Chapter 10 Chapter Ten Toyotomi's End

Tokugawa Ieyasu looked particularly relieved.The casualties of this battle were definitely not small, but Toyotomi Hideyori and his wife, who were thought to have been burned to death when the Osaka main castle was on fire, were still alive.Chihime even arrived at Honda Masanobu's barracks under the escort of Sakazaki Dewa Mamoru.As Ieyasu expected, she came this time to beg for the lives of Xiu Lai's mother and son. "I don't have any objections. Good! But I have retired and handed over all the military power to the general. I ask you to deal with the general in this matter." He told Honda Masanobu and the governor's family, Micun Gonyoumon .

Ieyasu breathed a sigh of relief when Masanobu and Gonemon took the order.Just as they were about to take a break, the two bureaus came with the list of survivors in Osaka City. As usual, this move meant surrender.Who should live, who should bear the responsibility for the war, as long as these are determined, it will be over.Ieyasu deliberately handed over everything to Xiuzhong. "Sado, we can't get too involved in this matter. But in any case, the Kanto casualties are not small, repairs and Hayami Kaishu can't be forgiven. In addition, there is Mori Katsunaga..." Speaking of this, Ieyasu felt a little regretful, Gritting his teeth, he said, "It was really a meaningless battle. Sanada and Mori are both rare generals." Honda respectfully agreed to convey these words to the general, and withdrew.

Not long after that, Hidetaka brought Doi Toshikatsu to Mount Chamo and congratulated Ieyasu on his victory. During this time, Ieyasu always wanted to see Qianji.After accepting Xiuzhong's congratulations, he called Zhengxin again and ordered him to pass on the news to the Ministry of Criminal Affairs who escaped at the same time as Qianji. When the Secretary of the Criminal Ministry arrived, Ieyasu widened his eyes and sighed. "Hey, you are the little girl who was married as a dowry back then? Yes, you are already a grown-up girl. I am getting old. You have worked hard these years! Don't worry, I will try my best to deal with you as the young lady wishes. Save the lives of Xiu Lai and Mrs. Dian." His eyes were a little moist, and he handed a sword to the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, and then said, "Ah Qian, how is it now?"

"Yes... no..." "Is that happy or scared? Has she recovered from the fright yet?" "Miss said, if the right mansion commits suicide..." "She's depressed because of Hideyoshi." "yes." "Haha, don't worry, it is said that Hideyori is hiding in the rice warehouse in Ashidaen, and Ii Naotaka is guarding there. I asked Ueno to take a look. There are also strong warriors such as Ando Masanobu and Abe Masaji there, nothing to worry about Worried. Hey, Chien is worried about your husband." Ieyasu fell into the old man's emotion again.

"Okay, I'll go to greet you." After a long time, his eyes suddenly lit up. The Secretary of the Criminal Ministry has never seen such a childish Ieyasu.In her memory, Ieyasu is usually unsmiling and always gives people a sense of majesty.Now he is like a dandelion in the wind, making people feel extremely relaxed. "This servant understands your lord's thoughts very well. However, your lord general reprimanded you very severely." "What did the general say?" "She said that the wife should die for her husband, and asked why the young lady didn't stay with her husband and committed suicide with him. The young lady said to the servant that if the general's words reached the ears of the Youfu, the Youfu would definitely not live. She said she hated the servant Bring her out..."

"It's pitiful for Ah Qian to say that!" Ieyasu's tears flowed down his cheeks.He himself also felt a little embarrassed, and said: "Ah Xiao, my tears are not because of sadness, but because I am getting old and can't control myself. Hahaha!" After he finished speaking, Honda Zhengchun asked : "What time is it?" "Sishi." "According to the agreement, Hideyori really came out from Sakura Mimon Gate at noon?" "Exactly." "Okay, let's go to Sakura Mimon Gate to pick it up. I'll go on horseback, and prepare a sedan chair."

"As ordered." Zhengchun didn't ask what the sedan chairs were used for, it was obvious that they must be prepared for Mrs. Dian. "Ah Xiao, go back and comfort Ah Qian, saying that Grandpa will go to meet Xiu Lai's mother and son on her behalf. Soon, we will hold hands and celebrate peace together." The Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs boldly asked: "My lord, regarding the transfer of the title of Youfu to Yamato, that's it..." "Oh, this matter." Ieyasu showed displeasure on his face, "Yamato... can't do it. Alas, it's all Hideyori's arbitrary and reckless actions. I'm afraid it can only be in the Shimoso area near Edo... But, tell Asen , let her not worry."

"yes." "Okay, let's go." Ieyasu set off towards Sakura Mimon with fifty Banner soldiers including Honda Masazumi. Sakura Gomon is the main gate of Osaka Castle, which can directly lead to Senjo Hall.Although the inside is in ruins, the main gate still stands majestically.Ieyasu thought that Xiu Lai would definitely choose to come out from this door. Ieyasu got off his horse in front of the door and sat on the stilt, "What time is it?" At this moment, gunshots unexpectedly rang out from the direction of Ashtian Garden. "What's going on?" Ieyasu tilted his head slightly, feeling ominous in his heart.He patted his knees and raised his eyebrows, "What's going on, Zhengchun?"

"It should be gunshots." "I know it's gunshots! Will the people in the warehouse have guns in their hands?" "This..." Zhengchun pretended to be confused, "This, how could..." "So, it was Jing Yi's men who fired the shots?" "I'm afraid it's because the Youfu is restless..." "Go over and have a look!" Ieyasu couldn't hold back the anger in his heart anymore, and roared, "Zaoxiao is impatient! I... I came here to greet you..." "Go at a lower speed..." "Wait!" "yes."

"Zhengchun! Have they accepted the general's secret order and deliberately kept it from me..." "I have no way of knowing. Outsiders don't even know about such things." "You go quickly! Vigorously..." Ieyasu said this, and there was another gunshot over there. Honda Zhengchun raised his head, gave a salute, got up and ran out. Ieyasu stood up, staring straight ahead.At this moment, the gunshot rang out for the third time.Why do gunshots continue?Did some impatient people in the barn kill him, or did Jing Yi's subordinates do something violent to Hideyori?Jiakang was worried.

At the appointed noon, the sky was covered with clouds, but the sun above the head was still shining hotly on everyone, as sultry as in a steamer.Ieyasu pulled up his clothes several times and wiped his cheeks. He fell into deep thought: If Xiuzhong didn't care about his intentions at all, and didn't want to rescue Xiulai, and had already arranged for it, what should I do?When Wakohide came out of the warehouse, Naotaka shot at him, and the crowd started to riot, and Naotaka shot at people again... Alas, in this Osaka city, no one else can see the truth. "Hideyorai killed the general at the last moment." If his side used this as an excuse to say that they had to shoot as a last resort, Hideyorai's life would be over. Ieyasu bit his nails.In his rare years, he has this final battle!His eyes flashed with anger, and there was unspeakable anxiety in his heart. "These bastards!" Ieyasu paced back and forth in front of the house like a wild animal in a cage. Honda Zhengchun rushed to Jing Yi Naotaka's big tent, but he heard laughter everywhere in Jing Yi's army, and there was no sign of an enemy.Seventy or eighty steps ahead is the barn, and there is a grassy flat in front of the barn.In the sweltering heat of Xiakou, there was silence all around. If Xiulai's mother and son can really be saved, there will be much resentment in the honesty of Honda—since Ieyasu came to the gate to welcome the mother and son in person, no matter what Xiuzhong thinks in the future, who would dare to intervene in this matter lightly? Gritting his teeth, Zhengchun ran into the tent and said loudly, "What's the matter with the gunshots?" Ii Naotaka, Ando Shigenobu and Abe Shoji all looked relaxed. They laughed and washed their faces with cold water. "The Great Imperial Palace can't wait, and has come to the main entrance. Please be sure..." Having said this, Zhengchun bit his lip.He really wanted to say: Before that, you should take care of things! "The Great Imperial Palace..." Ando Shigenobu was very surprised, and then asked with a smile, "The Great Imperial Palace is here?" "After he met Ah Xiao, he heard that Miss Qianji was worried that Xiu Lai would commit suicide, so he couldn't sit still. What did the gunshot mean?" "Because it's the appointed time, let's shoot to remind you." Jing Yi Naotaka replied in a rough voice. Ando Masanobu smiled and said: "The right minister said that if there is no sedan chair, he will not come out. He also said that he can't imagine his face exposed to the eyes of everyone. He must prepare two sedan chairs, one for Mrs. Dian... He really thought that I am a man of the world!" "Sedan...they won't say that they need to use ox carts, right?" "I only prepared horses. If there was no other way, I found a bamboo sedan chair for Mrs. Yodo. We asked Hayami Kai, who came to negotiate, if it was okay." After Ii Naotaka reported what had happened, Abe Shoji said cautiously: "Hayami Kai never came back. Now it's the appointed noon, so I shot and urged." "Oh." Zhengchun nodded with an ambiguous smile on his face, "If they ignore the agreed time, how can they sit idly by? Abe's actions are in line with the rules on the battlefield. Good! They haven't come out yet Meaning, then Zhengchun proposed a solution: Jing Yi, shoot again!" Zheng Chun's tone was very straightforward, with a cold smile on his face.The four of them have reached a consensus: Once the agreed time has passed, they can do it. "Don't wait any longer," Zhengchun said, "Even the Great Imperial Palace personally came to the main gate to greet you, how can we wait here. Master Jing Yi, shoot and urge!" "Understood!" Jingyi Naotaka responded, walked out of the military tent, and loudly said deliberately, "You are really rude! They treat the agreement as a trifle!" Abe Shoji, who has always acted cautiously, also said: "This is the end of the matter, that's all!" After saying this, he sighed, and Shigenobu Ando next to him kept nodding, "There is really no way... no matter who the other party is, it's rude to do this. Is there any reason to understand this matter? This is a battlefield, and the battlefield should be a battlefield..." Just now, there was another gunshot outside.The three of them were taken aback, and walked out of the military tent at the same time. The barn remained unresponsive.At this moment, a figure ran past under the shade of willows on the right front of the barn and disappeared into the barn. "Who is that? He went into the warehouse." "Hey, if it's about escaping from the inside, he went in..." Abe Zhengji tilted his head in confusion, and suddenly whispered, "It's broken!" At the same time, Honda Masamune raised his hand and shouted to Ii Naotaka: "Master Ii, there may be a secret passage from the warehouse to the water gate! Don't worry about it, everyone, hurry up and do it!" "clear!" The figure just now was Nobujuro Toyomasa Okuhara: The generals in the Kanto don't know why Shinjuro came to Osaka Castle. Ii raised his hand again.Gunshots sounded, and the soldiers lying on the ground began to crawl forward.All of them are wearing armor and holding pitch-black muskets. Although they don't seem to be as scary as the sound of gunshots, once they take action, they are also full of murderous aura. There was still no reaction in the warehouse.The Musketeers followed closely behind the Long Guns, and they were all ready, waiting for an order.They were all straight and dressed in red, but none of them would be as aggressive as they were yesterday.Xiulai's mother and son were in the barn, everyone didn't have any concerns, but they didn't dare to chop wildly. About thirty paces from the barn, the Pikemen replaced the Musketeers in the lead, gave a shout, then put on their helmets and rushed into the unresponsive barn. The four generals stared intently at the crowd and rushed into the warehouse.Needless to say, Ii Naotaka, even Honda Masakazu, Abe Shoji, Ando Shigenobu and others also held their breath and remained motionless.The final blow of this battle was concentrated on this small barn.Now, what the hell is going on inside?They were looking forward to it more than the charging soldiers.Needless to say, none of the four hoped that Xiulai would survive.Over the years, they tried their best to bear it, and they were full of resentment towards Xiu Lai. The reason why they became so passionate was that they knew the general Hidetada's mind clearly, and they had unknowingly reached a consensus: they were not living in Ieyasu's era, but in Hidetada's era.If Xiu Lai is forgiven, how will the world be governed in the future?You can find an excuse at will and destroy it. But inside the barn, there was still no movement. The sky was covered with dark clouds, light rain fell, and the sky seemed lower than before, but it was still extremely hot.Ii Naotaka couldn't bear it, and hurried to the barn. "Oh, it's raining." Honda Masakazu also took a step forward.Masaru seemed to think that Osamu Ono, who had survived the catastrophe, and Hayami Kaimori, Mori Katsunaga, and others would have to negotiate again.He complained: "It's already this time, and I'm still dawdling..." When Ii Naotaka was a dozen steps away from the barn, he heard a shout unexpectedly.The sound didn't come from inside the barn, but from the Jingqiaokou area.Zhengchun stopped and turned to listen carefully.The shout seemed to be from the soldiers of the Kanto region, but there were all kinds of wailing mixed in that voice, the voices of men, women, and children, all of which were hoarse wailing. A group of deserters, old and weak women and children who escaped from the city and had nowhere to go gathered at Kyobashikou. Originally, they said that they would be released after the war. Could it be that seeing Hideyori not leaving the city so far, these people couldn't bear it and wanted to leave the city? A riot?If they make trouble, it will definitely lead to a terrible massacre. Zhengchun looked at the barn again, couldn't help but let out an exclamation, and held his breath. The barn had been silent for a long time, but smoke billowed from the entrance.Zhengchun screamed that something was wrong, and rushed into the thick smoke. As the saying goes, if a wise man thinks a lot, he will make a mistake.Even a shrewd person like Honda Masazumi didn't think about what might happen in the barn before rushing into the thick smoke, what a fool! When Ii Naotaka launched the first shooting, everyone in the warehouse had ushered in their last moments.When the gun was fired for the second time, most of the people in the warehouse were probably dead.The four of them were completely unaware of this matter, and were still thinking wildly. Honda Zhengchun, who was the first to rush into the thick smoke, choked and coughed, but quickly backed out helplessly.At this moment, I heard Naotaka Jing's panicked voice: "Quickly put out the fire! Don't hurry up!" But when he saw that the fire was getting fiercer and the barn had turned into a sea of ​​flames, he had no choice but to give an order: "It can't be extinguished! Take out the corpse, or burn it!" The general of the Red Army was in a particularly embarrassing situation at this time. The inside and outside of the barn was in a mess, the inside had been burnt out, and dozens of corpses were randomly placed in front of the barn, which was left with only an empty shell, allowing the rain to wash away. "What the hell is going on? No one set the fire just now." Zhengchun stared blankly at the corpse on the ground, while Ii Naotaka roared loudly. "Yes! No one set fire! But..." "Who set the fire?" Naotaka shouted. "It should be the last fire set by the person who committed suicide." The subordinate said tremblingly. "How many people died?" "I remember that there were thirty-five corpses. Now the number has become thirty-four. I'm afraid the count was wrong just now..." "Idiot! The Great Imperial Palace is coming to investigate, hurry up and clean up the corpse! You bastard!" Hearing Naotaka Ii's scolding, Zhengchun didn't think the matter was over like this.He picked up the piece of paper in Ogino Michiki's hand, and compared it with the number reported by the two bureaus. The dead body was no different from the names on the list. Daoxi's piece of paper reads: "Maori Shengyong cut off the head of Youfu, and Youfu died at the age of twenty-three. Ogino Michiki stabbed his wife to death, and the wife died at the age of forty-nine..." Next to Xiu Lai's body was his head, which was wrapped up.Mrs. Dian was stabbed in the chest by a knife and died. She still opened her eyes slightly, and the drizzle fell on her body.Looking at Hideyori whose body and head are separated, and Mrs. Dian who is still opening her eyes slightly, she never imagined that they caused so many troubles during their lifetime, and these people don't know what will happen behind them. "This is Mrs. Dian?" Zhengchun whispered. Corpses cannot speak.But this white and fat woman lying on the ground with her eyes slightly open is the temptress who has enraged the think tanks in Kanto for more than ten years and tossed Ieyasu and Hidetada a lot?Zhengchun always regards Mrs. Yodo as a temptress, and this temptress is fascinated by Hideyoshi, Sannari, Jichang, and even Ieyasu.But now this corpse is so ugly.No matter how sinful this temptress is, once she dies, she is no different from a dead fish.The warm drizzle fell on her body, which made people feel indescribable about the impermanence of life.On her chest and abdomen, the pomegranate-like wound has been closed, her lips are slightly opened, and the blackened teeth can be seen glowing faintly.Probably because she vomited blood before she died, the rain fell into her mouth, and the blood flowed down the tip of her tongue to her neck... "There's a blouse over there, cover it up for her." Zhengchun said to the scholars, then walked up to Hideyori.Is this man really the son of Taiko Toyotomi?As a man, he was not respected at all.The six-foot fat body is covered with fat, and the severed head is also full of abscesses, fat and fat.Zhengchun seemed to have never seen such an ugly head. "This unfilial son makes even mother feel uneasy." Zhengchun sighed.Xiu Lai couldn't see the look of Mr. Xiu Gu on his face, but he looked like a sad-faced rural reckless man. Surrounded by four corpses are Sanada Daisuke, Kato Yaheita, Takahashi Hansaburo and Shisanburo brothers.The faces of these teenagers are too handsome to bear to look at.Except for a few of them, Zhichang Ono and his son Zhitoku, Mori Katsunaga brothers, Hayami Kaishoujiu and his son Demaro, and others, all of them are reputable warriors, and everyone has a wisp of hair on their faces that makes people laugh. Feeling so sad. "Oh, this is Kimura Shigenari's mother." Zhengchun confirmed their identities while counting.When he came to the last eight corpses, Bunan clasped his hands together.Zhichang's mother, Dazangju, was at the front, followed by Chongcheng's mother, Ukyo Taifu, Dashangpeng's inner bureau, Xiangting bureau, and Ayu. Besides, there were three corpses that Zhengchun didn't know.They all died with the help of others. Some of them folded their hands in front of their chests and died after being stabbed by a knife, and some died after being stabbed two or three times... But everyone's face was very calm, and they were determined to escape. This world of pain. "Report!" A guard said, "The Great Imperial Palace suddenly feels unwell, and I don't want to go back to the barracks, I have to go back to Ertiao City directly." Zhengchun was shocked and said loudly: "Who reported this to the Imperial Palace?" "Your Majesty." Abe Zhengji, who looked at the corpse quietly like Masaru, wiped the rainwater off his face, and said, "I have the responsibility to report the matter to the general. If you don't tell the matter to the Imperial Palace who came here specially to greet you, then negligence……" "Are you ignoring how pure I am?" "Let's just listen to what I have to say. I ordered people to report to the Imperial Office that the other party has stopped resisting and has committed suicide. Regarding the details, Lord Uenosuke will report to the Imperial Office." "Troublesome!" Zhengchun was furious, not at all like usual, "I haven't checked here, if there is negligence here, causing a gap between the general and the Imperial Palace, what should I do?" "This..." Abe Masaji's voice was very low, but the words were very clear, "The Imperial Palace has entrusted the general with the battle. Even if the general wants to kill them, the Imperial Palace will not object." Hearing these upright words, Zhengchun had no choice but to keep silent. "My lord!" the guard said again, "The Great Imperial Palace also asked the villain to tell you that Master Uenosuke does not need to go back to Nijo Castle together, and it will not be too late to return after everything is done carefully. Regarding the funeral, Oguri Tadamasa will be in charge, and Isshinji will be in charge." Master hosts." "Wait!" Zhengchun called the guard who was about to leave, and said, "Of course I will follow... The Great Imperial Palace has left the Sakura Imperial Gate?" "Yes. I suddenly feel unwell..." "Is it sick?" "Yes...no." "What's the matter, tell me clearly!" Ai Ai, the guard Qiqi said: "The Imperial Palace is furious, saying that everyone has lied to him." "Did you hear, Abe, he said that everyone lied to him." "This is not deceit." Abe Masaji still did not change his face, "Ueno-sama also saw it, and it was Hideyori who procrastinated and ended it on his own." "Okay, okay! Who is by the Imperial Palace now?" "Itakura Katsushige and his son are responsible for the escort. I think there should be no danger on the way to Nijo Castle." "Oh, good! I will go after you, tell Itakura-sama to be careful." "Obey!" After the guards left, Honda was walking up and down in front of the corpse, and stopped for a long time.Dazed, he looked at the cloudy sky.For him, it all seemed like a dream. Ieyasu took the sedan chair prepared when he got up, let someone lead the horse, and set off towards the gate, with a look of disappointment on his face.He suddenly said that he was going back to Ertiao City, and his subordinates didn't have time to prepare a boat, so they had to go overland to Shoukou first. The military tents at Chamoshan have not been removed yet.He originally planned to go back to Chamo Mountain with Xiu Lai and Mrs. Dian after receiving them, and he even made the soldiers prepare for the reception... Qian Ji and the Minister of Criminal Affairs Xu have already arrived at the unburned Yixin Temple Inside the meditation room, waiting for them. At that time, when Ieyasu saw the sudden fire in the barn, his face turned pale, and he shouted loudly: "Call Itakura Katsushige!" After Katsushige arrived, Ieyasu scolded his head and face, "You are the same as them! I was going to save Hideyori Mother and child were killed, but they actually shot at the barn...and even justified it, saying that the other party set fire to himself! They thought Tokugawa Ieyasu didn't know anything?" Katsushige didn't know how to answer. In fact, he also took Hideyori's death for granted.I really want to leave Xiu to rely on the lives of mother and son, there is only one person in the whole world... Xiuzhong is afraid that he also thinks so.After all, Xiu Lai is his son-in-law, and Xiu Zhong does not want to put him to death.However, Xiuzhong is the general who governs the world, how can he show favoritism in such a big matter?He is equally miserable, but his cronies are not.Since the Battle of Komaki, they have suffered too much from the Toyotomi clan, and they have lived in tolerance for many years.The decades-long grievances between the two families have continued to this day, and it is time to end it. "If you keep silent, you will know that you are the same as them! You have deceived Tokugawa Ieyasu so hard! You..." Ieyasu suddenly raised his whip, but he missed Katsushige.As if out of rage, and also seemed to have changed his mind suddenly, he staggered, lowered his hands, trembling all over, "Water... get water..." The servant boy held the water tremblingly, and Ieyasu took a sip, sat upright with a sad expression on his face. "Katsushige, is it still burning?" After a while, Ieyasu asked sadly.At this moment, he had suppressed the anger in his heart. "Return to your lord, the smoke has gradually disappeared." "Hey, go straight back to Erjo Castle." "But, if you go like this, General..." "Stupid! If I saw the general now, maybe I would grab his hair in public and beat him up, that's all!" After saying that, Ieyasu fell into loneliness again. In Ieyasu's iron-blooded life, he had never experienced such a miserable and bone-chilling loneliness.At this age, he can only appreciate this kind of loneliness.Throughout his life, he was always accompanied by people: when he was young, he had many senior ministers; when he was middle-aged, his character gradually stabilized and his fighting spirit was blazing, and he naturally had the support of thousands of hopes in his heart, and he could also control his own destiny; in his later years, he devoted himself to teaching his children and grandchildren , also more effective.However, at this time, Jiakang couldn't help but sighed: "In the whole world, who knows my thoughts?" However, this is nothing more than a conceit.Ieyasu also often said: "Just treat me as dead!" But in fact, he is still alive eagerly, wanting to worry about everything and prepare for his death.It's a pity that Xiuzhong and his young cronies were not convinced by all his hard work.In the matter of Xiu Lai's mother and son, he can't be the master. As long as a person is born between heaven and earth, he should not completely disregard the world and human feelings.Needless to say, it is necessary to establish a new order to quell wars and create peace.The "laws" on which the new order depends must also be strictly observed.But after all, laws and regulations are determined by people, and there are people who have laws, and there must be laws before people.However, no matter whether it is human beings or laws, above all, there are laws governing the nature of the world. "I want to save the lives of Xiu Lai's mother and child because of the laws of nature. Both Xiu Lai and Aqian are my children. Besides, Taiko is not only a respectable senior, but also taught me a lot of truths." Master, therefore, if at this time I trample on my personal friendship in order to maintain the order I established, it would be against common sense. This kind of unreasonable behavior will only make people fearful and discouraged, how can it last long? The law wants people to abide by it , so as not to be completely divorced from human feelings." Whenever there was a chance, Ieyasu taught Xiuzhong in this way, and when he saw that Xiuzhong seemed to have fully understood, he said: "Just treat me as dead!" Then he handed over all the power to his son. However, this is Ieyasu's high opinion of the world.In the world and the world, he has seen everything clearly, but whether it is Xiuzhong or his cronies, who can know Jiayasu's mind?I'm afraid, they will laugh secretly in their hearts: "The Great Imperial Palace is already old and feeble!" When Hideyoshi was ill and repeatedly complained strangely, he had fallen into complete loneliness.And now, could the same fate have befallen Ieyasu? "Shengzhong, it's time to go!" When Ieyasu spoke sadly, his eyes were already filled with tears. But Ieyasu did not return directly to Nijo Castle from Sakura Gomon Gate. He ordered: "Enter the city first, and go to Nijo Castle from the Kyobashi entrance." Out of caution, he wanted to inspect the city before returning to Ertiao City - he didn't want the world to see that he had a relationship with the general. Itakura Katsuo understood, walked around the city, crossed Kyobashi, and then went from Noda and Sakaguchi to Higashino River.When approaching the East Gate, I saw some people returning home one after another. Ieyasu remained dazed and silent. Itakura Katsushige ordered his servants to lead the horses and follow the sedan chair on foot. "The war is over, let's go home quickly and do business." He comforted the passing merchants, then turned to Jiakang and said, "Look, everyone is rushing home with peace of mind." Ieyasu was still speechless. "My lord, are you still sad?" "..." "But if you think about it carefully, this matter must not be the general's original intention, there must be a misunderstanding." "Bastard!" Ieyasu gritted his teeth, but said weakly, "Oh! Hideyori will never be able to come back to life." "General..." Shengzhong gave the bearers a wink, signaling them to slow down, "The general will not go against your lord's wishes. Besides, the general has Honda Zhengshin by his side, so there must be a misunderstanding." "Shut up!" "..." "This will become a stain on Tokugawa Ieyasu's life. Who of you can know me?" Hearing this, Sheng Zhong took a few steps away from the sedan chair and asked himself: Can I understand Ieyasu's thoughts?Xiu Lai, the orphan of Taige, who has no power to resist, and Qian Ji also run away. I am afraid that these will be regarded as the result of a ruthless and selfish conspiracy.Troubled people will make a lot of arrangements, and Ieyasu may be regarded as a ruthless person who destroyed Toyotomi's orphans. "Katsushige," Ieyasu said suddenly, "when we arrive in Hirakata, send someone to visit the general." "Obey!" "Just say that I'm tired and I want the children to accompany me. Let Lieutenant General Yuan Jiang and Owari Senge go to Nijo Castle quickly." After a short pause, he added, "Let Zhonghui come along. They all suddenly If you relax, you will feel bored." Only then did Shengzhong feel relieved, and Ieyasu's thoughts seemed to have turned to teaching his children and grandchildren. "Obey! I will send someone there immediately." Before arriving in Hirakata, Itakura Katsushige sent people to Okayama Hidetada's barracks, and also went to Chamo Mountain, ordering Shigemasa, who was waiting for Ieyasu's return, to rush to Nijo Castle as soon as possible. At this time, there were more than 300 people traveling with Ieyasu, including Shengzhong's subordinates.Since no big boat was found, everyone could only huddle together, and Ieyasu and Shengshige were also close together.Even though they were squeezed like this, Ieyasu still didn't look at Katsushige directly, but just stared at the rainy sky absently, and kept silent. Only then did Katsushige feel utterly lonely.The battle was won, but there was an uneven scar left in the heart of the Great Imperial Palace. "Katsushige." When Ieyasu spoke again, the boat was pulled by the tracker and was going upstream, and amidst the shouts of the crowd, it was about to reach the river under the jurisdiction of the capital. "What are your orders?" "Afterwards, I want to hand over everything in Osaka to the general, so there won't be any surprises, right?" "Yes. Nothing to worry about." "Before I managed too much?" "This... But, this is the relationship between father and son... If your lord has any orders, I will send someone to convey them immediately." "Forget it, if you think about it carefully, I'm talking too much. What did you say that Abe Masaji, Aoyama Tadatoshi and Ando Masanobu were responsible for guarding the gold and silver treasures in the city, and Matsudaira Tadaaki guarded the city... These are just old people's chatter nagging." "No, this is not nagging, but a mature concern, and the general will act cautiously." "What do you think of the general? Is he capable of governing the world?" Only then did Shengzhong heave a sigh of relief, and said: "No matter what happens, the general will do his best to never tarnish your great achievements. A person with such filial piety is unique." "Oh... I have to die again." "grown ups……" "Although you are alive, you are still dead...Although you are alive, you are still dead. It's hard, just treat yourself as a living dead." Seungju nodded vigorously.Even people like Ieyasu are still unwilling to give up power completely at this age. "My lord's words have a deep meaning. Sheng Zhong will engrave it in his heart and work hard to temper it." "Katsushige, I have no intention of blaming the general anymore. But, when we arrive at Nijo Castle, you might as well send Todo Takatora." "Todo Takatora? Yes." Only then did Ieyasu's usual composure and calmness appear on his face. Not long after, Itakura Katsushige's good intentions showed results before Ieyasu and his party arrived at Nijo Castle.When General Hidetada learned that Ieyasu had returned to Nijo Castle, he immediately dispatched people to deliver all kinds of news: Hideyori's mother and son committed suicide; in order to prevent someone from escaping from the coast, Kuki Shoulong and Obama Mitsutaka were ordered to be in charge of guarding the coast ; As for the gold and silver in Osaka City, according to Ieyasu's opinion, Abe, Aoyama, and Ando Shigenobu are responsible; the ruins in the city have been ordered to be cleaned up by soldiers from the West Kingdom and China within a hundred days... Hidetaka followed Sekigahara's example and did not play a triumphant song. He just worshiped the military god and rescued the fallen soldiers on both sides. Then, Fang took his two younger brothers and Todo Takatora who wanted to meet Ieyasu to Fushimi Castle. "Whose idea is this, Honda Sado Mamoru or Todo Takatora?" Ieyasu who returned to the castle seemed quite satisfied with Hidetada's quick handling of the funeral and retreat to Fushimi.He lost his temper at Sakura Gomon, and suddenly decided to return directly to Nijo Castle: Needless to say, this unusual behavior made people very strange.Xiuzhong was also keenly aware of this, and immediately finished dealing with the funeral, and followed back to Fushimi Castle by himself.In this way, no one will find out that there is a gap between father and son, and think that they have agreed in advance. Sheng Zhong smiled slightly and said: "As a father, I always feel that my children are still young and far from growing up." "Without parents, how can children grow up?" "The magic power of gods and Buddhas is boundless." "Shengzhong, he didn't mention Aqian at all, so what?" "Forgive me for speaking bluntly." Sheng Zhong replied calmly, "I think that a grandfather loves his granddaughter, no matter what." "As a father, you can't protect your daughter who survived the battle?" "My lord is holy!" "Okay, this matter... I have to meet one more person, and that is Mr. Benami, who has a close relationship with you." "Guangyue?" "Yes, I want to talk to the old man and ask him how to treat his grandchildren. He has a straightforward temperament and does not tell lies. I also want him to relay the incident to the Gaotaiyuan... Alas, it is very good. " "I'm going to invite Guangyue immediately." "Katsushige, sometimes I cry, but I don't want to tell anyone about the tears. I wanted to have Hideo and Chien sit in front of me, so that I could teach them... That, that was once a dream of mine. ,Ugh!" In Itakura Katsushige's view, Ieyasu has become an old man who often weeps. This is not because of old age. He still has precise judgment and decision-making like a knife.Shengzhong faintly felt that Ieyasu was quite impatient now compared to before, probably because he knew that he would die soon. "I'll call Guangyue here." After Shengzhong finished speaking, he went to the corridor, but after a pause, he changed his mind again.Just as Ieyasu said, Ben Ami Koetsu is an upright person. If he was asked to discuss the matter of Chihime, he might make a harsher judgment than Hidetada: "Mrs. Ma'am, you should end it yourself." If he replied like this, Mr. Jiakang's heart, which had finally calmed down, might be disturbed again.After thinking about it, Shengzhong walked in to ask, and wrote a letter to Guangyue. Because Xiu Lai's mother and son committed suicide, the Imperial Palace was very lonely, and the husband was afraid and deeply felt that the world was impermanent.My humble opinion is that the Great Imperial Palace will soon return to Kanto.The Great Imperial Palace is very old, after returning this time, I am afraid that I will never see my husband again.Therefore, please visit Kodaiin first, and invite her to come and see her before returning to Kanto.Details will be discussed at another day.Until then, think carefully about how to respond.Fortunately. Sheng Zhong sent someone to deliver the letter and returned to Jiakang's room.At this time, Jiakang rested his hands on the table and was deep in thought. After a long time, Fang asked, "Is he coming right away?" "This... Mr. is not at home and has gone out." "Hiking?" "No. I'll be back in a day or two. I've sent a letter to ask him to come and see me when I get back." "Oh." Ieyasu stared at Shengzhong intently, "Shengzhong, I don't want to ask that old man about Ah Qian anymore." "grown ups……" "You deliberately said that he was not at home. In that case, I don't want to ask any more." "This this……" "It's okay, people sometimes lie, and it's good intentions. People are too upright, but they are cold. Okay, okay, when Ben Ami comes, I will praise him well, don't worry..." Itakura Katsushige shook his shoulders and burst into tears.