Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 309: Combine vertically and horizontally
In Kamakura Castle, Ashikaga Mitsukane was sitting in his study, thinking about how to deal with the chain reaction after the assassination of Uesugi Tomonari.

On the one hand, he was indeed pleasantly surprised by Oda Takatomo's successful assassination of Uesugi Tomomune, which not only weakened his biggest threat, but also cleared the obstacles for his next actions; but on the other hand, he was also well aware that this move might trigger a strong backlash from the Muromachi shogunate. After all, the Muromachi shogunate had always been on guard against him, the Kamakura Shogunate.

Just as Ashikaga Mitsukane was lost in thought, a voice came from outside the door: "Sir, the Lord Ano, whom you specifically instructed last time, wants to see you."

"He came here by himself? Are there other people who are not dressed as warriors?"

"There is one more person."

According to the agreement, this must be the envoy of the Ming Dynasty.

When Ashikaga Mitsukane heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he immediately ordered: "Please come in!"

After a while, Jian Yi walked into the study room under the guidance of his attendant. After paying his respects, he said straight to the point: "My Lord, the Crown Prince of Ming Dynasty pays special attention to Guandong and specially ordered me to come here to discuss the major plan with you."

Aye Gongwei was very tactful and did not follow in.

Ashikaga Mitsukane also returned the greeting solemnly, and then motioned for Jian Yi to sit down, but he was secretly on guard in his heart. He knew very well that the envoy of the Ming Dynasty must have some plan when he came here at this moment.

"I am honored that the envoy of the Ming Dynasty has come from afar. I wonder what the intention of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty is?" Ashikaga Mitsukane asked humbly.

Jian Yi said solemnly: "Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty is well aware of the prestige of the Lord Gongfang in Kanto. For this reason, the Ming Dynasty is willing to recognize the Lord's rule over the Ten Kingdoms of Kanto and support the Lord's expansion to the west. It is also hoped that the Lord can become the Shogun of the Northern Dynasty."

When Ashikaga Mitsukane heard this, he would be lying if he said he was not excited.

As a powerful but constrained vassal, if Japan had not fallen into chaos, Ashikaga Mitsukane would have no chance to come to the fore. If it was just the Northern and Southern Dynasties Rebellion, even if Ashikaga Mitsukane joined the Southern Court camp, the Southern Court would have no chance of turning the tables.

Now the Ming Dynasty’s intervention has provided Ashikaga Mitsukane with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

After all, if the Muromachi shogunate had not been under tremendous external pressure, it would never have turned a blind eye to the chaos in Kanto. Kanto is the foundation of the "samurai". The roots of the Kamakura shogunate and the Muromachi shogunate are both in Kanto. Since ancient times, it can be said that whoever controls Guanzhong controls the world in Japan. This is also the source of Ashikaga Mitsukane's ambition.

Now, taking advantage of the intervention of the Ming Dynasty, the Muromachi shogunate must fight against the joint forces of the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Court in the southern part of the Nara Basin with all its strength, and Ashikaga Mitsukane has the opportunity to establish his own regime.

Of course, this means that he must take action against the Uesugi clan.

The Uesugi clan was sent by the Muromachi shogunate to monitor him, and it was also a powerful force with deep roots in Kanto. If the Uesugi clan could not be eliminated, there would be no way for Ashikaga Mitsukane to integrate Kanto.

"I am extremely grateful for the kindness of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. However, even though Uesugi Aramune is dead, the Uesugi clan will certainly not give up. If I act rashly, I am afraid that I will not be able to guarantee any safety." Ashikaga Mitsukane said with pretended worry.

Jian Yi had long expected that Ashikaga Mitsukane would have such concerns, and he continued calmly: "Your Excellency is right. For this reason, the Ming Dynasty is willing to provide you with the necessary military supplies and help you. At the same time, the Ming Dynasty also hopes that you can maintain friendly relations with the Southern Dynasty and jointly attack Kyoto."

Upon hearing this, Ashikaga Mitsukane secretly made some calculations in his mind.

The support of the Ming Dynasty was undoubtedly extremely beneficial to him, but he also knew that once he was tied to the Ming Dynasty, it would mean that he would be controlled by the Ming Dynasty to a certain extent.

However, under the current situation, taking advantage of the situation to control Kanto seems to be his only option.

What else to do?

If they just sit and wait, once the Muromachi shogunate withstands the pressure from the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Dynasty, it will definitely desperately mobilize manpower and material resources from Kanto. After all, Kanto is the largest granary and source of soldiers.

This means that the Muromachi shogunate will further tighten its control over the Kanto region as a blood transfusion package, and even if Kyoto cannot be defended, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu will retreat to Kanto.

At that time, what chance would Ashikaga Mitsukane have to establish his own regime?

Therefore, based on his own interests and ambitions, Ashikaga Mitsukane had to stand on the side of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, facts and names may be different. Ashikaga Mitsukane needs the recognition of the Ming Dynasty, but that does not mean he really needs the name of the Ming Dynasty.

This may be a bit difficult to say, but what Ashikaga Mitsukane needed was that the Ming Dynasty did not regard him as an enemy. However, internally, if he openly surrendered to the Ming Dynasty at this time, it would actually be detrimental to his prestige.

“Great things can be expected.”

Ashikaga Mitsukane finally made up his mind and expressed his sincerity to Jian Yi.

Seeing this, Jian Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that this move was the right one. The next step was how to take advantage of Ashikaga Mitsukane's ambition to realize the Ming Dynasty's layout in Japan.

According to Zhu Xiongying's plan, Japan will enter the Warring States Period ahead of schedule and will be completely divided into pieces in the future.

The reason why Japan should be allowed to fall into division and chaos instead of being completely occupied is because the Ming Dynasty does not have enough population to occupy this land.

The Ming Dynasty now has a population of less than 70 million. In recent years, the people have been encouraged to have children by planting high-yield crops. The nearly 10 million new people are not yet adults and cannot be used to undertake high-intensity labor or serve as soldiers.

Japan is a poor place, far inferior to Jiaozhi, with very low grain production, frequent earthquakes, tsunamis and strong winds, and its actual occupation value is very low. This is why Japan always thinks of using the peninsula as a springboard to expand outward, because their own natural geographical conditions are terrible.

Therefore, on the one hand, the Ming Dynasty still has considerable space to accommodate the population, and the new population is needed to vigorously carry out domestic construction in the future; on the other hand, Japan's natural geographical conditions are poor, and it is not worth the cost to migrate population and materials and occupy this land at the risk of huge losses. It is even not as cost-effective as reclaiming wasteland in northern Liaoning.

What the Ming Dynasty needs is only Japan's mountains of gold and silver.

Taking all these into consideration, the Ming Dynasty would not consider colonizing Japan until it reached its land carrying capacity, and this was a matter of Zhu Xiongying's time. Of course, the fact is that in the future, there are more good places in Southeast Asia and even the whole world that are worthy of the Ming Dynasty's colonization.

So, is it feasible to massacre the Japanese mainland?
Zhu Xiongying had similar ideas, but after repeated deductions, he felt that allowing Japan to enter the Warring States Period ahead of time would do more to weaken its population and national strength.

Because the Ming army could not maintain a large number of troops in Japan for a long time, if they did not occupy Japan for the purpose, and carried out indiscriminate slaughter, the war would only turn from the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Muromachi shogunate into the war between the Ming Dynasty and the entire Japanese population of 10 million. Even if it was 10 million pigs, it would be impossible to slaughter them all at once with modern firearms, right? Japan is a mountainous place, and if everyone hides in the mountains, how many soldiers would the Ming Dynasty need?
The development of both sides is now completely unequal. The Ming Dynasty should not continue to spend too much energy on Japan, let alone fight a protracted war that will last for decades.

Therefore, the best strategy is to let Japan fall into continued civil strife and let the Japanese fight among themselves.

And splitting the two major forces within the Northern Muromachi shogunate was the first step to instigating internal strife.

In fact, Japan's fragmented and mountainous terrain is indeed suitable for internal strife.

As the conversation between Jian Yi and Ashikaga Mitsukane ended, a new storm was quietly brewing in Kanto.

The division of the Northern Dynasty means that the game between the Ming Dynasty, the Southern Dynasty, the Muromachi shogunate and various daimyo will become more intense, and the assassination of Uesugi Asamune, the instigator of all this, seems to be just a small chess piece in this big chess game.

However, it is these seemingly insignificant pieces that can often inadvertently change or accelerate history in another direction.

No one can predict how Japan's destiny will develop in the days to come, but one thing is certain: after this storm, Japan's political landscape will never be the same as it was before.

After gaining the support of the Ming Dynasty, Ashikaga Mitsukane decided to take advantage of the situation and completely eradicate the Uesugi clan in order to consolidate his ruling position in Kanto.

He gathered the samurai and troops loyal to him, began to secretly contact the guardian daimyo who were dissatisfied with the Uesugi clan, formulated a detailed battle plan, and prepared to launch a surprise attack on the Uesugi clan's territory.

Following Ashikaga Mitsukane's order, the sky over the Kanto region was shrouded in the shadow of war.

Under the banner of the Kanto Shogun, iron hooves trampled on the peaceful villages and towns, and the war quickly spread to the territory of the Uesugi clan. Although the warriors of the Uesugi clan fought bravely, they gradually seemed powerless in the face of the powerful offensive of the coalition forces.

After all, as the sharpest sword of the Muromachi shogunate in Kanto, the Uesugi clan had served as the Kanto Kanrei for decades. Although they were deeply rooted, they also offended many forces in the chaotic political changes and wars. The Oda clan was just one of them.

And to be honest, in this chaotic situation, not many people, even close friends, would dare to sacrifice themselves to help the Uesugi family.

After all, even if the shugo daimyo believed that the Muromachi shogunate would not capsize, they had to wait until the Muromachi shogunate stabilized the situation again, right? If they were destroyed at this time, they would not be able to wait until later.

The Kanto coalition forces used their numerical advantage to gradually squeeze the Uesugi clan's space for activities. The Uesugi clan lords were forced to abandon their castles and villages one after another and lead the remnants to retreat to the core territory, attempting to make a final resistance there.

During this turmoil, various forces in Kanto began to stir. Some of them waited and watched the situation, while others took the opportunity to expand their sphere of influence. Some daimyos who had old grudges against the Uesugi clan took advantage of the situation and joined the coalition forces to deal with the Uesugi clan. Others tried to remain neutral in the chaos, but they often found it difficult to stay out of it and were drawn into the vortex of war.

As time went on, the civilians in the once peaceful Kanto region fell into unprecedented suffering. The flames of war burned their homes, took away their loved ones, and left them displaced and homeless. Many villages became ruins, farmlands were deserted, and livestock were scattered. The entire Kanto region was shrouded in misery.

After this war initiated by Ashikaga Mitsukane, the political landscape of the Kanto region underwent profound changes. Although Ashikaga Mitsukane besieged the Uesugi clan and temporarily controlled the Kanto region, consolidating his position as the "Kanto Shogun", he also made many enemies for himself.

And in Kyoto, the heart of the Muromachi shogunate.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's anger was like a violent storm, sweeping across the entire Hana no Gosho.

He swung the tightly-held samurai sword wildly in the air, accompanied by the sound of the weapon breaking, as if he wanted to vent all the anger in his heart.

The servants and maids hid in the corner outside in fear, not daring to make a sound, for fear of becoming victims of this nameless fire.

I don’t know how long it took.

The knife in Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's hand fell to the ground with a "clang", making a harsh sound. He was breathing heavily, his eyes full of sinisterness.

After venting his anger, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu also realized that anger was useless and only calm planning could save the situation.

"Call Hatakeyama Motokuni and Isshiki Mitsunori to come to me immediately!"

Soon, two important ministers hurried over and entered the room. They saw the mess on the floor and couldn't help but smack their lips in amazement.

Of course, they knew better that the Shogun's mood was even worse than this.
"Sir, the death of Uesugi Aramune and the actions of Ashikaga Mitsukane are indeed emergencies, but please stay calm and take all precautions." Hatakeyama Motokuni spoke first, trying to calm Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. "Calm down? How can I stay calm!"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu turned around abruptly and spoke in an almost roaring tone: "Uesugi Aramune was an important official of our shogunate, yet he met with such a cruel hand, and this immature boy Mitsukane actually dared to take this opportunity to rebel. Does he think I can't do anything to him?"

Isshiki Mitsunori pondered for a moment and said, "Sir, the most urgent task is to stabilize the internal situation. The vacancy of the Uesugi family must be filled immediately to prevent the situation in Kanto from further deteriorating. As for Ashikaga Mitsunari, although he has ambitions, his strength is not enough to shake the foundation of our shogunate. It's a pity that the Ming army is gathering in the south of the Nara Basin, attacking from both sides, making it difficult for us to take care of both ends."

Hatakeyama Motokuni nodded in agreement: "You are right. The most urgent task is to stabilize Kanto, appoint a capable Kanto Kanrei, alienate the relationship between the daimyo in the Kanto coalition and Ashikaga Mitsukane, and make him isolated and helpless in Kanto. Kanto is our base camp, and Kanto must not be in chaos any longer."

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu listened to the suggestions of the two and gradually came up with an idea in his mind.

"Okay, let's follow your plan. As for the vacancy of the Uesugi clan, it will be filled by..."

Isshiki Mitsunori said: "I suggest that Imagawa Ryotoshi temporarily take over the post of Kanto Kanrei. He is both wise and brave, and he will definitely be able to stabilize the situation in Kanto."

Imagawa Ryotoshi, whose real name is Imagawa Sadayō, Ryotoshi is his Buddhist name.

After the Kan'o Rebellion, the Exorcism Office, which was established by the Exorcism General Prince Yoriyoshi, who was supported by Kikuchi Takemitsu, separated from Ashikaga Naofushi, the illegitimate son of Ashikaga Takauji, and defeated Shoni Yoshinari of Chikuzen and occupied Dazaifu. The power of the Southern Court in Kyushu had become very strong, and sending troops to suppress the power of the Southern Court had become an imminent issue for the shogunate. At that time, the Northern Court was at an absolute disadvantage and had no absolutely outstanding capabilities. It was simply impossible to complete this task, and everyone retreated.

At that time, Imagawa Ryotoshi was recommended by Hosokawa Yoriyuki as the successor of Shibukawa Yoshiyuki as the Kyushu Tandai, and then Ashikaga Yoshimitsu officially appointed Imagawa Ryotoshi as the Kyushu Tandai.

As the mainstay of the shogunate, Imagawa Ryotoshi alone determined the balance of power between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which were once evenly matched on Kyushu Island. When he was appointed as the tandai of Kyushu, he was also the guardian of Bigo, Aki, Chikuzen, Chikugo, Buzen, Hizen, Higo, Hyuga, Ōsumi, and Satsuma, and had great power in the court.

And Imagawa Ryotoshi did not disappoint Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. He spent twenty years basically pacifying the entire Kyushu. Without relying too much on the resources provided by the Muromachi shogunate, he turned the situation around on his own, and changed the situation on Kyushu Island from the Northern Dynasty being almost driven into the sea to the current situation where only the Southern Dynasty is left with a small corner in the southernmost part.

During his tenure as Kyushu Tandai, Imagawa Ryotoshi also undertook a large amount of diplomatic work because Kyushu Island was at the forefront of Japan's foreign exchanges. The envoy of the Ming Dynasty who conferred the title of Prince Huailiang of the Southern Dynasty as the King of Japan was detained by him. He also had secret negotiations with Zheng Mengzhou of Goryeo alone.

However, this war god of Kyushu fell after the signing of a peace agreement between the Northern and Southern Dynasties five years ago.

The reason is very simple. When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. When the birds are all gone, the good bows are put away.

Since the war had stopped and the Southern Dynasty only had a small corner left on Kyushu Island, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu naturally felt that Imagawa Ryotoshi's power on Kyushu Island was too great. This kind of power, which was enough to establish its own territory, was a serious threat to the shogunate.

However, there were many detailed factors that catalyzed this incident. For example, the shogunate governor Hosokawa Yoriyuki, who recommended Imagawa Ryotoshi, stepped down in the Kangli coup, and Hosokawa Yoriyuki's opponent Sasaki Yoshimasa came to power. The political landscape changed drastically. In layman's terms, there was no one left in Imagawa Ryotoshi's court.

In short, five years ago, the Muromachi shogunate asked Imagawa Ryotoshi to return to Kyoto to report on his work. After Imagawa Ryotoshi returned to Kyoto, he was dismissed from the post of Kyushu Tandai. The post of Kyushu Tandai was succeeded by Shibukawa Mitsuyori, who was related to both Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and Sasaki Yoshimasa.

Of course, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu still understood the principle of "leaving a way out for others so that they can meet again in the future."

After all, Imagawa Ryotoshi was a famous general with great military achievements and had never made any major mistakes.

If they just killed him like this, the morale of the people in the shogunate would be really chilled.

If people's hearts are disheartened, it will be difficult to lead the team.

Therefore, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu reappointed Imagawa Ryotoshi as the guardian of Totomi and half of Suruga Province, and divided the rule with his younger brother Imagawa Nakaaki and nephew Imagawa Yasunori.

Now the only person in the shogunate who is truly capable of reversing the crisis in Kanto and "rescuing the turbulent tide and saving the collapsing building" is Imagawa Ryotoshi. In addition, Totomi and Suruga, two adjacent coastal areas in the eastern and southern part of Honshu Island, are adjacent to the Kanto region, so it is most appropriate for him to send troops.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's decision was not made rashly. He was well aware of Imagawa Ryotoshi's ability and prestige. At the critical moment, only such a veteran could stabilize the situation in Kanto.

However, he also understood that it was not easy to invite this former Kyushu God of War.

"Send someone to Totomi immediately, bringing my handwritten letter, and sincerely inviting Imagawa Ryotoshi to come out of retirement," said Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Not long after, in the residence of Imagawa Ryotoshi in Totomi Province, a letter from Kyoto lay quietly on the desk.

After waving away the messenger, Imagawa Ryotoshi slowly opened the envelope and carefully read the handwritten letter from Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, his brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed.

In the letter, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu spoke sincerely, not only reviewing Imagawa Ryotoshi's glorious past achievements, but also expressing his deep expectations for him.

After reading the letter, Imagawa Ryotoshi was silent for a long time.

Once he chooses to come out, it means he will be caught up in this vortex again.

But as an important member of the "Wu family", he also has an unshirkable responsibility.

Imagawa Ryotoshi knelt for a long time, then finally stood up silently and picked up the sword behind him.

With the emergence of Imagawa Ryotoshi, the situation in Kanto changed again.

This former Kyushu God of War, with the order of the Muromachi shogunate, began to summon the forces in Kanto that opposed Ashikaga Mitsukane, and actively lobbied, trying to alienate the relationship between the daimyo within the Kanto coalition and Ashikaga Mitsukane.

For a time, Ashikaga Mitsukane's situation became precarious.

However, Ashikaga Mitsukane had no chance of giving up. If he took a step back at this moment, he would fall off the cliff and be smashed to pieces.

So, Ashikaga Mitsukane took the initiative to send an envoy to contact a person who had a very close relationship with both himself and Imagawa Ryotoshi.

——Ouchi Yoshihiro.

After the Meitoku Rebellion, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu successfully curbed the expansion of the Yamana clan and reduced the territory of the Yamana Tokihiro family from eleven countries to three countries: Tajima, Inaba, and Hoki.

In this battle, Ouchi Yoshihiro gained Izumi Province, Iwami Province and Kii Province due to his merits. Together with the existing Suo Province, Nagato Province and Buzen Province, the Ouchi clan now owned six territories and became the most powerful daimyo in Kansai.

At the same time, the Ouchi clan accumulated a lot of wealth through the Kanko trade with the Ming Dynasty, and was very active in the negotiations to end the Northern and Southern Dynasties, gaining a high prestige.

However, five years ago, Imagawa Ryotoshi was dismissed from the post of Kyushu Tandai. Ouchi Yoshihiro, one of Imagawa Ryotoshi's main assistants on Kyushu Island, hoped to accept the position, but was rejected by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Therefore, Ouchi Yoshihiro had long been dissatisfied with the Muromachi shogunate.

Now, as the combined fleet of the Northern Dynasty gathered on Kyushu Island was defeated by the advance fleet of the Ming Dynasty, the daimyo on Kyushu Island also began to waver. Although the remaining forces of the Southern Dynasty on Kyushu Island were only the Shoni clan and the Kikuchi clan, once the Ming army became famous on Honshu Island, the whole of Japan would definitely change.

Therefore, Ouchi Yoshihiro and Ashikaga Mitsukane had been in contact for a long time. Ashikaga Mitsukane even believed that as long as Ouchi Yoshihiro could be persuaded, he could convince his old boss Imagawa Ryotoshi.

In fact, if the historical line had not changed, the cause of these three people would have been the famous "Oei Rebellion" in the history of the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Japan. The process was that Ouchi Yoshihiro contacted the Kamakura Shogunate Ashikaga Mitsukane who secretly opposed Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and other forces to raise an army. In the sixth year of Oei, Ouchi Yoshihiro was ordered to go to Kyoto. On the way, he announced his rebellion against the Muromachi shogunate. He led 5,000 people to garrison Sakai, waiting for the news of Ashikaga Mitsukane's uprising, preparing to attack Kyoto from the east and the west. However, Ashikaga Mitsukane was cowardly at the last moment and did not raise his troops as scheduled, resulting in Ouchi Yoshihiro fighting alone. Sakai Castle was captured by Hatakeyama Motokuni, and Ouchi Yoshihiro died in battle.

The "Oei Rebellion" was of far-reaching significance. After this rebellion, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established the dominant position of the shogunate, and all forces capable of challenging the authority of the shogunate disappeared. After this battle, Ouchi Morimitsu retained the position of Suo, Nagato and Buzen guardian of the Ouchi clan, and its strength was unable to recover. Imagawa Yoshitoshi had a close relationship with Ouchi Yoshihiro and was suspected by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu of participating in the rebellion. Therefore, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu issued an order to the Kanto Kanrei Uesugi clan to pursue Imagawa Yoshitoshi. Imagawa Yoshitoshi expressed his explanation to the shogunate through Uesugi Kenshin and his nephew Imagawa Yasunori, and then went to Kyoto and was pardoned on the condition that he would not participate in any political affairs.

Although the "Oei War" did not happen at the moment, Ashikaga Mitsukane was well aware of the special relationship between Ouchi Yoshihiro and Imagawa Ryotoshi.

As long as the Ouchi clan, who had long been dissatisfied with the Muromachi shogunate and somewhat frustrated with the current war situation, was instigated to rebel, Ashikaga Mitsukane and Ouchi Yoshihiro, one in Kanto and the other in Kansai, would be enough to form a pincer attack on the shogunate. By that time, the Muromachi shogunate would be unable to take care of itself and naturally would not invest much resources in Kanto, and Imagawa Ryotoshi could easily be won over.

After all, Imagawa Ryotoshi was loyal to the "samurai" rather than a specific person. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu could represent the "samurai", and Ashikaga Mitsukane who was in Kanto could also represent the "samurai". Although Imagawa Ryotoshi was a bit loyal and did not make any separatist moves in Kyushu Island, he was not a rigid-minded person.

Not long after, Ashikaga Mitsukane's envoys disguised as merchants arrived at Ouchi Yoshihiro's territory.

"Sir, there is a guest who wants to see you. He claims to be an envoy from the Kamakura Kubo and has important matters to discuss."

When Ouchi Yoshihiro heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but then he regained his composure.

"Bring him in." He ordered calmly.

A moment later, a messenger dressed as a merchant was led into the study. After bowing respectfully, the messenger took out a secret letter from his arms and presented it to Ouchi Yoshihiro with both hands.

"This is written by my Lord Gongfang himself. Please take a look."

Ouchi Yoshihiro took the letter, opened it and read it carefully. In the letter, Ashikaga Mitsukane spoke sincerely. He not only reviewed the friendship between the two in the past, but also elaborated on the current situation and the urgency of cooperation. He mentioned that only if Kanto and Kansai unite can they fight against the Muromachi shogunate and realize their respective ambitions.

After reading the letter, Ouchi Yoshihiro was silent for a moment.

"I feel your Lord's sincerity." Ouchi Yoshihiro said slowly, "But this matter is of great importance. I need time to consider it."

The envoy seemed to have anticipated the other party's reaction and responded respectfully: "Your Excellency is right. My Lord Gongfang also knows that this matter is not easy, but he believes that with your wisdom and courage, you will definitely make the wisest choice. If you are interested, we will wait for you with all our heart."

Ouchi Yoshihiro nodded and signaled his attendants to see the guest off.

After the messenger left, he sat alone in the study, deep in thought.

As night fell, Ouchi Yoshihiro finally made up his mind.

He knew very well that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that the current chaotic world was the time when he could truly rise. So, after meeting with the envoy again, he secretly summoned his trusted generals and began to prepare for raising an army.

With the successive actions of Ouchi Yoshihiro and Imagawa Ryotoshi, the situation in Japan became more complicated. Ashikaga Mitsukane's envoys shuttled between the daimyo, trying to win over more allies to join his camp, while the Muromachi shogunate urgently mobilized troops in Kyoto to prepare for the upcoming "battle" because at the same time, on the battlefield in the southern Nara Basin, the coalition forces of Japan's Southern Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty were also intensively preparing for a new offensive.

For a time, the whole of Japan seemed to be shrouded in a thick layer of dark clouds, and the shadow of a large-scale war once again descended upon this land.

(End of this chapter)