I was a swordsman in ancient Japan

The latter idea is one that Matsudaira Sadanobu highly admires.

Sadanobu Matsudaira, who admires Han Feizi's thoughts very much, always carries Han Feizi's works with him wherever he goes, and reads them whenever he is free. Every time he reads, he will have new insights.

In the huge tent, there is only Matsudaira Sadanobu alone.

Tachibana, who is always inseparable from Matsudaira Sadanobu on weekdays, is not by Matsudaira Sadanobu's side now.

Because Tachibana is currently busy organizing an "investigation team".

"Organizing a team" seems simple, but in reality there are many things to do. You have to count the personnel, the food and water they carry... It may take half an hour for a person with mediocre ability Even if the time is too long, the team cannot be organized beautifully.

Because Matsudaira felt that this task was a very good training opportunity for Tachibana who was still very young, so Matsudaira decided to organize the task of organizing the "investigation team" to Tachibana, and let Tachibana take full responsibility for this task.

The reason why Tachibana can become Matsudaira Sadanobu's surname is because Matsudaira Sadanobu appreciates Tachibana's talent and talent, and thinks he is a plastic talent, so he chooses him as his surname, and let Tachibana learn and exercise with him all the time.

Therefore, Matsudaira Sadanobu often entrusts Tachibana with some tasks that can train people well, as he does now.

Matsudaira Sadanobu is now reading a book while silently waiting for Tachibana to organize the "investigation team".

After an unknown amount of time passed, Tachibana's voice finally sounded outside the tent:

"My lord! The team has been organized! It's ready to go!"

After Tachibana's voice fell, Matsudaira Sadanobu glanced at the candle next to him.

He has been using candles to calculate the time it took Tachibana to organize the team just now.

After finding that the time Tachibana took was much shorter than what Matsudaira Jonobu had imagined, Matsudaira Jonobu nodded lightly, then closed the "Han Feizi" in his hand, put it in his arms, and then walked out of the tent with his hands behind his back.

After leaving the tent, Matsudaira Sadanobu saw Tachibana standing respectfully outside the tent.

"Not bad." Matsudaira Sadanobu squeezed out a smile, "It took a lot less time than I expected."

Hearing this compliment from Matsudaira Sadanobu, Tachibana's face showed a touch of joy.

But Tachibana didn't dare to show the joyful look on his face too much, so after the joyful look appeared on his face, he quickly put away the joyful look, and then said some self-deprecating words.

"Let's go." Matsudaira Sadanobu nodded.

Tachibana: "Yes!"

Tachibana led Matsudaira Sadanobu towards the gathering place of the "investigation team".

This "investigation team" consists of 3 parts.

One: Matsudaira Sadanobu and Tachibana who are in the leadership.

Two: The warriors responsible for the guards.

Three: The experts responsible for viewing the fjords, and the handymen responsible for carrying the sedan chairs for Matsudaira Takanobu.

This time when he left Edo and went north to Ezo, Matsudaira Sadanobu didn't just bring guards, he also brought a group of experts from all walks of life with him from Edo.

The task of these experts is to assist Matsudaira Sadanobu, to help Matsudaira to investigate the current situation of Ezo and jointly study the "Ezo Development Plan".

This "expert group" composed of experts from all walks of life has nearly 50 people.Among them are experts who are responsible for checking whether the land is suitable for reclamation into farmland, experts who are responsible for checking whether coasts or fjords are suitable for building ports, and experts who are responsible for checking which places are suitable for building cities...

For this outing inspection, Matsudaira Sadanobu brought the "harbour experts" in the "expert group".

Tachibana, who was walking in front of Matsudaira Sadanobu, led the way and introduced to Matsudaira Sadanobu:

"My lord, Inamori-sama, he sent 50 elite soldiers from the cavalry to serve as our guards. The leader is a general named Kitano Shuki."

"Kitano Shuki..." Matsudaira Sadanobu muttered, "I seem to have heard this name somewhere..."

"It's normal for my lord to have heard of this name before." Tachibana smiled and said, "He is the second son of the Banner--the Kitano family. He is famous for his bravery, and he is quite well-known among our shogunate army."

"Oh... I remember when I heard this name." Matsudaira Sadanobu nodded, "When I was chatting with Inamori before, Inamori mentioned to me that he has discovered that the military is worth cultivating malleable talent."

"Inamori mentioned that name at that time."

"I've heard of Kitano Shuki's name a long time ago." Tachibana said at this time, "But... at the beginning, what I heard were some... unknown rumors about Kitano Shuki."

"What rumor?" Matsudaira Sadanobu asked.

"It is said..." Tachibana lowered his voice, "That Kitano Shuki prefers to play with men rather than women."

Tachibana's words are very euphemistic.

Matsudaira Sadanobu was stunned for a moment, then smiled:

"Whether such rumors are true or not, it doesn't matter."

"It's just that people have different preferences, and there is no distinction between high and low."

"Compared with this kind of thing, I care more about a person's talents."

Between talking and laughing, Matsudaira Sadanobu and Tachibana had come to an open space.

On that open space, there was a sedan chair—this was Matsudaira Sadanobu's sedan chair.

Nearly a hundred warriors in armor stood on the left and right sides of the sedan chair.

The samurai on the left side of the sedan chair were all dressed in red armor - this was Matsudaira Sadanobu's original guard: the red cavalry.

The samurai on the right side of the sedan chair are larger in number, all dressed in ordinary black armor—this is the 50 elite soldiers that Inamori dispatched to Matsudaira Jonobu.

At the front of the 50 elite soldiers sent by Inamori Zeng, stood a young samurai wearing excellent armor and a beautiful haori.

After the appearance of Matsudaira Sadanobu, the young warrior hurriedly bowed his head and saluted:

"Welcome to the old middle-aged adults!"

Matsudaira Sadanobu looked up and down several times at this young samurai who was completely different from the people around him just because of his armor.

"Are you Kitano Shuki?"

"Yes!" Sadanobu Matsudaira was able to accurately call out his own name, which made the young samurai feel flattered, "I am Kitano Shuki!"

"I'll leave it to you for the guards this time." Matsudaira Sadanobu said calmly.

The young samurai—that is, Kitano Zhou Ji was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly responded respectfully: "Yes! I will definitely hang my life!"

After all, Matsudaira Sadanobu didn't say much, bypassed Kitano Shuki in front of him, and got into his sedan chair.

When Matsudaira Sadanobu bypassed him and passed him by, Kitano subconsciously wanted to turn his head to look at Matsudaira Sadanobu.

But reason finally defeated sensibility, and Kitano resisted the urge to do such a disrespectful act.

——The eyes of the old middle-aged man... are so beautiful...

Kitano Shuki swallowed quietly while thinking in his heart.

……

……

Red Moon Fortress, somewhere——

"You spread your feet too far! Keep your feet parallel to your shoulders!"

"Your shoulders are so stiff! Relax! Relax!"

"Your breathing is messed up! If you don't breathe steadily, you won't be able to hit the target!"

Aisuma, who was standing beside Otunpuyi, kept correcting Otongpuyi's bow-drawing movements.

Aisuma and her brother are currently in an inaccessible place in Red Moon Fortress.

Because no one passes by this place, Aisuma often brings her brother here to practice bowing.

After parting with Puccina, Aisuma brought her younger brother to this place non-stop, and started tonight's bow practice.

Otun Puyi stood sideways, holding the bow of the hunting bow in his left hand, and pulling the bowstring into a full moon with his right hand. An arrow without an arrow was attached to the string, and the arrow pointed directly at a big tree not far away.

Although Otunpuyi has been trying to correct his movements according to his sister's instructions, but no matter how he corrects, his movements make his sister frown.

"Okay!" Ai Suma shouted, "What are you practicing today?! Why are you so absent-minded all the time!"

Asuma's reprimand was quite harsh.

Listening to her sister's reprimand, Otun Puyi silently put down the bow in her hand and lowered her head.

Aisuma wanted to reprimand her younger brother a few more words, but when she saw Otunpuyi with her head lowered, all the reprimand words she had planned were stuck in her throat. Can't say it.

After a long silence, Aisuma transformed the words that were intended to reprimand Otunpuyi into a long sigh.

"……Ugh."

"Otunpuyi, what's wrong with you tonight? Why are you in such a bad state? You wouldn't have practiced so badly before."

"Is there any discomfort in your body?"

Otunpuyi shook his head: "There is nothing uncomfortable..."

"Since you are not feeling ill, cheer up quickly!" Aisuma's tone became serious again, "Why are you participating in the 'Hunting Festival' in this state!"

As if he didn't hear what Aisuma said, Otunpuyi continued to lower his head and look at his toes.

Seeing Aisuma who looked strange in Otunpuyi, just when she was about to say something more, Otunpuyi suddenly said coldly:

"...Sister. We have been living this life of hunting for a living...is it really good...?"

"Huh?" Aisuma tilted her head and cast a puzzled look at her younger brother, "What are you talking about? If we don't hunt, what will we eat?"

"I mean - is it really okay that we've been doing this without trying to change our lives?"

Otunpuyi suddenly raised his head, his eyes pierced straight at his sister like a torch.

"When I was chatting with Mashima-san just now, I thought about many things..."

Aotong Puyi said slowly.

"The materials and workmanship of the clothes worn by Mr. Mashima and Ms. A-machi are much better than our clothes. Kazuto's clothing craftsmanship is far superior to that of our Ainu people."

"Mr. Mashima's swords are far sharper and harder than our mountain swords. Kazuto's iron craftsmanship is also superior to our Ainu people."

"Heren's skills in other aspects must be far superior to ours."

"Kazuto... is much more advanced than us Ainu..."

"In Kazuto's eyes, we must be just a bunch of savages with a low standard of living..."

"Why don't we try to learn from Kazuto?"

Otunpuyi's tone gradually became agitated.

"If we learn from Kazuto humbly, we might be able to use such good cloth, use such a good sword, and have better medical skills like Kazuto."

"I don't need to live this primitive, savage fishing and hunting life anymore..."

"Enough!" Aisuma interrupted Aotongpuyi roughly before he finished speaking, "Why do you have such a stupid idea!"

"You can't tell anyone after the bastard words you just said! Especially you can't say it to those who have a relationship with others!"

"elder sister!"

Otunpuyi, who usually speaks in a soft voice, shouted very rarely at this time.

"Don't you want to live a civilized and advanced life like Heren's?"

"Haven't I said enough?!" Aisuma overwhelmed Otunpuyi's voice with a voice that was one degree higher than that of Otunpuyi, "Don't talk about this again—!"

After all, Aisuma let out a long breath, and supported her forehead with a tired face.

"... No wonder you are in such a bad state of bow practice tonight... So you have been thinking about such absurd things..."

Otunpuyi didn't deny it, just kept silent.

"...That's all for tonight's bow and arrow practice."

Asuma lowered her hand on her forehead.

"You can't practice much in your current state, so go home and rest tonight."

"...Okay." Otongpuyi nodded slowly.

"What you said just now, remember not to tell anyone again." Aisuma said with a serious face, "The words you just said are very dangerous... If someone hears , will cause trouble."

"...I see..." Otunpuyi nodded again.

"You should stop thinking about the absurd thing of 'living a Japanese life'." Aisuma continued, "We Ainu have our Ainu life, there is no need to forcibly change us Existing life, lived and human life."

"But..." Otunpuyi gritted his teeth, "I don't think there's anything wrong with what I said just now... What's wrong with learning from Kazuto and living a life like Kazuto?"

"Enough." Aisuma seemed to have no strength to continue arguing with Otunpuyi, "I don't want to argue with you now."

"You go home now. The moonlight is not very bright tonight, remember to pay attention to your feet when you go back alone."