In August of the eighth year of Keicho (1603), the streets of Kyoto were filled with fiery sunlight as usual. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

In a tea room at the Mibungi Mansion in Kyoto, Hidemitsu is learning the tea ceremony from someone.

"Is that okay?"

"That's right, but be careful not to use too much force when stirring with a whisk, but to be gentle."

"Well, thank you for your advice."

That "someone" was the late Taiko Hideyoshi's main office, Nene Ning. After Hideyoshi's death, she became a monk in Sanbongi, Kyoto, and her legal name was Kodai-in. When Hideyoshi was alive, he asked his two sons to call her "Big Mother".

"Your Highness Xiuguang, you have visited my residence many times, and Mrs. Yodo has not objected?" After learning the tea ceremony, Kodai-in suddenly asked Hidemitsu, who was tasting Kyoto sweets in the garden. In the past, the relationship between Gaotaiyuan and Mrs. Yodo was rather awkward, and after the two became monks in Gaotaiyuan, there was no more face-to-face conversation except for official etiquette. From this point of view, it is indeed possible that Mrs. Yodo does not want Hidemitsu to have too much contact with Gaotaiyuan.

"No, because every time I go to Beijing to study, a big businessman in Osaka Castle who used to be cared for by my father has asked me to bring you a gift that he is going to give you. So my mother didn't say much about it. ”

"Oh, it turns out that the gift that Lord Chang An gave me has always been brought by you. Because the maid has always helped me receive it, I never knew about it, so I am very grateful. ”

Since August last year, Hidemitsu has been studying at the Kujo family in Kyoto every two months from Osaka. Because of the gift, Xiuguang and Gaotaiyuan gradually became acquainted. Now, every time Hidemitsu goes to Kyoto, he spends some time at his residence in Kodai-in.

"Then again, how is Hideyori-sama? Last month, Tokugawa-sama's granddaughter, Chihime-sama, just married Hideyori-sama, right? ”

"Yes, last month, my brother and Senhime-sama had a grand wedding in Osaka Castle. My brother and mother were very happy. ”

"Yes, after all, it was in accordance with the last wishes of the late Taiko-sama, and in addition, this marriage is seen by many as a symbol of the gradual peace between the Toyotomi family and the Tokugawa family...... But is it really a symbol of peace? Gao Taiyuan said the second half of the sentence in a complex and vague tone.

"Yes, if only this was really a symbol of peace, but ......" Hidemitsu immediately responded to the second half of the words of the high dai courtyard, and looked at the sky outside the courtyard with serious eyes. Gao Taiyuan showed a slightly surprised expression after hearing those words, but then smiled slightly: "You kid, sometimes you really don't look like a seven-year-old child......

……

……

After finishing his studies in Kyoto, Hidemitsu returned to Osaka Castle.

As the Takadaiin said, "It is not a symbol of peace", and Hidemitsu himself knows it well. Tokugawa Ieyasu married his granddaughter Chihime to Hideyori, the heir of the Toyotomi family, not as an attempt to reconcile the two families, but as an opportunity to make the Toyotomi family slowly relax, and the Tokugawa family pressed forward step by step, setting up a heavy siege around the territory of the Toyotomi family, and finally attacked Osaka Castle in one fell swoop when the time came. This is the Osaka Winter Formation (1614) and the Summer Formation (1615) that will take place in the future.

It's time to figure out how to do something, Xiuguang thought.

But what can be done now? Find a way to develop the territory and save money on your own? Or to nurture talent? These seem to be too far away from him, Xiuguang thought to himself.

"I'd love to try to govern the country, but at my age, it's obviously impossible. If you want to have your own fiefdom, it is estimated that you will have to wait until you are in your teens, and you will have to wait for a few more years. Xiuguang sat in his room and muttered to himself.

Sure enough, at this age, it's better to learn more about how to govern the country. With the pitiful amount of knowledge in our heads, we will not be able to govern the country well. Xiuguang secretly made up his mind to study hard.

"Your Highness! Lord Hideyori and his wife are already in place, aren't Your Highness ready yet? ”

Suddenly, there was a voice outside the door.

"Xiuzong? I'll be right away. ”

Xiuguang hurriedly put aside the thoughts in his heart and ran out in a hurry. "Lord Hideyori and Mrs. Hideyori are already in place, so hurry up and go over!"

Standing outside the door calling for Hidemitsu is Hidemitsu's young guard, Date Hidemune.

Hidemune was the eldest son of Date Masamune, a daimyo of 620,000 koku in the Ou region. When Hidemune was five years old, he was given the character "Xiu" by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and became Hideyoshi's nickname. Later, when Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu were in opposition to Tokugawa Ieyasu, he was placed as a hostage in the mansion of the Ukita Hide. After the Battle of Sekigahara, he was favored by Hidemitsu, so he became Hidemitsu's nickname again. The thirteen-year-old Xiuzong is very handsome and very popular with young women. So he was often complained by Xiuguang that "standing with you, the limelight was suppressed".

Now to describe his relationship with Xiuguang, it is more appropriate to say that he is not so much a master and servant as a friend.

The topic shifted to one side, and now Hidemitsu's place was Hideyori's living room, which was located in the center of Honmaru. Since Hidemitsu started studying in Kyoto last year, he has developed the habit of "every time he goes to Beijing to study, he will have a family dinner when he comes back".

"Mother, elder brother, sister Wanzi, Xiuguang just came back from the capital. I haven't seen you for a few days, and Xiuguang misses you very much. ”

After arriving, Hidemitsu greeted Lady Yodo, Hideyori, and Wanko. The one that Hidemitsu called "Sister Wanko" was Toyotomi Mitsuko, the widow of the late Taiko Hideyoshi's nephew and adopted son, who died of illness in the Battle of Bunroku Keichō. Her biological mother is Lady Yodo's younger sister, Ajiang. After Hidekatsu's death, Ajiang was arranged to marry Hidetada, the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and became Hidetada's main room. So she and Chihime, who just married Hideyori last month, are actually half-sisters (Chihime is the eldest daughter of Hidetada).

The three of them also smiled when they saw Xiuguang's arrival.

"I'm finally back, Xiuguang, and I miss you too, mother."

"It's been hard to study in Kyoto, welcome back, Hidemitsu."

"It's good that you're safe, sister, I've always been worried about you."

After Xiuguang sat down, the attendants immediately brought the meal.

"By the way, Hidemitsu, this young lady is Hideyori's main room, Tokugawa-sama's granddaughter Chi. The two of you only met once on the occasion of last month's wedding, so now you can get to know each other.

Mrs. Yodo beckoned to the handsome-looking little girl sitting beside Xiulai. There is no doubt that she is Chihime.

"Qian, say hello to Xiuguang."

"Yes. Hidemitsu-sama, I'm a thousand, please take care of me from now on! ”

Chihime obediently greeted Hidemitsu.

"Xiuguang is, from now on, I will ask Lord Chihime to take care of me."

Hidemitsu responded to the greeting as a matter of course.

Seeing this, Mrs. Yodo and Hideyori smiled and said,

"Xiuguang and Qiandu are, their own family members don't need to be too restrained. Qian is the daughter of my sister Jiang, and you are cousins. ”

"That's right, Xiuguang, you can just call 'Qian'."

"Yes, I see."

The family is really on good terms.

"Having said that, how was your health when you went to Beijing to study this time? Your child has been very sick and weak since he was a child, which is really worrying. ”

Mrs. Yodo looked at Xiuguang with worried eyes.

"It's no problem this time, it's not a big deal for the time being."

Xiuguang's physique is not very good by nature, and he often gets sick.

In fact, Mrs. Yodo originally disagreed with Hidemitsu's desire to study in Kyoto. In addition to not wanting Xiuguang to meet with the monk's Gaotaiyuan and worrying about Xiuguang's personal safety, she thought that Xiuguang's weak body was the main reason why she didn't want Xiuguang to go to Beijing. Presumably, Mrs. Yodo was worried that Hidemitsu would follow in the footsteps of Hideyoshi's eldest man, Ishimatsumaru, and his second son, Tsurumata, who died of illness.

However, after hearing Hidemitsu explain that studying in Beijing would make it more convenient to have a good relationship with the public family and increase the backing of the Toyotomi family, she still thought about it again. She thought that even if Hidemitsu stayed in Osaka Castle, there would be no excellent teachers to tutor Hidemitsu, because these better teachers had already become Hideyori's exclusive teachers, and she herself had to focus on Hideyori, who was going to provoke the Toyotomi family in the future, and she had no intention of teaching Hidemitsu.

Lady Yodo reluctantly agreed to Hidemitsu's proposal to study in Beijing, but she demanded that she be accompanied by a skilled physician when she traveled.

But even so, Xiuguang still had a few colds, and each time it was difficult to recover his health.

In short, Xiuguang's physical condition is a big problem now, and it is a problem that must be solved first.

Xiuguang also wants to change the condition of being sick and weak.

"Sure enough, I have to find a way to learn some martial arts and other things to strengthen my body."

Xiuguang, who had finished the family dinner, said to his close attendant Xiuzong.

"Does Your Highness want to get better? So why don't you ask some of the old generals who are better at martial arts? ”

Xiuzong scratched his head in confusion.

"Hyogoro, are you stupid? Doing so will let my mother know that she will definitely reproach me for not doing my proper job of studying. ”

Hyogoro is the young name of Hidemune, and Hidemitsu sometimes calls out when he is excited.

"Then what does Your Highness want to do? Visiting Joshitachi? ”

"Hmm... Can be considered. No! So decided, tomorrow you and I will go around the castle town and see if there are any interesting people in the castle. There are always a lot of strange people gathering in the castle town of Osaka Castle or occasionally walking by, and you may meet a famous person or a swordsman who walks the world one day. If you can, it's also a good idea to take advantage of this trip to dig up talent. ”

In this way, the itinerary of the two for the next day was set.