I’ve kept everyone waiting for so long (Leopard Head Cries)
The reason why today's chapter is released so slowly is actually because today's chapter is a large chapter of 11,000 words, so it took a long time to write.
The author has updated 10,000+ times for 3 consecutive days. For the sake of the author being very hard-working, please vote more for this book! (Crying in my arms)
Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a monthly ticket!
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"I used to be a wanted criminal who made a living by catching wanted criminals and collecting bounties!"
Grandfather Jiang tried his best to explain.
For the sake of his own life, and for the sake of the gold dust that would save him from having to worry about food for the rest of his life, Grandpa Jiang had decided to risk his life.
"Last summer, I saw Ogata Issei with my own eyes at Nijo Castle in Kyoto!"
"I was obsessed at the time and had a lucky mentality. I thought I had a chance to take down Ogata Isei's head, so I rushed into Nijo Castle with the others."
"I saw with my own eyes the appearance and sword skills of Ogata Issei."
“I also heard Ogata Issei’s voice with my own ears.”
"So many people rushed up, but there was nothing they could do about Ogata Issei. I was completely frightened, so while Ogata Issei was still killing the others, I fled Nijo Castle in a panic, and I was lucky enough to survive.
Come down."
"Even though this happened more than half a year ago, I still clearly remember Ogata Isei's voice and sword skills!"
"I just saw with my own eyes Ogata Issei saving the person you are looking for from the wolf's mouth!"
"Although I don't know what Ogata Issei did to change his appearance. But because I still remember his voice, sword skills, and body shape! I recognized him immediately!"
"After Issei Ogata rescued the person you are looking for, he took that person away! I don't know where they went, but I remember which direction they went when they left!"
"Changed his appearance?" Kitano interrupted and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Ogata Issei didn't know what tricks he used to change his whole face." Grandfather Jiang replied, "His appearance now has become ordinary, and he is completely different from before. He probably passed this
He used this method to change his face, and he has been so free so far, and no one has ever caught him!"
"...Changing appearance..." Kitano sneered a few times, "Why do I think you have mistaken the wrong person? You mistakenly mistakenly identified an ordinary good citizen as Ogata Ittosai."
"I will never admit my mistake!" Grandfather Jiang said urgently, "That person must be Ogata Ittosai! I will never admit my mistake!"
Grandfather Jiang and Kitano looked at each other without any dodge in their eyes, and their voices were full of determination.
Looking at his grandfather Jiang who claimed in a firm tone that he had not mistakenly identified the person, Kitano's brows were now so tight that he could pinch a mosquito to death.
What Grandfather Jiang just said was so impactful that Kitano couldn't wrap his mind around it for a while.
If everything Grandfather Jiang said is true, then the amount of information is too great.
The most wanted criminal in the shogunate actually saved the current second-in-command of the shogunate?
If you say this kind of thing, you will probably be regarded as crazy by others.
Countless questions popped up in Kitano's mind.
What concerned Kitano the most was naturally whether Ogata Ittosai was really here.
If Ogata Ittosai is really in this snow country now, then this information really hopes to make them rich or famous.
Anyone who pays a little attention to current affairs today doesn't know the famous executioner Ittosai.
Kitano was from a Hatamoto family in Edo, and he was also a high-ranking general in the army. He could obtain any information related to the government much faster than ordinary people.
Before that, he had obtained accurate information. The emperor was dissatisfied with the shogunate's delay in catching Ogata Ittousai, and put pressure on the shogunate. In order to deal with the emperor, the shogunate had to further increase Ogata Ittousai's bounty. Now, Ogata Ittousai
Zhai's bounty has reached an unprecedented high, and there should be no one in the future with a bounty of 800 taels.
If Ogata Ittosai's head can be managed to be taken down, then the huge bounty will be enough for the whole family to travel leisurely and live a leisurely life for several lifetimes.
Of course, Kitano was not the kind of person who was good at martial arts, and he didn't think he had the ability to take down Ogata Ittousai's head.
However, even if Ogata Ittosai's head cannot be taken down, if he can inform his superiors about the most wanted criminal in the shogunate, the corresponding reward will certainly be huge.
Maybe his name will appear in the history books of the future. The reason why Ogata Ittousai was eventually defeated was because his traces were discovered by a general named Kitano Shuuki.
Seeing that Kitano was still silent, Grandpa Jiang couldn't help but emphasized again:
"Please believe me! What I just said was not a lie."
Kitano, who had been lowering his head in deep thought, slowly raised his head.
After taking a deep look at Grandfather Jiang in front of him, he asked:
"You just met Ogata Ittousai and the person we are looking for. They were in that direction, right?"
Beiye raised his hand and pointed in the direction where his grandfather Jiang had just pointed.
"That's right." Grandfather Jiang nodded his head like garlic.
After another moment of silence, Kitano turned to his subordinates and shouted:
"Let's go! Also, tie this man's hands and take him with you." Kitano pointed to his grandfather Jiang.
Afterwards, Kitano said to his grandfather Jiang in a nakedly threatening tone:
"You have to come with us."
"If what you just said is true, I will keep my promise, let you go, and return your gold sand to you."
"If I find out that you are lying to me, I will let you know that there are worse things in this world than having your head chopped off."
Grandfather Jiang's body trembled with fear.
But now that the matter has come to this, Grandfather Jiang has no room to retreat or regret, so he bites the bullet:
"I see!"
Kitano raised his chin at the two subordinates next to him, and then the two subordinates quickly stepped forward and tied Grandfather Jiang's hands tightly with a thick and long rattan, and then held Grandfather Jiang on the left and right to prevent Grandfather Jiang from escaping.
…
…
In the cave where Ogata and the others live
Ogata had been listening quietly to Matsudaira Sadanobu's story just now.
When Matsudaira Sadanobu was hanging Kotetsu back on his waist, Ogata said softly with a faint smile:
"Sir Lao Zhong, although you don't have much chance to travel around now."
“But it’s not a bad idea to try to realize your youthful ideals after you retire in old age.”
Matsudaira Sadanobu looked at Ogata blankly: "When I retire at old age? How old will I be when I retire at old age?"
Speaking of this, Matsudaira Sadanobu changed into a half-joking tone.
"By then, I should no longer have the physical strength and energy, and I will have to live in seclusion in my hometown."
"That's true." Ogata smiled and shrugged, "But compared to 'can it be done', 'should it be done' is our top priority."
Matsudaira Sadanobu was stunned for a moment.
Matsudaira Sadanobu, who usually had few expressions, laughed after being stunned for a short time.
After laughing, Matsudaira Sadanobu let out a sigh of relief as if he was tired from laughing.
"Mashima-kun, you are such an interesting person."
"At the beginning, after I saw the article you wrote in the "Yu Qian Shi He" essay test, I discovered that your thoughts coincided with mine."
"At the beginning... I was attracted by your thoughts that are extremely close to mine, so I wanted to adopt you as my nickname."
Having said that, Matsudaira Sadanobu suddenly looked directly at Ogata in front of him with a meaningful look.
"I don't really like people who break their promises."
"If it were anyone else, I would definitely not give him a good look after making the mistake of 'forgetting his promise to me'."
"But now I like to make an exception once in a while."
Matsudaira Sadanobu sat up straight, his face became solemn, and he said sternly to Ogata in front of him:
"Mashima-kun, are you willing to join me and become my nickname?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu asked Ogata the question he had asked Ogata a few months ago.
Aizan and Ashley didn't know the identity of Matsudaira Sadanobu or the relationship between Matsudaira Sadanobu and Ogata, so they couldn't get into the conversation from the beginning. They could only become "people who eat melons"
, looked at Ogata, and then looked at Matsudaira Sadanobu, staying silently eating melon.
As for Amachi, he was shocked when he heard what Matsudaira Sadanobu said just now.
She originally thought that after Ogata let Matsudaira Sadanobu go for a few months, even though Matsudaira Sadanobu claimed to have written off the past, he would definitely still have grudges in his heart.
Unexpectedly, Matsudaira Sadanobu once again extended an olive branch to her husband.
Looking at Matsudaira Sadanobu in front of him who once again threw an olive branch at him, Ogata was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said:
"Thank you, Mr. Lao Zhong, for your kindness. But the life of a ronin is more suitable for me."
Ogata used a tactful tone and threw back the olive branch thrown by Matsudaira Sadanobu.
Matsudaira Sadanobu's expression changed many times in an instant, and a look of confusion slowly appeared in Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes.
Ogata then continued:
"I have no interest in an official career. Nor do I have the ability to enter an official career."
"I still prefer the free and carefree life of a wanderer now."
"Although I can't live in such a luxurious house or eat such exquisite food, I don't feel any pain because I have a wife and friends by my side. I don't want to make any changes to this kind of life."
"So, Mr. Laozhong, thank you for your kindness."
After Ogata finished speaking, the confusion on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face slowly turned into regret.
"...Mashima-kun, you are the first young samurai who has clearly rejected my invitation since I became a junior high school student." Matsudaira Sadanobu showed a faint bitter smile, "In the past, whenever I expressed my admiration for the young man I admired,
When the samurai invited them and gave them the opportunity to serve as officials in the shogunate, they were all overjoyed without exception."
"I have never seen someone like you refuse directly and express that you want to continue to be a ronin before..."
Matsudaira Sadanobu let out a long sigh.
"...Forget it. Since you don't want to join me, I can't force you..."
"But when you change your mind, you can come to me at any time."
"My residence in Edo is not difficult to find. If you ask someone, you can find out where my residence is."
"If you change your mind in the future, you can come to me at my Edo residence."
"I will tell the servants in my mansion: If a person calling himself 'Mashima Goro' comes to visit in the future, let him in immediately and let him come and see you."
Ogata knew that even if he arrived, he would not serve as an official under Matsudaira Sadanobu, so Ogata just nodded and said casually:
"Yes. I will."
"Even if you haven't changed your mind, you can come to my mansion to find me." Matsudaira Sadanobu added, "You saved my life. I have to repay this favor."
"If you encounter any trouble in the future and need help, you can come to me at my Edo residence. If I can help, I will definitely help."
"Thank you." Ogata said very politely, "If I have a chance in the future, I will bother you. But I probably won't have the chance to go to Edo for a long time in the future."
"...Allow me to ask, how long do you plan to travel here in Ezo?" Matsudaira Sadanobu asked this question very abruptly.
"Huh? This kind of thing depends on the situation." Ogata said, "If you feel that you have traveled enough here in Ezo, you will naturally leave Ezo."
"...I think it's better for you to leave Ezo Land as soon as possible." Matsudaira Sadanobu said seriously, "At least wait until next year to travel here again. The war has already started in Ezo Land, and it is not a place suitable for traveling.
On the side, A-Machi was also attracted by what Matsudaira Sadanobu said just now.
"From just now, I noticed that you don't seem to know what is happening in Ezo Land." Matsudaira Sadanobu said softly, "I didn't expect that I guessed it right."
"Fortunately, I asked you specifically, otherwise you would have continued to foolishly wander around in a land that has already been ignited by war."
Matsudaira Sadanobu picked up his water glass, took a sip of water, and said slowly:
"Do you know the Red Moon Fortress?"
"The Ezo living in the Red Moon Fortress encouraged the naturalized Ezo in Matsumae Castle to start a riot, which resulted in heavy casualties in Matsumae Castle and countless civilian casualties. It was not until the army was dispatched that the riot in Matsumae Castle was quelled."
"The Ezo people of Red Moon Fortress really went too far this time."
"So in order to punish the Ezo people of the Red Moon Fortress, the shogunate officially declared war on the Red Moon Fortress, gathered an army and went north, vowing to bring down the Red Moon Fortress."
"The Ezo people from the Red Moon Fortress incited the naturalized Ezo people from Matsumae Castle to start a riot?" He was emotionally shocked.
Aizan, who has long since evolved into a qualified "translation tool person", has been translating what Matsudaira Sadanobu said sentence by sentence to Ashiri, who does not understand Japanese.
After listening to Ayizan's translation, Ashley showed the same shocked expression as Ayizan.
Although neither Ayzan nor Ahili have put on the iconic bright red costumes of the Red Moon Fortress, they are now residents of the Red Moon Fortress.
What Matsudaira Sadanobu just said was nothing less than a bombshell to the residents of the Red Moon Fortress.
"This, this sir!" Ayizan said hurriedly, "Did you make a mistake? As far as I know, He...ah, no, it's not like the people of Red Moon Fortress would do such a thing.
People!"
"I'm not lying." Matsudaira Sadanobu looked calm, "If you don't believe it, you can go to Matsumae Castle and have a look."
"To this day, there are still many people wearing sackcloth and mourning to mourn their relatives who died in the riots."
"And those thugs who were captured alive by us all personally admitted that it was the Ezo people from the Red Moon Fortress who gave them support that enabled them to start such a large-scale riot."
"Now the army has penetrated deep into the interior of Ezo."
"It won't be long before our troops arrive at the gates of Red Moon Fortress."
"If you don't want to be involved in the war, get away from here quickly. It's best to go back to Japan first."
Until Matsudaira Sadanobu's words fell, Atachi, Ashley and Aizhan were still immersed in the impact of Matsudaira Sadanobu's words just now. Because they were too shocked, their minds could not turn around.
Come around the bend.
Ogata's reaction was quick.
Ogata, who had seen a lot of strong winds and waves, quickly came to his senses, and then said softly to Matsudaira Sadanobu:
"...Sir Laozhong, thank you for your reminder. Without your reminder, we would not have known that such a big thing was happening in Ezo Land..."
"You're welcome." Matsudaira Nobunobu nodded, "I already know that the current Ezo land is not very peaceful, so please leave as soon as possible."
"If you insist on staying here and traveling...then I can't stop you."
"But my suggestion is to leave here quickly. After the war subsides, if you want to visit Ezo again, come to Ezo again."
"...Hmm." Ogata nodded, "But...Sir Lao Naka, I have a question: Are the thugs who started the riot really instigated by the Ezo people from the Red Moon Fortress?"
"The evidence for this matter is conclusive." Matsudaira Sadanobu replied without hesitation, "Those thugs who were captured alive by us all pointed out that the culprits were the Ezo people from the Red Moon Fortress."
"If we didn't have conclusive evidence, we wouldn't have sent troops to conquer the Red Moon Fortress."
Ogata said no more.
He just stared at Matsudaira Sadanobu in silence.
"...Master Lao Zhong! Master Lao Zhong!"
At this moment, both Ogata and Lao Naka heard "Lao Naka-sama" coming from outside the cave one after another.
"It seems that my people have finally found this place..." Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes flashed with joy, and he quickly stood up and walked towards the entrance of the cave.
Ogata also got up and followed Matsudaira Sadanobu towards the entrance of the cave.
After arriving at the entrance of the cave, Matsudaira Sadanobu shouted loudly outside the cave, "I'm here!"
"Ah! It's the voice of Mr. Lao Zhong!"
"Quick! Go quickly!"
"I found Master Lao Zhong!"
The intensive sound of horse hooves gathered towards the entrance of the cave.
After a while, many people holding torches and riding horses came running toward the cave entrance from all directions.
Among the people who gathered around him was Tachibana, the nickname of Matsudaira Sadanobu, whom Ogata knew.
The person who rushed to the cave entrance for the first time was Tachibana.
"Lao Naka-sama!" Tachibana leaped off the horse and threw himself in front of Matsudaira Sadanobu, looking like he was about to cry, "I finally found you! Are you not injured?"
"I'm fine. I was rescued by Majima Goro-kun."
"Mashima Goro?" Tachibana looked stunned.
At this time, Matsudaira Sadanobu turned his body to one side so that Tachibana could see Ogata, who was standing not far behind him.
Looking at Ogata, Tachibana's face was full of shock.
"I will explain it to you slowly later." Matsudaira Sadanobu said, "Anyway, you came to me after all the hard work."
"This time, it was our dereliction of duty that caused Laozhong-sama to suffer such an accident!" Tachibana's tone was a little excited, "Please punish us later!"
Matsudaira Sadanobu waved his hand: "We will talk about these things later."
After saying that, Matsudaira Sadanobu turned around and looked at Ogata and others in the cave.
"Everyone, thank you for your hospitality. My people have found me, and it's time for me to leave."
"Are you leaving now?" Ogata asked.
"Yes." Matsudaira Sadanobu nodded, "Now that my subordinates have found me, I have no reason to stay here anymore."
"And I have to go back as soon as possible. I have to let my subordinates see with their own eyes that I am still alive and calm their hearts. Moreover, my subordinates were attacked by a pack of wolves this afternoon, and I have to quickly check the casualties and losses.
.”
After finishing speaking, Matsudaira Sadanobu stood up straight and bowed solemnly to Ogata.
"Today, I really want to thank you."
"See you again in the future."
"If you change your mind in the future or need help with something, remember to come to me."
At this time, a faint smile appeared on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face.
"This time, don't forget what I said again."
When Matsudaira Sadanobu finished speaking, Tachibana had already led his horse over and led it behind Matsudaira Sadanobu.
Matsudaira Sadanobu turned over and sat on Tachibana's horse.
"Yes!" Tachibana sat down in front of Matsudaira Sadanobu, then raised the reins of his horse and led Matsudaira Sadanobu towards the depths of the woods not far away. The rest of Matsudaira Sadanobu's men followed closely behind.
Ogata stood there, watching Matsudaira Sadanobu until his figure completely disappeared from his sight.
"Now..." At this time, Amachi walked to Ogata's side with a worried look on his face, "Are those things Matsudaira Sadanobu said just now... true or false...? Chanupu and the others really instigated
Did the naturalized Ezo people at Matsumae Castle start a riot?"
Aizan and Ashley also focused their panicked eyes on Ogata at this time.
Ogata turned his head expressionlessly and glanced at the three people, Atachi, Aizan, and Ashiri, who all had panic expressions on their faces.
"...The trip to Huxi Village has to be postponed for the time being."
After being silent for a while, he said this.
…
…
"Hey! Is it really in this direction?!" Kitano roared towards his grandfather Jiang.
Listening to Beiye's roar, Grandfather Jiang shrank his neck.
"Yes, it is indeed in this direction, it can't be wrong!"
"Tsk..." Bei Ye's face was full of impatience.
At this time, he felt that the account on his right hand was a little hot.
When he turned around, he saw that the flames of the straw torch held in his right hand had almost burned his hand.
The torches used by Kitano are simple ones made of grass and wood.
Although it is simple to make, it is not very resistant to burning.
He had just been concentrating on searching for Matsudaira Sadanobu and Ogata Isei. He was not paying attention and didn't notice that the torch in his hand was almost burnt out.
Kitano quickly pulled out another torch from his waist, lit the new torch, threw the old torch that was about to burn out to the ground, and stamped it out.
"Damn..." Kitano looked up at the sky and uttered a curse word, "It's almost dawn..."
According to Kitano's judgment, it will be dawn in less than an hour.
They searched for nearly a whole night, but found neither Matsudaira Sadanobu nor Ogata Issei.
Bei Ye and the subordinates beside him are all feeling sleepy now because they have been up all night and have been trying to find people.
But before finding Matsudaira Sadanobu and confirming Matsudaira's current situation, Kitano did not dare to slack off even a little bit.
Ogata Issei can't be found, but Matsudaira Sadanobu must be found.
"This, the terrain of this place is relatively complicated..." Grandfather Jiang said tremblingly, "So..."
Before Grandfather Jiang could finish speaking, Kitano interrupted him with a rude voice:
"Shut up!"
After being yelled at by Grandfather Jiang, Grandfather Jiang quickly shut his mouth, not daring to say another word for fear of angering Kitano, who was now very irritable and impatient.
Grandfather Jiang is actually more anxious than Kitano now.
If Matsudaira Sadanobu or Ogata Issei were never found, Grandfather E dared to believe that Kitano, who didn't seem to have much patience, might really regard him as a "liar" and kill him with one knife.
Grandfather Jiang worshiped all the gods he could worship in his heart, praying to the gods to help them quickly find Matsudaira Sadanobu or Ogata Issei.
At this moment, Grandpa Jiang suddenly saw a little fire coming from the depths of the dark woods in front of him.
A light of fire was approaching towards them.
This light should be a torch.
However, because it was too dark, Grandfather Jiang could not see who was holding the torch.
Kitano also immediately noticed the fire approaching them.
"Who?!" Beiye shouted towards the direction of the torch.
As soon as Kitano finished speaking, "Torch" shouted in a joyful tone:
"Ah! Master Kitano! I finally found you!"
"Torch" approached Kitano and their speed suddenly increased.
As the "torch" got closer, the appearance of the person holding the torch finally gradually emerged from the darkness.
He was a soldier wearing armor like Kitano and the others.
"Kitano-sama!" The soldier shouted to Kitano as soon as he appeared, "Tachibana-sama has been found! Sir, he is safe and sound! Now he has returned to the camp safely under the protection of Tachibana-sama!"
"Sir, is he okay?!" The big rock that had been hanging in Beiye finally fell to the ground.
As long as Matsudaira Sadanobu is fine, even if his superiors punish him for failing to protect him, he will not be punished so severely.
At this time, Kitano suddenly remembered Ogata Yoshi's story.
"Where did Tachibana-kun find you?" Kitano asked.
"Tachibana found you in a cave," the soldier replied. "After you fell down the snowy slope, you were rescued by a samurai. You were then taken to the cave to heal your injuries."
"Rescued by a certain samurai?" Kitano's pupils shrank slightly.
What the soldier said just now is completely consistent with what grandfather Jiang just said.
"What's the name of that samurai?" Kitano asked, "Where is he now?"
"That samurai's name...I don't know that very well. After Tachibana-sama brought you back, you seemed to have separated from that samurai."
Kitano pursed his lips.
The soldier in charge of reporting the news didn't understand why Kitano was so interested in the samurai who saved Lao Zhong, and he didn't pay much attention to this matter.
"Tachibana-sama is now recalling all the teams sent out to look for you." The soldier said, "Kitano-sama, please return to camp quickly!"
"...I understand." Beiye turned his head and shouted to the surrounding subordinates, "Did you hear it? Your Excellency has found it! Let's go back to camp!"
As soon as Beiye finished speaking, Beiye's subordinates, who were already extremely tired, immediately let out a loud cheer.
Kitano was not as happy as his subordinates.
He turned his head expressionlessly and looked at the two men who had been standing on the left and right of Grandfather Jiang, escorting Grandfather Jiang.
"Keep watching this person!" Beiye ordered, "Bring this person back to the camp for me!"
…
…
The first thing Matsudaira Sadanobu did after returning to their camp was to check the total losses suffered by their team after being attacked by wolves.
Matsudaira Sadanobu's team paid a total of 4 deaths and 8 injuries before successfully repelling the incoming wolves.
These injured or dead people were all Matsudaira Sadanobu's bodyguards. Most of them were the 50 elite shogunate troops sent by Inamori to Matsudaira Sadanobu. Of the 32 original red cavalrymen of Matsudaira Sadanobu, only
Two people suffered minor injuries.
In addition to people, horses also suffered certain losses.
Unfortunately, some horses were killed by wolves.
Some horses were frightened and ran away in a panic, and have not been recovered until now.
There are a total of 13 horses that are missing or injured and can no longer move.
In addition to Matsudaira Sadanobu, two people who were responsible for carrying Matsudaira Sadanobu fell down the hillside at that time.
These two people did not have the same conditions as Matsudaira Sadanobu. When they fell down the hillside, they could rely on their wakizaki to slow down their fall. At the same time, they did not have the good luck of Matsudaira Sadanobu.
When Tachibana and the others went down the hillside to look for Matsudaira Sadanobu, they had already found these two people before they found Matsudaira Sadanobu.
Unfortunately, when we found these two people, they were already cold corpses.
When one fell down a snowy slope, his head seemed to have accidentally hit a rock, and his skull was shattered.
The other was attacked by a wolf, and the body was bitten beyond recognition.
Compared with the two people who fell down the snow slope, Matsudaira Sadanobu who survived without any physical injuries was really lucky.
After confirming the casualties of the team, Matsudaira Sadanobu went to rest.
After experiencing so many things, Matsudaira Sadanobu was very tired. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
When I woke up again, it was already light.
Getting up from the bed and stepping out of the tent, wisps of warm sunlight hit Matsudaira Sadanobu's face.
The sun rises slowly from the eastern horizon, and its rays of sunlight reflect the dense white clouds in the sky, lifting the black veil covering the sky, and the sky is gradually dyed with the color of sunrise.
With such good weather, it is hard to imagine that such a terrible snowstorm happened in the same place yesterday.
Matsudaira Sadanobu is not a Buddhist, and has no interest in them at all.
Some people who do not exclude all Taoists, their nicknames are not only responsible for personal service, but also responsible for soothing the loneliness of their masters.
Tachibana is only responsible for personal service and is not responsible for other things.
Therefore, Matsudaira Sadanobu and Tachibana, who had different identities, naturally slept separately.
The camp where Tachibana lives is located next to Matsudaira Sadanobu's camp.
Last night, Tachibana first led people to search for Matsudaira Sadanobu. After bringing Matsudaira Sadanobu back, he was busy sending people to inform the rest of the search team that "the old man is safe and sound and will return quickly", as well as deal with other miscellaneous things.
.I was busy working until very late before going to bed. Going to bed late and being tired made Tachibana still sleep deeply.
After pricking up his ears and listening attentively, Matsudaira Sadanobu could still hear Tachibana's faint snoring that kept coming from the tent next door.
Just when Matsudaira Sadanobu was thinking about whether to go back to the camp to rest for a while and recuperate his energy while it was still a little early, a familiar male voice sounded from his side:
"Lao Zhongsheng."
"It's Kitano-kun, you're back."
The owner of this sudden male voice was none other than Kitano Shuki.
When Ji Tachibana brought Matsudaira Sadanobu back and then sent people to recall the various search teams, each search team returned to the camp one after another.
After receiving the news that Matsudaira Sadanobu was back, Kitano quickly led his people back to the camp. It was only now that it was getting light that he finally returned to the camp.
"Yes." Beiye nodded, "I just came back. Sir, you are safe and sound. It's really great."
After saying that, Kitano walked a few steps quickly, ran up to Matsudaira Sadanobu, knelt down on the ground with very skillful movements, and assumed the standard Dogeza position towards Matsudaira Sadanobu.
"It was our poor protection this time that caused you to suffer such suffering! We..."
"Okay." Matsudaira Sadanobu waved his hand.
Before Kitano finished his apology, Matsudaira Sadanobu waved his hand first and interrupted Kitano's words.
"This accident is not your fault." Matsudaira Sadanobu said softly, "This accident is a pure accident that no one expected. Get up."
After hearing what Matsudaira Sadanobu said, Kitano secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After thanking Matsudaira Sadanobu loudly, Kitano stood up from the ground.
"You worked hard last night. You must have suffered a lot in order to find me." Matsudaira Sadanobu glanced at Kitano's red eyes because he had not slept all night, "You should go down and rest now."
Kitano: "Yes!"
Matsudaira Sadanobu turned around and returned to his tent with his hands behind his back.
Kitano raised his eyes and glanced at Matsudaira Sadanobu's back, a hint of hesitation flashed across his face.
It wasn't until Matsudaira Sadanobu was about to lift the tent curtains and enter his own tent that Kitano finally made up his mind.
"grown ups!"
Kitano stopped Matsudaira Sadanobu.
"What's the matter?" Matsudaira Sadanobu turned around.
"I, I caught a gold digger in the wild yesterday. The gold digger told me... important information that I don't know whether it is true or false. I think it is very necessary to tell you this information."
"Information?" Matsudaira Sadanobu frowned slightly, "Let's talk about it and listen to it."
"Sir, let's talk in another place." Kitano looked around, "I think... this information... it's better not to let too many people know it first."
"……come in."
After Matsudaira Sadanobu took a deep look at Kitano, he turned around and entered his tent, with Kitano quickly following behind.
In the small camp, there were only Matsudaira Sadanobu and Kitano at this time.
"Tell me." Matsudaira Sadanobu stood with his hands behind his hands, "What information?"
Kitano swallowed. Then he lowered his voice and whispered the "important information" he just claimed at a volume that only he and Matsudaira Sadanobu could hear clearly.
Matsudaira Sadanobu's face was expressionless at first.
But while listening to this "important information" from Kitano, Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly widened his eyes, his face full of shock.
Even after Kitano closed his mouth and stopped speaking, the look of shock still accumulated on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face and did not dissipate for a long time.
After a long time, Matsudaira Sadanobu reorganized his expression and look.
He asked Kitano with a serious look:
“Where is that gold digger now?”
"I brought that person back!" Kitano said quickly.
"Bring him to me."
"yes!"
…
…
Grandfather Jiang Zhan was escorted into a simple tent with great fear.
As soon as he was pushed into the camp, Grandpa Jiang saw someone in the camp.
And this person was the middle-aged man he saw yesterday who was rescued by Ogata Ittosai.
The middle-aged man standing in front of his grandfather Jiang was naturally Matsudaira Sadanobu.
At this moment, there were only two people in the camp, Matsudaira Sadanobu and his grandfather Jiang.
After meeting his grandfather Jiang, Matsudaira Sadanobu asked directly without saying any nonsense:
"Are you that Grandfather Jiang?"
"Yes, yes!" Grandfather Jiang quickly replied, "My name is Grandfather Jiang Saburo!"
While Grandfather Jiang was replying, he was thinking to himself: Who is this person?
The knife on his waist is very expensive, and there are so many soldiers in the army who only follow him.
Just when Grandfather Jiang was still guessing about the true identity of the person in front of him, a new question asked by Matsudaira Sadanobu directly interrupted Grandfather Jiang's thoughts.
"I've heard it. Yesterday you witnessed the whole process of me being rescued by a certain samurai, and then you recognized that samurai as the executioner Ittousai. Am I right?"
As soon as Matsudaira Sadanobu finished speaking, his grandfather Jiang nodded sharply.
"That's right! That person must be the executioner Ittousai! You can't be wrong!"
Grandfather Esho quickly told Matsudaira Sadanobu the story of how he had met Ogata Ittousai once, and how he recognized the person as Ogata Ittousai yesterday.
To summarize what my grandfather Jiang said, the samurai who saved Matsudaira Sadanobu yesterday. Except for his appearance, his voice, sword skills, reminders, hairstyle, and style of the sword... in short, everything except his appearance.
They are no different from Ogata Ittosai.
While Matsudaira Sadanobu listened carefully to his grandfather Jiang's narration, various memories of "Mashima Goro" began to emerge in the depths of Matsudaira Sadanobu's mind...
He remembered that when he first met "Mashima Goro", he had an accent from Izumo. When he introduced himself, he also said that he was from Izumo.
He remembered that "Goro Majima" once single-handedly defeated more than 20 robbers in Yoshiwara, showing his extremely superb swordsmanship.
He remembered that "Mashima Goro" suddenly appeared in Edo after the "Nijo Castle Incident" in Kyoto.
The period of time from the end of the "Nijo Castle Incident" to the appearance of "Mashima Goro" in Edo is enough for a person to walk from Kyoto to Edo.
Memories keep emerging from the depths of my mind.
The expression on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face also changed at an increasingly faster speed.
After his grandfather Jiang finished speaking, Songping Dingxin lowered his head slightly and remained silent.
Grandfather Jiang did not dare to disturb Matsudaira Sadanobu, so he also kept his mouth shut and allowed the atmosphere in the camp to fall into silence.
After an unknown amount of time passed, Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly raised his head and looked directly at his grandfather Jiang.
The look in his eyes as he looked at his grandfather Jiang... was difficult to describe in words.
Looking at Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes, Grandfather Jiang felt that for some reason, an unknown premonition kept popping up in his mind...
Matsudaira Sadanobu never said another word to his grandfather Edo.
Instead, he quickly walked out of the tent and shouted to the guards standing not far outside the tent:
"Take this man in my tent under escort! Then call Bei Ye!"
…
…
Suddenly receiving an order from Matsudaira Sadanobu, Kitano hurried to the camp where Matsudaira Sadanobu lived.
As soon as he entered the camp, Matsudaira Sadanobu said angrily without saying any unnecessary nonsense:
"I just personally interrogated the gold digger."
"That guy is a total liar!"
"He just claimed that the samurai who saved me yesterday was Ogata Ittousai just to save his own life and gold dust."
"The samurai who saved me yesterday was just an ordinary samurai! He was not Ittousai at all!"
"Kitano-kun, you should be more careful in the future and don't be deceived so easily again."
Listening to the words in Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes, Kitano turned pale with fright and hurriedly knelt on the ground.
After several years of hard work in the military, Kitano developed a skill. If your superiors hit or scold you, don't talk back, let alone fight back. Even if you don't know whether your superiors are right or wrong, just apologize continuously.
"Yes, I was stupid!" Bei Ye said loudly, "I mistakenly trusted a gold digger!"
"This man had a serious gold-mining crime before, and then he deceived us and cut off his head! His bag of gold sand was returned to the treasury!"
"Yes Yes!"
"Go down." Matsudaira Sadanobu waved his hand.
Seeing that Matsudaira Sadanobu asked him to retreat, Kitano immediately left as if he had been granted amnesty. Matsudaira Sadanobu was once again the only one left in the camp.
After Kitano left, Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly raised his head and glanced at the tent roof above his head.
"well……"
Then he let out a long sigh.
His eyes are full of complex colors and his expression is unpredictable, making it difficult for people to guess what he is thinking right now.