Swallow Return

"It's really...it's really tragic..." Liu Yun felt sorry for her. It turned out that not only was the Sasaki family almost extinct, but even the retainers were about to die out.

I'll have to investigate this when I have time, to see if there are any feng shui issues or hidden curses.

After all, this is a world full of supernatural and bizarre phenomena...

At this moment, Eguchi Sukezaemon cautiously interjected, "The more foot soldiers you have, the more imposing you are, but when it comes to a real fight, it still depends on the samurai. If you have a hundred or so foot soldiers but no samurai to back you up, you can only scare the peasants. If you encounter your colleagues, you will definitely be laughed at."

“A few laughs are nothing to worry about.” Iori’s gaze was clearly deeper. She paused for a moment and said with concern, “But my family has only recently changed allegiance and joined the Oda clan. If we are considered to be doing a perfunctory job from the beginning, I am afraid there will be endless troubles in the future.”

“Yes, yes, yes! What you say is right! That’s what I think too!” Eguchi Sukezaemon nodded repeatedly.

“But we have to gather at Yokoyama Castle within three days, there’s no time to figure out a solution!” Ryuun’s expression was calm, he wasn’t nervous about it, and he casually changed the subject: “There are only two retainers left. I already know Eguchi, but what about Hayami Seibei? That guy’s actions today were really not very respectable.”

At this moment, Eguchi Sukezaemon also stared wide-eyed, full of curiosity. He seemed to be very confused as to why his once shrewd and capable colleague had suddenly become an enemy.

Lady Iori lowered her head and sighed softly, then recounted the events that had just occurred in a roundabout way.

Eguchi Sukezaemon was clearly uneducated and not very quick to understand. It took him a while to comprehend what he was saying. Then he slammed his fist on the table and stood up angrily, shouting, "How can Hayami be so shameless?"

He cursed, then slumped to the ground in despair: "However, Lord Kinoshita of the Oda clan is indeed a very formidable man; that much is true. It's more advantageous to cultivate a good relationship with him than to offend him..."

His words seemed to imply that it wouldn't be bad to send Lady Iori to Kinoshita as a concubine.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Iori's face. She pursed her lips, tilted her head back slightly, and said in a soft but resolute voice, "At that time, I was carrying the sharp blade left by my parents. I thought that rather than be humiliated, I would rather end it myself."

"Madam..." Eguchi Sukezaemon blushed deeply, filled with shame, and kowtowed, saying, "That's not what I meant..."

"Wait a minute." Ryuun interrupted Eguchi Sukezaemon at just the right moment, calmly saying, "Don't panic. Kinoshita Tokichiro is a capable man, he wouldn't be so unaware of the gravity of the situation. This matter is probably something Hayami Seibei did on his own."

After a pause, he added, "Besides, Kinoshita Tokichiro has only recently risen to a high position, and he may not be able to control everything within the Oda clan. Don't worry! With me here, I will not make things difficult for my sworn sister."

The widow of the deceased brother is, according to the law, the elder sister by virtue of her righteousness, that is, the adopted sister.

Liu Yun spoke casually, seemingly not regarding Kinoshita Tokichiro, the lord of Yokoyama Castle, as any significant obstacle.

“But…” Eguchi Sukezaemon seemed to want to say something, but hesitated, as if he was still a little worried.

Liu Yun shook his head and said in a tone that was half serious and half joking, "Lady Iori is not only my sworn sister, but also your mistress. How can a man like me sit idly by and watch her be humiliated?"

Eguchi Sukezaemon dared not refuse any longer and knelt down, saying, "I will obey Lord Ryuun's command!" Then, his eyes darted around a few times, as if he had some kind of idea.

Liu Yun nodded and said, "As for Hayami Seibei... since he has no intention of serving the Sasaki family anymore, let him go."

When this topic came up, Eguchi Sukezaemon nodded angrily: "This person abandoned the Sasaki family as soon as he saw a better opportunity; he should definitely be driven away!"

"I implore Lord Ryuun to reconsider," Iori unexpectedly knelt and pleaded. "In my opinion, Hayami Kiyobei ​​is a diligent and ambitious man. Upon careful consideration, I believe he has no intention of betraying his master for personal gain; he simply believes he has chosen the most advantageous option for all parties. In the future, when Lord Ryuun revitalizes his family, Hayami Kiyobei ​​will be a valuable asset. Perhaps we should give him a chance to reflect."

Hearing this, Liu Yun gained a new understanding of her sworn sister.

Not only is she good at managing the household and accounts, but she is also quite wise and broad-minded. In this day and age, there are probably not many women with such insight.

Anyway, Hayami Kiyobei ​​doesn't seem to be able to cause any trouble. Since he's said to be worth keeping, Ryuun nodded in agreement.

With the matter nearly settled, Eguchi Sukezaemon continued, "Ryuun is merely a Buddhist name. Now that you have returned to inherit the family business and become a samurai, you should have a more prestigious title! Your elder brother's full name is Sasaki Taro Kankai Yoshihide, and in Omi Province, he is known as Lord Sasaki Kotaro."

The name "Kotaro"...

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun immediately felt a subtle and inexplicable discomfort.

Just like the Chinese characters for "Big Brother" and "Second Brother," they sound like extras. No wonder he couldn't keep such a beautiful wife; Wu Dalang died quite young! Wu Song, on the other hand, lived to the very end.

This kind of name can hardly be considered "famous"!

The "Sasaki Taro Kankai Yoshihide clan" mentioned earlier sounds quite professional, but it's also too long and complicated, making one think it's some kind of large and influential clan.

The current state of his family's decline is simply a result of his lack of virtue and status, making him a laughingstock. No matter how particular he is about his poverty and extravagance, people will only call him "Kotaro" or "Kojiro."

So Liu Yun waved his hand and refused: "No need. Just the name Liu Yun plus the surname Sasaki will suffice. It's not time to worry about vanity yet. When we achieve something in the future, we can establish a name later, which will be a natural progression."

Upon hearing this, Lady Iori smiled slightly, her embroidered eyebrows raised, and she turned her head to say, "The name Sasaki Ryuun is not bad; it doesn't sound particularly like a monk."

"Correct!"

Liu Yun nodded immediately.

At this moment, I couldn't help but feel fortunate that the Buddhist sect I belonged to preferred to use natural elements such as mountains, marshes, rain, and snow as Dharma names, rather than using titles like "Cien" or "Gangxiang" that sounded like monks.

At this moment, Eguchi Sukezaemon looked at the two of them, suddenly chuckled, and muttered to himself, "It seems that Lord Ryuun and Lady Iori get along very well, that's..."

Chapter Five: Please Marry Your Step-Sister

After the name was decided, while it was still early, Lady Iori suggested that the villagers be gathered together at the gate of "Sasaki Castle" to meet the new lord.

This is only natural, and Liu Yun has no reason to object.

So Eguchi Sukezaemon went out and called the villagers over, and they gathered together to pay homage to the newly appointed "Lord Sasaki Ryuun".

More than two hundred people were huddled together, kneeling and crawling on the ground. More than 90% of them were emaciated and dressed in rags, and many were missing arms or legs.

It was truly a tragic situation.

As a time traveler, Liu Yun suddenly felt it necessary to investigate the situation at the grassroots level and come up with a poverty alleviation plan to live up to his status as a lord.

So I decided to check the roster and ask around.

But the result was that no matter which household they asked, all the people who came up to them only knew how to kneel on the ground and complain about their poverty.

They all exaggerated the dire situation, claiming they were destitute. Their words and actions revealed their fear, wariness, and distrust of the new lord.

The conversation hadn't even started discussing tribute and military service, and it was already like this, so the topic couldn't be moved forward at all.

Liu Yun only asked how many people were in his family and how much land he owned. Perhaps his tone was a little serious, but it frightened the people so much that they broke out in a cold sweat and became incoherent.

Only after Lady Iori spoke up to comfort them could they stammer out a few words.

From this perspective, the so-called "poverty alleviation plan" simply cannot be implemented.

On second thought, poverty, apathy, ignorance, and grassroots cunning often go hand in hand. Although lords have the power of life and death over the people, it still takes time to establish true authority.

Don't rush things.

So Liu Yun wasn't in a hurry and dismissed the people.

Then, Lady Iori quietly leaned closer and said, "Although the village suffered greatly this year, there are still a few villagers who escaped the war, as well as wealthy households who still have surplus wealth. If you need to mobilize soldiers, I can do it for you..."

She thought that Liu Yun had asked the people about household registration and land ownership in order to exploit their labor.

That's probably what the people think too, which is why they reacted so strongly.

Indeed, after a devastating battle in which even the previous lord perished, the new lord has arrived and is immediately recruiting soldiers. Anyone would be devastated!

Liu Yun chuckled upon hearing this, shook his head, and explained, "Even if we exhaust the villagers' strength, we can only gain a few soldiers. What good will that do? I am not interested in recruiting soldiers. There is another matter that I may need to trouble Lady Iori with."

"Please give your orders, Lord Ryuun." Iori bowed deeply respectfully, a wisp of white skin faintly visible on the back of her neck.

Liu Yun subconsciously looked away and solemnly said, "My uncle Xinghe and junior brother Suifeng are used to living a life of seclusion. I hope that you can build a temple of the Yuancheng Temple branch of the Tiantai sect as soon as possible for them to live in. At the same time, it will also continue the legacy of our late master, so that I can return to secular life without any regrets."

"As you command." Lady Iori rose, secretly considered for a moment, and said, "Within forty days, we can first build a small temple for the two masters to live in peace. If necessary, we can gradually expand it later. What do you think, Lord Ryuun?"

Liu Yun nodded and smiled, "Then I'll leave it to Lady Iori."

The two seemed to have a very good understanding.

At this moment, Eguchi Sukezaemon, who had been anxiously waiting for a long time, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped forward with a serious expression, knelt down, and said righteously, "I have a request, and I hope Lord Ryuun will grant it!"

Liu Yun casually picked up the ledger recording the villagers' real estate and flipped through it without looking up, saying, "Please speak."

After considering for a moment, Eguchi Sukezaemon secretly glanced at Lady Iori and said loudly, "I already had this idea on the way here, but I didn't dare to say it because I thought Lord Ryuun was from a Buddhist family. Now it seems that Lord Ryuun doesn't have any particular requirements, so—so—please marry Lady Iori!"

Upon hearing this, the usually calm and composed Liu Yun was stunned. The account book in his hand fell to the ground, and he stared blankly for a long time before hurriedly waving his hands: "What are you talking about! Aren't we just discussing matters in the territory? Why did you suddenly think of this?"

“It is precisely because of the consideration for the territory that I make this request.” Eguchi Sukezaemon lay prostrate on the ground, his head bowed deeply, but his words were resolute: “Lady Iori has managed the village very well and is deeply trusted by the people. Moreover, she was the principal wife of the previous lord. Only by marrying her can the villagers settle down as soon as possible!”

"To react so strongly to just this reason is an overreaction." Liu Yun forced himself to remain calm and said, "Besides the territory, we should also consider Lady Iori's own position!"

“I have indeed considered Lady Iori’s position!” For some reason, Eguchi Sukezaemon adopted a persistent stance: “If you refuse to marry her, Lady Iori, as the widow of the previous lord, will have no choice but to go to a nunnery to live in seclusion. What reason would she have to continue living in the city? She would have no right to stand up and manage the villagers!”

"This……"

At this point, Liu Yun was speechless, only glancing at the scene with a hint of uncertainty.

In his opinion, since Iori was determined not to become Kinoshita Tokichiro's concubine, she probably had no intention of remarrying for the time being.

but--

Iori knelt obediently to one side, her head bowed, her expression unreadable, showing neither resistance nor agreement, like a still lake.

Such a big matter, why don't you say anything?

It looks like it's open to anyone to pick.

Could it be that she...

No, no!

Liu Yun quickly dismissed his own delusions. Young men are prone to overestimating themselves in this regard; as a high-caliber transmigrator, one should have self-awareness!

However, what if Iori also has this intention...

To be fair, Ryuun was not opposed to Eguchi Sukezaemon's request.

Yesterday, Lady Iori wore no makeup, dressed in a plain white dress without any patterns, and her hair was tied up with a red rope. She had no other accessories and seemed to be deliberately trying to present a somber appearance.

But she clearly didn't know the saying, "To look beautiful, one must be filial."

In Liu Yun's opinion, this look perfectly matched her style, ethereal and unique, far surpassing those heavily made-up and flamboyant service industry workers.

The heavy, wide wooden clogs perfectly accentuated her delicate, jade-like feet; her aloof and unapproachable demeanor further highlighted her beauty, setting her apart from ordinary women; especially as she rose with the wind, her wide white robes fluttered gracefully, revealing only glimpses of light and shadow beneath, a fleeting but breathtaking sight.

Moreover, she was dignified and generous, managed her household well, and was adept at reading people and responding with ease. Besides her appearance, she also possessed inner beauty.

Liu Yun hadn't had much interaction with women for many years, so it would be illogical for him not to be attracted to someone like Lady Iori when he suddenly met her.

but……

After all, she was a newly widowed widow, and theoretically, she was also his sister-in-law!

From an ethical standpoint, it's still a bit hard to accept!

Just now he kept saying that he "would not let anything happen against Lady Iori's wishes", but now if he agrees to Eguchi Sukezaemon's request, what will that look like?

It seems like he scared off Hayami Seibei with his sword and intimidated Hachisuka Masakatsu just to steal a woman from Kinoshita Tokichiro...

This is inappropriate, this is inappropriate...

Ryuun hesitated to agree, and Lady Iori nodded silently. Eguchi Sukezaemon pleaded on the ground for a long time, but to no avail. He could only sigh and get up, saying, "Since that's the case, Lady Iori can only become a nun and cannot continue to stay in the village..."

Liu Yun interrupted him: "Why not? Since I am the head of the Sasaki family, can't I decide to keep her here?"