After getting the permission to guard Toramatsu, II Naotora faces a problem of producing commercial crop. Then SETO Hokyu shows her raw cotton and cotton cloth that is softer and more excellent in warmth-keeping than linen. He says that cotton will be popular in the near future and recommends cultivating cotton to her. She offers the farmers of Seto includes Jinbei to grow it but it's hard to do it perfectly by themselves.
Seto Hokyu (Tsuyoshi Muro, right) shows Naotora (ko Shibasaki) raw cotton
ONO Tajimanokami Masatsugu rerturns to Ii-no-ya and hands her note that she accepts that Toranatsu should be under the guardianship of Masatsugu. Shino is still unwilling to accept Naotora but he tells her not to oppose her surroundings. And he is welcomed by Natsu and Inosuke in his house. It seems that Inosuke and Toramatsu are on good terms. Masatsugu tells his sister-in-law that staying in the house will make her feel oppressed but she says it means that he is zealous in the discharge of his duties (**).
Naotora goes around her territory to ask for farmers to grow cotton but in vain. When she and NAKANO Naoyuki,who accompanies her take a rest, she goes to a waterfall to fill her water bottle (***) with water and finds a strange man there. He who takes the downfall says he's in the middle of a trip and then wears a gaudy kimono. She tells him that she searches who helps her new agriculture.
"If you want somebody who helps you, you can buy them," says he.
Naotora (left) meets a strange man (Yuya Yagira)
She is surprised to know about human trafficking and asks Hokyu about it and knows that people are often sold near battlefield. Hokyu takes her to his teahouse where many passengers exchange information. On the other hand, ONO Tajimanokami Masatsugu is left in the cold about this matter. But he wonders why she ofter goes out with Naoyuki or Rokuzaemon and researches where she goes to. At last he hears that she searches farmers from a senior priest of Hachisaki Shrine.
Naotora and Naoyuki visit Hokyu's teahouse and see an unexpected man. It is Ono Masatsugu who has a cup pf tea. He tells them to spread rumours here where passengers gather and take a rest. Then Hokyu speaks about the cotton cultivation in Ii-no-ya loudly. In the course of his conversation, everyone sing his words in chorus and liven up the atmosphere. Some people who listen to the song ask Naoyuki how to access to Ii-no-ya and depart for there.
After returning to the residence of the Iis, Naotora is so exhausted and faints. She keeps sleeping and her mother Yuchinni says that she's like a child play too much and get tired. However, in Sunpu, a faint of a woman is going to change the power relationship of daimyos. Jukeini falls down and takes to her bed though she is saved from death.
Nakano Naoyuki (Yuma Yamoto, left) and Okuyama Rokuzaemon (Miou Tanaka), two vassals of Naotora
Naotora wakes up on the next morning and finds many people visit the residence to apply the job of growing cotton. She is pleased but it is owing to the idea of Masatsugu. She consults Nankei whether she should leave guarding Toramatsu to Masatsugu or not. Nankei says if she does so, the Onos will rule Ii-no-ya.
After that Toramatsu leaves his mother Shino and is to be educated at Ryotanji Temple. And Naoyuki who worries about the future of the Iis shows his lady lord a matchlock called Tanegashima in Japan.
(*) Prpbably the title is based "Akage no an", Japanese title of "Anne of Green Gables".
(**) Natsu is well aware that her brother-in-law dares to behave to be disliked by Naotora for the purpose of guarding the Ii clan.
(***) At that time, water bottle was made of bamboo as you can see in the image.
The images are from the official website of "Onna Joshu Naotora".