(The sky was slightly bright, the fog was hazy, and in the southernmost point of the military road, more than twenty soldiers sat on the ground in twos and threes, chatting around the bonfire, four soldiers armed with bamboo guns, under the leadership of an intermediate samurai, stood listlessly behind the fence of the checkpoint, according to the shift, in another two quarters of an hour they could sit in front of the campfire like those soldiers and have a good rest, but at this time the fatigue still came suddenly, and taught them to yawn again and again.

Around a campfire, two ashigaru hands dozed off with their cheeks in their hands, while the other two samurai, who had just woken up, chatted casually.

"The Uesugi family ignored the persuasion of the lord to pave this military road, and it really made the family lose face at the beginning, but in the end, they didn't obediently listen to the words of the right house, and agreed to our Mogami family to set up card checks along the way, it seems that these mountain monkeys in Echigo are nothing more than that." The shorter Ashigaru said.

"But isn't it," the taller Ashigaru nodded, and replied affirmatively: "Who is the right house, and now even the young lord of Xiulai must listen to him, the lord and he climbed to the in-laws' house, and in the future, you still have to be afraid of him to the Sugi family?" The family has set up six checkpoints on the military road, and the toll alone can be collected a lot every year, not to mention the merchants from Aizu, these people can only swallow bitter water in their stomachs, who told them to go against the family? ”

The short man chuckled and nodded: "At the beginning, it was useless for the Tokugawa family to send people to persuade them, not only did they not stop work but also intensified, just those peasant workers injured dozens of samurai in the family on the way to build, not to mention that every time the road was built, there would be army protection, as little as fifty or more than two hundred, the lord may know that he could not beat them, so he no longer interfered, but sent someone to complain to the right house." These are good, Youfu wrote directly to question Uesugi Jingsheng, I heard that his face was red after reading the letter, and within a few days he sent someone to reach an agreement with his family. The transfer of jurisdiction over the road to the family, and every time the army passes, it must be reported in advance, and every time I think about it, it is refreshing. ”

"That being said, if his Uesugi family really sent troops to come without notification, can we stop it?" Tall and ashigaru can't help but be a little worried.

"Why are you worried about this," the short man sneered, and exclaimed, "I heard that the relationship between the Uesugi family and the Right Mansion is tense now, if he dares to send troops, wouldn't he just give the Right Mansion a mouthful?" Uesugi Keikatsu and that Naoe Kanesuke won't be so stupid, and they will be ruined for the sake of a mountain road. You can rest assured of this, brother. ”

"I hope so, if we really fight, we will die." The tall man stopped talking, and kept his head down and scratched the ground with a stick, and the short man got bored, so he got up and walked towards the fence.

At this moment, a small flame appeared not far outside the fence, and the fire light changed from far to near, from sparse to dense, attracting the attention of the guarding samurai.

"It's not dawn yet. There are merchants from Aizu who go to Shonai to do business? The samurai craned his neck as he spoke, but the short man who had just walked over was unimpressed: "I heard that a new town is being built in the village, and many merchants will take this opportunity to sell wood and stone, and a few of them were earlier than today. There is no need for adults to worry. ”

"There's a place for you to talk?!" The samurai turned his face and glared at the short man fiercely, and he was scared into a cold sweat, "There are only twenty of us, and I don't have to take care of something if something happens?" You hurry back in. In a little while, it will be your group's turn to stand guard. ”

"The little ones damn it, the little ones will go back." The short man reluctantly turned around, and hurriedly ran back to lie down by the campfire.

By this time, the light of the fire was very close. The mid-level samurai clearly saw that two hundred middle-aged men with peasant appearances wearing hats on their heads, pulling more than a dozen carriages, were slowly marching towards the sentry post under the leadership of more than a dozen merchants.

"I really let that kid guess right, it's really a businessman." The mid-level samurai breathed a sigh of relief and, as customary, stopped at a distance of twenty meters from the outpost to wait for the soldiers to inspect it.

The mid-ranking samurai ordered two ashigaru to move the fence, and the two samurai went out to search, while he himself stood behind the fence and talked to the merchant who had rushed over.

"What do you do, where do you come from, what's in the car?" The mid-level samurai asked as usual.

"We are merchants from Yonezawa, and we are going to Oura Castle to sell timber." As he spoke, the merchant reached out and pointed to the convoy, which was indeed full of wood.

The mid-level samurai nodded and shouted at the ashigaru who was inspecting, "How is it, is there any problem?" ”

"My lord, it's all wood, and there are no suspicious items." One of the ashigari replied in a loud voice.

"In that case, let's pay the toll." The mid-level samurai stretched out his hand and turned his face to the side as if nothing had happened.

"That's easy to say." The merchant smiled and took out the Yongle money from his bosom and respectfully handed it to the samurai, who weighed it, turned his face around, and said coldly, "That's it? I have so many brothers under me. ”

The merchant was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then nodded hurriedly, took out the consistency from his arms, held his hands in front of the samurai, and said with a smile: "The first time I walked this road, I don't understand the rules, if you offend, please forgive me." ”

"Hehe, look at what you said, after all, it's the first time, once born and twice cooked, just remember it, I won't be difficult to do business for you." The samurai smiled back, and reached for the copper coin, but at that moment, he noticed something unusual.

"You're a merchant from Yonezawa?" The samurai asked, staring at the merchant's hand.

"Exactly, the little man was born in Echigo, and when he heard that Aizu Hall had moved to Wakamatsu, he dragged his family and followed him, so the accent seems to be from Yangbei." The merchant was still smiling.

"Yangbei's?" The samurai's face was full of distrust, and he suddenly grabbed the merchant's hand and asked fiercely, "Will the merchant have a callouse on his hand?" I'm not a fool, how is this cocoon the same as the one we samurai have?! ”

"The adults misunderstand, the villain is really a businessman..."

"Dare to quibble, will the veins on the hands of the merchant be so detailed?" With that, the samurai drew his sword from his waist.

"My lord misunderstood, the villain is indeed a merchant from Yonezawa, and he still has the logging permission of Naoeyama Castle Guard, I don't believe it, I can show it to you." The merchant anxiously explained to the samurai, reaching into his bosom, which had not been caught, with his left hand.

"Oh, show me it." The samurai returned the scabbard and put his hand in front of the merchant.

"That's it, please take a look." The merchant pulled out a scroll of paper from his bosom and handed it to the samurai.

"Open it and I'll see." The samurai commanded.

"Yes, sir." The merchant agreed, but instead of opening the scroll, he stabbed the scroll into the samurai's chest.

"Ah...... You are! The mid-level samurai's eyes widened with grinned teeth, and the spurt of blood stained the paper roll red, and the outline of the dagger loomed. (To be continued.)