Chapter 45 4. An Imperial Edict Caused a Stir

Sure enough, it snowed in the mountains a few days later. The colleagues who had been working diligently every day to report that they had nothing to do today had completely given up. According to the shift schedule, two people were left on duty every day, and the rest went home for vacation.

Due to the surrounding mountains, the temperature in the Shinano area is slightly lower than that of the Kanto Plain, so the heavy snow comes on time every year, but it is definitely nothing compared to the two-meter-thick snow in Echigo that is said to bury people alive.

And it’s good to have snow. In addition to keeping the wheat seedlings warm, the melted snow water is also conducive to the growth of wheat seedlings. In addition, if it snows, no one can think of fighting, and they can only stay at home and spend the winter.

Xiao Pingtai couldn't help but sigh: "Winter is such a good season!" Anyway, the bourgeoisie like him, the fire pit at home is burning hot, all of which are smokeless and low-smoke fine charcoal, and the whole house is warm.

When we were poor, we could not even think of using two beds filled with cotton quilts. Moreover, the straw and linen mattress on the ground was replaced with a warm thick quilt.

Although there was no air conditioning, there were hot water bottles. We heated two hot water bottles before going to bed. One for warming feet and one for warming hands. We were rich, so we were not cold at all.

There were not many days of comfortable and leisurely days. It was a sunny afternoon after lunch, and it was rare that there was no snow. Xiao Pingtai was still quietly roasting salted fish by the stove. Suddenly, the bells in the city rang. The rapid and urging bells made Xiao Pingtai's heart tighten.

Unlike the drums of the usual battles or the conch shells of the expedition, the bells were more powerful and could be transmitted farther, and could more effectively notify every corner of the Yamanouchi Town with thousands of people.

Once the bell rang, it meant that something important had happened to the main family. It meant to summon all the middle and high-level samurai to enter the city immediately without delay. What big thing happened in the heavy snow in December? What big thing could happen? It's really puzzling.

Xiao Pingtai quickly revived from Ge You's state of lying down, and got up with a roll. Then he opened the gate and shouted: "Aji, grab your stuff and go out."

Aji also acted quickly, and in a blink of an eye he rushed from the kitchen stove to the corridor. There was a brand new bamboo hat tucked under his armpit.

The women in the house were also startled by the bell, and the aunt quickly took a cloak and handed it to Xiao Pingtai. She also told the family members not to walk around and wait for orders from the city.

Xiao Pingtai put on his socks first, took the bamboo hat handed by Aji, put on the cloak, wrapped himself tightly in a thick cotton coat, put on leather boots with Aji's service, and hurried to the city.

People came out of the nearby samurai's houses and mansions in groups of three or two. Some people even wore simple domaru, held bows and arrows, and ran into the city with their followers. Everyone was a little surprised. The day when the bell rang was too strange. It had never happened before.

The town suddenly became lively or noisy. Many townspeople came out of their houses and watched the samurai they usually looked up to rush into the city with their families and followers. However, there was no news or warnings of war, and the townspeople were still calm. They just stood outside the house and talked to each other, whispered, and pointed from time to time.

When Kobayata entered the city, he told Aji to find a house to hide from the snow. He hurried to find his uncle Tsunayoshi who was on duty in the city. He first went to the guard room where he usually stayed, and found that it was empty. He asked a soldier of the hatamoto, and then he learned that the team leaders on duty had been summoned into the city.

Kobayata had to enter the big hall alone, and samurai came in an endless stream, panting. Yamanouchi Yoshiharu sat high in the chief seat, and the civil and military officers on the left and right sat down in order.

At this time, Kobayata discovered that there were two dusty warriors kneeling in the middle. He quickly found his position, patted the snow on his body, sat behind Kitabatake Daigaku, and quietly asked him what the two men were called and why they came to the Yamanouchi family. Kitabatake Daigaku said he didn't know.

In just a dozen minutes, even the samurai outside the town had galloped into the city. Kobayata roughly counted them and found that there were about fifty or sixty people. This should be the essence of the entire Yamanouchi family.

Yamanouchi Yoshiharu cleared his throat and coughed, and everyone immediately knelt down and saluted. Then he heard him say: "These two are the envoys of Lord Uesugi Hyoe, everyone listen to their purpose."

One of the two men spoke up and presented the imperial letter of Uesugi Kento, saying that the Minister of War was not killed by the Hojo traitor, and now he has been re-established under the protection of Echigo Shugodai Nagao Kagetora. Settled in the residence of Uesugi Sadamasa, the former guardian of Echigo, in the castle of Shimogoshi Prefecture. Now he issued an imperial edict to all the samurai in the eastern part of the country to besiege the Hojo rebels and to completely eliminate the Hojo Ujiyasu and other traitorous villains.

After listening to the man's narration, the Yamauchi retainers whispered to each other. Kobayata turned sideways and signaled Uncle Tsunayoshi with his eyes, asking him what he meant. Uncle Tsunayoshi spread his hands, indicating that he was also watching the show.

So Kobayata could only mutter silently in his heart: "Don't call my name, don't call my name. You can't see me, you can't see me. I don't know anything." Whoever speaks first in such a big event will win the prize, and there will definitely be people who will oppose it. Who knows, it may offend some big boss. Silence is golden, silence is golden.

Yamauchi Yoshiharu raised his hand to stop the retainers from whispering and let the Kanrei envoy continue. The messenger said that the Shirai Nagao clan and the Sosha Nagao clan were still struggling to support Ueno, and that although the Agatsuma Saito clan and the Minowa Nagao clan had temporarily subdued the Hojo clan, they were still concerned about the Kanrei. He hoped that the Yamanouchi clan would send troops to Ueno through Saku County and Ogata County, and that the Kiryu Yura, Yokoze and Ashikaga Nagao clans would respond to the Yamanouchi army.

Kobayata thought that the forces of Umino, Kasahara, Oi, Muroga, and Kuragano in Saku County were not powerful. Even if they rose up and Yamanouchi reinforcements were added, the number of people entering Joshu would not exceed 10,000. Unless Nagano Yoshimasa immediately turned against the enemy, there would still be a chance to fight the Hojo.

Moreover, it was the end of the year and it was snowing heavily. It would take at least until the end of February in the spring to send troops. It was hard to say whether the forces of the Proto-Kanrei could hold out for another four months.

So the retainers in the hall argued endlessly and expressed their opinions. Some wanted to save them, while others did not. Seeing that there was no way out of the discussion, Yamanouchi Yoshiharu ordered people to take care of the envoys.

Then only the three trusted people (Hosokawa Harumiya, the chief of the family elders, Konishihara Saemon, the chief of the hatamoto, and Yamanouchi Shukei, the chief of the family relatives) and the eleven hatamoto generals, as well as the town magistrate Kitabatake Daigaku and Uchida Gundai Kobayata and other sixteen people entered the second round of discussion.

Xiao Pingtai was once again involved in the turmoil of the world.

It's the last day of this week, and there will be eight updates for the thousandth place! Eight updates!