After everyone heard the sound, they immediately drew their knives in their hands. The person who came immediately stopped, took out an "L" shaped object from his pocket and pointed it at Imagawa Yoshimoto and others. However, the two sides looked at each other.
After looking at the face reflected in the torch, I found that it was an acquaintance.
"Is it you?" Imagawa Yoshimoto recognized this person - it was the young man who guided him into this tunnel 7 years ago - he was still the same, with a good face and black hair that was not shaved.
No wonder,
Not many people know about this tunnel, so who else can they meet here?
"Your Majesty Imagawa, you are well." The young man also recognized Imagawa Yoshimoto, and then inserted the L-shaped object back into his waist.
"Your Excellency, do you know me?" Imagawa Yoshimoto couldn't help but be a little surprised. He didn't remember using his name when we last met.
"I knew it last time." The young man said frankly without any concealment, "I just didn't know that His Highness Imagawa was 'revisiting his old place' this time.
Why? I was passing by by chance tonight,
I found that the tunnel entrance had been moved.
That’s when I tracked it down, but I didn’t expect it to be an old acquaintance.”
"Who is this person?" Ginkgo, the only one who didn't know this young man, asked in a low voice in Imagawa Yoshimoto's ear.
"That's the noble man who helped me last time. Don't worry, he's probably not an enemy." Imagawa Yoshimoto replied to Ginkgo, but also decided to be honest with the young man: "To be honest, our trip is to rescue those who were under house arrest by the Kizawa Military Department.
Among the dignitaries present at Awata Shrine, there are several ministers with ties to the Imagawa family."
"Oh, so you are going to be the enemy of Kizawa Hyobu." The young man smiled with relief, "I thought you were allies of Kizawa Hyobu."
"Huh? Your Excellency, you have some trouble with Kizawa Hōbu?" Imagawa Yoshimoto couldn't help but be curious.
"No, it's just a matter of likes and dislikes. Just like when I wanted to help His Highness Imagawa deal with your brother (Imagawa Yoshima), there was no reason." The young man shrugged his shoulders leisurely, and then pointed at the people behind Imagawa Yoshimoto and others.
The sealed exit: "But it seems that the one you are looking for is the wrong one. It should not be the exit of Awata Shrine, but the exit of Qoren-in."
"Is that so?" Imagawa Yoshimoto frowned in embarrassment, "It's really difficult. You can't see anything in the underground secret passage, and it's difficult to distinguish the direction and distance.
How to find the corresponding position on the ground."
"I'll take you there. I'm very familiar with this tunnel." The young man took the initiative to invite you.
He smiled and said: "As long as you are against Kizawa Hōbu, I will be happy to accompany you. I hope you will put him to death."
"Is there really nothing to celebrate..." Imagawa Yoshimoto secretly complained, but he quickly handed over his hands and said, "Thank you very much."
"Everyone, please give me some advice." The young man bowed to everyone, and then stretched out his hand to shake everyone's hand. Kira Usei and Tian Shen Kentaro were confused by this inexplicable etiquette, but they still extended their hands symbolically.
I shook it.
"Men and women don't kiss each other. Do women even have to shake hands?" Ginkgo asked with a frown.
"I'm sorry." The seemingly well-educated young man was extremely persistent on this issue and just shook hands with Ginkgo.
"What does this mean?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was a little confused, but then he smiled and said, "And why don't you shake my hand?"
"I assure you that His Highness Imagawa doesn't need to ask any more questions." The young man showed an innocent and nonchalant smile, then shook his head and said, "As for Your Highness, didn't we meet last time?"
"Did you meet my two guards last time?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked reluctantly.
"But I haven't shaken hands with them." The young man left an incomprehensible explanation, and then prevaricated: "Don't ask more questions, Your Highness, you are in a hurry, right? Hurry up."
"Okay." Imagawa Yoshimoto then nodded,
Signaling the young man to lead the way.
"Why are you so obsessed with this, sir?" Ginkgo approached Imagawa Yoshimoto with ill intentions and teased,
"Are you jealous even if you shake someone's hand?"
"no,
I vaguely remember that the last time I shook hands with him, it felt as if my body was slightly electrocuted. Ginkgo, do you have a similar feeling?" Imagawa Yoshimoto glanced at his right hand and shook it slowly, as if
Recall the feeling at that time.
"No." Ginkgo simply shook her head.
So, under the leadership of the young man, the group walked around the tunnel for a long time and finally found an exit that seemed inconspicuous.
"This is the exit of the secret passage leading to Awada Shrine. It should lead directly to the courtyard pavilion inside Awada Shrine." The young man pointed to the dark top, "But I'm not sure whether the hostage you want to rescue is really under house arrest.
In Tingxieli, if you get out now but fail, and the tunnel is discovered by the Muzawa family, it will be difficult to handle."
"Indeed, we should break into Awada Shrine from the ground first, find an opportunity to control the exit of the secret passage, and then transfer the hostages to the courtyard and send them away through the secret passage. It is safer." Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded and thought for a moment.
, formed a rough plan, and then said to Ginkgo: "Ginkgo, please remember where we came from, and you will be responsible for guiding everyone to leave."
"But it's still not advisable to stay here for a long time. If the ninjas of the Kizawa family who are searching around discover the entrance to the secret passage, it will be really troublesome." The young man seemed to be very concerned about keeping the secret passage secret, and said with a hint of urging.
"Okay, let's leave then." Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded, and walked back to the entrance under the guidance of the young man.
"Speaking of which, what happened to your brother?" On the way back, the young man suddenly mentioned a topic. Although his tone pretended not to care, Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was good at observing words and expressions, noticed some subtleties.
"Um... he passed away." Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't know how to answer this question - what happens to the dead?
"Well... Although it's a bit offensive, how did your brother die?" Unexpectedly, the young man asked a more unexpected topic. This time, not only Imagawa Yoshimoto, but also Ginkgo, who was a step behind, felt a little strange.
Suddenly, a storm surged in Imagawa Yoshimoto's mind, and he remembered Imagawa Yoshima's instructions to him before committing seppuku. That happened on September 22, the seventh year of Tianwen (1538) -
"Remember, just tell the outside world that I died in the fire in Yuanjiang. Don't tell others that you killed me with your own hands. You must also kill Yutaka Furuno and Nao Hayasaka, and don't let them.
Leaked the news that you personally executed me." Imagawa Yoshima took the trouble to give the last instruction, and Imagawa Yoshimoto just curled his lips noncommittally.
When Imagawa Yoshimoto told Imagawa Yoshimoto to keep the cause of his death secret, Imagawa Yoshimoto just felt confused - does it matter how he died? Who would care about these things?
But when the mysterious young man in front of him actually asked about the cause of Imakawa Yoshima's death, Imagawa Yoshimoto felt that his dusty memories were suddenly awakened, and along with them were also awakened by inexplicable doubts and vigilance.
Could it be that how Imagawa Ryojin died is really important? Is it really a matter that many people care about? That’s why the third brother repeatedly asked me not to leak it? Or is it that not many people actually care, only the young man in front of me?
Concerned about this matter - so he also worked very hard to assist Imagawa Yoshimoto against Imagawa Yoshima. Could he be Imagawa Yoshimoto's enemy? Do you want to do something to Imagawa Yoshima's body to vent his anger? Imagawa Yoshimoto is really afraid that the body will not be left.
, did you ask Imagawa Yoshimoto to conceal the matter?
"He burned himself to death when the Enjiang Kingdom was defeated, and his body could not be found." Imagawa Yoshimoto then followed Imagawa Ryojin's instructions and lied, concealing the fact that he personally helped Imagawa Ryojin correct his mistake.
"Is that so... It seems to be the same as the rumors." The young man heard some regrets and sighed helplessly, and then asked with some hopelessness: "On the day your brother set himself on fire, was there any newborn baby born near Yuanjiang?
? It’s best to be one who is related to him by blood.”
"Huh?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was once again stopped by the young man's question, this time it was completely baffling. Does this question have any meaning? And what logic drove the young man to ask after asking about the cause of Imakawa Yoshima's death?
of this question.
"Sorry, I was just asking casually." The young man seemed to feel that he had jumped a little too far this time. He nodded slightly and apologized, with no intention of continuing to ask further questions.
But Imagawa Yoshimoto fell into deep thought...
Because he clearly remembered that on the same day that he personally killed Imagawa Yoshima in Imagawa Hall, Ginkgo also gave birth to his eldest son, Imagawa Goro, in Imagawa Hall.
Could it be said that there will be a curse on Ryo Imagawa's death? Will his relatives who were born on the same day be cursed?
So this time, it was Imagawa Yoshimoto's turn who was worried about the child and took the initiative to ask: "What do you mean? If there are children born on the same day, will there be any impact?"
"Is there any?" The young man who had stopped asking questions suddenly became interested when he heard this.
"Hey, not really, it was seven or eight days later." Imagawa Yoshimoto almost let it slip - after all, nominally Imagawa Ryojin self-immolated on September 14th, the seventh year of the Astronomical Period (1538), while Imagawa Goro was in the seventh year of the Astronomical Period (1538).
(1538) Born on September 22. If Imagawa Yoshima's death and Imagawa Goro's birth were on the same day, wouldn't it expose the fact that Imagawa Yoshima did not die by self-immolation?
"Oh, that's okay, it's been too long." The young man lost interest in the moment and shrugged.
"What would happen if it were the same day?" But Imagawa Yoshimoto asked worriedly.
"Um..." The young man showed a wry smile with some confusion, and finally shook his head and said: "There are some things that are really inconvenient to talk about. Please don't blame His Highness Imagawa."
At this point, Imagawa Yoshimoto also lost the reason to continue asking, but the worry in his heart was difficult to dissipate.
After sending Imagawa Yoshimoto and others out of the tunnel, the young man said "see you later" and disappeared into the moonlight.
Time goes back to today, March 30, the twelfth year of Astronomy (1543), it is four o'clock.
Under the guidance of Ginkgo, the detained Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Hosokawa Harumoto, Konoe Ueie and other ministers jumped into the tunnel one by one, and were transferred to the outside through the tunnel under the protection of the Imagawa family samurai and ninjas.
Tu Yuanjing and others who stayed behind in Tingxie bluffed, so that the Hatamoto of the Kizawa family did not dare to attack. It was only after the personnel had withdrawn that they cleaned up the traces at the tunnel exit to ensure that the tunnel would not be discovered. Subsequently, Tu
Atomic Sutra and other ninjas escaped by themselves through body skills - until now, the Kizawa family Hatamoto, who threw the rat weapon, had not launched a single attack.
Inside the tunnel, both Ashikaga Yoshiharu and Hosokawa Harumoto looked solemn and terrified. The shogun's family and the housekeeper's family were both controllers of Kyoto, but no one had ever discovered this huge, spacious, large-scale tunnel extending in all directions - this
It can no longer only be used for intelligence, but can even be used for military operations. If this tunnel is used by the enemy, then his rule in Kyoto will be in jeopardy.
However, Konoe Ueke obviously had different ideas. He found an opportunity when no one was around Taiyuan Xuezhai, quietly approached him, and asked in a low voice: "Master Xuezhai, I'm sorry to bother you."
"Your Highness the Prime Minister, don't you dare." Taiyuan Xuezhai thanked him immediately after hearing this, "I wonder if His Highness the Prime Minister has any advice?"
"I still want to ask how this tunnel came to be known to the Imagawa family. This is a serious matter, and I hope Master Xuezhai can tell the truth." Konoe Ueke whispered very earnestly, even to Taiyuan Xuezhai.
The use of honorifics made Taiyuan Xuezhai frown. After seeing this, Konoe Ueke hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to reveal it: "To be honest, we have also heard about this secret passage.
Rumor has it that it was built by the royal family hundreds of years ago, and its entrance, exit and location are only passed down from generation to generation by members of the royal family. But we always thought it was just a joke, but we didn't expect it to be true."
"That's it." Taiyuan Xuezhai also took a breath when he heard this, and lied without changing his face and said, "It's just that it was indeed accidentally discovered by our mission when they went to Luo a few years ago." At the same time, his heart began to beat:
"That brat Chengfang said that a strange nobleman told him the location of this tunnel... Who exactly did he meet?"
