"Fang Jumaru, don't make any more trouble." A young woman who still had charm put down the brush in her hand and whispered to the children playing on the side. Several of the maids who were in charge of taking care of the children around looked at each other and hurriedly knelt down to plead guilty.

I saw that the castle tower, which was supposed to be solemn, was now in a mess. A kemari had just been kicked into the room, smashing a stack of undried papers on the table in the corner. A little kid was smiling a little awkwardly, and seemed to say something like "I kicked really badly." ”

"I don't blame you." The young woman sighed, and several of the maids who were prostrate on the ground stood up, pulled the little child who was still bouncing on the ground, and struck the buttocks with the ruler a few times.

"Mother, why did you hit me!" The child was also stubborn, and instead of crying, he asked dissatisfiedly. is young, but has an extraordinary maturity.

"If you do something wrong, you will be beaten." The young woman glanced at the place she had just hit with some distress, but she still maintained a serious tone.

"Please also ask the mother to show me what the child did wrong?" The little child struggled to escape from his mother's grasp, and stood straight in front of the young woman, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Look at the good things you do!" The young woman angrily pointed to the mess in the corner of the wall and the keju, "Mother approved the official document for a long time, and you did it all for nothing!" You still say you didn't do anything wrong? ”

"That's because I kicked it crooked." The child said without humility or arrogance, "Originally, this juju was intended to kick and bounce back on the door beam!" ”

"Are you embarrassed?" The young woman was even more angry, "Look at your brothers, everyone is learning the etiquette and martial arts that the martial arts should learn. Just you, the whole knows how to kick the juju! Can you be a little self-motivated! You're a samurai kid! ”

"Why do the children of the martial arts family do things they don't like to do!" The child pouted and said, "Governing the country or something, the trouble is dead, it's not interesting at all!" Brother, they like to govern the country, I just like to kick the juju, everyone does their own thing, is there any problem? ”

"Then you might as well be a street kicker in your life!" The young woman shook her head in disappointment, "Do you live by Keju?" Are you still worthy of being a samurai? Do you want to be the heir of the Imagawa family! ”

"The child doesn't understand." The child was stunned for a moment by his mother's disappointed tone, and then continued: "Will the father and brother be happier and more satisfied than the people who kick the bow in the street? I see my father and brother with gloomy faces every day, and there are things that cannot be done. But the people who kick the bow on the street are free, but they are all very happy. ”

"How could you think that? Did the teacher I hired for you teach you badly? The young woman was shocked, "Do you think that the lord of a country is not as good as the drama of juju on the street?" ”

"Children feel that the most important thing is to be free, to be able to do what they want to do, and to see what they want to see." The child seemed to sense his mother's extreme dissatisfaction, and his tone weakened slightly, "My brother has obviously been with me before. There's no time left for me since I have to take care of my business... That's a pitiful one. ”

"You—" The young woman was so angry that she was speechless.

"If the mother really can't get used to the child, the child should go to the house." The child pouted and whispered, "After becoming a monk, I will write off the world." Don't pay attention to these martial artists anymore, official business, do whatever you want! These troublesome state and family affairs were left to my mother and brothers to deal with. ”

"Haha, don't be angry, madame." Just as the young woman was about to get angry, there was a hearty laugh outside the door.

"Madam, Master Xuezhai asks to see you." A maid outside the door said.

"Hurry up, please." The young woman hurriedly asked the maid to open the door, only to see a monk dressed in white Buddha clothes, walking in with a smile and kindly touching the child's head.

"What is the so-called matter when the master is here?" The young woman asked.

"I heard that Madame plans to change Fang Jumaru with a teacher?" The monk smiled.

"Exactly, this kid doesn't know what he's learning all day." The young woman whispered dissatisfiedly.

"That's what happened." The monk bowed and chuckled.

"Huh? Did the master know what was happening today? The young woman asked in surprise.

The monk bowed slightly, but did not say much.

"I heard that Fang Jumaru plans to become a monk?" The monk looked at the child again and smiled.

"Exactly, I don't want to be bound by these official duties and state affairs. How happy it is to be free. The child raised his face and said in a loud voice, as if to disagree with his mother.

"Fate, Amitabha." The monk clasped his hands together, "Why don't you let Fang Jumaru follow the poor monk to practice, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?" ”

"This..."The young woman was a little embarrassed, "I still need to talk to Your Highness... Negotiation is enough. ”

"Your Highness, it's been promised." The monk nodded and said, "The poor monk is here to ask for his wife's consent. ”

"Since His Royal Highness has an order, what objection does the concubine have?" The young woman was slightly stunned, and said with a slight reluctance.

The monk smiled kindly when he saw Fang Jumaru's face full of excitement. He bent down, stared into Fang Ju Pill's eyes, and said softly, "However, Fang Ju Pill should not be happy. Life in the world is always free. ”

"Teacher, why is this so?" Fang Jumaru changed his words quickly, "As long as I don't care about anything and run away alone, won't I be free?" ”

"How can it be that easy?" The monk shook his head again and again, "Everyone is destined to take on the responsibilities given to him by the Buddha from the moment they are born. You can't hide, and you can't escape. Just like your father, he must take on the responsibility of the governor of the Imagawa family, otherwise the whole clan may suffer a catastrophe. Just like your brother, he must take on the responsibility of heir, otherwise the family will not be able to continue, and he may not be able to protect the safety of the family. And you, since you were born as the heir of the Imagawa family, are also destined to become your brother's wings, and even more. These are all destined and unavoidable. ”

"Aren't there many family governors who live in seclusion when they get old? Wouldn't that just be able to do whatever you want without doing anything? The child retorted.

"It's that easy, haha." The monk smiled, "Fang Jumaru looks, which reclusive family governor still has to weigh the pros and cons for his family behind the scenes. ”

"Then when will we be able to get rid of this destined responsibility! Sick of it. I just want to bow, I want to sing, I want to wander around, I want to see the world. The child muttered, "I don't want to do these boring things all my life, and I don't want to waste my time on these political affairs." ”

"Fang Ju pill, you, do you believe in your fate?" The monk suddenly smiled and asked.

"Life and death are fateful, and everyone's fate has long been predestined." The child said softly, "Isn't this the reincarnation of cause and effect in Buddhism, doesn't the teacher believe it?" The child pouted and asked, "So teacher! When will I be free? ”

"I won't be liberated until I die... Hahahaha... When you are dead and have left the world, you can do whatever you want. The monk was amused by the appearance of a child, and laughed. The young woman frowned slightly, as if she was a little dissatisfied with the monk's unabashedness about death.

"And when am I going to die?" The child relentlessly lifted the bar.

"The poor monk doesn't know." The monk suppressed his laughter, his expression suddenly became serious, his hands folded, and he said softly: "Only the gods and Buddhas who transcend the years and know everything can tell you." ”

Shortly before Yuakihei arrived at Futamatari Castle, on June 2, 1560, the third year of Eiroku (1560), in the early morning, the castle tower of Sunfu Castle.

The Imagawa family's direct troops, led by several high-ranking samurai, returned to the castle town of Suruga Sunpu Castle yesterday. Several samurai rushed back to the castle tower of Sunpu Castle overnight and asked to see Shou Guini, who was dressed in linen and wearing filial piety. They told Shou Guini everything that happened on the front line of the barrel narrow more than ten days ago with tears in their eyes. Maybe it's because I'm old and can't stay up late. Shou Gui Ni asked a few more questions at the beginning, and then it was always these samurai who listened silently as if the old monk was sitting still. On her wrinkled cheeks, her eyes narrowed almost into a slit, and it was impossible to tell whether she was awake or asleep. Several samurai couldn't help but sigh in their hearts, such a heavy state affair couldn't help but let this old man who had gone through wind and rain, old and frail bear it at this moment.

After a long conversation all night, Shou Guini calmed the samurai a few times, and then said that he was tired and wanted to rest, so that they could go to meet Imagawa Shin. The samurai departed one after another, and one of them, who had stayed for a moment, hurried away and closed the door.

However, after the samurai left, Shou Guini did not go to rest. He just sat silently in place, maintaining the position he had held for a night, and sat motionless on his knees. The breeze outside the window, stroking the flame of the candles, swayed slightly on the candlestick, and the shadows on the wall flickered and darkened. She slowly folded her hands, closed her eyes, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she was chanting the Buddha's name, but she did not make a sound. The jet-black rosary hung from her right wrist, like her body, unmoving.

The maids who waited at the door waited for a long time, but Shou Gui Ni did not come out, and quietly looked in through the half-open window. I saw that Shou Guini's back still maintained a motionless posture, kneeling in place. A few people discussed softly, and then gently opened the door, wanting to help Shou Gui Ni to rest.

When a few maids walked to Shou Guini's side, they found that she had already burst into tears. Several people were slightly stunned for a moment, and they were stunned for a while.

They are all old servants who have served Shou Gui Ni for decades, and this is the first time they have seen Shou Gui Ni crying. When her father died, she didn't cry; When her husband died, she didn't cry; When His Royal Highness Imagawa died, she did not cry; Even when Yoshimoto Imagawa died not long ago, she didn't cry. And today, she didn't know why, she cried. The old man, who had been strong all his life, cried like a child.

Another gust of wind blew, and Shouguini's robe was shaken by the wind, and a piece of paper fell to the ground. Due to the dim light, the maids could not read what was written on the cut paper. I can only vaguely see the handwriting on the paper, wild and uninhibited, but also free.

"Temple," the maids asked tentatively.

"Nothing, don't worry." Shou Guini's whimper stopped abruptly and whispered.

"Go tell the governor." Shou Guini's voice was lifeless, and he changed the subject: "There is no need to be obsessed with verifying the list of missing samurai and ninjas, there is no need to be harsh on the defeated generals, and to clean up people's hearts." ”

"Go and tell a few of them that the autumn harvest is business as usual." Shou Gui Ni commanded in a low voice again.

Finally, a maid couldn't help it and asked softly, "Don't you want to take a rest?" Don't overwork it, your body..."

The room fell silent for a moment, except for the faint sound of candles flickering in the wind.

For a long time, Shou Guini's wrinkled lips squirmed slightly.

"Want to hear a story?"

Suddenly, it was an irrelevant matter. Several maids were stunned for a moment, then nodded with a look at each other.

"Then sit down." The loving voice sounded, and Shou Guini's face seemed to be a little angry again. When several maids saw this, they sat around Shou Gui Ni with a sigh of relief.

"Once upon a time, there was a child." Shou Gui Ni squinted his eyes and tried to tell a lively feeling in a somewhat weak and low tone, as if he was telling a story to his little grandson. "I'm always naughty at home, messing up a lot of things at home, and making adults angry." The maids were not young, but they were amused by the old woman's suddenly mischievous tone.

"His mother, she got angry and spanked him." Shou Guini chuckled, "Tell him, this is not what a martial artist should be, let him take his own responsibility." ”

"But, guess what, what did the kid say?" Shou Guini's wrist shook slightly, slid the rosary into the palm of his hand, and gently played with the black rosary.

"What do you say?" The maids asked curiously.

"He said." Shou Guini tried to open his somewhat cloudy eyes while trying to open his somewhat cloudy eyes, looking out the window, looking at the sky in the distance, and looking far, far away. "He just wants to do what he wants. Mother, if you and everyone else are dissatisfied, I will go to a far, far away place to become a monk, so that you will not find me and ignore this world. ”

"Giggles," the maids laughed, "Is this really the consciousness that a martial artist should have?" ”

"Then do you understand that every identity has its own responsibilities?" Shou Gui Ni said softly.

The maids were stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized. "Understood. It is the responsibility of the temple to deal with the affairs of the Imagawa family. But please take care of your body, too. ”

"Stand down." Shouguini commanded, and the maids quietly retreated, closing the door behind them.

At the moment when the door closed, the rosary that Shou Guini had used for decades in his hand suddenly broke the thread. The black rosary crackled and fell to the ground.

"I understand... I understand..."

She just kept repeating it.