I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 499 "Sword Master" Seiichiro Tanani appears! 【4500】

Edo, the residence of the Hitotsubashi family——

The Hitotsubashi family is one of the "Three Royal Lords".

The Tian Degawa family, the Hitotsubashi Tokugawa family and the Shimizu Tokugawa family - these three families are the same as the Gosan family founded earlier, and they are all selected as the successors of the Edo shogunate.

The heads of these three families all have three ranks, equivalent to the official position of "Qing", so they are collectively called Yu Sanqing.

The surnames are actually all Tokugawa, and the common names of Tayasu, Hitotsubashi and Shimizu are actually taken from the name of the Edo Castle gate closest to where their residence is located.

In terms of family status, the "Yu Sanqing" is second only to the "Yu Sanjia". Their fiefdoms are scattered throughout the territory, with each receiving 10 shi.

[Note: Tenryo: land directly under the jurisdiction of the Edo shogunate]

Since it is such a prominent wealthy family, its residence is naturally extremely luxurious.

A grand entrance gate.

As far as the eye can see, the tall gray wall is covered with black tiles.

The entrance is a wide avenue paved with white sandstone, connecting the gatehouse and the house.

The house is like the incarnation of the word "Pearl Palace Beque".The exterior is majestic, with red couplets and regular script; the interior has a unique cave and winding corridors.

At this moment, in a room deep in the Ichibashi Residence, a samurai in formal attire was kneeling on the ground respectfully.

It seems that this man is about 35 years old - in the Edo period, this was already a middle-aged age - his face is slightly gray, with faint black circles hanging under his eye frames, but his eyes are very sharp and bright. God’s eyes shine with strength.

The formal attire on his body is embroidered with the three-leaf sunflower pattern that only the Tokugawa family and their relatives can possess. He wears a white sheath and white handle on his waist. Just from the appearance, it can be seen that it must be expensive to make.

Wearing sunflower-patterned clothes and carrying a large sword at his waist... Anyone with a discerning eye can surely tell that the identity of this middle-aged warrior must be something more than simple.

In fact, this person is indeed somewhat famous in Japan today.

He is none other than Matsudaira Harugaku, the lord of the Fukui Domain who currently serves as the "political president" in the shogunate!
Fukui Domain, also known as Echizen Domain and Kitanosho Domain, received 32 koku and was one of the great names of the clan.

"Matsudaira" is Tokugawa Ieyasu's old surname.Except for "Yu Sanjia" and "Yu Sanqing", the other names of the close vassals are all named Songping.

Everyone calls Songping Chunyue "Xianhou".

Judging from his past deeds, he is indeed worthy of the word "virtuous".

First of all, he is very knowledgeable.

Matsudaira Harugaku, who was born in a good family, received a very good education since he was a child.

When he was young, he studied Confucian classics such as "The Great Learning" and "The Analects of Confucius" every morning, and devoted himself to practicing calligraphy in the afternoon.

His studious habits have remained.Even though he now holds the high position of Lord of the Fukui Domain and Chief Executive of the Shogunate, he still holds on to the scroll.

In terms of academic literacy, he should be ranked first among the three hundred princes.

[Note·Three hundred princes: a collective name for the daimyo of the feudal kingdom in the Edo period]

Secondly, he is very open-minded, decisive and resolute in his actions.

Faced with a series of serious problems arising from the outbreak of the "Black Ship Incident", as one of the important ministers of the country, he initially adhered to the policy of seclusion.

However, after the signing of the Treaty of Amendment and Trade between Japan and the United States in 1858, he changed his stance from a "locking country" to a firm "founding the country" faction.

He actively contacted Western knowledge and culture, built a Western-style arsenal in Fukui Domain, encouraged education, and developed medical facilities.

As we all know - the "Ichibashi School" tends to seize the country, and the "Nanji School" tends to open the country.

Logically speaking, Matsudaira Harugaku, who advocated the founding of the country, should side with the latter.

However, he had a violent conflict with his eldest brother Ii Naobi over the issue of the general's heir, and was placed in confinement. He was not released until Ii Naobi was killed.

Matsudaira Harugaku has always believed that the older and talented Hitotsubashi Keiki is the best candidate to serve as shogun and save the building from collapse.

Open-minded, supportive of the founding of the country, and supportive of Hitotsubashi celebrations—he was completely consistent with the political stance of Shimazu Hisamitsu, the father of the Satsuma Domain.

For this reason, Shimazu Hisamitsu respected and admired Matsudaira Harugaku very much.

It is precisely because of this that he strongly recommended that the other party be appointed as a "political president" who could be similar to a "big boss".

At this moment, Matsudaira Harugaku, who was sitting on the tatami, seemed to be waiting for something. His eyes were half-closed, staring at the tatami in front of his knees, as motionless as a rock.

In this silence...he suddenly heard the sound of the door being gently opened, and the sound of someone walking in slowly.

Hearing this sound, Matsudaira Harugaku bent down without hesitation, lowered his head, placed his palms on the ground, and the tip of his nose was only a few feet away from the tatami.

Snap—someone sat down in front of Matsudaira Chunyue.

Then, a faint young male voice broke the silence of the room.

"Chunyue, raise your head."

"Yes!"

Matsudaira Harugaku shouted loudly - he did not straighten his back completely, he just half-hunched his waist, put his hands on the ground, and locked his eyes on the chest of the person in front - in the Edo period, this was the most standard, The posture of a subordinate when meeting a superior.

"Master Hitotsubashi, please forgive me for taking the liberty of visiting me..."

"Okay, okay, let's avoid these scenes."

Master Hitotsubashi - There is only one person in Japan who can be called "Master Hitotsubashi" by Matsudaira Harugaku, and who can be so respectful to Matsudaira Harugaku.

This person... is none other than Hitotsubashi Yoshiki, who currently holds the position of "posterior to the general", also known as "assistant to the general"!
I saw that Ichihashi Keiki had relatively straight facial features, slightly dark skin, a wide forehead, and a narrow chin. The whole face showed a "big at the top and small at the bottom" pattern, like an inverted nest of a tree. melon.

Hitotsubashi Keiki, who was born in the 8th year of Tenbao (1837), is only 25 years old this year, and is in the prime of life.

This is also an important reason why the "Ichitsubashi faction" supports him - Imitabashi Keiki is older than Tokugawa Iemo, so he is more reliable.

Since under the leadership of Shimazu Hisamitsu, both Keiki and Harugaku ascended to the top decision-making level of the Edo shogunate, they have jointly governed and carried out new shogunate reforms.

At the beginning, the shogunate officials generally believed that the two men could not do anything, but perhaps the combination worked well, and they did do a lot of well-received practical things.

This also proves that the "Ichitsubashi Sect" admires Ichitsubashi Keiki so much for no reason - this still very young man does have a lot of skills.

"Chunyue, tell me. You came here unexpectedly. What do you want?"

After saying that, Ichihashi Qingxi raised his hand and gently rubbed the tired corners of his eyebrows.

"Yes! Then, please forgive me for speaking frankly - Mr. Hitotsubashi, the 'Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet' on December 12th will be a great opportunity for us to further enhance your prestige! We must prepare early!" "

"'Plum Blossom Feast'?"

Hitotsubashi Yingxi stopped rubbing his eyebrows with his fingers.

He raised his gaze and asked the other person with his eyes, "What does this mean?"

Matsudaira Harugaku replied calmly:

"At such an elegant banquet, the most indispensable thing is to do elegant things."

"When the banquet is in full swing, someone will surely suggest burning incense, drinking tea, and composing poems."

"According to my investigation, Tokugawa Iemo, Tenjoin and Tachibana Aoden all know nothing about poetry."

"Master Hitotsubashi, if you can recite a haiku that amazes everyone at this banquet full of guests and surpasses Tokugawa Iemo and others... this will definitely increase your reputation greatly!"

After hearing this, Hitotsubashi Keiki was startled for a moment, and then chuckled as if he had heard a funny joke.

"Hehehe, Chunyue, Chunyue, I saw the serious look on your face, so I thought you were going to say something."

"Never mind that I don't know anything about writing."

"Even if I really shine at the banquet... so what?" "At most, it will only give me another reputation as 'Yun Wen Yun Wu', and leave a legacy for the world." It’s just a rumor that goes with wine and food.”

As soon as Ichibashi's cheerful words fell, Matsudaira Harugaku immediately put on a serious face.

"Master Hitotsubashi, don't underestimate the importance of a good reputation. Isn't that Tachibana Aoden an excellent example?"

When Yoshihashi heard Aoto's name, his facial lines immediately tightened.

"Tachibana Aoden enjoys a high reputation in the market. Just in this corner of Edo, he has countless fans."

"The lofty reputation that is famous all over the world has brought him countless conveniences."

"This is a huge 'property' that cannot be ignored."

"Indeed, as you just said, no matter how many poems and poems you recite at a banquet where celebrities gather, you can only gain a good reputation and leave gossip at most."

"But it can enhance your reputation and undermine the prestige of Tokugawa Iemo and others - and this is enough."

"..." Hitotsubashi fell silent.

Seeing that the other party was silent, Matsudaira Chunyue continued:
"Master Hitotsubashi! This is a critical moment that determines our fate! We must do our best and seize every opportunity to suppress Tokugawa Iemo and others! Completely take control of the shogunate! Even if it is a false name, we cannot Let it go!”

"..." After another moment of silence, Hitotsubashi breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Chunyue, did I just say that? I don't know how to write."

Matsudaira Chunyue smiled slightly.

"Master Hitotsubashi, you don't have to worry about this. I have already prepared a haiku for you that is suitable for reciting at the plum blossom feast."

As he spoke, Matsudaira Chunyue reached into his arms, took out the neatly folded rice paper, and handed it out with both hands.

Hitotsubashi Kexi took the rice paper, spread it out, glanced at it quickly, and raised his eyebrows.

"Chun Yue, is this haiku... feasible?"

"This haiku was written by my own hands. Although I dare not call it high-class, it is more than enough to attract attention."

"...I understand, just do as you say."

"Yes!"

……

……

In the second year of Wenjiu (1862), December 12st——

Edo, Edo Castle, Fukiage Garden——

Today is a beautiful day with no clouds in the sky.

Although Aoto has been working in Edo Castle for nearly 2 years as a "side member and imperial servant", it was only today that he set foot in Fukiage for the first time.

Fukiage is the resting place of the general's house, and outsiders are not allowed to enter or exit at will.

He had only heard about it from other people before, and he only knew that it was a palace garden covering a very large area.

When he put on the most formal attire and rode a carrot to attend today's banquet, Qingden was already mentally prepared that "he was going to see a lot of incredible things."

Palace gardens are built with mountains of gold and silver—this theorem is true everywhere.

However...after entering Fukigami in person, Qingden was shocked to discover that his psychological expectations for Fukigami really needed to be improved!
Although it cannot be said that "Grandma Liu entered the Grand View Garden", Qingdeng was still deeply shocked by the beauty of the scenery blowing into the courtyard.

Passing through the Hanzo Gate, the first thing Aomori saw was the winding "water channel".

The water channel - an artificial river channel that diverts water from the Tamagawa River, runs through the entire Fukiage Garden.

The water in the river is crystal clear, with the golden sun shining on the microwave, and three or four white cloud shadows rippling at the bottom of the water.

Next to the river, a long row of green trees reflects the water, and the little bits of sunlight shining through the gaps in the leaves sway in the wind.

Several unknown birds flew back and forth among the branches swaying in the wind, making clear and sweet calls from time to time.

There is a rockery made of granite at the bend of the river.On the edge of the rockery, there is a terrace with railings that extends out of the water, where people can play with the koi carps in the river.

Walking south from Hanzo-gomon, you will cross a stone road with green shades - "Fukiage Inari Shrine" comes into view.

Since it is named Inari, the god enshrined in this shrine is naturally the Inari god who is in charge of food and harvest.

The shrine is surrounded by lush greenery and branches across the sky.

Two lifelike fox stone statues stand on the left and right sides of the torii respectively.

To the south are the "New Royal Racecourse" and the "New Racecourse Horse Viewing Center".

As the name suggests, these facilities were used to raise horses for the general's family.

The faint neighing of horses is heard all the time.

If possible, Qingdeng would like to see with his own eyes what these royal horses who are loved by thousands of people look like, and how they compare to carrots.

What a pity...the racecourse and Qingteng's destination are in completely opposite directions.

After arriving at Fukiage Inari Shrine, Aoden turned north without stopping.

Go around the "Zhuli Mountain" covered with green pines and green cypresses, "Guangzhi" dedicated to horse racing for generals, "Lishan" where ponds were dug and trees planted, the "Flower Bed" where stones were built to plant flowers, and the "Royal Pavilion" with carved railings and painted buildings. ...Finally, Qingdeng arrived at the location of today's "Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet" - the "Plum Forest" where a large number of plum blossom trees were planted.

As soon as he arrived, he saw his old friend.

"Oh! Qingdeng, you're here!"

Looking at Katsurin Taro walking towards him quickly, Ayoto smiled happily and said:

"Rintaro, long time no see."

With the vigorous promotion of Tokugawa Iemo and Tenjoin, Katsurintaro, who was promoted to "Warship Advocate" and was in charge of the construction of the shogunate's navy, became a senior cabinet minister stationed in Edo Castle like Aoto.

Looking back at the time when Qingteng and Katsurin Taro first met, one was a policeman who caught thieves, and the other was a teacher in charge of teaching at the Tibetan Studies Institute and the Military Academy.

Now, the two are well-known ministers of the Zhu Kingdom.

Because they were both senior ministers stationed in Edo Castle, and their work contents often overlapped, as the opportunities for meeting and communicating increased, the friendship between these old friends gradually deepened.

To this day, the two of them refer to each other by their common names, that is, Aonto calls Katsu Rintaro "Rintaro", and the other party also directly calls Aoto "Aoto".

After a few brief greetings, Qingdeng turned his head and glanced at the banquet where the guests had arrived.

Laonaka, Wakato, the feudal lord, and the ministers who accompanied Wano to Edo... are all well-known figures.

The so-called "winful friends are like clouds" is nothing more than that.

At this moment, an old, steady male voice sounded from behind Qingdeng.

"Sheng, you're fine."

Hearing this sound, Shenglin Taro immediately trembled, with a look of joy on his face.

"Ah, Otani-sama! Thank you for your concern! Come on, Tachibana-kun, let me introduce you! This is Otani Seiichiro, the director of martial arts, the 'Sword Master'!"

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Ask for a monthly pass!Ask for a recommendation ticket! (Leopard Head Crying.jpg)

I know today's chapter is a little short...but there's a reason for it! (Crying Leopard Head.jpg) This kind of transitional chapter with no interesting content is really difficult to write!I really want to outsource these transitional chapters that are boring and difficult to write!
"Sword Master" Seiichiro Tanani has officially made his debut - smart book lovers should be able to guess what plot will happen next, right? (leopard laugh.jpg)

(End of this chapter)