"You're early" "Is it that season already?" "I could not visit on the anniversary this year, so..." "Oh, she must be so happy to have you visit every year" "Aunt Fusa was always alone, so at the very least we should visit her" "Let me snap it for you" "Is around here okay?" "Thank you" "You are Urai Noe-dono" "Forgive me, you are now a member of the Isomura family" "You have probably forgotten" "I am Tezuka" "Tezuka Yaichiro" "ah..." "It seems like you've remembered" "Back then forgive me for my rudeness" "I did not think I would meet you in a place like this" "It's almost as if nothing has changed since then" "Since then?" "It's nothing," "I've bothered you long enough" "Excuse me," "Where are you heading?" "I was just on my way to visit my father's grave." "Today is the anniversary" "Oh, I see well then" "Have you found happiness in your life now?" "...Yes" "I see" "I was worried, so I am glad to hear that" "I'm back" "Welcome back" "Welcome back" "Oh, sakura!" "Yes" "Is this okay?" "Thank you Setsu" "Sister" "Did something good happen?" "Why?" "This morning when you came from the Isomura house you looked somewhat sad" "Nothing happened" "The sakura really is pretty!" "Yes" "Mother" "Huh?" "Do you remember Tezuka-sama?" "Tezuka-sama?" "Tezuka Yaichiro" "The man who talked to us before I married into the Isomura family" "Ah, the story that Kana-sama from Saiki came and told us" "Did something happen to Tezuka-sama?" "I wonder if he was ever able to find a good partner" "What brings this up suddenly?" "Now that you mention it, just a while ago when I met Kana-sama, we talked about this" "It seems that Tezuka-sama still does not have a wife" "I wonder why eh?" "Why is Tezuka-sama still single?" "It must be because the family is a single mother raising a single child" "He was also quite disheartened about you it seems" "Cut that branch" "It will be much neater that way" "Thank you for your patronage." "I hope to see you again" "Thank you" "Here you are" "I'm sorry to have you prepare this for me all the time" "It's become quite late hasn't it?" "Please give our regards to Mrs. Isomura" "Yes" "Well then" "Sister!" "Were you together?" "Yes, on my way back from school, I bumped into father" "Father, it's been a long time" "Let me see you off" "Ok" "Shinnosuke, you've become quite dependable since last time I saw you" "Yes, because of Tezuka-sama's training" "Tezuka-sama?" "Yes, Tezuka Yaichiro-sama" "He's teaching swordsmanship at the school's dojo right now" "Oh, that's how it is" "Where is Tezuka-sama employed now?" "It should still be somewhere near Gougata" "Oh" "When he asked if he could marry Noe, it was right around the time that I was transferred to Edo and began working in my current position" "I hear he practices an uncommon kyosui sword style and is quite the swordsman and is quite the swordsman People also say he is an earnest man..." "People also say he is an earnest man..." "But it was because his dad died early" "leaving only his mother to take care of the family" "For a girl, there would be much to worry about in such a family" "Then is there nothing to worry about in her family now?" "Why did you reject Tezuka-sama's offer?" "My previous husband, who passed away, had a friend who was called an expert swordsman" "His manner of speech was rough and rude" "When I saw what reckless behavior he had when he drank" "I thought I could never be a wife of someone who used a sword" "Tezuka-sama is not that kind of person!" "It seems like he knew of you from very early on" "Before you married the late Tsuda-sama, didn't you used to go all the way to Kougai city to study tea ceremony?" "Yes" "From a dojo you pass on the way there," "Tezuka-sama was always watching you it seems." "At our school's dojo," "I heard a colleague joking about it" "Noe arranged these before she left" "Noe" "What if you came back to live with us?" "Eh?" "you mean like aunt Fusa?" "Not like that" "Shinnosuke" "You will also be getting married in two to three years" "If I'm at home, I will hurt your chances at marriage" "I don't care about that" "The other party will care" "Thanks, I'm fine from here" "Make sure you study hard, okay" "So long" "Have you found happiness in your life now?" "Don't you get it?" "It's already past the deadline!" "Forgive me!" "If I could have three more days..." "Tomorrow" "Even if you have to sell your daughter, bring it tomorrow" "Father, I've returned" "Welcome back" "Hello Genkichi" "Welcome back" "Hello" "Mother, sorry for returning so late" "You certainly took your time." "Looks like you got carried away chatting" "This is from my mom" "She sends you her regards" "Don't we already have enough of these?" "Well, they always give the same thing" "Taka" "Yes" "Please make some tea" "Yes" "How much longer are you going to make us wait for dinner?" "I'm sorry" "She said to have you make dinner once you got back" "It's okay" "More" "Yes" "Here" "Oh" "So Shouzaemon, what kind of return is there every month?" "Normally, there it is about eight percent, but" "I immediately discussed it with father and got an answer" "You will never lose any money on it so you can rest assured" "I look forward to it" "Wonderful" "No no, not something like that" "Because it's for you, Okazaki-sama, 10 more days, no..." "Let's wait half a month" "I am so grateful for this!" "It's nothing" "The master has returned" "Welcome back" "Father!" "Father!" "Suwa-sama told me that, depending on the interest he would be willing to deposit a large sum of money" "Good work Shouzaemon!" "Then, how much interest should we put on it?" "What do you think, father?" "What's with that look?" "You still refuse me?" "Do you care so much that" "I was laughing about your former husband who passed away" "It looks like you went back home today" "Mother finally gave me permission to, so" "Is it that important to visit the grave of your aunt?" "It is matters of the Urai family..." "Are you trying to say that your family is a higher class?" "I'm not saying anything like that" "Well, compared to a judge's 120-koku, we money lenders have a mere 65-koku" "But don't forget, we have more money than your dad" "It seems Suwa-sama... has taken a liking to me" "If I can stay in his favor like this good things will be coming my way" "Just watch, my stipend will go up" "I still have things to do..." "I told you to quit it with that look!" "Or you can go back home!" "Excuse me, you're already awake?" "Good Morning." "Can you check on that pot over there?" "Yes" "Taka!" "Yes" "Help me change" "Yes" "Have a nice day" "Have a nice day" "Have a nice day" "Are you not tired?" "Yesterday, didn't you walk on the mountain path all the way to the temple?" "Yes" "The sakura was blossoming" "Is that so?" "It's going to be a fine season from now on" "Yes it will" "Here is your payment" "Excuse me..." "I thought you knew, but the prices here have gone up" "As have the sales of kimono" "From now on, the wage will be 45-mon" "I'd appreciate it if you could could give your mother's greetings to the lady of the house" "I understand" "Well then" "From a dojo you pass on the way there," "Tezuka-sama was always watching you it seems." "I give up" "Next!" "Yes" "Please" "I give up" "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine" "Suwa-sama returns!" "Great work today!" "You must be tired" "More appear every day" "Huh?" "Those slimy guys who flatter Suwa-sama in hope of getting some of his money" "Hyouma, that was loud!" "See?" "That" "I don't mean to say bad things about your relative, but I don't understand" "Why swarm around a man like that?" "Suwa Heiemon is a big zit on our clan" "No, he's rotting pus" "Hiding behind his lineage, making himself agricultural administrator of our territory" "It's not like you haven't heard the rumors" "I know" "If you exploit all the wasteland marked here, how large will it be?" "Roughly 200 hectares" "Probably in less than 10 years, you can expect to make 5000-goku" "5000-goku" "But in our current financial situation, we have no energy to spare on developing new land" "It's nothing more than a pie in the sky" "That's exactly why" "I am presenting a plan that will make that pie real" "Ok?" "If we can contract out this land to wealthy farmers," "It's very possible" "But then the wealthy farmers will be able to obtain vast amounts of land" "It's a double-edged sword, isn't it?" "Then listen to me" "From our standpoint as administrators, what on earth are we going to do to fix our miserable financial situation?" "While we foolishly discuss this, the stagnation gets worse" "If we don't begin developing land immediately to raise up our country, we will have doomed our country for 100 years!" "For sure, the increased revenue from developing new land... is a matter of great urgency" "However," "To do that by exploiting the farmers... and making them cultivate the land, as in Suwa-sama's plan, would be frowned upon by many" "I think so too" "Since the bad harvest three years ago," "I heard many in the village have trouble getting food" "To increase their burden on top of that... is just reckless" "If we look ahead 10 or 20 years, doing this will probably benefit our country" "But to do this, we cannot sacrifice the future of our farmers" "Father" "Why does nobody raise any objections to Suwa-sama?" "It must be because of his lineage to the daimyo after all" "You have yet to understand" "Newly developed land will be exempt from tribute for three years to encourage development of new land" "During that time, old land, regardless of their productivity... will have their tribute rate raised" "With all due respect..." "The village has not recovered from the damage caused by the bad harvest three years ago" "If we squeeze the farmers any further many more will abandon their land" "Silence!" "The time to act is now." "Farmers must work for their country!" "But..." " Silence!" "Silence!" "Yes" "Have you heard?" "Hm?" "Suwa-sama is planning to build a second house using bribes from the wealthy farmers" "Bribes?" "Yeah, it looks likes his extravagant lifestyle even includes a mistress" "To fix the country's economy, my ass!" "Using that as a pretext, to give his large farmer friends the new land... and line their own pockets" "That was their goal from the beginning" "The rich get richer, the poor get further driven into a corner" "At the very least, that's what that man is doing" "But around the castle, there isn't a single person who will speak up" "This field's productivity is in the middle range" "It's crops will yield about 3-koku" "Grandpa!" "Grandpa!" "Oh, good job!" "Huu!" "Try it" "Sayo!" "Sayo!" "Come here!" "In this one year," "You've taught me so much Genkichi" "You have such a happy look on your face" "Mother" "Are you okay?" "Continuing the damage caused by the cold weather three years ago, the crops from last year and the year before no longer yield even 40%% of the usual harvest" "With the long rainy season, the crops this year... still have no chance of recovering, it seems" "On top of that, many farmers forced to cultivate the new fields, will not even be able to satisfactorily weed their own fields" "What's more, for almost no money..." "Suwa-sama will buy up all the damaged fields that the farmers will have to part with and make them his" "Do you have any proof?" "There is no one who doesn't know in this territory" "If Suwa-sama's policy is carried through, it will be a fatal mistake" "I implore you, please tell our lord in Edo the real circumstances of the village..." "Enough!" "It is not time for that yet" "The sun only shines so much" "The rice won't grow!" "The grain just won't expand!" "Not only will we have no rice to eat, but no seed rice for next year!" "You must know!" "So a family can eat, every member is sold off until they must abandon the field." "It's not just 10 or 20!" "We know" "No!" "You people don't know what it's like at all!" "...what it's like not to have anything to eat!" "Please." "Give this letter to Suwa-sama!" "At this rate, if the annual tribute is not decreased even slightly the number of ruined farmers will only grow!" "Yes yes" "Your complaints will definitely be given to him" "Now go home already!" "Please" "We beg of you" "You won't go home yet?" "Isogai, I'm counting on you" "Yes" "Go!" "Mother" "Yes" "Sayo" "Sayo" "Are you okay?" "It's already been two months since that" "Yeah" "Isogai was heading toward Edo carrying a letter from Yonekura-sama" "His whereabouts are still unknown" "There's also a rumor that it was the work of Suwa-sama's henchmen" "Don't say things like that so carelessly!" "Gosuke" "What are you trying to do?" "We are not trying to slack off" "This is the rice we have desperately struggled to make... not even leaving any to feed our child and elders!" "Every day is just rain and more rain..." "What more can we do?" "Quit complaining!" "Are you okay?" "Pull yourself together" "Confiscate Gosuke's field" "Yes" "What is it, Tezuka?" "Are you crazy?" "You are inside the castle!" "It's Tezuka-sama..." "The master returns" "Welcome back" "Did something happen?" "The winds have changed" "Eh?" "Suwa-sama was killed" "That fool Tezuka drew his sword inside the castle" "Tezuka-sama?" "Yeah, Tezuka Yaichiro" "So, what happened to Tezuka-sama?" "Do you know Tezuka?" "No" "I heard he walked to the grand inspector's residence in Sanaichou on his own" "Tezuka-dono!" "There's always someone fighting for justice in this world" "Sometimes they pull off stuff like this, but... what do they think they will accomplish?" "Tezuka himself won't even make a cent off of it" "It'll probably be... hara-kiri for him" "As a result, I get to decide his punishment as well" "Really, there is no way to fix an idiot like that!" "What?" "That look again!" "You don't seem to be happy when I speak ill of Tezuka" "Do you have something with that man?" "You should be more temperate with your words" "What?" "You've been thinking that since... you married into this family, haven't you?" "I did you a favor by marrying a widow like you!" "Got that!" "I told you stop looking at me like that!" "What is going on?" "This woman threw down our family crest" "Always looking down on us..." "She's hated us all this time!" "Am I wrong?" "Mother, since I married her, this woman..." "Eyaahh!" "I told you, quit looking at me like that!" "You won't stop?" "Stop!" "Stop this shameful behavior, Shouzaemon" "I hope you understand what you've done" "Beyond dirtying the Isomura family crest... there is no place for you here" "Genkichi" "Thank you for all your help" "Take care of yourself" "Noe-sama too, please take care of yourself" "The snow is early this year, isn't it?" "Yes, we better hurry" "Mother!" "Mother" "What is it that makes you so angry?" "You can see?" "It's hard not to" "Isomura came to the guardroom today" "What did he want?" "He came by to say that he had no intention of returning the engagement gift money" "They say it's because Noe wanted the divorce" "My my, they say Noe wanted it?" "Yes" "The man is completely hopeless" "If we don't agree, they will report it to the inspector" "Thinking back on how he flattered Suwa-dono, it seems he's taken a liking to the inspector this time" "In addition, he's been slandering Noe" "Without thinking, I was about to grab my sword" "Like what Tezuka-sama did..." "Setsu" "Can't you let it go?" "We have no relationship with Isomura anymore" "Happy New Year" "Congratulations" "Congratulations" "That we can once again greet the new year safely..." "I am grateful for this" "Let us enjoy this new year we've been given in good health" "How many years has it been since we've been able to... gather like this and greet the new year?" "Well, shall we eat?" "Mother" "Yes?" "Are there any reasonable homes nearby?" "Homes?" "Thanks to the work I had to do in the Isomura house," "I've become quite good at sewing" "If it's just for one person, I can manage" "What are you saying?" "Your father will never approve of that" "But didn't Aunt Fusa leave home, and live by herself?" "Shinnosuke will soon be looking for a wife" "I will only hurt his chances if I am here" "Setsu is already 16 too" "The next time you leave this house... will be when you find a path to happiness" "There's... no longer any chance of that" "It's not over!" "You're attack is too weak!" "Yes" "I surrender" "Next" "The sentence still hasn't been given yet?" "Yeah, Tezuka-sama hasn't said anything in self-defense" "It looks like he is quietly waiting to be tried" "Pardon us" "Father" "What is it?" "I've been talking to Hyouma, but... isn't there anything we can do for Tezuka-sama" "For example, we could ask our friends for help to send a plea for mercy to the chief retainer" "This isn't something you should be interfering with" "But it's been four months since the incident" "When I think of how long Tezuka-sama has been in the prison..." "The administration is not intentionally dragging it's feet" "That incident has moved the country" "New land development is being re-evaluated... as are annual tribute rates" "It's returned to how it was originally" "If Tezuka is given a strict sentence, the farmers will not remain silent most likely" "But, the issue is of bloodshed within the castle" "A half-baked punishment would not uphold order" "Moreover, there is the victim's lineage" "At the administration meeting, we talked about waiting until our lord returns next month, to ask about a decision" "Until then, there is nothing to do but wait how makeshift..." "Shinnosuke, watch your words" "Isn't that how it is?" "The administrators are just afraid of being criticized if they give out a sentence" "Isn't it just the same as when people sat on their hands... while Suwa-sama ruled like a tyrant" "Why did Tezuka-sama draw his sword... for the farmers with no concern for himself?" "Shinnosuke" "One more month" "Tezuka-sama's mother also... must be very tired and with a heavy heart" "Are you happy with your life now?" "Mother" "Hm?" "Was there a reason why Aunt Fusa... never got married even once?" "There is a story to that" "Eh?" "He was an great person" "Even though they had even decided on the wedding date" "He suddenly got sick and passed away" "After that, her health worsened" "It's because she was always weak to begin with" "Mother" "Aunt Fusa... might have found happiness in her life, right?" "She must have... always adored that person" "Not like me, right?" "No" "You are just taking a small detour" "Let me snap it for you" "Is around here okay?" "Excuse me..." "Pardon me..." "Oh, that sakura is beautiful" "Yes" "I think you might know not know, but..." "I am from the Urai family, and my name is Noe" "Urai-sama's Noe?" "Yes" "You are..." "I see now" "Noe" "I often hear about you from Yaichiro" "When you were married... into the Isomura family, Yaichiro was very upset" "But I always thought... that one day you might... visit the house like this" "I've been waiting expectantly" "Please come in" "Shall I take that branch?" "We mustn't let such flowers whither" "Please come in" "Yes" "Since that happened not a single person has come to visit" "It's been so lonely" "Noe, you would be... the first to visit" "Is it okay like this?" "That's good"