The moon is in the sky, and the night is like water.

A gust of evening breeze struck, and Irita Qincheng, who was only wearing thin clothes, suddenly felt cold all over his body.

Ever since he learned that the territory was occupied by the Luo family and that his son had been captured by the Luo family, he would have a nightmare almost every night, in which he would see the ancestors of the Cheng family scolding him.

Unable to sleep, he would often go to the yard for a walk. Tonight, he went into the courtyard as usual.

In fact, someone had secretly handed him a handwritten letter from his son Yoshimi Irita, and his heart was that he knew that his son had actually only become a "captive" of the Luo family and had not yet died. Yes, although his son had clearly told Irita in the letter that he had taken refuge in the Luo family, Irita always firmly believed that his sister-in-law was forced by the Luo family. So he resolutely claimed that his sister-in-law had been "killed" in the battle with the Luo family. resolutely denied the Luo family's claim that the Irita family had defected to the Luo family. Even to show his attitude, he personally came to the front line of the battle against the Luo family with all the wealthy clans to direct the battle.

He is also forced to do this, once it is known by everyone on the side of the Otomo family that his sister-in-law has "joined" the camp of the Luo family, then his prestige will be affected, and his status in the Otomo family will also go all the way, and it will even affect all the efforts made by the Shiochimaru inheritance family governor that he supports.

Of course, he was really afraid that one day he would see his own military and his sister-in-law in the Luo family's camp. If that time really comes, he decides to expel his son-in-law Yoshimi Irita from the family and call him a rebel. It's just that he can't figure it out. Until now. He didn't get any more news about his sister-in-law. I didn't see my own military banner in the Luo family's military situation in Okajo.

"My lord, outside the door, the important minister of the Lu Ci family, Hu Ci Fan (Uncle Tachibana Dao Xuetang) asks to see you." At this time, the retainers who couldn't find the governor in the bedroom finally found the courtyard, and found Irita Qincheng standing in the courtyard looking at the moonlight, so he hurriedly reported it.

"Lu Ci's relatives?" After hearing the name of the person who came to see him, Irita couldn't help but be stunned.

Ohno County is mainly controlled by the 10,000 Tian family and the Lu Ji family. The Lu family was divided into three families: the main family, the Kataga Seto family, and the Fujikita family. The one who came to visit late at night was the Fujibei family branch governor Lu Ci. Although the Lu family is divided into one family and two tributaries, the three families have always been very united and retreating together. In addition, in the 6th year of Daiei (1526), after the death of the family governor Toji's in-laws, Tojikanren, the son-in-law who succeeded the family governor, repeatedly performed miraculous feats in the Otomo family. In addition, with the help of his stepmother's (stepmother is the sister of Usuki Kansu's sister Yoyofu), the Usuki family, the family and the branch family have gradually grown into a wealthy family on a par with the Ichmanda family in Ono County. In the joint army of the confrontation between Ono County and the Luo family, the Lu family accounted for nearly one-third of the powerful force. And the one who came to see tonight was Lu Ci's family's main general, Lu Ci's family.

The other party will visit late at night, and Irita Qincheng naturally went out to greet him. After everyone came to the study, Irita immediately said:

"I don't know if Lord Lu Dao Lu Ci visited late at night, yes?"

"Hahaha, Lord Irita doesn't need to be nervous, the enemy who has entered the county has not yet stepped into the border of this county, and it is still relatively safe here for the time being. The main purpose of tonight's visit is to inform Irita-sama of the family's decision regarding the situation. Lu Ci Qinfan saw Irita's face full of solemnity, and immediately realized that his late-night visit might lead to his misunderstanding and something big had happened. So he immediately analyzed with a smile.

"Oh?" Since there is no change in the Luo family, why did you visit late at night? Irita immediately became puzzled again.

"Come on. Salute Irita-sama. Lu Ci Qinfan did not continue to play the dumb riddle, but turned his head to a young man behind him and commanded. The latter immediately came to Irita Qincheng, and then saluted:

"In the Shimolu family, the new head of the family, the Toji Jianfang, has met Irita-sama."

"Huh?" Irita was taken aback. Isn't the governor of Lu Ci's own family a household Jianlian? Why did he suddenly become the young man in front of him? Although I heard that after the First World War last year, the head of the Lu family and all the important ministers under his command disappeared, but it was not enough to change the family governor so soon, right? What's even more strange is that even if the Lu Cijia has changed their governor now, they won't come to introduce themselves in the middle of the night, right?

"Do you think Irita-sama is a little strange to come to visit late at night?" Without waiting for the exit of Iritian, the Toji Jian Fang spoke first: "Hehe, it's really my family who came to save the adult's life." ”

"Huh? You? Tojijian's words were a bit sudden, and even a little reckless, so Irita Qincheng said two words in a row, expressing the surprise in his heart at this time. A man who had just succeeded to the throne of the family came to you in the middle of the night and said, "I am here to save you." That's too hard to accept, isn't it?

"Hehe, I'm afraid that Irita-sama still doesn't know the way, right? The Luo family's family governor Masahiroshi has already personally led a large army to appear in Oita County, and the soldiers are about to arrive at the Otomo family's county mansion. ”

"What?" The news was so unexpected. If this news is true, it means that the Jiuzhu County of the family has been lost, and the body of the previous family governor has also fallen into the hands of the Luo family, and the Otomo family will be shamed by the world for losing face. Even the reinforcements who went to support Jiuzhu County may have met with mishaps...... Irita Qincheng thought of a lot of things in an instant, but before he could finish thinking about it, the Toji Kanfang opposite said a news that frightened him even more.

"Lord Irita, I'm afraid you should not take care of the safety of the Otomo family at this time, but take care of your own safety first." Toji's words suddenly brought Irita Kosei back to reality from the confusion of his thoughts. I saw that Toji Jian Fang was staring at him at this time and continued:

"Some people have already seen with their own eyes that in the army of the Luo family who entered Oita County, there is actually a flag family crest of Irita-sama's family, and there are even people who have seen Irita-sama Yoshimi who has previously announced that he was killed in battle. He has become the general of the Luo family. ”

"Huh?" Irita Qincheng immediately exclaimed in surprise when he heard this. Instantly stood up. What he had feared most all along, it had happened.

"Irita-sama probably doesn't know what to do, right? At this time, the wealthy families of the Otomo family in Oita County bluntly said that the adults were the people of the Luo family who secretly communicated with the Luo family. It was with the help of the adults that the military strength of the Luo family was able to enter the hinterland of the family in Oita County without knowing it, and the adults were the biggest sinners of the family. The messenger from Oita Prefecture will arrive in the castle tomorrow, so can you imagine what will happen to you? Toji Kanfang also stood up and continued to press Irita to ask him.

"You? You? You are the meticulous work of the Luo family. Irita reacted suddenly at this time, and his whole body trembled. Pointing to the household, he said angrily, and then when he saw Lu Ci's relatives who were still sitting peacefully on the spot without any movement, he immediately realized that he was afraid that the entire Lu Ci family had taken refuge in the Luo family.

And in the face of Irita's questioning, Toji Jian Fang smiled calmly. Apparently acquiesced.

Indeed, after being captured by the Luo family last year, the Toji Jian Fang was first forced to serve as the envoy of the Luo family, and the envoy of the questioning house, who had not yet expressed his position, assisted the questioning family to surrender to the Luo family. He was then escorted to Tadakaji Temple at the foot of Notaka Mountain, Matsuura County, Hizen Province, where he saw his brother Toji Kenren, who had broken his left leg and was recovering from his wounds, and was again placed under house arrest by the Luo family along with Toji Kenren and other retainers who had volunteered to follow him.

Although he was under house arrest. But for the news of the Otomo family, Masara still sent someone to deliver it to them in time. At the beginning of March. After learning of the death of the Otomo family governor Otomo Yoshikan, Toji Kanren was immediately disheartened (originally because he had broken his left leg had already hit him hard), he first wrote a letter to his family, the letter meant to let his younger brother Toji Kanfang inherit the position of family governor, and then he was ordained a monk, and the law name was Daoxue.

In history, Otomo Yoshijin believed too much in the peace agreement signed with the Mori Yuan (he even ignored the danger of the Mori family, turned his gun and ran to attack the Shikoku region. It's really stupid to believe in a paper agreement), so he was attacked by the Maori family and lost Chikuzen, and Otomo Yoshijin became a monk out of chagrin to encourage himself (turning other people's pride into his own pain, and committing stupidity again. Therefore, history evaluates Otomo Sorin's personality as a person with a twisted personality, such as liking to rob the wife of a retainer, divorcing the main room because of his conversion to a Western religion, causing dissatisfaction among his family and retainers, and even busy burning temples in order to build a Pure Land of Western religion in the future during the decisive battle with the Shimazu family. Some historical documents even record that in the real second-order collapse change, after he returned to the Funaikan, he killed all the relatives who were present at the time, except for Otomo Yoshikan, including several of his sisters. Such a character is probably related to what happened to him before he inherited the family governor), and as a retainer and a general, Toji Jianlian also followed the monk, and his law name was Daoxue. But now, the historical Tachibana Road snow did not appear, but the Luji Road snow appeared.

Soon after Toji Jianren became a monk, there was news that the Otomo family was caught in a dispute between the family governor, and then the Luo family went out. Before going out of battle, Masashi found Toji Jianfang, hoping that he would return to Fenggo to persuade his family to surrender, and Toji Jianfang agreed to come down. It's just that during the time he returned home, he only sent everything that had happened to the Luo family before and the letters from his brother who transferred the position of family governor to several important officials in the family, including his uncle Hu Jiqin. After some discussion, everyone in the Lu family decided to wait and see what happened for the time being (in fact, they were unwilling to take the initiative to surrender to the Luo family).

As a result, the Luo family won the Bungo Zhijin County in just a few days, and the soldiers were directed at Ono County, which made the Lu family realize that their choice seemed a little inappropriate. However, they still have not made up their minds to surrender. Until tonight, their detectives in Oita County sent back an urgent report overnight, learning that the Luo family's army had captured Kumamu Castle, and the Yoshioka family and other local wealthy families had also surrendered to the Luo family, and the Luo family's army was also advancing to the rest of Oita County.

This news is really amazing, so after some urgent deliberation, Toji Kanfang and the others finally decided to surrender to the Luo family, and their name is naturally the city in front of them that blocks the Luo family's army from entering the county to the hinterland of Ohno County, and to take this city, it is not possible to rely on the Lu Ci family alone, because at this time there are still the military forces of the Shiwan Tian family, the Irijo family, the Usuki family and other families in the city, so they quickly thought of Irita Qincheng, a guy who had to join their camp. That's why the two of them visited Irita overnight. They were quite confident, believing that when it came to this, Irita had no choice, so they didn't bring too many guards.

"Someone!" Irita Qincheng, who had completely sobered up, immediately shouted, trying to let the retainers in the courtyard come in and arrest the two uncles and nephews of Toji Jianfang.

With a "bang", the wooden pavilion of the room was pushed open, and then with a "bang", a black shadow flew into the room.

"Why, it seems that Your Excellency is still lucky, thinking that what we said is a deception." In the dark, a man dressed in black walked in from the courtyard corridor, and I saw him walk in and say to Irita with a smile.

"You? You? Seeing that the retainers outside the courtyard were all gone, and that there was suddenly an extra stranger, Irita immediately felt frightened. Even the two uncles and nephews of Toji Jianfang became nervous, obviously they didn't know who the person from Lu Dao was, whether they were friends or foes.

"In the Shimo-Roche family, the ashigaru general Kato Duanzo. Your Excellency didn't need to shout any more, the people in the courtyard were all fainted from below. Your Excellency should take a look at that person first, he met him under the wall when he entered the city tonight, and it seems that he was also the one who had just sneaked into the city at night, and found a very interesting letter in his arms, so you should take a look at it first. After finishing speaking, Kato Duanzo threw it away, and a dagger "Duo" was inserted into the floor, and then he turned around and walked back into the dark shadow in the courtyard corridor, and the figure disappeared in an instant.

Such a bizarre and unpredictable performance shocked all three people in the room. Especially the two uncles and nephews of the household, their hearts were even more cold sweat. It was only now that they knew that there was a skilled master following them behind Lu Dao, since someone was following them now, could it be that there was one before? Thinking of this, the two uncles and nephews immediately glanced at each other, and the fear in their eyes became even stronger. Because they immediately thought that they were afraid that their hesitation had been monitored by the Luo family throughout the whole process, but fortunately they acted decisively tonight, otherwise they would probably have taken off their heads unknowingly.

After calming down a little, Toji Kanfang said to Irita, who was still stunned, "Irita-sama, I suggest that your Excellency first take a look at who this person is and the letter in his arms. After finishing speaking, he walked out of the courtyard at the same time as Toji Qinfan, leaving only Irita Qincheng alone. (To be continued......)