On the evening of December 19, the 14th year of astronomy, when the bright moon above the silent night was covered by a few gray clouds, the only slight coolness disappeared without a trace.

Outside Minezawa Castle, a group of more than a dozen people, including Shimada Kanbei and Katsushiro Okamoto, quietly lurked in a bush, anxiously waiting for something. At this time, the gate of Minezawa City slowly opened with a "creak", and several sneaky figures emerged from the city.

"Meow meow!" Three strange cat meows sounded suddenly, and several people who ran out of the city were stunned, and then they strode over.

"Is it Shimada-sama?" A man dressed in the Tsugawa family's samurai carcass whispered in the direction of the bushes.

As the man's words landed, Shimada Kanbei and the others slowly walked out of the bushes.

"Down there is Shimada Kanbei, dare to ask what your Excellency is called, why didn't Kasai-sama come?" Shimada Kanbei cautiously looked around, and then asked.

"In Shimokozaki Ichiro, he is the samurai of the fourth squad leader on duty tonight, and the situation has changed, and Kasai-sama asked me to come down and pass a word on Shimada-sama." Ichiro Kosaki said slowly, "The lord of the castle has suddenly returned to Minezawa Castle, and is now in the castle tower, so for the sake of caution, I'm afraid you will have to wait a little longer." ”

Hearing Ichiro Kosaki's words, Shimada's face changed, "Could it be that Shimazu and Saburo discovered our plan?" But then after thinking about it, Shimada Kanbei ruled out this possibility again, after all, he and the others had been acting in secret, and they had also appeared as businessmen to the outside world, so they should not attract the attention of the Tsugawa family.

As for whether Kasai Kiyoyasu will be high-denial, Shimada Kanbei is not worried, because it is impossible.

"In that case, then I will wait here for another two hours, and if you have not moved after two hours, then tonight's operation will be cancelled." Shimada Kanbei looked at Ichiro Kozaki and said slowly.

"Well, you guys be patient, and I'll go back here and tell Kasai-sama." After speaking, Ichiro Kosaki strode towards Minezawa Castle.

After Ichiro Kosaki left, Katsushiro Okamoto and the others hurriedly stepped forward to surround Shimada Kanbei, and asked in a loud voice, "Kanbei, now you can tell me what we came to Minezawa Castle for, right?" ”

Katsushiro Okamoto's words were echoed by several others.

Looking at the expressions of Katsushiro Okamoto and the others, Shimada Kanbei said helplessly, "Now that it's over, there's no need to hide it from you." ”

"This time I waited for Minezawa Castle because it was a very strange weapon, which the people of the Tsugawa family called a musket." Shimada Kanbei said slowly.

"Muskets?" Katsushiro Okamoto asked disdainfully, "It's just a spear, as for working so hard?" It's so mysterious. ”

"Huh." Shimada Kanbei chuckled, then replied, "This is no ordinary spear, but a strange weapon. It is said that the Tsugawa family used this object to easily defeat the Hiyama Ando family in last year's Battle of Mount Suzuru. ”

"A few months ago, the Tsugawa family suddenly sent troops to Sado and also used this weapon. According to my family's information, if 100 ashigaru armed with iron cannons, they can easily defeat several times or even ten times the enemy army. ”

"What?" Shimada's words made Katsushiro Okamoto involuntarily grow his mouth, and he looked incredulous, "What weapon is so powerful?" Isn't it a false rumor, it's simply a fake news deliberately released by the Tsugawa family?"

"No, it won't." Shimada Kanbei shook his head and said, "This matter was personally told to the lord by the Haguro cultivator, and after many inquiries by the main family, it seems that the Echigo Nagao family also purchased a few muskets from the Tsugawa family at a huge cost, and is currently secretly copying them." ”

"If this musket is as powerful as it is rumored, then the family must get their hands on it. Once the imitation is successful, the strength of the main family will skyrocket, and when the time comes, not only the Hazen region, but also the Date family will no longer have to be afraid. Shimada Kanbei said with his eyes shining.

Although Shimada Kanbei spoke vigorously, Katsushiro Okamoto and others next to him showed suspicious expressions. After all, what Shimada Kanbei said just now made "traditional" samurai like Katsushiro Okamoto not believe it at all.

In fact, if you don't really see such a thing as a musket, who would really dare to believe that there would be such a weapon against the sky?

Looking at the expressions of Katsushiro Okamoto and the others, Shimada Kanbei could only continue, "Whether you believe it or not, as long as Kasai Kiyoyasu can bring out the musket tonight, you will know when the time comes!" ”

.........

At the same time, the atmosphere in the castle tower of Minezawa Castle was quite depressing.

Shimazu and Saburo, who "saw the head but did not see the tail", suddenly returned to Minezawa Castle, disrupting Kasai Kiyoyasu's plan. Late at night, Shimazu and Saburo were still in the castle tower, which had to make Kasai Kiyoyasu feel a solemn worry.

Sitting on his knees with his head bowed, Kasai Kiyoyasu looked at Shimazu and Saburo's faces from time to time with the corner of his eye. After seeing Shimazu and Saburo's gloomy faces and entering the water, Kasai Kiyoyasu's mood became even more complicated.

After a long time, Shimazu and Saburo, who were sitting on the main seat, suddenly slapped the table, and everyone in the castle tower slipped and almost fell to the ground.

"Kasai Kiyoyasu, what are you doing to eat!" Shimazu and Saburo pointed at Kasai Kiyoyasu and the others in the hall with an angry face, and said with hatred, "I have only been away for ten days, and ten muskets have been lost in the warehouse!" ”

"I have told you again and again that the muskets in the warehouse are things that the lord has asked me to keep a close watch, how can I suddenly lose so many muskets?" Shimazu and Saburo trembled, if it weren't for their own image, Shimazu and Saburo would have rushed down to give Kasai Kiyoyasu and the others a little color.

Hearing Shimazu and Saburo's words, Kasai Kiyoyasu raised his head as usual, pretending to be stupid and said, "Shimazu-sama, has the warehouse been stolen?" Why don't you know about this? ”

"Jiro, is what Shimazu-sama said true?" Kasai Kiyoyasu then said to Jiro Ando, who was sitting behind him.

Jiro Ando hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I don't know about it." ”

"Good!" After hearing the words of Kasai Kiyoyasu and the others, Shimazu and Saburo were also angry, "Kasai Kiyoyasu, wait until I find out about this matter and see what else you have to say!" With that, Shimazu and Saburo angrily withdrew from the castle tower.

After Shimazu and Saburo left, Jiro Ando said to Kasai Kiyoyasu with an anxious face, "Brother-in-law, in my opinion, let's not do this in this matter." If Shimazu and Saburo really find evidence, we will not be able to escape death at that time! ”

"Humph!" After hearing Jiro Ando's words, Kasai Kiyoyasu said with a disdainful face, "Don't look at Shimazu and Saburo are the lords of the city, and I, Kasai Kiyoyasu, am not afraid of him!" I'm the garrison of Minezawa Castle, and I'm not a retainer of his Shimazu and Saburo, so don't pay attention to him! ”

"What's more, when the sky falls, there are naturally tall people on top of ........"