Pillars of the Wu family

Nagano Yegu stomped his feet, slapped the snow off his shoes, and congratulated the boy next door: "Happy New Year, Morijiro!"

"Happy Heita New Year!" Kobata Nobusada tightened his neckline, let out a mouthful and warmed his hands. The wind and snow in the northern country was far beyond their imagination. The snowy scenery in Naoejin reminded them of the winter in their hometown, which was also the wind. In the snowy winter, Echigo near the sea is warmer than Ueno among the mountains.

The two took off their samurai shapes, put on sheepskin robes and hats to block the heavy snowfall, and stepped on the thick snow, the two walked towards Kasuga Mountain City full of hope, but their good mood didn't last long, and they were guarded The Nagao family samurai at the gate blocked it.

The warriors guarding the city gate were also wrapped in fur coats. They seemed to know the two young men, so they said politely, "Both of you go back! There will be no outsiders in Chunri Mountain City during the Zhengdan period."

"We want to see His Royal Highness Guan Ling, please inform me!" Nagano Yegu reached out and took out a purse, about twenty or thirty Yongle coins, and said with a smile: "It's hard enough for a few New Year's students to stand guard. Warm your body with a few bowls of chicken soup, please let me know."

"...Okay! I'll try it." The warrior weighed the purse, gave his companion a wink, and then turned and walked into the door. The other warrior said: "You wait here, if anyone comes in or out, don't block it." Don’t make things difficult for us.”

"Okay! Let's go first." Nagano Yegu pulled Nobata Nobusada to the Otemon Gate and stood there.

The young man from Xiaoban's family stomped the snow on his feet and muttered, "This Nagao's family has really strict rules! We need to report before we can enter."

Nagano Yegu was so calm that he explained with a smile: "Be patient. We are outsiders when we came to Echigo. We should be restrained everywhere. Don't forget that you brought two hundred red warriors and put them in other places. The daimyo would never let so many people cross the border."

"How did Morijiro know this trick?"

"How can we go out without any preparations? When we wandered around the streets these days, I have already asked about it. Since Wuweidian came to Echigo, the laws of the Wu family are very strict, but it is not without flexible means. For example, we The two of you asked to see Guan Lingdian, which is an inconsequential matter. You can do it with a little favor..."

Kobata Nobusada dissatisfied: "I think this is not strict? Shouldn't a samurai be willing to be poor, even a wealthy businessman or farmer? They are so greedy, how can they be considered a qualified samurai? "

Nagano Yegu smiled and said: "What's so strange about this! This Wuweidian attaches great importance to law and rules, but he agrees with the samurai to improve the quality of life. According to my observation, the samurai in Echigo can drink fresh soup almost every day, isn't it? Chicken soup is fish soup, and it’s better than us city lords, so it’s no wonder they are all in good spirits with such good treatment. Their eyes are full of spirit.”

Kobata Nobusada looked at his companion in disbelief, smacked his lips and said, "I can't tell. Morijiro is still an admirer of this Wuweidian?"

"Is it human nature to worship the strong? Anyway, it's not against the law, as long as I remember that I'm a samurai from the Nagano family..." Before Nagano Yegu finished speaking, he heard a rumbling sound and raised his head Looking down, a group of cavalry in red armor rushed up from the street at the foot of the mountain, and the townspeople who peddled along the way knelt down and saluted the warriors.

"It's the red cavalry of the Kira family!" Kobata Nobusada stared at the leading samurai with wide eyes, and wrote "Takigawa Keijiro" on the banner behind the bloody spear.

"This is the Chibei cavalry! The invincible division of Megatron Kinki, they are the ones who will kill all the horned tigers in the Kawanakajima battle." Nagano Yegu can understand his mentality. The name Chibei is very popular, and the five colors of the Hojo family There is Chibei in Beili, and the Xiaoban Party in Ueno is also Chibei. I heard that the Takeda family is also engaged in Chibei.

The names are the same, but the prestige and strength are not the same. All the families of the Xiaoban Party put together only [-] red horse warriors, of which Xiaoban Nobuzhen's own family has [-] horsemen, all of which were stuffed by his father. At a glance, I can see how excellent the Kira family's red equipment is.

"That person is Takigawa Keijiro Tokimashi, who is about the same age as me, and has already become a famous general..." Xiao Ban Xinzhen didn't know what expression he should use.

"There will always be some unexpected strong people who turn out, don't think too much..."

……

"That man is from Ueno just now? He looks familiar." Shimao Tokikatsu rode a horse with a square bamboo bow on his back, with a string of hares and wild birds hanging on the horse's back. He didn't care about the incredible eyes of the townspeople, In the words of the Kira family samurai, this is called hawk hunting to inspect the prey. Anyway, you can eat it if you can’t see me. Who dares to say that we eat meat?

"Whoever he is, he was stabbed to death by my blood gun Jiulang!"

Takigawa Tokisuke turned his face and scolded with a smile: "You know how to poke people, so you will never become a famous general."

Nagasaka Xinzheng was not happy when he heard it, and he raised his head and said, "What are you talking about? Why can't I be a famous general? Isn't it just lucky to kill an old man? I'm going to kill one!"

Shima Tokatsu was basically immune to these two live treasures, thinking to himself: "Does Keijiro still remember the horse-riding samurai I saw last time? The leader of that group of samurai seems to be that boy."

"By the way!" Takigawa Tokimashi slapped his head and said, "When you said it, I remembered that there is such a team of people, who also seem to be called Chibei?"

"That group of people is also called Chibei? Let's let them out and practice, no matter whether they are fighting on horseback or on foot, we can knock them all down without real guys." Nagasaka Nobumasa glanced disdainfully at the gate that had long been invisible, triumphantly He said: "In infantry battles, I, Blood Spear Jiulang, is one against twenty, and in horse battles, I can also be one against ten."

"Bragging, you are also one against ten."

"I said! Are you trying to find fault today? If you don't accept it, let's practice? I am not afraid of you!"

"Hmph! Don't be beaten like a dead pig then!"

"That dead dog is no better!"

……

Echigo’s consecutive half-month New Year’s banquet was just the beginning. Yesterday Zhengdan received a bunch of congratulatory gifts from the people of the country. They were all cheap country rituals, mainly to express their obedience to the ruler of Echigo.

Today's banquet is the highlight.All the samurai who can drink in Echigo are here.Including Kakizaki Jingjia, Murakami Yoshiki and others who are far away in Kita Shinano.If they dare to come back, they are sure to ensure that Sanada Yutaka will not cause trouble.

After a large-scale reshuffle last year, the Shinano people belonging to the Nagao side have become more honest. Although the attributes of the Chinese people are that they remember to eat or not to fight, they are not really stupid. So many people died enough to scare them. After several years of not daring to move, even if Sanada Yukitaka has three heads and six arms, he will not have a chance to make adjustments for a while.

Last winter, a heavy snowstorm lasted for half a month, and all roads in Shinano were blocked.Nobushige Takeda returned to Kai to celebrate the New Year with the Takegawa people, and Sanada Yutaka could only stay in the territory and spend the New Year peacefully.

"Gentlemen, bring up the wine!" Ben Zhuang raised his glass with a red face, and proposed: "I wish my lord, the Hall of Martial Guards good luck and good health, and I wish my Echiko prosperity!"

"... wish me Echigo every success!"

At the banquet, the two warriors were finally able to sit together and drink happily. Compared with the rhythm of drinking first in previous years, Nagao Jinghu just sat with tea instead of wine for a while, and then got up and left with Kira Yoshitomo. It is impossible to expect to be full at the banquet, and if you want to be full, you have to wait for a special small stove.

Changwei Jinghu walked very quickly.After a while, Kira Yoshishi fell into several positions, and as soon as he walked to the castle tower, he let out a sigh of relief: "It's really hard to see others drinking, but I can't drink myself!"

Yoshishi Kira ordered Xiao Xing to prepare some food, then he sat down with a smile on his face and said, "Drinking is bad for your body, especially if your elder brother suffers from wind disease, he must not drink at all... By the way, how was the recuperation last year? How about the old disease?"

"It's much better, and now I can fight wild boars with my bare hands! Mr. Nagata said that this is not enough, and he will have to recuperate for half a year this year! I really don't understand it!" Nagao Jinghu's eyes were wide open, but he was full of helplessness. .

"As long as the body is healthy..." Ji Liangyi said with a smile: "That's right! I haven't congratulated my brother Rong for being promoted to the top five and playing Zheng Shaobi!"

Except for some special circumstances, the promotion system of the imperial court is set early, so there will be a collective promotion in the imperial court in the first few days of the year. For example, Changwei Jinghu's promotion to the top five is The result of a deliberation.

"Isn't it because of your face that I'm the top five? Otherwise, with my status as a famous name from a distant country, I'm afraid it will be difficult to make further progress in my life." Nagao Jinghu didn't mind being honored by his brother-in-law, and said with a smile: "It's you! You are only 16 years old now, and you are already the governor of the left soldier. There should be a new official position this time?"

"Yes! It's the general of the tutelary mansion."

"General of the Guardian House? Isn't this..." Changwei Jinghu's complexion changed, and he swallowed half of the words.

The general of the tutelary government is the most famous official position of the samurai family. As early as the Nara period, Sakaue Tamura Maro served as the general of the tutelary government. Since then, both Genpei clans have held this position. Minamoto Yoshika's grandparents and grandchildren have been in charge of the three generations respectively, and the first nine years and the second three years of the battle also quelled the prisoners in Oshu.

More recently, Takashi Ashikaga and the Kitabata family also served as the generals of the tutelary government. Since the end of Naotyu Ashikaga’s last term, no one has held this position in the past 200 years. What do you want to do in this position?

"Does His Highness have no doubts?"

"There must be! It's just that I didn't say it!" Kira Yoshitoki smacked his lips indifferently, and said with a smile: "My family once swore a heavy oath in front of His Royal Highness, and will always be loyal to His Royal Highness and his descendants. , Presumably His Royal Highness has any questions and cannot express them!"

A big wedding in March last year moved half of the imperial court's famous officials there, and performed a piece of "Night Run" ape music. After the wedding, the imperial court and shogunate spectators stayed in Kasuga Mountain City to eat and drink for more than one During the month, he and Fujitaka Hosokawa participated in several waka gatherings, and prepared gifts worth several hundred kan to each of these nobles before sending them back to Beijing.

This year just entered winter, Echigo's envoy took 800 taels of silver, [-] Yongle coins, and [-] candles to Kyoto to meet the imperial court and the shogunate. So what?

Today's shogunate dare not say how rich it is, at least there is no shortage of food and drink, but it is difficult to raise soldiers, especially elite soldiers, with the income of the shogunate. It is still more than three years ago in the hands of the shogunate, and the remaining 1000 Many remnants.

The reason is that the shogunate is unwilling to lose its status, and the ronin warriors look down on it.The local daimyo's Feng Gong was basically swallowed up by the public.Now it's a dilemma.Having no soldiers and no power is still inseparable from the support of daimyos such as Hatakeyama and Rokkaku. It is like a premature baby with congenital dysplasia.

There are many ideas of Ashikaga Yoshiki, most of which lack the feasibility and sufficient execution ability. In the past, when there was Yoshiki Kira, he could still display his "talent", but now when Yoshiki Kira went to remote Echigo and never came back, Even if Ashikaga Yoshiki knew that he had some ideas, he couldn't ask.I can only hold back my anger and get angry.

"Guan Lingdian, Ogasawara Shinano Shouden, deal with it as soon as possible!"

"Yes! I will definitely!" A faint smile appeared on Kira Yoshitoki's face.

……

This year's snowfall is even more than in previous years. During the day, the townspeople spontaneously organized to clear the snow on the roads. Children ran around the streets with small lanterns, occasionally bumping into passing pedestrians and showing embarrassment. Whenever this happens, the pedestrians will stop and show a relieved smile, stroke the child's head to persuade them to be careful, and then walk away quickly with a smile on their face.

Throughout Echigo, there is almost no familiar expression, no sadness, no numbness.The eyes are piercing, and everyone exudes a vigorous spirit.It seems that there is some motivation to support them to exude this positive force...

"And this power is called hope!"

Kobata Nobuzhen asked doubtfully, "Hope?"

Nagano Yegu stopped, looked at an old man accompanying his little granddaughter to the Lantern Festival, and said with emotion: "Yes! What I saw and heard was the word 'hope'! Only hope can It will make people work hard from the bottom of their hearts. They will move forward lightly without carrying heavy burdens. They believe that the Lord will lead them to a better future. This is something that our Ueno Kingdom, even the entire Kanto, and the entire world does not have... Heita, you know me What do you think of now?"

"You want to stay in Echigo?"

"No! I was thinking, if one day we can become the retainers of Wuwei Palace, how happy it would be!"

"What did you say?" Xiao Banxinzhen looked at his companion in disbelief, and after a while he smiled again: "The law of the Wuwei Palace family is very strict? Are you planning to give up the land that has been kept for generations, Zhixing? Don't be silly!"

"I'm not talking stupid." Nagano Yegu said seriously: "I suddenly felt that Wuweidian is the only one who will end today's troubled times."

"Still saying that I'm not stupid. Is it what we should think about to calm down the troubled times? Think about why Guanlingdian is worried!" Xiaoban Xinzhen felt that this little friend had been possessed by a demon since he came to Echi, and chanted every day Echigo is so good, I almost get tired of hearing the three words "Wuweidian".

"I don't know Wuweidian's attitude, maybe it's just patience..." Nagano Yegu said hesitantly.

……

Ogasawara has been very melancholy for a long time. In the past year, he has been eating and drinking in the Imperial Palace in Naoetsu. Every ten days and a half months, he goes to Kasugayama Castle to participate in the evaluation meeting to show his face. His own role is infinite to the mascot. change.

Every time his two sons come home and talk excitedly about what they have seen in a day's training, he will feel the great changes in Echigo. What worries him even more is the attitude of Kira Yoshitoshi. His retainers complained to him many times about the Kira family. There is no respect for them, and there are various signs that the weight of the Ogasawara family is declining rapidly.

After a few days of contemplation, Ogasawara put on a long gown for a long time, and said to his wife: "For the sake of the Ogasawara family's family business, I must do something! I must not be so silent! I must ask the Ming Wuwei Palace for its true attitude!"

When Ogasawara Nagashi rushed to Kasugayama Castle, the other side of the palace was also arguing fiercely. Uesugi Kensei and his housekeeper, Nagao Tocho, were blushing, and neither of them was willing to back down, making the scene very tense. Awkward.

After the confrontation for a long time, the Guandong Guanling said angrily, "He actually asked me to pass the Guandong Guanling to his wife! This is a great shame to my Uesugi family! Letting a woman become a daimyo is already my samurai family's number." What has never happened in a hundred years is absolutely impossible for the Guandong leader! I will never compromise!"

Nagao Dangchang sighed, and persuaded with a frowning face: "Master! You should look away! This woman is not an ordinary person, she is the main room of the Wuwei Palace, the adopted daughter of the Jinwei family, and her status is extraordinary. Princess Nagao, this person represents the face of the Kira family and the Konoe family, now that we are down and out here, why should we bother with these rules?"

"Ridiculous! Absurd!" Uesugi Xianzheng blushed, glared at him with gritted teeth, and scolded: "Did you take his benefits! Tell me! What did my family owe you? Let you repeat it over and over again Say good things to him? If I want to give face to the Kira family and the Konoe family, who will give me face to the Uesugi family? If my constitutional government handed over the leadership to his main wife, what face would I have to go to Hirazaka to meet my ancestors? That's right!"

"Still clinging to the rules and not letting go! Looks like I need a strong medicine!" Seeing this useless lord still clinging to the family law of his ancestors, Changwei said sarcastically, " But now, the foundation of the Uesugi family has been wiped out, how can my lord go to see the ancestors of the Uesugi family? My Uesugi family has nowhere to go! If I retreat again, it will be the fate of Ryūwakamaru, my lord. Just think about how innocent Shaodian is!"

Uesugi Xianzheng seemed to be struck by lightning, his complexion turned from red to white, and then turned to black, his whole body trembled like sifting chaff, but after a while he burst into tears: "It's my constitutional government that is useless! The century-old foundation of the Uesugi family in the mountains has been destroyed by me. hands! It's all my fault!"

When Changwei is long, he is dying of headaches. Every time he says a few heavy words, the lord starts howling, either scolding himself for being useless or for losing his ancestral foundation. This level is simply that of a child who made mistakes. He had no choice but to persuade patiently: "My lord, now is not the time to cry! It's about how to pass the position of Guandong leader to Princess Nagao..."

"No! Absolutely not! Everything else can be backed down, but this one must not be backed down! The Guandong leader cannot be given to a woman!" Uesugi Xianzheng wiped away his tears and said intermittently: "Be the chief! Your Nagao family is loyal to the family for hundreds In [-], my constitutional government has no one to trust! You must protect this foundation for the family!"

The head of the long tail really couldn't bear the lord's begging so humbly, so he reluctantly said: "I try my best..." (to be continued...)