Tokyo: My Super Powers are updated every week

Chapter 856: Fire in Kyoto!

Kyoto has been placed under martial law.

However, some rumors still circulated among the people and the court.

"The Choshu clan has raised an army!" "It is said that they are going to tell Emperor Komei about the injustice done to their lord."

"It seems there are different opinions within the court."

"Prince Arisugawa Tajihito seems to be saying that he will agree with the Choshu clan's opinion and expel the Aizu clan lord and Kyoto guardian Matsudaira Yoshiyasu."

"The governor of the Imperial Guard, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, advocated the repulsion of the Choshu clan army."

"Emperor Komei was hesitant about this."

The guests in the teahouse exchanged information they had obtained with each other. They all had family members or relatives working in the homes of important people, so they were naturally well-informed.

A patrolman from the Shinsengumi appeared at the corner of the street, and the whole street quickly became silent.

Since the Ikedaya incident, the Shinsengumi's notoriety quickly spread in Kyoto and the various feudal domains.

Yukimura Tsuruko was very surprised that the shogunate seemed to not want Qingze's name to appear in front of the world.

It was announced to the outside world that all the credit belonged to the Shinsengumi.

As a result, the Shinsengumi became so famous within Kyoto that it earned the vicious reputation of the Mibu Wolf.

Only a few people know the truth.

She glanced at the people passing by in the street.

Those people avoided her gaze, their faces unable to hide their fear of the Shinsengumi.

Although they foiled the plot to burn down Kyoto, they were feared by everyone because of the excessive killing.

Yukimura Tsuruko sighed in her heart and shifted her thoughts to the Choshu clan army in Kyoto.

"Soshi, what do you think the court will decide?"

“I don’t know, but if the Choshu clan takes over the court, we must leave here with Lord Matsudaira.

Otherwise, the Shinsengumi will surely perish."

Okita Souji's expression was not as lazy as usual, but rather looked very solemn.

The current situation of the Shinsengumi can be said to be quite bad.

There were even people in the imperial court who suggested using their heads in exchange for Choshu clan's withdrawal of its troops.

The reason why Choshu Domain launched an invasion of Kyoto was the Ikedaya Incident and the death of Katsura Kogoro.

In the Choshu domain, Katsura Kogoro was definitely a heavyweight figure.

Such a big shot shouldn't be on the front line.

The Choshu domain also tried many times to get Katsura Kogoro to return to the domain and take charge of all the affairs of the Choshu domain.

However, Katsura Kogoro believed that his staying in Kyoto would be far more useful than returning to Choshu Domain.

As a result, he died in Kyoto.

This was good news for the shogunate.

For the Choshu clan, this was a bolt from the blue, and all the patriots in the clan were furious.

But Katsura Kogoro was not killed by the Shinsengumi.

Souji Okita thought of the young man. He said he had something to do, but was he going to run away?

He just hoped that things were not as he imagined.

Otherwise, the Shinsengumi would be finished.

……

Saga Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto.

Kurushima Matabei felt the sweltering summer heat. He sat on a rock by the pond with his chest bare, feeling bad.

Six days had passed since the Choshu clan raised its troops in anger and set up camp here.

According to his idea, he would naturally attack the Kyoto Imperial Palace in one go and talk reason with Emperor Komei.

However, Hisaka Genzui, Takasugi Shinsaku and the lord of the Choshu domain all held a cautious attitude towards the decision, believing that they should not go against the wishes of the imperial court and march to the imperial palace at will.

They just wanted to talk to Emperor Komei and had no intention of leading their army into the Imperial Palace.

But Kurushima Matabei thought that since they had already gathered their troops here, if they did not attack the Kyoto Imperial Palace in one go, how would Emperor Komei view them?
He looked at his reflection in the lake, let out a soft sigh, and then his pupils suddenly dilated.

For some reason, there is an extra reflection in the lake!
That was a boy he had never seen before.

Kurushima Matabei looked up and wanted to ask who it was.

"Quiet."

Qingze used his hypnotic ability to instantly transform Kurushima Matabei from an aggressive lion into a well-behaved puppy.

He didn't continue to shout out other people's ideas.

Qingze stared at the man in front of him who was only 1.6 meters tall, and thought to himself that if Emily came to Japan during this period, she would be very happy.

With her height, she is considered normal in Japan, with the ability to walk with head held high and chest puffed out.

"You don't need to stay here any longer. Send troops to Kyoto immediately, set fire along the way, break through the Imperial Palace, and kidnap Emperor Komei and return to Choshu."

Qingze had previously flipped through the history books and discovered that there was still some time before the Forbidden Gate Incident.

But it doesn’t matter. With him around, the Forbidden Gate Change can happen in early July. There’s no need to wait until July 19th.

"After all, if you continue to stay here and wait for the Satsuma people to arrive, the court will not care about your ideas."

After what Qingze said, the struggle on Kurushima Matabei's face instantly turned into determination, and he nodded and said, "Yes, I should attack immediately!"

Qingze smiled, used element replacement, and his body turned into an invisible breeze.

When the time comes to set the fire, he can rely on the power of the wind to burn down the entire Kyoto.

Generally speaking, Qingze will not harm ordinary people.

But it’s different in this period.

At this time in Kyoto, Japan, everyone was guilty.

Everyone deserves to die, there is no such thing as innocent people.

Kurushima Matabei suddenly stood up and shouted, "Call the troops! Call the troops!"

The guard turned around and asked in surprise, "Lord Raishima, what do you mean by this?"

"Kusaka is incompetent and has brought disaster to the country and the people!

If we continue to wait here, it will only allow the various feudal forces to march into Kyoto. We must storm the Kyoto Imperial Palace with lightning speed and explain our grievances to Emperor Komei!"

Kurushima Matabei shouted loudly, and the guards looked excited.

They were willing to follow Kurushima Matabei because of his radical policies.

But one person still hadn't lost his mind and asked, "Should we explain the situation to others?"

"Well, send someone to tell them that those who are willing to march with me can set off immediately, and those who are not willing can just stand there and be cowards."

Kurushima Matabei looked indifferent.

……

Soon, 600 guerrillas belonging to Kurushima Matabei gathered.

The ingredients are quite complex.

There are samurai from the Kurushima family and ronin from different places.

The difference between a samurai and a ronin can be seen from their clothes. The former appear rigorous, while the latter appear loose.

Kurushima Matabei glanced at them, drew the samurai sword from his waist, pointed it in the direction of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and shouted, "Enter the capital!"

“Enter the capital!” “Enter the capital!”

Whether they were ronin or samurai, they all drew their swords and shouted loudly.

Kurushima Matabei rushed forward first.

There wasn't even a horse.

But the morale of the people present was greatly boosted, and they all followed him to the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

Looking at their military appearance, Qingze also understood why Raishima Matabei was unable to capture Kyoto's Hagimon Gate in history.

Crowd!
But it doesn’t matter. With his help today, even a mob can break through Kyoto’s Hagigomon Gate and kill their way to Emperor Komei’s residence.

Kurushima Matabei and others rushed into Kyoto.

The person at the end immediately obeyed the order and threw the tinder directly at the houses on both sides.

"No."

The original residents did not want to care, but setting fire in Kyoto would definitely bring disaster to them.

Some residents tried to put out the fire but were immediately hacked to the ground by the anti-foreign fighters.

The breeze transformed by Qingze blew nearby, and the flames ignited the wooden house and then spread to the surroundings.

When the residents saw the fire, they were so frightened that they shouted and ran around.

Kurushima Matabei and others shouted loudly to save the country and the people, and rushed all the way to the palace of Emperor Komei.

As they ran, the flames engulfed the houses on both sides and gradually spread to the surroundings.

……

Zichen Palace.

The main hall of the Kyoto Imperial Palace was where important ceremonies such as Emperor Komei's coming-of-age ceremony and succession to the throne were held.

Emperor Komei also often summoned his ministers here to discuss important matters.

Today, Emperor Komei summoned important court officials here as usual to discuss how to deal with the affairs of the Choshu domain.

All the princes of the imperial family gathered, even his thirteen-year-old son, the future Emperor Meiji and current Crown Prince Mutsuhito, participated.

Of course, at this time, Mutsuhito had no power to speak and could only watch the ministers' speeches in the court coldly.

The appeasers, led by Prince Arisugawa Akirahito, and the hard-line ministers, led by Tokugawa Yoshinobu, were criticizing the government.

Emperor Komei watched them arguing without saying a word, but he had already made a decision in his heart.

That was to conquer the Choshu clan.

However, taking into consideration the current military strength in Kyoto, he did not announce the news directly, but instead gave hope to those who agreed with the Choshu clan's opinions, so that they could stabilize the Choshu clan.

Slowly delay the time.

Once reinforcements from Satsuma and other clans arrived in Kyoto, he would be able to make the decision to repel Choshu.

The ministers below had no idea what he was thinking and continued to argue with each other.

Everyone wants to influence his decision.

But these people don't know.

He was never a cowardly and incompetent emperor, he knew what was going on.

It was a great feeling to be sitting on a high seat and watching the people below being played around by one's own hands. Emperor Komei was quite proud of himself when he suddenly heard urgent footsteps outside the palace.

A man rushed into the palace breathlessly, shouting, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Raishima Matabei has led his troops to attack the Imperial Palace, shouting that he wants to remove the emperor's entourage!"

"what?!"

All the important officials in the court were in an uproar.

Even Prince Arisugawa Akihito, who supported the decision of the Choshu clan, was stunned. He felt a chill spreading from his heart to his limbs.

He knew in his heart that his political career might be coming to an end. Are those people in Choshu Domain crazy? !

The ministers present knew better than anyone whether Emperor Komei was being held hostage by traitors.

Tokugawa Yoshinobu sneered, "Humph, you still dare to say that those people from the Choshu domain are not traitors?"

Emperor Komei was furious. He slammed the table with his right hand and shouted, "Tokugawa! You must lead your army to repel the Choshu bandits immediately!"

In one sentence, the people of Choshu domain are directly characterized.

Should we forgive some people afterwards?

That was after the fact!
At the moment, Emperor Komei only wanted to express his anger. The other party dared to directly attack the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which clearly showed that they had rebellious intentions.

There are traitors among the patriots who are fighting against the barbarians!

This is the real reason why he was reluctant to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

The shogunate was weak and still needed his help, so they would not allow his position to be damaged.

But those patriots who are fighting against the foreigners may dare to overthrow the shogunate today and may overthrow the emperor tomorrow.

What would they not dare to do to drive out the foreigners?

To deal with those treacherous people who are unaware of the majesty of the court, we must strike hard.

Otherwise, the imperial court's prestige, which had been gradually rising after the Black Ship Incident, would likely fall again.

Emperor Komei's eyes flashed with ferocity.

He was already thinking about how to punish the people of Choshu after repelling the rebels of Choshu, so that they would understand that the majesty of the emperor could not be offended.

Perhaps the shogunate should launch an expedition against Choshu.

"I obey!"

Tokugawa Yoshinobu replied loudly.

As a member of the shogunate, he naturally hoped that Emperor Komei would hate the Choshu clan.

Although his relationship with Tokugawa Iemochi was a bit strained due to their competition for the position of Shogun.

But after all, he is still a member of the Tokugawa family, and naturally does not want the shogunate to be too weak.

If the shogunate really falls, he will not have a good ending.

He strode out of the hall and saw flames rising into the sky in the distance.

very good!

Tokugawa Yoshinobu was very happy that the people from Choshu domain set the fire, and the bigger the incident became.

If I resist the rebels' offensive, I will gain the trust of Emperor Komei and will inevitably receive rewards from the court.

More importantly, the imperial court will certainly not let off the hook when it comes to pursuing accountability afterwards.

The Shogun wanted to conquer Choshu, but he hesitated for a long time!

He only needed to express his intention to conquer Choshu in advance and gain the appreciation of the Shogun of the shogunate to ease the relationship between them.

Kill two birds with one stone!

……

The fire, fueled by the wind, the hot weather and the wooden house, turned into a raging fire in less than a moment and attacked this ancient capital with a long history.

Thick smoke billowed and people were running around in panic everywhere.

There are also people who are greedy for money and, at this critical moment, choose to smash, loot and rob, hoping to make a fortune in the chaos.

Xuecun Tsuruko saw someone openly committing murder with a knife.

"Help!"

The woman held her child in her arms and cried for help.

But her husband had already fallen in a pool of blood. Who would save her at this time?
The murderer's face looked hideous in the firelight.

Xuecun Tsuruko paused slightly, twisted her body, and rushed forward.

A dark demonic aura flashed across his cheek, and the sharp blade immediately cut off the man's head. Blood spurted onto the door, extinguishing part of the burning flames.

"Run!"

She left only these words and quickly caught up with the Shinsengumi team.

Hijikata Toshizo frowned and shouted, "Yukimura! Now is not the time to worry about them. We must rush to the Imperial Palace as soon as possible to ensure the safety of His Majesty the Emperor!"

"Feel sorry."

Xuecun Tsuruko replied weakly, with her eyes lowered.

She felt heartbroken as she listened to the chaotic cries for help.

In the distance, flames shot up into the sky and black smoke billowed.

When she saw this scene and looked around, an idea came to her mind.

There were many people who wanted to protect Emperor Komei while he was in the Imperial Palace.

But among these people outside, only the Shinsengumi can be relied upon.

Is it necessary for them to go to the far end and rush into the Imperial Palace to protect Emperor Komei?

The soldiers' galloping footsteps suddenly stopped.

Yukimura Tsuruko almost bumped into the back of Hijikata Toshizo in front of her. She looked up and saw a young man with a calm face standing in the middle of the street where black smoke was floating.

He was out of tune with the panicked crowd around him and seemed to have created a calm and stable space of his own.

"Lord Qingze."

Kondo Isami stepped forward with a respectful look on his face and asked, "Now that His Majesty the Emperor has been attacked, what should we do?"

The Choshu clan's rebellion was too sudden, and the order that Matsudaira Yoshiyasu sent to convey was to protect the safety of the imperial palace.

But before that, the Shogun gave the command of the Shinsengumi to Aozawa.

Since Qingze was not there before, Kondo Isami could naturally follow the orders of Matsudaira Yoshiyasu.

If Qingze appears, everything must be under Qingze's orders.

Who is greater, the Shogun or Matsudaira Yoshinobu?
Kondo Isami still had an idea in mind.

He insisted on standing on the side of the shogun of the shogunate.

Qingze nodded with satisfaction and said, “You don’t need to worry about the Emperor.

The Shinsengumi's mission is to maintain order in Kyoto.

Kyoto is in such chaos now that the people are in fear.

What you need to do is to assist the people of Kyoto in evacuating, let them flee Kyoto and not stay.

This fire is likely to turn Kyoto into a scorched earth."

This is no longer a hint, but is close to being explicit.

Kondo Isami's expression changed several times, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes.

Maybe he was overthinking, but everything that was happening right now, combined with what Qingze said before he disappeared.

Is there really no connection between the two?
He couldn't help but pluck up the courage to ask: "Sir, what is the current situation?"

"Choshu Domain's Kurushima Matabei is rebelling and setting fire to Kyoto, so you don't have to worry.

With the military power of the imperial court, we will surely put down the rebellion and ensure the safety of the Emperor and his family."

"Hi."

Kondo Isami didn't say anything, just nodded obediently, and turned to his left and right and said, "Quickly evacuate the surrounding people."

Xuecun Tsuruko couldn't help but step forward and asked, "Lord Qingze, are the actions of the Choshu clan within the shogunate's expectations?"

"Yukimura Tsuruko!"

Hijikata Toshizo's face showed shock and anger.

He really didn't expect that Xuecun Tsuruko would dare to ask about such a confidential matter.

The weight of this secret exceeds that of the Shinsengumi!

Qingze glanced at Xuecun Hezi, but he did not give a direct answer. He said slowly, "Xuecun, you have to remember that in this world, there is no one who cannot be killed.

Just do what you are supposed to do and don’t worry about the rest.”

After saying this, Qingze disappeared from here.

The members of the Shinsengumi felt a chill in their hearts.

Even ordinary soldiers who were slow to react understood that they might have been involved in a serious conspiracy.

The shogunate might have anticipated this fire, and it's even possible that the shogunate assisted the thieves in setting the fire!
Otherwise, how could the fire spread so fiercely?

Hijikata Toshizo stared at Yukimura Tsuruko coldly and growled, "We were almost killed by you!"

"Feel sorry."

Yukimura Tsuruko lowered her head. She felt that Qingze's words were not a threat to the Shinsengumi, but seemed to express other meanings.

If the people he wants to kill aren't the Shinsengumi, then who is it?

"Yukimura! We'll deal with you later!"

Kondo Isami expressed his thoughts before Hijikata Toshizo could get even more angry.

He didn't want to punish Yukimura Tsuruko.

Because he thought Yukimura Tsuruko did a good job and asked questions that he dared not ask.

"Let's not hesitate, just do our job and evacuate the people of Kyoto and save as many as we can.

Kyoto, I’m afraid it’s over.”

Kondo Isami was sure.

What Qingze said about Kyoto burning down was not just a simple joke, but more like a prophecy.

How many people died when Kyoto was reduced to ashes? How many more people were left homeless?
Presumably, the Shogun and Aozawa didn't care at all.

And how much better could he be?

Kondo Isami gave a wry smile.

One general's success is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers.

(End of this chapter)