Pillars of the Wu family

On March 23, dozens of samurai wearing bamboo hats trudged along a mountain road in Shinano Prefecture. There was a thick fog floating on the distant mountain tops. ", which is a unique climate feature in Shinano and even in the whole world.

Ordinary fog is the valley fog that rises from the mountainside. The temperature inversion phenomenon is caused by the convection between the cold air on the mountain and the hot air on the lower mountain. The warm and humid air in the air condenses and condenses into fine water droplets suspended in the air. , before gradually shading the entire mountain.

Negative fog is the dense fog formed from the mountain ridge. Along the ridged slope of the mountain ridge, there are layers of downward eyes. From a distance, it looks like a white wave descending from the sky. Nearly half of the mountain is covered by dense Covered by the mist, a natural protective shield is formed, which is where Hushi City and Dishi City are located.

This team stopped and went, crossed one mountain ridge after another, and the distance from Xiaoxian County was getting farther and farther, and the cloud-shrouded mountain was gradually invisible. At this time, it was getting late, and a group of dozens of people complained outside a village. in the small monastery.

Soak the hard rice balls in the hot pumpkin soup and eat it hot. It is a popular way to eat in the past two years. Echigo’s high-quality pumpkins are privately trafficked to the Takeda family through Kita Shinano, and the price is only half of the same weight of rice. It tastes very sweet.

People have gradually accepted the radiation of food culture from Echigo. For example, dozens of samurai in this line wear fur coats. The popular clothing style of Echigo can always flow into Shinano at the fastest speed, and there is really no better winter protection than leather clothing. better choice.

The tiredness of walking for a day gradually dissipated, and the warriors went to bed early. Only two middle-aged warriors sat in front of the firepit in a daze.

"Brother, did you hear that? The travelers on the road are all discussing the news from Echigo. The assassination of Ura Isemori failed, and Nagao Keigoro returned from vulgar life. The news of the civil strife in Echigo was put down." The burly man The middle-aged man said angrily: "We don't even know about it! I don't know what the hall is thinking!"

Another middle-aged man with a long beard smiled bitterly: "I have expected all this..."

The burly middle-aged man asked, "What did brother expect?"

"The change of Topo Ninja is nothing new. More than half a month ago, Echigo suddenly quelled the Etchu Ichikozong riot, and Kasuga... Kosaka Masanobu's activity is enough to explain the problem!" The middle-aged man with long beard smiled bitterly. Said: "Have I Xinglong arrived at this field now?"

Yazawa Yotsuna hurriedly persuaded: "Brother, don't say that! Shinano cannot do without you. Without your hard work, it is impossible for the Takeda family to take down half of Shinano! My Sanada family is the number one samurai family in Shinano. ah!"

"Hehe! My lord doesn't think so. Didn't Lai Tsuna notice that the status of the family is declining?" Sanada Yutaka smiled helplessly, but he couldn't hide the bitterness at the corner of his mouth.

"Are you still remembering the reason for that failure?" Yazawa Yorimasa said indignantly, "But it wasn't my brother's fault! Topo didn't notice Kira Chibei's change. It caused us a disastrous defeat..."

"The elders of the vassals don't think so, and the master's family don't think so. Maybe the master is also suspicious of me?" Sanada Yutaka's smile lacked the former freedom and confidence, and there was a lot of pain And helpless.

Since the defeat of the Kawanakajima War two years ago, the development momentum of the Takeda family has begun to decline, and the Sanada family has also unstoppably turned from victory to decline. The pressure made him have to cheer up and deal with it carefully every day. Compared with the glorious scenery a few years ago, his life is getting more and more difficult now.

Not long after that battle ended.At the post-war evaluation meeting at the Azakikan, Takeda Harunobu withstood the embarrassment and anger of the defeat and ordered the generation of retainers.He chose to give up pursuing the responsibility for the failure of the Sanada family, but the indifference of his colleagues and the reduction of Takeda Harunobu's trust were unavoidable.

"It's still that our family didn't seize the opportunity! It would have been great if the night raid last year had been more carefully prepared and the information obtained was more sufficient!" Sanada Yukitaka still regretted the failure of last year's surprise attack on Susuki Castle, and the great defeat With the last hope of counterattack, Nobushige Takeda returned to Kai disappointed, and the status of the Sanada family plummeted. Not only did he lose the taxation and military service autonomy privileges promised by Harunobu Takeda, but he also faced many criticisms from his colleagues and Shinano.

Yazawa Yorima comforted: "However, the strategy of the main hall has failed this time!"

"My family knew it would fail."

"What? Brother already knew?"

Sanada Yutaka said slowly: "It's true that my lord is good at adjusting strategy, but the method of adjusting strategy is worse than that of my family. Echigo is now run by the Kira family like an iron bucket. He has recuperated for nearly two years and has not moved. His patience far exceeds that of the lord, and from this alone, we can know that this operation will definitely fail."

"That's right! My lord was still using troops in Ueno last year. I went to the West Ueno to fight a joint battle with no loss or profit. I also snatched a little bit of supplies from the farmers in the castle town and the countryside. It was barely a loss. Earn!" Yazawa Yorima said mockingly.

This battle has nothing to do with the Sanada family. Their family is defined as the "national flag leader in the small prefecture", that is, let him stay in Sanada Township honestly and don't go anywhere, and crucify the attack in the direction of Echigo. At the same time, he also nailed himself to this piece of land, unable to move.

As a result, this Ueno invasion war took a long time to reach the city. Counting the loss of personnel and the pressure on food and grass supply along the way, it still lost a lot. The last rations in the hands of the townspeople and farmers in Ueno were wantonly robbed. The countrymen forged a death feud, and forced the peasants to hate the Takeda Army even more. The next invasion would probably be even more difficult.

Hearing his brother's complaints, Sanada Yutaka smiled slightly and said: "Contacting Echigo has always been a coup for the Yikui army to attack Echigo, but now it is used at the worst time. After two years of cultivation, the foundation is extremely stable. How can one assassination or one attack be shaken? Unless you are lucky enough to kill Kira Yoshitoki or Nagao Ketora, but in this case, the other person will definitely become angry, which is not good for my Takeda family. !"

"Unless you kill Nagao Jinghu and Kira Yoshitoki in one go. Then Yixiang Yikui happened to break through Kasugayama Castle. Take Kira and Nagao's retainers in a nest..." At this time, the night was getting dark.The small temple seemed exceptionally quiet, Yazawa Yorimasa looked carefully at the sleepy warriors in the distance, and then continued to taunt: "Is it just possible? That's probably what the pet companion Kasuga Torasa in the main hall thinks? What a fool." People with butts and no brains!"

"He is now called Masanobu Takasaka Tansho, the son-in-law and adopted son of Kosaka Chikuzen Morimune Shige."

"That's right! That's Masanobu Takasaka Tansaka!" Yazawa Yorimasa smiled contemptuously: "Speaking of which, his official name is still the same as that of his elder brother! Last year, his old father-in-law Kasaka Chikuzen Morimune was arrested to make room for him. He was forced to live in seclusion. At the beginning of this year, because his promotion was not fast enough, he ran to the main hall to report his father-in-law, Naichi Kira's family, and finally his father-in-law was executed. The Kasaka clan fell into the hands..."

Sanada Yutaka frowned tightly when he heard the words, and scolded: "Where did you hear this? Don't listen to such baseless rumors! Do you know that talking nonsense can kill people?"

"I heard about it from a friend in Saku-gun..."

Yukitaka Sanada felt that there must be something wrong with it, and after thinking carefully for a moment, he said: "No matter who you heard it from, you should not listen to this kind of gossip in the future, let alone spread it everywhere. The celebrity, the fastest promoted person among the straight ministers, and my status is not as good as before, so we must be careful in everything!"

"Yes! Yes!" Yazawa Yorima's face turned blue with fright, and he nodded awkwardly.

The two were silent for a long time without speaking.After a while, the flames in the firepit gradually became smaller, and Yukitaka Sanada picked up a few pieces of firewood and threw them into the firepit.Picking up a branch and fiddling with the charcoal fire casually, he suddenly turned his head and asked, "Is your friend from Saku County Okuma Bizenshou or Joori Fusuke?"

Yazawa Yorima was stunned for a moment, and asked strangely: "Huh? How did brother know?"

"Of course I know, and I also know that the two of them are probably sent by Echigo to die." Sanada Yutaka warned: "In the future, you should avoid dealing with them, and be careful not to touch things you shouldn't touch!"

"What? Brother, you mean that they have problems?" Yazawa Yorimasa was so bluffed that he almost jumped up. Knowing that his brother didn't like to laugh, and his words were rarely wrong, he hurriedly suggested: "Then we Report to the hall immediately!"

Sanada Yutaka smiled wryly and shook his head: "Didn't you just say how the main family treats the main family? Given the current situation of the main family, it is hard to protect yourself. How do you think the main family's character will treat the report of the main family?"

"Brother, what do you mean... the hall won't believe us?"

"Almost! You may not believe it, or you may suspect the intentions of the family. Have you never doubted the intentions of these two Echigo traitors? Of course you have to doubt it, but I don't need to wait for my retainers to say this doubt. If everyone doubted them both, the safer they would be.

The two untrustworthy Echigo traitor warriors can't make trouble at all. No matter whether they are dead or not, they can only cling to the authority of the lord. If they always try their best to be loyal, they will naturally be promoted and reused if they make more achievements. , if it is found that they are dead, how difficult is it to execute them? "Sanada Yutaka is very familiar with Takeda Harunobu's character, and now he has been able to figure out seven or eight parts of his protagonist's personality and way of doing things. It is his habit to be cautious and keep his back as a countermeasure.

The two deaths of Echigo are not a problem at all in Takeda Harunobu's view, they are simply ants who want to be crushed to death, and the real headache for him is Kai's family, the family of Pudai, and this group of people are all Senior, capable, well-connected, high-status representatives, and relatives who hold each other together, will blow up a nest if they touch one.

Sometimes these one school and genealogy generations say a word, which is more effective than his official brand governor. The authority of the family governor has been severely suppressed by this group of one school and genealogy generations. That's why Takeda Harunobu can't wait to promote his lucky minister Kosaka Masanobu , Masato Naito, Nobuharu Baba and others.

At the beginning, his father, Nobutora Takeda, who was such a powerful figure, was kicked out of Kai and exiled to Suruga for the elderly because of killing the genealogists, and now he is also facing this problem. In three years, Takeda Harunobu started to attack his son-in-law Nobuken Itagaki, but he was immediately boycotted by Yimen and Pudai.

In the end, he succeeded in killing Nobuken Itagaki, but that time he still severely offended Ichimon and Pudai. Since then, he, the family governor, has never been able to act smoothly. Two years ago, Kawanakajima was almost defeated in a big defeat. The Yimen and genealogy generations pushed it to Takeda Harunobu's promoted and reused Kasuga Toratsuna, Baba Nobuharu, and Naito Masatoyo. The appetite of the generation.

Sanada Yutaka, who knows the inside story well, warned again and again: "My lord is still troubled by the contradiction between the family and the generations. It is a signal to promote and reuse those people at this time. In the future, you must remember not to speak ill of them in front of outsiders, understand? ?”

"Understood! Don't worry, brother!" Yazawa Yorimasa hesitated for a moment, and said: "Echigo sent so many people to persuade my brother to join the Kira family. Hasn't my brother ever been tempted? With my brother's ability, I can do it with a backhand. The Kira family took over half of Shinano? Isn't my Sanada family's status still guaranteed?"

"You don't understand!" Sanada Yutaka shook his head and sighed: "My family can't move and dare not move now. Topo has been monitoring the actions of my family. Once I surrender Echigo, I won't talk about the safety of my family and Sanada's family. It will be Taro who is far away in Kai. , Jiro, and Goro will die because of this..."

"Just for that reason?"

"Of course not. My lord repaid the merits of the Takeda family when I became an official of the Takeda family, but how should I repay the kindness of knowing you? If my family betrayed the Takeda family, how would the world treat my Sanada family? Countless samurai have betrayed me, but I am not a ungrateful person. Do you want to transfer a few envoys from the Wuwei Palace? It is absolutely impossible!" Sanada Yutaka's tone was very firm, and Yazawa Yorimasa couldn't help but think of the time when he abandoned his knot. Yanjin family pattern flag, the allusion of replacing Liulian coins.

"Liulianqian is Liudaoqian, and it is a ferry to cross the Sanzu River, which symbolizes that the samurai of my Sanada family have the determination to die!" Many years ago, the very young Sanada Kotaka said goodbye to Yazawa Yotsuna and fled to Ueno. A passage from the past came to mind again.

"A samurai who forgets righteousness will be ridiculed, especially the Wuweidian who once said that he hates subjugation and betrayal the most..." Yazawa Yotsuna slapped his forehead and exclaimed: "Oh! I finally figured it out! No wonder Kira The envoys of the family are all unknown warriors, is it to test the determination of the family?"

"Have you understood?" Sanada Yukitaka shook his head and smiled, "That Wuweidian is probably not in a hurry to deal with Shinano's affairs. If my family is really stupid and jumps out to rebel, I will have to face the angry Takeda army attack. At that time, losing the territory of Sanada Township, and losing Taro, Jiro, and Goro, who fled to Echigo in a panic to survive, lost their family, territory, and family name, what is the meaning of this life!"

Yazawa Yorima sighed in agreement: "Yes! My Sanada family can't do this kind of thing!"

"My lord must still be planning the next strategy. I have to prepare and write a plan to give to my lord. Maybe I can make a good impression for my Sanada family... Go to bed early! I have to hurry tomorrow!" ( To be continued..)