[Comprehensive] Comb girl

For nearly ten days in a row, Ah Ding was always looking at the few Yoshino cherry blossoms.When Zi Sheng saw him, he was inevitably curious.But he was always busy and didn't have time to ask more questions.Finally one day when he was free, Zi Sheng asked, "Ding, it's still early for those cherry blossoms to bloom, so you don't have to wait every day."

Of course Ah Ding knew that what he said was right, but he just couldn't bear to wait every day—after all, if these cherry blossoms didn't bloom, the Heike family would retreat and leave here.

"It would be great if these flowers would bloom earlier!" Ah Ding would say innocently occasionally.

"What are you talking about?" Zi Sheng sneered at her stupidity, "If Fujiwara Sakuracho in Kyoto is here, your wish may still come true."

"Tengyuan Sakuracho?" Ah Ding was a little curious, "Who is that?"

"It's a Zhong Nayan from the Fujiwara family. It's nothing special, but he loves Yoshino cherry blossoms very much. He regretted that the cherry blossoms only have a seven-day flowering period, so he prayed to the gods to extend the flowering period. As a result, the cherry blossoms behind his house actually bloomed. A full 21 days." Zi Sheng said.

"Such a miraculous person?" Ah Ding was a little startled, "Then he must be very pious!" After finishing speaking, she turned to those cherry trees and murmured to herself, "If I sincerely wish to If the gods pray, will the cherry blossoms bloom earlier?"

After hearing this, Zi Sheng asked, "Ding, do you really want to see the opening of Yoshino Sakura?"

Ading nodded hard.

——When Yoshino Sakura opens, Mrs. Karasuma will go back to Honmaru with her.

"Okay, you wait." Zi Sheng suddenly laughed.As soon as he closed the juniper fan, he ran away in a hurry, not knowing what he was going to do.But he has always said that the wind is the rain, and he can do whatever comes to his mind, and Ah Ding can't figure out his thoughts.

When Zisheng said "you wait", the first wait was five or six days.When Zisheng came back again, he ordered his servants to move a screen.The four-fold screen is very heavy and heavy, and it takes four servants to work together to carry it.They chanted "Ouch, Hey" all the way, and transported the screen to Ah Ding's room.

This screen has four folds, with the golden ground as the backdrop, it seems to be overflowing with moonlight.On the left fan is a cherry blossom, with bright flowering branches and twisted roots, growing beside the soothing flowing water; on the right fan, there are dead branches and scattered petals all over the ground, but it is also a beautiful picture by itself.

"This is..." Ah Ding was shocked again.

"I ordered someone to go out to search and buy it." Zi Sheng's tone was very proud, "If there was enough time, I should have asked someone to paint a new one. But I think you are in a hurry to see the cherry blossoms, so you simply bought the painted one. .”

Ah Ding had never received such courtesy before, and suddenly felt a little uneasy. "Master Zisheng, this, this... is really beautiful." She felt that she was at a loss for words, and only felt that the screen was like a glistening pool of gold, which made her almost unable to open her eyes, "Will you Put it in the room, only you can line up such a beautiful screen."

Zi Sheng was stunned, and asked, "Don't you like it?"

"No." Ah Ding shook his head, "It's just that it's a bit of an eyesore for such a humble me to be in the same room with such an expensive screen."

"That's really ugly!" Zi Sheng's temper is not good, and he always speaks directly.He patted the screen, laughed and said, "Just accept it. In my room, there are better masterpieces by famous artists."

Zisheng has said so, what else can Ah Ding do?

Moreover, she had no chance to resist.Because after a few days, Genji on the opposite side of the Inner Sea lit up the battle smoke, and all the generals of the Heike family put on their armor, picked up their swords, boarded their warships and set off.The Daping family became deserted in an instant.

No one took Karasuma from the enshrinement—he was left in the Hira family in Yashima together with that gorgeous armor.Perhaps it was because of this that Ah Ding met Karasuma again on the Yoshino cherry tree.

Karasuma sat alone on a branch, her bare feet dangling.A few pitch-black crows landed on his shoulders, chirping shortly.The cry was a bit desolate, as if lamenting the scene of the sunset in the evening.

"Master Karasuma, is the Yoshino Sakura on the screen blooming?" Ah Ding raised his head and asked Karasuma.

Karasuma raised her arm, causing the crow on her shoulder to fly away.He lowered his head to look at Ah Ding, and said slowly: "The cherry blossoms on the screen are just dead things, what I want to see are living things."

Ah Ding couldn't help but said, "But, the Ping family will leave Yashima soon."

Karasuma laughed, her doll-like delicate face flooded with water, "As long as the Heike family wins the Yashima war, there is no need to leave here. Everyone will see the Yoshino Sakura bloom."

Ah Ding was dumbfounded.

The Heike family in history lost this crucial battle, and then was completely defeated and disappeared in history.If the Heike had won the Battle of Yashima, wouldn't that have greatly changed history?

Ah Ding was in a hurry.

"That, that can't be done!" She begged anxiously, "Even if I feel pity, the Keping clan will eventually disappear in history."

Seeing her eagerness, Karasuma raised his cuffs, covered his lips and gave a light smile: "Ah... I was just joking as a father." , I have read the ups and downs of the Ping family. In the past, when the Ping family was still low in the dust and everyone could be bullied, how could I be unhappy because of the Ping family's decline?"

Ading breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed, Karasuma has witnessed the journey of the Ping family all the way. In the past, the Ping family was depressed because of the humbleness of the samurai family, and Karasuma has not moved. Presumably, he has no reason to change history with great fanfare.

"As long as the cherry blossoms are in bloom, I will go back with the master, no matter where the master is." Karasuma fell from the tree, with a figure as light as flying catkins, and sat down cross-legged under the tree trunk.

He patted his thigh lightly and asked Ah Ding, "Can I take a nap on my father's lap? Taking care of children is also the responsibility of elders."

Of course Ah Ding didn't dare to go forward.

Karasuma seemed a little disappointed, so he closed his eyes and began to rest in the afternoon.The branches of cherry blossoms in winter are empty, only a few crows perch on them.The red water he was wearing was the only bright color in the courtyard.

Time passed quietly like this.

***

The battle between the Heike family and the Yuan family was as fierce as ever.However, good luck did not favor the Heike family. The generals were no match for Genji's attack, so they could only abandon Yashima, hand over the Seto Inland Sea to Genji, and retreat to Nagatohiko Island on their own.All the female relatives staying in the Heira family also boarded the boat together and fled towards Hiko Island.

The Ping family was good at naval battles, so they decided to fight to the death on Hiko Island. All the generals were gearing up for this battle, and Zi Sheng was even more so.

Because Yan Island is remote, the Ping family can only temporarily live in the cabin, protected by warships on the outermost edge.No matter the nobles such as Emperor Antoku and Jianremonin, or the humble maids such as Ating, they all need to live in the narrow cabin, listening to the voice of Haibo.

The core of the female family members of the Ping family is Mrs. Shizi. She does not show any signs of panic, but instead recites scriptures and copies of Buddha all day long, and makes the female family members beside her chant Buddha loudly together, praying for the success of the war of the Ping family. The cabin is filled with solemn Buddha names. Voice.

Under this kind of chanting of Buddha all day long, even a self-proclaimed stupid person like Ah Ding has already learned a lot about Buddhism and Taoism.It was precisely because of this that she felt even more sad when she saw the turbulent water flow outside the cabin.

——History cannot be changed. No matter how many scriptures are recited, it will not be able to protect the Heike family from returning to glory.

Within a few days, Genji's boat caught up to the other side of Hiko Island and took up a position.Zisheng saw that the war was about to start, so he wrote a letter at night and handed it to Ah Ding, saying: "This is my death sentence, you give it to Zhong Hengqing, who is under my Ping family, and all my brothers who died in battle, The letter of my uncle's death is kept together."

The phrase "death sentence" startled Ah Ding, and she hurriedly said, "Why did Zisheng Palace write this letter before that time comes?"

"It's too late to write a letter when you die in battle," Zi Sheng said.After finishing speaking, he took the armor, sword and longbow, and went to the warship ahead.

Ah Ding looked at the letter paper, but found that he could not read Zi Sheng's handwriting either - Zi Sheng's handwriting, like his brother Wei Sheng's, was both elegant and scribbled, making it impossible for Ah Ding, who had just learned to read, to distinguish.

For a moment, Ah Ding felt a little sad.

This may be Ping Zisheng's last words in this life, but she can't understand it at all.

The sea waves kept rising and falling, and the warships locked together by chains collided with each other, making creaking and creaking sounds.These sounds are mixed with the calls of seabirds, as if deliberately scratching the heartstrings of people.

Mrs. Shizi stayed up all night, chanting scriptures and praising Buddha, while the young Emperor Antoku was huddled in her arms, falling asleep due to extreme exhaustion.When it was dawn, I heard the sound of shouts and arrows from the sea. It turned out that this decisive battle had finally kicked off.

Ping Zisheng was wearing a sapphire blue straight gown with a crimson black armor with crescent moon embedded in it, and holding a red sword with a red sheath in his hand, he charged forward and chopped down several Genjia soldiers.If he killed all the people beside him, he would switch to a seven-foot-long pitch-black big bow, and the arrows could not miss, forcing the warriors of the Yuan family on the opposite warship to retreat one after another.

"The soldiers of the Yuan family over there! Give your life!" He roared, his voice was exhausted, his eyes were bloodshot, and he continued to fight forward.

The Heike family was proficient in naval warfare, so this battle was not considered a disadvantage.However, when the battle lasted until dawn, the helm of the Ping family boat was heard to be hit by arrows one after another and fell into the sea with a thud.It turned out that Genkuro Yoshitsune broke the unwritten rules and ordered to shoot arrows at the sailors.As a result, the Heike warship could no longer move flexibly, and it was at a disadvantage in an instant.

After a day of hard fighting, the Heike army retreated steadily, and countless people died in battle.Seeing this, Mrs. Shizi knew that the game was over, so she immediately got up and put on the ceremonial clothes for herself and Emperor Ando.

She took off her nun robe, changed into God's official clothes, dressed dignifiedly, and said to the weeping women in the cabin: "We Ping family women, although they are women, do not want to be lost to the enemy. If anyone is loyal to His Majesty Ander All right, come with me."

After all, he led a group of weeping women to the bow of the boat.But I can see the blue waves rippling, floating full of scattered blood and robes.Everyone knew that they were going to commit suicide by throwing themselves into the sea, so they all cried and said goodbye.Because I believe in Buddhism and Taoism, I just feel that this is a short separation, and we will meet each other in the next life.

Mrs. Shi Zi was standing on the bow of the boat with the young Emperor Ande in her arms. An De was innocent and ignorant, and asked, "Grandmother, where are you taking me?"

Mrs. Shizi's face was full of solemnity, her robe was windy, and she said awe-inspiringly: "This country is no longer a paradise. Grandmother will take you to the Paradise of Paradise." All".After finishing speaking, Shi Zi put his arms around An De and threw himself into the sea.

All the female relatives also threw themselves into the water one after another. The female official Mingzi, who served half her life in the Ping family, should also sink herself into the sea.Before throwing herself into the sea, she turned around, secretly pushed Ah Ding away, and said in a trembling voice: "Ding, you are still young, so don't sink into the sea like us. You go to find Zisheng Palace and ask him to take you to the sea." You go. If Zisheng Palace loves you so much, it will never let you throw yourself into the sea. You two leave the Western Kingdom, you can get married and have children, and continue the blood of the Ping family."

After finishing speaking, Ming Zi pushed Ah Ding onto another warship, turned around and jumped into the sea.

A Ding flustered like a headless fly, stumbled, braved the rain of arrows, and found Zi Sheng's figure.However, Ping Zisheng was still wielding the Taidao, fighting in blood, and chopped off all the soldiers of the Yuan family in front of him into the sea in an instant.

However, no matter how hard he and his uncle Zhisheng worked hard, they could not turn the tide of the battle.Uncle Ping Zhisheng saw that the situation was over, he looked up to the sky and laughed for a while, then tied an anchor to his feet, and said to Ping Zisheng: "Zi Sheng! I'll go to the sea first! See you later!"

After all, Zhisheng, who was 34 years old at the time, threw himself into the sea wearing a suit of armor.

Ping Zisheng saw his respected and beloved uncle throwing himself into the sea, and wanted to follow him, but when he turned around, he saw A Ding standing panicked at the stern of the boat with a mournful expression on his face, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

However, they heard seabirds wailing, Heing soldiers wailing incessantly, and the sound of people falling into the water could be heard everywhere.Zi Sheng recalled the high-spirited and frivolous appearance in the past, and said with a wry smile: "I can't drive Genji away as promised and send His Majesty to Luo. You must think I'm useless, right? Sure."

In this situation, when he mentioned this again, Ah Ding felt a little hurt.Her eyes were slightly red, she couldn't help crying, she could only say: "Zisheng Palace is so brave, why bother to say these things? In Ah Ding's eyes, you are already a great general."

"It's so good, my brother has never been praised so much by you." Zi Sheng sighed, and dropped the sword in his hand.Only then did Ah Ding see clearly that the blood-stained sword he was holding was the little Karasuma that was supposed to be enshrined.

"I wrote you a letter, but I guess you must not be able to understand it, so I will keep it at Mr. Zhongheng. If you have a chance, go and get that letter." Ping Zisheng wiped his face Stained with blood, he smiled, "It's not unreasonable for me to ask you to recite Buddhist scriptures. Now you should believe it, and we will meet again in the next life."

After saying that, he took a step back and stood on the side of the boat, Baolan's straight skirt was lifted by the wind, and the blood-stained bandage on his forehead fluttered.He tied the bow first, then adjusted the armor, and then he asked, "Ding, do you like the cherry blossom I gave you?"

Ah Ding's heart was sour, and his mind went blank for a while.After some difficulty, I realized that what Zi Sheng was talking about was the four-fold screen, and nodded quickly, "I like it very much."

"This time, you shouldn't be perfunctory to me." Zi Sheng said again, "You are crying, you must like that cherry tree." The sea breeze smelling of blood blows his long hair loose Flurry.

Finally when it was time to bid farewell, Zi Sheng smiled and said, "I'm leaving now, see you and me in the next life." Even at this moment of farewell, Zi Sheng is still arrogant and shows no sign of defeat.

"Zisheng Palace!" Ah Ding called out. She is not a plant, but also has a pure, kind and soft heart. Seeing this situation, and remembering how Zisheng Palace treated her in the past, she cried unknowingly out.But the general in the red and black armor leaned back and fell into the sea.

Ah Ding rushed forward to catch him, but all he got was an empty sea.She emptied her sleeve, and the green leaf piccolo that Zi Sheng gave also slid out, plopped into the sea, and disappeared in an instant.

Today, it can be said that there is no trace of prosperity at all, only a vast sea with undulating waves.All over the sky, seabirds circled low and howled.Looking left and right, there is no trace of the former high-spirited Zisheng Palace.

A Ding was lying on the side of the boat, looking at the mess on the boat, and suddenly thought of the sadness and desolation when Zisheng played the flute in the past, and suddenly thought: Zisheng Palace may know that the Heike family's defeat is doomed, otherwise, how could they play such a flute? Diyin, how could he throw himself into the sea so simply?

She was lying on the bow of the boat and weeping silently, when she heard footsteps, it turned out that Genji's samurai came aboard, searching for the figure of His Majesty Ander's mother and son.Seeing Ah Ding, the chief leader was taken aback.

"Ah Ding, are you also on this boat?"

Ah Ding vaguely felt that the voice was somewhat familiar. It turned out that Jiulang had come on board.He was the leader of the Yuan family, so it was normal for him to come on board.

Before Ah Ding could speak, Jiulang said anxiously: "Don't jump into the sea in a hurry, just pretend to be an ordinary maidservant. I'll take you to a safe place, and I'll let you go after a while."

After finishing speaking, A Ding was locked together with the female relatives of other captives.In the cabin where the captives were held, there was actually the Jianlimen Yard, which was soaked all over. She cried and told others that after she threw herself into the sea, she was rescued by Yuan's family members by pulling her hair, and she would not die.

The day of the Heike family's downfall is finally over.

***

In the old house of the Yashima Heira family, a few delicate and beautiful Yoshino cherry blossoms finally bloomed, and the branches are all pink and white, brilliant to full bloom.However, the surrounding courtyard was silent, and no one appreciated it.

After a long time, finally a crow boy in red clothes passed by barefoot, looking up at the cherry blossoms with his sleeves hanging down.

"This is really 'the world of mortals is suffering, and the cherry blossoms bloom by themselves'..." He chanted a waka, and said slowly, "There is no end to prosperity and decline, and it is time to go back with the lord."

Karasuma took another look at the cherry blossoms, and the figure disappeared into the air.

***

The ship escorting the captives passed through the strait and finally landed, and then it was bumpy again and again. It was said that the male captives were going to be sent to Kyoto for public display, and the female captives were exiled to Harima.Kuro specially instructed the samurai in custody, and instead of sending Ah Ding to Harima, he sent him to Kyoto instead.

Kuro's current home is in Kyoto.

In the past, he said to Ah Ding, "You can come to Kyoto and join me." Unexpectedly, the stars will change, and Ah Ding will return to Kyoto at this time.But thinking of the thin green handle on Kuro's body, and the fact that Karasuma really agreed to go back to Honmaru with her, she didn't resist such a fate.

Jiulang has married a wife in Kyoto, and he is called Ah Xiang.This Gogozen was given by Kurō's elder brother Minamoto Yoritomo to stabilize the relationship between Minamoto's subordinates and bureaucrats. Kuro didn't like this wife he had never met, so he didn't go to Gogozen's house to spend the night.When Ah Ding came to Kyoto, he bought another mansion, placed Ah Ding in it, and asked the maid in the mansion to call her "Ding Yuqian".

Ah Ding knew that Jiulang wanted to make himself a concubine, so he felt distressed.She is not from this era and will leave one day.If Jiulang wanted to be his own concubine, wouldn't it be more troublesome?

What's more, the scene of Zisheng throwing himself into the sea is still vivid in his mind. Although she is not from this era, let alone the Heira family, she also feels the same, and has a feeling of estrangement from Genji in her heart.

So, when Jiulang came to see her in the mansion, she bowed her head in silence, refused to say a word, and didn't look up at Jiulang, just pretending that Jiulang didn't exist.Jiulang also knew that she was resisting, so he didn't force it, and often just sat for a while, sighed and left.

The maids in the mansion were very curious about her origin, and Shi Chang secretly discussed it in private.

"Which family's young lady is this Yuqian?"

"She was born with such an appearance, no wonder the judge likes it so much..."

The mutation happened quietly at this moment.

Since the Edo period, after A Ding's comb was cut off by Qing Jiang, she often felt in a trance during the day, and then her personality changed drastically.This kind of situation became more and more serious, and after arriving at Jiulang's mansion, it often broke out, so that Ading couldn't tell what his personality was like.

She often wakes up suddenly and finds herself standing on a bridge with a comb in her hand, and she doesn't know who she is waiting for.Fortunately, there is no one else in the mansion, and I am not afraid that someone will think her behavior is weird.

But one day, there were two uninvited guests in this mansion——

"I'm Genji's treasure, Higiri."

"I am also Genji's precious sword, named Knee Maru. I heard that the lord is here, so I came to serve with my brother. Brother—? Are you listening?"

Ah Ding, standing on the bridge and holding a comb, suddenly showed a beautiful smile.

The pair of brothers in front of her, the elder brother with blond hair and white clothes, and the younger brother with thin green hair, have different styles, they are exactly the target of her mission, Tokiri and Kagemaru.

"Aiya," Ah Ding said with a brisk smile, "Adults—do you want to comb your hair?"