◇ ◇

Celebrating 11 years (1606) December 10th -

While refraining from Matsuhei Chung-hye's wedding on the 23rd of this month, the nine-degree village at the foot of Mt. Takano was snowing again, just like Kyo.

"Oh! You're gonna be cold for a while today! Your Highness!"

There's a loud voice in the room from inside Takapear that doesn't look good in such a cold sky.

In front of the fire bowl, Masayuki Maida, the master of this mansion, softly covered in thick kimonos, lays down his hips with a sleigh. He turned his bitter face to the inside.

"It's noisy in the morning! And you can apprentice apricots and be quiet!?

"Yay! This, do it! Ha ha!

Sounds like you still have a lot to learn, even at this age! Ha ha!

By the way, where is that apricot?

Internal notes snapped my neck at the fact that I usually don't see Yoshioka Apricot holding back in the corner of the room. That didn't seem very interesting to Chang Xi for some reason.

"Huh! I just went out to the village to get some vegetables to share! Don't ask me what I don't want! Totally..."

I put that grump on the word and hit the note on the inside, but if you get bumped, it's not a stomach. An inner note that frowned just to say it was out of heart, but soon Chang Xiao thought of the reason why he was upset and slapped his hand with a pong.

"My lord! You must not keep raising blood on your head like that! The apricots are in the apricots, and the lord is in the temple.

Each person has his or her own bad at it.

Simply saying that the apricots are good at getting food from the villagers, and that nobody even tries to get close to the village when the lord shows his face is simply not suitable for the lord! Ha ha!

Before Yoshioka Apricot came to this mansion, Chang Hak had also gone to the village on his own feet to procure food. But originally good at deceiving his opponents, he had unconsciously put the villagers in his truck to make them serve more food. And while I keep doing that,

- Get close to the bartender and he'll rip out even one hair.

Rumors spread that, at last, even if Chang Xiao visited the village, no one would ever try to get close.

But the apricots were different.

The brightness of her time has finally returned, and she is greatly liked by the villagers, as well as the nostalgia of the people she was born with. And when people saw her, they were happy to offer food.

If I tried to make Chang Happy, who hates losing in everything, I could say this was just a crying place.

"... Lord... are you selling me fights!?

It was clear from his piercing sharp gaze that this word was not a joke. Nevertheless, the inner note, which had been with him for many years, held the Acer board and the Acer stone with a smile on his face so that he could flinch and sit back somewhere in front of Chang Xiao.

"Ha! My lord seems to be disturbed today! This means it's profitable. You have today's battle! Ha ha!

"Huh! Whatever it is, there is the 'power of the earth' thing! Even if I lay down sick, I will not lose for the Lord!

"If you don't try, you won't know! Come on, put the stone away from my lord!

- Patchy!!

The sound of putting stones at the disposal of the force echoes all over the room.

As they threw themselves into the world of battle as usual, it was as if they had flown somewhere about the conversation earlier, and then the conversation only continued to follow the events on the Acer board.

Time passes for a while.

The air outside is unchanged and cold, as is the sound of snow that keeps snowing down.

And around that time when the sound of the stones in the room being placed finally came back to normal...

"Dear Safe Housekeeper! I'm back now!

I could hear a brilliant woman.

At that moment, the inside of the gray room fades slightly.

But to go backwards to such an atmosphere, Chang Xiao's mouth turned to the letter to. Seeing such changxie, the inner note, faintly loosening his mouth, said it out loud so that he could hear it outside.

"Oh! Apricots! Thank you for your hard work in the cold!

Come on! It's warm in here, so come on in!

"Ha! Thank you!

When the apricot's pleasant voice came, she carefully opened her fist and entered the room. Her cheeks are pinched to indicate the cold outside. Compared to when I came to this mansion, however, the colour of its eyes is vibrant and radiant, as if it had moved from winter to spring.

I guess Chang Hak on the other hand is still bending his navel. Without daring to look at her, I said grumpy, facing her over the Acer board.

"I guess I got my vegetables right, huh?

Without it, we wouldn't be making a sunset today. "

"Ha! As usual, we recommend you all!

And... "

Apricots replied with such a bright voice that he finally kept saying. You wondered that word butt, Chang Xiao looks up. Then at that moment, his mouth, bent on the letter to him, turned to a smile.

"Oh! Yuanjiro! Ha! This is something I've picked up unexpectedly too! I did it! Apricots!"

Yes, there sat Yukimura Maida, the son of Chang Xiao, who always had the same serene grin in front of him. He praised it as if it were an apricot handle.

Apricots are troubled by the compliments. And on her behalf, Yukimura spoke.

"When I came to visit my father, I happened to meet Lord Apricot... and it was up to me to come along like this"

"Oh! Come on, come on! I don't care about that! More than that, Kenjiro is here!

Whoa! Inside!

I'm sorry, it's booze! Bring the booze!

- Oh, crap!

"Hey!! Lord!! What will they do!?

"Hmm? What? Even though it is going to be a liquor platter, it would be in the way if such an Acer board were in the middle. Let's continue this battle tomorrow."

"But! If you want to continue, you can leave the stone where you put it! It's not very popular! Things that make me look unfavourable...! You hickey!

"Kakaka! Hikaru is fine! Hold the booze faster than that!

... and before those two, a great deal of virtue was offered with sobriety.

"It's in the plug from Hideyoshi"

That was given out of the hands of Happy Village.

Chang Xiao, who saw it, instantly rounded his eyes, but as soon as he looked up at Happy Village as he had, he loosened his mouth.

"... and knobs?

"And, my lord! How disrespectful for Lord Hideyoshi's care!!

Chang Xiao and Yukimura's parents and children, who made his bright red face bluish earlier this time, but didn't even care about his rush like that.

Then Yukimura offered her left hand with a gentle grin. The wrapper was in his hand.

"This will also come from Hideyoshi"

"Ho... what is this?

"Daisy burdock… it's in the best booze knob"

When Yukimura says so and opens the package, the room is filled with a good smell of soy sauce.

Chang Xiao, who smelled it, broke his face and said it out loud.

"Cuckoo!! Whoa! That's good! Lord Hideyoshi!

Apricots! Remember that!

It is the 'two hands' that move people's minds bigger than the 'first hands'!

Because people can get laid at first hand! But there's a lot of defenselessness in both hands!

That's why people are moved.

This is the same thing on the battlefield!

The strategy is to have two hands that can't get into your hair from the beginning. Or not, the success or failure of that will change dramatically!

"Ha! Dear Safe Housekeeper! Thanks!

"Okay! So let's get started! It's going to be kind of a warm day! Kakaka!"

The room is wrapped in warmth, as Chang Xie said.

At this time, the apricots were allowed to be on the spot, and the four of them began to serve alcohol.

………

……

Even when it comes to sake serving, in the case of Chang Xiao, it is not like making more noise with a big drink. It is common to pour liquor into a small cup and pour it into a public discourse with a tiny rinse on one of the knobs.

Of course, on this day, Hua blossomed on various topics, such as the stories of the children of Happy Village and Chang Yue's old stories, but when it also one paragraph, Chang Yue tightened his expression only a little and asked Happy Village.

"By the way... Yuanjiro. Didn't you come here on business for me today?

It's not like I came all the way out here to drink in a cold village with nothing in the back of the mountain, thinking of my pathetically closed father. "

Yukimura replied with a smile on her face, not changing her complexion and expression at all, despite the fact that there was not much alcohol in it, to Chang Xiao, who subtly leaked sarcasm to her situation.

"That's right, Father."

"What? Talk to him about his errands."

Chang Xie, who urges her to do so, is red stained with alcohol because of her face, but her tone and consciousness are clear.

Conversely, if we put any more booze in it, we might not be able to listen to our son properly. Because of that fear, he asked Happy Village for an errand. Happy Village was also aware of the matter, and he skipped the roundabout and asked Chang Happy frankly.

"It's about Lord Hidekang Nojo."

"Well... how is Lord Hidekang...?

Happy Village had this unexpected reaction. For even though he lived in a secluded land, he was very sensitive and carefully gathering information about events in the centre.

It seems that Chang Xie doesn't know "Toyoku Shrine worship in Hidekang, Noboru".

- Someone is hiding it from the public...

It never seemed to Komura that way. Thinking about it,

- It must still be unacceptable for General Tokugawa...

In fact, it was Hideyoshi Toyotomi, "Knowing the Future", who asked Masada for that view on the matter and instructed the Toyotomi family to come and get some advice on what to depress.

It was only a strange thing for Yukimura.

Because, assuming that Hidekang Noboru's visit to Toyoku Shrine has materialized, it's not surprising that Hideyoshi knows something about its impact. If that ended up being a "favorable outcome for the Toyotomi," there would be no need for Hideyoshi to take any action. However, if, on the other hand, it ends up being an "unfavourable outcome for the Toyotomi", it should work to glorify Hidekang, especially without seeking advice from others.

But as a matter of reality, Hideyoshi is asking Masada for advice on Toyotomi's movements ahead of him.

Why is that...

The answer floated there...

- Doesn't the visit to Toyoku Shrine in Hidekang Nobushiki come true for any reason?

If this reasoning was correct, then why not make it happen?

When he thought about it, Yukimura wondered why a thick cloud was covering his chest somewhere, despite his own problems.

Now, when asked by the mouth of Happy Village about the plan to visit Hidekang's Toyoku Shrine, Chang Xiao blushed and accidentally struck his tongue.

"Shit!! Too awkward... sweet to discern the current situation whether it be as watery or as good as it is...!

"But if you try Lord Hidekang, next year when Lord Tokugawa moves to Sunfu, isn't that just the perfect opportunity?"

Compared to Chang Xiao, whose emotions are on the table, Yukimura only calmly returned them.

Chang Xiao, however, seemed to be getting more and more bloody excited, putting out a bright red face a long time ago to spurn.

"Something like that… it's decided to be that old raccoon trap!

Whether he goes back to Sun Fu or not, he will keep his eyes and ears in the capital!

If there is any movement that would disrupt Tokugawa's heavens, including the Great Names of the West... and of course Toyotomi, it's up to forgiveness and so on!

I don't think you realize that, Lord Hidekang!

"So... Lord Hidekang dared to set foot in that trap...?

"Huh! Daikae, I must be bracketing the height, saying," I can't do anything because I am the son of the great lord and the brother of the general "...

But that raccoon isn't so sweet!

"But as a matter of fact, how do you get your hands on Lord Hidekang...

If you stop worshipping only, if you stop responding to yourself, it won't be good for the public either way. "

Yukimura only calmly keeps asking Chang Yu. But Chang Hak no longer blues his red face, and sweat is coming from his forehead.

- Something's wrong with your father... it's like he's afraid of something...

At that moment, Yukimura thought a lot...

- Just! What the hell... the clouds in this chest...

Negative emotions such as "anxiety" and "fear" swirl from within that cloud.

But the cloud...

Masuda also covered his chest equally, and he knew exactly what the cause was.

And he put that into words...

"Shut Hidekang's mouth so that no more of that can be revealed...

And don't let Hidekang's body move so he doesn't worship... "

The moment I heard the words, Happy Village's expression changed and turned bright blue just like Chang Xiao's.

"Ma... no way..."

Once we got here, we knew exactly what Chang Hak wanted to say to Naoki Takani and Apricot Yoshioka, who were just standing on their side.

It's...

"Hidekang Noboru... will be killed... and by the will of his real father, Jiayang Tokugawa."

To much shock, everyone's drunkenness on the spot awakened at once. Even the apricot, who doesn't know much about Hidekang, puts his hand on his mouth and shivers in amazement. It was in that, and Komura only came out of his mouth with the floating words.

"Why... why...?

Even at this time, Chang Xiao's head is spinning. Rather, because this is the case, his head was swept away more than usual.

That was a man named Chang-yuki Maida.

"Huh! Which is the question for!?

That Tokugawa Jiayang is ruthlessly trying to get his hands on his real son again?

Or that stupid son of a bitch who dared to imitate you jumping into the fire?

"Both..."

"Ha! You greedy son! Come on! Let's give him an answer!

First of all, Jia Kang, but in his eyes, it only shows in the next twenty or thirty years.

More importantly, you may say that you only think about the time when your lovely grandson grew up splendidly and painless in your eyes.

The bud that stands on his grandson determines his belly to be picked, even if it is in his body.

This is the place where he can move...

Now would be the time...

Unfortunately... if I were in his shoes, I would do the same.

Ha! You can taste the pain of cutting yourself at best!

"No way... Lord Hidekang has noticed that too..."

"Because you're the one who's grown up looking at people's complexions more than you used to be. Be sensitive to the subtleties around it."

Finally, Yukimura's head also makes noise and moves, gradually accelerating. Chang Xiao continued to try to help his son like that.

"Aware, Lord Hidekang dared to go into a trap.

You know why that is!?

"... to grab your tail..."

Niyali and Chang Happy raise their mouths to the fearful Answered Happy Village.

"Ha! You know damn well what I mean!

Exactly! If you seize the sign that the Great Lord intends to possess a true son in his hand, what will happen... "

The first thing that responded to such a chang-sai, yet solitary, word was Takanagi's inner note.

"I guess the public won't shut up!

Besides, speaking of Lord Echimae, Yoko of Hideyoshi Tai!

In other words, Lord Hideyoshi's brother!

What would the great names of Toyotomi Benefits think if they had such a person in their hands... "

"In other words, Lord Hidekang tried to discredit Lord Tokugawa at the expense of himself..."

"Ha! It's a noble idea, but I don't think that old raccoon will show his tail like that.

Let me show you the tail at best. "

"Anyway, my lord! What does that mean?

"Ha! Remember! Think for yourself once in a while!

In other words, let's just say it's 'easy to truncate'!

"Hey, what... So you're letting another person put his hand on you, and if it's discovered, you're going to impersonate that person with sin!

"I don't know... thank God... I don't even know who's going to do it..."

And it came to pass, when Chang Xi said, that Yoshioka Apricot, who had listened to him in silence until then, said in a fine voice, as if to represent his body.

"Are you sure... Lord Echimae intends to sacrifice himself..."

Chang Xie frowns at the words.

"I told you something. Tell me, Apricot."

As everyone's gaze gathered on her, she stretched her spine perfectly and nodded snugly. And when I hit him earlier, he answered with a hearty voice.

"Wouldn't Lord Echimae be waiting?"

"What?

"A real father reaches out..."

Chang Xiao's eyes widen slightly. Even if I try to be smart enough and make Chang Happy Maida enough to even foresee behind people's backs, I guess this apricot word was meant to be.

Apricots continued in the same tone.

"If you try Lord Echimae, Tokugawa and Toyotomi are in your family.

The two houses are now trying to take separate paths to split up a little bit.

And the strong Tokugawa tried to crush the weak Toyotomi, and began to move...

Are you raising your own alarm about it? "

"Does that mean I dared you to put up a corner and turn that eye..."

When Yukimura inquired, the apricot nodded again.

Then Chang Xiao quietly opened his mouth slowly as he exhaled to calm his boiling heart.

"Sounds like an apricot to me. And to Hidekang's mind, maybe that's exactly it."

"Bye! If Lord Hidekang and Lord Jia Kang, and Hideyoshi can create a seat to discuss the future of both houses, it will all fit in circles... is that what it is!?

Chang Xiao opened his eyes and stared at him as the tone of Yukimura, like Qingliu, became slightly stronger earlier.

"Sweet...! No, it's too late... maybe you're right."

"Father... what is that all about...?

And when Chang Xiao put much effort into his belly, he told him to speak for Jiayang's feelings.

"Jia Kang finally threw away..." Love "etc..."

Yukimura unexpectedly rounded her eyes to the fact that the word 'love' had emerged from Chang Happy's mouth, who had looked directly at reality everywhere and moved her head only to her and her clan's 'interests'.

But Chang Xiao went on without worrying about how Happy Village was doing.

"A man named Jiayang Tokugawa has a" dream "… creating a Tokugawa world that lasts forever…

For that 'dream', he abandoned 'love'.

Normal people could do this kind of imitation.

How can I see the blood of my family in front of me for the sake of my offspring?

But it is Tokugawa Jiayang who can do that.

No matter how much you suffer, don't go the wrong way, keep putting your feet forward no matter how painful...

Such a man's vessel, Hidekang Noboru, a son but incorrectly seen.

At that point, you lose. You can't even win.

Those big idiots... "

Chang Xiao, biting his lips with regret, transferred his gaze to the cup at hand and drank it all at once.

And he went on toward Yukimura.

"I don't know what Lord Hideyoshi wants from me, but the best thing to do is to pierce 'Nothing, I don't know anything'.

If you get involved badly, the next spearhead of Jiayou will go to Osaka Castle.

Remember that, Yuanjiro. "

"So Father says' abandon 'the person who acted, even if he risked his life for the Toyotomi family?

His emotions obviously persist in Happy Village's inquiry. That feels like a calm and ruthless rebellion against the words of my father.

"Not the other way around! Big fool!!

Do not give unwanted help to respect Hidekang's strong will! That's what I'm saying!

If the public thinks that Toyotomi's intentions are involved in this matter, the Toyotomi will instead have a tough eye!

It's important that you don't stick your neck in the unnecessary and remind the public that 'Tokugawa Jiayang's second son is turning to the defense of Toyotomi at his own will' because he won't abandon his readiness!!

"But..."

Yet Happy Village bites her lips with regret. Apricots, who glimpsed him like that, asked Chang Xiao.

"When and where do you see the harm done to Lord Hidekang?

Chang Xiao sees the apricots. And answered with a bitter face.

"Ha! Let's make that up to you! About ten days after this, i.e. the wedding of Zhonghui Matsuhei.

On the road or on the spot.

Yuanjiro, by the way, you will of course know who will take part in that response as the great lord's nominee!?

"Ma... no way..."

Chang Xiao stares at Happy Village, who blues his face.

And I said it in a low voice...

"Anyway..."

As a substitute for Tokugawa Jiakang, those who participate in the response of Chung-hye Matsuhei...

It's...

- Genuine Hondo...

But Chang Xie's words did not go beyond that.

"... or, by the way, let me turn my eyes and a snake might come out of another one."

"I mean... let Honda look purely at you, and someone else will aim at the neck of Tiger Sight and Lord Hidekang..."

"Either way, just found out about it, watch it quietly! Don't even think about saving Lord Hidekang's life if you're wrong!

That was it, and that topic never lasted.

And again, after speaking without any other love as a pinch of liquor left, Yukimura left early enough for Osaka Castle, in the snow that descended.

Chang Xiao's eyes staring at his back until it disappears are so calm that he seems to be different from what he was before.

And I told no one.

"... that blame... who does it look exactly like..."

Apricots and inner notes look at each other in the words, chuckling.

Having glimpsed those two with bitter faces, Chang Xiao rushes into the mansion as he tries to escape, calling out loudly to the inner memory.

"Internal!! We'll do the rest!! Quickly!!

It's totally snow makeup outside.

The snow will continue to fall until midnight on this day.

Still, I felt something warm on my chest with apricots and internal notes.

"Did you drink a little too much..."

Yes, I loosened my mouth and said to the apricot. The note also went inside the mansion with a smiling apricot.

………

……

Three nights later...

In Osaka Castle, surrounded by darkness and silence, in one of its rooms, certain men were kneeling in front of Yukimura Maida.

"You've gathered well. Let me start by thanking you."

Yes, Yukimura speaking to the men. And he told the men of his strong determination.

"From now on, I will advise Hideyoshi to help Lord Noboru Hideyokang.

And I would like to ask you to wait a long time in this place because the Lord will work for you once that shanty has come down. "

"What would a single job be?

In response to the inquiry of one of the men, Yukimura answered with her mouth tight.

"Regardless, protect Lord Hidekang… moreover, stop the move to harm Lord Hidekang"

"Is the other person's purpose standing?

"Oh... standing..."

"Who's that?

On that question, Yukimura exhales with a tougher face. And I answered, nervously stiffening my whole body.

"... Wind Demons... Forgotten Ninjas..."

The moment the word 'Wind Demon' appears, the faces of the men clearly change.

But even though the legendary family of ninjas heard that they were opponents, the men in front of Happy Village, instead of flinching, all burned their fighting spirit.

"Hey... it's going to be a fun job in a while."

When one of the men said yes, while he could not, everyone on the spot nodded cocklishly.

They're just ten...

And this is what will become known to future generations...

"Ten Warriors of Maida" and...