The night of February 13 in the 11th year of Keicho (1606). Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

In Akizuki Castle, Akashi Junden couldn't sleep for a long time.

According to the letter sent two months ago, it is estimated that someone will be contacting him now. Jeon had been waiting for him since the beginning of February, and now it was the middle of February, but no one had come to contact him. Jeon Deng was a little anxious about this.

"Father, it's time for you to rest."

This young man who is now standing in front of Jeon Deng, with a helpless look on his stubborn father, is Jeon Deng's second son, Kubei Keiyuki.

Jing Xing was born in the fourteenth year of Tianzheng (1586) and is twenty-one years old this year. His mother was the daughter of the Ukita family. Although Jing Xing is the second son, because the other brothers died early, he is now the only son of Jeon Deng. Although he is still a young man in our eyes, he married a few years ago and is now a father of a four-year-old.

"It's Kubei. I can't sleep yet. ”

Quan Deng saw that it was his son Jingxing who walked in, so he relaxed his vigilance, rubbed his eyes and replied.

"Why can't you sleep, Father, aren't you so tired that you can't open your eyes now?"

Jing Xing crossed his waist and sat down in front of his father,

"Even if you look forward to the progress of the Xiu family's affairs, then you have to rest."

Two months ago, after receiving the letter from the lord Jun Xiu's family, Jeon Deng only told two people about it. One is Naoyuki Kuroda of the parishioner and Akizuki Castle Castle, and the other is his son Jingxing.

Because Naoyuki is a congregation and closest friend of Quandeng, he has a kind and gentle personality and promised Quanden that he would not expose the matter. And because of a series of reasons such as disputes within the Kuroda family, Naoto made up his mind and decided to turn a blind eye to this matter and not report the matter to his nephew Nagamasa.

Jeon Deng's son Jing Xing was as surprised as his father when he learned about this. He also fought with his father, Jeonto, and the lord Hideya during the Battle of Sekigahara, when he was only fifteen years old. After the "Ukita Hideya Murder Incident" two years ago, he also thought that the main monarch Hideya had passed away, but he didn't expect such a great news to come now.

After learning about this, Jing Xing, who was as loyal to the Xiu family as his father, was also very happy about this, and had been waiting for the follow-up news. However, seeing that his father Quandeng was getting more and more anxious because of this matter, so he stayed up late every night waiting for news, Jing Xing had to come to persuade his father to pay attention to his body.

“…… Father, you are really! If the Xiu family really comes, but you fall ill because you think about it day and night, won't it be more than worth the loss? ”

"I see. Just wait a little longer, wait a little longer, and I'll go to sleep. ”

Quan Deng listened to his son's persuasion and felt a little embarrassed. But he kept holding the little cross hanging from his chest, and said that he wanted to wait a little longer.

"Yes, yes."

Jing Xing shook his head helplessly, walked to his father's side, and squatted down.

"I'll wait with you. Close your eyes and rest for a while. ”

"Thank you, Kubei. Speaking of which, has Saburo's child already fallen asleep? ”

"Kosaburo has already fallen asleep. Children are tired of playing during the day, so they go to bed early at night. ”

Xiao Saburo is Jing Xing's four-year-old eldest son, that is, Quan Deng's grandson. The origin of the name Kozaburo is said to be that Quan Deng gave his grandson the same name as his uncle in order to commemorate his eldest son Kozaburo, who died early.

The father and son sat in the wooden corridor outside the room, looking at the flowers and rockeries in the courtyard, bathed in the cold air of the February winter and the bright moonlight, and continued to sit for about half an hour.

I don't know when, Quan Deng and Jing Xing suddenly found that there was an extra person in front of them.

The man appeared silently and without a trace, causing the young Jing Xing to stretch his hand to his waist in a panic.

Quan Deng stopped Jing Xing, who was a little flustered, took a deep breath, and while being on guard, he squinted his eyes in the dark night and carefully looked at the uninvited guest in front of him for a while.

After he looked closely, the man was also very tall and muscular, but not the man who had sent him the letter two months ago.

“…… Excuse me, is the Akashi Sweep Lady? ”

The man didn't wait for Jeon Deng to ask a question, but took the initiative to speak in his deep and hoarse voice.

“…… Be! Exactly under it! ”

Lowering his voice, Jeon Deng desperately tried to suppress his ecstasy, but from the way his hands were now tugging at his clothes, it was clear that this emotion had been revealed.

“…… Who is the one next to you? ”

The man seemed a little uneasy, and looked at Jing Xing on the side.

"This is my dog Kubei Keiyuki, who used to serve the Uki family together like me."

Sensing the man's vigilance, Quan Deng hurriedly stepped forward to explain.

“…… I see. ”

The man nodded and said to the two:

“…… Now, your lord is waiting for you somewhere in the castle town, so please come with me out of the castle immediately. ”

Jeon Deng didn't know who the "adult" in the man's mouth was, but he nodded anyway, and immediately got up and prepared to follow the man out of here and go to Joshita Town.

“…… Father! Please let me go with you! ”

Jing Xing, who was a little worried about his father, also immediately stood up and followed.

……

……

The castle town of Akizuki Castle.

Because Akizuki Castle itself is not large, the scope and scale of the castle town are not as large as the castle towns of Osaka Castle and Edo Castle.

Akashi Juntobu and Keikyuki, who had followed the hoarse man who had snuck out of the castle in the middle of the night, were now walking through the intricate streets of the castle town.

Although it is late at night and many houses have already turned off their oil lamps and gone to sleep, a few taverns and inns are still bustling with people.

The place where the man took Quanden and his son was a street where these taverns and inns were mixed. Unlike the quiet streets next to it, it's still bustling with people drinking or gambling around.

“…… This way. ”

The man led Quanden and his son to the back door of an inn, quietly pushed the door in, and stepped on the old staircase that rattled and raised a lot of dust, and went up to the second floor.

Standing in front of a certain wooden door on the second floor, Quan Deng slowly pushed the door open with great excitement.

“…… Lady Xiujia. ”

Jeon Deng muttered his first words after seeing the people sitting inside.

For some reason, Jeon Deng felt a little hot in the corners of his eyes, and something was flowing out of them.

It's really strange, it's still a cold day today.

Quan Deng trembled and walked slowly forward a few steps, and finally couldn't help it, knelt down and cried loudly.

“…… Lady Xiujia! You're still alive...... Already...... It's been five years...... I was so touched by all of them...... It's hard to put into words......"

He knelt down in front of the Xiujia who was sitting, choking up and exuding joy from the bottom of his heart.

“…… Jeondeng, I didn't expect to see you again. ”

Xiujia's heart is also full of the same excitement and emotion as Jeon Deng. It's just that he didn't show and vent without scruples like Quan Deng, he just smiled, his facial features trembled slightly, and helped Quan Deng, who was kneeling on the ground, up.

Jeon Deng raised his head and rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe away the tears.

At this moment, he saw the young man sitting behind Xiujia with a smile on his face.

The teenager is not very old, and it can even be said that he is young. But the aura emanating from his body gave Quan Deng a calm and calm sense of maturity. And, in terms of temperament, Jeon Deng felt a bit like someone he had seen in the past.

Who is he?