In this way, Imagora came to Gifu Castle with a question, and Gifu Castle, which was far more majestic and tall than Yokoyama Castle, towered over the mountains of Higashimino, and in the bustling castle town, merchants and townspeople selling small items were bargaining over this small kapok needle, and the road was lined with merchants and liquor shops, and from time to time drunk townspeople fell drunk on the road, and their belongings disappeared.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Yakora Tama pass through Rakushi, and the townspeople on the road immediately bow their heads to make way for the samurai lord. After traveling for more than half a year, the burning sky has long been accustomed to this privilege, and from time to time nods to the townspeople on the road to show friendship. Kinoshita Hideyoshi said with emotion to the burning sky behind him: "Back then, I was a merchant selling kapok needles, and was included in the lord's command, starting from the lord's attendant, and now I have become the lord of Yokoyama Castle, the lord's great kindness, even if I give everything to the lord, I can't repay it." ”

Burning Sky looked at Kinoshita Hideyoshi, who was now excited, but he couldn't connect His Excellency Toyotomi Tai, who forced Oda Nobutaka to death more than ten years later and devoured the fruits of Oda Nobunaga's decades of fighting.

After a while, Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Yakora arrived in front of the gate of Gifu Castle, and Kinkyo looked at this familiar and unfamiliar mountain castle, not only sighing that time had passed. And just as the burning sky was about to dismount, the samurai in front of the door said something to Ashigaru on the side, and Ashigaru heard it and ran into the city as fast as he could. After seeing it, Burning Sky didn't care, and said to Kinoshita Hideyoshi: "Kinoshita-sama, why didn't the samurai on duty let me in?" ”

After hearing this, Kinoshita Hideyoshi smiled at the burning sky and said, "Maybe the lord has orders!" After hearing this, Burning Sky looked at the half-guards with solemn faces on the side, and the uneasiness in his heart rose sharply. Burning Sky then watched as the ashigaru who had run into the city ran out and whispered to the samurai on duty. After hearing this, the samurai bowed his head to Kinoshita Hideyoshi and said, "Kinoshita-sama, you can enter the city!" ”

After that, he made way for Kinoshita Hideyoshi and the others, and Burn Sky glanced at the somewhat nervous samurai on duty, and then led the horse to follow Kinoshita Hideyoshi, who had already entered the city. Just as Burning Sky entered the city of Gifu, the city gate behind him slammed shut, and Burning Sky subconsciously turned his head to look, only to see the samurai on duty pull out the sword at his waist and shout at Burning Sky: "Lord Hieiyama, Your Highness has an order, after you enter the city, remove all the weapons on your body and put you in the mountain prison of Sannomaru!" ”

Burning Sky was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and the next second he pulled out the sword on his waist and said to the samurai on duty: "What nonsense are you talking about!" How dare you falsely pass on the Lord's orders! After that, he turned his head and shouted at Kinoshita Hideyoshi: "Kinoshita-sama, go quickly, these people may be returned by the enemy!" Go and protect the lord! ”

At this time, more than a dozen samurai in full armor suddenly came out of the surroundings, and after seeing it, they thought that they had guessed correctly, and they were about to step forward to fight these "traitors" with their swords. At the moment when Burning Sky had just taken the first step, the half-guards of Takenaka put Burning Sky down from behind, and those fully armored samurai swarmed up and snatched the sword in Burning Sky's hand. Burning Sky desperately wanted to turn around to see who had attacked him, but he heard the half-guards of Takenaka whispering to him, "Mingshamen, I'm sorry for you." ”

Before Kanku could reply, the half-guards in Takenaka had already knocked Kanku unconscious, and then the surrounding samurai tied up Kanku and carried it by four samurai towards Sannomaru in Gifu Castle. Oda Nobunaga, who was watching the scene from the wall of Sannomaru Castle, said to Oda Nobutada (of course, he is still called Wonder Maru): "Wonder Maru, do you think this person could be a spy sent by the Asai family and Honganji?" ”

After hearing this, Oda Nobutada bowed his head and said to Oda Nobunaga, who was holding a folding fan: "Father, Fang Ming Shamen is still thinking about his family, and from this point of view, the son thinks..."

"I don't want your speculation, I want a definite answer!" Oda Nobunaga suddenly closed the folding fan and said to Oda Nobutada: "If this person is a spy, the secret military information of the family is rarely known by Asai and Honganji, and must be killed immediately; However, if this person is not a spy and recklessly kills him, it will not only alienate his own retainers, but also greatly weaken the morale of the army in Hengshan City; I will leave this matter to you with full responsibility, and the boys of the Oda family must be born to be conscious, not to disappoint me and Yoshinohime, remember to be ten days at most, and give me an answer. ”

After that, Oda Nobunaga left Sannomaru with a dry waiter with a small surname and walked towards Honmaru. Oda Nobutada, who had not yet shaved his hair and had a childish face, looked at the incinerated sky who was carried into the mountain prison by four samurai. Kinoshita Hideyoshi, who was behind the gate of the city, looked at the burned sky that was taken away, and said to the half-guards of Takenaka: "Hanbei, I'll go and report to the lord now!" ”

The two of them put themselves and the burned horse in Kinoshita Hideyoshi's yashiki first, and then walked towards Honmaru. The two met Kawajiri Hidetaka on duty in front of the courtyard gate, and when Kawajiri Hidetaka saw Kinoshita Hideyoshi and the two, he first put away the two of them's weapons, and then asked Kinoshita Hideyoshi in a low voice: "Kinoshita-sama, why didn't Mingshamen come back?" After hearing this, the two only prevaricated a few words from Hidetaka Kawajiri, and quickly entered the castle hall of Oda Nobunaga.

At this time, Oda Nobunaga was already waiting for Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Takenaka Hanbei to arrive in the side pavilion. Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Takenaka Hanbei straightened their kimonos in front of the side pavilion, and then bowed their heads and entered the side pavilion.

On the other hand, after thinking for a while, Oda Nobutada immediately set off with his attendants to Yokoyama Castle to investigate. No one in the castle town knew what was going on in Gifu Castle, but they found that the samurai adults who came out of and entered Gifu Castle today were all nervous, and the standing guards in Gifu Castle seemed to be facing a great enemy.

After Kawajiri Hidetaka learned about this at home, his first reaction was to go to clarify the burning sky, but he was stopped by Kawajiri Hidetaka who had just returned from duty. Kawajiri Hidetaka looked at Kawajiri Hidetaka who was as pale as dirt and asked, "Rokubei, why are you holding me back?" With the character of the lord, if you don't intercede with Mingshamen now, I'm afraid that in a few days, Mingshamen will... Alas! ”

"Father, it's not that I don't want to intercede for Mingshamen, it's just that when I was on duty today, after Lord Kinoshita came out of the city hall, for some reason, he was drawn seven or eight marks on his face; And Lord Sasa Seimasa wanted to intercede with Mingshamen, but he was punished at home for a month of reflection, if his father went to intercede with Mingshamen now, I was afraid that it would backfire. After speaking, Hidetaka Kawajiri lowered his head, and the hand holding the sword at his waist kept trembling.

Hidetaka Kawajiri also calmed down after hearing this, patted Hidetaka Kawajiri on the shoulder, and sat next to Hidetaka Kawajiri. Hidetaka Kawajiri knew that although his second son's martial arts were not outstanding, and he did not command Ashigaru like other samurai, his judgment of the overall situation and keen observation would be his capital in the future, and the most important thing was that he had the heart of a samurai.

Kawajiri Hidetaka looked at the second son who was still trembling, stepped forward to hold Kawajiri Hidetaka's trembling hand, and whispered to him, "Don't let Ming Hai know about this matter." With that, Kawajiri Hidetaka pulled Kawajiri Hidetaka up from the stack, and the two looked at the direction of Honmaru's castle tower, silently praying in their hearts for the burning of the sky in the mountain prison at this moment.