Indeed, if you consider that you have to fight indoors, it will be very inconvenient to move around in large armor. It seems that the Shogun is determined to fight to the death.

Behind him were about a dozen or so guards. Liu Quan didn't see the figure of Da Prajna Changguang in it.

She remembered that the historical records said that at this time, Ashikaga Yoshiteru had about twenty or thirty attendants close by. However, compared to the Miyoshi family who besieged Nijo Castle outside, this amount is a drop in the bucket. Probably Ashikaga Yoshiteru also knew in his heart that this night was the last moment of his life, He strode to the top seat, stopped again, and turned to look around the day.

I have to say that this room is very spacious, after putting so many tables, lamps and candles, there is actually a large open space around, and the style is very atmospheric.

However, Ashikaga Yoshiteru apparently had other ideas about it. He looked around for a week, and then suddenly he sat down on his knees and said in a loud voice, "Where is the pen and ink?"

Soon a maid hurried forward, holding a tray in her hand with pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. However, Ashikaga Yoshiteru did not take the paper in the tray, but picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and suddenly turned his head to Mrs. Nobuko, who was sitting next to him.

"Hahahaha...... Yutai, would you like to borrow my sleeve?" he laughed loudly.

Mrs. Nobuko seemed to be slightly stunned, but she quickly understood what Ashikaga Yoshiteru meant. She lowered her gaze slightly, gently covering half of her face with a juniper fan, and rose from her seat and walked to Ashikaga Yoshiteru's side in small steps. Then, after a slight hesitation, she put down her right hand holding the fan, grabbed the hem of the right sleeve with her left hand, flattened the entire sleeve, and stretched it out in front of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, staring at him quietly.

"Lord Gongfang. She called.

"Please use it. ”

Ashikaga Yoshiteru looked back at her, and after a moment, he tilted his lips slightly, and a smile and crying expression appeared on his face. Then, with a slight mutter, he picked up his pen and wrote a few lines on the sleeve of Mrs. Nobuko's thin red and plum dress.

Liu Quan slipped quietly along the wall into the big wide room, and stood far away, looking at the couple who were about to die.

What Ashikaga Yoshiteru wrote, even if she didn't know the content, she was not unfamiliar with it.

It's a poem.

As my mind wanders, several unrelated scenarios come to mind.

First, Sanri Yuezong approached, handed her a piece of paper that was almost crumpled, and said: I don't know who this should be given to whom, so I think it's good to give it to you.

Then she unfolded the piece of paper and looked down at the handwriting.

[The lonely minister was martyred on Ezo Island, and his loyal soul will always defend Dongfang Jun].

Followed by the streets of Edo late at night, Kondo flashed a refreshing smile at her. He handed her a piece of paper, and then asked her to hand it to Hijikata, and if she said that, Ah Sui would understand—

Finally, it was the streets of the oil road in late autumn, and the cold wind of the night blew mercilessly on her face, quickly drying the tears that flowed down. Heisuke fell in front of her, a deep bloodstain on his face that ran through most of his face, and tried to make a relaxed appearance, begging her to find a suitable poem for himself to read—

Liu Quan suddenly felt a sour nose.

"If you don't live here......" she whispered.

Why does such a helpless and sad story have to be staged again and again in the world?

"Is there any near place to enjoy the flowers?"

At some point, a tall figure was already standing beside her, quietly listening to her inaudible voice.

When Liu Quan said the second line of the poem, he stopped again, and was silent for a long time, he finally spoke.

"What's the last sentence, Yukiba-kun?"

Liu Quan paused, shook his head, and replied softly, "...... Let's not talk about it. ”

Da Panruo Changguang raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not show a surprised look. With his hands folded over his chest, he stood beside her and stared at what was happening in the hall, with a sense of calm and composure that did not match the tense situation at the moment.

After listening to Liu Quan's answer, he didn't ask a question, but smiled and changed another question.

"So, whose poem is this? ”

Liu Quan sighed helplessly.

"The deputy head of the Shinsengumi, the third year of Hijikata. She replied.

"Oh?!" Da Prajna Changguang immediately turned to her, revealing an interested look. His eyes flashed when he saw her obscure expression, and his tone immediately seemed to be more playful.

"That's a momentary talent...... After all, the former master who can make Izumi Mamoru never forget, even if I haven't been here for a long time, I've heard of it. ”

Liu Quan lowered his gaze, as if he didn't hear the tentative meaning in his tone. She replied dryly, "I know what you want to ask." That's right, he's also my former Commander-in-Chief—are you satisfied?"

Da Bangruo Changguang hummed, and there was not much special emotion in his voice. Obviously, he felt that such an answer was far from satisfying him, so he added a sentence before the situation in the city got worse:

“...... So, are you the same as Izumi Mamoru?"

Liu Quan: "...... What do you say?"

Da Prajna Changguang finally laughed again, and he looked at her side face that was a little difficult to see because of the dim candle flame, and asked slowly:

"Like Izumi Mamoru, do you miss the vice head of the Shinsengumi-kun?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that her long eyelashes trembled suddenly.

He silently said "oh~?!" in the bottom of his heart.

Is...... It's rare.

He thought.

Even when he was close enough to kiss each other with no gaps, just one finger away, he had never seen her shake so clearly as he did now.

Of course, he knew in his heart that this was not a good time to get to the bottom of it. However, the new master, who was completely different from the female lord he had ever seen, gave him some interest in delving into it.

He could tell she admired — or could even say, love — her voice. Sometimes when he said something, he could even see her move for a moment. Those words were different from the lines he deliberately wanted to shake her, and he was a little curious—what did she think of through the words she spoke...... Or rather, who came to mind.

Unexpectedly, it was as if that question had suddenly been guessed tonight by some kind of speculation that was closest to the truth.

...... Hijikata years old.

The name rolled through him, and he quietly glanced at the Female Judge beside him.

Although she seems to have been led by his nose since they came to this era, everything has been carried out according to his plan and pace, but since she successfully escaped from Kiyomizudera Temple and returned to Nijo Castle with Lady Nobuko, the sharp and condensed aura that has been hidden in her body seems to slowly emerge.

It made him seem to understand a little bit why those big people would choose her for such a special task.

It's not because they want to give her Fu Mourning God a little more experience benefits - it's because they think that any situation that is not expected in the course of the mission, she can overcome it smoothly and finally complete the mission successfully. To achieve such a goal, courage, determination, competence and calmness are indispensable.

And he didn't really want to embarrass her. He just wanted to test a little weakness within a moderate range that would sway her, so that he could sometimes take advantage of it, and continue to maintain his transcendent advantage in front of her—because in the end, he didn't want to look up at her, like Yakuken Fujishiro or Gototo, and affectionately show a gesture of obedience, completely obey her orders, and humbly stoop before her to ask for her favor or favor—

If she was capable enough to control him, it was not impossible for them to cooperate well as companions and master-slaves who could fight side by side, but it was impossible for him to be attentive to her without knowing anything about her, and to obey her tactfully and submissively.

He curled the corners of his lips slightly.

Come on, Yukiba-kun.

The change of Yonglu is just around the corner. Let me see how much you're really looking forward to, shall you?

Of course, Liu Quan would not know about his thoughts.

She didn't care if Da Prajna Changguang sensed something extraordinary from her subtle silence. The past was not a secret that she kept secret, but would the fact that she had admired the deputy head of the Shinsengumi affect her ability to be an excellent inquisitor?

She believes that Da Prajna Changguang is a smart person. Or even if he's not that smart, it doesn't matter - as long as his combat power matches his noble worth of 600 kan [in the Muromachi era].

She watched in silence as several men with the appearance of a retinue rushed in from outside, each holding a few knives in their arms, and walked in a line in front of Ashikaga Yoshiteru. Then, not knowing what Ashikaga Yoshiteru had said, they began to scatter, drew their knives, and inserted them into the tatami mats with straight tips in various gaps in the room.

Liu Quan was silent for a moment and said softly, "This ...... In a way, it's a famous scene, right......?"

Da Bangruo paused for a long time, and hummed out in his throat.

"That's true. He whispered.

"So...... What are you going to do next, Yukiba-kun?"

Yanagizumi's eyes swept across the hall, noticing that Mrs. Nobuko was already crying, and Hisamatsu and Inaba were supporting her left and right, and I don't know what Ashikaga Yoshiteru had said to her—presumably telling her to get out of here first, and to take refuge in a relatively safe room—and then, Hisamatsu and Inaba stumbled towards the door of the hall together.

Now Liu Quan could no longer stand aside, so she stepped out of the unobtrusive shadow in the corner and waited by the door.

When Mrs. Nobuko walked to the door, she noticed her. So Mrs. Nobuko stopped in front of her, sobbing and said to her, "Let's go, Ayuki...... There's not much more we can do here...... The princess asked me to go back to my room, and I, my heart, came to my senses...... Come with me. In case of...... words, I ...... I'll tell them to let you go......"

Liu Quan looked at her apologetically, then shook his head quietly.

"I'm sorry, Midai-sama. She said.

"I can't go with you. Because here, there's something else I can do. ”

Mrs. Nobuko was stunned. As if only then did she notice the Great Prajna Changguang who was standing quietly a few steps behind Liu Quan, she cast a glance at the Great Prajna Changguang and then turned her gaze back to Liu Quan's face.

"You...... Are you going to stay here, and...... ...... with your lover Is it?"

Mrs. Nobuko seemed to swallow the ominous word after the word "together" with great difficulty. However, after listening to her question, Liu Quan smiled faintly.

"Lord Godai. She called out to Madame Xinzi, looked back calmly at the weeping lady in front of her, and said in a low but clear voice:

"Someone once said to me—"

"Maybe it's only a matter of time before it happens, but it's also ...... that has sheltered us so far Lord Gongfang. So, I want to stay here, go to the end together, and do my best-"

On that moonlit night, in Aizu Castle, someone used to say that to her, right?

No matter how long it has been, she always remembers-

The expression on Nobuko's face grew more and more surprised. She opened her mouth slightly, as if she had never known the young maid in front of her, and looked deeply at Liu Quan with a gaze of surprise and admiration, as if she was trying in vain to persuade her to go with her, she wriggled her lips and whispered:

"But, but...... Do you know what's going to happen here...... you...... You could have done without sacrificing your ......."

Liu Quan smiled.

"I'm not going to just die. She replied calmly.

"Because a long, long time ago, I made an appointment with someone else like this. ”