Chapter 404 Ogata who was recruited by the shogunate【Explosion 7200 words】
Ogata and Matsudaira Sadanobu, who was kneeling in front of him, were only a little more than two steps apart.
When I met Matsudaira Sadanobu for the first time in Yangmei House just now, Matsudaira Sadanobu was nearly six steps away from him.
Because he was closer now, Ogata was able to see Matsudaira Sadanobu's face more clearly.
The first impression that Matsudaira Sadanobu's face gave Ogata was that of maturity and majesty.
According to Ogata's estimation, Matsudaira Sadanobu's age is about 30 years old.
In the Edo period, when medical care was underdeveloped, food was casual, and life expectancy was not very long, Matsudaira Sadanobu at this age already fell into the category of a "middle-aged man."
The skin quality was very poor. Just by looking at it, Ogata could tell that Matsudaira Sadanobu's skin was rough and a little sallow.
There are faint dark circles under the eye sockets, and there are quite obvious red bloodshot streaks in the whites of the eyes.
Although there was a hint of tiredness in his eyebrows, his eyes were quite sharp.
This sharp look made Matsudaira Sadanobu look very majestic. Even though he was just kneeling on the ground without saying a word, Ogata felt as if there was a big stone standing in front of him.
Ogata was the kind of person who could control the entire audience during a meeting with just his eyes. Ogata concluded like this.
"The doors and windows are closed tightly. It will indeed be a bit stuffy. Majima Goro-kun, do you mind if I open the windows a little?"
"I don't mind." Ogata said, "I'll open the window."
After saying that, Oujiang made preparations to stand up.
But before Ogata could stand up, Matsudaira Sadanobu stood up first and said:
"No, I'm closer to the window. Let me open it."
Matsudaira Sadanobu stood up directly and walked slowly to the window behind him, leaving no room for Ogata to refute.
Seeing what Matsudaira Sadanobu had said, Ogata obediently lowered his left knee that he had raised up again.
The night wind tonight is not strong, it is so weak that it cannot even blow up a person's scarf.
The window was opened, and the cool night breeze flowed into the room along the opened window.
The candles placed in 6 different positions in the room swayed slightly.
Even the stretched shadows of Ogata and Matsudaira Sadanobu projected on the wall began to sway together.
After opening the window, Matsudaira Sadanobu was not in a hurry to return to his original position.
Instead, he first held his hands on the window frame and looked out the window expressionlessly.
"...Yoshiwara is such a beautiful place."
Without any warning, Matsudaira Sadanobu suddenly said something as if he was talking to himself.
"The lights are bright, there are beautiful women everywhere, and the smell is delicious."
"But Yoshiwara is also a place that makes me very scared to see it."
Matsudaira Sadanobu's hand holding the window frame slowly tightened.
"Mashima Goro-kun, you are here at the Shirobei Club and you should be aware that there are countless samurai hanging around Yoshiwara every night."
"Two hundred years ago, when Yoshiwara was first built, the samurai still knew what shame was, and they even knew how to wear hats to hide their faces when entering and leaving Yoshihara."
"And now no one will feel ashamed to go in or out of Yoshiwara."
"Some people are not only not ashamed, but proud of it."
The corners of Matsudaira Sadanobu's mouth were slightly raised, revealing a sneer that made it difficult to understand his specific emotions.
"Today's samurai are really getting worse and worse. It's really worrying..."
After saying this emotion as if he was talking to himself, Matsudaira Sadanobu returned to where he was sitting just now and sat down again.
"...Mashima Goro-kun, you are truly a magical person." Matsudaira Sadanobu directed his sharp gaze towards Ogata.
Ogata raised his eyebrows: "Why do you say that?"
"I have met a lot of young samurai." Matsudaira Sadanobu crossed his arms over his chest, "I have met a lot of noble daimyo children, Hatamoto samurai, and ordinary domain warriors."
"However, no matter what their status is, young people are either very nervous after seeing me, or they have the words 'please reuse me, please appreciate me' written on their faces."
"It's true that someone as calm and calm as you has never appeared before, but it's really rare."
Hearing these words from Matsudaira Sadanobu, Ogata couldn't help but smile.
Do you think people who have killed feudal lords and smashed Nijo Castle will be afraid of the laochu of the shogunate...
Even if the shogun, who holds the highest power in Japan, appears in front of Ogata in person, he has already done many earth-shattering things, and he has long developed a big heart. He can still remain calm and calm. Ogata is quite confident about this.
confidence.
Naturally, it was impossible for Ogata to tell what was in his heart. After smiling, he said unhurriedly:
"I am just an ordinary warrior. I have never seen any prominent figures in my life before."
"It's hard for me to understand what big people are like."
"At this time, when a big shot really appeared in front of me, I just felt an 'unreal' feeling."
"Maybe it's because of this that I can remain calm in front of Mr. Lao Zhong."
"Just like the frog at the bottom of the well doesn't know how vast the sky is."
Ogata's somewhat humorous answer seemed to amuse Matsudaira Sadanobu, and a faint smile appeared on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face.
"I didn't expect that there would be a person like you in the small Shirobei Club."
As Matsudaira Sadanobu spoke, he changed his original sitting posture into a casual cross-legged sitting position.
"Mashima Goro-kun, let's change our sitting position. If we sit seriously, we can't help but speak seriously."
"No need." Ogata said in a neither humble nor condescending manner, "I can just continue to sit upright. Sitting cross-legged in front of Mr. Laozhong, no matter how you say it, is really rude."
Matsudaira Sadanobu is not overly particular about his sitting posture.
Seeing that Ogata was still sitting upright, Matsudaira Sadanobu said nothing more.
"Mashima Goro-kun."
Matsudaira Sadanobu, who had changed into a casual sitting posture at this time, said slowly.
"I am very curious about the scene I just saw in that bayberry house. I hope you can explain it to me."
"When the Hatamoto samurai rushed towards you with his sword raised high, I clearly saw that you had bent down and raised your right hand, ready to draw the sword."
"That man is a Hatamoto samurai, and his status is much nobler than yours."
"The connections behind you, the power and financial resources in your hands may be stronger and richer than you think."
"If you swing the knife at him, even if you don't kill him, you will definitely cause a series of pretty troublesome problems."
"However, even so, I still saw determination in your eyes when you were ready to draw the sword."
"Aren't you afraid that you will get into trouble after swinging the knife at Hatamoto?"
"Or is it that you didn't really think about all the twists and turns at the time, and just decided to swing your sword at a Hatamoto samurai out of reckless energy?"
Until now, Ogata still doesn't know why Matsudaira Sadanobu, who should be in two different worlds from him, showed up in Yoshiwara tonight, nor why Matsudaira Sadanobu suddenly summoned him, whom he had never met before.
As of just now, the atmosphere around the two of them has finally become more serious.
Ogata instinctively felt that Matsudaira Sadanobu might not have raised this question to him in order to develop a relationship with him or just for ordinary chatting.
After listening to Matsudaira Sadanobu's question quietly, Oubon pursed his lips slightly.
For no reason, Ogata suddenly thought that this seemed to be the first time someone had asked him such a question: Aren't you afraid when you swing a knife at those who are above you?
All this time, no one has ever asked Ogata this question in such a serious manner.
…
…
"...Of course I know what the consequences will be if I swing my sword at these Hatamoto disciples."
After pondering for an unknown amount of time, words with a flat tone slowly came out of Ogata's mouth.
"I'm just a 'former ronin' who finally found an ordinary job here in Yoshiwara a while ago."
"I also know the Hatamoto who made trouble just now. His name is Takigawa Heiichiro. He has a salary of 3,000 koku. With their family's financial resources and power, if he offends him and decides to take revenge on me, there will definitely be a lot of trouble.
Find me."
"If a low-level warrior like me offends a high-level warrior, he will end up like this."
"Low-level warriors were bullied by high-level warriors... I saw it with my own eyes a long time ago and experienced it myself."
A face and a picture emerged in Ogata's mind.
That face, that of Inoue, was the senior warehouse officer who accidentally bumped into Gennai Matsudaira and was killed by Gennai Matsudaira with a sword when he was taking Gennai Matsudaira to inspect the warehouse...
That scene was the tragic scene when Ogata returned to the Sakakibara Sword Hall that night and witnessed his master and his brothers being killed by Gennai Matsudaira...
"...Since you knew the consequences, why did you look like you were going to draw your sword?" Matsudaira Sadanobu asked.
A faint smile slowly appeared on Ogata's face.
…
…
"Because I don't want to just give in."
…
…
Be concise and concise.
The tone is calm.
But it shows a firmness like a mountain.
However, after saying this, Ogata chuckled a few more times. Then he changed to a half-joking tone:
"Of course, the reason why I was able to draw my sword in front of Takigawa just now was because I had some recklessness to help him."
"That Takigawa is really annoying."
"I was angry when I saw his hysterical look."
"Thanks to Takigawa's annoying face, I had the courage to reach for the knife at my waist."
Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes never left Ogata's body from just now.
As soon as Ogata's words, "Because I don't want to give in like this," fell, an imperceptible light flashed in Matsudaira's eyes.
"...Hahahaha." Matsudaira Sadanobu laughed, although it was just a low laugh.
"Mashima Goro-kun, you really surprise me."
"Since we first met at Yangmei House just now, you have always brought me surprises and surprises."
"Mashima Goro-kun, I don't know if you paid attention to the results of the literary test last night. Do you know that you are the top one in the literary test?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu's topic suddenly changed from "serious discussion" to "talking about family affairs".
Although I don’t know why Matsudaira Sadanobu changed the topic so suddenly, Ogata immediately answered:
"Since I participated in the 'Imperial Examination', I naturally paid attention to the results of the literary test last night."
"To be honest, I still can't believe that I will be the first in the literary test."
"Then do you know who graded the papers for the literary test?" Matsudaira Sadanobu asked.
Ogata shook his head.
Ogata has never paid attention to who is responsible for correcting the papers.
As far as Ogata knew, the shogunate also kept the identities of those who revised the papers strictly confidential, and did not let any outsiders know who was responsible for revising the papers.
"There are two groups of people who corrected the papers."
"The first group of people are responsible for correcting the previous 'postings'."
"The second group of people are responsible for judging the last question on the paper."
Posting scriptures means filling in the blanks.
The "last question" mentioned by Matsudaira Sadanobu is naturally the essay question that asks everyone to write about their understanding of the sentence "Knowing that you can't do something but doing it".
"But in fact, the so-called second group of people is only one person."
"And that person..."
Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly raised his finger and pointed at himself.
"it is me."
"The person responsible for judging the last question on the paper is me."
Matsudaira Sadanobu's words made Ogata's eyes flash with surprise involuntarily.
Ogata had never thought that the country's second-in-command, who had so many things to do, would personally check the essay question.
"Then, it was I who judged you to be the first in the literary test."
The words Matsudaira Sadanobu said immediately caused the surprise in Ogata's eyes to expand at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“Your previous ‘posting on the sutra’ was actually wrong in 21 points.”
"But it doesn't matter."
"In this essay test, the really important question is not the 'Public Sutra' at the front, but the question at the end."
"As long as you answer the last question well, you will get a good ranking in this literary test. And vice versa."
"The top 10 in this literary test are all like this."
"And you are the one who I think answered that question best, so I gave you the top spot in the literary test."
"...How well did I do that question?" Ogata raised his hand and scratched his hair, "How could I get such a high evaluation from Mr. Laozhong..."
In Ogata's impression, his question was just a matter of fun...
“I can tell at a glance who is following the script and who really has a deep understanding of the phrase ‘knowing that you can’t do something but doing it’.”
"Many people just wrote down the complete explanation of this sentence that they heard in school on the paper."
"Even if you use gorgeous words to modify it, it can't change the paleness of the content."
"But Majima-kun, you are different."
Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes became sharper.
"Through your words, I can really feel that you are not just following the script. You have your own unique and profound insights into this sentence."
"After I read your paper, my first thought was that someone who has such a profound understanding of the phrase 'knowing that you can't do something but doing it' must be a man of great integrity."
“I like what you wrote about doing something you know you can’t do.”
"That's why I made you the first in the literary test."
"In order to verify my conjecture that 'I think you must be a man of character', I specially chose to come to Yoshiwara to meet you tonight when I have no schedule."
"And you really didn't disappoint me."
"There are not many warriors like you who have the guts to say 'I don't want to surrender'."
"Mashima Goro-kun. I admire you very much."
Matsudaira Sadanobu's face gradually turned serious.
"Don't stay in Yoshihara anymore."
"Come follow me."
"That means I'll give you my nickname."
call……
A night breeze, much stronger than the one before, poured into the room.
The light and shadow drawn by the candlelight changed slightly with the expression and look on Ogata's face.
…
…
"Ha ha……"
The words that Matsudaira Sadanobu just said were so impactful that Ogata didn't know how to answer them for a moment.
In order to buy himself time to think, Ogata laughed a few times and said in a half-joking tone:
"Before participating in the 'Imperial Trial', I heard people say that Mr. Lao Zhong planned to select the available talents in this 'Imperial Trial' and promote them to his staff."
"It turns out this rumor is true."
"No, this rumor is false." As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Matsudaira Sadanobu shook his head, "It's just a rumor spread by someone who doesn't know who it is."
"I never thought about who should be chosen as my staff among the participants of the 'Imperial Trial Match'."
"Until... just now."
"And I'm not promoting you to my staff."
"I just promoted you to my nickname."
"It is impossible for me to directly entrust a heavy responsibility to a person who I just met tonight and have absolutely no idea of his specific political abilities."
"So I will explain all the ugly things here."
"After you are promoted to my nickname, I will observe you carefully and examine you."
"After my investigation, if I feel that you are indeed of great use, I will not begrudge you rewards and important uses."
"But if I find that you are just empty-headed and incapable of taking on big responsibilities...then I can only ask you to go back to where you came from."
Although Matsudaira Sadanobu's harsh words seemed scary, Ogata was sure that most young samurai would still rush to agree to adopt Matsudaira Sadanobu's nickname after hearing the cruel remarks just made by Matsudaira Sadanobu.
What is your nickname?
At first glance, it seems that he is just an ordinary handyman, responsible for taking care of the monarch's personal life chores. If the monarch you serve likes the public, then you should help your monarch to vent his anger.
But in fact, it looks like it is just a nickname for an ordinary handyman, but it is a profession that many people dream of.
At the end of the day, people with minor surnames may spend more time with the monarch they serve than the monarch's family members.
Spending more time with the monarch means you have more opportunities to express yourself in front of the monarch, and you have more opportunities to develop feelings with the monarch.
Many celebrities in history started out with so-and-so's nickname, and then directly rose to the top with the appreciation and cultivation of so-and-so.
The most typical examples are Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Warring States Period.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was born as a poor peasant, was able to become an official in the Oda family by various chances and coincidences.
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi first joined the Oda family, although he did not have Oda Nobunaga's nickname, he was a handyman who often appeared in front of Oda Nobunaga.
Because he could frequently appear in front of Oda Nobunaga, Oda Nobunaga quickly discovered Toyotomi Hideyoshi's talent.
With the help of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi began an even more exaggerated "grassroots counterattack".
In ancient Japan, which attached great importance to hierarchy and class, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was born as a poor peasant, with the help of Oda Nobunaga, step by step became the "Tenxiaren" who ruled the whole of Japan, unprecedented and unprecedented.
Throughout the ages, this kind of profession that can frequently appear in front of senior leaders has been the most sought-after, and the most popular one has been competing for.
In the Edo period, when the level of class solidification was even more exaggerated than in the Warring States Period 200 years ago, and it was almost impossible to bridge between classes, becoming Matsudaira Sadanobu's nickname was already a meteoric rise to the top.
Although according to what Matsudaira Sadanobu just said, becoming his nickname only gave him the qualification to "be able to reach the sky in one step".
Whether you can really reach the sky in one step after that depends on your future abilities.
But even so, this is considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It can be said that it is a pie in the sky, a great opportunity that one never dares to dream of.
Most of the samurai would definitely be eager to accept the olive branch offered by Matsudaira Sadanobu.
However, Ogata happened to be the small group of people who did not immediately nod in agreement.
After pursing his lips and being silent for a while, Ogata leaned over and said respectfully:
"Lord Lao Zhong, I am very honored to receive your appreciation. But please let me think about it."
A look of confusion flashed across Matsudaira Sadanobu's face: "There's nothing to consider, right?"
After another moment of silence, the corners of Ogata's mouth slowly pulled up and he smiled.
"Sir Lao Zhong, I am so excited."
"I didn't expect that I would have the opportunity to become your nickname, Mr. Lao Zhong."
"Because I was so excited, my head went blank."
"This is a serious matter, and I would like to wait until my head regains consciousness before thinking about it slowly."
I don't know if it was Ogata's illusion, but he always felt that there was a smile in Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes just now after hearing him say "let him think about it."
"Then I'll give you some time. You can go back and think about it later."
"I won't set a time limit for you."
"When you think about it clearly, just come to my mansion to find me."
"My mansion is easy to find. Just find someone who is familiar with Edo and ask him, 'Where is Matsudaira Sadanobu's home?'"
"Yes!" Ogata leaned down and said in a high voice.
…
…
The secret meeting between Ogata and Matsudaira Sadanobu ended with "Matsuhira Sadanobu winning over Ogata, and Ogata using the "drag" technique".
Matsudaira Sadanobu left the room one step ahead of Ogata.
Ogata, who was not in a hurry to leave, stayed in the room.
After confirming that Matsudaira Sadanobu and his entourage named Tachibana had gone away and that there was no one else in the room outside the room, Ogata looked at the blank tatami in front of him where Matsudaira Sadanobu was no longer sitting, and then smiled bitterly.
"When did I become so popular..."
The emotion Ogata whispered out in a low voice hit the ceiling, formed into particles, and then merged into the air.
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Edo, the base of Shiranui.
"Whirring whirring……"
Shuntaro, with his upper body exposed, held a straight-edged ninja sword in his hand, and was meticulously doing simple exercises in the air in front of him.
Shuntaro is currently practicing his sword in his dedicated training ground.
It is an open space that is neither wide nor narrow. There are several large trees planted around the open space. Under the cover of these dense branches and leaves, the open space will not be too stuffy.
In Shiranui, only Enma and the Four Heavenly Kings have the privilege of "enjoying a dedicated training ground".
"Whirring whirring……"
Shuntaro's inhalation and exhalation matched the rhythm of his sword swing.
The effective coordination of inhalation and exhalation makes every sword swing by Shuntaro full of power.
Every time he swung or raised his sword, he could make a harsh sound of breaking wind.
Because Shuntaro's upper body was exposed, you could clearly see the rock-hard muscles on his upper body, as well as the hideous scars covered with sweat.
When he raised his sword high again, Shuntaro's movements suddenly stopped and he stopped slashing downwards.
While maintaining the posture of holding the sword high, Shuntaro slowly turned his head and looked to his right.
"What a rare visitor. Shintaro, in my mind, the last time you came to my practice venue was last year."
Shuntaro's exclusive training ground is located in a small forest.
After Shuntaro turned his gaze to his right, a young man with a stern face and an indifferent expression slowly emerged from the woods to Shuntaro's right.
And this young man is none other than Shintaro, who is one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" with Shutaro.
"...Shuntaro, it's so late and you're still practicing. You're so diligent."
When they reached a distance where both parties could clearly see their faces and facial features, Shintaro stopped.
"Shuntaro, this is the only thing I admire you about."
"You practice every day, regardless of whether it's cold or hot, cloudy or sunny. The intensity of your practice is like torturing yourself."
"I asked myself that I simply couldn't do this."
Shuntaro slowly put down the ninja sword in his hand: "Only when I am practicing and fighting with others, I truly feel that I am actually alive."
Shintaro walked slowly to a nearby tree stump, picked up the cloth placed there, wiped his sweat, and asked Shintaro:
"Shintaro, why did you come to see me?"
"Given your personality, you probably didn't come to me just to chat with me, right?"
"Shuntaro, you are right. I came here specifically to see you at your training ground. Indeed, I have something to ask you." Shintaro said seriously, "Shuntaro, I was ordered by Enma-sama to stop by to summon you."
"Hurry up and wipe yourself clean, and then come with me to Balrog's mansion."
"We have a visitor."
"Guest?" Shuntaro frowned slightly, "Is it another senior official from the shogunate who is here?"
"No." Shintaro shook his head, "He is a much more interesting guest than the senior officials of the shogunate."
"It's the ninjas from Iga who are visiting."
"Iga?" Shuntaro's voice was a little out of control because he was too surprised, "Didn't Iga no Sato disappear 40 years ago?"
"Yes, so those who are visiting now are the remnants of Iga no Sato from 40 years ago."
"Are the 'former ninjas' of the shogunate coming to meet the 'current ninjas'..." Shuntaro twitched the corner of his mouth and showed a smile, "He is indeed a very interesting guest."