The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

"What is the meaning behind Lord Nobunaga sending you to deliver Lord Yoshimoto's remains?"

The old tortoise was still too naive at this point; decades later, he would most likely smile and express his gratitude directly.

Although history may have taken some detours, the fundamental predicament of Motokatsu has not changed.

Imagawa Ujizane disliked Motoyasu and looked down on the people of Mikawa from a young age. Moreover, according to unofficial history, Motoyasu was cuckolded by Ujizane at a young age.

Regardless of whether this historical account is truly unofficial, it is clear that the two had a very bad relationship.

Takeda Shingen was adept at kicking someone when they're down. Even if Imagawa Ujizane had the guts to lead his troops to seek revenge, he would have to consider whether he would be attacked by his allies.

Shinsuke's contempt for Motoyasu intensified.

"My lord's intentions have been conveyed with the letter." Shinsuke took out Nobunaga's letter from his bosom and had it presented to Motoyasu by a nearby attendant. "My lord, mindful of our childhood friendship and knowing of Lord Matsudaira's connection to the Imagawa family, has entrusted Lord Matsudaira with the decision regarding Lord Yoshimoto's funeral arrangements. This is an act of loyalty and righteousness."

"To fulfill loyalty and righteousness?" he repeated. "The Oda clan killed the head of the Imagawa clan, and now they're sending his body here... The word 'fulfill' is truly intriguing."

A burly man in his thirties standing next to him suddenly sat up straight. This man had a small scar on his face that extended to behind his ear.

"My lord, please watch your words. To 'tease'? Nonsense!"

At this point, the one who dares to interrupt is mostly "Ghostly Leftist" Honda Shigeji.

As Motoyasu reflected, Sakai Tadatsugu could no longer contain himself. He suddenly crawled forward on his knees and angrily said:

"My lord! This is Oda Nobunaga's treacherous scheme! It aims to sow discord between my Matsudaira clan and the Imagawa main clan! Lord Imagawa has just passed away, and young lord Ujizane is most susceptible to being manipulated in his grief and anger! In my opinion..."

He suddenly turned around, his finger pointing at Shinsuke like a blade, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Sever this envoy's head immediately! Send it, along with Yoshimoto's remains and his beloved sword 'Sōza Samonji,' back to Sunpu and present it to Ujizane! This will demonstrate the Matsudaira family's irreconcilable enmity with the Oda clan, and show our loyalty to Ujizane! If we can gain Ujizane's formal recognition of our independent control of Mikawa, and even secure the eastern Mikawa region, then the situation will be stable, and the threat will be averted!"

As soon as Tadatsugu finished speaking, a chorus of agreement erupted in the hall. Many retainers' eyes sharpened, as if they would immediately dismember Shinsuke at Motoyasu's command.

Shinsuke, however, seemed oblivious, even displaying a hint of mockery on his face.

His gaze swept over the indignant faces, finally settling on Sakai Tadatsugu. His eyes didn't seem to be looking at a high-ranking official who could take his life at any moment, but rather at an actor who was overacting.

At this moment, a samurai with a round face, sitting in the front left row, spoke. His voice was not loud, but it made the surrounding noise subside slightly.

"Lord Tadatsugu's words, though full of spirit, are reckless."

The samurai bowed slightly to Motoyasu.

"Killing the envoy, though satisfying in its own way, would tantamount to severing all possibility of maneuvering with the Oda clan. In my humble opinion, it would be better to carefully return Lord Yoshimoto's remains to Sunpu, with sincere words, explaining that our Matsudaira clan is under the threat of Oda's forces and has no choice but to temporarily accept the remains, while our true allegiance lies with Imagawa. At the same time, we should express our gratitude to Oda Nobunaga and maintain the truce for the time being. In this way, we can observe Lord Ujizane's attitude in Sunpu and avoid an immediate war with Oda, giving our Matsudaira clan a chance to regroup and grow stronger. This is the prudent course of action."

His suggestion was clearly more in line with the cautious approach to survival in chaotic times. Opinions in the hall immediately split into two factions: one advocating war and showing loyalty, and the other advocating peace and observing. All eyes were focused on Matsudaira Motoyasu, awaiting his decision.

Honjo snorted coldly, "Lord Ishikawa, you've gone around in circles and completely disgraced the people of Mikawa! Since everyone has such strong opinions, you might as well return the body to Oda..."

It turns out that the person who advised Motoyasu was Ishikawa Kazumasa, the leader of Nishi-Mikawa. I remember that in history, this person was a traitor. When the monkey and the tortoise were fighting for the position of the ruler of the world, he directly switched sides to the monkey.

After listening to Tomoyuki's repeated words, Shinsuke couldn't help but like this troll a little.

"Lord Honda is right, then I'll send it back right away!"

All the arguing stopped; no one had anticipated this change.

Honda Shigeji's reaction was the quickest and cutest: "How can we send it back once it's been delivered! Since you dared to come, you must have already thought of a solution for my lord, right!"

Since the message has already been given, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't put on an act.

"Let me say this first... Lords Ishikawa and Sakai are fools!"

"You scoundrel!" "Utterly rude!" The hall erupted in shouts and rebukes.

Honda Shigeji was also an oddball; seeing that Shinsuke didn't scold him, he remained silent.

"Wait a minute." Motoyasu finally spoke, quelling the commotion. "Lord Mori, what makes you say that? Tadatsune and Kazumasa's arguments each have their merits. You laugh at their short-sightedness; do you perhaps have a more profound understanding? If you are speaking nonsense, don't blame me for disregarding the etiquette of an envoy."

The threat was obvious. After all, his two most trusted retainers had been humiliated.

Shinsuke, however, remained completely unafraid and slowly said, "Lord Tadatsugu wants to use my head to exchange for the Imagawa clan's genuine recognition of your territory? Ha, sir, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know? If Imagawa Ujizane, that young master who frequents both the koto and martial arts arenas, had even a fraction of his father's courage and vision, he would have already led his troops here to force you to join the campaign, thus securing his family's position."

He then changed the subject, "You killed the Oda envoy and presented these things. At most, Lord Ujizane will be pleased for a moment and say a few nice words to you. But then what? Will he immediately send troops to help you resist the Oda clan's retaliation? Probably not. At that time, you, Lord Matsudaira, will have to bear the wrath of the Oda clan alone. To exchange a real catastrophe for a few empty praises... The people of Mikawa really know how to do business."

Tadatsugu Sakai's face turned ashen, but he was speechless for a moment. It was no secret that the Imagawa clan was mediocre.

Before he could retort, Shinsuke turned his gaze to Ishikawa Kazumasa and chuckled, "Lord Kazumasa seeks stability, wanting to observe and avoid offending either side. That's a good idea, but unfortunately, time waits for no one." He leaned forward slightly, his voice lower but even more penetrating, "Do you think that by returning the body and saying a few kind words, Lord Nobunaga will obediently wait for you to observe? That he'll turn down such a tempting offer? Don't forget, Okabe Motonobu is already dead!"

Okabe Motonobu had a full five thousand men. Now that he's dead, not only is the pressure on Mikawa to become independent lessened, but it also means that Motoyasu's allies, Ujizane, have lost their reinforcements. Moreover, because of the existence of Narumi Castle and Kariya Castle, almost all of western Mikawa is under the surveillance of the Oda forces.

He stretched out his finger and pointed at the ground as if there were a map on the ground.

"With Narumi and Kariya Castles as strongholds, the Oda army can raid western Mikawa in just two hours. You can't even appease the local lords, let alone let the people farm in peace!"

These words, like icy river water, extinguished the last glimmer of hope in the hearts of some of the retainers.

"And what's your opinion?" Chongci asked.

Shinjuku deflected, saying, "This is a test given to Takechiyo by Master Kichifu. How can I be the one to answer it? I have already eliminated two wrong options for you. If Lord Matsudaira wants to become a daimyo, he must make his own decisions."

After saying this, he rose and took his leave amidst everyone's astonishment.