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When I first started writing this book, I wasn't well prepared for history.

At that time, I even thought that the monkey, that is, that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was also one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Oda.

Later I found out that this was not the case at all.

I don't know if Toyotomi Hideyoshi deliberately erased the traces of his service in the Oda family, thus removing himself from the list, or if this Jun was indeed not the most famous at the time and did not have one of them.

In my impression, this [Ninja Daimyo] seems to be playing for the other three [Heavenly Kings] most of the time, except for the Ise Raiders and the Kanto Raiders, there are not too many dazzling political achievements, and he did not use the deeds of building a great building to make a name for himself like Niwa Nagahide.

So, I remember you, before writing historical novels, we must read more books, and making jokes is not a glorious thing.

Annotations:

The concept of the Four Heavenly Kings of Oda originated in the Edo period, nearly half a century after Oda Nobunaga's death, and was first mentioned in a document written to Tokugawa Ieyasu, using the Buddhist concept of "Four Heavenly Kings" to correspond to the four famous ministers who helped Oda Nobunaga seize the world.

Shibata repairs Ryogen Katsuya, born: Takee Sibo clan, Chiyuki Echizen, Echichu, Kaga, Noto a total of 1.4 million stone.

Niwa Echizen Mamoru Fujiwara Nagahide, Born: Kodama Fujiwara Clan (take a moment to explain that in the Warring States Period, Owari had two Niwa clans in the Owari Kingdom, and they were not related to each other, one was in Niwa Village and the other was in Kodama Village, the former was after the Isshiki Fan clan, and the latter was after Fujiwara Michicho, and the former's family was known as [氏], and the representative figure was Niwa Katsu, and the latter was [Naga], and the representative figure was Niwa Nagahide), Chiyuki Wakasa Ichikoku, Owari, Mino, Ise, Omi, Yamato, Settsu and other territories, A total of 360,000 koku.

Wise Hinata Morigen Mitsuhide (the father of the protagonist of this book, currently retired), originated: Kiyowa Genji, Chiyuki Tanba, Tango two countries, and several Omi territories, totaling 540,000 koku.

Takigawa Iyo Shouji Ichiyi (some people believe that Takigawa Ichiyi was actually born in the Ji clan), originated: Taki Taki Clan, Chiyuki Ueno Ichikoku, Ise, Owari Territory several, a total of 450,000 koku.

Of the Four Heavenly Kings, only the Niwa family remained daimyo during the Tokugawa period.

The Shibata family was devastated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the lineage was cut off, but the lord of Nagahama Castle, Shibata Katsutoyo, was able to preserve the family by surrendering early, and his descendants survived as Hachimoto samurai, and his concubine Shibata Katsuri was also saved because he was protected by Oda Nobuo and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Legend has it that Shibata Katsuya also had a younger son, Katsutada, who was spared death because of his early ordination, and this king died in the winter of the 19th year of Keicho, when Tokugawa Ieyasu had begun to attack Osaka Castle, and he could see the enemy's demise with his own eyes, and I believe he should be able to turn a blind eye.

There is also a Takigawa clan that became a flag in the Tokugawa period, but there is no news after the Meiji period.

The only one who makes people laugh and cry is the wise one.

In 2009, 427 years after the Honnoji Incident, the Oda family and the Akechi family ushered in a reconciliation.

Oda Nobunaga's descendant, Oda Nobutoro (from the former Chinese Viscount family, currently a junior high school physical education teacher), and Akechi Mitsuhide's descendant, Akechi Mitsumiku (the eldest daughter of university professor Akechi Mitsunobu), held a disclosure banquet (marriage ceremony). The two families were reconciled.

The ancestor of Akechi Mitsunobu changed his surname in the Toyotomi period to avoid disaster, and after the Meiji Restoration, he changed back to Akechi, and is one of the surviving descendants of Mitsuhide in Japan.

The witness to the wedding was the 19th Hosokawa Goko clan of the Hosokawa family (the Hosokawa family was once in-law with the Akechi family, and after the Battle of Yamazaki, the Hosokawa clan took in a large number of wise samurai and the bereaved family, so that the bloodline of the Akechi clan was preserved).

The introducer of both parties is Tokugawa Tsuko, who is the cousin of Oda Nobutao, and attends the same university as the woman.

By the way, this Tokugawa Tsuko's maiden family is the Kujo family, and the Kujo family once married Toyotomi Hidekatsu's daughter Wanko, so she has the blood of the Toyotomi family.

Tokugawa Tsumiko is the wife of Tokugawa Iechi (the 22nd Tokugawa clan), and the current head of the Tokugawa clan is Tokugawa Tsunetaka, because Tokugawa Tsunetaka's son Tokugawa Iehiro married a Vietnamese woman, so the children of Tokugawa Iehiro cannot inherit the Tokugawa clan, and Tokugawa Iechi inherits from another family.

In a word, the man of the Oda family married the mushroom ryo of the Akechi family, and the witnesses were from the Hosokawa family, and the people from the Tokugawa family were the introducers.

(I really can't complain, I really want to know what the expressions of those big people are when they hear this news...... ）

After entering the New Year in the Western calendar, the temperature in continues to drop.

Her mother lived peacefully in the mansion of the wise family, and since her father became a monk, she has also become a secluded person, as if she wanted to spend her old age in a quiet way.

After my father revived the wise family, there were many people who came to visit this mansion, and over the years, the family under my leadership has become more and more prosperous, and naturally more people have admired.

Everyone wants to see me, but how can I have so much spare time to do [Gong. Off]?

Within the Oda family, only people above the rank of shogun were able to receive my reception, and in the Daimyo of the outer domain, this qualification was mentioned as a general.

Sometimes there are some female guests in the house, who are either members of samurai families or nuns from some famous temple (compared to China, the discrimination against nuns in Japan is not too serious, which is commendable).

At this time, it was Xiangji's turn to receive her, and Ah Zhi seemed to be very interested in this work.

I had hoped to go home after seeing Oda Nobunaga, but the topic that the latter was going to discuss with me was not something that could be finished in a moment.

It was already late to see Oda Nobunaga, but ...... My husband simply left me for a supper.

After that, I didn't make it.

The envoy of the Uesugi family, that is, Naoe Kanesuke, came to ask for a meeting again......

[Mother, please sleep peacefully, my lord, he will be back soon.] 】

Her mother's name is Heiko, and she is the daughter of the Mino samurai Tsumiki family, so everyone used to call her Tsumiki Gozen.

It's now the twelfth year of Tensho, his eldest son Kogoro is twenty-four years old, his second son Fifteen Lang is also seventeen years old, and the youngest son Twelvero is not yet an adult, but I heard that the Tsutsui family is also healthy, and Tsutsui Shunkei has already decided to appoint him as the heir to the family business after losing Tsutsui Dingji.

There are also those four daughters, Fukien and Tamako are married to famous samurai, and Ah Jing also has Sama to take care of, and as for Asa Yuki, since she decided to become a monk and entrust herself to the gods, there is nothing to worry about.

Kogoro has two sons and two adopted daughters, and Fifteen Lang is not in good health, but he has also started a family, and he has a son, and his three daughters in addition to Asa Xue have also given birth to children.

The wise man is indeed thriving.

Such a scene full of children and grandchildren, twenty or thirty years ago, he could not have imagined.

Before giving birth to Kogoro, she also gave birth to two sons, but due to health reasons, they died one after another.

When she was pregnant with Kogoro, she was already thirty years old, and she didn't think that Kogoro could grow up safely.

Not only that, but she didn't expect that Kogoro, who was born extremely thin, would be such a great samurai more than twenty years later, not only honoring the Akechi family, but also becoming a high-ranking official of the shogunate.

To this day, she often dreams about earlier events.

Every time I dream back at midnight, I will feel emotional.

In the year he gave birth to Kogoro, the shogun, who was only the lord of the Owari side, broke out in the Battle of Tsubakusama and defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was considered the most likely to take over the world at the time.

Kogoro's father, who is his husband, is an official under the Asakura family, and when he heard the news, he was stunned.

[The three Michido people told me that the talent of Uesosuke is far above that of Sakyo (Saito Yoshiryu once served as Zuokyo Ryo and Sakyo Daifu), and Zuokyo will tie the horse to the castle of Uesosuke in the future...... At that time, I thought it was the three people of Dao who were telling jokes, but I didn't expect it......

Now I'm in my thirties, but I still haven't revived the wise family, and my family bears the blood of Yoriyasu Gong (Toki Yoriyasu, the military general who pushed the Toki family to its peak, and served as the guardian of the three kingdoms of Mino, Owari, and Ise during his reign, and his son Yorikan was the founder of the wise family), but in this troubled world, it is all because of my incompetence...... Alas, if this child can grow up healthy, I hope he is better than me. 】

Whether Kogoro is stronger than his father or not, as a woman, I can't tell, but I dreamed of the satisfaction of my husband's retirement a few years ago.

[The road has been paved, and the next thing is to see how Kogoro goes...... Madam, don't worry, although Kogoro is young, he is also a very calm child, even if he doesn't do anything big, he won't do anything ridiculous...... Everyone in the family is willing to agree with him, and with the support of the lord above, there will be no problem.

My time has really passed, I have survived the age of 50 by luck, I have done a lot of things, and I have made a lot of mistakes, but these have nothing to do with me in the future, and I can study Buddhism with peace of mind in the future......]

The husband decided to become a monk, and he originally planned to cut his hair and become a nun and escape to Buddhism to follow him, but he refused.

[Xizi, I have killed too much in this life, and my sins are too deep, if I don't sincerely repent, I am afraid it will be difficult to be forgiven by the Buddha after a hundred years...... Xizi, you have not committed any sins in your life, but you have followed me for so many years of hard life, and you can enjoy the service of your family with peace of mind in the future, on my side, I will take care of myself, I am very satisfied...... Really, I'm already very satisfied with a wife like you. 】

Whether it's her husband, Kogoro, or other children, these are all worries that she can't rest assured. However, in the dream, she cried incessantly. The past often recurs itself in dreams, and once she cries, the tears will not stop.

The people in the dream have almost changed their appearance now

The husband has escaped into the empty door, Kogoro and Fifteen Lang became samurai, blowing sound, Ah Jing, and Tamako became other people's daughters-in-law, and the child of Asaoxue was the most pitiful, so young became **.

What about others?

His brother has long since passed away, and now the head of the Tsumiki family is still very young.

The child became his son-in-law.

took care of her husband all her life, and loved Kogoro and their children as if they were his own grandsons, and the loyal old housekeeper Shigemitsu has also passed away.

By the way, there is also that Asakura Yoshikei Gong, he is also a rare good person, although he has not done much, but he is also a good official who is willing to be considerate of the people's feelings, I heard that the people of Echizen are still praising his benevolent government back then.

Although every time her husband taught his two sons, he would mention it as a negative argument, but when chatting in private, he always said in a very grateful and apologetic tone:

[If there was no Yijinggong to take him in back then, our family would still have to live a precarious life as a ronin, he gave us the way to live, and helped me restore my status as a samurai......]

Alas, I didn't give him anything in return, and even became an enemy who attacked him, and Yijing Gong must have hated me.

Originally, the bloodline of Yijing Gong had been cut off, and the Hokuriku battle in the third year of Tensho had always been regarded as completely exterminating the Asakura family, and now in Japan, there is no one surnamed Asakura at all......

It's really pitiful, I still want to wait for the lord's anger to subside one day, and then apply for the restoration of the family name of the Asakura family, so that their incense can survive, so that I can repay the kindness of Yijing Gong, but now, the people of the Asakura family are no longer alive, and I don't even have a chance to repay the favor......]

When she thinks of Yi Jinggong, she can't help but think of other people in that era.

The enemy who drove their family out of Mino, and also the great villain Saito Yoshiryu who killed his father and brother, is long gone, and the gods and Buddhas hated his moral corruption, so he let him die of smallpox, and not only that, but also sinned his family and ruined his son's family, this is retribution!

Who else? I didn't expect that......

Returning to reality from her thoughts, she looked at everything around her again, and felt incredible, and couldn't help but laugh secretly.

"Mother, what are you laughing at?" 】

Her mother's smile made Kahime, who was serving on the side, feel strange.

[It's nothing, that is, thinking about the past...... By the way, Ah Xiang, you've been with me for a long time these days, it's too hard, go back and rest. 】

[It's okay, serving your mother-in-law is the daughter-in-law's vocation, and there is nothing hard or hard. 】

In fact, Kahime is also very haggard, and taking care of her mother-in-law during this time has consumed a lot of her energy, so that many things can't be taken care of, and even the raising of Takechiyo has to be temporarily handed over to Ah Zhi.

Ah Xiang is a good daughter-in-law, although she is the daughter of a general, she has never put on a shelf, of course, Ah Zhi is not bad, and she is very kind to anyone she talks to at home.

Kogoro is a blessed man, he......

When she thought of Kogoro, she felt like a dream again.

At that time, Kogoro was now a very popular minister, serving as a shogunate samurai who participated in national affairs, and became a well-known figure in the sea at a young age.

As a mother, there is no reason why she should not be proud of her son.

In addition to pride, she is also thinking:

How did that cowardly and even cowardly child become such a remarkable person today?

Was it his own effort? Or is it the blessing of God and Buddha?

That's what she asked of herself.

My husband had told him before:

[I always feel strange, since that incident, Kogoro is like a different person, not at all like him before, is he himself changed his heart? Or are you possessed by demons?

Anyway, that timid and obedient Kogoro of mine in the past will never come back...... Hmph, it's worth looking forward to the changed Kogoro, let me see what you will become! 】

She always wondered, what the hell was going on with this child?

However, whenever she thought about it, she felt feverish.

The husband is also gone, and the person [Wise Guangxiu] is no longer there, and now there is [Nanguangfang Tianhai].

Those who are about to be born, and those who are going to die...... Time passes by the minute, and people are changing little by little.

In this ever-changing world, to be able to live to the age of fifty, the mother who believes in Buddhism has a full sense of gratitude to God, even if she dies soon, she should be blind, what do you still remember in your heart?

She knew she was acting out of greed, but she still felt compelled to do something for her family......

[That's it, Yamashiro Mori-sama, please let the Senator hold on a little longer, and when the snow on Hokuriku Province and Koshin Mountain Road melts in March, I will lead 5,000 troops to rush there, and the current snow road is really difficult to walk. 】

Naoe's official position is from the five Shimoyama Castle Mori, while Uesugi Keitora is the fourth senator.

Naoe breathed a sigh of relief, as a foreign minister, it has not been easy for him all these years.

[Your Excellency General, Major General, I am much more confident to have your support...... I'm going to rush back to Echigo to prepare, Major General, and welcome to Kasuga Mountain Castle in March! 】

It's already the middle of the night, and I, Oda Nobunaga, and Naoe Kanesuke, have been discussing the war with the Uesugi family for more than an hour.

Naoe's request was very simple, hoping that the shogunate would intervene directly in this matter.

To put it more clearly, he hoped that Oda Nobunaga could send troops directly to fight.

Oda Nobunaga is not a fool, although he does hate Date Masamune now and wants to shoot the other party to death with a brick, but he is not impulsive enough to be carried out as a gunman.

Besides, he doesn't have a good impression of the Uesugi family.

There is no need to mention the matter of Uesugi Kenshin, that kid Uesugi Jinghu...... I didn't see it, this little guy is so capable, he even defeated himself!

Of course, this kid is quite interesting, at least better than the one-eyed imp who doesn't know whether to live or die, and after the battle, he asked for peace, leaving a way for himself to live.

After Naoe left, I suddenly asked:

[General, can I dare to ask a question? 】

[You ask.] 】

[From the very beginning, before you told me about Date Masamune, you had already decided, did you want me to go to Echigo? 】

[Yes, I want you to know what enemy you will face next. 】

Why me? Wouldn't it be more suitable to be stationed in Kaizukan Musashi-sama (Mori Nagako)? 】

[The pressure on the Hojo family to Gonroku is increasing, and Chang can't leave at this time...... And do you know about Ieyasu? 】

Tokugawa Ieyasu?

Unlike other travelers, I've never been interested in paying attention to other people's affairs, besides, I'm in Kansai, and Tokugawa Ieyasu is in Kanto, so at such a distance, will there be any intersection?

Besides, even if there is an intersection, what can I do?

Ever since I was twelve years old when I became the owner of this body, I felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

The lives of other travelers are getting more and more exciting, but my life is ...... It's exciting, but what does it have to do with me?

My life was never arranged by myself.

It's fate that is arranging it!

Become the son of Akechi Mitsuhide, become the son-in-law of Oda Nobunaga, become the husband of Oda Ka, become a samurai of the Oda family, become the master of the Akechi family, and become a ......

You tell me, which of the above things was done by my own strength?!

I was just a puppet manipulated by fate, led by him until the end of my life.

Yoshio Kobayashi once told me, don't run away from your fate!

Is that called evasion?!

I felt like I was freed from the shackles of fate.

Okay, okay, I'll listen to you, I'm not going to run away, just make this [puppet] in peace.

Since it is a puppet, it is impossible to break free from the line that controls itself.

However, it is still possible to change the wire.

See what I'm saying?

What I mean by this is that if you can't be a strong person, then be a person next to a strong person.

[Puppet] will always be [Puppet], it can't change itself, but [Puppeteer] can change people.

At least I have one more advantage.

Familiar with history.

If Oda Nobunaga dies one day, or the Oda family is finished, I will not feel sorry for it at all.

I'm only going to build friendly relationships with people like Hideyoshi Hashiba and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

They are the puppeteers......

【Tokugawa-sama?】 What happened to him? 】

[He's very powerful now? 】

It turned out that two months earlier, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hojo Clan had fought a battle on the border of Suruga that was not small, and both sides had their own victories and defeats.

However, what is incredible is that the Hojo clan, which controlled the eight countries of the Kanto region, finally took the initiative to propose reconciliation to Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Tokugawa Ieyasu did not put forward any conditions, and he happily withdrew from the army.

That's big news.

The territory of the Hojo clan was twice as large as that of the Tokugawa clan, and the most elite troops, the [Goshibei] and the [Jihuang Hachiman] Hojo Tsunashi of the Megatron of the East China Sea, were not dispatched.

Is Hojo Clanmasa's brain pumping, and reconciliation at this time is not equivalent to his own confession?

There are more people who don't understand, but those of us who play politics all day long are aware of it.

Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hojo Masa, these two must have reached some kind of cooperative relationship on something.

No, this relationship is not yet a betrayal.

At least until Oda Nobunaga's death, Tokugawa Ieyasu didn't have the guts to betray him.

However, the idea of expecting this guy to contain the Hojo family may have failed.

Shibata Katsuya is really pitiful, not only to deal with the Hojo family, but also to monitor the increasingly complex situation in Tohoku.

Now, even Tokugawa Ieyasu may have become a jackal behind him.

[So, General, what should I do?] 】

This question must be clarified, after all, the shogunate has its own position, and it has not directly declared war on Date Masamune and Mogami Yoshimitsu before, and if it causes unnecessary trouble, Oda Nobunaga may not easily forgive me.

[This is more complicated, I have to think about it again, it's not too early, you won't be at dawn before you go home. 】

I can finally go home.

[By the way, say hello to Lingtang on my behalf.] 】

[Uh, thank you, General.] 】

It's scary, but I've forgotten what I came back for.

When I walked out of the entrance of Honmaru, I saw a person standing there.

It's Kiyoko, Kahime's maid.

[Sir.] 】

[What are you doing standing here on such a cold day? Did Ah Xiang ask you to pick me up? 】

【Old ......】

Her voice was a little choked, and I noticed that her eyes were red.

[How...... What's wrong? 】

My body trembled.

A breath colder than the wind and snow outside blew into my body.

His eyes widened.

Over the years, a sense of fear that I had never felt before took over my heart.

All right! Kiyoko!

Don't say it!

Don't say it!

[Master, old lady, she ...... She ...... half an hour ago]

What does it feel like to lose loved ones and friends?

I've pondered this question a lot.

In the [Book of Years] throughout my life, there are many people who I value here to draw their own ends.

Yasuemon Kobayashi, who has served me since I was a child, died.

My uncle's wife, Mu Guangzhong, who taught me to read and write when I was a child, died.

My art of war teacher, Akechi Mitsuharu, is dead.

Toshizo Saito, an old minister who had instructed me many times in front of the battle and had experience on the battlefield, died.

And also......

The people who made me feel so reluctant left me one by one.

In the end, I'm left alone......

I thought I was going to cry, but I didn't.

What about the father? Didn't he come? 】

[Master, Master Tianhai went out to travel after the winter, and he has not returned yet. 】

【Traveling? 】

[Yes, I heard that he has a very good friend in the Northeast, he made it when he was young, and he hasn't seen him for many years, and I want to go and see him. 】

[It's all this time, it's still ...... But this is also a father's character. 】

With a wry smile, I asked Xiangji:

[Ah Xiang, since you have always stayed by your mother's side to serve, did your mother leave any last words for me? 】

[Of course, my lord, the person who was most reluctant before my mother's death was you. 】

[Yes, it's a pity that this son is really unfilial, and he can't be guarded when he is dying. 】

[Don't say that, my mother did not resent you because of this, on the contrary, he also told me, my lord, you are a pillar of the shogunate, an indispensable samurai in Japan, and she is proud of your achievements. 】

[That's what Mother said......]

[Of course, Mother has one more thing for me to pass on to you.] 】

Kahime took a small box and opened it.

[What is this?] 】

A lock of dry hair.

Is this really human hair?

Because of the loss of water, it doesn't feel very good in the palm of my hand, and I even wonder if it's a ponytail.

[This is my mother's hair...... Hey?! 】

Xiangji looked at me in amazement, as if she hadn't seen me well before.

[My lord, when did you cut your hair off?] 】

[Huh? 】

She just noticed that I had changed my hairstyle.

[This one was cut on a boat, well, compared to this, my hair doesn't matter at all...... Why did my mother give me a lock of hair? Does this mean anything in particular? 】

[Mother said that she cut it when she was young, and it has been preserved for twenty years now.] 】

Human hair is mainly composed of proteins, and it is not difficult to preserve it for 20 years.

[It turns out that this is my mother's hair when she was young, twenty years...... I guess I was four or five years old. 】

[My mother told me a story...... That was twenty years ago, when my father was still a retainer under Yoshikei Asakura......]

At that time, my father's life was very poor, and at the beginning, Asakura Yoshikage gave his father 300 koku, which was not a small amount of money in itself, but because his father still raised a group of retainers, it seemed that he could not make ends meet.

All the furniture and clothes were sold, and they had to run around every day for food. In such a difficult situation, my mother worked hard to support my father.

During this period, their child (that is, me) was also born. This is what the famous waka master Matsuo Basho wrote in his "Contemporary Chronicles", which tells the story of his father before he served Oda Nobunaga.

It is said that at Jonenji Temple, my father had a lot of communication with the people of the temple and participated in many song festivals.

Father: [We always let others entertain us, once or twice, but over time, we will be hated, and we will be regarded as stingy and stingy money glutches, and no one will invite our ...... again]

Mother: [Yes, you're right......]

Although my father said this, he himself understood that the situation of the wise family was very difficult, and there was no balance to invite and entertain guests.

However, a few days later, the wise family invited the people of the monastery, and what was even more surprising was that the reception was very rich. Of course, this was all prepared by the mother, and all the invited guests were so satisfied that the father himself could not believe it.

Father: [Today's renge meeting was a great success, and everyone is very happy. But how did you prepare for this treat? 】

The mother silently removed the headscarf that covered her hair, and the father was shocked, it turned out that the mother's long, beautiful black hair had been cut off with a knife.

Father:

[Huh!? …… Heeko!! What happened to your hair and why is it happening? 】

Mother:

【…… I...... I sold my hair so that I could have money to buy food for entertaining guests......]

Father:

[What? …… You're actually ...... I'm sorry...... I'm so useless that I want my wife to sell her most precious hair......]

The father cried and apologized.

Mother:

[It's okay, don't worry. The hair will grow back. 】

This is the root of Matsuo Basho's words [月さびよwise のwife の咄 (はなし)せむ].

Later, a rebellion instigated by Kaga Isōmune broke out in eastern Echizen, and his father participated in the Suppression Campaign and made meritorious contributions, and his iron cannon skills attracted the attention of the Asakura samurai, and he was recommended by the old Seiren Keiju of the family to serve as the general of the Asakura family.

As the status increases, so does the number of people who live a better life.

At that time, a woman's long hair was as precious as her life, and her mother sold her hair to buy food in order to support her father.

The father and mother have a very harmonious relationship and can be described as a model of husband and wife......

I sighed.

[I have also read the Book of Jin before, there was a minister in the Jin Dynasty named Tao Kan, his background was very poor, when he was young, his friends came to visit his house, and there was no money to entertain, so his mother lost her hair and sold it, and used the money to buy wine and food to entertain guests...... Mother must have heard this story before she ......]

I took the lock of hair and seemed to see my mother again.

I can't tell what it's like.

[I understand what my mother meant, even if you are rich today, don't forget the poverty of the past? …… Well, I have received ...... from my mother's good intentions.

"My lord, this is just one of them. 】

[Huh? 】

[My lord, do you know why this lock of hair was sold, but why it is back in your hands now?] 】

Belch...... I really haven't thought about this question, could it be that my father or mother redeemed it again?

[It was my father, who ran to the money bank that night and ransomed the lock of hair. 】

And so it was...... Hey? Wait, where did my father get the money? Isn't the family already extremely poor?

[My father sold the ribs that my grandfather, that is, the three major people of the Dao gave him. 】

【……】

This was not the end of the Edo era, and it was relatively rare for samurai to pawn bounty, and in this era, samurai had to settle for poverty.

If you do so, you will be disgusted by the Lord and despised by your colleagues.

The person my father admired the most was Michizo Saito, who raised him, and I knew very well what the latter's reward meant to him.

[It's really unexpected......]

[My mother told me that people always need to support each other, this is the case in times of difficulty, and this is still the case when they are rich, and the reason why the husband and wife have been able to come to this day through ups and downs is the result of relying on each other and comforting each other...... In fact, this is not only the case between husband and wife, but also between friends and between master and servant, and the lord is now a very popular minister, and Delong Wangzun is the assistance of the retainers, the support of colleagues and the appreciation of the master's family, all three of which are indispensable. 】

[Does my mother want me to maintain a good relationship with others at all times?] 】

Not only that, but your mother is also reminding you not to take yourself too seriously at any time. 】

[How do you say this?] 】

[If you pay too much attention to yourself, you will become more and more self-centered, and such people will only become narrow-minded and selfish in the end. 】

【……】

[In the same way, if you attach too much importance to your own strength, you will ignore the existence of others, and eventually become empty-eyed and complacent.] 】

[It turns out that there is still this meaning......]

[No one's success is completely dependent on their own strength, and a successful person is often accompanied by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of supporters. 】

Kahime put her hand on mine.

[So, sir, no matter what happens in the future, but what you think of Ah Xiang, Ah Xiang will be by your side. 】

[Thank you, I will cherish this lock of hair...... No, no, no! 】

I rubbed my eyes, which I didn't know when, turned red.

[This thing is too important to me and my family, and I want to enshrine it as a family treasure and leave it to future generations, so that they can also know the profound truth. 】

[This couldn't be better...... By the way, there is one last meaning. 】

[What else?] 】

[My mother is about to pass away, and my father has long since left home, that is to say, there is no longer your parents by your side, and you must go alone from now on. 】

【……】

[Mother said that since the age of twelve, adults have become more and more withdrawn, and they have become less and less talkative, not only that, but their words and deeds are habitually hidden from their hearts, although no one is estranged, but they are not close to anyone, even with their parents, they are not willing to open their hearts and speak, although they become very talkative after becoming ignore, but that is only to cope with the appearance of officialdom and social circles......]

【……】

I have a gap with this era, the world, that will never go away.

Mother is right, the reason why I seem to be very good at talking is not because of my cheerful personality, but because of my appearance.

I don't really want to talk to people, but I have a special skill, a strange skill that even strangers can talk to like old friends.

As for complaining often, in addition to a certain sense of humor, it is also a kind of emotional venting.

Since I don't want to talk to others, I have to talk to myself, and complaining is talking to myself.

At this time, I suddenly felt that my mother and father were so pitiful.

Their son was long dead, and the man who came after him was nothing more than an impostor.

Ah Xiang and Ah Zhi are so pitiful, although I poured love and affection into them, I never allowed them to enter the depths of my heart.

Maybe I'm the one who adapts to loneliness.

Xiang Ji said faintly:

[My mother's most reassuring thing before she died was you, my lord, you are not only her son, but also the patriarch of the family, an official of the shogunate and the imperial court, and a pillar of the whole of Japan, so the responsibility must be very heavy, right? 】

【……】

[Because of the closed inner relationship, you get far less love than other children, and now that she is about to die, no one will care for you as a son anymore...... Can't let you be so alone, please keep this hair by your side, this thing represents all her feelings for you, as if she is still by your side, all love belongs to you alone......]

At this point, Xiang Ji cried.

And I'm ......

[Hey, what's wrong? 】

I couldn't help but ask myself in surprise.

When I reached out and touched it, my fingers were wet.

Why are there tears on my cheeks?

I stared at the ground in amazement.

[Ah...... I see. 】

He thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Because it's all coming to an end.

It's like a dream, and I've been relying on my mother to live. While saying, "I didn't rely on you, I just let you take care of it!" This inexplicable excuse, thinking that "I'm not really the child of the two of you anyway, it's just because I occupy this body now that I have to maintain a family relationship with you", while living with my mother and father like this.

Pampered by their tenderness, living like a real child snuggled in the arms of their parents.

It's just a dream, it's not because of my weakness, it's okay to that extent, right?

And, while they think of themselves as my parents, what about me?

Do you really see yourself as their son?

But that's the end of that life this morning.

My mother is gone, she is really gone, she is gone, she is away from my pretended son, and from now on, there will never be anyone who loves me like her, and all the love from my mother is gone.

Then, I can't be the same anymore.

I can no longer go in and out of my house as usual, no matter what happens, I can no longer call my mother, and I can no longer be with my mother.

This time I really don't have a mother.

Orphans of this world!

I see......

[That's why it's ...... I feel more and more disgusted with myself. 】

Because I feel sad.

Until now.

It wasn't until she was about to lose that she realized for the first time how precious it was to have someone who could put her heart on her.

I never thought that the existence of this woman from another world would become the force that supported me, how stupid I was.

always thinks that he is from another era, is a special existence, and always rejects her love on the grounds that he is not her son.

I started to want to cut off my empty head.

He didn't even notice the ground on which he was standing, as Byron had said.

Without Don Juan's presence, there will never be a rose in the courtyard that belongs only to him.

How far can I go without my mother as the starting point?

Now I don't even have the strength to wipe the tears on my face, and without her in the future, I don't even have the courage to go on the road of life.

(I feel like this chapter is so difficult to write, it's basically a psychological description.) ）