In the eighteenth year of Astronomy, in late August, just as Masarashi and Yoshitaka Ouchi were pinching each other back and forth in Kitakyushu, the Shimazu family in Minami Kyushu ushered in the harvest season.

After several years of continuous expansion, the thirteen prefectures of Satsuma Province in Minamikyushu at this time, including Izumi, Takashiro, Satsuma, Koshikishima, Hichiki, Ado, Kawabe, Eisha, Ibusuki, Giri, and Keiyama, have been completely controlled by the Shimazu family, and now there are still Kagoshima and Isa Guns, which are occupied by the Osumi liver Fu family. And the forces of the Iza Prefecture Prayer House and the Ryokari House are about to be defeated by the Shimazu family. Seeing that the goal of Shimazu's unification of Satsuma for several generations was about to be achieved, Shimazu Takahisa was ambitious at this time.

At this time, it was already evening, the lamp was on the palm, and dinner was also set up (Shimazu Takahisa learned from the detailed work that infiltrated the territory of the Luo family that the military strength of the Luo family was three meals a day, and after discussing with the retainers, Shimazu Takahisa's diet was conducive to increasing the physique of his own military strength, so he also implemented the system of breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Shimazu family).

To celebrate the Shimazu family's upcoming victory, tonight's meal was very hearty, with fresh kayoshi fish, abalone, and Shimazu Takahisa's favorite miso soup. Three generations of Shimazu Tadashi, Shimazu Takahisa, and his son-in-law, Shimazu Yoshihisa, drank some cloudy sake together, talked about some topics about the current situation in Kyushu, and finished their meal with good taste. Takahisa Shimazu stood up first, ready to go to the backyard to rest.

"Who? No trespassers are allowed without notification! ”

At this moment, I only heard the guard who was guarding the courtyard shouting, and immediately heard the other party's answer: "Yabei." There are 100,000 urgent things. And they broke in. Don't be surprised. ”

With the voice of Yabei. Four figures appeared under the shadow of the lights in the courtyard. Shimazu Takahisa, who walked out of the house, saw that the two soldiers of the Shimazu family, who were in charge of guarding the second gate, came in with a messenger-like person on the left and the right. The messenger had a pouch around his neck, and he looked so tired that he had no strength to walk.

Seeing this, Shimazu Takahisa hurriedly rushed out. "Yabei, who is this person?"

"The soldier guarding the gate reported that the man had just arrived at the first gate on a fast horse. I asked the guards at the city gate if this was the city where the guards lived, and then fainted. Yabei replied.

"Bring that pouch quickly, something big must happen."

"Yes." Yabei was about to remove the leather pouch from the messenger's neck when the other man muttered in pain: "Here...... Really...... Guardian ......"

"Don't get cranky. The Guardian is standing right before you. ”

"It's really ......"

"Hold on. Can't hear with your ears? ”

"Hey!" Yabei Nagamasa shouted in his ear.

"Below is the water...... County...... Loyal ......"

"It's a messenger sent by Tadaken of the Shimazu family in the Izumi." Michizu Takahisa said as he took the pouch from Yabei's hand. Tadashi Shimazu is the younger brother of Minoru Shimazu. At the beginning, after Shimazu Takakura and his son defeated Shimazu Minoru of the Izumi Shimazu family, Shimazu Tadahiro, who was biased towards Shimazu Takahisa, succeeded him as the governor of the Izumi Shimazu family.

"Strange! Is there something urgent about sending someone to deliver an urgent letter so late? At this time, after hearing the sound in the courtyard, Shimazu Tadaya, who had already come behind Shimazu Takahisa, spoke.

Hearing his father Shimazu Tadara say this, Shimazu Takahisa quickly unwrapped the rope of the envelope and asked the messenger:

"When did you get out of Dezumi City?"

"When did you get out of Demizu?"

Yabei leaned into the messenger's ear. Shimazu Takahisa's questioning was repeated.

"...... this morning," replied the messenger with all his might.

"He's tired to the extreme, so he's getting help. Yabei. Bring the candlestick! ”

Immediately, before the candlestick could be brought in, Shimazu Takahisa had already opened the letter impatiently. Shimazu Takahisa immediately had a sense of foreboding when he heard that the messenger had completed the one-and-a-half-day journey in half a day, apparently as a matter of great urgency.

"There's only one Haoqiang to watch out for in the direction of the Water City, isn't it?" Thinking of this, the letter in his hand was also opened, Shimazu Takahisa hurriedly looked down, and after a while, his face immediately turned iron-blue, and he couldn't help but tighten his hand holding the letter, the green tendons on his arms were erect, his eyes suddenly became fierce, and the expression on his face instantly became as terrifying as the legendary yaksha.

"What?"

"Did something happen?"

Shimazu Tadaya and Shimazu Yoshihisa on the side couldn't help but ask nervously when they saw Shimazu Takahisa's face suddenly become so hideous.

"Order, let all the retainers come to the city council hall immediately." Takahisa Shimazu handed the letter directly to his father, Tadaya Shimazu, and then ordered.

Soon, after the retainers near Shimazu Home Castle were notified to participate in the evaluation meeting, Shimazu Tadago, Ijiin Tadaro, Ijiin Tadakura, Shinna Yuhisa, Sata Tadasho, Kawakami Tadatsu, Hirata Munemasa and others all climbed up from the tatami mats at home, and then rushed to the Shimazu family's meeting hall in the moonlight. The governor suddenly summoned them at night to discuss the matter, and there must have been something important going on, so they did not dare to slack off.

Shimazu Tadahiro's letters mainly tell Shimazu Takahisa that Yoshioka Nagamasa, the envoy of the Luo family, is rushing to the Shimazu family's residence. According to the speed at which Yoshioka Nagazen and his party are traveling, tomorrow they will arrive at Shimizu Castle, where Takahisa Shimazu is located.

And Yoshioka Nagamasa's envoy this time also directly made his name, that is, as a common ally of the Shimazu family and the Ryokami family, which is a powerful force in Northern Satsuma, to mediate the dispute between the two. Shimazu Tadashi also pointed out in the letter that during this time, the Luo family had also suddenly strengthened the garrison in Suizuki Castle, which bordered the Satsuma Army, and there was a great tendency for a large army to overwhelm the territory, and asked Shimazu Takahisa to pay attention to precautions.

So why did Yoshioka Nagassu take so long to send an envoy to the Shimazu family to mediate the conflict between it and the Northern Satsuma forces such as the Ryokari family? This was actually deliberately delayed by Yoshioka Nagamasa.

Although an alliance had been signed a few months earlier with the Ryokashi family and other northern Satsuma forces, it was not possible to form an alliance as a condition (blockade of the border of Kuma Prefecture in Higo Province; Assist the Luo family in dealing with the Sagara family in Kuma County; Raise 20,000 stone of grain as the cost of the Luo family's mediation) Before the Luo family's mediation is cashed, the Luo family will not take action in advance. Moreover, the Luo family also hopes to take advantage of this time to let the Shimazu family and the local situation of Kitasatsuma have a good time.

After getting the alliance of the Luo family. These local tycoons of North Satsuma are bound to die and die. Bites the Shimazu family hard. And that's exactly what happened. During these months, the Shimazu family suffered great resistance and suffered a lot of losses in the local area. Now seeing that the local wealthy family in Kitasatsuma is really a little unbearable, Yoshioka Nagazen has finally appeared.

"Buzz!" After learning of the Luo family's envoy's intention, the entire council hall was immediately in chaos, and the short-tempered Zuo Duozhong was the first to shout: "Kill the messenger, sneak attack the Luo family's border, and fight with the Luo family." ”

"We will not accept the mediation of the Luo family. Go ahead and attack Kitasama and see what happens to them? Munemasa Hirata also spoke.

"Doing so is tantamount to declaring war directly on the Luo family!" Shimazu Tadashi said, "Ladies and gentlemen, in your opinion, with the current strength of this family, will it be the opponent of the Luo family?" ”

Shimazu's question immediately quieted down in the chamber. Before occupying the Bungo and Chikuzen provinces, the Luo family was already able to defeat the army of nearly 30,000 people of the Ouchi family and the Otomo family on their own. With the current situation of the Shimazu family's territory, can you raise an army of 30,000 people? What's more, at this time, the Luo family had already occupied part of the Bungo Province and Chikuzen Province. The strength has increased again. After a comparison, everyone finally found out. The Shimazu family is no match for the Roche family at all.

"How about deliberately avoiding a direct meeting with the envoy of the Luo family, and then taking advantage of this time to speed up the progress of the attack at any cost, and take down the Northern Satsuma?" Tadashi Kawakami suggested.

"This plan works!" A retainer immediately seconded the proposal.

"It's not appropriate, this time the envoy of the Luo family publicized the purpose of this trip with great fanfare, which is to warn the family not to avoid it, and the other party has also increased the number of defenders on the border, obviously to put pressure on the family." Tadaro Ijiin reminded.

"Alright, everyone be quiet." This time, it was Tadaya Shimazu who spoke out. As the former governor of the family, Shimazu Tadashi has not appeared at the retainers' evaluation meeting for a long time, but as the foundation of the Shimazu family, even if he retires, he is still quite respected by the retainers at this time. As soon as his words fell, the retainers immediately fell silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have summoned you here tonight not to discuss whether or not to accept the Luo family's request for mediation." Shimazu Tadara said with a calm face, "Instead, it was announced that the family would accept the mediation decision of the Luo family." ”

"What?"

"Old master, no! What a loss of dignity for us! ”

"Does this mean that the family is showing weakness to the Luo family?"

"Do you want me to bow down to that low-blooded sneak attacker?"

……

As Shimazu Tadaya's words spoke, the door immediately shouted loudly after learning of the family's decision. It is clear that they are not satisfied with such a decision.

Seeing that the peaches are about to ripen, and now they are suddenly told that they can't be picked, how can this be tolerated by the retainers who have worked hard for a while? Shimazu Tadashi also seemed to have known about the consequences of this, so after announcing his family's decision, he sat there quietly, letting the retainers clamoring to vent his frustrations.

Regarding the mediation of the Luo family, Shimazu Tadaya and Shimazu Takahisa were of course extremely resentful. But in the Warring States period, the emphasis was on big fish eating small fish. The Shimazu family, whose strength is far weaker than the Luo family, can only endure it for the time being. Endure it with strength until the day when the Shimazu family and the Roshi family are on an equal footing.

And after the evaluation meeting was held, Takahisa Shimazu, who had been sitting on the main seat, was already so angry that he clenched his hands under his sleeves into fists. Originally, he accepted that the Luo family's mediation resolution should have been announced by him, but it was robbed by his father. If he had announced it himself, it would have seriously affected his prestige in his home. But even if it weren't for him to announce it himself, wouldn't his prestige have diminished?

It's just that, as a qualified governor, in addition to being angry, it is also time to consider the next policy of the Shimazu family after they are unable to continue to attack the northern Satsuma region. Then he raised his head, looked at Osumi Province on the other side of Kinko Bay to the east, and muttered to himself:

"Brother-in-law, it seems that I can only say sorry to you in advance."

At this time, he was in Takayama Castle, a liver county in Osumi Province, who had just finished a banquet, but he didn't know that he had been worried about the eldest brother of Shimazu Takahisa on the other side of Kinko Bay.

Compared to the food of the Shimazu family, the food of the liver Fu family is much worse, even if it is a banquet organized by the governor, the main food is just rice, sea fish, dried radish, and wild vegetable soup. Although there is a crane bird in the local area that looks to have good meat quality, because the family crest of the liver Fu clan is based on two cranes as the theme, any food related to cranes should be avoided, so even if they have the courage to eat meat with two legs, they do not dare to catch those cranes to eat.

At this time, he was preparing to take advantage of the Shimazu family's continued threat to Kitasatsuma and the Osumi border, and planned to form an alliance with the Hishigari clan in northern Satsuma and the Kitahara clan in Hinata-Shinkoin, and then prepare to expand his territory aggressively, dreaming of building the largest territory in the history of the Liverpay family (historically, he really did it).

Of course, he has always been concerned about the situation in Satsuma, Osumi, and Hyuga. For the increasingly aggressive momentum of the Shimazu family, he already feels a sense of crisis. In addition, there is the Luo family, which has gradually grown into the overlord of Kyushu. He was really a little worried that the Kyushu eagle would stick its talons into the southern Kyushu region. At that time, the situation in Minami Kyushu, which was already extremely complicated, will be even more complicated. (To be continued......)