Great name!

Chapter 259: Lake Meeting, Exhibition

Nobutora returned home with the Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl and immediately asked Honda Masanobu and Numata Yumitsu to write an invitation letter. He planned for his relatives, friends, and retainers to come and watch.

Oda Nobunaga did not give out many tea bowls as rewards, and their value was average. Even the Tenmoku tea bowl that Nobunaga gave to the monkey Hideyoshi was a Song Dynasty tea bowl, but it was not as precious as Nobutora's Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl.

In addition, when Nobunaga appointed Shibata Katsuie as the commander of the Northern Army, he awarded him the Aoido tea bowl, but it was produced in the Kingdom of Korea and was not as good as the Tang-made ones.

As for the tea bowls of Akechi Mitsuhide, Takigawa Ieyasu and others, they are even more insignificant.

Besides, the tea bowls that Nobutora received were all fine products given by Nobunaga.

This time, Nobutora deliberately held a viewing party just to attract the hatred of other important ministers, so that Nobunaga would feel more at ease.

No matter what Nobunaga thinks, Nobutora himself will maintain the relationship between the monarch and his subjects.

Nobutora sent out invitations widely, and soon many people knew that the head of the family, Nobunaga, had rewarded Nobutora with the Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl.

This Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl is from the Song Dynasty and is extremely rare, with only two in Japan.

Nobunaga got this tea bowl because he became the most talented person in the world. Now this tea bowl is in the hands of Nobutora, which makes those who like fine tea bowls feel very regretful.

Among the Oda family, the one who loved collecting tea bowls the most was Takigawa Kazumasu. When he heard that the Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl had been given to Tsuda Nobutora by the head of the family, Nobunaga, he instantly felt as if the sky had fallen.

Takigawa Kazumasu had a sad face and couldn't help wailing, "What a waste of natural resources! What a waste of natural resources!
Lord Jingzhao Yin doesn't understand the tea ceremony at all, nor does he like it. It really hurts me that the master of the family gave him such a treasure!"

The retainer below reminded: "The Jingzhao Yin has already invited people to attend the exhibition he is hosting in three days, and he will use it then."

Upon hearing this, Takigawa Kazumasu broke down immediately and beat his chest, saying, "What? He wants to hold an exhibition. The Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl is a treasure. How can he mess it up like this? It's a waste of treasures!"

The retainer replied helplessly: "This tea bowl has been given to Lord Jingzhao Yin by Lord Nobunaga. No matter how Lord Jingzhao Yin arranges it, Lord Nobunaga will not say anything more."

Takigawa Ieyasu gnashed his teeth and said, "I'm afraid the master of the family thought that Jingzhao Yin defeated the Takeda family, so he rewarded him with this treasure!

No, I have to attend this exhibition, and I will never let Lord Jingzhao ruin this treasure."

The retainer was quite helpless. His master had become more and more obsessed with the gap in the past two years. This was not a solution.

He reminded: "But the relationship between you and the Jingzhao Yin is not good, and the people invited this time are all Jingzhao Yin's relatives, friends, students and former officials."

Upon hearing this, Takigawa Ieyasu felt relieved instantly, and then he asked unwillingly, "Why didn't you invite us? Is there any way to tell Lord Jingzhao Yin?"

The retainer shook his head and said, "It's unlikely. No one who has a grudge against the Tsuda family was invited."

"Damn it, this is revenge, so hateful!"

Takigawa Kazumasu broke down and started cursing.

"The old hatred has not yet been settled, and today a new hatred is added!"

Takigawa Kazumasu is furious and incompetent at home, but it is different for others. Shibata Katsuie has not returned yet because he has to deal with matters in Echizen.

Sakuma Nobumori and Hayashi Hidetada could only chirp behind their backs.

The difference is Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide.

The two of them got together again.

The two did not meet in Gifu Castle, but agreed to meet on a boat on Lake Biwa.

Each of them took only one of their confidants on board, and they went to Lake Biwa to drink and chat.

"Master Hashiba, you must have heard that the master of the family has awarded the precious Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl to Tsuda Kyōjo-in."

Akechi Mitsuhide was drinking with a sad expression.

Hashiba Hideyoshi smiled and said, "Of course I heard about it. I really envy Lord Jingzhao Yin. The master of the family really trusts him."

Akechi Mitsuhide snorted and said, "Tsuda Jingzhao Yin is indeed very powerful, but his prestige is too high, and his achievements will shock the master. As long as someone speaks up in front of the master, the master will definitely distance himself from Jingzhao Yin."

Hearing this, Hashiba Hideyoshi snorted in his heart, thinking: You baldy, you have your own way but you insist on doing it in front of me. Don't you just want to use me as a gun? Do you think I'm stupid?

He raised his glass to celebrate and said, "It turns out that Master Akechi has found a way to deal with it. I would like to congratulate Master Akechi in advance."

When Akechi Mitsuhide heard this, he understood what Hashiba Hideyoshi meant, and he secretly thought that Hashiba Hideyoshi was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.

He was not speechless after hearing what Hashiba Hideyoshi said. He said calmly, "It is not suitable for you or me to do this, but I have a suitable candidate."

Hashiba Hideyoshi smiled to himself, you baldy man are really insidious, he looked at Akechi Mitsuhide, wanting to see what else he was going to do.

When Akechi Mitsuhide saw that Hashiba Hideyoshi did not respond, he said, "If it were anyone else, I would definitely not tell you, but Lord Hideyoshi is different. I can tell you that the Sakuma family and the Hayashi family are mortal enemies of the Jingzhao Yin. If we reveal these things to them, they will definitely think that they have found an opportunity to fight against the Jingzhao Yin."

Hashiba Hideyoshi curled his lips. He thought, you are trying to trick me, but you are trying to trick two big fools, Sakuma Nobumori and Hayashi Hidemasa.

However, this approach is also beneficial to him. After all, Sakuma Nobumori is a powerful official, and Hayashi Hidetada also holds the title of chief family elder.

For Hashiba Hideyoshi, if these two scumbags were driven out of office, he could improve his status in the Oda family.

He curled his lips and said disdainfully: "How can Sakuma and Lin Xiuzhen be a match for Jingzhao Yin, Master Mingzhi, you are so vicious in your mind?"

Akechi Mitsuhide bowed and said, "The talents of these two are the weakest among the important officials. It is only a matter of time before they are kicked out. I am just making use of the waste. Whether it succeeds or not, it will benefit both you and me."

Hashiba Hideyoshi didn't care what the outcome would be for the two. He frowned and said with a straight face, "Master Akechi, such behavior is unlikely to hurt Jingzhao Yin. I think only real achievements can improve our status."

Akechi Mitsuhide guessed what Hashiba Hideyoshi was thinking. He chuckled and said, "Lord Hashiba, are you trying to get a position as a corps commander?"

Hashiba Hideyoshi's eyes were burning with ambition. He suppressed his smile and looked directly at Akechi Mitsuhide and said, "Why, doesn't Lord Akechi have such an idea?"

Akechi Mitsuhide met the monkey Hideyoshi's gaze and said with a smile: "That's exactly what I meant."

Hashiba Hideyoshi leaned forward, supported the table with one hand, and said excitedly: "Lord Akechi, we can cooperate."

Akechi Mitsuhide nodded and said, "Yes, you and I can indeed cooperate. Next, the powerful enemy that the master of the family will face is Ishiyama Honganji Kenshin in Osaka. Even if the master of the family does not lead the troops to fight in person and sends others, there are still Lord Sakuma and Lord Mori ahead of you and me.

We can only strive for other places, such as the West Country, Shikoku or Tamba."

Hashiba Hideyoshi asked, "Tamba, why did you separate it?"

Akechi Mitsuhide was somewhat proud, and this was his strong point. He immediately introduced: "Tamba Province should not be underestimated. Tamba Province is located on a high ground, and the roads leading into Tamba Province are guarded by checkpoints that are easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Even if a large army entered the country, it would have to march in batches, which would give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage.

Furthermore, Tamba Province is close to Kyoto and has a dangerous terrain. If one wants to dominate the capital, one must take Tamba.

When the Miyoshi family dominated the capital, they sent the brave general Matsunaga Nagayasu to attack Tamba. Matsunaga Nagayasu was a general of Miyoshi Nagayoshi Nobushige, and his strength was not inferior to that of the Onijukawa family and others.

Even though the Miyoshi family was at its peak in Kyoto, it was not easy to take over Tamba Province. As the Miyoshi family declined, Matsunaga Nagayasu lost his support and eventually died in battle in Tamba.

According to the master's strategy, he will definitely arrange a general to attack the country of Tamba."

Upon hearing this, Hashiba Hideyoshi shook his head slightly and said, "Tamba is still too small. Even if we take over Tamba, it won't be as good as the victory of Jingzhao Yin over the Takeda family. I intend to strive for the position of the commander of the Central Army, first attack Harima and other countries, and then fight against the Mori family. Only with this achievement can I suppress Jingzhao Yin!"

Akechi Mitsuhide was very surprised. He didn't expect that the skinny monkey could have such great courage.

He said loudly with some excitement: "Lord Hashiba is really courageous, I admire him!
That's it, Lord Hashiba will fight for the position of commander of the Central Army, and I will fight for the position of general in the expedition against Tamba."

Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide smiled at each other, then raised their glasses and drank the whole bowl of wine.

……

Gifu Castle, Tsuda Palace.

On this day, the Tsuda family was extremely busy. Nobutora held an exhibition ceremony for the Yohen Tenmoku tea bowls in the large courtyard in front of his house, and many people were invited.

The courtyard covers a large area and is surrounded by many trees, mainly cherry blossoms and plum blossoms. At this time of year, the cherry trees are naturally bare, but the plum blossoms are in bud.

Nobutora, Mori Yoshinari, Sakai Masanari, Oda Nobunaga, Sawaki Yoshiyuki, Mori Katsukiyo and other relatives and friends sat in the courtyard, where there was a stream for people to have fun.

The women of each family sat in the courtyard lined with screens, admiring the budding plum blossoms and other scenery.

Axia sat in the core position surrounded by stars, with a stove beside her. The temperature was normal. At this moment, Axia had a rosy face and was chatting with her good sisters.

At this time, Nobutora asked his retainers to bring the Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl that Nobunaga had rewarded him with.

Aoki Shigeru held the box in both hands, walked carefully and cautiously to Nobutora and handed him the gift box.

Nobutora reached out to take the box, then opened the gift box, took out the Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl, placed it on the display box, and passed it to everyone to see.

Mori Kecheng took the tea bowl and looked at it, and exclaimed: "It is really beautiful, what a treasure."

Masanori Sakai boasted, "It's no joke to say this tea bowl is priceless."

Oda Nobunaga interrupted, "If my brother hadn't taken it out, we wouldn't have anywhere to look at it."

Xin Hu smiled and waved his hands, saying, "Hahaha, you're all too polite. Sharing joy is worse than enjoying it all by yourself. I will naturally share this kind of good stuff with everyone."

Sawaki Yoshiyuki took the Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl and looked at it carefully, much more carefully than the others. After all, he had received training in tea ceremony culture.

He couldn't help but exclaimed: "This is something that was found by chance by a master's hand. It is rare in the world. It is so rare. I only took a look at it, and it was as if I saw the stars in the universe and all things in the world. It is wonderful, wonderful beyond words!"

Oda Nobunaga smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, if you like it, you can come to my brother's house often to borrow it to play with. Anyway, my brother doesn't use it much, so it would be a pity to keep it."

When Sawaki Yoshiyuki heard this, his heart moved, and he couldn't help but look at Nobutora and asked cautiously: "Is it okay, brother?"

Xinhu waved his hand and said, "What's wrong with that? Tea bowls are meant to be used. If you like, just use them. If it wasn't for the master of the family rewarding me with this exquisite piece, I would have given it to you directly."

Sasaki Yoshiyuki waved his hands and said, "You can't do that. This is a gift from the patriarch to my brother. I will be satisfied if I can use it."

Nobutora didn't care about Sawaki Yoshiyuki's politeness. Over the years, he had gotten to know Sawaki Yoshiyuki. He was a very polite and upright samurai.

Moreover, he has been very good to his sister Akari over the years, so even though Sawaki Yoshiyuki is very loyal to Nobunaga, Nobutora is willing to support his brother-in-law.

The atmosphere was harmonious and everyone continued to drink and chat. However, after Oda Nobunaga drank too much, he started talking about the legion commander. After all, he had contacted Nobunaga several times but had not received a response.

Xinhu frowned and said, "Xinlong, don't be too hasty."

Although Oda Nobunaga was drunk, he didn't dare to go against Nobutora's wishes, so he quickly said, "I'm just depressed for a while."

Mao Li Shengqing immediately comforted him: "Don't worry, Lord Xinlong, my brother-in-law is here, everything will be fine."

Sen Kecheng asked quickly, "Sir Jingzhao Yin, can you show us the way?"

Xinhu said modestly: "Mr. Mori is too polite. You are the confidant of the master of the family and will definitely be used.

Of course, it would be my honor if some of my suggestions could provide some help to Mr. Mori."

Sen Kecheng said happily: "Please give me some advice, Lord Jingzhao Yin."

Nobutora said immediately: "Now that the Takeda family is no longer a threat, and Echizen has been suppressed by Lord Shibata, the head of the family can march into the capital without any worries.

In the capital, the biggest enemy of our Oda family is Ishiyama Honganji. The head of the family will definitely send a general to attack, and Lord Mori will certainly follow him.

Although the Honganji Ikki is a motley crowd, Lord Mori must not underestimate them. They are best at ambushes. If Lord Mori underestimates the enemy, he will probably suffer a disastrous defeat. "

Sakai Masanari nodded and said, "What the Jingzhao Yin reminded us of is that we suffered a great loss in the first expedition to Changdao."

Sen Kecheng nodded and said, "I have remembered the reminder from Lord Jingzhao Yin. Come, let's toast to Lord Jingzhao Yin."

Xin Hu also picked up the wine glass with a smile and drank with everyone.

(End of this chapter)