Naotaka Ii's sudden speech made Doi Toshikatsu and Tokugawa Iemitsu unable to react for a moment, and they looked at the elder in surprise. It¡¯s not because his opinions are shocking to the world, but because when recently discussing strategies to resist the Han invaders, perhaps because he didn¡¯t have a definite plan in mind, or perhaps because he didn¡¯t want to interfere with the thinking of Tokugawa Iemitsu and Doi Toshikatsu, Ii Naotaka basically He had never spoken before, nor did he express any opinions on their policies. His acquiescence also gave Doi Toshiki great convenience. But now, he suddenly expressed a rare opinion, and he explicitly opposed Doi Toshiki, which really surprised everyone. Doi Toshikatsu was especially surprised and embarrassed, because as the chief writer of Laozhong, and with the trust of Tokugawa Iemitsu, he could always be said to be true to his word. It had been a long time since he had been so opposed and scolded by others. When it arrived, it really made him feel a little embarrassed. What's more, Naotaka Ii directly threw a big hat on his head - Mikawa Kingdom is where the Tokugawa family started, and it was also the base of the Tokugawa family before Ieyasu was transferred to Kanto by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It can be said that it has the meaning of "Longxing Land" and its status in the shogunate is extraordinary. In addition, the geographical location of Mikawa Kingdom in the middle of Honshu Island is also very important. It can be said to be the gate of Kanto. If someone really hits Mikawa Kingdom, Kanto will also directly face the enemy's front. Of course Doi Toshiki couldn¡¯t bear such a harsh accusation, and he immediately made a judgment for himself. "Sir, I have absolutely no intention of letting the shogun give up Mikawa's homeland. On the contrary, I feel that in order to hold on to Kanto, Mikawa must do his best to hold on. No matter how heavy the casualties are, we must fight to the end and let the Han invaders see that we defend the shogunate to the death. "Courage!" "The implication is that you want to give up Kyoto, right?" However, his explanation did not satisfy Ii Naotaka. Ii Naotaka looked at him coldly and asked, "What if we just give up like this? If we lose Kyoto, how can the people of the world believe that we can defend other places? If we lose the hearts of the people of the world, can we still stop the Han invaders in Sanhe? If we can't stop them in Kyoto, we can't stop them in Sanhe, either. In one piece!" Following his categorical assertion, other important ministers of the shogunate also nodded and murmured to themselves. Apparently others had the same idea. "I do not agree with Mr. Naotaka's opinion!" Doi Toshikatsu became anxious at this time and quickly increased his voice, "Kyoto is Kyoto, and Mikawa is Mikawa. How can the two be one? Kyoto is isolated in Kansai, and the surrounding cities are It is already in turmoil, and if you are not careful, you will be surrounded by enemies on all sides; and Mikawa is backed by Kanto, and its people have been favored by the Tokugawa family for generations, and they have full support from the shogunate. The difference between the two is huge! " Naotaka Ii just smiled coldly, obviously unmoved. "What you said seems reasonable, but if we abandon Kyoto, will the powerful lords and wealthy families in other places believe what you say? We have already seen that the Maeda family and the Date family are already ready to make a move. The reason why they are still here We have not done anything treacherous, we just have the last remaining respect for the shogunate. If we abandon Kyoto and the Western Kingdom without a hard fight, then they will undoubtedly think that the shogunate is at the end of its rope, so won't they directly rebel by then? "?" This questioning was so powerful that Doi Toshiki was suddenly speechless. He also knew that the prestige of the shogunate had been greatly damaged after a series of setbacks. Powerful vassals from all over the country were already secretly spying on the shogunate's reality and might turn against them at any time. Now they are just sitting on the sidelines and not obeying the shogunate's orders, but if the shogunate really abandons Kyoto and even the entire Western Kingdom, will they take more egregious actions? Even Doi Toshikatsu himself cannot guarantee it. Kyoto's status is too special. If it is lost, it will definitely be a heavy blow to the shogunate's politics and prestige. What's more, once the Western Kingdom is lost, the Maeda family has become one with the Han Dynasty. Will they still be afraid of the shogunate? It's hard to say. Naotaka Ii's political questions are indeed very reasonable. ¡°But Doi Toshikatsu knew that losing Kyoto would be such a big risk, but he still insisted on his original opinion. "Sir, what you said is very reasonable. If the Western Kingdom is lost, all the powerful feudal lords will probably be disappointed, and some evil people will even take advantage of the chaos to raise troops to oppose the shogunate But even so, I still think that it is necessary to do something right now Abandon the Western Kingdom and stick to Kanto! His stubborn request made Ii Naotaka widen his eyes, and finally shook his head, "As the chief of Laozhong, you have a great responsibility, but you are so afraid of the Han invaders. It is really chilling. ! " "If you can drive away the Han invaders by singing high-pitched words in vain, if you defeat them, I can shout ten thousand high-pitched words now! Don¡¯t you hope that our army will win consecutive battles?, will they directly drive the Han invaders into the sea all the way? "Doi Toshiki was also a little angry, and even his face was a little red, "I also want to fight to the death with the Han invaders and beat them out, but the current situation is like this, shouldn't we face the reality and adopt realistic strategies? ? " Then, he looked around at the shogunate ministers who were whispering around him. The pressure in his eyes forced them all to silence, "Since the two countries began to fight, our army has fought against the Han invaders so many times. It can be said that It was a series of consecutive defeats and retreats that allowed the Han invaders to fight all the way from Kyushu Island at the southern tip to Kinei! It has become obvious that it would be unwise for us to fight the Han invaders in the Western Kingdom. It will only put the shogunate in danger in vain So now we can only think about sticking to Kanto and consuming the Han invaders. If anyone thinks that he will definitely be able to defeat the Han invaders when he leads troops to the Western Kingdom, then please stand up and tell the general! " Sure enough, when he asked, others were also in trouble, and for a while no one spoke anymore. After several battles with the Han invaders, many people in the shogunate army retreated in defeat, and they attacked the Han invaders. They were still frightened by the sharpness of the enemy's artillery fire and their proficiency in combat. They described to the surrounding people in unison the hardships and horrors of fighting the Han invaders. Under their propaganda, all the military officials in the shogunate became aware of the military power of the Han invaders. Some feelings of fear. Besides, the shogunate is retreating like this, but it can be said that Itakura Shigemune and his men have resisted desperately in Himeji Castle. They are so desperate that they can't stop them. Who has the confidence to say that they will definitely do it? Can it be blocked? As long as no one can stand up and say that they can resist the Han invaders, Doi Toshiki's words are completely reasonable - since no one has the confidence to go to the Western Kingdom to defeat the Han invaders, then why bother to forcefully defend the Western Kingdom and control the shogunate? Is the army in danger? However, Doi Toshiki's plan was quickly shattered by Ii Naotaka. He suddenly lowered his body and kept bowing to Tokugawa Iemitsu. "Sir, in this time of crisis, As the elder of the shogunate, I cannot turn the tide. I am really ashamed of you, and I am also ashamed of the spirit of the king in heaven. Now at this critical moment, the Western Kingdom is really important to the shogunate, and we have no way to retreat Although I am incompetent, I have followed the Lord of Gods in battles before, and I have learned some experience of the Lord of Gods in leading troops in war. So I feel that at this moment, I should devote myself to the general and die. " Tokugawa Iemitsu opened his eyes wide for a moment, and others were also extremely shocked. As the elder, Naotaka Ii has a very high status within the shogunate. It can be said that he is the first person under the shogun to have such a With his status, he could have enjoyed the glory and wealth, but at such a critical moment, he stepped forward and asked the general to let him lead the troops to fight the Han invaders and save the precarious situation of the Western Kingdom. This is really touching. With his status, even if he defeated the shogunate, he wouldn't be able to give him much reward. At most, he would just be grateful for his contribution to supporting the shogunate. If he lost, his reputation would be completely ruined - and judging from the current situation , There is a high possibility that such a situation will occur. Of course, this elder knows this reality, but even if he knows it, he still does it. This is really loyal to Ie Mitsu for many years. Naotaka was not satisfied because his prestige and power were too great, but today he was deeply moved by the elder's actions. Especially, what Ii Naotaka said and did was exactly what he thought. "Sir General, although the Han army has won consecutive battles since the war with the shogunate, they have not fully faced us. The previous battles were only the vassal armies from various places and the hastily summoned armies of Itakura Shigenso. These armies were originally As long as the fighting strength is insufficient, even if they are defeated, it is completely normal. Under the encouraging sight of Tokugawa Iemitsu, Naotaka Ii continued to talk, "And if we bring the most well-equipped and numerous Kanto samurai from the shogunate to fight them, we will definitely be able to turn the situation around!" It was because we acted too conservatively before that we made them so fearful that the situation reached its current state. " "Before, the Han invaders were at their peak, but we were in a hurry and lacked preparations, so it was natural to give way a little bit, and we can't blame anyone. " Ii Naotaka was insinuating that Doi Toshi was too afraid of the big man before and took the initiative to avoid too many places. Of course Tokugawa Iemitsu could hear it. In order to protect his number one confidant, of course he had to speak up for Doi Toshi A few words. However, he has tended to follow Ii Naotaka's strategy - after all, as a young man, he feels very aggrieved by the current situation, and he is even more unwilling to keep avoiding the Han invaders. Of course, he still has a point. Worry. "If we raise our troops to the west, you really have a chance."Are you willing to resist the Han invaders? " Nowadays, not only big names like Shimazu and Mori have defected to the Han invaders, but also the imperial court has a powerful force with the support of the Han invaders, so he no longer wants to completely defeat or expel the Han invaders. He just wants to defend the territory that is now the shogunate, and then find a way to negotiate with the Han invaders who have consumed a lot of resources and troops. "The Han invaders have ferocious firearms and are skilled in warfare. They have been conquering everywhere since the founding of the country. They can be said to be powerful." Strong soldiers, so I am not confident that I will be able to drive them away. In addition, because of our previous concessions, the situation in Kyoto is now extremely critical. I am afraid that even if we go to rescue now, we may not be able to save it. "Ii Naotakaxian admitted the dilemma he was facing very frankly, and made it clear that he may not be able to turn the tide. "But I will definitely show the determination and courage of our Mikawa samurai and let the Han invaders shed all their blood. As long as we risk our lives, Fighting to the death with the Han invaders will definitely cause the Han invaders to suffer considerable losses. When the time comes, they will retreat, and other vassals will also see the strength of the shogunate Only in this way can the foundation of the Shenjun be preserved! " His voice became louder and louder, and he was unusually impassioned. "Please give me the order, General, and let our army go to a decisive battle with the Han invaders! " With his instigation, other people were slowly infected, and then asked Tokugawa Iemitsu for help. For a time, the entire palace was filled with anger, and they were eager to join the battle and defeat the Han invaders. " And Tokugawa Iemitsu was also infected by this impassioned spirit. In this precarious time, no one could look forward more than him to someone who could stand up and support the entire shaky situation so that the legacy passed down to him by his grandfather and father could be restored. Survive this storm. Because of this, Ii Naotaka's statement moved him so much. Moreover, Ii Naotaka was not just singing high-key, he was very pragmatic - under the current situation, Kyoto may not be able to survive. Yes, the most important thing now is to guard the gate of Kanto, and at the same time fight to the death against the Han invaders, protect Mikawa, and let them see the determination of the shogunate. Others may not be very convincing when they say this, but Jing Yi. When Naotaka expressed his stance in person, it was completely different. Under the current circumstances, Tokugawa Iemitsu would rather trust the shogunate elder left to him by his grandfather and father. "Shogun" Seeing that Tokugawa Iemitsu already has something. After some hesitation, Doi Toshikatsu felt anxious and hurriedly wanted to say more, but Tokugawa Iemitsu stopped him with a look: "Okay, then it's as you wish. Tokugawa Iemitsu looked at Ii Naotaka again, "You can lead troops from Kanto to fight the Han invaders I hope you can have a prosperous military career and keep the Han invaders out of Kanto." Starting from tomorrow, all the officers and soldiers of the shogunate in the Western Kingdom will be under your command! " As soon as Tokugawa Iemitsu spoke, it was like the final word. Those who were still hesitant and supported Doi Toshiki in their hearts began to agree with the general's words. It seems that Ii Naotaka's phalanx has become the consensus of the shogunate. After getting him After being approved, Ii Naotaka will go to Kinki from Kanto and become the hope of the entire shogunate. Under such circumstances, Doi Toshikatsu had no choice but to bow his head and no longer raise any objections. "You need to be taken away from Kanto." How many troops? "After seemingly unifying their opinions, Tokugawa Iemitsu asked Ii Naotaka again. "Now, after the desperate efforts of the shogunate, samurai and ashigaru soldiers were recruited from everywhere, and now they have assembled a force of more than 200,000 in Kanto. However, although the number seems to be very large, everyone here knows that there is actually a lot of moisture in it - most of the people in these large armies are just soldiers who have been hastily recruited and have never experienced it before. After passing through the battle formation, and the equipment is even worse, they are not of much use in the battle. The only ones who can really rely on them are probably the banners under the shogunate system and their attendants. These banners have a fiefdom and have been practicing martial arts for generations. Because they have family property and property, they can arm themselves and some attendants, learn fighting skills and skills, and maintain some equipment. These talents are the foundation of the shogunate's military strength. And these people are also the blood and blood of the shogunate's army. They collapsed, and the shogunate had no fighting power at all. ¡°Sir, give me an army of fifty thousand. "Ii Naotaka pondered for a moment and then said to Tokugawa Iemitsu, "There are still many troops loyal to the shogunate in the Western Kingdom. If the number of troops I bring is too large, it will be difficult for Kanto to supply, so 50,000 people It should be enough - but it must be an elite army capable of fighting the Han invaders in the field. " "Fifty thousand people" Tokugawa Iemitsu also pondered for a while.??, this is not a small amount after all - and Naotaka Ii is obviously asking him to give him an elite Hatamoto army. Doi Toshiki couldn't bear it anymore, and he suddenly spoke in a low voice. "Sir General, the Han invaders have sharp naval forces and can land everywhere. Kantong is surrounded by the sea on three sides, which is very convenient for the Han invaders to maneuver. If our army mobilizes a large scale to Kinki, then I am afraid that Kanto will be empty Then the defense of Kanto will be quite difficult. Ah" "According to the information we have received now, the main force of the Han invaders is in the Western Kingdom and is now advancing towards Kyoto." Before Tokugawa Iemitsu could answer, Ii Naotaka spoke directly, "If, we go and fight. Fighting the Han invaders and entangling the main force of the Han invaders is the best support and help for the defense of Guandong. As long as they are fighting with us, the main force of the Han invaders cannot be mobilized, and only then can Guandong be completely safe and become the rear base of our army. If the Han invaders dare to divert the main force during the battle with our army Then we will go straight to Kyoto, then pacify the world, and then return with reinforcements to attack the Han invaders!" This statement once again made Tokugawa Iemitsu nod. Because Ii Naotaka's words won his approval, he was willing to believe Ii Naotaka's judgment. For him, it would be best if he could defend his enemies from outside Kanto. Seeing that Doi Toshiki wanted to say something else, he raised his hand slightly to stop him. "Just do what the elder said." After hesitating for a long time, Doi Toshiki finally sighed slightly and lowered his head to show his acceptance of the order. In this way, after deliberation with the shogunate, Tokugawa Iemitsu decided to send the elder Ii Naotaka to personally lead the army to Kinki to confront the Han invaders to stabilize the situation. He would send 50,000 troops, known as the 100,000 army.