Edo, somewhere——
Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap...
Amidst the sound of wood scraping, messy footsteps could be heard in the distance.
Footsteps from far to near.
Nishino's eyelashes fluttered a few times.
Then, he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing that caught his eye was the unfamiliar ceiling that he was still not used to seeing, and the mesh wooden fence that sealed him in the cramped space...
"What time is it now..."
While Nishino was muttering, he subconsciously raised his head to look at the sky.
"Ah... I almost forgot... I am being imprisoned..."
Looking at the thick ceiling above his head and the solid stone walls without any windows around him, a self-deprecating sneer appeared at the corner of Nishino's lips.
Although Nishino did not hate Western utensils as deeply as those who opposed the foreigners, he also held an attitude of respect and insensitivity.
Therefore, he did not buy a Western watch, and still relied on traditional observation of the sky to tell time, and listening to the bells that sounded every once in a while in various places in Edo.
But, to be honest, it would be useless even if Nishino owned a Western clock.
Before being imprisoned, everything he carried, including his money bag, seal cage, and sword Zhenzhu, were confiscated.
At present, Nishino is a "breeze with two sleeves" on the physical level. Apart from clothes, he has nothing else on his body.
The sky cannot be seen, and the surrounding temperature has not changed significantly, so Nishino cannot judge the change of time based on the temperature of the room.
Fortunately, the ventilation is acceptable, and even if there are no windows, you won't feel stuffy.
Although Nishino didn't know where he was being locked up, judging from the constant temperature environment, he speculated that he was being locked up in a place similar to a basement.
Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!
The sudden sound of footsteps was getting closer and louder.
——It’s so noisy...
Nishino didn't care who the owner of this string of footsteps was or what he was doing.
He closed his eyes in boredom and continued to rest with his eyes closed.
The footsteps are still continuing, still approaching, still getting louder.
After a while, Nishino heard footsteps and moved to the door of his cell, then stopped motionless.
Even with his eyes closed, Nishino could feel the light in front of him dimming and someone's shadow covering him.
"Nishino-kun! Nishino-kun!"
A male voice I have never heard before...
Nishino remained unmoved.
He ignored the call of the strange male voice and continued to close his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
But at this moment, a new male voice sounded outside the cell door:
"Nishino-kun~~"
As soon as the male voice finished speaking, Nishino's eyebrows suddenly jumped.
The last note of his voice was drawn out... This is a way of speaking that Nishino will never forget for the rest of his life!
Nishino suddenly opened his eyes and looked forward intently.
I saw two young men of similar age standing outside the cell door.
One of them, Nishino had never seen before.
As for the other person... Nishino is too familiar with him.
The reason why he is locked up in such a dark and miserable place is all thanks to this person!
"My grandson...!"
Nishino clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and words burst out one after another from his clenched teeth.
"Great~ You really didn't fall asleep~~"
The corners of my grandson's mouth extended to both sides, and he smiled.
"Nishino-kun, you look good~~I feel relieved to see you so energetic~~"
"Thanks to you, I now live like a domestic animal. I sleep when I eat and eat when I sleep. Can I look bad?"
Although Nishino's tone was calm, there was sarcasm as sharp as a knife hidden in his words.
"Don't be so angry~"
My grandson spread out his hands as if helpless.
Nishino snorted hard.
If looks could kill... my grandson's body has been penetrated by Nishino's gaze thousands of times.
Suddenly, a gentle male voice intervened between Nishino and my grandson.
"Okay, okay, be patient and don't be impatient, be patient and don't be impatient."
The young man standing next to my grandson clapped his hands hard twice.
Before my grandson could speak, the strange male voice that Nishino heard came from that young man's mouth.
Nishino turned his eyes sideways and looked at the other person carefully.
This man is about 25 or 6 years old, with good facial features, sharp eyes, and a tall figure. Although he has a fair and delicate face that is very popular among Taoists, his movements show that he is capable and capable.
of masculinity.
Nishino asked in a deliberately rude tone:
"who are you?"
Faced with Nishino's rude attitude, the young man was neither anxious nor annoyed.
I saw him with an elegant smile and a gentle and courteous temperament.
"I have no name or surname, you can just call me 'Rakshasa'."
Rakshasa—Xi Ye's childlike expression shrank instantly when he heard this name.
"Rakshasa...are you the murderer of Kanazawa Chusuke and Kanazawa Qin!"
Nishino stood up like a carp, immediately rushed forward, threw himself on the wooden fence, grasped the railing with both hands on the left and right, and pressed his face against the gap between the fences.
He stared straight at the face of Rakshasa who was close to Chi Chi, as if he wanted to imprint the other person's facial features firmly in the depths of his mind.
"It's down there."
Rakshasa smiled slightly and openly admitted his "relationship" with the Kanazawa brothers and sisters without any hesitation.
His courteous demeanor and gentle tone of voice... It's hard to believe that such a gentle gentleman could actually be a cold-blooded killer and powerful swordsman who killed innocent people and instantly killed the "Dog of Fire".
Nishino looked at Rakshasa, and then at my grandson. His eyes were filled with a cold light of hatred and anger, with a stern edge.
"As expected... My grandson, you and the murderer of the Kanazawa brothers and sisters are indeed the same group!"
My grandson smiled but said nothing.
Nishino asked quickly:
"When did you start colluding?!"
"That's been true from the beginning."
My grandson said with a charming expression.
"At the beginning?"
Regarding Nishino, who was obviously shaken enough to ask questions, my grandson still had a cynical and frivolous attitude. He said in a joking tone:
"Didn't you understand? What I said was 'from the beginning' - from the very beginning, I was an undercover agent of the Party who was buried under fire to pay for thieves."
My grandson paused. It was not until Er that he continued:
"Nishino-kun, if possible, I don't want to kidnap you."
"But there is no way... who makes you the 'number one eucalyptus breaking master' in Beifan Institute."
The smile on my grandson's face gradually disappeared...replaced by a solemn expression with cold and hard lines on his face.
"If you are allowed to continue the investigation, the consequences may be disastrous."
"So - I'm sorry."
After finishing speaking, a look of regret appeared on my grandson's cheeks.
Judging from the appearance alone, it is difficult to tell whether his apology is genuine or false.
However, it's okay no matter what - Nishino didn't care about his apology at all anyway.
His attention at this moment was absorbed by the unfamiliar term my grandson just spit out.
"The law punishes the party...? What is this?"
"This is a good question!"
Suddenly, the Rakshasa on the side interrupted.
"Nishino-kun, I will keep the story short."
"The Fa Zhu Party is a secret society to which my grandson and I belong."
"We are determined to overthrow the Edo shogunate! Kill the Tokugawa family! Eliminate evil spirits! Clarify Uuchi!"
"I have always valued talents! I will not hesitate to praise and win over anyone who is capable and meritorious!"
"Nishino-kun, I have heard of your name and deeds a long time ago!"
"Not only are you very skilled, you are also good at breaking eucalyptus. You are exactly the talent we are lacking!"
"I appreciate you! Join us!"
After saying this, the Rakshasa stretched out his hand in front of him, toward Nishino, as if seeking a handshake from his compatriots.
Rakshasa's words were like dropping bombs in Nishino's mind.
After a while, he used all his strength and roared like boiling hot water suddenly overflowing:
"Down with the Edo shogunate? Kill the Tokugawa family? What a joke!
"
Nishino's roar was so loud that it almost shook the dust on the beams.
"My grandson! I thought you were just collaborating with the thugs, but what you did was worse than I expected! You actually turned traitor and collaborated with the enemy!
"
Facing Nishino's roar, my grandson's reaction... was very dull.
He cast a look at Nishino with a relaxed smile, rolled the tip of his tongue, and asked in a low voice:
"Treason? Collaboration with the enemy? Which country am I rebelling against? Which enemy am I collaborating with?"
"As a son of the banner, you actually turned your back on the shogunate and turned to the bandits! Isn't this treason and collaborating with the enemy?! Do you know how to write the word 'honesty'? Where is your 'loyalty'?!"
"Integrity...loyalty..."
My grandson carefully chewed on the two words Nishino just revealed.
After a while, he chuckled a few times through his nostrils, then raised his chin and looked down at Xiye.
"Is it noble and loyal to be the shogunate's dog wholeheartedly like you?"
My grandson's eyes, expression, and tone showed no trace of bitter sarcasm.
In an instant, the atmosphere at the scene changed.
There was a tense feeling everywhere that made people gasp.
"Okay, okay, you two calm down."
Rakshasa stood half a step aside, blocking the way between Xiye and my grandson, and acted as peacemaker.
However, as soon as he opened his mouth, he was sharply refuted by Nishino.
"Shut up! You traitor!"
Driven by unspeakable rage, Nishino cursed regardless of his image:
"I am a son of the royal family, and I have been favored by you in this life! I should serve my country bravely! How can I follow the example of Mei Xue in dedicating the city and selling it to the owner for glory? How can I follow the example of Hong Jiu of Ming Dynasty, who bent his knees to become a thief, and became famous all over the world for his rebellious deeds, and his deeds were known to the government and the public!
"
[Note: Umeyuki Presents the Castle: Umeyuki, also known as Umeyuki Anayama (1541-1582), was a military commander during the Warring States Period and a retainer of the Takeda clan. In 1582, Umeyuki Anayama, who was stationed in Suruga, felt that the Takeda clan was gone, and secretly attacked Suruga.
In exchange for Suruga's "bloodless Kaicheng", Tokugawa Ieyasu asked for the recognition of his son Anayayama Shinji's successor as the successor of the Takeda clan. Tokugawa Ieyasu agreed, and Anayama Umeyuki Kaicheng surrendered.]
[Note: Hong Jiu of the Ming Dynasty: Hong Jiu, that is, Hong Chengchou (1593-1665), whose courtesy name was Yanyan and whose name was Hengjiu. At that time, the scholar-bureaucrats respectfully called him Hong Jiulao. He was defeated by the Qing army in the Battle of Songjin.
Then he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, and since then he worked wholeheartedly as a dog of the Qing court. Not only the Ming Dynasty people despised him, but also the Qing Dynasty people looked down upon him. During the Qianlong period, he was included in the "Biography of Er Chen"]
Nishino's words cannot be described as unhealthy and impassioned.
He resolutely refused the olive branch offered by Rakshasa.
His decisive eyes seemed to pierce through the devil in front of him who came to tempt the world.
However... Rakshasa looked at Nishino with eyes as if he were watching a child misbehaving.
"Nishino-kun, you... are really stubborn!"
"What did you say?!"
The anger on Nishino's face was extremely intense.
"Nishino-kun, let me ask you: Justice is now at a loss and corruption is rampant. Why is this happening?"
"Is it because the Westerners came in?"
"It seems not."
"Long before the 'Black Ship Incident' occurred, the country was already in turmoil."
"In the eighth year of Tenpo (1837), Oshio Heihachiro rebelled, and Osaka, the commercial capital, fell into war, and the whole country was shocked. Can you say that the uprising of Oshio Party was because of the interference of Westerners?"
"Is it because the great names of the Western Kingdom are ready to take action?"
"It doesn't seem to be the case."
"It's only in the past few years that the Daimyos of the Western Kingdom are ready to make moves. Before that, the various vassals of the Western Kingdom, including the Choshu Domain, were more obedient than rabbits in front of the shogunate."
"So, what is the reason why we are so poor all over the world?"
"The answer is simple - it's all because of the Tokugawa family's evil deeds!"
"In these two hundred years of peace, the Edo shogunate became increasingly arrogant and extravagant."
"Between high-ranking officials and important people, bribes are given and gifts are given to each other, regardless of morality and justice."
"So, he only sought personal gain for one person and his family, and received large sums of money from the people."
"For many years, it has been extremely difficult for the people to cope with the annual tribute service. Now it is being plundered again, and the civilian supplies are increasingly depleted."
"Like this situation, from the shogunate to the various vassals, they all learned from each other, and eventually the whole world was impoverished and everyone complained."
"The grievances of the people are not reported to anyone, so they lead to chaos and the people's grievances are soaring to the sky."
"However, the Tokugawa family is still largely unaware, and villains and treacherous people continue to take charge of political affairs. Japan is trying to squeeze out golden rice and hates the world!"
"The common people are hungry and trapped and have no place to stand."
"The one above is rich with fields and newly cultivated land, and has plenty of food and clothing, and may have delicacies from the mountains and seas, and is surrounded by wives and concubines; or he may seduce the famous retainers to a wine shop in Youkuo, where he drinks and feasts lavishly and spends a lot of money."
"In this difficult time for people's livelihood, the superiors are still well-dressed and well-fed, enjoying themselves among the prostitutes and prostitutes, just like in the past. This situation and situation are really the same as King Zhou's banquet in the wine pond and the meat forest!"
"Seeing the chaos in the country without knowing how to self-examine, ignoring the common people begging for food, and being loyal to such a family and such a shogunate, it is no different from helping Zhou to commit evil!"
"This is the time when people with lofty ideals put their lives to good use! People with insight should be enthusiastic!"
"If you want to help the troubled times, there is no other way except for the righteous deeds of reckless people to unite!"
"Although we don't have the strength of soup, the strength of martial arts, and the virtues of Confucius and Mencius, when it comes to this, we can't bear it anymore, and we have no choice but to dare to take the world as our own responsibility! Risk the disaster of annihilation of our clan!"
"Now my lord has gathered people with lofty ideals, raised up the souls of warriors, formed brothers with different surnames, and without a trace of selfishness, has risen to kill the people and officials! We are conspiring together to help the country recover!"
"I want to wipe out the shogunate and revive the political principles of Emperor Jimmu! Rebuild the moral code and wipe out the arrogance and extravagance of the past few years!"
"What we did is different from that of the ordinary generals of this dynasty, who are wise and brilliant, and it is not due to our selfish desire to steal the world!"
[Note: Taira Shomon: (?-940), a powerful Kanto family and military general in the middle of the Heian period in Japan. In 939, he launched an army against the Kyoto court and called himself the "New Emperor". In 940, he was attacked by Taira Sadamori and died from an arrow. He was known in history as "
"Pingjiangmen Rebellion".]
[Note: Akechi Mitsuhide: (1528-1582) a military general during the Warring States Period and a retainer of the Oda clan. In 1582, he launched the Honnoji Rebellion and betrayed the Oda clan, resulting in the death of Oda Nobunaga. 】
"The sun, moon and stars should be a clear reflection of our purpose! Gai Wei is just following the example of Tang, Wu, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, and Taizu Ming Dynasty in their sincerity to punish the people and fight against evil!"
"Why don't you try to do great things, but instead act like a tiger spreading its wings? Isn't that absurd?"
Rakshasa is very eloquent and knowledgeable.
Nishino, who is eloquent, has a lotus tongue, and has a lot of witty words, does not show any embarrassment to Nishino, who has received a strict martial arts education since childhood.
However, even though he talked a lot, the feedback he received... could only be described as miserable.
"..."
Nishino said nothing.
He squinted his eyes and glanced at Rakshasa.
Then he withdrew his gaze and looked into the void ahead.
Silent again and again, expressionless.
Only silence is the greatest contempt.
Knowing that he was being despised, Rakshasa smiled helplessly.
"Sure enough, it's impossible to persuade you so easily..."
Rakshasa took a deep breath, and then let out a long sigh.
"Forget it, I didn't expect you to agree to me immediately."
"As I said just now, I value talents the most."
"Whether it's seeing talents abandoned in the countryside or killing talents, I can't bear it."
Having said this, Rakshasa habitually raised his left hand and touched his right collarbone.
"Just stay here for a while."
"I believe you will realize your righteousness sooner or later."
After leaving these meaningful words, Rakshasa turned around and left without any nostalgia.
My grandson followed closely behind Rakshasa.
Just when my grandson was about to leave Nishino's cell door, he turned his head and looked at Nishino deeply.
The footsteps of Rakshasa and my grandson gradually faded away.
Nishino closed his eyes again and took some rest.
Within a moment, Nishino's body returned to silence, as if nothing had happened...
…
…
As soon as Rakshasa left the basement where Nishino was imprisoned, he met a subordinate who was in a hurry.
"Lord Rakshasa, I have something urgent to report!"
When the Rakshasa heard this, he stopped and leaned towards his subordinates.
The subordinate hesitated for a moment, then stood on tiptoes and put his lips close to the Rakshasa's ear.
Rakshasa looked ahead, remained calm, and listened carefully.
Maintain this posture for a long time.
Finally, the subordinate stopped whispering and placed the soles of his feet back on the ground.
Rakshasa raised the corners of his mouth and said to himself:
"Onodera... found you...!"
*******
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I originally wanted to work hard on updating today...but today's chapter was really difficult to write!
Nishino is an elite warrior who is capable of both civil and military skills; Rakshasa is the "supreme power person in the Kanto region" who punishes the party, and is also capable of both civil and military affairs.
Therefore, in order to fit the character, we cannot let them speak too rough words. Their lines...especially Rakshasa's lines, I deleted, edited and rewritten many times today...so much so that Baobaozi has been working hard to this point.
I have only written 5000+.
For the sake of Bao Baozi’s dedication, please be sure to give this book a monthly vote!
This chapter has been completed!