In December 1489 AD, after three years of longevity, I went to Katsuyamakan in the southern Ezo land.
There are still no signs of freezing in the Tsugaru Strait in December. Large birch forests are spread across the mountains on the north shore of the strait, and a light white snow covers the mountain forests. In the valley between the mountains, a long river flows quietly towards
It flows westward and merges into the vast sea.
The valleys between the mountains are long and flat, and the continuous mountain forests are completely empty here. On the thin snow, a Japanese-style village and two Japanese-style castles in the mountains are revealed, which are usually called "castles".
Of course, in this barren and cold Ezo land, both small towns have no castles and are very low in shape, so they can also be called "pavilions".
The north wind blew microwaves, and the offshore water was clear. Two deep-draft ships docked slowly towards the port on the shore. The port was small, a natural fishing port, and only four warriors guarded it. Their
The main job is not to protect the port, but to collect fish as tribute from small fishing boats that go out to sea.
The four samurai were surprised when they saw the two seki ships arriving. They recognized the small flag on the seki ship and saw the familiar leader on the bow, and then relaxed a little.
"Huh? Leader Kono, how come Yoneya's ships are coming so early this year? And there are still two ships?"
"I don't know. Sukezaburo, get on your horse and go to the headquarters to report. Someone is coming from Yonewu. Judging from the situation, I'm afraid there is something important."
"Hi!"
The four people said a few words briefly, and one of them immediately mounted the only pony and reported to Shengshan Hall a few miles away. The remaining three, carrying sabers, came to the port and commanded the boatmen.
They assist with mooring.
Soon, two customs ships docked at the shore, and two people, an old man and a young man, stepped out of the ship. Both of them were wearing thick long kapok clothes and ear-covering cotton hats. They did not have swords, and they were obviously businessmen.
.
The leader of the team, Kenichi Kono, squinted and took a closer look. The older businessman was about forty or fifty years old, with a vicissitude of expression and gentle eyes. He did not look like a businessman, but rather looked like a monk. He did not recognize the origin of this man.
But when he saw the silk sleeves exposed in the other party's dark blue cotton clothes, he bowed slightly.
As for the young businessman, everyone recognized him. He was called Shojiro Matsushita. He was the man who came to Miwu every year to trade with the house. He could also be called the shopkeeper.
After the ship docked, the boatmen were busy and the rice bags on the ship began to be unloaded. Shojiro Matsushita stepped forward, took out a small paper bag with a smile, and stuffed it into the hand of the group leader Kenichi Kono.
"Captain Kono, thank you for your work!"
Team leader Kenichi Kono ordered the boatmen to carry it in an orderly manner. He took the paper bag, weighed it for a moment, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Ha! That's right. With these two shipments of food, the museum will be a lot richer this New Year."
Afterwards, group leader Kono Kenichi waited and looked at the elderly businessman next to him, but saw that Matsushita Shojiro had no intention of introducing him. He bowed a little more and asked with a smile.
"Why did the grain ship arrive so early this year? Is there something important?"
Hearing this, Shojiro Matsushita bowed and smiled politely, but still did not answer. When the group leader Kenichi Kono saw this, he understood in his heart. He no longer asked any more questions, but stepped aside and talked with the samurai.
The money went.
"Snow fields, forests, and mountains. And a long river comes from it, reflecting clearly."
Soon, the surroundings became quiet. The elderly businessman looked at the clear river and merged into the light blue sea with a leisurely expression, and admired softly.
"Calm water can reflect the sky and the earth, and a calm mind can communicate with ghosts and gods. The scenery beside the Amano River is indeed the same as it is reassuring to see again after more than ten years!"
Hearing this, Matsushita Shojiro bowed his waist and responded with a smile.
"Indeed! There are so many rivers in the world named after Tianye, but only this one is the real 'Northern Wilderness'."
The elderly businessman nodded, and his gaze extended eastward along the Amano River. On both sides of the river, under the thin white snow, there were dots of gray and yellow, which were the rice stubble left after the rice harvest. The dots of rice stubble stretched all the way.
, deep into the valley, and around the rice fields, there are the huts of Kazuto farmers.
Shojiro Matsushita next to him paid attention to the other person's eyes and said with a smile at the right time.
"Housekeeper, the rice from Ezo has a quieter taste compared to Kyoto, but it is unforgettable!"
"Yeah, rice from Ezo."
The elderly businessman recalled it for a while, smiled on his face, and responded lightly.
"Wherever there are rice fields, there is Kazuto land. Unfortunately, in this vast Ezo land, the only area where rice can be grown is in this area of the South Island."
The two chatted for a while, and then they saw two horses running towards the mountain pavilion in the distance. The elderly businessman looked at the mountain pavilion and said with a smile.
"I haven't seen it for so many years, but the scale of the National Museum is getting bigger and bigger!"
Hearing this, Shojiro Matsushita lowered his head and warned carefully.
"Yes! Head of the house, the Kamikoku Pavilion has been being built, and it is now the largest of the twelve pavilions. And it also has a new name, called Shengshan Pavilion."
"Hmm? Katsuyamakan?"
"Yes! This was more than ten years ago. The guardians of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland specially chose this name in order to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Hushemayin."
"oh!"
The elderly businessman then understood. He smiled again, glanced at Xiang Erlang next to him, and nodded.
Soon, two riders from the Katsuyama Pavilion rushed forward. The middle-aged samurai in the lead wore a black feather-oriated jacket with a warm leather lining inside. He wore dark-colored trousers on his legs.
He has long hakama and a samurai sword stuck in his waist.
If you look carefully at the front of his long hakama, there are five neat folds, which represent the moral code of the samurai, the five moral principles and the five constants, that is, king and minister, father and son, husband and wife, brothers, friends, as well as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust.
.And on the back of the long hakama, there are also two folds, but they are heaven and earth, yin and yang, loyalty and filial piety.
The elderly businessman saw the other person's face at first glance, and then looked at the other person's clothes at the second glance. When he saw the neat and distinct creases, a smile appeared on his face. The middle-aged samurai looked at him a dozen steps away.
He reined in his horse, dismounted and came on foot. When he saw the elderly businessman, he was startled at first, and then his face showed joy.
"Master Morino Kiyo, why are you here in person?!"
"Ha! Guangguang, I haven't seen you for more than ten years. You are already as calm as a mountain and a warrior as strong as a ghost!"
"Ha ha!"
Hearing this, the middle-aged samurai laughed loudly and was quite happy. Well, in the tradition of Kazuto, "ghost samurai" is undoubtedly a compliment.
The elderly businessman Morino Kiyoshi stepped forward with a smile and chatted passionately with the middle-aged samurai Mitsuhiro Uizaki for a while.
The two have been acquaintances for more than 20 years. When Mitsuhiro Uizaki was a child, he had met his father, who was from the west bank of Lake Biwa. And in the boring Ezo land, he could meet a person from Kyoto.
It is a rare pleasure to talk about the scenery of the Kinki area.
After chatting for a while, Mitsuhiro Uizaki looked at Morino Kiyoshi and asked the same question.
"Master Morino Kiyo, you are here in person. Do you have anything important to do?"
"It's important."
Morino Kiyoshi nodded, looked around, and Mitsuhiro Uizaki asked the samurai to disperse. Then, Morino Kiyoshi looked serious and whispered, and Mitsuhiro Uizaki's expression changed drastically!
"It's a major event in Kyoto, so that's how it goes."
This chapter has been completed!