Two days later, Kyoto. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

Everything in the capital seems quiet in the middle of the night, and only the sporadic lights in the homes of a very small number of people are still bright.

This is one of Kyoto's eight main streets. This is the place where Xiuguang and his party came.

“…… Your Highness, though I don't mind trespassing on someone else's mansion......"

Xiuzong, who was hiding in a corner of the eight rivers with Xiuguang, looked embarrassed and worried,

"But I didn't expect it to be the residence of Prince Hachijonomiya......"

Xiuguang ignored Xiuzong's moaning, he acted very quickly in a hurry.

Escorting Hidemitsu and Hidemune was still the acting leader of the Wind Demon, Irizawa Shinnai.

"Lord Toyotomi, we ninjas are not allowed to enter the mansions of noble people. Please go in and find the prince yourself, I'll be watching outside. ”

"I see. Go ahead, Irisawa. ”

Irizawa Shinnai escorted Hidemitsu and Hidemune to Prince Hachijo's mansion, and after trying to get them into the interior of the mansion, he immediately left and disappeared.

Hidemitsu and Hidemune landed steadily on the ground of the prince's mansion, secretly searching for him in the prince's mansion.

Xiuguang looked around at Prince Hachijo's mansion and inexplicably felt some emotion.

The mansion where Prince Hachijo lived was demarcated and designed by the late Taiko Hideyoshi. According to Hideyoshi's thoughts, this mansion has a slight imperial palace style, and at the same time, many elements of elegance that Hideyoshi liked have been added to the main structure of the imperial palace style, that is, it has some tea rooms and other buildings.

It is said that at the time of the construction of this mansion, Prince Hachijo was studying The Tale of Genji with his brother Masahito, and wanted a small room that would remind him of Genji. Hideyoshi agreed as a matter of course and revised the architectural drawings himself. At that time, it was time to conquer Odawara Castle.

Looking at this mansion with a slightly indifferent and elegant overall style, Xiuguang felt a little nostalgic. Some of the buildings in Osaka Castle are also styled like the Prince's residence. Probably because these are all from Hideyoshi.

"The study seems to be lit up."

From a distance, Xiuguang saw that Prince Hachijo's study was still lit.

"It's as if they've rested."

There was no human figure around, and there was silence in the huge mansion.

"Let's rush in, Your Highness. If it takes too long, it will be terrible to be discovered. ”

Xiuzong didn't dare to stay too long in this terrifying silence, so he tugged at Xiuguang's sleeve and told him to hurry up. Xiuguang nodded and walked slowly to the door of the study.

The dim light from a layer of high-quality textured paper sliding doors hit the cloister floor outside. As Xiuguang approached the sliding door, he could hear the small sound of paper grinding as the pages of some quaint books came from inside.

Through the gap between the sliding doors, Hidemitsu saw the vague back of Prince Hachijo in the light of an oil lamp.

Prince Hachijo is tall, thin and slender, but he gives people a sense of stability and serenity. Because he was at home and it was a break time, he was dressed more casually, just wearing ordinary home clothes. Although it was so ordinary, Xiuguang still felt a noble temperament from him.

He is worthy of being a member of the royal family. Xiuguang thought so.

Xiuguang glanced at Xiuzong and signaled that he could start. Xiuzong looked like he was ready to go to battle, nodded with a bitter face, and then stretched out his hand that was stiff because of nervousness and gently knocked on the paper door.

“…… What's the matter? ”

A clear and spirited young man's voice came from the study.

"Excuse me, is it His Royal Highness Prince Tomohito Hachijo Palace?"

“…… Who are you? ”

Listening to Xiuzong's cautious whispered questioning, the voice in the study suddenly became vigilant.

“…… He is the secret envoy of Osaka Castle, and he has important matters to report to His Royal Highness Prince Zhiren. ”

“…… Osaka Castle? ”

The voices in the study visibly relaxed their vigilance slightly. Both Xiuguang and Xiuzong breathed a sigh of relief.

“…… Come on in. ”

After getting permission from Prince Hachijo, Hidemune slowly opened the sliding door and let Hidemitsu in.

Prince Hachijo's study has many neatly arranged ancient books, and the entire study exudes a simple and fragrant smell of high-grade plant papermaking. The delicate partition sash placed on the side of the study is Prince Hachijo's favorite item. This partition was one of the gifts that Taiko Hideyoshi asked the famous painter Eitoku Kano to paint and gave to Prince Hachijo.

Prince Hachijo is now carefully flipping through the thick "New Ancient and Modern Waka Collection".

It is said that this prince is a scholar of Suxihe, and it seems that this is true today.

When Prince Hachijo heard the movement at the door, he knew that the people outside the door had already entered, so he stopped what he was doing, put the waka on the assembly, and turned away.

However, it was not an adult who knelt down in front of him, but a child who looked to be in his teens. Behind the child lay a tall boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Prince Hachijo looked at Hidemitsu and Hidemune in confusion, as if he didn't understand why the envoys from Osaka Castle were children and teenagers.

“…… You are the secret envoys of Osaka Castle? Excuse me. Came to find Lonely late at night, what's the matter? ”

Hearing the courtesy, Xiuguang and Xiuzong slowly raised their heads to a certain height.

"Xiuzong."

"Yes."

Xiuzong hurriedly took a short knife wrapped in cloth from his body and handed it to Xiuguang.

Hidemitsu removed the fabric wrapped around the outer layer and handed a short knife to Prince Hachijo.

"Toyotomi's attendant Hidemitsu, meet His Royal Highness Prince Tomohito Hachijo Palace."

Hidemitsu met Prince Hachijo with the etiquette of a formal meeting.

The prince looked at Xiuguang in surprise as he reached out and picked up the short knife.

"Is it the Red Snow Word?"

Prince Hachijo smiled a little nostalgically and stroked the scabbard gently.

"This is Feng Taige's love knife back then."

Prince Hachijo noticed that Hidemitsu was still in front of him, and hurriedly said:

"Excuse me, you two hurry up."

His tone changed rapidly, from vigilant to relaxed, from cold to gentle, from public language to martial language.

"You, are the four men of Feng Taige? Is that the Yoshimatsumaru who was born in the second year of Keicho (1597)? ”

"Yes."

Prince Hachijo seems to have confirmed and believed Hidemitsu's identity. He asked in a gentle and curious tone, and personally stepped forward to lift Xiuguang up from the ground.

"Xiuguang is honestly afraid."

Because of etiquette, Xiuguang didn't dare to get up from the ground.

"Ah, you don't need to be so polite. We're not meeting informally now, and you're a child of the late Buntako, and I used to be a son of Buntarak, so it's no problem for you to call me 'brother'. ”

"Xiuguang doesn't dare to do this, and asks His Royal Highness Prince Zhiren to forgive his sins."

"Anyway, don't be polite, hurry, hurry up."

Xiuguang sat up from the ground. Only then did he straighten up completely and look squarely at Prince Hachijo's face.

Prince Hachijo was very young, his face was handsome and delicate, and his face was full of smiles. His noble temperament reveals not only gentleness towards people, but also a sense of closeness and trust to the Toyotomi family. It is natural for people to think that this person is the former son of Feng Taige.