Who is Taira Kiyomori? He is the protagonist of "The Tale of the Taira", a generation of heroes at the end of the Heian period. Not only that, Taira Kiyomori defeated the Genji during the Heiji Rebellion and took control of the Japanese political power. He was the originator of the samurai political power.
As the first samurai to take power in Japan, Taira Kiyomori controlled half of the country. It is said that he actively carried out trade with the Song Dynasty and accumulated a lot of wealth.
This young man with a heroic face in front of me is Taira Kiyomori's father?
Ximen Qing smiled slightly and looked Ping Zhongsheng up and down. He had his own plan ahead, Ping Qingsheng... Hehe, just give me some peace of mind.
Next to him, Kinoshita Tokichiro was in a very responsible mood. He was no longer the same image as before, and he had become much more confident. But he didn't expect that Taira Takaramori didn't recognize him!
Flashing out from behind Ximen Qing, Kinoshita Tokichiro coughed slightly and interpreted Taira Taira no Mori's words, fulfilling his responsibility as an interpreter.
Then Kinoshita Tokichiro revealed his identity: "The villain is Kinoshita Tokichiro, the interpreter of the Song Dynasty envoy."
A trace of doubt flashed in Taira Taira's eyes. The name Tokichiro did not attract his deliberate attention. On the contrary, the thin, monkey-like figure reminded him of something.
On that rainy night two years ago, when Taira Takaramori and his colleagues returned to their residence after drinking and holding umbrellas, they saw the monkey-like guy lying under the window of his sister Yuko, sneaking around and not knowing what he was doing.
Taira Takaramori, who had already drunk a lot of wine, and his colleagues pulled the monkey-like guy down under the cherry blossom tree in the yard. With a bit of drunkenness, he pulled out his sword and beheaded the monkey-like guy.
At the last moment, Taira Yuko suddenly opened the window and interceded for this guy.
Ping Zhongsheng still remembered that at that time, he felt that he had lost face, so he beat the monkey-like guy and drove him out.
The monkey-like interpreter of the Song Dynasty in front of him was obviously a Japanese, but could he be the pariah that night?
Facing Kinoshita Tokichiro, who was neatly dressed and translating in an orderly manner, Taira Takaramori didn't dare to confirm.
However, he felt that the name Kinoshita was lacking. It seemed that he had never heard of it. Maybe it matched with monkeys!
"What news does Second Lieutenant Ping have to bring to this envoy?" Ximen Qing asked through Kinoshita Tokichiro.
Taira Takaramori then got rid of his thoughts and replied: "Today's wedding is about to happen, and Your Majesty is very pleased that Mr. Ximen can arrive. Mr. Quan Dai said that Mr. Fujiwara hopes that Mr. Ximen can prepare a suitable gift for today.
Congratulations."
"Gift? Appropriate?" Ximen Qing touched the thunder stone. After getting this information from Kinoshita Tokichiro, he pondered for a while, seeming to understand the meaning behind this information.
Taira Tadamori lowered his head slightly, and secretly looked at Kinoshita Tokichiro with his peripheral vision.
This guy looks really familiar! There shouldn’t be many people in the world who look so much like monkeys?
"I understand." Ximen Qing knocked on the table lightly and said with a smile: "Please go back and tell Mr. Fujiwara, and I will give you the most appropriate gift when the time comes."
Taira Tadamori received confirmation from Kinoshita Tokichiro, and then bowed: "Then...I'll take my leave now."
"Wait a minute." Ximen Qing suddenly stopped Ping Zhongsheng who was about to get up: "Do you have a younger sister at home?"
Taira Takaramori didn't understand Ximen Qing's question, but he still understood the gestures. He stopped and tilted his head and waited for Kinoshita Tokichiro to interpret.
Kinoshita Tokichiro was dumbfounded. What did his master mean by this? He finally didn't recognize Taira Takaramori, so why did he have to remind him?
"Follow the translation." Ximen Qing whispered to the monkey: "If you miss a word, be careful with your head!"
Kinoshita Tokichiro shrank his neck in fright. The situation was very much like a frightened macaque, which made Taira Taira who was waiting on the side almost laugh out loud.
"My master asked you if you have a sister..."
Kinoshita Tokichiro had no choice but to translate. It was completely impossible to escape Ximen Qing's notice. All he could do now was look at Ximen Qing's expression eagerly, waiting for his master to give him a wink and tell him what was going to happen next.
what happens.
But Ximen Qing didn't look at him at all, but focused all his attention on Ping Zhongsheng.
Ping Zhongsheng was also very surprised. Why would Mr. Ximen ask such a question? After thinking about it, he answered honestly: "But I have a younger sister, Yuko, who is widowed at home."
When the name Yuko appeared, Kinoshita Tokichiro felt a strong knock somewhere in his heart, and he couldn't help but tremble slightly.
I haven’t seen you in two years. How are you, Yuko?
After Ximen Qing listened to the interpretation, he gave Kinoshita Tokichiro a blank look, "This worthless monkey, why are you shaking!"
Immediately afterwards, Ximen Qing asked again: "It's such a pity that Yuko became a widow at such a young age. Lord Lieutenant, what do you think of me, the interpreter Kinoshita Tokichiro?"
This time Tokichiro quickly translated the words to Taira Taira no matter what, and of course he looked embarrassed. In fact, he was already happy in his heart.
It turns out that the master meant to propose marriage in person!
But Tokichiro's translation turned into a self-recommendation, which made Taira Takaramori look a little solemn.
Taira Yuko has always been a widow, and there is nothing that can be done about it, but how can marriage be decided so easily?
Ping Zhongsheng felt that he and the envoy of the Song Dynasty were strangers. How could he know the situation in his family and make such a request as soon as they met?
The interpreter of the Song Dynasty envoy... In the final analysis, he is just a petty official, not even an official. How can he be worthy of his sister?
If my father, Ping Zhengsheng, had heard about it, he might have turned unhappy and left in a hurry.
But after all, Taira Takaramori was not his father. He had been working as an errand at the Emperor's Imperial Palace and was not as reckless as his father.
After carefully considering his words, Ping Zhongsheng slowly replied: "Thank you, Lord Ximen, for your concern, but my sister Ping Yuko is already a widow. I'm afraid it's a little inappropriate."
Kinoshita Tokichiro was a little discouraged after hearing this, and translated the words to Ximen Qing; Ximen Qing smiled slightly: "A man and a woman, about the same age, according to this envoy, it is perfect... It is better to let these two people meet.
On the one hand, if you don’t even agree to this, you obviously don’t give me face.”
After Taira Takaramori heard this, he nervously thought about how to respond. His father was far away in Tajima and could not give him guidance...
"Sir Ximen, I must ask my father about this matter." Ping Zhongsheng finally found an excuse: "When my father returns to Kyoto, I will also ask my father about it."
Kinoshita Tokichiro faithfully performed the job of interpreting. In a conversation like this, he could not interrupt or interrupt. He knew that in every question raised by his master, a trap was set for Taira Tadamori, step by step.
He fell into a trap that had been prepared long ago.
"Haha." Ximen Qing simply ignored this excuse: "We have a custom in the Song Dynasty: when you first marry, you follow your parents, and when you marry again, it's up to you. It must be the same here in Japan? Besides, my father is not around, and you are my eldest brother.
, there is a saying that goes well: An elder brother is like a father, of course you can make the decision."
This set of tricks made Ping Zhongsheng dizzy. Although he knew that what Ximen Qing said was not entirely correct, it sounded so logical that no one could refute it.
The saying that an eldest brother is like a father is actually the same in Japan. Taira Takaramori has indeed taken care of his sister Taira Yuko like a father in the past two years.
"Is there no way to refuse?"
Ping Zhongsheng was secretly worried and almost pinched his thigh, but if he didn't answer this question, he couldn't just throw up his sleeves and leave.
"Is it because of Kinoshita Tokichiro's identity that you are pushing back and forth?"
Ximen Qing finally said the most crucial sentence, and Kinoshita Tokichiro also knew that this sentence was very crucial, so he translated it word for word to Taira Takaramori, as if he was not talking about him.
Taira Takaramori was like a drowning man who saw a straw.
"Yes! Identity!" Ping Zhongsheng secretly rejoiced: "This reason is so high-sounding that even Lord Ximen cannot avoid it."
"Although my father is just a branch of the Taira family, he is also a nobleman after all." Taira Takaramori secretly thought that he had a trick, and replied seriously: "I don't know what the interpreter's background is. If he is similar, then I will boldly agree to make arrangements for my father.
When we meet, if my sister is satisfied, I have nothing to say."
"Happy!" Ximen Qing laughed loudly, and then deliberately asked Kinoshita Tokichiro: "Tokichiro, what is your background? Tell this second lieutenant to let you know."
Kinoshita Tokichiro was pounding in his heart. Ximen Kei had indeed said that he would be given an identity, a noble identity, but at the moment, although he was nominally the interpreter of the mission, and with the surname "Kinoshita", he was still technically just a pariah.
!
"Tell it like it is." Ximen Qing reminded.
Kinoshita Tokichiro gritted his teeth and replied: "Second Lieutenant, sir, I am a commoner."
Hearing this monkey-like guy say this, Ping Zhongsheng felt as happy as drinking ice-cold sour plum soup in his mouth in summer.
What kind of civilians are they? They are just untouchables!
"Then, there is nothing I can do." Ping Zhongsheng looked embarrassed: "In Japan, nobles and lowly... civilians cannot intermarry."
"So that's it!" After Ximen Qing listened to Tokichiro's interpretation, he didn't get angry, but smiled broadly: "Isn't this solved? As long as Tokichiro is given a noble status, won't the marriage be a success? Hahahaha!"
Fujiyoshiro completed the simultaneous interpretation surprisingly calmly.
Ping Zhongsheng also laughed twice: "Indeed, as long as you have a noble status, my father will definitely not disagree."
"Very good, in that case, you and I will high-five each other." Ximen Qing put away his smile and suddenly made a request: "Whether you believe it or not, in a few months, Tokichiro will have the status of a noble, and so will the surname Kinoshita.
It will be passed down.”
"good!"
Ping Zhongsheng also happily agreed. It was something that couldn't be done anyway, so what if we gave him a high-five?
"Pah! Pah! Pah!"
Three crisp high-fives sounded in the living room...