October 3, the fourth year of Tianzheng (1576), Kyoto.
The important officials and ministers of the Oda family led their troops to Luo Luo after the autumn harvest. At the beginning of October, a large army gathered in Kyoto. Oda Nobunaga himself was still in Gifu City and had not come over. The preparations for the tea party were being carried out by Murai Sada.
The event was in full swing under the arrangement of Katsu Niwa Nagahide, and the other daimyo who arrived first also got some rare free time.
"I've been waiting for you. It's not easy to look forward to the stars and the moon! I have to drink a glass of wine as a penalty!" Ikeda Tsuneko, Hashiba Hideyoshi and Sawaki Yoshiyuki took turns toasting to Maeda Toshiie, and drank the latter one glass after another.
Don't give up.
"How many drinks are there already? I can't drink any more." Toshiie Maeda frowned and waved his hands, "We have to go to meet His Highness Akechi later. What can we do if we are drunk?"
"A Quan, what's the matter with you? Didn't you like to drink the most in the past?" Ikeda Hengxing shouted with some dissatisfaction, "Don't you always keep shouting to stay drunk, and try your best to persuade everyone to drink! Didn't you always do it before going on duty?
Do you dare to get drunk? Why are you restrained like a woman now?"
"That's right!" Yoshiyuki Sawaki also supported from the side, "Brother, just drink to your heart's content! It hasn't been long since you started drinking, and you refuse to drink every time. What do you mean? You look down on your brothers!"
"No way, no way?" Maeda Toshiie explained with a smile, "Is there really something serious going on soon? Aren't we going to pick up His Highness Akechi? We can't make too much trouble."
"Inuchiyo, you..." Ikeda Hengxing wanted to say more, but Hashiba Hideyoshi spoke first to help Maeda Toshiie, "Okay, Hengxing Tohachi, you two should stop making trouble. Inuchiyo is a big shot.
You were much more mature before. But you two are still the same size now."
"Then we can't forget our brothers!" Ryoichi Sawaki protested while eating haise, "Look at their red leaves, aren't they much better than us? If we go out and go crazy, we will always be with you! We are still thinking about them.
you!"
"Then Hongye didn't drink a glass of wine this time!" Hideyoshi Hashiba pointed at Yu Qiuping's wine glass, "Why don't you talk about him?"
"Hahaha, I didn't pay attention just now." Yu Qiuping suddenly said, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen His Highness Mingzhi for a long time. I don't know how he is doing recently."
Oh no, it's her.
·
In the evening, when Mitsuhide Akechi came to the castle town west of Nijo Castle, he found that out of the group of people who had agreed to come to greet him, only Ameakihei was left.
"Maeda-sama was drunk after being persuaded to drink, and Ikeda-sama and Sawaki-sama were also drunk. His Highness Hashiba helped them back." Ame Qiupei explained to Akechi Mitsuhide with a smile, "So I am the only one left."
"It doesn't have to be like this. How can I bother your highnesses to come and greet you in person?" Akechi Mitsuhide got off his horse and saluted Yu Qiuping. When Yu Qiuping saw this, he understood that Akechi Mitsuhide was probably confused between the two people again. One is
A polite and elegant warrior, and the other a reserved and shy woman.
"You don't seem to have aged much, you still look like you were young." Yu Qiuping suddenly lowered his voice and whispered, deliberately not letting the guards around Akechi Mitsuhide hear. Akechi Mitsuhide was stunned for a moment, looking a little confused, but he came to his senses after a moment.
, there was a faint blush underneath the thick white powder.
"Thank you." Akechi Mitsuhide also lowered his voice and said, "Red leaves, long time no see."
"Long time no see, Mitsuhide."
After Akechi Mitsuhide settled in the military camp outside the city, he followed Ua Qiupei to visit Ua Qiupei's house in Nijo Imperial Palace. Akechi Mitsuhide specially sent all his guards away, leaving only him and Akechi Mitsuhide in the room.
Personally, so that she would have less worries. Akechi Mitsuhide apologized and went to the bathroom. When she came back, the thick white powder on her face had been removed, and the tight corset had also
It has been taken off. At first glance, she looks like an ordinary warrior woman wearing her husband's warrior uniform. However, her face is so delicate that it is difficult to take one's eyes away, making her destined to be anything but ordinary.
Akechi Mitsuhide glanced at Yu Qiuping and found that the latter was staring at him blankly. His face turned red and he lowered his head. Yu Qiuping realized that he was rude and apologized hastily.
"I haven't seen you without makeup for so long. I'm not used to it. I'm really sorry." Yu Qiuping took a sip of tea with some embarrassment.
"It's been a long time since I saw anyone without makeup..." Yu Qiuping's unintentional words aroused the sadness of Akechi Mitsuhide, who sighed and whispered, "Since my brother and sister-in-law passed away last year, the only people in the world who know my secret are
The only one left is my mother. My mother’s life is not easy these days because of her inconvenient legs and feet. I feel really sorry for her.”
"It's really not easy for you..." Yu Qiuping glanced at the woman's reddish eyes and comforted him in a low voice, "You must have suffered a lot over the years. How have you been lately?"
"It's not satisfactory. There are no big changes, but the Tamba strategy has not been very smooth. The last attack was defeated by Tamba's Akai Naomasa and Tenui Kageye." Mitsuhide Akechi shook his head, and his waterfall-like long hair followed his movements.
And Wei Wei swayed, "Sure enough, a woman is really not good at military strategy. She can only achieve this level, and she is far from reviving the Mingzhi family..."
At this point, Akechi Mitsuhide suddenly sobbed softly. But realizing that Yu Qiuping was beside her, she hurriedly tried to hold back her tears, not wanting to vent her pain of dressing up as a man to deceive the world to this man again.
For countless lonely nights, she had looked in the mirror alone, gazing at her flowery face. However, her youthful youth was weighed down by the heavy burden of wealth. What kind of happiness should a woman enjoy?
nothing.
"How about next time I make an application to my lord and let me send some reinforcements to support your Damba strategy." Yu Qiuping looked at Akechi Mitsuhide and suddenly felt a little distressed. It was really difficult for this woman.
"Huh?" Akechi Mitsuhide was stunned when she heard this, and tears suddenly filled her eyes. She hesitated for a moment, and finally shook her head and whispered: "That would be too much trouble for you Hongye, so how can I be embarrassed?"
"Compared with the Tamba strategy, there is one thing that worries me more." Akechi Mitsuhide mentioned this, and his brows wrinkled unconsciously. Yu Qiuping suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Akechi Mitsuhide smile for a long time. She couldn't help it.
The sadness reminded Yu Qiuping of Lin Daiyu's impression.
"What's the matter?" Yu Qiuping asked.
"The matter of heirs." Akechi Mitsuhide whispered in a somewhat embarrassed tone, "You know Momiji... I can't have heirs. But the Akechi family always has to have heirs... Otherwise, how can we pass it on?"
"Then you can adopt an adopted son?" Yu Qiuping made a suggestion.
"But I hope he can have the blood of the Akechi family... If he is an adopted son without blood, I always feel sorry for his father and brother... But I am the only one left in the family, how can I find an adopted son with blood?" Akechi Mitsuhide sighed, a little irritated.
He tapped the tatami with his fingers, "Besides...after all, I am an adopted son. We stay together day and night. Sooner or later, he will notice my true identity...If he is a child and he accidentally lets it slip one day, it will be a big deal."
If it is an older child, then he has his own family and considerations, and he must not be of the same mind as me. If the world knows that I am a woman, the Mingzhi family will be doomed. How can I dare to let an outsider know..."
"Then what should we do?" Yu Qiuping felt that this was a dead end, "Is it possible that Guangxiu will give birth to one by yourself?"
"Ah?" Akechi Mitsuhide's face turned red when he heard this, and he panicked for a moment. He was so embarrassed that he couldn't even speak clearly, "How can I do this...this kind of thing? I don't even know...that kind of thing is possible.
What should I do...ah..."
"And then you have to marry a wife to cover up others' deception." Akechi Mitsuhide suddenly thought of a perfect excuse to cover up this suggestion, "Wouldn't it be even more dangerous?"
"I just said it casually, why do you take it seriously?" Yu Qiuping looked at Akechi Mitsuhide's panic and suddenly laughed. Akechi Mitsuhide realized his gaffe and was amused for a while, covering his mouth and snickering.
A few sounds.
"Hongye, thank you. Thank you very much." After smiling for a while, Akechi Mitsuhide suddenly said to Yu Qiuping for no reason.
"Ah? Thank me, thank me for what?" Yu Qiuping asked confused, "What happened to me?"
"It's nothing." Akechi Mitsuhide smiled mysteriously. That moment of agility was enough to charm all living beings, "Secret."
Thank you for being willing to chat with me in the same tone as talking to a woman. Akechi Mitsuhide said in his heart. It has been a long time since I showed myself to others as a woman. Even I have almost forgotten that I am a woman.
·
At this moment, footsteps suddenly came from the corridor!
Akechi Mitsuhide was shocked when she heard the sound - what would she do if she was seen in her current state? She stood up in a hurry and wanted to hide, but there was no place nearby to hide. In Yu Qiuping's desperation, he picked up the quilt and put it away
She covered it up, and then randomly messed up the area around the tatami, pretending that she had messed up the room, so that the bulging quilt looked less conspicuous.
"Who is it? What's going on? Didn't I order that His Highness Mingzhi and I have important matters to discuss and are not allowed to come near?" Yu Qiuping shouted nervously to the door.
"Your Highness, I'm very sorry!" Ye Gusuizi's voice came from outside the door. She was obviously aggrieved because of what Yu Qiuping said. The clear and gentle voice made Yu Qiuping calm down a little and whispered, "Say it.
But what’s important?”
"My little lady originally didn't want to disturb His Highness and His Highness Akechi, but the matter is a bit tricky and we can't make the decision." Haikou whispered in embarrassment, "His Majesty Tokugawa suddenly arrived outside your residence and wanted to see you.
You. The little girl told him that His Highness had something to do and was not seeing anyone, but he refused to leave and kept waiting outside the door. He said there was no need to disturb you and that he would let the little girl report after you have finished the matter. The little girl said to him after a while.
I guess it won't work tonight, but he still refused to leave and stood waiting outside the door. It has been half a day, and we felt that it was not good to leave the dignified head of the Tokugawa family outside the door, so we could only
Chapter completed!