Phew...

Waves of cold night wind penetrated into the room along the cracks in the window.

The cool breeze blows and the candlelight flickers.

The swaying light cast dappled light and shadow on the cheek of Ii Naobi, who was currently leaning his right elbow on the armrest and supporting his head with his right palm.

The atmosphere in the room became a little more solemn with the words Ando Nobumasa just said.

As soon as Ando Nobumasa finished speaking, Ii Naomi immediately asked Ando Nobumasa in a tone that was neither salty nor indifferent, as if he did not contain any emotions:

"...Ando, ​​is the information accurate? Have you found out when they plan to assassinate and who will be the assassins?"

"..." Ando Nobumasa nodded solemnly, "Several spies we placed in Mito Domain all received the same information at almost the same time."

"The information should be very accurate."

"As for the specific time of the assassination and the person responsible for the assassination... it has not yet been determined."

The room became silent again, and you could hear a needle drop...

After a while, I saw Naobi Ii take a deep breath and sit up slightly:

"Assassinate me...hehehe. This day has finally arrived."

Nobumasa Ando raised his head and cast a surprised look at Naoki Ii in front of him.

"Boss, listen to your tone...did you expect that a feudal lord from Mito Domain would come to assassinate you?"

"Oh, that's right." Ii Naobi sat up a little straighter, "As early as two years ago, when I accepted the position of 'Elder', I had already thought that such a day would come."

"My thoughts and those of the Mito Domain people have always been incompatible with each other."

Ii Naobi raised the corner of his mouth, sneered, and then continued.

"I advocated the founding of the country. I punished the old traitor Tokugawa Saishaki first. I ignored the emperor and forcibly signed the "Five-Nation Treaty" with the barbarians. I have already given up to the Mito clan who shouted every day to "reject the barbarians" and "respect the emperor."

Totally offended."

"If they didn't take some drastic measures to deal with me, I would be surprised."

"...Those people in the Mito Domain...are just a bunch of lunatics!" Nobumasa Ando seemed to have recalled some bad memories at this time, his face turned livid, "They are shouting 'reject the barbarians', 'reject the barbarians' every day..."

"

"Don't we want to drive the Yi and Di out?"

"I dream of driving all these barbarians out as soon as possible!"

After saying that, Ando Nobumasa gritted his teeth suddenly, clenched his right palm tightly, and punched the tatami under him hard.

"But if we don't become stronger, what are we going to do to fight off the invaders?"

"Are we going to fight against Yi Di's steam battleships with just the swords on our waists?"

"We must found a country, we must communicate with these barbarians, and we must learn the advanced technology of the barbarians. Only in this way can we truly have the ability to fight off the barbarians."

"Why don't those people in Mito Domain... just understand this?"

"Do they really think they can defeat Yi Di with swords and spears..."

Looking at the indignant Nobumasa Ando, ​​Naomi Ii smiled helplessly.

"Ando, ​​calm down."

"...I'm sorry, boss, for making you laugh." Ando Nobumasa took several deep breaths and then slowly released his fist.

Ii Naobi waved his hand, indicating that he didn't mind: "Ando, ​​you can make arrangements later so that the spies lurking in the Mito Domain can step up their investigation to find out who they are, where they want to assassinate me, and at what time."

At this point, Ii Naoki changed into a humorous tone:

"I haven't heard enough of Aku's Japanese songs, but we can't just let the people of the Mito clan get killed like this."

Nobumasa Ando, ​​who was amused by Naoki Ii's witty words and had a smile on his face, lowered his head:

"Yes, I will go down and make arrangements immediately."

"I also ask you, boss, to strengthen your vigilance and increase the number of guards in the near future."

"This country...can't live without you, the elder."

"Now, only you, the elder, can control the imperial court in Kyoto, control the lords in Satsuma and Choshu, and control the careerists in the shogunate."

"If one day you are no longer here..."

Ando Nobumasa's fist that had just been loosened was clenched again.

"I can't even imagine what the future of this country will be like..."

Listening to Ando Nobumasa's words, Ii Naobi smiled slightly, and then nodded:

"Don't worry, I will be more vigilant."

"Ando, ​​apart from this 'Mito feudal lord intends to assassinate me', is there anything else you want to report to me?"

Ando Nobumasa shook his head.

"In that case, let's break up." Ii Naobi stood up with an elbow on his side, "It's getting late at night, so you should go back and rest early."

Nobumasa Ando: “Yes!”

After sending his family's attendants to see Ando Nobumasa off, Naomi Ii walked slowly to a room on the highest floor of the mansion without any entourage.

This is the bedroom of Naoki Ii and his wife, Ii Jiu.

As soon as he returned to the bedroom, Ii Naobi saw his wife, Ajiu, kneeling in front of a table with pens, inks, paper and inkstones, writing something furiously.

Since it was bedtime, Ajiu was only wearing a white bathrobe, and her long hair with a lot of white silk was spread naturally.

There is a heater in the room for heating, so you won't feel cold even if you only wear a thin yukata.

"Ah, you're back." After noticing Ii Naobi's return, Ajiu quickly put down the pen in his hand, turned around, and faced Ii Naobi with a smiling face full of warm smiles.

"Well, haven't you slept yet?" Ii Naobi smiled at his wife, and then walked slowly towards his wife.

After arriving at his wife's side, he collapsed - his head rested on Ajiu's legs, and he lay carelessly on his side on the tatami.

"What's wrong?" Ajiu raised his eyebrows that still retained a lot of charm at Ii Naobi, who was resting on his lap.

"It's nothing..." Ii Naobi adjusted his posture from lying on his side to lying on his back. He half-closed his eyes and looked up at the face above that was also covered with wrinkles like his, "I just... want to see you after a long time."

I’m just looking at you from this angle.”

Ajiu smiled: "So - look at me from this angle after a long time. Is there any difference between me and before?"

"..." Ii Naobi put away the smile on his face and looked at Ajiu's face seriously without blinking.

He just kept looking at Ajiu and didn't speak for a long time.

When Akudu couldn't help but feel a little impatient and wanted to "urge" Ii Naobi, he saw Ii Naobi let out a "plop" and showed a faint smile.

"It's no different. Just stare at it for a while and you can't help but be fascinated by it."

Ajiu laughed dumbly, showed a happy smile, raised his hand and caressed Ii Naobi's face.

Naoki Ii slowly closed his eyes as if he was enjoying Aku's caress.

Neither of the old couple spoke anymore.

But the strange thing is that no one feels that this atmosphere of silence between each other is awkward.

"...Ajiu, do you want to hear me tell a story?"

"Um?"

Before Aku could respond, Ii Naobi, who had his eyes closed, continued to talk to himself:

"There was an old scalper...it was dragging a grain cart and wanted to drag the grain in the cart to the market to sell."

Ajiu's hand that was caressing Ii Naobi's cheek suddenly stopped.

"The cart used to load grain... was a broken cart, crumbling."

"The old scalper must hurry up and pull the grain on the cart to the market before the cart falls apart."

"It didn't dare to slack off and worked day and night to pull the truck."

"This cart is too big, and there is too much food on it. The old scalper has to work hard to drag the cart."

"It's already very hard work to drag this broken car that could fall apart at any time."

"As a result... the old scalper had to devote his energy to dealing with some ants that kept coming to his feet to harass him."

"Those ants pointed to a very conspicuous cliff and said to the old scalper: You are pulling in the wrong direction. It is impossible to reach the market in that direction. According to me, the direction I pointed is the correct direction.

!”

"The old scalper ignored these abnormal-minded ants and continued to work hard and pull the cart diligently."

"When the ants saw that the old scalper did not take their wise advice, they became furious, biting the old scalper's legs, and insisted on asking the old scalper to pull the grain cart to the cliff."

"Some people saw the old scalper's hard work and praised the old scalper's diligence."

"But after hearing the praise from these people...the old scalper didn't feel very happy."
To be continued...