Chapter 14 first quarter

On October 27th, two months before the end of the fifth year of Wenlu, the year name was changed to "Qingchang".During Qingchang's first winter and second spring, Niu Yi threw everything away and devoted himself to writing the biography of Lord Nobunaga.The old lady from Fushimi even joked, "Mr. Ota, you have changed from a bull to a bear." Throughout the winter, Niuyi almost stayed at home, and the only time he went out was when he met the old lady at the gate. One day when spring was deep, the old woman persuaded Niu Yi to go out to enjoy the cherry blossoms. "For your health, why don't you go enjoy the cherry blossoms? I heard that the cherry blossoms in Yoshino this year are very spectacular and beautiful."

Although Niu Yi felt that only those who hadn’t seen it would say that, he still thanked her for being thoughtful and said with a smile: “There are cherry blossoms blooming in the corner of the courtyard where I live in seclusion, and in the nearby Tianmangong Temple. , this is enough. If you want to visit Yoshino, you can go there alone. You have good legs and feet, but it will take four days to go back and forth. Whether you are in Nara or Yoshino, you can stay for two or three nights Bar." After the old woman came, as she said, she didn't need wages for life or death.This time is also a good opportunity to give her money.After hearing Niu Yi's words, the old woman blushed and seemed very happy.

"Okay, I'll grant you a vacation, go ahead. You don't have to worry about me. I'll give you the money to buy some good clothes. If you get tired halfway, don't hurry, Find a place to stay." Niu Yi bought her a new set of clothes at a nearby clothing store, and gave her enough travel expenses to send the old woman out. Five days later, the old woman came back and said that it was raining heavily on the way home, and the new clothes she had bought with great difficulty were soaked in a mess.She praised Yoshino's cherry blossoms very much. "It's the first time I've seen so many cherry blossoms. When the sun rises, even the blossoming cherry blossoms are in full bloom. It's really a scene of blissful pure land. After seeing these, even death is worth it, and then I can tell the old man well listen."

Unfortunately, she was right.That night, she went back to her room very early, claiming that she was not used to such a long journey and might have caught a cold.The next morning, the old woman didn't get up early to cook as before. Niu Yi went to the small room next to the warehouse and saw that she was curled up in the bed, dead.Maybe she also saw Yoshino's cherry blossoms in her dream, with a slight smile on her face. "Are you in such a hurry to tell the old man?" Niu Yi couldn't help feeling sad. He told her family about the death of the old woman through a young talent pool, but their answer was very ruthless—she ran away from home and had nothing to do with us.In desperation, Niu Yi sorted out the old woman's belongings, and was surprised to find that she still had some savings.Niu explained the situation to a nearby temple, used some money to help her as a salvation, and then erected a small stone tablet in a corner of the temple, and donated the rest of the money to the same helpless people in the nearby asylum.Niu went to and from the temple and the asylum one or two or three times. This was his only outing, and the rest of the time he kept writing, morning and evening.When the newly hired cook cooked the meal, he just took a few mouthfuls and returned to the desk once he finished eating.When he feels tired, he will swing the wooden sword at any time, or practice the sumo skills taught by Nobunaga to exercise his legs and feet.

The reason why he was so immersed in creation was mainly due to the encouragement of Akito Tianya, the priest of Mount Atago.Last October, as soon as Niu returned home, he sent Ming a thank you letter.In November, Mingren replied to the letter with dried persimmons as a gift. In the reply, Mingren wrote a passage from the 180th paragraph of his favorite "Void Grass" on the back of the letter paper. If you want to accomplish something.He doesn't hesitate to abandon other things, and he doesn't care about others' ridicule.If you don't give up everything, it's hard to achieve great things.

Mingren's calligraphy is very beautiful and decent.Niu framed the letter and it is still on the shelf in the study.Moreover, the Ming people enthusiastically told Niu Yi that if a famous calligrapher was asked to write a plaque with splashed ink to express the meaning of the 180th paragraph of "Wurancao", he could use four words instead - She Wanqiuyi. "I see." If you use four words to express the beauty of Master Jianhao (the author of "The Grass of Vain"), as long as this is enough!Mingren's explanation is really brilliant.In doing so, the Ming people seemed to have seen Niu Yi's intention to let Jin Wei splash ink.

At the same time, there was a response to the letter sent a long time ago, and Konoe's retainer wrote a cold reply on his behalf—— "The old illness has recurred. I am recuperating. It is difficult to have an interview." Regarding the inscription on the plaque, the other party demanded a lot of money: "If you really want an inscription, I will pass it on for you. However, you need ten gold coins to splash the ink." Regarding this, Niu Yi could only smile wryly. Anyway, under the encouragement of Mingren, Niu Yi let himself calm down. Before he saw the words "give up everything for one" on the bookshelf, he was entangled in two things.One Niu Yi wants to faithfully write the biography of Nobunaga, a hero whose ambition has not been fulfilled; the other Niu Yi wants to find out the truth about the cause of Nobunaga's death.In Kyoto and Mount Atago, he obtained unexpected gains, but it was precisely these gains that split him into two bulls and one.

It wasn't until the first half of the second year of Keicho that he became a person again, that is, the biographer Ushiichi Ota. In the middle of May in the drizzle, there are still ten days before Nobunaga’s 16th anniversary. Niu Yi completed the second of the three works, “Nobunagaji” (from the 11th year of Yonglu to the 10th year of Tianzheng). year), fifteen volumes in total.All historical materials come from diaries.One of the difficulties is naturally that the calendar is not uniform and needs to be adjusted.The reason for this problem is that in the diary, Niu Yi did not explain where and what kind of calendar it was.Niu Yi can only compare the calendars of various places, make speculations, and try to unify them into the "Mishima Calendar" that Nobunaga likes, and it takes more time than expected.Other than that, creation went smoothly.

Now, Azuchi Castle has been burnt down, looking at the current world, only Niu Yi's diary records Nobunaga's achievements.The "Nobunaga Ji" written based on this diary may be the only official history of this country.Although Nobunaga is not popular now, future generations will definitely be judged as an unprecedented hero.In the preface to the author of "Xinchang Ji", Niu Yi wrote the following text quite conceitedly: I have gray hair, and the days to come are numbered, and I still have to persist in writing with my dim eyesight.This book is a natural collection of past records, and it is definitely not my subjective creation, nor does it contain subjective judgments.The facts are all coming together, and it is by no means created out of nothing.If false.God forbid—

Although Niu Yi felt that this expression was redundant and similar to Youji's article (a bit ashamed, I will revise it in another day), he also decided to stop for the time being. With the completion of "Nobunaga's Chronicle", Niu Yi plans to continue to complete the first "Nobunaga's Chronicle" in the second half of the year.From the beginning of next year, he will live as Ota Ushiichi, the searcher for Nobunaga's remains.On June 2 next year, before Nobunaga's 17th anniversary ceremony, certain conclusions must be drawn regarding the issue of the remains that he has been unable to let go of for many years.

(However, maybe you need to investigate the Ikuno Silver Mine first. It is said that even if gold is dug to the west of Wuki, people still call it "Silver Mine". If you investigate the mining history of the Ikuno area, you will find that this is a multi-mineral area First, copper mines were dug out, and silver mines were discovered in the year of Tianwen. It is said that in this kind of multi-mineral area, copper and silver are generally mixed with gold. However, the report of the Ikuno mine sent by Hideyoshi did not dig gold at all. The record of the mine. It is this point that is unimaginable and suspicious. But if you don’t have sufficient mine knowledge, you can’t prove it, and you can’t believe that Hideyoshi has robbed the gold mine without telling Nobunaga. In short, you can’t rush there.) Niu Yi warned himself that he gradually felt that if Hideyoshi's conspiracy was uncovered, he could find out the truth about Nobunaga's remains. Niu Yi stacked up to fifteen volumes of "Nobunaga Ji" in front of Nobunaga's altar, with mixed feelings, he folded his hands in front of his chest and paid homage. "Lord Nobunaga, since following you, the villain has recorded your achievements one by one, and now put them into a book. The villain will also write about the events of the adult when he was young and the situation when he died before his ambition was fulfilled. The little one People bow down and ask. Until these tasks are completed, you can bless me with a long life in the underworld." Niu Yi asked the newly hired maid to offer flowers and incense in front of the altar, and then placed three candies wrapped in paper on a tall tray.In the small paulownia box in the library, there was a teapot with dozens of candies in it—forty-eight candies to be precise, and Niu Yi took three of them.It has been more than nine years since Hideyoshi issued the Prohibition Order (15th year of Tensho), and this candy has disappeared in Japan and is now a valuable item.Back then, Niu Yi got these candies from Lord Nobunaga, and now there are still forty-eight of them. To this day, Niu Yi still clearly remembers the day when he received these candies.On the third day of the first lunar month in the eighth year of Tianzheng, after An Tu Zong's discussion, the twenty-one temples of Fa Hua Zong finally ended their debate. Lord Nobunaga stayed in Azuchi City from the end of the year to spend the New Year leisurely, but he did not hold a New Year's banquet as usual.At that time, his three capable generals were busy fighting. Akechi was in the Tanba area, Hashiba was in the Banshu area, and Shibata was mopping up the Echizen area where Uesugi Kenshin had been lost. The other generals were on the Settsu battlefield, and no one returned to see Azuchi Castle .For Nobunaga, his old enemy Uesugi Kenshin died, and this year was very peaceful.He may feel an unprecedented sense of relief.The remaining Mori families were far from the area under his control, and the rebellious Araki Murashige and his like in the Settsu area were completely ignored by him. Therefore, in the early morning of the new year, it was some close officials including Niu Yi who came to meet Lord Nobunaga. Niu Yi came to the living room to extend New Year greetings to Lord Nobunaga, and at the same time reported the current situation in various places.Nobunaga was wearing white silk casual clothes with narrow sleeves, and instead of a vest, he was wearing a scarlet sleeveless shawl sent by Nanyang countries.He sat happily on the chair painted with gold and lacquer, when he saw Niu Yi, he got up suddenly and took a box more than three inches thick with silver foil painting on it, and opened the lid casually. "Try it." Nobunaga is still so concise, without a word of nonsense, but through Nobunaga's smile, Niu Yi can feel that Nobunaga likes him very much.Hearing Mr. Nobunaga's words, Niu Yi looked inside the box. At this time, Mr. Nobunaga was staring at him, as if wanting to see his reaction. "what is this?" There are many small round candies with protrusions on the surface.Niu Yi gently picked out a light red one, put it in his palm and studied it carefully. "It's okay, just grab a handful, don't be polite. Lick it, don't bite it, or you will lose your teeth." Mr. Nobunaga spoke quickly, and after finishing speaking, he grabbed a dozen of them with his slender fingers like a woman, and suddenly Put it in your mouth, "Just eat like this." Niu Yi hurriedly imitated, grabbed five or six of them and put them into his mouth, stirring them with his tongue fearfully. The candy was so sweet that he couldn't help closing his eyes.And, with those protrusions melting, the sweetness is even stronger. Niu Yi forgot Mr. Nobunaga's instructions, and couldn't help biting with his molars. He could feel the sweetness slowly overflowing from the top of his tongue to the depths of his throat.The sweetness is so pure that it doesn't bring to mind any plants, grains or aromas. Niu Yi kept sighing and closed his eyes again.Nobunaga looked at him with a mischievous smile on his face. "This candy is so sweet, it surprises me, it's so pure. And it has a weird shape. What's the name of this candy?" "I don't know. They say it's Kopeito." "It's an incredible thing. What does this square mean? How can you make such an angular thing?" "That's the problem. No one knows how to make it. The other day, I called up five or six royal pastry chefs and showed them, and everyone was dumbfounded and very surprised. Those Westerners saw those pastry chefs I even smiled, obviously saying: 'This country can't even make this kind of thing?' I was very angry, so I gave an order to those pastry chefs-if they can't make it within a year, I will abolish it. These guys have the title of 'Royal Pastry Chef'. If they don't make it within three years, their heads will be cut off. They run away in a panic." Then, Nobunaga-kun asked again with a serious expression—— "Youjie, why do you think this is?" "Maybe they call themselves 'Royal Pastry Chefs' and are so powerful. When they see new things, they have lost the craftsmen's heart of exploration." "As expected of Yousuke, well said! That's the problem. In this country, everyone is acting like they are, and when it comes to the critical moment, they are like that. As long as it is a new gadget, even a candy from the West It can’t be imitated. It’s really sad.” Nobunaga frowned, and finished speaking in one breath, looking extremely angry, obviously not just because of a candy, “What do you think? You Jie, those are all incompetent people seem quite Authoritative, self-righteous caused." "There are indeed reasons for this." "Don't worry about it." At this point, Nobunaga finally laughed, grabbed a lot of candies, and announced, "From now on, I will become a cleaner for incompetent people. The Fahuazong is also those dross One of them. My declaration is - the world is armed!" The so-called "closing force" refers to the use of force to eliminate. This is the first time Niu Yi has heard Mr. Nobunaga's voice. "My lord, it has been seventeen years since I received these candies. The pastry chefs in this country still haven't been able to make them." Niu Yi yelled at the tablet on the altar, as if talking to a living person.He felt that Mr. Nobunaga would not just respond with a wry smile to this report, but more definitely be sad. by the way.It took another hundred years for the same candy to be made in Japan.Use very small sugar granules as the core, and then apply the sugar liquid formed by melting rock sugar, heat and stir, and the sugar liquid will gradually solidify, forming angular protrusions on the stick-shaped surface.At that time, the Japanese did not master this technology at all. "Although after several times of exploration, it finally failed. Westerners always keep good things hidden..." In the distant later generations, Saizuru Ihara in the Edo period lamented so in "Nippon Edaizo".The Westerners didn't hide it deliberately, it's just that ordinary priests don't know how to do it.He couldn't even handle a kind of candy, no wonder Mr. Nobunaga was furious at that time. "There will be no more candies in the future, so the villain started to save food very early, and decided to eat three pieces a year. There are still forty-eight candies left. I figured that when these candies are all eaten, my lifespan will also be up." It's time." For a while, Niu Yi thought about these things, and the surroundings were silent. In the planned Nobunaga Trilogy, there are still "Nobunaga's Preface" and "Nobunaga's Postscript". Niu Yiyi should start writing step by step, but a few days later, on a sunny day between rainy seasons—— "Please inform me." From the courtyard gate of the hermitage, came a loud voice.The two servants who were busy in the courtyard ran out to take a look, and came back soon to report. "It's Ishida-sama's emissary." "Ishida-sama? It can't be Ishida Jibu-sama..." This is an unexpected visitor.As soon as Niu walked to the gate to greet him, the first thing that caught his eye was a warrior sedan chair with a peculiar family crest on it, which read "Day, Daji, Dawan".A middle-aged samurai stepped out from the hanging curtain. He was wearing a hakama, with a glittering golden waist plate pinned to it, and a beautifully crafted samurai sword in his hand. "Izumi Mori-sama, it's me, Boqi." The self-reported family name is Dashan Boqi, until the year before last, this man has been following Guan Baixiuci.After Xiuji's accident, he was taken in by Ishida Mitsunari.Now, he and Shima Sakami and others have become Sancheng's right-hand men, and he has some fate with Niu Yi. Back then, before Boqi went to serve Guan Baixiuji, Niu Yi was originally a candidate, but he rejected it, claiming that creation was more important, and he chose the idle job of protecting His Highness Matsumaru, but the ball went to Boqi. "Although my hermitage is not big, let's come in and have some tea." "I'm really thirsty when you put it that way. I want a drink." Boqi walked into the house carelessly, saw the memorial tablet of Lord Nobunaga enshrined on the Buddhist altar in the study room, hurriedly offered incense respectfully, and then sat down. Fortunately, Boqi didn't find the candies wrapped in paper. If he found and ate them, Niu Yi's life would be shortened by several years. "Before I forget, let me convey the matter to you first." Boqi sat down again, his expression became serious in an instant. "What's the matter? It's so serious." "Master Taige said he wanted to see you." "What? Lord Taige wants to see me, a hermit? Why?" For a moment, Niu Yi thought nervously in his mind, but he didn't think of anything.Even if there is, that is, last year I wrote "Master Taige's Army", but that book is completely unofficial history, almost a flattering work, Niu Yi wants to remove it from his own works, so there should be no criticism place.He couldn't help wondering. "Actually, I don't know anything. I'm just a messenger. I'm sorry." Boqi's face looked simpler than Niu Yi's. He lowered his head with a very apologetic expression, "However, it doesn't seem to be a bad thing." "That's good. Even at my age, meeting important people will always make you nervous." Niu Yi said with a smile, but actually he was very calm.To be honest, at this age, he doesn't want to do low-level things. "Actually, it was none other than Jibu-sama who prompted Taiko-sama to meet you. He seems to want Taiko-sama to entrust you with something." "What's the matter? Now, I, an old man, can't do anything." "Master Jibu didn't tell me about the entrustment. That's what he said—good thing, Mr. Izumi Mori will be happier if Taiko-sama said it in person. Just tell him quietly and let him go for a visit. trip." "Thank you very much, Mr. Jibu, for your care. Please pass on my thanks. How about I go there? It just so happens that today's writing has come to an end and I have time to spare." "No, not today. Lord Taige is busy moving, and the city of Osaka is extremely busy." After the Fushimi earthquake, Master Taiko returned to Osaka City, the place was very close to Tianma, Niu Yi thought it would be fine to just walk there.Where is Taige-sama going now?In the past ten years, Hideyoshi has donated a lot of gold and silver to shrines and temples in Kyoto and Osaka, and he has also spent a lot of money, building buildings such as Jule Temple, Yodo Castle, and Zhizuki Fushimi Castle, spending a lot of money silver. There's nothing surprising about that either.Gold and silver mines across the country were under the direct control of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.Niu Yi once listed many beautiful rhetoric in "Tai Ge Master's Army", praising the wealth in the gold and silver mountains like a spring... These words, Niu feels disgusting every time he thinks about it. Boqi didn't know about Niu Yi's inner activities. "Today, Taiko-sama is returning from Osaka to Fushimi. He built a new city on Mount Kibata in Fushimi. It is said that Taiko-sama does not regard it as a city, but a hermitage." "It should be very different from my hermitage, right?" "Don't be kidding. How can Taiko-sama's standards be the same as ours? It is said that the castle built this time is more luxurious than before. Because it is similar to the previous Fushimi Castle, it is called 'Kibata Fushimi Castle'. Recently, under the I also want to move to Mubata with Mr. Jibu. Anyway, Mr. Taiko should order you to go after you settle down there. Within ten days. At that time, because we know each other, it should be arranged next time. lead the way." "I'm so embarrassed that you take care of me so much. Come, have a cup of tea first." Niu Yi carefully poured the tea into the big tea bowl. Boqi took a sip slowly, and then seriously looked at Niu Yi's hermitage. "That's all for business. How's your seclusion?" he asked. "As you please. Get up when you want; sleep when you want." "You're living a good life." Boqi looked around Niu Yi's study, envious from the bottom of his heart, "Compared with you, I don't have enough time. Every day is like living in hell. Master Zhibu is even more busy, Every night, I return home at midnight. If he keeps silent, the old fox of Mikawa (Tokugawa) must have done something bad again. Oops, oops, I slipped my tongue. I’d better go back. Next time, you come to Fushimi Have a good time." As soon as he finished his farewell, Boqi stood up.