Yashiro the Blind

Ashikaga Yoshiteru's intuition told him that Yashiro's visit was most likely related to this burden.

However, he did not directly ask about the object, but first pointed to the boy: "Miss Yashiro, who is this?"

"This man is named Ishikawa Goemon, the prized student of Momochi Tanba-no-kami. Don't let his young age fool you; his ninjutsu skills are already outstanding, especially his ability to climb high places and stealthily move around," the blind woman explained simply.

Climbing high and scaling steeply, stealthily following... doesn't that sound a bit like a thief?

Ashikaga Yoshiteru raised his eyebrows slightly but remained silent, waiting for Yashiro to continue. The blind woman stopped speaking and beckoned to Goemon, who quickly knelt down and carefully put down the bundle he was carrying.

"Actually, I have a plan that I would like to offer to Your Highness today."

"What method?"

"A way to take over Xingu Mountain City."

A single, gentle sentence struck Ashikaga Yoshiteru like a thunderclap.

His expression changed, his gaze sharp as he stared at the bundle: "The method you mentioned, could it be this bundle?"

"It was this bundle that I asked Goemon to retrieve..."

Yashiro smiled slightly, casually pulled the bundle in front of her, and slowly opened it. Inside were two more layers of fine cotton cloth. Only after untying the inner two layers did the true contents of the bundle become apparent:

A small, square wooden box.

"Your Highness, please."

She pushed the wooden box forward and gestured for it to be placed in front of her.

Without hesitation, Ashikaga Yoshiteru reached out and opened the box—in the next instant, the well-traveled general seemed to see something unbelievable, and he froze, his face filled with astonishment:

"This, Miss Yashiro, could this be..."

"It is the world-renowned instrument that Matsunaga Dansei cherishes as his life, Hiragumo."

The blind woman answered with a smile.

……

Chapter 418 Straight to the Point

Several years have passed, and I wonder how many people in Iga still remember the name Ishikawa Goemon.

If history had followed its original course, he would have been executed many years later for stealing Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Chidori Incense Burner, and would have been remembered as a righteous thief, appearing in various related or unrelated stories as either a man or a beautiful girl.

At this moment, Goemon was just an unknown teenager. If there was anything special about him, it was that he had a rather powerful master.

And this master is dead.

Logically speaking, Goemon should feel grief and therefore hate Yashiro and the others who forced his master to commit seppuku. However, the problem is that his master is not a good person either. He even tried to silence him because Goemon accidentally stumbled upon the inside story. Goemon was just lucky to escape.

Thinking about it this way, my respect for my teacher faded considerably. Even though I still cherished some old feelings, I felt more confused about my future.

If everything had gone according to plan, Goemon would have been a respectable figure in Iga, living a life of luxury and comfort, much better than ordinary people, thanks to his status as a disciple of Momochi Tanba. However, now that Momochi is dead, this status no longer provides any benefits; instead, it has become a shackle that binds his future.

Although Yashiro seemed indifferent to this, Goemon, judging others by his own standards, felt that the other party would never give important positions to someone like himself who was so closely connected with his former enemy—it was good enough that they hadn't completely eliminated him—but he had spent so many years in Iga, and suddenly he wanted to change his path, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

Just as he was deeply troubled, he happened to meet his benefactor, Yoshioka Naoka, who noticed his confusion and took the initiative to have a long talk with Goemon. It must be said that this swordsman from Kyoto had a remarkable talent for psychological counseling; after their conversation, he not only helped the young man clarify his thoughts but also helped him plan several directions for his future.

"...If you want to stay in Iga and work hard, I can put in a good word for you with Miss Yashiro. From what I know of her, Miss Yashiro values ​​talent and doesn't hold grudges. She wouldn't care that you were once Tanba Momochi's apprentice. If you don't want to stay here, you can stay by my side and help out with odd jobs. It's just a matter of having an extra set of chopsticks... I may be poor, but feeding a half-grown boy like you shouldn't be a problem."

"I……"

Goemon hesitated for a long time before finally making up his mind. However, he bypassed Yoshioka Naoki and mustered up the courage to go directly to Yashiro, hoping that the other party could give him a chance to prove himself.

At the time, Yashiro was busy preparing for his trip to Kyoto. Seeing and hearing Goemon's firm tone, he pondered for a moment and suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "It's quite a coincidence that I happen to have a tricky task here, and I'm just wondering who to send—but let me be frank, this task is extremely difficult and could cost you your life at any moment. Even so, are you willing to take this trip?"

"I would go through fire and water without a single complaint!" the boy replied resolutely.

Yashiro nodded: "Then I'll get straight to the point. Have you ever heard of a tea utensil called Hiragumo?"

"Flat... Spider?"

The blind girl's thoughts were actually very simple.

If Ashikaga Yoshiteru survives, and Ii Naotora cooperates with the Yagyu clan to capture Tsutsui Castle, the situation in Yamato will change drastically. Given Matsunaga Hisahide's cautious nature, he will most likely not dare to stay in Tamonyama Castle in Yamato Province, lest he be isolated and trapped. Instead, he will rush back to Izumi to consolidate his own base first.

As the Hiragumo is an extremely fragile tea utensil, unless Matsunaga Hisahide went mad, he would never carry it with him when he needed to travel quickly. Otherwise, if it were accidentally bumped or damaged along the way, he would be heartbroken.

Logically speaking, he should have hidden the treasure in a secret compartment somewhere in the castle, as well as in a hidden place as possible to prevent it from being lost. However, snakes have their paths and rats have their ways. Isn't that what the Iga ninjas are good at?

Of course, most of the time, what people "take without asking" are classified information or heads, etc. After all, the commissions in Iga are quite expensive. Unless it's a priceless treasure, the employer might not be willing to pay that price...

But Goemon would never ask her for money.

Anyway, Hiragumo was just a random idea that Yashiro came up with on a whim. Whether it succeeds or not, it won't have much of an impact. Since Goemon is willing to give it a try, she might as well give him a chance. Maybe a hero will emerge from among the young.

It was just a casual move, but who knew that Goemon would actually "borrow" Hiragumo back after going and coming back.

Even though the defenses inside Tamonyama Castle were relatively weak at the time, it was still not an easy task to sneak into Matsunaga Hisahide's private room and steal something. The boy proved his ability with this, which made Yashiro look at him with new eyes and start to seriously consider which position to assign him.

After all, in Yashiro's mind, Goemon's actions this time were a case of wanting to serve under her without wanting people to think that he got the position through Yoshioka Naoka's recommendation. This was a common youthful ambition and not surprising.

Unexpectedly, when Yashiro brought up the topic and asked Goemon about his wishes, he received an unexpected answer: "Lord Tenfu, you may have misunderstood something. I have no intention of serving in the government, nor do I intend to receive any reward from you for this matter."

It was immediately clear that this was not a polite excuse, but Goemon's true thought.

"...If that's the case, why are you willing to take this risk?" Yashiro paused slightly, then asked.

Goemon seemed to have already prepared his answer. He sat up straight, his gaze fixed on the blind girl before him, a hint of trepidation in his eyes, yet also a touch of youthful stubbornness and confidence: "Because I want to prove to you one thing, Ishikawa Goemon... the disciple of Momochi Tanba-no-kami, is not some cowardly coward who fears death!"

Whether his reason for doing this was to save face for his master, or simply to cover up his previous image as a coward who cried and begged for mercy, even Goemon himself could not give a definite answer.

He just felt that he couldn't go on like this forever...

You have to try to do something.

……

“Hiragumo, Hiragumo… It sounds like your suggestion, Yashiro-san, is indeed feasible.”

A temple that was temporarily requisitioned, a bright and quiet meditation room.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru stared at the teacup in the box, his brow furrowing and relaxing intermittently, his fingers tapping repeatedly on his knee, as if deep in thought. After a long while, he finally looked up at Yashiro again, "However, this journey is dangerous. Do you really want to personally enter the castle to negotiate with Yuuki Tadamasa?"

"Besides me, who else could shoulder this important responsibility?" Yashiro replied with a smile.

"Sigh, I can't refute that." Ashikaga Yoshiteru gave a wry smile. "If this succeeds, it will be another great achievement. However, I currently have very little left to reward, whether it's treasures, money, or land. Miss Yashiro, if there's anything you want, feel free to ask, and we can discuss it."

“So generous?”

"Hahaha, what other skills does a fallen general have besides 'drawing a picture of a cake to satisfy hunger'? Come, my dear minister, don't worry, just say what you want."

Hearing the self-deprecating laughter, Yashiro shook her head: "In that case, this humble woman will not stand on ceremony."

"You...really want to?" Ashikaga Yoshiteru was taken aback.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have accepted it?" Yashiro seemed to be stunned as well.

"That's not true... What do you want? Just say it."

As he said this, the general's lips twitched a few times. He had originally intended to put on a show of harmonious relations between ruler and subject, with each yielding to the other, but who knew that this girl from the Tianfeng family was so honest that she wouldn't even offer a little deference.

Hasn't she heard the story of Kong Rong sharing pears?

But as the saying goes, what's said is said, and since things have come to this point, he could only bite the bullet and agree, while praying that the blind girl wouldn't ask for too much, otherwise he, the "pie-in-the-sky general," would be in an awkward position.

But Yashiro pursed his lips and smiled slightly: "Actually, it's nothing else. It's just that this Goemon wants to say a few words to Your Highness. Just in case, I'll use this favor to ask for a 'get-out-of-jail-free card' for him, how about that?"

"A get-out-of-jail-free card?"

This time, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was genuinely stunned for a moment before realizing that he had been tricked by the blind girl again. He was both annoyed and amused, and at the same time, he became somewhat interested in the boy next to him.

After all, jokes aside, if Yashiro could really make the Hiragumo tea set work as she said, it would be an immense achievement, deserving of no reward. But all she wanted was for the boy to "say a few words" to her.

Something doesn't sound right. Unless... the next few words I'm about to say are very special and very important... wait, could this kid be some illegitimate child that his father had an affair with?

This absurd guess suddenly popped into his mind, and even Ashikaga Yoshiteru's eyes turned strange. However, he still nodded: "Okay, I promise, I won't pursue anything I hear later—your name is Ishikawa Goemon, right? What do you want to say?"

"I……"

Goemon knelt outside the door, head bowed, not daring to look directly into the room. His fists were clenched tightly on his knees, sweaty and extremely uncomfortable. His heart was pounding wildly, as if it might jump out of his chest at any moment. As soon as he uttered a sound, he was startled by his own high-pitched voice.

This scene amused Ashikaga Yoshiteru: "No need to be nervous. As I said, whatever you say next, I will not pursue it for the sake of Yashiro."

"Then... I, a humble commoner, will speak."

“Speak,” the general waved his hand. “Also, you can use the same person as me and the commoner… and you can continue to refer to yourself as ‘I,’ it sounds better.”

"Yes Yes!"

The boy outside the door took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them, and said loudly in his tense voice, "I am Ishikawa Goemon, a disciple of Iga Momochi Tanba-no-kami!"

"I already heard about this from Yashiro-san..." Ashikaga Yoshiteru thought to himself, but seeing Goemon almost turning his back in nervousness, he didn't interrupt him.

The boy paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "And, moreover, he is Ishikawa Goemon... the son of the great thief 'Fire Fox'!"

"Oh?"

Ashikaga Yoshiteru raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

The boy seemed to have flipped a switch within him, and without the slightest hesitation, his voice grew louder and louder: "From now on, I will become like my father... no, I will surpass my father and become a world-renowned thief! Ishikawa Goemon will become a righteous thief who robs the rich to help the poor and punishes the wicked!"

After saying these words, it seemed as if he had exhausted all his strength, and he suddenly slumped down, returning to his previous trembling state.

Even though he put on a timid and cowardly act, the words he had spoken could not be taken back. Ashikaga Yoshiteru tapped his thigh with his folding fan, blinked, and stared blankly for a moment before turning to look at Yashiro: "Did I hear that right, Yashiro-san... He just said that he wanted to be a world-renowned thief?"

"That's exactly what they say."

"And a righteous thief who robs the rich to help the poor and punishes the strong to uphold justice?"

"It seems like that was said before."

As they exchanged questions and answers, Ashikaga Yoshiteru's expression grew increasingly strange. He turned his gaze back to the boy, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back: "You know... who I am, right?"

"Yes! You are the head of all the samurai families in the land, the Shogun of the Tokugawa!" Goemon hurriedly replied.

"That's right, so you're telling me right in front of me that you want to... break the law?"

"Yes!"

A crisp and efficient response.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru was at a loss for words, and could only continue slapping his thigh with his fan, faster and faster, his facial expression changing constantly: "Yashiro-san...where did you find such a wonderful person?"

"Yes, where exactly did you find it?" The blind woman tilted her head, her face full of doubt.

This deliberately feigned questioning expression finally broke through the general's last line of defense, and he suddenly stood up—Goemon was so startled that he leaned back and almost turned to run away, but the next moment, the boy heard a hearty laugh: "Hahahaha!"

The laughter was as loud as a bell, so loud that it even shook a swaying spider in the corner, causing it to fall off.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru laughed loudly for a long while before raising his hand to wipe away the tears of laughter: "Excellent, excellent! As expected, Yashiro-san is surrounded by interesting people, hahaha, it's truly never boring!"

"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness."

"I'm not just saying this to flatter you... well, actually I am!"

Ashikaga Yoshiteru glared at the blind girl beside him, then strode up to Goemon and looked down at him: "Hey, you say you want to be a righteous thief who robs the rich to help the poor, so in your opinion, am I on the rich side or the poor side?"

“The rich, the rich side.” Despite being extremely nervous, Goemon still stammered in response.

"Even if I've been driven out of Kyoto and can't go home, am I still considered a rich person?"

"Of course it counts... because there are still a lot of poor people in this world who can't even afford to eat!"

"So, you're going to steal my things?"

"No... I, Goemon, only steal from those rich and heartless people. As long as you, Shogun, are a good person, I will not steal from you!"

"What if one day I become the kind of heartless rich guy you're talking about? Would you steal from me then?"

"meeting……"

At the same time as those words rang out, a sharp, clear sound followed. Ashikaga Yoshiteru suddenly drew his sword, placed the blade against the boy's neck, his eyes wide with anger, and shouted sternly, "I'll ask you one more time, will you come to steal it!"

"--meeting!"

However, when faced with Goemon's sharp blade, he was a completely different person.

Whether it was the coldness on his neck that ignited his fighting spirit, he suddenly tilted his head back and retorted, "No matter how many times you ask, I will still give the same answer. If Your Highness the General really... and Lord Tianfeng as well, if one day you become those heartless villains, I, Ishikawa Goemon, will steal all your wealth and use it to help those poor people!"

"Oh dear, how scary!"

The blind girl, still sitting indoors, trembled. "Your Highness, as the saying goes, letting a tiger return to the mountain will bring endless trouble. Why don't we kill him now?"

"Didn't you say yourself that you would get him a 'get-out-of-jail-free card'?"

"I've changed my mind."