On the fourth day after the end of the battle of Tokushima, several people knelt in front of the head of the Tokugawa family, Ashikaga Sadaji, at the residence of Sankimori Mamoru of the Wakuni Province, and reported the defeat in agony, "Your Highness, we have been defeated. ”

Ashikaga Sadashi is 16 years old this year, and after hearing the news, he looked a little surprised. After a moment of silence, Ashikaga Sadashi spoke, "Is this the third time it has failed?" ”

"Your Highness, we can no longer listen to the orders of the Hojo family!" A retainer immediately answered.

The crowd fell silent, not because they were opposed, but because they were thinking about how they could achieve this goal. The founder of the Kamakura shogunate, Minamoto Yoritomo, was the heir, and then the power was held by Minamoto Yorito's wife, Hojo Masako, and then found a son of the Hojo family to become the ruler of the Kamakura shogunate. The situation in the current Wa Kingdom is that the Kamakura Shogunate became the home of the Emperor, and the Hojo family became the home of the Kamakura Shogunate.

As the nominal number one in the Kamakura shogunate, the Hojo family was able to dictate to the royal family below. The gap between the strength of the Ashikaga family and the Hojo family is limited, but they have to listen to the orders of the Hojo family. This time, the Hojo family used Shikoku, an island where birds do not lay eggs, as a 'reward for the public', and asked the various localities to guard the attack. Previously, there were six weak guardians who rushed into Shikoku for the sake of the territory, and then they were wiped out by the entire army killed by the Iyo water army.

After no one was willing to try, the Hojo family asked the Ashikaga family to attack again. The Ashikaga family really didn't take the Iyo naval army to heart at first, and sent troops to Shikoku to exterminate them. Then the Iyo Navy wiped out the army of the Ashikaga family on the island of Shikoku. There were 7,000 men and horses in front of and behind the three waves of soldiers and horses, and dozens of people did not escape. These people are still the ones who drove troop carriers and escaped from the pursuit of the Iyo Navy with great difficulty. None of those who went to Shikoku Island survived.

"If the Hojo family orders again, we will let the Hojo family personally lead the troops." There are retainers to suggest.

"No, I can't. In that case, the Hojo family will let us go out into the army. The Hojo family must not be allowed to find any excuses. ”

"What if you don't listen to the orders of the Hojo family?"

"The previous generation of heads of the family did the same." This time, the voices of the opponents were very painful.

A few years ago, the Hojo family exterminated the Adachi family, and the Ashikaga family, the head of the Ashikaga family at the time, was considered a rebel party of the Adachi family, and he committed suicide urgently. The Ashikaga family still doesn't dare to have the slightest confrontation with the Hojo family. If the confrontation continues this time, God knows what terrible results will happen.

It's not to fight, it's not to fight. The people of the Ashikaga family all felt the viciousness of the Hojo family. The Kamakura shogunate adopted the 'Imperial Grace' system. The royal family members under each shogunate were 'honored' by the shogunate, and the shogunate also gave the royal family members who served the shogunate a reward of 'imperial grace'. This kind of reward is basically given to the guardian or the land. The guardian and the head of the land have the right to control the land and the grange. Except for the food and tribute handed over to the Hojo family, the rest belonged to the guardian and the land.

The Hojo family's 'imperial grace' for this crusade against the Iyo naval army was the guardian status of Shikoku. However, the Iyo Navy is very powerful, and the Ashikaga family, who was 'entrusted with important tasks' by the Hojo family, is consuming their strength in vain. The 'Imperial Grace' that can't be obtained is meaningless at all, and the Hojo family is using this means to constantly weaken the Ashikaga family.

"Can't we stop the war?" The current head of the Ashikaga family, 16-year-old Ashikaga Sadaji, finally asked.

"How do you stop?" A retainer asked.

At this time, Ashikaga Sadashi couldn't answer. If the Hojo family doesn't say stop, no one can do anything.

In the silence caused by this helplessness, a young voice said: "We may be able to make the Iyo Suijun become the Imperial Family, and Hojo can let us go to the Iyosui Suijun who are savages, and if we defeat the Imperial Family, Hojo will have to go into battle on his own." ”

Everyone looked up and saw that it was Yoshio Imagawa, who was the fourth ranked among the retainers. Yoshio Imagawa's father was forced to commit suicide with the previous head of the Ashikaga family. Imagawa Yoshio, who was less than 20 years old, inherited his father's position. Without waiting for everyone to speak, Ashikaga Sadashi hurriedly asked, "But what is the solution?" ”

Hearing the lord's question, Imagawa Yoshio replied, "I have checked something about the Iyo Naval Army, who used to be a subordinate of Minamoto Yoshitsune. ”

Later in the battle of Genpei, when Genji almost wiped out the land power of the Taira clan, the Hei family fled to the island and resisted stubbornly with the help of the Hei family's powerful naval forces. So the decisive battle of Tanpu broke out. In order to "cut the grass and eradicate the roots" of the Taira clan and not give the Taira clan a chance to make a comeback, Genji put down his face and won the support of three naval armies: the Watanabe Naval Army of Settsu Province, the Iyo Naval Army of Kono Communications, and the Kumano Naval Army of Kumano Miyama.

It was Minamoto Yoshitsune who recruited these three naval armies, and after the Heike was eliminated, Minamoto Yoritomo immediately attacked Minamoto Yoshitsune. Minamoto Yoshitsune was forced to flee to Okulu, and the naval army that had once followed Minamoto Yoshitsune immediately dispersed.

After telling this story, Imagawa Yoshio said to the retainers who looked disapprehensive: "Since the Iyo Suijun once followed Gen Yoshitsune, it is natural that it should be the Imperial Family. ”

The retainers were still full of disdain, but Ashikaga Sadashi asked, "Since the Iyo Navy didn't get the status of the Imperial Family back then, what do you do with the Imperial Family now?" ”

"If the emperor decrees, it should be possible." Imagawa Yoshio said happily: "As long as the emperor decrees and the Hojo family does not agree, then let the Hojo family go to crusade against the Iyo Navy by themselves." ”

The veteran retainer of the Ashikaga family looked at this boy who was less than twenty years old with disdain, and as a retainer, the idea was hit on the emperor's head. Even though the emperor doesn't have much real power now, the emperor can be manipulated so easily. Finally, an old fellow couldn't help but say, "Where is this kind of thing so easy?" ”

Yoshio Imagawa immediately responded: "Our Ashikaga family has already lost 7,000 people, shouldn't we try our best to solve the problem in front of us at this time?" ”

Such an antagonistic attitude was expected to lead to a fierce confrontation in the hierarchical Wa Kingdom, but Ashikaga Sadashi was the first to speak before the retainers made a noise, "Imagawa, would you like to go to Kyoto?" ”

"If the sovereign orders it." Yoshio Imagawa also replied simply.

Arrogant people are always disliked, and this is especially true of arrogant boys. The retainers looked at Yoshio Imagawa with a look of disgust and schadenfreude, and after such a high-profile speech failed to achieve his goal, this kid could probably commit suicide by seppuku.

Yoshio Imagawa set off for Mikawa the day after he expressed his opinion, and Ashikaga Sadashi personally went to see him off. Among these retainers, Yoshio Imagawa and Ashikaga Sadaji were the closest in age. This made Ashikaga Sadashi have a particularly good impression of Imagawa Yoshio.

"Imagawa, even if it doesn't work out, I'll come back boldly. I won't blame you. Ashikaga Sadashi said to Imagawa.

The lord was so considerate, and Imagawa Yoshio was also quite moved, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will do my best." Even if I fail, I will come back as soon as possible to report to His Highness. ”

The retainers who came to see him off almost had to look at each other with white eyes, and in the tradition of the Wa Kingdom, Imagawa Yoshio was a completely shameless person. If the thing didn't get done, he decisively cut his stomach. Doesn't the news of his death prove that the matter has failed?

Leaving Mikawa, Yoshio Imagawa headed all the way to Kyoto. After all, the Ashikaga family is a wealthy family and has a fixed residence in Kyoto. Yoshio Imagawa stayed here for three days before moving to his new rented place. After staying in his new residence for a day, Yoshio Imagawa went to a house in Kyoto, and from the outside, the white walls and black tiles were similar to the houses of large families in Kyoto.

The door opened, and the doorman carefully looked at the token, and then invited Yoshio Imagawa in. Walked through the courtyard and took off his shoes in front of the main building. Walking along the clean wooden floor, I reached the hall and saw a woman in fine clothes waiting inside. Yoshio Imagawa stepped forward and bowed, and then he heard the woman say in a Shikoku regional accent: "The concubine is called Sakura, is it Mr. Imagawa?" ”

"Yes." Yoshio Imagawa felt that this accent really didn't match the clothes.

"Please be seated, Mr. Xu will be here soon." Sakura led Yoshio Imagawa to the next living room, which was a completely Great Song style room, with chairs placed next to the table.

Yoshio Imagawa sat in his chair, feeling unaccustomed to it, when he saw the door open, and a tall man walked through the door with his head bowed and stood inside the room. After standing still, the man said in a very unskilled Kyoto accent: "I'm Xu Qingguo, is it Mr. Imagawa?" ”

In the face of a Song person, there are still Song people who can have a good house in Beijing. Yoshio Imagawa wanted to stand up and salute according to the Wakoku tradition, but as soon as he exerted his strength, he found himself standing up from his chair. Then I saw Xu Qingguo coming over and stretching out his hand.

After meeting according to Da Song's current handshake ceremony, the three of them sat down. A retainer of the Ashikaga family, the leader of the Iyo naval army, and a member of the Great Song Dynasty. The strange duo began to discuss the recent situation with different accents, and the three of them had a common goal of giving the Iyo Naval Army a serious identity.

The foundry master of the Great Song Dynasty stayed in the Wa Kingdom for a month and then returned to the Great Song Dynasty by boat, and he returned with the latest news of the Wa Kingdom. After getting the news, the Ministry of Rites held a meeting, and according to the latest news, the Ministry of Rites is about to be canceled. The largest number of personnel in the current Ministry of Rites will be a department for the foreign affairs of the Great Song Dynasty. The name has not yet been decided. The Zhao family wants to be called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and many people want to be called the Ministry of Finance.

Lu Baifeng, the new secretary of the Ministry of Rites, didn't care what his name was, he was forty years old this year, and he also went to school from Fujian. In his life experience, the Zhao official family is in charge of major affairs at this level, and all he has to take care of is such a thing as tossing the Wa Kingdom.

At the meeting, Yang Congrong, the new director of the Department of Eastern Europe, asked, "Why do the officials want to help the Iyo Navy like this?" ”

Like many families who followed Zhao Jiaren, the Lu family made money by investing in the Nautical Guild. So Lu Baifeng replied simply: "Once the Iyo Naval Army becomes a serious royal family, we can do good business through the Iyo Imperial Army and the Wa Kingdom." Fortresses always have to be broken down from within. ”