I was a swordsman in ancient Japan

"Mashima Goro-kun, you are amazing." Matsudaira Sadanobu cut his sharp eyes to Ogata.

Ogata raised his eyebrows: "Why do you say that?"

"I've seen quite a few young samurai." Matsudaira Sadanobu folded his hands on his chest, "Whether it's a son of a noble family, a banner samurai, or an ordinary vassal, I've seen quite a few."

"However, young people, no matter what their status, are either quite nervous after seeing me, or write the words "please reuse me and appreciate me" on their faces."

"It's not uncommon for someone as calm and calm as you to appear, but it's really rare."

Hearing what Matsudaira Sadanobu said, Ogata couldn't help but smile.

Do you think people who have killed feudal lords and smashed Nijo Castle will be afraid of the elders of the shogunate?

Even if the shogun who holds the highest power in Japan appears in front of Ogata in person now, he has already done many earth-shattering events, and he has already developed a big heart, and he can continue to remain calm and calm. Ogata is very grateful for this. confidence.

Naturally, it was impossible for Ogata to speak out what was in his heart. After smiling, he said unhurriedly:

"I'm just an ordinary warrior. In my previous life, I have never seen any prominent figures."

"It's hard for me to understand what kind of existence big people are."

"At this time, after a big man really appeared in front of me, I only felt an unreal feeling."

"Maybe it's because of this that I was able to remain calm in front of Mr. Lao Zhong."

"Like a frog in a well who doesn't know how big the sky is."

Ogata's somewhat humorous answer seemed to make Matsudaira Jonobu laugh, and a few faint smiles surfaced on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face.

"Unexpectedly, there are people like you in the small Shirobei Clubhouse."

While talking, Matsudaira Sadanobu changed his sitting posture into a casual cross-legged sitting.

"Mashima Goro-kun, let's change our sitting posture. If you sit solemnly, you can't help but be serious when you talk."

"No need." Ogata said neither humble nor overbearing, "I can continue to sit upright. Sitting cross-legged in front of the old middle-aged man, no matter how you say it, it is really rude."

Matsudaira Sadanobu did not pay too much attention to the sitting posture.

Seeing that Ogata was still sitting upright, Sadanobu Matsudaira didn't say much.

"Mashima Goro-kun."

At this time, Matsudaira Sadanobu, who had changed into a casual sitting posture, said slowly.

"I'm very curious about the scene I saw in the bayberry house just now, and I hope you can explain it to me."

"When the Banner warrior rushed towards you with his sword held high, I clearly saw that you had bent your body and raised your right hand, ready to draw the sword."

"That man is a banner warrior, far more noble than you in terms of status."

"The contacts behind you, the power and financial resources in your hands may also be stronger and richer than you imagined."

"If you swing a knife at him, even if you don't kill him, you will definitely cause a series of rather difficult troubles."

"Even so, I saw firmness in your eyes, who were ready to draw your sword."

"Aren't you afraid of getting yourself into trouble after swinging the knife at the banner?"

"Or is it that you didn't really think about so many twists and turns at the time, but just planned to swing a knife at a banner warrior out of a sense of recklessness?"

Until now, Ogata didn't know why Matsudaira Sadanobu, who was supposed to be in two different worlds with him, showed up in Yoshiwara tonight, and he didn't know why Matsudaira Sadanobu suddenly summoned him who had never met before.

Until just now, the atmosphere around the two finally became more serious.

Ogata instinctively felt that Sadanobu Matsudaira might not be trying to get in touch with him or just for ordinary chatting, and he was throwing this question to him.

After quietly listening to this question from Matsudaira Sadanobu, Obi pursed his lips slightly.

For no reason, Ogata suddenly thought that this seemed to be the first time someone asked him such a question: Aren't you afraid when you swing a knife at those high-ranking people?

No one has ever asked Ogata this question with such a serious attitude.

"Of course I know what the consequences will be if I swing a knife at these bannermen."

After pondering for an unknown amount of time, the voice with a flat tone was slowly spit out from Ogata's mouth.

"I'm just an ex-ronin who finally got a normal job here in Yoshiwara a while ago."

"I also know the Hatakemoto who caused the trouble just now. His name is Takikawa Heiichiro, and he has a family salary of 3000 shi. With their family's financial resources and power, if he offends him and decides to take revenge on me, there must be a lot of trouble. Find me."

"If a low-level warrior like me offends a high-level warrior, it will end like this."

"I have seen and experienced the bullying of low-ranking warriors by high-ranking warriors a long time ago."

A face and a picture emerged in Ogata's mind.

That face is the face of Inoue, the senior warehouse official who was killed by Gennai Matsudaira with a sword because he accidentally bumped into Gennai Matsudaira when he was inspecting the warehouse with him.

That scene was that night after Ogata returned to the Sakakibara Sword Gym, he witnessed the tragic scene where his master and his brothers were all killed by Matsudaira Gennai

"Since you knew what the consequences would be, why did you act like you were planning to draw your sword?" Matsudaira Sadanobu asked.

A faint smile slowly appeared on Ogata's face.

"Because I don't want to just give in."

Concise and concise.

The tone is flat.

But it is as firm as a mountain.

However, after saying this, Ogata let out a few more chuckles.Then put on a half-joking tone:

"Of course, the reason why I was able to draw the sword in front of that Takikawa just now was because of my recklessness to help."

"That Takikawa is really annoying."

"I was angry when I saw his hysterical appearance."

"Thanks to Takigawa's annoying face, I had the courage to reach for the sword at my waist."

Matsudaira Sadanobu's gaze never left Ogata's body from just now.

As soon as Ogata's words "Because I don't want to just give in like this." just fell, Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes flashed a subtle light.

"Hahahaha." Matsudaira Sadanobu laughed, although it was only a low laugh.

"Mashima Goro-kun, you really surprise me."

"Since the first meeting in Yangmeiwu just now, you have always brought me surprises and surprises."

"Mashima Goro-kun, I don't know if you have paid attention to the results of the essay test last night. Do you know that you are the number one in the essay test?"

The topic of Matsudaira Sadanobu changed suddenly, and the topic suddenly changed from "serious discussion" to "chatting about family affairs".

Although I don't know why Matsudaira Sadanobu changed the subject so suddenly, Ogata replied immediately:

"Since I participated in the imperial examination, I naturally paid attention to last night's literary examination."

"To be honest, I still can't believe that I will be the first in the essay test."

"Then do you know who corrected the essay papers?" Matsudaira Sadanobu asked.

Ogata shook his head.

Ogata has never paid attention to who is responsible for changing the paper.

As far as Ogata knew, the shogunate also kept the identities of those who changed the papers strictly confidential, and did not let anyone outside know who was responsible for changing the papers.

"There are two batches of people who corrected the papers."

"The first batch of people is responsible for correcting the previous postings."

"The second batch of people is responsible for judging the last question on the paper."

Posting scriptures is also a fill-in-the-blank question.

The "last question" that Matsudaira Sadanobu said was naturally the composition question that asked everyone to write their understanding of the phrase "knowing that it can't be done".

"But in fact, the so-called second batch of people is only one person."

"And that person"

Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly raised his finger and pointed at himself.

"it is me."

"The person responsible for judging the last question on the paper is me."

The words of Matsudaira Sadanobu caused Ogata's eyes to involuntarily flash a bit of surprise.

Ogata had never imagined that the country's second-in-command, who was busy with everything, would personally check the composition question.

"Then, I was also the one who judged you to be the number one in the literary examination."

The words that Matsudaira Sadanobu said immediately caused the astonishment in Ogata's eyes to expand at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"You actually made 21 mistakes in the previous post."

"But it doesn't matter."

"In this essay test, the really important question is not the previous posting, but the last question."

"As long as you answer the last question well, you can get a good ranking in this essay test. And vice versa."

"The top 10 winners of this essay test are all like this."

"And you are the one who I think can answer that question best, so I will give you the first place in the essay test."

"Did I play that question that well?" Ogata raised his hand and scratched his hair, "How could I get such a high evaluation from you, Mr. Senior Middle School?"

In Ogata's impression, his question was just for fun

"I can see at a glance who is following the scriptures, and who really has a deep understanding and understanding of the phrase knowing that it can't be done."

"Many people just wrote down the explanation of this sentence they heard in school on the test paper."

"Even if it is embellished with gorgeous rhetoric, it can't change the paleness of the content."

"But you, Mashima-kun, are different."

Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes became sharper.

"Through your words, I can really feel that you are not following the scriptures. You have your own unique and profound insights into this sentence."

"After I read your paper, my first impression was that a person who has such a profound insight into the saying that he knows it can't be done must be a man with a lot of backbone."

"I love how you write about your insight into doing things you know you can't do."

"That's why I made you the first name in the essay test."

"In order to verify my conjecture that you must be a man with backbone, I specially chose to come to Yoshihara to meet you tonight when I have no schedule."

"And you really didn't disappoint me."

"There are not many samurai like you who have the backbone to dare to say that you don't want to surrender."

"Mashima Goro-kun. I admire you very much."

Matsudaira Sadanobu's face gradually became serious.

"Don't stay in Yoshiwara anymore."

"Come and follow me."

"In other words, you will be promoted to my surname."

call

A night wind that was much stronger than the previous one poured into the room.

The lights and shadows pulled out by the candlelight changed slightly with the expression and look on Ogata's face.

"Ha ha"

What Matsudaira Sadanobu said just now was so impactful that Ogata didn't know how to answer for a moment.

In order to buy himself time to think, Ogata let out a few laughs, and then said in a half-joking tone:

"Before participating in the imperial trial, I heard people say that Mr. Lao Zhong intends to select available talents in this imperial trial and promote them to be his staff."

"It turns out that the rumor is true."

"No, this rumor is false." As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Matsudaira Sadanobu shook his head, "It's just a rumor spread by someone who doesn't know."

"I never thought about choosing who to be my staff member among the participants in the imperial trial."