On the afternoon of June 13, Atahi Nataehyung and his party finally arrived at the outskirts of Okazaki's destination. It was still a distance from the west gate of Okazaki. Yu Qiuhei saw a group of people gathering in front of the castle town. When he got a little closer, Yu Qiuhei immediately recognized the Tokugawa Miyazai Aoi family pattern that often appears in later games. Of course, Matsuhira Miyazai is still Matsuhira Miyazai.
"Will the shogun in the future, Tokugawa Ieyasu!" Yu Qiuhei leaned forward excitedly. His movement caused Kondo Yasso to be bad. He almost fell off his horse because he lost his balance. He hurriedly grabbed the horse's belly and rushed forward, and he stabilized his body by taking advantage of his severity.
"Haijun, what are you messing around? I'll be killed by you sooner or later!" Kondo Yasso muttered. Yu Qiuhei quickly apologized. The two of them immediately struggled for a long time before they realized that the team had already come closer.
Looking closely, I saw dozens of people kneeling under the flag of the Matsuhide family at the entrance of the castle town, waiting respectfully for the arrival of Asahide Taehyung. One of his figures was a little thin, wearing a loose samurai uniform, with a samurai bun tied with a samurai bun, and all the heads on his forehead were shaved off. This was a high and low sentence with Yu Qiuhei's ponytail and Asahide's samurai bun tied casually. After realizing that the visitor had arrived nearby, the thin figure trembled obviously, but the dozens of people were still kneeling properly and had no other moves. During the Warring States Period in Japan, this etiquette could be regarded as a welcome to the head of the family. Of course, Yu Qiuhei did not understand these etiquettes.
He saw so many people kneeling and riding on the horse, and he felt a little uncomfortable, so he subconsciously jumped off the horse and started walking. However, what embarrassed him was that none of the other dozens of people who were walking with him were riding on the horse arrogantly. However, the group was about to arrive in front of the people from Songping's house, and Yu Qiuping could not climb onto the horse anymore.
"Hashi Matsuhira Motoyashi, welcome Lord Asahina!" As he felt the sound of horse hooves passing by his forehead, Matsuhira Motoyashi kowtowed three times and shouted respectfully.
"Matsuhei family, welcome Lord Asahina!" Immediately afterwards, dozens of retainers behind him also shouted respectfully.
"Please get up, everyone." Asahina cleared his throat and said, "It's all right."
"Thank you, sir!" After another neat sound, Matsuhira Motokaku stood up, and Yu Qiuping was facing him.
Matsuhei Motoyaki has been kneeling here for an hour.
The messenger from Yoshida Castle arrived early yesterday morning and said that after Asahina Taehyung had arrived at Yoshida Castle, Matsuhei Motoyashi began to prepare for the welcome. As a vassal family that has been completely controlled by the Imakawa family, and it is a stumbling block for the Imakawa family to completely control Mikawa, Matsuhei Motoyashi knew very well that he had to do everything he had to do and not give others a handle in order to retain the hard-won rights. Once anything goes against the Imakawa family's intentions, it is at least
The punishment is the worst of the family. From the beginning of my memory, I have lived cautiously and tried hard to show respect to everyone. He married the adopted daughter of Imakawa Yoshimoto, a woman who is much bigger than himself. More than ten years of enduring humiliation and bullying finally earned the reward of being released from the place where he was placed in the house arrest in Junfu Castle last year. He was allowed to command the former subordinates of the Matsuhei family in Mikawa Okazaki Castle, but the actual power was still controlled by the Imakawa family.
In order to retain this hard-earned freedom, he could only continue to humblely flatter. As long as the Imakawa family members come to Okazaki, he would respectfully lead the retainers to kneel down to greet the governor. The previous Okabe Motonobu and Udo Nagata enjoyed such treatment. They did not feel that there was anything wrong with them, and let the dust raised by the horse's hooves fall on Matsuhira Motoyashi's face.
Although the person who came today was only the younger brother of the head of the Asahina family, Matsuhei Motoyashi understood that the Asahina family was the direct leader of the Imakawa family, and the younger brother of the head was still incomparable to his puppet vassal. So he still obediently knelt at the entrance of the city.
In order to show respect, the other party immediately found himself kneeling in the distance. Matsuhira Motokaku kneeled down at the city gate early for an entire hour and had not had time to have lunch. The scorching sun was scorching, wearing a thick samurai uniform, and keeping his posture unchanged. After all, Matsuhira Motokaku was just a sixteen-year-old child and was so tired that he was a little dizzy.
So, the moment he got up, he suddenly felt a flash in front of him and was about to fall to the ground.
He held him with his hands.
After a moment of trance, Matsuhira Motoyashi immediately realized that this was an extremely rude behavior. He hurriedly gritted his teeth and tried hard to stand, and his erratic gaze focused again in front of him.
Dozens of people riding on horses and raising themselves high above their heads.
A young man with a ponytail and a slanted bangs on his forehead looked straight at himself, his eyes full of concern and worry. His outstretched hand was still placed on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Yu Qiuping asked.
He was asking me, is there anything wrong? Is this concern?
Matsuhira Motoyashi felt his heart tightened and tears almost burst out. But his determination over the years still made him quickly adjust his state, and that humble smile appeared on his face again.
However, the words "thank you" were unable to speak because of choking.
"What's wrong? Lord Motokara won't invite us into the city?" Fujita Nakaharu asked dissatisfiedly.
"How dare you?" Matsuhira Motoyasu looked at Yu Qiuhei apologetically, and quickly turned around and bowed to Fujita Nakaharu, "Please enter the city. Huye has already held a banquet for you!"
When we arrived at the Tensou Pavilion in Okazaki Castle, the Matsuhide family had indeed prepared a banquet. The Matsuhide family is not very rich now, but the dishes on each table still made up the best food. For this reason, the Matsuhide family had to cut their dietary budget for the next few days. Starting from the head of the family, everyone only had two meals.
At the banquet, Matsuhira Motoyaki politely invited Hiroshi Shinguchi, his de facto father-in-law, to serve as the chairman. He also gave up the main position of the left hand position to Taehyung and his group, and he and his retainers were honestly at the guest seat of the right hand position.
"I'm afraid this is inappropriate," Hiroshi Shinguchi said pretending to refuse, "Okazaki Castle is the Matsuhira family's residence. How can we feel that we are occupying the nest?"
"What did you say?" Matsuhira Motoyasu shook his head, "The Imakawa family is as kind as a mountain to the Matsuhira family. This Okazaki Castle is also a gift from the Imakawa family to the Matsuhira family. The Matsuhira family is grateful to each other, so how dare they not think about it! We are just guarding Okazaki on behalf of the Imakawa family!"
"Since that's the case, I'm disrespectful," Hiroshi Shinguchi made the chairman without saying a word, and Asahina Taehyung made the left hand position without hesitation. Yu Qiuhei quietly glanced at the crowd of the Mikawa retainers group. The older ones all looked calm, and they didn't know which one was the famous Tadaji Sakai. The young retainers behind all looked solemn, and one of them seemed to have tears in his eyes.
In the whole banquet, except for the initial speech and explanation of receiving the Asahina family troops, the Imakawa family was basically talking about family matters, while the Matsuhide family members were listening in a regular manner, while the Matsuhide Motoyashi carefully accompanied the smile on his face, laughing loudly for every unfunny joke and funny joke. He didn't eat much throughout the whole process, and listened to their conversation seriously.
After the ceremonies were dispersed, everyone left, and Matsuhira Motoyasu stayed to direct his servants to clean the lobby. When Yu Qiuhei was about to say goodbye, a retainer from the Matsuhira family came and called him.
"This master," the retainer's strong rural Mikawa accent made Yu Qiuhei, who was used to listening to Suruga's Japanese official language almost fail to understand, "My master is welcome."
When Yu Qiuping came over, Matsuhira Motokara had just arranged the work of his servants. When he saw Yu Qiuping coming, he hurriedly turned around and bowed, but Yu Qiuping reached out to stop him. The retainers of Matsuhira were stunned. Several of the guards of the Matsuhira family held the hilt of the knife as if they were facing a great enemy. Once Yu Qiuping did anything, they would react immediately.
"No need to bow, Lord Matsuhide," Yu Qiuping looked at the boy who was about the same age as him and bowed for an afternoon, and couldn't help feeling a little sad. "I am not an adult, I am just a native of Ming Dynasty, named Yu Qiuping. The ethical brother of the Asahina Prince. I don't have the official position of the Imakawa family. Logically speaking, I should be kneeling down to the adult."
"How dare you?" Matsuhei Motokaku looked at Yu Qiuping unexpectedly. "Since he is the young master's younger brother, he is also the object of respect for Huyi." He added, "I really thank you sir at the city gate just now."
"Sir, let's have something to eat," Yu Qiuping sighed. "I don't think I've eaten much supper, my face is not very good. I always have this kind of stomach that can't bear it."
Matsuhira Motoyaki was stunned.
He reminded me to have supper.
Is he caring about himself?
Care. This is such a strange feeling.
From the moment he can remember, he was a person destined to be unwilling to be cared for.
In front of outsiders, he must be the puppet who bows down and is grateful to the Imakawa family. The people of the Imakawa family naturally would not care about him, but instead despise him with a arrogant attitude.
In front of the retainers, he must be the lord who endures humiliation and bears heavy burdens. No matter when, he cannot show his discouragement. He will always be the backbone of this retainer group that has experienced ups and downs. Therefore, no one will care about him.
My father had been unfortunately killed, and my mother had remarried and had not seen him for more than ten years.
It has been more than ten years, and he has to bear all the hardships and fatigues.
Today, someone finally cares about him?
He lowered his head, tears could not stop spinning in his eyes. But he could not cry, he could not cry in front of his retainers.
So, thousands of words turned into only two words.
"Thanks."
Yu Qiuping didn't know how much impact his concern had on Matsuhira Motoyaku.
He just smiled and nodded, wanting to encourage this young man who was born hard-earned and experienced ups and downs: "It will be OK to work hard."
Chapter completed!