Chapter 198 2. Mixed Joys and Sorrows on the First Snowy Day

The two discussed the big and small things for a while, and continued to do their own things. Although Uncle Tsunayoshi was only a deputy general, he had a lot of things to do. He supervised the daily training of the regular foot soldiers in Ejiri Castle, handled the patrols on the streets of Ejiri and the arrangements and transfers of the border guards. Even if Kobayata was not in the magistrate's office, he had to temporarily deal with various lawsuits.

Kobayata was even busier, and there were still a lot of official business to deal with after the autumn harvest. This period of time was the busiest time before the New Year. The annual tribute collected had to be converted into money and sent to the Yamanouchi Prefecture. We also had to take this opportunity to launch a general petition to repair the city roads and bridges, and even the embankments of the Tenryu River.

The most important thing was that there were new economic tasks this year. The rush that was planted could not be left there in vain. People needed to be persuaded to weave straw sandals and straw bags so that everyone would not stay at home and make salted fish and make people in winter.

The weather got colder day by day, and by the middle of October (I use the lunar calendar here, which is the middle of November according to the current Gregorian calendar), everything was quiet and the streets were empty. Except that it hadn't snowed yet, it was completely a winter scene.

Compared to the cold outside, Uncle Tsunayoshi's heart was burning hot at this moment, because his wife's due date was approaching, and his daughter's due date was also approaching. He stood at the city gate every day waiting for news. He had sent a message back to the mountains long ago, and he would send someone to pass on the news immediately when the baby was born.

Of course, Xiao Pingtai understood Uncle Tsunayoshi. He was a 41-year-old man with 852 kanwen. In the past, he was just a small rich peasant landlord with only 52 kanwen on paper. He didn't care much about having a son to inherit the family business. He even planned to let Xiao Pingtai marry into the family as a son-in-law at the beginning. But now he has earned such a large family business and has such a noble family. He is old and wants a son.

And his daughter was about to give birth. She was finally pregnant after two years of marriage to Yamanouchi Yoshiharu. As long as she gave birth, her position in Yamanouchi Yoshiharu's small harem would be more stable. After all, serving a man with beauty will not last long. Only women who can give birth to children and give birth to more children will be favored for a long time. There are three kinds of unfilial piety, and the greatest one is to have no offspring. This is also a kind of sad concept of this era. Women do not need other abilities. Being able to give birth is the first virtue. If you can give birth to ten or eight children, you will be a heroic mother, and people from all over the country will praise this person.

As Uncle Tsunayoshi waited day after day, a messenger finally rushed to Ejiri in the cold snow of Shinano.

Uncle Tsunayoshi had been waiting for the messenger from Shinano to deliver the news. Without waiting for him to speak, he took the messenger and pulled Koyata to start the conversation.

Sure enough, the news was about giving birth as expected. Uncle Tsunayoshi's concubine and daughter gave birth to children at the same time three days ago, and they both gave birth smoothly in this era of high maternal mortality. But God played a joke on Uncle Tsunayoshi. Yoshiharu Yamanouchi, who didn't need a son, gave birth to another son, and Uncle Tsunayoshi, who urgently needed a son to inherit the huge family business, got another daughter.

The family sent a message to ask what name the little daughter should be given. But when Uncle Tsunayoshi heard the news, his face darkened. His eyes, which were originally shining, rolled around, but now they were filled with loneliness and regret that time did not wait for youth.

He didn't have the heart to look down, when he heard that he had finally made his concubine pregnant after all the hardships in his forties, and as a result, after twenty years, he actually gave birth to another little daughter. Anyway, now he is completely stunned, and he doesn't know whether he is sad or happy.

Xiao Pingtai thought about it when he just crossed over. Uncle Tsunayoshi himself is in very good health. He can kill people on horseback and farm on foot. The bowstring can be shot 30 times a day, and a spear more than three meters long can be danced tightly on horseback and on foot. Usually he had enough food and warm clothes, and he had no hidden injuries when he was a child. Even if there were some knife and arrow wounds on his hands and chest, it would not affect his fertility, right?

Then why has there been no sound for more than ten years? Now I understand. There must be nothing wrong with Uncle Tsunayoshi's lower body, and it is possible that it is very good. It is estimated that the eldest aunt had sequelae after giving birth to a daughter for the first time and could not give birth. The second aunt was unlucky and had few times, so there was no sound.

Until Uncle Tsunayoshi did not give up, after the battle of Shimoyama, he played the "marriage nature" of primitive society, rushed into the war zone regardless of danger, and snatched the third aunt back. After working hard for two years, he finally succeeded.

Xiao Pingtai saw that Uncle Tsunayoshi looked confused, and even the little samurai braid showed a sluggish atmosphere. This old guy must not be upset. Xiao Pingtai was mainly worried that Uncle Tsunayoshi would think that he was too old to do anything and lose confidence in continuing to have children.

I had to go down to persuade him. Now it has been proved that he has no problem at all, but his luck is not very good. If he works harder in the next two years, since he can give birth to a daughter, then as long as he continues to give birth, he will definitely succeed.

It is always a long way to go. The Long March requires 25,000 miles, and you don’t need these two or three years.

No matter what, at least Xiao Pingtai has a younger sister who is more than 20 years younger than him, which is always a happy thing.

Uncle Tsunayoshi was just too obsessed, and Xiao Pingtai came back to his senses after a few words of comfort. He excitedly asked Xiao Pingtai for a month's leave and rushed back to Yamanouchi. After all, it was his child again after 20 years, so he had to meet him and give him a name.

When Uncle Tsunayoshi took two followers and returned to Yamanouchi without looking back, the messenger from Suruga also arrived in Ejiri.

Koheita's previous worries became a reality. A famous general with unparalleled Kaido and superb resourcefulness, he was born in the Anhara clan of the Imagawa family tree. He was the family head of Imagawa Yoshimoto. The Taiyuan Zen master, who was respected as the great monk Chongfu Xuezhai, came to Suruga. Died in the first snow at the age of sixty-one.

In addition, two of the top generals assigned by Imagawa Yoshimoto to Toe, Matsui Ukon Munonobu and Asahina Bitaka Mori Taino, both died together in their forties, holding the hand of Zen Master Taiyuan Xuezhai as soon as they left.

On the one hand, Imagawa Yoshimoto immediately arranged for Asahina Taito to succeed his father, and on the other hand, he won the hearts of the people of Toe, ensuring that the turmoil after the death of the general was reduced to the lowest point.

However, the huge worry of the Tenbuki Year began to crazily stimulate Imagawa Yoshimoto's nerves. He was deeply hit by the deaths of important ministers in just one month, and he felt that his years were no longer there. I no longer agree with the Taiyuan Zen Master's last words to support his soldiers, save money and food, and raise troops to Luo when the world changes.

It seems that the day for Imagawa Yoshimoto to go to Luo is approaching.