I formed the strongest swordsman group

Edo, Kocho, Tsukimiya Shrine, a room in the shrine——

"Mr. Orange, please use tea."

Sha Zhong, who was kneeling beside Qingdeng, gently pushed a cup of hot black tea with a strong aroma to Qingdeng.

"Thanks……"

After Qingdeng thanked Shazhong softly, he raised his head and scanned the layout of the room he was currently in.

The environment is clean and tidy; the selection and arrangement of furniture are very particular; there is a beautiful landscape painting hanging in the alcove...a guest room with good decoration taste.

"Master Yu Du, Mr. Orange."

Sha Chong hugged the empty tea tray, lowered her head, and bowed lightly to Qingdeng and Tianzhangyuan.

"The little girl is leaving first. If you have any needs, please call the little girl at any time."

After speaking, Sazhong got up and left without any hesitation or delay.

The moment the screen closed the sliding door, Qingdeng looked at the lonely man and widow with him... to be correct, it was the "lonely man and widow" in the same room who was sitting face to face with him in Tianzhangyuan.

Sitting in Tianzhang Courtyard 2 steps away directly opposite Qingdeng, there is also a cup of black tea in front of his lap.

Between the two of them, there was a plate of wagashi that was particularly delicate in shape and smelled particularly fragrant.

"Mr. Tangerine, come and have a taste."

Tianzhangyuan smiled and pushed the plate of wagashi towards Qingdeng.

"This plate of wagashi is a first-class treasure bought from an old store with decades of history above. It tastes so good."

Above: The Kanto people's customary name for the Gyeonggi area.

Although Kyoto has not been the political and economic center of the country for a long time, as the ancient capital with a thousand-year history and the residence of the emperor, Kyoto still has unparalleled cultural influence.

People in Kyoto often call themselves "subjects living at the feet of the emperor", and they are notoriously arrogant. They regard people outside the capital as countrymen, and ridicule their clothing and accent. All foreigners who come to Beijing will inevitably suffer from the white eyes and ridicule of the locals.

What's more, they regarded the Edo shogunate, who had robbed the emperor of the government, as an "enemy of the court", and directly referred to all the Kanto people as "Dongyi".

People from the Kanto region often have a sense of psychological weakness when facing people from the Gyeonggi region. "Shang Shang" is often used as a collective name for the Gyeonggi region.

"Thanks……"

Qingdeng glanced at the plate of wagashi... Let's thank Tianzhangyuan for warmly inviting him to drink tea and snacks.

Whether it's snacks or tea, the rich aroma makes people's index fingers move... However, Qingdeng has no leisure and appetite to taste these delicacies.

"His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan...forgive me for taking the liberty."

Qingdeng "ha" turned the chaotic thoughts in his heart into a sound, and his straight waist bent slightly with his sigh.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"What's going on?"

Tianzhangyuan's eyes narrowed slightly... Her expression made her face even more charming.

"..." Qingdeng glanced at the sliding door on the right hand side, then lowered his bass line, and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, Sazhong, Yae, and Tiancang Xiao, know that you are the current Grand Imperial Office of the Shogunate: Is it Tianzhang Court?"

"Of course they know." Tianzhangyuan nodded, and said without thinking, "They know that I am not only Tianzhangyuan, the great imperial office of the Edo shogunate, but also Miyoshi: Yudu Miko of Moon Palace Shrine."

Well... more and more questions.

"You should?"

Qingdeng noticed an unfamiliar term mentioned by Tianzhang Court just now.

"What should you be?"

"Oh, Tachibana-kun, don't you know the priesthood of the shrine?"

"I haven't had a deep understanding of the culture of the shrine..."

"Neiyi is a priesthood rank in the shrine."

Tianzhangyuan smiled and talked freely.

"In a shrine, the person with the highest status is the 'Gongsi'. You can understand the 'Gongsi' as the leader of a shrine."

"From 'Gong Si' down, there are 'Quan Gong Si', 'Ni Yi', and 'Quan Ni Yi'...the one with the lowest status is the 'Witch Maiden' whom people often come into contact with."

"As the rank rises, the color of the hakama that the clergy can wear will continue to change."

"An ordinary priestess at the bottom of the shrine wears a scarlet hakama."

"Further up, there are dark green hakamas, light green onion hakamas, purple hakamas, purple hakamas embroidered with white patterns, and white hakamas embroidered with white patterns."

"The most top-level white hakama, there are only a few less than a hundred people who are qualified to wear it all over the country. People who can reach this level are basically gray-haired old people."

"To put it more simply and popularly - Tachibana-kun, you can understand me as the 'superior priestess' of the Moon Palace Shrine."

"Although in terms of identity, I am a miko just like Sae and Yae."

"But in terms of priesthood level, I am quite different from those two sisters."

"They're just ordinary shrine maidens. They can only wear scarlet hakamas."

"And I am Nigi from Tsukimiya Shrine, so I can wear a purple hakama."

Qing Deng, who listened carefully to Tianzhangyuan's popular science, nodded lightly:

"So that's how it is... No wonder the color of your hakama is different from Saju and the others..."

A question was successfully resolved.

However, the "fog" that trapped Qingdeng's brain has not been relieved in the slightest...

"Your Highness Tianzhangyuan, since this is the case...then I can't understand it. Why do you, who are so expensive as the Great Imperial Palace of the Shogunate, appear here? Why did you suddenly become the 'superior priestess' of this shrine?"

"Cluck cluck~"

Tianzhangyuan glanced at Qingdeng's eager expression of eagerness to get an immediate solution, and covered his mouth and chuckled lightly as if feeling amused.

The laughter is as weird as ever but not harsh.

"Mr. Ju, it seems that you have quite a lot of questions."

"There are as many questions as I want to ask you..."

Infected by Tianzhangyuan's friendly, easy-going, and unassuming demeanor, Qing Deng has habitually adopted a more casual attitude when facing Tianzhangyuan, as if interacting with ordinary friends, to get along with the "Mother of the Nation".

Tianzhangyuan smiled sweetly, picked up the black tea in front of his knees, and took a sip.

"Oh well."

"I originally planned to explain the ins and outs of everything to you with a long speech."

"Now that I think about it, it seems pretty good to use the format of 'ask me and answer' instead."

"Mr. Ju, just ask whatever you want, I will tell you everything."

Now that this woman has said that...then Qingdeng is also unambiguous and polite.

After thinking for a while, Qingdeng said in a deep voice:

"Then...Your Highness Tianzhangyuan, please answer my question first. Why do you, who are honored by the Imperial Palace, appear in this shrine as Niyi?"

"Hmm... well... where should I start..."

Tianzhangyuan smiled and took another sip of tea, then slowly put the teacup back to its original position.

"Mr. Ju, do you know 'Yu Ting Fan'?"

Qingdeng was startled for a moment, then replied without thinking:

"of course I know."

This name is also very popular.

Yutingfan - the spy agency directly under the general!

On the surface, the job of Yubaban is to be on duty at the Fukiage Palace, and is responsible for patrolling and guarding the courtyard.

But in fact, they are special agents who are ordered by the general to specialize in secret missions such as secret reconnaissance and intelligence gathering!

The main task on weekdays is to help the general monitor the vassals and the daimyos of the vassal states.

From a functional point of view, Yutingfan is very similar to Jinyiwei in the Ming Dynasty in Central China - espionage agency + directly responsible to the emperor/general + supervising officials for the emperor/general.

Because the work content of Yuiban is very similar to that of ninjas in public perception, many people jokingly call Yuiban the "Queen Ninja Troop" of the Edo Shogunate.

"Since Yuan and Yanwu, the world has been peaceful. For more than two hundred years, there have been few major wars."

Tianzhangyuan spoke calmly.

"Whether it's the imperial guards like the 'Third Fan Group', or ordinary troops like the First Bow Group, First Iron Cannon Group, Small Ten Group, and Shin Fan Group, all standing troops in the shogunate are only subordinate to the general's direct ministers... …that is, the enlisted soldiers from the Banner, the royal family and their children.”

"The purpose of this design is to ensure the source of soldiers and the loyalty of the generals to the shogunate and the general."

"But gradually, the drawbacks of this 'hereditary' recruitment system gradually emerged."

"The long peace without war has caused the various troops of the shogunate to degenerate day by day."

"Take the most corrupted 'Third Fan Group' as an example——"

"The main duty of the 'Third Fan Group' is to personally protect the General. Therefore, in addition to the need to send a few troops every year to garrison the Nijo Castle in Kyoto and the Daban Group in Osaka Castle, all the troops of the 'Third Fan Group' are stationed in the Prosperous Edo."

"As soon as you leave the military base, you will see a colorful world with Yoshihara, Oka places, casinos, and countless izakaya."

"Working on weekdays is also very easy."

"No matter which general he is, the number of times he leaves Edo Castle throughout the year is very small. Therefore, he only needs to stand guard and be on duty in Edo Castle every day."

"You don't have to worry about the general being attacked."

"Edo Castle, which was completely built according to the standards of a military fortress, is impenetrable. It is impossible for thieves to sneak into Edo Castle."

"And the fact is true. Since Edo Castle was built, no one has ever successfully passed through the layers of barriers of Edo Castle and reached the front of the general."

"Will not be sent to backward areas with difficult living conditions, plus easy work content... The superior conditions of the 'Sanfan Group' have attracted a large number of people who either have little skills or do not want to engage in dirty words and tiring work. Brother of Banner."

"The moths used their family connections one after another, and even directly used money offensives to buy off relevant personnel and infiltrate into the 'Third Fan Group'."

"Thanks to the 'blessing' of these moths, the 'Sanfan Group' quickly deteriorated and degenerated."

"The 'Third Fan Group' has now completely become a place where those bannermen who love to relax and slack off work come to fool around with their qualifications and lives."

"More than 90% of the Fanshi are not working hard, their fighting spirit is lax, and their spirits are lethargic. They just want to lie on the merits of their ancestors and wait to die... This is the true portrayal of the 'Sanfan Group' today."

Qingdeng nodded slightly in agreement.

In yesterday's contest, the performance of the "Three Fans" fans left a very deep negative impression on Qingdeng.

The martial arts competition is about to start, and they are still chatting casually, as if it has nothing to do with them.

And judging from their chat content, they often go in and out of gold-selling caves like Yoshihara.

After the martial arts competition started, he had no fighting spirit throughout the whole process, and it didn't matter if he won or lost, and he just wanted to get off work quickly.

Such a person, no matter how you look at it, is not qualified to take on the important task of "Shogunate Imperial Guard".

"The status quo of the 'Third Fan Group' is just a microcosm of the shogunate army."

With red lips opening again, Tianzhang Courtyard lowered his eyes and stared straight at the teacup in front of his knees.

The tea, which is as calm as a mirror, clearly reflects the beautiful eyes of Tianzhangyuan.

"All the current troops of the Shogunate, without exception—are corrupt, to varying degrees."

"Including secret troops like Yutingfan, it is difficult to take on a big role now."

"Since it was established during the reign of the three-generation general Jia Guanggong, this army with a history of nearly 200 years and countless illustrious military exploits has long since lost its former prestige."

"With such a general, such an army, how can we talk about combat effectiveness? How can we talk about defending the shogunate?"

Tianzhangyuan's tone gradually became agitated.

Before she had finished speaking, she changed the subject.

"Right now, the foreign powers are pressing harder and harder, and a group of rebellious parties headed by the "Zun Luan Zhi Shi" are about to move, and the country's situation is in jeopardy."

"Under such a critical environment, the army is the confidence and cornerstone of the shogunate to cut evil, strengthen the righteous, and put an end to chaos."

"In order to prevent the shogunate from falling into the dilemma of having no generals to adjust and no soldiers to use in the future, the general has decided to make great efforts to rectify all the chaos in the shogunate army and reverse all the unhealthy trends in the shogunate army!"

"However, the various troops headed by the 'Third Fan Group' have deep roots, and a large number of children from big families are mixed in."

"My lord general inherited the position of General Zheng Yi, and it took me less than two years to do my best."

"The time of ascension to the throne is too short, so the general's current foundation in the shogunate is still shallow."

"If you are in a hurry to use strong medicine and use the 'Third Division' and other troops indiscriminately, it will only be counterproductive."

"In comparison, Yutingban is much easier to start with."

"The Yutingban does not select members from the direct ministers of the shogunate, so there is less resistance to reform."

"The imperial court, who specializes in collecting intelligence, is the eyes of the shogunate and has an incomparably important position. It is imminent to restore its combat power."

"Therefore, the General has listed the imperial court as the first target of rectification."

"But the degree of corruption of Yutingfan has greatly exceeded our imagination."

"Many Fanshi's personal quality is poor... let alone carrying out secret missions, if they are asked to help deliver a letter, they may lose the letter."

"The difficulty of rectification far exceeded expectations."

"After much deliberation, we decided - instead of repairing a dilapidated house, it's better to tear it down and start over!"

Speaking of this, the corners of Tianzhangyuan's mouth turned up slightly, evoking a mysterious arc.

"My lord general gave up on rectifying the Royal Court, and instead rebuilt a new secret army, namely the 'New Royal Court'!"

"As the Grand Imperial Palace, I don't have much else, except that I have a lot of time."

"So, under the entrustment of the general, I shouldered the task of forming and operating the new imperial court."

Tianzhangyuan pointed to the tatami under his knees.

"This Tsukinomiya Shrine is the headquarters of the new imperial court."

"Everyone you meet in the shrine is a member of my new imperial family."

"Including Sazhong and Yae who brought you into the club just now. These two sisters are female ninjas that I spent a lot of effort to cultivate."

"Our priestly attire is just to deceive people."

Qingdeng's neck suddenly froze.

Since just now, a large amount of information has rushed towards him like a tsunami...

*****

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Very sorry! I didn't write enough 8000 words today! The leopard head is gone! QAQ (Leopard head cut off.jpg)

Yesterday's condition was not very good. When I wrote more than 7,000 words, I felt that the second half of the content was not very satisfactory, so I deleted it all, and only the current 4,400 words are left... (This is the truth, not fake. If it is fake, the author will never find his girlfriend QAQ)

Tomorrow, the author will definitely keep the leopard head! (Leopard head grows out.jpg)