On the 14th day of the second month of the 4th year of Eiroku, Takigawa Sakin General Kazuki arrived at Okazaki Castle as an envoy of the Oda clan, and it has been more than a month since Yoshian quietly entered and exited Keyou's residence. Only four or five personal guards and some old ministers knew about it.

"As the lord of a city, she often goes in and out of Sandao City, which may attract criticism, so it is better to welcome her into this city." Sakai Masarosuke once suggested it privately, but was rejected by Ngyian.

"You don't have to. It doesn't matter if the retainers know, I'm worried that this matter will reach the Jun Mansion. ”

"Just kidding. Madame is not around, what does it matter to find one or two women. ”

"Deliberately provoking Sena? The love affair is sneaky and more charming. In fact, Ngee An does enjoy it. The woman with whom he secretly had a secret relationship was actually an undercover agent sent by the enemy Oda clan, but gradually forgot her mission and fell in love with the enemy, which Ngiyasu found very interesting; Moreover, when he left the city and entered the room of the maid of Sandao City, he always felt that he looked funny, and sometimes even wanted to laugh out loud. What is it that makes the relationship between a man and a woman so tempting?

Although Mrs. Hanaein knew this, she pretended not to know. No matter how late Ngee An goes, as long as he knocks on the window a few times, you will immediately welcome you, and a woman's heart is incredible.

He will be deliberately late, when his hands and feet are cold, but you are always so enthusiastic. What manipulated Ke You and allowed Ngee An to quietly enter and leave the maid's room was not the "loyalty" between the master and the retainers, but another force. Because of this, Ngee Ann is able to calmly reflect on himself and become more and more aware of the strength and fragility of human beings.

When Ngee Ann woke up that morning, he found that you had also woken up. She placed her right hand on the side of Ngee An's pillow, her eyes wide open, motionless, her hands and feet as hot as fire. "Are you awake?" The soft greeting sounded very poignant.

"Oh, the windows have turned white. Overslept. ”

Thinking of Ah Xiao, who was sleeping in the next room, Yi'an gently took away Ke You's hand that was next to the pillow. But you immediately clung to the hem of Ngee An's shirt and snuggled up. "You'll be ...... again tonight"

"Oh."

"I may see an envoy from the Oda family today."

"Today? Got it. ”

Ngee An nodded lightly and took the clothes. But you stood up and opened the window. It wasn't yet dark. The white morning mist rising from the Suga River softly wraps around the old pine branches. Ngee An quickly walked towards the door. "Gone."

When the important minister Sakai entered the city early in the morning to serve his official duties, the city became lively.

"The messenger of the Oda clan is here."

"What? Oda's? What's the matter? ”

"I don't know, I'm probably here to persuade him to surrender."

After the Ishikawa family finished reporting, the general of the prison Zhongshang answered, staring at the roof. Tadashi was the same clan as Matsudaira, and he often despised Ngui'an, and appointed himself as an assistant and watchman, "Daimu Fu". "The city lord should know, why haven't you come to the hall yet?"

"He hasn't gotten up yet."

"Not up? It's not like that. Wake him up immediately! A retainer was about to get up, but was stopped by Zhongshang: "Wait! "I want to hear your opinions before the lord arrives. What do you think? ”

"I obey the decision of the city lord."

"The lord of the castle said to surrender the Oda clan, and you agree with it?"

"There is no choice."

"So what about the young master who stays in the Jun Mansion? What about your wives and children? ”

Tadaji didn't answer, just staring intently at the samurai creed posted on the wall. Zhongshang smacked his lips, turned to Uemura Iecun, and before he could speak, he didn't expect Iecun to be more straightforward than Zhongji: "I fully respect the opinion of the city lord." ”

The matter is clear. Ishikawa Shumasa didn't want to listen to Tadashi at all, so he suddenly got up and went to the toilet; Jia Cheng sat solemnly, expressionless.

"Alas!"

Zhongshang sighed in disappointment, "I want to make a statement, please ask the lord to kill the messenger." But if the lord would not kill him, he would not let him enter the city and expelled him. When they attacked again, it was the Second Battle of Shodozaka. ”

Chung-sang is still chattering. By the arrival of the messenger around midnight, the atmosphere in the city was tense, and the people were clearly divided into two factions. Neither faction knew what Ngee Ann meant, but they were quite unanimous in their opinion on the matter of obeying Ngee An's decision.

When Takigawa Kazuyi led two retinues into the hall, Yi'an, who had just gotten up, walked out of the bedroom coldly. Yiyi sat in front of him, Yi'an opened his big mouth very naturally, sneezed, and asked lightly, "Is the road smooth?" ”

Yiyi's expression was also faint. "This world is full of young men with strong flesh and blood. When you arrive at Cheongju Castle, I'm afraid that there will be rudeness and trouble. Thank you for your understanding. "Listening to him, the first condition seems to be that the people of Okazaki must go to Kiyosu.

"How is Nobunaga-kun?"

"Energetic, reprimanding us every day."

Ngee An forcibly held back a sneeze and lightly touched the key topic, "So, ...... you come this time"

"The purpose is simple." Takigawa Kazuyi twisted his beard with a very serious expression. The generals in the seat suddenly fell silent, "Since the death of Imagawa Yoshimoto, there is no reason for the two families of Oda Yoshira to fight. Your side is in the east, and my lord is in the west, each doing its own thing, not interfering with each other, it is better to form an alliance and reconcile. That's what I'm here for. Ngee An nodded solemnly. He didn't care about the nervous expressions of his retainers. "That's a ploy, but I'm sorry to accept it, so please go back and tell the letter to the lord."

"Oh."

"The Imagawa clan has been kind to me, and Nobunaga can expand to the west, south, and north as much as possible, but the east is the territory of the Imagawa clan, and I can't ask for it."

"As promised."

"You probably still don't understand that in the affairs of the world, righteousness is the supreme thing."

"Yes, yes."

"Ngee An is not a perfidious person, but there is no reason to provoke Owari either." Takigawa Kazuki twisted his beard and nodded.

"So, please go back and tell Nobunaga-kun that I agree to form an alliance with him."

"Oh?"

Yiyi tilted his head slightly, "Didn't my lord say that for the sake of the Imagawa clan, if you don't get it explicitly, you can't violate your faith?" ”

Ngee An said slowly: "That's not necessary. I'm not a retainer of Imagawa after all. Takigawa Kazuki, do you know that there are two kinds of people in this world, one is very eager to have a lord, and the other is not so longing. Oda-kun probably belongs to the latter group as me, and would rather die than be someone else's retainer. Even the righteousness of the Imagawa clan is not the righteousness of the lord and the minister, but the samurai affection. Ngee An stopped and sneezed, "So, I'll be on standby to go to Cheongju City...... Can you tell him that? ”

Takigawa Kazuki couldn't help but look at Nghe An again.