I formed the strongest swordsman group

"Isn't this bad~~ Is this not good~~ Is this not good~~"

There are only the same lyrics that come and go.

There is no dance movement with any beat or rhythm at all.

No matter how weird it looks.

In addition, many of them also wear ghostly makeup.

There are some people who apply lipstick all over their chin but not their lips.

[Note: Lipstick: It can be understood as the lipstick of the Edo period]

There are also people who only put on heavy makeup like a geisha on one half of their face, while leaving the other half bare-faced.

What's more, he paints his whole face so colorful that the circus clown would be ashamed of himself.

Not only the makeup, but their outfits are also weird.

Men wear women's clothes, women wear men's clothes, only half sleeves, bare upper body, only wearing a loincloth... Such outfits would seem too exaggerated even on a kabuki stage.

No matter which way you look at it, it's like the walls of a mental hospital collapsed and the patients inside escaped.

This group of grotesque "mental patients" lined up in a long queue - about 180 people - dancing and moving forward, passing under the eyes of Qingdeng and others.

He danced so completely that he forgot himself and looked very crazy.

Their only lyric: "Isn't this good~~" resounded throughout the venue and outside.

More and more Shinsengumi officers noticed the strange movements outside and leaned out from behind the windows, casting curious and doubtful glances at the strange dance team below.

Shannan Keisuke blinked:

"Is this... a parade of admirers?"

Hijikata Toshizo curled his lips:

"How old is this? Are there any Qingqi people in Gyeonggi?"

Isamu Kondo answered:

"Is this some sort of celebration?"

Hijikata Toshizo sneered:

“Is the celebration held by Gyeonggi people, who have always been high-minded and consider themselves elegant, just to wear strange clothes, put on make-up that puts even monsters to shame, and perform weird dances?”

Qingdeng was also very curious about this sudden "dance parade".

In order to clear up the confusion, he called the staff at the house to ask.

After hearing the news, the person who came over was the man from Otsujuku - an old man in his sixties.

[Note·Wenwu: The general person in charge of Wenwuchang]

"Mr. Ask the House, what's going on like this? Is this a celebration unique to you Gyeonggi people? It's quite unique..."

As he spoke, Qingden leaned against the window frame and pursed his lips toward the "dancers" outside the window who had not yet left.

As soon as he finished his questioning, Wenwu immediately showed a bitter expression on his face and let out a long sigh:

"Oh, my lords, you don't know something! This is not our celebration! Whose celebration would be so virtuous?"

When he heard the extremely standard Jing Yanye from Wenwu, Qingdeng couldn't help but shudder, and his body shook three times - he didn't know how long it would take to get rid of the pain brought to him by the personal maids of He Palace. Psychological shadow.

Whenever he hears Jing Yanye, the stinky faces of the bastards around Wagongiya will appear in his mind.

After Wenwu let out another long sigh, he explained quietly:

"Although I don't know when it started, I'm sure: this farce started in Tokaido."

“Men, women and children, regardless of their status or age, sang ‘Isn’t this good’ and walked down the street dancing.”

"If it's just dancing and singing, then that's it."

"But they often break into wealthy landlords' businesses and demand food and drink, disrupting public order."

"I heard that a wealthy family's home was ransacked by these guys a while ago."

"It's so scary..."

"I heard that this song and dance was used to vent dissatisfaction with the shogunate's rule."

"People in Gyeonggi generally hate the shogunate that opened up the country and allowed Western barbarians to visit, but they can't express their opinions openly, so they can only do it in this way... ugh!"

At this point, Wenwu finally came to his senses and raised his hand to cover his mouth.

Suddenly, an awkward air filled the room.

Accusing the shogunate in front of the officials of the Shinsengumi, one of the shogunate ranks... This kind of behavior can be said to be the best interpretation of the word "suicide".

Hijikata Toizan and the others couldn't help but cast meaningful glances at Wenwu.

Qingdeng smiled and came to the rescue:

"Mr. Wenwu, there is no need to be nervous. Thank you for your explanation. Thank you for your hard work. You can go down first."

"Yes, yes! The younger one has to leave first!"

Wenwu bent down, lowered his head, supported the ground with three fingers, bowed respectfully to Qingdeng and others, and then left the room as if running away.

After Wenwu left, Qingdeng turned his head and looked at the dance team outside the window again.

At this time, only a small tail of the bizarre singing and dancing dragon was still exposed in Qingdeng's field of vision.

The monotonous singing voice of "Isn't this good~~" gradually faded away.

Looking up, the only thing Qingdeng could see was his back that was gradually moving away.

Hijikata Toshizo crossed his arms and stood next to Aoto.

"Are you using absurd songs and dances to vent your dissatisfaction with the shogunate's rule... Tachibana, the situation here in Gyeonggi is worse than we expected."

Shannan Keisuke took over the conversation:

"People's support is not with us..."

Qingdeng smiled calmly:

"This is what we expected all along, isn't it?"

Perhaps due to regional characteristics, the people of Gyeonggi, who regard themselves as "kings and territorial citizens" and have a strong sense of psychological superiority, generally hold quite conservative political ideas.

Both the officials of the imperial court and ordinary people regard Westerners as dirty pigs and dogs.

Therefore, they naturally hated the shogunate that bowed to the Western countries and allowed Western barbarians to set foot on the country.

"I have long been mentally prepared for the public support in Gyeonggi."

Speaking of this, Qingdeng changed the topic, his eyes and tone became sharp.

"What I care more about is: whether this song and dance and the riots derived from this song and dance are spontaneous among the people, or whether there are forces behind the scenes that are secretly promoting..."

In Cheongdang, we have never forgotten that Gyeonggi is the base camp and center of activities of the Execution Party.

Hijikata Toshizo and the others looked at each other, and they all found solemn expressions on each other's faces.

After a while, Qingden took a deep breath, then turned around and sat back in the center of the room.

"Okay, let's get back to business."

Everyone sat in a circle again.

"Tomorrow, we will officially enter Kyoto."

"We must pay more attention to our military appearance and military discipline. We must reiterate the fourth rule in the 'Shinsengumi Code' to all soldiers. We must not harass the people of Kyoto."

"Besides, don't let the colorful world of Kyoto get you confused."

"Until it settles down, you are not allowed to approach romantic places like Shimabara without permission."

After saying that, Qingden glanced at Hijikata Toshizo intentionally.

The corners of Hijikata Toshizo's mouth twitched slightly.

"...I know, until I settle down, I will try my best to endure it."

Yoshiwara in Edo, Shimabara in Kyoto, and Shinmachi in Osaka—the three major flower streets in the Edo period.

Among them, Shimabara has the longest history. It is the earliest brothel area of ​​a certain scale in Japan.

Just like Yoshiwara, Shimabara is the only official brothel district in Kyoto.

Although people always call Shimabara Shimahara, its real name is not Shimabara at all.

Its official name is "Nishi-Shin Yashiki". Because the shape of the area is similar to Shimabara Castle, and the chaotic state after the relocation is similar to the "Shimabara Rebellion", it is commonly known as "Shimabara".

[Note: Shimabara Rebellion: A great uprising by farmers and Catholics on the Kyushu Shimabara Peninsula and Amakusa Island against the feudal oppression and religious persecution of the Tokugawa clan, also known as the "Amakusa Uprising". It broke out in the fourteenth year of Kan'ei (1637) and failed the following year. 】

Although Hijikata Toshizo gave him a verbal guarantee, Seito still couldn't help but cast a suspicious look at him.

Speaking of Kyoto, we have to talk about the women of Kyoto.

Kyoto has a completely different cultural atmosphere from Edo.

Give a vivid example...

Edo is like a nouveau riche, while Kyoto is a rich lady from a prominent family.

In fact, this is indeed the case. Kyoto is an ancient capital with a long history of thousands of years. On the other hand, Edo... it was a poor countryside before Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Kanto.

No matter how carefully the nouveau riche dresses up, there is always a lingering sense of frivolity about them.

Influenced by this cultural atmosphere, Kyoto women's clothing is very charming and has an indescribable sentiment.

In addition, the accent of Kyoto women is also a plus.

Although Jing Yanye's honorifics are well developed and sound tired, his accent sounds soft.

Even Qingdeng, who has a deep psychological shadow on Jing Yanye, has to admit that women who talk about Jing Yanye are very pitiable.

Of course, a large part of the reason why Kyoto women are so fascinating lies in the geographical bonus.

Kyoto is a noble royal land, and the people of Kyoto are very proud - this is the common perception of Japanese people in the Edo period.

Therefore, when having a relationship with a Kyoto woman, you will feel the pleasure of "the toad has eaten the swan meat" or "the goblin has caught the female knight".

However, these things have nothing to do with Qingto - even if he was given ten thousand courages, he would not dare to experience the beauty of Kyoto women under the eyes of Sanako, Kinoshita Mai and Souji.

Can the romantic Toshizo Hijikata really control himself in front of a unique Kyoto woman?

Hijikata Toshizo noticed Aomori's gaze.

He immediately said angrily:

"Hey, Tachibana, can't you trust me so much? Besides, don't just stare at me. Aren't Nagakura and Harada also very romantic?"

Qingdeng replied calmly:

"Who do you think Nagakura and Harada are obsessed with men and women because of?"

"..."

Hijikata Toshirō didn't say a word and looked away guiltily.

Nagakura Shinpachi was born in the Matsumae Clan in the Ezo Territory, and Harada Sanosuke was born in the Iyo Matsuyama Clan in Shikoku Island—to put it harshly, both of them were country bumpkins who had never seen the world.

After coming to Edo to work hard, when the two of them saw the brightly lit and lively Yoshihara from a distance, the emotion that emerged in their hearts was not impulse, but fear - until Hijikata Toizan took them to have fun...

To Hijikata Toshizo, the various Okinawan places in Yoshiwara and Edo were really more familiar than his hometown.

Under his careful guidance, Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke, a pair of noobs who were originally unclear about Yoshiwara's exact location, quickly transformed into extremely experienced bodyguards.

As time goes by, "the three brothers, Tu, Yong, and Hara, running to Yoshiwara shoulder to shoulder" - this has almost become a classic scene in the imperial examination hall.

Hijikata Toshizo also induced Saitoichi, Toudo Heisuke and Shannan Keisuke.

Fortunately, these three people did not like Fengyue venue, so they were saved from disaster.

In order to cover up his embarrassment, Hijikata Toshizo cleared his throat and abruptly changed the topic:

"Tangerine, I still have a pretty good idea of ​​what I should do and what I shouldn't do. Even I won't go for unscrupulous pleasure in the current situation where everything is unclear."

"Then I'm looking forward to your performance."

After saying that, Qingden raised his eyes and looked around.

"Is there anything you want to say or add?"

Everyone looked at each other, speechless.

"Since there is nothing to say, let's break up the meeting. Let's go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow should be very busy."

…

…

The next day——

Wenjiu three years (1863), February 18th——

At dawn, the Shinsengumi set out with all their troops and set off for Kyoto.

Otsu-juku is very close to Kyoto. If you walk fast enough, you can reach Kyoto in less than half a day.

Today will be the day when the Shinsengumi officially enters Kyoto. Such an important day cannot be taken too seriously.

In order to give a good impression to the allies led by the Aizu clan and the folks in Kyoto, all the soldiers, including Ayoto, took a bath last night, combed their hair today, and put on the clothes they currently have. The best clothes.

There is a saying: women's clothing only has zero and countless times - and the same goes for armor.

After experiencing the feeling of a helmet piercing through the armor in the previous expedition ceremony, Qingdeng seemed to have awakened and suddenly realized: Eh! He looks pretty cool in armor!

There is no way, the young man just likes to wield swords and guns, wear robes and armour.

Therefore, Qingdeng did not hesitate, spared no effort, and couldn't wait to put on his gorgeous green and white armor today.

time flies……

When the sun was about to reach the highest point in the sky, Qingdeng's eyes suddenly focused——

I saw a vague, weed-like shadow swaying slightly on the horizon ahead.

The general manager on the side immediately became alert.

"Huh? Mr. Tachibana, there's something going on!"

"Soji, don't be nervous."

Qingden smiled slightly.

"It's friendly forces!"

With the good eyesight given by his talent "Fire Eyes + 5", Qingdeng clearly saw that the true forms of those "weeds" were actually fully armed soldiers!

The soldiers were arranged in a tight and neat military formation, and dozens of large flags embroidered with clover stood high in the formation, stretching in the wind.

The Tokugawa clan was descended from the Matsudaira clan of Mikawa.

After Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo shogunate and granted many clans, except for the main family and the three branch families of Owari, Mito, and Kii, which could retain the surname "Tokugawa", the other branch families all had the surname "Matsudaira".

Because they come from the same family, the family crest used by both Tokugawa and Matsudaira is the three-leaf Aoi.

For differentiation, the lines of clover from different families will be slightly different.

Aoto recognized it at a glance: that was the Aoimon of the Aizu clan!

At this time, Qinghe Balang from the former army trotted over and said loudly:

"Tachibana-sama, ahead is the army of Lord Aizu! They are here to greet us!"

Qingdeng nodded lightly.

"Well, I saw it. Ordered the entire army to stop advancing."

After that, he lightly knocked on the belly of the cow, and the carrot "moo" carried him across the middle army and rushed to the front of the army.

At the same time, he saw a young man wearing a mighty armor riding out of the Aizu army formation on the opposite side.

He wears armor that is mainly black with orange and white accents, a folded black hat on his head, an exquisite tachi hanging on his waist, and a chic jinhaori.

It is none other than Matsudaira Yōho, the current head of the Aizu clan and the guardian of Kyoto.

Gentian leaves and Huishi sunflower patterns - two large flags standing opposite each other, making a hunting sound in the gentle breeze.

The two people heading towards each other, after reaching a distance of about 10 steps, tightened the reins in their hands, then dismounted from their horses (oxen), and walked towards each other on foot.

Soon, Qingden and Songping Rongbao were face to face, within sight.

Matsudaira Yongho raised the corners of his mouth and said with a smile:

"Lord Tachibana, I've been waiting for you all."

Qingdeng also smiled:

"Marquis Aizu, long time no see."

Hearing this, Matsudaira Rongho was stunned for a moment, and then his face showed emotion.

"Yes, it's been a long time since we last met... The last time we met, you were just an ordinary samurai. But now, you are a general guarding the Western Frontier for the shogunate!"

"Haha, you're flattered."

The last time the two met was at the swordsmanship competition held by the Aizu Domain three years ago.

At that time, when Ainoto, who won the championship, was accepting the award, he came into contact with Matsudaira Yōho for the first time.

Time has passed, and the two men, whose status was very different back then, have now become equal heroes in the world.

After not seeing each other for 3 years, Matsudaira Yongho's face looked a little more mature, but also a little more vicissitudes of life.

However, generally speaking, his appearance is still very young, after all, he is only 27 years old this year.

The governor of Gyeonggi Town and the guardian of Kyoto - one is 21 years old and the other is 27 years old.

The future of Gyeonggi will be in the hands of these two young people who are only in their 20s.

"Lord Tachibana, please follow us, we have prepared a grand feast for you."

"Hahaha, then I'm looking forward to your banquet."

Qingden and Matsudaira Yongho remounted their horses (oxen) and walked side by side.

The Shinsengumi and Aizu troops followed closely behind them, advancing hand in hand.

*******

*******

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

PS: The song and dance of "Isn't This Wrong?" is a historical fact and often appears in Bakumatsu-themed works. For example, the movie "Burn!" Sword", the game "Yakuza·Restoration·Ji"