I formed the strongest swordsman group

The samurai passed through the chaotic crowd and then ducked into an inconspicuous alley.

Qingdeng quickly caught up.

This is an open road that can be seen everywhere in Edo, that is, an unobstructed path between two rows of houses.

Without the obstruction of the flow of people, Qingdeng could finally use his true skills.

He kicked the ground violently - "Take the lead +2" was activated - and the power contained in the muscles of his legs exploded.

The scenery on both sides of Qingden's field of vision was stretched into a blurry afterimage, and his own figure also became blurry and difficult to distinguish.

The speeds of the two sides are not at the same level at all, and it is only a matter of time before the samurai catches up.

However, at this moment, the warrior suddenly stopped and turned around, facing Qingden directly.

——What does he want to do?

The samurai's move caused Qingdeng's eyebrows to instantly furrow into the character "Chuan".

Although I don’t know the other party’s intentions, what I should do remains the same.

Because the samurai had stopped running away, Qingteng caught up with him in an instant.

Qingdeng first restrained the opponent's arms with a grappling technique, then used a neat over-the-shoulder throw to slam him to the ground, and then straddled him.

Just when Qingteng took off the swords from the samurai's waist and checked whether he was carrying any other dangerous items——

"Hehehehe..."

The warrior suddenly let out a sinister laugh.

Then, he changed into a faint tone and a tone that seemed to be smiling but not smiling:

"Ju Qingden...it's been a long time..."

Qingdeng's eyebrows suddenly stood up.

The warrior's greeting awakened his memory.

He remembered this voice...

Qingden used lightning speed to lift off the low-brimmed bamboo hat from the warrior's head.

Under the bamboo hat, he saw a young face that seemed familiar to him.

Qingdeng thought for a while and quickly remembered this person's name.

"New wife...Kan...?"

This samurai who threw explosives in the street and launched horrific terrorist attacks was none other than Hiro Niizuma, who had competed in the finals of the swordsmanship competition held by Aizu Domain Lord Matsudaira Yoho two and a half years ago.

They don't know each other well.

Since the sword fighting competition ended, the two have not seen each other again.

In Qingdeng's memory, Xinzuma Kuan is a person who exudes a gloomy atmosphere.

Now, two and a half years later... Although his face has not changed significantly, his spirit has changed.

Qingdeng couldn't tell specifically.

In short, I feel that Xin Zuma Kuan's temperament has become... like a bloodthirsty lone wolf.

There was a weird smile on his face, and an unpredictable glint in his eyes.

Qingdeng was not in a hurry to interrogate the other person. Instead, he pinched his cheeks with his left hand, forcing him to open his mouth wide. Then he inserted his right hand into his mouth and felt around his mouth to make sure that he did not have any incisions between his teeth or between his teeth. After hiding the poison under his tongue, he asked in a deep voice:

"New Wife Kuan, it's been a long time since you and I have seen each other... What? You have also become a loyalist who respects the king and fights the barbarians. Do you want to punish me with heavenly punishment?"

After the anti-barbarian group, Qingdeng was once again targeted by those madmen who were obsessed with resisting the barbarians.

For those who respected the king and resisted the barbarians, it was really shameful for the shogunate to compromise with the Western barbarians.

A large number of people with radical ideas who respected the king and fought against the barbarians directly listed the senior cabinet ministers of the shogunate as targets of heavenly execution.

Therefore, as a close confidant of Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin, Aoto naturally became a thorn in their side, a thorn in their flesh, and a hateful national traitor who would never get rid of their displeasure.

However... As soon as Qingdeng finished his words, he heard his new wife laugh broadly, with a look of disdain on her cheeks:

"Tian Zhu? Honoring the king and resisting the barbarians? Don't confuse me with those fools. This is an insult to me."

Speaking of this, the new wife Kuan put on her weird and meaningful smile.

"Tachibana Aoden, Orochi-sama asked me to say hello to you."

As soon as Orochi-sama—the new wife Kan said these words, Qingto's expression was instantly dominated by strong solemnity.

He grabbed the other person's collar and lifted his entire upper body up.

In Qingden's impression, there is only one person who can be called "Orochi-sama".

"Hey, you...joined the Fa Zun Party?"

"Ah...yes..."

The new wife nodded without hesitation.

"Under the recommendation of Lord Rakshasa, I am extremely honored to become a member of the Fa Punishment Party."

"Hahahaha! When I learned that my strength and loyalty have been recognized by Orochi-sama, I felt so happy, as if I had been reborn!"

As he spoke, the new wife widened her eyes, raised the corners of her scarlet mouth, and twisted her facial lines into a hysterical expression.

This look... really looks like a fanatic.

"Why was I so stupid before...I was so stupid that I wholeheartedly loyal to the shogunate."

"The Edo Shogunate is a rotten tree about to collapse!"

"Its very existence is a sin!"

"A capable person like me can't be reused! I want an official position but can't get it, and I don't even have a chance to show off my skills!"

"Those fat losers can stay in the clouds!"

"Such a hateful system! Such a hateful organization! Why does it even exist?!"

Facing the increasingly agitated new wife Kuan, the unmoved Qingdeng coldly rebuked:

"Save these insights of your life until you are imprisoned, and then you can slowly talk to those big men holding whips and other instruments of torture."

The Fuzhi Party has resumed its activities after more than a year... The nature of this incident is no longer trivial!

Qingteng quickly made up his mind: he would immediately take his new wife to the Tsukigiya Shrine and hand him over to the new imperial court for interrogation.

So, Qingdeng immediately took out the cuffs from his arms and tied up his new wife.

Xin Zukuan did not offer any resistance throughout the whole process, and did not show any fear on her face.

He slightly suppressed the madness in his cheeks and said seriously:

"Ju Qingden, that bomb just now was a greeting to you."

"From the very beginning, neither Master Orochi nor I thought that this little trick could kill you."

"My main purpose today is to convey a message to you on behalf of Orochi-sama - thanks to your blessing, our plan to overthrow has been seriously affected. What you have done, we will never forget."

After finishing speaking, Xin Zukuan suddenly coughed violently.

"Ahem! Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!"

At first, he just coughed up droplets.

But in the blink of an eye, the droplets turned into blood beads, and then turned into blood mist.

Qingdeng was shocked when he saw his new wife Kuan who was constantly vomiting blood.

He immediately leaned down and opened the other person's eyelids.

I saw that his pupils had begun to dilate.

Looking down, his lips turned into an extremely unnatural purple-black color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It's poisoning!

Qingdeng was very sure that there was nothing hidden in Xinzuma Kuan's mouth, and he had just examined it very carefully.

Moreover, after controlling Nitsuma Kuan, he did not make any swallowing movements.

Then, Qingteng could think of only one reason why Xin Zuma Kuan was poisoned.

"Damn it...! Did you take poison in advance...!"

Qingteng finally understood why Nitsuma Kuan did not escape immediately after throwing the explosive bag, and why he suddenly stopped during the escape.

This guy had no intention of going back alive from the beginning!

"Cough cough cough cough... cough cough... cough..."

New Wife's cough gradually weakened.

It looked like he was going to see the King of Hell in a few minutes.

Just to throw a bomb at him, he would not hesitate to give up his own life... In Qingden's eyes, such a crazy move was really incomprehensible.

"Does the FaZe Party have the ability to automatically attract lunatics? Or does the FaZe Party have an extremely powerful assimilation ability that can make all normal people who are close to it become insane?"

The broad facial features of the new wife were twisted into a ball with pain.

But he's still laughing.

Smiling so happily.

After hearing Qingdeng's sarcasm, he squeezed out the last strength in his body and joked:

"Anyway... no matter whether I can successfully blow you up or not... I won't get any good results... I might as well just give myself one... and be happy..."

"I just... said it, right...?"

"After joining the Fa Zun Party... I feel like I have been reborn...!"

"I feel extremely honored to die for the law to punish the Party...!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……!"

Arrogant laughter echoed in Qingdeng's ears.

"Finally... this is a rare opportunity... let me correct... a... small mistake in what you just said..."

"The Fa Zhu Party...doesn't have a strong...assimilation ability..."

"It has...power more powerful than this...!"

At the end of the words, Niizuma Kuan's tone suddenly became more refined, and the momentum contained in his words was as strong as boiling water that suddenly overflowed.

After he regained his consciousness, he took a deep breath, and then shouted as loudly as he could:

"One day, our long-cherished wish will come true!"

After roaring, his head tilted - his pupils were dilated and his breath was gone.

Qingdeng looked down at the body of his new wife Kuan with an expressionless face and remained silent.

Even though he is dead, there is still a twisted smile on his face.

After a while, a long sigh came out of the alley.

Immediately after the sigh, there was a murmur without sadness or joy:

"Together with Sanako, Amai and Souji, we will form a big family and live a happy and joyful life... This wish is not that easy to come true..."

The lingering sound hovered over the alley until a gust of north wind blew, and then it suddenly disappeared into the air.

…

…

Unidentified assassins attacked Tachibana Aoden with a bomb...The news spread throughout Edo like a bolt from the blue.

Qingden's body was not seriously injured and he only suffered minor injuries, which made those who respected the king breathe a sigh of relief.

However, the street riots triggered by the assassination - 23 people died and 35 were injured - gave everyone who heard about it a chill in their hearts.

Edo, which was originally peaceful because of the approaching New Year, was instantly filled with tension.

Almost everyone subconsciously believed that this incident was the work of the noble king who hated the shogunate and fought against the barbarians.

These hateful guys are so arrogant! Even King Ni dares to assassinate him! Moreover, the assassination methods have been upgraded, and explosives are actually thrown in the busy streets with people coming and going!

In response to this, the people of Edo were filled with hatred and lingering fear.

Just when the people of Edo were still thinking about the aftermath of the "Assassination of Nioh" incident, another big news fell from the sky:

Tokugawa Iemo decided to adopt the initiative submitted by Shimazu Hisamitsu when he led his troops into Edo: go to Kyoto to discuss with the imperial court matters related to the fight against the barbarians and the integration of public and military forces!

General Zhengyi is going to Kyoto... This is the first time since the third generation of shogun Iemitsu!

The big events coming one after another are dizzying.

Suddenly, people in Edo were in panic...

…

…

In the second year of Wenjiu (1862), December 29——

Edo, Edo Castle, maples——

Aomori and Tokugawa Iemo faced each other, playing Go.

Aoto holds the black one, and Tokugawa Iemoge holds the white one.

Apart from them, there was no one else in Kaede.

Maple Room is the room used by General Zhengyi to play Go and Shogi, so the overall layout of the room is very elegant.

Incense burners, hanging paintings, potted plants... all available.

Although Qingden knows Go, his level is not high.

Coincidentally, Tokugawa Iemo's chess skills were also lackluster.

Two stinky chess pieces alternately perform operations on the chessboard that can cure hypotension and cerebral palsy in good Go players.

However, Qing's mind was not on playing chess.

On the surface, Maple's function is very simple, just an ordinary lounge.

However, due to the characteristic of being able to be alone with the players, this room often becomes a secret room where the general discusses important events with others.

Tokugawa Iemo, who didn't like playing chess, suddenly invited him to play chess without any warning... Even if Aonto thought about it with his buttocks, he knew that the other party must be using the name of chess to discuss some important matters with him. .

So, while he casually placed the chess pieces on the chessboard, he waited patiently for Tokugawa Iemo to speak.

Click, click, click, click, click...

Neither of them spoke.

The crisp sound of "click-click" filled the room.

In this tranquility, Tokugawa Iemo, a young man who was just entering high school in his previous life, finally produced his first sentence since the chess game began:

"Tachibana-kun, are your injuries okay?"

"It's just a little burn, nothing special. Apply some ointment and rest for a while and it will heal."

As he spoke, Qingden showed off his arms wrapped in linen.

After learning of Qingdeng's assassination, a group of relatives and friends who were familiar with Qingdeng almost stepped on the threshold of the imperial examination hall.

After confirming with their own eyes that Qingdeng was fine, they finally felt relieved.

At this time, Kinoshita Mai and Elodie, who were full of emotions, were so worried that they were about to cry.

Even Sanako, who had always been steady and steady, rarely showed a panicked side.

Tokugawa Iemo nodded slightly.

"That's good. This way, I can feel at ease."

As he spoke, he kept moving his hands and continued to play chess while continuing to speak:

"To be honest, the recent hibernation of the Fa Zun Party has given me the illusion that this group of unreasonable lunatics will not attack us again in the short term."

"However, judging from the current situation...I am too naive and wishful thinking."

Speaking of this, Tokugawa Iemo showed an expression that seemed to be amused - but the smile he showed was a bitter smile.

"Huh... I don't know if it's a curse or something."

"It's okay if bad news doesn't come, it comes all at once."

"Mr. Tachibana, just yesterday, our spies deployed in Gyeonggi Province intercepted new information - the Bazhu Party is suspected of colluding with the Changshu Domain."

When Qingdeng heard this, he immediately raised his eyebrows, then sneered a few times and joked half-jokingly:

"The Pazhu Party and the Changshu Clan...two groups of lunatics got together. What kind of dream combination is this?"

Since it completely changed its political policy, from the "combining public and military forces" to the staunch "respecting the king and resisting the foreigners" faction, and using a large number of radical anti-foreigners, the attitude of the Choshu clan has become increasingly radical.

In other words, today's Choshu Domain has basically become a large mental hospital, in which there are a large number of people who fantasize about "the samurai sword is so awesome, cutting down steamships in the sea" and "holding this Tiangang sword, smiling at the foreign gun team, Xiyi is a madman who poops”.

However, joking aside, if this information is true, then the seriousness of the situation will not make Qingdeng laugh.

Choshu Domain is one of the strongest vassal states among the three hundred feudal lords.

Although the total stone height of the Choshu Domain is only 370,000 koku, because it controls the Shimonoseki Strait, the key point of the Sea of ​​Japan and the Seto Inland Sea, it can accumulate huge wealth by monopolizing trade and transportation, so the actual status of the Choshu Domain The income exceeds one million stones.

One is an established powerful country that is rich and powerful.

A secret society with deep roots and unscrupulous actions...

The combination of the two... is not something that makes people optimistic no matter how you think about it.

Just as Seito was thinking to himself, Tokugawa Iemo continued to speak:

"Tachibana-kun, also yesterday, there was a ronin from the Shonai domain named Kiyokawa Hachiro. He wrote to the shogunate, saying, 'In order to prepare for unexpected situations that may occur after the shogun enters the capital, ronin should be openly recruited from Edo to form a team. Send a team with the purpose of escorting the general to the capital together."

"Qinghe Hachiro?"

Qingden frowned.

"This name sounds familiar..."

"It's normal for you to think so. After all, this person is considered a celebrity."

Tokugawa Iemo paused, organized his words for a while, and then said slowly:

"In the spring of the first year of Bunkyu (1861), Qinghe Hachiro founded an association called the 'Torawei Society', also known as the 'Hero Society'. With the guiding philosophy of 'respecting the king and rejecting the barbarians', he prepared to rise up against the shogunate."

"In the autumn of the same year, his overthrow plan was discovered by our spies, and he himself was forced to abscond."

"Afterwards, he planned unrest in Kyoto, then failed again and absconded again."

Qingdeng had a look of understanding on his face when he heard this.

"Oh...it turns out to be him. No wonder this name sounds familiar to me. Why? Why does a guy who has been working hard to bring down the curtain suddenly appear in front of us and offer advice to the shogunate?"

"Because the motion he proposed was unanimously approved by Hitotsubashi Keiki, Matsudaira Harugaku, the senior middle school students and...me."

“As the country’s current situation became increasingly unstable, more and more homeless ronin, either with great ambitions or just wanting to make a living, poured into Edo.”

"The skyrocketing number of ronin has put great pressure on Edo's security."

Seito nodded with deep understanding - he had recently received frequent complaints from Nanboku Town's chief ministers about the Ronin issue.

"A long time ago, a cabinet minister suggested to me: send another capable person to take charge of the capital to further enhance the influence of the shogunate in the capital."

"Actually, I've always thought the offer was pretty good."

"The current situation in Gyeonggi Province is entirely maintained by Matsudaira Yoshiho and his Aizu Domain troops."

"We have to confront the Choshu Domain, but also secretly be wary of the Satsuma Domain... Matsudaira Yōho is already under a lot of pressure."

"Now, the Fa Zun Party is active again."

"If we continue to rely on Matsudaira Yongho alone to defend the capital, it may be unsustainable."

"So I think it's time to activate this long-awaited bill and send new troops to Luo! Support Matsudaira Yongho!"

Shangluo means going to the capital. "Shangluo" in Japanese mainly means going to Kyoto, and the other name of Kyoto is Luoyang (rakuyo), so it is called "Shangluo".

"A direct disciple is of no use."

"More than two hundred years of peace have long since corroded the bodies and minds of the direct disciples, and some of them can no longer even draw their samurai swords."

"Instead of mobilizing these wastes, we should mobilize the ronin in Edo City."

"At least the ronls are still willing to do things for money."

"Therefore, I decided to adopt Kiyokawa Hachiro's proposal - to recruit the ronin and wise men of Edo to form a new combat force, and send them to Kyoto, which is currently in turmoil and has also gathered a large number of ronin. alert."

"In this way, it will not only relieve the pressure on Matsudaira Yōho, but also effectively reduce the number of ronin in Edo City, killing two birds with one stone."

"The Matsudaira Chief Tax Officer advised me: Qinghe Hachiro is the leader of the ronin. If you want to recruit a sufficient number of ronin, you must rely on this person."

"So after weighing the pros and cons, I thought it would be better to use this person, so I pardoned his crime and allowed him to assist the shogunate in recruiting ronin."

"Of course, I absolutely don't trust him."

"It is impossible for me to hand over the ronin troops I have raised to such rebels who have been causing trouble before."

"I will only let confidants who understand military affairs and whom I trust to command this new combat force."

Having said this, Tokugawa Iemo stopped stroking the chess pieces with his fingers.

"There's been so much preparation... It's time for me to 'see it all'."

Tokugawa Iemo raised his eyes and looked straight at Aomori.

"Mr. Ju, I need you to become the governor of Gyeonggi Town!"

*******

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Qingdeng’s new journey is coming~~

Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

Jinfu - this word is not an unfamiliar word in Japan during the Edo period. At the end of the Tokugawa period, a fighting force called the "Koyo Suppression Team" with the Shinsengumi as the main body briefly appeared... and then was destroyed.