The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Changqing was practicing archery at the moment, but his mind was on that indifferent woman.

As soon as Hideyoshi entered the temple, Nagayoshi saw him. He looked pleased with himself, clearly having gotten what he wanted the night before.

"Lord Mori, would you like to accompany me for a walk this afternoon?"

"Snap!" The arrow struck the stone and broke.

This was the first time Changqing had missed the target since he learned archery.

When the sky turned dark red, Nagayoshi accompanied Hideyoshi to the inn on Shichijo Avenue.

Hideyoshi knew the way well; his former lover from last night must be among those women.

The proprietress was a woman in her fifties. When she saw Changqing standing at the door, she simply nodded and stepped aside to let him in.

Hideyoshi gave the landlady a coin, signaling her to stop talking nonsense, then pointed to a room for Nagayoshi, before disappearing into another room.

This monkey. You two are good buddies, right?

We fought together... together...

The boss from yesterday isn't here; it's clear that Hideyoshi had already taken care of everything.

Men who have something on each other and do bad things together can actually strengthen their friendship.

Changqing stepped into the room, and sure enough, there was the woman he had seen yesterday.

Hideyoshi truly had a keen eye for people's hearts.

"The prince greets Your Excellency."

The country. Could it be Izumo no Okuni?

Impossible, Ah Guo shouldn't even be born yet.

The woman continued, "The adult's footsteps were barely audible, like falling leaves."

Because of his practice of "shrinking the earth," Changqing deliberately controlled the sound of his footsteps as part of his spiritual practice.

He sat down opposite the woman.

"Your name is Guozi."

"Yes."

"Where are you from?"

"A shrine in Izumo Province."

"Is that Izumo Taisha Shrine?"

"Yes."

"That's the shrine maiden?"

"I used to be." She turned her face to the side, revealing half of her pale neck. It was so thin, so delicate it looked as if it would snap at the slightest touch. "The priests falsely accused me of being impure."

Changqing kindly changed the subject.

How old are you this year?

"Twenty-one."

"Will you continue living like this?"

"yes!"

Why did you come to Kyoto?

"I've heard there's a festival here," she said. "The merchants of Sakai, the strange things from the southern barbarians... it's more lively than Izumo. A lively place is probably easier to survive in."

The woman's reply was far too brief, and Changqing began to find it uninteresting.

Just as he was about to ask something else, a low noise suddenly came from the next room.

It was the soft sound of shoes hitting the ground, followed by the rustling of fabric.

Damn, that monkey is really impatient...

Guozi heard it too. She lowered her eyes, showing no shame.

"That short gentleman," she said softly, "just sent someone with money."

"The boss and his wife also asked," her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, "and I agreed..."

Did you agree?

As Changqing gazed at her lowered profile, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks in Yishui Bay suddenly reached his ears.

"Guozi" (the Imperial Academy).

She looked up.

"Would you be willing to be my concubine?" Changqing asked.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, her long, slender lashes fluttering gently.

"Lord Mori is already famous throughout the land, yet he wants to marry a commoner?"

"No, I have other purposes..."

"Are you unaware of the stigma I bear?"

"Judging from your appearance, I know you are innocent."

The woman sighed and gently loosened her sash.

Changqing closed the window, and the room was suddenly enveloped in darkness.

The woman turned her back and, while taking off her clothes, walked towards her sleeping area. It was a simple tatami mat, which was actually just a few layers of wooden planks raised higher.

She laid her outer garment on top, then took off her inner garment and draped it over her chest.

Before long, they had probably finished undressing, and the simple bed was made up.

Changqing crawled inside, lifting a corner as if unwrapping a package.

Guozi could almost feel Changqing's gaze licking her skin. She endured it for a while, but then felt hot all over and curled up, turning her back.

However, an equally hot body soon pressed against her back, startling her so much that she almost crawled out of her newly decorated love nest.

……

Guozi nestled in Changqing's arms, like a clam just pulled from its shell.

Her breathing was still slightly trembling; the pain and shock she had just experienced had passed.

Changqing didn't move, but gently held her in his arms to comfort her.

"Guozi," he called her softly.

Her eyelashes trembled, but she didn't look up.

"You just said that the priests falsely accused you of being impure."

"Um……"

"I think she's very innocent..."

"..."

"Kuni, do you know the story of Ōkuninushi?"

She was slightly taken aback.

"I know... Ashihara gave up the country. Ōkuninushi offered his land to the grandson of Amaterasu no Mikoto and then disappeared into the underworld."

"That's the victor's perspective. Ōkuninushi didn't relinquish the country; he was defeated. The descendants of Amaterasu descended from the heavens with weapons, and he couldn't hold out, so he had no choice but to retreat."

Guozi remained silent.

"But defeat does not mean loss," Nagayoshi continued. "Ōkuninushi has retreated into the underworld, but he remains a god of Izumo. His shrine still stands, the rituals still take place, and every spring the shrine maidens of Izumo still perform their dances before the gods."

His hand stopped on the top of her head.

"Some people always like to talk about the alternation of Genji and Taira, but tonight I suddenly wondered, why shouldn't Amaterasu and Ōkuninushi also alternate?"

Guozi's breathing was so light it was as if she was about to stop.

"Amaterasu's descendants ruled for hundreds of years..."

She suddenly looked up, almost bumping her head against his chin.

"My lord...you are far too outspoken!"

"You once served the Ōkuninushi god as a priestess; now, serve me as his concubine!"

……

Less than five days after Guozi left, Ashi's reply arrived.

Having multiple wives and concubines was common, but to establish a formal relationship with a commoner would be considered presumptuous by anyone.

The content was very brief, and it didn't reveal Oichi's emotions.

"Yesterday afternoon, I had someone prepare the house next to Yukihime's, and Kuniko will be staying in Iwamura for the time being. You need not worry about household matters while you are away traveling."

Changqing folded the letter exactly as it was and tucked it into his bosom.

……

Inside Iwamura Castle, Hattori, Takenaka, Honda, and Maeda were looking at the simple blueprints brought by Kunihime.

The image above is a smaller version of Izumo Taisha Shrine.

As for the actual construction, we need to find specialists to re-plan according to the style of the shrine.

"My lord intends to build a smaller one." Such matters should be decided by Takenaka. "Lord Hattori, please contact Lord Hachisuka regarding the Kawanami clan and timber. Lord Honda, please go to Gifu to contact the craftsmen!"

Maeda Keiji stroked his chin, unable to understand his lord's thoughts.

"Oh, right, Keiji, the lord has something else to tell you!"

"Please speak, sir!"

Take another sheet of paper from the bamboo, on which is drawn a pattern never seen before—a reed with gnarled roots and stems, with a setting red sun hanging above it.

"This is the horse seal designed by our lord," he said. "Once the temple is completed, these items will be offered to the gods."

"That's really good!" Keiji exclaimed.

"besides!"

"besides?"

"This is the lord's armor. You need to go to Gifu or Omi to find a suitable craftsman to make it!" Takenaka Shigeharu said, handing him a design drawing of the armor.

This "Great Nation" armor includes a helmet (head), torso, sleeves (shoulders and arms), gauntlets (forearms), shields (thighs), calf guards (lowers), and a mask.

The front panel on the pocket is in the style of a horse print.

"That's quite a generous gesture..." Maeda Keiji exclaimed.