I formed the strongest swordsman group

Seeing that they were about to talk about business, Shannan Keisuke and others gathered their thoughts and consciously came over to sit next to Aoto and Tojo Shintaro, sitting with their knees touching, forming a ring.

Shintaro Tojo asked:

"Ikeda House? What is this place? Where is it located?"

Qingden turned to look at Shannan Jingsuke.

"Kingsuke, map."

His words were obviously redundant.

Before he could speak, Shannan Keisuke consciously took out the notebook he carried with him from his arms, and then pulled out a neatly folded map of Kyoto, unfolded it, and placed it on the tatami in front of everyone's knees.

"Ikedaya is located on Sanjo Street."

Shannan Keisuke took over and answered for Qingden.

As he spoke, he reached out and pointed out the specific location of Ikeda House on the map.

"This is a very ordinary, unremarkable hotel."

"The decoration is ordinary and the operator is not a very famous person."

"However, not long ago, we received reliable information that a large number of guests have been coming in and out of Ikedaya recently."

"This is no longer the kind of traffic that an ordinary hotel like this should have."

"According to the investigation, the operators of Ikedaya did not invest in advertising their store in the tabloids or do anything else to increase its popularity."

"To sum up, it is obviously abnormal for hotel business to suddenly boom when nothing happened."

"Although the authenticity of this information is still open to question,...it is said that the guests who have frequently visited Ikeda House recently are all from Changzhou."

Coming from Changzhou - everyone naturally understands what this sentence means.

Shannan Jingzhu paused, and then added:

"It is said that one of them includes Miyabe Daizo, one of the core figures of the Zombie Movement."

Miyabe Daizo - a Kumamoto feudal lord, joined the Hitsuko Party in Bunkyu's first year (1861), and began to be active in Kyoto in Bunkyu's second year (1862). After the "August 18th Coup" broke out in the third year of Bunkyu (1863), the Choshu forces were exiled, so he went to the Choshu Domain.

To put it simply, this person is a veteran-level Zunhui patriotic person who enjoys a high reputation among Zunhui patriotic people and plays a decisive role in the current Zunhui movement.

"Miyabe Daizo..."

Shintaro Tojo chewed the name lightly.

"If we can capture or kill this person alive, we will be able to greatly suppress the arrogance of those with lofty ideals, which will be a great benefit to us."

At this point, his conversation suddenly changed:

"But...I'm curious about something."

"If Miyabe Daizo really sneaked into Kyoto and frequently visited Ikeda House, what was his purpose?"

"A big shot like him shouldn't be personally involved in danger."

As soon as he finished asking, Shannan Keisuke immediately answered:

"Mr. Dongcheng, we have naturally taken your questions into consideration."

"For those with lofty ideals, the current Kyoto is undoubtedly a dragon's pond and a tiger's den."

"Miyabe Daizo will risk his life to sneak back to Kyoto... After thinking about it, there is only one answer: the Zunbo faction plans to launch a large-scale operation in Kyoto! Therefore, a big shot like him is needed to take charge of Kyoto. !”

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly became tense.

"Huh! That's just right!"

Nagakura Shinpachi sneered a few times and then said:

"After we were kicked out of Kyoto, these scum have been like rats in the ditch, annoying to death!"

"I hope they will get out of the ditch quickly and fight us with real swords and guns!"

Shannan Keisuke and Harada Sanosuke nodded—Nagakura Shinpachi spoke their minds.

As Nagakura Shinpachi said just now, after going underground, the patriots were like rats in the ditch, hiding in hidden places, popping out from time to time to contaminate food and bite people.

Although no serious losses were caused, the frustrating feeling of "wanting to fight but not being able to fight" made the Shinsengumi soldiers feel extremely irritable and suffocated in their hearts.

If the patriots really plan to launch a large-scale operation in Kyoto... this is no small matter!

It's no surprise what these lunatics do.

But if you think about it from another angle, this is a great opportunity to catch them all!

The thought of sending these bastards to the West made Shannan Keisuke, Nagakura Shinpachi and others feel full of energy!

Tojo Shintaro pondered thoughtfully for a moment.

Suddenly, he raised a new question:

"Since this hotel named 'Ikeda House' is very suspicious, have you taken corresponding countermeasures?"

Shannan Keisuke opened his mouth and was about to answer.

But Qingdeng spoke one step ahead of him:

"Of course there are countermeasures!"

"Since we know that there is something wrong with this hotel, how can we not take precautions against it?"

"Currently, the true identity of the group of people who entered and exited Ikeda House cannot be confirmed, so we should not act rashly."

"If there is a misunderstanding, it will be a small matter to embarrass someone, but a big deal to alert someone, and I may lose the opportunity in vain."

"Therefore, I sent one of my subordinates who is very good at hiding himself, and ordered him to dress up as a hand, lurk in Ikeda House, and monitor his movements at all times."

When Qingdeng mentioned the term "capable man", Qingdeng curled up the corners of his mouth with a meaningful look on his face.

After hearing this, Shintaro Tojo nodded.

"Well, that's very good."

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, fixed his gaze, and stared at the Kyoto map in front of his knees. His eyes quickly wandered over the houses and streets, and his brows were slightly furrowed.

"... Your Highness, can I express my opinion?"

Qing Deng made a "please" gesture without hesitation.

"Mr. Tojo, you are welcome. If you have anything to say, just say it. We are all ears."

Tojo Shintaro sat up slightly with a serious expression.

"Your Highness, I think Kyoto will be very dangerous in the next period of time!"

"The Sonjo patriots are likely to launch a large-scale attack while the Gion Festival is in full swing!"

Gion Festival... Hearing this word, Qing Deng, Yamanami Keisuke and others all frowned and looked solemn.

There are not many other things in Kyoto, but there are many kinds of festivals.

With thousands of years of history, Kyoto has preserved many cultural relics, with more than 1,600 temples and more than 400 shrines scattered throughout Kyoto.

Throughout the year, temples and shrines in Kyoto hold various festivals.

There are grand ceremonies almost every month.

In January, the "Hakuba Sōran Shinto" of Kamigamo Shrine; in February, the "Setsubun Festival and Oinori Shiki" of Yoshida Shrine; in March, the "Tangdi Dance" of Zuishin-in... In November, the "Fire Festival" of Fushimi Inari Taisha; in December, the "Etsutenjin" of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine.

Among these many festivals, the most famous and grand one is undoubtedly the "Gion Festival" in July.

Gion Festival - one of the three major festivals in Japan, along with the Kanda Festival in Edo and the Tenjin Festival in Osaka.

In 869 AD, plague raged in Kyoto. In order to eliminate the plague, the emperor ordered people to set up 66 spears in Kyoto's Shinsenen Garden and welcome the statue of the Gion Shrine to Shinsenen Garden. This is the predecessor of the Gion Festival, the "Gion Goryokai".

Nowadays, various Gion Festival activities are held in Kyoto from July 1st to 31st every year, and the whole month of July is the time for the Gion Festival.

The climax of the Gion Festival is undoubtedly the "Yamaboko Parade" on July 17th.

The so-called "Yamaboko" is a beautifully decorated, man-lifted float specially used for parading in the festival. It is decorated with exquisite paintings and decorations, and sometimes includes character performances, reflecting Japan's historical stories, myths and legends, and natural landscapes.

On July 17th, the gorgeous and colorful Yamaboko convoy will parade in Kyoto Town to eliminate evil and disasters for the townspeople. Along the way, the sound of music, shouting, and the cheers of the audience interweave with each other, pushing the festival to a climax.

Tojo Shintaro continued in a gloomy voice:

"Choshu... or the current goal of the Sonjo patriots is very clear, that is, to find ways to cause trouble for the shogunate and weaken its power by any means."

"Assassination, arson... these brutal acts are all carried out around the ultimate goal of "attacking the shogunate."

"Kyoto is the residence of the emperor."

"There is no doubt that if Kyoto is in a huge crisis and the emperor is in imminent danger, the shogunate will become the target of public criticism."

"In addition, the Gyeonggi Pacification Envoy can be branded as "incompetent."

At this point, he deliberately rolled his eyes and glanced at Qing Deng.

"In that case, there is no better time to start than the Gion Festival."

"The Gion Festival is the largest and most grand festival in Kyoto, so its popularity is self-evident."

"Especially during the 'Yamaboko Parade', the people all flock to the streets to watch the exquisite hoko carts."

"When speculating the intentions of the Sonjo patriots, if we take 'destroying Kyoto and making the shogunate anxious' as the premise, it is not difficult to find that 'taking action during the Gion Festival' is their best choice."

"If I were a Sonjo patriot, I would definitely use 'fire attack'."

"A simple fire can cause a city to suffer a devastating blow. There is no more effective means than this."

"I will choose to light a fire in the upwind direction when the people are attending the festival, and use the power of Zhurong to destroy Kyoto."

"Gion Festival, empty streets, sparks flying, flame pillars rising... The next scene is left to your imagination."

Tojo Shintaro finished.

The banquet hall became extremely quiet, and you could hear a pin drop.

Qing Deng lowered his eyelids and gaze, staring at the Kyoto map in front of his knees without blinking, with a thoughtful look on his face.

As for Yamanami Keisuke and others, they looked at each other in surprise and horror.

"How is this possible..."

Yamanami Keisuke was the first to break the silence.

He was gloomy and his face was ashen.

"Burning Kyoto... and taking advantage of the Gion Festival... this, this..."

"Even if they are unreasonable lunatics, such a thing is also..."

Yamanami Keisuke couldn't say anything more.

He pursed his lips, and his cheeks were full of astonishment and disbelief.

Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke on the side also clenched their fists, with a solemn look on their faces.

Even Harada Sanosuke, who was a bit brainless, knew how terrifying the scenes that Tojo Shintaro had just described would be.

The "Yamaboko Parade" is a must-see.

As the climax of the Gion Festival, when the hokoshas are running on the streets, the streets on both sides are absolutely crowded with people.

Even when there are no Yamabokos to see, people celebrating the Gion Festival can be seen everywhere on the streets.

Every night, many vendors set up stalls in Monzen Town, selling grilled squid, grilled eel and other snacks, or offering games such as pot throwing and archery.

[Note: Monzenmachi: a neighborhood formed in front of a shrine or temple]

Town residents dressed in yukata went to the neighboring Monzen Town in small groups, laughing and playing, which was particularly lively.

By then, if the patriots really plan to burn down Kyoto... there is no doubt that this will cause an extremely horrific tragedy!

Let’s not forget the damage caused by the flames to the town.

When the fire suddenly ignites and lights up the sky, panic is bound to spread like a plague!

It’s no joke if panic spreads based on the amount of people visiting the Gion Festival!

Just imagine -

In the crowded streets, Zhu Rong was wreaking havoc, people were in a state of panic, they were screaming, pushing, howling, and trampling...

Just imagining this picture makes one's teeth tremble!

It has nothing to do with the camp or the position... Even if they only think about it as a "normal person", Shannan Keisuke and others cannot believe that the lofty ideals would not hesitate to cause such a heartbreaking human tragedy in order to attack the shogunate!

"...To be honest, I'm also in disbelief."

Suddenly, Qingdeng spoke.

"But it is a good virtue for a leader to be pessimistic at all times."

"I think Mr. Dongcheng's intention is not without purpose."

"His opinions are very informative."

"In fact, after combining all the currently known intelligence, I am also guessing that the patriots plan to launch a large-scale, hair-raising terrorist operation in the near future."

"In this way, it can be connected with the intelligence we have recently received that 'a large number of unknown people are entering and exiting Ikeda House' and 'Miyabe Daizo sneaked back to Kyoto'."

“It’s better to prepare for a rainy day than to dig a well when thirsty.”

Shannan Jingzhu heard this and nodded gently:

"...Well, Tachibana-kun, you are right."

Qingto raised his eyes and looked at Nagakura Shinpachi.

"Quite new. This month it happens to be the turn of the second and fourth divisions to patrol Kyoto."

"You guys have to cheer up."

"Once criminals are discovered or an emergency occurs, there is no need to ask Otsu for instructions. You can judge and act on your own."

Nagakura Shinpachi sat up straight and said seriously:

"Yes! Mr. Tachibana, please rest assured that I, Xinba, will fulfill my mission!"

At this time, Shintaro Tojo seemed to have remembered something interesting and chuckled a few times.

Nagakura Shinpachi thought the other party was making fun of him, so he frowned slightly and asked with an unhappy expression:

"Mr. Dongcheng, may I ask what you are laughing at?"

Shintaro Tojo, who knew that there was a misunderstanding, quickly clarified:

"Sorry, I just suddenly thought: The Gion Festival in Kyoto is really a disaster."

"It is said that during the Kansei period 70 years ago, a group of criminals also planned to turn Kyoto into a hell on earth while the Gion Festival was being held."

"Fortunately, the 'Eternal Sword Master' Ogata Ittosai and another righteous man stepped forward and worked together to defeat the other party's conspiracy, which saved Kyoto."

"Unexpectedly...after 70 years, history has repeated itself."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shannan Keisuke smiled helplessly:

"'Ogata Ittosai and the anonymous men secretly saved Kyoto'... I have also heard this story, but it is just an unofficial rumor and cannot be considered true."

Shintaro Tojo spread his hands:

"Although rumors of unofficial histories are always fabricated,... the protagonist of this unofficial history is none other than Ogata Ittosai."

"That being the case, no matter how bizarre and incredible the story is, it might be true."

Shannan Keisuke wanted to say something more, but Qingto jumped in first:

"Okay, let's stop this topic for now."

"After all, this happened more than 70 years ago."

"No one can tell whether it is true or false."

"In my opinion, this kind of 'awesomeness' of not knowing the truth is the unique charm of these legends."

"Let's get back to the topic now."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness, apart from the 'unusual movement at Ikeda House', are there any other movements among the patriots in Kyoto?"

"Of course I have. If I were to explain it in detail, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to explain it all in one night. Keisuke."

After hearing Qingdeng's call, Shannan Jingshu leaned down and pointed at the map with his finger.

"Mr. Dongcheng, please look here..."

…

…

Compared to those rotten officials who steal their seats and eat their own meals, Shintaro Tojo is considered a very conscientious official.

The day after arriving in Kyoto, he quickly took up his post and devoted himself to his work.

His official office...that is, the official office of the Kyoto Director, was located at Shichijo-dori, west of the Kamogawa River, adjacent to Nishi Honganji Temple.

For this new government office, the people in Kyoto used to call it the "banned government office".

The public security in Edo was far from the level where the sea was clear and the houses were open at night. Naturally, it was unable to mobilize too many criminal investigation talents to assist Kyoto.

Therefore, when he went to Beijing to take up a post this time, Shintaro Tojo did not bring many subordinates along with him.

Although he cannot be said to be a "smooth commander", his team is indeed pitifully small. There are only two or three subordinates who can be commanded at will, which is very inconsistent with his famous name of Kyoto Director.

In any case, Tojo Shintaro is now considered to be Qingto's direct subordinate.

His subordinates were living in such a miserable state, and even as the boss, he was disgraced.

Therefore, Qing Deng specially selected several young men from the Shinsengumi who were physically strong, nimble, and smart, and ordered them to go to assist Tojo Shintaro as "send-officers".

Although these people knew nothing about criminal investigation, they could move things, run errands, and do some hard work.

In this way, with the help of Qing Deng, the framework of the Prohibition Office was set up.

The recent movements of the Sonjo patriots are very strange-now, this information has been basically confirmed.

In order to prevent trouble before it happens, with Qing Deng's order, the Shinsengumi took action quickly.

On the one hand, Qing Deng asked the Shinsengumi to always be ready for battle and be ready to fight at any time to ensure that when Kyoto is in trouble, the Shinsengumi can immediately go out and rush to the battlefield.

On the other hand, he secretly dispatched the 9th Division.

A large number of soldiers of the 9th Division disguised themselves as ronin or beggars...disguised as various characters, secretly lurking in various places in Kyoto, collecting intelligence further and more deeply.

Our side is in the open, and the enemy is in the dark... In this situation, we must not act rashly.

Try to collect intelligence first, which is the best policy.

After more than half a year of painstaking construction, the current 9th Division has become more and more presentable.

Under the careful teaching of Awu, a group of excellent ninjas headed by Yamazaki Jun were successfully cultivated.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique, Shadow Clone Technique, Lightning Style: Kirin... Of course, the ninjas of the 9th Division will not use these outrageous tricks.

However, flying over eaves and walls, jumping over houses and ridges, sneaking through doors and picking locks... These skills are very suitable for thieves, and they are all proficient!

The "Ninja Army" led by Yamazaki Jun has only one task on weekdays -

Disguised as five elements and eight works, they walk through the streets of Kyoto, enter and exit the shops of Kyoto, listen carefully to people's gossip, pay attention to what people do, and then summarize what they see, hear and hear every day and report it to their superiors.

At first glance, this behavior seems nonsensical.

What useful information can be collected by strolling around the street for a few laps?

However, in fact, at the moment of the full-scale war with the Sonjo warriors, this approach unexpectedly worked!

Nowadays, the Sonjo warriors are lurking in the market and dare not show their heads - therefore, the whereabouts of these guys are often hidden in clues.

For example: the flow of customers in a certain hotel suddenly increased.

Another example: there are a few strangers in the remote long house.

Especially izakaya, Qing Deng set the izakayas in Kyoto as the focus of attention.

As we all know, any place related to "drinking" is a perfect leak point!

It's the same old saying - once a man sits at the wine table, drinks a few cups of horse urine, and is flattered by a woman, his IQ immediately plummets, and he says everything he should and shouldn't say.

Therefore, many ninjas of the 9th Division dressed up as frustrated ronin and lingered in various izakayas all day long. They seemed to be drinking alone, but in fact they were eavesdropping on the conversations of the drinkers.

Judging from the results, the ninjas of the 9th Division did a great job.

After noticing that there was something wrong with the Ikeda House in Sanjo Ohashi, they made another new discovery -

The antique props merchant in Shijo Kobashi, a guy named Yuya Kiemon, behaved very suspiciously! Yuya's house, which was so simple that it should only be inhabited by lower-class townspeople, has recently had a large number of guests coming in and out!

Soon, this information was confirmed.

At this point, what else is there to say?

Shinsengumi Second Division, move out!

Captain Nagakura Shinpachi and Vice Captain Nakajima Noboru personally led the team to the place!

There are too few monthly tickets recently! Leopard Leopard is about to become a depressed leopard (leopard depressed.jpg) It's rare that Leopard Leopard is so powerful this month, either 6,000 leopards or 7,000 leopards.

Seeing that Leopard Leopard is so serious recently, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg) Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please recommend! (leopard head crying.jpg)