Chapter 385 Help me contact Ogata Ichitosai【7200 words】
After Natori withdrew from the room dejectedly to prepare for going to Yoshihara with Hasegawa later, Hasegawa turned to look at Makimura.
"Makimura, can't you really let me meet that friend of yours? I really want to see what kind of young talent a person with such superb skills is."
"Hasegawa-sama." Makimura waved his hand, "As I said just now, my friend is quite afraid of strangers."
"So many things happened tonight. According to my estimation, he may be eating, drinking and relaxing somewhere in Edo."
"You can't find him even if you go to Yoshiwara now."
"Master Hasegawa, if you really want to see him, I will help you fight for it later and persuade him to meet you."
"He is neither with you nor in Yoshiwara now... It is such a pity."
After Hasegawa let out a long sigh, he said seriously:
"...If possible, I would like to incorporate that friend of yours into my Huofu Thief Reform."
"Are you going to incorporate him into your fire bandits?" Even though he tried his best to control it, Makimura's expression became strange after hearing Hasegawa's words.
"We, Huofu Thief Kai, always welcome young talents with high strength." As soon as Hasegawa finished speaking, he paused as if he suddenly remembered something.
Then he added:
"Allow me to ask one more question. We, the Huo Fu Thief Kai, cannot recruit people with bad deeds, so your friend should not have any bad deeds, right?"
"Well..." Makimura smiled bitterly and scratched his hair, "How should I put it..."
"I actually don't know much about his past, so I don't know if he has done any bad things before."
"But regardless of whether he has done bad things before, I can guarantee that he will never work under you."
"He doesn't like to be restrained very much, so he definitely has no interest in joining an organization like the Fire Bandits Kai, which is no different from the army."
"That's it..." Hasegawa's face showed a more intense look of regret, "Then forget it...Then can you tell me his name?"
"Mashima Goro."
Makimura dipped his fingers into the remaining tea in the teacup and wrote the four large Chinese characters for "Mashima Goro" on the tatami in front of him.
"Mashima Goro...that's a very impressive name."
"In short, if you really want to meet my friend, I will help you actively try to persuade my friend to meet you after I go back."
As Makimura spoke, he picked up his Odachi placed next to him.
"Then, I'll take my leave first."
"Hmm? Makimura, won't you go to Yoshiwara with me?"
"Why should I go to Yoshiwara?" Makimura smiled and shrugged, "I'm not familiar with the people in Yoshiwara."
"I came to negotiate with you only as entrusted by my friend. Therefore, there is no need for me to go to Yoshiwara with you."
"Now that my mission has been completed, it's time for me to find my friend and return to life."
"Hasegawa-sama, just take your subordinates who committed the crime and go to make amends with the Yoshiwara people. I will take my leave first."
After saying that, Makimura carried his Odachi and walked straight out the door.
"Wait a minute, Makimura." However, Makimura had just taken two steps when Hasegawa immediately called out to Makimura, "Makimura, can you stay here for a while?"
"What's wrong?" Makimura asked confused.
"I... have something very important to tell you." Hasegawa said with an expression that was too serious to be attached, "Can you wait here until I come back after I and the people from the Shirobei Club have made amends?"
Because Hasegawa's expression was very serious and not joking at all, Makimura was also affected by Hasegawa's serious expression and frowned slightly.
"Is it something important? What is it? Can't we say it now?"
Hasegawa shook his head: "What I want to say is too complicated and I won't be able to finish it in a while, so I plan to make amends to the people at the Shirobei Club first and then explain it to you in detail."
"...I don't mind listening to you talk about that important thing of yours."
With a hint of distress on his face, Makimura raised his hand and scratched his hair.
"But it would be too difficult for me to wait here all the time for you to come back..."
"My friend is still waiting for me to come back to him and report the results of my negotiation with you..."
"Then you go and return to life with your friend first." Hasegawa said, "After returning to life with your friend, you can come back to me, okay?"
"...That's no problem."
After Hasegawa was silent for a while, he nodded slightly.
"Then I'll trouble you." Hasegawa said, bowing deeply to Makimura.
…
…
Edo, Yoshiwara
If the current time is converted into modern earth time units, it is already past 22 o'clock in the middle of the night.
Once it passes 22:00 in the evening, the Yoshiwara gate will be closed, and both officials of the Shirobei Club and tourists can only enter and exit through the sleeve gates on both sides of the Yoshiwara gate.
The sleeve gates located on both sides of the gate can barely accommodate two people, but because the flow of people at this time is not much, even if there are only two narrow sleeve gates left, they can barely cope with the current flow of people.
More than enough.
After receiving the officials who had entered Yoshiwara to capture the thief who had captured the young monk, an urgent matter that was waiting for Shirobei to handle immediately outside Yoshiwara came to Shirobei's head, and Shirobei had to
Leave Yoshiwara.
Going out to do some errands in Yoshiwara was just an ordinary thing that Shirobei did almost every day.
However, Shirobei never expected that he would just go out to do errands tonight as usual, but in the short period of more than an hour when he was not in Yoshiwara, so many things would happen.
As soon as Shirobei returned to Yoshiwara, he learned from Guasheng and others what had happened in Yoshiwara during his absence.
In the club, Shirobei and most of the club's cadres gathered together.
After hearing the whole story, the first thing Shirobei said was:
"What happened to those who were injured while arresting Ju Xiaoseng?"
"Those with more serious injuries were sent to the hospital early." Guasheng replied, "Those with more serious injuries were treated just now and their wounds were bandaged."
"That's good." Shirobei nodded gently, "Where is Kiku-chan now?"
"He is being held in our prison now." Keiemon replied this time. "He just woke up and made a lot of noise. In order to make him quiet, we tied him with a cloth belt."
Q."
"...I finally understand the specific story." Shirobei raised his right hand and rubbed his temples, "Mashima-kun, is he really going to negotiate with Hasegawa Heizo, the fire thief?"
"
"That's indeed what he told us..." Gua Sheng smiled bitterly.
In Majima...that is, after Ogata defeated all the members of the 6th Division of the Fire Thief Kai, he left Yoshiwara with his two friends (Makimura and Asai) who suddenly appeared.
Before leaving Yoshiwara, Ogata told Gua Sheng and others:
"My friends and I are going to talk to Hasegawa Heizo, a fire thief reformer, about tonight's affairs. We will go back as soon as we go. You stay in Yoshiwara to drink tea and slowly wait for me to come back. I will handle tonight's dispute.
So don’t worry about me, and you won’t worry about tonight’s incident.”
After leaving these words, Oban quickly left Yoshiwara with his two friends.
A while after Ogata and his friends left, a group of official officers who had been converted into thieves came.
This new batch of fire thieves who arrived in Yoshihara changed their official duties and came to take away the members of the sixth division.
After the members of Division 6 headed by Natori were taken away by the newly arrived fire bandits who had arrived in Yoshiwara, Shirobei returned after a while.
"Mashima-kun hasn't come back yet?" Shirobei asked.
"Yeah." Guasheng nodded with a somewhat sad look on his face, "I'm not back yet."
As soon as Gua Sheng finished speaking, Kawajiro beside him muttered:
"Mashima-kun, does he really have a way to meet with Hasegawa and then negotiate with Hasegawa..."
"Since Majima vowed so much before he left that he was going to negotiate with Hasegawa, then he should really have a way to meet and negotiate with Hasegawa..." Although he said this, Keiemon said that he was going to negotiate with Hasegawa.
There was still an air of uncertainty and unconfidence in his tone.
"Mashima-kun, didn't he say that he is a ronin from Izumo?" Kawajiro continued, "A young ronin from distant Izumo who recently worked at our Shirobei Club... It's really hard for me to imagine.
He has a way to meet and negotiate with the top leader of the Huofu Thieves Kai..."
"...I think Majima-kun might actually be able to do it." Gua Sheng, who had been silent since just now, suddenly said, "I think... Majima-kun is quite mysterious."
"Obviously he looks ordinary and unremarkable, but he has such powerful skills."
"I feel like he might actually have a way to meet with Hasegawa and negotiate with Hasegawa..."
As soon as Gua Sheng finished speaking, everyone present nodded in agreement.
Gua Sheng and others still vividly remember the image of Ogata defeating more than twenty officials who had been turned into thieves by himself just now.
"... Maybe Mashima-kun and Hasegawa are old acquaintances." Shirobei raised a possibility at this time, "Maybe Mashima-kun met by chance on the way from Izumo to Edo.
I met Hasegawa.”
"After all, Hasegawa often leads people all over Japan in order to catch those vicious criminals."
"So it's not impossible that Majima-kun and Hasegawa knew each other before."
As soon as Shirobei finished speaking, the sound of footsteps approaching quickly "dong dong dong" suddenly sounded outside the room.
The sliding paper door of the room was opened. The person who opened the sliding door was an ordinary servant of their club and shouted to everyone in the room in a somewhat anxious tone:
"Shirobei-sama! Hasegawa Heizou-sama of the Fire Thief Kaizo is here to visit!"
"...Hasegawa Heizo?" After hearing the report from this subordinate that was so surprising that it made people feel unrealistic, Shirobei's face was filled with astonishment.
"Hizo-sama Hasegawa Heizo, a thief reformer, is here to visit!" The servant repeated what he had just reported.
At this moment, it's not just Shirobei.
Everyone in the room looked in disbelief.
Keiemon swallowed: "Hasegawa Heizou... It should be the Hasegawa Heizou, right?"
"There is only one Hasegawa Heizou in the whole world." After saying this to Keiemon angrily, Shirobei quickly stood up and walked quickly outside the room.
After Shirobei stood up, the rest of the people in the room also stood up belatedly, and followed closely behind Shirobei.
After walking quickly to the door of the club, Shirobei and others saw two figures waiting outside the door.
Because the work functions of Shirobei Club and Huosuke Thief Kai were completely different, and their statuses were completely different, Shirobei and Hasegawa Heizou had almost no friendship.
Although they had no friendship, because both of them were based in Edo, Shirobei saw Hasegawa's appearance by chance several times.
Therefore, with just one glance, Shirobei recognized one of the two people waiting outside the clubhouse door, and it was none other than Hasegawa Heizou, the commander of the Huofu Thief Kai.
After Shirobei recognized one of the two people as Hasegawa at a glance, Gua Sheng, Keiemon and others also recognized who the other one of the two people was. It was the Shirobei who wanted to rob them just now.
The fire thieves who contributed to the club changed to the leader of the sixth division, Natori.
Shirobei recognized Hasegawa, and Hasegawa also recognized Shirobei.
After seeing Shirobei leading a large group of people out of the club, Hasegawa immediately bowed deeply to Shirobei and others in front of him, and then said loudly:
"I have just learned about the series of disputes that occurred with your office tonight."
"It's all my subordinates who are too stupid that caused the troubles tonight."
"I am here now to apologize to everyone at the Shirobei Club."
When Hasegawa bowed and apologized to everyone in the Shirobei Club in front of him, Natori, who was standing next to Hasegawa, immediately followed and bowed to everyone in front of him along with Hasegawa.
The astonishment on Shirobei's face still remained, and he stared blankly at Hasegawa and Natori in front of him.
Shirobei, who was the first to come to his senses, said quickly:
"Hasegawa-sama, please follow me into the house first. We will talk in detail later after entering the house."
…
…
When Hasegawa had just left the Huosuke Thief Kai headquarters and had not yet arrived at the Shirobei Club,
Edo, somewhere
"Hey, Ogata brother."
After leaving the headquarters of Huoshu Thief Kai, Makimura hurried to the meeting place agreed with Ogata.
After arriving at the agreed meeting place, Makimura saw Ogata leaning against the wall, chewing on a daifuku.
Because it was in private, and there were no passers-by around, Makimura could call him "Ogata" openly instead of calling Ogata's pseudonym "Mashima".
In fact, it's not a big deal even if others hear Makimura calling Ogata "Ogata".
After all, Ogata is not a very rare surname in Japan.
So just calling "Ogata" won't make people suspicious, just don't call out Ogata's full name "Ogata Issei".
Seeing Makimura heading towards him, Ogata, who was nibbling a daifuku, waved his hand towards Makimura in response.
When Makimura quickly ran to him carrying his Odachi sword, Ogata just happened to swallow the daifuku in his mouth.
"Makimura, you came just in time." Ogata threw the only daifuku left in his hand towards Makimura, "I just bought a few daifuku, and there is one left. I can't eat any more, so I'll give this to you."
"Oh! Then I'm not welcome."
Makimura, who happened to be a little hungry, took the big blessing from Ogata, and just as he said just now, he gnawed it without ceremony.
"How?" Ogata asked, "How was the negotiation with Hasegawa?"
Ogata's question was actually asked knowingly.
Because just by looking at Makimura's current expression, he knew what the outcome of the negotiation would be.
And Makimura's answer did not surprise Ogata.
"It's a perfect ending." Because his mouth was full of daifuku, Makimura spoke a little slurred, "Now Hasegawa is taking his subordinates who committed crimes to Yoshiwara to make amends."
"Hasegawa is going to apologize in person?" Ogata raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You have such a serious personality..."
"I think so too." Makimura smiled bitterly and said seriously, "Ogata, you can go back later. I have some things to do later."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, it's just that Hasegawa just told me that he had something very important to tell me."
"I have made an appointment with him to wait for him and the people from the Shirobei Club to make amends at the headquarters of Huofu Thief Kai."
"Important things... What important things can he and you have to say?"
"I'm also very confused. Do you want to talk to me about the follow-up to those things in Kyoto three months ago... In short, Ogata brother, after you go back, tell the lord and others that I may go back later tonight."
"I know. But I won't go back too early. I will go back to Yoshiwara later."
"Brother Ogata, are you going back to Yoshiwara later?"
"After all, I have to say goodbye to others." Ogata smiled, "And I haven't received my salary for today yet."
…
…
Edo, Yoshiwara, Shirobei Club, reception room.
After Hasegawa's visit, Shirobei and others took Hasegawa and Natori to the most advanced reception room of their Shirobei Club, which was specially used to receive some dignitaries.
After sitting down in the reception room, Hasegawa apologized to Shirobei and others in a most sincere tone.
And that Natori even posed Dogeza to Shirobei and others, and apologized to everyone in the Dogeza posture.
After meeting Shirobei and others, Hasegawa recognized Gua Sheng at a glance as the girl Makimura said was pushed to the ground by his subordinates, injured her cheek, and got up from the ground with tears in her eyes.
Looking at the man with his left cheek wrapped in linen, Hasegawa's face and the apology on his face involuntarily became more intense.
So Hasegawa also made a very solemn apology to Guasheng.
"This is Miss Guasheng. My subordinates used such brutal methods to inflict such great harm on your body and mind. As a thief-turned-commander, I cannot absolve myself of the blame."
Hasegawa, who was kneeling respectfully on the tatami, leaned over and apologized to Gua Sheng in a tone that made the listeners feel heavy.
"Please forgive my subordinates, and we will also bear your medical expenses."
Guasheng: ":???"
Guasheng felt a little confused.
It was true that she injured the left side of her face because Natori and others were the first to use violence, but it was just a minor injury that was not painful or itchy.
She was pushed to the ground and immediately helped up by her colleagues.
This little injury on her face didn't hurt or itch to her. After Ogata dealt with Natori and others, if it weren't for the insistence of her colleagues, she wouldn't even bother to treat such a minor injury.
There was no serious physical or mental harm like what Hasegawa just said...
Did Hasegawa-sama misunderstand something...
Gua Sheng wanted to ask Hasegawa if there was any misunderstanding. She was not hurt physically or mentally, just a small scratch on her cheek.
But the atmosphere around him told Gua Sheng that it was not the right time to ask questions, so Gua Sheng could only hold his questions back in his stomach.
Hasegawa's sincere apology made Shirobei and others a little embarrassed.
"Hasegawa-sama, and Natori-sama, please raise your heads."
After Hasegawa finished his words of apology and was taking a breath, Shirobei quickly saluted Hasegawa and interjected.
"We receive your apology."
"In this dispute tonight, people on both sides of us actually have a certain amount of responsibility."
"So let's let things go as they are tonight. Just pretend that these things tonight never happened."
"I'm very grateful." Hasegawa leaned over again and saluted Shirobei in front of him, "I was in such a hurry tonight that I didn't have time to prepare a sufficient apology."
"I promise you: I will punish Natori heavily in the future, and I will visit you again in the future with an apology."
"There's no need for an apology." Shirobei smiled helplessly, "As long as I have an apology from you, Hasegawa-sama, that's enough."
…
…
No matter what Shirobei said, Hasegawa insisted on visiting him again in the future with a formal apology.
Hasegawa led Natori to apologize for nearly 20 minutes before finally leaving Yoshiwara.
Shirobei led a group of cadres in the club to stand outside the gate of Yoshiwara, watching the two Hasegawa leave.
It wasn't until Hasegawa's figure disappeared completely that Gua Sheng, whose expression was still blank, said softly:
"I didn't expect that Hasegawa Heizo would come to apologize in person..."
Until now, everyone, including Shirohei, is still immersed in the shock and surprise that Hasegawa Heizo, the commander of the Hufu Thieves Kaifa, personally came to apologize.
Gua Sheng and the others had imagined many possibilities that would happen after the incident of "conflicts with the officials who were reformed by Huo Fu Thieves".
But the only thing they didn't expect was the possibility of "Hasegawa Heizo coming to apologize overnight"...
In other words, I thought of this possibility, but naturally felt that this possibility was impossible to happen...
"Is it possible that Majima-kun really succeeded in meeting and negotiating with Hasegawa Heizo..." Kawajiro said slowly.
"...I suddenly want to have a good relationship with Majima-kun." Keemon said with a serious face.
"Speaking of which, where is Majima-kun?" Gua Sheng asked doubtfully, "Why isn't he with Hasegawa?"
"Yes. Where is Majima-kun now?" Kawajiro raised his hand and grabbed his hair, "I haven't paid him today's wages yet..."
…
…
After bidding farewell to Shirobei and the others, Hasegawa led Natori and rushed back to their headquarters where the bandits were reformed.
As soon as he returned to the headquarters, Hasegawa cast his cold gaze on Natori.
"From now on, you are grounded."
"You are not allowed to leave the detention room until I issue the next punishment."
"Yes..." Natori, who had been pale since following Hasegawa to Yoshiwara to apologize, nodded weakly.
After instructing his two subordinates to take Natori to the detention room, Hasegawa hurriedly set off to the quiet room where he usually used to take a nap when he was tired at work.
When he rushed to Yoshiwara with Natori to apologize, Hasegawa ordered Yamazaki: If Makimura, who had recovered his life with his friend, came back, he would take Makimura to the quiet room he often used.
As soon as he arrived at the door of the quiet room and opened the door of the quiet room, Hasegawa once again saw Makimura, who had just parted ways not long ago.
"Sorry, Makimura, for keeping you waiting."
"It's okay. I actually didn't wait too long." Makimura was sitting cross-legged carelessly at this time, with his Odachi placed on the tatami beside him.
"Tonight is really going to make you laugh." Hasegawa smiled bitterly and sighed, "I'm going to let you see the unchangeable side of the Huo Fu Thief..."
"Nothing, I can understand." Makimura smiled slightly, "I have been an official before, so I know very well that once there are too many subordinates under my command, it is inevitable that there will be a few people with bad conduct or temporary stupidity."
After sitting up straight with his slightly skewed body, Makimura asked Hasegawa sternly:
"Hasegawa, it's not too early now, so let's keep the story short."
"What is the important thing you want to tell me?"
Makimura's straightforward request was exactly what Hasegawa wanted.
Hasegawa knelt down in front of Makimura, and a serious look appeared on Hasegawa's face.
"Makimura. I know that you and Ogata Ittousai are friends, so I just asked Ogata Ittousai. Is he still alive?"
Upon hearing Hasegawa's question, Makimura immediately frowned.
Before Makimura could respond, Hasegawa threw out new questions one after another like a barrage of firecrackers.
"If Ogata Ittosai is still alive, has he followed you to Edo now?"
"If you are in Edo, can you contact Ogata Ittousai for me?"
*******
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Today I will tell you about the bathhouses of the Edo period.
Bathing culture is also one of Japan’s long-standing cultures.
The picture on the right is the most common bathhouse in the Edo period→
In Volume 3, the plot of Ogata and Mamiya going to the bathhouse is mentioned in detail. You can go back and review it.
Bathhouses generally have two floors. The first floor is for guests to take a bath, and the second floor is for guests to rest, play cards, chess, and brag after taking a bath.
Among the political reforms (lenient reform) presided over by Matsudaira Sadanobu (that is, the old middle-aged man who pops up from time to time in this book), one of the propositions is to prohibit the bathing of men and women together, because Matsudaira Sadanobu believes that bathing with men and women is corrupt.
social atmosphere.
Therefore, starting from the Kansei period, there were separate bathhouses for men and women.
It is said that after Matsudaira Sadanobu ordered a ban on men and women bathing together, many men hated Matsudaira Sadanobu (it is just a rumor)