I formed the strongest swordsman group

In the third year of Wenjiu (1863), early morning on September 25th——

Qinjin Fan, Dajin—

The sky is clear and the autumn air is crisp.

Although the surrounding scenery is still lush and green, it does have a sense of seasonal change, and the air is full of the refreshing taste unique to autumn.

The misty morning light flows across the fields, floating like dewdrops.

Qingdeng and his party walked among the ridges of the compacted fields.

"Moo~moo~moo~moo~"

Carrot swung his tail and made a cheerful cry.

It has been a long time since it took a leisurely walk in the wild like today.

Five days have passed since receiving Tokugawa Iemo's warrant.

It was only today that Qingdeng finally found time to come and see his fiefdom with his own eyes.

This is a small-scale patrol operation that will return to Kyoto before dark.

For this reason, there were only a few people accompanying him, including Mai Kinoshita, Yataro Iwasaki, Keisuke Yamanan, and a few bodyguards.

The guard behind Qingdeng was seen carrying a large flag that was fluttering in the wind.

Judging from the condition of the fabric, it is not difficult to tell that this is a newly completed flag.

The flag with a white background is extremely neat, with only one thing embroidered on it - a gentian leaf with elegant lines!

The gentian leaf is Qingden’s family crest.

Qingdeng is already the lord of Qinjin clan, so it is reasonable for him to use gentian leaves as the new symbol and symbol of this land.

"Kingsuke, how far is it from Otsu City?"

Qingden turned to Shannan Keisuke beside him and asked.

Shannan Keisuke looked at the surrounding scenery and replied:

"There are about 10 more towns."

[Note 1 town = 109 meters]

Qing Deng nodded:

"Well, we're almost there."

The destination of their trip was the feudal hall Otsu Castle.

On the way to Ojin City, they looked left and right, just like a group of tourists visiting the mountains and rivers.

Including Qingdeng, it was their first time to set foot on this land.

They had only briefly glanced at the beautiful scenery here when they passed by here before.

Out of the blue, Kinoshita Mai suddenly shouted excitedly:

"Aoden, look! It's Lake Biwa!"

As she spoke, she pointed to the east.

Qingdeng followed the sound - sparkling waves of light filled his field of vision.

The vast lake reflects the sunlight magnificently.

Even if you look far into the distance, you can't see the edge of the lake. At first glance, you might think it's the sea.

Thin clouds float at the end of the lake, as if they are integrated with the lake.

Even the most skilled painter would have difficulty replicating this beautiful scene on canvas.

Yataro Iwasaki raised his eyebrows and praised:

"It is indeed the largest lake in Japan! It is indeed beautiful!"

Shannan Keisuke nodded and agreed:

“Just seeing this stunning scenery makes the trip worthwhile!”

Kinoshita Mai blinked her beautiful eyes a few times, and then said thoughtfully:

"Lake Biwa is a cornucopia. If we manage it well... we should be able to make a lot of money!"

After Qingdeng heard this, he couldn't help but laugh, and said half-jokingly:

"It's not difficult to make money from Lake Biwa. But if you want to make a lot of money from it, it's still a bit difficult."

Currently, there is no concept of "tourism" in Japan.

In order to develop tourism, the following four conditions must be met:

First, it has high-quality tourism resources.

Secondly, comfortable accommodation environment.

Third, the people are free and wealthy.

Fourth, convenient transportation conditions.

To sum up, developing tourism in the feudal era was really wishful thinking.

The first two points are okay, tourism resources are not difficult to find, and comfortable accommodation is not lacking, but the last two points are really difficult to achieve.

How can ordinary people who are struggling to make ends meet have the spare money and time to travel?

No planes, no high-speed rail, just primitive walking and cycling.

When going to a place that is a little far away, it is common to be delayed for ten and a half days on the road.

How can ordinary people withstand this kind of consumption?

Moreover, you may encounter bandits and bandits along the way, and you may lose both your money and your life in the end.

Only wealthy people can afford to travel.

So, just as Seito Shicai joked, it is indeed possible to develop tourism by relying on Lake Biwa, and it is definitely possible to make money.

But expecting to make a fortune from this is undoubtedly a fantasy.

…

…

Qingdeng and others moved forward silently.

After a while, the scenery on both sides of the field began to change.

Looking around, there are densely populated rice fields like a chessboard, interspersed with unique scarecrows, connecting the villages in the distance.

It's autumn now and the rice has begun to mature and produce plump ears.

Looking at the rice fields that were gradually turning golden, Yataro Iwasaki, who came from a poor family, was filled with joy:

"Not bad! It looks like there will be a good harvest this year!"

Since there are rice fields, there are naturally farmers.

Figures of people with their backs to the sky and their faces facing the loess, working meticulously can be seen everywhere in the fields.

The sound of "clang", "clang" and "clang" was heard one after another.

The sudden arrival of Qingdeng and others naturally aroused the curiosity of the farmers.

They all stopped what they were doing and cast confused glances at Qingden and others.

"Hey, look, someone is coming."

"Who are they?"

"I don't know, maybe they are tourists coming to see Lake Biwa."

"Look, they don't feel like ordinary people."

"Why is that man riding a cow?"

"This is the first time I've seen a nobleman riding a bull..."

"You don't understand this! All noble people are like this. They always do some weird things. I think back then, Confucius rode an ox and went south to Shanhaiguan to preach!"

…

The farmers were all talking and chattering.

The focus of their discussion was naturally Qingdeng, who was walking at the front, riding a big black bull, and was particularly conspicuous.

Rural areas are not as good as cities and towns, with a lack of media channels and limited information.

Therefore, it makes sense that they do not recognize Qingdeng.

They may not know until now that they are no longer the people of the Heavenly Territory.

Since 5 days ago, they have a new identity: the people of Qinjin Fan!

The inspection of Otsu has started just now.

Qingdeng swept his eyes and looked at the farmland of Otsu seriously.

Ojin is indeed a blessed land with abundant products.

Just this endless rice field is enough to envy countless farmers.

Seeing Aonto observing the rice fields, Iwasaki Yataro took out a scroll from his arms with great discernment, spread it out, and then cleared his throat:

"Mr. Tachibana, I have completed the tasks you ordered before. Please allow me to report to you now!"

Four days ago, Aoto urgently summoned Yataro Iwasaki and gave him an important task - to count and sort out Otsu's specialties.

It was obvious that Seito was preparing to develop the economy vigorously, so he ordered Yataro Iwasaki to investigate in advance.

Knowing that he had a heavy responsibility, Yataro Iwasaki agreed on the spot without hesitation, and then showed his extraordinary power of action. He investigated Otsu's industrial situation clearly in a matter of seconds.

Qingdeng nodded lightly and said, "Yeah."

Iwasaki Yataro immediately lowered his head to look at the scroll in his hand and said word by word:

“Otsu’s traditional industries include Otsu paintings, Otsu abacus, Matsumoto tiles, Zensho ware, Hunan ware, soup leaves, crucian carp sushi, salty lake fish, Seta clams, edible chrysanthemums, and Zensho tea.”

"Among them, porcelain and tea...that is, Matsumoto Wawa Zensho tea, are Otsu's most famous and most profitable products."

“Tea in particular is the economic pillar of Otsu.”

“When the black ships arrived, the shogunate served Otsu Zensho tea to Matthew Perry on board.”

“The fresh taste of Zenso tea deeply attracted Matthew Perry.”

"Since then, Shansuo tea has been favored by Americans and has become the number one export product to the United States."

“Previously, due to limited energy and lack of financial resources, the shogunate had never been able to expand the export scale of Zensho tea.”

Speaking of this, Yataro Iwasaki paused.

When he spoke again, his eyes burst out with passion and an expression of eagerness to try.

"Mr. Tachibana, to be honest, I already have a huge business plan in my mind!"

"Otsu is adjacent to Osaka, and Osaka is an important external port."

“As long as there are no unexpected events such as extreme weather, you can go back and forth between Otsu and Osaka within three days.”

"Therefore, it is really easy for us to develop foreign trade!"

"Westerners are very fond of tea, and selling tea to the West is a big business that is sure to make a profit!"

"As long as we manage it properly, we can definitely double the current export scale of Shansuo Tea!"

"By then, even according to the most conservative estimates, we will be able to earn tens of thousands of dollars in huge income every year!"

What Iwasaki Yataro said caused everyone else present to express surprise.

Tens of thousands of dollars in income... This is so tempting!

The total income of most vassal states in a year is probably less than 50,000 taels of gold.

Dajin can earn tens of thousands of taels or even one hundred thousand taels of gold from just tea.

Such huge profits are enough to make countless famous people jealous - Otsu must be too rich!

When Yataro Iwasaki spoke, Aoto listened carefully and did not interrupt.

It wasn't until he finished speaking that he said with a wry smile:

"Yataro, your plan is good."

"But... there is a problem."

"Where are we going to raise the money to expand the scale of tea exports?"

After hearing this, Yataro Iwasaki was stunned on the spot.

After a while, he sighed heavily, and his face lost the excitement just now and turned into a look of melancholy and helplessness.

"Mr. Orange, this is the problem that bothers me the most right now..."

…

…

After a while, Qingdeng and others gradually left the farmland behind them.

Instead, a vast city slowly unfolded before their eyes.

It is the castle town of Otsu Castle!

Thousands of scales and tiles, and smoke curling up from cooking pots.

Vertical and horizontal streets, crowded with pedestrians.

In a word - this is a lively town full of energy.

Qingdeng and others took to the streets and, as expected, became the center of attention.

The townspeople stepped out of the way one after another and crowded on the street, looking at Qingto and others in confusion.

Just like the farmers just now, the townspeople at the scene also felt that Qing Qing was unfamiliar and did not recognize him.

Of course, this didn't last long.

A city is a city after all, and it is not as isolated as a rural area.

Soon, a shout was heard from the crowd:

"Ah! I figured it out! He is 'Nioh' Tachibana Aoden!"

"Tachibana Aoden? Really?!"

"Then he is our new lord?"

…

Amid the shouting, no one knew who was the first to take the lead. He suddenly dwarfed his figure and fell to his knees.

Immediately afterwards, as if a chain reaction started, the townspeople on both sides of the street knelt down one after another, like leeks that had been cut down.

The street, which was noisy just now, became extremely quiet now.

No one spoke, and no one dared to look up at Qingdeng.

The princes should not look down upon him, and the emperor should not look up to him - this is one of the important ethical principles in Japan.

This means that common people cannot look at the princes from flat, they must kneel on the ground, that is, look up.

The emperor couldn't even look up, he had to kneel on the ground and turn around.

Of course, ordinary people never have the opportunity to see the emperor.

The emperor is Japan's number one stay-at-home person, and he will not leave the imperial palace casually unless necessary.

Qingden is no longer an ordinary samurai, but a serious daimyo.

In this case, the lively scene that he often experienced in the past, "as soon as he went out, many people came to say hello to him" no longer existed.

From now on, the only sights he sees will be quiet streets and figures kneeling on the ground.

"It's so shocking..."

Kinoshita Mai murmured.

Although Shannan Keisuke, Iwasaki Yataro and others did not answer, judging from their expressions, they were also shocked by the scene in front of them.

In just a few seconds, countless people on the street knelt on the ground... For those who saw this scene for the first time, it was indeed difficult to adapt to it in a short period of time.

It is worth mentioning that Qingnobo did not look surprised or at a loss like Kinoshita Mai and others at this time.

"..."

He looked to the left, to the right, and to the people kneeling on the ground without saying a word. He lowered his eyelids and pursed his lips. There was no sadness or joy on his face - it was difficult to guess what he was carving. inner thoughts.

…

…

Although Otsu Town is a prosperous town, its area cannot be compared with large towns such as Edo and Kyoto.

Therefore, it didn't take long for Qingto and others to arrive at the center of Otsu Town and arrive at the destination of their trip - Otsu Castle.

"Mr. Tachibana, that's Otsu Castle."

Yataro Iwasaki pointed forward.

Qingdeng raised his eyes and looked at it, and then joked half-jokingly:

"What a shabby city."

As soon as this was said, the others laughed one after another.

As far as reality is concerned, Qingto's ridicule is very accurate - Otsu City has long been in ruins.

Otsu Castle is an ancient castle with a long history. Its history can be traced back to the Asuka Period (592-710) and was built by Emperor Tenchi (626-672).

In 667, Emperor Tenchi established Jin-kyo.

In 1586, Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Otsu Castle.

In 1600, affected by the Sekigahara War, Otsu Castle was burned down.

Since then, only the black, charred stone foundations have remained.

Shannan Keisuke, who has always liked ancient buildings, whispered with mixed feelings:

"It is sad that wherever the Qin and Han Dynasties traveled, thousands of palaces and palaces were turned into dirt."

Qingden shrugged:

"It's good to make soil... so that we can build a bigger and better city!"

Speaking of this, Qingdeng suddenly raised his voice:

"I want to build a bastion here!"

A new volume is opened!

I don’t know what’s going on, but Bao Baozi suffered from severe insomnia last night… I’ve been feeling hazy all day today, and my head hurts so much that I’m not in good condition today and my word count is low.

Leopard Leopard will work hard to update more tomorrow! (Crying leopard head.jpg)