Samurai of the Takeda Family

At the end of October, the first snow in the Hida Mountains has arrived.

The majestic appearance of the mountains was shrouded in heavy lead gray clouds. After the first snow, the mountain road leading to Hida from Yuezhong resumed traffic.

On the dirt road, the horse's hoof throws a mixture of gray and white slush, leaving hoof prints of different shades.

And the branches on the side of the mountain road occasionally made a creaking softly, and then the snow powder fell on the shoulders of pedestrians.

The riders in this line of horsemen are all wearing fur clothes and hats. It can be seen that under the thick fur clothes are the feet that can only be worn by samurai. They immediately wore various weapons such as swords, ribs, spears, bows and arrows. A group of samurai on horseback.

Rui Costa, wearing a thick fur coat and several layers of cotton-padded clothes, flinched on the pack horse, shaking slightly.

The workhorse under him was pulling out its hoofs from the snow mud, and then stepping on the ground again, which made the horse's back more bumpy.

Everything made Rui Costa's mood worse, and he couldn't help cursing at this moment: "This **** weather."

After Rui Costa cursed, he raised the mask on his face to reduce the area affected by the wind.

At the same time, the mask also blocked the two brown mustaches around his lips, and only a pair of gray-blue eyes appeared on his face.

Rui Costa was a sailor in Portugal. According to him, his original ambition was to follow the glorious trails of the Portuguese pioneers of navigation, Prince Enrique, Dias, and Dagama, and go on an expedition to explore the unknown world. warrior.

Well, actually the above is all nonsense.

Rui Costa lived in poverty since he was a child. He first made a living as a bellsmith who made church bells. Like most sailing people in this era, he wanted to go overseas when he was in distress and desperately desperate. Look for opportunities to fill up your stomach and try your luck at the same time.

Finally Rui Costa embarked on a Portuguese merchant ship called the "Pharaoh" heading to East India.

After more than six years of life as a surviving seaman, he became the second mate on the Pharaoh.

But unfortunately his luck was bad. After the Pharaoh's captain passed away, the chief officer of the original ship became Pharaoh's captain.

He and the former chief officer were very wrong, and they looked upset at each other. Rui Costa was angry and immediately fell out with the Captain of the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh was mooring in Macau. After parting ways with the captain, he originally planned to take another ship back to Portugal, but here he met Father Torres, a Portuguese Catholic monk who was going to preach to Japan.

Father Torres had just returned to Portugal from Japan at the time, and Rui Costa was brought on board because there was an experienced seaman missing on the ship.

With the idea of ​​seeing this eastern country, Rui Costa also got on the boat of Torres without saying a word, and came to Japan with him.

Rui Costa did not know that Torres was a famous figure in the history of Catholic missions.

The reason why he enjoys a big name is that he has followed, and was hailed by the Catholic Church as the greatest missionary in history, St. Francis Xavier, one of the early Jesuit monks who went to Japan to preach together.

The reason why St. Francis Xavier is acclaimed by Catholicism as the greatest missionary in history is because he first spread Catholicism to Malacca and Japan.

At the beginning of the Catholic Church in Japan, Xavier chose the Shimadzu family in southern Kyushu as the contact, but the relationship between the two was not so harmonious at the time. Later Xavier transferred to Hirado in Hizen country, where he got the local Welcome from Lord Takashin Matsuura.

Matsuura Takashin allowed Xavier to preach here because he was greedy for the huge profits of trading with the Portuguese, as well as against the neighbors of the dragon temple.

Xavier was very successful in Hirado's missionary mission. The number of believers who converted to Catholicism reached as many as 1,000. After Xavier left Hirado, he left Hirado to teach Torres, and soon died of illness.

After that, Torres was very successful in Hirado’s mission, but it attracted discrimination from local Buddhists. The Portuguese fleet was attacked by locals and 14 people were killed.

Torres was dissatisfied with the final ruling of the daimyo Matsuura Takanobu, so he returned to Macau by boat. During this period, he had been teaching in Japan for ten years.

After returning to Macau, Torres felt unwilling to lose his mission and decided to return to Japan, so he took Rui Costa on the way.

Rui Costa followed Father Torres and came to nearby Kyushu to see Japanese sights, and he was deeply nostalgic for this.

Well, it is not so much a nostalgia, it is a fascination. He is deeply in love with the gentle Japanese women of this era, but he has always suffered from the difference in speech and can’t come forward to strike up a conversation. Therefore, he is determined to study the Japanese language, so in less than two years Speaks fluent Japanese.

Torres was devoted to the Catholic mission. After the break of the harmonious relationship with the Matsuura family, he moved to Yokoseura within the Omura family to seek business opportunities from the Omura lord Juntadada Omura.

It is said that at that time, the Portuguese used the Japanese local daimyo to covet the profits of the trade as bait and allowed the people in the confinement to believe in religion. Then I will do business with you, otherwise it will not be discussed.

So for the Portuguese, it was trade because of missionary work, and for the daimyo, it was because of trade and religion.

However, Omura Juntada was very pious, not only allowed Catholicism to spread within the confines, but he also believed in religion, becoming the first Catholic dame in Japanese history.

But in fact, despite Omura’s example of pure loyalty, conflicts between Buddhists and Catholics in the community are inevitable.

The riots and bloodshed reappeared, and Torres ran away again in a rage.

But history has turned a corner here. At this time, the fame of Echigo Uesugi Kenshin on Ranwen Novel.com was widely spread throughout Japan because of his fourth battle with Takeda Shingen on Kawasaki Island.

Torres naturally heard about it. He also heard of this great name, who was very pious to Buddhism and claimed to be the incarnation of Buddhism's protector.

At the moment, Torres didn't know which Jinda was wrong. He was very disgusted with Kyushu Daimyo's greed for trade and the behavior of believing religion against his will. They think that these people are profitable and have no faith. Instead, they are moved by Kenshin Uesugi's actions of fighting for righteousness and not eager for profit.

It doesn't matter if someone is a Buddhist, I just ask him to convert to Catholicism. Such a pious believer who doesn't miss him is what our Jesuits need.

So Torres and Rui Costa boarded 6 in Naoe Tsuno-cho in Echigo by boat, and went to Kasugayama Castle to prepare Uesugi Kenshin to change his surname to Catholicism.

The result is self-evident, this line of Catholic missionaries did not even see Uesugi Kenshin's face, and they were blasted out of Kasuga Mountain Castle.

But Torres didn't die in his heart. He heard that Owari had a big name called Owari Dao fool who was keen to accept new affairs, so he decided to go to Owari to take a look and look for opportunities.

At that time, Torres decided not to take the sea route, and took the 6th route. With the intention of taking a look at the local scenery along the way, he decided to go from Echigo, through Etsuchu, and then through the Hida Highlands, from the Noo Plain, to the final destination of Owari. route.

And Torres, Rui Costa, when passing through the castle town, happened to hear that the local daimyo was actually a man from Ming Dynasty who became a samurai in Japan.

Hearing this news, the feelings of the two of them suddenly...they were suddenly scorched outside and tender inside, and they immediately felt 120,000 points in their hearts, wanting to see Li Xiao's intentions.

Rui Costa, who was riding on a horse, raised his head and looked forward. The man sitting on the tall horse and traveling peacefully was the legendary warrior Li Xiao from the Ming Dynasty.

Rui Costa still thinks of the meeting with Li Xiao and still find it incredible.

At this moment, Li Xiao was sitting in front of Malaysia and was walking side by side with Honda Masanobu. He pointed to Shandaoyan with his horse whip and said: "I heard that Uesugi Terutora joined forces on Chuanzhong Island a year before, and once ordered Naoe Mizuna to send troops to cross over in the winter. The mountains, arrived at Ueno Numataguchi, I wonder if there is such a thing?"

Masanobu Honda controlled the workhorse, kept a horse's head distance from Li Xiao, and said: "Yes, I happened to have heard about this. At that time, Uesugi Teruho set up a number of refuges in the deep snow area of ​​the Joetsu border. The hut, fully stocked with fuel and food, is sent to guard. When Naoe Mizuna is allowed out, the local orion will be the guide to lead the way, and this will cross the snow-covered pass that is normally impossible to cross in winter and arrive in Ueno."

Li Xiao nodded and said, "Since Uesugi Teruto has a way to cross the back mountains in winter, so can we. I want to follow Uesugi Teruto's behavior and set up refuge huts on the Hida-yue Zhongshan Road to reserve. Fuel and food. From now on, there will be a connection between Chengsheng City and Shengang City to prevent any enemy from sending troops to attack my home in winter."

After listening to Li Xiao's words, Ben Duo Zhengxin said: "The lord has a high opinion, this can be a case in case."

Li Xiao thought for a while and thought that this matter could be done, and then let Dao Shengmao deal with the matter afterwards.

Just as Li Xiao was thinking about it, he heard Rui Costa's violent coughs behind him at this time, and it was obvious that he was very cold in the cold.

Seeing this, Li Xiao stopped his horse. When Rui Costa rode behind him, he took out a bamboo tube from his waist and said to him: "Take a little bit, and the body will become warmer. Then apply it to him. On the hands and feet, it will also prevent frostbite."

Rui Costa was very proficient in Japanese in order to pick up girls, and he doubted Li Xiao's words, but he still did what he said.

"What is this, it's so amazing."

After tasting a bit, Rui Costa said, "Well, it's still very delicious."

Then he wiped the contents of the bamboo tube on his hands according to Li Xiao's instructions. The place he touched was hot, and the cold on his body really eased a lot.

Seeing Rui Costa’s astonishment, Li Xiao laughed and said: "This is cold weather. Uesugi Kenshin's Uesugi army must bring it after the winter. It is also very simple. Put the bright red peppers. It is dried on the snow in the severe winter, mixed with koji, salt, grapefruit, etc., and made into a seasoning after fermentation."

Rui Costa was amazed when he saw it, and said: "Thank you, Li Xiao, the Eastern things are so amazing, you can't finish learning in a lifetime~www.wuxiamtl.com~ I stopped to see Rui Costa. Xiang Li Xiao seemed to be determined to say: "Master Li Xiao, I have a gratuitous request. I wonder if you can agree to it. "

Li Xiaoyan said: "Please speak up."

Rui Costa said: "I admire Li Xiao, your erudition and bravery, I wonder if you can make me your retainer, that is, the Portuguese samurai of the Takeda family."

ps: It is said that the Hirado daimyo Matsuura Takanobu, who was the first to adopt Xavier's mission, is not well-known in Japan, but it can be said to be famous for China.

The Hirado daimyo Matsuura Takanobu, his subordinates of the Kyushu navy Matsuura party, fought against Japan during Kublai Khan, the Matsuura party fought against the Yuan army, and later became the Japanese pirates who harassed Ming and Korea, and Wang Zhi, the largest and most famous pirate leader in the history of the Ming Dynasty , The base camp in Japan is Hirado.

The friendship between Wang Zhi and Takashin Matsuura should be regarded as the brothers who exchanged posts.

Even the Tagawa clan, Zheng Chenggong's birth mother, is said to be the adopted daughter of Matsuura Takanobu or the daughter of his retainers, but it is certain that Zheng Chenggong was born in Hirado. . ..