At three o'clock, the second opening drum sounds, and the south gate of Kyoto's Taiji Hall and Chaoyang-in Temple slowly opens, welcoming the rising sun of the new day.

If in the Heian period, the second opening drum sounds, the street will be lively, and a top passenger (sedan chair) will rush out one after another, going straight to the Taiji Hall. Because three quarters is the time for the ministers to go to court.

However, this is no longer what it used to be, since the Kamakura shogunate period, the emperor has been used as an ornament by the shogun, and now in the Sengoku period, the once invincible shogun has disappeared, and the emperor has become a veritable "high above", hanging in the air and ignored.

Since the emperor was worshipped as a "god", the daily routine court meeting had long been useless, and the ministers who had ideas were all oiled on the soles of their feet and went to the local daimyo to eat mixed rice. The rest are like turtles on the island, people who sell their fame and reputation, except for a conservative mind, and there is no real talent and learning.

However, it can't be said that they are useless, at least in the recitation of poetry, so they are still quite good at making elegance, such as meeting a wealthy family who likes elegance, selling some calligraphy and paintings, and can also mix without worry. Of course, there is another kind of business, which has no capital and no profit, that is, "selling" officials.

The Minister of the Interior, Ju Ting Qingji, belongs to this category of people, this Gongqin, chess, poetry and painting are proficient in everything, and he also writes a good calligraphy, which can be described as the "literary and artistic fan" of the powerful faction of that era. Back then, advocating the culture of the Gongqing and priding himself as the elegant "No. 1 Bow on the East China Sea Island" today, Yiyuan once asked him to go out of the mountain at a high price to be his staff.

It's a pity that this duke has bad luck, and within a few days of comfortable days, the master Imagawa Yoshimoto was on the way to Kamiraku and was picked off by Oda Nobunaga. As soon as the big tree fell, the chrysanthemum pavilion had to admit that he was unlucky, and returned to Kyoto in a huffy manner, became a "noble" minister, and picked up the business of selling calligraphy and paintings.

Although it was Nobunaga who judged his financial path and future, Kikutei Qingji did not resent it at all, and thought in his heart that Imagawa Yoshimoto was innocent of his death, and the world was inhabited by the capable, since you didn't have that ability, you deserved to die.

Especially after Oda Nobunaga succeeded in Kamiraku and exiled the general Ashikaga Yoshiaki and became a generation of overlords, this prince admired Nobunaga even more, and often recited poems and lyrics, singing praises of virtue. Helplessly, Oda Nobunaga did not give the minister any face, and scoffed at his flattering rhetoric every time.

However, today, this prince traveled early and rushed to the inner room, which can be described as full of energy, not only wearing a black dress and belt, hanging a hat and crown, but also talking about pomp, the general entourage is lined up left and right, out of the alley, and then turned to the two main roads in a grand manner.

At this time, at the other end of Nijo Main Road in Kyoto, a man on horseback with a handsome face, a pale expression, and a cough was coming.

Although this person is sick, he does not look like an ordinary person in terms of temperament and demeanor and dignified manners.

He allowed the horses to slow down at will, and the few attendants who followed him were also tired, and at a glance they knew that they were coming from afar.

Nowadays, the entire city of Kyoto is full of people, including servants, civilians, merchants, and even monks and nuns, who are currently the only metropolis in Japan, passing by and not greeting each other.

However, in front of a Yoshino tea house, there were many people gathered, and the only thing they talked about was the bizarre case of last night.

One said, "Hey, have you heard?" This morning, someone found Lord Nayan in the thatched house, naked, wrapped in a quilt, and covered with foul-smelling dung. ”

"I have seen it with my own eyes." An old man next to him replied.

As soon as this man replied, seven or eight people instantly gathered around him and urged, "Is it true that Lord Zhong Nayan slept in the latrine all night, as everyone said?" ”

"Could it be that Lord Nayan likes to eat feces? I hadn't heard of him before, he had such a hobby. ”

"Go, I said you're all pig brains, do you like to eat that thing? Nakayan-sama was kidnapped. The man replied angrily.

"Why is this, I haven't heard of Kyoto Wild Fushi (mountain bandits), could it be that the adults have offended someone?"

"I don't know. But something even stranger happened last night. ”

When everyone heard the old man say this, they came to the spirit again, and they hurriedly asked what was going on.

The man smiled mysteriously and said, "Just last night, Sakura, a girl in the custom house, was killed, and it is said that she died naked and naked. ”

When everyone heard this, they immediately became more energetic, and put aside the matter of whether Lord Zhong Nayan liked to eat feces or not, and immediately took pity on the jade.

One said, "I heard that Sakura is a good friend of Lord Nakayan." ”

The other touched the melon, "You say, will this be a vendetta, because of the lust." ”

"Okay, don't guess, the deceased has a big hole in his skull, obviously not by ordinary people, according to the old man's observation, there should be demons in the city." The old man's words blocked everyone's mouths.

Everyone was silent for a while, and suddenly there was a burst of laughter, saying that the old man was talking nonsense, how could there be demons in the huge Kyoto.

The old man smiled and said coldly: "Have you ever seen someone kill someone and suck away the brain marrow of a dead corpse?" I advise everyone to go back, still close the door, don't go out on weekdays, and be careful to sail the ship of ten thousand years. ”

Everyone was skeptical of his words, but fear and horror were slowly written on their faces.

The man on the horse also listened attentively from time to time, but when he heard the old man's words, he couldn't help but shake his head, just as child's play.

He only bowed his head and dared to go, and the war horse was also listless as if he was tired from the journey, and unconsciously walked into a guard of honor.

The person who led the team shouted for a while, but it was still a step too late, and the war horse was directly loaded onto a wooden sedan chair. With a "bang", the wooden sedan chair fell to the ground, and there was a wail inside.

Everyone was shocked, and hurriedly helped the sedan chair, and asked for inquiries, saying "Adult, it's okay", "Adult, be careful", "My lord, look at the person I beat up, give you anger"......

At this time, someone had already gathered around and shouted, "Who are you?" Dare to rush into the Minister of the Interior, I'm impatient, hurry up and get off the horse. ”

The rider hurriedly threw off the saddle, but when he dismounted, his body shook visibly, apparently ill. At this time, his attendants also followed, standing in front of their master, glaring angrily at each other.

This person waved his hand, asked the entourage to retreat, stepped forward and bowed and said, "I'm in a hurry, cough cough...... I don't know which of the ministers collided with, it was purely unintentional, and it ...... Ahem...... Thank you for your understanding. ”

He forced a cough and apologized, but the other party didn't sell it.

A short, stocky man squinted his eyes and looked him up and down, and saw that this person was dressed in blue and drooping, covered with dark gray feathers, combed neatly with a moon head, handsome and delicate eyebrows, and a delicate beard under his chin.

It seems that although they are not ordinary characters, they are used to running rampant in Kyoto, as long as you walk outside the door of Kyoto, they are all countrymen in their eyes, and they always have three words in their eyes: look down.

Humpty Dumpty saw that the other party looked like a nouveau riche from the "countryside", and most of the time he came to Kyoto to buy an official and a half-job, and his lord was the minister of the interior, and it was these people who worshipped him, so he was very confident in his heart, and his expression was even more arrogant.

He took a step forward, stretched out his hand to grab the other party, and shouted: "I bumped into the Minister of the Interior, and I easily said a flag, and I want to get through the tricks?" ”

His action provoked this man's entourage, and when everyone saw that their master was humiliated, they all shook their hands on the hilt of their swords, and they were about to draw their swords.

When Humpty Dumpty saw it, he suddenly felt a little timid in his heart, so he pushed forward sharply and shouted, "Today, adults have urgent things to do, and I don't know you hillbillies in general." ”

He thought it was just a simple push, but the other party was not a healthy person, and he pushed him violently, and suddenly a mouthful of phlegm was stuck in his chest, a dry cough, and his handsome face was even more pale......

When everyone saw it, they were all stunned, and this person's entourage no longer drew their swords, but hurriedly gathered around, wiped their chests, beat their backs, and some people took off water bags and poured water for their masters.

But all efforts were in vain, and the man couldn't stop gasping for breath, his eyes turned out, obviously he couldn't breathe, and he was in danger of suffocation.

Just when everyone was helpless and anxious, suddenly a tall young man, separated from the crowd, could not be separated, picked up this person, then bowed forward with his right leg, put the person down on his knee, according to his back, "snapped" a few palms, only to hear the sound of "poof", this person spit out a mouthful of bloody phlegm......