I formed the strongest swordsman group

Qingdeng: "..."

Tianzhangyuan: "..."

Qingdeng and Tianzhangyuan, who was eavesdropping in the next room, both fell silent.

Tianzhangyuan became increasingly confused after hearing Qingdeng's voice coming from the next room.

She really couldn't figure out what Tokugawa Iemo was trying to do.

So she decided to use the trick and follow the other party's wishes. She stayed where she was and listened carefully to what was going on next door to see what the other party was up to.

Doors made of paper and wood have almost no soundproofing effect.

Therefore, as long as she stayed in this room (upper section), she would be able to hear everything in the next room (lower section).

It's okay if you don't listen. When you hear it, your eyes suddenly widen like cow bells.

Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough and raised her hands in time to cover her mouth, otherwise she would have screamed.

At this moment, she just felt like a cannonball exploded in her mind. It trembled violently at first, and then turned into a blank.

"Tangerine-kun, are you willing to be my father?" - These words kept echoing in her ears.

At this moment, not only Tianzhang Yuan was like this, but Qingdeng's facial expression was also dominated by strong shock.

I saw Qingden staring blankly at Tokugawa Iemo opposite him, his eyes straight, dumbfounded.

Seeing this, Tokugawa Iemo smiled helplessly:

"Oh, am I saying it too tactfully?"

"Then let me put it another way: Mr. Ju, are you willing to marry Atsushi Tianzhangyuan... No, are you willing to marry Yu Yi?"

Yu Yi - the original name of Tianzhang Courtyard.

At this time, Qingdeng finally calmed down.

"...'Be your father'...Your Highness, what does this mean?"

Tokugawa Iemo smiled and tilted his head.

"Huh? This shouldn't be difficult to understand, right?"

"Yu Yi is my adoptive mother."

"If you marry me, you will naturally be my adoptive father."

Having said this, Tokugawa Iemo paused, and then put on a strange expression with complicated emotions.

"If you want me to call you 'Father'... it's really hard to say it for a while..."

"No, no, no, I'm not asking you this...!"

Qingden said, putting his hands on his forehead and rubbing his temples hard, trying to regain his composure.

Even if he faced powerful enemies such as Rakshasa and Keji, he had never experienced panic, which made him confused.

Marrying Tenzouin...becoming Tokugawa Iemo's father...these two thoughts were like magic sounds, occupying every corner of his brain, making it difficult for him to return to normal thinking.

If it weren't for the strong beating of his heart and the waves of dizziness deep in his head, he would have thought he was dreaming.

To use a vivid metaphor... it was as if he was hit with a heavy uppercut by Tokugawa Iemo without any defense, leaving him stunned and blinded.

He took several deep breaths and tried to calm his heartbeat.

After about 10 seconds, he barely stabilized his mind and said in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, you are kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm serious. Very serious."

As Tokugawa Iemo spoke, he straightened his expression, his expression was solemn, and there was no hint of joking or playfulness in his cheeks.

"Tachibana-kun, now that things have come to a close, I will open the sky and speak frankly - I sincerely hope that you can marry Yu Yi as your wife, take her away from Edo, and let her live a happy life."

As soon as these words came out, Tianzhang Yuan in the next room was stunned.

At the same time, Tokugawa Iemo's facial expression changed slightly, becoming a little more sad.

"Mother's past... I shouldn't need to go into details, right?"

Qingdeng nodded lightly.

He couldn't be more familiar with the past events of Tianzhang Yuan, and his ears almost became calluses when he heard them.

"The general trend of the times pushed my mother, step by step, from the daughter of a branch of the Shimazu family to the princess of the Satsuma clan, then to the imperial palace of the shogunate, and finally to the grand imperial palace today."

"From the perspective of others, my mother is a model of 'prosperity'."

"Although my mother today has become one of the most noble women in the world, I can be sure that the title of 'Odaisho' is not what she wanted."

"The 'Tianzhangyuan Atsushi' who is wearing gorgeous clothes and sitting in front of all the ministers is just a doll in disguise."

"The 'girl Yu Yi' who played wildly on the beach back then is the real her."

"Although I dare not say that I feel the same way, I can more or less understand the pain and hesitation that my mother felt when she married into Edo."

"In the fifth year of Anzheng (1858), when I was 13 years old, I was also driven by the general trend of the times and could not help but sit on the throne of the general who conquered the barbarians."

"Suddenly arriving in a strange environment, surrounded by ambitious people with ulterior motives... Whenever I recall the sadness and fear, it always gives me goosebumps."

"When I was lonely, uneasy, and didn't know who to trust or what to do, my mother appeared."

Speaking of this, Tokugawa Iemo's cheeks showed a hint of tranquility.

"She was the first comrade I met after coming to the shogunate."

"She fully supported me without expecting anything in return, and did her best to prevent disaster for me."

"You know, mother is a member of the Hitotsubashi faction."

"His foster father Shimazu Saibin is a core member of the Hitotsubashi faction."

"In order to expand the influence of the Hitotsubashi faction, Shimazu Saibin specially promoted the marriage between the shogunate and the Satsuma clan and forced my mother to marry the former shogun."

"As a 'secret weapon' that the 'Hitobashi faction' had high hopes for, she betrayed her own camp and came to help me instead... She was under so much pressure at that time and suffered so many grievances. I'm afraid she will never be able to No one will know."

"Thanks to her selfless dedication, I was able to gain a firm foothold in the undercurrent of the court, and that's where I am today."

"Although she and I are not biological mother and son, my dependence and love for her are more than my biological mother and son."

"Now, even without the help of my mother, I can still be self-reliant."

"She's done enough."

"She worked hard for me, the shogunate, and the people of the world, but she never thought about herself."

"Therefore, I sincerely hope that she can get rid of the shackles of her identity as the 'Odaisho', get rid of this cold and empty city, and pursue her own happiness."

Tokugawa Iemo paused for a moment, adjusted his mood, and then said slowly:

"About the time when I went to Kyoto to discuss with the imperial court about the expulsion of the foreigners, I discovered the... special relationship between you and your mother."

He hesitated for a moment before spitting out the word "special relationship."

"Mr. Ju, do you still remember? You and your mother were riding in the same sedan together."

Qingdeng secretly twitched his lips and nodded silently.

It was such a special experience that he would never forget.

The scene where Tianzhangyuan teased Sanako with his two little feet in front of him through a thin sedan curtain... He still remembers it fresh to this day.

"Honestly, I've been struggling ever since."

"Are you going to pretend to turn a blind eye and just do whatever you want?"

"Or are we going to interfere and stop you?"

"Or... let's just do whatever it takes to make things happen for you?"

"Although my emotions are complicated, there is only one thing I am absolutely sure of - I sincerely hope that my mother will be happy!"

"I was in a dilemma, hesitant... To this day, I have made up my mind and will no longer be confused - compared with my mother's happiness, what are these cold and ruthless rules and regulations and worldly prejudices?"

"I'm pretty sure that only by facilitating your marriage to my mother can she truly transform back into the 'Yu Yi' she used to be!"

After finishing his words, Tokugawa Iemo raised his eyes full of emotion and stared directly at Aoto.

That intense gaze seemed to burn a hole in his body.

This look seemed to be urging Qingdeng: Speak quickly! Tell me quickly that you are willing to marry Tianzhang Yuan!

Qingden was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

Tokugawa Iemo's strong determination has been conveyed through words.

The other party was indeed serious - Tokugawa Iemoji really wanted to be his son... Ah, no, he really wanted him to be his adoptive father!

Somehow, Qingdeng suddenly recalled the classic scene in the 1997 version of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" that he had watched in his previous life: Lu Bu worshiped Dong Zhuo as his adoptive father.

However, the Lu Bu in the picture has become Tokugawa Iemo: If he doesn’t give up, Iemo is willing to be his adoptive father!

As of 10 minutes ago, Qing Tengrao wanted to get rid of his scalp, but he would never have thought that the "important thing" Tokugawa Iemo said would be to propose marriage, and to propose marriage to his adoptive mother...

For a moment, Qingdeng really didn't know how to answer...

After a moment, he asked with a confused look:

"...Your Highness, why me?"

"How can you be sure that His Highness Tianzhangyuan will be willing to marry me?"

"Also, how can you be sure that 'marriage' is the best way for His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan to achieve happiness?"    "Maybe I don't want to get married at all, and just want to live the rest of my life freely."

Hearing this, Tokugawa Iemo seemed to have heard some interesting joke and burst into laughter:

"Oh, Mr. Tachibana, are you too slow, or are you pretending to be stupid on purpose? As smart as you are, you should have felt it to some extent - Mother likes you very much."

"..."

Qingdeng stopped talking.

He pursed his lips and hesitated to speak.

Tokugawa Iemo continued:

"You probably don't know, but once upon a time, my mother was a very serious person, and she always had a straight face."

"For this reason, the female officials in Da'ao are quite afraid of her."

"But after meeting you, Mother, she has become a lot more cheerful."

"Every time she saw you, she would be smiling and cheerful."

"After you left Edo because you moved to the right to be the governor of Kyoto, my mother suddenly withered like a flower that had not been watered for many days."

"She is always practicing her bow alone in the archery range of Tsukigiya Shrine, turning her head to look at the door from time to time, as if she is waiting for someone."

"It is precisely because you possess such 'magic power' that I dare to assert that you are the only one in the world who can make her take off all her 'disguises'!"

"As for what you said, 'Maybe someone doesn't want to get married at all'...you don't have to worry about this at all."

"Tachibana-kun, I can tell you with certainty: My mother's yearning for a happy marriage and her longing for a happy husband have not diminished at all due to the shackles of Odaishu's status and my increasing age."

"Her usual aloof attitude is just showing off, trying hard to appear calm and indifferent."

As he spoke, he squinted his eyes without any trace, looking at the door not far away with half helplessness and half apology.

On the other side of the door, Tenzouin was blushing because of Tokugawa Iemo's revelations and revelations. He was gnashing his teeth, annoyed and ashamed, as if he would break through the door in the next second, and grabbed Tokugawa Iemo's collar with all his strength.

The more Qing Deng listened, the weirder his facial expression became.

After a while, he changed the subject very abruptly:

"... Your Highness, no matter what, it is impossible for me to marry His Highness Tenshoin, right?"

"I am a minister of the shogunate, and His Highness Tenshoin is the shogunate's Grand Priest."

"The ministers of the shogunate... No, the world will never agree to our marriage."

A minister marrying the empress dowager... This kind of event is extremely explosive at home and abroad! To describe it as "the collapse of rituals and music" seems too mild and inappropriate!

The shogunate ministers can tolerate Tokugawa Iemochi's favor for Qing Deng, and can tolerate Tokugawa Iemochi's delegating power to Qing Deng, but they absolutely cannot tolerate Tokugawa Iemochi marrying the shogunate's "empress dowager" to Qing Deng!

Even An Lushan has never done such an explosive thing.

This is no longer an ordinary An Lushan, but Dong Zhuo + An Lushan! He holds great power and causes chaos in the harem! A heavy punch must be taken!

No matter how cowardly and useless the shogunate officials were, they would never tolerate such humiliation.

It is no exaggeration to say that if Tokugawa Iemochi announced the marriage of Aoto and Tenshoin, it would definitely cause a strong sensation like a magnitude 10 earthquake across the country, and it is not impossible that it would directly trigger a civil war in the shogunate.

At that time, the person who shouted the slogan of "clearing the court" would not be "Tachibana Rokusan", but someone else.

Tokugawa Iemochi nodded gently:

"Tachibana-kun, I understand your concerns."

"Since I dare to make such a proposal, it must be for a reason."

"I plan to conceal the truth."

"First, falsely tell the public that 'Tenshoin Atsuhime unfortunately passed away due to an incurable disease.'"

"Then, secretly send her out of Edo."

"The next thing is to change her name and household registration, and then move to your house."

"The world would never have thought that Tenshoin Atsuhime, who had already 'died of illness', would actually live in seclusion in Otsu."

After hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but show a look of anger on his face.

"Your Highness, let's not talk about the feasibility of your plan."

"Let His Highness Tenshoin live the rest of his life in anonymity... Isn't this too pitiful?"

Tokugawa Iemochi smiled bitterly.

"I know, so this is just my last resort."

"Although it may sound like bragging, I can assure you: as long as you are willing to get married, I will do my best to try to achieve a happy and perfect ending."

"I am the Shogun of the Edo Shogunate."

"As long as I have that intention, I can still think of many ways to help you, at most it will just take more time."

Perhaps he was tired of talking, Tokugawa Iemochi picked up the teacup beside his knees and took a big gulp.

When he put down the teacup, the hot eyes that were enough to burn a hole in the human body shot straight at Qing Deng again.

"Okay, after talking so much, it's time to return to the original question-Ju Jun, are you willing to marry Yu Yi?"

"..."

Qing Deng said nothing.

He subconsciously lowered his eyes and stared at the tatami in front of his knees, and various emotions emerged and mixed on his cheeks.

Tokugawa Iemochi seemed to have been prepared. After seeing Qing Deng hesitate to speak, he immediately changed his tone to a meaningful one:

"Jujun, you seem to be very hesitant. Then let me ask another question: Jujun, do you like Yuyi?"

"..."

Qing Deng opened his lips and prepared to say something.

But when the words were about to come out, they were all choked in his throat.

At this moment, a lot of memories emerged in front of him.

The day when he first met Tenshoin...

The day she taught him archery hand in hand...

The way she smiled...

The way she teased him with a sly smile...

And... the lonely look she occasionally showed...

These scenes flashed quickly in front of his eyes.

After reading these memories, he couldn't say the words that had already come to his lips.

From just now, Tokugawa Iemochi stared at Qing Deng's face and carefully observed the changes in his expression.

Out of nowhere, he suddenly laughed and said:

"Tachibana-kun, thank you for your answer."

"I haven't said anything yet."

"No, you have already said it, and I heard it clearly. You answered very well, and this is exactly the answer I want to hear."

After that, Tokugawa Iemochi let out a long breath, looking relieved.

Then, he raised his head, facing the ceiling, and recalled.

"I am the posthumous son of Tokugawa Nariaki, the 11th lord of Kishu Domain."

"When I was 1 year old, I was adopted by my uncle Tokugawa Nariaki and became his adopted son."

"But just over 2 years later, my adoptive father passed away, and I inherited his legacy and became the 13th lord of Kishu Domain at the age of 4."

"It can be said that I have never experienced what fatherly love is from childhood to adulthood."

"If I had another young father of similar age and worthy of dependence...it would be nice."

At the end of the words, Tokugawa Iemochi's tone revealed a strong sense of playfulness, making it difficult to understand whether he was telling the truth or joking.

Tokugawa Iemochi's words undoubtedly aggravated the confusion of Qing Deng's brain.

He was dumbfounded, and now he didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry, Tachibana-kun."

Tokugawa Iemochi spoke again.

"I have no intention of forcing you to give me a definite answer today."

"This kind of thing cannot be rushed or hurried."

"Besides, I haven't mentioned this to my mother yet."

"When you have truly made up your mind, tell me your answer in person - I will always look forward to it!"

"That's all the 'important things' I want to say."

"You can go back."

Qing Deng stood up with a wooden expression - because of his confused thoughts and extremely complicated mood, he wanted to leave this place immediately and stay away from Tokugawa Iemochi, not even a second.

However, just as he was about to push the door open, he suddenly remembered something, sighed softly, turned his head and said:

"Your Highness, it's all because of your amazing idea that I almost forgot... Your Highness, and His Majesty asked me to bring you a message."

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