At the beginning of the afternoon on June 13, Asahina Yasuhiro and his party finally arrived at their destination, the outskirts of Okazaki. They were still some distance away from the west gate of Okazaki, and Yu Qiuping saw a group of people gathered in front of the castle town from a distance. After a while,
As he got closer, Yu Qiuping immediately recognized the Tokugawa Mitsuha Aoi family crest that often appeared in later games. Of course, it is still Matsudaira Mitsuha Aoi.
"The future shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu!" Yu Qiupei leaned over and looked around excitedly. His move hurt Kondo Yasuzo badly. He lost his balance and almost fell off the horse. He hurriedly pinched the horse's belly and the horse
Rushing forward, he used his speed to steady his body.
"Ping-kun, what are you doing? You will get killed sooner or later!" Kondo Yasuzhuang muttered. Yu Qiuping apologized quickly, and the two of them struggled on the horse for a long time before they realized that the team had already approached.
Taking a closer look, I saw dozens of people kneeling under the banner of the Matsudaira family at the entrance of the castle town, respectfully waiting for the arrival of Asahina Taehiro. The figure at the head was a little thin, wearing a loose samurai uniform, and he looked solemn and dignified.
He was wearing a samurai bun, and all the hair on his forehead was shaved off. This was incomparable with Ame Qiupei's ponytail and Asahina Taehyung's casual samurai bun. After realizing that the visitor was already nearby, the thin
The figure trembled obviously, but the dozens of people still knelt down and made no other movements. During the Warring States Period in Japan, this etiquette could be regarded as welcoming the head of the family. Of course, Yu Qiuping did not understand this.
etiquette.
He felt a little uncomfortable when he saw so many people kneeling and he was riding a horse, so he subconsciously jumped off the horse and started walking. However, what made him embarrassed was that none of the dozens of other people who were traveling with him got off their horses, and they all walked arrogantly.
Riding on the horse. However, the group was about to arrive in front of the Songping family, and Yu Qiuping could not climb on the horse again.
"Your humble position, Matsudaira Motoyasu, welcomes Asahina-sama!" When he felt the sound of horse hoofs passing by his forehead, Matsudaira Motoyasu kowtowed three times and shouted respectfully.
"The Matsudaira family, welcome Asahina-sama!" Immediately afterwards, dozens of retainers behind him shouted with the same respect.
"Everyone, please get up." Asahina Taehyung cleared his throat and said this with all his official airs.
"Thank you, sir!" After another neat voice, Matsudaira Motoyasu stood up, and it was Yu Qiuping who was facing him.
Matsudaira Motoyasu has been kneeling here for an hour.
Yesterday morning, the messenger from Yoshida Castle arrived and said that Asahina Taehyung had arrived at Yoshida Castle. Matsudaira Motoyasu began to prepare for the reception. As a vassal family that has been completely controlled by the Imagawa family, and is also a stumbling block for the Imagawa family to completely control Mikawa, Matsudaira
Motoyasu knew very well that he had to do everything in his power and not give others any clues, in order to keep his hard-earned rights. If anything goes against the wishes of the Imagawa family, he will be punished at least, or the family will be destroyed at worst.
.As long as he can remember, he has lived a cautious life and tried hard to be respectful to everyone. He married Imagawa Yoshimoto's adopted daughter, a woman much older than him. He has endured humiliation and responsibilities for more than ten years.
The bullying finally paid off when he was released from house arrest in Sunpu Castle to Mikawa last year. He was allowed to command the old Matsudaira family in Mikawa Okazaki Castle, but the actual power was still in the hands of the Imagawa family.
In order to retain this hard-won freedom, he could only continue to be humble and flattering. Whenever an important member of the Imagawa family came to Okazaki, he would respectfully lead his retainers to greet him on their knees with the gift of welcoming a governor. The former Okabe Motonobuwa
Both Uden Nagasaki and Uden Nagasaki enjoyed such treatment. They didn't feel anything was wrong at all and allowed the dust raised by the horse's hooves to fall on Matsudaira Motoyasu's face.
Although today, it was only the younger brother of the head of the Asahina family, Matsudaira Motoyasu understood that the Asahina family was the direct line of the Imagawa family, and the head of the family’s younger brother was still incomparable to him, a puppet vassal. So he still knelt down at the castle entrance obediently.
.
In order to show respect and let the other party notice that he was kneeling from a distance, Matsudaira Motoyasu knelt down at the gate of the city early. It had been a full hour and he had not even had time to have lunch. The sun was scorching hot and he was wearing a heavy samurai uniform.
Matsudaira Motoyasu, who kept his posture unchanged, was only a sixteen-year-old child after all, and was already a little dizzy from exhaustion.
So, when he stood up, he suddenly felt that his eyes were blurred and he was about to fall to the ground.
A pair of hands supported him.
After a moment of daze, Matsudaira Motoyasu immediately realized that this was extremely disrespectful behavior. He hurriedly gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, his wandering eyes focused again in front of his eyes.
Dozens of people on horseback, arrogant and arrogant.
A young man with a ponytail and side bangs on his forehead looked straight at him, his eyes full of concern and worry. The outstretched hand was still on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Yu Qiuping asked.
He was asking me if anything was wrong? Is this because he was concerned?
Matsudaira Motoyasu felt his heart tightening, and tears almost came out of his eyes. But his determination over the years allowed him to quickly adjust his state, and that humble smile appeared on his face again.
However, I couldn't say "thank you" because I was choked with sobs.
"What's wrong? Master Motoyasu doesn't invite us into the city?" Fujita Nakaharu asked dissatisfiedly.
"How dare you, how dare you," Matsudaira Motoyasu glanced at Yu Qiuping apologetically, and quickly turned around and bowed to Fujita Nakaharu, "I invite you all to come into the city. I have already organized a banquet for you to welcome the wind!"
When we arrived at the Okazaki Castle Castle, the Matsudaira family had indeed prepared a banquet. The Matsudaira family was not particularly well-off now, but they still put together the best food for each table. For this reason, the Matsudaira family had to
The food budget for the next few days has been reduced. Starting from the head of the house, everyone only eats two meals.
At the banquet, Matsudaira Motoyasu politely invited Ushihiro Sekiguchi, his de facto father-in-law, to sit on the chair. He also gave up the main seat on the left to Asahina Yasuhiro and his party, while he and his retainers did so honestly.
In the guest seat on the right hand side.
"I'm afraid that's inappropriate," Ujihiro Sekiguchi pretended to decline, "Okazaki Castle is the residence of the Matsudaira family, so how can we feel that a dove is occupying a magpie's nest?"
"What are you talking about, sir?" Matsudaira Motoyasu shook his head. "The Imagawa family owes a lot to the Matsudaira family. This Okazaki Castle is also a gift from the Imagawa family to the Matsudaira family. The Matsudaira family is extremely grateful. How dare they not share it with each other?"
Think! We are just guarding Okazaki on behalf of the Imagawa family!"
"In this case, I will be disrespectful," Shihiro Sekiguchi took the chair without saying a word, and Taehyung Asahina unceremoniously took the chair on the left. Yu Qiuping quietly glanced at the Mikawa retainers group.
Among them, the elders all had calm expressions, and it was not known which of them was the famous Tadashi Sakai. However, the younger retainers behind them all had serious expressions, and one of them seemed to have tears in his eyes.
The entire banquet, except for the opening speech and the explanation of the reception of the Asahina family's troops, basically consisted of everyone in the Imagawa family chatting about home affairs, while the Matsudaira family listened in a polite manner, and Matsudaira Motoyasu carefully accompanied them.
They talked to each other with a smile on their face, laughed loudly at every joke and anecdote that wasn't funny, didn't eat much the whole time, and listened carefully to their conversation.
After the banquet, everyone left one after another, but Matsudaira Motoyasu stayed behind to direct the servants to clean the hall. When Yu Qiuping was about to leave, a retainer of the Matsudaira family came over and stopped him.
"My lord," the retainer's thick Mikawa rural accent made Yu Qiuping, who was used to listening to Suruga's Japanese Mandarin, barely understand, "my lord has invited me."
When Yu Qiuping came over, Matsudaira Motoyasu had just arranged the work for his servants. When he saw Yu Qiuping coming, he turned around and bowed in a hurry, but Yu Qiuping stopped him with his hand. The Matsudaira retainers around him were stunned, and several Matsudaira family guards were like
Pressing the hilt of the knife in the face of an enemy, Yu Qiuping will react immediately if he makes any move.
"There's no need to bow, Lord Matsudaira," Yu Qiupei watched this young man who was about his own age groveling all afternoon, feeling a little distressed in his heart, "I'm not an adult, I'm just a person from the Ming Dynasty, named Yu Qiupei Asahina.
He is just the sworn brother of the young master. Without an official position in the Imagawa family, it is logical that I should kneel down to your lord."
"How dare you, how dare you," Matsudaira Motoyasu glanced at Yu Qiuping in surprise, "Since he is the younger brother of the young master, he is also someone who should be respected in his humble position." He added, "I was at the city gate just now. Thank you so much, sir."
"Sir, please eat something quickly," Yu Qiuping sighed, "I see that you didn't eat much for dinner, and you don't look well. Your stomach will be overwhelmed if you keep doing this."
Matsudaira Motoyasu was stunned on the spot.
He reminded me to have dinner.
Does he care about himself?
Care. This is such a strange feeling.
From the time he can remember, he has been a person destined not to be cared about.
In front of outsiders, he must be the groveling figure who is grateful to the Imagawa family. Naturally, the people of the Imagawa family will not care about him, but arrogantly despise him.
In front of his retainers, he must be a lord who endures humiliation and bear heavy burdens. He must never appear discouraged at any time. He must always be the backbone of this retainer group that has gone through ups and downs. Therefore, no one will care about him.
Unfortunately, my father was killed a long time ago, and my mother has remarried and has not been seen for more than ten years.
For more than ten years, he has shouldered all the hardships and fatigues by himself.
Today, someone finally cares about him?
He lowered his head and tears couldn't stop rolling in his eyes. But he couldn't cry, he couldn't cry in front of his retainers.
So, thousands of words were reduced to just two words.
"Thanks."
Yu Qiuping didn't know how much influence his concern had on Matsudaira Motoyasu.
He just smiled and nodded, wanting to encourage this young man who had a hard life and experienced ups and downs: "You can do it if you work hard."