My mansion in Kyoto was originally the former residence of a lonely minister, who had to give me the house before going abroad to be a diner, so that I could raise a sum of money for the journey.

When I first took over, I really couldn't see it here, the houses collapsed and the walls were broken, that is, the original pattern was still in the past. I asked Kakukura to help, and it took a lot of renovation to gradually restore some of its appearance, and after a few years of natural growth and man-made cultivation of flowers and trees, I finally swept away all traces of inappropriateness.

It had been more than a month since I arrived in Kyoto, and it was September of the 7th year of Tensho (1579). Finally, we have survived the unbearable heat of Kyoto, and the autumn is cool but the trees are still flourishing. In the past month or so, many people have come to visit me, but most of the time I still have a high "exemption", and Oda Nobunaga has not heard anything from him.

Although it was two o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was not so vicious. After taking a nap, I sat alone in the quiet room in the garden, holding a copy of the Tao Te Ching and studying it carefully. "Wonderful...... That's wonderful! "When I saw the highlights, I couldn't help but slap my hand lightly on the table.

Personally, I don't think the Tao Te Ching is written very deeply, and some people who have a foundation in ancient Chinese can basically understand it. However, how to interpret the word "understand" is a matter of opinion! And it seems that the boy who has just come out of Mongolia can understand the general meaning, but the old Confucian does not dare to say that he understands it, which seems to be a bit like Go, only black and white have exhausted the way of heaven.

sighed and put down the book in his hand, but happened to see a copy of "Getaway" next to him. Lao Tzu's inaction, thoughtlessness, and desirelessness, coupled with Zhuangzi's leisurely infinity, should have encapsulated all the truths in the universe, at least all the confusion in life!

After inserting the tab, I put the book in the corner of the table, and I don't have to read too much every day, but it's best not to stop. "Who's out there?" I picked up the teacup and lifted the lid and blew on the tea stems floating on it.

"My lord, what do you command?" The door opened and Imu Hanqi knelt outside, and it seemed that he was on duty today.

"Go see if the fairy carp pill is up, call him here!" I took a sip of the tea in my hand, tasted it for a moment, and put it back on the table. The day of the Senkomaru Motofu is coming soon, and I want him to go out and visit a few people by himself. While my intention is to keep a low profile at the moment, it doesn't have to be the case with him.

"Back to the lord, the young master didn't take a nap today!" Imu Banqi's body trembled a little, and he looked a little uneasy. "After lunch, the young master said that he was going out for a walk, and then he changed his clothes and left, because the lord was taking a nap, so there was no report. At that time, the chief steward, Lord Inoue, asked a few words, but the young master just agreed in response! ”

"Who's following?" Listening to his words, I was slightly stunned. Because I'm in Kyoto, I'm not very strict with Senkoimaru, and someone of this age should have something to do with himself, but I didn't tell me in advance that this is something that has never happened. The attendants probably wanted Senkomaru to come back on his own before I noticed.

"It's Goto-sama and Akashi Junto!" Seeing my somewhat unhappy face, he hurriedly added, "However, five guards with strong swordsmanship have been arranged to follow me, and ten other ninjas are also scattered around to protect me!" ”

"Oh!" I just nodded, there shouldn't be any problem in this kind of defense in Kyoto. Looking out the window at the pine branches gently fluttering in the wind, I fell into deep thought again.

Although Senkomaru is basically a decent child, after all, he is in the strongest period of his rebellious personality (I don't know if there is such a word at this time), and it is reasonable to desire to be free from bondage. "Am I being too cautious? Wouldn't it make people feel more fake? "Somehow, I suddenly thought of myself, thinking about it, and I was getting more and more aggrieved." I'm only 34 years old this year, so I don't have to pretend to be an old man all day long! Live in style, and maybe no one will be able to eat me? After making up my mind, I said to Imu Hanqi, who was still kneeling there, "I'm going out for a walk too, you go and get ready first!" ”

"Yes, my lord!" Imu half-seven and a half bowed, and then asked, "The chariot guard will be ready soon, may I ask which direction to send the lead!" "He thought I was bored and going to visit.

"No, it's not!" I shook my head and stood up and walked out of the house. "I wanted to walk the streets, unassumingly, with a secret identity. There aren't many people to bring, just you, Sadamo, and Sakichi are fine. Dress modestly and don't let anyone recognize you! ”

"My lord! This...... I'm afraid it's not right! "It's early autumn now, but beads of sweat are pouring out of his head." The body of the lord is ten thousand gold, and the slightest difference is not something that his subordinates can afford! ”

"This is after all, what will be a big deal!" I'm going to go back to my bedroom first, where all the change of clothes is placed. "Besides, you can bring some ninjas around, as long as they don't interfere with my movements!"

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"Finally soaking up the sun with ease!" I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it out of my mouth, feeling incredibly relaxed. In fact, the air on the streets in the afternoon is not fresh, but still a little turbid, but the feeling at this moment is really good for me.

I can't remember the last time I walked down the street like this unnoticed, when it was the year, month, and time! It's been so long that this feeling is so alien to me, and so dear to me. I seem to have become an ordinary person again, and the people in the market are my neighbors.

"Don't be so nervous, aren't you afraid that others won't recognize us!" I reprimanded those three guys in a place where there were few people, and it was a ruin to my mood.

"Yes, my lord!" Although they agreed to me with a flushed face, it took a long time for them to relax. It seems that the time spent around the core of power is still too long, and the roles will not be able to change for a while.

The few of us came out this time in muslin clothes, and the swords were all changed to the general style of black leather sheaths, and at rough glance we looked like a relatively good wild samurai (thieves) or a middle and lower class samurai. Thanks to the stability of and the enlightened policies of Oda Nobunaga, it is not uncommon for pedestrians in silk and satin to be found on the streets of Kyoto, and there are even some merchants, which was not possible in the past, even if they were rich. Think about when I was in Owari...... It's really like smoke!

Kyoto has really changed a lot compared to before, and it can be said that it has changed without paying attention to it for a while. Actually, I've always been either in a mansion or in a sedan chair, so I don't know exactly what Kyoto really looks like, but I've only been impressed twice so far, the first time I brought Senshiba and my first few retainers to Kyoto on business, and the other was when I marched into the city with Oda Nobunaga's army.

It is precisely because the influence of these two times is so deep that some of my ideas are still stuck in the dilapidated post-war Kyoto, and although the speed of housing construction has mushroomed, there is no new understanding of the psychological state of ordinary people. The key to the revival of a place depends on the people!

"Oh?" I was immersed in my own social observations, when I suddenly felt someone pull me behind me. "What's wrong?" I asked Sakurai, who looked a little weird.

He pointed across the street, where there was a very ordinary wild samurai choosing something from the edge of a stall, and another person who was supposed to be his companion leaning against a wall.

"Is there something wrong?" I don't think there's anything strange about such people grabbing a handful of people on the streets of Kyoto.

"They are the guards of the house, the students of Teacher Shangquan, and they came out to protect the young master just now!" He looked around again, looking for something.

"Hmm...... You're dressed up well! I nodded in satisfaction, Senkomaru couldn't make him feel too good about himself right now. It is very necessary to let children have a little sense of self-ordinary, otherwise they will not be able to withstand setbacks in the future.

"Now the young master may be in that store, do you want to go in and have a look?" After observing for a while, he finally settled down, turned to me and asked me if I arrived.

"Then go over and have a look!" I also wanted to see what my son was like outside, so I walked over to the big house.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time since you've been here!" As soon as I arrived at the door, a man who looked like a boss opened the curtain and greeted me, nodding at me incessantly.

"You know me?" I couldn't help but be stunned when I saw his expression, there was no such person in my impression.

"You are a noble person who forgets things, and the small shop was fortunate to have been patronized by you a few years ago!" The boss was not in the slightest displeased by my negligence and continued to maintain a cordial professional smile. "His Highness Ikeda and Maeda-sama were in the shop at the time, and you talked with His Highness Ikeda for a while. Later, the two of them visited several times, but you never came again......"

"Oh!" I looked up at the sign hanging on the lintel, which read "Wind Chimes Hall" in three large characters. It turned out that this was the place where Ah Guo performed in Beijing back then, and I didn't have any impression at all, and I didn't want him to remember me.

I followed the boss into the house, and immediately saw Senkomaru, who was sitting in a prominent position in the first row. Although I could only see his back, it was enough and I was sure I wouldn't be mistaken.

"Wait!" My hand was on Sakurai's shoulder, and he was about to go over to report. "Let's not disturb him, go to the back!"

"Your side, please!" The boss must have seen what I meant, but he didn't ask, but took us to the small single room in the back and lowered the bamboo curtains. "It's none of your business here!" When the refreshments came, I sent the boss out without anyone noticing.

The show on the stage was not exciting, and Senkomaru was not concentrating as he sat there, with Goto Matabei and Akashi Junden standing behind him. But I was surprised that there were two other people at his table.