While waiting for the door to open, Yagyu Muneyan explained.
"At the Imperial Palace, His Highness Ashikaga Yoshiaki wanted to welcome you.
It’s just a coincidence that someone from the Tiantai Sect came to see me and explain some previous rude misunderstandings.”
Yoshigami looked back at Yagyu Sogan with a humble smile and said.
"Muneki Yagyu has worked for me and worked hard for the past two years. For the sake of her dedication to her duties, I won't embarrass you.
I know what Ashikaga Yoshiaki is afraid of, and I will make this matter clear to her. You have no need, and you are not qualified to get involved.
So, shut up."
The smile on Yagyu Sogan's face froze for an instant, and then he bowed deeply and stopped talking nonsense.
During the ceremony in Shangluo, Yiyin didn't know that the Tiantai Sect left without permission. But even if he knew, he didn't care.
This group of snobs in Kyoto only saw the powerful military power of Oda Nobunaga and Ashikaga Yoshiaki's successor as general, and did not take Yoshigami, the widow of the ancestors, seriously at all.
Yiyin despises and despises these wallflowers who have little success and more than enough failure, and there is nothing they can do about it.
If Oda Nobu hadn't grown up badly, who would have been willing to waste time with these shogunate teammates?
Although those bastards in Kanto are difficult to control, they do things fairly easily. They usually worry about everything, but on the battlefield, if they dare to fight and fight hard, they will really work hard to earn a future.
In comparison, the girls in the shogunate are so useless. They are unreliable at ordinary times and are thieves in war. They want all the benefits but are unwilling to sacrifice and have no sense of responsibility.
Yi Gin is too lazy to talk nonsense with Yagyu Muneyan. In the final analysis, she is not worthy.
A former intelligence chief who was kicked out by Ashikaga Yoshiteru has now become a disciple of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and only wants to be reinstated. Can such a profit-seeking person be trusted?
Ashikaga Yoshiaki even re-employs such a person, Yoshigan really feels sad for the Ashikaga Shogun family.
At this time, the door opened, and Yoshigan walked straight in. Yagyu Sogan followed closely, leading the way to the imperial palace.
Kamaojigo gave Ii Naomasa a look and left her and half of the people outside the door to be careful not to close it.
Shiba Yoshiyin is upright and righteous, and is not afraid of misfortune. However, as a united community, the Hamo family must guard against the malicious intentions of outsiders.
She arranged for Ii Naomasa and half of the people to guard the gate and guard the horses, leaving a way out.
After arranging this matter, she quickly led her other half to follow Yiyin.
At this time, Takada Yukino, who had been accompanying her, was already walking behind Yagyu Sogan, staring at her back with eyes like daggers.
Yagyu Sogen, a swordsman of the first generation, could naturally feel the warning from Takada Yukino from behind, and suddenly the hairs on his body stood up.
She shook her head and smiled bitterly. She really just wanted to lead the way. This little ancestor of the Sibo family must not misunderstand.
Although Takada Yukino is weak, her swordsmanship is unique and she is the fastest in the world.
On the battlefield, both sides were fierce, and Yukino Takada's advantage was not obvious.
But in a battle between swordsmen without armor, who can only fight with speed, who is willing to make an enemy of Yukino Takada, the executioner Battousai?
The group of people walked forward, Yagyu Mune carefully pointed the direction for Yiyin.
Suddenly, Takada Yukino said something.
"Wrong go."
Yoshigan's footsteps stopped, his eyes were turned towards Yagyu Munegan, and Kamao Ujigo's right hand had already grasped the handle of the sword.
Yagyu Soyan said with cold sweat streaming down his face.
"That's right, Otaisuo is this way."
Yoshigami looked back at Yukino Takada, who pointed to the other side and said.
"That's where the main hall is. That's where the general and I resisted the enemy until the end."
Yagyu Soyan came to his senses and quickly explained.
"The Imperial Palace and Nijo Imperial Palace were once captured by the Miyoshi family. When the shogunate renovated it, part of the severely damaged courtyard was abandoned.
Please follow me to the current meeting hall, which is right here."
Yoshigami glanced at the direction Takada Yukino was pointing, his heart was suddenly touched, and he said.
"I'm going to have a look over there."
Yagyu Zongyan was stunned for a moment and said.
"Your Highness Ashikaga Yoshiaki is still waiting for you..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Yiyin.
"Didn't you say that she is receiving people from the Tiantai Sect? Why are you waiting for me again?"
Yagyu Shengzongyan was speechless and did not dare to say anything more.
In fact, the old hall was not seriously damaged, but it was captured by the Mihaoshi family once, which was unlucky.
Therefore, the ministers rearranged the arrangement, deliberately avoiding the old hall, which can be regarded as a newcomer and a new atmosphere, so as to avoid Ashikaga Yoshiaki feeling unlucky.
But Yoshigan Shiba is the widow of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, so you can't say this to his face. Isn't that just looking for trouble?
Seeing that Yoshigan insisted on going to see the place where Ashikaga Yoshiteru died in battle, Yagyu Sogan nodded helplessly.
"What Yutai said is that I will lead the way for you."
Yiyin shook his head and said.
"No need, Yukino, let me go and take a look. In Kamao clan village, you and your people will stay outside."
Yagyu Sogan stepped forward and wanted to say something, but Kamou clan stopped him with his hand.
She could only watch helplessly as Shiba Yoshigan followed Takada Yukino and disappeared into the old hall courtyard. After thinking about it for a moment, Yagyu Soen left and asked Ashikaga Yoshiaki to come over.
Yoshigan Shiba went to remember his fiancée, and Yoshiaki Ashikaga, the sister of Yoshiteru Ashikaga, happened to come over for a visit, so that his sister-in-law and brother-in-law could keep in touch with each other and pave the way for subsequent political negotiations.
Yoshigan just forbade Yagyu Muneyan to follow and did not restrict her from leaving. Kamao clan did not stop her and watched her go away.
———
In the courtyard, Yi Gin followed Takada Yukino and walked forward.
The stone steps, stone lanterns, stone squats, and the general's residence are naturally carefully constructed, and every landscape is carefully designed.
After bypassing the autumn trees and moss, walking along the stone steps into the courtyard, Takada Yukino pointed forward and said.
"In front is the meeting hall, where the general holds meetings and conducts official business on a daily basis."
Yiyin looked ahead and felt that there was some disharmony in the courtyard, but he couldn't explain it. He squatted down and could see faint traces of red from the gaps in the stone path.
A fierce battle took place here, and even though it was carefully cleaned, some clues were still left.
Seeing that Yoshigin was not leaving, Takada Yukino turned around and stayed by his side.
Yiyin raised his head, smiled, and asked.
"She has been working here? Why don't you go out for a walk?"
Yukino stared blankly at the master's smile and replied.
"The general always said that she must not slack off in restoring the glory of the Ashikaga shogun family.
In the past, when she was in the Imperial Palace, she would go to the sword room to practice. After coming to Nijo Castle, she just buried her head here and didn't go out much."
Yiyin nodded.
The layout of Nijo Castle is based on a military castle, guarding the area between Nijo and Sanjo, occupying the northern part of Kyoto and eyeing the central hinterland in the south.
Ashikaga Yoshiteru built this city to consolidate the power of the shogunate and suppress the dissatisfaction of the shogunate with military force.
This guy's methods are really rough.
Coming to Nijo Castle shows that Ashikaga Yoshiki's layout has entered a critical stage. She must always be careful about counterattacks from forces inside and outside the shogunate. Of course, she has no intention of practicing kendo.
Yiyin looked at the meeting hall and murmured.
"What's the matter with you?"
Takada Yukino thought that the Lord was asking him, so he said.
"The General always talks about you."
Yiyin asked with a smile on his face without moving his eyes.
"What did they say about me?"
Takada Yukino followed and looked towards the meeting hall, as if reminiscing about the past.
"The general said you don't understand the rules. You took off your clothes in public for the first time when we met. You don't have any male restraint at all.
She also said that you looked down on her and never took her, the Ashikaga General, seriously."
Yiyin smiled.
"You can't tell, but she also likes to gossip behind my back."
Takada Yukino shook his head and said.
"No, the general never says this to others, he just complains in front of me.
She said that she must revive the Ashikaga Shogun family, make you look at her differently, and make you willing to marry her."
Yiyin's eye circles were slightly swollen and he felt a little sore. He blinked and said helplessly.
"This fool."
Ashikaga Yoshiki is really a proud fool. Who does she think she is? The goals she sets are too unrealistic.
The Ashikaga Shogun family has been in decline for a long time, and it has long been difficult to recover. The samurai families inside and outside the shogunate only want to use the Ashikaga Shogun to make profits for their own family. Who really takes the Ashikaga Shogun seriously?
She, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, is the clay bodhisattva in the temple. When she is useful, she will come to worship you. When she is useless, who will care about you?
The foreign ministers want to shit and piss on your head, the ministers want to get more benefits from the shogunate's signature, and each gets what he needs.
But Ashikaga Yoshiteru really regarded his clay Bodhisattva as a dish, and offended everyone with his determination to make progress, and he died inexplicably.
Yiyin felt like his heart was congested.
If it weren't for himself, Ashikaga Yoshiteru might have calmed down and taken his time to figure it out. But it was his appearance that made Ashikaga Yoshiteru eager to prove to himself, and that's why he ended up like this.
Yiyin sighed and repeated.
"Fool, what a big fool."
Takada Yukino didn't know the bitter and complicated emotions in her master's heart, so she pointed to an open space and continued.
"I remember my lord's words to protect the general, so I practice my sword here.
Sometimes the general comes to bother me after he is done with his work, making me unable to meditate."
Yiyin asked with great interest.
"She came to bother you? How to bother you?"
Takada Yukino frowned, pouted her mouth, and said with her fingers.
"I have been asking those questions over and over again for more than two years. He is really a nagging general.
Ask you what you like to eat, what clothes and jewelry you prefer, and what you like to do in your daily life.
It’s really annoying to have to ask again and again, even though she can recite it by herself.”
Yiyin felt a little unable to control his emotions, so he used the tail fingers of both hands to point at the corners of his eyes and pull them out. Then he moved them slightly to his temples and gently soothed his trembling forehead.
His eye circles were red, and there was a faint glint in his eyes, and he sighed.
"It's really annoying."
Yiyin finally discovered where the sense of dissonance in the courtyard came from and asked.
"There's no sliding door here?"
Yukino glanced at the courtyard and nodded.
"By the way, when the Mihaoshi family came in, the general led us to kill them several times.
The Sanhao family members couldn't defeat us, so they tore down the doors and used them as shields. They hid behind the door panels and stabbed us with spears.
We only had knives and weapons, so we had to retreat to the meeting hall."
Takada Yukino pointed to the meeting hall in front, Yoshigami's eyes narrowed and he said.
"Let's go and take a look."
The two stepped onto the porch and walked indoors.
Takada Yukino pointed to the main seat and said.
"At that time, I was being escorted out by the general. She put me down there, handed me the golden seal and Mikazuki Sokon, and asked me to leave through the secret passage."
Yiyin slowly walked to the main seat, half-knelt on the tatami, stared at it and asked.
"Then what?"
Takada Yukino was stunned and said after a while.
"I don't know, the general said he wanted me to protect you and prevent you from ending up like her, and then I left.
General, he should be... dead..."
Yiyin slowly stretched out his hand and stretched his fingertips forward, as if he wanted to touch someone's cheek across time and space.
His voice was a little deep.
"You idiot, I'm not you, how could I die? You are seeking your own death, do you know that?
If you do your duty, who can do anything to you? What's wrong with being a general in name only? You have to show off your strength, but you have to be driven to the point of jumping over the wall!
Do you think you are stupid? Ashikaga Yoshiteru, do you think you are a fool? Big fool!"
Takada Yukino took a step forward.
"Lord?"
Yiyin lowered his head.
"Yukino, can you go out for a while? I want to be alone for a while."
Yukino looked at Yoshiyin's trembling shoulders, turned around and left the room.
The sound of her footsteps gradually faded away, and on the tatami in front of Yiyin, drop after drop of water appeared, falling and splashing.
"Ashikaga Yoshiteru, you big fool!
Do you know that I have been using you and I never thought about marrying you!
Do you know that I have been planning in Kanto that I will regret my marriage as soon as I come back? I am not worth what you have to pay!
Do you know why Akechi Mitsuhide wanted to kill you? It was because of me! I slept with her, but you and I were innocent. You said your death was unjust!
Do you know that there is absolutely no way I can help you avenge you when I come back this time! I can’t touch those people who conspired to kill you!
I still want to win them over, give them benefits, and continue to live in this world of bastards, with those bastards who killed you!
Do you know that your death will be in vain! You big fool!"
Yiyin felt like he couldn't breathe. He retched a few times and took a deep breath to calm down his mood.
He was about to go see Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He still had many things to do and he didn't have time to cry here.
Finally, Yiyin wiped his eyes hard, gently held the air in front of him into his arms, and whispered.
"I'm sorry for you in this life. In the next life, if there is a next life, I promise that I will be with you!
I will marry you, and I will work with you to revive the Ashikaga Shogun family. I will pay you back everything I owe you in my next life!
Now, it's time for me to go.
There are many people I care about. They believe in me and they follow me. I have to be responsible for them and I must keep going.
I really envy your pride and determination.
I can't do it. I can only continue to play this boring game in this troubled world with those disgusting people.
Ashikaga Yoshiteru, I have slept with many people and I feel very happy. I will sleep with many, many women in the future. Are you very angry?
But I still want to tell you that I will be your husband for the rest of my life. No one can take away your title.
You see, am I very hypocritical? Come and get to know me again.
Hello, Ashikaga Yoshiki. I am the most hypocritical man in the world, Shiba Yoshiki, and I want to be your husband.
Yoshiki Shiba fell in love with Ashikaga Yoshiteru. I don’t know when he started to fall in love with her.
This time, I mean it from the bottom of my heart."