"By the way, my lord," said the next morning, as the pro-bei suddenly remembered something, "Yesterday afternoon, that uncle from the Fukushima family came to you, saying that he wanted you to help bring the letter. ”

"Oh? Is that so? Yu Qiuping calculated the time, "I'll go find silk... Well, I'll go for myself. Yu Qiuping thought about it, and decided to help bring the letter himself. After all, it was the first time to help them deliver letters, and by the way, I also informed them of the situation at home. This kind of thing is more reassuring to do it yourself.

"The uncle also said that more than 200 other people had written letters, and they were afraid of disturbing the adults, so they discussed it before he came." The pro-soldier added.

"Okay, Thompson, I might be going to trouble you." Yu Qiuping looked at Charlie, "It may be a delay in your archery for a while." I'm going to go to Mikawa, but neither I nor the Jinbei are very good at martial arts, so I might want to ask you to protect us. ”

"It's my pleasure to serve you." Charlie's words were as brief as ever, "Anyway, on the road, I can find time to practice archery." ”

"You guy, you still can't do without archery for a day." Yu Qiuping smiled.

In the morning, Yu Qiuping, the pro-soldiers, and Charlie went separately to each house to collect letters. On the way, Yu Qiuping also met Asahina Taehyung, who was aggrieved when he heard that Yu Qiuping was going to Mikawa again.

"I want to go too, but I was locked up again because of the last fight, so I can only wander around Junfu City, and I won't let the city gate out." Asahina Taehyung cried with a sad face, "Are you going alone this time?" Do you know how to ride a horse? ”

"Yes! I learned! Yu Qiuping remembered the humiliation last time, and rightly went back. I wanted to borrow three horses from my eldest brother, and my two companions also learned to ride horses when they were young. ”

"No problem, you'll go back to the house with me later." Asahina Taehyung patted his chest and agreed, "However, your identity is a little embarrassing, if you are not a samurai, you may not be able to live in the post house." ”

"That's it," he patted Hikina Taihyung on the head, "There happen to be a few vacancies in the positions of the Ashigaru generals, so I'll appoint you a temporary Ashigaru general first, and then go back and give you a waist card and a banner." In this way, you are a samurai of our Asahina family, and it will be convenient along the way. He pondered it for a moment and added, "Let's just repay you for saving your life last time... Hehe, those old guys in the family can only shut up. ”

Yu Qiuping, who originally wanted to refuse, thought about it. If he became a samurai, would he be closer to that young lady? So, he gratefully agreed.

At noon, Yu Qiuping, Charlie, and the pro-soldier returned to the store to gather. The pro-guard offered to leave after lunch. But Yu Qiuping interrupted awkwardly and said, "This... I may still be in a bit of a hurry in the back mountain, so let's wait for me to come back before leaving. ”

Charlie and the guards looked at each other and nodded tacitly.

"Don't you ask me what it is?" Yu Qiuping's prepared excuse couldn't be said, and he couldn't help but feel a little depressed.

"Don't ask." Charlie replied dryly. Confused, Yu Qiuping left after eating.

When she arrived at the back mountain, after hearing that Yu Qiuping was going to Sanhe and would take half a month to come back, the girl couldn't help but feel a little lost. But after hearing that Yu Qiuping was delivering the letter for the more than two hundred slaves, the girl's face suddenly smiled happily and proudly.

"Then Pingjun be careful all the way. There's still a war going on over there in Mikawa-Owari, don't go to the front. The girl told with concern.

"Don't worry, just wait for me to come back. I'm really sorry for the past ten days. Yu Qiuping suddenly felt warm in his heart, there was a girl who told herself before going on the road, it was really good.

"When I come back, will Miss be here every afternoon?" Yu Qiuping suddenly asked with some concern.

"Peace of mind, Pingjun," Yu Qiuping's worry made the girl a little happy, "As long as the maple leaves don't fall, I will come here every day to see." Waiting for you to come back. ”

After Yu Qiuping reluctantly left, there was a smile on the corner of his mouth.

But suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind, and I couldn't shake it off no matter what.

What if the maple leaves are gone?

This terrible thought caused Yu Qiuping to lose his soul, and the pro-soldier who noticed the abnormality asked the reason.

"Do you think there's any way to keep maple leaves on the maple tree all the time?" Yu Qiuping suddenly asked.

"Uh... This. The pro-soldier was stunned for a moment, "What can I do?" Before winter, the maple leaves will eventually fall. ”

"yes... When the time comes..."Yu Qiuping sighed lowly.

"Make your own leaves." Charlie interjected.

"What do you mean?" Yu Qiuping raised his head and looked at him with a glint in his eyes.

"Buy some red paper, fold the leaves yourself, and hang them on it." Charlie added, "You Mingguo, don't you know how to fold paper? ”

"Makes sense!" Although it's just a nonsensical idea, it's like a lifesaver for a teenager who is deeply in love. Yu Qiuping immediately went to the workshop next to him and bought a lot of red paper and came back. "Anyway, I can't go at night," Yu Qiuping said with a smile, "I'll just fold the autumn leaves at night." With that, he cut the paper with scissors and made a square square. When he was a child, he liked red leaves the most, and although he failed in the labor class, his level of folding red leaves was first-class. Three times five divided by two, and a vivid red leaf is folded.

"I didn't expect adults to have this kind of craft." The guards sighed, and Yu Qiuping carefully stuffed the red paper into his bag.

"Let's go." Yu Qiuping shouted to the two of them.

On the afternoon of July 23, Yu Qiuping and his entourage set off from Junfu and galloped west along the official road. Said to be a gallop, Yu Qiuping, who had just learned to ride a horse, and the last time he rode a horse was a long time ago, he was actually just moving at a medium speed. Don't say 100 miles a day, 60 miles is enough to choke.

Yu Qiuping had brought a map with him, plus he had already walked the same path once. So there was nothing wrong with the itinerary. During the day, they were desperately on the road. At night, Charlie just found a random place near the post station to practice archery, the guards helped with the sundries, and Yu Qiuping desperately folded the red leaves on the side of the oil lamp. In one night, there were almost 70 of them.

The group was not particularly anxious. Four days later, we had arrived at Yoshida Castle in Mikawa.

On the evening of July 27, when the post station collapsed, Yu Qiuping counted the red leaves that he had already folded, and there were more than 260 of them. Before he fell asleep, he began to dream of the whole maple forest covered with red leaves. The pro-guard was still in charge of keeping all the chores in order, as if he were a big butler. After falling asleep, Yu Qiuping did not know that that night, between Mikawa, Enoe, and Suruga, the messenger was speeding with torches.

In the early morning of July 28, Yu Qiuping and his party had just finished breakfast, led their horses, and were about to leave Yoshida Castle, when suddenly, another group of dozens of cavalry with more than a dozen horses entered from the south gate of Yoshida Castle and galloped straight towards the vicinity of the castle tower where Yu Qiuping was located. When the dozens of people approached, Yu Qiuping recognized the person in charge, who seemed to be Sena Shitoshi who was talking happily with him in Yinma City. However, the latter's face was solemn and nervous at the moment, which made Yu Qiuping's greeting suddenly stuck in his throat.

"Are the retainers of the Asahina family?" Sena Shijun glanced at the flag on Yu Qiuping's back, as if he was about to give an order, but suddenly recognized Yu Qiuping, "Oh? Momiji-kun. Why are you here? ”

"But now is not the time to talk about this," the easy-going Sena clan Jun was very serious at the moment, "Momiji-kun and your companions are already samurai of the Asahina family." ”

"That's right." Yu Qiuping replied honestly.

"Then I'm very sorry, I'm going to get Momiji-kun involved in the war," Sena Shijun took out one of the arrows in his arms, "This is the arrow of the family governor." I ordered I, Sena Shitoshi, to set out from Inma Castle, gather all the Imagawa retainers I found on the way, assemble them as an emergency reserve, and go to Mikawa. ”

Sena Shijun said, and a black-clothed entourage next to him handed the golden arrow into the confused Yu Qiuping's hand, "Please check the arrow," the attendant's tone was very cold, without a trace of emotion. Yu Qiuping glanced at the latter's face, and his face without a trace of expression was full of murderous aura. What is even more surprising is that there is a crow perched on his shoulder, also staring at him with dark yellow eyes. "If the inspection is correct," the attendant said coldly when he saw that Yu Qiuping had no intention of leaving, "please follow the team, this is the order of the family governor, and it cannot be disobeyed." ”

"Jingde, don't be so fierce, Hongye Jun is a knowledgeable person." Sena Shitoshi leaned down slightly from his horse and explained to the overwhelmed Akihei Yu, "Mikawa is in crisis, and Asahina-sama is gathering troops in Enoe, so I will rush to Mikawa with the people I can gather first to collect information and stabilize the situation. There is a shortage of manpower, and he can only be wronged by Hongye-kun. ”

Yu Qiuping nodded and glanced at the samurai behind Sena Clan. They planted all kinds of banners, and most of them were not wearing armor like Yu Qiuping, and it seemed that they were also in a hurry. Except for a few people who seemed to be a little reluctant, most of them were still eager to try, and one of them was so small that he couldn't sit still on his horse with excitement.

"Originally, I was going to Zhili City to deliver the letter," Yu Qiuping pointed to the package, "but it seems that this matter cannot be shirked, right?" He asked tentatively.

"I can't." The attendant with the crow replied unceremoniously. Sena shook his head apologetically, too, "There's no room for manoeuvre, I'm really sorry, Momiji-kun." It's the busy farming season, and the militia has been disbanded and returned to the autumn harvest, and it will take a long time for Asahina-sama to gather his troops again. Now that we are really short of manpower and time, please join the team as soon as possible. ”

"Understood," at Yu Qiuping's signal, the pro-soldier guard and Charlie also stepped on their horses. Charlie and the guards went to the end of the group, and Yu Qiupei was left at the head of the team by Sena Shijun to give him a brief briefing.

"It's great that you have horses, otherwise I won't have enough horses." Sena Toshi smiled bitterly, "There's not much time for gossip now, let's speed up." ”

Galloping at high speed, Yu Qiuping was very difficult to maintain his balance, and Sena Shijun began to answer Yu Qiuping's doubts.

"The cause of this emergency summoning order is that our army has suffered a major setback in the Three Rivers area." Sena said with a stern expression, "Now, there are less than 500 soldiers who can maneuver. ”

"Ahh Yu Qiuping was taken aback, "Don't we have almost 3,000 soldiers on the front line." What happened? ”

"The Oda family came almost empty, launched a large-scale invasion not seen in nearly a decade, and the determination of the commander seemed to be unusually strong. This is a far cry from our previous assessment of the Oda family. ”

Yu Qiuping only felt his head "boom".

He didn't remember that in history, the Oda family had attacked the Imagawa family on a large scale before the Battle of Barrel Sama.

History... Has it changed?