On June 3, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543), Okabe Castle in Suruga Province. Imagawa Yoshimoto brought Okabe Motonobu as a bodyguard to the castle where the Okabe family lived, and personally visited Okabe Okabe, the important minister of the generation.
After inspecting a circle of territory, Okabe Otsuna also personally prepared a banquet to entertain Imagawa Yoshimoto. Of course, at the Okabe family's "wine banquet", you absolutely don't want to see a drop of "wine".
The cups were filled with tea. Okabe Oyatsuna himself was a fanatical supporter of Prohibition, and even Okabe Motonobu also contracted this problem - he was simply incompatible with the Asahina family, where both father and son were addicted to alcohol.
Unlike the talkative Asahina Yasuno, Okabe Oyatsuna is completely a dull person who is not good at words. But there are so many retainers of the Okabe family sitting in the hall, and it is really embarrassing not to say a word, so Imagawa Yoshimoto can only work hard on his own.
Provoke the topic and liven up the atmosphere. Okabe Motobu seemed to have noticed the difficulties of the family governor, and tried his best to seize any opportunity to talk to Imagawa Yoshimoto - but Imagawa Yoshimoto still wanted him to shut up - because
Okabe Motobu's speech was as cold as ever, and it was simply a topic terminator:
"I cannot thank the Okabe family enough for their continued devotion to the Imagawa family, no matter how many times I say it."
——"That's right. There is no need to say more in the main hall of the family governor."
"Since I took office, I have never visited Okabe Castle. I am really sorry for the long absence of greetings."
——"Aren't you ignoring political affairs? Not coming is normal, but coming here is abnormal. It doesn't matter, even if you don't come, our Okabe family will do our job well."
"How are the crops growing in the territory this year?"
——"I have been serving you at Imagawa Pavilion, and I have just come back. How do you know what the crops in the fields are like?"
"Okabe, you are really quick to talk. If you can talk, talk more."
——"I have received an award from the House Governor. I have really been practicing rhetoric and grammar very hard in the next few years, and I have finally made some progress. It is true that my hard work pays off!"
Imagawa Yoshimoto was so choked by Okabe Motobu that his face almost turned green. He wished he could pull Okabe Motobu out and scold him right now, but at this moment he could only pinch his nose and continue to have trouble with him.
Talk to each other.
Of course, in the eyes of the retainers of the Okabe family, this was a different story.
"The main hall has really grown a lot." Okabe Hisatsuna turned sideways and whispered to Okabe Sadatsuna next to him: "The young master who used to be carefree and at ease actually came to the retainer's residence in person to establish relations. Even if the situation is embarrassing
, still trying its best to maneuver."
"Perhaps it was the rebellion of Toe Mikawa that made the main hall decide to turn back the prodigal son." Okabe Sadatsuna also nodded, and then laughed in a low voice, "It's just that the young master is really not good at chatting. He really doesn't want to."
Will it offend the main hall?"
"No matter how bad things are in the main hall, his temper is always gentle. It is rare to see him get angry." Okabe Hisatsuna also laughed.
After the banquet, the retainers of the Okabe family dispersed, leaving only Okabe Otsuna, Okabe Motonobu and his son, and Imagawa Yoshimoto. After briefly chatting about the territory and future strategies, Imagawa Yoshimoto finally asked
The question that concerned me the most during this trip came up:
"Sakyo Susumu (Okabe Chitsuna), why are you still willing to dedicate your loyalty to me when I am so neglectful of my business?"
But as soon as the words came out, Imagawa Yoshimoto noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere in the room - Okabe Otsuna was obviously embarrassed and speechless, frowned, and his face looked very embarrassed, while Okabe Gensuna beside him
Xinze laughed:
"What, the Governor's Palace is not as good at talking as I am."
Imagawa Yoshimoto couldn't help but feel that he was a little reckless. It was too abrupt to ask such a question directly. For a rigid and old-school samurai like Okabe Oyatsuna, he had to express his loyalty to his master's family through words on such an occasion.
——It was like disgusting flattery. But Asahina Taino's words had such a huge impact on Imagawa Yoshimoto that he couldn't wait to confirm this question with other important officials in the family, so he asked it rashly.
"Jiro, get some drinks." However, Okabe Otsuna glanced at Okabe Motoshin and ordered in a low voice.
Imagawa Yoshimoto and Okabe Motonobu were both shocked when they heard this. Okabe Motobu wanted to speak, but Okabe Otsuna glared at him and then obeyed the order and left. Imagawa Yoshimoto then asked the two of them
Questions in mind:
"Hasn't Sakyo-jin been abstaining from alcohol for decades? How could he suddenly break his abstinence and drink alcohol?"
"Since Your Highness has a question, as a retainer, no matter how difficult it is, there is no reason to shirk the blame. I can only answer truthfully. But it is really difficult to say such words, so I can only use wine to embolden you. I hope Your Highness will not be surprised." Okabe Otsuna.
Even when answering such everyday questions, he still uses complete honorifics meticulously.
After a long time, Okabe Gennobu finally came back with a pot of strong liquor that had been there for who knows how long. He brought it to Okabe Oyatsuna's table, and then said with a wry smile: "Father, the castle tower is closed due to your ban on alcohol."
Ling, I really can’t find any wine. I got this bottle from a servant’s private wine collection.”
"Who is hiding it?" Okabe Otsuna asked coldly.
"Father, are you going to punish him?" Okabe Motonobu suddenly became wary, then leaned over and saluted: "I guarantee in every possible way that there will be no punishment, so he is willing to give out the drink."
"There are laws in the family." Okabe Otsuna looked at Okabe Motonobu reluctantly, "Who is it?"
"Didn't my father himself also drink alcohol against the law?" Okabe Motonobu was unwilling to name the man and argued with some difficulty.
"The laws must not be violated. I will punish myself accordingly in the future." Okabe Otsuna nodded calmly without any hesitation, "Tell me, who is it?"
"Then wouldn't I have caused Sakyo Jin to violate the law, and would also have caused the servants to suffer?" Imagawa Yoshimoto suddenly felt a little sorry, and hurriedly spoke up to help.
"This is your family matter. Your Highness does not need to think too much about it. In order to fulfill the orders of the master, the Okabe family has sent countless people to hell for more than a hundred years. What does some punishment mean?" Okabe Otsuna shook his head.
Shaking his head, he obviously did not betray Imagawa Yoshimoto, but continued to stare at Okabe Motobu: "Tell me, who it is."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "As the saying goes, be strict with yourself and be lenient with others. Father, you have been strict with yourself, so should you also be lenient with others and let that servant go?
"Okabe Motonobu used a very untimely and extremely cold joke to try to prevaricate, but naturally it had no effect - Imagawa Yoshimoto on the side almost laughed.
"Who is it?" Okabe Otsuna didn't mean to forgive at all.
"I don't know." Unexpectedly, Okabe Motonobu would simply go ahead and challenge me, "Father, just punish me for concealing and covering up."
"Okay." Okabe Otsuna looked quite satisfied when he heard this, and nodded simply. Then he picked up the wine bottle and took several sips down his throat.
"Sakyo, come in!" Imagawa Yoshimoto raised his hand out of goodwill - although he doesn't like drinking, he can tell just from the pungent taste of this bottle of wine that it must have a lot of stamina. This way of drinking,
I'm afraid it's not about knocking people down directly.
"Your Highness, the Governor, is overly worried." Unexpectedly, Okabe Okabe's face didn't even turn red after he drank a large pot of wine in one go. How could he be drunk at all? He Asahina Yasushi could get it on his face after drinking just a little.
The drunken old drunkards in Tiandu are completely different from each other.
"I didn't expect Sakyou Shin to drink so well?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was immediately surprised, "I've never seen Sakyo Shin drinking before, I'm sorry."
"That's because I used to drink alcohol when I was young and got into trouble, and I have stopped drinking since then." Okabe Oyatsuna sighed, slowly put the wine bottle on the table, and then turned to Imagawa Yoshimoto: "This is exactly what I am doing next.
"I loved drinking when I was young, and I drank until I was completely drunk." Okabe Otsuna glanced at the empty sake bottle on the table, which seemed to have brought back some bad memories, and his expression became serious, "Father,
I tried to persuade you several times, but I was young and energetic at the time and didn’t take it seriously. Until that time, I got drunk after a banquet at Imagawa Hall and accidentally injured the then young master.”
"Young Master?" Imagawa Yoshimoto calculated the time, raised his head and said, "Is it my brother?"
"It is the First Master (Imagawa Ujiteru)." Okabe Okabe nodded, and moved his right hand with some difficulty, "It was dark that day and night, and I couldn't see anyone clearly. I was staying at the Imagawa Mansion as a hostage.
At night, after getting very drunk with my colleagues, we got into a fight on the streets of Honmaru over some trivial matter."
"According to the laws of the Imagawa family, as long as there is a fight, if it is discovered by the public security officer, it will be punished with death regardless of whether it is right or wrong. It is the so-called 'noisy success or failure'. So after seeing the fight taking place, a man passing by
The young man stepped forward to stop him. However, I was drunk at the time and my brain was unclear. In a moment of anger, I actually injured the young man who was trying to stop the fight. After seeing the blood, I calmed down. After looking at it through the light of the lantern, I realized that
That young man is actually the young master of the family."
"At that time, I was already stunned. This is basically an undisputed death penalty. The colleagues who were fighting with me were so frightened that they ran away on the spot. However, I felt that as the eldest son of the Okabe family, it would be too much if I fled in fear of crime after committing a crime.
It was too humiliating for the family, and it was inevitable that the world would laugh at him, so he did not run away, but knelt down and asked for death. Not long after, the security officials came after hearing the news. Although I was unwilling in every way, I felt that I had not yet made any achievements.
It would be a waste to die drunk, but I am already prepared to die."
"I asked the late Lord to allow me to commit seppuku in order to preserve my last honor." After Okabe Otsuna said this, he paused. A rare expression appeared on Furui Muha's face, and then he grinned.
He shook his head and said:
"But the First Lord said: 'Is there any reason for a loyal minister to be buried here?' Then he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, sent the security officer back, and told the security officers that nothing happened here.
