Chapter 11 11. Bad news

Seeing Sakamoto Ryoma's return, Chiba Sadakichi and his son were so happy that tears filled their eyes. My hometown is nice, but the people in Edo are also touching.After leaving for a while, Ryoma felt this more and more.During Ryoma's absence, Shigetaro married a wife. "His name is Hachisun. Bass is 80% full, and 1 inch is 2 inches. If you need anything, just call her." Chong Taro happily asked his wife to come to see Ryoma. Bacun bowed on the wooden floor of the corridor opposite the door, then raised his head and said, "Please take care of me." She has clear eyes, a thin chin, and looks very smart. Ryoma likes this kind of woman.

No, she is a woman who fascinates me.Ryoma sighed in his heart, with the smile like the spring breeze in the past still appearing on his face, and said: "Please take care of me." "Okay, okay." Shigetaro was inexplicably happy.He said that Hachisun's family lived in Asakusa, and was the daughter of Akutagawa and Zongji, the shogunate's astronomy department.Although the status is not high, Akutagawa and Zongji are scholars known for their algorithms. "Eight inches, serve the wine." Shigetaro ordered pretending to be prestige.He has just become the head of the family, so he seems a little blunt.Bacun left, Shigetaro came over and said, "Xiaolong, my wife is really a good thing."

"Oh." Longma agreed lightly. "But you sure don't understand." "Don't understand what?" "It's a good thing for a wife." "That's a bit difficult." Long Ma said, not knowing how to deal with it, "Who made me a bachelor?" "There is no need to lament." "I didn't lament." Ryoma gradually felt depressed. "How about marrying one?" "I don't have a family business like you. I am the second son, and I dare to start a family only after I have a business." "Based on your ability, in a year or two, you will be able to become a museum owner."

"Of course I am very happy to say that, but I may not live that kind of stable life." "What will happen to your life?" "I don't know." Long Ma said with a blank look in his eyes, "Shouldn't be a man who can marry a wife." "Oh. Although your future is uncertain now, it's not like you won't be able to marry a virtuous woman who is in love with you." "That's that, that's that." Ryoma was afraid that he would mention Sanako, so he quickly agreed. In his mind, men are divided into two categories: farmers and hunters.It is the farmer who is content with the fields, plowing and harvesting in the autumn, marrying a wife and having children, and taking it as a blessing, while the hunter is the one who travels through the mountains, climbs the mountains, chases prey and finally forgets his hometown.Shigetaro became a first-class swordsman at a young age. Born in a family of swordsmanship, after he married his wife, he immersed himself in the warmth of his family.He is a farmer.Ryoma is not.

"Let's not talk about wives anymore. I may be a weirdo, and my blood boils in bed since I was a child." "You want a woman?" "no." "what is that?" "I always feel that there is a big wild boar in front of me." "what?" "It will always appear in front of my eyes. The wild boar is always running away. While running, it provokes me and says to me: Come on, come on. I want to chase, but my feet are stuck to the ground and I can't move. The black wild boar laughed at me , call me an idiot." "Do you have such a wild boar in your heart?" Shigetaro looked very helpless like that.

Long Ma nodded very seriously, and said, "That's ambition." "Haha, it's ambition. If you want to say ambition, I have it too. Isn't studying swordsmanship also ambitious?" "Swordsmanship alone is boring." "What?" Shigetaro said angrily.Born in a famous swordsmanship family, he couldn't stand people belittling swordsmanship. "Swordsmanship is also enough to make young people pin their ambitions. You may not know that during the time you left Edo, the general's residence set up a martial arts training center, which can be said to be the most important event since Lord Ieyasu entered Edo. Three This has changed the tendency of emphasizing literature over martial arts over the past century. Just as Wen has Yushima, Wu also has a military training institute. In fact, I will soon be working in the military training institute."

"Congratulations." "I'm joking. Xiaolong, if you practice martial arts diligently, this is the way to go." "My heart is not the same as yours." "What's the difference?" "I don't know either. As soon as I close my eyes, the wild boar will appear. But I don't know what it means. Before that, I'll practice the sword first." "You mean you don't plan to marry a wife until you understand this?" "It should be so." Ryoma felt troubled and vaguely passed.In any case, Jutaro and him are not the same kind of people, and they won't understand.In fact, even Ryoma himself didn't understand.

Soon, Bacun served the food and wine.Immediately behind her was Sanako who came in with dishes.Ryoma sat up. She is getting more and more beautiful. "My lord, you are safe and well." After placing the dishes, Zuo Nazi bowed his head solemnly. "Long time no see." Ryoma smiled and nodded to Sanazi, and said, "I thought you were married a long time ago, but you haven't. Your vision is too high, be careful not to be left behind. You are still so charming, but look It looks a little haggard." "Really annoying." "I do it out of good intentions. Is there someone who is already interested?"

Seeing Ryoma pretending to be confused, Sanako was sad in his heart, his face was full of anger, but his eyes were shining.Does he not actually know my heart? "I don't have a crush, but I hate someone very much." "Oh? Who?" "It's you." "There is such a thing?" "Sanako, step back." The kind-hearted Shigetaro squeezed sweat in his hands, and changed the subject, "How is it, Xiaolong, you have been back to your hometown for a few days, how do you feel about coming back this time?" Ryoma took a sip of the wine, returned the cup to Shigetaro, and said, "It took me a few days to understand the benefits of Edo. Although my hometown is good, after all, the folk customs are vulgar."

I am so rude, and I still talk about others.Sanako stared at him from the side. "Is Edo so good?" Shigetaro was born and raised in Edo, and he was very happy when he heard that Edo was good. "Sure enough, there are still more than two hundred years of accumulation. Human relations are different from those in the countryside, and are much more delicate. The merits of the Tokugawa family for generations lie in the construction of such a city." "Tosa Kochi is also good." "That's the countryside, the countryside." Ryoma said one glass after another, and had already emptied two jugs. "The Tosa people drink together, and when three samurai get together, they talk about state affairs. They often raise their eyebrows, as if immediately They must stand up, otherwise Japan will perish. They think so from the bottom of their hearts, and want to show the foreign devils who look down on Japan how powerful the Tosa sword is."

"A lot of people with lofty ideals." "But it's scary." "what do you mean?" "The same may be true of the young samurai in Choshu and Satsuma. Rude and dissident. But in Edo, people are all laid back, and there is no sense of national disaster. In the near future, Edo people are likely to be replaced by country people. defeat." "How is it possible?" Shigetaro smiled, not paying attention. On the evening of the second day, Ryoma went to the Tsukiji feudal mansion on business, and on his way back to Tongcho late at night, he walked outside the high wall of the Matsudaira mansion in Unzhou, when a figure suddenly swung a knife and slashed at him. Longma hurriedly dodges, then throws away the lantern in his hand, and stamps it out with his foot.The surroundings suddenly became dark. Ryoma retreated to the wall and gently pulled out his sword.To draw a knife silently is the law of fighting in the dark.But unfortunately, Ryoma just stood under the moonlight.The opponent turned his back to the moon.Two black figures stood about two feet away from the dragon horse, motionless, only paddling the ground with their feet.If it is road robbery, it can be said to be quite skilled. Ryoma remembered being attacked by Okada Izo at Koryo Bridge in Osaka.At that time Yizang was very timid, but tonight's two people have the composure of those who have seen countless blood. The tall man on the right poses with eight faces, while the small man on the left holds his knife pointing down. "You want to rob?" Ryoma asked in a low voice, and then immediately jumped to the right to prevent the enemy from attacking. The other party was silent. Since the Black Ship incident, the world has been in turmoil. Martial arts schools of all sizes in Edo have sprung up like a spring after the rain. The number has reached 200, and each school has reached more than 50.Therefore, in order to try their skills, some rough young people went to the street to rob and kill. "It's really bold to attack a samurai." In order not to leave clues for the other party to seek revenge, Ryoma deliberately learned Edo dialect.He changed his position again, and said, "Besides, it's admirable that the two of you beat me together. I suggest you come out alone from tomorrow night. But, you two..." He immediately changed his position again, Said: "If you are killed by me tonight, it will be a different matter." He rubbed his feet on the ground while talking, constantly changing his figure.Soon he flashed to the left of the little man. Had this experience already in Osaka.He raised his knife and slashed, arching his feet.This will give the opponent the illusion of seeing a giant bat. The other party hastily raised his knife to meet him, and the flaw was immediately revealed.His right bracer gleamed in the moonlight.At this moment, Ryoma's broadsword fell like a god of thunder. "Ah!" The little man jumped up, and immediately fell heavily to the ground.He tried to jump up with the knife in his right hand, but fell to the ground again.The smell of blood permeated the air. "Offended." Ryoma jumped to the left side of the big guy again. The big man took a step back and said, "Long Ma, you are good at kung fu." Long Ma asked in surprise, "Who are you?" "You forgot? Goodbye." The sound of bamboo clogs gradually disappeared in the darkness.The man whose arm had been cut off followed the big man and fled. Ryoma was at a loss. An uninvited guest came to Chiba Martial Arts Hall to visit Ryoma.It's sleeping with Fujihei. Since one of the janitor's huts was unoccupied, Ryoma asked him to wait there.Wait until dusk, after practicing the sword, and then go to see him. "Long time no see." Long Mala opened the door and found Fujibei adding firewood to the furnace. "Cold weather." "What's the matter this time?" "It's not a big deal. First, I want to see you. In addition, if you are willing, there is something I would like to ask." "Slow down. You must be fine. Don't force women of unknown origin on me." "You mean Sae? That's right..." Fujibei seemed to suddenly remember, and said, "She is dead." Ryoma panicked. "What's wrong? Did you die of illness?" "Well, it was the cholera. Last summer, when the son left Edo, it became popular, and the people disappeared all at once. At that time, I went out and asked the landlord when I came back. I found out that she was dead. The unclaimed body was taken away. The people were piled together like firewood and burned away. They were reduced to ashes, and even her ashes were unknown. What a pity!" Ryoma looked sad. "I'm also helpless, because I have some contact with Huiran Temple in Fukagawa Wannian Town, so I asked the monk there to take a ring name, and by the way, I asked him to make offerings in the temple." "You really did a good deed by taking care of her till the end." "I have done this good deed all my life. Even if I can't go to bliss after death, I will receive some preferential treatment when I go to hell." "Being more and more merciful." "Sigh." Fujihei scratched his head and said, "Recently, I feel that I'm getting older, and I'm starting to hate my own job." "Hate being a thief?" "Yes, if you are passionate about this business, it will be smooth sailing. Once you have the heart to retire, you will definitely hit a wall. I am already at the end of my battle." "You will be unrecognized in the future." Long Ma grinned and said, "Okay, when you are about to go to hell, I will ask my monk friend to burn incense for you." "Master, it's too much. I didn't come to ask you this." "Yeah, if that's the case, it's too early." "What I want to ask for is about living. I want to wash my hands and quit. When the time comes, can you take me in?" "No. Minamoto Yoshitsune once took Ise Saburo Yoshimori as his subordinate in ancient times, but I don't have that kind of leisure." Fujibei will not give up immediately just because he is rejected. "I don't want to make a living under your hands, I just want to help you until you become a master. How?" "Please." Long Ma suddenly felt troubled. "Thank you, young master, I will work hard next time. You should work harder, young master. I want to get the wages from you as soon as possible." "Let's not talk about this. Last night near the Yunzhou Hou's Mansion in Tsukiji, I met two strange guys. They were robbers and murderers." Ryoma briefly described the situation at the time, and then said, "I didn't see it clearly because it was too dark. face, but after thinking about the voice, I always felt like Nobuo Samanosuke, no, it must be him. Has he returned to Edo now?" "This..." Fujibei only heard that he once opened a martial arts gym under Aizu Castle, but he didn't know what happened after that. "This lunatic treats me as an enemy." "That's easy. I'm good at this kind of thing. I'll go and find out about him." Two or three days later, Fujibei came to Ryoma's residence and said, "He has returned to Edo." "Where?" "Still under the original clock, the martial arts hall has been newly decorated and has become very grand and unbelievable. It is called the Xuanming Hall of the Civil and Martial Arts Academy." "Civil and military training?" "Ok." "It's nothing more than Wu, there is also Wen, which is really surprising." "This is the current fashion. Take in a few disciples, keep some diners, and wait for the chaos to cause trouble. Civil and military teaching sounds nice, but it's just a lair for vagrants with ostentatious appearances. There are a lot of these newly established martial arts gyms with a false name." Hearing what Fujibei said, Ryoma remembered.When he returned to Edo this time, he also found that this kind of people began to attract attention.Once the shogunate decisively decides to fight against the barbarians, these people will definitely rush to the front line.This is no different from the wild samurai of the Sengoku period.Even Samanosuke became a sect against barbarians.This is the way of the world.Everyone does.Discussions about the founding of the country or the elimination of barbarians are getting more and more popular day by day.Among Ryoma's friends, Hanheita Takeichi was a pioneer. However, the shogunate did not support the anti-barbarians.They have an attitude of "fearing the barbarians", fearing the force of the great powers, and continuing weak diplomacy. In other words, they are forced to open up the country.But the court in Kyoto was different. Today's Emperor Filial Piety hates foreigners so much that it is almost pathological.Anti-barbarians from various feudal states gathered in Kyoto, and gradually formed a group that opposed the shogunate.The theory of fighting against barbarians eventually developed into the theory of respecting the king and fighting against barbarians and the theory of fighting against barbarians.At this time, Ryoma can only follow suit but has no political opinions of his own. "If Samanosuke is an anti-barbarian, go to Kanagawa and kill some devils, why come to kill me? This person is unreasonable." There are people of all colors in the world, Ryoma thought.What he had already forgotten, Samanosuke still remembered.He was defeated by Longma on the bank of Xinhe the year before last, and he always held a grudge. "Why do you hate me?" "Many people are like this. They are born like this. It may be a fox who entrusts their lives. Once they make enemies with others, they will never forget them for the rest of their lives." Ryoma understood what Fujibei meant. "Although I am a thief, I also have a clear distinction between what I like and what I hate, and I am inevitably stubborn. I can understand Samanosuke's feelings." "Are you also a fox?" Ryoma looked at Fujibei in surprise. "No, no." Fujibei touched his face and smiled. "Yes, I understand." This person wants to follow the dragon's saddle, and if this mood turns into resentment, I don't know what will happen. "Young master, you are born with a bright and straightforward temperament, so you probably don't understand." "No, I also have attachments." "Of course. But about love and hate..." "Just talking about love and hate, how can I say it? It is very likely that I am also duplicity, and I am obsessed with it." "My lord..." Fujibei smiled, but hesitated to speak. "Say what you have to say." "Then, I want to say, son, you have to be more careful. You may not take it seriously, but others hold it in their hearts. Nobuo Samanosuke is an example. That guy may stare at you for the rest of his life." "Fujibei, you are preaching." Ryoma teased him, "If a man cares about other people's grudges one by one, he will not be able to achieve great things." "True. But it's not a bad thing to know that there are all kinds of people in this world." "I already know a lot, thanks to Nobuo Samanosuke. It is very likely that that guy will remember sometime and come to trouble me again." "That's why that kind of person exists. Maybe that guy wants to practice swords with you." "Trouble." Ryoma smiled wryly. "When you meet someone like this, what can you do? There are all kinds of people in the world, and they have all kinds of ideas. Being together like this is what makes Edo so interesting." At the end of the third year of Anzheng.When New Year's Eve was approaching, Quan Pin from his hometown sent a letter by messenger.Long Ma suddenly felt ominous.Although they were messengers from the vassal state, they were not so kind and sent the letter to the Chiba Martial Art Museum where Ryoma was staying.The letter was sent to the Mansion of Kaji Bridge.Hanpeita Takeichi, who lived in the longhouse, saw the letter, and sent someone to Okemachi to tell Ryoma.When Long Ma rushed to the feudal mansion, Wu Shi handed him an oiled paper bag. "Looks like it's from your elder brother in your hometown." When he opened the letter, he saw Quan Ping's flamboyant handwriting. Father passed away. Ryoma stared blankly. Wu Shi didn't dare to ask.Ryoma's face was frightening, even suffocating.According to the letter, Hachihei Sakamoto suddenly fell ill on the fourth day of December, and then passed away shortly thereafter at the age of fifty-four. Ryoma looked down at the letter again, which briefly described the situation of his father when he was dying.Hachira, who had been sleeping until his death, suddenly opened his eyes and called "Ryoma".Then he kept calling his son's name.When the shouting stopped, he stopped breathing.Is this the will?In Baping's heart, the last son, Ryoma, worried him the most. Hachira name straight foot.He was originally the son of Shiyamamoto's family in Chaojiang Village, married into Sakamoto's family, married Ryoma's mother Sachiko, and gave birth to two boys and three girls.He is naturally strong, and Kwon Ping, Otome, and Ryoma are all like him.When he was young, he was good at bows and spears, and he was also good at calligraphy and waka.He has a stable temperament and never reprimanded Ryoma loudly.For Ryoma, his father is like a spring breeze, always warming him. After Ryoma went to Edo at the age of nineteen, Hachihei always caught Kwon Ping and asked Ryoma about his life outside. "It's a blessing that the bed-wetting kid grew up safely and without incident. Can he make a fool of himself? It's really worrying, Kwon Ping." He said these words every day. Perhaps when he was dying, he called Ryoma again and again, just to tell his son to live a good life. "Brother Wushi." Longma forced a smile. "Sakamoto-kun, is your father gone?" The clever Takeichi had already guessed the contents of the letter in Ryoma's hand. Ryoma nodded.Wu Shi solemnly put his hands on the ground and said, "Please mourn." "Oh." Long Ma tried to put on a smile, and said, "This is all natural." "You said that your father's death is a natural law?" "Yes, if I die and my father stays behind, it will make people sad, but now it is in accordance with the law of heaven." "But..." Wushi said honestly, with tears in his eyes, angry at Ryoma's attitude, "As a son of man, I'm afraid it's hard to bear the pain of losing a father." Ryoma smiled grinningly.He had no other way to bear the pain except to force his smile. "Ryoma, you are not prudent when you see your father's obituary and still smile." "Forgive me, that's the kind of person I am. If you think it's an eyesore, I'm going out." After speaking, he picked up the big knife and ran out. With your appearance, how can your father rest in peace?Wushi secretly said. For the next two or three days, Ryoma did not appear in the longhouse of the feudal government or in the martial arts gym in Barrel Town. "Should have mourned behind closed doors, where did this dragon horse go?" Wu Shi complained to the young vassals who gathered around him, tears streaming down his face. Takeshi appreciates Ryoma.That's why he was dissatisfied with Ryoma's occasional inexplicable disrespect.Especially now, in the eyes of people like Wushi who are obsessed with Confucianism, Longma can be said to be against human ethics.It was because of his admiration that he shed sad tears for Ryoma. On the second day after Longma disappeared, there were rumors among the doormen of the feudal mansion: "Last night, there was a strange sound from the rockery in the yard. Did you hear it?" The second night was the same, roaring like a wild beast.A junior official walked in with trepidation and found a man lying on the grass among the pine trees.Before the officer had time to inquire, the man burst into tears like a raging wave.The official came tremblingly with a lantern, but the man stood up abruptly and shouted, "Don't come over!" The official was so surprised that he fell from the rockery. "There are assassins!" The officer hurriedly reported the news to his colleagues on duty.They came to the rockery and searched for half a day, but they didn't even find a ghost. Four or five days later, Wushi heard that the man seemed to be a dragon horse. wack.Takeshi understood everything.

---

Notes: