Last night's Iwami Castle, there was a rain. Early in the morning, Yao Fang and Ouchi Katsu were invited by Tao Jing's retainers to the city lord's mansion.

The brick and stone area of the castle lord's mansion is very clean, and thanks to the rain washing, it is spotless without cleaning. However, Yao Fang's boots were full of mud, and the roads in the city were mostly muddy, and they were full of mud after the rain. So they both changed their clogs and entered.

Yao Fang has been doing spy things for many years, and she has a talent for "knowing faces". The samurai, whom he had only seen once last night, he recognized at a glance.

The warriors who walked through the corridor were the people who met Yao Fang and others when Tao Jing had just died. This samurai paid special attention to the blood stains on the clothes on the head and face of the Shibukawa clan at that time; He may have suspected that the cause of Tao Jing's death was related to Ouchi Katsu.

Seeing this warrior coming out of the hall, Yao Fang suddenly guessed: Today's invitation may be to inquire about the inside story of Tao Jing's death. And Yao Fang and Ouchi Katsu may have been eyewitnesses.

Yao Fang stretched out his hand and lightly touched Ouchi Katsu beside him, and then looked at the samurai in the corridor opposite. Ouchi Katsu also saw the samurai, and then turned his head to look at Yao Fang.

Katsu Ouchi seems to have something to say, but the two can't talk and don't understand the language. There was only silence, and they continued to walk towards the hall in front of them. For a moment, the atmosphere was like this gloomy and silent mansion, as if there was some kind of evil aura hidden.

There were several samurai kneeling in the hall, all strangers, probably Tao Jing's retainers and Iwami Castle's Japanese military attaché.

Everyone greeted each other silently in their accustomed manners. One of the interpreters politely said, "Something bad happened in the city last night, which frightened Mr. Yao. ”

Yao Fang calmly responded: "It's okay, it's okay. Although I had planned to go to the silver mine with the Maori general, the roads were not good when it rained, and a delay of a day or two was not a big deal. ”

So the Japanese translators began to introduce other people.

Yao Fang took the initiative to ask, "Have you found out the details of the murderer?" ”

The other side spoke Japanese in a deep voice, and the translator said: "In General Tao's courtyard, I caught the assassin alive, and his identity is a pariah (the defeated people such as Ezo who were captured in Japan, or those who offended the nobles, will be classified as untouchables, and they are only allowed to engage in some lowly livelihoods, and they are not allowed to turn over for generations). ”

The interpreter continued: "The one who breeds untouchables is the Kanto Uesugi clan; According to the Assassins' confession, the Uesugi clan promised the Unichables a rich reward and a release from the Untouchables. This matter is only the untouchables, and it cannot be fully confirmed, and I hope that Your Excellency will report to the Ming Military Governor's Mansion first, and there is no need to make it public for the time being. ”

Yao Fang hugged his fists and said, "It makes sense. ”

The Japanese exchanged words again, and the interpreter asked, "When Your Excellency met General Tao, how was General Tao doing?" ”

Yao Fang was stunned for a moment, he and Ouchi Katsu had not been able to discuss the details in advance. The slightly complicated Chinese sentences, Ouchi Katsu can't understand either, and the two of them are equivalent to being interrogated separately at this time. At this time, if Yao Fang said nonsense, there was a possibility that there would be a conflict with Ouchi's words.

Yao Fang thought for a while and said: "The inside story of this, I want to report to the grand handsome first, and I hope you will allow it." ”

The warriors whispered for a while, and sure enough, they didn't ask Yao Fang any more. They all bowed to Yao Fang, and Yao Fang also returned the salute with fists.

Then the military attachés began to inquire about Ouchi, and the atmosphere became less harmonious, during which there were several quarrels and mutual reprimands. It's a pity that Yao Fang doesn't understand Japanese and can't understand the details of the dispute between them, and only understands simple words such as "bastard".

Ouchi Katsu and those samurai did not unwield their swords, and they carried long and short swords on their bodies, and at some point Yao Fang was even worried that they would resort to force!

The reason for the dispute, Yao Fang can guess some. There are at least two suspicions in Ouchi, which are almost impossible to explain and convincing: First, it was already dark when the incident happened yesterday, why did the Shibukawa clan appear in the place where the incident occurred? Second, why is there blood on the Shibukawa clan?

However, the most amazing thing is that Katsu Ouchi was unscathed and finally let go.

The two left the castle lord's mansion and returned all the way to the Ouchi Katsu family.

After the paper and ink are placed on the table, it is finally possible to "talk". Yao Fang paused for a while when he picked up the pen, he had a lot of doubts and wanted to ask, but he didn't know where to start for a while. After thinking for a while, he wrote a line to the effect of: Why didn't the military attachés simply identify the murderer behind the scenes as the Kanto Uesugi clan?

Katsu Ouchi: If the Uesugi clan is the culprit behind the scenes, who will come forward to answer the guilt?

Yao Fang roughly guessed that this seemed to be the case...... If the Japanese samurai of Iwami Province went to ask the Uesugi clan for their guilt, it would be a humiliation for themselves, because the Uesugi clan was not afraid of the Iwami country potter at all; The Ming people came forward, which confirmed the fact that the Tao family betrayed the whole of Japan and became the lackeys of the Ming Kingdom. Although it is all true, the retainers of the Tao family seem to care very much about that fig leaf.

Katsu Ouchi: When they found out that I was suspicious, they thought about putting the blame on me.

Yao Fang: Why did you come back again?

Katsu Ouchi: Two reasons. The Dow clan must obey the will of the Ouchi family, and the Ouchi family is now making enemies on all sides, and should be unwilling to give up the support of the Shibukawa family; I have a marriage with the Shibukawa family. In addition, the Tao family has noticed that my relationship with the people of the Ming Dynasty, at least Mr. Yao, is gradually getting closer, and I am unwilling to offend the Ming officials and soldiers without authorization. Later, the retainers of the Tao family did not dare to make rash moves, and Ishimijo should have discussed this matter with the general of the Ming Kingdom first.

Yao Fang: That's why you didn't kill the Shibukawa clan in a fit of rage last night?

Ouchi Katsu stared at Yao Fang and nodded slightly.

Yao Fang thought for a moment, and then wrote: Ouchi-kun can inform the head of the Shibukawa family of the Shibukawa clan's adultery, and state that he will not blame the past to rebuild the old friendship; In return, the head of the Shibukawa family should intercede for you and ask for shelter from the Governor Ouchi Morumi.

Ouchi Katsu looked at it, nodded, and said slowly, "Thank you." ”

Yao Fang: The lord of Iwami Castle is so dangerous, who will succeed him?

Katsu Ouchi: I don't know yet, but someone must be willing. No matter how dangerous it is, he is still a pampered city lord, and many people are vying for it, but I will not fight for that position.

At this moment, the Shibukawa clan walked in with a wooden plate. Ouchi Katsu quietly put away the paper full of words.

Shibukawa knelt down next to the table and bowed to the two. Yao Fang was sitting cross-legged, and at this time he also made a nondescript etiquette with his fists clenched. Yao Fang couldn't help but look at Shibukawa's demeanor and appearance, but he didn't have any crooked thoughts in his heart; It's just that I'm interested in Ouchi Katsu, so I keep an eye on the Shibukawa clan. The woman seemed very deferential, making people feel modest and gentle, and if Yao Fang hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't even believe what the Shibukawa clan had done.

After a while, Yao Fang noticed that Ouchi Katsu was also observing him, so he withdrew his gaze and sat silently next to the wooden case.

After the Shibukawa clan left, Ouchi Katsu wrote a passage that roughly means: tormenting each other, but they are the ones who have been with each other for the longest time.

Yao Fang did not respond. The "conversation" between the two ended, and Yao Fang walked out of the room without drinking any tea. He walked slowly past the small courtyard in the courtyard.

Although he gave advice to Ouchi Katsu, he asked himself that if he was the person concerned, he might not be able to control himself and be so forbearing. On this trip to Japan, Katsu Ouchi seems to have taught him a lot.

Yao Fang looked back on the past, remembered his reckless behavior in the past, and was calm and calm with the patience of Ouchi Katsu when he encountered such humiliation; Yao Fang once again felt the extreme tolerance and warmth given to him by Emperor Zhu Gaoxu. That level of warmth seems to be something that only loved ones can give.

He suddenly wanted to go back to China. I don't know if I can return to the imperial court and serve by the side of the saint for my contribution to Japan this time.

…… Mori Sadacho was to patrol along the silver mine post road, and Yao Fang and Ouchi Katsu also accompanied him according to the original itinerary. Returning to Iwami Castle again, Yao Fang bid farewell to Ouchi Katsu and invited Ouchi Katsu to visit Daming Kingdom when the opportunity was right. But these words may just be polite words.

Soon, a convoy of cargo ships and escort warships carrying ore and silver was to set sail from the port of Iwamie to Kyoshi. Zhengyi Zuo's deputy generals Ping'an, Yao Fang, Hou Hai and others decided to return to China with the ship.

The military Chinese military persuaded Ping An to take the land route of the Korean state. The land route is indeed much safer than the sea route, but if you take the land route of the Korean country, you have to go to Liaodong and then to Guannai first, and it is a long journey from the political envoy of Beiping to Beijing.

Ping An refused the admonition and said "life and death are up to fate".

In the harbor floated a huge treasure ship, which looked like a city on the sea. Even if a dock was built on the seashore, the draft of the giant ship was too deep to dock here. The group walked up to the dock and came to a small boat, then turned around and said goodbye to Iwami's civil and martial arts.

After speaking for a while, the soldiers who saw them off clasped their fists and saluted, and said one after another: "May you have a smooth journey." ”

Yao Fang watched for a while, but did not see the victory of the Japanese Ouchi.

He thought for a moment, and said in his heart: If the Northern Department of the Imperial Division wants to win over the Japanese Ouchi Katsu, he will definitely provide some shelter; Therefore, the Japanese in Iwami Castle should not dare to win Ouchi.

The group boarded the boat one after another, and the sergeants rowed with their oars towards the treasure ship.

Someone in the small boat looked at the huge ship in the distance and said, "The bigger the ship, the more it can withstand the wind and waves, and there is no danger in taking a treasure ship." ”

The five big and three rough Ping'an smiled: "If you are afraid of death, it is still too late to return to the shore." ”

"Haha......" The generals laughed for a while. The person who spoke was very embarrassed and forcibly defended: "The last general said, we will be fine, where are we afraid?" ”

Before the boat arrived, a "jingle bell" sounded on the treasure ship in front of it, and then the flag on the treasure ship began to wave continuously. On the dock and on the sea, the sails of all the boats and boats are gradually raised in the sliding ropes.

The journey home seems to have begun.