Chapter 450 8. Oda Yamanouchi Alliance Is Established
Since it has been agreed, there is no need to bother two masters with one thing. Yamanouchi Shukei was sent as an envoy to Oda, and Kobayata was his deputy.
As the heavy snow had not yet melted, the Kiso Kaido was definitely not allowed to go. One could only go south to Hamamatsu via the Ina Kaido, hire a boat to Ise Bay, and finally get off at Kanizu to reach Owari.
Mikawa was in a mess and could not be crossed for the time being. So he chose to take a boat. Kobayata found that Yamanouchi Shukei, who was usually calm and assisted in government affairs, was actually shaking. As soon as he got on the boat, he hid in the warehouse. It is true that a person cannot be without any weaknesses.
Oda Nobunaga attached great importance to the alliance with the Yamanouchi clan. He arranged people in Kanizu in advance to guide the Yamanouchi clan all the way to Komakiyama. Moreover, he arranged for the Yamanouchi clan to stay overnight in Nagoya [Note 1] and Kiyosu Castle on the way, and prepared a banquet in accordance with etiquette. The person in charge of the reception was Nobunaga's milk brother Ikeda Kan'ei, and the standard was very high.
After walking for two days, they entered Komakiyama Castle. Although Oda Nobunaga did not personally go down to the city to greet him, he asked Shibata Katsuie and Niwa Nagahide to go out of the city to greet him.
Kobayata was familiar with Owari. There were people greeting Kobayata along the way. Even the guards at the gate of the castle tower and the servants in the castle tower were all acquaintances of Kobayata.
Every two steps, someone would greet Kobayata and call him hello. They were very friendly.
"Kobayata, you have a wide range of friends in Owari." Yamauchi Shukei was in a good mood at the moment and said to Kobayata with a smile.
"In the past many years, I went to Kyoto and passed through Owari many times. First, I met the samurai general Kinoshita brothers, and later by chance, I met Oda Dansho-dono. So many samurai in Owari are familiar with each other and have some exchanges."
In fact, the main reason was that Kobayata asked for mercy in the battle of Inohara many years ago, so that Oda Nobunaga exempted all Oda retainers who participated in the rebellion. I don't know how many people have accepted his favor, and there is no conflict of interest, so they naturally treat Xiao Pingtai very closely.
"I'm afraid that you will be in charge of Oda's foreign affairs in the future." Yamauchi Shuke nodded. In the past, Xiao Pingtai helped Yamauchi Yoshikatsu to send a sword and a horse to Oda Nobunaga, and he came many times.
"By the way, since you are on good terms with the Kinoshita brothers, you might as well keep in touch with them. It may be useful in the future."
Yamauchi Shuke didn't know what he thought of, and he specifically told Xiao Pingtai.
"I know." Xiao Pingtai seemed to agree but didn't agree, but he had to express something, so he answered like this.
Fortunately, Yamauchi Shuke didn't say more, because Oda Nobunaga's room was approaching, and the two of them restrained their expressions and dressed neatly, sitting quietly in the corridor, waiting for the message from inside.
Soon, a childish voice came, and Oda Nobunaga went to the palace to meet the envoy of the Yamauchi clan.
Yamauchi Shukei and Kohirata stepped into the hall, then changed to small steps at a constant speed, holding their pelvises with both hands, and holding down the fluttering lapels as they walked. When they were three or four meters in front of Oda Nobunaga, they estimated that the distance was about right.
The two of them stopped at the same time, knelt down, and bowed to Oda Nobunaga.
"Please stand up, both of you." Oda Nobunaga rarely changed into formal clothes. On both sides of the important ministers, Fujikichiro was still sitting at the end, but it was only a few years ago that he also squatted on the muddy ground outside the door, and now he can sit in the front row of the hall.
Yamauchi Shukei handed over Yamauchi Taro's letter. Anyway, it was written by Isshiki Miyauchi, and it was all nonsense about the good weather and good health. It was mainly to express the Yamauchi family's warm greetings to Oda Nobunaga, hoping to enhance friendship and so on.
Oda Nobunaga pretended to read it and asked Yamauchi Taro in a friendly manner, "Do you eat well every day? Are you warmly dressed?" Owari's seaweed is delicious. Send a few pounds to Yamauchi Taro to go with the meal.
After the polite nonsense was finished, it was time to get to the point. Oda Nobunaga clapped his hands, and a boy of eight or nine years old was brought in.
"Chashoumaru, come here and salute Yamauchi Shukei and Zixiaoji Danzheng." Chashoumaru seemed a little afraid of his father, but he didn't dare to neglect it, and ran up to him in small steps.
"Shukei-sama, Danzheng-sama, how are you!" Chashoumaru bowed his head respectfully and saluted, doing a good job.
Yamauchi Shukei looked at Oda Chashoumaru carefully from head to toe. Maybe the child had grown up and no longer looked like Chashou. There was no big head and small body anymore, and he inherited Oda Nobunaga's genes.
It was not a relatively common square face, but a slightly angled long face. At this moment, he was a good-looking little boy. In addition, he was not fat and tall, so he was indeed a good-looking boy.
The first impression is very important, and the chief accountant Yamauchi is obviously quite satisfied. Although we don't know what his character and ability are, and whether he can be trained into a qualified samurai is also unclear, but good looks always add points.
Since the child has been brought out, there is nothing to be entangled about. Both parties wrote the words of mutual assistance and eternal alliance on the letter, and signed the letter with their own signatures.
The Yamauchi Oda Alliance is officially established!
…
At the night banquet, there were clinking glasses and laughter.
Everyone was toasting and changing cups, it was so lively.
But in the corridor outside the palace, Oda Nobunaga and Kobayata did not drink a drop of wine. Looking at the courtyard covered with residual snow, there was still some green in the pine and cypress, but it was all dry and silent.
"Kobayata, how long do you think this alliance will last?"
"Mountains have no permanent state, and water has no permanent shape!"
"You are trying the same trick."
Nobunaga waved his hand and dismissed the attendants.
"The one from Yajima went to Shimogusa."
"Shimogusa? Did the Rokkaku clan welcome that one?"
"No, that one went to rely on Rokkaku on his own."
Hmm? Ashikaga Yoshiaki was so anxious? He put all his bets on the Rokkaku clan so quickly? He went directly to the Rokkaku clan's territory.
But the Rokkaku clan is now a weakling. The Omi Sasaki Rokkaku clan, which once dominated Kinai, was left with only an empty shell after the "Kannon Temple Disturbance".
"Didn't your highness help that person?"
"A few years ago, I asked the assistant (Murai Sadakatsu) to send 500 kan over. The assistant reported that the person is now extremely anxious."
"The other one in Sakai has been determined, and he will probably be announced this year."
Oda Nobunaga did not seem to have much respect for the two future generals, and did not even have a respectful title. He just called Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Ashikaga Yoshiaki with a certain place, and his tone was very flat.
"The former prime minister was still working for His Highness Shimokusa in the capital, but now that the prime minister has passed away, there is no more loyal minister."
Yamauchi was busy with his own affairs, and of course he had no time to continue working for Ashikaga Yoshiaki in Kyoto. In the end, Ashikaga Yoshiaki got the upper hand, and he was afraid that he would not be able to escape as a general.
"I'm going to pay a visit to the one in Sakai." Oda Nobunaga suddenly faced Kobayata.
[Note 1]: The author is unclear about one thing. After the Edo period, the castle cession order was issued, and one country and one castle were roughly established. What remains of Owari Domain is Nagoya, one of the top 100 famous castles in Japan. It is written as Nagoya, but pronounced as Nagoya. Why did he change the name?