The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

The Ashina-ryu dojo has become the place where Mori Nagayoshi now lives.

Nobunaga took back the territory and houses.

However, he was not worried. Nobunaga neither killed him nor exiled him because he believed that Nobunaga still had a use for him.

In his spare time each day, he would teach his students with Marume Nagae and Hattori Haruyasu.

In the temple.

Changqing sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, gazing out the window. It was early summer, and the hydrangeas in the courtyard were in full bloom, their blue-purple flower heads swaying in the gentle breeze.

"I'm so sorry to have dragged you all into this..." This was the umpteenth time he had said this.

Nagae said calmly, "Lord Kinoshita Hideyoshi received me and Haruyasu yesterday. Although the salary is lower than before, it's alright."

Nagayoshi laughed and said, "That's good. Hideyoshi is a kind man!"

Chun'an continued, "Lord Hideyoshi said he understands your good intentions in letting Lord Hideyoshi transfer to a lower-ranking position. He said... you didn't want to implicate his younger brother, so you wanted to repay him."

Changqing nodded; he had indeed considered this at the time.

"What else did Lord Hideyoshi say?"

"He said, 'Please rest assured, my lord, things will soon change in West Mino, and at that time, you will need to contact Asai!'"

"I'm already a ronin, why should I still call myself lord..."

Chun'an smiled and immediately changed his words, "Master, I heard that Lord Sassa Narimasa advised Lord Nobunaga that although your actions were excessive, your original intention was to maintain the military discipline of the Oda clan."

Sassa Narimasa... this military commander is different from the one he knew in his previous life. He's actually a good person. And not as annoying as he was in Taiko's Rise to Power.

Half a month later, perhaps after Nobunaga's anger had subsided, Kinoshita Hideyoshi finally dared to visit.

He carried a food box in his hand, a fawning smile on his face, as if Nagayoshi were still Nobunaga's favorite retainer.

"Lord Mori, are you feeling any better?" Hideyoshi sat down cross-legged, his movements as natural as if he were in his own home.

"Thanks to you."

Hideyoshi opened the food box, which contained exquisite sashimi and warmed sake.

"It's just a small token of my appreciation. The fish from the fish market in Kiyosu Castle just arrived this morning; I was thinking that your meals here are rather simple..."

"Thank you. What brings you here at this hour?"

Hideyoshi's smile immediately became even brighter.

"One-third of the Takagi family's territory was confiscated, and the remainder was inherited by Sadahisa's son, but he could not officially take over until after his coming-of-age ceremony. Most of the retainers were retained, and the older retainers served as assistant retainers. The territories of the Marumo and Ichihashi families were directly incorporated into Lord Nobunaga's direct control, and the retainers were dispersed and resettled in various families."

"What's there to be particularly happy about?"

"Don't be in such a hurry. The lord is very satisfied with the performance of the Ashina School on the battlefield and has appointed you as the swordsmanship instructor for one of the schools."

"Next time, remember to get to the point first. I'm the kind of person who doesn't repay kindness or seek revenge twice. I don't care about those three families' affairs."

"Then tomorrow, I will take you to the lord's residence. Please prepare accordingly!"

……

Although he was said to be teaching a whole class, he actually only taught two people: Nobunaga's half-brother Oda Nobukatsu and the eight-year-old young lord Oda Nobutada.

With more opportunities to enter and leave the lord's residence, the chances of encountering Oda City naturally increase as well.

Since I'm just killing time anyway, what's wrong with flirting with girls legitimately?

Just like a man on a sports field who can't help but show off his skills when he sees a beautiful woman walking by.

The same goes for Nagayoshi; whenever Oda City passed by, he would use a wooden sword to chop up the mannequins as firewood.

If Oda Ichi hid in the yard, he would make Nobutada scream and yell.

Since it's not their own child, they don't feel any remorse when they hurt them.

Nobunaga was very strict with Nobutada's education, mostly because he had experienced betrayal by his own followers several times, so he would turn a blind eye when he did see it.

Nobunaga could be ruthless, but his aunt, Oda Ichi, could not.

It's better to let Changqing chop down the dummy than to let him chop down Xinzhong.

Thinking this way, she found herself spending more and more time watching from the corridor.

A noisy afternoon filled with the chirping of cicadas.

Xinzhong's swordsmanship class had just ended when the little guy ran off as if he had been granted a pardon, leaving Changqing alone in the dojo to pack up the wooden swords.

He lingered deliberately, his eyes catching a glimpse of that pale green sleeve lingering under the eaves for a moment.

"Does Princess Ichi have the leisure to watch a swordsmanship practice today?" He turned around, rested his wooden sword on his shoulder, and laughed without any semblance of propriety.

Oda Ichi, like a startled deer, instinctively took a half-step back and mumbled, "Master Mori's swordsmanship... is quite unique."

"What's so special about her?" Changqing took a few steps closer and spoke to her across the eaves. She had a faint fragrance of incense mixed with the scent of early summer plants.

"Especially...rough," she looked at him with her clear eyes, "aren't you being too harsh on Qimiaowan (Nobutada's childhood name)?"

"severe?"

Changqing simply sat down on the veranda, his legs dangling in the air. "Does Princess Shi know what a battlefield is like? The enemy won't show mercy just because the young master is young. If you take a few more blows with wooden swords now, you might be able to take one less real sword blow in the future."

That makes sense, but the way he said it so casually makes it seem like he has ulterior motives.

Oda Ichi pursed his lips: "My brother also said that being strict is for his own good."

"Lord Nobunaga is wise." Nagayoshi took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, and unfolded it to reveal several light green cypress cakes. "Would you like some? I bought them this morning at a teahouse, and I bought a lot."

This action was far too abrupt. Oda City's eyes widened, unsure how to react for a moment.

A maid coughed softly behind him to remind him of his rudeness, but Changqing didn't care at all. He picked up a piece and took a bite himself: "It's not poisonous, what's there to be afraid of?"

He ate with ease, a little bean powder still stuck to the corner of his mouth.

She hesitated for a moment, then, as if possessed, reached out and picked up the smallest piece.

"Princess Ichi!" the maid exclaimed in a low voice.

"It's alright." Oda took a small bite, the sweetness melting on her tongue.

"You're welcome." Changqing finished his piece in a few bites, patted the crumbs off his hands, and said, "I'll bring you something more special next time. I heard there's a kind of pastry in Kyoto wrapped in hydrangea leaves, which is perfect for this time of year."

"Hydrangeas..." Oda Ichi looked at the blue-purple flower balls in the courtyard. "There are many more in the yard."

Changqing jumped down from the eaves, casually picked a small sprig of hydrangea, and handed it to her through the paper door, saying, "Consider this a thank you gift, for being willing to try my cake."

There's no reason to thank someone after giving them a gift; Nagayoshi has already started using various tricks to attract the attention of Oda City.

When the flower branch was offered to him, Odaichi didn't know whether to accept it or not.

Her cheeks felt slightly flushed.

"It's time for the teacher to go back," the maid finally couldn't help but say.

Changqing shrugged, picked up his wooden sword, slung it over his shoulder, and walked away humming a tuneless little tune. After a few steps, he turned back and laughed, "Princess Shi, Young Master Xinzhong's class is at the beginning of Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow. If you get up early, you can come and see how I 'torture' him."

Oda City held the hydrangea in her hand, watching him disappear around the corner.

"This person... is really strange."

The maid frowned: "Too frivolous. Princess Ichi should stay away from her."

"But when he teaches swordsmanship, his eyes are very serious." Odaichi looked down at the flower in his hand. "And... he's not afraid of his older brother."

This is probably the point that Oda City cares about most. In the Oda family, no one is afraid of Nobunaga.

Even Nobunaga's elder brother, Nobukatsu, was cautious in his words and actions in front of Nobunaga, but this ronin who had lost his territory always acted as if he was fearless.