Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

The rainy season in the third year of Yonglu is about to pass, and it will soon enter the scorching heat.In Yoshimoto's official residence in Junfu City, Shizhen, who was left behind, leaned on a table in pain with one elbow, fiddling with a fan in his hand.In front of him, the wives of the remaining generals sat side by side. What followed was disastrous news.Yamada Shinemon died in battle, Akime, who had fallen in love with Takechiyo at the same time as Sena Hime, and her husband Iio Toyomae also died in battle.Yoshimoto's uncle Kambara Shimasa was killed, and his nephew Kuno Shichu was not spared either.Even Samasuke Miura, the fierce general of Junfu who was longed for by many women in Junfu, could not escape this disaster.There are also Yoshida Musashi Mamoru, Asai Koshiro, Okabe Kai, Asahina Hidekan... News of the generals' death in battle keeps coming.

Whenever the battle report came, Sena Hime could not help but hold her breath, for fear of hearing the sad news of her husband Yuan Kang. The only thing that made Shi really feel a little relieved was that Okabe Gorobei Motonobu defended Narumi Castle, insisted on fighting hard with Nobunaga to the end, and took back his father's head. As of that day, a total of 556 generals and about 2,500 soldiers were killed in battle.But the battle reports are still coming in a steady stream.Widowed women drown in sweat and tears every time a new name is added to the war dead roll. Too many generals lost their lives.Sena Hime felt that according to human nature, those women who became widows should go home to worship the dead...but Shi really didn't allow it.

"I asked you to come here to let you know the news about your husband." Shi Zhen used this as an excuse to gather the women together. What he thought was that if they were not kept as hostages, there might be a rebellion. At noon, Shi Zhen finally said, "I'll come when I go." He muttered to himself in a daze, and stood up.At this moment, he seemed to finally realize that Seina Hime was also there. "Ah He...it's really sad." He sighed. "sorrow?" "Yuan Kang died in the battle. But I will give him honor, don't worry." Seina Hime doubted her ears. "My adults also..."

"Yes, dead." Shi Zhen nodded hoarsely, and walked straight to the corridor. Sena Ji Fei rushed towards the table where the list of war dead was placed. "Is there any record of the death of Sayuan Yasushi, a Tibetan in Songping?" The writer carefully flipped through the booklet and replied, "Not yet." Sena Hime couldn't help but smile wryly.Shi really heard too many names of generals who died in battle, and was confused.She returned to her seat with confidence. "Tsuru." Mrs. Kira, Iio Toyozen's wife who already knew her husband died in battle, the former Agui, approached with red eyes.A cold wind blew through Sena Hime's heart.There is an unspeakable gulf between a woman whose husband is dead and a woman who holds out a glimmer of hope for her husband's survival.

"I really envy you. Yuan Kang..." Mrs. Kira quietly sat down beside Senahime, "He is very good at martial arts, and he will definitely return safely." "No!" Sena Hime couldn't help feeling a little disgusted by Agui's words, "At such an emergency, my adults must be fighting hard somewhere. Seeing these orphans, alas, in comparison, Agui has no children, which is really enviable .” Agui looked at Hime Sena and lowered his head.For her who is now full of loneliness and grief, such words are too harsh.However, Agui didn't show any signs, and said in a low voice, as if deliberately taking over Sena's words: "I want to apologize to Ahe." When you come back, just pretend you didn’t hear me, and forget what I said.”

"You said... apologizing? What exactly is it?" "I hate Yuan Kang." "Hate my lord? Why?" "Yuan Kang is the first man I have come into contact with in this world." Agui still lowered her head, staring at the tatami, she seemed to have no shame at all, and murmured blankly. Se Zhaoji was speechless.When Yuan Kang was eleven or twelve years old, he once revealed that he liked A Gui.Seina Hime knew this clearly.But why did Agui say it at this time?And in front of Sena Hime... "I also liked Takechiyo at that time." Agui continued with a clear voice, "but then I finally managed to suppress my love because I knew he was going to be your husband...but one night, he brought me to In the Major General's woods..."

Seina Hime hurriedly shook her hand.She was waiting for the news of her husband's life and death. At this critical moment, Agui made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.What's more, the turtle in front of him is younger than the Sena Hime who gave birth, and his skin is more delicate. "Stop talking! I'm just asking why you hate my lord." "Please forgive me. Ever since He Yuankang... I have become more in love with him, and my heart is often in turmoil." "You said...you hate my lord?" "Yes. He made me feel guilty about my husband...I hate it." Mrs. Kira looked away from the floor and closed her delicate mouth tightly.

Seina Hime looked at Agui with disgust.She felt resentful and anxious, and really wanted to grab A Gui's hair and give her a hard lesson.She felt that the other party's words of hatred were actually a naked confession. "Kame, Sena Motoyasu apologizes to you. Please forgive me!" I don't know if Mrs. Kira heard it, but she was still muttering: "I am a woman with a lot of sins... I have other men in my heart, and I go to serve my husband... No, it is because I realize that I have a lot of sins... , I want to confess to you. Ah He, please help me realize an idea."

"idea?" "Because it's you, I'm saying what's on my mind—I'm afraid that Yuan Kang will return safely." "why?" "I have already lost my husband. If it were you, what would you do? Ah He, I will die. This can at least wash away the shame of being unfaithful to my husband." Seina Hime suddenly became dizzy.A Gui is probably Yuan Kang's first woman.She became a widow at a young age, and she still misses Yuan Kang.She was afraid that she would never forget her old love for Yuan Kang, which would aggravate her crimes, so she said she wanted to die.Seina Hime really wanted to dismiss Agui with a sentence of "Go to hell", but in the end she controlled her emotions and just stared at her.

"If I just committed suicide, I would still feel sorry for my husband who died in battle. So, Ah He, please go to see the young master and ask him when he plans to take revenge." Sena Hime was surprised when the topic changed so quickly. "what do you want?" "I want to lead the maids at home to fight like men until they die in battle. Please tell the young master." Sena Hime's anger gradually dissipated.In that way, Agui's sense of infidelity can be diluted.Undoubtedly, Agui's so-called repentance is just because he has figured out Senahime's temper, and wants her to test whether Shizhen has the determination and intention to take revenge.And those who can go to see Shizhen and ask about this matter, at this time, apart from Sena Hime, probably no one else can be found.

"Well, don't worry. I'll go see the young master right now." Sena Ji hurried back home, guessing that Shi really had a rest, so she ran to his residence immediately. Shi is really naked, and people wipe his sweat off.There was a joss stick on the table. Like a child who did something wrong, he stared blankly at the coiled cigarettes, as if he didn't realize that Sena Hime had come in. He just stared at the drifting candle smoke, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his hands, and his whole body Limp, as if exhausted. Senahime finally feels the grief of Yoshimoto's death.She quietly sat down beside Shi Zhen. "Please condolences!" She comforted softly, and she couldn't help but shed tears in her eyes. Shi really didn't move.The chirping of Xia Chan came from outside the window, adding inexplicable sadness to Pingkong. "Your complexion is very bad, is there any discomfort..." "What should I do?" Shizhen finally turned his gaze to Senahime. "I hate my father! Why am I still not satisfied with being the guardian of Suruga, Yuanjiang and Sanhe? I was against going to Beijing this time. If a person keeps his duty, he can prevent problems before they happen." Shi Zhen said Sena Ji was very surprised, she never expected that Shi Zhen would oppose Yoshimoto's entry to Beijing.On the contrary, she heard that Shi Zhen would go to Beijing with her father to play Cuju in the capital. "Odawara and Kofu seem to be allies, but they are actually coveting our territory. At this time, my father led all the important officials to die together. I hate my father. I became a victim of his ambition..." What you say is true.Not only him, but the entire Imagawa clan may become a victim because of Yoshimoto's ambition.But it is always regrettable that this fact comes out of Shizhen's mouth.What should the remaining people do? "But just complaining about Yoshimoto-sama, I'm afraid it won't solve the problem. When will the young master take revenge?" Shizhen was very dissatisfied with Senahime's tone. He stared at Senahime and rubbed his hands anxiously. "Even you care about this issue?" "It's not just me, those widows all ask this question." "Oh." "Just now Iio Toyomae's wife begged the young master to take revenge, she is willing to fight to the death like a man..." "Hmph!" Shi really stopped Sena impatiently, "I was first a victim of my father's ambition... and then I will be a victim of my retainers. I gave my life to the Asura Hell. I stay here alone because I am afraid Once I'm in front of everyone, I don't even have the freedom to cry. Don't you think I'm very pitiful?" "Young master!" Seina Hime's voice became sharp.In Shizhen's view, this may be the case, but it is really hateful for him to say such spineless words in a chaotic situation. "I want to tell you that Lord Yoshimoto is no longer here, and you are the general who avenged everyone." Shi Zhen looked back at Sena Hime resentfully, speechless for a while. "You won't let it go, will you?" "Ahe, meddle in your own business!" "So, what are your plans?" "You're still resenting me. Do you still remember that incident?" Shi Zhen's eyes were like snakes, and his lips were full of sinister smiles.Seina Hime suddenly felt extremely angry.He was obviously talking about the night before she and Yuan Kang's wedding, she was brutally raped by Shi Zhen.For a woman, there is nothing more intolerable than being insulted by being brought up in the past.Sena Hime's pale face was a little distorted, she tried her best to control it, and smiled deliberately: "You still remember that, I have forgotten it." Shizhen regained his weak expression and nodded weakly: "If you stand in my position, you will understand why I cry. I am just a sad doll." "You live alone in such a big city, you can do whatever you want, and you actually—" "No. When my father was alive, I was my father's puppet. From now on, I am afraid I will not be able to live according to my own wishes. First of all, I must let people remember the kindness of the generals who died with my father, although this is not from me. heart; then, I have to follow the advice of my family elders, rush to the battlefield, stay away from my beloved Cuju, and be forever bound on the back of a strange horse. Ahe, you should understand my misfortune. Things have changed, Only you, like before, come to see me occasionally, comfort me, and cry with me." Sena Hime was speechless, not knowing what to do. His true words are absolutely from the heart.He neither likes war nor has any ambition. What he prefers are elegant games, women's sex, or fine wine.But this kind of mentality should not be possessed by Junfu generals.Even the sarcasm and ridicule that Senahime suppressed her anger, Shizhen couldn't understand it at all.Sena Hime said that she had completely forgotten about the things between them, but Shi Zhen understood that she no longer held grudges and still loved him. Now she still doesn't know her husband's life or death, but Shi Zhen actually let her come to him often!Sena Hime is completely disappointed in Ushima - this doll without a soul!She regretted that she came to inquire about revenge. These matters should be decided by the meeting of the elders and ministers... Sena Ji compared Shizhen and her husband Yuan Kang in her heart, and as soon as she left the house, the yearning for Yuan Kang permeated every pore of her. Sena Hime returned to the hall, and another battle report came.There was still no news of Yuan Yasushi, Sawada Nagato and Yubi Masanobu's wife who died in the battle cried bitterly.Sena Hime walked towards Mrs. Kira, who could no longer hold back and quickly walked out of the crowd. "How did the young master say?" There is no wind here, and there are so many people... Bi Shizhen's room is so much hotter, and the room is filled with the smell of women's powder, tears and sweat.Senahime looked away and sat down silently. "Ahe, is the young master planning to leave immediately?" Mrs. Kira asked loudly, she just wanted to know this.She even took advantage of Sena Hime's jealousy.Of course, she was also envious of Sena Hime not becoming a widow. "The young master hates war." "He's not going...to avenge your lord?" Mrs. Kira asked angrily, "Didn't he say that he wants to avenge so many widows?" Sena Hime tried her best to avoid answering directly: "It's hard to say whether Odawara and Kofu are allies of Sunfu. The young master seems to be worried that after he goes to Owari, they will come to attack Sunfu." Mrs. Kira bit her lips.She was extremely angry and burst into tears.The admiration for Yuan Yasu is just an excuse for her, and she cares more about her husband Toyomae Iio.Thinking of her husband's familiar face and their loving life, she couldn't control her feelings.That broad-minded husband didn't know about his wife's loss of virginity, and devoted all his love to him. Now, his head clenched between teeth, mixed with mud and blood, was placed on the altar of victory by the enemy.The thought of this made her unable to bear it any longer. "Oh." Mrs. Kira murmured, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, "In this case, please ask the young master to allow me to return to Yemaye City immediately. I will stay in the city." At this time, she felt that she could not have a child And extremely annoyed.If she really took back Yemaye City on the grounds of having no heirs and drove everyone in the family out, she would be even more sorry for her husband.Must go back immediately to decide on an heir. Seina Hime nodded reassuringly.Since there is no news of her husband Yuan Kang, there is no doubt that he is still alive.She is unwilling to share this joy and relief with A Gui who is younger and more beautiful than herself. "Only Ah He can convince the young master. Please!" "Understood. You go with me, and then go out of the city directly from the young master's mansion, don't let others see." Sena Hime didn't think about it at all, and another visit would cause even greater misunderstandings to the lonely Shizhen. He went forward hesitantly. Shizhen accepted Senahime's suggestion, and Mrs. Kira pretended to be Shizhen's maid and sneaked out of the city. "Stay and chat with me." Hearing Shizhen's words, Seina Hime couldn't help feeling nervous, she knew the hidden meaning behind these words.Undoubtedly, Shi really wanted to make up for what he didn't get from Mrs. Odawara, his wife, from Sena Hime.At this time, Shi really didn't force it, but showed his weak side, which touched Sena Hime's heart, but she controlled the wavering in her heart. "I'm very worried about the children, and I want to go back and see them." She half-truthfully tested Shi Zhen's thoughts. "Oh, then you can go." Shi really seemed to really remember the past, and nodded. Sena Hime did not elicit a reaction from the other women.She pretended nothing had happened and went back in a sedan chair in the setting sun. Yuan Kang is indeed still alive!This made Sena Ji feel relieved, as if her eyes were bright, but she suddenly thought of the opposite situation: If Yuan Kang died in battle, what should I do in the future? Let the children inherit the Matsudaira's family business in an upright manner, will they be able to grasp more power?This absurd fantasy did not make Seina Hime feel guilty.If she told Yuan Kang, who had been reunited after a long absence, in the boudoir, what kind of expression would Yuan Kang have? When the sedan chair stopped on the steps of his house, Usui, wife of Saemon Tadashi, was the first to greet him. "I'm really worried about your coming back so late." Yuan Kang's aunt U Bing looks exactly like her mother Hua Yang Yuan, she is a long-faced beauty.Seina Hime doesn't like her very much.In fact, there is no reason, but she always feels that the other party is watching her all the time, and she really can't develop a good impression. "is there any news?" "I think it should be safe and sound. There is no news yet." "That's great." Senahime immediately changed his face, and turned to face Usui. "Be careful what you say. Lord Yoshimoto is my uncle." After she finished speaking, she went straight to the children's room without looking back. In the room, Takechiyo was sitting on the floor, staring at the origami in Agui's hands.The siblings looked very cute, which made Sena Ji feel a mother's love in her heart. "Takechiyo, Agui, come here and listen to me carefully." Agui immediately put down the origami in his hand. "Your father should still be alive..." Sena Hime was taken aback when she said this, she felt that Agui, who tilted her head and looked at her, looked so much like Shizhen. Agui is indeed very similar to Ushima, but there is no need to make a fuss, because Ujizhen and Ahe are both related to the blood of the Imagawa family. Now Sena Ji doesn't think so, she just thinks, is this child real? It is said that only the mother can know for sure who the father of the child is.But the irony is that even Sena Hime doesn't know who Agui's father is.She was rudely insulted by Shi Zhen the day before the wedding, and Sena Hime became Yuan Yasushi's wife the next day.If this child is Shizhen's daughter, Sena Hime will lose face.One is Shizhen's child, and the other is Yuan Yasu's child. Who is Sena Hime giving birth to? "Gui... you quietly look over there." "Is it this way? Mother." "Look here again." Seina Hime couldn't help trembling all over.Just now Shizhen said that he was his father's puppet and victim, but the child in front of him is almost the same cowardly temperament as Shizhen.Sena had an inexplicable premonition that this would cause her to suffer for the rest of her life. Will Yuan Kang discover the truth?No, according to Yuankang's nature, even if he found out, he might not say it.Maybe he had already noticed it, but he went out without making a sound.In any case, Yuan Kang witnessed the scene of her having an affair with Shizhen under the cherry blossom tree at Sekiguchi's house.Seina Hime suddenly felt uneasy. A strange idea suddenly drilled into her mind like a snake. She felt that even if Yuan Kang was still alive, she might not return to her side. Missteps at a young age can turn a woman's life into a gray color—hime Sena finally realizes this. The sun was about to set, and a gust of fresh air suddenly blew into the room.Maybe it was the father. Seina Hime pricked up her ears and stood up. "Thank you. How is Matsudaira-sama?" It was Chuji's wife Usui's firm voice. "After countless difficulties and obstacles, I finally arrived at Dashu Temple safely." "Oh. So, where's my husband?" "In Okazaki Castle Daiki Temple." Hearing this, Seina Hime hurried out, staring at Ubing coldly. "Since it is an envoy sent by your lord, why didn't you lead it to me?" "It was not sent by the adults, but by my husband Chuji." Ubing replied calmly, and then took a deep breath, "In this way, the women and children of Junfu may become hostages." Sena Hime stood at the door with her eyes wide open, not thinking about the meaning of Usui's words.