"Everyone's happy!" The lengthy meeting finally ended, and Zheng Heng sat on the upper seat one floor higher in the middle of the hall. After saying that, he stood up from his position, and the two attendants behind him hurriedly followed. Almost at the same time, more than two dozen people standing on either side of the main hall fell to their knees in unison, bowing their heads deeply.

Seeing such a neat scene, Zhengheng also showed a rare smile, saying that it was a smile, but in fact, it was just a muscle twitch in his cheeks, and everyone could see that it was not a smile from the heart.

He scanned everyone below, his sharp gaze almost breathless.

The content of the meeting is very simple, that is, the result of the disposition of Nizi Lunjiu and Uyama Feiji, just like the decision before the meeting, Nizi Lunjiu, as the heir of Nizi Haruhisa, naturally can no longer live in Izumo Province, and is demoted to a vassal and 6,000 stone sage, and Uyama Feiji serves as an auxiliary minister. Although Nizi Lunjiu and Yushan Feibi were not convinced, they had to bow their heads under the eaves, so they had to swallow their anger and prostrate on the ground to agree, not knowing that Zhengheng had already set a trap for them and waited for them to get in.

As soon as he walked out of the conference room, one of the guards had been waiting there for a long time, and he knelt on the ground and whispered, "Your Highness, the person you invited has arrived. ”

Zheng Heng nodded and said coldly: "That's very good, lead the way!" The guard bowed and said, "Hey! He walked and turned back to lead the way, in fact, where he was going, Zhengheng was also clear about the route, but leading the way as a gesture is essential.

As soon as he walked out of the conference room, Zheng Heng's eyes fell on one of them, and he said softly: "Longzosi Yamajo Shou, I have set up a banquet for you, let's go over there." ”

A ruddy-faced, well-maintained young man named Ryuzoji Takanobu. He is exactly 30 years old and is nicknamed the Bear of Hizen. It is the largest force in history that has built the Ryuzoji family, and is known as the Three Heroes of Kyushu along with Bungo Otomo and Satsuma Shimazu.

Now life is not very good, naturally because of the sudden rise of political balance, under the butterfly effect, Haruei Ouchi and Otomo Yoshizhen are in the ring. He originally wanted to attack Shao Er Dongshang within the year, and Shao Er Dongshang also knew that he was not the opponent of Ryuzoji Takanobu. Naturally, he clung to Otomo Yoshijin's thighs. Shao Erdong Shang already has a good relationship with the Otomo clan, and Otomo Yoshizhen also intends to put a chess piece on the flank of Ouchi Haruying, so he is naturally unwilling to rely on Ryuzoji Takanobu of Ouchi Yoshitaka to sit on the throne. This is why there is a trip to Okayama of Ryuzoji Takanobu, and now Ouchi Haruying is weak, and there is no way to climb Otomo Yoshitown, so he can only choose to climb the more powerful Date family. Ryuzoji Takanobu was also resolute and came to Okayama Castle alone.

Zheng Heng sat on the main throne, looked at Longzao Temple Longxin with a smile on his face, and ordered: "Today, Lord Shancheng Shou should stay here for dinner. Hurry up and order someone to prepare some coarse tea and light rice! ”

The coarse tea and light rice sent by the maid is really coarse tea and light rice, two servings of soaking rice and two plates of sauerkraut.

Ryuzoji Takanobu looked at the food delivered to him, his eyes unconsciously showed an angry gaze, he didn't think that the head of his famous Ryuzoji family, where did he encounter such a heavy rain, how could he not make him feel angry, when he visited Ouchi Yoshitaka in the past, it was not a delicacies of the mountains and seas. But it's also good food and wine. Nowadays, Date Masaki has a larger territory than Yoshitaka Ouchi. The momentum is even louder, but I never thought it would be so shoddy.

Zhengheng drank the soaked rice with relish, sandwiched the sauerkraut, and said: "Coarse tea and light rice, please don't be surprised by Lord Yamashiro!" ”

Ryuzoji Takanobu looked at Masahiro and ate the pig food that he thought only pigs would eat, his eyes full of surprise and doubt. I can't help but think of the days when I was in exile in Chikugo Country, when Ouchi Yoshitaka was expelled from the retainer Tao Longfang, and was besieged by the Hizen people of relatives and friends, and supported the establishment of the dragon temple supervisor.

Takanobu was forced to flee to Chikuzen Province and asked for support from Yoshitaka Ouchi. Ouchi Yoshitaka was bent on returning to Yamaguchi's career, and he was perfunctory about his affairs, and only got a fief of 300 koku. After three years of hard work, he finally borrowed 1,000 soldiers and horses, exiled the supervisor of Longzao Temple, and established the absolute dominance of Ryuzoji Temple. Gradually, the hard and simple life gradually became flashy and luxurious, and when he thought of this, Ryuzoji Takashi couldn't help but twitch in his confidence, and trembling his hands held the bowl of rice that could count the number of rice.

When I got closer to my mouth, I was greeted by the unpleasant smell of overnight rice. Longzoji Longxin had another nausea in his stomach, seeing that Zhengheng was still drinking the rice with relish, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and had a lot of thoughts in his heart, and finally endured the bad feeling brought by the rice, and drank it with his breath.

Zhengheng smiled while drinking the rice while secretly looking at the actions of Longzoji Takanobu, when he saw him holding back and drinking, he put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hand, and after a while, seeing that Ryuzōji Takanobu finished drinking the rice in the bowl, he asked with a smile: "Yamashiro Shou-sama, I don't know if you need it?" ”

It was already his limit for Takanobu to be able to drink a bowl of rice that was a little rancid, and he would never dare to drink it again, and he barely showed a smile on his face, and said: "Thank you Dazai Daiji for your hospitality, I'm already full." ”

Zheng Heng nodded slightly apologetically, and ordered the maid to remove the food, but he was amused in his heart, he knew that he could no longer play with Ryuzoji Takanobu, and asked earnestly: "I heard that Lord Yamajo only came to Okayama Castle a few days ago, is it safe on the road?" ”

Ryuzoji Takanobu was quite respectful and said, "What do you say? It was much safer after entering Date Territory, but now that Kitakyushu is undercurrent, and the Ouchi and Otomo brothers are fighting endlessly, I landed on Honshu Island on Hirado's sea ship. ”

Ouchi Haruei and Otomo Yoshizhen fought in the ring, Zhengheng also heard a little, knowing that Otomo Yoshizhen wanted to annex the territory of the Ouchi clan, Ouchi Haruhi was also tough, and he did not fall behind at all, and the two sides fought endlessly. He frowned and said solemnly: "I have also heard a little about the matter of Kitakyushu, but now that there is endless turmoil and war in Ki, the Date family really has no intention of Kyushu, and I ask Yamashiro Mamoru to forgive me about this matter." ”

Ryuzoji Takanobu naturally knows that the main strategic direction of the Date family is in the east, otherwise he would not have come to seek support, and he is afraid that he will immediately stop fighting with the Shaoji family, and then form an alliance with the forces of Kitakyushu to resist the invasion of the Date family. Ryuzoji Takanobu sought only material support and nominal support for the Ryuzoji family. Let Otomo Yoshijin place the main soldiers and horses on the front line of resistance to the Date family, and give up or not be able to give much help to Shao Erdongshang.

Ryuzoji Takanobu's intention to come alone, Zhengheng naturally knows, for Kitakyushu, of course, he is also eyeing it, but now there is chaos in the Kin. It's true that it's not easy to be distracted to focus on Kyushu, but it's a good idea to keep Otomo Yoshijin from monopolizing Kitakyushu.

Thinking like this, Masahiro continued: "Otomo Yoshijin is brutal and unkind, so naturally I have to teach some lessons, but now it's not easy for the Date family to go to Kitakyushu, so okay, I don't know what Mamoru Yamashiro wants, even if I bring it up, this matter." I'll leave it to Noyama Masato. ”

Ryuzoji Takanobu never thought that Zhengheng would be so generous, although the meal just now made him a little unhappy, but it was already an inconsequential matter, he put on a deferential appearance, and said: "You are really a benefactor given to me by God, please accept my worship!" Ignoring Zhengheng's wave of his hand, he knelt down in front of him and kowtowed.

Zhengheng didn't accept it directly. Instead, he turned sideways and received only a half-salute. He stepped forward to help Ryuzoji Takanobu up. He continued: "I firmly believe in righteousness, and since Otomo Yoshizhen is brutal and unkind, God has given me to punish evil and promote good, so I naturally want to help the weak. ”

Ryuzoji Takanobu did not have a trace of shame on his face, but seemed to be full of reverence, as if he was completely persuaded by the man in front of him in a few words. didn't know that the smile on the corner of his mouth was slightly upturned when he lowered his head, and secretly scolded Zhengheng for being a big stupid hat.

In the Warring States Period, believing in righteousness and punishing evil and promoting good were just means, and if anyone believed that it was the real foolishness, the dragon of Echigo always claimed that righteousness came first, but he never put down the butcher's knife in his hand to cut at the common people. What is the origin of Zhengheng. He was a little embarrassed when he heard the words just now. What's more, attacking the main family, the young two family, wanted to seize the Ryuzoji Takanobu of Hizen Country.

Since he knows everything, but the people of the world know that righteousness is false first, and they often look forward to false things the most, and the dragon of Echigo can win the respect of the people of the world, no matter how cruel and easy he is to kill in private, on the surface he has achieved the point that even he himself believes. For the weak, hypocrites are preferred. The strong in the world are always in the minority, and the weak account for the absolute majority. Righteousness first, this is the current strategy of political balance, if you want to have the world, righteousness is an indispensable thing.

Of course, putting righteousness first is just a strategy, Zhengheng won't even believe himself, he's not so stupid, he won't do that, what he wants to do now is to make the world a mess, whether it's in or Kyushu. Whoever is weak he will help whom, punishing the evil and promoting the good itself is to help the weak and punish the strong The truth exists, the wicked and the good can be converted into each other in the eyes of the political balance, and when the wicked are weak, they naturally become good people.

Just sent away Ryuzoji Takanobu, the latest information from Kyushu was sent to Zhengheng, after looking at it, Zhengheng muttered in a low voice: "Otomo Yoshizhen is worthy of being Otomo Yoshizhen, knowing that once I get out of the way, I will interfere in the affairs of Kitakyushu, I never thought that he would do it first." ”

……

On the 21st day of September in the first year of Yonglu, a crescent moon hung high in the dark night sky, bleak, thick black clouds hid all the stars behind them, and even the curved string moon night was obscured by the rapidly moving clouds from time to time, and the whole earth was shrouded in the dark night, and it was impossible to distinguish where the road was and which was the mountain.

Otomo Yoshijin led 12,000 people to slowly climb in the Chikushi Mountain Land panting, and climbed the Chikushi Mountain Land overnight in order to seize Aoyama Castle, the only way to pass before Ouchi Haruei. The Japanese are resistant to close combat, and due to the ban on meat and two meals a day, they are thin and short, and their physical strength is naturally poor.

Otomo Yoshijin didn't care about his lack of stamina, and desperately urged him forward.

He didn't expect his younger brother Ouchi Haruei to be so difficult to deal with, originally thought that under the pretext of Ouchi Yoshitaka illness, the Ouchi family's territory was not yet captured, where did he think that Ouchi Haruei married Sugi Shigeju's daughter as the wife of the main room, and at the same time married the niece of Usa Omiya Si Anyuan and the adopted daughter of the Munegarta clan as the side room, and stabilized the situation with three women.

Hundreds of cavalrymen, holding torches aloft, walked on either side of the long crowd, and from a distance, they looked like a slender fire dragon. Otomo Yoshijin pointed to a place in front of him and asked loudly, "Is there Aoyama Castle ahead?" ”

Tojijian, the general of Otomo Yoshitown, squinted his eyes and replied: "It's indeed Qingshan City, but there seems to be murderous intent in the city?" "The killing intent is too mysterious, but Wangqi is written directly in the art of war, observing the changes in cloud qi to distinguish good luck and evil.

Yoshioka Nagazen sneered, debunked Toji Kenren's trick, and said: "Kii, needless to say, the killing intent is not too much, the castle lord of Aoyama Castle, Satta Takaju, has only three hundred soldiers, and there will be no more than ten, and now all the castles are full of torches, I am afraid that there are no less than three thousand." ”

Tojikan didn't even care if he was told that the trick was broken, his face was quite serious, and he said: "Saemon, this Aoyama Castle is a dangerous city, and now there are 3,000 defenders, I'm afraid it will not be easy to break, but Satta Takaju is a reasonable person." ”

Toji Kan was ordered to go to say Xiang a few years ago, although he did not let Soda Takaju immediately open the castle and surrender, but he had a good conversation with Sada, and now that the big friendly army has arrived, it is very likely that he will take the initiative to open the city gate and surrender under the pressure of the army.

Yoshioka Nagasai was not as optimistic as Toji Kanren, and reminded in a low voice: "The father of the Utsunomiya clan, one of the two-room side rooms of Haruei Ouchi, is Takaju Sada, and I heard that Haruai Ouchi also renamed Sada's sister-in-law Eitsuna and accepted him as a relative. ”

Otomo Yoshijin listened to his right-hand man's talk, and his expression was quite unpleasant, and the plan to take the mountain path was decided by him arbitrarily, and at that time Yoshioka Nagazou and Toji Kenren both expressed their opposition, but now the army has been killed, and he has not considered the orientation of Aoyama Castle clearly.

Otomo Yoshijin asked in a low voice, "Are we going to take the Katsura River, which is further easter?" ”

Yoshioka Nagazen shook his head again and again: "If it's just a team of 100 people, turn simply, don't forget, we have a team of 10,000 people, even if we finally get through, it has already made the Ouchi family calmly blocked, I'm afraid it will not be easy to win in a short time." ”

Where did Otomo Yoshizhen think that there would be such an embarrassing situation, and the advance was going to be a decisive battle with the castle of Aoyama Castle, which was garrisoned by three thousand, and it was of course impossible to retreat, and he personally led tens of thousands of troops to come, and when he encountered a fortified city, he retreated. "What now," he asked. ”

Yoshioka Nagazen replied firmly: "Fight to the death!" ”

Toji Kenren also nodded and said, "Fight to the death!" (To be continued......)