I formed the strongest swordsman group

The beggars all had empty eyes and half-clothed bodies, and they looked like zombies.

Beggars who are hungry and cold, cowering in the streets and alleys.

Well-dressed and cheerful men, women and children came to watch the Shinsengumi entering the city.

These two groups, with extremely sharp differences, appeared in Qingdeng's field of vision at the same time.

As for those ronin...

To be honest, if they weren't wearing dirty long and short knives on their waists, they would be no different from those beggars.

As the turmoil in Kyoto became more and more prosperous, more and more ronin flocked to the capital.

Some of them indeed have the ambition to help the country and the ambition to "achieve unparalleled achievements with a three-foot sword."

However, the vast majority of them just want to fish in troubled waters.

Or they want to find a job and make a living.

Or they just want to take advantage of this opportunity to plunder wantonly.

It's still the same old routine: under the banner of "respecting the king and repelling the barbarians", saying "We are people with lofty ideals, and in order to realize our ambition of respecting the king and repelling the barbarians, we need your support", blackmailing wealthy merchants and forcing them to hand over the so-called " military spending."

The more ronin there are in a place, the worse the security situation will be - this is the work experience Aomori summed up when he returned to the town of Kitabansho.

There is no need to examine other aspects.

Just by seeing so many ronin wandering the streets of Kyoto, Ayoto dared to make a conclusion: the social order in Kyoto was absolutely terrible!

In order to ensure the normal march of the military columns and to prevent hostile elements from causing trouble, Matsudaira Yongho dispatched a large number of troops to maintain order.

Thanks to the efforts of the Aizu feudal lords, the two armies entered the city slowly but in an orderly manner.

Just as the military column advanced a certain distance, Qingdeng suddenly felt that his vision suddenly became clearer.

The tightly packed houses on both sides of the street disappeared and became a spacious river.

Aoto turned his head to the right - this is the direction of the Kamogawa River - this famous river that can be called the mother river of Kyoto and the symbol of Kyoto, rushing southward.

The clear trickling water, shining golden in the sunlight, sprayed white foam and swirled.

Several gray and brown sails were bumping in the water waves one after another, flowing southward.

On both sides of the river are alluvial river plains, which are spacious and flat, bustling with people coming and going.

Driven by curiosity, Qingden turned to Matsudaira Yongho next to him and asked:

"Higo-sama, where is this?"

Matsudaira Yongho explained:

"Tachibana-sama, this is Sanjo Kawara."

After Qingdeng heard this, a look of understanding appeared on his face and he nodded lightly.

"Sanjo Kawara... I have admired the Daimyo for a long time."

Sanjo Kawara, as the name suggests, is the riverside where Kamogawa flows through Sanjo. Sanjo is a place name.

In addition to Sanjo River, there are also Shijo River that flows through Shijo, Gojo River that flows through Gojo, and Rokujo River that flows through Rokujo...

The reason why Aoto said "I have admired the Daimyo for a long time" is because it has been the execution ground of Kyoto since ancient times - dating back to the Heian period.

For thousands of years, countless big shots have lost their heads here.

When Genpei joined forces, the rushing water of Sanjo Kawara witnessed the end of many generals of the Taira clan.

During the Muromachi Shogunate period, due to the harsher criminal laws, the number of prisoners who were dragged here to be beheaded increased sharply. Originally, only samurai heads were beheaded here, but gradually they also began to behead ordinary criminals.

During the Warring States Period, even more important figures died here.

For example: the thirty-nine members of Toyotomi Hidesuji's family, who was "Killing Sekigahara", and Ishida Mitsunari, who was defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara, and others...

As early as the Muromachi period, Sanjo River has been greatly developed due to its flat terrain and proximity to the river. It is no longer a wasteland with weeds and gravel, and has become one of the most prosperous areas in Kyoto.

Every summer, the Kamogawa river beaches represented by Sanjo Kawara are crowded with people who come to cool off.

However, just like the "Cai Shi Kou" in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China, executing people in a crowded place can have the best deterrent effect on the people.

Since then, the custom of "executing prisoners in Sanjo River" has continued like this.

To this day, Sanjo Kawara still functions as a place of execution - especially loved by those with high lofty ideals.

People with lofty ideals especially like to take off the head of a person after beheading him and hang it on Sanjo River with a notice explaining the crime the person committed and why he should be killed.

Although this is a land full of blood, there is no denying that it is also a very beautiful land.

The gurgling water and the bustling river beach...are perfect for a date with your lover.

Just when Qingto was fascinated by the beautiful scenery of Sanjo River... a sudden change occurred.

"Um?"

Qingdeng frowned suddenly.

At the same time, Matsudaira Yongho's expression was also colored by confusion.

I saw a large number of people gathering on the river beach not far ahead.

They stretched their necks and raised their toes, as if they were watching something.

"what happened……"

Matsudaira Yongho muttered, then called a subordinate and sent him to check the situation.

After a while, he came running back.

Before he could kneel down, Matsudaira Yongho asked impatiently:

"What exactly happened ahead?"

"Back to my lord! Ahead...ahead..."

He hesitated for a while and gritted his teeth:

"In front are the heads and tablets of wooden statues of Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiki, the second shogun, and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun, enshrined in the Tomochi-in Temple!"

"What?"

Matsudaira Yongho's pupils shrank suddenly.

Then, with a "drive" sound, he galloped forward.

Qingdeng also lightly knocked on the belly of the cow, forcing the radish to follow.

The Shinsengumi and Aizu Army officers followed closely.

"Ah! It's Lieutenant General Aizu!"

"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"

"Lieutenant General Aizu is here!"

The crowd gathered on the river and watching the three heads dispersed to both sides.

Qingden and Matsudaira Yongho, who got off the cow (horse), followed the separated flow of people and strode towards the wooden frame in front.

On the beach that should have been empty, a wooden frame suddenly appeared.

Three wooden heads are placed in a row on the wooden frame, and a wooden sign hangs below each head.

The incision on the neck of the head was extremely smooth... At a glance, it was obvious that it was cut off from the wooden statue with a knife, and it was done with one knife.

To cut off such a solid wooden statue with just one blow... The perpetrator's swordsmanship was very high.

Songping Rongbao glanced at the three heads and suddenly turned pale:

"It is indeed the tablets and wooden heads of the three former shoguns of the Muromachi shogunate enshrined in Tomochi-in..."

Qingden blinked, thinking.

After a while, he said to himself with a look of enlightenment:

"I see... are you trying to use ancient metaphors to express your power to me..."

Opposing the Muromachi Shogunate—this is political correctness that respects people with lofty ideals.

Why this is so, we have to start from the Northern and Southern Dynasties era more than 700 years ago.

At the end of the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the Kamakura shogunate was in decline. Emperor Go-Daigo, who was in power at the time, was determined to restore the authority of the imperial court and plotted its downfall.

He successively launched two overthrow movements known in history as the "Zhengzhong Change" and the "Yuanhong Rebellion", both of which failed.

After the Motohiro Rebellion, Emperor Go-Daigo was exiled to Oki Island, and the shogunate supported the new emperor, Emperor Kogen.

However, the rebellious forces at that time were still active throughout Japan.

In the third year of Motohong/the second year of Shokei (1333), Emperor Go-Daigo escaped from Oki Island with the help of the patriots who overthrew the shogunate, and then raised his troops to attack the shogunate again.

The Kamakura shogunate sent the Ashikaga Taka clan to quell the rebellion. The Ashikaga Taka clan had long been dissatisfied with the autocratic rule of the shogunate. They defected on the way and returned to capture Kamakura. The Kamakura shogunate was destroyed.

Because Ashikaga Takaji made the first contribution to the overthrow of the emperor, he was given the "Tun" character in the emperor's name and was renamed "Ashikaga Takauji".

After Emperor Go-Daigo returned to Kyoto, he carried out the first restoration of the imperial government and implemented the New Deal.

First of all, they did not recognize the legitimacy of Emperor Kogen's throne and respected him as the emperor, depriving him of all power.

At the same time, the shogunate and the regent system were abolished, and the emperor's dictatorship was established, with the emperor appointing and removing officials on his own initiative.

This is the "Jianwu New Deal" in history.

Because the new policy failed to meet the requirements of the samurai and only reused the ministers and nobles of Kyoto, the samurai were dissatisfied.

Among them, the fallen general Ashikaga Takauji was even more dissatisfied, and he wanted to open the palace.

Later, Ashikaga Takauji forced Emperor Go-Daigo to abdicate and established Emperor Komei of Chimeiin.

Emperor Komei made him the general to conquer the barbarians and established the Muromachi shogunate, which was the beginning of the Northern Dynasties.

Emperor Go-Daigo managed to escape after being forced to abdicate, and retreated to Yoshino, Yamato, holding the three sacred artifacts that symbolized the royal family - the Amansugaun sword, the eight-foot magatama, and the eight-tatami mirror - for the Southern Dynasties.

At this point, the Northern and Southern Dynasties (1336-1392) were finally formed.

After many attacks and defenses, the power of the Southern Dynasties gradually declined.

Finally, during the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third generation shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, the Southern Dynasties perished under the powerful offensive of the shogunate.

The Emperor of the Southern Dynasties handed over the three artifacts to the Emperor of the Northern Dynasties, ending the Northern and Southern Dynasties era.

This period of division in Japan, which lasted for decades, gave rise to a very serious question that should never be taken lightly: Which of the Northern and Southern Dynasties was orthodox?

Japanese scholars have been arguing endlessly about this issue.

Because the Northern Dynasties inherited the emperor's imperial authority after the union of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, before the outbreak of the "Black Ship Incident", although there were debates, the "Northern Dynasties orthodoxy" prevailed.

For example: In the early Edo period, the Edo shogunate's official history book "Honcho Tongken" drafted by Hayashi Razan and written by the Hayashi family took the Northern Dynasties as the orthodox

However, when the "History of Japan", a classical Chinese history of Japan compiled by the Mito clan, came out, the "Southern Dynasties orthodoxy" gradually gained influence.

"History of Japan" has always adhered to the "Southern Dynasty Orthodoxy".

The main purpose of the Mito Domain in compiling the "History of Japan" was to use Confucian moral standards to comment on the merits and demerits of ministers.

According to Confucian moral standards, Ashikaga Takauji, who exiled the emperor and supported the false emperor, was a heinous treason.

In addition, another reason why "History of Japan" insists on the "Southern Dynasties Orthodoxy" is based on the classification of the three artifacts that symbolize the authority of the emperor.

When the Northern and Southern Dynasties were in conflict, all three artifacts were in the hands of the Southern Dynasty, so they should be regarded as Zhengshuo.

After the "Black Ship Incident" broke out, the conflict between the shogunate and the court intensified unprecedentedly.

Relying on their hazy sensibilities, the loyalists derived an equation - because the shogunate advocated the "Northern Dynasty orthodoxy", supporting the "Southern Dynasty orthodoxy" was tantamount to opposing the shogunate.

As a result, the saying that "the emperor of the Southern Dynasties is the orthodox" became popular among those who respected and opposed those with lofty ideals.

People with lofty ideals are a complex group that is difficult to define.

Most of them suffer from "convert fanaticism", that is, people who later join a certain camp are often more loyal and fanatical to that camp than those who were born in that camp.

If I don't do something quickly to express my loyalty to the court, I will feel uncomfortable in my heart - a lot of radical-minded people with lofty ideals have this mentality.

Although he had never set foot in the Imperial Palace, had never even seen the face of the Emperor, and had never eaten a millet of food from the imperial court, he still inexplicably felt the surging emotion of "A scholar will die for his confidant."

[Note: Imperial Palace: After the imperial court moved its capital to Kyoto in 794 AD, this place has been the residence of successive emperors]

In the eyes of those with lofty ideals, Ashikaga Takauji, who forced the imperial line to split, and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who conquered the Southern Dynasty, were truly heinous traitors.

I don't know that their behavior of advocating "Southern Orthodoxy" has put the currently reigning Emperor Tonghito in an extremely embarrassing situation.

After the fall of the Southern Dynasty, the emperors of the Northern Dynasty were naturally inherited.

If the emperor of the Southern Dynasties is regarded as Zhengshuo, doesn't that mean that the current emperors and all the emperors from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the present are false emperors?

The heads of the wooden statues of Ashikaga Takauji, Ashikaga Yoshinori, and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu were chopped off and displayed to the public... Even if you think about it with your buttocks, you can conclude that this must be the work of a person with lofty ideals.

Qingdeng guessed: There must be two reasons for the behavior of those with lofty ideals.

On the one hand, it is to show one's enthusiasm for respecting the king.

On the other hand, it was to intimidate Qingdeng.

As one of the shogunate forces, the Shinsengumi is undoubtedly the samurai force.

"Beheading" the generals of the previous dynasty is a metaphor for the "fall of the curtain".

Something like this happened on the day the Shinsengumi entered Kyoto... How could Matsudaira Yōho, who is the guardian of Kyoto, not be outraged by such behavior?

He summoned his subordinates angrily and ordered:

"Return the heads and tablets of these three generals to the Tochiyuan, and find out who committed such a heinous act as soon as possible at all costs!"

At this time, the sharp-eyed Qingden suddenly discovered: There were three lines of small characters carved on the wooden frame.

"Higo-sama, look, there are words here."

After hearing this, Songping Yongbao immediately leaned over.

"This seems to be...poem?"

He recited the poem engraved on the table softly:

"'The sound of the class was violent, the blood surged up in the throat, and the shadow of the sword pierced the sky'..."

Qingdeng raised his eyebrows:

"It's a poem by the 'Eternal Sword Master'."

In an instant, the anger on Matsudaira Rongbao's face became even more intense.

"Hmph! They are really giving themselves gold. What do they want to do? Do they want to compare themselves to Ogata?"

Speaking of the origin of this poem, that’s a big deal.

In the second year of Kansei (1791), Matsudaira Sadanobu, then the leader of Laozhong, raised 10,000 troops and launched a large-scale northern expedition to personally conquer an Ezo force entrenched in the north.

Just when the war was at its most urgent and the Ezo people were about to be defeated, Ogata Yisei led dozens of Cossack cavalry to appear like divine soldiers descending from the sky and launched an indomitable charge towards the shogunate.

Ogata Yoshi's attack was overwhelming, breaking through seven formations in a row, killing nine generals, and captured the main formation along the way, forcing Matsudaira Sadanobu to flee in panic.

According to legend, just before Ogata launched his charge, he softly recited this poem: The sound of the class was roaring, blood surged up in his throat, and the shadow of his sword pierced the sky.

In this way, this poem will be forever engraved in the history of history along with Ogata Yoshi's timeless legend of "breaking seven formations, killing nine generals, and being unparalleled in the world".

Since the birth of Hengkong, Ogata Yoshi has been confronting the shogunate.

First, he assassinated his own lord, Matsudaira Gennai, the lord of Hirose Domain, one of the feudal lords.

Then came the capture of Nijo Castle, the shogun's palace in Kyoto.

Then there was the defeat of the shogunate's Northern Expedition army in Ezo Territory, which made the shogunate's plan of "swallowing Ezo Territory" in vain.

It can be said that every time Ogata Yoshi's reputation rises, it is accompanied by the loss of face of the shogunate.

For this reason, people with lofty ideals praised him as the "original patriotic person who overturned the curtain" and used him as a banner to attract people's hearts to expand his influence.

Quite a few people with lofty ideals are proud to imitate Ogata's style.

Ogata Issei's poem was often quoted by them.

Of course, anyone can see at a glance: their behavior is just to put money on their faces.

Although Ogata Yoshi always caused trouble for the shogunate, he never openly opposed the shogunate.

The so-called "initial rebels" are simply not true.

Crash, lala, lala... the sound of smacking footsteps.

Under the order of Matsudaira Yoshiho, more than a dozen Aizu sergeants rushed forward, took back the heads and removed the wooden frames.

At this moment, Qingden suddenly said:

"...Wait a minute."

The Aizu sergeants were stunned, and then subconsciously looked at their master, Matsudaira Yoshiyasu, who was casting doubtful glances at Aoto.

To be honest, Qingden didn't want to be so high-profile when he first arrived.

However, on the day he led the Shinsengumi to station in Kyoto, the lofty ideals beheaded and displayed the heads of the three generals of the Muromachi shogunate to intimidate him... The other party had already ridiculed him, and if there was no one on his side, A half-hearted response would be very inconsistent with Qingdeng’s character!

"What? Is this the only thing that a person with lofty ideals like to do to support the imperial court and expel the barbarians and expel the barbarians has?"

Qingden held his head high.

His voice, amplified by his talent "Cloud-Cracking Stone +2", was clearly heard in the ears of everyone present.

"Do you only dare to get angry at wood?"

"Do you just dare to swing your knife at wood?"

"If you want to give me Ju Qingdeng a chance to show off, why do you need to use such a trick?"

"The Shinsengumi is stationed in Mibu Township in the west of Beijing!"

"If you don't like me, you can just come to my door! I will teach you at any time!"

"You must have feet, right?"

"You should know the way, right?"

"Go to the gate of the Shinsengumi station and shout: 'Tachibana Aoden, I want to challenge you!' I will definitely come out to challenge!"

"I swear on my character that when you come to challenge me, I will never use human wave tactics."

"The duel between you and me will and will only take place in a fair and just environment!"

"If you can defeat me, the soldiers of the Shinsengumi will never make things difficult for you, and they will definitely let you return safely!"

"I look forward to your challenge!"

"If in the next period of time, the door of the Shinsengumi station is deserted and you are nowhere to be seen, then I will be very disappointed."

"'The lofty people in Kyoto are just a bunch of talkers. In fact, they are all greedy for life and afraid of death. They only dare to show off their power to the wood that can't fight back. They are a bunch of wimps, and they are even far worse than they once were. The anti-barbarian group causing havoc in Edo—don’t let me have such an impression!”

"When I think about leaving my hometown and coming all the way from Edo just to deal with a bunch of weaklings, I feel like I have a lump in my throat!"

Qingdeng has always been sharp-tongued, and with the bonus of his natural ability, he is even more powerful.

The appeal of "Failed Art Student +2", the volume bonus of "Cloud Breaking Stone +2", the expression control of "Emperor's Art"... With the cooperation of multiple talents, Qingdeng's taunt is not only It's ups and downs, and it's also full of emotion.

Many onlookers couldn't help laughing after hearing this.

However, as soon as those who couldn't help laughing laughed a few times, their expressions suddenly changed as if they had remembered something, and then they hurriedly tightened the corners of their mouths, not daring to laugh again.

At this time, among the dense crowd, there was a warrior with an average build, an unattractive appearance, and a conspicuous black mole on the right corner of his mouth.

He took advantage of the crowd to gaze deeply at Qingdeng.

In a moment, he lowered the bamboo hat on his head, strode away in long strides, and disappeared into the far corner of the street...

…

…

That night--

West of Beijing, Rensheng Township, Shinsengumi's headquarters——

The so-called "Kyosai" actually means "Western Kyoto".

Under the arrangement of the shogunate, a long-idle landlord's compound in Mibu Township was allocated to the Shinsengumi.

From now on, this grand mansion will be the residence of the Shinsengumi.

Every corner inside the mansion has been cleaned in advance by dedicated personnel.

Overall, Qingdeng was very satisfied with this house.

Not only does it have a spacious courtyard that can accommodate hundreds of people, but it also has an independent bathing area.

The location is also very good, located on a convenient transportation thoroughfare, next to the famous Rensheng Temple.

Kyoto deserves to be an ancient city with a long history, and there are incredible ancient buildings everywhere.

Speaking of this Rensheng Temple, its background is not small.

Imsei Temple belongs to the Japanese Vinaya sect and is the symbol of Imsei Township. Since the Middle Ages, it has been famous as the center of Jizo belief in Kyoto.

To a certain extent, Rensheng Temple represents Rensheng Township.

The great chanting ceremony held at Mibuji Temple in April every year is known to the world as Imyo Kyogen. Together with the chanting gatherings at Saga Seiryozan and Senbon Enmado, they are also known as the three major kyogens in Kyoto.

It is said that in the second year of Zheng'an (1300), the monks of Rensheng Temple created another kind of random chanting (Kyang Yan) in addition to the upright chanting of Buddha's name in order to eliminate the epidemic and bring good fortune. On the stage of the Dai Nenbutsu Hall, Mibu priests put on masks and dance to the beats of taiko drums, flutes and other musical instruments.

Just over an hour ago, Matsudaira Yongho held a simple reception banquet for Qingto and others.

Considering that everyone had walked for a long time today and most of them were tired, Matsudaira Yongho planned to wait a few days before holding a formal and more grand welcome ceremony.

After this simple welcome banquet was over, Qingteng led the Shinsengumi to Rensheng Township and officially moved into the residence.

There are four floors in the residence. As the boss of the Shinsengumi, Ayoto naturally lives in the room on the highest floor with the best view.

As soon as Qingto put his luggage on the tatami in the room, he heard Sanako's elegant footsteps behind him.

I saw Sanako folding the catkins in front of him and walking quickly towards Qingdeng.

"Sanako, what's wrong?"

Qingden turned around and asked.

"Tachibana-kun, are you free now?"

Sanako didn't talk nonsense and asked immediately.

"Now?"

Qingdeng thought for a while and replied:

"I'm going to inspect the inside and outside of the station later, but I should still be able to squeeze in half an hour of free time."

Sanako nodded lightly:

"In that case, can you please go to the bathhouse with me now?"

Qingden's eyes widened in surprise.

"Bathhouse? What are you doing at the bathhouse?"

"I wish you could help me bathe."

Sanako said this seriously.

*******

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Leopard Leopard is still very energetic today! (leopard hair.jpg)

Another chapter approaching 7,000 words. Leopard and Leopard have worked so hard. If you don’t vote for this book, it would be really unjustifiable! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

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PS1: Japan now regards the emperor of the Southern Dynasty as its orthodox one.

PS2: Nowadays, Sanjo Kawara is really a dating destination for couples in Kyoto. It is said that you can often see couples showing off their affection there.