Chapter Twenty-Three: The Inextricable Bond
“…… In this way, loyalty is commendable," Nobunaga said slowly, "If you have such ambitions, you don't need to get married!" ”
After saying this, Nobunaga pulled the horse's head, clamped the horse's belly between his legs, and quickly headed for the town of Kyoto. The brothers Nakagawa Shigemasa and Tsuda Moritsuki, who were attendants, hurriedly followed, followed by the rest of the horse shop. Yoshiyuki Sawaki gave me a disappointed look, shook his head, and followed. Even Ishitani Yorichen, although he didn't have such vigorous foot strength, quickly distanced himself from us. On the side of the road full of corpses, all of a sudden only me, Xiujing, and Xiaoxia were left.
"Xiao Xia, what's wrong with you? You're 18 years old, it's time to get married, and you actually say such things...... Is there any dissatisfaction with His Highness Ryono? I said to Xiao Xia seriously.
As far as I think, it is a kind of happiness for her to let Xiao Xia marry and be freed from the battle. With Yoshiyuki Sawaki's surname and his love for Xiao Xia, he will definitely be treated well. The only thing to worry about is that his surname is more impulsive, so there is a historical incident of being exiled for assisting Hasegawa Hashisuke in a private fight. But now that I'm here, with my influence over him, I should be able to stop things from happening.
But Xiao Xia didn't appreciate it.
"Lord...... You...... You don't understand anything! She cried out with tears in her eyes and ran away sobbing.
"What's going on!" I looked at Xiujing in amazement.
"Brother, I'm going to ask you...... Can't my brother see it? She has always admired her brother so much! ”
"Admiration, how can this be?" I was really surprised.
For Xiao Xia, I treated it as a sister from the beginning. And Natsu has always cared for me very much, and I originally thought it was out of allegiance to the Kira family, because she has been like this since I came...... How do you know that Xiao Xia is actually in such a mood!
"I originally thought that my brother had other considerations, but I didn't expect my brother to ......," Xiujing shook his head, "I remember that before chasing my brother in Tosa and meeting my brother for the first time, my mother mentioned it to me, saying that I entrusted Xiao Xia to serve my brother. Didn't Xiao Xia mention this matter to his brother? ”
I asked uncertainly, "By ministry, you mean ...... As a housekeeper? ”
Xiujing nodded.
"How so? How could it be ......," I muttered to myself.
After thinking about it hard, Xiao Xia did say something like serving at that time, and he looked a little shy. However, I have always thought that service meant the loyalty of a retainer to the Lord's family. In modern language, this is already a semi-dead word, which is generally only seen in historical descriptions, and is replaced by words such as "care", whose meaning has been weakened a lot. How can I know that this word has other meanings in this day and age?
This is the so-called "gap of the times".
By the way, I also taught Natsu to sing some modern songs, and many of them are indeed common in modern times, but in this era, it seems to be more explicit and provocative than the most daring waka......
My mood suddenly became agitated, and the bloody aura around me made me feel even more uncomfortable.
"Anyway, let's go back first!" I said aloud and strode away on my own. Xiujing sighed and followed my footsteps.
When I got back to my house, it was nearly evening. When we heard that Natsu had returned, and that she had entered the room and closed the door, we didn't disturb her so as not to spoil her mood any more. At dinner, Xiao Xia didn't come out, and when I went back to the room to call her, I found that the hook of the sliding door was hanging from the inside.
After calling through the door twice in embarrassment, I had no choice but to leave when I saw no response.
But when it was time to break, the door was still closed. This made me and Xiujing embarrassed. Due to the limited number of rooms in the dormitory, Xiao Xia lives in the same room as me and Xiujing. This is already an extra care, and the rest of the mother's clothes crowd, the horse jar crowd, and the side crowd are all five people in a room. Xiao Xia closed the door of the house, and Xiujing and I had nowhere to live. So the two of us simply took the initiative to work overtime, and the five of them guarded the room outside Nobunaga's room with Yoshiyuki Sawaki and the other five of them.
Yoshiyuki Sawaki was silently drinking sake, and when he saw me coming in, he just glanced at me from the corner of his eye, and he didn't have the affection he used to have at all. I understood his current mood and didn't go to my heart or bother him.
When I sat down against the wall, he suddenly put the wine bowl on the floor, lowered his voice and asked complainingly, "Hey, Keijiro, what the hell is going on today!" Does Natsu hate me Fujihachi so much...... Or do you have other plans? Xiao Xia has always listened to you very much! ”
"This ......," I hesitated, "I'm really sorry about Xiao Xia's matter!" It's because I'm sorry for you......"
"You...... Bastard! I still treat you as a friend of life and death! Ryoyuki Sawaki shouted angrily, raising his fist and about to smash it. The other four people hurriedly pulled him.
"Fujihachi, the Lord Justice is resting!" Iwamuro reminded in a low voice.
"Your Highness Ryoyuki, you may have misunderstood...... Xiujing hurriedly whispered to Ryoyuki Sawaki to explain the reason.
After listening to Xiujing's explanation, the five people looked at each other, and their faces were all very exciting. Especially Yoshiyuki Sawaki, if it wasn't for the outer room of Nobunaga's bedroom, I'm afraid he would have rushed over several times. However, after knowing the whole thing, he gasped for breath a few times, but he calmed down first.
"I was suspicious. When I was about to propose to Xiao Xia, I also specially asked for your opinion, and you strongly encouraged me...... You're really ...... too" As he spoke, he couldn't help but wave his fist again, "Hmph, it's so hateful! Keijiro, you guy remember, you owe me a beating today! ”
"It's true that I didn't figure it out." I had no choice but to bow my head and admit the punishment.
"So what are you going to do? Today, the lord's face is damaged, and he has already said that Xiao Xia does not have to get married...... I'm afraid things won't be so easy for the two of you. Yoshiyuki Sawaki sighed. Although Xiao Xia rejected him, after he understood the reason, he took care of Xiao Xia's heart.
"I have no intention of marrying Natsu," I shook my head, "I treat her as a sister and want her to be happy...... At the same time, I hope to take care of her thoughts as much as possible. But I didn't expect her to ...... What a headache! ”
"You guy...... I really don't know what to think! Ryo Sawaki looked disapproving.
"His Royal Highness Xiujing's thoughts are indeed incomprehensible." Yazaburo Kato also shook his head.
I smiled wryly. What they think, I know very well. According to the concept of this era in this country, women's thoughts are not necessarily taken care of, and intermarriage between brothers and sisters is not a taboo thing, as long as it is not biological. However, after all, I live in modern China, and some concepts have always been difficult to break through. In my opinion, when a man says to MM, "I only treat you as a sister", whether it is sincere or not, it means that it is impossible to be together, just like MM saying something like "you are a good person" to you. Things like the sister's declaration and the good guy card are the ultimate meaning of one-hit killing......
One night passed like this, and the next day was the day when Nobunaga met with the shogun to pay homage to the official. All seven of us stayed in the dormitory because we were on duty for the night. When Xiujing and I were about to go back to our room to rest, we found that the door was still closed. This worries me a little, because Natsu always wakes up early. Also, she didn't eat dinner yesterday.
"Natsu-chan, Natsu-chan! Are you okay? I banged on the door and shouted.
With a soft sound, the hook was removed. Xiao Xia opened the door, bowed expressionlessly, and then returned to the reed mat in the back and lay down with his back to me.
Xiujing and I glanced at each other, and from the sleepiness on his face, I could imagine my own face. I guess he looked at me the same, and the two of them unanimously decided to sleep first.
……,……
Oda Nobunaga's trip to the shogunate was very smooth, and the official position granted was indeed from the fifth rank to the shogunate, which shows that Ishiya Yorichen still has some energy in the shogunate.
After my marriage with the Ishiya family, Ishitani Yorichen's position will always be tilted towards us to some extent, at least so that the family can understand some of the developments of the shogunate in time. For Nobunaga, of course, he was happy to see it happen.
Due to his "enthusiasm" and "kindness", less than half a month after we returned to Cheongju, the dishes of the Ishiya family were taken over. For this reason, Nobunaga also gave me a house to live next to Ikeda Hengxing, who had been training with him and was also a general.
Nobunaga's attitude made many people very jealous of me. What a wonderful thing it would have been to get a house and a wife all at once, in their opinion. What's more, after the marriage with the Ishitani family, diplomacy with Kyoto will inevitably have to rely on my relationship. The end of this relationship can even be extended to Minokoku, and it is conceivable that my status in the family will definitely be improved because of this.
But my heart is really annoying. Since returning to Cheongju, Natsu has barely spoken to me, even though she was with me as usual, and has remained a worrying silence. I asked her to move with me to her new home, but she insisted on staying at the house. And at the subsequent wedding, she didn't come to attend, and I tried to find Xiao Xia's figure, but I only saw Xiujing alone. Seeing my inquiring gaze, Xiujing shook his head and pointed in the direction of the sorrel house.
I know that Xiao Xia is still very unhappy in her heart.
At this point, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. I don't know when she'll recover. Moreover, even if I am determined to marry Konatsu now, I must pass Nobunaga's level first. There are two types of people who Nobunaga dislikes the most in his life, one is disobedient, such as Asai Nagamasa father and son; The second is incapable, such as Lin Xiuzhen and Sakuma Nobumori in the later period. For Xiao Xia's public disobedience, he is still angry.
After sending those colleagues away, I went back to the master bedroom in a depressed mood. Nana Ishiya kneeling on a tatami mat, she had already changed into the snow-white silk dress and hood that represented purity at the wedding, and was wearing a dark red crane pattern flower auspicious dress embroidered with gold and silver. However, under the dim oil light, looking at her pale face and her red lips, I looked awkward. I think her most suitable costume is the former Qing official robe, and then she jumps and plays the zombie.
I took off my ebony hat and lay down with my back to her kimono. After a while, a timid voice came from behind him: "Your Highness, please...... Feel free to say something. ”
"What?" I asked casually and didn't look back.
"The concubine came to Owari alone, I'm really scared, please ask Your Highness to be considerate......"
Her voice is very crisp, even with a hint of childlike sound. I turned my head and saw that she did look nervous, and she was even more confused when I turned my head to look over.
After all, it's just a fourteen-year-old child, and in the face of an unfamiliar environment, an unfamiliar identity and unfamiliar people, it is inevitable that you will be nervous.
Thinking of her age, my heart softened. Sighing, I comforted her: "Although this marriage is very hasty, I am also very confused. However, since you are here, please feel like your own home and live in peace! ”
Nana Shigu bit her lip: "However, it's not His Highness who is the concubine...... Then he entrusted the lord of Oda to ask the concubine's brother for marriage? For this reason, the elder brother also rejected the people of the Changzong family...... Could it be that His Royal Highness has no ...... for concubines? Isn't there some pity? ”
Oh, Ishiya Raichen actually explained to her like this? What about my killing of Gu Zhongcheng? What do you want to kill him? What about his sister's begging for his life? What about Oda Nobunaga's threats to him?
I couldn't help but snort. This Shigu Laichen is really good at covering it up!
"Is Your Highness making fun of the concubine?!" Hearing my soft hum, Nana Ishitani thought I was making fun of her self-inflicted affection, and she was sad and ashamed, and finally burst into tears.
"Okay, okay, I didn't mean that. Don't cry. ”
"It's His Highness who is too cold...... But when you come here, is it a concubine's request? Ishiya said while crying.
"I didn't ask for it either! I just want revenge, who knew it would bring you little zombie? I couldn't help but blurt it out. She was depressed enough, she kept crying, and self-righteously thought that I pursued her first, and then snubbed her, as if everything was wrong with me. What's going on!
"It's too much...... How could you say such a thing...... It's too much! Hearing me say this, Nana Ishiya was very sad and angry. She fell on the quilt beside her and began to cry.
Her childlike cries were all over my ears, which made my mood even more upset. I felt that I couldn't stay any longer, so I opened the door and walked to the sorrel house in the dark in my black wedding dress and clogs.
Yuga heard my door change and hurriedly opened the door.
"Oh, it's really Your Highness! I thought I had misheard...... "She stood sideways by the door with a lantern and welcomed me in.
"Is Natsu alright?" I asked.
"I've slept...... Having said that, tonight is His Highness's wedding, why did you come here at this time, wouldn't it be more appropriate to come back after dawn? What about Madame? Yu Jia hurried a few steps into the middle of the street and looked in the direction I had come.
"She didn't come." I lifted my feet and went inside.
"This ...... How could His Highness leave Madame there alone! Yu Jia hurriedly grabbed my clothes and laughed in his mouth, "Is it that Madame is unwilling to serve?" Your Highness, Madame is still young, so you might as well be considerate. ”
"Don't mention her." I depressedly pulled Yu Jia's hand away.
"That's not going to work...... Your Highness is very unsettling like this," Yu Jia thought about it and made up his mind, "The concubine will go over now, let's meet Madame first." ”
"If you want to go over, you can go over, I'll go back to my room and rest first." I dropped the sentence and went back to our old room.
Lying on the reed mat, I originally thought that Yu Jia would come back soon, but more than an hour passed, and there was still no movement on the other side of the door. I can't help but worry that something will happen to me when I go out so late in Calais. As a side room, how do you get along with Nana Ishitani on that side? Then, my ears seemed to be filled with her sad crying, and I couldn't sleep.
Calm down and think about it, in this marriage, Nana Ishiya is even more pitiful than me. I had the only choice, and she had no choice. Whether it was my family in the previous Changzong or my family now, she could only follow other people's arrangements. Moreover, she is only fourteen years old now, the same as Ah Song in the Li family. But Ah Song has been with the Li family since he was a child, and the relationship between the two is very close; Nana Ishiya had to come to a strange place and live with strange people.
If it weren't for the previous thing, she would have married into the Changzong family according to the original history, which might be better for her. Compared with me, a general who has no territory, the Yuan Qin is the identity of the Daimyo Concubine, although the current evaluation at home is very low, and he is over twenty years old and has not even passed the first battle, but I know that he is actually a very good person.
Perhaps, I should have been kind to her, even if it was for the sake of harmony in my family. As the main room, she will have a lot of say in the internal housework......
I pretty much lay like that all night. As soon as it was dark, I immediately got up and went to my new home to visit Yu Jia and Nana Ishitani.
When I was about to arrive at the place, I noticed that Yu Jia was walking towards me, holding a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl in his hand. The girl has picturesque eyebrows, wears a black alfalfa pattern kimono, and looks very close to Yujia, like a family.
"Yuga, is this someone from your family? How come I've never heard you say that before? I asked, surprised.
Yujia was even more surprised than I was: "Your Highness...... This is Mrs. Nana! ”
This is the "little zombie" from yesterday? I could hardly believe it.
“…… Why did you change your clothes again! After a moment's pause, I had no choice but to say this.
When the girl heard me ask, she lowered her head and tried to hide behind Yuga.
"The wedding night is over, of course you have to change into regular clothes," Yu Jia sneered: "Speaking of Madame, it's really careless!" When the concubine passed, her face was still smeared with grease powder, no wonder His Royal Highness was dissatisfied...... Heck, now that you've changed out of your dress and put on a lucky dress, you should remember to take off your makeup! ”
"No one told me again......" Nana Ishiya muttered in a low voice behind Yu Jia.
"Okay, don't worry, madam, Your Highness is actually a very gentle person......" Yu Jia smiled and pushed her in front of me.
"But, Sister Yuga...... His Royal Highness seems to hate me very much, and says that I am a little devil...... "Under Yu Jia's actions, Nana Ishiya reluctantly walked up to me, and complained to Yu Jia very aggrieved.
"What a thing. Seeing that His Royal Highness came over so early, doesn't it mean that he is worried about Madame? Yuga comforted her and winked at me.
I was surprised to see that she and Yuga got along so well. Yujia is certainly empathetic, but at least she is not difficult to get along with. Originally, I came over as soon as possible, and I had the intention of apologizing, so I apologized at this time:
"Well, yesterday was wrong, and I said something excessive." I bowed slightly, "Cheongju is a good place, so please stay in peace in the future!" ”
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