A samurai who doesn't want to be a daimyo is not a good onmyoji

Chapter 221 Jing Yi
While he was thinking about it, Kato Danzo came to report: "Your Highness, Naomori, the governor of the Ii family, wants to see you."

Asai Nagamasa smiled: "Okay, let him come in, and call You Guang back by the way."

Before the Battle of Nagaragawa, Kato Danzo led many ninjas to lurk near the Yilong Army, and found the raw materials he used to cast evil spells - some seriously injured or dead samurai.

During the fierce battle between the two armies, Kato Danzo also seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, killing some of the rat ninjas responsible for guarding there, destroying some corpses affected by the spell, and rescuing several surviving samurai.

Most of them are unknown lower-level samurai, but there is still one who is considered a big shot, and that is the city lord Ii Naomori from Imagawa Iiya Castle.

Now things are a bit interesting. You must know that in the report received by Asai Nagamasa, Ii Naomori had already "died" in the process of chasing Oda Nobunaga!
Soon, a middle-aged samurai wearing ordinary samurai uniforms with a pale face and a heroic look on his face walked in even though he was still wrapped in thick bandages.

There was no unnecessary nonsense, and he didn't even dare to look at him. The other party immediately fell to the ground and saluted: "Shimoi I Naomori, pay my respects to His Highness the 'Dragon of Omi'!"

Asai Nagamasa was about to speak, but suddenly his heart moved. The guardian spirit Flame Tiger conveyed a secret message to him, and he suddenly felt that things became more and more interesting.

According to the original agreement between him and Yanhu, he would only temporarily borrow its power. When someone who truly meets his qualifications appears, he will set Yanhu free again.

To be honest, with Phoenix and Biyiniao around, Flame Tiger is too wasted on him, so Asai Nagamasa has long thought about giving Flame Tiger a new owner. If the other party can still be a samurai of the Asai family, then It couldn't be better.

It's a pity that Flame Tiger is too picky. Although the Asai family has gathered many outstanding warriors, none of them can be noticed by it.

Unexpectedly, in this Ii Naomori, Yanhu unexpectedly noticed a trace of fiery fighting spirit that met its requirements, so it was eager to know more about him.

"Lord Jing Yi, you are so polite. I have long heard that the Jing Yi family has been a warrior who is good at fighting for generations. When I saw him today, he really lived up to his reputation."

He was not entirely polite, because the Ii clan was from the Fujiwara clan and had become famous all over the world as early as more than 500 years ago. Even if it declined later, it was still a powerful name with more than [-] koku a few decades ago. It is almost the same as the Asai family before he took over.

Unfortunately, starting decades ago, the Imagawa family rose rapidly. Imagawa Yoshimoto's father launched a series of invasions, and the Ii family was forced to submit due to defeat.

But because they are still very strong and are a truly famous family in Yuanjiang, the Imagawa family certainly cannot rest assured. Especially after the ambitious Imagawa Yoshimoto succeeded, the Ii family's life became even more difficult.

Later, Imagawa Yoshimoto basically seized every opportunity and tried every means to weaken the Ii clan, and even unfounded things would be used.

Of course, the Ii family was aware of this and tried to change the situation. For this reason, Ii Naomori's father even fought on the front line himself and died in the battle launched by the Imagawa family to conquer the Matsudaira family, but it still failed to change this situation. The situation even made Imagawa Yoshimoto more wary of it.

According to the information that Asai Nagamasa has collected so far, Ii Naomori's third uncle Naomichi and fourth uncle Naoyoshi were both called to Sunfu Castle and secretly executed by Imagawa Yoshimoto because of a false accusation. His second uncle was secretly executed because of a false accusation. Only the monk escaped the catastrophe.

His younger brother was forced to flee to Shinano. He lived there for more than ten years, and even returned after marrying a wife and having children. However, due to the extreme lack of training and education during the escape, he basically It is no longer possible to become a true samurai.

Therefore, one can imagine the sinister intentions of Imagawa Yoshimoto when he sent the other party to intervene in Mino's affairs this time.

Once Ii Naomori really dies in this battle, the big Ii family will really fall into turmoil, leaving only his old and frail grandfather and an ineffective younger brother. At that time, the Ii family will really be Imagawa Yoshimoto. Got it.

Ii Naomori couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this: "Your Highness is ridiculous. It's a pity that we are in the chaotic Warring States Period. We only have fame and land, but not enough power. It will only bring disaster to ourselves."

His family knew his own affairs, and when he received the order from Imagawa Yoshimoto, he certainly knew that the road ahead would be extremely dangerous. He could only do what his father did back then, risking his own life in exchange for the slightest possibility - Imagawa Yoshimoto Let go of the possibility of his Ii family.

This was why he had been so brave before, even going so far as to quarrel with Yamaguchi Kyousuke, the lord of Narumi Castle who was also on the expedition, just to get a chance to take the lead in pursuing the Oda family.

It's a pity that he underestimated Oda Nobunaga's power. Owari was not a big fool. The moment the iron cannon sounded, he knew that he was the real fool.

But what happened next was completely different from what he expected.

He was seriously injured but luckily survived. This was originally a good thing, but he didn't expect that in a blink of an eye, Yamaguchi Kosuki, who had just turned against him, put a sack on him and sent him to Saito Yoshiryu's army to be imprisoned. Then Yoshiryu unexpectedly returned He thought about transforming himself into a monster, and even saw monsters that looked like apes and rat-men with his own eyes.

Then all the rat monsters of his were killed by a group of ninjas, and he was rescued. Looking at the rushing Nagara River from a distance, he saw hundreds of monsters of all kinds capturing the subordinates. After the Saito family's army, he was brought to this mountain city.

Only then did he realize that the person who saved him was a member of the Asai family. To be more precise, it was His Highness Asai Nagamasa who was said to have received the inheritance from Lord Seimei and was known as the "Dragon of Omi".

He felt that his experience was more exciting than the past half of his life, because he saw the real world, a world with monsters and spells!
Asai Nagamasa couldn't help but sigh when he heard this: "Master Ii, if the general hears your words, I'm afraid he will also feel a lot."

Ii Naomori was stunned for a moment, and then he couldn't help but smile bitterly again: "Yes, Your Highness, I made a mistake."

Indeed, although the Ii family has been in decline and has been oppressed by the Imagawa family for many years, their life is still much easier than that of the generals in Kyoto. At least the Ii family still has a territory of tens of thousands of koku. !
"Haha, it doesn't matter. What are Ii-sama's plans for the future? I heard that you seem to be at odds with Yamaguchi Sage of Narumi Castle?"

Ii Naomori couldn't help but sigh when he heard this: "Yes, Your Highness, I had some conflicts with him. I had a conflict with him before because I wanted to take the lead in chasing the Oda army. Then after I was seriously injured in an ambush, he sent They handed me over to Yilong and declared that I had died on the spot.”

"Now that I think about it, even if he didn't know that Yilong could create monsters, he must have known that Yilong would not let me return to Iigani City alive. I didn't expect that he would have such narrow views and be so impatient for my death."

Ii Naomori really doesn't understand. If they change places, he will definitely send the other party safely back to the rear. In this way, with this life-saving grace, the two families will definitely reconcile. After all, There was no particularly big conflict originally.

But Nagamasa Asai chuckled: "Oh, Master Ii, do you really think so?"

"You must know that Yamaguchi Kyotsugu was originally from the Oda family. Although he wisely chose to betray during the previous attack on the Imagawa family, as a traitor, he is destined not to be truly recognized. If he wants to show To be loyal to yourself, you have to do something.”

"Even if he and Ii-sama go to battle together this time, is it possible that Imagawa Yoshimoto intentionally facilitated it?"

When Ii Naomori heard this, he suddenly felt a chill all over his body, followed by a burst of uncontrollable anger.

Yes, everyone in the entire Suruga, Toe, and Mikawa areas knows that Imagawa Yoshimoto is wary and hostile to his Ii clan. As long as he attacks their Ii clan, he will please the other party.

This is also one of the reasons why the Ii family is getting weaker and weaker, because all the surrounding samurai have varying degrees of malice towards the family.

If Yoshimoto Imagawa meant it this time, then his life was actually just a tool for Yamaguchi Kotsugi to please Yoshimoto Imagawa!
But soon the anger in his heart gradually extinguished, and he showed his helpless look again: "Thank you, Your Highness, for reminding me. If Imagawa Yoshimoto wants me to die, maybe I will really die in the Oda family's iron cannon." Next, it’s a good ending.”

Asai Nagamasa couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, but it was not because of the other party's attitude, but because of the message from the Flame Tiger in his heart that it gave up.

Perhaps the man in front of him once had the fervent anger and boiling fighting spirit that could attract it, but now his edges have been smoothed by Imagawa Yoshimoto. He would rather sacrifice himself in exchange for the temporary peace of his Ii family than Stand up and resist Imagawa Yoshimoto.

He might even be thinking, is he just meddling in other people's business?If he really died in the battle to chase Nobunaga, Imagawa Yoshimoto might really relax a little bit about his Ii family.

However, this is not the result I want.

And in the chaotic Warring States Period, this kind of blind tolerance can only lead to nothing in the end.

So he deliberately said: "But you are still alive now, is it possible that you want to commit suicide to make Imagawa Yoshimoto feel at ease?"

Ii Naomori suddenly blushed. As a samurai, dying on the battlefield is a rare honor, but after being rescued, he committed suicide again?This is embarrassing to the Jingyi family!

He bowed deeply again, and after a few breaths of silence, he finally spoke: "Although I already owe His Highness the favor of saving my life, I still have the audacity to ask Your Highness to save our Jingyi clan. I am willing to sacrifice my life." All I, the Jingyi clan, have is for the well-being of my family!" Now he has figured it out. Although the Jingyi clan has fame and land, they are unable to keep them. Instead, they continue to cause death. This is entirely because of their lack of ability.

Even now, even though they have abandoned a large area of ​​land, they still cannot gain peace, because Imagawa Yoshimoto only wants their Ii clan to be completely exterminated!

Asai Nagamasa immediately smiled. Although the other party's character was not to his liking, since the other party had already mentioned this, it wouldn't hurt to help him a little.

"Very good. In that case, just wait quietly for the east wind."

"Before that, as long as it can be exchanged for peace, your family's land and gold and silver can be discarded, because they will return to your hands in a short time."

"And if I remember correctly, your Ii family still has tens of thousands of koku of land, right? This can already support the reputation of a small daimyo, so it is natural for Imagawa Yoshimoto to be wary and even malicious towards you. thing."

"After returning to Ii Valley City, you can voluntarily give up part of your territory and see if you can delay it a little."

"If things don't go well, you can take your family and go to Kitaomi River. With your talents as a samurai of the Ii family, I will not begrudge you the position of a general."

Strictly speaking, the talent currently displayed by the other party does not quite meet the Asai family's requirements for a general.

However, considering that the Jingyi family has been a famous family for hundreds of years, it is not the kind of name that is just in vain. It is a famous family that has fought all the way and survived until now. It even once owned 10,000+ stones. This is not only unique in Nippon, but also one of the few. Countless.

Even after years of persecution by Imagawa Yoshimoto, there should still be some inheritance, talent, or hidden strength in the family.

Otherwise, in the Warring States Period, which was mainly about surrender, Imagawa Yoshimoto would not have gone so far. Could it be that his pressing on the Ii family was due to fear and his lack of confidence to truly conquer the Ii family?
Even the Matsudaira family, who had been at war with his Imagawa family before, he was able to marry his niece to the other party in the end, but he was the only one who was so cruel to the Ii family, which can already explain the problem.

And even if Asai Nagamasa's guess is wrong, no matter how bad it is, he can still be regarded as a model of buying horse bones for a thousand dollars.

Ii Naomori suddenly understood. Did Imagawa Yoshimoto focus on the family's land of [-] koku?Then you can really test it yourself.

But at the same time, he was also a little confused, Dongfeng?What does that mean?Could it be referring to a special opportunity?
Numata Yumitsu, who had been listening quietly and saying nothing, could not help but narrowed his eyes slightly.

Here we are, with this strong confidence that we have everything in mind. Are the eyes between myself and His Highness really so different?

What exactly does the so-called "East Wind" refer to?

Although there are still doubts in his heart, now that the matter has come to this, Ii Naomori has nothing to hesitate about. In any case, his Ii family finally has a retreat, even if it is a retreat that he absolutely does not want to choose unless it is a last resort.

"Yes, I would like to thank Your Highness for your grace."

At this time, Numata Yumitsu beside him couldn't help but speak at the right time: "I wonder if Ii-sama can have a son?"

There are some things that His Highness, as the lord, is not comfortable talking about, but as a retainer, he has to mention them.

As soon as the words came out, the other two people understood what he meant.

Ii Naomori raised his head and glanced. Although he didn't know the identity of the other party, the fact that he could hear it from beginning to end on such an occasion already showed the identity and status of the other party. He was probably a strategist of the Asai family.

He hesitated for two breaths, but in the end he responded readily: "I have no children, but only a daughter, Master Jiro, who once became a nun and is now an adult. I hope that she can stay with His Highness as a maid, and also I hope His Highness will allow it.”

Asai Nagamasa nodded slightly: "Okay."

This is a proton to a certain extent. Although the weight of a daughter is much inferior to that of a son, since the other party has no son, there is nothing that can be done about it.

But I don't care about this kind of thing. If I really want to betray, what does the life of a son or daughter mean?
The reason why I agreed was just to appease the other person's heart.

Ii Naomori was immediately overjoyed: "Yes, thank you very much, Your Highness. After I return to the city, I will have another generous gift for you. Please do not refuse, Your Highness."

"Very good, I already understand Master Jingyi's intention. Now you should go down to recuperate and return to Jingyi Valley City as soon as possible."

Ii Naomori thanked him repeatedly without mentioning it. After he left, Numata Yumitsu's expression was a little strange, and he seemed to be very emotional.

"Your Highness, it seems that this warrior is a man who values ​​his family's bloodline very much."

Ordinary samurai would not hesitate at all when they heard that they wanted hostages, because this was the chaotic Warring States period, and almost anything could be exchanged for greater benefits.

This is especially true when the identity gap between the two parties is huge.

Even many lower-level warriors are very keen to send their sons to higher-level warriors, even if they are just as surnames or attendants, it is much better than at home.

Once you have a good relationship with the heir of a superior warrior, it will in turn be of great benefit to their family in the future.

But he found that the other party had hesitated just now. Either the other party had other arrangements for his daughter, or the other party valued blood very much and was unwilling to give away the heir.

Judging from Numata Yumitsu, the other party should be more inclined to the latter.

"Haha, indeed, there are not many warriors like this nowadays. I hope he can live longer."

Numata Yumitsu also laughed a little, but then shook his head: "My lord is jealous, my colleagues are bullying each other, and my own family is not strong. Without external help, it may not be easy."

"In addition to this incident, Imagawa Yoshimoto's doubts about him may be even more serious. Even if he follows his father's example, chooses a battlefield, and dies in battle, I am afraid that he will not be able to dispel Imagawa Yoshimoto's suspicion at all."

Having said that, this can barely be regarded as embedding a nail in Imagawa Yoshimoto's territory. Although it is still very soft at present, but similarly, the family has hardly paid any price, right?

After pondering for a moment, Asai Nagamasa spoke again: "Well, Yumitsu, please add a few words to Nobunaga's reply. Just say that the ninjas of this family have found out that Yamaguchi Kensugu seems to be interested in returning to the Oda family."

Numata Yumitsu's eyes suddenly lit up: "Is it a counterintuitive plan? Indeed, Nobunaga probably doesn't want that traitorous general Yamaguchi to continue to live, right? I will make arrangements now."

Since the last time he instigated the rebellion of Takamiya Katsuyoshi and Takanose Hidetaka, which made all subsequent battles go very smoothly, he has become somewhat knowledgeable.

His Highness's wisdom in being able to control the situation of a city and a country without any effort really fascinated him. Maybe in three to five years, he might not be able to keep up with His Highness. He still has too much time. So much to learn!

But before leaving, Numata Yumitsu couldn't hold back his curiosity in the end: "Your Highness, what exactly do you mean by the east wind you just mentioned?"

"Hehe, of course it's Nobunaga's Dongfeng!"

(End of this chapter)