The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

At the same time, in the second castle of Iwamura Castle, at the residence of Mori Nagayoshi.

The place was brightly lit, and two young warriors were sitting around a map, arguing intensely.

"Toyama Kagetoshi will never back down!" said Marume Nagayoshi.

"Then cut off his arm," Hattori Haruyasu said ruthlessly.

Because of Ando Morinari, Takenaka Shigeharu had a close relationship with the Toyama family, and therefore chose to avoid them.

Marume Nagayoshi sighed, "We must prepare to attack Inabayama Castle this year; it would be unwise to act now. Besides, the Toyama clan is related to our lord by marriage; we must not act rashly!"

"Evidence can be found," Hattori Haruyasu retorted sharply. "Suspicious letters intercepted at the border, the Toyama family's contact with Shinano merchants, and their secretly stockpiled military rations—each and every one of these pieces of evidence, when pieced together, constitutes 'suspected treason.'"

"There is not enough suspicion; we need concrete evidence."

Their eyes met, sparks flying.

Mouri Nagayoshi, who had been silent all along, finally raised his hand. "Then let's create evidence."

The debate came to an abrupt end.

"Chang Hui is right, a direct attack is not advisable. Chun An is also right, the Toyama clan must be dealt with."

He raised his eyes and his gaze swept over everyone present.

"Iwamura Castle is the shield of Mino. If this place is unstable, the Takeda cavalry may be able to sweep straight in. Lord Nobunaga entrusted this place to me, and this place is also my foundation. It must not be allowed to fall into danger."

Wanmu Changhui wanted to speak but stopped.

Changqing continued, "Yuanshan Jingren will not back down, nor will I. This is not a matter of momentary impulse, but an inevitable consequence of the situation. If he retreats, the Yuanshan clan will become a vassal and will no longer be able to restrain us; if I retreat, I will lose all my prestige."

Since being abandoned by the three powerful clans in Mori, Nagayoshi has had almost no trust in the people of the country.

"Does the lord already have a plan?" Chun'an's eyes lit up.

"Yuanshan Jingren has no son," Changqing said slowly.

"But what does this have to do with us? We can't very well let you, my lord, be the one to be adopted..."

You want me to be someone else's son? How could you even think of that?!

Changqing patted Chun'an on the head.

"If I let Toyama Naohiro succeed as head of the family, I'll suffer a loss and marry his daughter as a concubine!"

"His daughter is only about ten years old, isn't she?"

"A child bride, she'll be a hostage first!"

"What about the distant mountain scenery?"

Thinking about the year-end reorganization of the territory, and the conflict he had with Jing Ren, he decided that it would be easier to just chop him up.

Anyway, many people in Japanese Sengoku history did this kind of thing, so he didn't care about offending Ando Morinari, a relative by marriage of Kagetoshi. Ando Morinari wasn't a good person either; historically, he was exiled by Nobunaga for having an affair with Takeda.

"Just take him out! I'll send him the intercepted documents and demand he explain himself! I don't believe he'll dare not come!"

"And then what? Attack him when you invite him to explain?"

"Forge three secret letters from Akiyama Nobutomo, urging him to seize Iwamura Castle. Use Echizen paper, and make the seal according to the sample intercepted last year. Complete within five days."

"Yes."

"We bribed a retainer of the Toyama family to come to Iwamura Castle to explain."

"clear."

Changqing looked at Changhui and instructed, "You two prepare the troops. Attack simultaneously with me. Miaomu City must be subdued as soon as possible. Remember, be swift. Kill those who resist, and detain those who surrender."

"yes!"

Changqing took out a small box from under the table and pushed it over.

"Inside are twenty small gold coins, intended for bribing his close retainers. Also, I have sent someone to Kyoto to purchase high-quality Echizen paper, which will be delivered to you tonight."

Hattori Haruyasu took it; the box was heavy.

"Go." Changqing looked out the window. "In three days, I will reprimand Yuanshan Jingren. Your time is running out."

He bowed respectfully and withdrew from the main hall.

The dispute in the mountains was just the pretext, and the suspicious letters on the border were just an excuse.

The Oda clan needed to unite all the powerful clans to besiege Inabayama Castle. Similarly, Nagayoshi needed to establish his authority to secure his position in eastern Mino.

Jingren, don't blame me. If you must blame someone, blame this chaotic world, blame your background being too mixed, and I no longer have the heart to distinguish right from wrong.

On the tenth day of the third month of the sixth year of Yonglu, when Yuanshan Jingren received that letter, spring rain was falling heavily outside the window.

The messenger politely presented the lacquer box, performed the ceremony, and then withdrew.

The box has two layers. The top layer contains official documents, handwritten by Mori Nagayoshi.

When Yuanshan Jingren unfolded the letter, his fingers trembled slightly.

The handwriting was indeed that of Mori Nagayoshi, but the wording was as cold as a knife.

All the friction between the two in recent years has been portrayed as evidence of ulterior motives. At the end, Nagayoshi, in an almost commanding tone, demands that Keirin personally go to Iwamura Castle within three days to provide a reasonable explanation for these frictions.

Jing Ren slowly placed the letter on the table and handed it to his servants to read.

The room was completely silent, save for the sound of rain.

"My lord, this is a trap. Mori Nagayoshi's intentions are crystal clear. Under the pretext of purging eastern Mino, he is actually eliminating dissidents. This journey... is likely to be fraught with danger."

However, Watanabe Masashige's words were quickly met with rebuttals from the other retainers.

Toyama Naoren advised, "However, if we don't go, we'll be confirmed as having 'ulterior motives.' With the siege of Inabayama Castle imminent, the Oda clan is most afraid of instability in their rear. Mori Nagayoshi is currently using 'suspected treason' to pressure us. If we disobey, he can easily claim that we harbor treacherous intentions, or even collude with the Takeda. At that time, he can use the pretext of righteousness to attack, and which other powerful clans will dare to come to our aid?"

"How dare Mori Nagayoshi openly harm us?" A younger retainer echoed Toyama Naokazu, "Lord Naokazu is related to Lord Nobunaga by marriage, and with the help of Lord Ando and Lord Takenaka, Mori certainly wouldn't have the intention to kill us."

Watanabe Masashige sneered, "In chaotic times, what do in-laws matter? Saito Dosan is Yoshitatsu's biological father. Mori Nagayoshi suffered at the hands of powerful clans in Moribe, and now he only believes in swords and tricks. He needs to establish his authority and completely control eastern Mino to deal with the threat of Takeda, and my Toyama family is the stepping stone he has chosen."

Finally, an unexpected voice broke the deadlock.

That was Jing Ren's junior servant, who was not yet of marriageable age. He was usually taciturn, but had a meticulous mind.

"My lord," he said gently, making Jing Ren's ears tingle, "I believe we must go. But the reason is not merely to clear his name of suspicion."

"Go on."

"Mori Nagayoshi, though resourceful, is also driven by self-interest. His invitation to our lord is not intended to harm him."

"You mean, he has ulterior motives?"

"Lord Toyama Naoren is right. With the attack on Inabayama Castle imminent, why would Mori Nagayoshi cut off his own arm? He must be asking our clan to meet his military service demands."

Once a person has the idea of ​​taking a chance, they will use that chance as their greatest motivation.

Toyama Kagehito eventually accepted this explanation.

On the thirteenth day of the third month of the sixth year of Eiroku, Toyama Kagetoshi set off for Iwamura Castle with only twenty guards and a few retainers.

Before leaving, he secretly instructed Naoki: if anything were to happen to him, he should immediately hold his ground and ask Ando to plead his case to Lord Nobunaga.

……

Outside Iwamura Castle, Mori Nagayoshi personally greeted them at the castle gate.

"Lord Jing has come a long way and must be tired. My previous letter was strongly worded, but it was my duty to do so. I hope you will forgive me and come in for a detailed discussion, which will surely clear up any misunderstandings."

Seeing his gentle attitude, Jing Ren felt somewhat relieved.

He was led into a spacious room where a banquet had already been prepared.

"Why are Lords Marume, Takenaka, and Hattori nowhere to be seen?"

It was this subsequent question that struck him like a thunderbolt.