Joshita Town, Shubo Yamaguchikan. Night. A few days before Otomo Yoshikan's army rose up to prepare to attack the Luo family.

Outside the corner tower near a wooden house, Gu Feng stretched out its dense branches and leaves, and above the newly repaired earthen wall, a bright moon hung high, and the sound of frogs in the fields in early summer could be heard in the distance.

At this time, Duanmu Qingzheng was anxiously walking around the wooden house, and the floor, which was originally a little moldy, was also brightened up because of his back and forth.

Just a few days ago, the Governor of the family, Masahiro, sent information about the Otomo family's preparations for a large-scale invasion of Chikugo and even Chikuzen. After getting the news, Duanmu Kiyomasa immediately reported the news to the Ouchi family. Originally, he believed that the Ouchi family would react immediately, but after waiting at home for a few days, there was no response.

"Could it be that Daiji Dazai-sama was so addicted to the banquet that he didn't look at the important information he provided? No, you have to let Dazai Daiji know the way as soon as possible. So Duanmu Kiyomasa immediately found Masahiro's father-in-law, Sagara Takeren.

At this time, Sagara Takeren was already an important minister of the Ouchi family. Ever since Yoshitaka Ouchi returned from a fiasco of bad luck, he has been more and more reused. On the contrary, Tao Longfang and Naito Xingsheng were increasingly snubbed by Yoshitaka Ouchi because they often disturbed Yoshitaka Ouchi, and even bluntly admonished Yoshitaka Ouchi.

"It's not that the lord doesn't know about it at this time." After knowing the intention of Duanmu Qingzheng, Sagara Takeren also said bluntly.

"Why is that? Could it be that Dazai Daiji-sama plans to watch the Otomo family regain strength after Chikugo, which is probably not a good thing for the Ouchi family. Duanmu Qingzheng said angrily.

This incident caused a huge controversy in the family, and everyone led by Lord Tao Longfang supported the family and immediately sent troops to assist the Luo family in resisting the Otomo family. It's just ......," Sagara said, shaking his head.

"Just what? Sagara-sama may wish to make it clear. ”

"The other side, led by Lord Nato Xingsheng, supported the family to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. Moreover. I'm afraid you don't know the way, right? The Otomo family also sent an envoy to the Yamauchikan to lobby around. also secretly gave gifts.,This made many retainers support Naito's prosperous side.,I'm quite helpless about it.。 Sagara Takeren said bluntly. Although he is Masahiro's father-in-law, in the final analysis, it is just a political marriage between the Ouchi family and the Luo family, and it is rare that Sagara Takeren can reveal so much information to Duanmu Kiyomasa.

"Thank you Sagara-sama for your frank words!" When the conversation came here, there was no need to say more, and Duanmu Qingzheng respectfully bowed to Sagara Takeren. He hurriedly took his leave.

After returning to his residence, he immediately repaired a book, and then secretly found the Luo family detective hidden in the castle town, and asked him to immediately send the letter back to Hizen, and delivered it to Masarashi as quickly as possible. At this time, Masahiro was just about to set off for Chikugo, and when he received an urgent letter from Duanmu Qingzheng from Zhou Fang, he immediately sneered:

"Hmph, since that's the case, then let's see how the family responds."

After saying that, Masara immediately issued an order. Then let people hurry down and arrange.

And so it was a few more days, when the order of the good man had not yet arrived. The situation at Yamaguchikan is even more complicated. The envoys of the Otomo clan not only took advantage of the opportunity of Ouchi Yoshiko to become the son of Ouchi Yoshitaka to befriend the Ouchi family's retainers and improve relations between the two parties, but even gave a large number of gifts to the ministers from Kyoto who settled near the Yamaguchikan. Thus through these ministers to Ouchi Yoshitaka large pot of ecstasy soup.

Although Duanmu Kiyomasa also adopted a similar approach, he was snubbed by many retainers and ministers of the Ouchi family. What made him even more frightened was that recently, for some reason, the retainers of the Ouchi family, led by Sugi Xingyun, actually talked about the threat theory of the Luo family again. The situation is becoming more and more unfavorable for the Luo family.

In the past few days, Duanmu Qingzheng has been unable to sleep and eat, and even his hair has turned white. That night, he was anxiously walking up and down the hut.

"Why hasn't the lord replied to the letter by this time?"

"Tuk Tuk Tuk ......" Just when Duanmu Qingzheng was up and down in his heart, the wooden door was knocked gently.

"Moonlight in front of the bed." A low voice rang out outside the door.

When he heard this voice, Duanmu Qingzheng's heart immediately became excited. This voice was not assigned to his guards (for surveillance purposes) by the Ouchi family, who was in charge of guarding the courtyard. And that sentence full of rhyme is the code word of the Luo family's Black Eagle and the detective. So Duanmu Qingzheng didn't care about the doubts in his heart, and immediately came to the wooden door, and whispered through the wooden door:

"Suspected frost on the ground."

"Look up at the moon." The other party said the last code word.

"Bow your head and think of your hometown. Squeak. After saying the last secret word, Duanmu Qingzheng opened the wooden door. I saw three people dressed in black standing outside the door.

"Please come in." Duanmu Qingzheng recognized that the leader was Fei Duan, one of the leaders of the lord's good staff, so he immediately let the three of them into the wooden house.

After the three of them entered the room, Fei Duan first cautiously signaled to Taketori Snake Ranmaru and Tadao Koryūjun behind him to reclose the wooden door, and then carefully took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to Duanmu Kiyomasa, saying:

"Needless to say. All the commands of the Lord are in the Epistles. ”

When Duanmu Qingzheng heard this, he immediately took the letter, and then opened it and read it. As he read deeper, his eyebrows jumped. Finally, after reading the letter several times, he finally put it in the oil lamp and burned it to ashes.

"Please tell the lord, there will be arrangements in the next few days." After confirming that all the fragments of the letters had been reduced to ashes, Duanmu Qingzheng turned to Fei Duan and said solemnly.

"Then, I'll wait for news from the adults in the lower class, and when the time comes, the adults will be able to find me as long as they find the detective arranged by the family near the Yamaguchi Museum." Fei Duan didn't say much, and after confirming the contact information with Duanmu Qingzheng, he took people to prepare to leave.

Duanmu Qingzheng nodded, then opened the wooden door, and watched Fei Duan and the others disappear into the darkness again. At this time, through the light of the oil lamp in the wooden house, Duanmu Qingzheng saw the guard sent by the Ouchi family who was curled up not far from the door. At this time, the whole guard was leaning on the stone bench in the courtyard, sleeping quietly, as if completely unaware of everything that was happening around him. And the two ashigaru outside the courtyard are leaning against the courtyard wall, and they are also asleep.

"It looks like it's going to work." Being able to unknowingly coma these people who are called protection but are actually surveillance, it seems that the people sent by the lord this time are very strong, so Duanmu Qingzheng is more confident in the arrangement mentioned in Masaliang's letter.

Just when Duanmu Kiyomasa breathed a sigh of relief that Masato had finally given instructions, Otomo Yoshikan, who was far away from Zhoufangtan, was also a little impatient to wait.

"Why hasn't anyone come to report it?" Otomo Yoshikan wiped the sweat from his chest again and muttered in a low voice. After sealing off the news of the death of the young two Dongshang, Otomo Yoshikan only waited for one news, and then he would raise a large army to go to Chikugo. It's just that the news has not arrived for a long time.

"Didn't you say that it was pulled out yesterday? How is it that no one has come to report back at this point today? ”

"There's no need to rush. Now this season, the days are long and the nights are short. The military advisor on the side, Usu, said in a low voice, and at the same time gently picked up his bat fan to cool off Otomo Yoshikan. It's early summer, and it's getting a little hot. For Otomo Yoshikan, who was already fully armed at this time and ready to go out at any time and was a little fat, it was indeed a little hot.

"Report, an urgent report from Higo Yoshihiro Kanri-sama、。 Just then, the samurai outside the council hall came in to report. At the same time, he also held a letter in his hand.

"Is it finally here? Hurry up. Otomo Yoshikan said, and after speaking, he took the letter from the hand of the young surname, and then immediately opened it and read it.

"Well, Higo's army officially set off yesterday, and it is expected that it will be able to enter Chikugo's territory today. Immediately after noon, the army set out. After reading the letter, Otomo Yoshikan said happily.

So, after noon, Otomo Yoshikan finally broke the pottery wine cup and set off for purging. (To be continued......)