different warring states of japan

Chapter 2072 Ashikaga Shogun is returning to Beijing

Hosokawa Fujitaka looked shocked.

"Hashiba Hideyoshi is so brave, how dare she inherit the royal family?"

Ever since the third Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu massacred the emperor, nobles and Shintoism, the military regime has occupied the island country and become the only dominant power.

The surviving local noble bloodlines also tried to escape destruction by becoming a samurai, and they wished to sever all ties with the emperor and the court nobles.

  In order to prove her own nobility, Hashiba Hideyoshi, a samurai daimyo who came from a servant family, actually wanted to restore the public ceremony of the leader of the court nobles. This was simply insane. Wasn't she afraid of arousing public outrage among the samurai?

Akechi Mitsuhide smiled.

“From the day she betrayed Oda Nobunaga and attempted to defy the saint and become the ruler of the world, she was already extremely daring and had no way back.

  Now it is nothing more than a dying struggle, seeking wealth and honor at the risk of one's life. What difference does it make how one dies after failure?

The samurai admire the strong, and as long as Hashiba Hideyoshi's power is strong, there will be many female samurai who kowtow to him and serve him.

Now is a chaotic time with the breakdown of etiquette and music. There is no need to be so cautious. Whatever the strong do is right, and whatever the weak do is wrong."

Hosokawa Fujitaka said with a wry smile.

"You're right, so we have to call this person Hideyoshi Ichijo from now on?"

Akechi Mitsuhide teased.

"Most likely.

Hashiba Hideyoshi was originally planning to conquer Shikoku, and there was bound to be a battle between him and the Chosokabe family who were determined to unify the four countries.

Helping a family is just a piece of cake. Just go with the flow. What's the difficulty?

Perhaps Hashiba Hideyoshi still dreamed of continuing the Ichijo family line, that is, Ichijo Hideyoshi, who inherited the main line of the Sekkan clan, the leader of the court nobles, the elder of the Fujiwara clan, and from then on became a noble Fujiwara minister.

In this way, Hashiba Hideyoshi's status can be compared with the pillars of the samurai family and the elders of the Genji clan, and he can compete with the Ashiri and Hajime families in terms of reputation. "

Hosokawa Fujitaka couldn't help sneering when he heard this, but sweat broke out on his forehead.

Island society has always attached great importance to family background and respected noble race. The samurai family, because of its own organizational structure, has formed a tradition of valuing family reputation over blood ties.

The family name is the common interest of all the female warriors under the family name. The extinction of the family head means turmoil in the territory of the female warrior group.

Therefore, the female warrior group is willing to accept heirs who have no blood relationship with the main family. As long as the family name continues, the female warrior group can continue to eat this meal.

Hashiba Hideyoshi succeeded to the imperial family by using the name of a samurai family. Although this practice of replacing the concept was shameless, it was on the edge of the rules of the game and there was a high probability that she could get away with it.

The thought of such a humble servant transforming into a court leader, the direct descendant of the Sekkanke family, the elder of the Fuji clan, and a true descendant of a famous family, made me feel sad.

It’s just like the old saying goes, it’s not that I don’t understand, it’s that the world is changing too fast.

Seeing that Hosokawa Fujitaka looked constipated, Akechi Mitsuhide chuckled and said nothing.

Hideyoshi Hashiba is indeed a character who can always make the most of all resources to meet her needs and achieve her goals.

In this way, the peace between Ashikaga Yoshiaki and those in the Kyoto shogunate was most likely secretly arranged by Hashiba Hideyoshi.

What Hashiba Hideyoshi feared the most while he was fighting outside was the political instability within the Sasaki family, and that they would take advantage of her army being away to stab her in the core territory.

Creating trouble for the Sōma family so that they have no time to take care of other things is a correct strategic layout.

The contradiction between the shogunate and the Sasaki family was intensified. No matter what the final outcome was, the Sasaki family's internal turmoil caused by the reform and innovation would continue to be turbulent due to the rebellion of the old shogunate's interest groups.

Hashiba Hideyoshi believed that Ashikaga Yoshiaki would definitely die if he returned to Kyoto this time, so he was blinded by the benefits and couldn't help wanting to become Ashikaga Yoshiaki's adopted daughter and inherit the Ashikaga Shogunate. She has always felt inferior to her background, so it is normal for her to be stupid when she sees such a good opportunity.

No matter how smart a person is, he is still a human being and always has his own weaknesses, and Hideyoshi Hashiba is no exception.

Unfortunately, Ashikaga Yoshiaki did not agree.

Otherwise, Akechi Mitsuhide could have taken advantage of the situation to kill Ashikaga Yoshiaki and discredit the servant bloodline of the Ashikaga shogunate, allowing the Sasaki family to naturally become the direct descendant of the Kawachi Genji and serve as the pillar of the military family.

Alas, things can't always go as we wish.

Hosokawa Fujitaka asked when he saw Mitsuhide Akechi's eyes flickering.

"What are you thinking about again?"

Akechi Mitsuhide sighed.

"The general is going back to the capital. I heard that Miyoshi Yoshitsugu is going to send troops to fetch the general and escort the lord to Kyoto."

Hosokawa Fujitaka sneered.

"This shameless fellow."

Miyoshi Yoshitsugu was defeated in Kawachi that year and was beaten to a pulp by the student army composed of overseas students from Kanto, which made Maeda Yoshitsugu famous as the general of Kinki.

Fortunately, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu knelt quickly, and the saint wanted to keep her to contain the remaining Miyoshi forces on Shikoku Island, so he gave her a piece of land in northern Kawachi for her settlement.

The area of ​​Kitakawachi is the sphere of influence of the Izumi Hosokawa family. The emergence of Miyoshi, the current head of the family, makes Hosokawa Fujitaka feel very uncomfortable.

The main family of the Hosokawa family was exterminated by the Miyoshi family, and the Izumi Hosokawa family was almost beaten to death. This deep hatred can only be suppressed in the heart. Who would not feel resentful?

Miyoshi Yoshitsugu also knew that his situation was not good, so he fought bravely during the Battle of Sasaki and Oda and made great contributions.

After the war, Sasaki and Oda made peace, and the sage also planned to let the well-trained Miyoshi Yoshitsugu follow the Oda family's Shikoku Army back to Shikoku Island to serve as a wedge for the Sasaki family.

Who knew that the world would change so quickly? Oda Nobunaga died in Honnoji Temple, and Kitabatake Nobuyuki, the general general of the Oda family's Shikoku Army, turned around and came back to fight for Oda's inheritance, and even changed his surname back to Oda.

Miyoshi Yoshitsugu was overjoyed and could only continue to stay in northern Kawachi to endure the days. He and Hosokawa Fujitaka were fed up with each other.

It was because he saw no hope that Miyoshi Yoshitsugu made such a mistake this time and chose the wrong side.

Akechi Mitsuhide said coldly.

"I'm afraid that Hashiba Hideyoshi is not immune from the general's return to the capital.

Hatakeyama Takamasa and Ninagawa Chikayo could not give any benefits to Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, and only Hashiba Hideyoshi could afford the price to make Miyoshi Yoshitsugu take the initiative to send troops to welcome the shogun.

Hashiba Hideyoshi was attacking Shikoku Island, which was the hometown that Miyoshi Yoshitsugu longed to return to.

The general has no help in Kinki. If he wants to return to the capital smoothly from the west, he must be escorted by elite soldiers and generals along the way to avoid any accidents.

There is Mori in the western part of the country, and Hashiba in Harima Settsu. There will be no problems on the road. The important part is after entering Yamashiro Province.

Neither Hatakeyama Takamasa nor Ninagawa Yoshiyoko were good at military affairs, but Miyoshi Yoshitsugu was as brave as his mother Jukawa Issune, and the land of Kitakawachi was on the south bank of the Yodo River, so he could go north to respond at any time.

It would be a great achievement for Miyoshi Yoshitsugu if he could just escort the general along the Yodo River and ensure that he arrived in Kyoto safely.

The risk is small, the benefits are great, no wonder Sanhao Yiji was tempted and made a stupid mistake. "