I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Taking advantage of the moment, Nishino turned his head and shouted at his wife behind him.

Aso—the name of Nishino's wife.

Upon hearing this, Nishino's wife dared not delay and quickly picked up Chotaro and fled the room.

After confirming that his wife and son had fled far away, Nishino turned back and focused on comforting Ahe in his arms.

"Mother! Please calm down! Are you planning to kill someone? Are you planning to beat your own grandson to death?"

Nishino's words restored some clarity to Ahe's eyes.

She stopped shouting and struggling violently.

After catching her breath several times, she looked up at the sky and sighed:

"What a misfortune for our family! What a misfortune for our family! Our Nishino family has always been known for its loyalty and integrity, how could such a scoundrel have emerged from us!"

After saying that, Ahe looked like she was about to cry.

Nishino comforted him:

"Mother, please don't be sad or angry."

"Chōtarō is only 5 years old this year, and he is not old enough to understand things yet."

"When he grows up, he will naturally understand the great kindness and virtue of the general."

No sooner had Nishino finished speaking than Ahe pierced him with her sharp gaze.

"Hosori, stop using your age as an excuse!"

Ah He gritted his teeth, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace.

"You can tell what a person will be like at the age of three! Chotaro is so young and already has such rebellious ideas. What will he be like when he grows up?"

"I must severely reprimand him and correct his erroneous thinking!"

"How dare you, a member of the Imperial Guard, question the General's kindness?!"

Looking at his mother, whose anger had not yet subsided, Nishino sighed, turning his helplessness into a sound.

Just as he was about to say something more, he suddenly paused as if he remembered something.

Then, he turned his head and looked at the sky outside the window.

If conditions allowed, Nishino really wanted to say a few more words to Ahe to completely calm her down.

However... he still has important matters to attend to.

Since joining forces with "Fire Dragon" Abiko Chutaro not long ago to capture the suspicious person who had been loitering at the scene of the Kanazawa siblings' murder, Nishino has been busy interrogating this person all day.

The sun is high in the sky—before we knew it, it was already this late.

If I continue to get entangled with Ah He, it will have a very negative impact on my work today.

Therefore, Nishino had no choice but to say to Ahe:

“Mother, I must go to serve my country now.”

"Please do not reprimand Chotaro until I return home."

Upon hearing what Nishino said, Ahe immediately showed her dissatisfaction.

She opened her mouth, about to speak, but Nishino interrupted her:

"Chōtarō was indeed rude just now."

"He certainly deserves to be reprimanded."

"But you shouldn't scold him in the way you are now."

"Even when you're trying to educate a younger person, you shouldn't act like you want to kill them!"

Nishino's sharp criticism left Ahe speechless.

"……I see."

Ahe took a deep breath.

“You’re right… I’m definitely getting a bit emotional right now.”

"I promise you, I won't scold Chotaro before you get home."

Upon hearing Ahe's words, Xiye immediately felt relieved.

If we were to pinpoint Ahe's greatest strength, it would be that she never applies double standards.

She is strict with others as well as with herself.

While strictly demanding of her children and grandchildren the way of Bushido, she also set an example by strictly demanding the same of herself.

She would never do something as untrustworthy as "breaking her word," which is a serious breach of samurai code.

Since she has made a promise, she will never break it.

Even if she breaks her promise, Nishino will not be worried about it.

After all, even if he's not home, his wife is still there.

As long as his wife is around, Nishino doesn't need to worry about whether Awa will secretly beat or scold Chotaro when he's not home.

Nishino's wife may appear delicate and frail at first glance, but she is ultimately a daughter of a samurai family.

Nishino's wife not only learned martial arts such as jujitsu and tango, but was also very skilled at them.

If Ahe were to do anything excessive to Chotaro, his wife would immediately step in to stop him.

With the family matters finally settled for the time being, Nishino didn't linger any longer.

He quickly grabbed the sword from the nearby sword rack and strode toward the entrance.

Ahe followed behind Xiye and saw him off at the door.

As Nishino put on his snow boots in the entryway, Ahe put on a stern face and said seriously:

"Hosori, you should focus on serving your public duties."

"Remember this! You are a samurai! Obeying orders is your duty!"

"No loyalty, no honor!"

"A disloyal man is not fit to be a warrior!"

"I would rather be shattered to pieces than do anything that disobeys orders or is disloyal to the shogunate!"

Nishino, who was sitting in the entryway putting on his shoes, was now facing away from Ahe.

So Ahe didn't see—Nishino was sighing silently at that moment.

Every time Ah He saw him off on his official duties, she would always nag him with these words.

"Yes, I understand……"

Nishino turned back and smiled slightly at Ahe.

"Stop grinning like that!"

Ah He suddenly shouted.

"You are a samurai! As a samurai, you should set an example for the people! What kind of behavior is this, laughing and joking like a child?!"

"Yes, I understand……"

After saying that, Nishino put away his smile and put on a serious expression.

*******

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This chapter has nearly 5000 words today! Tomorrow will definitely be even more! (The leopard's arrogance.jpg)

"When has the General ever done us any favors?"—This chapter is the one I'm most satisfied with writing in the last two months.

Chapter 414 The Crystallization of Human Wisdom: More Flattery, More Bowing, Less Talking, Less Doing [5700]

Nishino drove to the North District Office with ease, following his usual "commuting route".

The Beifan Institute is adjacent to a bridge called "Wufu Bridge".

Therefore, "Wufu Bridge" is often used as a substitute for the Northern Barbarians' Office.

About 15 minutes later, the ancient bridge of Wufu Bridge came into Nishino's view.

The harsh winter did not completely extinguish the vitality of this once-thriving bridge.

The wide bridge, large enough to accommodate eight horses side by side, is still bustling with traffic.

High carriages drawn by four horses flowed in an endless stream.

Peddlers carrying loads and pushing carts hurried back and forth, their pace undiminished by the cold north wind.

The young lady of a martial arts family, whose origins are unknown, strolled along the bridge railing, accompanied by her servants, to relax and enjoy the babbling water flowing beneath the bridge.

Four toddlers suddenly appeared from the side, stomping on the bridge with loud thuds. They were playing and laughing, holding toys such as windmills.

When Nishino reached the center of Wufu Bridge, he couldn't help but stop.

He held onto the bridge railing, looked around, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

Every time he sees this peaceful scene of people living in peace and contentment, and children jumping around happily, he feels that his position as "settling town and returning to harmony" has not been in vain, and that his hard work and dedication all along have been meaningful.

Nishino took in every scene and sight before him, took a deep breath, and composed himself.

Just as he was preparing to take another step forward—

"Oh my? Isn't this Hosojiro Nishino?"

A familiar middle-aged male voice suddenly rang out behind him.

Nishino turned around and said in surprise:

"Master Hakui?"

A chubby, white-skinned man, with his enormous belly protruding, swaggered towards Xiye.

Despite wearing thick cotton clothes, the fat on his belly could still be seen jiggling as he walked.