I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 773 The gift for Qing Deng is a fight! [4600]

In Iwakura, a northern suburb of Kyoto, there is a humble bungalow and a tea house.

"Mr. Gui, please take a seat. There's no need to be so polite."

The middle-aged man made a "please" gesture.

"Then... I will respectfully obey your command."

The young man straightened his clothes, then sat down face to face with the middle-aged man - there were no other outsiders in this elegant tea room except the two of them.

The middle-aged man called the young man "Mr. Gui"... The latter's identity was already obvious.

It was none other than Katsura Kogoro, one of the “Three Heroes of Choshu”!
I saw Katsura Kogoro, covered in dust, with messy hair and black and white spots on his face.

At first glance, I thought he was a bumpkin from the countryside.

Today, the Choshu clan has become a traitor designated by the imperial court, and the people of Choshu have become infamous rats crossing the street.

In order to sneak into Kyoto, Katsura Kogoro had to make himself ugly and disguise himself as an inconspicuous country samurai in order to conceal his identity.

As the actual rulers of the Choshu domain, the "Three Heroes of Choshu"... Katsura Kogoro, Takasugi Shinsaku and Kusaka Genzui, all topped the "Wanted List" recently released by the shogunate.

Wanted posters for the three of them were posted all over the streets and alleys of every town and city, and the bounty for all three was the same - whoever killed them would receive a hundred taels of gold, and whoever captured them would receive ten times the reward, a thousand taels of gold!
Of course, this series of bounties on the "Three Heroes of Choshu" only serve to create an "atmosphere" and are unlikely to play a real role.

Regardless of the fact that they are all top-notch swordsmen, it is already extremely difficult to track down their specific whereabouts.

They are all erratic creatures, and God knows where they are now and where they will go next.

After the "August 18th Coup", the allied Qinjin, Aizu and Satsuma deployed heavy troops to blockade Kyoto to prevent infiltration by Choshu people.

However... in the feudal era when there was a lack of high-tech means, no matter how tight the blockade was, there would always be loopholes.

The castles and towns in ancient Japan were not protected by city walls.

The full name of Shiromachi is "Jiongamachi", which means "the town below the castle".

Only the residences of the lords, such as Edo Castle, Osaka Castle, and Takatori Castle, had city walls.

As for the cities and towns outside the castle, there were no defense facilities at all and people could come and go as they pleased.

Without city walls, there would be no city gates, and it would naturally be impossible to blockade the city by "strictly controlling the city gates."

In other words - if Kyoto is to be completely blocked, every road connecting Kyoto and its surroundings must be strictly controlled... It goes without saying that this is simply unrealistic!

Therefore, there are too many ways to sneak into a big city like Kyoto.

In this way, although it was a bit reckless, Katsura Kogoro still successfully sneaked into Kyoto without any danger.

"Mr. Gui, it's been a long time since we last met."

The middle-aged man spoke half jokingly.

"At that time, you were the high-spirited leader of the Sonnōjō faction, and I was the much-watched noble of the Shogunate faction."

"But now, you have become a wanted criminal in a mess, and I have become a monk forced to live in seclusion."

"Ah, is it time? Is it fate?"

Katsura Kogoro smiled slightly and responded to the middle-aged man with the opening poem of The Tale of the Heike:
"'The sound of the bells at Jetavana Temple speaks of the impermanence of the world.'"

The reason why Katsura Kogoro risked his life to sneak into Kyoto was to meet this middle-aged man.

This shows that this person is no ordinary person.

In fact, it is true.

This middle-aged man is indeed a remarkable celebrity - a powerful court noble who has been in the spotlight in recent years: Iwakura Tomomi.

Iwakura Tomomi came from a humble family called the "Half Family".

According to convention, officials who came from a "half-family" background were destined to have no chance of obtaining high positions and generous salaries.

However, with his outstanding talents, he gradually gained the trust and reuse of the upper echelons and became an important member of the court.

A year ago, he pushed for the "union of the imperial court and the shogunate" and urged Kazumiya to marry Tokugawa Iemochi in order to facilitate the union of the imperial court and the shogunate.

She and Miyamoto were unwilling to go to Edo, and even threatened, "Even if I have to become a nun, I will never marry a man from Kanto."

In order to make Princess Kazunomiya surrender, Iwakura Tomomi tried every means, including bribery, coercion and other dirty tricks, and finally succeeded in isolating Princess Kazunomiya. Princess Kazunomiya had no choice but to agree to the marriage.

Unsurprisingly, Iwakura Tomomi's behavior of "wholeheartedly supporting the integration of the imperial court and the military" caused great dissatisfaction among the Sonnōjō faction.

The Sonnang faction considered him a treacherous minister who brought disaster to the country and the people, and listed him as one of the "four traitors" who must be eliminated in this lifetime.

After Kazunomiya married in Edo, Iwakura Tomomi, who was promoted to the rank of Right Guard Major General, also followed her.

Later, the Sonnyang Movement in the Gyeonggi region intensified.

The Sonjo faction strongly demanded that Iwakura Tomomi be severely punished.

The imperial court could not bear the pressure and had to order him to resign, become a monk, and forbid him to go out.

In this way, Iwakura Tomomi was forced to live in seclusion in Iwakura Village in the northern suburbs of Kyoto, where he lived a retired life away from worldly affairs.

Of course, his "indifference to worldly affairs" only remains on the surface.

In fact, he had been secretly observing the situation in the world, always keeping in touch with the imperial court, and actively contacting major forces such as Choshu, Satsuma, Aizu, and Shinsengumi.

He once invited Qing Deng to his home for dinner, but Qing Deng refused on the grounds that he was "busy" - not just a courtesy, but really busy. At that time, Qing Deng had just put down the rebellion in the Ise region and was busy with the aftermath and the subsequent military expansion plan.

Anyone with a little bit of insight could see at once that Iwakura Tomomi was a rare capable and practical man in the court.

He is pragmatic, down-to-earth, decisive and responsible. He is not a dreamer who can only talk big, and is far from being comparable to the likes of Sanjo Sanemi.

Knowing that he would offend the Sonnong Faction and might even lose his life, he still forcefully pushed forward the process of "the integration of the court and the military" - this kind of courage alone is far superior to that of ordinary people.

In terms of political stance, Iwakura Tomomi, who supported the "integration of the imperial court and the military", undoubtedly belonged to the pro-shogunate faction.

Although the court's ministers who supported the shogunate were incompetent, they were not so weak as to waste such talents.

Before this, despite the pressure from the Sonjo faction, the pro-shogunate nobles still defended Iwakura Tomomi.

The reason why he was only dismissed from his position instead of being killed directly was actually to protect him in disguise.

Nowadays, the Sonnōjō faction nobles headed by Sanjo Sanetomi have been driven out of Kyoto, and the pro-shogunate faction nobles who have come to power are mostly mediocre.

In order to ensure the dignity and normal operation of the imperial court, the court nobles who supported the shogunate had to rely on Iwakura Tomomi.

In this way, Iwakura Tomomi possessed a huge influence that was inconsistent with his status.

It is no exaggeration to say that compared to the emperor who has no sense of existence, and other useless court nobles, Iwakura Tomomi is the figure who can represent the power of the imperial court today!

Even though he is now retired, his comeback depends entirely on an order from the court.

When the time is ripe, the court will certainly re-employ him to strengthen its own power.

Therefore, the imperial court is not a mascot without independent consciousness, they are just as thoughtful as ever.

The person who can influence the will of the court is not in the Imperial Palace, but in an inconspicuous village in the northern suburbs of Kyoto... It is really funny and ironic.

"Mr. Iwakura, I won't say any more unnecessary nonsense."

Katsura Kogoro avoided the small talk and said in a serious tone:
"I'm here to discuss cooperation with you."

Iwakura Tomomi burst out laughing:

"Cooperation? Mr. Gui, you think too highly of me, don't you? I am just an ordinary person now, what can I discuss with you?"

"Mr. Iwakura, please don't be so careless."

Katsura Kogoro adopted a stern tone.

"Everyone says you are a supporter of the shogunate."

"But I know that you are neither a pro-shogunate member nor a pro-nobility member. You are a member of the 'court faction'!"

"Whether you fully support the 'union of the court and the military' or sit back and watch Sanjo Sanemi and others being expelled from Kyoto, they are all your means of trying to restore the authority of the court!"

Iwakura Tomomi still kept smiling.

However, there was a sharp gleam in his eyes.

Katsura Kogoro's voice continued:
"Mr. Iwakura, you want to restore the authority of the court."

"And I want to save this country that is on the verge of collapse."

"To a certain extent, our interests are the same."

"Let me ask you, is the current domestic situation as you wish?" "The Shinsengumi put down the Yamato Rebellion, the Hui-Satsuma coalition defeated the Choshu army, the pro-shogunate faction overwhelmed the son-of-nostalgia faction, and the shogunate's prestige was greatly enhanced."

"Tachibana Aoto was conferred the title of daimyo and was assigned to guard the western border for the shogunate."

"Tokugawa Iemochi was a famous ruler who worked hard to govern the country."

"The orange tree is the pillar of a country that can make it prosperous."

"We have a sage ruler at home and capable ministers outside... Although I don't want to admit it, the shogunate is now showing signs of revival!"

"Mr. Iwakura, if the shogunate is revived, where will the imperial court be?"

"Are you willing to sit back and watch the imperial court return to being the puppet it once was at the mercy of the shogunate?"

"If you don't take action now, the scene you least want to see will become a reality!"

After speaking all this in one breath, Katsura Kogoro stared into Iwakura Tomomi's eyes, waiting for his response.

Iwakura Tomomi didn't keep him waiting long.

"...Mr. Katsura, you are a rare wise man in the Choshu domain. In that case, I will speak frankly."

He no longer had that silly smile on his face.

He put on a calm expression, showing no sadness or joy, and said slowly:
"First of all, you are absolutely right."

"The resurgence of the shogunate is not a good thing for the imperial court."

"I am also very anxious about the current situation. I am always thinking about how to break the impasse and I can't wait to take action."

"But, this is a matter of national importance, how can it be treated as a joke?"

"I need to observe and think for a while before deciding what to do next."

Iwakura Tomomi's words were equivalent to a tactful rejection of Katsura Kogoro's request for cooperation.

Although Katsura Kogoro showed regret, he was not too dejected - although Iwakura Tomomi did not agree on the spot, he did not refuse immediately either.

In the world of politicians, "an ambiguous attitude of not leaning towards either side" often means "can be won over."

At this time, Iwakura Tomomi smiled suddenly:
"Mr. Gui, relax, you are too nervous."

"The revival of the shogunate... is easier said than done?"

"After 250 years of accumulation, the various malpractices of the shogunate have long been deeply rooted."

"Taxes cannot be collected; the army is corrupt; there are too many officials and too few staff... These problems are not so simple that they can be solved by the emergence of a few wise rulers and virtuous ministers."

"I admit that Tokugawa Iemochi is a rare wise ruler."

"But he is too young, his foundation is weak, and he lacks prestige."

"I am pessimistic about whether he can achieve the revival of the shogunate."

"As for Tachibana Aoto..."

Having said this, Iwakura Tomomi paused, then shook his head and let out a blatant sneer.

"Tachibana Aoto is in a state of panic right now."

"If the Qinjin vassal under his rule develops into a powerful vassal with well-trained soldiers and sufficient food, it will indeed become a great threat to us."

"But the prerequisite is that Tachibana Aoto has to have the abundant funds to build the feudal state."

"Mr. Gui, you should also know that if you want to build a country, the secret is nothing more than one word: money."

"Although Dajin is a blessed land, it requires construction and investment if we want it to produce money and food."

"According to reliable sources, Tachibana Aoto is currently in financial trouble."

"Although his Shinsen Chamber of Commerce is very profitable, compared to the huge amount of funds needed to build a feudal state, the revenue capacity of Shinsen Chamber of Commerce is ultimately a drop in the bucket."

"Unless Ju Qingdeng is able to raise an astronomical amount of funds in a short period of time to enable Qinjin Fan to achieve rapid development, we don't need to be so nervous for the time being."

After listening carefully, Katsura Kogoro thought for a while.

After a moment, he nodded gently:

"Hmm... Mr. Iwakura, you are right."

……

……

Osaka——

Led by Boss Kiryu, Qing Deng travels through the streets of Osaka.

It was just dawn and the air was still filled with the smell of dew.

Although it is still early, Osaka's streets are already bustling with activity.

There was a constant stream of traffic and people coming and going.

Peddler's pushed carts and carried shoulder poles, their cries of hawking rising higher and higher echoed under the clear autumn sky.

There were also a large number of farmers coming from the rural areas near Osaka, carrying countless grains, vegetables and fruits, ready to sell them in the market.

The long, huge procession of farmers entering the city stretched as far as the eye could see and filled up most of the street.

Such a scene makes people sigh: Osaka is truly worthy of being called the "commercial capital", the pace of life is so fast!
If it were the Edo of the past, it might have been able to compete with Osaka.

But now, with the abolition of "Sankin Kotai", Edo's economic situation is no longer as good as before.

In terms of prosperity alone, the current Edo is probably not even half as prosperous as Osaka.

Qing Deng didn't know where Boss Kiryu was going to take him, so he could only follow him silently.

The master and disciple walked in silence all the way to the suburbs in the northeast.

Suddenly, Mr. Kiryu, who was walking in front, said:

"...Jujun, there is one thing you must remember."

Qing Deng became alert immediately after hearing this.

Although he had no idea what Boss Kiryu wanted to say, he subconsciously held his breath and listened carefully.

"My lord, although she is a businessman, she is not an ordinary businessman."

"If she was the kind of selfish person who only cared about making money and didn't care about anything else, she wouldn't have become mortal enemies with the Fazhu Party."

"So if you only think of her as a pure businessman who is only interested in profit, you will suffer a great loss."

Qing Deng blinked blankly.

It's not hard to tell that Mr. Kiryu is trying to hint at something.

Before he could digest it, he heard Boss Kiryu say:

"Okay, we're here."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately looked up—only to see a secluded mansion in front of him.

Although this house is large, it does not give people a sense of luxury.

"Follow closely."

As he spoke, Boss Kiryu walked quickly towards the front door of the mansion.

Qing Deng followed closely behind.

The two of them wandered around in the mansion as if they were walking in a maze.

I had been walking for a long time, but strangely, I didn't see anyone. The whole mansion was eerily quiet.

Qing Deng thought he would be taken into the tea room - in the Edo period, one of the main functions of the tea room was to serve as a living room and meeting room.

But he didn't expect that the place he was taken to was actually a spacious dojo.

Just as Qing Deng stepped through the gate of the dojo, he suddenly heard a sharp sound of breaking wind coming from his side.

A wooden sword flew out from the shadow beside the gate, drew a neat arc in the air, and attacked his chest directly!
*******
*******
Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

By the time you read this, it should be July 7th... It's Leopard's birthday! (Hi Leopard.jpg) Since Leopard is still working hard to update on his birthday, please vote for this book! (Tearful Leopard Head.jpg)

PS: Iwakura Tomomi is an important figure. Just think of him as the embodiment of the power of the imperial court.