However, under everyone's suspicious gaze, Doi Toshikatsu showed no signs of panic at all, and still knelt on the spot unhurriedly, as if he was just saying something insignificant. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

However, compared to the suspicious noise of others, the big man Naotaka Ii was much calmer - it was clear that in the mind of this important shogunate, although not as extreme as Doi Toshikatsu, he also had a vague idea of the outline of the situation he might face in the future.

"Does it need to get to this point?" He looked at Toshikatsu Doi calmly and forcefully.

"If it's a normal state of affairs, I don't think it's necessary to do this." Doi Toshikatsu also looked back at the other party, as calm as the elder, obviously he had made up his mind in his heart, "But since we are playing against a strong country like Dahan, we have to prepare for the worst, I don't mean that Kyoto and even must now become a white land, and Owari and Mino will also become battlefields, but we must make such a plan so as not to regret it." ”

"Is it true that Rishoden has no confidence in the shogunate army?" Sakai Tadashi was reprimanded by Doi Toshikatsu just now, so he was very unhappy, and he had a seizure for some reason, "Although Han Kou is strong, after all, he is just a mortal fetus in the flesh, and he is not really a heavenly soldier." Besides, although the Han Kou are strong, but after all, their strength cannot cross such a long distance and throw all of them into our country, they work on an expedition, as long as we gather a large army and go to the west to fight with them, we will definitely be able to win the battle. ”

"What's the point of saying here that 'we will win the battle'? Could it be that if we say a few words, Han Kou will automatically admit defeat and retire from the army? Doi Toshikatsu suddenly scolded the other party sharply, "Since ancient times, the soldiers have been fierce and dangerous, even if it is a god, it was not smooth sailing when he started from Mikawa, where is there any saying that he will win?!" I'm only offering this to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and if the army can repel the Han Kou, then I can't ask for it! ”

His seizure made the people in the watch hall quiet again all of a sudden. Although Doi Toshikatsu is the chief of the old middle, he usually pays great attention to the relationship with his colleagues, rarely quarrels with others, and does not scold his colleagues in person.

Sakai Tadashi wanted to say something more, but suddenly he found that Sakai Tadashi next to him secretly gave him a look, he immediately stopped, and then the corner of his eye swept to the general's face, and found that he was already displeased, so he hurriedly stopped questioning.

"Lord Shogun, all in all, this is just a suggestion in the worst-case scenario, and the minister himself doesn't want anything like this to happen more than anyone else, but since we are going to war with a powerful country like Hanko, we have to make all plans for this......" After Doi Toshikatsu scolded Sakai Tadakatsu, he no longer entangled with him, but knelt down directly to Tokugawa Iemitsu again, "If there is anything wrong, please forgive me." ”

Although he was trembling and apologizing on the surface, he was actually very sure in his heart that the general would not blame himself for this at all.

The reason why he scolded Sakai Tadashi was precisely because he saw that the general had hated the two elders of the Sakai family to the core, so he didn't need to be false to them anymore, but wanted to be on par with the general.

In this way, he also announced to everyone that it was not for nothing that he was able to be appointed as the chief of the old middle school by the general.

"You are the chief pen, and you are supposed to consider the state affairs as a whole, and it is not wrong to imagine the worst." Sure enough, as Doi Toshikatsu expected, Tokugawa Iemitsu didn't stay silent for long, and made a statement in favor of Doi Toshikatsu, "You can make your worst plans clear here, if there is any merit, even if we make some preparations in advance." ”

"General Xie!" With an inexplicable sense of relief, Doi Toshikatsu raised his head again, and then began to talk eloquently, "As the minister just said, we have to resist the Han Kou in the West and Kyoto, but now that the Han Kou are strong, the attitude of the imperial court is not in my favor, and the attitude of the daimyo in the West is still very unclear, under the many unfavorable factors, I am afraid that it will be difficult for the shogunate to stick to the West Country...... It would be best if we were able to overcome these difficulties, but the current situation should not be taken lightly, and we must face up to the possibility of the fall of the Western Kingdom. ”

Compared to the uproar just now, because of Tokugawa Iemitsu's personal endorsement, most of the people in the Omoto Hall still looked unimpressed, and only Tokugawa Iemitsu, Ii Naotaka and Matsudaira Nobutsuna listened thoughtfully and quietly.

"If that really happens, we can only create obstacles for the Han Kou to march into the Kanto region, so that they can only continue to consume national strength in the western country." Toshikatsu Doi continued, "Therefore, the and even Owari Mino lines must be fortified and cleared, and preparations must be made now so that it will not be too late." ”

"How do you prepare?" Tokugawa Iemitsu immediately asked, clearly interested.

"As the minister just said, it is necessary to transfer the members of the imperial family and the feudal lords who are close to the shogunate from all over the country to Edo so that the situation does not collapse further, but it is not enough to do so, we also need to collect grain from and the surrounding areas, and collect all the surplus grain!" Doi Toshikatsu didn't care much about it, and said very explicitly, "It just so happens that we have a large army going to Kyoto, let them collect grain along the way, part of it will be used as military supplies, and the rest will be transported to Edo, if the feudal lords along the way dare to disobey, then they will be severely punished!" ”

Because the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu decided to take the army to Rakuro next year, he had already ordered the shogunate officials or feudal lords from Edo to Kyoto to prepare food for the army.

The assembly of the army and the collection of grain along the way were originally preparations for the demonstration of Shangluo to the imperial court and the people of the world, but now the willows were unintentionally inserted, which made it convenient for the shogunate army to resist the invasion of the Han invaders.

However, Doi Toshikatsu's intention was not to stop there, he wanted to squeeze out the surrounding area, concentrate all the food in the hands of the army going to Kyoto and the shogunate in Edo, and turn the middle into a food-scarce area - in this way, if the shogunate really lost the battle of the Western Kingdom, the army could retreat back to Kanto, and the ruined and food-starved roads could not be used by the Han Koko.

Although this method was a bit cruel to the ordinary people along the way, in Doi's opinion, as long as he could stop the Han Kou, everything was worth it.

After all, the Kanto region was fundamental to the shogunate, with a large number of banners and abundant products directly under the shogun, where the shogunate could gather heavy troops and defend it, and it could rely on the solid notification system formed over many years of governance to resist the Han invaders.

Now all the considerations are just to repel the Han Kou and save the shogunate, as long as this can be done, will the western country become mournful because of the military disaster, and the shogunate can't care so much.

"What about the common people there? Are they left to fend for themselves? Naokaka Ii asked suddenly.

"You can move the population as much as possible, just so that they can enrich the Kanto, and the remaining foolish people can only be left to fend for themselves." Naotaka Ii said very plainly. "General, this is a critical moment, and we can't look ahead and backward. If sacrificing a small number of people can save the day, then it should be done! ”

Now that the army is going to march into Kyoto, all parts of the country are busy supplying, how can there be effort and resources to supply a large number of people? Most people will surely remain in their places of origin and be left to fend for themselves.

Tokugawa Iemitsu could certainly understand the meaning of Doi Toshikatsu's words, but instead of being as annoyed as usual, he thought quietly.

Doi's suggestion would certainly cause a huge uproar in, but as he said, all problems now can only be ranked behind the defense of the Han invaders, and the situation of the shogunate in the western country is so unfavorable that it is necessary to prepare for the worst first.

If the Han Kou marched all the way, and the feudal lords along the way fled or surrendered directly, allowing them to occupy the western kingdom, then it was imperative to do so; If the Han Kou were repelled in the Western Kingdom, then this would not be a mistake, because it would be used to weaken the evil daimyo.

Since he succeeded to the shogunship, he has been committed to suppressing the western kingdom and expanding the authority of the shogunate, and he has long wanted to weaken the imperial court and those feudal lords even more, so that the shogunate can become an authority with absolute control, and now it is not an opportunity to do this in the name of resisting the Han invaders.

"Then do as you say, and it's up to you to arrange the matter." After thinking about it for a long time, he made up his mind.

"Yes." Toshikatsu Doi touched his head to the ground, indicating that he had received orders from the Shogun.

"Kishu and Owari's clan clans, what should they do?" At this moment, Matsudaira Nobutsuna asked with some trepidation.

When Tokugawa Ieyasu was alive, in order to consolidate the rule of the shogunate, his three sons Yoshinao, Yorinobu, and Yoribo divided the territory of 500,000 or 600,000 koku respectively, as a strong vassal of the shogunate, in order to protect the shogunate. According to Tokugawa Ieyasu's regulations, they were close to the shogunate, and when the shogunate became extinct, the heirs of the three families could be passed on to the shogunate family in order to continue the lineage of the clan.

Since they are the descendants of the Divine Monarch, and they have the right to inherit the general's throne and have a huge territory of hundreds of thousands of stones, these three relatives are naturally different and have great influence.

Leaving aside the Tokugawa Yoribo, who was sealed in the Mito Domain of Hitachi Province, the Kishu Tokugawa family in Kii Province, and the Owari Tokugawa family in Owari Province were among the areas that would be affected. If this plan is to be carried out, then their territory and people will definitely be seriously damaged.

In addition, in fact, there are many relatives of the Matsudaira clan who will also be affected, so the old middle Matsudaira Nobutsuna, who is also a close domain, can't help but feel a little uneasy. However, he couldn't say it, so he had to use the name of the three royal families to test it.

"When it comes to the end, I can't care so much." Tokugawa Ieyasu said blandly, "Since they are relatives of the shogunate, they should set an example for everyone with the same hatred, and I think they will also understand the righteousness." When the order was given, tell the person who led the troops and Itakura Katsushige that there is no need to worry about the relatives or the appearance, and the shogunate's decision must be carried out! ”

"Yes......" Matsudaira Nobutsuna's body trembled slightly, but he still knelt down and received the order from the general.

Seeing that the Shogun had made up his mind, the important ministers of the shogunate, who had originally wanted to question it, had no choice but to silence themselves, and the dead silence in the temple returned to the same as just now.

Although some people have been looking at the big guy Naotaka Ii and want him to express his opposition, Naotaka Ii has never spoken, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Although he felt that Doi Toshikatsu's suggestion was too radical, he actually secretly supported this approach, after all, he needed to make all preparations for the survival of the shogunate, but because of his special status and close relationship with the Tokugawa family, it was inconvenient to express his support.

But as the elder, he remained silent, in fact, this was already a kind of support, so other people who were against it could only follow him and be silent.

"After the previous preparations, there are now close to 100,000 troops near Edo." Tokugawa Iemitsu raised his head and looked at the light coming from outside the hall, "We can gather more troops in the future, the supply of these troops is the top priority, and none of you can slack off." They are the foundation of our defense of the shogunate and the defense of the world. ”

"Understood." All the other ministers replied immediately.

"Without further ado, an edict against the fiefdoms of the Maori family and other daimyo should be issued at once, delivered to them as soon as possible, to calm the hearts of the people, and to call on them to gather troops against the Han invaders; The relocation of the imperial family and daimyo was also imperative; There is absolutely no room for delay in the collection of grain and the migration of people to the west! Tokugawa Iemitsu suddenly raised his voice, "The above things are the most urgent tasks at the moment, everyone must do their best to complete them, and other things can be put aside!" ”

"Yes!" The ministers bowed to the ground.

Originally, there were many people who had reservations about these discussions, but after the Shogun himself confirmed that it was an important task that had to be accomplished, and there was no room for slackening, after all, the authority of the Shogun was unquestionable.

These important ministers, like the small people of Edo, had been frightened by the current terrible situation, but after today's deliberations, they finally decided on a plan for future action, and finally saw a glimmer of light in the bottomless darkness.

Although these strategies may not be effective and can directly repel the Han Kou, they are practical and can give people hope and free people from the fear of being at a loss.

While Tokugawa Iemitsu was still giving orders, one of the shogun's flanks hunched over into the temple.

Originally, when the shogun and the important ministers were discussing important matters, no unrelated people were allowed to come to the temple to make noise, but after the invasion of the Han invaders, because of the continuous emergency reports and the critical situation, this rule was temporarily abolished, and whether it was discussed by the important ministers or not, as long as there was urgent information, it could be directly delivered to the shogun.

The speed of the footsteps of the approacher is fast, and the footsteps can be suppressed in order not to cause a noise, but judging from the expression of the approacher, this is probably bad news.

The important ministers of the shogunate have been accustomed to bad news for a while, so they didn't make a commotion, everyone just knelt on the ground as just now, and secretly guessed in their hearts that something big was happening now.

This is a report sent by Katsushige Itakura, the secretary of the Kyoto office, and a copy of the proclamation he asked him to transcribe is also in the middle.

Tokugawa Iemitsu took the report from his side without any expression, and began to read it on his own.

However, when he saw the specific contents of this report and the attached proclamation, his face suddenly turned red, as if blood had suddenly gushed up, his brow furrowed, and even his hands trembled slightly.

Seeing the appearance of the general, although they didn't know what the bad news was, everyone became more nervous and uneasy, and they didn't dare to come out.

"Bastard! Bastard! ”

A thunderous roar suddenly sounded, and Tokugawa Iemitsu finally couldn't hold back the anger in his heart, and directly tore the report in his hand to pieces, and then threw it into the air.

Then, he jerked out his saber from his waist and swung it angrily at the air in front of him, all while roaring, "Han Ko! Shimadzu! Tachibana! I'm at odds with you! ”

The fragments of paper slowly drifted to the ground, making everyone even more suspicious of the contents. The word Tachibana was included in the general's roar just now, which is really reverie.

Many people speculated that it might be because Tachibana Muneshige surrendered to the Han Kou, but no one dared to ask.

They guessed correctly, the report sent by Itakura Katsushige did write about the return of Tachibana Muneshige, not only Tachibana Muneshige, but he also told Tokugawa Iemitsu a definite news - the Han Kou had defeated all the shogunate forces on Kyushu Island, the old Naito Tadashige had been martyred, and most of the daimyo on Kyushu Island had surrendered to the Han Kou and raised an army against the Shogun.

The proclamation attached to the report is the "Kyushu Reward and Punishment Order" that he had people copy, which scolds the shogunate as a rebellious minister and thief, and Xuanjo wants to restore Japan's discipline, so that the imperial court can return to Japan, and so on, which will undoubtedly arouse the incomparable anger of Tokugawa Iemitsu.

In addition, the report also said that the daimyo in the south were showing signs of instability, and hoped that the shogunate would make plans as soon as possible.

All this news confirmed the most terrible prediction of the shogunate's important ministers just now—the unstoppable advance of the Han Kou, the secret collusion of the imperial court, and the disgruntled feudal lords of the shogunate.

How can this not make Tokugawa Iemitsu angry?

In the midst of the kneeling hall that seemed to be empty, he frantically swung his saber in his hand, almost slashing at the man who had come in.

"The order is that all the ministers and feudal lords who surrendered to the Han Kou, and their relatives in Edo will be executed, and they will all be executed!" His roar echoed through the temple for a long time.