Chapter 35 Chapter Thirty-Fifth

Ieyasu Matsudaira looked calm when he learned that Awan had escaped into the house of Hiroko Honda.He neither asked about Awan's pregnancy, nor did he mention whether Senahime was jealous, but just said softly: "Oh." Then he seemed to have forgotten about it.Undoubtedly, his heart was strongly impacted, but he pretended to be indifferent on the surface, and went to Sandao City to meet you as usual, or asked Ke You to come to this city to serve him. After the riot in Yixiangzong was put down, many people thought that Ieyasu would send troops to quell Dongsanhe immediately.Now Ieyasu's absurd behavior took them by surprise.Yoshida Castle was gradually eroded by the influence of Zaozuka and Kikenji Temple.The next step was to attack Yoshida Castle.But Ieyasu did not make any movement during March and April.

Gradually, the days became longer and the nights shorter.After the riots were quelled, the people hastily plowed the fields, and it was time to plant rice seedlings again.Looking from the turret in the city, the fields are dark green. That night, Gui Zuo Zuo, who was in charge of patrolling the city, saw that it was getting bright, approached Mandao City with a serious expression, and sat down by the small wooden door behind Ke Ni's room.Whenever Ieyasu sneaked into a certain place, Zuo Zuo always pretended to be careless and guarded him, but he sat in a different position this morning.With his back to the wooden door, he sat cross-legged indifferently, looking at the gradually whitening east, snoring lightly from time to time, half asleep, as if he was about to melt into the morning dew.

Soon, the door to your room opened. The sky had turned white, but it was still dark all around.The two figures were tightly intertwined, and when they came to the courtyard, they seemed to have become one——Ke Ni holding Ieyasu's arms reluctantly, and Ieyasu who was completely fascinated by Kene. Zuo Zuo, who had been snoring, stood up quietly, with his back to the wooden door, blocking the way. After the wooden door was pushed open, Ieyasu slammed into Zukuzuo's back. "Who is so rude?" Before Ieyasu could get angry, Tsukuru grabbed him and roared. "Hush—" Jiakang hurriedly covered his mouth, "It's me, don't make noise."

"Shut up!" Zuozuo said, "Honta Tsuzaemon is patrolling the city under the order of the lord. Now that spies are sneaking in, how can I sit idly by?" "Zuo Zuo...it's me. Don't make such a noise." "My loud voice is bestowed by the gods." "Stop messing around, let go!" Zuo Zuo deliberately grabbed Jiakang and turned around, pretending to be surprised, "Ah, isn't this the lord? Offended, offended. What is the lord doing here?" The matter was obvious, but Zuo Zuo's expression was very serious, Ieyasu didn't know how to answer for a moment, and after a while, he said: "Zuo Zuo, the joke is too much."

"What did the lord say? This really surprised me. I didn't stay here all night just to make a joke." "Got it, got it. Don't make such a fuss!" "I was born with a loud voice. But what on earth is my lord doing here?" In the morning mist, Ieyasu clicked his tongue: "What do you think?" "Well, let me guess... I figured it out." "That's what you guessed. Well, you go with me." "My lord confuses me." "Why?" "As far as I guess, the lord came here to kill the maid, Keyou, and I came here to collect her body."

"What are you going to say!" "No. My lord, you are born smart, but Zuo Zuo is born stubborn. What can you say? How can my lord listen?" "Then why did you come here?" Ieyasu was a little annoyed. "My lord's words have confused me again." Sakuzaemon replied, "I'm here to patrol the city. How about you, my lord?" "Hmph! I came here quietly to please you." "Oh, it turns out that the rumors are true. Some people say that you have been fascinated by the Oda family's secret work." As he said, Onisaku Zuo grabbed Ke Ni who was shivering behind the door, and pulled her to Ieyasu. "But you, did you do something good?"

"Yes...but, this matter—" "I'll ask again, are you very careful?" "I……" "Recently, a secret envoy came to your place and asked you to return to Owari urgently. Is there such a thing?" "Yes. But that..." But you looked at Ieyasu as if asking for help. "But you've already told me about it." Ieyasu controlled the anger in his chest, pretending to speak nonsense calmly. "My lord, there is no need to say too much. It is the power of the patrol to interrogate spies. But you!" "In the." "I'm afraid you don't want to go back, but want to stay with the lord?"

"yes." "How could I let this happen... You are so cruel, you have already decided to kill the lord and then commit suicide. Am I right?" "What... what?" Ieyasu exclaimed, and took a step back, "Zuo Zuo, don't make such jokes!" But Sakuzu didn't care about Ieyasu's reaction.Even during the Yixiangzong riots, he was the same.He is as stubborn as a closed wooden door, and as long as he decides what to do, the cow will not be able to pull it back.No matter how much Ieyasu gritted his teeth with hatred, he would still stick to his point of view.Ieyasu didn't like Zuo Zuo's stubborn personality very much, but he couldn't do anything about it, but today he couldn't bear it anymore. "What evidence do you have for saying this? If you dare to speak nonsense, you will never be spared!"

Zuo Zuo smiled and said, "My lord, these words don't frighten me. I don't care whether you forgive me or not. From the first day I serve you, I have already put life and death aside." "Are you mocking me?" "If you think this way and get angry because of it, you can kill me at any time, and I won't complain. But I can't complain—but you!" "In the." "To be honest. If there is half a lie, I will never forgive it lightly. Say, are you going to kill the lord and then commit suicide?" But your face is as pale as wax.She was trembling with fear, her eyes full of mourning, she looked at Ieyasu for a while, and Zuo Zuo for a while.Jiakang couldn't bear it any longer, and interjected, "But tell Zuo clearly, you have no such intention."

"My lord, please don't talk!" Zuo Zuo said loudly, "How can you understand a woman's mind?" "How dare you speak to me like that?" "As long as I'm alive, I have to say it! No, even if I die, I can't shut up. My lord can't even control Mrs. Tsukiyama. With such incompetence, how can I understand a woman's heart? A woman's wrist is as powerful as it is on the battlefield. The tactics of galloping samurai are the same, going crazy, disregarding life and death at all... You haven't realized the seriousness of the matter, so you judge women easily. But you, why don't you answer? Don't you know my way of doing things? ? If you keep silent, I still won't forgive you."

"The servant girl just loves the lord..." "Go on!" "Even so, as long as I am alive, I cannot disobey the Lord's order." "My order? An order to let you return to Owari?" "Yes... this servant wants to swear to follow your lord... it's all out of admiration." Ieyasu backed away in shock when he heard this. "I see. Good. But don't worry. I will intercede for you. Do you hear, my lord? It is shocking how women's minds are." Ieyasu bit his lip tightly, staring at Ke Ni with wide eyes.Before that, life in his eyes was nothing but resentment, enemies, ambition or fame and fortune.Ieyasu never thought about killing someone because of love.But you have acknowledged all this.She had confessed to Ieyasu the order from Owari.Her love and loyalty to him are absolutely wholehearted, and she obviously didn't lie to Ieyasu.But she kept the most terrible thing in her heart and didn't tell Ieyasu. "Hmph!" Zuo Zuo murmured, "Either today or next time, the lord will lose his life...My lord!" Ieyasu was speechless. "This woman is not lying. Compared with the warriors on the battlefield, she is also open-minded... For my sake, don't kill her." Jiakang didn't answer.He was full of fear, but not hatred.That being the case, why would he want to touch a woman again? Before I knew it, the sky was already bright.But you knelt on the ground, lowered your head, as if you were dead, and didn't move.As the saying goes, when a person is bitten by his own dog, his heart is ashamed.But Ieyasu was not in the same mood.His emotions are very complicated, including love, fear, sadness, and remorse... "But you." After a long time, Ieyasu finally spoke.But you didn't raise your head obediently as usual. "My lord," Zuo Zuo said again, "I hope you can save this woman's life. A woman's life will undergo three major changes. At the beginning, she is a pure virgin, then she becomes a plump and charming woman, and finally becomes a woman. Become a mother who sees things in the world. This is a common journey for women.” Ieyasu didn't expect to hear the argument about women from the stalwart Zuo Zuo, he didn't nod in agreement, but just stared closely at Ke Ni's blank eyes. "My lord polluted this lotus with lust, and she turned into a bright red rose, stabbing at my lord. This is not someone else's fault, but yours, lord." Ieyasu was speechless. "In short, the turmoil in the inner court started when the lord polluted the lotus flower unintentionally. Once it is polluted, it cannot be left alone. Retribution will definitely come, and it will eventually put oneself in danger. This is the most stupid thing in the world." "So...you tell me not to touch women anymore?" Zuo Zuo smiled and said, "My lord finally realized it." He turned his head and said to Ke Mi, "Go back to your room to clean up, and prepare to leave." But you are still kneeling on the ground, motionless.If Ieyasu and Zuo Zuo didn't leave first, she would have knelt down forever.Thinking of this, Zuo Zuo emphasized his tone and urged Ieyasu to leave. Parting is imminent, and Ieyasu seems to have something to say.He turned his head several times, but finally stamped his feet and went with Zuo Zuo. The two walked silently.Just as he was about to enter the city, a bird that landed on the ground suddenly sang.The little bird seemed to follow Ieyasu all the way to the gate of the city.When passing through the city gate, a sense of shame suddenly hit Ieyasu. Zuo Zuo said "hard work" to the gatekeeper and walked into the city first. When he reached the dormitory, he stopped, raised his head and said softly, "My lord, rest for a while." Ieyasu felt embarrassed and desolate. "No. I have something to ask you. Follow me to the porch." Zuo Zuo followed with a wry smile.The young Ieyasu will not let him go easily.Zuo Zuo is very sad and pitiful to Ieyasu. "Sit down!" On the steps of the bedroom, Ieyasu stared at Zuo Zuo closely, and said, "You taught me a lesson about women just now." Zuo Zuo deliberately looked away, looking at the sky that was gradually brightening , sit down on the steps. "About the topic of women, I still want to listen to you. Where did you meet women?" "These words are not addressed to the lord, but to the woman. If not, the woman will commit suicide." "suicide?" "It must be very painful to leave the lord I admire, not to mention that she is a woman in love. If she is not allowed to understand that righteousness is more important than feelings, her heart will not be at peace." "Hmph!" Ieyasu clicked his tongue heavily, but he had to agree with Zuo Zuo. "To tell you the truth, I will not quit womanizing in the future. Love between men and women is a natural thing." "Hahaha!" "why are you laughing?" "No one told the lord to stop being a womanizer, and no one told the lord not to get close to women." "I don't think so either." "Enjoy female sex, enjoy it to your heart's content." Zukuro laughed as if there was no one on his left. "Being manipulated by others, fleeing outside the city to steal food, being killed by others and not knowing how to die, such a person is nothing to worry about even if he is familiar with the art of war. Childish people are always ridiculous. Please hurry up, my lord." some." "Speak up!" Ieyasu stared at Zuo Zuo seriously. When a person puts life and death aside, he becomes strong.So far, Ieyasu has never been called a "childish person" by his retainers.Even when it comes to women, no one has ever accused him, but Zuo Zuo today is merciless.If Ieyasu, such as Torii Tadakichi, Okubo Tsunegen, Ishikawa Yasuki, Sakai Masakusuke, etc. were in their infancy, it would be fine to accept their training, Zuo Zuo was only twelve or thirteen years older than him... Ieyasu's heart There were bouts of unhappiness. Of course, if he calms down, Ieyasu also knows that being a leftist is a rare "defensive minister".It is precisely because of his utter loyalty that he dares to speak out regardless of life and death.But the young and energetic Ieyasu still felt disgusted with Zuozuo.If he doesn't take a moment of his majesty, he really can't be calm. "Zuo Zuo, are you the so-called chatterbox in the world?" "I don't know. I don't know myself." "I don't know? I will listen to your advice and mature. But what did you say just now? You said that I was manipulated by others, fled to the outside of the city to steal, and was killed and I didn't know how to die ,yes?" "yes." "Listen. When you say being played with, do you mean building a mountain?" "certainly." "Then tell me, how can I not be played with by others, how can I not be sneaky, how can I see through a woman's mind!" Tsukuru looked back at Ieyasu. "My lord, it is incomprehensible to talk about these subjects in broad daylight." "I'm going to find out in broad daylight, why are you so arrogant? Does this also need to be discussed at the bedside late at night?" "Does my lord want me to apologize for my rude words just now?" "No need! I want you to speak out what's on your mind without concealing it." "Okay. Then I'll be blunt: My lord likes women?" "I don't know!" "But I know. The lord is definitely not the kind of person who is addicted to the love of children. Or, even if you are addicted to the love of children, you are very clear that this world does not allow men and women to enjoy pleasure..." "Are you speculating on me again?" "If you don't, you can't find the answer. Therefore, your obsession with female sex is just a game. What you really value is not to lose the city, not to lose the loyalty of your retainers. In this game, you have repeatedly met A woman promised by fate. This is the most important thing! My lord, you treat it as a game, and the other party promises her life. Do you think you can win them, my lord?" "Humph!" "Approaching pure and pure things with a game mentality will inevitably be punished. If you just want to play games, act like a game, and find a woman who has the same mentality as you, a woman who will not commit suicide because of love , a woman who is careful and careful." "You want me to recruit prostitutes?" Ieyasu asked in a heavy tone. Tsukuru shook his head vigorously. "No, my lord is too short-sighted. You haven't enlightened yet." "Not enlightened? Are you talking to me?" Ieyasu said angrily.He didn't want to argue about this kind of thing, but Zuo Zuo's words made his blood surge. "Tell me, what is wrong with me. Tell me quickly!" "My lord..." Zuo Zuo wrinkled his head, "Please stop. If you understand the difference between you and those women, you should stop immediately. No one can become an expert without going through the world." Zuo Zuo While speaking, he stood up slowly. "Wait!" Ieyasu called to stop him. "But I still have to go on patrol." "No need to patrol today. Am I a fool when you say I'm short-sighted?" "My lord is right." Zuo Zuo looked serious, "When I say a woman who is budget-conscious, you will only think of prostitutes... When it comes to women, my lord is an out-and-out fool." "You scold me?" "So what about scolding?" Zuo Zuo stood up, "Master, things in this world are different from person to person. My lord has the heart of playing games, if the other party is also like this, then when you are happy, the other party is also happy... In this way, it will There will be no disputes. There are many such women in the world." "Okay, then you bring that kind of woman." Zaemon slowly saluted. "Since you said so, I'll bring it here for you." "If I'm not satisfied, I'll kill her." "At your disposal. I will take my leave first." "etc!" But Sakuzaemon has gone far.Ieyasu stood blankly on the steps in front of the bedroom, his body still trembling.Guizuo is really rude.Ieyasu really wanted to kill him, but he had to admit that he was a fool when it came to women, and he had to reflect.He suddenly burst out laughing. "Okay, okay, well said!" Ieyasu wanted to forgive Zuo Zuo's arrogance and affirm his sincerity while laughing, but the anger in his heart still couldn't be calmed down easily. "My lord, please wash your hands." At some point, Kanbara Kohei came behind Ieyasu holding a basin.Ieyasu was taken aback. "Pretend you didn't hear what Tsukuza said just now. Although Sakuemon is reckless, he is a rare loyal minister." Ieyasu often discussed military affairs with his retainers, but rarely mentioned women.Because of this, Zuo Zuo's merciless words shocked him greatly.Zuo Zuo wanted to tell him: Women will fall in love with him, but they will also bring him life-threatening, so you should approach them with caution. But when it comes to a woman who is good at calculating, Ieyasu has never been able to understand the meaning of Zuo Zuohua.A samurai with strong bones said that as long as Ieyasu wanted, he could bring that kind of woman any time.What kind of woman is that? Ieyasu finished his meal under the service of Xiao Heita, flipped through it, and called Ishikawa Iecheng, and said, "Go to Mrs. Huaqingyuan in Sandaocheng, and tell her: If you can ask her to leave, she will be allowed. You Just say that’s what I mean.” Then he handed Jiacheng a package containing gold and silver belongings, and asked him to hand it over to Keyou. Jiacheng knew about Jiakang and Keyou's affairs well, so he left with a serious face.But he came back soon, and put the package in front of Ieyasu untouched. "But you bid farewell to Mrs. Huaqingyuan at dawn today." "Oh? So impatient." Jiacheng seemed to have guessed Jiakang's mind, and asked calmly, "Should we just let her go like this?" "She escaped? What did the gatekeeper say?" "They didn't see her. But she did say goodbye to Mrs. Hua Qingyuan. She probably hid somewhere and disappeared like flowing water." Ieyasu smiled wryly, and opened it again.Undoubtedly, Tsukuzaemon let you go.Jiacheng is also very aware of this, so he said it with a smile. "How about Zaemon? Is he worthy of reuse?" "This..." Jiacheng tilted his head pretending to be mysterious, "Oda is about to attack Inabayama Castle." "Is there any connection between Inabayama Castle in Mino and Sakuza?" "No. But in this way, the lord should also head east. I think the lord may not be in Okazaki Castle for a while." "That's why I asked you, what was the use of being Zaemon at that time?" "I think that he is a rare loyal minister, you can appoint him as the Okazaki guard." "Oh, and you're partial to him, too." "I suppose so, my lord." "Okay. You go down first. I want to read quietly today." After Jiacheng retreated, Jiakang closed the book suddenly, and immediately went to the courtyard, leading Xiaopingtai straight to the watchtower in the west of the city. "Oda is going to attack Mino." Ieyasu murmured to himself, looking solemnly at the narrow path leading to the Yahagawa River.