I formed the strongest swordsman group

Nishino drove to the Beifan Office with ease along the "road to work" he was used to on weekdays.

Beifansuo is adjacent to a bridge named "Wufu Bridge".

Therefore, "Wufu Bridge" is often used as a synonym for Beifansuo.

About 15 minutes later, the simple and unsophisticated body of Wufu Bridge came into Nishino's eyes.

The cold winter has not completely sapped the vitality of this prosperous bridge.

The spacious bridge deck, enough to accommodate 8 horses passing side by side, is still full of traffic.

High carts and four horses, the stream is endless.

Carrying loads and pushing carts, the traffickers and pawns rushed back and forth, coming and going in a hurry, without slowing down their pace due to the cold north wind.

The Miss Wumen, who came from an unknown family, paced along the bridge railing to relax and enjoy the gurgling water under the bridge, accompanied by her attendants.

Four young children sprang out from the slanting thorns, stomping on the bridge deck, laughing and playing with toys such as windmills in their hands.

When Nishino reached the center of Wufu Bridge, he couldn't help but stop.

He supported the bridge railing, looked around, and a faint smile subconsciously floated on the corner of his mouth.

Every time he sees this peaceful scene of people living and working in peace and contentment, and children jumping around, he feels that his post of "Ding Ding Hui Tong Xin" is not in vain, and his hard work and dedication all the time are meaningful.

Nishino had a panoramic view of every scene and scene in front of him, took a deep breath, and sorted out his emotions.

Just as he was about to step forward again——

"Oh? Isn't this Nishino Hoshijiro?"

Behind him suddenly sounded a middle-aged male voice that was familiar to him.

Nishino turned around and said in surprise:

"Master Susui?"

A big fat man in white and fat, with his fat belly sticking out, walked straight towards Xi Ye with swaggering splayed steps.

Even though he was wearing a thick cotton coat, it was still visible that the fat on his stomach was shaking as he walked.

The person who came was the current executive of the Beiban Institute: Chujiro Susui.

I saw a large group of hula-la people behind Susui—they were all Susui's followers.

With Susui and his entourage on the bridge, the Wufu bridge suddenly became crowded.

A samurai who regards face and honor as his fate is most particular about ostentation.

But all samurai with a certain official position basically hugged each other when they went out.

Take the Yuli of the enforcement office as an example-the Yuli of the enforcement office can follow with a crate, straw shoes, and a gun.

The so-called hijacking is the special responsibility of helping and carrying the hijacked box.

As the name suggests, Cao Lu is responsible for holding shoes.

The gun holder is responsible for holding the long gun used for charging the scene.

There are 15 pieces of clothing in the suitcase carried by Yuli when he is on duty: Iron mesh hemp cloth, Monfurifu shoulders, horse riding clothes, field clothes, belts, belt cords, foot trips, Monfu curtains, white curtains, Monfu black feathers Weaving, black yarn haori, white foot bag, blue foot bag, etc., in order to cope with official business, visits, business trips and cross-dressing.

Even a mere 200 shi salary and power can bring so many followers and so many clothes, let alone Bojing who is in charge of the entire Beifansuo with a 3000 shi salary.

Susukei has a total of 12 attendants, and his clothes, shoes, replacement swords and other items are stuffed into two large boxes.

Looking at the "followers" who were carrying big boxes and small bags on their shoulders and forming a long queue behind Susui, Nishino couldn't help frowning.

For this behavior of bringing so many followers and items when going out, Nishino really has no way of appreciating it.

With several large boxes of clothes, shoes, and so many useless followers, how do you do things? How to handle the case?

Although Nishino was unhappy, he didn't have an attack either.

After all, Susui was also his superior.

As a samurai, how can he be disrespectful to his superiors?

Nishino quickly stretched his brows, pulled the corners of his mouth, and squeezed out a smile that was neither salty nor light.

"Master Susui, good morning."

"Hehehe, good morning to you too. Nishino-kun, you seem to be here later than usual, what's the matter? Is something wrong at home?"

"Well... that's right."

Nishino smiled bitterly.

The scene where Chotaro spoke rudely and Ah He beat Chotaro flying flashed before his eyes.

Nishino didn't want to talk more about this topic, so he made a haha ​​and brought this topic up.

Nishino, who was busy with his hands, exchanged a few simple greetings with Susui, and said respectfully:

"Master Susui, I still have important matters to attend to, please forgive me for resigning first."

After finishing speaking, Nishino turned around and wanted to leave.

However, just as he stepped out with his left foot, Nishino shouted:

"Nishino-kun, wait a minute!"

When Nishino heard this, although he was puzzled, he could only take back the foot he had stepped out.

"Master Susui, what's wrong?"

"Uh... Nishino-kun, it's like this..."

As Susuki said, he picked at his shaved scalp that was extremely smooth, and looked around unnaturally.

"I have something very important to tell you."

"Since we just happened to meet now, let me tell you about it by the way."

Looking at Susui's hesitant expression, Nishino felt an ominous premonition...

"Nishino-kun, didn't you catch a thief who raped a common girl last month?"

"Well, yes, that guy is a group crime. He is being interrogated by me in the interrogation room in order to find out the hiding places of his other accomplices..."

Before Nishino finished speaking, Susui interrupted in an undeniable and forceful tone:

"Don't interrogate him again, let him go quickly."

In an instant... Nishino's next expression change really happened in an instant.

"What did you say? Let him go? Why?!"

Nishino's eyebrows were raised upright, and his eyes were as wide as cowbells.

Because he was too emotional, his tone broke uncontrollably.

"Oh... why else..."

Susui sighed, stretched out his right index finger, and pointed to the sky above his head.

"He's covered by someone above—it's as simple as that."

"There is someone above..."

Nishino murmured.

"...Who is protecting that beast?"

"Don't ask too much, knowing too much is not good for you."

Susui sighed again.

"Nishino, I can understand your feelings very well."

"To be honest, I'm also full of resentment now."

"But there is no other way...the order of the Shangguan must be obeyed."

"I'm also powerless..."

Although the Edo-cho magistrate, the temple and shrine, and the survey and appointment are collectively referred to as the "three magistrates", which have an extremely dazzling and glamorous name, there are still many obstacles to the Edo-cho magistrate.

[Note·Designation and Pursuance: Responsible for civil litigation, civil affairs, and all shogunate finances of the shogunate directly under the jurisdiction of the whole country. 】

【Note·Temples and shrines: responsible for the management of temples and shrines across the country, and responsible for the lawsuits of people in the territory of temples and shrines】

In short - there are officials who are far more important than Edomachi's pursuit.

Not to mention senior shogunate officials such as Laozhong and Wakonianyo, just the feudal lords of the Aizu, Satsuma, and Owari feudal domains are not something that Edo-machi Fushin can afford.

"This kind of thing... is too absurd! Please forgive me, it's really hard to accept!"

Nishino gritted his teeth.

"Master Susui, do you know how much time and effort my Okaki and I have spent trying to catch that beast?"

"Just let him go free like this? I can't accept this result!"

"Not to mention that the victim's family is still waiting for us to give them justice!"

Susui has never stopped sighing since just now.

"About the victim's family... the beast's companion has reached an agreement with the victim's family, and both parties agreed to have a private relationship."

"Just now, I have received a 'petition' from the family of the victim who is willing to forgive that bastard and ask the government to give that bastard a chance to reform."

Nishino froze in place as if he couldn't believe his ears.

After a while, he murmured in a mechanical tone:

"Private?"

One side is ordinary common people.

The other party is a dignitary who can directly ask for the execution of the person released.

Nishino thought with his ass, knowing that the other party must not have used some legitimate means to persuade the victim's family.

It must be full of inequalities.

No... just this matter itself is very unequal.

"Do not make jokes……!"

Nishino's naturally lowered hands slowly clenched into fists.

"Master Susui, this is...not the first time!"

"If the law is not lawful, things will not always be; if the law is not lawful, the order will not work!"

"If things go on like this, the law will be outlawed!"

Yes, as Nishino said - this is not the first time he has experienced this kind of nonsense that "the one who should be arrested should not be arrested, and the person who should be killed should not be killed".

Susui stared at Nishino with a look of helplessness on his face.

"Nishino-kun, this kind of thing... just get used to it."

"If you want to go far in the official career, you must learn to 'get used to it' and 'play stupid'."

"If everything is true, not only will life be very tiring, but it will also easily cause difficult troubles."

Speaking of this, Susui smiled, then took half a step forward, stood closer to Nishino, raised his hand and patted Nishino's shoulder, and said in a tone of a senior and someone who has experienced it:

"Nishino-kun, this is a rare opportunity, so let me teach you some experience of being an official."

"Do you know what is the biggest secret of my success in official career and my success in sitting on the position of Edo Kitabansho for so many years?"

Before Nishino could answer, Susui asked himself and answered:

"That is 'more flattery, more kowtow, less talking, less doing'."

"Do more and make more mistakes, do less and make fewer mistakes, and don't do it well."

"If you don't offend others, do it seriously."

"Things that may offend people should be done cautiously, or simply not done."

"The orders given by the superiors must be obeyed without saying anything."

"I won't inquire about the news that the superiors don't allow me to know."

"If you accidentally make a mistake, your superiors will blame you. Don't quibble, just bow down immediately, and even shout out in a sincere tone, 'I'm really sorry!'"

"If it didn't work, I just knelt down on the ground, sat down on the soil and put my forehead on the ground, and shouted 'I'm really sorry!'."

"In short, it's just a sentence - 'According to the actual situation, flexibly be a blind, deaf, or fool'."

If this kind of statement is made by others, it may be suspected of nonsense and self-boasting.

But this remark came from Susukinoguchi... which is very convincing.

Edo-cho is one of the "Three Obligations"... no, it is one of the hardest existences in the entire shogunate.

As the largest city in Japan and the ruling center of the Tokugawa family, the social environment of Edo can be described as mixed.

Local vassal states, Yakuza, banners and royal families, wealthy merchants, township self-government organizations... Various forces are intertwined.

One careless move will offend the big shot of a certain family.

Due to the huge workload and work pressure, the death rate during the employment of Edo-cho is extremely high.

Susui was in such a harsh working environment, but he was able to sit on the Diaoyutai all the time.

To be able to achieve such an achievement, Susui really has a few talents in "being an official".

"Nishino-kun, you are one of the few people in the Beifan Institute who can take on big tasks, and I have always admired you."

"It's just that you have a big shortcoming, that is, your character is too straightforward and you don't know how to adapt."

"Such a character will cause you to stumble one day."

"You should take advantage of this opportunity to get used to the feeling of powerlessness of 'knowing that you can do something but you can't do it'—as long as you are still serving the public in the officialdom of the shogunate, this is the process you must go through."

Susukei's persuasion is not without earnestness.

However... Nishino did not accept Susui's love.

"Master Susui! It is true that as long as you can flexibly be a deaf, blind, or fool, you can live very comfortably in Niu Jitongzao's shogunate officialdom."

"However, if everyone is like this, it's not just that the law will not be lawful, but the country will not be the country!"

"At the moment when the shogunate is in turmoil, it is the time for us to work together and work hard."

[Note · Direct ginseng: Banner and royal family collectively referred to as "direct ginseng\