Maeda Toshiie saw it very clearly.
Now in Nihon, even if the Tokugawa clan and the Toyotomi clan immediately cooperated with each other sincerely and closely, immediately eliminating all contradictions and combining as one to train and prepare for war, they might not be the opponent of Xiao Ruxun.
Not to mention that the two forces now had irreconcilable contradictions and blood feuds.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was a good leader. He was deep, wise, cautious, calm, and good at planning. He was an opponent that even the First Pavilion could not defeat and could only use political means to suppress. But that was the extent of civil war. What could Tokugawa Ieyasu do when encountering a foreign enemy that was so powerful that it was unpredictable?
Seven years ago, Xiao Ruxun had led the army to personally defeat the elites of the Tokugawa army. Tokugawa Ieyasu was defeated and almost captured. Since then, he had been obedient to Xiao Ruxun.
Now seven years had passed. Had Tokugawa Ieyasu made any progress? Was he stronger than before?
Having lost a large number of powerful generals and strategists, could he still continue to fight against Xiao Ruxun, who could no longer be mentioned in the same breath?
Unless the heavens closed the curtain and there was another Divine Wind, like the one that dealt with the barbarians of the Meng Yuan Empire hundreds of years ago, destroying all their warships in the sea. Only in that way could Nihon survive and continue to exist.
But that was too difficult, and it was even impossible to happen. Otherwise, the Divine Wind should have destroyed Xiao Ruxun's Ming Army again seven years ago, instead of waiting until now.
Now, the situation was hopelessly unfavorable to Nihon and greatly favorable to the unified Daqin.
"Ishida, if that day really comes and I am already dead, please be sure to persuade His Highness to cooperate with Tokugawa Ieyasu and fight side by side. That is the only way to fight against Xiao Ruxun. Otherwise, Nihon will no longer exist."
Maeda Toshiie seemed to have a premonition of something and held Ishida Mitsunari's hand tightly.
Ishida Mitsunari shook his head.
"I'd rather it be me who's seriously ill right now and not you. His Highness can live without me, but he can't live without you."
Maeda Toshiie also shook his head.
"When it comes to battle strategies and seeing through the enemy's schemes, I'm no match for you. You're better at using troops, and you're His Highness' indispensable strategist. I'm just an old man who can no longer ride a horse or lift a spear. It's not a big deal for His Highness to lose me. You're the key to our victory."
"No, compared to me, you are more important."
Ishida Mitsunari said sincerely, "Your existence can stop the crazy behavior of the generals and the irrational impulses of His Highness, but I can't. You can maintain the overall situation, and I'm just your pawn. Without you, the situation will be out of control."
Maeda Toshiie was not unaware of this situation. He could foresee what would happen to Toyotomi Force after his death, and he could also guess the awkward situation of Ishida Mitsunari at that time. After all, Ishida Mitsunari was the head of the bureaucracy, and he was a general.
Speaking of which, Maeda Toshiie himself felt that it was a little strange to be able to get together with Ishida Mitsunari, but after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, in order to maintain his foundation, Maeda Toshiie knew what he had to do.
It was natural for him to reconcile with Ishida Mitsunari and get together with him. The facts also proved that what he did was right. In the past seven years, they had cooperated very well and stabilized the crumbling foundation of the Toyotomi clan. Until now, it was still stable.
He had reconciled the conflict between the generals and the bureaucrats.
However, looking at Ishida Mitsunari, who obviously wanted to ask for advice, Maeda Toshiie was silent.
He was a human, not a god. He could not care about what would happen after his death.
Ishida Mitsunari looked to him for the energy to turn the tide at the critical moment, but what should he do? Should he cut off one of his hands and give it to Ishida Mitsunari as an arrow of command?
"Ishida-kun, I understand your intentions, but you have to know that I'm just a human, not a god. I can't predict everything that will happen in the future. I can help you if I'm alive, but if I'm dead, whether you can turn the tide or not will depend on yourself."
Maeda Toshiie said with endless expectation, "Ishida-kun, I'm counting on you."
Seeing Maeda Toshiie's old and sincere face, Ishida Mitsunari immediately bowed and said, "I will do my best."
Only then did Maeda Toshiie smile.
At the gate of the Maeda family, Maeda Toshiie invited Ishida Mitsunari to go in and sit. Ishida Mitsunari looked at Maeda Toshiie's tired appearance and shook his head.
"Please go back and have a good rest. Everything will depend on you."
Ishida Mitsunari said and left.
Looking at Ishida Mitsunari's back as he left, the worry in Maeda Toshiie's eyes did not diminish at all.
The generals were becoming more and more radical and dissatisfied with the current situation. This was not a good thing. Although he was also a general, after actually ruling, his thinking had changed. He began to understand the political methods that Ishida Mitsunari was particular about, and he also had a sense of national consciousness.
Compared to most generals who only cared about their own status and territory, Maeda Toshiie, who was valued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, had a strategic vision for the country. He had undergone a transformation, which was an important prerequisite for him and Ishida Mitsunari to be together.
Especially in this period of internal and external troubles, the existence of a powerful foreign enemy and a cunning internal strife was not a good thing for the country as a whole.
However, from Maeda Toshiie's point of view, once it was confirmed that Xiao Ruxun would launch an invasion, he would immediately take coercive measures and force the Toyotomi clan and the Tokugawa clan to join forces against Xiao Ruxun.
However, he was powerless now. If he could go back to ten years ago, he would definitely do this himself. Now, however, he could only rely on the clever Ishida Mitsunari.
He felt mentally and physically exhausted, very, very tired.
He turned around and walked back with the help of his family. After taking a few steps, he suddenly felt that his head was a little heavy, and he felt a little dizzy.
The next moment, without warning, his body went limp and fell to the ground. The family servants who were supporting him did not react in time, and it was only after a while that they let out panicked screams.
Ishida Mitsunari, who had not gone too far, looked back in shock. He felt that he had heard something very wrong, and the feeling of his heart pounding made him very unhappy. This prompted him to turn around and walk in the direction from which he had come.
At the same time, in Nagoya, the Tokugawa forces who had learned that the Qin Army had begun to retreat held a joint meeting. Tokugawa Ieyasu personally attended the meeting, and his face was very serious.
"The Qin Army has indeed begun to retreat. Ten large ships took away about two thousand soldiers and moved to the southeast. We will immediately send small ships to follow behind and check the situation to determine the direction of this group of troops."
A subordinate reported to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded, and then inquired about the movements of another retainer, Toyotomi.
Then he received a report that there was no movement from Toyotomi for the time being.
After confirming these things, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered his subordinates to discuss the matter of Daqin returning Shikami Ginzan, and soon came to the conclusion that this was an open and aboveboard plot, which was very close to his speculation.
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