Chapter 9 Chapter 9: The Lonely City Falls to the Moon

At night, the barn in Lutian Garden was extremely hot.During the rainy season, the sky is full of clouds, but it does not rain.This extremely narrow place is crowded with people, and one can imagine the depression. After daybreak, the crowd could not all be crowded together, so a golden screen was erected to divide the barn into three parts.Mrs. Yodo and other women are together, in the middle are Ono Jichang, Mori Katsunaga, Hayami Morihisa and other samurai who survived the battlefield, and in the innermost are Toyotomi Hideyori and several servants. Needless to say, the smell of women's hair oil, the smell of men's body is even more unpleasant.Almost all of them were wounded and covered in blood. In addition to the humidity and sweltering heat of the rainy season, the barn was filled with a pungent stench.Everyone was ashamed.

Okuhara Shinjuro kept patrolling the barn, occasionally went outside to get some air, and then returned to the barn again. It rained a few times during the night.Meanwhile, Shinjuro made some kind of preparations so that he could still achieve his goal just in case.In fact, there is no need to say it so implicitly, he just thought that the people hiding here may urinate at any time.Before midnight, the catastrophe was imminent, and people seemed to have forgotten about it. It was not until a woman begged Shinjuro with a pale face that he slapped his knee suddenly and thought of a way.It was definitely not convenient in the barn, so he dug a small hole in the reeds under the willow tree by the river and surrounded it with straw mats for convenience. "If you want to go to the convenience, come here." After he told everyone, he secretly ordered a boat to be prepared by the toilet.In an emergency, Hideyori and Mrs. Dian can be asked to pretend to go to the toilet and take them away, regardless of whether they agree or not, life-saving is the most important thing.

In this way, Bejuro's heart slowly calmed down.Will Qianji's begging work or not?Ruo Jiakanggong and Xiuzhong's subordinates came to greet him dignifiedly, and handed over the mother and son to them.If not, he would never let anyone touch the two of them.What worried Shinjuro most was that some people couldn't bear the heat in the barn and went mad in despair.It's fine if you hurt yourself, if someone points the murder weapon at Mrs. Dian's mother and son, it will be terrible.Out of this worry, he did not dare to relax at all.But Mrs. Dian's performance surprised him a lot.

Shinjuro originally thought that Mrs. Yodo was most likely to yell.But after midnight, she still sat upright, quietly counting the beads and chanting to Buddha in a low voice. It wasn't until after dawn that the governor sent two bureaus to Ieyasu's camp that Shinjuro understood Mrs. Yodo: she is actually an ordinary mother, and she pinned all her hopes on Chihime who went to beg for her son's life. The reason why the two bureaus were sent to Ieyasu's camp was because Kagazume Tadasumi and Toshima Criminal Department were ordered by Ieyasu to enter the city and ordered people to write down the list of survivors.The two had vaguely sensed that there was someone in the barn.The confidant learned of the two people's intentions and reported to Shinjuro, and Shinjuro and Mori Katsunaga's younger brother Kanjieyu met them.

After Kan Jieyou survived the battle, he still wanted to fight the enemy again, so he would not let the second envoy get close to Lutian Garden.The other party probably thought that he still had a lot of troops under him, so he waited obediently at the door before the two bureaus came out to hand in the roster. When the two bureaus were about to leave, the Chief Zhi crawled up to her, and whispered in her ear: "Tell him, everyone who writes on this will commit suicide and apologize, but please forgive the right person." Mansion and Madam. You only need to leave three or two servants around You Mansion to take care of the daily life, and the rest will be settled by themselves. The same is true for Madam. It is enough to have one maid by your side. Be sure to spare the two. The rest of the people have already left I am determined to die, everyone will die peacefully, please be sure to tell the Great Imperial Palace..."

At this time, Mrs. Dian stopped twisting the rosary, and shouted: "It's too embarrassing for you to talk like this, fix it! I don't want the two bureaus to go and beg for my life." "Oh, this..." "If I survived, it was because of Ah Qian's filial piety. Just ask, did Ah Qian arrive safely?" Hearing this, Okuhara Shinjuro seemed to hear his aunt's voice.Mrs. Chuntao, wife of Liusheng Shizhouzhai, often said that everything a mother does is for her children, and mothers live to make their children fulfill their filial piety.Right now, Mrs. Dian is also in a pure state of mind, she lets Qian Ji go to beg for Xiu Lai's life.If she survived, she hoped that it was because of Qianji's filial piety, it was Qianji who saved her...

After the two bureaus left, Mrs. Dian immediately closed her eyes and silently recited the Buddha's name, perhaps she was silently repenting for the various mistakes she had committed due to her willfulness and recklessness. But Xiu Lai is not as safe and calm as her mother.He didn't sleep all night, constantly swatting mosquitoes.He was tired of whining.When the two of them were about to leave, Fang fell asleep leaning on a straw bag. Sanada Daisuke has always been sitting in front of Hideyori, he is still experiencing the pain brought by his father's death and the deep meaning of the last words.Sitting side by side with Daisuke were fifteen-year-old Takahashi Hanzaburo and his thirteen-year-old brother Sanzaburo, who were dozing aside.The second son still has forehead hair and looks like a woman.

Not long after the two bureaus went out, Jing Yi's men surrounded the yard. The yard was besieged, but Jing Yi didn't break the door right away.Okuhara Shinjuro breathed a sigh of relief, the two bureaus must have revealed this hiding place to Ieyasu, and Ieyasu sent Ii here to protect Hideyori's mother and son, and someone will come to greet him soon.At that time, no matter what, if I hand over the mother and son to that person, I will consider myself to have done my duty... Behind Ii, the flags of Shigenobu Ando, ​​Shoji Abe and others appeared. "There is Honda Uenosuke Masakami in the army."

"He's coming, Ueno..." Okuhara Shinjuro felt more relieved.Shigenobu Ando, ​​Masaji Abe and others are the general's confidantes, but Masakazu Honda is Ieyasu's confidant. Perhaps these people came to greet... Thinking of this, Shinjuro returned to the barn, bent down, and approached the Osamu Ono whispered in his ear. Zhichang was already half dead, but after listening to Shinjuro's words, he suddenly sat up from the ground, and shouted to the servant boys: "Quickly serve Youfu to change clothes!" Seventeen-year-old Doi Shogoro responded, took out a small mirror from his pocket, and combed Hideyori's hair.Zhuangorang also has forehead hair and looks like a girl.

After combing his hair, Sogoro handed the mirror in his hand to Hideyori, and said, "May your lord be in good health and everything goes well!" This is the usual greeting in the morning, but hearing this here and now, can't help but send a chill down your spine. "Hanzaburo, Shisanlang, come beat your back!" "yes." If Doi Shogoro is like a young woman, Takahashi Hanzaburo and Shisanburo brothers are like little girls who are not full-grown.The Takahashi brothers knelt beside Hideyori, beating his back for him.At this moment, Xiu Lai looked in the mirror.Before that, he hadn't fully woken up from his sleep, and his eyelids and tongue were as useless as if he was drunk.Since he couldn't calm down, he looked dazed, and only when he saw himself in the mirror did he slowly regain his anger.

"Okay," he pushed the hands of the two on his shoulders, and said, "Thanks for your hard work." After saying this word of consolation, Xiu Lai raised her head, her eyes just facing the sunlight coming in from the high window, and she hurriedly lowered her eyes. head. Osamu Ono was already unable to move.If he could get up, he would definitely want to meet the enemy general in person. Toyomasa Okuhara Shinjuro walked out.This scene has already made him unable to bear to look at it any longer. He felt sad and wanted to cry loudly... Shinjuro wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and looked up at the sky.Dark clouds floated in the sky, and a little sunlight shone from among the dense clouds.Look at the sun, it is about si time.It was no longer so stuffy outside, and the wind blowing along the river gently stirred the low-hanging willow branches. The mayor has finally become a veritable assistant government of Osaka City, but what has he done in the past few years?Since Katagiri Kamoto left and went through last year's winter service, he immediately became an impressive talent. It's a pity that both Osaka Castle and his fate have come to an end. "Even if I'm crawling, I still want to meet Jing Yi..." In the face of his utter loyalty, a stone would be tempted, how could Jing Yi Naotaka be indifferent?If he can show such courage, Da Yusuo might really spare his life. But after Shinjuro walked out of the door, the governor still couldn't leave, he just said: "Although I have the heart to go to negotiate in person, but look at me... Hayami, please go for a walk." "Obey!" "Let's just say that all of this is the fault of Osamu Ono... Youfu is completely unaware..." Hayami's lips trembled and said: "Okay, I'm going." He showed a competitive look, and came to Shinjuro. "Please ask me to follow me and be responsible for the guard." Shinjuro said. "No!" Hayami categorically refused, adjusted the small flag on his back, and strode towards Ii's horse seal, looking more and more courageous. Shinjuro couldn't help but smile wryly as he imagined Hayami Kai Mamoru holding a sword.This person is too good and strong. A sword can be soft and flexible, but a knife cannot.Now he is an envoy, and he is going to the other side's military camp to beg for his life. He is so strong, how can he complete his life? Okuhara Shinjuro chased a few steps in a hurry, then stopped after a second thought.His entry and exit have already let the enemy know where Hideyori's mother and son are hiding. Since they know it, they should put up a horse seal here, but the horse seal has already committed suicide when Gunryu and Watanabe Neizosuke committed suicide. ruined.Come on, come on, the defeated general begs for his life, in fact, there is no need to be too rigid.Shinjuro thought this way and went back to the warehouse. Hayami Kai, just as Shinjuro was worried, walked into the big tent with Ii Naotaka's seal standing upright with his head held high. "Military envoy, thank you for your hard work!" The figure of Uenosuke Honda was nowhere to be seen, and the three who greeted Kai Mamoru were Ii Naotaka, Ando Shigenobu, and Abe Shoji. When a person disregards life and death, he will have the courage to prepare for life.But if his courage starts in a hurry, it will only make people startled but not afraid.If there is less tempering in normal times, you will be brave if you are brave, which is reckless; if you add daily practice, you can be said to be both wise and brave.Hayami Kaishu is reckless.I am not afraid of death, but I am even more afraid!He came here begging for the lives of Xiu Lai's mother and son, but he never thought about his own life, which is why he appeared arrogant and rude.But to be honest, his toughness is only out of inner cowardice. Although he is determined to die, he is pretending to be strong out of fear.People in troubled times have experienced life and death, so they like to bluff, and Hayami Kaishu is the same. As a general of a defeated army, he even forgets that he should first obey the opponent's orders. Under the guidance of Ii, Ando, ​​and Abe, Hayami Kaishou walked into the military tent, and immediately said: "Shoujiu is here on the mission of the right minister, Toyotomi Hideyori. Prepare your seat." Reserve seat? If Ieyasu heard this, he would laugh heartily and pat his knees in praise: "You are not afraid of death, you are truly a warrior!" But now the people facing him are also full of blood.Immediately, Jing Yizhi's face was sullen, and his words were sarcasm: "Your knowledge is really brilliant. The city is burned, is the right minister still the right minister?" These few words of negotiation doomed the tragedy of the day, and it was only after the fact that both parties knew about it. "Everything in the You Mansion is controlled by Ono Xiu, presumably both the Imperial Palace and the general know about it." "Yes, I'm still unwilling to burn down the city, what a pity." Ando Shigenobu said with sarcasm, "Stop talking nonsense. Let's get to the point! When is Mr. Hideyori planning to surrender? I want to ask the exact time , so I can ask the General for instructions." He seemed to be more familiar with negotiations. "Come out from Sakura Mimon at noon." "Noon... so there is still an hour?" "Exactly. I have said long ago that if Youfu's mother and son survive, we have no objection no matter how we are accused. Please be sure to treat Youfu with courtesy..." Ii Naotaka couldn't help laughing out loud, "Treat each other with courtesy? You mean it won't work if you let him ride the clouds? Hideyori is a criminal who conspired twice, and now he is a prisoner!" "Captive?" Hayami Shoujiu tensed his face, and said sternly, "You mean, you can't treat each other with courtesy as the right minister?" "That's what it means! What are you doing?" Ando said again.He is less impatient than his elder brother, and has a vicious tongue. Seeing his sarcasm, Jia Feishou said loudly again: "The imperial court and the general will not be satisfied with treating people like this! Everyone forgot that the right mansion is the successor of Toyotomi Taige?" "Hmph." Shigenobu's tone became more and more indifferent, "Then how should we treat Taiko Toyotomi in order to conform to etiquette?" "Prepare the sedan chair." "The sedan chair? Master Jing Yi, is there a sedan chair for nobles to ride on this battlefield?" "Huh." Zhixiao said with a sneer in his tone, "Even the seventy-four-year-old Dayusuo only rode a bamboo sedan chair to go to war. How could there be any noble people's sedan chairs on the battlefield? Go to the capital and look for it, maybe you can find it." Here, in the ruins..." "Hey?" Ando Shigenobu turned to Hayami Kaishu again, "It's not that there are no sedan chairs, but because this is a battlefield, there is nowhere to find them. Toyotomi Taiko Aiko launched a rebellion again, and now he is a prisoner. Hmph, when the time comes Tied him up, that's peace!" "Five flowers tied together? It's really... unreasonable!" "So what?" "Don't you know the thoughts of the Great Imperial Palace?" "Hehe, this... I have not served in front of the Great Imperial Palace, so I have no way of knowing what the Great Imperial Palace is thinking. The sedan chair? Don't even think about it!" "Huh? Do you just work like this? Excuse me, how do you plan to bring Youfu to your barracks?" "You don't want to walk, we have prepared horses." "Do you want Madam to ride a horse?" "It's really helpless, where can we find a nice car for her?" "No!" Hayami Kai's eyes widened, and he shouted loudly, "I will never allow you to bring Toyotomi Taiko's son, the imperial right minister, to the famous military camps to show the public!" "Oh..." Jingyi Naotaka sighed helplessly, "What do you mean, if there is no sedan chair, the right minister will commit seppuku?" The meaning contained in this sentence is not just irony.Hayami Kaishu suddenly choked: Forget it, no matter riding a horse or a sedan chair, the matter must be settled as soon as possible.But no matter what, they should not be allowed to take Xiu Lai's mother and son to the military camps of various daimyos, or even show them to the servants and porters.I thought that the other party had fully thought about this, but... Hayami Kaishu gritted his teeth, thinking hard about the aftermath. Because of Kai's inappropriate words, the atmosphere is even more tense.Only then did he realize that because he hadn't discussed the method of surrender with Hideyori's mother and son and Ono Jichang before he came out, he was too aggressive at this time, and he had already given the other party an excuse and was at a disadvantage. "What's the matter?" Abe Masaji said, as if trying to smooth things over, "You have seen it too. The city is full of ruins. Where can I find sedan chairs? At most, I can find some stretchers and bamboo sedan chairs. Think about it for yourself." , Do you want to be decent, or do you want your life?" Abe Shoji's words are reasonable.Hayami Kai trembled all over, his heart ached, but he couldn't argue with it. After thinking for a long time, he murmured: "You mean there will never be a sedan chair?" "You have also seen that this place is in ruins." "Oh... please wait a moment, everyone." "Do you want to wait until noon?" "No, just before that, I'm going to ask the right mansion for instructions." "It's only now..." Before Ii Naotaka finished speaking, Abe Shoji calmly said: "Hayamizu alone can't make the decision. If this is the case, let's wait a little longer, please settle it as soon as possible." "Understood." Hayami Kai immediately stood up, he couldn't wait to leave the big tent. When Hayami held his head high and turned around to leave, the three of them looked at each other and gritted their teeth angrily. "There is no intention of repentance at all!" Zhengci said, "I really want to crush him to pieces!" It seemed that Jing Yizhi was also angry, and he who was always taciturn said, "What's the matter? Just wait like this?" Shigenobu Ando smiled, and there was something in his words: "The Great Imperial Palace is a rare talent that you don't see in a century or even a thousand years. In his opinion, Hideyori's rebellion is nothing to worry about. However, after a hundred years in the Great Imperial Palace, if such rebellions still occur frequently, who can rule Are you safe?" "did you mean……" "I don't mean much, but this matter must be carefully considered." The three looked at each other again, trying to figure out what each other was thinking, and then, no one said much. When Hayami Kai returned to the barn, the women had already prayed to the Buddha with Mrs. Yodo.The names of all the people have been written in the list and handed over to the envoys from the Kanto.Everyone will die on their own, even if Xiu Lai and Mrs. Dian can be saved, the rest of them must die.In desperation, they had no choice but to pin their hopes on the Buddha. "Okay, okay, don't cry and pray to Buddha again!" the foreign believer Hayami Kai said with a feeling of hatred as soon as he entered the door. Shinjuro Okuhara was not in the warehouse.The half-dead Zhichang heard Kai's voice and opened his eyes, "Hayami, what's the result?" "This..." Hayami sat down in front of Zhichang, and said, "That bastard Ii Naotaka is really rude!" "You mean... the matter fell apart?" "Those bastards, they must want Youfu's mother and son to ride horses to the famous military camps in various places to show the public." "What, let my lord..." "Show it to the public! They must be thinking this way, they haven't even prepared a sedan chair, what should they do?" But Zhichang didn't know what to do.Everyone stopped chanting the Buddha, and there was silence in the warehouse, and everyone was listening to the conversation of the two with rapt attention. "Repair," Kaishou gritted his teeth, "We were too naive. Today's negotiation shows that it must be the case." "you mean……" "That old fox in the Great Imperial Palace has never intended to let go of the Right Mansion." "Never?" "Exactly. Xiu, you think too well of people. If he wants to let You Fu go, no matter if it is Jing Yi, Ando, ​​or Abe, they will not be so rude and rude. Ando actually said that he will tie up You Fu. Or carried away on a stretcher." After Jia Feishou finished speaking, only Mrs. Dian's sharp voice came from the screen: "Shou Jiu, come here." "Forgive me for speaking rudely in front of Madam." "Come here for repairs too. I have to ask about those few sentences just now. The Youfu should also listen to it. Come here and tell me the details." If Hayami Kaishou hadn't been burning with anger, he would have concealed his words in embarrassment, but at this time, he added fuel to the fire instead: "Yes, the lady will listen to me. I went as an envoy, but they blindly fooled ..." "What did you say?" "I'll tell you that You Mansion will leave the city at noon through the Yingyu Gate, but Jing Yi laughed and said that You Manor will ride the clouds and clouds. I'll tell you that you need to take a sedan chair, please prepare a sedan chair." "What did they say?" Mrs. Dian looked quite calm, raised her head and whispered. "They said categorically that there is no sedan chair, and they laughed at it. This is a battlefield..." Jia Feishou didn't notice that his words were a little bit embellished because he was too angry, "They also said that if you must take a sedan chair, go find some To carry the dead on a stretcher or a bamboo sedan chair by the side of the road, the right man should be tied upside down to it..." "Youfu is also listening, don't say it." Mrs. Dian's body trembled and stopped him, "Alas...Jing Yi was not ordered by the Imperial Palace to come to welcome our mother and son." "Forgive me for your boldness, they also said that they will never let Youfu and Madam go..." "Repair! Didn't Aqian..." "No, even if the young lady forgets, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment will not forget to remind the young lady to beg for the life of the Youfu and the lady." "Then...why is Jing Yi so rude?" "Forgive me for your boldness, Ii Naotaka came here at the order of the general." "You mean that Xiuzhong doesn't want to let our mother and son go?" "Ah...yes, ah, no, what did you think in the general's mind, I don't know, but it must be different from the Great Imperial Palace." "Oh, so that's how it is..." Mrs. Dian used a rosary to cover her forehead, and sighed in a daze. "No!" Hayami Kai said, "It's all a conspiracy by the ruthless Great Imperial Palace, every step is planned by him himself..." "Kai Mamoru, control yourself!" "I can't! I have to go again to convey the meaning of You Fu, whether to ride a horse or a sedan chair?" Hayami Kai turned to Hideyori in the screen, and said loudly: "My lord, I want to ask you, can you bear others will Will you take it away and show it to the enemy camp?" "Wait, Jia Feishou!" Mrs. Dian interrupted him again, "The situation is serious. After Tianxiagong, whether it should be taken as a prisoner to show the public, no one knows. Until your lord calms down, please wait." Jia Feishou Only then slowly calmed down. "Kaifu." "exist!" "Who still has water in the bamboo tube, replace the wine with water now, and prepare to say goodbye." Mrs. Dian was quite calm. "parting……" "Yes. As long as You Fu can survive. I want to stay here. No matter whether I go or stay, this is the last glass of wine in this life..." The women began to cry.Hideyori was speechless, he was thinking carefully about his impending death. Hayami Kai collected some residual water from the bamboo tube of the attendant, poured it into the gourd at his waist, and gradually regained his composure.Whether to go with the other party on horseback, or to commit seppuku here, is no longer a matter of face, nor can it be resolved through verbal disputes between the two parties.It's life or death, you can only choose one. What kind of answer Hideyori will give, Kai Mamoru has already guessed seven points.Xiu Lairuo lost her mother and watched everyone die, what's the point of living alone! When Kai was filling the gourd with water, he secretly glanced at Hideyori.Hideyori put her fan on her knees, closed her eyes, and sat upright on the ground.It's really rare for him to sit like this.Because of his obesity, he wasn't dignified, but at least he wasn't obnoxious. "Jia Feishou, are you ready?" Mrs. Dian said from behind, "If ready, I'll have a drink first." "yes." "Remove the screen. It's good to have a look at your mother..." Hansaburo Takahashi stood up and moved the screen away.Hiderai opened his eyes, his eye circles were red, knowing that death was approaching step by step, he must have thought over and over again in his heart. "My lord, I can no longer stay with my lord, I am a sinful woman." Xiu Lai said nothing, just stared at her mother intently, her chest and abdomen rose and fell slightly. "This is the third time I have seen a castle destroyed. The first time was Xiaogu Castle where my father committed seppuku. The second time was Echizen Beizhuang Castle where my mother died. This time... this time my only son lived Daban City! In my life, I lost my father first, and then my mother was burned to death in the fire. This time, I have to watch my son go to death... What crimes did I do in my previous life? As long as I am here Misfortune will happen in the place." Mrs. Dian shook her head vigorously, and said, "Because of this, my lord must leave my ominous mother. If the mother who brought bad luck to my son does not leave voluntarily, she will definitely bring my lord a lifetime of misfortune. Come to trouble. Alright, Thirteen Lang, pass the water to the lord, and the fate of our mother and child is over. Pour water." Hayami Kaimori silently handed the gourd to Shisanlang.Thirteen Lang obeyed, took out a small red wine glass from the food box, and came to Mrs. Dian.Mrs. Dian smiled slightly and took the wine glass. Hideyori still staring at his mother, Takahashi Shisanrou handed Mrs. Yodo's empty glass to Hideyori. Hayami Kai watched this scene, and had no chance to speak.Mrs. Dian's calmness and calmness made him tense: Mrs. Dian's words concealed the infinite love that only a mother can have for her children.Will Hideyoshi decide to live? "Okay, the fate of our mother and son is over. This is the farewell wine that the mother gave to the son." At this point, Mrs. Yodo turned to Kai Mamoru with a serious face: "After drinking the farewell wine, you can go out of the city with my lord. My lord He is a general, riding a horse is not a disgrace." "yes!" "To follow the adults, only three or four servant boys, such as Ban Saburo and Thirteen Lang, are enough." Xiu Lai silently took the cup from Thirteen Lang's hand, "Mother, my child drank from this cup." "Okay, thank you sir." Xiu Lai raised his head and gulped it down.Seeing such a scene, not only Mrs. Yodo, but also Hayami Kai and Ono Jichang thought that Hideyori would obey his mother's words, and his actions were so natural. After drinking, Xiu Lai smiled slightly and said: "Ogino Michihi, come here, I have something to ask you." He passed the cup to Daoxi as if nothing had happened, and said: "Daoxi, please come here for your mother and all the wives You are wrong, thank you for your hard work." The audience was silent. "It's very painful when you commit suicide, please intercede for them and ease their pain." "Obey!" "Moori Katsunaga," Hideyori waved at Mori Katsunaga, "I entrust you with my head! You are very loyal, and I will never forget your hard work!" With a dazed expression on his face, Shengyong waited for the servant boy to hand over the cup.He looked at Zhichang, then at Mrs. Dian. Mrs. Dian suddenly screamed. In an instant, there was a crackling sound of burning under the eaves outside, followed by a burst of gunfire. Seeing that Hayami Kaishou did not return for a long time, the Musketeers of the Jingyi Army fired a warning shot at the appointed time. "No!" Mrs. Dian's shout sounded almost at the same time as the gunfire. "Ah——" Kai was stunned, "They really want to put us to death!" Osamu Ono opened his mouth wide, but couldn't speak. There is life and death, life and life, death and death, why regret it?Life is full of traps and whirlpools. The women screamed and hugged each other.The men's expressions changed drastically, and they stood up one after another...