Chapter 31 Chapter 31

It was almost four quarters before Chaya Shiro Jiro left the Jiaoan mansion.Ieyasu ordered him to inquire about the situation in Kinki, and he had already inquired almost.The next plan is to sneak into Sanhe from the capital, and carefully investigate every move of Mitsuhide Akechi, the initiator of the chaos. It has been six days since the incident happened.Ieyasu, who had safely retreated to Okazaki, summoned about 8,000 elite soldiers, led by Chuji Sakai, who should be on their way to Owari.Of course, they didn't just head to Antu like this.Ieyasu wanted to prevent the further expansion of the war to the east of Owari, but on the surface he formed an illusion of attacking Mitsuhide at any time, so as to contain Mitsuhide.

It has now been learned that Hashiba Hideyoshi, who successfully negotiated peace with Maori in China, is leading his army back to Himeji.In this way, the encirclement of Mitsuhide opened from east and west.How much armed forces Guangxiu can successfully muster has become the key to his success. Shiro Jiro, dressed as a relaxed businessman, went north from Sakai Port City, crossed the moat to Yamato Bridge.Under the bridge, there is an endless stream of ships heading for the capital and Osaka.Shiro Jiro deliberately chose a passenger ship with a load of 30 shi, and sat in the front cabin where there were more passengers.

Among the passengers were four men dressed as samurai, the rest were almost all merchants, and there were also two female guests.One of the guests appears to be a merchant's wife, the other appears to be a maid. "Oh, in two or three days, this boat won't be able to go to the capital." As soon as the boat moved, the passengers began to talk loudly.The topic of the world seems to be the same.Who is it that takes over the world?It is not the first time that these common people have talked about it. Someone said that Guangxiu would still win, and then two or three men changed their faces and refuted that man.Their view is that, no matter what the reasons are, a man who kills the lord must not be allowed to take over the world.

"Isn't Guangxiu a rebellious minister? The world has finally begun to stabilize. If that rebel wins again, he will undoubtedly fall into a melee again. Therefore, it is the most important thing for everyone to work together to restore the righteous way." Common people always love justice.Here, the merchants were unscrupulous and talked loudly, but the warriors were silent and silent. At this time, a female guest approached Shiro Jiro timidly: "Hey, where are you going?" "I plan to go to Beijing." "That's great, I'm going to the capital too...but I'm worried. Who do you think will win the world this time?"

"This..." Shiro Jiro lowered his head, "That depends on what you think. Akechi, Hashiba, and Tokugawa, they are equally powerful." "In this case, those who are still unreasonable will lose." Shiro Jiro also felt the same about this statement, and couldn't help but glance at the woman in front of him. "Oh, you are..." Shiro Jiro suddenly doubted his eyes.This woman is exactly the same as Mitsuhide's second daughter, Mrs. Zhongxing, whom I saw at the Wu Fushi Kameya Eiren in Beijing... "If you..." Shiro Jiro hurriedly blocked the other party's questioning.If the predictions are true, this person is indeed Guangxiu's daughter who just married Zhongxing, what will happen on this boat is really unpredictable.

Among the samurai silently listening to everyone's talk, there may be ronin seeking fame and hope to become an official, and among the high-spirited citizens, there may be spies like myself hidden. "If you... ah, if you come to Sakai Port for sightseeing..." Shiro Jiro hurriedly changed the subject. "Yes, how did you find out? I was indeed here for sightseeing, but there was a commotion unexpectedly." Hearing Shiro Jiro's answer, the other party nodded. "Have you heard about the killing of Oda Nobusumi of Amagasaki Castle?" As expected!Shiro Jiro thought.Oda Nobusumi is the son of Nobunaga's younger brother, Musashi Moriyuki, and married the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide.

Guangxiu has three biological daughters and three adopted daughters.One of them married Oda Nobusumi, the other married Tadakashi, and the other two became the wives of Tsutsui Junkei's son Iga Mori Sadaji and Kawato Tanba.Among the four daughters, the daughter married to the Hosokawa family has excellent sex and art, and it is said that she is very popular with Nobunaga.Of course, she married the Hosokawa family under the orders of Nobunaga. When Nobunaga saw this woman for the first time in Mitsuhide's mansion, he was shocked and said, "Ah, isn't this Anong? Even though she has inherited the same bloodline, she is too similar. She and Anon just married from Mino Same time."

This woman is not only beautiful, but Nobunaga later learned that her talent and temperament are very outstanding. "Guangxiu, why do you have such a good daughter. By the way, from today on, change your family crest to Bellflower. Among the herbs in autumn, Bellflower is the most eye-catching." These words also reached Shiro Jiro's ears. It was three years ago, in February of the seventh year of Tensho. It seems that Nobunaga is very satisfied with this daughter, so he entered Tanabe Castle shortly after Mitsuhide attacked Tanba and Hosokawa and his son surrendered Danba. Then, the story of her marrying the Hosokawa family spread from then on.

If this is Zhongxing's wife Kikyo, then she must be worried about her biological sister, Oda Nobusumi's wife. "This rumor is true. Originally, Lord Ufu killed Nobusumi-sama's father, Nobuyuki-sama, so he must hold a grudge." Shirojiro replied nonchalantly, "Then, Nobusumi of Amagasaki lost his life under many suspicions. It's not surprising... Madam is the daughter of a traitor." The woman suddenly turned her face away, facing the setting sun with a sad face.Shiro Jiro didn't answer, and turned his face to stare at the water surface reflecting the golden sunset.At this moment, a merchant who was listening to the conversation between the two came over. "I once saw Amagasaki's watch tower burn with my own eyes."

"Arrow Tower, isn't it the Erdao City there?" "That's right, Niwa Nagahide and Oda Nobutaka immediately launched an attack on Amagasaki Castle when they learned that Mitsuhide was rebelling. They must have regarded Nobusumi as Mitsuhide's accomplice." "I've heard of this." The woman said coldly, "I just don't know what happened to Guangxiu's daughter." "He was punished by God. I heard that as soon as the war started, Xincheng was driven to Erdao City, and he was killed when he was about to climb up the watchtower. The wife was on the watchtower and set herself on fire."

"God's punishment..." "That's right. The father's crime of killing the lord has been punished on the children. But, according to those who escaped, the wife died very tragically." The woman nodded nonchalantly, quietly crossing herself.Sure enough, as Shiro Jiro expected, she is Zhongxing's wife Kikyo. Kikyo heard a lot about the church in the capital from her husband and Ichiro, and gradually became strongly attracted to the teachings of foreign religions. The husband, of course, heard these general teachings from the Catholic daimyo Takayama Ukon.However, when Kikyo proposed to visit Saiyoji Temple, her husband sternly stopped her: "No!" The Hosokawa family, who believe in "Ancient and Modern Collections", if they go to believe in foreign religions, it will be against the precepts of the ancestors, and it is a big rebellion.However, Kikyo, who was once strongly attracted by foreign religions, did not give up. This time, she quietly made a detour to Sakai Port under the pretext of visiting her sister in Amagasaki Castle.Of course, she had already stopped by Amagasaki City before coming here.Unexpectedly, that turned out to be a farewell... Kikyo knew that her elder sister was by no means such a strong woman, it can be said that she was a very weak woman, and she was very satisfied with her marriage with Xincheng. "You and I are both great matchmakers from Youfu, so don't forget the great kindness of Youfu." The elder sister who is so grateful to Youfu, when she heard the news that her father killed Youfu's master, was shocked beyond imagination. .Even if her head would be cut off, even if she would be taken away tightly, as long as she could survive, she should live firmly.After all, my sister is too cowardly... My father betrayed Nobunaga-sama, neither my sister nor I knew it.They had no chance to speak to their father at all, and they were just puppets who were married off according to Nobunaga's will.Such a puppet will not feel remorse for his father's actions.If he committed suicide, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting his father's sins? "Ma'am, do you believe in a foreign religion?" Shiro Jiro asked Kikyo who was staring at the ripples and lost in thought. "Yes. Ah, no, I haven't been baptized yet." Kikyo replied, showing him the silver cross hanging on her chest with her slender fingers. "It was given to me by the girls in Sakai Port I met in church. hung on his chest." "Oh, Miss Sakai Port... who is it?" When Jiro Shiro was convinced that she was Kikyo, he gradually became interested in her. "It was given by the daughter of Nawujiaoan. She seems to be called Mushi." "This is really a coincidence. I often go to Nawu Mansion." "Oh? So, do you know the daughter of Nawu's friend Qian Zongyi?" "I know. You mean that Ah Yin." "Yes, they are cheerful and good girls." "Yes, indeed, she is a girl who grew up in Japan's No. 1 Sakai Port. She is lively and cheerful. Compared with them, Mrs. Amagasaki who was mentioned just now is really pitiful." Shiro Jiro intentionally or unintentionally steered the topic to the direction of concern.Kikyo gave him a quick look, and immediately calmed down, with a smile on his face. "It is impossible for a general's daughter to be lively and cheerful." "That's right, the father rebelled, and the daughter didn't know anything about it. Indeed... I heard that one of the wise daughters is married to Tango's Hosokawa family, and the other is married to Yamato's Tsutsui family." Kikyo glanced at Shiro Jiro quickly again, his expression still unchanged. She must have been a strong, sophisticated woman.If not, at this time, she would never have thought of traveling. "In this way, through marriage, Hosokawa and Tsutsui have become wise allies." "Hmph." Kikyo suddenly sneered, "How could a businessman... how could such a thing..." "You look like a warrior's wife to me. You say there's no such thing?" "No." Kikyo shook his head vigorously, "General associations and marriages are all about adding luster to the family... If they can see that wisdom will fail, the two families will definitely cut off his daughter's head to show their sincerity." "Yes... that's right." "From this point of view, it is too early to attack Amagasaki Castle. We should try to negotiate a few times first, so that the Lord Amagasaki will hand over his wife and make himself a wise enemy. With a wise man like Niwa Gorozaemon by his side, But... Nobuhyo-sama is too impatient." "So, the relationship between their husband and wife is not harmonious?" Kikyo sneered again. "The relationship between husband and wife, women and men are all the same. It seems that you businessmen really don't understand the sorrow of the Wu family." "Oh." Shiro Jiro saw that she was a woman with extraordinary knowledge, and was even more deeply attracted by her. "I'm sorry to ask, which part of the capital do you live in? I heard that due to the riots, the streets are impassable, and even the rivers have to be careful..." Kikyo seems to have seen through that the other party is not an ordinary businessman. "Going to the capital is just a stop at a friend's house." She replied with a smile, "I live from the capital to the north, either in Tango's field or in Guanjin..." "It's either Tanabe or Guanjin, so it's Hosokawa?" "Yes. When I came out, I was still at the edge of the field. At that time, Miyazu's castle was about to be built, so I may have moved there now." Shiro Jiro couldn't help smiling wryly to himself.The other party was too indifferent, which confused him instead. "So, in this war, which side do you think Hosokawa will fall to?" "It seems to me impossible to favor the wise." "So you're going to hand over the head of Sensei's daughter and become Sensei's enemy?" Jiro Shiro asked, swallowing hard. "The wise daughter is so pitiful!" The woman was still smiling. "According to the letters from the family, on the day they learned of Youfu's death, Lord Hosokawa and his son shaved off their hair to mourn on the spot. It's not so much mourning as Said to prove that he has no intention of rebellion." Shiro Jiro nodded and closed his mouth again.The other party was clearly doubting his identity, and deliberately said something to confuse him... He just felt a cold run down his back. Unconsciously, it was almost dusk, and the boat turned left at the mouth of Kizugawa River, turned around and sailed to the right side of Kansuke Island.From here, the tracker's footsteps became obviously heavy.After crossing the Shirima River and coming to the right of Sumiyoshi, the boat stopped for some reason.strangeness!The sun had already set, and the mosquitoes in the grass near the river bank frequently flew over to bite people.While slapping the mosquito, Shiro Jiro tried to stand up and take a look. "There are robbers...the robbers are coming!" A tracker who had been pulling the boat stepped into the shallow water and jumped into the boat.Hearing the shout, the dozing passengers and sailors also shouted to stand up. The shore can no longer be seen clearly, only the shadows of people can be seen.The trackers had already fought the attackers. The boat was dragged into the grass, and the bottom of the boat was only heard rattling.Shiro Jiro's hand immediately reached for the sword hidden on his body.Everyone on the boat stood up, only Kikyo was still sitting quietly.In the twilight, her face is as white as a gourd flower. "Hey, get off the boat first and hide in the grass." Shiro Jiro called to Kikyo and her maid, and jumped into the water.At this time, the assailant had rushed towards the ship, and the situation was extremely critical. In the blink of an eye, as soon as Shiro Jiro jumped off the boat, seventeen or eighteen thieves surrounded the boat. "Hey, everyone on the boat, come down for me!" They were all wanderers, yelling in the dark, "The world is in chaos, and the rebels are rising. We are here to raise military pay. Hurry up and hand over the money and things obediently, or you will only die!" "Boater, put the boards down quickly and let everyone get down. Otherwise, set the boat on fire!" While the boatman was talking to the thief, he spread the planks on the grass.In this way, even if everyone does not disembark, the thieves will come up by themselves. The passengers who disembarked and the robbers who boarded were entangled with each other, causing a burst of confusion. "Hey, in such a chaotic year, there are still women traveling by boat?" Among the thieves who rushed onto the boat, one guy stretched out his hand to grab Kikyo's luggage. "Stop being rude!" The four warriors among the passengers stood between Kikyo and the thief at the same time.It seems that they are guards traveling with Kikyo. "Ma'am, don't be afraid." "What, where is it, who's wife?" "Oh, well dressed and looking very well." "Okay, take this woman hostage and you'll get rich." "Little beauty, don't shout, you will get hurt if you shout, and it will hurt. Haha!" "roll!" A man stretched out his hand presumptuously to Kikyo's shoulder, and the guard next to him drew his knife and slashed. "Ah..." The painful screams overwhelmed the strange screams, and a man fell on his back and fell on the boat. "Haha..." The rude laughter resounded through the whole boat.At this point, only the three samurai, Kikyo, the maid, and six attackers were left on board.It turned out that the samurai was about to slash at the thief with a knife, but was stabbed first by the other party. The man who laughed wildly after beheading the samurai seemed to be the leader of the group. He put away his laughter, and dangled the bloody knife in his hand in front of the eyes of the remaining three samurai. "How about it, come on. There is only one dead end when you come up." "Humph!" "Okay, come here." The leader's sword swept over obliquely, and a samurai drew his sword to parry, but the two swords did not touch each other. The samurai's shoulder was slashed severely, and he fell down with a groan. . "Is there such a strange thing?" The bandit leader who cut down the samurai was very puzzled, "What a strange woman, two retainers have fallen, but you are not afraid at all." Indeed, Kikyo's face did not reveal the slightest fear of an ordinary woman.She calmly looked at what was happening around her, as if she wanted to see through the greed and ugliness of human beings, which was simply terrifying. "Woman, what are you looking at?" The leader said, blocking the remaining two warriors with one hand, and grabbed the shiny cross on Kikyo's chest.The thin chain snapped and the cross fell into the man's hand.Kikyo still looked at the man silently. "Don't get close to Madam!" The remaining two warriors shouted loudly, but they were powerless to shake the five figures standing between the man and Kikyo. "What a strange woman..." The tall man said to himself again, "Drive these two off the boat for me. I can carry this woman by myself." Five white blades pressed on the remaining two warriors. At some point, it was already dark all around, and the curved crescent gradually lit up.Suddenly, there was a loud cry in the night sky. It was neither a cry of grief nor a cry of anger. It shook so violently that even the boards on and off the boat shook violently, and the surroundings fell into a deathly silence. The shadows of the moon and stars were silent. reflected on the water. "Whose wife are you? It must be the woman of a famous samurai." "Why are you asking these questions?" "Hey, I expected you to ask this question. I've seen that you are such a woman... I want to ask about your husband's family, and then escort you home." "You're just looking for something to gain." "Hey, what a sharp mouth. I don't necessarily want to get some benefits. It's boring to be those boring retainers. I just want to send you back, and some reward money will be enough." Kikyo suddenly laughed. "You should die. Even if you send me back, my husband will not reward you. Instead, you will lose your head." "Huh? Take my head?" "certainly!" "Hateful! You don't need my escort, so what are the consequences?" "No matter what happens...what am I afraid of?" "You silly woman!" The big man was a little surprised. He stared at the woman again and clicked his tongue again and again, "I didn't expect you to be a silly Yaksha with the face of a Bodhisattva. If you can't get any money when you send it back, then just send it back to me." You have enough fun first, and then hand it over to the traffickers. Do you think this is interesting?" "Hmph! How about you?" "Hey. Let me do whatever I want, uh, bitch?" "Hmph! Anyway, it's a man's fault. I want to take a closer look. What else can you do?" Under the pale moonlight, Kikyo's face relaxed again, as if smiling.Nobunaga often said that this daughter of Mitsuhide who resembles Nohime is actually stronger than Nohime, and witty and flexible.When Nobunaga ordered her to marry Yoichiro Tadakashi, the son of Hosokawa Military Assistant Fujitaka, she once looked back at her father and said, "It seems that Lord Youfu loves his moon-haired horse again." It turned out that Akechi Mitsuhide and Hosokawa Fujitaka conquered San'in side by side, but Nobunaga was not willing to give a famous horse as a reward, but let Kikyo marry him.What a sarcasm. Mitsuhide, however, doesn't know how to resolve irony with humor, so he spent a lot of time trying to reassure Kikyo. After Kikyo got married, Zhongxing fell in love with him on the same day.According to the "History of Western Education in Japan": "Beautiful appearance, unparalleled, lively spirit, sensitive and decisive, noble character, and outstanding intelligence." However, her husband's affection, her father's and Nobunaga's love made her uneasy and helpless.Originally, the life of a samurai was extremely turbulent. If you use force to subdue others all the time, how is it different from animals? The chaos and all kinds of doubts finally drove her into the abyss of despair.Whether it is the father or Nobunaga, how did they ever understand the meaning of the other party?She no longer trusted anyone, and this despair still tormented her to this day.In front of the beast-like thieves, if she hadn't seen through the world and her heart was as cold as ice, how could she be so disheartened? When the thief heard this, he immediately became furious. "Hmph, so you are a lewd woman willing to be a man's plaything?" "Humph!" "Oh, if that's the case, then I'll let it go. You won't regret it." The big man put the knife back into its sheath, and stretched out his thick black-haired arm in front of Kikyo.Even so, Kikyo remained motionless.It is impossible for a woman who grew up in a boudoir to be free from fear.However, her temperament did not allow her to show the slightest timidity.Even if she was picked up by a rough man and passed out, she would probably not ask for help, let alone beg for mercy. The man grabbed her black hair from behind and dragged her back. The woman's slender body was dragged brutally to the side of the boat.The shouts of the passengers and robbers seemed to come from another world, and the lips of the woman facing the sky were twisted. "This is your fault, stubborn woman." The man said to himself, and was about to press on the woman.Hearing the sound of "嘎", the man leaned back, and then, a figure appeared beside the boat. With a knife in his mouth, it was Chaya Shiro Jiro.Chaya Shiro Jiro lightly kicked the man who fell on his back, turned his head to confirm that no one was rushing over, and stretched out his hand to help Kikyo up.Kikyo still looked like he was at the mercy of others, not moving, staring at him.Shiro Jiro followed the thick rope hanging by the side of the big boat, jumped into a small boat tied to the river bank, gently placed Kikyo in the center of the small boat, and vigorously shook the oar. The people on the river bank did not seem to have noticed what happened on the boat.The moon slipped briskly through the clouds, and the stars reflected on the river became clear.Shiro Jiro concentrated on shaking the scull.Why save Akechi Mitsuhide's daughter... I have an important secret mission, and I often travel to and from this area, so I shouldn't jump into this dangerous vortex.Because of this, he quickly disembarked from the boat at the beginning of the incident. Before Shiro Jiro could figure it out, the woman was already talking to him. "Where are you taking me?" Gradually, clouds appeared in the western sky.The passenger boat just now was gone, and the boat continued to sail upstream. "I saved you, and now I have a lot of doubts. I want to ask your thoughts." "This……" Shirojiro shifted his gaze to the woman.The face I saw in the sun during the day clearly came to my mind. "Madam is too arrogant, is this your temper?" After hearing this, the woman was silent for a while, and said, "If you regret it, just find a place and throw me away." "Throwing you away...Madam may have somewhere to go, from my point of view, it must not be pure travel and sightseeing." "This... can be said to be yes or no." The woman whispered for a while, and then said, "Is a person's life just so turbulent?" "So, even if you reach your destination safely, you don't know if it's a blessing or a curse?" "I've been living in such a ambiguous way, I'm afraid I won't understand it in my whole life." "Is there some discord between husband and wife?" "This..." The woman's tone became sincere at this time, perhaps she saw that Shiro Jiro was very sincere, "In this world, is there such a man who gambles his whole life and loves his wife deeply...? " "Ma'am, don't you think so?" "I really hope there is! But, how is it possible? If my mother's family and husband's family are enemies... well, I also know that you are not a real businessman, so I will tell you... is my husband insisting on righteousness if he doesn't kill me? ? For example, my husband's family and the Oda family are on the same side..." Shiro Jiro was speechless.The other party was about to reveal his identity, his wrist and voice stiffened. The clouds in the sky are getting thicker and thicker, and at some point, there are fewer stars.It looks like it's going to rain. "So... Madam's natal family is on the wise side, while her in-law's family is on the right side?" "I think you've already seen that." "No, I didn't know anything about it before." If the other party knew that Chaya rescued her because he recognized her, then not only Chaya, but even Ieyasu would be misunderstood. "Oh, unknown..." The woman seemed to be sensitive to his thoughts, "That's why I said whether safe travel is good or bad, I don't know. If you want to explain giri, you have to go back and kill... so-called giri, Is it really that valuable?" "My lady talks about terrible things. As a samurai, what else is there besides giri?" "Since you already know where I come from, you can throw me anywhere, even kill me." Shiro Jiro was taken aback by the woman's frank answer.He looked around quietly.What was it about this woman that he was so strongly attracted to? "Madam..." Shiro Jiro interrupted his delusion, "Even if you are a sensible daughter and you are married to Tango Hosokawa, if you have no purpose, you will not come out for a leisure trip. But I don't know why you have to come from Sakai Port How about setting off and rushing to the capital on such a dangerous road?" "I'm just trying to figure out two things." "You mean..." "Assuming, Sir Wise is my father..." Kikyo seems to be talking to himself, and seems to be asking Shiro Jiro to make some guesses, "What is the purpose of my father to kill Lord Youfu? Could it be that if you kill a person like Lord Youfu, the morals of the world will be changed?" Corrected?" "This……" "I hate this kind of behavior. Short-sighted like this, you kill me, I kill you, this troubled world will never end. I hate this kind of world." "Then, another thing..." "Going from my father's side to Tango, I want to ask my husband a word..." "What do you want to ask?" "First advise my husband, saying that it is useless to follow my father, and then ask him how to deal with me. Because I am the daughter of a rebel, should I cut off my head and hand it over, or beg for my life, I want to hear it myself. " "And what if he says to cut off your head?" "Then, I will smile and hand over the head to him. This is neither will nor giri. I will laugh at him as a stray dog ​​who follows blindly to save his life. I will laugh and let him cut off my head." Hearing this, Shiro Jiro couldn't help but stop shaking the oar.This woman wanted to test both her father, Guangxiu, and her husband, Zhongxing, and she was even stronger than the rumors said.To be able to hear such bold words from a woman's mouth! "Hey." In the darkness, her hearty laughter suddenly sounded, "Okay, I have explained to you why I came out. Even so, the trip is not what I expected. A woman like me, you plan to How to deal with it? It’s best to make up your mind quickly.” Shiro Jiro didn't answer, but the scull in his hand shook even faster.Before the woman reveals her identity, he must part with her.However, in this uninhabited place, she is the only woman, let alone Tang Hou, who may not even be able to reach the capital.Oh, can I go to Yodoya?Yodoya Changan is now flexing his muscles in Nakajima in Osaka. He also said that he will soon open a rice market that gathers rice boats from all over the world. He is a wealthy businessman with great ambitions. While Shiro Jiro was rocking the boat, Kikyo was silent.She just lowered her head slightly and remained motionless.On the shore on the right, there are rows of warehouse roofs, and lights are shining everywhere.I clearly remember that if you enter from here, you can see Nakajima on the left... The waterways of the capital and Osaka are much more developed than the landways.According to memory, the tea house is close to the shore, but what appears in front of it is the newly built warehouse.Yodoya Choan's pier is nearby. "Ma'am." Shiro Jiro deliberately avoided the pier and found a place to stop the boat, "Let's go down first." Kikyo got off the boat and came to the embankment paved with Asakusa. "There is a man named Yodoya Chang'an near here. He is a rice merchant who is close to me. There are constant boats going to and from the capital there, so you can take a boat to the capital." Kikyo didn't reply, and just stood there silently, waiting for Shirojiro to tie the boat. "It's raining like a plum rain." "It's not raining much. Let's go." "Thank you for the trouble." Shiro Jiro walked in front, walking back and forth between the warehouses, and soon came to a rice shop. "Who?" "Oh, I am the owner of the teahouse in Jingcheng, and I want to meet the shopkeeper Chang'an. Please go and inform me." "Ah, it turned out to be Mr. Chaya. In the past two or three days, a group of thieves have been staring at the granary, and the villain thought it was them. I will guide you." "There are also thieves in this area?" "Yes. The rice barn is full, all of which are prepared for Hashiba-sama. Everyone takes turns and watches in the morning and evening." Hideyoshi's hand has reached here?Jiro Shiro cast a quick glance at Kikyo, and followed behind the lantern carried by the night watchman.In this way, it is even more necessary to conceal the identity of Kikyo... But, what if Kikyo takes the initiative to say that she is a wise daughter when someone asks her?Shiro Jiro knew that according to her temperament, it was entirely possible. "If..." Shiro Jiro put his mouth next to Kikyo's ear, "Don't say anything about your identity. This will cause trouble for Chang An." Kikyo looked back at him with a sad smile in the corner of his eyes. When the two entered Chang'an's shop, the raindrops had already lightly hit the roof made of juniper bark. "Oh, it's a tea house, what time is it now, and I don't bring any buddies." Yodoya Chang'an was nearly fifty years old, with a broad body and a fat body. He smiled boldly and welcomed the two into the hall.The fresh woody fragrance can still be smelled in the hall. It doesn't look like a merchant's room, but it reminds people of an academy in an ancient temple. "The house is well built." "Where is it, I was too hasty. If the troubled times are over... I thought it would be the world of businessmen from now on, but who would have killed a bastard on the way." The person Chang An scolded was of course Guangxiu.Shiro Jiro couldn't help but looked back at Kikyo again. "Is this your maid?" "No, it's the wife of a good friend in the capital who often helps out. He went sightseeing in Sakai Port, and unfortunately encountered thieves on the way back." "That gang of thieves not only robbed on land, but also often went to the water. They also claimed to collect military rations for the wise and inspect the cargo ships. They also robbed two of my ships, nearly a hundred bags..." "Oh, to claim to be wise..." "That's why I scolded this bastard bastard. He caused wars for no reason without a name, and even thieves used his name to harm the world and justice. This is a crime of wisdom." Shiro Jiro glanced at Kikyo again.Kikyo was as expressionless as a piece of pottery, listening to the conversation between the two in silence. "So, according to Yodoya's view, the prospect of war has already been revealed?" "On the whole, hahaha..." Chang'an laughed boldly, "Today there is news that Akechi has repaired the Seta bridge, said that he entered Azuchi Castle from Sakamoto, and has taken over Omi Ichigo." "Entered Antu City?" "You think, under the city where Youfu's father and son were killed, who would dare to stay there? They all left Antu City and ran to their hometowns. Even the samurai who stayed behind were messed up. The chaos is really horrible. " "So, a large amount of gold and silver treasures, and seven-story pavilions, have all been handed over to Guangxiu?" "Yes." Chang An's face became gloomy, "someone suggested that Antu City be burned down, saying that it would be a pity to hand over the city to the rebels like this. However, the general who stayed behind is indeed an insightful warrior. It is the master of Youfu who has worked hard for many years. It is a famous city that is unparalleled in the world. If you decide to do it without authorization and burn it to scorched earth, you can't bear it. So you entrusted the city to Kimura Jirozaemon, and then led the whole family back to the city. Hino. These things happened around midnight on the third day. Therefore, when Mitsuhide arrived, Azuchi had become an empty city. With so many gold and silver treasures, how would Mitsuhide manage them... After finishing the preparation, he returned to the capital, and then the decisive battle began. God never treats unjust people." He seemed to have already decided that Guangxiu would definitely lose. Kikyo still looked at Chang An silently.Following up on Yodoya's words, it is not difficult to sort out Mitsuhide's general actions since the incident.After Mitsuhide killed Oda and his son, he immediately went to Beijing to eliminate the remnants of Nobunaga's party.At the time of the fourth day, he waved his troops directly at Katsuryuji Castle near Yamazaki, southwest of the capital, left the important minister Mizoo Katsube there, and then went to Omi, and now he seems to have entered Azuchi Castle from Sakamoto, his residence. During his stay in Beijing, Mitsuhide naturally threatened the princes and ministers with force, and then immediately dispatched envoys to Mori, Hojo, and Nagsogabu, etc., while he himself acquired Azuchi Castle, welcomed the imperial envoys there, and was busy establishing his status.Everything seemed to be going according to his plan.An Tucheng got it without firing a single shot. It can be said that this was even better than expected.Even so, Chang An didn't take these things seriously, and still asserted that Guangxiu would be defeated. Shiro Jiro was a little puzzled. "Yodoya seems to be a bit too biased towards Hashiba. Look at the wise move, it is by no means mediocre, and the shot is clean and neat." "Haha..." Chang An laughed unscrupulously, "I like betting. I think carefully before placing bets, just like buying rice or beans. I believe that Yuchai will win because I found out that Guangxiu's party, those who should Those who quickly gathered under his command have not moved yet." "Do you mean……" "Tango's Hosokawa, Yamato's Tsutsui..." "Yes, these people are all his accomplices." "That's right, if these two immediately form an alliance with Mitsuhide, then Takayama Ukon from Takaki Castle, Nakagawa Kiyohide from Ibaraki Castle and others will also immediately join this group. In this way, Mitsuhide's power will be greatly consolidated. Only then can we free up time to fight Yu Chai. Of course, that still requires some strategies, which vary from person to person." "You mean, Zhizhi didn't take immediate measures to consolidate his power?" "That's right...he has forgotten the ancient saying of 'the Zen man takes care of his feet', and he is always obsessed with conferring the position of general or persuading famous people from afar. He is arrogant and pursues false fame. In the current situation, even Mao Li, Uesugi, There are people in Hojo and Nagaso's department who love Mitsuhide, but who will lead the troops to help him? These people have enemies around them, and they dare not act rashly. So what if the imperial envoy is received, and he can be named a general?顶得上一枪一炮？能顶得上一袋大米？不过是画饼充饥而已。只忙着追求虚无的东西，懒于巩固自己的根基，真是出乎我的意料。是不是，夫人？” 常安边笑边把视线转移到了桔梗的身上。“我看您像是武家的夫人。不给饲料，而让人把马喂肥，能肥得起来吗？巧妇难为无米之炊啊。” 桔梗丝毫不动声色，回道：“我也从一开始就认定光秀必败。” 听了桔梗的回答，常安眯起了眼睛。“呵呵，谁家夫人，颇有眼力啊。羽柴的性格和光秀的可说有天壤之别。羽柴求真务实。这次光秀没有事先把细川和筒井招到旗下，极其失算啊。” “不，这不是失算，而是轻率。” "Reckless?" “对。如果事先挑明，二者不但不会成为光秀的同盟，反而会向右府通风报，如此，就不会发生任何事情了。” “夫人言之有理。他们若是知道了，乱事也就不会成功了。确实可以这样想啊。” “因此才秘密行事……听起来似乎很理性，终究还是忽视了自己的脾性，是鼠目寸光，是轻率。” 四郎次郎忍不住了，在一旁插了一句。结果，耳边又传来尖锐、悲壮的责难声。“可怜的是家臣。都是因为轻率的父亲、轻率的主君，这些人竟将死无葬身之地。” “啊呀，刚才提醒您的，怎么全都忘了！”四郎次郎忍不住插嘴道，“我求淀屋一件事。请想想办法，把这位夫人送到京城。” “那还不简单……只是，现在却不大好办了。”常安显出一副为难的样子，“到底是谁家夫人？” “这……”四郎次郎敲着额头，“遇到了盗贼，是从危难之中救出来的。因此，你也莫问她的身份和名字，只把她送到京城就是了。” “说的也是……”一说到盗贼，常安似乎明白了什么，“我怎么越老越糊涂，净问些无心的事情。好吧，既然是茶屋所托，有什么好说的？” "You agreed?" “答应了，答应了。话一出口，就得豁出命去。今天晚上先用点饭，好好歇息一下。” “多谢。谁都知道淀屋在河道上甚至比王公大人还神通广大，你既已答应，我就安心了。夫人，您放心吧。” 桔梗一句话也没有说。只是微微地低着头，若有所思。 吃完饭，二人被领到里面的客房。 “这里是掌柜的房间，夫人的房间在隔壁，被褥都准备好了。” 侍女说完之后，退了出去。桔梗终于哽咽起来。她站在那里，肩膀在剧烈地抖动。 “夫人怎么了？在这个地方……” 无论四郎次郎怎么问，她都不回答，只是一个劲地哭。这个女子顽强的心志，终于在此刻崩溃了。 “茶屋……”不一会儿，桔梗叫道，“您以前定是位有名的武士。我有一个愿望，不知您可否听上一听。” “愿望……您且说来听听。”话刚出口，四郎次郎又后悔不已。 桔梗不再哭泣，眼睛直愣愣地看着茶屋，眼神中充满绝望。“请您把我杀了。”说着，桔梗坐下来，双手合十。灯光下，她的脸像女神一样纯洁、宁静。批评自己的父亲、洞察天下的形势，这种理智似乎加深了这名女子的不幸。“求您。我再怎么假装坚强，终究只是个女子……在这个世上苟延残喘，忍辱负重，反而会招致误解。您不是跟右府有关系，就是和羽柴有关系吧？请把我的人头割下来，用明智女儿的人头，为轻率的父亲谢罪，向天下的人谢罪。” “不。”四郎次郎带着自责的语气。 “求您，一定杀了我。”桔梗的语气更强硬。 “如果我看出您想死，就不会陪您来到这里了。莫要说漏了嘴，让人知道您的身份。” “您这么说，是要我继缤忍受耻辱，活下去？” “莫要说了。您一定要坚强起来。”四郎次郎的语气益发强硬。为何会说出这样的话？四郎次郎突然怀疑起自己来：难道，我已被这个罕见的美貌女子深深地吸引住了？ “究竟是不是受辱，取决于您今后的生活方式。对不对，夫人……杀人，被人杀，这样的日子早巳经历过。应仁之乱以来，惨剧就持续不断。因此，当茶屋看见一点儿太平的曙光，就扔下屠刀，成了一个商人。为了悼念无辜死去的敌我双方的在天之灵，在下早就下定决心，一切行动都是为了实现太平。” 听到这里，桔梗伏在地上啜泣起来。 “夫人哭吧，哭个痛痛快快。哪怕只有您一个人活下来，也要好好看看战争的根源是什么。与其成为毫无意义的战争祭品，不如坚强地活着，看清真相，凭吊迷失的灵魂，这才是真正的坚强。” 说着说着，四郎次郎发现自己竟也叭嗒叭嗒地落下泪来。他愧疚道，“莫要胡思乱想了，快去歇息吧。淀屋会送你去京城。我觉得，这是缘分……” 说罢，他轻轻地走进隔壁的房间，趴在被子上，闷闷不乐。一股不可思议的悲伤袭击全身。