Pushing the time forward a little bit——
Edo, Okemachi, Little Chiba Sword Hall——
"Sanako! Sanako! The bathroom is empty. Do you want to take a shower?"
Just coming out of the bathroom, Chiba Jutaro, who was steaming all over, knocked on Sanako's door.
At this time, Sanako will basically stay in her room, either reading or maintaining kendo armor, bamboo swords, naginata, wakizashi and other weapons.
It stands to reason that when she hears her brother's call... and it involves Sanako's favorite bath, she will definitely respond as soon as possible.
However, at this moment, after Chiba Jutaro knocked on the door, there was silence behind the door, and there was no response.
Chiba Jutaro frowned and knocked on the door several times.
"Sanako? Sanako? Are you there? If you are, please answer me!"
quiet……
"Strange... Isn't she here? It's impossible. It's already been this long, where else can she go?"
Chiba Jutaro, who had many doubts in his heart, decided to enter Sanako's bedroom to check the situation.
Since the age of 13, Sanako's awareness of privacy has increased dramatically.
Unless she gives her permission, no one, including her mother, father Chiba Nobuyoshi, and brother Chiba Jutaro, is allowed to enter her bedroom privately.
Therefore, in order to respect Sanako and to be able to argue with him when he was scolded by Sanako later, Chiba Jutaro specially shouted "Sanako" before pushing open the door of Sanako's bedroom. Then, I want to enter your room!"
Wow...
As the door opened, a pleasant smell immediately penetrated Chiba Jutaro's nostrils - this was Sanako's body fragrance that Chiba Jutaro had long been accustomed to smelling.
Sanako's bedroom seemed to have the word "serious" posted on it.
Furniture, clothes, cushions, books... everything in the room is placed neatly and orderly.
Be it the tatami or the desk, they are all spotless, so clean that one can't help but wonder if anyone is actually staying in this room.
"Sanako? Sanako?"
Chiba Jutaro walked to the center of the bedroom and looked around.
"Hey...she's really not in the room..."
Chiba Jutaro scratched his hair, and the look of doubt on his face became a little more intense.
"That's weird...where did she go?"
Just as Chiba Jutaro was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly found a letter on Sanako's desk.
On the envelope of the letter, there is a series of beautiful small words written - To my father, mother and brother.
The handwriting is delicate and powerful... it is Sanako's handwriting.
"this is……?"
Looking at this inexplicable letter, Chiba Jutaro was instantly confused.
He immediately ran to the table in three steps, picked up the envelope, and spread it out.
There was no long speech written on the letter paper, only a simple sentence——
【
A tribute
Father, mother, brother, for some reasons, I have to go away for a while.
Don't worry, I will be back soon.
Sanako Chiba
】
[Note: Yours sincerely: A common opening line in letters by cultural figures in the Edo period]
When Chiba Jutaro read the letter at a glance, the confusion on his face due to not knowing Sanako's whereabouts was relieved, and was replaced by a complex mood mixed with confusion and fear.
He took another quick look at the letter and his heart beat hard.
The second beat, the third beat, the fourth beat...the heartbeat is getting faster and faster.
At this time, Chiba Jutaro seemed to have thought of something, put away the letter in his hand, and then opened the closet next to him - this is where Sanako stored her weapons.
The closet, which was once full, was now empty.
Sanako's wakizashi, naginata, and her favorite acupuncture tools were all gone!
In addition to being a martial arts family, the Chiba family is also half a medical family.
The grandfather of Sanako and Chiba Jutaro: Chiba Koemon is not only a great swordsman who is proficient in Hokatsu's dream flow, but also a doctor who is proficient in medical skills.
Thinking back to those days, the name of Chiba Yuemon was known far and near, and he was known as the "swordsman and doctor".
71 years ago, in order to save the deteriorating morale of the military and encourage samurai disciples to practice literature and martial arts, Matsudaira Sadanobu, who single-handedly led the "Kenjo Reform", vigorously launched the "Imperial Trials" in Edo, which competed in both literary and martial arts.
Although within a few years, after the failure of the "Kanzhi Reform" and the downfall of Matsudaira Sadanobu, the "Gozen Trial Cooperation" disappeared, it became the prototype of the later "Gakuwen Ginmi".
[Note: The taste of learning: an academic examination held once every three years, targeting the children of Hatamoto and the imperial family. Professors from the Changpingzaka Institute of Studies are used as examiners, and the examination scope includes Confucian classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics or the "Book of Filial Piety". In fact, the people who can take the exam are all those who study Zhu Xi's studies in the country. The biggest difference between the Xuexueyinwei and China's imperial examination system is that the examination results of the former are not directly related to "certification of positions and appointment as officials", but are closer to a way of commending reputation]
Relying on his overwhelming strength, Chiba Koemon won the first "Gozen Trials" in one fell swoop and became a blockbuster.
It can only be said that the genes of the Chiba family are really abnormal. Three generations of the family are all swordsmen.
According to legend, Chiba Koemon, a highly skilled medical practitioner, once healed the injuries of Ogata Ittosai, the "Eternal Sword Master" - of course, this is just a "legend", and its credibility needs to be put into question.
Since Ogata Ittousai became famous all over the world, many folk legends and unofficial myths have emerged to capitalize on its popularity.
Even family members such as Sanako and Chiba Jutaro did not quite believe that Chiba Koemon had ever crossed paths with the unrivaled Ogata Ittosai.
When Chiba Koemon passed away, he did not "come empty-handed and leave empty-handed without taking away any clouds" - he left behind his swordsmanship and medical skills.
His two sons, Chiba Shusaku and Chiba Sadakichi, created the Hokatsu Itto-ryu based on the Hokatsu Meng-ryu.
However, although both brothers inherited their father's swordsmanship, they failed to inherit his medical talent.
Therefore, neither Chiba Shusaku nor Chiba Sadakichi could acquire their father's medical skills.
When it comes to the grandchildren...
Chiba Jutaro was impatient, rude, and sloppy. Such a personality destined him to miss learning.
As for the descendants of Chiba Shusaku's branch, namely Chiba Eijiro, Chiba Dosaburo and Chiba Tamonshiro, they were not able to take advantage of Chiba Koemon's medical skills.
In the end, only Sanako inherited his grandfather's medical legacy.
Sanako is smart and has a calm personality. She is very suitable for learning medical skills, a complex knowledge that requires calmness and careful study.
And Sanako is indeed very talented in medical skills, and she is also very interested in medicine.
One of her daily hobbies is buying and reading medical books.
Although she needed to take into account her martial arts training, Sanako never fell behind in her studies in medical skills.
After more than ten years of diligent study, although Sanako's medical skills cannot be said to have reached the level of being able to open a door for consultation, it can at least be said to be impressive.
In particular, her acupuncture skills were so superb that countless doctors were amazed.
Someone who was close to the Chiba family once commented: Miss Chiba's acupuncture skills are not inferior to those masters who have been practicing medicine for decades!
[Note: Royal Eyes Seeing Dharma Seal: "Royal Eyes Seeing" means the qualification to be able to meet the general. "Hosin", a title given to monks with several professional skills (including medical skills) during the Edo period. Monks who can obtain the title of "Yu Mujian Dharma Seal" are all experts in a certain field. 】
At the same time, it is precisely because Sanako can be both a warrior and a doctor that whenever Chiba Jutaro urges her to get married quickly, she will always refute with confidence: "Even if you can't live with a sword, even if you don't have a husband, With your help, I can make a living by practicing medicine!”
Whenever he hears Sanako say this, Chiba Jutaro will impatiently shout: "Who would seek medical treatment from a woman?!"
Then the two brothers and sisters started to quarrel...
Sanako not only took away the naginata, wakizashi and other weapons, but also took away the acupuncture tools used for healing...
——What are you going to do to bring all the guys who kill and torture people with you?
At this thought, Chiba Jutaro felt an ominous premonition uncontrollably arise in his heart...
He quickly unfolded the letter in his hand again.
"'For some reasons, I want to take a long trip'..."
He chewed this sentence several times.
The amount of information in the letter is too little.
I only know that Sanako will be away from home for a while, but I don't know anything else.
My sister left without saying goodbye... This kind of thing has never happened before!
As if his body was being controlled, Chiba Jutaro rushed out of Sanako's bedroom.
Although he was running very fast and urgently, he had no idea where he should go now.
As the ultimate girl-controller who would rather get stabbed than see his sister lose a hair, Chiba Jutaro really couldn't calm down.
He was eager to take action, eager to do something... Even if it was just spinning around in circles, it was better than standing there motionless.
Instinctively he ran outside.
It wasn't until he was about to arrive at the entrance that Chiba Jutaro finally thought of where to go - the Trial Guard Hall!
In order to retrieve Qingdeng, the two brothers and sisters interacted with the people of the Trial Guard Hall on a daily basis.
——Yong and the others might know where Sanako has gone!
Thinking of this, Chiba Jutaro put on his snow boots without hesitation at the entrance and rushed out.
The originally nearly 20-minute journey from the Little Chiba Kenkan to the Trial Guard Hall was reduced to less than 10 minutes by Chiba Jutaro who was running all the way.
"Whirring whirring……"
Chiba Jutaro didn't wait for his breath to stabilize before he hurriedly knocked on the door of the trial hall.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After a while, steady footsteps came from the door.
"Here he is! Who is he?"
Creak - the door opened, and Kondo Isamu's big face appeared behind the door.
"Brother Chong?"
"Yong!"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Kondo looked at the panting and sweating Chiba Jutaro in astonishment.
"Yong! Have you seen Sanako?"
"Sanako? No, I haven't seen her today."
"Tsk...hasn't she been to the trial gym?"
Kondo shook his head.
"Brother Chong, what happened?"
"actually……"
Chiba Jutaro smiled bitterly, and then took out Sanako's letter from his arms.
"Yong, look at this..."
"This is?"
Kondo took the letter and read it quickly
When he raised his eyes from the letter, he showed a rather charming expression that was mixed with shock and confusion.
"Ha ha……"
This time it was Isamu Kondo who smiled bitterly.
"Your Sanako is also missing..."
"'also'?"
Chiba Jutaro keenly discovered this word in Kondo's sentence that made him very concerned.
Kondo sighed, then took out a letter from his arms.
"Brother Chong, look at this..."
Chiba Jutaro took the letter——
【
A tribute
Shibo, Shen Shen, Brother Jinteng, Mr. Tuwan, Uncle Yuan, for some reason that I cannot explain, I have to leave home temporarily for a while.
Don't worry, I'll be back soon.
Okita Souji
】
Very different from Sanako's letter, Souji's letter shone with a clear sense of stupidity.
The words are filled with the atmosphere of not having studied seriously and having a low level of education.
Not only is the handwriting mediocre, but it's also full of typos.
Chiba Jutaro looked at it for a long time before he recognized that "Shen Shen" meant "aunt".
However, the kana is written just fine, and the font and usage are quite accurate.
It seems that Souji is also the kind of person who is "ok writing kana, but makes me blind when writing Chinese characters".
"This, this...! Even the director-general left without saying goodbye?!"
Chiba Jutaro put down the letter and raised his head. In front of him was Kondo's big face full of sadness.
"In fact, since we found this letter from the General Secretary, we at the Imperial Guard Hall have been looking for the General Secretary everywhere."
As soon as Kondo finished speaking, Chiba Jutaro suddenly heard several familiar male voices coming from the distance:
Harada: "Okita-kun! Okita-kun! Where are you?! Can you hear my voice? If you can hear my voice, answer my call!"
Nagakura: "Harada! Are you an idiot?! Don't scream so loudly at night! It will disturb the people!"
Zaitou: "Nagakura-kun, you also have a loud voice."
Kondo glanced helplessly at the direction where the voices of Saito and others came from, and then continued:
"I was about to go to the Little Chiba Sword Hall to ask if you had seen Souji, but you came here on your own initiative."
"What's going on? Sanako and Souji left home at the same time and disappeared... Isn't this a coincidence? Ah! Could it be?!"
Chiba Jutaro suddenly said "Ah" and widened his eyes.
Seeing this, Kondo thought that Chiba Jutaro must have thought of something, so he asked anxiously:
"Brother Chong, have you thought of anything?"
Chiba Jutaro, whose expression suddenly became extremely strange, slowly raised his gaze, looked straight into Kondo's eyes, and said word by word:
"Yong...Sanako and Souji...could they have eloped, right?"
quiet……
A silence as deep as the deep sea surrounded Kondo and Chiba Jutaro.
"……ha?"
After a while, Kondo let out a "ha" and cast a surprised look at Chiba Jutaro.
Probably because he always urged Sanako to get married quickly, Chiba Jutaro's imagination was quite advanced at this level.
A man and a woman said goodbye without any reason at the same time... Chiba Jutaro immediately thought of elopement.
"Ahahaha... well..."
Kondo twitched the corners of his mouth, not knowing how to answer.
At this time, Zhou Su's voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Yong, who is here?"
"Ah, father."
Kondo turned back and said to Shusuke who was slowly walking towards him:
"It's Shige-nii who's here. Miss Sanako from Chiba Sword Hall, like Souji, left a letter and left without saying goodbye."
"Even Chiba Sanako...?"
Zhousuke's squinted eyes opened slightly.
"It seems that this matter is not a trivial matter...Yong, you might as well ask Suisan for advice. Suisan has always been very smart! He might be able to deduce where Souji and Miss Chiba have gone!"
"Yeah...that's true."
Kondo nodded slightly.
"I don't know if Ah Sui is asleep..."
…
…
Time returns to the present——
Kondo and Hijikata both looked at Chiba Jutaro who threatened to "elope" with helpless eyes that "didn't know what to say."
Both Kondo and Hijikata know Souji's true gender.
They had no way of knowing Sanako's sexual proclivities and sexual orientation, so they made no comment.
But they knew Souji's sexual orientation was absolutely normal.
Therefore, both Kondo and Hijikata know that "Sanako and Souji elope" is pure nonsense.
However, because they could not expose the truth that "Soujino was a woman disguised as a man," they could not explain it clearly to Chiba Jutaro.
Therefore, Kondo and Hijikata could only say angrily:
"Shige-nii! Your imagination is too rich! Souji and Miss Sanako don't look like they could make a couple, do they?"
As soon as Kondo finished speaking, Dou Feng added from the side:
"Besides, Miss Sanako has never shown a strong affection for Souji. No one would think that Souji and Miss Sanako can become a couple, right?"
In fact, Chiba Jutaro only cares about chaos.
After listening to Kondo and Hijikata's complaints, he calmed down a little.
"Well... you are right..."
"Okay, it's almost time for you two to explain to me, right?"
Hijikata asked seriously with his hands on his hips.
"What happened to Souji and Miss Sanako?"
Seeing Hijikata taking the initiative to ask about business, Kondo was unambiguous:
"Ah Sui, it's like this..."
Kondo and Chiba Jutaro briefly and concisely explained their reasons for coming and the ins and outs of tonight's incident.
After hearing this, Hijikata pondered for a moment and said:
"Can you show me the letters left by the Director-General and the others?"
Upon hearing this, Kondo and Chiba Jutaro immediately took out the letter and handed it to Hijikata.
Hijikata stretched out his arms, took a letter in one hand, and read it hastily.
After a moment, he put down the letter in his hand and pursed his lips thoughtfully.
After about a minute passed like this, a faint smile appeared on Hijikata's lips.
"Huh, that's it..."
Hearing Hijikata's muttering, Kondo immediately asked impatiently:
"Asui, do you know where Souji and Miss Sanako have gone?"
"How is that possible? What stupid things did you say?"
Hijikata shrugged.
"I'm not a god, how could I possibly know where they are now."
At this point, Hijikata changed the topic.
"It's just... I probably know why they left without saying goodbye."
Kondo/Chiba Jutaro: "?!"
The two elder brothers both showed expressions of surprise and cast eager glances at Hijikata. (Although they are not related by blood, Kondo and Hijikata have always looked after Souji as their own sister)
Tell us quickly! Why did Souji and Sanako leave without saying goodbye? This meaning flashed in the eyes of Kondo and Chiba Jutaro.
However, Hijikata shook his head and smiled mysteriously.
"About this... please forgive me for having no comment."
"Souji and Miss Sanako just don't want you to know what they are going to do, so they are vague in the letter."
"So, I decided to respect their wishes."
Hijikata's answer naturally aroused great dissatisfaction from Kondo and Chiba Jutaro.
"Hey! Ah Sui, isn't it too rude of you to do this?"
Kondo looked worried.
"That's right!"
Chiba Jutaro echoed.
However, no matter how much Kondo and the others said, persuaded, and begged, Hijikata never wavered and remained determined to remain silent.
Although they were unwilling to do so, there was nothing they could do about Hijikata's secretive words...
…
…
This tug-of-war lasted for nearly 10 minutes.
In the end - after some persuasion by Hijikata, Kondo and Chiba Jutaro, who had found nothing, sighed with regret and went home.
The footsteps of the two brothers gradually faded away.
However, Hijikata did not return to the house immediately.
He stood there, staring into the distance uneasily.
Suddenly, he looked up at the sky and murmured:
"Soji, Miss Sanako... have you found him..."
After saying this, Hijikata let out a sigh of relief.
**********
**********
Today is a chapter of nearly 6,000 words! And it is updated on time for the first time in a long time! Please vote for me! (Crying leopard head.jpg)
Sanako is proficient in medical skills - Leopard is not making this up. According to historical facts, Sanako was indeed proficient in swordsmanship, naginata skills, and medical skills, especially acupuncture.
Jutaro and Sanako's grandfather, Chiba Koemon, is indeed a "sword doctor" who can kill and heal people. Sanako's medical skills are inherited from her grandfather.
Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Sanako made a living by taking up acupuncture, a family tradition.
(End of chapter)
