Your Family of Four / Kiyohime in the Futon

"Wait a minute! We are merchants recognized by the shogunate. Your shogun even had dinner with us yesterday. Are you going to stop us too?" one of the merchants got out of the carriage and shouted.

The soldier sneered, "Heh, I'm just a gatekeeper, I can't possibly control rich gentlemen like you, but the one leading the army outside is Yagyu, have you heard of him! If you hinder the army's advance, you won't have enough heads to chop off."

The merchant was so frightened that he took several steps back and whispered to his men, "Turn around, turn around, let's stay another day before we leave."

"Who is that Yagyu? Is he that powerful? Even such a wealthy gentleman was scared away?" someone asked in a low voice.

"He was the swordsmanship master of a modern-day Shogun," someone knowledgeable remarked.

"Oh, that explains it." The people around them all looked on with understanding.

So those who had led the procession dispersed. Only those traveling light lined up and stepped forward.

"Going out to visit relatives, you can go now, next!"

"Those on horseback can walk, but if you encounter an army outside, remember to dismount and keep your distance. Otherwise, if the samurai doesn't like you, don't blame me for not warning you, next."

"I'm taking the children back to the village, we'll walk back along the mountain path," Shirou said, holding Afeng's hand as he stepped forward and handed over some change as toll money.

The soldier sized up Shirou, weighed the new money in his hand, waved his hand, and said, "The mountain path is passable, next one."

Shirou then left the castle with Afeng and Tsuke, but he had a premonition that there was something else there that he had to deal with.

"Grandpa, are we going back to the village now?" Afeng looked up at Shirou and asked. When she was most lonely, it was Shirou who gave her a sense of security, so as long as she was with 'Grandpa', she felt at ease, and it didn't matter where they went.

However, if she could return to the village, where her parents were still there, even though she could no longer see them and the place had been burned down to almost nothing, she still felt a lingering attachment to the land that gave her birth and raised her.

"Let's not go back there. Let's go back to our new home, somewhere the bandits can't reach, and settle down there," Shirou agreed.

After lunch, Afeng was tired from walking, so Shirou simply took Tasuke's bag, hung it in front of him, and carried Afeng on his back, continuing on his way alone. The child's body was very light and not a burden. He was actually able to walk much faster on his own.

With steady steps, each step neither too fast nor too slow, Afeng on his back felt as if she were swaying in a small boat and soon fell asleep. Shirou continued walking silently.

When he finally reached the entrance to the mountain village, he heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance. Looking up from the high ground, he saw an army of several thousand men approaching on the official road. In front were dozens of mounted warriors, followed by soldiers on foot, some carrying spears and others bows.

They encountered an army, and heard that it was the army of the Kiyokusa Cross Church, which was suppressing a rebellion, and that it had passed through Kosō Province. The leader of the army was a swordsman from the Yagyu family.

Shirou knew that this force would be the terminator of the 'Shimabara Rebellion,' marking the end of the Japanese nation's isolationist policy and turning the Shimabara Peninsula and the Amakusa Islands, two wealthy coastal islands, into no-man's-land.

Not long after the end of the Warring States period, Western countries arrived on this island nation through the Age of Exploration, took root, spread their doctrines, and even some daimyo were Catholics.

They embraced Catholic doctrine and established their own branch church. Religion brought the people together closely, but its doctrines clashed with the brutal rule of the lords and daimyo at the time.

After the Tokugawa Shogunate was established and Japan was pacified, the government began to pursue stability and began to suppress religious activities. Catholic missionary work was prohibited, and Catholic believers who refused to convert were burned at the stake. Merchant ships from Portugal, Spain, and England were expelled, and trade was only conducted with China and the Netherlands.

Where there is oppression, there is resistance. As the coastal region where Portugal missionary work flourished, the people were starving due to famine, yet they still had to face oppressive policies and heavy taxes. Those who could not pay their taxes were sentenced to death.

As a result of the oppression by the government, uprisings broke out in the Shimabara Peninsula and the Amakusa Islands. Among them, there were more than 30,000 peasants, but only about 10,000 could be considered as fighting force.

To be honest, they were no match for the 120,000 regular troops sent by the Tokugawa Shogunate; their strength was simply incomparable.

However, in a place called the Amakusa Islands, a child prodigy named Shirou Tokisada emerged. He was worshipped as an angel or a saint incarnate and was thus chosen as the leader of the rebel army.

Under the leadership of Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, a saint sent by God to save the people, the rebel army miraculously won a victory in the defense of the city. They defeated a large army of 4,000 men sent by the Tokugawa Shogunate with a smaller force and killed the general who came to quell the rebellion.

However, their luck ran out. The Tokugawa Shogunate then sent a new commander Matsudaira Nobuoka, who captured the castle in one fell swoop and massacred the inhabitants and their followers.

After the defeat, Shirou Tokisada blended into the crowd, but the Tokugawa family forces arrested all the boys who appeared to be between their teens and twenties and beheaded them all. In the end, regardless of age or gender, everyone was brutally massacred. At the time of the defeat, there were still more than 20,000 people left in the city, but by the time the Tokugawa army left, it was already a dead city.

Yes, the second commander in this war should have been Matsudaira Nobuoka, so how did it become Yagyu Dan no Kami? Did he go with the troops to quell the rebellion back then?

Speaking of Yagyu Danjo Munenori, he was a highly skilled swordsman in Japanese history, and his fame was enhanced by his status. In addition to being a great swordsman who founded his own school, he was also a shrewd strategist, serving as both a bodyguard and advisor to the shogun. He was deeply trusted by the Shogun, and at his highest rank, he even reached the same level as a daimyo.

In the eyes of later swordsmen who were pro- Tokugawa Shogunate, such as Mibu Wolf, Okita Souji, and Hijikata Toshizo, he should be the top swordsman.

However, if it were Sakamoto Ryoma and Okada Izou, who were anti-shogunate factions, they would probably think of him as a lackey of the shogunate, or as the Xuanming Elders, evil masters who betrayed the Martial Arts World by colluding with the government.

"..." Shirou looked at the army and wondered to himself.

At that moment, the general riding by on horseback seemed to sense something. His sharp gaze swept around and met that of Shirou, who was standing on a high place.

When Yagyu Danjo Munenori's gaze fell upon him, Shirou felt as if ice had been pressed against his skin, a chilling cold that seeped into his bones, devoid of any emotion.

'Rather than calling him a swordsman, he's more like a sword demon,' Shirou thought to himself.

However, Shirou was already used to things like murderous intent, not to mention that his greatest enemy now was a god who could create the world.

Shirou's heart is in the darkness, radiating intense heat, like red-hot steel in a burning furnace. When a hammer blows, sparks fly, and after being forged through countless Mars blows, the sparks fill the entire night sky.

The chilling murderous aura was instantly extinguished by the firelight and heat.

Afeng, who was sleeping behind him, and Tada, who was in swaddling clothes, had been frowning with unease as if they were having a nightmare when Yagyu's cold gaze swept over them. But now they relaxed and returned to their sweet dreams.

Chapter 363 Your Family of Four

Shirou and Yagyu Danjo Munenori stared at each other for a few seconds before he looked away. He had no connection with the army from Amakusa Demon Castle that was going to quell the 'Shimabara Rebellion', and he didn't want to bother with them.

Although he disliked war and disagreed with the practices of the time, history is history, and future generations can judge the merits and demerits of those who came before. But regardless of right or wrong, those involved always made choices. And future generations live in the consequences of those choices.

Successful people build a pragmatic reality, while those who fail embody spirit and civilization; together, they create the future we have today.

Liu Bang, slow and arrogant, gained the empire, but the story of Xiang Hegemon-King's farewell to Yu Ji became a timeless tale. People understood that a true hero is a man like Hegemon-King of Chu, who is benevolent, loving, and skilled in warfare, and that Consort Yu, who never abandoned him, is a good woman. Thus, the Han Dynasty achieved its subsequent glory.

If all men followed Liu Bang's example and all women followed Empress Lü, if every village headman thought of forming cliques to share wealth and power, and if every village headman's wife thought of seizing control of the court after the village headman's death, then the Han Dynasty would have ended long ago.

Just as the victorious Cao Wei Guan Yu, the Mongolia Yuan Dynasty, and even the Later Jin Qing Dynasty, all enjoyed praising the loyalty and righteousness of Yue Fei, a famous general who resisted the Jin.

Han Fei, the founder of Legalism, was poisoned to death in prison, while Li Si, who poisoned his senior brother, went on to assist Qin Shi Huang in unifying the seven kingdoms and became a powerful prime minister of the Qin Dynasty.

The Confucianism, which was once in decline, had Confucius as a true sage who had been proven over two thousand years. Yan Hui, who was content with poverty and found joy in Yan Yuan Way, was Confucius's most beloved disciple. However, the Donglin Party Confucian scholars who spouted benevolence and morality were mostly shrewd scoundrels who brought disaster to the country and its people.

People understand that seeking temporary comfort and enjoyment, or pursuing wealth and power through unorthodox means, is not the best thing, yet many still flock to these things.

Shirou ignored the old man, carried the two children on his back, walked into the mountain path, and disappeared into the forest.

"Wow, what a steely young man! How interesting." The man in his sixties with gray hair, who was riding at the head of the horse, watched Shirou's departing figure and muttered to himself.

But the moment he turned his face, his expression completely changed, twisted and dark like a demon from hell, grinning maliciously.

"... Perhaps it's worth killing!!!"

The soldiers behind him felt a chill run through them, but the sensation was fleeting, as if it were all an illusion. The man's expression returned to its usual dignified and imposing state.

"Danjō- kami?" the attendant behind him asked.

"No, let's continue marching," the old man ordered.

"Yes!"

The soldiers continued to march forward, following the army.

However, the destination of this army remains unknown. Although they only exchanged a glance, Shirou clearly noticed the old man's abnormality; he seemed to completely disregard the soldiers around him as human beings.

Whether these people are alive or dead, he doesn't care. His mind is twisted. He didn't come here to gain merit and promotion, nor was it simply to quell the rebellion. He has some kind of conspiracy.

This place is getting stranger and stranger; something must have changed in history, Shirou thought to himself.

However, dwelling on these things now will not yield any results. The answer lies within this city. Even if Yagyu Dan no Kami does something, that will be something for when he returns to Shimousa. He can only take it one step at a time.

Carrying the children, they entered the mountains and forests. After crossing two mountains, they found the village where people lived. It was located in a remote mountain forest, not easy to find, but not too far from Shimousa, making it a very suitable place to settle down.

Shirou carried the children down the slope through the woods and arrived at the entrance of the village. He went inside. The village was small, with only about twenty households. They were probably farmers who had taken refuge in the mountains. The men farmed and the women wove, and they seemed happier than the people toiling outside.

"Excuse me, where are you from? What are you doing here?" At this moment, a woman who looked to be under thirty and wore a headscarf came out and asked with a puzzled expression.

"Hello, elder sister. I'm fleeing the war outside and looking for a place to settle down nearby. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to the village chief or elders?" Shirou said with a smile.

The village woman looked Shirou up and down, then at the children behind him, and her wariness lessened.

The older sister, being soft-hearted, sighed and said, "Oh! You're both so young, and it must be so hard for you to raise two children on your own. It's getting late, why don't you stay here for the rest of the day?"

"Thank you, big sister. Huh? You guys?" Shirou thanked her happily, but upon closer inspection, something seemed off, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart. He turned around in confusion.

The beautiful young woman with blue hair, whom he had met twice in the city before, the Princess of Shimousa, was smiling slightly at him.

"Kiyohime!!! Why are you here?!" Shirou exclaimed in surprise, grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her aside to ask in a low voice.

How terrifying! What on earth is this EX-level tracking technology? Absolutely no trace of her presence! Even a highly trained ninja like Shirou is confident he could detect her tracks, yet this Princess has followed him across two mountains? Just who is this woman?

Kiyohime laughed smugly and said, "Hehehe, actually, after I shook off the servants, I slipped out of the city using the tunnel that's been passed down through generations in my family. Then I followed your scent and came looking for me."

"Didn't I tell you it's dangerous outside? Don't go out like that!" Shirou frowned and called out.

"I'm very good at using fire and wild animals. Even if I encounter bandits, I can use my special skill of breathing fire while holding wine in my mouth to repel them," the girl said confidently about her fighting abilities.

"No! That's not the problem! What if something unexpected happens? There are many unpredictable dangers out there! You're a girl, running off alone in the middle of nowhere, what if you really encounter danger? And what about the people who are worried about you?!" Shirou shouted angrily.

"Waaah, Shirou-kun... are you worried about me...?" The blue-haired girl's eyes widened, seemingly frightened by Shirou's scolding. She took two steps back and muttered to herself.

The girl then turned her head away, refusing to meet Shirou's gaze. She covered her face in surprise, feeling her cheeks flush, and muttered to herself, "I only came here out of curiosity because I thought he was a nice guy and the outside world seemed interesting. I didn't expect Shirou-kun to be even more handsome when he's angry. This is the first time I've ever been scolded like this..."

"Oh no, I feel so happy... My heart is pounding, could this be my destined one?! I've finally found him!?" Kiyohime covered her face with her hands, fidgeting and turning her body, feeling like she was about to break.

Chapter 364 Kiyohime in the Blanket

Although Kiyohime and Shirou's argument was noisy, it seemed as if they hadn't actually started arguing at all.

"Hey, what's wrong with you two? A perfectly happy young couple shouldn't be arguing in front of the child," said the villager.

"Ugh? Grandpa? I'm sorry, Afeng accidentally fell asleep. Huh? Where am I? Eh? Princess!" Afeng, who had been awakened by the two arguing, rubbed her eyes and saw the beautiful Princess she had been longing for, and exclaimed in surprise.

"Little Afeng, I've come here to play with you all," Kiyohime said to Afeng with a friendly smile.

"The child isn't yours? What's going on?" The villager woman found herself increasingly confused.

"Actually, it's like this..." Kiyohime stepped forward and whispered in the ear of the village elder.

Hearing Kiyohime's story, the village woman's eyes lit up, then she looked moved. "Oh my, she's clearly a young lady from a wealthy family. Elopement! I see! I see! I understand! I absolutely support you! You can stay here with me tonight; it's in the countryside, so you don't have to worry about anyone finding you."

"Thank you so much, elder sister. Shirou, the children, and I are all so grateful to you," Kiyohime said with a slight bow.

"It's nothing, a small matter. You all wait a moment, I'll go inform the villagers. Husband! Come out and greet the guests!" The village woman went into the house, said a few words to her husband, pointed at Shirou, then pointed at Kiyohime, and then ran to a nearby villager's house.

In this secluded village, it's rare to find something fresh and unusual, and the village woman was eager to share this newly gleaned gossip with everyone in the village.

The villager in charge of receiving them came out, gave Shirou a thumbs-up, and said with a hearty laugh, "Brother! You're a good man! Don't worry, as long as you have a skill, you'll be welcome to settle down in the village. Even if you don't have any special skills, as long as you're willing to work hard, you can still make a living."

"Huh? Wait! What happened? What did you say to them?" Shirou asked Kiyohime in surprise.

"Hehehe, since everyone is willing to help us, isn't that good enough? Don't you think so, Shirou-kun ~!" Kiyohime opened her fan and said with a mysterious smile.

After some time, Shirou finally figured out what had happened.

His original setting in the village had turned into a clichéd romance story, as told by Kiyohime.

A young, promising, and kind-hearted samurai secretly falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy family. However, an unexpected event occurs when Shirou's distant relative is attacked and killed by bandits, leaving behind only two children.

So Shirou, adopted the children of his relatives who were in distress, even though he was not yet married. Because Shirou was of a higher generation, the children called him grandfather.

Such a kind and righteous act deeply moved Kiyohime, Kiyohime from a wealthy family, who decided to entrust herself to Shirou. However, the two, already of vastly different social standing, now had two children to support, further fueling opposition from Kiyohime's family.

So the two of them got together despite their families' objections. Along the way, they faced opposition from the second female lead, entanglement and challenges from the second male lead, threats and provocations from their families, and even life-threatening persecution.

The story unfolds with twists and turns, culminating in a stunning reversal.

The two once considered eloping with their child.

However, on the night he left, Shirou really didn't want Kiyohime to suffer with him, so he took the children and left the city alone.

Despite the hardships, Kiyohime braved them all and came alone, vowing that she would never part from him, not even if mountains crumbled and the heavens and earth merged.

She vowed that the two of them must be together, otherwise what would be the point of a comfortable life?

It's no wonder that only someone as love-struck as Kiyohime could come up with this script; it's comparable to a modern-day prime-time Korean drama. However, it was incredibly effective on the older women in the village. After learning their story, they were all moved to tears and promised to help them settle down there.

When evening came, the villagers, having finished their work, returned home and brought their own fruits, vegetables, rice, noodles, and snacks. They gathered in the village chief's courtyard for a feast to welcome the newcomers Shirou and Kiyohime.

The villagers here are very simple and hospitable. They would pour wine for Shirou and everyone would want to have a drink with him. However, if he wanted to settle down here, he would need everyone's unanimous consent.

The twenty-odd households here initially fled the war and came to live in the mountains, avoiding the government. They were self-sufficient, did not have to pay harsh taxes, and escaped forced labor. Although they lacked resources, they lived quite comfortably.

We've lived together for over ten years now, and the sudden arrival of outsiders has shattered the tranquility of this village.

Because they were self-sufficient, each household had its own responsibilities in addition to farming, such as raising livestock, woodcutters cutting firewood for the whole village, and hunters setting traps to catch animals and prevent them from harming people.

The older sister who greeted Shirou was a skilled weaver, while her husband was an expert cattle herder, knowing how to fatten and strengthen cattle and also possessing some veterinary knowledge. Therefore, they were responsible for taking care of all the cattle in the village, making them practically a Chinese version of the Cowherd and the Cowherd and Weaver Girl.

After a hearty meal, the children went home to sleep. Afeng and Tian-Zhu were also taken to their older sister's house. Meanwhile, the adults, under the guidance of the old village chief, began a meeting to decide whether Shirou and the others would stay or leave.

"Well, while we sympathize with these two children and admire you, to survive here, you must have a skill," the village chief said.

"Of course." Shirou nodded.

"As a Shirou, Shirou's skills are definitely better than ours as farmers. They'll come in handy if wild animals come into the village," said the host who was entertaining Shirou.

"But hunters can do that too, and they can do it even better," a man draped in animal skins interjected.

"By the way, Shirou, besides being a samurai, what other talents do you have?" the kind older sister asked.