Pillars of the Wu family

In July of the third year of Yongroku, in Myokaku-ji Temple in the southwest of Naoetsu Town, Echigo, Asayama Nichijo and Torasai Souichi each held chess pieces and were playing chess. There was a faint fragrance from the indoor incense burner, and the wind chimes outside the window swayed gently, and the raindrops on the eaves were light. Lightly falling, the water bamboo in the distance made a ding-dong sound, and the harmonious and peaceful atmosphere made people relax unconsciously.

Thirty-year-old Huzai Zongyi is as young as he was a few years ago. He holds a black chess and stares at the chessboard quietly in meditation. He is no longer a penniless young monk in the past, but a well-known master of learning in Echigo. His profound Zen theory and excellent cultural accomplishment gradually spread his reputation to the Kanto.

As the momentum of the Kira family increased day by day, this inconspicuous Miaokaku-ji Temple also became an eye-catching place in Echigo and even Kanto. Business travelers from all over the world would stay at Myokaku-ji Temple for a while to burn incense and pray for safety and happiness. , Legend has it that if you burn incense in this temple, you will be blessed by the gods and Buddhas, because the gods and Buddhas always favor the Ashikaga family.

Before Huzai Zongyi left Kyoto, he once listened to Kuai Chuan Shaoxi's teaching in Miaoyun Temple, and his teacher taught him the eight-character mantra of "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles". So I worked hard to implement the concept of the unity of knowledge and action. Apart from the practice of keeping records, I have not stayed in the small world of Naoetsu these years.

He was as easy as an ascetic monk, and he took only a few disciples to travel through most of Hokuriku and Kanto, and visited Shinano’s Iinawa Mountain, Dewa’s Haguro Mountain and other training dojos, and he also met with the Shingon sect. I have been practicing meditation for more than half a year.In recent years, there have been many famous mountains and rivers from Mino country to Kyoto.Then go to the many places I have visited since Xiaxiang Echigo.The recorded travel notes on mountains, rivers, geography, culture and customs are more than a foot thick. Among them, there are his own records and some oral records to his disciples. The rich content of Paul Vientiane has become a lifelong travel note.

On the other hand, Asayama Nichijo became wider and fatter, and his originally majestic figure gradually became more horizontal. His rich and fat face was flushed, and even his vicious look was reduced by seven or eight points. There was always a faint smile on the corner of his mouth. Just like a Maitreya Buddha, he held the white chess in his hand and was stunned for a long time, not knowing how to make a move.

Asayama Nichijo's white dragon has been cut in half, and the black side has become unstoppable and began to divide and encircle the white chess.Seeing that there was no need to continue fighting in this game, Chaoshan Richeng simply dropped the chess pieces and conceded defeat, put down his mind and turned to enjoy the scenery outside the window, and said: "After the new rain in the empty mountain, the weather is late and autumn is coming, the bright moon shines among the pines, and the clear spring stone flows ... Layman Mojie's poems are as elegant as the orchids after the rain, just reading it for the first time makes one feel refreshed and happy!"

Huzai Zongyi put down the chess pieces as well, looked at the rockery and stream in the courtyard and said lightly: "Dongpo layman once said that there are paintings in the poems of Wei Majie, and there are paintings in the paintings. There are poems in the paintings, and you are good at It expresses quiet landscape and peaceful and calm mood. After reading it, people can't put it down."

The breeze blew away the clouds to reveal the long-lost sun, a ray of sunlight fell under the eaves, and gradually the croaking of frogs and cicadas sounded in the courtyard. There were faint smiles on the faces of the two, obviously intoxicated in the peaceful and peaceful beauty after the rain, just right At this time, a noise came from the vestibule, interrupting their peaceful state of mind.

A young novice came in hurriedly and said, "Master, the Sugiura Bridge has started to make noise again. The senior brothers can't stop him!"

"Sure enough, it's Sugiura Hokage Bridge again..." Torazai Zongyi gave a wry smile, shook his head helplessly and said, "Let's make trouble at Sugiura Hokage Bridge! Just be careful not to let him hurt anyone."

The little novice quickly retreated under the order, Chaoshan Richeng pinched his long beard and said thoughtfully: "Why would His Highness Gongfang think of sending this Dharma Bridge of Xiangzong to Miaojue Temple to be controlled? Poor The monk has also tried the ability of this Sugiura Faqiao, and the poor monk's brute strength can't move him, and this strange strength is really extraordinary!"

Huzai Zongyi said: "His Highness Gongfang's thoughts are as unpredictable as white clouds floating in the sky, but this Sugiura Faqiao has indeed restrained his anger more and more in the past half a year since he arrived. Half a year ago, he still had to fight every day before he could sleep. Next, either hurting the guarding monks in the temple or smashing the Garan and causing trouble, now it has been reduced to ten days and eight days before they think of making a fuss, and it has been a long time since they hurt anyone."

Chaoshan Nichijo laughed and said: "This should be the credit of Master Zongyi's enlightenment. Isn't the poor monk the Buddha of the Nichiren sect also taught by Zongyi? Sitting in meditation all day long, studying Buddhist principles and cultivating fertility, After gradually reducing the obese weight, it is always good to stay in this Buddhist temple for the first half of the year, and running back and forth in the past few years is really not good for your health!"

As the diplomatic envoy of the Kira family, Asayama Nichijo certainly couldn’t just sit and meditate in the monastery all day. In the past few years, he went to Beijing to communicate with the court and the shogunate. The outpost contact was also made by Asayama Nichijo. Hatano Hideji from Tamba, Hatakeyama Takamasa from Hanoi, and Tsutsui Junmasa from Yamato were all introduced to Honda by him. Running around in Kinei will not be able to implement the strategy of countering the Miyoshi family this time.

Asayama Nichijo was originally a flower monk who couldn't help the five precepts. When he was sent to the flashy life in Kinai, it was inevitable that he would gradually gain weight and gain weight. This time, because of the strategic adjustment of the Kira family, he was temporarily transferred back to rest, so Chaoshan Richeng ran to Miaojue Temple and stayed on. The past six months have been very nourishing. Not only did he lose weight successfully, but his complexion became better and better.

Faced with Chaoshan Richeng's playful smile, Huzai Zongyi said helplessly: "This word can't be spread, the poor monk didn't save Master Richeng, it was Master Richeng who gave up meat and spent all day in the temple The reason for eating some rough food is not that the poor monk is saving the sun and the master!"

"Hey, it's almost the same..." Asayama Nichijo was about to speak, when he caught a glimpse of the little novice running in and said, "Master! The Sugiura Bridge is quiet! The little Suifeng who was placed on the order The master was persuaded, and he swore to the gods and Buddhas that he would never make trouble again."

"Oh? Is it Suifeng at Longxing Temple? What did he say to Sugiura Faqiao?" Huzai Zongyi said with some surprise: "When did Sugipu Faqiao become so talkative? The poor monk has persuaded him many times. None of it worked."

The little novice said in a low voice, "I just saw the Shanpu Faqiao and was quiet after a few words from Master Suifeng. I don't know the specific situation."

Chaoshan Richeng asked suspiciously: "Who is Suifeng at Longxing Temple?"

Huzai Zongyi said: "This junior brother of the poor monk in Longxing Temple, who is barely counted in the wind, is an excellent talent recommended by his family teacher Xian Xuanmi. It is said that he was originally a powerful native of Mutsu Aizu. Ashina Shengshi A member of the same family. Commonly known as Ashina Heutaro. At the age of 14, he became a monk at Longxing Temple in Shushan, Aizu. Not long after, he went to Fenhe Temple to worship under Master Seng Zhenghuang Shun. After two years, he went to Enryaku Temple and Mii Temple in Kinai. , Xingfu Temple, and Miaoxin Temple, I came to Miaojue Temple with a recommendation letter from my teacher a few days ago to register for practice, and I am only 24 years old now."

"So that's how it is, a young monk from the Tiantai Sect!" Chaoshan Hiyō smacked his lips and said, "I have practiced in several big temples in Kinai...he seems to be an unparalleled scholarly monk, and it is for this reason that I was able to persuade Sugiura Faqiao ! With such talent at such a young age, he seems to be an outstanding Buddhist disciple with a bright future!"

"Probably so!" Huzai Zongyi said lightly: "It's just that this junior brother Suifeng seems to have other ideas when he came to Echigo. Recently, he has been practicing alms near Naoejin and has hardly lived in the temple. I don't know why he bumped into him today. At Sugiura Faqiao, I persuaded him again..."

Asayama Nichijo said with a smile: "Young monks always prefer to experience life, just like Master Zongyi, who has traveled thousands of miles! It is good to walk more and see more. It is better to stay in the monastery to study Buddhism. After all, Li is a nerd who can only read scriptures, which is probably what Master Zong Yi often said about the unity of knowledge and action!"

"A few days ago, Junior Brother Suifeng had approached the poor monk, and hoped that the poor monk would introduce him to meet His Highness Gongfang once."

"Oh? I want to see His Highness Gongfang! What does this mean?" Asayama Hichijo held his chin and pondered deeply: "Could it be related to Aizu Ashina?"

"This poor monk doesn't know." Huzai Zongyi shook his head noncommittally and said: "The poor monk is planning to meet His Royal Highness Gongfang, so he will take him to Chunri Mountain City on the way. Whether he can see His Royal Highness depends on his fate. gone."

……

The rest of the clouds and the harvest of rain for a few days are not the end of the rainy season. Only a few days later, the situation is suddenly changing and the rain is about to come.The violent wind and rain accompanied by thunder and lightning were more violent than usual, and the surge of several rivers at the same time brought huge pressure on flood discharge and dredging.Fortunately, the Shinogawa River excavated by the Shinano River and the Agano River have been put into use one after another, which has brought great convenience to the flood discharge and ensured that the dikes were not washed away and the farmland was submerged during the flood peak.

One of the important significance of the establishment of Niigata Town is to bring a bridle to the Shinano River and Agano River, which are often flooded, so that the two strong horses can be turned into water resources that can be used by farmers in Echigo. The branch-shaped river network gradually spreads to the coastline, which not only can discharge floods, but also play an important role in irrigating land and expanding the area of ​​paddy fields.

If it weren't for the Kira family's complete system, I'm afraid this year's autumn harvest situation will be more severe than last year. The news from the Kanto region is far more serious than Kira's retainers imagined, and Kamakura is also experiencing non-stop storms. The seawall was washed away in many places, and the sea water flooded the farmland and flooded it, causing huge losses to the Hojo family.

Kai was also devastated by a violent storm. It is a foregone conclusion that nearly half of the barley planted was destroyed. One-third of the barley in Nanshinano was damaged. Most likely, the situation will not be better than here, and even Junyuan Sanyi and Owari Ise have suffered losses to varying degrees.

In the evaluation room of Kasuga Mountain City, all the officials gathered, and Yoshitomo Kira stared at a set of loss figures with a serious expression, and said in a cold voice: "Another three consecutive years of disasters, this is the second time in the past ten years that we have been hit by disasters for three consecutive years. ?In the past hundred years since the Yingren Rebellion, not to mention the continuous wars created by man-made wars, even natural disasters have become more and more frequent. In the past ten years, seven or eight years have always been disaster years, and a good harvest has become a hopeful but unattainable event. What happened, maybe the days to come will be even more difficult, you guys should be mentally prepared early!"

Langgang Tanfang said in surprise: "What does His Royal Highness Gongfang mean?"

Yoshitoki Kira said slowly: "Everyone should know that when the shogunate changes, the rise and fall of the dynasty always starts with the outbreak of large-scale natural disasters. You can refer to the history of the Ming Dynasty to know the changes. When natural disasters arise, wars are born. This is the law. The reason is nothing more than the samurai and peasants who can’t eat enough to eat, so they can only cause riots! According to the years of intensive research, there will be severe cold attacks every once in a while in history. The abnormal weather has doubled upwards, not only This is the case in my corner of Japan, and it is also the case in the Ming Dynasty."

Hosokawa Fujitaka nodded and said: "This minister has indeed heard from the merchants of the Ming Dynasty that about 20 years ago there were several times of severe weather such as frost in July and rain and snow in August, not freezing rain and snow. The increase is drought year after year, and even the warm regions of Jiangsu and Zhejiang cannot escape this bad luck, so many maritime merchants will take risks to do their smuggling business.”

Ben Tashi said: "In the fourth year of Hongzhi, there was a great storm in the Western Kingdom. Amagasaki, Bessho, Naruo, Imazu, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Zennami, Suma, and Akashi were attacked by Tsunami. The violent waves broke the embankment, destroyed the village and swept away The many fishermen on the shore have caused immeasurable population and agricultural losses in many places in Xiguo, and the Akamatsu family in Xiguo was particularly damaged, so I gave us an opportunity to make adjustments."

Yoshishi Kira knew the great power of the Little Ice Age. Part of the reason why the Ming Empire was dragged down was the deformed whole internal decay, and the other part was the continuous disasters brought about by the terrible Little Ice Age. In the first year, there was rain and snow in Wanzhou, the prefecture of Qiongzhou, "in the fourth year of Zhengde. The snow fell in Chaozhou, Guangdong, and it was as thick as a foot".The name of Qiongzhou is obviously Hainan Island, which shows how cold it is.

This matter should not be discussed in depth, otherwise it will easily lead to continuous problems, so Kira Yoshitoshi only gave a few superficial instructions and said: "Natural disasters are always inevitable, and we are powerless to intervene, but you must do your best Stopping it cannot be allowed to flood into disasters, and then the princes should focus on preventing and controlling disasters in the future, and drought and flood prevention are particularly important."

Then there is the discussion of the intelligence from the Hida country. Since the dispatch of troops to Hida at the end of February, Yasuda Changhide’s business strategy has been smooth and smooth without any obstacles. The [-] troops, under the onslaught of the Viet Central Army, did not hold on for long before disappearing like the ice and snow like the scorching sun. Miki Yoshiyori and Miki Tatsuna and his son were captured on the spot, and the so-called Miki Allied Forces scattered like birds and beasts.

A powerful national in the northern part of Hida country, Jiang Ma Shisheng was the first to realize that the situation was not good and hurriedly surrendered, and successfully transformed from a surrender to a leading party to fight for the front of the Vietnam Army, and then joined the Vietnam Army. There were more and more, and it didn't take long to expand to more than [-] people, almost including the power of most of the Hida people.

All the territories of the Sanmu family were pacified, and the stubborn people who were unwilling to surrender could only huddle in a small village with dozens of soldiers, trying to use this little force to repel the powerful Vietnamese army. They were only a small village at best. The lord of the land servant, pulled dozens of soldiers to the mountain wall to stand firm, but waited and waited and waited until the Vietnamese army came to kill him. Instead, he was hungry and ran down the mountain because the food in the mountain wall was exhausted.

Just such a group of funny Hida people really made them procrastinate for more than a month, not to say how powerful they are in blocking the attack of the Viet Central Army, but Yasuda Nagahide consciously indulged these resistance resolutely The Chinese fled back, and then dealt with them little by little to facilitate the change of skills.

The lords of these small walled cities are not very capable and capable of pulling strong men, ranging from two to three hundred peasants to as small as ten or eight strong men. The horsepower steamroller rolled over all the way, and all this went smoothly, almost winning one small-scale cage city battle after another with almost no injuries.

But soon there was a thorn in the way, that is Uchijima Uchijima, the lord of Guiyun City who hid in the Shogawa River Valley in the west of Hida Country. To the west of Gozendake, the one-way passage connecting Hida country is in your hands, you can close the door and become the king of the mountain. The only road leading to other than Hida is Shogawa.

Nagahide Yasuda did not think that the Uchijima Clan would resist him before, and the Etsuchu Army he led did not choose the shallower Shogawa to enter Hida, but invaded by Miyagawa, the main tributary of the Jinzugawa, so when the army After being trapped in the large basin in the east of Hida, there is no way to launch an attack on Guiyun City, which is covered by mountains.

In desperation, the only option was to send an order to Okuma Asohide of Etsuchu, asking him to tell the Kira Navy to cut off the foreign trade in the upper reaches of the Shogawa River Basin in time, and follow the Shogawa River to invade the Shirakawa Township of the Uchijima clan. This Shirakawa has always been isolated in the mountains. One of the river valleys, with a permanent population of less than 8000 people, is completely isolated from the world except for a waterway in Etchu, so it is called an isolated island on land by the people of Hida.

Uchijima didn't intend to carry it on at first, but just wanted to take advantage of the favorable location to get some benefits. Even if the main force of Kira's army is in the Miyagawa River Basin, he probably won't go around too much. So I put on a posture that I am not afraid of you, and I was still bragging to the nobles in Baichuan Township that my Guiyun City is the strongest city in the world. Still, there is nothing to do with his Neijima family. (To be continued..)

ps: The Dharma name Follower of the Wind is Nanguangfang Tianhai.