137

As the saying goes, plans don't keep up with change.

Just before the monkeys had time to rejoice in Yamana Toyokoku's "deep understanding", news came from Tottori Castle - Nakamura Harutsugu and Yoshikawa Nobuya had banished the castle lord Yamana Toyokuni on charges of colluding with the enemy.

At the same time, because Yamana Toyokuni had no heirs, and no one in the Yamana clan could support the wall, in the end, the Yamana retainers unanimously decided that the Yoshikawa family would be the lord of Tottori Castle.

By the time it was almost over, it was already winter......

The monkey couldn't bear it anymore and finally decided to carry out the horrific plan in history - starve and kill Tottori!

"Keijiro, pack up those things, burn all the things you don't want, it's cold to death this day, just to keep warm...... Then have someone bring food. Oh, play me a song with your kite. ”

"Okay!"

When Keiji Maeda returned from burning miscellaneous things, his subordinates in the army had already sent three simple but appetizing appetizers, and the vermilion high-legged food table was eye-catching, as well as the enamel wine jug that Xiang Ji used as a dowry when she first got married, as well as his own zither.

Drinking and things like that have always been his favorite (can I say it's his lazy nature?). ）

"Keijiro! Come! Cheers. Have a good drink. ”‘

"As you say! It is better to be respectful than to obey fate. As he spoke, the first person in the Warring States period raised his wine glass, "At this time, I can't go home, I can only celebrate the New Year on the battlefield, and I have to take bitterness as pleasure." ”

Mu Shi put the wine glass on the table, turned around and sat down in front of the zither, and adjusted the thirteen strings......

Once the war enters the stalemate stage, then we, the little people who usually can't speak, become idle, but now, the siege of Tottori Castle has been more than a month, and the Yoshikawa family can't move in the city, and the monkey's idea is to keep a stern eye on him every day, slowly depleting his military reserves, and as for the contact on the frontal battlefield, there is not a single one.

"But then again, where did that kid from Zhongxing go, I originally wanted to drink with him, but I couldn't see anyone else from early in the morning."

"Oh, I heard that she went fishing with Sasaki-sama on the Chiyo River." ……

Hosokawa Tadashi and Sasaki Kojiro were dressed as relaxed businessmen and did not carry any guards.

Heading north from the Chiyogawa River, you can walk unimpeded to Banabashi Bridge, a port in the northern part of Inhata. There, there is a steady stream of ships bound for and Kansai. At the suggestion of Kojiro Sasaki, Hosokawa Tadashi chose a passenger ship with a load of 30 koku and sat in the front cabin with more passengers.

"Kojiro, wouldn't it be nice to take a boat without people? Are you doing it for safety? ”

"No, it has nothing to do with security, I just want to see beautiful women."

“……”

Among the passengers on the same ship were four people dressed as ronin samurai, the rest were almost all merchants, and there were two female passengers. One of the female guests appears to be the merchant's wife, and the other appears to be a maid.

"Alas, in two or three days, this ship will not be able to go to Kansai."

As soon as the ship moved, the passengers began to speak loudly.

The topic of conversation all over the world seems to be the same.

Not only are the samurai very interested in seizing the world, but the common people are also fascinated by it, of course, the gap between strength and ambition is that he is only acting as a bystander in this "world war", and they don't have the capital and guts to be a "player".

But who is the one who took over the world? This is not the first time that these common people have talked about it.

"The strongest person in the world now is, of course, Nobunaga Oda! I haven't seen it for a few years, and the world is his! ”

There is no doubt that Oda Nobunaga is the most easily mentioned topic in this topic, and it is immediately said that in the end, it is Oda Nobunaga who will win.

Then two or three men changed their faces and refuted the man. Their view is that no one cruel and unmerciful person should be allowed to take over the world, for whatever reason.

"Isn't Nobunaga a tyrant who is cruel and unkind? Compared with the monk on the mountain, he said that he would kill it, and the world finally began to settle down, and if the sixth day demon king was allowed to win, he would undoubtedly fall into a melee again. Therefore, it is important for everyone to work together to uphold the right path. ”

Listening to the accents of several of them, it feels like a Kansai dialect.

It seems that Oda Nobunaga's prestige here has obviously not been established.

The common people always love justice. Here, the merchants were unscrupulous and talking, while the samurai who might become "players" were silent and silent.

At this time, a female guest timidly accosted Kojiro Sasaki: "Hey, where are you going?" ”

I don't know if it's because they're too handsome, but as soon as these two women saw Kojiro Sasaki, their faces flushed, and their tone became ashamed.

"This one...... We are going to Izumo Province. ”

"That's great, I'm going to Izumo Province too...... But I'm more worried. Who do you think will take the world this time? ”

"This has nothing to do with us, did you see it...... Sasaki Kojiro shook the sword in his hand, "The two of us are just swordsmen, and we only went to Izumo to visit the local kendo masters, as for who the world finally belongs, it has nothing to do with us, and we have no interest in knowing." ”

"That's right...... I really envy you, Lord Samurai, you can freely roam the world with the sword in your hand, while we, the weak women, can only be bound by others for the rest of our lives......"

Kojiro Sasaki deeply agreed with this statement, and couldn't help but glance at the woman in front of him.

Among the samurai who silently listened to everyone's discussions, there may be ronins who seek fame and want to become officials, and among the citizens who talk loudly, there may be hidden weak people who rely on others for their lives in troubled times.

Before I knew it, it was almost dusk, and the ship turned left at Chiyogawa Pass and turned around to the right of Tokiwa Island.

From here, the ship entered the North Japan Sea domain.

After probably a day's work, the slender man's footsteps were noticeably heavier. After passing Fuji Port, I came to the right side of Senri, and for some reason, the ship stopped.

Odd! The sun had set, and Kojiro Sasaki was sitting a little tired and wanted to stand up and take a look.

"There are pirates...... The pirates are coming! ”

A slender man who had been pulling the boat stepped on the shallow water and jumped into the boat. Hearing the shouting, the boatmen and sailors who were napping also shouted to their feet.

I couldn't see clearly on the shore, I just felt that there were enough people. The porters have already fought with the attackers.

The modest ship was dragged into the grass by the pirates, and the bottom of the ship could be heard rattling.

Hosokawa Tadashiko, who had slept for a day, and his retainer Kojiro Sasaki immediately touched the knife hidden on their bodies.

All the people on board stood up, except for the two women who were still sitting quietly.

In the twilight, their faces were as white as gourd flowers.

Why are they still so calm?

Except for Kojiro Sasaki, who had contact with them along the way, no one would think about it.

"Hey, get off the boat first, young master! Hide in the grass with the two young ladies first, and tell me to cook for me. ”

The situation was critical, and Sasaki Kojiro couldn't care about hiding the identity of the young master of his family, so he shouted to Hosokawa Tadashi and the two women and jumped into the water. By this time, the attackers, the pirates, wielding weapons such as swords or oars, had rushed towards the ship.

In the blink of an eye, as soon as Kojiro Sasaki jumped off the ship, seventeen or eighteen pirates surrounded the ship.

"Well, the people on the boat, don't care about men, women, and children, get out of here!"

Kojiro Sasaki pretended to reply: "Your Highnesses, this ship is too narrow, how can you roll down?" Or you will teach me. ”

"Shut up!"

"Dare to talk too much when you are dying!"

They were all ronins who didn't know where they came from, screaming in the dark.

"The world is in turmoil, and it is uncovered. We're here to raise salaries. Hurry up and hand over the money and belongings, or you will only die! ”

"Boatman, put the boards and let everyone come down. Otherwise, set fire to the ship! ”

The boatman said something to the thief as he laid the planks diagonally on the grass. In this way, even if everyone does not get off the boat, the thieves will come up on their own.

Sasaki Kojiro suddenly felt that his fighting spirit was completely lost, it turned out that these people were just ronins, and they weren't even serious pirates, but then again, there were no good ports nearby, and there were no islands and straits with dangerous terrain, and it was really not easy to form a group of pirates.

The disembarking passengers and the pirates aboard, oh no, the ronins are entangled in a bit of chaos.

"Yo, in such a chaotic year, there are still women traveling by boat?" One of the thieves who rushed onto the boat reached out and pulled the two women's luggage.

"No rudeness!"

Hosokawa Tadashi, one of the passengers, consciously stood between the two women and the ronin.

"Hey! Kojiro, didn't you say that these guys were all handed over to you to take care of, why did these guys come up and you go down instead? ”

"That...... If I say I fell drunk, would you believe me? ”

"I believe it!"

"Shut up! Both of you should be honest with me, or the first one will be to cut you later...... Oh, two girls, well-dressed and good-looking. ”

"Okay, get these two women back, and you'll have fun in the future."

"Little beauty, don't shout, if you shout, you will be hurt, and it hurts to be injured. Ha ha! ”

"Get out!"

"Take your groping hands out of the way!!"

One of the guys stretched out his hand to the woman's shoulder, and Hosokawa Tadashi next to him drew his knife and slashed.

"Ah......h