The quarrel in the assessment room continued. In the corridor outside the room, Amano Keitai's eldest son Amano Motokage was comforting his younger brother Amano Keitoku.
"Brother will go with his father to attack the Imagawa Army. He will almost die in this battle, and he will probably never come back." Amano Motokage stood in front of his younger brother, who was a head shorter than him, and told him in his usual gentle voice, "
You are still young, so you don’t have to go to the battlefield, so you can just stay here. The Amano family will probably be reorganized in the future, and many of the clan members who participated in the attack will be executed. But you have to survive and take care of your mother. Your mother is too fragile.
You might not be able to survive if you encounter these things."
"Brother, since you know you will definitely lose and die, why do you and your father still go?" Amano Kyoude's eyes were red, and he grabbed his brother's clothes and didn't want to let him go. "Can't we live well together as a family?
Okay?"
"It is the duty of a warrior to be loyal to the Lord and repay the kindness of the palace. It is the duty of a son to be filial to my father and to live and die with him." Amano Motokage put his hands on Amano Kage's
De, who seemed to hang his head helplessly, said, "There is nothing we can do about it. No matter whether it is my brother or my father, of course I want to live a good life with Kwonbei and my mother. But the current situation has brought the Amano family to a
Pushed to the cusp of such a storm, we have no choice."
"If I don't die, my father will be disrespectful to the morality of the samurai family, and I will be disrespectful to human ethics. It will only ruin the reputation of the Amano family and be looked down upon by future generations. For the sake of the reputation of the Amano family, this is the only way we can go."
After giving the instructions, Amano Motokage glanced at his younger brother for the last time, touched his head, and then turned around and left to reorganize the troops in the city. Amano Keide was at a loss and rushed into the bedroom in a daze, trying to find his mother.
of comfort.
"Mom..." Amano Keide stumbled towards his mother and asked anxiously, "What should we do? Dad and brother must go..."
The youngest son's words made the mother, who had been patient all night, collapse. He hugged the child, patted his back, and whispered over and over again:
"Don't be afraid, Quan Bingwei, don't be afraid... No matter what happens, my mother will be with you."
"But why do my father and brother have to go..." Amano Keide asked with tears in his eyes.
"Ah... That's because we were born in the Wu family in troubled times. For the sake of justice and ethics, your father and your brother can only do that. There is no other way..." The mother burst into tears and hugged Amano Kage.
De kept crying, "There is no other way... We have nothing to do..."
However, Amano Keidei in his arms held back his tears and his thoughts continued to spread. He knew that as a man, he had to do something.
Is there no other way...?
After exiting the bedroom and walking alone in the corridor of the castle tower, Amano Keide clenched his fists tightly.
There is still another way...
He clearly remembered that the year before last, the Imagawa clan's army besieged Hanakura Castle, and Fukushima Katsunari, who had split up the Fukushima clan, saved his family's lives by relying on Kaicheng's surrender.
If I also take the initiative to surrender, and I also take the initiative to reveal the actions of the Amano family, the Imagawa family will spare the lives of the four members of our family, right? As long as I report it before the Amano family sends troops to save the Imagawa family from losses, they will not
My father and brother must be put to death!
Amano Jingde's body suddenly trembled violently, and a sense of shame spread throughout his body as the thought popped out, and his whole body felt as if it was being burned by fire. Born in the Wu family, he clearly understood what his behavior meant.
What. When his father was loyal and his brother was filial, he betrayed the family unfaithfully and betrayed his father and brother - such a despicable and shameless act will forever be nailed to the pillar of shame of the Amano family and even the entire Yue.
Scorned by future generations.
His reputation and life will be completely destroyed. No one will ever look at this traitor, no one will recognize him or praise him. Even his parents and brothers will despise him, and passers-by will also
I wish I could spit in the face of a villain like him. His name will become synonymous with traitor. No matter how prosperous he becomes in the future, he will only become the target of people's curses behind his back. Renunciation and alienation are the most common criticism. Unkindness, unjustness, unfaithfulness and unfilial piety
After death, you will go to hell.
Even just thinking about it, this feeling is unbearable. Amano Keitoku has been determined to be a just and kind person since he was a child, but this incident now makes him almost destroy everything he has done over the years.
one's own conscience.
But if you keep your conscience, if you still want to be a just and kind person, both your father and brother will die...
Amano Keide took a breath of cold air and couldn't help but think of what the man named Ohara Jinmi said to him two years ago:
"Young man, what do you know?" Ohara Zhenmi took a few steps closer and looked condescendingly at Amano Keide and his clear eyes, "For the interests of the family and the lord he follows, someone has to do dirty things. We are even together.
If you are not afraid of going to hell, how can you be afraid of not being able to die well? You don’t understand now, but you will understand when you grow up. When you have a master you identify as, when you have a career that you would rather die than to complete - then you
The dirty things he did and the people he killed might be several times, dozens or hundreds of times more than mine!"
Being a good person is easy, and there is no need for Amano Keitoku to go into battle on his own anyway. Staying peacefully in the castle tower, waiting for the news that his father and brother were killed in the battle, supporting his mother after being released, and sweeping the graves of his father and brother who died every year - this is enough
It gave him a reputation as a loyal and good son. If he finds some ways in the future, he might be able to serve as an official again as a filial and honest man. Everything he does is consistent with the right path and there is no trace of injustice.
But in this case, my father and brother will die, as will countless uncles and elders in the family.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! For your family, and for the people you want to protect even if you die, you always need someone to do dirty things.
On the one hand, conscience, justice and lifelong reputation, on the other hand, the fate of his father, brother and clan members, the young Amano Keide had already made a choice.
He looked up at the sky. Behind the bright white moon and stars, there was endless darkness.
At midnight on September 13, the seventh year of Tianwen (1538), in the camp of Xuezhai in Taiyuan on the west bank of Tianlong River.
"Are everything you said true?" Taiyuan Xuezhai looked at Amano Jingde who was kneeling in front of him and whispered seriously.
"There will be no lies. I heard it with my own ears." Amano Keide tried hard to control his voice not to tremble, but the shame still swallowed him up instantly, "I also ask Master Xue Zhai to spare me for the sake of me taking the initiative to confess."
The lives of my father and brother have been ruined."
"Of course there is no problem, if we can stop them before they cause actual losses." Taiyuan Xue Zhai waved and summoned Obara Zhenmi and Tu Yuanjing, "You immediately bring ninjas and a team of cavalry to raid Inuju City.
Capture Amano Keitai and Amano Motokage.”
"Forget it, I'll take it myself." Just before Obara Zhenmi and Dou Atonsune set off, Taiyuan Xuezai suddenly changed his mind and patted Amano Keide's shoulder, "It's Kwonbei, right? Follow me.
Let me come along and lead the way."
In the early morning of September 14th, the seventh year of Tianwen (1538), before dawn, Taiyuan Xuezhai led his troops to Inuju Castle. After Amano Jingtoku deceived the city gate, the ninjas and cavalry of the Imagawa clan immediately swarmed up, and they were doing pre-battle preparations in the barracks.
The prepared warriors of the Amano family were captured on the spot. The retainers of the Amano family were originally dissatisfied with their lord's decision, so they naturally watched from the sidelines at this moment. Seeing that the situation was not good, Amano Keitai and Amano Motokei and his son hurriedly retreated into the castle tower with their flags.
, was surrounded by people led by Taiyuan Xuezhai.
It wasn't until Amano Keitai and Amano Motokage saw Amano Keitoku's figure in the crowd that they finally realized what had happened - and why the enemy had entered the city without a fight before they took action.
"Kwonbei..." Amano Keitai's face was ashen, and he pointed a knife at his second son. He trembled for a long time and could not say a word. He was obviously extremely angry.
"Father, please stop resisting! The child has made an agreement with Master Xuezhai. As long as we put down our weapons, our family's lives will not be harmed!" Amano Keide took a step forward anxiously and shouted at the castle tower.
Father shouted loudly.
"You traitor! Shut up!" Amano Keitai almost tore his throat and yelled at Amano Keitoku, "You bastard dare to betray your family and father, you have no shame, you are worse than a pig or a dog! How dare you do this in front of me?
You are barking here, do you want to disgrace our Amano family? Let the whole Yuanjiang know that I have a traitorous son? I just pretend that I never gave birth to you, damn you! Rebellious! Bastard! I can't wait to give birth to your flesh!
"
"Father...Father!" Amano Keidei was so scolded by Amano Keitai that he could not lift his head, and his eyes instantly turned red.
"Die to me!"
Another loud roar came from the castle tower, and Amano Keitai jumped straight from the second floor of the castle tower, rushed towards Amano Keitoku with a knife, and raised his hand to chop him in the neck. Tsuchi Atonsune and other ninjas saw this
He hurried forward to protect him and blocked the blow at the critical moment - Amano Keide was also shocked and fell to the ground. He stared dumbly at the ferocious beast-like eyes of his ferocious father, as if he were looking at a deadly enemy.
Staring at him fiercely, Amano Keide was frightened into chaos.
"Death! Die to me! You beast! I will personally clean up the house today!" Amano Keitai seemed to be crazy, slashing at Amano Keitoku with one knife after another, determined to take his life. After all, Tsuchi Atonsune and others are ninjas
, blocking alone could not prevent Amano Keitai, so he had no choice but to fight back to force Amano Keitai to retreat - who would have thought that Amano Keitai would not even hide, and even though several kunai were stabbed into his abdomen, he would still persevere.
Attack Amano Jingtoku.
After several heavy blows, the seriously injured Amano Keitai knelt down while vomiting blood. The wound on his abdomen was bleeding tricklingly, and it seemed that he would not live long. Amano Keitoku panicked and rushed forward to help his father stop the bleeding. Who
I once thought that Amano Keitai was about to strike again with a knife. If it weren't for the quick eyesight and quick hands of Tu Atomijing, who pulled Amano Keitoku back - the latter would have died.
Looking at his father lying in a pool of blood, Amano Keide felt that his mind went blank, and he could only faintly hear his father's last words:
"I'll just pretend I never gave birth to you, you beast."
Ninjas from the Imagawa clan attacked the castle tower, but Amano Motokage struggled to resist, but eventually fell helplessly and retreated to the inner room on the second floor. Amano Keitoku hurried up to the second floor, trying to persuade his brother not to resist, but
I only saw my brother who had committed seppuku and collapsed.
"Brother, brother!" Amano Keide stepped forward and hugged Amano Motokage's body, checking his wounds in vain and trying to stop the bleeding. However, his brother just shook his head. The remaining indifference and disappointment in his eyes made Amano Keide
Like falling into an ice cave.
"You have reduced my father and me to be disloyal and you have become an unfilial person, and now you are satisfied?" Amano Motokage vomited blood and asked with a sneer.
"Why did my brother commit suicide? Why don't we live together and take care of our mother!" Amano Keidei was about to collapse, and he could only feel that his brother's life was passing by.
"You have surrendered. Neither I, nor my father, nor the Amano family will be able to raise their heads from now on. If you want to wash away the humiliation of betraying your father and brother and the family's surrender to the enemy, the only way is to commit seppuku and save some reputation.
..." Amano Motokage vomited a large mouthful of blood again, and was vaguely speechless. He used his last strength and pointed in the direction of the bedroom.
Amano Keide understood what Amano Motokage meant, and stumbled towards the bedroom, hoping to find his mother. However, when he opened the door, he only saw his mother who had committed suicide by hanging from the beam, and her purple face.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
At noon on September 14th, the seventh year of Tenmon (1538), the bodies of all the Amano family's fallen soldiers were dragged to the open space outside the castle tower and counted. Next to the open space, Amano Keitoku, who looked like a walking corpse, was soaked in unconsciousness and was already numb.
There was no expression left. It wasn't until Taiyuan Xuezhai walked behind him that Amano Keide finally spoke, letting the people around him realize that he was not mute.
"Master Xue Zhai, why..." Amano Jingtoku covered the left side of his face with his hand stained with the blood of his father and brother, and whispered tremblingly, "Everyone was killed by me, was it my fault...
"
"No, you're right. On the contrary, you are the most amazing. At such a young age, you have the courage to make choices and the consciousness to sacrifice your reputation and morality for the people you want to protect. It's really amazing. You don't know,
Some people will never be able to achieve such courage and consciousness in their lifetime, even those princes and generals who have spent half their lives in the military."
"Is it my parents and brother's fault?" Amano Keide asked again in confusion.
"They are not wrong, they just chose the opposite path to you. Compared with life, the survival of the family, and interests, they value the illusory justice more. Such as kindness, such as loyalty, such as filial piety, such as
The three cardinal principles and the five constant principles..." Taiyuan Xuezhai fiddled with the rosary beads, as if counting those qualities in detail, "They are noble good people, worthy of respect. They know that being good people will suffer losses, but they still insist on the right path. It is because of these people that the world is possible.
Get well."
"Everyone is right, why did it become like this..." Amano Kagetoku raised his hand dully and pointed at the corpses covered with blood.
"Because what is wrong is the troubled times."
Taiyuan Xuezhai sighed loudly.
"It is the troubled times that make it difficult for good people to survive. It is the troubled times that force countless people to make choices like yours. Because if you don't throw away goodwill, conscience, justice, and these most noble and great qualities of mankind, you can survive in troubled times.
Can't go on. Good people can't fight against evil people. Only evil people can survive. Only evil people can end troubled times. This is an indisputable fact and the sadness of troubled times."
"If after the troubled times, all the people who survive are evil people and there are no good people, what kind of hell will it be? Just thinking about such a world is scary. Do you expect a person who is indiscriminately murderous, treacherous, unfaithful, unfilial, and unkind?
Would the unjust ruler immediately change his nature and enact benevolent policies after unifying the world? Impossible. He has become accustomed to killing, and anyone who stands in his way will be eliminated, even if he is standing in the way of countless innocent people.
"
"This is the despair brought by troubled times. Those who survive troubled times are evil people. The peaceful era ruled by these evil people is also full of darkness and filth, which will eventually lead to the next round of troubled times. Again and again, never-ending."
Taiyuan Xuezhai shook his cassock, squatted down in front of Amano Jingde, and stared into his eyes.
"Evil people are destined to be unable to rule the world. What evil people can do is to be willing to pay the price of falling into darkness to protect those good people with white feathers and calm the troubled times, and then entrust everything to him, hoping that he will bring us success
A peaceful and prosperous age.”
"Kwon Bingwei, remember, this is the only thing we villains who do dirty things can do. If we can't find such a person, what we do throughout our lives will be just like the demons of hell.
It’s totally unconscionable. But if we can find such a good person, our dirty life will have meaning, and we can use this broken body to pave a road to the Pure Land."
Taiyuan Xuezhai patted Amano Jingtoku on the shoulder and extended an invitation to him.
"Practice with the poor monk, and I will give you what I have learned throughout my life. Find a good man, do all the dirty things for him, let him stabilize the world, and create a peaceful and prosperous age with long-term stability."
The rain stopped, and a crow flew following the smell of blood. Instead of looking for food in the corpse, it landed on Amano Kagetori's shoulder. It seemed that the smell on his body was more fishy and more attractive than the corpse. Amano
Jingde's clear eyes gradually became cloudy, becoming as yellow as a crow's eyes - the hazy eyes reflected the corpses of his parents and brother in a pool of blood, as well as his unrealistic ambitions when he was young.
"As you command, Master Xue Zhai."
Amano Keide said solemnly, with only a trace of doubt left in his heart - is there really such a good person with fair wings?