On the 16th day of the first lunar month of the seventh year of Yonglu (1564), just after the Lantern Festival, Yu Qiuping took Ashi and her maid, mixed with Sena Shiyi's caravan, and headed for Kitaomi.
From Owari to Omi, you have to pass through the hostile Mino, so it is impossible to go there in a big way. If Yu Qiupei needs to go to Omi on his own, he usually just rides through. As long as it is not under martial law, no one will care.
But this time he wanted to take the princess Ah Shi with him, and it was impossible to ride a horse like before. And the girl who couldn't bear the hardship was not willing to pass by disguised as a peasant woman, so she had to mix in the caravan and pass by. Fortunately, Ah Shi unexpectedly
She is easy to get along with, has almost no princess airs, and is as approachable as an ordinary little girl. She quickly became familiar with Yu Qiupei - maybe this is why she is so popular among the Owari samurai.
However, as soon as he left Owari Territory, Aichi sat in the carriage and cried non-stop. It didn't matter if other people cried. A beautiful girl like Aichi sat in the carriage with pear blossoms and rain, and Yuqiu was always afraid of herself.
The caravan was stopped for questioning as a human trafficker, so he had to go to Ashi's carriage to coax her in person.
"Ashi, don't cry." Yu Qiuping sat opposite Ashi and comforted softly: "If you are unhappy, tell your brother." Since the group of people is in the territory of Meinong, Yu Qiuping cannot talk about the princess.
It was too easy to be discovered by others, so the two agreed to treat each other as brother and sister. After all, out of caution, Yu Qiuping only told Sena Shiyoshi and a few guards around him about the identities of Aichi.
"Brother Hongye..." Ashi raised his head with tears in his eyes, looking past Yu Qiuping and towards Owari who was gradually moving away behind him, "Ashi doesn't want to marry so far away..."
"Don't worry, Ashi, it's not far." Although Ashi is already 16 years old this year, Yu Qiuping still coaxed in a coaxing tone like a little girl: "The road from Omi to Owari is only a few dozen miles.
It took a day or two by carriage to get back, it’s not far at all.”
"But there's Mino in between!" Ashi sobbed and shook his head, tears swaying in his red and swollen eyes: "Don't the Saito family in Mino dislike our Oda family and won't let our people cross the border! This
After this time, I just have to dress up in disguise. Then Ah Shi wants to come back to find his brother, his mother, his relatives and friends, but where can he come back? I don’t know if I will ever see him again in this life."
Yu Qiupei sighed, not knowing how to comfort him. After all, what Aichi said is true. Owari and Omi are separated by the hostile Saito family. Unless the Oda family can capture Mino, it is impossible for Aichi to return to the Oda family.
Yes. And in this age where sons are valued over daughters, a married daughter is like water thrown out, and she doesn't have much chance to return to her parents' family.
"My mother is not young anymore, and I don't know if she will be able to see her again in the future." Aichi sobbed intermittently, but his eyes never left Owari's direction for a moment: "Dad left early, and the second brother was also killed by Nobunaga.
My brother was killed. My mother still has a bad relationship with my brother. I also went to Omi. My mother will be so lonely in the future."
"I haven't had a good meal with my brother yet. I cried again on the night of Lantern Festival. My brother coaxed me for a long time, but I was still getting angry." Ah Shi held a handkerchief in his little hand and gently wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
: "There are also uncles, aunts and uncles. I will probably never see them again... I have lived in Owari for more than ten years, and I may never be able to go back... I miss home, Momiji-nii...
"
Ah Shi spoke slowly, but did not hear Yu Qiuping's response for a long time. She looked away from a distance in surprise, but found that Yu Qiuping's eyes were also red, and he looked straight past her to the west -
—That was the direction of the Ming Dynasty.
"Brother Hongye, are you homesick too?" Ah Shi's silver bell-like voice rang in his ears, slowly pulling Yu Qiuping back from his thoughts.
"Yes," Yu Qiuping sighed, "Ashi may still have a chance to go home, but I will definitely not be able to go back."
"That family and those people, I will never see again in this life." Yu Qiuping muttered to himself somewhat sadly, with tears silently flowing down his cheeks.
Suddenly, a cold touch came from his cheek. Yu Qiuping was stunned for a moment. He found that Ah Shizheng was leaning forward slightly, with a few strands of silk hanging on his chest. He stretched out his little hand, using a handkerchief that was wet from crying to help Yu Qiuping.
Wipe away tears.
"Thank you." Yu Qiuping tried his best to smile and stopped his tears.
"Brother Hongye, don't be sad... I'm sorry," Ah Shi lowered his head apologetically, as pitifully as a frightened little rabbit, "It was Ah Shi who shouldn't have said those words just now, which made Brother Hongye sad."
"When I arrived in a new place, I didn't know everyone," Ah Shi bit his lips tightly and continued in a low voice in a weak voice: "Strange people, strange places...maybe they will happen every day in the future.
I feel very sad when I miss home, how can I get over it?"
Homesick...yes.
Yu Qiuping subconsciously touched his neck, looking for the only connection between him and his previous home - the maple leaf pendant given to him by his parents. However, he came up empty-handed.
I almost forgot that when I first met Imagawa Kaede in that small wooden house in Suruga, I tied it around her neck with my own hands and never took it back.
Because it was a token of love I gave her, proving my love for her, just like my father did to my mother.
Yu Qiuping was suddenly startled, and his tears turned into laughter.
He looked at Ah Shi's slightly surprised eyes and comforted him softly: "Ah Shi, don't think so. Brother can tell you a way, so that you won't miss home every day, and you won't feel sad every day."
"What kind of method is it?" Ah Shi raised his head curiously and asked.
Yu Qiuping stretched out a finger, shook it gently in front of Ah Shi's face, and softly uttered a word.
"like."
·
"Love?" Ah Shi was stunned for a moment, unable to understand what Yu Qiuping meant.
"Yes," Yu Qiuping smiled. The sweet memories of the past few years came flooding in, instantly diluting the bitterness of homesickness. "If you can find love in a strange place, you will no longer feel sad. Love others.
, and also cherish the love of others. In love, pain will be diluted."
"Home is not just the place where I was born and have lived all my life," Yu Qiuping slowly turned his gaze from the west to Kuroda Castle in the south. He seemed to be able to see the walls of Kuroda Castle, the white castle in the city, and the three castles.
Kaede Imagawa and Yu Qiucen in her arms in the upstairs bedroom, as well as Yu Qiu Shang and Yu Qiu You sitting on the tatami and playing.
For a moment, the words Imagawa Kaede said many years ago on the snow in Sunfu Castle suddenly echoed in my ears.
·
"Anyway, it doesn't matter so much," Imagawa Kaede stood on tiptoes and leaned against Yu Qiuping's ear, whispering: "When you say 'I'm back', I will definitely wait for you at home and say 'welcome back' to you.
.”
Yu Qiuping suddenly felt that the softest place in his heart suddenly collapsed. He raised his arms and hugged the girl tightly into his arms. In the heavy snow, the young couple hugged each other for a long time.
The coldness in my heart was also dispelled by the girl's warmth.
The road to the past is unbearable, so I can only keep moving forward on this road. I lost my original life, my parents, my relatives and friends, and everything I once had.
However, I no longer feel empty, lonely and inexplicably sad.
Because where there is love, there is home.
Because you are here, I still have a place to go back to.
"go home."
·
"Because where there is love, there will be a home." Yu Qiuping smiled and said to Ashi, who was about the same age as himself at the time, "Go to Omi to find love. If you love your husband, your husband will definitely love you.
.When the time comes, Xiaogucheng will be your other home. If you stay at home, you won’t feel lonely and sad.”
"But Brother Hongye, will Lord Nagamasa like Ashi?" Ashi asked timidly, pointing to his fingertips with some worry.
"Don't worry, Changzheng is my adopted brother, and I know him very well." Yu Qiuping said with a smile, "He is a fool full of justice. Although he may be shy and dull, he will definitely love you very much.
"
·
It was indeed as expected as Yu Qiuping expected.
After Yu Qiupei arrived at Otani Castle, the Oda family and the Asai family formally entered into an alliance treaty. Asai Hisamasa, who had been living in seclusion for a long time, showed up after a long absence to officiate at the wedding for his children. Yu Qiupei also attended the wedding as a representative of the Oda family.
superior.
When Aichi, who was wearing a white wedding dress, slowly walked towards Asai Nagamasa under the guidance of the maid, the entire wedding scene was stunned. Everyone was immersed in Aichi's beauty and couldn't extricate themselves.
He looked away from her even for a moment. Under such circumstances, Ah Shi's cheeks inevitably had a hint of blush, but they were particularly attractive against the background of the foundation.
She took some timid steps towards the stranger named "husband" but had never met her before. Her steps became smaller and smaller, but her heart moved faster and faster. He almost didn't dare to look directly at his face.
Suddenly, a burst of rapid footsteps came. Ah Shi raised his head in panic, only to find that the "husband" had already walked in front of him. What caught his eye was a handsome but gentle face. His face also had a hint of sadness.
She blushed shyly and opened and closed her lips many times, but she was too nervous to say anything. But those passionate and loving eyes told the man's love.
Ah Shi felt like he was in a dream for a moment. He felt a strange feeling rushing through his body. It was almost unreal. He was so close, so close to his husband.
Reason told Ah Shi that she should say something to break the silence. But even she had thousands of words coming to her mind, but when she reached her lips, she couldn't remember a single word. In the end, what came out of her mouth was a strange greeting.
"nice to meet you!"
"nice to meet you!"
To Ah Shi's surprise, the man who was so nervous that he couldn't speak clearly actually said the same inexplicable greeting that should not be used at a wedding at that moment.
Both of them laughed at once, like two children.
My heart feels warm and I don’t know why I feel so at ease.