At the end of every year, a review meeting is held at Imagawa's home, and all samurai at the rank of general and above must be present, and this year will naturally be the same. Last year at this time, Imagawa Ujiteru was still sitting in the main seat, and Imagawa Yoshimoto was still playing in the snow at Zentokuji Temple. The seat is still the same, but things have changed, and Ryumaru is now pinned to Imagawa Yoshimoto's waist.
Also changed were Sekiguchi's seats.
The Sekiguchi clan is a member of the Imagawa clan, and has been following the Imagawa clan since the founding of the Shodaime clan. The previous leader, Sekiguchi Shiroku, was also a veteran who had served the Imagawa family for three generations, but he died fighting in the Yuigai Battle. Sekiguchi Ujiroku did not leave any biological heirs, but adopted Sena Ujihiro, Sena Ujisada's second son, and renamed him Sekiguchi Ujihiro (historically the biological father of Tokugawa Ieyasu's wife, Tsukuyamaden) to inherit the Sekiguchi family.
Sena Ujisada worked diligently as always. Even at the banquet after the year-end evaluation meeting, she arrived early, took unfinished official documents, and read at her desk. The banquet was originally at night, the lights were dim, and Sena Shizada's presbyopia made it even harder to see clearly, and she almost pressed her face against the table.
An oil lamp was placed next to the table, and the words on the official document suddenly became brighter. Sena Ujisada raised his head and found that Imagawa Yoshimoto had arrived in the hall at some time, and behind him was the newly appointed family governor Ujihiro Sekiguchi.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness." Sena Shizada still thanked him politely.
"Father, your eyes are already like this, so don't look at things when it's dark." Hiroshi Sekiguchi couldn't bear Sena Shisada's hard work, so he advised him in a low voice.
"I am no longer your father. You are now the son of the Sekiguchi family. The governor of the Sekiguchi family must be equal to me. How can I disgrace the family name of the Sekiguchi family?" After hearing his son's concern, Sena Shisada said But he was furious, slammed the pen on the desk, and scolded Sekiguchi Hiroshi, "How many times have I told you and you still can't remember? Do you have to make a fool of yourself in front of the house governor?"
"Yes! Your Highness Sena Mutsu!" Shihiro Sekiguchi's face turned pale and he immediately changed his title.
Imagawa Yoshimoto looked at Sena Ujisada who was as stern as usual, smiled helplessly, and then asked: "Mutsu Mamoru, how is your son doing recently?"
"I have severed contact with Nizi, and the Sena family has also drawn a clear line with him. How can I communicate privately with a sinner who was exiled by the master's family for his mistakes?" Sena Shisada heard that Imagawa Yoshimoto mentioned Sena Ujitoshi, and immediately said sternly.
"No, no, Mutsu Mamoru, that's not what I meant." Imagawa Yoshimoto waved his hands repeatedly, and then whispered very sincerely, "I just wanted to ask Sena how he is doing recently. You also know that he is taking the blame for me. He was just exiled."
"I'd rather bother Your Highness to worry about Inuko..." Sena Shisada sighed after hearing this, "But in order to avoid suspicion, the Sena family has indeed stopped contacting him. I only know that he seems to have opened a house in the castle town of Imagawakan. Let’s make a living by settling accounts.”
"Settling accounts?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was stunned, "Sena?"
"Inuko has been good at arithmetic since he was a child, so he has some experience. It shouldn't be difficult to rely on crafts to make a living." Sena Shizada recalled what Sena Shitoshi looked like when he was a child, and his face became slightly warmer.
·
Imagawa Yoshimoto was not interested in the cocktail party in the evening. He obviously prefers elegant tea parties to cocktail parties. The Imagawa family has had the custom of exchanging tea ceremonies and Japanese songs with tea masters and ministers throughout the ages, and would often hold tea parties, but they usually ended with a cocktail party at the end of the year to keep these samurai happy.
Unlike Imagawa Yoshimoto, Taiyuan Xuezhai ate and drank to his heart's content. He ate big mouthfuls of meat and drank from big bowls, looking like a mountain bandit. When his hands were dirty, he casually wiped them on his cassock, leaving oil stains all over his snow-white cassock - just looking at it already caused discomfort to Imagawa Yoshimoto.
Asahina Taino was even more happy, and this opportunity to drink unbridled was perfect for an alcoholic. He held the wine glass, and behind him were Asahina Yasunaga, Asahina Yasutoshi, and Asahina Chantoku who helped him hold the wine flask, as if they wanted to have the whole audience respect him in turn. However, while he was paying homage, an accident suddenly occurred.
"Bizhongshou, what do you mean?"
Okabe Chizuna's dull voice sounded loudly, which shocked everyone at the banquet and turned their attention to where Okabe Chizuna and Asahina Taino, the two important ministers of the Imagawa family, were. As early as many generations ago, the Asahina family and the Okabe family had always been at odds with each other, competing for the position of the most important minister in the Imagawa family. The bridges formed in the past will naturally affect each generation of family heads. Although they still cooperate sincerely on the battlefield, they have constant conflicts in daily life.
"Hey, Sakyou Susumu, this is because you're not interested enough, right?" Asahina Tai was so drunk that he wanted to toast Okabe Okazuna with his face flushed, "I'm toasting you because I think highly of you, but you're just drinking so little What does one mouthful mean? Are you looking down on me?"
"So that His Highness Bichu knows that my brother has never liked drinking, so please bear with me." Okabe Sadatsuna saw that the two of them seemed to be having a conflict. Why did Okabe get up and try to put in good words to break up the fight, but Okabe kissed him Tsuna pushed him back into his seat.
"Why are you talking about such friendly nonsense? You don't have to explain to me, I just hate drinking! Drinking will ruin things! How can a samurai indulge in drunkenness? Others don't have this bad habit of Beizhongshu, but you still force others to imitate it?"
Okabe Oyatsuna has always been straightforward when speaking, but this time he was a little too straightforward. In front of the public, Asahina Taino, who couldn't get off the stage, instantly stretched his veins and slammed the wine glass in his hand to the ground. Not to be outdone, Okabe Oyatsuna threw his own wine glass on the ground with his backhand.
Seeing that the situation was in danger of intensifying, everyone in the Asahina family and the Okabe family helped the two heads of family away. The drunk Asahina Tenno cursed a few times, and with Okabe's temper, he naturally retorted unceremoniously. Taiyuan Xuezhai hurriedly came out to smooth things over and toasted with another round of wine before the atmosphere was restored.
·
However, after the banquet, Imagawa Yoshimoto and Taiyuan Xuezhai talked about the matter, and the latter laughed instead.
"After Bichu Mamoru and Sakyo Susumu quarreled like that, old man, why are you still gloating about others' misfortune?" Imagawa Yoshimoto took out his folding fan and tapped his head gently.
"Isn't it bad that the two most important ministers in the family are the same?" Taiyuan Xuezhai replied matter-of-factly, and then patted Imagawa Yoshimoto on the shoulder, "Go and say hello to your father-in-law. It can be considered a New Year's greeting."
"Why do you want to say hello to her?" Imagawa Yoshimoto replied angrily.
"You just secretly brought a few delicious snacks to your parents, right? Do you think my master didn't see it?" Taiyuan Xue Zhai bluntly exposed Imagawa Yoshimoto's little thoughts and looked at his apprentice's annoyance with satisfaction. He turned his head and said, "Go and make peace with your father-in-law as soon as possible. After all, she is also your mother, and..."
"And what?" Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't know why Taiyuan Xuezhai had something to say.
"It's okay, go quickly. If you are embarrassed, I will go with you as a master." Taiyuan Xuezai pushed Imagawa Yoshimoto's back, and went with him to the house where Shouguini lived, and informed the maid A Chang that he wanted to see him. ask. Soon the door opened. Shouguini, still wearing the same purple cassock, was sitting behind the desk. There was an oil lamp on the desk and several volumes of territorial tax documents were placed on the desk.
Imagawa Yoshimoto felt slightly distressed when he saw his mother still staying up late at work at such an old age. But for some reason, I couldn't get out the snacks I wanted to bring to Shouguini. The mother and son are still in a cold war, and neither one is willing to speak first to give the other a step forward.
"If you have nothing to do, go back." Shou Guini saw that Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't speak for a long time, lowered his eyes, and waved to see off the guest.
"Yutai Hall, Chengfang came with the poor monk to wish you a new year. It's just that Chengfang drank a little too much just now and couldn't speak. I'm rude..." Taiyuan Xuezhai smiled and smoothed things over, and at the same time, he pinched you from behind. He gave Imagawa Yoshimoto a hand and motioned for him to bend down and salute. Imagawa Yoshimoto struggled with some resistance, but still obeyed.
"Thank you. In the new year, you must continue to put your family first and work hard." Shou Guini replied calmly and continued to look down at the official document. When Imagawa Yoshimoto saw this, he had nothing to say. He quietly put the snacks he brought in a cabinet nearby, turned around and walked out the door. As the footsteps gradually disappeared at the end of the corridor, Shouguini sighed slightly.
"Yutai Palace..." Taiyuan Xuezhai hesitated.
"I know what Master Xuezhai wants to say, but it's not necessary. This is fine. Chengfang doesn't want me as a mother." Shou Guini took a sip of the tea on the table and said calmly.
·
When Imagawa Yoshimoto returned to the house and closed the door, Miao Miao rushed up and rubbed against his feet. Imagawa Yoshimoto sat down with a smile, carried Miaomiao to the table, helped him comb the hair on his back, and listened to its comfortable "purring" sound.
"Miaomiao, how old were you when you lost your parents? Or did your parents disappear as soon as you were born?"
Imagawa Yoshimoto spoke to Miao Miao in a very gentle tone, as if he was coaxing a child. Miaomiao raised her head, blinked, and shook her little tail.
"You don't know either?" Imagawa Yoshimoto interpreted the signal of Miao Miao's tail without authorization, but the tail swayed again and again, as if it was not controlled by the same consciousness as the cat's body.
"I was kicked out of my home when I was four years old. I can't remember what happened when I was a child. I don't know if my parents were good to me at that time. The only memory I have is of playing Cuju with a few brothers. And my dad’s old guards.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto was talking nonchalantly, and Miaomiao in his arms seemed to understand half of it, rolling his eyes in confusion.
"But after I was kicked out, I had no contact with my family. Later, my father died, and my mother never looked for me. Even now that she is back, she still wants to kill me, and she has a frosty attitude after that. It’s as if I’m not his son at all. I’m just like you, Miaomiao, we are both wandering orphans.”
As Imagawa Yoshimoto spoke, the movements of his hands also slowed down. Miaomiao seemed to be protesting when her masseur stopped her movements, and nibbled Imagawa Yoshimoto with some dissatisfaction, and Imagawa Yoshimoto then smiled and stroked his fur again.
"Father's love...mother's love...and family happiness...what do these words mean? I really want to know. Everything written in the book is too subtle and I can't understand it. Being loved by my father and being cared for by my mother , what should it feel like?”
Miaomiao made a low sound and twisted her body sadly.
"When I have a child in the future, I will be twice as kind to him and give him all the money my parents owe me." Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled and patted Miaomiao's head, then picked up the yellow paper on the desk. , folded paper ginkgo under the light.
How I wish that the mother of my future child could be you, how I wish that I could take care of the child, love the child, and enjoy family happiness with you... Miss Ginkgo.
