I formed the strongest swordsman group

Whether in China or Japan, welcoming someone out of town is a very high courtesy.

Matsudaira Yongho not only came in person, but also brought his important ministers and hundreds of vassal soldiers.

You know, the Aizu army currently stationed in Kyoto only has a total of a thousand troops.

In order to welcome the Shinsengumi with the most solemn and solemn scene, Matsudaira Yongho immediately mobilized nearly half of the military strength.

The importance he attaches to the Shinsengumi is evident.

It is often said that the Aizu clan was the strongest and most loyal ally of the Edo shogunate - and in fact, it was true.

Otherwise, Tokugawa Iemo would not have entrusted Matsudaira Yōho with the important task of defending Kyoto.

Aizu Domain is located in the northeast, namely the Ou region.

Just like the Western Kingdom, Ou was also a border area far away from the center of the shogunate's rule, and a group of foreign daimyo led by the Sendai clan were entrenched in it.

The predecessor of the Sendai Domain was the Date family during the Warring States Period.

The Date family once produced a powerful hero - Date Masamune, who was known as the "Oshu Pen" and the "One-eyed Dragon".

At the end of the Warring States Period, Date Masamune took refuge with Tokugawa Ieyasu and was able to retain all of his territory.

The total official salary of Sendai Domain was an astonishing 620,000 koku, and the actual salary was as high as 1 million koku.

If you add in the rich mineral resources, national rewards from smelting and animal husbandry, and the income from fisheries and ports in Sanriku Bay, the actual financial scale of Sendai Domain is said to exceed 2 million koku.

Although the Ou clan was much more peaceful than the other clans in the Western Kingdom, their strong strength forced the shogunate to be more vigilant.

As a result, in order to monitor and suppress the Ou Domain, the shogunate established a close domain in the core area of ​​Ou, which is now the Aizu Domain.

In other words, the Aizu Domain was the northern stronghold of the shogunate.

If there is anything different about the north, it is the front line of the northern battlefield.

Because of its northern latitude and complex terrain, the living conditions of the Aizu Domain are completely incomparable to those of fertile fields such as the Kanto Plain and Noo Plain.

Although harsh weather can bring pain, it can also strain people's bones and muscles and temper their spirits.

Compared with the Kanto people and Gyeonggi people who grew up in green waters and green mountains, the Aizu people who are often associated with wind and snow are undoubtedly much stronger physically and mentally.

In addition, the ideological consciousness of the Aizu people is equally astonishing-and this is one of the most important reasons why the shogunate trusts the Aizu Domain so much.

The spiritual foundation of the Aizu Domain comes from the Shuxue studies of Yamazaki Ansai and the Shinto of Yoshikawa Yuetsu, and was established by the feudal patriarch Masayuki Hoshina.

The first name of Hoshina Shoji was Yuki Matsumaru, and he was the son of the second generation shogun Tokugawa Hidetada.

Because he was born as an illegitimate child, he was secretly given to Takeda Shingen's second daughter, Mitshoin, to be raised.

Later, he was adopted as an adopted son by Masamitsu Hoshina, a former Takeda retainer, a daimyo of the Edo shogunate, and the first lord of Shinano Takato Domain.

Masamitsu had high hopes for him and named him his successor. Therefore, after Masamitsu's death, he officially changed his name to Hoshina Masayuki, inherited his adoptive father's 30,000 koku Takato domain, and appointed him as the fourth lieutenant general of Sakonoe and Higomori.

Later, the shogunate allowed Masayuki to change his surname to Matsudaira, but out of gratitude to the Hoshina family for their upbringing, he firmly refused and took the Miao name of Hoshina throughout his life.

After him, his son, as the third generation lord of the Aizu Domain, began to use the surname Matsudaira, that is, Masahiro Matsudaira, and then Aoi Aizu, and was listed as a feudal lord.

The third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu trusted his half-brother Masayuki, and not only gave him land, but also allowed him to inherit the 200,000-koku Yamagata Domain of Dewa Province and the 230,000-koku Aizu Domain of Mutsu Province. He also gave him an exceptional status. He was even allowed to participate in the shogunate affairs, and before his death, his son Ietsuna Tuogu stayed with him.

Masayuki was extremely grateful and formulated the "Fifteen Aizu Family Instructions".

The first of these is "The Aizu Domain has protected the Shogun's family from generation to generation and cannot blindly follow the position of other countries. If the feudal lord has second thoughts, he is not my descendant and his retainers cannot obey."

Since then, successive feudal lords and feudal lords have faithfully implemented the "Fifteen Aizu Family Instructions" formulated by Masayuki.

The current feudal lord, Matsudaira Yōho, regards these fifteen family mottos as his life creed and code of conduct.

In the sixth year of Tenpo (1836), Matsudaira Yoho was born in the Takasu clan's residence in Yotsuya, Edo, as the sixth son of Matsudaira Yoshiken, the tenth generation lord of the Takasu clan in Mino Province, and his concubine Komori clan.

In 1846, the 8th generation lord of the Aizu Domain, Yong Kei, who had no successors, adopted Matsudaira Yoshiho as his adopted son. From then on, Matsudaira Yoshiho entered the Aizu Domain in Edo.

Here, he was educated strictly according to the traditions of the feudal state.

If we could describe the Aizu Domain's ideology in a simple sentence, it would be "to respect the imperial court, obey the shogunate, and at the same time uphold justice."

Under the influence of such a family tradition, Matsudaira Yongho has been known far and wide as a loyal man in civil and military affairs and a model of the martial arts family since he was a child.

In the fifth year of Kayei (1852), Matsudaira Yoho officially succeeded the family governor and became the ninth lord of the Aizu Domain.

In the second year of Bunkyu (1862), after the shogunate established the "Kyoto Guardian Office" in order to consolidate public security in Kyoto, it has been unresolved as to who should be assigned to take on this important task.

The Guardian of Kyoto holds major military power in Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and other areas, and will often negotiate with the imperial court. It is of great significance and requires both steadfast loyalty and excellent strength.

After repeated selections, Hitotsubashi Yoshiki and Matsudaira Harugaku finally made the decision: the guardian of the royal city must be Aizuhou!

As a result, they summoned Matsudaira Yongho to Edo and persuaded him to take up his post in Luo.

Matsudaira Yongho initially considered that the finances of the vassal state were not optimistic, and the vassal officials also dissuaded him from wading into troubled waters. The political situation in Gyeonggi Province was too complicated and dangerous, and he must not get involved without authorization.

Therefore, Matsudaira Yōho declined on the grounds that Aizu was located in the remote northeast, the soldiers were not familiar with the customs of Kyoto, and he was afraid that it would be difficult for him to take on a major role.

However, when Hitotsubashi Yoshiki and Matsudaira Shunyue pointed out the ancestral motto of "Aizu protects the shogun's family from generation to generation", Yoshiho made up his mind to accept the appointment.

The retainers Saigo Norimu and Tanaka Genkiyo heard about this and hurriedly came from Aizu.

Faced with the efforts of his retainers to dissuade him, the determined Matsudaira Yoho made an impassioned speech: "I thought so at first, but the shogun's orders were issued frequently, and I had no reason to refuse; and with Aizu's family motto, I Although he is not talented, he has never forgotten to serve, so he has no choice but to accept the appointment. Now that we have chosen to take on a big responsibility, if our monarchs and ministers still have different ideas, it will be difficult to achieve results. You should think about it again. We monarchs and ministers Everyone, be prepared to be buried in Kyoto!"

It can be said that Matsudaira Yongho went to Luo with the determination of "failure or failure" and "die in a foreign land".

In this way, on leap August 1st of the second year of Bunkyu (1862), Matsudaira Yoshiho officially assumed the position of guardian of Kyoto and led thousands of Aizu elite soldiers to Luo. The main formation was located at Kinkei Guangming Temple in Kurodani, Kyoto.

The orderly appearance of Aizu troops and horses left a deep impression on the people of Kyoto.

On the day he led his army into Kyoto, the handsome and graceful Matsudaira Yongho rode a pure white war horse, wore a bright red Jinhaori and a folding black hat.

As soon as the people of Kyoto heard that Lieutenant General Aizu had arrived, young girls rushed to the streets just to catch a glimpse of Lord Aizu. Even men were fascinated by his majestic posture.

Later, someone composed a nursery rhyme like this: "Aizu strengthens the domain, Higo-sama. Thousands of miles away, protected by Kyoto. The palace is prosperous, the prince is at ease. The people are happy and clapping their hands."

[Note: Higo-sama, Lieutenant General Aizu: Matsudaira Yōhoguan paid homage to Higo Mamoru and Lieutenant General Sakonoe Quan, and is known as "Lieutenant General Aizu" or "Higo-sama" in the world]

The Aizu Army is worthy of the reputation of "the strongest ally of the shogunate".

I saw all the officers and soldiers of the Aizu Army holding their chests and heads high, full of energy, and walking solidly and powerfully.

Their nail penetration rate is astonishingly 100%.

From generals who can ride on horses to ordinary soldiers walking on foot, they are all fully armed.

The armor as neat as a mirror, the spear thrust straight into the sky, and the densely packed waist knives all shone brightly in the sunlight.

The military flag embroidered with Aizu sunflowers flapped in the strong wind, making the night look bright and clear.

In comparison, the Shinsengumi, who were advancing alongside them... were really shabby!

There is no uniform equipment.

There is no uniform clothing.

The nail penetration rate... is basically equal to none. The only person who has armor to wear is Qingdeng.

On one side is the powerful force of the Star Flag Electric Halberd.

The other side is a "motley crew" with a bad image.

Comparing the two creates a very strong sense of contrast.

At the same time, because the soldiers of the Shinsengumi were previously low-level people from all over the world, they could not even compare with the elite Aizu elite on a spiritual level.

This kind of situation of "I am short and poor, surrounded by a tall, rich and handsome man" is hard not to make people feel embarrassed and ashamed.

After witnessing the mighty power of the Aizu Army, many people in the Shinsengumi subconsciously tightened their shoulders and lowered their heads, looking timid.

In contrast, the Shinsengumi's slim military appearance gave the Aizu soldiers a sense of superiority.

Although Matsudaira Yoshiho has repeatedly stated that the Shinsengumi is an ally of equal status to us and must not be treated with contempt, at this moment, there are still a large number of Aizu soldiers who are casting contempt and contempt towards their allies who are walking side by side with them. Sight.

Some even lowered their voices and whispered:

"What are you doing? Are the reinforcements we are eagerly anticipating having such virtue?"

"What use can such an army be?"

"They don't even have the same equipment... How can this kind of miscellaneous army be on an equal footing with our Aizu army?"

"Can they really fulfill the important task of 'governing the capital'?"

"Why does Mr. Tachibana want to ride a bull? The dignified governor of Gyeonggi Town can't even ride a horse?"

"However, that cow is quite strong. It seems to be taller than the feudal lord's beloved horse."

"Hey, look, there are women. They actually have two female soldiers."

"Really, wow, those two women look really good."

"Yes, especially the one with the naginata on her back. This is the first time I have seen such a beautiful woman."

"Bringing women to the battlefield...I feel more and more that this Shinsengumi is very unreliable..."

…

Although they tried their best to lower their voices, because the two armies were marching side by side and very close to each other, many people in the Shinsengumi heard their discussions.

For a moment, Souji, Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, Hijikata Tozo... from the commander to the team members, one by one turned their heads and looked back with depressed and angry gazes.

Especially Souji - her eyebrows are tightened, as if there are countless resentments lodged in them.

Even ordinary people can hear the taunts of the Aizu soldiers, let alone Aoto who has the talent "Wind Perception +1"?

However, Aomori's expression remained as usual, his waist straight and straight, and he looked as stable as a mountain, as if he didn't care about Sergeant Aizu's sarcasm.

At this time, Matsudaira Yongbo frowned, turned his head back, and angrily said:

"quiet!"

In an instant, the originally chirping Aizu military column returned to a solemn state of silence.

Afterwards, Matsudaira Yongho turned his attention to Qingdeng and solemnly apologized:

"Lord Tachibana, I'm sorry, it's my fault."

Qingdeng smiled calmly:

"It doesn't matter, my Shinsengumi is still very weak - this is a fact, there is no need to avoid or cover it up."

Hearing this, Matsudaira Yongho was startled for a moment, as if he had heard some incredible answer.

"Higo-sama, be careful, the road ahead is very rough."

Qingden's reminder brought Songping Rongbao back to his senses. He immediately controlled the reins in his hands and drove his mount carefully.

After receiving a stern warning from Matsudaira Yoshiho, the Aizu army officers no longer dared to blatantly dislike the Shinsengumi.

The scene calmed down.

After marching for about half an hour, the two armies finally entered the borders of Kyoto and arrived at the last stop on the Tokaido Road - the Sanjo Bridge in Kyoto.

…

…

Kyoto, Sanjo Bridge——

Sanjo Bridge is one of the bridges across the Kamo River.

The western end of the bridge is a landmark indicating that it is approximately 500 kilometers from Edo Nihonbashi.

The bridge was originally built during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) as a crude wooden bridge.

In the seventeenth year of Tensho (1589), under the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a larger bridge was rebuilt with stone beams.

The new bridge is 63 bays long (approximately 115 meters) and is built on corner stones buried 8 meters deep.

The Kaya River flows slowly under the bridge, and behind the bustling city on the other side, the thirty-six peaks of Dongshan Mountain glow green in the sunlight.

When Qingteng and Songping Yongbo led the two armies to board the bridge, the scene of "armed soldiers marching along the bridge" was so spectacular.

The shogunate's new combat troops arrived - the news spread throughout Kyoto like the wind.

The people of Kyoto rushed to watch like cats smelling fishy smell.

In just a moment, the streets on both sides of where the military column passed were filled with onlookers standing on tiptoes and stretching their necks.

The people of Kyoto cast curious glances at the Shinsengumi soldiers.

The latter also looked at the former with interest.

This was the first time for most people, including Qingto and the heroes of the imperial examination hall, to see so many living Kyoto people who did not live in books or other people's words.

The two waves of people just looked at each other.

It has to be said that in terms of appearance alone, the people of Kyoto are very different from the people of Edo.

Just the dressing style is very different.

When talking about the character of Edo people, we can probably mention a few keywords: floating world, vanity, and carpe diem.

Due to frequent natural disasters and fires, most Edo people have the characteristic of "life is unpredictable, seize the moment".

Therefore, Edo people particularly liked fancy clothes, and they looked like a nouveau riche.

On the other hand, Kyoto people... Qingto looked up and found that they also liked to wear bright clothes.

Red, yellow, orange... whatever comes in bright colors.

However, Kyoto people are very particular about the choice of patterns and colors, showing a unique sense of fashion and elegance.

As for other details: the way the belt is tied, the placement of the bun, and many other places, they are also unique.

Perhaps because he was used to the "Edo style" of Sanako and Mai Kinoshita, Aoto had no interest in the "Kyoto style".

Although he was unhappy, he was willing to admit that "Kyoto style" did have charms that were completely different from "Edo style".

However... the mentality of Kyoto people is obviously not as tolerant as Qingto.

If it can be said that the emotions projected by Aomori and others when looking at the people of Kyoto are pure curiosity for exotic customs.

Then, the emotion projected by the citizens of Kyoto towards the Shinsengumi was unabashed disdain.

It's not a psychological aversion.

Rather, it is the kind of physiological disgust that superior creatures have towards inferior creatures.

A certain young girl lightly covered her red lips and smiled coquettishly at her friend beside her:

"Look, their clothes are so tacky."

"That's right, why do you tie your belt like that? It's so ugly."

An old man stamped his feet angrily and said:

"Hmph! Why is Dongyi coming here again! It's endless! The land in the royal city has been defiled!"

Another old man next to him answered:

"Sigh... I really don't want to live in the same city with these rude barbarians."

Two women carrying vegetable baskets whispered:

"Is it my imagination? I always think they stink."

"I heard that Dongyi are very sloppy. They only take a bath once a month."

"Ah? Really? If you only take a shower once a month, wouldn't your whole body be like a pickle?"

Qingden, who was walking in the front and riding a big black bull with a conspicuous head, naturally attracted the most attention.

"He should be the envoy of Gyeonggi Town, right?"

"So young."

"If I remember correctly, he is only 21 years old this year."

"21 years old... I'm so envious. At such a young age, you are already a highly respected minister."

"Why is he riding a bull? It shouldn't be difficult for a big shot like him to get Shenjun's BMW, right?"

"Who knows, maybe it's his personal preference."

"Hey, don't tell me, the cow under his crotch is quite cute, fluffy, and the hair is very shiny. It must be very comfortable to touch."

"Who is he? He doesn't look like a famous figure in any vassal state? Why was he entrusted with the important task of pacifying the capital at such a young age?"

"He is the Nioh."

"Nioh? Oh, I remembered. He was the swordsman of the Shimizu clan who single-handedly destroyed Kanto, right?"

"Yes, that's him. I heard that he is a very capable man. His swordsmanship is superb and his courage is so bold that he can ride a thousand swordsmen."

"So what? No matter how powerful he is, isn't he just a Dongyi?"

"That's true."

Of course, the most eye-catching and most discussed thing is the poor appearance of the Shinsengumi.

"This is the newly built fighting force of the Edo shogunate? It doesn't look like much. Rather than an army... I feel like they are just a bunch of country bumpkins covered in mud."

"Hmph, even without unified equipment and uniforms, an army of this caliber dares to be called the 'New Selection'? It's ridiculous."

"If they face Shang Sa and Chang's vassal army, they will definitely be beaten to pieces."

"The Choshu Army is just that. If you compare the Satsuma Army with them, wouldn't it be too bullying?"

"Speaking of the Satsuma Army...what is the name of the samurai who is currently in charge of the Satsuma Army?"

"Kishinosuke Saigo."

"Ah, yes, that's right, that's the name, Saigo Kinosuke. This man really has a lot of skills. He single-handedly built the Satsuma Army into a powerful army in the world."

"Hahaha, if that Tachibana Aoden doesn't know how to command and control an army, he can ask Saigo Yoshinosuke for advice. He might also be willing to give him some advice."

"Hahaha, you're right!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

…

No matter how deaf you are, it is impossible not to hear the ridicule of Kyoto people.

No matter how dull a person is, it is impossible not to feel the malice of Kyoto people.

He had just been despised by the Aizu sergeants, and now he was being ridiculed by the soldiers and people of Kyoto.

One can imagine the mood of the Shinsengumi soldiers.

I saw that all of them had livid faces.

Putting aside the ordinary soldiers, even the expressions of the officers were not very good-looking.

Kondo Isamu lowered the corners of his lips.

Hijikata Toshizo curled his lips.

Shannan Keisuke had a straight face.

Saito frowned.

Genzaburo Inoue smiled bitterly.

Todo Heisuke looked aggrieved.

"Damn, they are so arrogant."

Harada Sanosuke gritted his teeth, anger visible to the naked eye on his face.

"Sanosuke, calm down."

Although Nagakura Shinpachi said he was calm, his facial lines were also distorted by strong anger.

Serizawa Kamo hit his shoulder with his iron fan and said in a bad tone:

"If we really want to count, the Kyoto people are the losers of our Kanto people."

"Two hundred and fifty years ago, it was our children from Guandong who defeated the Western Army and wiped out the rebels in the world. This established an unprecedented peaceful age, allowing these drunken people to leisurely recite poems, compose poems, and caress the wind and the moon."

"I really don't know where these bastards got the confidence to be so arrogant...!"

Similar scenes appeared everywhere in the Shinsengumi military ranks. Whether it was the front army, the middle army, or the rear army, the arrogant behavior of the people of Kyoto ignited everyone's anger.

If Seito had not previously issued a strict order to "never conflict with fellow villagers in Kyoto," otherwise there would have been people with bad tempers rushing forward to launch a "purely physical criticism" of these disrespectful madmen. .

Souji swept his gaze, looking around at the mocking, sneering, and scolding faces, then looked back expressionlessly and muttered softly:

"They really treat us like fools..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Kinoshita Mai next to her whisper:

"Really annoying……"

Sanako, who often confronted Mai Kinoshita, was uncharacteristic of herself. Not only did she not dissent from the girl in red, she even nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I feel the same way."

…

…

Just like when he was glared at by Sergeant Aizu, Aomori was completely unmoved by the people in Kyoto's incomprehensible remarks.

First of all, he has long been accustomed to the arrogance and arrogance of Kyoto people - he can tell the story about how bad the personal maids in the Japanese palace are for a lifetime - so he has always been mentally prepared accordingly.

To be honest, in Ayoto's opinion, compared with the common people of Kyoto and the personal maids of Wagong Palace... the latter is more annoying.

Secondly, it's because he has more important things to do now.

Ever since he crossed the Sanjo Bridge, Qingden's eyes haven't stopped moving.

He took this opportunity of entering the city to observe Kyoto carefully and observe the style of the city where he would live for a long time in the future.

Today's Kyoto, an ancient capital with a history of thousands of years, the cultural center of Japan, and one of the most developed cities in Japan, has inevitably declined after being constantly harassed by people with lofty ideals and radical ideas.

At first glance, it is still prosperous.

On the streets, people in sedan chairs, horses, and people on foot were busy coming and going.

In the store, shouts, hawking sounds, and bargaining sounds can be heard all the time.

The people were dazzled by the colorful and splendid costumes.

There are row upon row of teahouses, pubs, restaurants, and bathhouses.

The sounds of piano and singing appear and disappear at times.

The aroma of wine, rice and rouge lingering around the tip of the nose.

All of the above make this ancient city filled with unparalleled charm.

But... you can find out from the subtleties: Kyoto is not as glamorous as it appears on the surface.

Qingden lowered his gaze and looked down - the street under the carrot hoof was covered with crooked cracks. It had been trampled by millions of feet and hooves for a long time and had not been repaired for an unknown period of time.

Qingdeng raised his gaze and looked into the distance - in alleys, street corners and other inconspicuous places, hungry beggars and dirt-covered wanderers could be seen everywhere.

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PS: The terms "Edo style" and "Kyoto style" in this chapter are both nonsense. However, it is true that "Edo people like glitz" and "Kyoto people are very cool", both of which are similar to today's stereotypes of "Lords from Shanghai and Lords from Kyoto".