Toyotomi Hideyoshi was very suspicious and sensitive to power. Anything that would harm his power would be eliminated by him in advance. Although he gave up Guan Bai's position to Toyotomi Hidetsugu, it did not mean that he did not have power. He was not the master of Japan.
Only when he had military power could he be considered the master of this country.
Toyotomi Hidetsugu only had ten to twenty thousand troops under his command. Most of them were Ashigaru, who did not have much combat power. On the other hand, Toyotomi Hideyoshi held onto hundreds of thousands of troops and refused to let go. The troops only listened to him. This was also the basis of his power.
However, Toyotomi Hidetsugu was inspecting the troops everywhere, buying people's hearts, and entangling with people like Tokugawa Ieyasu. What was his purpose? What was his intention? Could it be that he wanted to mutiny? Wanted to rebel?!
Toyotomi Hideyoshi suddenly remembered the retainer he killed had cried and said that someone was plotting a mutiny to kill him and replace him. At this time, Toyotomi Hideyoshi could not help but suspect that this person was not Tokugawa Ieyasu or Kuroda Rusui, but Toyotomi Hidetsugu!
If that was the case, it would be too scary!
That's right! That's right! When he fainted, Toyotomi Hidetsugu was still in Kyoto. Why was Toyotomi Hidetsugu next to him when he woke up? And the look in his eyes at that time was very strange! It was worth pondering!
Once a person became suspicious, everything would be suspicious. Even the things that he felt were not suspicious before were now full of doubts. This made Toyotomi Hideyoshi's heart uneasy. He looked around and found that there was no one around him. Other than Yoshihime, there was no one he was familiar with!
Could it be that Toyotomi Hidetsugu wanted to take this opportunity to kill me and replace me?
Once this thought arose, it could no longer be extinguished.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi told Yoshimi to go and give birth to the fetus. When his body was better, he would visit Yoshimi. Yoshimi turned around and the sadness on her face disappeared without a trace. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly and her face was full of pride. She was satisfied with her performance, convinced by Kuroda Rusui's strategy, and very optimistic about the path of the non-existent child in her belly to fight for the throne.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi had someone come in to help him change his clothes and administer medicine, but the person who came in was someone he did not know. After asking, Toyotomi Hideyoshi found out that these people were brought by Toyotomi Hidetsugu from Kyoto. He said that the Emperor was worried about his health and brought them here to serve him. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had said this kind of nonsense many times, so he did not believe it. These people were definitely Toyotomi Hidetsugu's people!
Someone who wanted to harm him!
This thought became stronger and stronger.
Therefore, Toyotomi Hideyoshi summoned Maeda Toshiie. He vaguely remembered that Toyotomi Hidetsugu said that it was Maeda Toshiie who called him from Kyoto to take charge of the overall situation.
"Recently, is the situation outside good?"
Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked this Maeda Toshiie, the person he trusted the most, as he let the people feed him medicine.
"Yes, Imperial Cabinet. His Royal Highness Guan Bai is very capable. He managed the matters outside in an orderly manner. Everything was done step by step and did not cause any chaos. The people's hearts were stable. His Royal Highness Guan Bai is indeed someone cultivated by the Imperial Cabinet."
Maeda Toshiie still admired Toyotomi Hidetsugu, so he was willing to put in a good word for him.
"I heard that you called Hidetsugu here when I fainted?"
Maeda Toshiie frowned. Years of experience in the officialdom told him that this was not a simple question. It had a little other meaning, but Maeda Toshiie did not have ulterior motives. He really wanted to contribute to the continuation of Toyotomi's regime, so he summoned Toyotomi Hidetsugu to handle the affairs temporarily. Didn't Toyotomi Hideyoshi praise Toyotomi Hidetsugu before?
"It's like this. Imperial Cabinet is not in good health and can't handle the affairs, so I invited His Royal Highness Guan Bai to handle the affairs on his behalf. His Royal Highness Guan Bai did a good job. I think …"
"Okay, okay, don't talk about it. These years, I've felt that my energy is not good, and my body is not as strong as before. I often feel that it's time for me to retire and rest. This time in the battle of North Korea, I felt so tired that I fainted. Mr. Li, I'm thinking if it's time for me to retire and let the young people continue my business."
Toyotomi Hideyoshi waved his hand to let the medical officer leave. He seemed to have become a lot more haggard, which made Maeda Toshiie worried, but also a little touched.
Since Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose to discuss such a big matter with him, it meant that he trusted him very much.
"Imperial Cabinet is in its prime and full of energy. It can still work for a few more decades. I think that Imperial Cabinet doesn't need to consider this kind of thing."
Maeda Toshiie complimented him.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's eyes flashed. He smiled and asked, "Don't say that. I know my own affairs well. I'm afraid I can't hold on for a few years, but the foundation of this business is still shallow. Mr. Li, tell me, who can inherit my position and continue to do well?"
Maeda Toshiie didn't think about it carefully. He just took it for granted and said, "If Imperial Cabinet wants to retire, then the best choice must be His Royal Highness Guan Bai. His Royal Highness Guan Bai was cultivated by Imperial Cabinet. Now, whether it is government or military affairs, he can handle them independently and handle them well. There are also some good retainers under him who can handle a lot of things perfectly. He is a qualified successor."
"Well, Hideji is indeed capable. Although he is not as good as me, he is enough to protect my business." Toyotomi Hideyoshi nodded and suddenly said, "It's getting late. Mr. Li, you can leave now. Have a good rest. After that, we still have a lot of things to do."
Maeda Toshiie frowned slightly. He instinctively felt that there was something wrong with Toyotomi Hideyoshi's words, but he didn't think of anything. He didn't connect the recent events together, so he nodded and left.
As soon as Maeda Toshiie left, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's face turned from gentle to livid. He never thought that one of the five most trusted elders had become a hardcore supporter of Toyotomi Hidetsugu and recognized Toyotomi Hidetsugu as his successor. This meant that Toyotomi Hidetsugu could take over his power at any time and become the new Imperial Cabinet! This was intolerable to Toyotomi Hideyoshi!
He had completely forgotten that the position of Toyotomi Hidetsugu's successor was decided by him. The current Toyotomi Hideyoshi was an old man who refused to let go of his power.
In his mind, he believed that he was the one who conquered the world. If I give it to you, you should take it. If I don't, you can't take it!
Toyotomi Hideyoshi realized that he had groomed a 'successor' who would fight for power with him too early. His old man was still alive, but he couldn't help but jump up and down. He even wanted to murder his child! It was simply insane! Who knows where he's cursing me to die a quick death right now!
Gritting his teeth, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered all the people brought by Toyotomi Hidetsugu to leave. Then, he replaced them with his own people. He scolded the guards and told them that without his orders, they were not allowed to take a step out of this place, regardless of whose orders it was. Then, he investigated all the guards that Toyotomi Hidetsugu had arranged in the room.
Finally, after careful consideration, Toyotomi Hideyoshi made up his mind and summoned Toyotomi Hidetsugu alone.
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