At the turn of spring and summer, outside Sakurada Gate.
The flowering period of the cherry blossoms is short, and most of them have already faded, leaving only a few late cherry blossoms that are desolate and sparsely fallen.
Matsuda was riding on his horse, looking at Yukino Takada, dressed in red, walking slowly towards him in front of him, and couldn't help but tremble.
Takada Yukino was not alone. There were seven swordsmen walking behind him, blocking the entire road.
The crowds on both sides of the street looked curiously at this strange group of ronin. They were wearing haori with a mountain pattern and raising a small flag with the word "sincerity".
Matsuda looked at it for a few times and shouted.
"Turn back! Let's go back to Nijo Imperial Palace!"
Matsuda decisively ordered a retreat. Her bannermen only had five or six people. No one except her was on horseback.
She turned around, and the hatatos yelled at the crowd behind them to get out of the way. At this moment, seven or eight ronin emerged from the crowd, wearing the same Yamagata haori clothes. They drew their swords and slashed at the Matsuda family's Hime samurai.
Matsuda subconsciously reined in his horse and looked around.
Someone drew his sword and saw blood. The crowd fled in a hurry. Several figures in the crowd were walking backwards towards him. This was a planned ambush!
Matsuda glanced behind him. The Hatamoto Hime samurai was hurriedly resisting the attack of the Ronin swordsman. Outnumbered, some people had already been hit by swords and fell to the ground.
She gritted her teeth and whipped the horse hard on the buttocks, then rushed towards the gap in front of it that was not yet surrounded.
Several townspeople who were blocking the road were knocked down. A Mibu wolf tried to stop him, but was trampled by a war horse. He vomited blood and looked like he would not survive.
Matsuda hugged the horse's neck tightly and ran rampant. The way back was cut off and surrounded on all sides. Only by rushing forward and rushing to his own mansion in three neighborhoods could he be safe.
When Yukino saw her horse speeding up to run away, murderous intent was evident in her eyes, and her face suddenly turned pale.
Then, she rushed out, running even faster than a horse galloping in pain. In the midst of lightning and flint, she drew her sword in a flash.
Matsuda felt the reins loosen and almost fell off the horse. When she took a closer look, she was even more frightened.
She hugged the horse's neck, but the horse's head was missing. The column of blood spurted from its neck instantly turned her face red. Takada Yukino's sword actually decapitated the galloping horse.
The headless war horse took a few more steps with the momentum, and then suddenly fell sideways. Matsuda was caught off guard and half of his body was pinned down by the horse corpse.
Behind her, Takada Yukino suddenly stopped, took out a white towel, covered his mouth, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
She casually discarded the white towel on the ground, pointed the knife down, and slowly walked towards Matsuda, who was pressed down by the horse.
Matsuda tried her best to break free, but her feet were entangled with the stirrups, and the horse's body was so heavy that it was impossible to pull it out for a while.
Seeing Yukino approaching step by step, seeing her expressionless face, seeing the horse blood dripping from the tip of the knife, the horse blood on Matsuda's face was still warm.
She almost collapsed and shouted.
"You can't kill me! I am an important minister of the shogunate, and I am the agent of the palace!
Takada Battosai! If you kill me, Odai will be in big trouble! The Shiba family will be in big trouble!"
Takada Yukino ignored her and raised his hand to strike. Matsuda howled in despair.
At this moment, Kondo Isamu from behind finally caught up and shouted.
"Lord Takada!"
Takada Yukino looked back at her, and Matsuda breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there was someone who understood.
Who knows, Isamu Kondo saluted and said.
"Please leave this opportunity to me! Please!"
Takada Yukino glanced at her. Kondo Isamu's eyes did not have the sense that Matsuda hoped for, but were full of fanaticism.
Become famous all over the world right now!
Yukino raised her eyebrows and nodded. Kondo Isamu was overjoyed and bowed deeply.
"Thank you so much!"
After hoping, Matsuda fell into despair again. She looked at the sky and saw the sparse cherry blossoms floating in the air, and a strange smile appeared on her face after she collapsed.
"How dare you...how can you...I am an important minister of the shogunate...I..."
Isamu Kondo stepped forward and drew his sword, his eyes flashing with bloodthirsty brilliance.
"Your Majesty, please punish me! I will punish you as a traitor! Your head will be taken by me, Isamu Kondo!"
After saying that, she raised the knife and dropped it, blood splattering everywhere.
———
At the same time as the murder occurred outside Sakurada Gate, Yagyu Mununetsu had just returned to his residence and met his waiting daughter, Yagyu Munenuki.
She looked at her daughter and said.
"Come in with me."
The two of them entered the inner room, and the Ji warriors accompanying them both looked nervous and looked at each other.
There are two branches of the Yagyu family, one follows the Ashikaga family, and the other follows the Shiba family. Because the conflict between the two masters has intensified, they have drifted apart, and a decision must be made in the end.
In the inner room, mother and daughter were sitting separately.
Yagyu Muneyan asked.
"When did you come to Kyoto?"
Yagyu Munenuki said.
"After receiving the urgent order from the envoy, it took some time to gather the Yagyu group and they just arrived."
Yagyu Soyan glanced at his daughter who looked indifferent and said tentatively.
"As far as I know, the head of the Shiba family, Yukino Takada, has left the Shiba mansion and his whereabouts are unknown.
Is there any mission for you to be transferred to the capital by Da Yutai?"
Yagyu Muneniki didn't say anything, just looked at his mother. Takada Yukino was dismissed from his post as Shiba Mesuke by Ootai, but this incident did not spread.
Oitai's handling of this matter was very strange.
On the one hand, he removed Yukino's power and wanted to put her in confinement to let her calm down for a while.
On the other hand, he did not stop Yukino from transferring the Yagyu group to Beijing. He only sent someone to inform Yagyu Munenomi that Yukino had been dismissed.
Yagyu Munenuki has stayed at Shiba's house for a long time and is very aware of Takada Yukino's special status.
To use an overbearing word to describe it, Otaisho's approach is like dealing with a rebellious daughter who is disobedient. She is helpless and protective of her shortcomings.
The more Yoshigan gets entangled, the less Yagyu Munomichi dares to mess around, and the more he pays more attention to Takada Yukino.
Mesuke is the lord's eagle dog who suppresses dissidents, and must be the lord's most loyal lackey. Yagyu Muneki has no ego, and her position is that Odaisho will always be healthy and correct.
Without the trust of the master, Mesuke's fate will be extremely miserable.
At the beginning, Yagyu Munenuki lost the trust of Ashikaga Yoshiteru and fell to the bottom in an instant. Her tribe had to rely on Yagyu Munenuki's financial support to survive.
Fortunately, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was kind and did not let Yagyu Muneyan become a dead man and kept the secrets of the Ashikaga family forever.
Muneniki Yagyu didn't want to end up like her mother, so she acted cautiously, fearing that Yoshigan Shiba would become suspicious of her.
At this time, hearing that his mother wanted to find out the inside story of the Shiba family, Yagyu Munenomi finally made up his mind.
She kowtowed to the ground and said.
"Mother, I came here today to tell you that all supplies from Peking University and the Kyoto tribe to the Kyoto people will be cut off."
Yagyu Zongyan's heart trembled and he looked at his daughter.
"what are you up to?"
Yagyu Munomi said unceremoniously.
"It's you, mother, what on earth are you going to do!
I just want to keep Peking University and the Yagyu family alive. You are too utilitarian. Just now you were trying to find out the details of the Shiba family.
You should know that if you do this, you will kill the people of Beidahe!
The Yagyu-gumi will follow Odaisho closely, swear allegiance to him, and kill everyone who is his enemy. Even if I am facing you, I will not hesitate to strike."
Yagyu Zongyan looked sternly as he listened to his daughter's words.
After she was dismissed from the post of Omatsu by Ashikaga Yoshiki, the clan members in Kyoto have been supported by Yagyu Munenori, so that Yagyu Muneni can pursue a career resurgence without any worries.
To be continued...