When Ogata put the Yashamaru into his arms, he casually asked Shuntaro:
"Five and Six, now that Shiranui is gone, what are you going to do after your injuries heal?"
"I had originally planned to leave Shiranui to practice martial arts."
"Now that Shiranui is gone, I naturally plan to begin my warrior training."
Shuntaro answered without any hesitation.
"I plan to travel around the world to hone my body, mind and skills."
"So, Ittosai, maybe we will meet again somewhere in the future."
"But training as a warrior requires a certain amount of travel expenses."
"And my savings are all in Shiranui's house."
"I can say that I am penniless now."
"So I'm going to do some work and save some money."
"After Ah Chang was kidnapped, I saw that Meiwu was recruiting new thugs to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future."
"I might go to work at Jianmeiwu for a while - provided that Jianmeiwu is still recruiting after I recover from my injury."
"Training as a warrior..." Ogata smiled, "Then you should work hard as well. I look forward to seeing you somewhere with more advanced skills in the future."
"Thanks for your good wishes. Let's have a good competition when the time comes." Shintaro's eyes were shining with fighting spirit.
However - at this moment, Shuntaro suddenly seemed to remember something.
The light in his eyes froze.
Then he slowly put on a serious face.
"I almost forgot about that..."
"Ittosai, let's stop here for the light-hearted topic."
"Let's talk about something... a little more serious."
"Serious things?" Ogata raised an eyebrow.
Seeing Shuntaro suddenly put on such a serious expression, Ogata couldn't help but become serious as well.
"Ittosai, do you know Toyotomi?" asked Shuntaro.
"Toyotomi? I know." Ogata nodded, "I just heard people talking about Toyotomi."
"Did you hear people talking about Toyotomi just now?" Shuntaro frowned.
"Hmm? Shuntaro, you still don't know about that?"
Ogata briefly told Shuntaro what he had just heard from a passerby about the "attack on the Kitamachi Magistrate's Office."
"There is the Toyotomi family crest on the wall of the Kitamachi Magistrate's Office?" Shuntaro's face was full of horror.
After clenching his hands subconsciously, Shuntaro said in a deep voice:
"Ittosai... Let me warn you first - what I am about to tell you may make you unbelievable, so be mentally prepared."
Shuntaro told Ogata about Shintaro, Keitaro and the others in as few words as possible.
After Shuntaro finished speaking, Ogata frowned.
"The remnants of the Toyotomi clan..." Ogata couldn't help but murmur in a surprised tone.
Although after seeing Shuntaro's solemn expression just now, Ogata vaguely guessed that what he was going to talk about next would be something very serious.
But he didn't expect it to be so serious.
Ogata never expected that there was another force behind Shiranui.
"Regarding the 'attack on the Kitamachi Magistrate' you just mentioned... I suspect it was really done by the remnants of Toyotomi." Shuntaro said softly, "Shintaro told me before that they no longer care whether the world knows that there are still remnants of Toyotomi's bloodline..."
"I didn't expect what he said was actually true..."
"They actually painted the Toyotomi family crest on the wall of the Kitamachi Magistrate's Office so brazenly..."
"Ittosai, let me ask you: If it were you, when would you no longer care whether the world knew that Majima Goro was Ogata Issei?"
"That's of course when it doesn't matter even if the world knows that Majima Goro is Ogata Yoshisei..." Ogata said softly.
"That's right." Shuntaro smiled bitterly, "That's the truth... So for the remnants of Toyotomi, it doesn't matter whether the world knows of their existence..."
"Therefore - please be more careful in the future, Ittosai."
"The reason I told you this is just to give you a reminder."
"On your future journey, be careful of Toyotomi."
"No one knows what these people who no longer care whether the shogunate knows about them will do next..."
"...Yeah." Ogata nodded, "I see. Thank you for your reminder."
——Toyotomi…huh…?
Ogata whispered in his heart this surname that should have been extinct 200 years ago.
Boom boom boom…
At this moment, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
Then the voice of the woman named "Hefeng" sounded outside the door:
"It's time to prepare for a dressing change."
"Is it time to change the dressing so soon..." Shuntaro's face darkened, as if he heard the whispers of some devil.
"It's almost time for you to rest." He Feng's somewhat cold voice sounded again, "Your body is still very weak. Don't chat for too long. It's not good for your recovery from your injuries."
"Hurry up and get ready. I'll bring the medicine over later."
As soon as the words fell, footsteps were heard again.
But this time the footsteps came from near and then went far away, they were the footsteps of leaving.
After Kazufu left, Ogata said to Shuntaro in a joking tone:
"It seems that you don't like changing medicine either."
"Who would like a medicine that makes the wound tingle and numb after applying it?"
"Same here. I hate changing dressings as well..." Ogata grabbed the Daishakuten placed next to him and stood up.
"Well then - in order not to disturb your dressing and rest, I will take my leave now."
"Are you leaving?"
"Yes. If I stay here any longer, I will disturb your dressing and rest."
"Besides, I have somewhere else to go right now, and there are other people I want to say goodbye to. So let's just stop here for now."
Shuntaro was not a fussy person. When he saw Ogata was about to leave, he didn't say anything else but just smiled.
"Then we'll meet again someday. Ittosai, remember not to neglect your swordsmanship training."
"Yes." Ogata nodded seriously, "Five or six, see you again in the future if we are lucky enough."
After saying this, a faint sadness emerged uncontrollably from Ogata's heart.
Just now, when I said goodbye to Taifu, Shirobei and others, a similar feeling of sadness emerged in my heart.
In this era of underdeveloped communications, after separation, who knows when we will meet again?
Silently suppressing this sadness, Ogata quietly left Shuntaro's room...
…
…
In Edo, where Ogata and the others are currently staying, in Uncle Qing’s room——
"Yeah, not bad." Ah Ting, who was kneeling behind Uncle Qing, carefully looked at Uncle Qing's wound several times, and a look of joy appeared on his face, "The wound is recovering very well. In another half a month, Uncle Qing, your wound will probably be healed."
After saying that, Ating took the medicine jar next to him and slowly applied the ointment in the jar on Uncle Qing's wound.
When Ah-ting was applying the medicine to Uncle Qing, Uncle Qing said to Ah-ting who was sitting behind him in a helpless tone:
"A-Ming, I can move around freely now. You don't need to help me with dressing changes every time."
"That won't work." Ating said without hesitation, "Your wound is on your flank. If you don't have anyone to help you, it will be difficult to apply medicine to your wound by yourself."
Seeing that he couldn't win the argument with Ating, Uncle Qing could only look away, shook his head with a wry smile, and stopped talking.
Uncle Qing sat cross-legged silently and let Ating apply medicine to him.
A-Ting also silently changed the medicine for Uncle Qing.
The room fell into a peaceful silence.
But this tranquility did not last long, as Uncle Qing suddenly raised his hand slowly, looked up at the ceiling, and then asked Ating a question out of the blue, breaking the tranquility.
"A-machi, when will you and Ogata-kun leave Edo?"
When Ating heard Uncle Qing's question, he was stunned for a moment.
The speed of applying medicine to Uncle Qing also slowed down unconsciously.
After pursing his lips, he said softly:
"It hasn't been confirmed yet, but it will probably only be a few days later."
"A few days later?" Uncle Qing muttered softly for a while, then laughed softly a few times, "A-Ming, if you are unhappy with Ogata-kun in the future, just come back to Edo to find me."
"I plan to settle down here in Edo in the future."
"Uncle Qing, are you planning to live in Edo for a long time?" There was a hint of surprise in Ating's eyes.
"Yes. I can do a lot of handicrafts." Uncle Qing continued, "I plan to rely on handicrafts to spend the rest of my life in peace."
"So, if you are unhappy with Ogata-kun in the future, just come back to Edo to find me."
"There is still a home you can return to here in Edo."
"Well..." A smile mixed with emotion and gratitude bloomed on Ating's face, "I will."
After saying that, Ating said no more and continued to concentrate on applying medicine to Uncle Qing's wound.
But her silence lasted only a moment.
"...Uncle Qing." Ating said softly, "I'm sorry... I finally got to meet you again, but now I have to separate from you again, leaving you alone in Edo..."
"Hahahaha." Uncle Qing laughed a few times. "What's there to apologize for about this?"
"You are not some little girl who is only a few years old."
"You are already 18 years old this year. You are already an independent adult."
"As an adult, you should do what you want to do instead of staying with your elders all the time."
"If you plan to stay in Edo with me, I will be troubled."
"If your father, Seitaro, were still alive, he would be very happy to know that you now have your own ideas and no longer need to rely on us elders."
Speaking of this, Uncle Qing sighed softly, and a look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes.
Seitaro——The name of Atachi's father.
Both of A-Machi's parents were Genin in Shiranui. His mother, Wei, died in a mission when A-Machi was 5 years old.
When Atachi was 15 years old, his father, Seitaro, followed in the footsteps of his wife and died in a mission.
After the death of both his parents, Uncle Qing, who had a close relationship with his father, became the only elder of Ating.
Hearing his father's name from Uncle Qing after a long time, Ating couldn't help but recall the past when his father was still alive.
"Shitaro is the person I admire most in my life."
Uncle Qing spoke slowly as he recalled his deceased friend.
“There are many things I admire about him.”
"What I admire most about him is that he is a person who always carries out his will."
"Even if others are obstructing him or making sarcastic remarks, he will still do what he wants to do wholeheartedly."
"Everyone said that firearms were useless and insulted him for just making some useless scrap metal, but he was not moved at all and always devoted himself to studying his favorite firearms."
"A-Ting, do you still remember the tunnel that your family used to have?"
"Yes, I remember." Ating nodded, "It's the tunnel that was originally intended to be used for escape, right?"
Amachi remembered it very clearly - when she was still young, probably only 6 or 7 years old, her father Seitaro spent a lot of effort to secretly dig a tunnel at home leading to the outside of Shiranui.
At that time, Atachi and his family's home happened to be located in the outermost area of ​​Shiranui.
Therefore, the total length of this tunnel that leads directly to the outside of Shiranui is actually not long, only about 300 meters.
Ah Ting remembered that Uncle Qing seemed to have participated in the excavation of this tunnel.
The two of them worked together to successfully dig out the tunnel.
According to what Seitaro told Atachi at the time, he dug this tunnel just in case.
If he couldn't survive in Shiranui anymore, he would take his whole family and escape through this tunnel.
It’s a pity that this tunnel was only used once after it was dug.
It was the time when he assisted Fuma and his men in escaping.
10 years ago, an all-out war broke out between Shiranui and Fuma no Sato.
Flame Demon captured Wind Demon's subordinates and planned to use them to threaten Wind Demon.
But who would have thought that Fuma would attack Shiranui single-handedly and rescue all his subordinates by himself.
While Fuma was leading his subordinates, looking for a way to leave Shiranui smoothly.
When Fuma and his companions were trying to escape, by chance they arrived at the doorstep of Ating and his companions' house.
It was at that time that Ating's father lent a helping hand to Fuma and the others.
At that time, the tunnel of Ating's family had just been dug not long ago.
Shitaro ordered Fuma's subordinates to escape from Shiranui through this tunnel that had just been dug.
It was also at that time that Fuma and Atachi's family became acquainted.
The tunnel in Ating's home was only used once.
After the dispute with Fuma no Sato ended, Enma, who had suffered the humiliation of "his base being attacked", learned his lesson and decided to redeploy the layout of the houses in Shiranui and transform it into a fortress-like village.
Because Enma redistributed the layout of the houses in Shiranui, Atachi's family had to move, and had to fill in the tunnel that they had dug with so much effort.
After moving to the new house, there were more and more neighbors around the new house, with neighbors on all sides, and there was no way to dig a tunnel anymore. So after moving to the new house, Ating's father never dug a tunnel there again.
"That's right." Uncle Qing nodded as soon as Ah Ting finished speaking, "It's that tunnel."
"Your father and I worked together to dig that tunnel."
“Those were really thrilling days.”
Uncle Qing looked emotional.
"We were always on tenterhooks, afraid that someone would find out that we were doing such an outrageous thing."
"Fortunately, your home was located in a very remote place at that time, with almost no neighbors. Until the tunnel was dug, no one discovered the existence of this tunnel."
"A-Machi, although that tunnel is indeed as you just said, it is for escaping in case of an emergency, if you can't survive in Shiranui."
"But—do you know another use for this tunnel?"
"Huh?" A-Ting looked surprised. "So that tunnel has other uses?"
Uncle Qing nodded gently:
"Your father has always hated Shiranui."
"I hate the depressing atmosphere in Shiranui, and I hate all the inhumane rules in Shiranui."
"So when he decided to dig a tunnel directly outside of Shiranui, his other purpose was to use this tunnel to help those who were oppressed by Shiranui and could no longer survive in Shiranui escape."
"So 10 years ago, after meeting Fuma Kotaro and his group, your father resolutely extended a helping hand to them."
"To be honest, after the 'Fuma Rebellion' ended, when I learned from your father that he had helped Fuma and his men escape, I was so scared that I almost collapsed to the ground."
Uncle Qing gave a wry smile.
"If Yan Mo and his men find out about this, both you and your father will be doomed."
"Most people don't have the courage to do this, but your father can carry out his will to do it."
"I feel helpless but also admire your father's ability to always carry out his will."
"A big part of the reason why your father and I became friends is because he and I both hate Shiranui."
"We all sympathize with those who are oppressed by Shiranui and are having trouble surviving in Shiranui."
“I’m not a very courageous person.”
"But in my interactions with your father, I was also influenced by him unconsciously."
"I gradually began to do what I wanted to do, just like your father."
Having said that, Uncle Qing let out a long sigh.
Then he turned his head and looked directly into A-Ming's eyes.
"Now Shiranui has perished. Atachi, I will also tell you something that I have been hiding from you."
"A-Ming, I actually started secretly helping the 'Gu's to escape a long time ago, when you were just a child."
"Huh?" Because he was too surprised, the hand that was helping Uncle Qing apply medicine stopped again unconsciously.
The uncle whom he had always respected had been doing such a dangerous thing a long time ago - Ating only found out about this now.
"I don't remember when it started, but I just remember that a long time ago, I wanted to help those poor 'dirty' people."
“But I just couldn’t muster the courage.”
"Until I met your father and was gradually influenced by him, I slowly began to do what I had always wanted to do but didn't dare to do - helping the 'Scum' escape from this hell in Shiranui."
"The first time I successfully helped a 'dirty' escape, you were only 14 years old."
"At that time, your father also assisted me."
"Unfortunately... not long after I officially started helping the 'Scum' escape, your father passed away, leaving me alone to fight alone."
"Because we were afraid of getting you into trouble, your father and I never told you that I had been doing such a dangerous thing."
"In addition to helping the 'dirty' escape, I also frequently suggested to the Flame Demon to relax the oppression on the 'dirty'. Unfortunately, my suggestions were never adopted..."
"I have always insisted on lending a helping hand to 'Dirt'."
"Even after I moved my base to Edo, I still persisted."
"It's a pity that after moving to Edo, I was unable to continue my previous good luck. Some time ago, Enma and his men finally discovered my actions, and I had to defect as well."
"If I hadn't run into Ogata-kun by chance, I might have been wiped out by the pursuers from Shiranui..."
Ah-Ming has been listening quietly.
After Uncle Qing finished speaking, Ah-Ting looked as if he had suddenly realized something and said softly:
"I now understand why you, Uncle Qing, were forced to become a traitor because you helped the 'Gu' escape..."
"I also understand why you didn't run away with me when you tipped me off and told me that I was demoted to 'dirt' and I asked you to just run away with me."
"Uncle Qing, you want to stay in Shiranui and continue to help those 'dirty' people, right?"
"...That's just one of the reasons." Uncle Qing smiled slightly, "Another main reason is that if I run away with you, I will only implicate you."
"I am a jonin. And you should also know, A-machi, that the higher the rank of the rebel ninja, the more likely Shiranui will not let him go."
"If I run away with you, it will only attract more ninjas to hunt us down."
"So I couldn't go with you at that time no matter what."
Speaking of this, Uncle Qing couldn't help but let out a long sigh full of emotion.
"Thinking about it carefully... this thing called fate is really amazing..."
"My uncle and nephew were both saved by Ogata-kun..."
During the days when Uncle Qing was recovering in this house, he had heard from A-Ming about her experiences in Kyoto.
"Yeah..." The smile on A-Ting's face became more tender, "If it weren't for A-Yi, I really don't know what we would become."
"...A-Ming." Uncle Qing suddenly changed his tone to a serious one, "Let me confirm, you didn't decide to be with him just to repay Ogata-kun's kindness to you, right?"
"Of course not." Ating said without hesitation, "People who marry someone just to repay a favor should only exist in the stories of storytellers, right?"
Uncle Qing pursed his lips, as if he was thinking about something.
After a while, Chong A-Cheng said seriously:
"A-machi, seriously. If you are not happy with Ogata-kun in the future, you can always come back to Edo to find me."
"Got it." Ating smiled helplessly, "Uncle Qing, you've already said this once before."
"I'm just afraid you'll forget..."
Having said this, Uncle Qing fell silent again.
Noticing that Uncle Qing looked strange, Ah-ting was about to ask Uncle Qing what was wrong, but Uncle Qing said slowly and in a low voice:
"A-Machi... to be honest... I don't really support your marriage with Ogata-kun..."
"Huh...?" Ating's pupils shrank slightly, "W-why?"
"...A-Machi, I have always treated you as my daughter. As a parent... I certainly would not want my child to be with a wanted criminal... and the one the shogunate wants to catch the most right now."
After hearing what Uncle Qing said, Ating was speechless for a moment.
Uncle Qing then continued:
"If you follow Ogata-kun... you won't be able to live a stable life any longer without having to worry about the shogunate's officials coming to visit you..."
"I've also been in contact with Ogata-kun during this time."
"He is indeed a man worthy of devoting the rest of your life to."
"But...compared to Ogata-kun, who may not be able to find a decent job and live a stable life in the future, I hope that you, Atachi, can find a more ordinary man..."
As Uncle Qing finished his words, the room fell into an eerie silence.
After an unknown amount of time, a smile reappeared on Ating's face.
"...Uncle Qing, I understand your concerns."
"But for me, as long as I can be with Ayi and he is always safe, that's enough."
"As for the difficulties you mentioned about not being able to find a decent job or a place to settle down..."
A-Ting gave Uncle Qing a sly smile.
"When we really encounter these difficulties in the future, we will work together with him to find a solution."
"These difficulties are not so easy to solve..." The bitterness on Uncle Qing's face became more intense.
"Maybe. But I have made up my mind to share the glory and disgrace with Ayi for the rest of my life."
"I will always carry out my will."
Ating raised his eyes and looked directly into Uncle Qing's eyes without any fear or avoidance.
"Just like you and your father have always carried out your own wills."
Uncle Qing seemed to have not expected Ating to answer him like that, and he was completely stunned.
After slowly coming back to his senses, Uncle Qing smiled helplessly and sighed softly.
"It seems... you have really grown up..."
"Not only does he look more and more like your father, but even the words he says and the things he does are becoming more and more like your father..."
"That's a good thing." Ating laughed.
…
…
Edo, the fire thieves headquarters , Hasegawa's office——
Hasegawa cast a complicated look at Ogata who was kneeling in front of him.
Just now, Hasegawa, who was working in the office, suddenly received a message - a samurai who called himself Majima Goro came to visit and said he wanted to see Hasegawa.
He was stunned, looked shocked, and then immediately asked his subordinates to bring the samurai who called himself Majima Goro over - the above were the series of reactions Hasegawa had after learning that Majima... no, it should be said that he learned that Ogata was coming to visit.
After having his subordinates bring Ogata to his office, the current scene of Hasegawa and Ogata sitting opposite each other came into being.
The relationship between Ogata and Hasegawa has always been complicated.
They had fought each other once, but they had also fought side by side in Kyoto.
After the reunion in Edo, he started to cooperate with Hasegawa and worked together to thwart Shiranui's attempt to restore her reputation by relying on the "Gozen Trial".
In Ogata's mind, Hasegawa was also one of the people he had to say goodbye to.
So just after leaving Yoshiwara, Oben rushed to the headquarters of the Fire Thief Kai without stopping.
"...Ittosai." After looking Ogata up and down countless times with complicated eyes, he closed his eyes and sighed softly, "It's been a while since we last met..."
"Yeah. It's true that we haven't seen each other for a while." Ogata nodded.
"Before you tell me why you came here, let me ask you a question."
Hasegawa sighed again before continuing:
"The attack in Shiranui... you must have participated in it, right?"
Although Hasegawa's sentence is a question, the tone is affirmative.
It was as if he had already known the answer to this question.
"That's right." Ogata answered without any hesitation.
"...As expected." Hasegawa's eyes showed a hint of helplessness, "I guessed it right... When I learned that Shiranui was attacked by an unknown person, I vaguely guessed that you must have been involved..."
Ogata was not surprised that Hasegawa had guessed that he was involved in the attack on Shiranui.
After all, when he agreed to cooperate with Hasegawa, the condition he proposed was to tell them the approximate location of Shiranui's base and to inform him of Shiranui's movements as much as possible.
Although Ogata did not tell Hasegawa at that time that they were going to cause trouble for Shiranui, Hasegawa was not a fool.
Even if Ogata and the others didn't say it explicitly, Hasegawa could guess that Ogata, who asked about the approximate location of the base in Shiranui, was definitely not going to Shiranui for friendly sightseeing.
Ogata had just requested the approximate location of Shiranui's base, but a short while later, Shiranui disappeared - it was hard not to suspect Ogata.
"The shogunate has been investigating who attacked Shiranui for a long time." Hasegawa said softly, "You are so bold that you actually appeared in front of me, a shogunate official, so brazenly."
"Because I know you won't do anything to me." Ogata smiled and shrugged.
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, a faint smile appeared on Hasegawa's face.
"Overall - I want to thank you, Itosai."
Hasegawa folded his arms across his chest like Ogata.
"Now that Shiranui is gone, those officials in the shogunate who hated Shiranui are ecstatic."
"Although Shiranui was killed by an unknown person, for those officials who hated Shiranui, as long as Shiranui was gone, that was enough. They didn't care who killed Shiranui."
"Shiranui is gone, and I've gained a lot of benefits along with him."
"Ittosai, you should still remember the reason why I cooperated with you and let you participate in the 'Gozen Trial'."
Ogata: “Of course I remember.”
Hasegawa was originally a neutral person, but a high-ranking official who hated Shiranui suddenly came to Hasegawa and wanted Hasegawa to help deal with Shiranui.
The high-ranking official asked Hasegawa to help by mobilizing the elite soldiers and generals under his command, the fire thieves Kai, to participate in the "Gozen Trial" in order to thwart Shiranui's attempt to restore her image by means of the "Gozen Trial".
The senior official promised Hasegawa that as long as Hasegawa was willing to help, he would strongly support Hasegawa's "Human Foot Farm" afterwards.
As a result, a series of subsequent events occurred, including Hasegawa joining the "anti-Shiranui" camp and Hasegawa proposing cooperation to Ogata.
"Shiranui suddenly disappeared before the 'Gozen Trial' was finished."
Hasegawa continued.
"It also seems to be a disguised way of completing the plan to prevent Shiranui from getting a good ranking in the 'Gozen Trial'."
"Those officials who hated Shiranui are now very happy."
"They've promised me that they'll put in a good word for me and support me as much as they can."
"With their support, my pressure can be reduced a little..."
"It's not easy for you to run your business..." Ogata couldn't help but sigh.
Ogata naturally knew what the Hitoshiyome was. After all, when he was discussing with Lin and others whether to cooperate with Hasegawa, Mamiya and others had introduced what the Hitoshiyome was to Ogata.
Simply put, the Renzujichang is a labor camp.
Built by Hasegawa, it was a place where people with less serious crimes were imprisoned and taught a skill so that they would have a skill to rely on when they regained their freedom in the future.
Ogata still admires Hasegawa for building and operating the Hitoshiyori Stadium at all costs.
In this old society with a strict hierarchy and full of oppression, it is really rare for Hasegawa to have the idea of ​​establishing a society to help prisoners reform, and the motivation to carry out this idea.
After hearing Ogata's sigh, the smile on Hasegawa's face became more meaningful.
“The Renzu Post is my hard work.”
"I will do whatever it takes to keep the Renzu Post Station running."
"And in fact - for the sake of the people's football field, I really risked my life."
Having said this, Hasegawa chuckled a few times with a hint of self-mockery.
"In order to raise enough funds, I started doing something a long time ago. If the people above me found out, they might ask me to commit seppuku to apologize."
Ogata looked surprised and raised his eyebrows.
"Seppuku? Mr. Hasegawa, what did you do?"
"It's not a very glorious thing." Hasegawa smiled bitterly and shook his head, "It's better if you don't know."
"Okay, tell me about your story."
"Ittosai, why did you come to my headquarters today?"
Hasegawa was unwilling to talk about the incident that would have made him commit seppuku to apologize, and Ogata was not in a position to ask more.
Seeing Hasegawa asking about his purpose, Osamu said:
"No special intention."
"I'm leaving Edo soon."
"So I just came to say goodbye to you."
"You're leaving Edo?" Hasegawa raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Well, we'll leave in a few days."
"You came all the way to see me just to say goodbye..." Hasegawa chuckled a few times and sat up straighter. "I wish you a safe journey."
"And - I hope we won't run into each other again."
As he spoke of this, a complex array of emotions slowly emerged on Hasegawa's face.
"After all, you and I have fought together in Kyoto, and together against Shiranui in Edo."
"So I don't want to do anything to you."
"But - no matter what, I am an official and you are a thief."
"If we meet in private, it would be easy to say."
"But if we meet in public...it will be very difficult for me."
Ogata nodded slightly: "Yes, I can understand."
"but--"
Ogata changed the subject and adopted a joking tone.
"Although I think we have always been destined to be together, I don't think we are destined to be able to meet again somewhere forever."
Ogata has always felt that he has a strong affinity with the two groups of people.
The first group of people were from Huluwu.
Ever since he met Mamiya by chance at the Tatsuno clan... no, it should be said that ever since he obtained the secret manual of Muga's Two Swords Ryu from the Hirose clan, he has had a connection with Karakuraya.
The second group of people were the fire thieves and police officers led by Hasegawa.
The first time I met Hasegawa was at Tatsuno Domain at the beginning of this year.
Later in the summer, I met Hasegawa again in Kyoto.
Just a few months later, I met Hasegawa again in Edo.
Ogata was a little surprised by his connection with Hasegawa.
Hasegawa seemed to be amused by what Ogata had just said. He smiled and said:
"In short - I wish you a safe journey."
"In the years ahead, remember not to do bad things."
"Especially don't steal or commit arson."
"I don't want to receive an order to pursue the arsonist Ogata Issei one day in the future."
As soon as Hasegawa finished speaking, Obe nodded immediately:
"I will do my best to ensure that your target does not have the name 'Ogata Noriyoshi'."
…
…
After saying goodbye to those who needed to be said goodbye to one by one, Xu Fang returned to his residence.
In the remaining days, Ogata and Atachi devoted themselves to preparing for their journey.
Buy all the necessary items for the journey, buy thick enough clothes, buy enough dry food...
Finally - three days later, on November 15th, they completed all the preparations needed for the journey.
Then we decided to officially set off on the morning of November 16th...
…
…
In the second year of Kanzheng (1790), November 16th——
Somewhere in the northern suburbs of Edo——
It is morning.
The wind is cold and chilly.
Although it was very cold and windy, the people from Huluwu still insisted on coming to see Ogata, Atachi and the others off.
In addition to the people from Huluwu, Uncle Qing, Kondo and Uesugi also came to see them off.
Ogata and Omachi stood in front of them.
Both Ogata and Atachi were carrying a thick bag and wearing a bamboo hat on their heads.
The bag was filled with dry food for two people, clothes, money, and various necessary items for a long journey.
It was impossible not to feel sad looking at all the people who came to see him and Ating off.
Ogata had felt a little sad when he said goodbye to Shuntaro, Hasegawa, Taifu, Shirobei and others one by one.
And now, facing these people in front of me, this sadness is even stronger.
Because the people in front of him can be said to be his closest friends at present.
There were no mobile phones in that era, so long-distance communication between people could only rely on letters.
After saying goodbye to Lin, Genichi, Kondo, and Uesugi, I don’t know when we will meet again.
After traveling to this era for more than a year, Ogata has come to understand more and more why the ancients would often write poems to express their sadness and reluctance when parting with their friends - because in this era where information exchange is inconvenient, parting with friends is indeed a very sad thing.
Ogata and Atachi walked forward and said goodbye to everyone one by one.
"See you again someday, Kondo." Ogata walked up to Kondo first, "You must continue to hone your skills, and remember to distinguish the occasions when to use the 'Ogata Style'."
"Yes." Kondo nodded vigorously with slightly red eyes, then stepped forward and hugged Ogata, "Master, please take care of yourself."
Ogata walked up to the man standing to Kondo's right.
The person standing to Kondo's right is Uesugi.
"Master Ogata, take care of yourself." Uesugi spoke first, "When you return to Edo in the future, you can always come and see me."
Uesugi's eyes were slightly red, just like Kondo's.
Then, Ogata walked up to Uncle Qing again.
"A-Ming can be considered my daughter." Uncle Qing looked at Ogata with a complicated look, "So... take good care of my daughter."
After saying goodbye to Kondo, Uesugi, and Uncle Kei, Ogata began to say goodbye to everyone in the gourd house one by one.
In the gourd house, the people who have the best relationship with Ogata are undoubtedly Genichir and Makimura.
After all, Yuanyi has seen all kinds of storms and experienced all kinds of joys and sorrows.
So Genichi remained calm when facing Ogata, whom he didn't know when he would meet again.
Just smiled and said softly:
"Ogata-kun, take care of yourself. Don't forget to neglect your swordsmanship training while rushing to Ezo."
On the other hand, Mucun is now quite emotional.
Makimura is a very emotional person.
He gave Ogata a big bear hug, strangling him to death.
Finally - Ogata came to Lin.
Lin was the last person he had to say goodbye to.
And Lin's farewell was also brief.
"Ichidaosai, I wish you a safe journey."
"Yes." Ogata nodded with a smile, "I also wish that your Hulu House will always be smooth sailing."
After saying goodbye to everyone, Ogata and Atachi stood side by side in front of everyone.
"Everyone, thank you for coming to see us off."
From the beginning, there was a sadness on Ogata's face that was difficult to conceal.
"I believe our fate will not end here."
"When the time is right, we will meet again."
After saying this, Ogata and Atachi bowed in perfect harmony to express their gratitude to everyone who had seen them off in the cold wind.
…
…
Ogata and Omachi walked side by side on the road leading north out of Edo.
However, Lin, Genichi, Qingshu, Kondo, and Uesu did not leave immediately.
Instead, he continued to stand there, watching Ogata and Atachi leave.
Until they could no longer be seen.
…
…
At around 9 o'clock in the morning, the weather became a little clearer and the sun peeked out from behind the thick clouds.
The coldness was slightly alleviated because of the warm sunshine.
But it only alleviated it a little.
"I heard that there are snow-capped mountains everywhere in Ezo." While blowing warm air on his hands, Atachi said to Ogata beside him, "I wonder how cold it will be..."
Ogata: "When we get to Ezo, we can buy some Ezo clothes to wear. Since Ezo can survive in such a cold place, their clothes must be very warm."
"Hmm? Ayi, what's wrong? Are you worried about something?" A-Ming keenly noticed that Ogata seemed a little absent-minded, as if he had something on his mind.
"I don't have anything on my mind." Ogata scratched his hair with a wry smile, "I just feel like... I forgot something..."
"Did you forget to bring something?" asked Ating.
Ogata shook his head. "No. I checked many times and brought everything I should bring."
"Did you forget to say goodbye to someone?"
"I should have said goodbye to everyone who deserved a proper farewell..."
After parting with Lin and the others and officially leaving Edo, Obana felt as if he had forgotten something.
But I just can't remember what I forgot.
"If you can't remember it, don't think about it." Ating smiled, "Relax first. After relaxing, you may suddenly remember what you forgot."
"…That's true." After letting out a long sigh, Ogata stretched out his left hand and grabbed Atachi's right hand.
After being suddenly attacked by Ogata, Atachi let out a small scream.
"Atachi, let's speed up a little." Ogata smiled.
"What are you doing?" Atachi blushed slightly and subconsciously swung her right arm, trying to shake off Ogata's hand.
After all, this is still an ancient society. Although the customs in ancient Japan were relatively open, holding hands in public was still considered a very bold thing in that era.
Ogata ignored the shy Atachi and not only did he not let go of Atachi's hand , he held it even tighter.
Seeing that she couldn't get rid of Ogata's hand, and Ogata had no intention of letting go of her hand, Atachi could only blush as Ogata still held her hand.
The two walked all the way north.
After walking for about another hour, the two saw a teahouse on the roadside.
"Would you like to have some tea and take a rest?" Ogata asked.
A-Ming nodded: "Okay. I'm just a little thirsty."
Ogata and Omachi arrived at the door of the teahouse and shouted to an old woman who was busy inside:
"Mother-in-law! What kind of tea do you have?"
"Only green tea and oolong tea."
"What would you like to drink?" Ogata asked Atachi.
"Oolong tea."
"Then I'll drink oolong tea too, mother-in-law! Two cups of oolong tea then!"
"Okay! You two sit down and wait for a while!"
Ogata and A-machi sat on the bench outside the teahouse, waiting silently for tea.
But while waiting for tea, Ogata heard bursts of conversation coming from inside the teahouse - two people dressed as samurai were talking there.
"Have you watched the 'Imperial Trial'?"
"Of course I watched it! There are still many masters in the martial arts test of 'Imperial Trial'."
"Yes, I also enjoyed it very much. The 'Imperial Trial' held by Lord Laochu is really good. I really hope it can continue."
Hearing this conversation between these two warriors...
No, it should be said that after hearing the word "old middle-aged" from the conversation between the two samurai, Ogata's pupils suddenly shrank.
Then he couldn't help but scream.
Omachi was startled by Ogata's sudden scream and quickly turned to ask Ogata:
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly scream?"
"I remembered that I forgot something..." Ogata made a pose like the famous painting "The Scream", "I forgot to reply to the old man..."
Prior to this, Ogata was invited by the elder councilor Matsudaira Sadanobu to be his junior because he was appreciated by him. Matsudaira Sadanobu told Ogata directly that after promoting Ogata to junior, if he found that Ogata was indeed a useful talent, he would not hesitate to use and promote him.
In order to avoid trouble, Ogata neither agreed nor refused, but instead used the "delay tactic" and said that he would give him a formal reply after the "Imperial Trial" was over.
After Ogata, I was really busy and encountered too many things, so I gradually forgot about it...
It was not until now, when he heard the word "Laozhong" from a passerby, that Ogata finally remembered this incident.
"Huh? What should we do now? Should we go back to Edo?" Atachi asked anxiously.
Ogata thought for a moment, then -
"… Never mind. I'll ignore it."
As he spoke, he sighed softly.
"We've already gone so far away from Edo, and I'm too lazy to go back."
"Anyway, I probably won't have the chance to meet him again in the future."
"Just pretend that the incident of 'the old Chinese invited me to be his junior' never happened."
Ogata said this confidently.
…
…
At this moment——
Edo, the residence of the elder councilor Matsudaira Sadanobu——
"Tachibana."
Sitting behind the desk, Matsudaira Sadanobu was looking at a piece of letter and softly called out his nickname.
As soon as Matsudaira Sadanobu finished speaking, the door of the room next door was immediately opened.
"Master, what do you want me to do for you?" Tachibana asked respectfully while kneeling on one knee outside the door.
"Go and help me gather the young people." Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly put away the letter in his hand, "I want to discuss with them about sending troops to completely wipe out the rebels in Ezo."