Under Nijo Yasudo's orders, his men intensified their attack on Nijo Castle, and the flames in Nijo Castle became more and more intense, and the buildings that the Tokugawa family had spent a lot of money on were gradually swallowed up in the flames that spread everywhere. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Nijo Kangdo wants to completely destroy Nijo Castle,

At this time, the Kyoto office representative Itakura Shigemune Masaan was sitting in the Nijo Castle Palace, and the sound of the battle outside was getting closer and closer, and it kept roaring in his ears, but he had a calm face, as if nothing had happened.

He knew that not only had the outer city been breached, but even the inner city had been broken into by the enemy, and now Nijo Castle could no longer be defended.

But this result has long been expected by him.

When he stayed here, he knew that he would soon be swallowed up by the Han Kou and the imperial army, so he had already come to his senses - it could even be said that this was the result he had been expecting.

As the representative of Kyoto, he was supposed to protect Kyoto, assist the shogunate in defending the western country, and control the imperial court in Kyoto, but he did not complete such a task, and as a result, not only did the imperial court and the emperor flee from Kyoto, but also when the Han invaded him, he was defeated and retreated, lost his teacher and land, and humiliated the shogunate.

So he chose the most honorable way to die, dying in the battle against Han Ko, in order to wash away these shames and let the name of the Itakura family live on unharmed.

The flames had already burned to the side of the palace, and the rising flames stained his face a little red, and the enemies who attacked him saw that they had made up their minds to turn themselves to ashes along with Nijo Castle.

Itakura Shigemune raised his head to look outside the hall, and found that under the shadow of the firelight, there were fighting sounds everywhere between Gu Ying, and some shadows fell to the ground after a scream, but more shadows came out from behind and rushed here.

He abruptly picked up the saber in his hand, and pulled it out of its sheath.

Old Nakato Tadashito's mood in the moment before his death, he can now fully understand the despair that after all his efforts and the final fiasco, the despair is enough to swallow everyone, and then he can only choose to end all this suffering with his own life.

However, he didn't plan to die with Naito, he wanted to be more heroic.

The fire had already spread to the palace, and the air was already smelling of burning, and even the temperature was a little higher.

Itakura Shigemune threw the scabbard away, and then took a few deep breaths, as if to draw heat from the air in this way. And in this breath, his spirit also suddenly lifted, and his eyes resurfaced, and even the knife in his hand seemed to be a little lighter.

He looked around and saw that there were only a few people left with him.

Very well, it seems that everyone else has already thrown themselves into the battle, and these people who stayed behind are indeed not mistaken, they are all people who are willing to fight to the end for the shogunate and give their lives.

He took another deep breath, then picked up his saber and pointed forward.

"Follow me!" Then he shouted, and then took the lead and rushed out of the hall.

Naito Tadashige was old and weak, and in the end he only used disembowelment to prove his heart, but Itakura Shigemune was different, and he planned to do a little bit for the shogunate in the end, even if it was just to kill one or two more enemies, which would be good.

At his command, the last remaining members of his entourage drew their swords and rushed out with him with a howl, facing the enemy who pounced on him.

Because the enemy had reached the edge of the steps, they quickly rushed to the front of the enemy line, and by this time the defenders who had resisted in front were dead and wounded, some were still lying on the ground wailing, and most were silent.

Itakura Shigemune didn't have time to take care of them, his eyes were already bloodshot, and he looked a little terrifying under the reflection of the firelight, but he didn't care about these at all, and rushed towards the place where the crowd gathered with his knife, because it was very dark, so a few of them made a noise in the shouting, which made the opposite side stunned for a moment, and also took advantage of the situation to attack and kill several people, and slightly repelled the enemy troops on the opposite side.

However, the number of enemies was too large, and even if they were temporarily repulsed, another small force soon came up again, and then the others rushed with them. In the midst of the roar, Itakura Shigemune waved his weapon incessantly, fighting the enemy desperately.

During the fight, he slashed several enemies, but he also suffered several wounds on his body, and even his right arm was cut with a deep wound, and the blood flowed profusely.

In the fighting, he felt that the strength of his whole body gradually disappeared, his body became lighter and lighter, but he couldn't control it, every step seemed to fall to the ground, and he couldn't control his balance, and all his relatives around him had been killed, lying on the ground.

The fire had spread to the main hall, and smoke was billowing everywhere, and from time to time fragments of the fire had fallen beyond recognition from the top to the ground, making a crisp sound.

It's time for the end. Itakura Shigemune flashed a flash of realization.

He looked up into the distance, and in addition to the screaming and rushing figures, only the lone moon was looking at him, and behind the thick smoke, the full moon seemed to be the eyes of the sky watching him.

When Nobunaga died, he was probably in this situation.

He looked back blankly, at the temple behind him, which was already shrouded in firelight.

It's time to die like Nobunaga.

"Hah!"

Then he suddenly roared, and swung the sword in his hand with all his strength, knocking back several enemies at the same time, and then stumbled a few steps towards the palace, and finally jumped into the flames of the sky.

The fire soon engulfed him, and the fog enveloped him, leaving no trace of it.

It's just the last burst, but it can also shine brightly.

Nijo Castle has been captured, and Itakura Shigemune has set himself on fire.

In the middle of the night, when he heard the news from his subordinates, Nijo Yasudo, the right minister outside Nijo Castle, was not surprised, and it was not surprising that he committed suicide even if he was in such a desperate situation.

If Itakura Shigemune hadn't committed suicide, he would have beheaded this person for public display.

"All the recalcitrant rebels in the corner are all on display, and Nijo Castle must be completely burned down, leaving no traces!" He gave one last order.

With the burning of Nijo Castle, the last shogunate's stronghold in Kyoto ceased to exist, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the Japanese imperial court appeared on the Japanese stage with a strong appearance, and in this way it declared its determination to bid farewell to the past.

However, after taking the whole of Kyoto, Nijo Yasudo was stunned to discover a situation that surprised him a little - His Majesty Kazuko Nakamiya, the emperor of Masahito, was also in the imperial palace.

In order to protect Kyoto, especially the Imperial Palace, from military disasters to the greatest extent, after leading troops into the city, Nijo Yasudo and Hashimoto Minoru have always paid great attention to restraining their subordinates, especially the Imperial Palace, and even more so that they are not allowed to approach without permission to avoid damage.

Therefore, it was not until the whole of Kyoto was under control that Nijo Yasudo sent some ministers headed by the great power of Nayan Hanayama to enter the Imperial Palace, prepare to count the items inside, and prepare to welcome His Majesty the Emperor back by the way.

Kazuko, as the sister of the shogunate general Tokugawa Iemitsu, and as the honor of the middle palace, when the shogunate began to move the royal family, everyone should have been sent away by Itakura Shigemune, and even Hanayama Yuan and others thought so because they had not been able to enter the palace to meet them, but after they got there, they found that the Empress Dowager Kazuko was still in the imperial palace, which really surprised them.

After being surprised, these ministers fell into embarrassment again, because Kazuko's identity was so special that they didn't know how to deal with it - theoretically Kazuko was the empress dowager, and they should respect her, but she was also the daughter of the Tokugawa family, and it seemed that she should not be treated with too much respect for her today, when the imperial court and the shogunate had broken up. So the group of people felt a little confused.

However, perhaps because of the Empress Dowager herself, the furnishings in the imperial palace have not been damaged, almost as always, so after saying a few words in embarrassment, these ministers all withdrew from the imperial palace one after another, and then came to ask the Lord of the Right Mansion for instructions.

After receiving this news, Nijo Yasudo went directly to the Imperial Palace the next morning.

Unlike the other ministers who were a little cowering, Nijo Yasudo strode directly into the Imperial Palace, just over three months ago, he had forcibly entered the Imperial Palace with someone to rescue His Majesty the Emperor, and left an indelible mark here, and three months later, everything was already a world away.

From now on, the imperial court will truly be the imperial court.

Led by the obviously frightened attendants, Nijo Yasudo went directly to the Tsuneko Palace where the Empress Dowager lived. At this time, the Empress Dowager Hezi, who had already received the news, was already sitting behind the bamboo curtain, quietly waiting for the arrival of the Lord of the Right Mansion.

Although he didn't believe that anything else would happen, just in case, there was a group of soldiers guarding the door behind him, so he was not nervous at all, just standing leisurely in the palace.

Nijo Kangdao didn't mean to be respectful at all, and walked directly to the center of the palace, and then raised his head to look at the Empress Dowager Hezi who was looming behind the bamboo curtain. Although she couldn't see her figure clearly behind the curtain, she could also see that she was dressed very formally, as if she was participating in some ceremony.

Since His Majesty fled Kyoto with Emperor Koko, she has been waiting for them to return here, and as the situation deteriorated, Itakura Shigemune repeatedly urged her to leave as soon as possible, but she has always refused to agree, and because of her special status, Itakura Shigemune can only do nothing in the end.

At the last moment, Itakura Shigemune himself had no time to take care of himself, and where did he have time to take care of her, so she could only go.

Nijo Yasudo didn't salute or speak, and the palace fell into an eerie silence for a while.

A moment later, there was a "snap" behind the bamboo curtain, and the Empress Dowager slapped the folding fan in her hand on the couch. "Youfu, why don't you bow when you see it?! Are you flouting the laws of the court? ”

In the face of such a stern interrogation, Nijo Yasudo was not in a hurry. "As a right-hand man, how can I have a reason to worship sinners?"

"What are these words?" The Empress Dowager was even more annoyed, "I am the middle palace of His Majesty the Emperor, and I don't salute when I meet me, this is arrogance." ”

"There is no Tokugawa family's middle palace in the world." Nijo Yasudo sneered, "The Tokugawa family has no king, and has committed so many evil deeds, how can you let you, who have the blood of the Tokugawa family, be in the position of the middle palace?" ”

“…… Nonsense! The Empress Dowager's hand trembled slightly, obviously angry to the extreme. I am the female queen whom His Majesty personally married, and I am also the middle palace personally approved by His Majesty, how many years have I been serving Your Majesty carefully, have you ever made any mistakes? You said that you want to abolish my position in the middle palace, so good, can there be an edict from His Majesty? ”

Under her rebuttal, Nijo Yasudo was slightly speechless, followed by irritation. "It's already this time, do you still want to be clever and colorful? Your Majesty has no time to deal with you now, but when Your Majesty returns, you will be punished as you deserve. ”

"In other words, Your Majesty hasn't abolished my position in the Middle Palace now, right? Then Erjo Kangdao, you are now an arrogance, not a human minister! The Empress Dowager said coldly, "You have always said that the Tokugawa family has no court, and the following offenses are committed, so what is the difference between you and the Tokugawa family now?" ”

"You!" Nijo Yasudo's eyes widened in anger, and it was not easy to stop the anger in his heart. "As a sinner, how dare you speak so cleverly...... You stay in the Imperial Palace, do you really think we can't do anything about you? ”

"Sinners? What am I guilty of? Have I ever failed Your Majesty? Although it looked a little dangerous, the Empress Dowager still didn't mean to back down at all, "Since I have never failed Your Majesty, how can I, as the Middle Palace, leave Your Majesty?" I'm going to wait here for His Majesty to come back. As for how to send me down, that is a matter that Your Majesty can decide, so don't say much as a courtier, step down! ”

"Do you still think you can order me to wait?"

Nijo Yasudo's face was cold, and he looked at each other coldly. "Now that the shogunate is a dying thing, it can no longer coerce me into waiting."

To be sure, although she didn't like the Tokugawa family at all, it was true that the Empress Dowager had been serving His Majesty the Emperor with all her heart since she came to the Imperial Palace, and she was trying to bridge the rift between the Imperial Court and the Shogunate.

But...... There are so many reasonable things in this world.

By this time, the Imperial Court had regarded the shogunate as the worst in the world, and since that was the case, it was absolutely impossible to leave a daughter of the Tokugawa family to continue the middle palace - and even a daughter of the Tokugawa family could not be allowed to be the king.

These days, His Majesty the Emperor has been sending him instructions in the south, almost every detail, but there is not a single word about the Empress Dowager.

None of them already represents the attitude of His Majesty the Emperor, and as a loyal courtier, Nijo Yasudo believes that there are some things that must be done by oneself and not be embarrassed by the king.

In all fairness, it is really admirable that the Empress Dowager is willing to stay in Kyoto and face danger alone in such a difficult time, but sometimes her position is absolutely unshakable.

Nijo Kangdao waved his hand and motioned for the people behind him to come up.

"Take this sinner away! Arrested! ”

Under his order, the men walked silently towards the bamboo curtain.

"What do you want to do?" Immediately behind the bamboo curtain, a scolding sounded, "You are the traitors!" ”

But everyone turned a deaf ear and directly lifted the bamboo curtain.

At this moment, the Empress Dowager Hezi was so angry that her face turned pale, she was the daughter of the shogun in the past, and later she was the middle palace, even when she received foreign ministers, everyone was extremely respectful, how could she have suffered such humiliation?

At this time, the face of the Empress Dowager was also exposed in front of everyone, although she looked a lot haggard because of the blow of the recent series of events, and she could still see the original beauty, coupled with grand and luxurious clothes, so she looked graceful and luxurious, full of manners.

It's just that this demeanor is now overshadowed by anger.

After the bamboo curtain was lifted, she angrily threw the folding fan in her hand towards Erjo Kangdao, and then continued to curse "Traitor!" Traitor! Ignoring the dangers that can be associated with doing so.

And Nijo Yasudo still turned a deaf ear, and just had people forcibly take her out of the palace and the imperial palace, and temporarily detain her in the mansion of a minister.

On the same day, Zhou Pu, the envoy of the Han Dynasty, also came to Kyoto City, but because the war is still very tense now, and the monarch has not yet returned, Zhou Pu also refused the grand ceremony, but came directly to the city lightly. Moreover, at his request, the mansion of Hashimoto Minoru was temporarily requisitioned for him to live in - although there were many mansions that were much more extravagant than this one, Zhou Pu still chose to live in this place where he had lived for a while.

And just after he settled, he started busy again.

Nijo Yasudo first informed Zhou Pu about the Empress Dowager Kazuko, and Zhou Pu said that this kind of thing is an internal affair of the Japanese court, and he will not interfere, but he suggested that it is best to put Kazuko under house arrest first, and the treatment should not be too low, keep a little dignity for her, and wait until the future to decide how to deal with her.

Then, Zhou Pu discussed with his senators about the next actions.

The Shogunate's initiative to withdraw from Kyoto Castle was indeed very unexpected and frustrated their plan to destroy this army in Kyoto. However, since he has been defeated and deserted, there is no need to be too afraid.

At the moment, what worries Zhou Pu and others the most is Tachibana Muneshige's side, after all, he is facing a frontal blow from the shogunate army, so Zhou Pu and others decided to send a lightly armed army to follow the defeated army in Kyoto to pursue, and then the main force marched in the direction of Nara, preparing to rush to the aid of Tachibana Muneshige.

At the same time, they also officially sent a letter to Kyushu, urging Zhao Song to carry out the original plan. (To be continued.) )