Summer passes and autumn comes. As soon as autumn passes, the weather immediately turns cooler. Just like the relationship between people, once the honeymoon period is over, they change their attitude.
In the courtyard, Yoshigan pushed Takada Yukino's wheelchair and walked slowly to the path paved with fine sand, carefully avoiding the gravel paths.
Walking to the pond, a servant was already kneeling in the distance offering fish food. Yoshiyin grabbed a handful and sprinkled it on the water, attracting countless koi carp to compete for food.
After waving the servant away, Yoshigage lowered his body and helped Takada Yukino straighten the blanket covering his knees with his own hands. The blanket had slipped a little while pushing it.
Takada Yukino squinted her eyes and enjoyed it, like a napping kitten, carefully appreciating the thoughtfulness and tenderness of her master.
Yiyin grabbed her little hand, which was so cold that there was no warmth at all, and sighed.
"How come you haven't gotten better after so many years of care? Do those quack doctors in Sakai Port really do their jobs? Yangno doesn't care about it either."
Xueno shook his head slightly and said.
"I should have died during the Tenchu period in Kyoto, and this body would have been dead long ago.
Now every morning when I wake up, I will thank God for allowing me to live one more day, to be able to breathe in this world with you, the saint, and to be with you for one more day."
There was no joy or anger on Yukino's face, and she expressed her most unforgettable love in the calmest tone, which made Yoshigami feel pity in his heart.
He touched her cheek with his fingers, which was as cold and smooth as porcelain, yet so soft and gentle.
Yiyin sighed.
"It's my fault. I knew you were weak and I still summoned you to travel over the mountains to visit Duowen Mountain City. It really shouldn't have happened."
Takada Yukino pressed Yoshigage's fingers with her palms, closed her eyes and felt the warmth from his hands with her cheeks, and spoke slowly.
"I linger on my last breath every day and refuse to die, just hoping to help the saint. The saint needs me and summons me, and I am very happy.
If one day the saint has no use for me and treats me like a waste, I will be disheartened and my life will be worse than death."
Yi Gin pinched Yukino's cheek and couldn't help laughing.
"You sisters are really two kinds of people. Yangno can't say such things. Let her hear you speak so nakedly, and then scold you for talking nonsense. I don't know what to say."
Xueno said calmly.
"My sister loves the saint so much in her heart, but she doesn't want to tell it to her mouth. She always thinks she is very smart. In my opinion, my sister is really stupid.
Loving a saint is not something to be ashamed of, there is nothing that cannot be said."
Yiyin shook his head, Yang Nai didn't feel embarrassed, but felt inferior.
In a sense, Haruno and Ichijo Hideyoshi are the same kind of people.
Behind their seemingly proud appearance, they actually never forget their humble origins. The more they pretend not to care, the more they really can't let go.
But Yukino is different, she is a sharp sword that moves forward indomitably, even if it is incomplete, she still has no distractions.
The meaning of her life is to love the saint. There is nothing she cannot say or do.
Therefore, the samurai family inside and outside the Kinki Shiba family are very afraid of Yukino. Even though she has become a cripple who cannot hold a sword, everyone is still afraid to death.
Because there is no right or wrong in Yukino's heart, she has only one principle in doing things: I will kill anyone who slanders the saint and harms the saint.
The Kyoto Tenchu is an indiscriminate massacre on the outside, the Chung Foundation's anti-corruption campaign is an internal massacre, and Yukino and the Mibu Wolf who are loyal to her are the most terrifying killing machines under Yoshigan.
With the sage's command, they can raise their swords against anyone, regardless of reason, reason, or benefit.
When it comes to absolutely loyal dogs, neither Fujibayashi Mukuro of the Secrecy Team, Kirikage Saizo, or Yagyu Munenuki who secretly works as the censor, can compare to Yukino and her Mibu Wolf.
Others come out to hang out, and they are more or less selfish, but the group of swordsmen controlled by Yukino are just sharp blades, without their own thoughts, and the handle of the sword is tightly held in the hands of the saint.
At this point, even Yangono can't compare to Yukino. Yangono's thoughts are too selfish and too heavy, and she is far less pure than Yukino.
Yiyin asked.
"Is Haruno okay? Is Harmono okay?"
Takada Haruno had just given birth to Yoshigin's twelfth daughter, Harmono, in the spring. She was physically and mentally exhausted and had been recuperating in Sakai Port.
However, Yiyin has been sitting in Duowenshan City because of various troubles caused by the restructuring, and has not yet visited their mother and daughter.
So when talking about the Takada mother and daughter, Yoshigan's tone at this moment couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.
Yukino smiled.
"Both sister and Chunwu are doing well. Chunwu is already half a year old, and his eyebrows are a bit longer, and he looks like a saint."
Yiyin nodded.
"Well, when I have time to see the child, I must take a good look at it.
Does Yang Na know about your visit this time?"
Xueno shook his head and said.
"The saint summoned me secretly. I didn't tell anyone else. Only Kondo Isamu, Hijikata Toshizo, and Okita Souji came with Miburou."
Yiyin sighed.
"I still remember these three people. They were very capable during the Kyoto Tenchu period and they are useful talents."
Yukino looked at the pond, and saw that the fish food had been eaten by the koi. The fishes that were full were wagging their tails and dispersed. It was true that if it was beneficial, they would come, and if it was not beneficial, they would leave.
"Sister is very smart. I haven't left the yard in the past few years. I left suddenly this time and I can't hide it from her for too long.
Although the establishment of the new Shinto religion and the chores of raising children have taken too much of my sister's energy, I have been away for so many days, so she must have spied on me and knows where I am."
Yiyin smiled.
"Yang Nai is a smart person, and I didn't want to hide anything from her. You sisters are of the same mind, so it doesn't matter.
I summoned you here this time because I need you to take someone to Ishikimizu Hachimangu Shrine to do something for me."
Yukino frowned and repeated in a low voice.
"Ishikimizu Hachimangu Shrine..."
Yiyin nodded.
"Yes, Ashikaga Yoshiaki wanted to return to the capital, but was frightened by the death of Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and stopped in Settsu Province to watch.
Ninagawa and Takamasa Hatakeyama were in a hurry. They wrote letters to test my thoughts, and I fulfilled their wishes.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki can return to the capital. She is the Ashikaga Shogun after all. If she wants to return to the Kyoto shogunate, I have no reason to turn her away.
However, since she inherited the position of Ashikaga Shogun, she has been foolish and rebellious. She should go to Hachimangu Shrine to repent to Hachiman Bodhisattva and to the ancestors of Kawachi Genji.
Let’s see if the ancestors forgive her. Do they want her to return to Beijing? If the ancestors have no objection, I have no objection.”
Yiyin said expressionless until the end, and his words were extremely cold.
Yukino narrowed her eyes. She still didn't understand the saint's plan for Ishikimizu Hachimangu Shrine, but she could feel that the saint really had murderous intentions towards Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Ishikimizu Hachimangu Shrine is located at the intersection of the Yodogawa, Kizugawa, and Uji Rivers. It faces Yamazaki across the Yodo River and is a water hub entering the Kyoto Basin.
So seven hundred years ago, in order to protect the outskirts of Kyoto, the Emperor's court invited the Hachiman God from Kyushu and built Ishikimizu Hachimangu Shrine.