Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

On the second day, the wind was a little less, but the rain was still gloomy and endless.The weather is also a lot colder, even a bit chilly in the morning. As soon as it was dawn, Tokuhime got up and went outside to ask Ishikawa Taro Zaemon, who was serving as his bodyguard.Tarozaemon seemed to have been up all night, his eyes were red and swollen, and he was holding a long gun, guarding the warehouse next to the door. "It turns out to be the young lady. If the lady goes out, she must be careful and pay attention to safety." "Tarozuo, what happened? Is someone coming to attack the city again? I don't know what happened to the young master. It's really worrying."

"Young Madam, Young Master, he is no longer in the city." Ishikawa Taro Zaemon still thought that the cause of this incident was Tokuhime's complaint, so his attitude was cold. "Not in this city? Could it be that he went to Hamamatsu, or is there an emergency military situation elsewhere?" "This... Regarding the young lady's question, I, Taro Zuo, haven't received an order, so I don't know if I can answer it." "What are you talking about? Since last night, I have felt that there is a lot of movement in the city, and it is by no means an ordinary thing. This morning, people and horses are noisy, very noisy..."

She lowered her voice, "Isn't it the adults who initiated the incident?" Hearing what De Ji said, Taro looked her up and down with half disgust and half mocking. "So, the young lady doesn't know anything about this matter?" "So, something big must have happened. It's really worrying, Taro Zuo, tell me quickly!" "This...can't be talked about." Taro Zuo put on a sullen face on purpose, pretending to be closed, "I always thought that the young lady would be the first to know about what happened to the young master." "No, I don't know. The young master didn't say anything. I'm so anxious, tell me what's going on!"

Taro Zuo looked indifferent, and looked at De Ji with his head tilted.Deji was in a panic, and there was no trace of pretense in her anxious expression.Could it be that she really doesn't know? "There is such a ridiculous thing..." "Young lady, the young master was exiled from Okazaki yesterday and became a ronin." "Ah? The young master was exiled?" "Yes, he is imprisoned in Dabin first, and he will commit seppuku suicide soon. Therefore, in order to prevent riots, all the troops have participated in the city's security since last night. Therefore, Taro Zuo has to be mobilized to take care of the young lady and other family members safety."

"Taro left! The young master is...why was he exiled..." "It is said that Mrs. Tsukiyama was suspected of being an internal correspondent of Takeda. I don't know who reported the matter to Azuchi in detail. The Youfu lord of Azuchi was furious and ordered the young master to be killed." Taro left unknowingly vented all his depression, and then peeked at De Ji's reaction with malicious intentions. Deji's lips suddenly became as white as paper. "Father actually gave such an order..." "Yes, a letter sent by someone. I will never forgive even my heart... This is what my lord means. Everyone in the family is reluctant to part with grief. My lord specially brought people from Hamamatsu to prevent it. There was a commotion, and everyone stayed in the city with tears in their eyes." Ishikawa Taro said, he even hated the young lady, he really wanted to throw the most vicious words in the world at her, but when he thought of his mission, he could only reluctantly Suppress your anger—I am now under orders to protect the young lady's safety...

Even so, Taro Zuo still spoke to De Ji in a curt tone. "Last night, the young master dressed up as a farmer and sneaked back from Dabin..." He finally couldn't help it, and told what he heard from Shen Yuan Xiaopingta about how miserable Xinkang was. "It's really hard to believe that the young master is rebellious. The young master dare not argue about other things, but this one is the only one. I must let the lord speak a fair word and let the lord believe in his innocence. However, the lord still refused. Young Master, you didn't even let the door in. I heard this from Xiao Pingtai."

At this time, De Ji could no longer hear what Taro Zuo was talking about, her emotions were surging like waves, and even she herself had become the target of public criticism, so she couldn't even think about it.She didn't care about Taro Zuo, turned around, and ran all the way back to the room. "Kyukono...Kyukono, where are you?" "Young madam, I am here, and Chrysanthemum is here." "Call them to me quickly, and call them here immediately." "Who are you calling, young lady?" "It goes without saying, two daughters!" Chrysanthemum opened her round eyes wide, and left in a panic. After a while, she pulled over the two girls who were still playing with the ball. "The ladies are here."

At this moment, Deji was bewildered and his eyes were dull.She responded, and then turned her gaze over. "Ju Nao, you step back, I want to be alone for a while." "Yes. And what about the ladies?" "Let them stay there." Hearing the mother's deep and hoarse voice, the two daughters were frightened and sat there not daring to move. "Come here, boys." "Yes, what's the matter, mother?" "A big event happened, a big event that you can't even dream of..." "Big thing? What big deal?" "Your father was exiled as a ronin... Alas, you don't understand. A big event happened to your father, what to do... You don't understand it yet, so you can't discuss it with you. "

The two daughters looked at each other in blank dismay. "Mom, can I play ball?" "No!" Deji replied reflexively, staring at the two daughters in a daze.The sky outside the house was still gloomy, the rain didn't seem to be getting smaller, and the surrounding air was clouded. The two daughters sitting side by side are surprisingly similar in appearance to Xinkang.This is the child of her husband who has lived with De Ji since she was nine years old.Although there were occasional quarrels between the couple, and sometimes even fierce arguments, all of these had a lot to do with her impatience.

Everyone is like this, just as people don't thank their hands and feet. When something that exists for granted, when it exists beyond doubt, people tend to complain about it, or complain about it. But now, this kind of existence has left Deji, and to Deji, it is as if his hands and feet have been cut off, and he is in a mess.Looking back now, the twelve years from the age of nine to the age of twenty-one can be said to be Deji's life, and Xinkang has become an indispensable part of her body. "Son..." Deji shouted again, "Even if it's just for you, you can't just give up like this. He is your only father."

The children who were still playing ball stood there blushing after being reprimanded by Deji. "I must go to Antu now. For you, I must rescue your father." "Mother, where is Antu?" "Antu is a place in Omi, the city where your grandfather lived. Tell your grandfather about your affairs, and he will definitely forgive your father. Yes, that's it, we must go to Antu... Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum! " She wanted Chrysanthemum to call the old mother who was the messenger, and go to Pingyan to discuss with auspiciousness, and then she was ready to leave.Before Chrysanthemum called, the old nanny hurriedly came to De Ji. "Young lady, the lord is here." "Ah? It's my father-in-law... Oh, it's just in time. I'm about to ask my father-in-law to let me go. Take the children aside first." "Yes, ladies, go over there with grandma, okay?" As soon as the children went out, the fully armed Ieyasu, accompanied by Ishikawa Tarozuo, came to Tokuhime's room.Okubo Heisuke, who followed behind, was holding a helmet, while Imachiyo was carrying a broadsword. "Ah, the father-in-law is here, please greet the father-in-law." Ieyasu turned his face away, strode up to the upper seat, Taro Zuo quickly took the bed table, and Ieyasu sat down. "It's raining endlessly, Deji." "Yes Yes." "You probably have heard that Saburo committed some crimes and was exiled from Okazaki by me." "Oh... Regarding this matter, I want to make a request to my father-in-law." Deji raised her pale face and hurriedly fell on the ground, "In any case, please allow me to go back to Antu, and I ask my father-in-law to agree." Ieyasu stared at Taro Zuo for a moment, he thought that De Ji already felt that he was in danger. "Deji, you are Lord Youfu's only daughter, and I will never allow anyone else to touch a finger of yours. Don't think wildly, just relax." He tried his best not to show displeasure, and spoke to De Ji in a soft tone, "Master Youfu will make arrangements for your matter sooner or later, before that, you should stay in the city first." "No!" Deji took a step forward, "There are rumors that my father suspects that the young master has committed a crime, but the young master is innocent. As a wife, I know it best. For the sake of my daughters, I want to rush to Antu clears up the wrong for the young master." "You said you want to go to Antu for Saburo?" "Yes, I just thought that this is the duty of the wife. In any case, please agree to the request of the daughter-in-law." "Oh, it's because of Saburo...it's all my fault, I misunderstood you just now." "Eunuch, Saburo is by no means a villain. Although he has a bad temper and gets angry easily, he will never do crooked things. He is the dear father of the children, and De Ji's irreplaceable and only one in this world." husband." Ieyasu's eyes gradually widened, and the eye circles turned red: "Deji." "exist." "Then why didn't you feel this a year or two ago?" "To be honest, from the moment I heard that the young master was exiled, I really realized how important Saburo is to me, and I can't lose him no matter what." Ieyasu opened his fan with a bang and covered his face.It can be seen that there is nothing false in Deji's words.What a sad mockery of life!Ieyasu felt even more uncomfortable, and his emotions were shaken. "I beg you, please allow me to go to Antu. Even if I risk my life, I will return Saburo's innocence." "De Ji..." "Yes, did the father-in-law agree to me?" "No, I don't know what rumors you heard. However, this matter is not an order from Lord Youfu, it is my own idea." "Ah? It belongs to my father-in-law..." "Yes. Therefore, you don't have to go to Antu." Deji looked at Ieyasu blankly, and after a while, kowtowed like crazy. "If this is the case, then the young master is still saved. Please forgive him for the sake of your daughter-in-law. Father-in-law, I beg you. It must be that some villains are trying to drive a wedge between the young master and the father-in-law. Recently, the young master The Lord gets up early and stays late every day, conscientiously works hard, works hard, and never idles for a moment, as his wife, Deji, knows best in his heart." Ieyasu couldn't stand it anymore, turned his face away, just in time to see the two granddaughters staring intently at the ball they forgot in the room. "Elder-in-law, you definitely don't hate the young master, right? Saburo will never betray you, he never does not follow your instructions, for the sake of his filial piety to you... No, you are pitiful Pity our mother and daughter, forgive him, don't go into exile, I beg you, I kowtow to you..." Ieyasu looked at De Ji's pleading appearance and was speechless. He began to feel that people are pathetic.Before coming here, I had to kill my own son's grief, and it's not that I never thought of telling my daughter-in-law who acted rashly, but now, this kind of thought has disappeared like morning fog. up.Deji is by no means a rash person... No matter whether it is Shinyasu or himself, Mrs. Tsukiyama, or Nobunaga, as long as he is alone, he will constantly struggle between mistakes and regrets. This is the tragedy of the world. "Elder-in-law, I beg you, for the sake of the children, please spare Saburo..." Ieyasu nodded vigorously and stood up. "I understand what you mean. But, Deji, I can't deal with it hastily. As a father, I also deal with him while swallowing bitterness in my stomach!" He scolded his own weakness in his heart, and said: "Everyone is born with his own destiny, and no one can change this destiny. If Saburo can surpass his destiny..." At this point, Ieyasu also felt very embarrassed .He suddenly realized that what he said just now would be misunderstood. "Anyway, don't try to be too horny, and don't make any noise. I have to go to West End City now." De Ji stared at Ieyasu, savoring his words carefully, trying to grab a straw to save his life. Ieyasu nodded to De Ji inadvertently again, and walked to the porch: "Taro left..." "exist." "Thanks to meeting Deji today. It seems that Sanlang has not been rejected by his wife yet." "Yeah, I couldn't help but cry when I heard the young lady's heartfelt words just now. It's completely different from the rumors." "Then, I'll leave the rest to you, don't make any mistakes." Ieyasu marched towards West End Castle in the rain.Nishio Castle is the residence of Masakasuke Sakai, a veteran of the Tokugawa family. Ieyasu plans to carefully consider the matter of Okazaki and Ohama after arriving there, and handle things in an orderly manner. Ieyasu brought two hundred followers, plus thirty muskets, and marched on the road leading to West End in a mighty procession. This situation reminded him of his sad childhood when he was six years old.At that time, he took a sedan chair to a strange place and lived a life of a homeless hostage who didn't know when he would be able to return home.But today, with the decision to execute his son hidden in his heart, he walked on the same road—first strengthen the city wall of Xiwei, and then order Dabin's Xinkang to harakiri... "Eunuch—" Ieyasu seemed to hear Deji calling him nearby, and couldn't help but rein in and stop.Of course, Deji was not around, this was his hallucination, but for some reason, this sounded an alarm in his heart—even his wife Deji was so sad. If there was a gap in the wall of Ohama, would some retainer have taken Xinkang somewhere?Ieyasu felt deeply ashamed for having such an imagination.Really indecisive... He scolded himself in his heart while urging the horse forward.However, this thought was lingering and lingering in my heart. Ieyasu stayed in Nishio City for nine days.No, it is more appropriate to say that it is a stagnation rather than a stagnation.He spent these nine days in the army without even taking off his battle uniform, leading the musketeers to patrol around. Although the continuous rain finally stopped in the afternoon of the seventh day, it made Ieyasu extremely flustered and anxious that night.Since then, no one has come to intercede for Xinkang.Probably because Ieyasu left such an impression on everyone that he has made up his mind, and no matter how much he pleads, he will not change his mind.Meanwhile, a reply letter sent to Nobunaga to deal with Xinyasu's opinion also came, the content is as follows: "Since even his father and retainers have abandoned him, then, no matter what is right or wrong, we can deal with it according to Ieyasu's wishes." This was all to be expected, and therefore, nothing to be surprised about. On this day, Ieyasu called the messenger Dairoku Oguri.He pretended not to care and asked, "How is Sanlang?" Oguri Dailiu travels between Ohama and Nishio every day, reporting the details of Xinyasu to Ieyasu. "It's still the same, shutting the door in the room every day, thinking about mistakes, and refusing to come out." "Oh." Ieyasu sighed. Xinkang strictly abides by his orders.In this way, I should be able to feel at ease for a while, but Ieyasu felt even less at ease.Will a smart person discover the secret buried in Ieyasu's heart and take Xinkang somewhere? Dabin is located by the sea, although the guards on the land are very strict, but if someone stealthily, under the cover of night, drives a small boat and rescues Xinkang, wouldn't the seppuku order be empty? During this period, if Nobunaga understood Deji's sad mood, Xinkang might not have to die. No, you shouldn't think that way, let him cut seppuku tomorrow! For several days, Ieyasu had been in a state of sadness, confusion and anxiety. The continuous autumn rain has finally stopped, and the clear sky is as blue as washing.Ieyasu was physically and mentally exhausted by the tedious affairs of the past few days, and he still feels angry. Don't procrastinate any longer, you must make up your mind tonight... That night, with the starry sky above his head, Ieyasu paced up and down the city, thinking about how to deal with Xinkang, and he kept walking for half a quarter.However, once the belief is shaken, it will be difficult to make a decision, and if you cannot make a decision, you will have no sleep, so you have to keep your eyes open until dawn.As a result, after dawn, he actually made another decision: to transfer Xinkang to Horie in Yuanzhou. In Dabin, Ieyasu's order was too deterrent, and no one dared to resist.If Xinyasu was transferred to Horie in Lake Hamana, someone would have insight into Ieyasu's mind and rescue him in a small boat.One of them should be Tadashi Sakai, who was involved in this matter from the beginning, and the other is Tadashi Okubo who came back from Azuchi with Tadashi.Both of them have children of the same age as Xinkang.They must have wondered why the lord transferred Xinyasu to Horie, and they would naturally notice Ieyasu's good intentions as a father. "I thought about it carefully. It's not right to put Xinkang in Dabin. Tomorrow is the ninth day of the lunar new year. Transfer him to Horie in Yuanzhou. You can make arrangements." bright. On the ninth day of August in the seventh year of Tianzheng, Xinkang was transferred to Horie Castle on the northeast shore of Lake Hamana. One day, when he received his father's order to let him leave Dabin, Xinkang was very strange and said to himself: "Father doesn't have to be so careful with me, and I won't run away, really!" Okazaki is closer, imprisoning himself here, in case someone riots, it is possible to rob him.Therefore, his father transferred him to Horie, which is closer to the city, which is safer. "Qinji, you go and tell your father, let the old man rest assured, Saburo will never resent his father." The sky is high and the clouds are light.When Xinkang got into the prison car, he stood on tiptoe vigorously and smiled at Qinji: "Qinji, I'm afraid I won't see you again in the future." Qinji turned his face away, bowed his waist, unable to speak. "Father entrusted it to you. May his old man be healthy and safe." There were five servants who went with Xinyasu, and all the escorts on the way were soldiers brought by Ieyasu from Hamamatsu.Ieyasu left Nishio Castle, watched them leave with reluctance, and then returned to Okazaki. That night, Ieyasu tossed and turned and couldn't sleep well. In his dream, he vaguely heard the sound of boats paddling across the lake. He dreamed that Sakai Chuji's retainers set off from Yoshida Castle to rescue Xinyasu. "I will bear the consequences. In short, hurry up and rescue Saburo, otherwise, how can I see Jiangdong's elders!" Zhongji stood at the bow of the boat and shouted at the soldiers.When I opened my eyes, it was already dawn, and the pillow was already soaked with sweat. Ieyasu got up and, as usual, waited for news from Horie.Could it be that Xinkang was robbed by someone on the way?Could it be that Chuji's men went to the rescue by boat?Ieyasu always felt that there must be some news today, and he was always uneasy. However, what was disappointing was that there was no news on the night of the ninth day, and no miracle happened on the night of the tenth day. The news sent said that Xinkang was still the same as when he was in Dabin, thinking about his past alone in the room and reading quietly. When the twelfth day came, Ieyasu couldn't wait any longer, so he called Okubo Tadao.Zhonglin is the son of Zhongshi. "Go to your father right away and tell him to take Saburo from Horie to Futamata Castle. I'll go back to Hamamatsu right away too. Be careful and don't make any mistakes." Mishap", Ieyasu couldn't help but emphasize his tone.What a stupid father who had to ask his retainers to guess riddles!It made him feel uncomfortable just thinking about it. "Obey! The villain immediately went to Ermata City and conveyed the Lord's meaning to father." The loyal neighbor was full of blood, his face flushed with excitement, and he left without saying a word. "It's all up to you." Then, Ieyasu also integrated his troops and returned to Hamamatsu from Okazaki.However, he felt even more uncomfortable than when he first came here. He was constantly being cut and confused: Zhongshi, only you can solve my riddle, so I sent Zhongnei to you... As soon as Ieyasu returned to Hamamatsu, Then Nobunaga's messenger came.Although the envoy was asking how things were going and how Xinkang was doing introspection, he was actually urging Ieyasu to deal with Xinkang quickly. "Saburo has been transferred to Futamata Castle by me. I was worried that if he was placed in Okazaki, someone would resent the innocent Tadaki Sakai and start a riot. Just in case, I transferred him. As for Tsukiyama, I think Call her to Hamamatsu first, find out the truth by yourself, and then punish her severely." Ieyasu thought that Tsukiyama would not need to be beheaded, so he made a sad face on purpose. "So, Mrs. Tsukiyama is still staying in Okazaki as before?" "Yes. But she has been put into a cage, and her house has become a prison. These are temporary measures before Hamamatsu's prison is completed. After this is completed, she will be brought here." In this way, Nobunaga's messenger was sent back to Azuchi.But now, Ieyasu has been driven into a dead end, to the point where he has to make a decisive decision. "Is Xinkang still the same?" Ieyasu kept sending people to Ermata City to inquire about Xinkang's situation.Ermata Castle is located at the junction of the territory of the enemy and us. If we escape from there and hide in the mountains, the Tokugawa side will be beyond reach.Xinkang, a fool, didn't know how to save his life! Ieyasu was anxiously waiting for the miracle to happen, but he didn't realize it was late August.On August 24, Mrs. Tsukiyama's temporary residence was built in the northwest corner of Hamamatsu. "Ms. Tsukiyama is delirious and has gone crazy." Hearing such words, Ieyasu thought to himself, as long as her life can be preserved, it would be fine. On the 26th, Ieyasu sent envoys to Okazaki. "Escort Tsukiyama back to Hamamatsu. Tsukiyama is an important criminal. There is no room for carelessness on the road. Okazaki must specially arrange Goro Shigemasa Nonaka, Okamoto Hirazaemon Tokaka, Ishikawa Tarozaemon Yoshinaka and others. Guard." The envoy sent this time is still Oguri Dairoku.After Daliu left, Ieyasu suddenly felt dizzy and chilled all over. Time flies, and it has entered late autumn in a blink of an eye.The weather is noticeably cooler, and the air in the morning and evening is very cold. Probably because of a cold, Ieyasu lay on the bed, feeling sore all over his body, as if he had fallen apart.It seems that he is overtired... Ieyasu, who did not know what a disease is, is also a little bit unable to support because of this. Ah Ai from the Xixiang Bureau served by her pillow.As soon as Ieyasu fell asleep, he would talk loudly in his sleep from time to time. "Sanlang, come quickly and follow me." After a while, he said in a daze: "It's all my fault...it's my fault for not putting you by my side...Grandpa, grandma, forgive me Right." He was crying in his sleep while talking in his sleep. He shed so many tears in his dreams, and the Xixiang Bureau silently wiped away his tears.