed, it will be detrimental to Japan. ”

Although his defense did not quite conform to the rules of ordinary proceedings, because it was very reasonable, others did not care about his attitude, but fell back into silence.

"You have a point." Jing Yi Naotaka nodded, and quietly stopped the dispute between the two old and Chinese, "It is true that the domestic situation must also be considered, and the trade between the two countries cannot be rashly restricted too deeply." In this case, I will leave it to you to consider it as a whole, and report it to us when you have the draft. ”

"Understood, we will discuss a specific plan as soon as possible." Seeing that the unreasonable request was withdrawn, Naito finally put his mind at ease.

"Does anyone have any other opinions?" Naotaka Ii tapped his fingers lightly on the table in front of him, which was his habitual action, indicating that he had made a decision.

No one spoke anymore, although there were still many flaws in this plan, but it was clear that the elder was already inclined to make a decision, and no one was willing to openly argue with the elder again, and no one could have a better plan to put forward.

"Okay, let's do it according to this." Naotaka Ii waved his hand, and this matter became a foregone conclusion.

Although he had to write an official document and submit it to the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu for approval, with his prestige, the shogun would usually approve it directly.

After discussing such an important matter, all of a sudden silence returned to the hall.

No one offered to leave, but no one continued to speak, as if everyone was meditating here. Everyone understood that the next thing was actually the focus of their discussion overnight, and although the previous diplomatic exchanges with Ming were important, they were just a beginning.

But it was precisely because the stakes were so important that no one was willing to speak for a while.

After this strange silence lasted for I don't know how long, a cough suddenly sounded in the silent hall, and one cough after another came from Inaba Masakatsu's mouth, and I could hear the terminally ill weakness.

"Do you want to go back and rest first?" Naotaka Ii glanced at the other party with concern. "It's getting late today, so it's better to take care of your body......"

Although the shogunate has its own official system, after all, the shogunate's officials are no longer in the legal system, and there is no formal court grade, so the important ministers of the shogunate generally have the official of the imperial court.

Tokugawa Iemitsu, the shogun, was now a former minister and a general of the Left Guard, holding both a very high official position and a nominal position of one of the highest military positions in the imperial court. As the chief minister of the shogunate, Naomasa Ii is now the lieutenant general of the left guard in the fourth position.

"Thank you...... Thank you......" Inaba Masakatsu staggered to thank him, but because he was really weak, he shook his head and stumbled, looking at it was really a little compassionate.

This young man really doesn't have long to live, and almost everyone has this thought in their hearts.

However, he does not intend to give up on his plans today because of his body. "But...... National events, can not be ...... I can't delay it because of my body, please ...... Please continue. ”

As he spoke, he looked at Nobutsuna Matsudaira, who had been silent and barely felt, and his eyes were much firmer than his weakened body, as if he had made up his mind.

Looking at Inaba Masakatsu's appearance, the most sympathetic in my heart was Matsudaira Nobutsuna. When he was a teenager, he was appointed as an attendant to the then young Tokugawa Iemitsu, and served by Iemitsu's side with Inaba Masakatsu, and a deep friendship was formed between the two of them. After Jiaguang came to power, the two of them were also sent to the position of the old middle school by Jiaguang as cronies.

He was a year older than Inaba Masakatsu, but now he had to watch the other party die, which was really uncomfortable.

However, because of the discomfort, he was also more able to understand the other party's feelings.

He slightly flicked his right hand hidden in front of him a few times, allowing the pain to stimulate his nerves, which had been slightly paralyzed by fatigue, and then he raised his head and looked at the big old Ii Naotaka.

"My lord, we've been getting very worrying reports here lately...... "His gaze was very firm, "it's about Ueno's Dainayan-sama." ”

It's finally here.

Not only Naotaka Ii, but even the other silent old middle school people also had a sinking heart.

That's right, that's the real thing they've been talking about all night tonight.

Dainayan refers to Tokugawa Iemitsu's only younger brother, Tokugawa Tadadacho, who was originally nicknamed Kunichiyo, and was very popular with his parents when he was a child, but as a result, he threatened Iemitsu's heir status, and finally relied on his grandfather Tokugawa Ieyasu to lower his decision, and Iemitsu was able to continue to serve as the heir and eventually inherited the shogunship.

After Iemitsu succeeded to the throne, Tokugawa Hidetada, who had retired to the throne of the Great Imperial Palace, took his two sons, Iemitsu and Kunichiyo (who had been renamed Tokugawa Tadanaga at this time) to meet the emperor in Luo, and Tokugawa Iemitsu became the Minister of Zuo, and Tadanaga was given the official title of Dainayan by the imperial court, and since then Dainayan has become another name for Tadanaga.

The battle for the throne failed, and Tokugawa Tadanaga naturally complained in his heart, but since the overall situation had been decided, he had no choice but to accept the reality. Fortunately, at this time, his father Tokugawa Hidetada was still alive, so his treatment was not bad, and the shogunate gave him a fief with a total of 550,000 koku in the three kingdoms of Suruga, Enoe, and Kai, which was already considered very high among the Tokugawa shogunate's relatives.

However, Tokugawa Iemitsu, who had become a shogun, did not forget for a moment the hatred that his younger brother had brought to him, and he tried every means to deal with Tokugawa Tadanaga, and after a few years, he sent him back to the fief on the charge of killing his retainers and innocent people without permission, and ordered him to live in hiatus, not allowed to leave the fief without permission, and even did not allow his father Tokugawa Hidetada to visit Edo when he was critically ill.

After the death of his father Tokugawa Hidetada, he had no scruples, and immediately punished Tokugawa Tadanaga on other charges, revoked all the fiefs of Tadadenaga, and then exiled him to Takasaki Castle in Ueno Province, and imprisoned him there, and all his previous treatment was canceled, and he was like a sinner.

However, even at this point, Iemitsu still seems to be dissatisfied.

Today's meeting, which lasted until the evening, was probably to determine the fate of Tadacho.

It is precisely because they all know the inside story, so the two old middle schools of the relatively detached Ii Naotaka and the Sakai family simply chose to keep silent, anyway, Inaba Masakatsu and Matsudaira Nobutsuna, who are the general's closest confidants, will speak.

"What report? What happened to Lord Da Nayan? Although he knew it in his heart, Naotaka Jing still asked calmly, and sighed slightly in his heart.

"The Great Nayan, who was exiled to Takasaki Castle, did not reflect on his sins, but complained to the general." At this time, Inaba Masakatsu suddenly replied, his speech speed was much more normal, and he was obviously already engrossed. According to his guards, Da Nayan was still very irritable and punished his followers at every turn, without any intention of remorse...... Moreover, he is still in contact with his former retainers, so it can be seen that he is still going on secretly."

By the time he said this, everyone knew what he was going to say next, and the atmosphere became even colder.

As if to cater to everyone's wishes, after an ominous pause, Inaba Masakatsu finally spoke with great determination, "In view of this, I think it is best for the shogunate to be prepared so that when the time is right, decisive measures will be taken to deal with the situation......"

Although his words were very vague, the meaning of them was very clear to everyone, and because they were so clear, no one immediately confronted him—the so-called drastic measure, that is, ordering Da Nayan himself to punish himself, or simply killing him outright.

Everyone doesn't know if these charges are true, but everyone knows the relationship between Inaba Masakatsu and the general, and when he says this, it is tantamount to representing the will of the general himself.

The shogun hated his own brother very much, and everyone knew it, so after the death of the Great Imperial Palace, the shogun punished Tokugawa Tadanaga on various charges that could not be said to be true or false, confiscated the fief, and sent him to a distant place to be imprisoned, and these important ministers of the shogunate did not express too much opinion.

originally thought that the general should be satisfied when he reached this point, but he didn't expect that he was actually going to force this younger brother to death.

No one whispered, but all eyes were focused on Naotaka Odai, because everyone also knew that this was actually the general asking about his attitude.

However, Naotaka Ii sat still, motionless, as if he had become a statue. He knew in his heart that as long as he agreed at this moment, it would not be long before Tokugawa Tadanaga would die.

But he didn't want to say that.

The late Daigosho Tokugawa Hidetada, who served as the lord for many years, made himself an elder before he died, allowing Daimasa to participate, although he wanted to let himself play to his strengths, but secretly also had the meaning of entrusting the afterlife. Before General Taishang died, the only thing he couldn't rest assured about was his two sons, and he was afraid that as soon as he died, the eldest son Jiaguang would kill the younger son.

As it turned out, the general's fears were very reasonable, and after he had only been dead for a year, the general convicted the younger brother, confiscated the fief, and imprisoned him. Now, he was so anxious to take his life.

It is precisely because of this relationship that he has been reluctant to go along with Inaba Masakatsu's proposal.

Of course, he also knew that the current general had ruled the world for a long time, and General Taishang had passed away, he had already been full-fledged, and he had no way to forcibly reject the other party's proposal, so he could only choose to keep silent.

He just suggested that Inaba Masakatsu go back first, although he was thinking about the other party's body, but in fact, he also wanted to continue to delay this issue. However, it seems that Inaba Masakatsu, or the general himself, does not want to delay any longer, and must set a date for Tadanaga's death as soon as possible.

But his silence did not satisfy the general's close people.

"I wonder what adults think about this?" Matsudaira Nobutsuna swept away the previous silence and insipidity, and asked Naotaka Ii in an almost face-to-face attitude, as if asking him to come up with a decision immediately.

"The stakes are high...... Lord Da Nayan is a Tokugawa clan, so let's not judge it lightly. After hesitating for a moment, Naotaka Ii decided to avoid the important and light.

"Because ...... It is because of the Great Nayan that the Lord ...... The status is noble, so ...... So the shogunate ...... It is even more impossible to forgive loans...... Otherwise......" Inaba Masakatsu suddenly coughed again, but still struggled to finish his words, "What if...... If you can't even set an example for your relatives, then ...... Who else in the world would truly obey the shogunate's discipline? ”

After saying that, he coughed violently again, and when he wiped it with his handkerchief, there were still a lot of blood marks.

Everyone understands that Inaba Masakatsu is probably bent on taking away Tokugawa Tadanaga's life before he dies and sharing his worries for his lord.

"Tango's words make sense." Matsudaira Nobutsuna immediately intervened and continued to increase his momentum, "When the Kami-kun was alive, he said that in order to prevent the world from the chaos of the Warring States period, the shogunate must rebuild the discipline of the world and maintain it at all costs. As a direct member of the Tokugawa family, he has the obligation to set an example for the people of the world. Other words...... If the discipline is broken, then the Great Nayan should also be dealt with accordingly, so as not to go against the original intention of the Divine Monarch. ”

He was an old man from the Matsudaira family, and such a statement was tantamount to indicating that the clan relatives did not intend to interfere with the general's handling of the loyal chief, and it also put more pressure on the other few who did not express their position.

"Da Nayan has been misbehaving for many years, and he has no respect for his superiors, and the general has tolerated it several times, and this time he has been a great favor to let him meditate on himself to see the after-effects...... I didn't expect him to have no repentance, which is really sad. Naito Tadashige immediately followed suit, and his words were very polite, "If there is any wrongdoing, it should indeed be dealt with severely." ”

"What Mamoru Izu said is indeed true. For the sake of the stability of the world, the shogunate should maintain discipline and not have any scruples about anyone's status. "At this time, Tadashi Sakai spoke." However, after all, Da Nayan was a high-ranking official in the court, and as a Tokugawa vassal domain, he was still cautious...... It is best to investigate the actions of the Great Nayan since his exile to Takasaki Castle, lest anyone deliberately make false accusations of discord. In addition, whether or not there is any misdeeds is of great importance, and it may be best for the general to personally send someone to check it. ”

His words were uneventful, and no one should be offended, but he had secretly expressed his unwillingness to interfere in the private affairs of the general's family and that it should be resolved by the general himself. This is tantamount to indicating that he does not intend to participate in the disposition of the loyal commander, and can sit back and watch the general rule at will.

"I feel the same way." As soon as he stopped, Sakai Tadashi immediately spoke, and his attitude became much more explicit, "Lord Da Nayan was not respectful to the general back then, and his character was very stubborn, and it is very likely that there will indeed be bad behavior after exile." If it is confirmed, the aggravating penalty is not excessive......"

The Sakai family was one of the highest-ranking daimyo of the dynasty, and whoever was a shogun was an important auxiliary minister to the shogunate, so they were much more detached and unwilling to participate in such a vendetta within the shogunate. However, they are now Tokugawa Iemitsu's subordinates after all, so they simply follow his own will to avoid disobedience.

The old middle school expressed their attitudes one after another, and their attitude was surprisingly consistent, and the pressure was added to Jing Yi Naotaka's body, which made him feel even more uncomfortable all over his body.

He didn't want to go against the last wishes of the Great Imperial Palace before he died, and watched Da Nayan die at the hands of his brother like this, but it was too much pressure to resist the will of the general and all the old middle school alone.

Under this unbearable weight, he had rare beads of sweat on his forehead. If it weren't for the fact that the stakes were so high, how could he have persevered to such an extent.

"The stakes are high, and they should indeed be investigated in detail, and there will be no leniency, but there will be no wrongdoing. After all, Dainayan-sama is also a Tokugawa clan, and he is the only younger brother of the shogun...... In this case, I will personally examine it, and if the Great Nayan is indeed guilty, I will discuss how to punish it at that time. ”

He knew that most of the accusations against him were unfounded, so insisting on his own review would certainly help him get away with it, or at least save him from being incriminated. At the same time, in his capacity, it is also justified to personally examine the loyal chief.

In addition, he also said half a sentence - Tadanaga is the only younger brother of Iemitsu (although the previous shogun also had an illegitimate son, Masayuki Hoshina, but it was not counted in the Tokugawa genealogy, so he was not the brother-in-law of the shogun.) The shogun now has no heirs, and in case something happens to him, Tadashi should stay and take over the shogun's throne, so as not to cause chaos within the shogunate.

However, it is precisely for this reason that Jiaguang and his henchmen want this younger brother to die even more. Naito Tadashige is Iemitsu's teacher, Inaba Masakatsu and Matsudaira Nobutsuna are his attendant surnames, all three of them are middle-class figures in the Iemitsu group, and they have already become mortal enemies with the Tadanaga forces, how can they be willing to survive Tadanaga and leave a little possibility of inheriting the position of general?

"What the elder said is very true, but the elder participates in the great politics and has countless affairs to deal with every day, and I am afraid that there is no need to bow down to these small things. Let's take charge of this matter myself. As soon as he heard him say this, Matsudaira Nobutsuna's face quickly changed, as one of the relatives of the clan, he did have the confidence to be not very polite to the elder.