Chapter 8 Eight, Edo Merry

Sakamoto Ryoma returned to the Shinagawa camp of the Tosa Domain and reported to the elders in detail what he had learned from Kogoro about the Choshu camp.The elder Yamada Yaemon only responded lightly, neither surprised nor admired, not even a word of reward. Not only Hachiemon, but this is a common problem of senior samurai who have inherited high-ranking officials and rich salary from generation to generation.Sitting in the position of nobles in the vassal state for more than two hundred years, the blood of the descendants seems to be rancid.Under the current circumstances, Yamada Yaemon, who was born aristocrat, did not know how difficult it was to detect the positions of other feudal clans.And even if it was clear, he would definitely think that this is what a lower-level warrior should do.

Ryoma reported to Yaemon: "There are some cannons in the Changshu formation that are actually bronze lanterns." But Yaemon remained expressionless after hearing this.Feeling ridiculous is also a kind of criticism, but maybe Yaemon doesn't have this ability.And he doesn't say, "What if the enemy soldiers come ashore?" This is because he has neither blood nor energy.Regarding the lantern incident, he neither found it ridiculous nor worried, but said very seriously: "If the shogunate won't blame you, we might as well buy some lanterns." Whether he will be blamed by the shogunate is the benchmark for the samurai's behavior nowadays.All the high-ranking samurai of the domains, regardless of their status, are all like Yaemon.They have rotted like stagnant water.People with lofty ideals who were born as young lower-level warriors from various feudal clans replaced them, and the rise of the Restoration became inevitable.

Ryoma was very surprised when he heard Yaemon's words, and said, "The most important thing right now is to buy cannons, not lanterns." Yaemon glared at Ryoma, and then ignored him again.As a junior samurai, it is disrespectful to raise opinions on the elders. A few days later, Ryoma heard an amazing news.Gui Xiaowulang came to report this matter.Kogoro's teacher, Yoshida Shoin, tried to smuggle out of the country and was arrested by the shogunate officials.Shoin was originally proficient in Sinology and the art of war, but he thought that in order to revitalize Japan, he must understand overseas situations, so he thought of smuggling.This originally prudent person made a violent act that was unprecedented for him.He made this decision together with his disciple Kaneko Shigesuke and acted decisively.They approached the black ship moored in Shimoda with a small boat and asked to get on board.But the Yi people were afraid of causing diplomatic disputes, so they rejected their request.Shimoda's government arrested Shoin, and sent him to the Edo Kitamachi Magistrate in a cage.

Yoshida Shoin's feat in Shimoda Bay and his failure shocked Ryoma.At the beginning of the situation, Longma thought in his heart.But it hadn't occurred to him to act himself.He is only twenty years old, and he still doesn't know what to do and how to do it.Under the influence of Gui Xiaowulang, he is also eager to try, but he is not born with oil paper, and if he catches fire, he will burn blazingly. I'm different from Gui, I'm a late-ripening rice, and I still have a lot to learn, and I'd better practice swordsmanship first.He made up his mind to become strong.Only by making yourself strong and not losing to anyone can you achieve great things.As a result, his life returned to calm.

Shortly thereafter, the black ships withdrew from Edo Bay, and the security of Shinagawa was lifted.Ryoma was allowed to return to the Chiba Martial Art Museum in Edo Barrel Town. Back at the martial arts school this time, the hair on Ryoma's forehead had grown back, and he was no longer like a bandit with no forehead hair like before.After pulling up his hair in a bun, Ryoma looked more mature. "Ryoma has grown into a man." Chiba Sadaji praised him.His health is still not good, good for a few days, bad for a few days. "It is said that Shibie should be admired for three days. Men want to make themselves stronger than yesterday."

Shigetaro immediately brought up the matter of drinking. "Xiaolong, let's have a drink tonight." During the day, Ryoma trained extremely hard.After sunset, he wiped his body, changed his clothes, and walked into the martial arts lounge.There is already a banquet prepared.Sanako is there too. "It's been a long time." Ryoma greeted her.But she just glanced at Ryoma, and then she put on a stern face, full of anger.Sanako's complexion was slightly dark, and the armor on his head shook a few times at this time, which made him look cute. In spite of her anger, she still took off the scarf on her head, put her hands on the ground respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty Sakamoto has worked hard for this expedition. Congratulations on your safe return."

Long Mama nodded carelessly, then hurriedly looked at the meal that Zuo Nazi had prepared. "What is this?" "Brother asked me to do this, I can only obey. However, I feel disgusted when I look at it." "Is this medicine and food?" "No, it's pork." By this time, butchers in Edo had begun selling pork.Shigetaro, who likes delicacies, asked Sanako to prepare this. Japan has never had the habit of raising pigs and eating pork.After this trend was introduced from Ryukyu, butchers in Edo began to sell pork in addition to wild boar and venison. Shigetaro sat down in front of the pot and said, "You can also eat some Sana."

Zuo Nazi hurriedly shook his head and said, "I will never eat this." "Why is this? It's a delicacy in the world. It is said that Hitohashi Kiyoshi (later fifteenth shogun Tokugawa Yoshiki) also liked to eat this. Haven't you eaten wild pork before?" "At that time, I ate a piece, and I swallowed it with my eyes closed." "Pigs and wild boars have the same ancestor. A long time ago, people started raising wild boars, and over time they became domestic pigs. They are all the same. Let's try it this time." "I don't like four-legged ones."

Sanako looked at the sliced ​​meat cooking in the pot in fear.According to the custom, the meat should be cooked in the courtyard, and a white paper should be pasted on the altar to prevent the gods from smelling it and making it unclean. "Master Sakamoto, you hate these things too, don't you?" Sanako originally wanted to win Ryoma's support, but things backfired, but Ryoma smiled and said, "I like it very much." "Hmph." Zuo Nazi was upset, "Then where have you eaten before?" "No." "the first time?" "It's the first time."

"Haven't eaten it yet, why did you say you would like it?" "Originally, I was happy about everything." "Hmph." She bit her cherry lips lightly, and said, "Whether it's eating or treating people, you don't know right from wrong." "You've said it before." Ryoma scratched his head. "Isn't it? You still want to avenge the whore of Fukagawa Okada." "Prostitutes are people too." "Of course people." "So she's not at fault." "Yes, there is nothing wrong with that woman." Zuo Nazi nodded and said, "You are the one who is wrong. It is disgusting to be so close to a prostitute while still practicing martial arts."

"It didn't stick like glue." "You really don't look like a man, and you lie." "Ouch." Ryoma scratched his head again.Chongtaro couldn't stand it anymore, and said, "Sanako, don't be rude. Don't eat pork, go to the side." "No. You eat your pork here, the more the better. I'll just sit here and speak ill of you." Although Sanako spoke harshly, Shigetaro, who was seated at the same table, had already noticed her eccentricity.This girl was very strange, she would accidentally knock over the kettle with her sleeve, or pick up the empty jug, and shouted "Brother" to pour him wine. "Sanako, calm down." Shigetaro finally couldn't stand it anymore, and blamed him.But Sanako bit her lip hard and said, "My sister is very calm." Her eyes are piercing and her mouth is competitive, but she looks at Ryoma from time to time, smiling and narrowing her eyes.Sanako loves Xiaolong.It is precisely because his younger sister is usually competitive that Shigetaro feels her sadness as a woman all the more.Everyone's topic turned to the black ship in Xiangzhou Bay, the omissions of the garrison camps of the various feudal clans, the shogunate who bowed its knees under the threat of the barbarians, etc. No matter what happened, it was full of indignation. "Xiaolong, about your lifelong event..." Shigetaro said suddenly during the excitement, "Could it be that there is already a woman you like in Tosa's hometown?" "The woman you like?" The appearance of Miss Tian He immediately appeared in Long Ma's mind, but the other party was the younger sister of the old family, so she couldn't get high. "No." Ryoma replied somewhat disappointed and dazed. "Great. What kind of woman does Xiaolong like?" "have no idea." "People always have preferences. For example, there are those who are strong, those who are gentle, those who are knowledgeable and polite, and those who are considerate." "I really don't know." "Oh. The matter of marrying younger siblings must be decided by your father and elder brother, right?" "No, I choose myself." "Oh, you're pretty sure of that." "But now I don't want that." "Why is that?" "I want to live my life alone." "I'm afraid not." Shigetaro said hurriedly.He glanced at Zuo Nazi and found that she lowered her head quietly. "A man can't do without a good wife. I have been to Kan'ei Temple in Ueno, and I know it very well when I go there. Young monks have greasy hair and noodles, while old monks are greasy and dirtier than men in the world. So men only have women. , the blood can become clear and clean.” "yes?" Ryoma didn't retort, just nodded with a smile. Although it can't be called determination, Ryoma has been feeling passionate every day since meeting Katsura Kogoro in the woods of the Miura Peninsula.Although he didn't know what he was supposed to do, at least he knew that something set the blood in his body on fire, and that the near future was waiting for him.You can't think about marrying a wife.Ryoma thought simply. The world became noisy again.Kurofune left Japan for Hong Kong on the first day of June in the seventh year of Jiayong, but the matter did not calm down.The anti-barbarian theory began to prevail.Among the samurai, criticism of the shogunate prevailed. Before that, it was absolutely forbidden to make irresponsible remarks about the shogunate. Although the people of Edo were not aware of these things, they gradually lost their composure—there were rumors of an earthquake.These days, not only is it extremely hot, but there are also micro-earthquakes every day. "There will be a big earthquake soon." When the people got together, they whispered such rumors. Recently, it is not uncommon to see some "shouting heavenly kings" and "begging monks" in the market.It was not common when Ryoma first came to Edo.In fact, they are entertainers begging from door to door. "King of Heaven" is wearing a dirty black patterned cloak, a white shirt underneath, a white hakama underneath, two swords on his body, and a strange mask of Saruta Hiko, shouting "The King of Heaven loves to make noise", Collect a penny from door to door.When a child chases after him, he will shake the good and bad sign of the bull head heavenly king, and divination with him. The "begging monks" are much better. They tie copper coins on the top of the green bamboo poles, and recite some strange scriptures while shaking them.Whether it is the king of heaven or the monks, they are all to pray for every family to get rid of disasters without incident, so their popularity shows that people were all anxious at that time. Ryoma is still immersed in sword practice, and his kung fu is getting better.In the martial arts school, the only one who is comparable to Ryoma is the young master Shigetaro.No one else can beat him in one game.In particular, Ryoma had always been good at hitting people's helmets before, but now he practiced hard on the wrist hitting method, and soon surpassed Shigetaro.When it comes to "wristbands that cry when you see a dragon and horse", even the Chiba Martial Art Museum in Shentai Yuchi is known to everyone.After being hit by Ryoma's sword on the wrist, everyone jumped up.The force of the impact was transmitted to the hand through the thick wrist guard, and it seemed that even the entire arm was about to be shattered. After the hot summer, the streets and alleys of Edo were buzzing with crickets, and Fujibei came to the martial arts hall to find Ryoma. "Fujihei, long time no see." Ryoma borrowed Shigetaro's room and invited him in, "What are you up to these days?" They haven't seen each other since Ah Sao's incident. "I went to another place." "Busy with livelihood?" Fujihei specialized in stealing in other places, but rested when he was in Edo. "To the West?" "No, I detoured to Dewa and went to Aizu." After Fujihei said this, he seemed to suddenly think of something, and said, "Hey, I met Nobuo Samanosuke in the castle town of Aizuwakamatsu." "He's in Aizuwakamatsu?" Ryoma asked in surprise.Last fall, when Ryoma was defeated by Ryoma at the Shin River Bank, Nobuo had said that he would come back.Perhaps after that, he closed the small martial arts gym under the clock of his office and left Edo. "Unexpected." "What is he doing?" "Opened a martial arts gym, and accepted some disciples of three schools and nine streams. After all, that guy is a small school like the Wuyan School, and the children of the aristocratic family will not go there to practice martial arts, but his income is not bad now." "The same goes for Edo." Since the Black Ship incident last year, no matter whether it was samurai, ronin or ordinary people, the number of sword learners has increased sharply. In Edo, the number of martial arts halls has increased several times a month.Because it is difficult to obtain the catalog or the title of Jiden in big martial arts schools such as Chiba, Saito, and Momoi, interested ronin all go to small schools to learn, and after obtaining the qualification of Jichuan, they immediately open their own martial arts gym.Of course, the object of the teaching is not samurai, but common people.Although the master is a master, in fact, his martial arts are not very strong. "Although it is a small school, Nobuo has established a family in Edo after all, and he is very popular in Aizu. And anyway, although Aizu Wakamatsu is a country, after all, it is a castle town famous for its martial arts. , Even the peasants are martial arts, and Nobuo's martial arts gym there is quite large." "That's great, have you seen him?" "No, I just secretly went to see his martial arts school, and inquired about him by the way." "So, you still think about Ah Sao's revenge?" "Already boarded that boat." "What a warm heart." "I do a lot of bad things, so I occasionally want to show kindness. Even if I am cheated, I still want to do this good thing to the end. This is the nature of our business." "I admire you so much." "Don't laugh at me." "I'm complimenting you. By the way, how is Ah Sae?" There has been no news since the last time we saw each other. "She's fine." Fujibei said. "Is she still in Fukagawa Nakacho?" "No, in February of this year when the black ship incident was the worst, her younger brother died of tuberculosis. I happened to have some savings, so I redeemed her for her." "I didn't expect that, you took her as a concubine?" "Don't joke." Fujibei was a little annoyed, and said, "No." "Then why did you come to see me today?" Ryoma asked. "Nothing, because I haven't seen each other for a long time, so I stopped by to visit." Fujibei waved his hand and left. Sanako who came to clean up the tea set later asked, "Do you know that person?" "Well, it's my friend." Ryoma smiled without hesitation. "What kind of person?" Sanako seemed to want to know everything about Ryoma. "what?" "What does he do for a living?" "A thief." "what?" "Don't be surprised. Although he is a thief, he has been doing it for so many years. He is also a thief and a good way. He is much more interesting than those young people who have read the Four Books and Five Classics. He usually travels around the world and is proficient in personnel affairs in various places. I have never He learned a lot of unexpected human customs and geographical knowledge." "Mr. Sakamoto." Sanako stared helplessly, bit her lips tightly, and reproached, "You studied swordsmanship in Edo, but you made friends with such thieves. If your father and brother in your hometown find out, you will definitely Will be very disappointed." "That's right." Ryoma pretended to be surprised, as if he just remembered this incident, "They certainly won't say they did a good job. But my sister will definitely find it very interesting." "What kind of person is Miss Ling?" "She is the number one woman in the world. Her name is Otome. She is beautiful and stalwart." "Big size?" Sanako was born small. "There is still learning." "More knowledge than me?" "Who knows. But she is very good at swordsmanship." "Better than me?" "Everyone has their own strengths. No matter how good my sister is, she can only practice swordsmanship in the countryside of Tosa, but horse riding and fushui are definitely better than you." "I don't know how to drink water." "Swimming in the Edo River is not allowed. If a young lady swims in the river, many people will gather to watch her." "I really want to meet that sister of yours." "You must hit it off. You're alike." "Brows and eyes like?" "No, it's a pungent personality." "What's the meaning??" "It's not about birds, it's about temperament. In our hometown, those women who learn swordsmanship and horseback riding like men are called aggressive women." "Am I hot?" "This..." Ryoma grinned and didn't answer. The next day, Ryoma went to the feudal mansion of Kaiyaqiao on business, went out early in the morning, and did not return at night.That night Ryoma was drinking at a boat house in Horie Town, where Fujibei often goes.He himself didn't know why he came here. He left the feudal mansion of Jiayeqiao, and was about to go back to Chiba Martial Arts Hall, when he heard someone call "Young Master".A man bent over and walked over, and said, "You are Mr. Sakamoto, right?" "I am, who are you?" "Mr. Fujibei said he was looking for you urgently, so let the little one take you there." "Who are you?" "The young one is Xiaoji, the boatman." "Where are you going?" "A boatman named 卍 Kikyo on the river bank of Horie Town has a relationship with your family, my lord." "yes?" Just in case, he told the gatekeeper of the feudal mansion where he was going, and boarded the boat.This boat is different from Tosa Urado's fishing boat, it is a small boat called Itoya boat.I have always heard that tourists from Edo take this kind of boat to visit the river, but this is the first time for Ryoma. Looking at Edo from the water, it has a different style.While paddling, Xiaoji pointed out the daimyo and the mansion of Banner on the shore.Soon they crossed the Si'an Bridge and entered the Swastika Kikyo, but Fujibei was not there. "Where's Fujihei?" Ryoma asked the proprietress, but the proprietress just served the food and wine without answering.Soon, the lumber yard in Caimu Town across the river went dark, followed by the lights of thousands of houses.At this time, the lattice door finally opened. "Fujibei?" Ryoma leaned on the handrail, looked down at the river, already intoxicated. "Little girl, Ai." When Ryoma looked back, he saw Ah Sae bowing his head deeply. "It's you." "Mr. Fujihei told me to come here immediately, so I hurried over here." "Where's Fujibei?" "have no idea." Ryoma clapped his hands and called the proprietress.As the proprietress of this business, this middle-aged woman seemed too honest. While wiping the sweat from her forehead, she said, "Just now, Mr. Fujibei..." "coming?" "No, he sent someone to say that he finally invited you here tonight, but he couldn't come. Please drink here." Fujihei, this little trick that anyone can see through, wants me to reconcile with Sae, and drags me into that revenge plan.Ryoma saw this right away.But he never liked to show his cleverness, so he pretended to be confused and said, "It's really embarrassing." That night, Ryoma opened his eyes. He originally thought that boat houses in Edo, like Teradaya in Fushimi and Hachigen's in Osaka Tenma, provided accommodation for boat passengers on and off the Yodo River, but they were quite different and very romantic.It provides accommodation for people who take geisha to visit the river, and more than that, tourists stay and fly with geisha on this kind of boat. Longma understood and was deeply impressed.Ah Sae became Ryoma's master here. "Have fun in Edo." "Oh." "In Kyoto and Osaka, there are different styles, but Edo people have their own way of having fun. How about your hometown Tosa?" "Although Tosa Kochi is a castle town of 240,000 koku, there is no such romantic place." "Oh, how did those young warriors restrain their blood?" "Wrestling at the seaside, practicing swords, swimming and so on. Tosa people have loved wrestling since ancient times, and the feudal lords of all dynasties have also encouraged them to bury their energy in the soil." "It's too vulgar to be obsessed with wrestling instead of having fun with women in Huajie. Banner samurai in Edo don't do such boring things." "Although you are from Kyoto, you like Edo very much." "Samurai in Edo know how to be romantic." "Aren't the Tosa people flirtatious?" "Hehe, the ones who don't know how to be romantic are the Samoans." "Secondly, Tosa?" "Hey, as the saying goes, Tosa has a long sword." Tosa people like to wear long swords that don't match their height.In Edo, Tosa people can be recognized at a glance. "But the so-called 80,000 banner soldiers are all white-faced young men, weak and flimsy. No matter how they know how to be romantic, they can run faster than rabbits once the black ships attack. The young Tosa warriors who only know how to use brute force will end up in national disaster It came in handy when it happened.” "It's not a good thing to talk about on a ship." "Is this what Edo people say they don't understand elegance?" "yes." "However, you, who should know elegance, want to pretend to be a husband, and do such indecent things as revenge and hatred. It's really unreasonable." "Oh?" When it came to this topic, Ah Sae began to be vague on purpose, saying, "Our agreement..." He said and cast a wink at Longma. "What agreement?" "Have you forgotten? Just let me teach you about men and women." "Ah, I will definitely ask for advice some other day." Ryoma was originally only half joking. "How is tonight?" Ah Sae put on a straight face, staring at Ryoma closely. Soon, the full moon rose.The moon is reflected in the water, and the houses in Caimu Town on the shore are clearly outlined in the faint moonlight, as beautiful as a dream. Ryoma was already intoxicated.It may be that Ah Sae is good at persuading people to drink. "Drunk." He put down his glass. "So what?" "I want to go back." He stood up and opened the lattice door, "The bed is ready, do you want to live here?" "Please Mr. Sakamoto stay here too." "I want to go back." "It's dangerous for you to go back like this." "It doesn't matter." He said so, slamming top-heavy against the pillar. "Look, I didn't say it." Ah Sae grabbed Ryoma's wrist and said, "Mr. Sakamoto, when you talk about revenge, you change the subject. Can you please listen to me?" "Don't get entangled in this matter." "If I don't want to be entangled, I can't get rid of it. I was almost killed by Nobuo Samanosuke." "Is there such a thing?" "When I was still in Fukagawa Nakacho, a regular customer said he wanted to go on a cruise with me. At night, he suddenly pushed me into the river." "It was the regular customer who pushed you down?" "yes." "What happened next?" "Fortunately, I met a boat that was fishing at night on the river and rescued me. This saved my life. That regular customer is Samanosuke's disciple." Really can make up.Long Ma secretly thought, but pretended to ask very seriously, "And then?" "Then I told Mr. Fujihei about this matter. He said that as long as I was in Nakacho, my life would be in danger, so he redeemed me." "Then what do you do for a living now?" "Be a calligraphy master." "It's really rare for a woman to be a calligraphy master. Don't you swear to give up if you don't take revenge?" "If I don't take revenge, I will be killed. Mr. Sakamoto, please help me." "I won't promise you. Don't take revenge either." "I want revenge." Letting Ryoma and Sae meet tonight was a trick of Fujibei, only he would have thought of such a thing.What he thought was that if Ryoma slept with A Sae tonight, Ryoma would definitely have feelings for A Sae and avenge her. What a troublesome thief.Ryoma thought he was stupid, but suddenly his arms holding the pillar slipped off, and he sat down under the pillar and fell asleep. At dawn, Ryoma suddenly felt his throat was dry and woke up.He found himself wrapped in a satin quilt he had never used.broken!He got up hastily.After he sat up cross-legged on the quilt, he discovered something that made him even more flustered, he was actually wearing a nightgown. Someone is moving in the dark.Ryoma immediately reached for the knife beside his pillow.Taking a closer look, there is also a quilt next to it.There was a woman's snickering sound from within, and it took a long time for Ryoma to realize that it was Ah Sae. "Are you awake?" The dragon and the horse were at a loss for a moment. "Why did I drink that little wine, I was so drunk. I don't remember anything." Aang smiled lowly. There is a reason for this, but Sae doesn't want to tell Ryoma.Last night, Ah Sae added the medicinal powder prepared for her by Kudai Fujibei to Ryoma's wine.Fujibei gave advice to Sae in advance. "Sleep with Mr. Sakamoto." He also said to her, "A man will only work hard for his own woman. But that Mr. is still young and has never touched a woman. It will take some trouble to sleep with him. You'll see the situation, if it doesn't go well, give him this." After speaking, he gave her a paper bag. "what is this?" "Monghan medicine bought from a Chinese shop in Nagasaki." Fujibei sometimes used this drug to sneak into other people's homes when stealing, so his colleagues gave him the name "Zhudai". Of course, Sae never dreamed that Fujibei was doing this kind of business. "Light on the lamp." Ryoma said. "Yes." Ah Sae got up, but instead of going to get the lamp, she suddenly grabbed Ryoma's right hand and dragged it to her lap. "What, what are you doing?" "Mr. Sakamoto, last night, I taught you about men and women according to our agreement. Do you remember?" I don't know!Ryoma roared in his heart in the dark. "Lie." Ah Sae put her palm on Ryoma's thigh and said, "You obviously wanted someone last night." "I don't remember anything." "But I remember." "Ah, you must have made a mistake. How can it be possible that only women remember this kind of thing between men and women, but men don't? It's impossible for such a thing to happen, and I still know that." Ryoma returned to the Chiba Martial Art Museum in Barrel Town early in the morning, unhappy because he felt cheated.Ah Xie, this woman is simply like a vixen.He stood by the well, stripped naked, and splashed the pulley with water to pour over his body. After pouring about twenty buckets, he began to wipe himself with a towel. "What's wrong?" Shigetaro asked in surprise as he came up behind him.Sanako was also peeping from a hut across the courtyard. "What's the matter, what's the matter, I obviously didn't do anything, but the woman insisted: I did it, I taught it, I really taught it. I'm really annoyed. That kind of weird woman wants revenge. Ah Zhong, Edo is simply a group of monsters gathering place." "Just say that Edo is bad, but please speak Edo dialect. I can't understand what you're saying at all." "Indeed." Ryoma changed back to his Edo accent, "What does Ah Zhong think? You should be familiar with these things." "What's up?" "That's the one……" "Xiaolong, please be quiet, what happened?" Chong Taro found Ryoma panic abnormal, very strange. "I'm calm." Ryoma stood naked in front of Jutaro. "You tie the crotch cloth first." "Oh." Ryoma tied a new cloth and asked, "Have you ever slept with a woman?" "You... what did you say? So suddenly." Shigetaro glanced around hurriedly.Sanako had already hidden behind the latticed door of the hut opposite.Ryoma's voice is very loud, and of course it can be heard over there. "You tell the truth." "This..." He lowered his voice.Of course, Shigetaro is different from his father Sadakichi. He and his disciples secretly went to places like Yoshihara and Okabako. "Slept." "Then let me ask you, if you're so drunk that you don't even remember what you did at dawn?" "Not so crazy." "is not it." "Xiaolong." Shigetaro couldn't help but said, "Keep your voice down. Sanako is listening in that hut." "Strange thing, I drank unconscious yesterday and slept with a woman. The woman insisted that she taught me about men and women." "Hey, keep your voice down." "I am born with a strong voice. I expected that things between men and women should be better, and I think so now. It makes me very unhappy to have this kind of thing with that kind of woman." "Xiaolong, I don't quite understand what you said. You did something that a samurai shouldn't do. What if you were beheaded at that time? When I said you were careless, I didn't mean the matter between men and women, but It's about being drunk." Soon, Sanako walked into Shigetaro's room with a livid face, and said, "Brother, what happened to Mr. Sakamoto's ugly behavior just now? I was surprised, I didn't expect him to be such a dirty person." "Ok." "Answer me. What do you think?" "It's so inappropriate to be a samurai." Chong Taro was also a little disappointed. Ryoma, whom he admired originally, was drunk by a prostitute and lost his mind.Not only that, but as a man, to be toyed with by a woman at will, without even remembering it at all, is really worthless and a waste. "He's a good guy, but he's the last son of a villager's family after all, so he might be spoiled. Let's teach him a lesson in the martial arts hall today." "That's right." Zuo Nazi clapped his hands.In fact, she was just pretending to be happy, and there was no smile in her eyes.Shigetaro didn't understand why the girl was so excited today. At this time, Zhenji, who had recovered from her illness and practiced her legs and feet, was walking in the courtyard quietly and sat down by the porch. "Father." Sanako was about to run out, but Zhenkichi stopped her with her hand. "Sit down. I heard everything you just said. I heard that you are going to punish Ryoma, but can you?" "Of course." "Have you competed with Ryoma recently?" "It was a long time ago." "Recently, his martial arts seem to have advanced to another level." "My daughter didn't see it." "Let's just compare and see. I haven't been a referee for you for a long time. How about 30 rounds to decide the outcome?" Thirty rounds, this will be a competition with all your strength, Shigetaro thought. Zhenji continued: "Just now he was naked by the well talking loudly about sleeping with a woman last night, right?" "It's heartbreaking." "You don't have to worry. I have seen and heard from a distance, and I think this person is not simple. He is not as floating as he appears. In his body, there is another calm person. Your eyes can't see it." Arrived." "I really didn't see it." Shigetaro said modestly.In fact, this is a lie.It was also because he saw the other side of Ryoma that he cared for him more. "I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a story about the art of war. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with Ryoma, but looking at Ryoma standing by the well, I can't help but think of the story my brother told me... I forgot which country's deep mountains Yes, there is a woodcutter." In the deep mountains, when the woodcutter was cutting down a big tree with an axe, a strange beast named "Wu" suddenly appeared. "Who?" asked the woodcutter. "I am the beast named Wu." The beast replied. Just when the woodcutter thought to himself, this beast is so rare that he has to catch it alive, Wu opened his bloody mouth and said with a smile, "You just wanted to catch me alive, didn't you?" The woodcutter was very surprised and felt that the beast could not be easily captured alive, so he secretly wanted to kill it with an axe.Wu immediately said: "You just wanted to kill me with an axe?" The woodcutter suddenly felt that he was quite stupid, so he thought: All the thoughts in my mind have been guessed one by one, so I simply ignore it and chop my firewood.So continue to pick up the axe. "You just thought, there's no other way, just chop wood, right?" the beast laughed.But the woodcutter paid no attention to it, and only cared about chopping wood. Soon, due to excessive force, the ax fell off the handle and flew out, just landing on the strange beast Zhu.The strange beast was bleeding from the head, and died without saying a word. This is the ultimate of the Wuxiang sword mentioned in swordsmanship. This fable may have been written by a Zen monk who was good at creation.Chiba Shusaku of Kanda Yuchi likes this story. Whenever he confers the catalog or qualifications to his disciples, he will say: "The sword is divided into the Xinmiao sword and the Wuxiang sword." Xinmiaojian, also known as "Shimiaojian", refers to the ability to hit the opponent with precision.Swordsmanship that has reached this level can be called skillful.But this kind of swordsmanship will lose if it encounters an opponent like a strange beast.The Wuxiang sword is the "axe".The ax has no heart, it just moves between no thoughts and no thoughts.The strange beast enlightenment can be called the Xinmiao sword, and the ax in the woodcutter's hand is the Wuxiang sword.This is the highest state of the sword, if one can reach this state, one can be victorious in every battle. "Father." Shigetaro objected, "You mean, Xiaolong has already reached Wuxiangjian?" "Not yet. If I do, even I won't be able to beat this kid. To reach the realm of Wuxiangjian, you need hard work and talent. Xinmiaojian is the highest state that mortals can reach, and Wuxiangjian is the highest level that ordinary people can reach. The highest state a genius can achieve." "Then what about me?" "You..." Zhenji evasively changed the subject, "The 30th round of competition should be held at Chenshi tomorrow morning. Call all the disciples." Ryoma and Shigetaro each carried bamboo swords and walked from the east and west sides of the training ground to the center. Although Ryoma casually called Chiba Shigetaro Ichiyin Ashige, in fact, Shigetaro, like his cousins, was Chiba's young master, skilled in swordsmanship, and was a well-known figure in Edo. Represented by Chiba Shuzuo and Zhenji Brothers, Beichen One-Sword Style Talents come out in large numbers: Don't gossip.At this time, Shigetaro and Ryoma's sword points were facing each other, and then jumped nearly four feet away. Thirty rounds determine the outcome.There is no rest in the middle. In this competition, I can't lose to him even once.Shigetaro gripped the long sword tightly. The tip of the knife flickered like a wagtail's tail. This was Beichen's one-handed knife technique.The advantage of this waggle-pigeon shock method is that it can prevent the tip of the knife from becoming stiff first, act quickly, and will not let the opponent easily detect your intentions. Ryoma raised the long sword high above his head. Shigetaro felt that Ryoma's posture was indeed mighty and imposing, but he didn't think it was as good as his father Sadakichi praised.Don't be afraid.Zhenji took the chair.On the guest seats were Chiba Eijiro, who had come to watch the battle from Yuchi Chiba, and the swordsmanship instructor Haibao Hohei.The disciples sat in sequence, and Zuo Nazi sat at the end of the table in full dress. Yesterday, Sanako said with jealousy that he wanted to teach Ryoma a lesson, but unexpectedly it turned into a big competition. Shigetaro shouted loudly, ready to challenge.But Ryoma remained motionless. The two confront each other. Sanako in the last seat was trembling with nervousness.Maybe it's because of the overwhelming momentum of the confrontation between the two, but it's not just that.She knew that this competition would determine Ryoma's fate as a swordsman.Because Chiba Eijiro from Yuchi of Sobukan and coach Haibao Hohei came to watch as guests, so it turned out to be an open competition.If Sakamoto wins, he will stand out from the three thousand disciples under Chiba's sect and be promoted to the ranks of the few masters.If it fails...Of course, Ryoma's reputation will drop for a while.Not only that, Zuo Nazi knew that in this way, there are many swordsmen who failed in the big competition and never recovered.Will Ryoma do the same? What will happen?Sadakichi thinks highly of Ryoma's recent progress, but Sanako doesn't think so.的确，龙马的功夫跟他刚来江户时相比有了很大的提高，就像变了个人，但是千叶重太郎的功夫，在千叶一门当中，是和本家的荣次郎不相上下的。贞吉对重太郎的资质没做任何评价，却说龙马有无想剑的资质。他的意思是龙马不是俊才，而是天才。 How is it?佐那子不知自己在支持哪一方了。 坂本公子，输了去吧。她想大声冲着龙马喊，但是她的目光却死死地盯着龙马的一举一动，心里拼命想：一定要胜。 这种奇怪的心思，连佐那子自己都不明白。 关注龙马的不只是佐那子一个人，千叶荣次郎和海保帆平也一样。他们之所以前来观看比试，是想如果可能，授予龙马千叶门最高位的大目录皆传的资格。 重太郎再次呼喝诱敌。 龙马应声上去，剑尖直指向重太郎眼睛。重太郎迅速往前迈进一步，击中龙马的剑后将其挑起，随即改变姿势，以迅雷不及掩耳之势，大喊一声“接招”，猛击过来。随着一声喊，千叶重太郎往后飞出近两丈。因为龙马的这一攻，速度比重太郎稍快。 全场喧哗。 这样漂亮的取胜，在以前的剑术比赛中从没有出现过。 然而，之后的形势就不容乐观了。接下来的十个回合，龙马都输给了重太郎。从来没有过这么奇特的比武。或许可以说，从来没有过像龙马这样奇特的剑客。第一个回合，他用豪爽快速的攻击击倒了重太郎，每个人都认为：龙马比重太郎更胜一筹。但是，之后他却连输了十个回合。 千叶荣次郎对贞吉道：“叔叔，好生奇怪。侄儿认为其中定有原因，还是中止这场比试吧。” “算了，让他们比到最后。” 比试继续。让人惊讶的是，龙马仍旧节节吃败，一直到第二十九个回合也没能扳回一局。 双方身上用厚重的棉布做成的练功服如今就像被水淺湿了一样，但是二人不愧是高手，呼吸没有半点紊乱。 重太郎刀尖朝下，龙马便立马挑起刀尖，将刀举过头顶，其姿态变幻无穷，天衣无缝。然后，他迈进半步，道：“接招。” 重太郎见龙马用擅长的击腕剑法朝自己砍来。为了保护手腕，他猛地将剑尖转向右边，龙马突然转向，又让重太郎觉得是朝着自己头盔砍来。在重太郎举起拳头的瞬间，龙马往前跃进一步，没有朝他的头盔也没有朝他的护腕进攻，而是像巨炮一样直冲他的身体，重太郎仰面倒地。 “比试结束！”贞吉举起手。 荣次郎和帆平也站起来，一脸不可思议。 在三十个回合当中，龙马只在第一个回合和最后一个回合中以豪爽快速的攻击击倒了对方，但是在另外的二十八个回合中，却全都输了。 回到房中，荣次郎对贞吉道；“叔叔对于这次比试有何看法？” “这个……”贞吉好像也非常迷惑。 海保帆平道：“不管怎么说，第一回合和最后一个回合很精彩。说实话，那种突击的手段，我还从来没见过。” “但有着那等身手的龙马，为何在二十八个回合中都失败了呢？他应该不会觉得对方是师父的儿子而让步。要真是那样，龙马身为武士，就差劲了。” “总之，”海保帆平道，“真是个不可理喻的人。即便是他让着重太郎，但在二十八个回合中变换动作姿势，自然地将胜利让给对方，一般的身手也是很难做到的。” 比试之后一个多月，十一月初的一个傍晚，土佐藩的锻冶桥藩府着了火。龙马正好在武馆中，慌忙赶过去时，火已经灭了。 “情况怎样？”他问看门人。 “真是万幸。木工小屋的木屑着了火，只烧掉了那个小屋，就被扑灭了。” “那就好。”火被扑灭了，龙马就不必留在藩府。这时，天竟淅沥沥地下起雨来。“不好，从中午我就看着天色不好，现在终于下起来了。” “请把这把伞拿上。”看门人道，“但是您用完得赶紧还回来，近来上头不好说话。坂本公子有些粗枝大叶呢。” “我一定还回来。” 由于藩公性豁达，喜高谈阔论，各藩武士及市町学人剑客都常出入，这个土佐藩的府邸在江户很有名。众人散时若下雨，客人自然会借走府里的伞，但借走之后，很少有人还回来。“如此，会因为伞而变穷，要是上等的伞，应该会还。”于是，他们准备了上等的伞，在伞上用黑漆写上“锻冶桥山内”五个大字，结果各藩的年轻武士都视为珍奇，随身携带，更难回收，酿成笑话。 龙马打着写有“锻冶桥山内”的伞，正要走出藩府，一个女人的身影突然出现在他面前。“公子。” “啊？”龙马惊道，“是阿冴？你到这里来做什么？” “我正好有事来这边，见吵吵嚷嚷的，心想公子或许在这里，于是便想来看看您。” “有劳挂心。” 阿冴大胆地将身子靠了过来，道：“请给我打打伞。” “给你，你要到哪里去？” "It's over there." “是南大工町那一带？” “嗯。”阿冴含糊其辞，抬头看了龙马一眼，显得比以前更加亲昵了。走着走着，雨忽然停了。很快乌云散去，落日染红了西方的天空。这天气真是古怪。龙马抬头看着天空。 是日乃是嘉永七年十一月初三。第二天黎明，东海和近畿便发生了大地动，但此时的龙马哪里想得到。 傍晚，龙马和阿冴分开，回了一趟桶町的武馆。 其实他打着写有藩名的伞和阿冴一起从锻冶桥走到武馆的事，重太郎和佐那子知道了。奉重太郎之命去打探火灾情形的千叶家的仆人看到那二人一起打着伞，便将这事报给了兄妹二人。 龙马一回来，佐那子便出言挖苦。“火灾可不得了吧？” “嗯。”龙马装糊涂，心中却思虑重重。 阿冴说，她和八幡神社的神主有交情。她今晚将住在那里，约龙马亥时去密会。龙马本想拒绝，但是阿冴不等他回答，就从龙马伞下走了出去，撩起裙摆，在泥泞的路上跑远了。女人的背影在龙马回到武馆之后，仍在眼前挥之不去。龙马并不那么喜欢阿冴，但是他现在这种年龄，阿冴的引诱让他无法自制。今夜，我偷偷地去吗？龙马犹豫不决，全身如火烧一般。 但是，在佐那子跟前，龙马只是像个孩子一样天真地笑着。佐那子不会想到龙马竟然会在心里盘算着这些事，说道：“我一直想问您呢，前几天的那场比试，您怎么会输掉？” “那是因为我功夫不好。” “本家的荣次郎哥哥后来说，看了您的剑法，他觉得那次比试中您故意谦让了。如果真的谦让，我会鄙视您。” “不，是我功夫不好。” "real?" "That's all." 龙马沉默了。 实际上，龙马和重太郎对阵时，惊讶地发现对方的功夫突然差了很多。不，不是对方变差了，而是龙马进步神速。 输给他吧。龙马就是这样的人。他始终没有那种一条道走到黑的死脑筋。这一点，或许是他最终不适合做一个剑客的原因。他总是会想得更多，与其在这里争一场赛事的胜负，不如替将来不得不继承这个武馆的重太郎考虑。 到了与阿冴约定的亥时，整个江户都已熟睡。 龙马翻过武馆后墙，跳到后边的草坪，用黑布蒙上脸，然后蹲下身子，点上灯笼。 龙马已经不再责备自己经不起引诱，因为他已经翻过了墙，像酸腐的儒者一样嘟嘟囔囔地自责没有用处，不如毅然决然去做。即便是坏事，即便是为了满足情欲，想要做的也要做。他觉得武士就应该是这样。虽然稍嫌任性，但他有着一套属于自己的武士道。 他天生就有一种难以接受旧礼教的秉性，后来他形成了一种龙马式的武士道，并将其作为行动准则。如果没有属于自己的道德标准，或许很难在乱世中生存。他始终天真地微笑着，但是当他投身于天下风云时，却有如此言论： 他是一个性情非常复杂之人，他并非发自内心这么想，本质上他是一个非常温和的人。他是想用这种属于自己的道德，来弥补性情的温和。也罢，且不追究了。 反正，这天晚上龙马提着灯笼，开始大踏步往前走。他知道，转到西会所的背面，就可以不过城门。转过去之后，便是八幡神社。小殿东侧就是神主的家，格子门紧闭着。 what to do?龙马刚到那里，便有一个老妪走了过来，好像是被阿冴买通了。 “公子，这边请。” 她操着一口怪异的方言，给龙马带路。 打开柴扉进去之后，发现里面除了主屋，还有两间小房。看起来是神主为了隐居而建，大概原来的屋主已经去世。 阿冴默默地开了门。 “这个时候点灯恐惊扰近邻，所以特意没点灯。里面很黑，拉住我的手。”龙马把左手伸了过去。 好笑的是，龙马一进小屋，就找到酒壶，当着阿冴的面大口喝了起来。阿冴摸索着给他倒了两三杯之后，不禁失笑。前来幽会的风流公子，却连女人的手都不拉一下，只管在黑暗当中抱着酒壶不撒手。 “您到底怎么了？”阿冴无奈地问道。 "What's wrong?" “您来这里就是为了喝酒吗？” “正好有酒壶啊。” “在漆黑的屋子里喝酒，香吗？” “在我们老家，有一种年轻人玩的游戏，和这个挺像，很有趣。” “什么样的游戏？” “年轻人围着大锅坐成一圈，煮东西吃。南瓜、茄子、鱼，甚至还会有旧草鞋、老鼠和猫之类。把灯吹灭吃那些东西。作为男人，即便筷子夹到的是草鞋，也得吃下去。” “真恶心。为什么要那么做？” “是为了练胆量。身为武士，要做到泰山崩于前而不惊。就是练这种胆量。” “再是土佐的乡下武士，也讨厌草鞋吧？” “啰唆！所以在漆黑中先匆匆忙忙地大口喝酒，醉了之后，就不管锅里是老鼠还是草鞋了。” "Wait a minute." "What's wrong?" “您是说，在您面前有我这么一口大锅，所以您才先大口喝酒？” “不不。” “我可不是草鞋或死老鼠。” 不都差不多吗。龙马心里这样想，嘴上却若无其事地说道：“我只是打个比方而已。” “那更可气了。您是把我比成草鞋吗？” “不，我在黑暗中喝酒，想到了那个游戏而已。” “那您说您眼前不是大锅，又是什么？” “是你。”龙马一本正经地回答。 阿冴笑出声来，“好了好了，我就原谅你。” “冒犯了。” “坂本公子您也会上来历不明的女人的钩，就像游戏一样，不知道会吃到草鞋还是死老鼠。” “我早有准备。” “岂有此理。”阿冴竟无法生气。 灭了灯喝酒醉得快，龙马很快便酩酊大醉了，但他心中还想着阿冴。 应该吃吗？他心里明白。眼前的这锅食物——阿冴。 日后，仁人志士都说龙马为人奔放不羁、无所畏惧、机智多谋，但是这个时候的龙马才二十岁，还没经历过女人。正是因为他过于想知道女人是怎么回事，才一步步走进阿冴设计的圈套中。他在黑暗中拼命地咬着牙，强忍住颤抖。原来男人的铁胆也会打颤。男人的初夜就是这样的。 龙马在老家时，听说过好些男人第一次接近女人的笑话。在土佐，人们都说这事跟第一次上战场差不多。 时下有一本被人广为传阅的叫《甲子夜话》的书，其中有关于战国时代加藤清正向他的儿子讲述自己第一次上战场时心情的故事。清正说：“首次追随秀吉公于贱岳冲锋，上山之后，发现敌人，于是闭眼持矛往前直冲。心中极怕，如在黑夜中冲撞，全不知前事如何。心以为此生休矣，于是闭眼念佛，于黑暗中持矛乱刺。突然手上震动，竟是刺中敌人，事后方知是最先立功，当时竟全然不明。上阵益多，方识是敌是友。” 清正真了不起！龙马心里赞道。连清正这种大器之材，在第一次上战场时都是这样。或许器量越大的人，第一次上战场才越慌乱。可能那些只有小勇小才的人，才会估量高低长短，并做出诸多安排，反而不慌。 作战和女色又有不同。在土佐，有着这样的说法：第一次亲近女子，越是大丈夫越是慌乱，好色之徒习以为常，反而沉着。所以，龙马并不以慌乱为耻，但是他或许也是个好色之徒。 他想平静下来，好好地看看阿冴的身段，希望看透她的内心。看样子我也可能是个不能掉以轻心的好色之徒。而且他害怕父亲八平和兄长权平。他们告诫他不能沉溺于女色，而且还给他戴上护身袋，现在他却要打破那个戒规。可如何是好？他左右为难。 “坂本公子，您在想什么？”阿冴把手放到龙马膝上。 “我在想人这个东西。”龙马咕咚干了一杯，然后说道，“这么说听起来可能有点装腔作势，我是在想我这个人。” “怪人。您先歇息一下，别想那些乱七八糟的事，拿出坂本公子的样子，大口大口吃您眼前这锅菜吧。” “对，还有个法子。” “真是个大怪人，除了这个还有什么法子？” “那就是忍。” “您想在这里忍吗？有句俗话说放到嘴边的肉不吃白不吃。” “那是庶民的话。我是武士。” “是，是，那么，武家爷。”阿冴带着嘲笑道，“相扑力士要忍，武士爷您为什么要忍呢？” “我虽马虎不成器，却有一件最重要的东西支撑着我习武练功，让我无论千难万苦都不放弃。要是没有那个，我就会像没有骨头的水母，谁也不会把我当回事，更危险的是，会自娱自乐。我原本就很可能成为这种人。” “那您那件最重要的东西是什么呢？” “就像是男人要用两条腿站着。” "what is that?" “将来随着处境的改变还会改变，但目前只有一件。我要是跟你说了，你定会捧腹大笑。” “还是那个护身袋吗？” "right." “您可真正直，有孝心啊。” “倒也不是，我还年轻不更事，在习武之时应该戒色。只有这种戒规能让我忍耐。父亲和兄长为了让我来江户习武，花了不少钱。但是，我忍耐的动机决不是出于正直或者孝心，而是有更大的事如大风吹过我心头。” “太可怕了，那是什么？” “也就是坂本龙马能为即将到来的国难做点什么。要想修身养性，做个有用之人，就不能做无骨的水母。” “哈，真是狂妄，您是想成为由比正雪那样的反贼吗？” “我给你看个好东西。”不知道想到了什么，龙马突然在黑暗中抓住了阿冴的手。 阿冴突然变得不再像平常的阿冴。被龙马抓住手，她感觉自己就像回到孩提时，心头充满纯真的期待。 What's wrong with me?不知道为什么，阿冴身体开始变得僵硬。在这一瞬间，她似乎完全忘记了自己身陷苦海的这一年，回到了纯真的从前。 阿冴认为，龙马是想把她拽去抱住，才抓住她的手。但是，谁曾想龙马抓着她的手放到了自己领口。 阿冴很吃惊，问道： "What do you want to do?" “你把手伸进领口里摸摸我的背，不用顾虑。” “我没有顾虑，您是想让我给您挠背？” “你想挠吗？” “不想。” "hurry up."