Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

Until Toyomasa Okuhara retreated, Chihime hardly spoke again.Only when Xiu Lai asked, she replied, but she neither expressed her opinion nor asked any questions. Qianji is eighteen years old, and it is the best time for a woman.But just as Hideyori showed the vigor of a young man, Chihime has also completely changed, the previous innocence disappeared without a trace, replaced by a tempered and quiet beauty.Recently, she has added an abnormal temperament, which has nothing to do with the usual cheerfulness, but a kind of arrogance that makes everyone respect her at a distance.She was always in a daze of deep thought.Perhaps, it was this kind of inaccessible coldness and quietness that slightly intimidated Hideyori, and when it was only the two of them left, Hideyori always showed a look of trying to please.

"How do you view Feng Zheng? I think he is a trustworthy person." Even if her husband took the initiative to strike up a conversation, Qianji did not turn her attention to him.This is by no means an aversion to Hideyori, since the atmosphere in Osaka has become sinister, her heart has tightened up, fearing that she will lose Hideyori. "Why don't you say anything? Feng Zheng said, the Imperial Palace likes me, and I feel the same way." "..." "What do you think of Fengzheng?" Asked for the third time, Chihime looked at Hideyori and shook her head lightly, "I really don't know about myself."

"I don't know? Are you saying he can't be trusted?" Qianji shook her head again.This is entirely her truth.There are only women around her, and the more she thinks about what the man is thinking, the less she understands. But Xiu Lai didn't think so, "You seem to be angry. Alas, it's no wonder that in Osaka, you can't listen to the words of Kanto as soon as you open your mouth. Who would like to hear that their mother's family has been tortured?" scold?" Qianji lowered her eyes sadly and sighed, her eyes filled with tears. "What's wrong with you? Are you crying?"

Qian Ji shook her head lightly again, "I don't seem to remember the Great Imperial Palace and the General much anymore." "You... what are you talking about?" "Edo has become like a dream. However, I don't seem to be from Osaka..." This is Qianji's true feelings.However, after hearing this, Xiu Lai was very puzzled.He felt that they were husband and wife, but also brother and sister. "You're here again, and this has become your bad habit." Affection, indeed, has a variety of manifestations. Jealousy and anxiety are affection, and hatred, hostility, cursing and killing are all distorted affection.Xiu Lai fell in love with Qian Ji, so he did everything possible to comfort her.But when the heart can't impress the other party, Xiu Lai can't help becoming anxious.In fact, he also understands that this anxiety is also out of love.

"That being the case, I will give in today, but I hope you don't misunderstand me. I understand your pain. You may really not even remember the appearance of your grandfather and biological father. You have been in Osaka for eleven years. Fushimi and Edo only stayed for a short time. It can be said that you belong to Osaka." "Your Excellency said so." Qian Ji looked away and said softly.She is thinking hard. In the eyes of Toyomasa Okuhara, this look has "unspeakable nobility", but Hideyori doesn't see it that way.People will have prejudices due to their own will and emotions, but Hideyori has neither realized nor reflected on this.

Hideyori dissatisfied: "Even if what you said is true, you can't say that you are not from this city. You are not in this city now, are you Toyotomi Hideyori's wife?" "yes." "What is it! In order to get you out of loneliness, Xiu Lai has broken her heart. The same is true for mother, she always protects you, and even forbids me to mention Kanto in front of you." "yes." "Do you really understand?" "clear……" "Now that you understand, stop crying and complaining! Also, answer Hideyori's questions honestly!"

"yes." Xiu Lai frowned and shook her head, "As soon as I heard you say 'yes', I felt as if I was talking to a puppet, which made me anxious. Alas! I'm not right to say that. Okay, please answer me with peace of mind. : What do you think of that Toyomasa Okuhara, is he credible or not?" "I don't know." Qian Ji replied in the same tone again, shook her head, and then hurriedly changed her words, "If you don't know what you don't know, if you mislead Sir, it's a crime..." Before she finished speaking, Xiu Lai put her right hand on her cheek, "You! You don't understand Xiu Lai's mind at all. Since this is the case, Xiu Lai has no choice but to use this method to prove his affection for you." Then, Xiu Lai He slapped Qianji on the face again, and then roughly embraced Qianji...

The sun is still high.The war is imminent, and there is a murderous look inside and outside the city, and there are people in armor and walking in a hurry.In the corner of the inner court of such a city, the anxious city lord and his wife made out with each other without closing the door, which is really unusual.How could Xiu Lai and Qian Ji have no scruples? Seeing everything in front of him, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment who was waiting outside was puzzled.Today's Ministry of Criminal Affairs is not Shinjuro Naito's mother, she is a maid brought by Chihime from Edo, her original name is A Xiao, and after Shinjuro's mother fell ill and left the inner court, A Xiao replaced her.Although she is only seventeen years old this year, she can still see the abnormality of this couple.She closed the door from the outside sadly, then quietly retreated to sit outside, closing her eyes and guarding faithfully.

At such a time, the Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Justice deeply hoped that Eiju, who gave birth to a daughter for Hideyori, would appear here.If this was the case, she would have dissuaded Hideyori from such unreasonable and rude behavior.But now in the inner court, no one dared to speak to Xiu Lai or Qian Ji because of such a matter.What's more, this is a private matter for the city lord and his wife. When this happened, the Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Justice was still full of panic and shame, curled up in a corner and dared not move.She was even worried that Xiu Lai would be violent.But things didn't seem as scary as she imagined.Afterwards, Chihime would tidy up her clothes as usual, and send Hideyori out the door as usual.

Most of the servants have already commented like this: Although the city lord and his wife love each other, they are unwilling to tell each other frankly, and after every quarrel, they are full of passion and affection.The seventeen-year-old Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs gradually felt: Qian Ji was probably tempting Xiu Lai on purpose, she must have deliberately annoyed Xiu Lai first, and then waited for him to vent, what a pathetic woman's trick! Hideyoshi is right.Since he reached out to Rongju, he has touched four other women.Because of fear of Qianji, the Ise maid who gave birth to a boy was sent away, and the other three women became concubines.

But Qian Ji never showed any jealousy.All emotions are stagnated in the heart, and they develop eccentricities. The Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, who is utterly loyal to Qianji, still feels that Xiu Lai is at fault. Today was the same as usual, she sat quietly in a corner with her eyes closed, waiting for the storm to subside.But at this moment, there was a sudden sound of footsteps outside. If it was just one person's footsteps, the Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Justice would be indifferent, and said with closed eyes: "Now Shaojun is not seeing anyone, go quickly." But today six or seven people came, she had to open her eyes. "Ah Xiao, don't be afraid, it's us, report to Aqian quickly." Mrs. Dian laughed loudly. "Yes... yes. The maidservant is now...going..." But the Secretary of the Criminal Ministry did not get up immediately, and she was not just stunned by the sudden visit of Mrs. Dian and her party - she was already full of emotions and knew very well Go in and report what kind of bad luck you will encounter. "Hehe, Ah Xiaodu got impatient and acted Kyogen. Look, there is still so much spittle on his forehead, so wait until you finish reciting the spell before getting up. Aqian, Aqian, it's me. I You are welcome to come in." After saying that, Mrs. Dian ordered Zheng Rongni and others who were following behind, "You wait outside." She strode past the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment and opened the door violently. "Ah!" With a loud cry, the door slammed shut again. Madam Dian turned her head and yelled at the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, who was curled up on the ground with a red face and did not dare to vent her breath: "What's going on? Ah Xiao? Since Shaojun is here, why didn’t you say it earlier! It seems that it must be Shaojun..." She called out into the room again in a sharp voice: "Ah Qian." As if being naked was seen by others, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment was ashamed, and I really hoped that the people inside would open the door sooner.Judging from her footsteps and voice, Mrs. Dian is not in a bad mood today.Even so, people's hearts are fickle, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs is very aware of this.But the two people in the room didn't seem to be aware of her uneasiness. They didn't procrastinate on purpose. They even arranged their clothes by others, let alone in a panic now? "Ah Xiao," Mrs. Dian said again, "Quickly tell Shaojun that I'm coming. Also, don't forget to smell the incense well." Her voice was very calm, but at this delicate moment, she didn't come in either. No, retreat is not, if you always wait outside, no one will be in a good mood. "Yes...yes. I will report to you, servant girl." The Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment got up in a panic, and Mrs. Dian's forehead had already burst into blue veins. Not long after, the door opened, and Qianji knelt at the entrance and saluted.Mrs. Yodo's eyes immediately shot towards Hideyori who was seated like an arrow. The relationship between Madam Dian and Qianji is not as bad as the maids feared, what they have is just an emotional bond that has been inseparable from each other for more than ten years. Mrs. Dian has only one child, Xiu Lai, but since she welcomed this innocent niece, more than ten years have passed in a blink of an eye.Now, Mrs. Dian can't even tell which one is her own.Qianji is no longer the daughter of A Jiang and her daughter when she first arrived, she has been raised into a completely different Qianji. But today Qian Ji and Xiu Lai poured a basin of cold water on Madam Dian.After all, Qianji is a daughter-in-law, why is she always unhappy?Once men and women are seen naked, any outsider seems to become an enemy. Could it be that the unique jealousy of women still exists somewhere in Mrs. Dian's heart? "Young Master!" Mrs. Dian ignored Qian Ji who was lying at her feet, and stood directly in front of Xiu Lai, "I thought Young Master would cherish time as much as life, and he is busy directing the battle outside right now!" Hideyoshi replied disapprovingly, "Why did your mother come here?" He almost didn't add "this is really a rare thing". "Young Master thinks it's not right for me to come at this time?" "Don't dare, I just want to know why." "Master, you should ask yourself! What time is it now, and you always go to the inner court? In a few days, the war will start, and even the soldiers are preparing. As the lord of the city, you..." Mrs. Dian said Her voice gradually became sharper, and she clearly realized that the old women were lying side by side outside, so she said loudly: "Young Master, once a war breaks out, women must also be prepared, huh?" "Of course...be prepared." "Since that's the case, as the chief general, you must not be ignorant of the breath of Daban City!" "Chief general?" "Who is the enemy of this battle, do you know? The general has entered Fushimi Castle, and the Imperial Palace has also left Nijo Castle, but you have even forgotten about the battle, and are still messing around in the inner court! Why don't you think about who Qian Ji belongs to?" daughter?" "Mother, how can you say that?" Xiu Lai said loudly. "Hmph! Young Master's understanding is wrong. Although Aqian is the enemy general's granddaughter, she is also my niece!" "That……" "No, you misunderstood! I was worried about Ah Qian, so I came here on purpose. You must have heard the rumors in the city. If the news in the city leaks from here, it will be very bad for us. Now the eyes of the whole city are fixed on him. If things go on like this, if anything happens to Aqian, how will you explain it?" Mrs. Dian seemed to be telling the truth.While reprimanding her, she sat down in front of Xiu Lai and continued: "Ah-qian is indeed lovable. If you like her, you should care for her, but why don't you know how to protect her? When you come to the inner court in broad daylight, our warriors will What do you think? They will definitely think that Ah Qian is the one who is to blame, and that it is Ah Qian who deliberately lured you to his side, and passed the secret out of your mouth to Kanto. Otherwise, in this critical moment, in broad daylight..." The more Mrs. Dian spoke, the angrier she became.That's right, she didn't come here to reprimand.More and more people in the city doubted Qianji.There are always winners and losers in a war, if something goes wrong, it will be very disadvantageous for one's own side. At that time, if someone instigates and says that Qianji has leaked the secret, Qianji may be in danger of her life.Therefore, before starting the war, it was Mrs. Dian's original intention to transfer Qianji to her side so as to protect her.If there are still doubts, she will naturally say: "I am closely monitoring her, and I have not found anything suspicious." In this way, there is a reason for asylum. She came to visit out of kinship, but unexpectedly found that Xiu Lai was here, and was reprimanded for a few words, and her heart was filled with huge waves: This bastard doesn't understand my good intentions!Thinking of this, Mrs. Dian almost burst into tears, and she was even more passionate. "Ah Qian, listen carefully too. This war is our counterattack to Kanto's rude actions. They are defiant, and even want to stop the funeral of the late Taige. When it comes to war, you don't know anything, but I , and your mother, who understands better than anyone else. On the battlefield, right and wrong are not discussed, only emotions are entangled, and waves of suspicion can swallow both sides into a sea of ​​​​blood hell. It was like this in Xiaogu Castle, and it was also like this when Echizen Beizhuang Castle fell. Because I understand the cruelty of war so well, I came here to pick you up. If you are not by my side, no one can predict what kind of misfortune will happen to you, so it is best for me to protect you. However, you deliberately pester you in broad daylight Zhu Shaojun. What are you thinking, do you want to give someone a handle?" "Master." Qianji was very surprised, but she said calmly, "Young Master was not called by Ah Qian." "Huh? Then, I was fascinated by your appearance. Do you dare to say that Shaojun even forgot about the war and only knew to run to you?" "This... Ah Qian doesn't know." "Mother!" Xiu Lai couldn't bear to stop Mrs. Dian, "Mother, you are too much. In front of everyone, you should be more careful when you speak." He finally understood the purpose of his mother's visit, so he wanted to shut Mrs. Dian's mouth, and then took the opportunity Leaving, "You speak so harshly, even good intentions will turn into malice. Speak well if you have something to say." Hideyoshi made a mistake.On such occasions, the son should not blame the mother first.Men always blame those closest to them first.Mrs. Dian has long forgotten this habit.She originally came to pick up Qianji with kind thoughts that moved her to tears, but she was overwhelmed. Not only did no one understand her painstaking efforts, but she was reprimanded by her precious son. "You..." Madam Dian's eyes burst into tears, "Shaojun is saying, am I a mother?" "Don't dare, my child never said who is right and who is wrong." "Hmph, you said it! You just said it... It is because I regard Ah Qian and you as my most beloved people that I deliberately went to negotiate with the elders and wanted to keep Ah Qian by my side. For this reason, I I bowed my head to people everywhere, and my heart was broken, but in the end..." "Mother!" "Shaojun doesn't understand my mother's painstaking efforts at all. If that's the case, no matter what happens in the future, I won't care at all!" "Mother!" Xiu Lai knew better than anyone else that Mrs. Dian's anger was hard to dissipate for a while. He kicked the cushion and stood up, "How can my child forget the war? Because I dare not forget, I am very bored, and I have something important to do." I just came here after asking about it. But you still treat me like a child, interfering everywhere. I’m done with it!" He only cared about venting his dissatisfaction, completely irrational.Seeing that he couldn't appease his mother for a while, he gave up his patience and played wildly. "Kikumaru, let's go!" Hideyori called to the only boy with a knife, and went with heavy steps. The Secretary of the Criminal Ministry sweated and chased for a long time, but she didn't know how to stop Xiu Lai for a while.When she came back timidly, Mrs. Dian was crying loudly.The Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Justice was shocked.Mrs. Dian's followers were already used to this kind of crying, even though they were still lying on the ground in an orderly manner, they didn't panic, they just watched Qianji in unison.Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qianji was still contemplating calmly, like a proud white flower. Why does good intentions lead to misunderstanding?In the eyes of the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Qian Ji has no intention of blaming Hideyori, nor has she ever hated Mrs. Dian, she is probably looking for an excuse.But Mrs. Dian, who was crying to death, was really frightening. After she finished crying, a storm more violent than before would surely erupt.What was even more frightening was the eyes of Masakani, Dazang Bureau, Ukyo Taifu Bureau, Yui Court Bureau, Ogino, Ayu and other women who sat outside and stared fiercely at Chihime.Among them, who would have good intentions for Qian Ji?In recent days, everyone has been affected by the atmosphere in the city, and they all feel that "Qian Ji is a traitor from Edo", and stare at Qian Ji with evil eyes.In their eyes, Qian Ji must have regarded Mrs. Dian's heart-piercing cries as meaningless spiel. The crying stopped suddenly.Immediately, all the girls looked at Mrs. Dian together, they must have malicious expectations in their hearts: Hey, something is going to happen again! After the crying stopped, there was a long silence, when Mrs. Dian raised her head, her voice was surprisingly gentle: "Ah Qian, you just said that you didn't call Shaojun, did you?" "Yes, Ah Qian said so." "And he hasn't forgotten the war. He's here on business, isn't he?" "yes." "So, what's the matter? You tell me." "It's here to meet a man named Toyoma Okuhara." "Oh? Why didn't you call Okuhara outside? Why did your subordinates hide and meet secretly?" "This……" "The war is about to start, but Shaojun is still seeing people secretly, you should give more advice and remind him not to behave like this!" "But Ah Qian didn't think it was wrong." "No problem? Then, let me ask you again: What did Hideyori and Toyomasa Okuhara say? Tell me what Toyomasa said." "Yes." Qian Ji lowered her head slightly, and said, "He seems to say that the Imperial Palace has no intention of attacking Daban..." "The Great Imperial Palace has no intention?" "Yes. Shaojun said he thinks the same way, he misses Edo's grandfather very much..." As soon as Qianji said this, Mrs. Dian hurriedly pressed her finger on her lips, stopped her, her face was extremely pale, "Shaojun must have his own considerations when he said that. He must be testing Toyomasa Okuhara, what do you think?" ?” "No." "Huh? No? Hmph! The general who bet the fate of the entire Osaka will never have any other thoughts in his mind!" Mrs. Dian said sharply, "This is not the young master's original intention!" Qian Ji didn't argue, her voice was cold, "Ah Qian also thinks the same way." "You? What did you say?" "The daughter-in-law thinks the same way. The young master said this to comfort Ah Qian, and the daughter-in-law also thinks that the young master should not say that." Mrs. Dian's eyes were round, and she couldn't breathe.Qian Ji didn't seem to want to argue, but what was she thinking? "A thousand! I don't quite understand what you mean. Do you think that Hideyori called Toyomasa Okuhara just to comfort you?" "yes." "Why did Shaojun come to comfort you?" "Maybe it's because Ah Qian is... the granddaughter of the Great Imperial Palace." "It's coming again! You always say those things to scare people. The granddaughter of the Great Imperial Palace is the enemy, so it should not be comforted!" Qianji shook her head lightly again and said, "But Ah Qian has nothing to do with Kanto anymore." "That's why he felt sorry for you, so he wanted to comfort you..." "No." "Then why?" Mrs. Dian's voice became sharp again, Qianji glanced lightly at the attendants lying side by side in the distance, and said: "I have something, my wife wants to talk to my mother alone. You all retreat outside." "Huh?" Mrs. Dian opened her eyes wide.She never expected that Qianji would turn into a grown woman who could order so calmly. "Obey!" The old women seemed surprised.But Qian Ji is also the hostess of Daban Castle, since the order has been given, everyone has no choice but to withdraw. After everyone retreated, Qianji calmly turned to Mrs. Dian, "Ah Qian thinks that Young Master is worried about your mother." "worry about me?" "Yes. That's why Feng Zheng was called here." Mrs. Dian doubted her ears.Qian Ji not only ordered the old women to back down, but behind the words, there was even a sense of self-confidence that even Mrs. Dian was almost overwhelmed.Mrs. Dian tried her best to control her excitement. These words not only gave her confidence, but also filled her with surprise and affection. "You mean, Hideyori called Okuhara here because she was worried about me?" "Young Master..." Qianji looked away, "Young Master understands more and more that this battle will be an unusually difficult one." "Qianji... Aqian... How did you know?" "At the beginning, Shaojun just decided to fight bloody to the end, but there will always be winners and losers in wars." "Does it matter? Recently, Xiu Lai is afraid?" "No, he has become more and more rigorous, even thinking about the eventuality. Moreover, what he is most worried about is what will happen to his mother if the battle is unfavorable. Aqian really understands Shaojun's worries." "Oh, that's how it is." Mrs. Dian breathed a sigh of relief, she was glad that she didn't pull Qianji's black hair just now. "Then... how did he think?" "Although Shaojun doesn't hate the Great Imperial Palace, he still needs to occupy the city for a battle. Therefore, he specially called Fengzheng here. If the situation is unfavorable, he will entrust his mother to..." "Wait! Wait! Aqian... Didn't you just say that the young master came here to comfort you? Why are you saying that now, aren't you lying?" "No." Qianji shook her head with deep eyes, "Young Master's heart to comfort Ah Qian is only four points, but his filial piety to worry about his mother accounts for six points." "Oh……" "Therefore, Aqian got into a quarrel and felt dissatisfied. Of course, it wasn't just jealousy. Shaojun deliberately let Aqian hear their words, and the meaning in his heart was clear: in case of an emergency, mother would entrust her with you. Ah Qian. This kind of intention is too obvious. Behind this arrangement, there is a estrangement from the blood of Ah Qian, an enemy. To this Ah Qian who has long forgotten anything about Edo..." This remark was really unexpected, Mrs. Dian was speechless.Only then did she realize that this young couple also had this kind of calculation. "My lord, although Tokugawa's blood is flowing in Aqian's body, she is also bleeding with mother's blood. Besides, Aqian only knows Osaka, but why does the young master have such estrangement from Aqian? Aqian is... I can't figure it out!" At this point, Qianji suddenly bent down and fell to the ground, crying bitterly. Mrs. Dian unconsciously took Qianji into her arms and wiped away her tears, but she also cried.In fact, the two of them shed the same blood.Mrs. Dian can't forget her father, nor can she forget her mother, Mrs. Ashi, who died in Beizhuang.Aren't Qian Ji and Xiu Lai also so unlucky?Many years have passed, one of the young couple has become the lord of Dasaka, and the other has become the wife of the lord of the city, but the current situation is just like that of Xiaogu City back then... Xiu Lai is worried about her mother, and Mrs. Dian understands it very well.When she learned that Echizen Beizhuang was about to fall, Chacha Ji's little heart was in so much pain, she wanted to rescue her mother! Now that Hideyori is going to participate in the war, his mood is just like that of Cha Cha Ji back then, how can he not worry?However, if you entrust your mother to Qianji and Fengzheng quietly, it will definitely hurt Qianji's feelings.When Beizhuang City fell, no matter how much Chacha persuaded her, her mother, Shi Ji, would never leave the city and was willing to accompany her husband to die.Now, the tragedy of the grandmother has happened to the granddaughter Qianji in the same form. After Chihime stopped crying, Mrs. Dian whispered to her softly: "Ah Chien, what you mean is to entrust your mother to Okuhara, and you want to be with Hideyori... When it's a last resort, if you want to do this, yes?" "Yes." Qianji raised her head and replied clearly, "How can Ah Qian live alone without the husband she grew up with since childhood? If she is separated from Young Master, Ah Qian will die!" "Oh! I fully understand. My mother is the same, and I have experienced everything. At that time, my mother will not live alone. Xiu Lai and you are my beloved sons and daughters. The three of us must hold hands tightly. Go to Huangquan." After finishing speaking, Mrs. Dian finally regained her composure, and said, "What's the matter! Did you shed ominous tears before the battle started? Okay, let's all work together to help Shaojun win the victory." Right. We won, isn’t everything all right?” "yes." "Hurry up, wipe away your tears. It's not good for such a beauty to shed tears." "Yes..." There was absolutely no lie in Qianji's words.Even if she is not Hiderai's wife, but just Hiderai's younger sister, she will not leave her brother to live alone during the war, and will definitely go with Hiderai without hesitation. Therefore, Toyomasa Okuhara Shinjuro promised to save their lives. It is conceivable that this promise is difficult to realize.