Chapter 60

"Alright, Yinuo, tell me about the current situation with the powerful families at the foot of the mountain," Zhengliang said, knowing that Xingzhu’s words were a sign that the person in front of him could be completely trusted.

"Yes, my lord. The Xiaomu family and the Fujiwara family have already formed an alliance. When I left the Xiaomu family’s territory, they were mobilizing their peasant soldiers. I believe the Fujiwara family is doing the same. The Tayuan family seems to have noticed this, so they have increased checkpoints at the borders with the other two families and are also mobilizing their peasant soldiers," Yinuo said, bowing.

"How strong are the forces of these families?" Zhengliang continued to ask.

"The Xiaomu family has twelve samurai and can mobilize about eighty peasant soldiers. I am not very clear about the situation of the Fujiwara and Tayuan families, but based on their past conflicts, I estimate they can mobilize about one hundred and one hundred sixty peasant soldiers, respectively," Yinuo said after a moment of deep thought.

Zhengliang pondered this information. Combining it with the intelligence reported by Zhongcier about the previous bandit raids on these families' territories, the Xiaomu and Fujiwara families together would have about thirty samurai and one hundred eighty peasant soldiers, while the Tayuan family would have about twenty samurai and one hundred sixty peasant soldiers. The Tayuan family was at a slight disadvantage, which explained why Tayuan Sadahide was willing to offer valuable treasures to form an alliance with Banishi Dairo. Given Banishi Dairo’s character, he would likely be very willing to agree to this alliance and benefit from it.

"My lord, while secretly observing the Tayuan family’s territory these past few days, I also noticed many suspicious people. I am certain they are spies from the Fujiwara family, and possibly even from the more distant Sozen and Ota families," Yinuo continued, seeing Zhengliang’s relaxed expression and knowing he had finished thinking. This was his chance to prove himself, so he revealed everything he knew.

"It seems many people want to be the last to strike," Zhengliang smiled slightly and then said to his retainers, "What do you all think about the current situation with the powerful families near our domain?"

"Your Highness, this is a great opportunity. We can pretend to agree to the Tayuan family’s alliance proposal and then see if we can benefit from it, or even expand our territory," Xingzhu said eagerly. He was always willing to gain credit without having to fight on the front lines. Seeing Zhengliang’s intention to benefit from this situation, Xingzhu quickly supported the idea.

"Your Highness, the Tayuan family’s alliance target is Banishi Dairo, who has already been eliminated by our family. It will be difficult to form an alliance with the Tayuan family, and even if we do, Banishi Dairo’s absence will certainly raise their suspicions," Togo Heiji expressed the concerns of most of the retainers.

"Ha ha ha, no need to worry. Xingzhu, tell the Tayuan family that we can form an alliance, but they must immediately provide two hundred koku of miscellaneous grains. Otherwise, the alliance is off," Zhengliang laughed and instructed Xingzhu. The retainers were a bit stunned by this sudden arrangement. What did this additional condition have to do with avoiding the Tayuan family’s suspicions?

Xingzhu was also surprised but quickly understood. He glanced around and, seeing that the others were still confused, smiled and said loudly, bowing to Zhengliang, "Your Highness, this is brilliant. This will make the Tayuan family even more convinced that Banishi Dairo has agreed to the alliance, and even his absence will be seen as his disdain for directly participating in the alliance." The retainers immediately understood and praised their lord’s wisdom.

Zhengliang looked at Xingzhu with approval, glad that someone understood his intentions. From the intelligence provided by Yinuo, Zhengliang already knew the Tayuan family’s plan. Even if the Xiaomu and Fujiwara families formed an alliance and attacked together, the Tayuan family could hold out in their castle for a while, forcing the other two to eventually retreat. However, the Tayuan family’s proposal to form an alliance and launch a preemptive attack suggested they were determined to use Banishi Dairo to eliminate the other two. After eliminating the two, who would be the Tayuan family’s next target? It would undoubtedly be Banishi Dairo, as no one would willingly trade their resources for a copper mine that could be easily obtained. Given Banishi Dairo’s usual behavior and character, he was likely to fall for the Tayuan family’s trap. The Tayuan family’s plan was well thought out, but they did not realize that Banishi Dairo had already been killed by Zhengliang.

Even knowing the Tayuan family’s plan, Zhengliang did not intend to expose it. Instead, he planned to make them believe that Banishi Dairo had taken the bait. The demand for additional grain was deliberately proposed based on Banishi Dairo’s character, to make them believe that Zhengliang was indeed Banishi Dairo, still greedy and careless, thus lowering the Tayuan family’s guard against Yewaigao and allowing them to focus their forces on the other two families. This would give Zhengliang the opportunity to benefit from the chaos.

"Your Highness, as I understand it, the Xiaomu family has always been happy to see the Fujiwara and Tayuan families weaken each other. Why are they now forming an alliance with the Fujiwara family to attack the Tayuan family?" Zhongcier asked, puzzled. Everyone was equally confused. "The Fujiwara and Tayuan families are long-standing enemies, so their response is normal. But the Xiaomu family has no reason to do so," Zhongcier continued.

"Ah, in these turbulent times, shouldn’t everyone be prepared to be attacked at any moment?" Togo Heiji suddenly sighed, his voice filled with sorrow. As long as there was profit, there would be conflict. In this chaotic era, mutual attacks were commonplace. Everyone understood and felt relieved.

"Your Highness, I believe the Tayuan family’s alliance with Banishi Dairo and their request for military support also includes a plan to avoid being attacked by bandits while defending against the other two families," Ogasawara Kuniharu said suddenly.

"You are correct. The Tayuan family indeed has this plan," Zhengliang nodded in agreement. "Everyone, I have decided to form an alliance with the Tayuan family. What do you think?" Since there was a profit to be made, Zhengliang was not averse to playing the role of a "bandit" and putting on a show for the Tayuan family.

Everyone bowed in agreement. As Zhengliang’s strength and strategic acumen became more evident, the family council gradually became a place where retainers discussed and Zhengliang made the final decision. Seeing no objections, Zhengliang began to give orders. "Yinuo, return to the Xiaomu family and report the Tayuan family’s situation to Xiaomu Dazan. Also, secretly provide the latest intelligence on the powerful families to our family. A dedicated spy will contact you. After this conflict, I promise to promote you to the position of ashigaru squad leader."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will complete the mission," Yinuo said, excited. He never thought that this risky gamble would pay off. The position of ashigaru squad leader was much better than his previous role as a gatekeeper. And becoming an ashigaru squad leader would bring him closer to becoming a samurai.

"Xingzhu, Zhongcier, you two lead fifty men and enter the Tayuan family’s territory openly. Strongly inform the Tayuan family of Banishi Dairo’s demand for additional grain. They will likely agree. Be sure to include some former bandits to avoid raising the Tayuan family’s suspicions." The purpose of being open was to inform other forces planning to be the "last to strike" that the Tayuan family had also found an ally, preventing them from taking rash actions that could affect the current situation.

"Yes, Your Highness," Xingzhu and Zhongcier bowed and accepted the mission.

"Kuniharu and Hiromune will follow me, leading all the samurai and remaining ashigaru from our domain to infiltrate the Tayuan family’s territory through the small paths of Yewaigao, ready to act when the opportunity arises," Zhengliang continued. "Heiji, I entrust the defense of our domain to you. Keep a close eye on the movements of the Dojo family." Zhengliang did not want to be attacked from behind while he was almost entirely away.

"Yes, Your Highness," Togo Heiji bowed and accepted the mission. He knew that given the current state of the domain, it was more appropriate for him to stay behind.

(PS: This is the fourth week of the new book release. It has already been A-signed and has been updated with over 160,000 words, with no plans to stop. At least 1.5 million words are planned. Last week, it was on the Sanjiang Potential List, this week it is on the Category New Book Recommendation List, and next week it will be on the Category Strong Recommendation List. It is currently first on the new historical book list and ninth on the overall new book list. Dear readers, please don’t leave after reading. Even if you don’t have votes, add it to your bookshelf. I humbly request your support. My goal is to write at least 1.5 million words, even if it means a spectacular failure. I enjoy writing and embracing solitude.)

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