Yashiro the Blind

"Hey."

"Yashiro-neechan, don't sigh all the time, it will cause wrinkles."

Aren't you going to ask me why I sighed?

"Then, Yashiro-neechan, why are you sighing?"

"Because I suddenly miss the obedient and well-behaved Hatsumi from back then... She's completely different from the mischievous Hatsumi sitting in front of me now." After saying that, she sighed again, and the next second, her breath suddenly approached, and she was lightly bumped on the forehead.

"When you're with me, you're not allowed to think about anyone else!"

Chuya said somewhat angrily.

Logically speaking, she was still herself back then, so there was no difference. But even this made her unhappy, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became, so she bumped into him again.

"Ouch." Yashiro leaned back and grimaced exaggeratedly.

"It's good that it hurts, so you'll learn your lesson." Chuya pouted and said, but then leaned closer, looking at the situation with some concern. "Does it really hurt? Let me blow on it for you..." As she said this, she reached out and lifted her bangs, gently blowing on them a few times.

The pot next to me was bubbling incessantly, as if complaining, "We're eating now, you shouldn't be praising her, you should be praising me—"

The unpleasant noise was naturally completely ignored by the three people on this side.

After finishing the soup and rice, before getting up to clean up, Hatsume took out the letter that had just been delivered: "Yashiro-neechan, this is a letter from Koshu. It was delivered by Mr. Kuwabara."

"Read it to me later."

“Okay.” Hatsume nodded and put the letter back. Although every time she received a letter, no matter who sent it, Yashiro would have Hatsume read it to her, the girl did not neglect etiquette. She would always wait for permission before opening the letter to read the contents.

She opened the letter and read its contents aloud in a clear voice. Like the previous letters she had received, most of the content was Kokoro describing her life. Her childlike words were surprisingly infectious, making one smile and understand that her life in Kofu wasn't so bad.

In addition, Yamamoto Kansuke would add a few more words, mostly ordinary words of concern and care, occasionally mentioning indirectly whether Yashiro had changed his mind and wanted to serve the Takeda family.

Whenever such content appeared, Hatsume would read it aloud while staring intently at Yashiro with her big eyes, trying to glean her true thoughts from the subtle changes in his expression. Only after Yashiro dictated that she write a reply on his behalf, clearly stating that he had no intention of serving Kai, did the heavy weight in the girl's heart finally lift.

The letter made no mention of taking up an official post, only offering a brief greeting, and then seemingly casually adding, "I've heard the weather has been unpredictable lately, with frequent strong winds and sudden rain. Please take care of yourself, young lady, and be careful in everything you do." At first glance, it seemed like just a common concern and reminder, but to the listener, Hachika, it carried a subtle other meaning.

Whether she was overthinking it or not, for a time traveler who knew the future history—or at least a part of it—this year always seemed particularly special for Japan.

In the early summer of the third year of Eiroku, which is 1560 AD, Imagawa Yoshimoto was about to raise an army to march on Kyoto. Although the news had not been officially announced, the people in the Totomi region were already becoming restless, as if they could smell the faint scent of war in the dry air.

The rain is coming.

……

Chapter 100 Yiyuan goes to Luo

Shangluo, Shangluo, the so-called Shangluo, the "Luo" in this context actually refers to Luoyang—of course, not the one in the neighboring Ming Dynasty.

Going back several centuries, around the 8th century AD, Emperor Kanmu moved the capital and began constructing Heian-kyo. The design of this capital was mainly modeled after Chang'an and Luoyang of the Tang Dynasty, divided into left and right sections, with the right capital being Chang'an and the left capital being Luoyang.

However, due to the abundance of swamps in the Ukyo region, the damp environment made it unsuitable for habitation, and it gradually fell into disrepair over time. In contrast, the Sakakyo region became a cluster of noble residences, and its population grew and expanded. Eventually, Luoyang became synonymous with Heian-kyo (Kyoto).

Even today, people in this country still often use Luoyang or Jingluo to refer to the capital, hence the saying "going to Luoyang".

As for why the daimyo of the Warring States period were so keen to go to Kyoto, it was certainly not to eat dumplings, admire cherry blossoms, or watch geisha. In short, it was to "hold the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords."

Leading an army into Kyoto and gaining control of the wealthiest and most prosperous region in Japan, the Kinki region, while simultaneously holding both the shogunate and the imperial court in his hands, would undoubtedly make it much easier to rally support for campaigns against other feudal lords or to secure the allegiance of his subordinates. However, the Kinki region has always been characterized by powerful warlords and a chaotic political landscape, making it extremely difficult to forcibly intervene. Throughout history, countless individuals attempted to march on Kyoto, but only Ōuchi Yoshioki and Oda Nobunaga succeeded.

This shows just how difficult this matter was.

Now, in this early summer season when cicadas are chirping incessantly, Imagawa Yoshimoto, the governor of the three provinces known as the "Number One Archer of the Tokaido," seems to be the most likely candidate to lead his army to Kyoto and dominate the land. At least, most people under the Imagawa family's rule, from powerful samurai to commoners, believe this.

The first buds are no exception.

When the topic came up, the little girl just sighed softly: "There's going to be another war... and it will be for many people." Her words revealed her aversion to the killing itself, but she never doubted the outcome of the war, who would win and who would lose.

Since Yoshimoto took the position of head of the clan, with the assistance of the Zen master Taigen Sessai, he annexed Mikawa, defeated Owari, and fought against the Takeda in the north and the Hojo in the east. Although he had both wins and losses, he had never suffered any major setbacks. As a result, everyone had a kind of inexplicable confidence, as if wherever the Imagawa clan's banner flew, victory was inevitable.

Not only Hatsume, but also her older sister Mai, the monk Jiro, and the monks like Kōten and Sōshun of Ryōtai-ji Temple, basically shared similar thoughts. Even the more cautious ones mostly looked towards powerful nations like Saitō of Mino and Rokkaku of southern Ōmi, whose land area was in the hundreds of thousands and who could easily mobilize tens of thousands of troops. As for Owari, which was nearby, it had at most a few thousand soldiers and was just an obstacle that could be easily crushed.

But some people don't think so.

For example, the man who delivered the message for Yamamoto Kansuke was named Kuwabara Jinnai. He seemed to favor the Oda faction more than Imagawa. In fact, when Yashiro first heard the man's name, he immediately recalled the man's glorious deeds—not because the man had done anything spectacular in history or left a significant mark on the world, but quite the opposite.

In his past life, when he watched various movies and TV series while eating, Yashiro once watched a movie based on Okehazama. The plot was unremarkable and lacked originality. It was nothing more than the Imagawa army pressing in, and the protagonist Nobunaga singing and dancing in the castle. After singing a familiar song, "Life is Fifty Years," he led his elite troops out of the castle, preparing to fight the enemy to the death.

Before they even reached Okehazama, a man suddenly appeared on the way, introducing himself as Kuwabara Jinnai. He listed his father's name, his background, and so on, before volunteering to go to the battlefield with Nobunaga, personally take Imagawa Yoshimoto's head, and achieve unparalleled fame.

When Yashiro saw that the actor playing this role was handsome and the character was eloquent and confident, he knew at a glance that he was an important character with a lot of screen time. So he secretly looked forward to the actor's performance. Although Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed by someone else in history, who knows if the movie will be adapted?

About ten minutes later, the movie showed Oda Nobunaga leading his men into Okehazama. In the midst of a raging storm, Kuwabara Jinnai, wielding a large sword, was incredibly brave and charged ahead towards Imagawa Yoshimoto's tent... Then he was cut down by several of Yoshimoto's guards and died as easily as a stray dog.

This hasty death deeply shocked Yashiro's young mind. Later, after some research, he learned that this guy was actually a real historical figure, and his life was indeed similar to that in the movie. His first half of life was uneventful, but later he probably thought of risking his life to take a gamble, so he volunteered to join Nobunaga's Okehazama raid squad, and then spectacularly gave his head.

After all, reality is different from fiction. Writing novels requires logic, and once foreshadowing is done, there's always a way to resolve it. Reality doesn't have that kind of hassle. Just like the Dragon of Echigo, the brilliant military genius Uesugi Kenshin, if he were a fictional character in a novel, he would definitely have a magnificent ending, instead of dying in his own toilet.

Recalling this incident, Yashiro couldn't help but feel more sympathy for Mr. Kuwabara. Although he had considered whether to offer a few words of advice, firstly, they were not acquainted, and secondly, he was of low status and his words carried little weight. The two were merely nodding acquaintances, and suddenly offering unsolicited advice on each other's life plans was a different matter entirely. It could even lead to enmity and armed conflict. What if this fellow didn't die at Okehazama but instead died by his own sword? That would truly be both laughable and pathetic.

However, compared to Kuwabara Jinnai, she was more troubled by another person and another matter. It was none other than Jiro's father, Ii Naomori.

To be honest, I had never heard of this name in my previous life. Perhaps he appeared in that Taiga drama with Jiro as the main character, but unfortunately, I only watched two episodes and then gave up because the drama was not interesting. I don't know how long Ii Naomori lived or what his ending was.

However, considering that Jiro later became the head of the Ii family and devoted himself to raising Ii Naomasa, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa, to adulthood, it is clear that her father did not live long. Otherwise, she, a woman, would most likely not have been able to take the position of lord and guardian.

The problem is that Yashiro doesn't know when Ii Naomori died, whether he died of illness or in battle, and if he died in battle, whether he died at Okehazama or in some other battle... She's known Jiro for so many years, and even for the sake of that friendship, she can't just do nothing and watch her friend's father die. But even if she wanted to warn him, what could she say?

She didn't even know Ii Naomori.

Even if Jiro could act as an introducer, the other party's family is powerful and influential. As the lord of a castle, how could they possibly listen to the nonsensical advice of a stranger? More likely, they would simply regard her as a spy sent by the Oda clan, arrest her, or execute her on the spot.

On the other hand, Yashiro also had a faint worry, fearing that if she said or did something wrong, it might cause history to take a completely different turn.

For a time traveler, the only things they can rely on, besides their knowledge reserves that may or may not be useful, are the advantages of foresight. Even if she doesn't plan to do anything special, as long as the general trend of the next few decades remains unchanged, she will be able to avoid harm and seek benefits. She won't end up with her whole family dying because she works for Toyotomi Hidetsugu, or do something as foolish as running to Osaka Castle to work for a few pieces of gold for a monkey in 1615.

If she rashly reminded Ii Naomori, alerting him and indirectly causing Imagawa Yoshimoto to survive at Okehazama... the future situation would be drastically different. It was as if the path ahead, which was once clearly visible, had suddenly been shrouded in a thick fog, and even the slightest hint of something amiss sent chills down one's spine.

Yashiro struggled with this for a long time. Two voices kept arguing in her head: one reasoned that she should appeal to emotions, the other analyzed the pros and cons, and the other argued from a moral standpoint. They argued back and forth but could not reach a conclusion, which only made her more and more troubled.

Occasionally, I feel a little ashamed. These troubles I have now might seem like trivial matters to others, not worth a second glance. Thinking of the other transmigrators who came before me, they were all decisive and resolute, pursuing their decisions without hesitation. Yet I can't even make up my mind about such a small thing. I really have no face to face my elders in Jiangdong.

But that was just her personality; what was done was done, and there was nothing she could do. After much deliberation, Yashiro finally chose a compromise: she found a time, secretly wrote a note, put it in a cloth bag, and entrusted Jiro to deliver it to Ii Naomori.

He repeatedly instructed that the bag should only be opened to check its contents in times of crisis or during a storm.

"This is... a brilliant plan?" Jiro's expression turned somewhat strange after hearing these words.

"Just consider it a brilliant plan... Anyway, you must hand this over to Lord Naomori later, remember that!"

“…Okay, I understand.” Although Jiro was still clearly confused, seeing that Yashiro’s expression was serious and she didn’t seem to be joking, she nodded in agreement. She was always reliable and dependable, so since she had agreed, there was no way she would make a mistake. Yashiro finally breathed a sigh of relief.

All human effort has been done; the outcome is now up to fate, and is beyond our control.

As she thought this, she couldn't help but laugh at herself.

……

"Anyone who is willing to welcome our army and treat us with courtesy will be incorporated into our ranks; but anyone who dares to block our army's advance or resists stubbornly will be annihilated without mercy."

On May 1, Imagawa Yoshimoto issued the formal order to send troops from his residence.

Even from this simple declaration, one can see how arrogant the Imagawa clan, led by Yoshimoto, was, and how they looked down on everyone else.

Responding to the daimyo's orders, the entire Imagawa clan's territory was transformed into a war machine. From castles to villages, countless generals and soldiers gathered noisily, like streams flowing into a river, presenting a magnificent scene unseen for a long time.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, on May 12th, Yoshimoto ordered his eldest son, Ujizane, to remain in the palace to guard against any potential treachery from his two "trustworthy" allies. He himself led a large army, surrounded by his soldiers and cheered on by the people along the way, and set off in a grand display. The warriors' armor was magnificent and luxurious, their spears stood tall, and their banners, flags, horse badges, and horse tack were all dazzling, like a magnificent painting slowly unfolding before one's eyes.

According to later calculations, this army numbered approximately 25,000, but Yoshimoto publicly claimed to have a full 40,000 troops. In contrast, the first enemy blocking their path was Oda Nobunaga, who had not even fully controlled Owari Province. According to intelligence gathered by the Imagawa clan, Oda's territory was probably less than half of all of Owari, about two-fifths, with a yield of 160,000 to 170,000 koku, and the number of soldiers he could recruit was at most three to four thousand.

With three thousand against forty thousand, it seemed to everyone that this was a battle with no suspense whatsoever.

Yoshimoto's gaze had already crossed the Owari Plain and was now fixed on something much further away: perhaps the Saito family of Mino, or the Rokkaku of southern Omi, or the now aging and insignificant Miyoshi Nagayoshi, or even the more distant Shikoku and Kyushu, or the whole of Japan... The position of the ruler of the land seemed within reach at this moment, and his eyes were gleaming with ambitious light.

The same radiance appeared in the eyes of another person.

It was atop a high cliff in Yuanjiang, a place so high that one could see the entire road below. The Tenji sisters stood side by side, Mai reaching out to let her younger sister lean on her as she gazed at the seemingly endless army, a look of longing on her face.

"That's what a real man should do."

She gazed at the large banner bearing the crest of the Imagawa family and sighed.

"Brother..."

The first sprout beside her seemed about to speak but hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Mai turned her head and saw obvious rejection in her sister's eyes.

Although the two sisters agree on most things, they are completely at odds on this one point, and neither can convince the other or reach a consensus.

Just as Hatsune would never try to change her, Mai would never interfere with her sister's thoughts. So she turned to the blind girl behind her and asked, "Yashiro, what's your opinion on this?"

"I have no opinion because I can't see anything."

Yashiro shrugged, speaking casually, while slowly peeling a chestnut, breaking it in half, eating one half himself, and putting the other half into the mouth of the little girl on his back. Mio didn't bite it, but held it in her mouth, slowly licking it with her tongue, as if she thought that way she could eat it longer—suddenly, the little girl's gaze also fell on the bottom of the cliff, her eyes widening abruptly, and she exclaimed, "Ants, so many ants!"

As she opened her mouth, half a chestnut fell stickily out. Yashiro caught it and put it back in, gently tapping the girl's head at the same time: "That's not an ant, it's a person."

"Ant, that is, ant!"

Mio retorted somewhat defiantly, pointing her finger at the group of people over there, then pointing down below, "People are big, ants are small!"

"That makes sense." Yashiro seemed to be convinced for a moment.

"There's a reason for this!" Wu Yi covered her forehead. "Everyone else teaches children principles, but you're always being fooled by kids. It's shameful."

"Disgraceful!"

The little parrot mimicked the sound, excitedly chirping along. The chestnut fell out again, and this time Yashiro couldn't catch it. It fell directly to the ground, tumbled and rolled, and actually fell off the cliff, crashing into the long army.

Faint shouts of anger could be heard. Whether out of caution or because they thought it was an enemy spy lying in ambush, a few moments later, several people could be seen leaving the group and approaching the cliff.

The Tenji sisters exchanged a glance, and Hatsune stuck out her tongue: "What do we do?"

"What else can we do but run?" As she spoke, Mai reached out and grabbed her sister, hoisting her onto her shoulder like a sack. In this urgent situation, they couldn't let her leisurely walk away.

"Hey!"

"Alright, behave yourself, I'll put you down later... Hey, Yashiro, you're trying to run away!"

"it is good--"

Yashiro responded and started to walk away. After taking only two steps, her arm was grabbed again.

"That's a cliff ahead!" Mai said through gritted teeth.

"Shut up! Xuan! Ya!" Xiaoling repeated.

"Wow... Thanks for reminding me."

Yashiro turned around, her face hardening. "So now... it's time to run away?"

"—That's right!" Mai said irritably, as arrows were already flying towards them from afar.

Without another word, she grabbed the blind girl's cane, half-pulling, half-dragging, and carrying the three "baggage" members (two adults and one child), ran towards the lush woods behind her...

……

Chapter 101 The Secret Pouch, Father and Daughter, Dun Sheng Dance

Before setting off, Ii Naomori made a special trip to Ryutaiji Temple.

Firstly, it was a customary act of worship and prayer, hoping that all the gods and Buddhas would grant him good fortune and allow him to return safely; secondly, it was also an opportunity to see his daughter, Jiro-hoshi.

It's unclear whether it was due to the couple's own fault, but despite Ii Naomori being in his prime and strong, after years of trying and working tirelessly, they were unable to have any children, only Jiro-hoshi. Even worse, their daughter, for some reason, became a nun at a very young age and spent her entire twenties practicing at Ryutai-ji Temple.

Naomori was busy with political affairs and war all day long, so the father and daughter did not have much time to spend together and their relationship was by no means deep. However, with a major war imminent, even a quiet place like Ryūtai-ji Temple was inevitably tainted with a secular atmosphere. People's hearts were restless, and the content of their conversations was no longer about Zen Buddhism, but about the upcoming war with the neighboring country.

However, at this very moment, the restless thoughts of the outside world seemed to be kept out by a cedar wooden door, and inside the meditation room, there was only a pleasant silence.

The father and daughter sat facing each other, the fire blazing in the stove, the water in the tea kettle already boiling, emitting wisps of steam. Master Jiro picked up a tea ladle, poured the boiling water into the bowl, and then held the tea brush with his slender white fingers, stirring the tea powder with a swishing sound. Instantly, a fragrant aroma filled the room, making everyone feel refreshed and relaxed.

"Please use."

She put down her teacup, and the man with the mustache opposite her immediately took it, muttering "hot hot hot hot hot," and took a big gulp impatiently—this rude way of drinking was perfectly described by the phrase "a cow chewing a peony." If those professors who studied tea ceremony saw this, they would probably frown so much that they could trap several flies.

However, Jiro didn't care about these things. She just smiled wryly and advised, "Father, there's no need to be in such a hurry. You can drink the tea when it's not so hot."

That's what they say... but time always slips through our fingers without us even realizing it.

Naomori slapped his thigh, still holding the teacup in one hand as if reluctant to put it down, puffing out his cheeks and blowing air into it. He then gestured with his other hand: "Take Jiro, for example. In my memory, you were clearly a short guy, your head only reaching this height. But in the blink of an eye... in the blink of an eye, you suddenly grew taller than me. It's unbelievable."

He was drinking tea, not wine, yet he seemed drunk, laughing heartily.

“Father…” Jiro seemed a little dumbfounded.

Seeing this, Naomori laughed even more happily, saying, "This is tea that my daughter brewed for me herself, so I must savor it properly," while sipping it with relish.

"Whenever Father has free time, I will make tea for you."