Chapter 27 Chapter 26 Murderous Aura in the Inner Court

Mrs. Tahara stood in the courtyard of the new city, cutting flowers called autumn seven grasses.Huangbeimao was trembling, looking a little desolate.She cut some chrysanthemums and planned to bring them to Guangzhong in this city. Afeng, the maid brought from Tianyuan City, knelt aside with a displeased face, and took the flowers that his wife had cut. "Afeng, do you think I hate my lord, or do I like him?" Afeng looked around habitually, and said: "Miss, you are here again... If the city lord of Tianyuan hears, he will be angry again!" "Am I still hating him?"

"I should hate him, but Miss loves him. I can't figure it out." Mrs. Tian Yuan said sadly, holding the cut bellflower, "The bellflower has no fragrance." "Miss, isn't Ah Chun just a concubine?" "So what?" "Miss, why didn't the city lord alienate her? I really don't know what you think." Mrs. Tian Yuan didn't answer.She bent down to look for other flowers, hating the maid's nonsense in her heart.The city lord has not touched her so far, it must be because of Ah Chun.Even so, Madam has a general understanding of Guangzhong.Whenever she entangled Guangzhong affectionately, he would always say: "Let's talk about it after I fulfill my wish." Then he ran away every day.What he meant was that before taking back Anxiang City, where his ancestors lived for generations, he had no intention of thinking about other things.Because of this, he launched the war hastily, and ended up defeated.At that time, if Honda Heihachiro had not vowed to protect him to the death, Hiromada would have been killed by the enemy long ago, and Okazaki would have fallen into the hands of the enemy long ago.After Okubo Shinhachiro carried him back to Okazaki Castle, Hiromada, who was slightly injured, was bedridden in this city.

"Miss." Afeng looked into the distance and said, "If I were you, I would try my best to drive Achun away." "Afeng, don't talk nonsense. That will only make the adults alienate me even more." "No, no. You should find a way to get close to the city lord." The lady was silent. "Miss, do you know all about Mrs. Ah Chun's scandals?" "scandal?" "During the last war, Iwamatsu Yaya was wounded and returned. She once secretly went to see Yaya..." Afeng stared at his wife closely, as if implying something. "Looking at it now, the city lord will definitely launch a war. I don't know what kind of misfortune it will bring. As a woman, you should drive away Ah Chun and comfort the city lord's heart."

Mrs. Tian Yuan's shoulders suddenly trembled. "To see Yaya? Is this... is this true?" It has been six months since she married to Okazaki Castle, and she still cannot get close to her husband.Jealousy and grief made Mrs. Tian Yuan think of suicide countless times.When she learned that all this was because Guangzhong could not forget Yu Da, she suddenly felt that she was just a piece of soil in Okazaki Castle.Slowly, Tian Yuan began to believe that he was inferior to Yu Da.Although Guangzhong didn't say it explicitly, she could still feel her husband's thoughts keenly... She was once seriously ill, and Guangzhong's body was also very weak.Using this frail body to challenge the unstoppable Oda Nobuhide to regain Anxiang City, the outcome can be imagined.Madam saw all this in her eyes and could only endure it secretly.

Sometimes, she would cry alone because she couldn't bear it.She often thought that she might fall down with lung disease as before.But it is unbelievable that since she got married, her lung disease has disappeared without a trace, and all she thinks about is Guangzhong.If she couldn't even see Guangzhong, she might give up out of despair, but recently, Guangzhong began to visit her once or twice a month.Afeng thought that was what the old officials meant, but Madam didn't think so. Whenever she sees Guangzhong, the wife will have a crazy desire. "Tonight..." Just when her blood was boiling, Guangzhong often pulled away and left. At that time, his wife's loneliness and pain were beyond A Feng's comprehension.On nights like that, she would always have nightmares.In the dream, Ah Chun turned into a cold snake, tightly wrapping Guangzhong around him.

"As long as Ah Chun is gone..." Women are weak after all.She fears that at some point she will go mad from loneliness, jealousy, and longing.Achun often goes to Yansong Yami's room behind his back.If that's the truth, even if it's because of this period of depression, she can't let her go. "Ah Chun is just a lowly maid, but she was actually taken by the city lord, right?" "Yes. She is a maid who boils water, and her background is low." Afeng kept adding fuel to the flames, but then she changed the subject and said, "Aren't you going to cut some bellflowers?"

Mrs. Tian Yuan remained silent, staring at the clouds above the distant mountains.Looking forward to her husband made her skin delicate and smooth.Her skin used to be a little dry, but recently it was very moist and ready to break. "A Feng." "Ok." "That's just a rumor." "Are you talking about Mrs. Ah Chun?" "Yami is the bodyguard of the adults. If you spread rumors and cause trouble, I will not spare you!" "Hee hee..." A Feng smiled behind the flowers. "They were very good before. It was the city lord who forcibly broke them up. The maids in the inner court don't know."

Afeng is twenty-four years old.As a maid, she gradually reached the age of being cruel and troublesome.She glanced at the lady, pretending to be meaningful, and plucked the leaves from the flowers. "And that's not all..." "What do you want to say?" "If it was the previous hostess, Ah Chun would have been whipped long ago; everyone said that you are too weak." "What? Even I..." "Yes. A bad family tradition is a disgrace to a family. No wonder some people are worried about those rumors." Mrs. Tian Yuan fell silent again.A Feng's words are not without reason.Leaving aside the secret of the boudoir, she is the hostess of the city after all, and she should not let the women in the family do anything wrong.The madam suddenly became angry: "Even if you are thinking of adults, you can't just sit idly by!" Ah Chun enjoys the frail Guangzhong's favor all to himself, but at the same time misbehaves and makes people laugh.Madam gradually felt that such behavior was unforgivable.

"A Feng." "Ok." "You go to Mrs. Ah Chun...call her here." A Feng raised his face in horror. "Madam asked her to come, what's the big deal?" "It's not a big deal. But I'm your lord's wife." "But... what if it gets into the adults' ears?" "Call her to ask questions. If the rumors are true, I will take the initiative to tell the adults." A Feng stared at his wife's face that was gradually turning blue with anger. "Of course Ah Chun will let Miss down, but Iwamatsu Yami is the master's subordinate, and Miss has no right to intervene." Afeng tilted his head and thought for a while, as if he had forgotten the provocative words just now, and persuaded: "Miss, if you don't make a decision determination……"

"I've made up my mind to let you call her." "But...there are always some unfaithful and unrighteous gossipers in the city. Even if the lady forgives Ah Chun, Yami may tell the adults that everything is caused by the lady's jealousy...What should I do then?" "At that time..." Madam was at a loss for words.She hasn't thought about that yet. "What should we do then, Afeng?" A Feng gradually fell into an illusion. Instead of feeling that her heart has been occupied by jealousy and evil thoughts that destroy the happiness of others, she thinks that for the kind master in front of her, she must do everything possible.She took all of this as loyalty. "Miss!" Afeng looked around again. "It is a serious crime to cause such rumors. Miss must make up her mind. As long as Mrs. Ah Chun never sees her lord and Yami again, she will lose ten thousand yuan."

"Make up your mind?" While looking around, A Feng said, "It's like a man killing an enemy..." She had a sullen face and her voice was very low. On this day, Ah Chun returned to his bedroom after greeting Guang Zhong as usual.Guangzhong's arrow wound is about to heal, and his eyes have returned to their former brilliance, but he still has no appetite, leaning on the backrest with a tired face, listening to the veterans report the post-war treatment measures in pain.During the secret conversation, the women would of course be dismissed, but Ah Chun still vaguely knew something. Oda Nobuhide did not seem to want to take advantage of the victory to attack Okazaki Castle, but withdrew his main force back to Owari to deal with Mino's enemies.As for Okazaki, he seems to be planning to use some means secretly.They wanted to take advantage of Guangzhong's serious illness and this defeat to alienate Matsudaira.Just in case, the old general Sakai of the Ueno Jojo family was under strict surveillance, and Hirochu's uncle, Matsudaira Zangren Nobuko, also placed his confidantes. Guangzhong often trembled and sang songs: "May I beg for the birthday of Zhonggong, and amnesty the people of the world..." As he sang, his forehead was covered with sweat, and his thin face was extremely pale. When he sang the verse of "Jun Kuan", Ah Chun couldn't help crying.He neither sang for joy, nor sang with feeling, he just showed to his retainers: Look, I am still so strong, don't have different ideas! More and more touches on Guangzhong's inner anguish, and subtle changes have taken place in her heart.At first, she lamented that she was just Yu Da's stand-in.But now, that kind of sadness has disappeared without a trace, instead she hopes that she can completely become Yu Da, the woman who makes Guangzhong so worried. Ah Chun's thoughts are inevitably revealed in daily life, decocting soup, feeding medicine, and persuading her to eat, Guangzhong sees all these in his eyes, and loves her even more.She began to thank Yu Da deep in her heart, and even felt that being able to be like her was a blessing from nature. After Achun returned to the room, he suddenly wanted to visit his cousin Yami.Yaya is seriously injured, far worse than Hiromada.When he injured his thigh, he fell into the paddy field. After waking up, he didn't know that he was trapped in the enemy's line, but he was able to look for Guangzhong everywhere and fight desperately.Even Guangzhong said that it was a miracle that he was rescued. Seeing Ah Chun who was deeply in love with him, Guangzhong said: "Go and see Yami, you are cousins ​​after all." With Guangzhong's permission, Ah Chun has visited four times.Yaya survived, but lost too much blood and was exhausted. Ah Chun packed up the blood-soaked bedding and left the room, but a maid stopped her: "The maid was sent by Mrs. Tian Yuan." "Ma'am looking for me?" She looked at the corridor, where Afeng stood there with a stiff expression.Ah Chun was unsuspecting, looking at her with a pair of clear eyes.Afeng seemed to want to avoid her sight, and explained in a rambling manner: "Mrs. Tian Yuan has something to say to her in person, so I sent me to invite you over." "I have something to say to my face..." "Maybe it's something about your lord's injury..." "Specially for this reason..." Ah Chun wanted to praise her understanding of righteousness, but she couldn't say it, she was not used to speaking like a wife of a city lord.Of course, she never thought of refusing. "What's the matter?" Ah Chun thought, and said: "Then, please lead the way." Then he hurriedly followed A Feng.In her eyes at the age of seventeen, Afeng is a woman who has experienced the world.Achun is immersed in Yufu who is loved by Guangzhong, how could he know Mrs. Tianyuan's resentment towards her? When she reached the outer gate of the inner court, she asked the maid to go back.The two went straight out of Hachimanen, known as the "City of Takechiyo", and headed straight for the new town where Mrs. Tahara lived.The autumn air was crisp and the sun was shining all over the earth. Ah Chun didn't feel anything unusual about meeting his wife for the first time.Probably because she thinks that both herself and his wife are loved by Guangzhong and have an inexplicable sense of closeness. "How is Madam?" Hearing Ah Chun's question, Afeng couldn't help laughing loudly: "You probably know about Madam and Your Excellency, are you secretly happy?" Ah Chun didn't understand the deep meaning of the words carefully. "No no," she murmured.Afeng laughed again, but didn't speak again. The tangerines are deep red, only the mold trees and pine trees are evergreen, and the red leaves of the maple and sumac are dotted in between.The Sugyu River reflects the white clouds. When A Feng walked to the gate, he looked back at A Chun. "Compared with this new city and Hachiman Garden, which one is more magnificent?" Suddenly hearing such ironic words, Ah Chun muttered in confusion, and took off the straw sandals without hesitation.Coming here, she was a little nervous, but not scared. "Please come in." Ah Chun vaguely heard what A Feng said, and knelt down on the ground from afar. "Ah Chun came to visit Madam." Without answering, Ah Chun raised her face quietly, and she couldn't help trembling.Mrs. Tian Yuan's watery eyes were staring at her sharply, and she remained silent.But upon closer inspection, her tightly closed lips seemed to be trembling slightly. "Ma'am." A Feng said, "It looks like Mrs. A Chun is pregnant..." Ah Chun's face suddenly became hot, and he hurriedly put his sleeves on his knees.She didn't realize she was pregnant. "Achun..." Mrs. Tian Yuan finally spoke, and she looked Achun sharply up and down. This woman is being caressed by Guang Zhong every day... just the thought is enough to make her dizzy.Not only did she enjoy the caress, but she was even pregnant!Mrs. Tian Yuan let out a long sigh and woke up.There seemed to be a group of dancing snakes in front of her eyes, a surge of hot blood rushed straight to her forehead, and then she seemed to fall down suddenly, into a bottomless abyss.She snapped, "Ah Chun!" "exist." "You, come to me like this?" "Yes. Follow...obey." "Are you worthy of my lord for doing that?" "Ma'am, you mean..." "Shameless! Whose child is in your womb?" Ah Chun suddenly felt dizzy, and lowered his head blushing.She didn't think she was pregnant. "You... have been... favored by adults, right?" "yes." "Then, make it clear in front of me. After this battle in Anxiang City... are you still favored as before?" Ah Chun didn't quite understand why Mrs. Tian Yuan got angry, and what she wanted to know.Could it be that she is to blame for pestering the injured Guangzhong every day?That was a complete misunderstanding. "Ah Chun didn't..." "No?" "It was the adults who took the initiative..." "Hmph, my lord... my lord takes the initiative..." This sentence is so painful to Madam. "Ah!" Ah Feng screamed and stood up, because Mrs. Tian Yuan suddenly grabbed a bouquet of platycodon flowers that she was going to give to Guangzhong to decorate his bedroom, and threw them at Ah Chun viciously. "Actually...unexpectedly...unexpectedly, you are shamelessly saying that you are my lord! I can't pamper you anymore, I can't pamper you anymore!" She kept throwing flowers at Ah Chun, and the fallen flowers were everywhere, and the bitter smell filled the whole room. "Please forgive me, madam. Please forgive me..." Ah Chun curled up, apologizing and begging repeatedly.Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were covered with flower petals, and her face was covered with blue juice. "please forgive……" "Hmph! Tell me, who is the father of that child?" "The father of the child?" "Do you still want to deny it? That's not an adult's child. No one in the city knows that the child is the evil seed conceived by you and Yami. In the name of an adult...In the name of an adult..." Mrs. Tian Yuan yelled frantically, Ah Chun had stopped apologizing.Hearing Yaya's name, she felt an incredible revulsion in her heart.Although she was born in an ashigaru samurai family, she lived a free life in the past, and those situations suddenly appeared in front of her at this moment.She instinctively felt that his wife was jealous, and suddenly discovered that everything was a conspiracy.That being the case, how can an apology be enough.Madame wants to expel her.She understood what it meant, but gritted her teeth and let the other party insult her. Mrs. Tian Yuan continued to insult her.Afeng stood quietly on the right side of his wife, watching all this. "Why don't you speak?" Madam panted heavily and stopped. "Probably because I feel ashamed." A Feng laughed, "Since everyone says so, there is no way to excuse it." When Guangzhong was mentioned, Ah Chun trembled, but he still didn't speak.She didn't want to explain anything, and she didn't intend to cry. At this time, the life of the ashigaru samurai was very poor. When his daughter was seven years old, if she could make a new padded jacket, her companions would be very envious: "she is so happy." Achun was born in such an environment, and now, this ashigaru The blood of a warrior awakened in her body. "Since the lord has ordered, how should we deal with her?" A Feng asked. Before Mrs. Tian Yuan could answer, Ah Chun said first, "My lord didn't give an order." She was full of confidence and her voice was cold.The master and servant couldn't help but looked at each other in a little panic. "Just take your lord's order and kill me, kill me. I'm going to visit Yaya, that's exactly what your lord wants." "Shut up!" A Feng's face turned blue.If things are revealed, Mrs. Tian Yuan obviously does not have the ability to take responsibility.Afeng's face was blue and purple, but Achun's cheeks were flushed because of disdain and contempt.She looked at the two people in front of her calmly. "It's exhausting like this, or..." Afeng reached out to his arms to take the sword.Ah Chun slowly turned his gaze to Mrs. Tian Yuan.Mrs. Tian Yuan was still holding the platycodon stalk, her whole body was trembling, her shoulders were trembling, her breathing was short of breath, the anger in her eyes began to subside, and gradually turned into fear.She was filled with hatred and confusion.Her momentary mood swings determine Ah Chun's life and death.This is a sad matchup. The sun was so bright it was almost unbearable.I don't know where the sound of singing came from...