In the thin line between life and death, a white shadow flashed out from the woods on the side.
Shihe Yicun was about to slash Fang Tian's painted halberd down when he suddenly noticed the movement in the bushes and woods beside him and turned his head hastily. He saw a white horse rushing out of the forest, its hooves flying into the air.
, crashed directly into his own horse!
That was Yu Qiuping's white horse pipa! After Sen Kelong was shot down from his horse, he fled the battlefield. Somehow he was guided by someone, and he ended up here by accident.
Shihe Yicun, who was exerting his strength, was caught off guard and could not adjust his posture. He was knocked over by Pipa and his horse into the bushes on the roadside. He grabbed a tree root and almost slipped off the cliff. While his horse was sitting down
He didn't have such good luck, and fell into the abyss with a scream.
Honda Tadakatsu, who was following closely behind the Toga family cavalry, rushed forward. He first bent down and picked up the dragonfly cut with his left hand, then bent to the right and picked up Yu Qiuping on the ground with all his strength.
He got up and threw it behind his horse. Honda Tadakatsu picked up the dragonfly cutter and then struck hard, cutting off half of the thick trunk of an ancient tree on the left side of the road. The ancient tree shook.
It staggered and fell to the road. Pipa rushed over before the trunk of the ancient tree fell to the ground, while the other pursuers were stopped by the trunk that fell to the ground. The loud sound of the trunk falling to the ground shocked those who rushed forward.
The frightened horses of the several cavalrymen in front threw them off their horses. The pursuers could only look at each other in the huge smoke and dust caused by the fallen tree trunks, and listened to the sound of Honda Tadakatsu's horse hoofs gradually receding.
·
When Yu Qiuping woke up again, it was already dark.
Yu Qiuping blinked his eyes slowly a few times, but he still couldn't figure out what happened. He took a deep breath and sat up suddenly. After hearing his movement, Honda Tadakatsu turned around
, whispered to Yu Qiuping: "Your Highness, are you awake?"
"Nanosuke?" Yu Qiuping was stunned for a moment, the outline of Honda Tadakatsu was slightly blurred in the dark night, "Did we escape?"
"Yes." Honda Tadakatsu pointed to the pipa and his Three Kingdoms Black tied under a big tree next to him, and whispered, "The Toga family's cavalry was thrown away by us."
"Throw it away? How far away?" Yu Qiuping was frightened when he heard the words "cavalry of the Shihe family". Today he was chased so hard that the sky and the earth were not responding.
"It must be very far away. There is a large mountainous area near here. If they want to search the mountain, they must light a torch." Honda Tadakatsu said while taking a look at the mountainous area to the west. "But there is no movement. They must have gone back."
"Mountains? Where are we now?"
"It should be in the mountainous area northeast of Nakamura Imperial Palace." Honda Tadakatsu hesitated for a moment and then replied in a low voice, "I'm not sure."
"How is the battle going?" After Yu Qiuping came to his senses, he asked anxiously again. His main formation was broken through, and Kira's army was defeated. The battle was probably a disaster.
"I don't know. After confronting the Toga family's cavalry, I chased their pursuers all the way into the mountains and forests. I knew nothing about the situation outside." Honda Tadakatsu stood up and pointed to the south.
A fire on the mountain road said, "Your Highness, there is a rock village at the foot of the mountain a few miles away, but I don't know whether it is an enemy or a friend, so I dare not act rashly."
"We'll know when it gets daylight." Yu Qiuping glanced at the moon hanging high in the sky, "Let's stay in the mountains first."
"Where are the others?" Yu Qiuping lowered his head and asked. As soon as he opened his mouth, he suddenly felt a pain in his heart.
Honda Tadakatsu did not answer, but shook his head in an almost imperceptible manner.
There was no one else... more than fifty guards who had been with Yu Qiuping for so long... the oldest among them was the old man who had followed from the Imagawa family. All of them were gone at once. They were either sacrificing themselves for Yu Qiuping's heirloom, or
After failing to lure away the pursuit as bait, they turned around and killed themselves to kill the enemy. They were all great samurai, and they all sacrificed their lives for their lord. Their martial arts may not be as good as Honda Tadakatsu, and there is no way they can do it alone.
Hundreds of cavalry fought their way through, but their loyalty was no less fierce than that of their captain.
Just when Yu Qiuping was immersed in sadness, a sudden movement came from a bush far behind them. Listen carefully, and you can hear subtle footsteps and breathing.
Without saying a word, Honda Tadakatsu pressed his hand on the barrel of the dragonfly cutter's gun that was lying on the ground, and at the same time signaled Yu Qiupei to be silent. Yu Qiupei also slowly held the handle of the Chidori and looked in that direction with all his concentration.
.After a moment, a voice came from the bush:
"Is it...your highness?"
"It's Matsuchiyo's voice!" Yu Qiuping reacted immediately and wanted to get up and run over. However, as soon as he stood up, he suddenly found that his body was so sore that he couldn't exert any strength, and he fell down again.
I guess it was a strain or sprain when I was thrown from the horse today.
"Your Highness!" After hearing Yu Qiupei's voice, a small figure immediately walked out of the bushes. Asahina Matsuchiyo was seen staggering over with a fainted person on his back.
"Your Highness, Lord Honda!" Matsuchiyo Asahina recognized the two people in front of her and replied hurriedly, "Senior Mori is injured. It seems serious. There is blood dripping from the corner of his mouth!"
"Kelong? He's still alive!" Yu Qiuping almost shouted out in surprise when he heard this, but finally suppressed his voice - but not too loud, otherwise it would be over if there were still ninjas from the Miyoshi family in the forest.
.
"Senior Mori is still alive, but he fainted and seemed to be seriously injured. I originally wanted to go down the mountain, but when I passed a tree, I happened to see the injured Senior Mori, so I carried him away with me. Then I heard this
When there was a noise, I came over." Matsuchiyo Asahina carried Mori Kolong to Yu Qiupei's side and laid him down. Then Honda Tadakatsu lit a small branch so that Yu Qiupei could check it.
In the case of Sen Kelong, it was seen that the right half of his legs had been beaten to pieces, and there were blood stains on the corners of his mouth and arms. There seemed to be no major trauma at all. He probably received a heavy blow while blocking.
By the light of the fire, Yu Qiuping also quietly glanced at Honda Tadakatsu's condition. His entire face, entire hands, and entire body were covered with coagulated blood clots. There was no clean spot, as if he was crawling from blood.
It looks the same. I don't know if it's my own blood or the enemy's blood.
"I still have the strength to go and find something to eat nearby." Asahina Matsuchiyo breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Moriko Takashi was fine, "Your Highness and Lord Honda have a good rest!"
·
In the early morning of the next day, as soon as it dawned, Yu Qiuping woke up Asahina Matsuchiyo who was still sleeping - they were about to move. Unfortunately, you could see clearly with the morning light that the camp at the foot of the mountain was covered with fire.
It is the flag of the Miyoshi family. If the Miyoshi family has advanced this far, it means that the Kira Army and Shoshubei have been completely defeated. It is unknown whether they are trapped in the plains of Nishi Tosa or whether they have retreated along the way they came.
.Anyway, this mountainous area is no longer safe, and the Sanhao family can send people to search the mountain at any time.
Yu Qiuping helped Mori Kolong, who was still unconscious, onto the lute, while Asahina Matsuchiyo carried some collected food. The four of them led the horses slowly through the mountains and forests, always alert to the surrounding movements. Soon after
, the three-good army at the foot of the mountain also took action and moved forward along the mountain road.
"I guess they are still in front." Yu Qiuping looked at the three good troops marching very easily, without even sending out a scouting horse. "There must be a vanguard in front."
"If we are really pursued..." Honda Tadakatsu lowered his voice and ordered Asahina Matsuchiyo, "You ride on my horse and escape with Moriko Takashi. Your Highness will leave immediately on horseback, and I will fight on foot to break up the rear."
"My lord, I'd better protect His Highness on horseback, and I'll run with Senior Mori on my back! They are only chasing His Highness, not us." Matsuchiyo Asahina shook her head, "Whether Your Highness can escape from danger depends entirely on Lord Honda, Your Majesty.
You can't live without horses."
"You are a subordinate, you just carry out the orders." Honda Tadakatsu didn't say much, he just gave instructions in a low voice. Asahina Matsuchiyo, a usually naughty child, listened to Honda Tadakatsu's words and nodded honestly.
.
"You are very talented in martial arts, better than other juniors." Honda Tadakatsu was silent for a while, and then suddenly spoke to Asahina Matsuchiyo and told Asahina Matsuchiyo, "If I am no longer here, you have to take on the responsibility of the guard."
"Nanosuke." Yu Qiuping whispered to Honda Tadakatsu with some complaints. At the same time, he glanced at Asahina Matsuchiyo, but found that the eyes of the little guy who was always small were full of seriousness, "Why are you talking about this?"
"This is the duty of the samurai family. Every samurai must be prepared to die for the Lord." Honda Tadakatsu tightened his arms and replied in a low voice.
"You have to live a good life, and you can't risk your life casually." Yu Qiuping heard this and shook his head, patting the back of Honda Tadakatsu who was walking beside him, "One person is chasing hundreds of Hatamoto warriors.
, cut it all the way from the back to the front, thank you for daring to do this, it’s too nonsense, you can’t do it like this in the future!”
"If you don't come, His Highness is already dead." Honda Tadakatsu glanced at Yu Qiuping and said solemnly, "This is the duty of a warrior. A warrior only knows how to protect his master and does not know his own safety."
"Isn't your master's family the Tokugawa family? Don't you want to make great achievements and return to the Tokugawa family? You want to go back to inherit the family business, you want to go back to honor your ancestors, and you want to go back to pay homage to your father! This
Isn't it your dream all along?" When Yu Qiuping thought of how many times Honda Tadakatsu had risked his life for himself in the past ten years, his eyes felt sore, and the words in his mouth became a little strange, "That's it.
Wouldn't your father blame you for dying for a family member?"
Honda Tadakatsu was stunned when he heard this, his expression suddenly became a little complicated, and he didn't say anything for a long time. He glanced at Asahina Matsuchiyo and Mori Kotaka. They both had a paper red leaf stuck on their helmets - it belonged to the Yuqiu family.
Symbol. But there has never been such a decoration on his own helmet. Yes, he is a member of the Tokugawa family, and he will go back sooner or later.
However, this "sooner or later" is almost 20 years too late.
Chapter completed!