2. Dawn of Chaos – Okazaki Castle

Although it is still winter, it is already the first month, and the weather is starting to warm up. The citrus tree that Wase's Tojo Tsukihiro gave away in the courtyard was already covered with golden fruits and was full of fragrance. I am afraid that I am tempted by the aroma, and there are many birds and finches in the yard. Matsudaira Hirotada, a 16-year-old city lord, has been staring at the birds and finches in silence for a long time. In the warm sunshine, Kanroku, the eldest son who was born last year when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, climbed in front of Guangzhong's body from time to time and looked up at his father with a sad face.

Seeing this situation, Aku's heart was like a cold wind blowing. Akunai matsudaira Hirotaru, the daughter of Matsudaira Hirotada's clan, was married to Hirotada, who was only 13 years old at the time, at the age of 15, and is now a young mother. Although her figure is weak, she is also quite delicate. If the maid is dismissed, when there are only three of them left, it does not look like a family of three, but like a sister taking care of and caring for two younger brothers.

"Haven't you made up your mind yet?" Ah Jiu said, "If you don't agree, the concubine will be severely reprimanded, and the courtiers will certainly think that the concubine is preventing the adult from making a decision out of jealousy." ”

"Aku, why don't you show a little jealousy as they say?" You and I met in the main room... Have you forgotten? ”

"The concubine has not forgotten... But it's all for the future of the Matsudaira family. At this time, Kanroku snuggled up to his mother, and Aku picked him up and continued, "Moreover, I heard that Miss Yu is a famous beauty, and people praise her for her insight and strength." I really hope that you will marry her early, so that the courtiers can rest assured. ”

Guangzhong raised his eyes sharply to look at Ah Jiu, and the anger on his young and pale face soared: "You also want me to marry the daughter of an enemy and bow down to people?" ”

"But this is for the big picture—"

"Hugh is going to say it!" Guang Zhong patted his knee fiercely, and was silent with excitement, and his eyes were unconsciously red. After a long time, he said hoarsely, "Yu Dai is the daughter of her stepmother." She is both the daughter of the enemy and the sister in name. How can I marry my sister for the sake of stealing my life..." He could not say any more.

Aku said, "Any decision you make must consider the long-term interests. Her voice was low, but word by word, unusually resolute.

Yu Dai, mentioned by Hirota and Aku, is the daughter of Mizuno Tadamasa, the lord of Kariya Castle. Kariya borders Okazaki. Just last year, Guangzhong and Zhongzheng fought for a whole year.

Yu Guangzhong is two years old, Fang is 14 years old, and his posture is famous far and wide. The young Guangzhong did not have the idea of seeing Fangrong, but he only regarded her as the daughter of his stepmother Huayangyuan and his own sister, not a poor woman who had to sacrifice for politics. Mizuno Tadano would shake his fat head and say to himself with a sinister smile, "If Yu Dai marries Matsudaira Hirotada, it will be a lot of benefits for me." ”

"Aku, after my birth mother died, my stepmother married from Kariya Castle, do you know what people talked about at that time?"

"This... Where do concubines know. ”

"I'm afraid you wouldn't say it even if you knew. Whenever I think about these past events, I feel very embarrassed. When Guang Zhong thought of this, he felt indignant.

"But that was a long time ago—"

"No!" Guangzhong's eyes were on fire, "The stepmother has five children for Mizuno in Kariya Castle, loyal, faithful, loyal, loyal, and Yu Da, all of whom are good-looking and physically fit. Why did Zhongzheng abandon the woman who bore him so many children? And why let her remarry her father..."

Ah Jiu immediately threw himself on Guangzhong's lap and said, "The Lord must not speak like this." If you say so, Aku I... I..."

In this incident, Aku's situation is the most embarrassing. Mizuno Tadamasa is treacherous and ruthless, he was able to abandon a woman who bore him five children and let her remarry the Matsudaira clan, it is not difficult to imagine what will happen after he marries his daughter to the Matsudaira family and gives birth to the eldest son Aku for Hirotada...

At present, the Matsudaira clan is far inferior to its rival Mizuno clan. The Mizuno clan is the same as the Matsudaira clan and the Imakawa clan of Suruga Province. However, in recent years, the power of Oda Nobuhide in Owari has gradually expanded, and Matsudaira Nobudō and others, Hirota's uncle Sakurai, are trying to join forces with Oda Nobunaga and take Okazaki Castle for themselves. Therefore, Okazaki's courtiers Abe Daizo, Ōkubo Shinhachiro Tadanotoshi, and others all painstakingly persuaded Aku: "No matter what, please lady take more responsibility." The lord of the city is still young, and you must persuade him to agree to this family affair. Aku's fate was thus embroiled in a major event that concerned the survival of the Matsudaira clan. Guangzhong never agreed to this marriage. He was convinced that his father, Kiyoyasu, had won Mizuno's treacherous schemes before marrying the mother of the mizuno clan's five children.

Guangzhong looked at ah jiu who was crying silently next to him, looked at the young and innocent Kan liu, and suddenly his eyes lit up, "Ajiu, I have an idea." He glanced around, then whispered in Aku's ear. Ah Jiu listened and listened, and his face gradually lost blood.

"You see?" Guang Zhong lowered his voice and carefully looked around again.

Ah Jiu stared closely into Guangzhong's eyes and trembled, "It's too cruel to do this..." Her face began to twitch, and her hands on her knees also trembled.

"How cruel this is, it is only to treat others in the way they are."

"That's right, but Miss Yu is innocent."

"Innocent? What am I guilty of? Grandfather and father died under the knife of the enemy, and I will one day do the same. In this world, if you do not kill, men will kill you. Doesn't someone give their mother of five children to a rival just to survive..."

"Shhh—" Ah Jiu interrupted Guangzhong. In the empty corridor came footsteps, it was Aku's maid Awan. She reported: "Madame has come from Beiyuan. The two were taken aback and looked at each other, and Guangzhong hurriedly got up, ready to meet his stepmother...