I formed the strongest swordsman group

The day after bidding farewell to Tenjoin and leaving Tsukinomiya Shrine, Aoto embarked on the journey back to Otsu under the watch of Kondo Shusuke and others.

On this trip back, Aomori's team has grown a lot - Chiba Nobuyoshi, Sanako's mother, and Chiba Jutaro are also traveling with him.

Sanako was about to give birth, and Chiba Sadaki and others were planning to go to Otsu to take care of her.

Now that Qingdeng is going back, they decided to go together and take care of each other.

As for the small Chiba Sword Hall, I will leave it to Chiba Tamonshiro to take care of it for the time being.

…

…

West of Edo, Tokai Street, somewhere——

"Moo~moo~moo~"

Carrot swung its tail and moved forward leisurely.

Sitting on it, Qingteng turned his head from time to time and looked at Edo Castle, which was getting farther and farther behind.

This time I returned to Edo and gained a lot.

Successfully negotiated the Western Expedition.

The recasting of Vairocana is just around the corner.

At the same time... a very important agreement was made with Tianzhang Academy.

Whenever he thinks of the red face he saw yesterday, or the words he heard yesterday, Qingden can't help but tighten the reins in his hands, with high fighting spirit in his eyes.

To be honest, as of yesterday, the "Changzhou Expedition" was just an ordinary battle for Qingdeng.

Compared with previous battles, the enemy this time is just more powerful and larger in scale.

However, after meeting with Tianzhang Yuan yesterday, Qingdeng's views on the "Changzhou Expedition" changed.

For him, the battle took on a whole new meaning.

It is no exaggeration to say that facing this upcoming battle, Qingdeng has never been as motivated as he is now!

Although he seemed belligerent when he said this, he couldn't wait to start a war immediately and then defeat Changzhou with overwhelming force! Achieve unquestionable victory!

By then... he will rush to Edo as promised and take Tianzhang Yuan to Otsu.

Honestly, it's risky.

The minister married the queen mother... If this matter spreads, God knows what consequences it will have.

However, as of now, neither he nor Tianzhang Yuan intends to retreat or escape.

Tianzhangyuan's bold move yesterday completely pierced the layer of paper between them.

To this day, no matter how hard he tries, Qingdeng can no longer deceive himself and say, "I am not interested in Tianzhang Academy."

Therefore, he was mentally prepared to introduce Tianzhang Academy to Sanako and others, and then be criticized, scolded, and even beaten...

It's just that she married the current Queen Mother and changed from 3 head wives to 4 head wives. Sanako and the others shouldn't have too strong a reaction...right?

All in all, in the next period of time, I will give them some pillow air so that they can be mentally prepared...

…

…

Only 10 days passed from leaving for Edo to returning to Otsu.

The number of days was not that long, and the time it took was completely within Qingdeng’s expectations.

However...he never expected that after just 10 days of absence, when he came back, Hijikata Toshizo would give him a big job...!

…

…

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Judi——

"Susan, what's going on with your outfit?"

The corner of Qingden's mouth twitched slightly, and while asking questions loudly, he swept his eyes and carefully looked up and down at Hijikata Toshizo in front of him.

Hijikata Toshizo let out a proud laugh:

"Tachibana, how do you feel? I look good, don't I?"

As he spoke, he did not forget to raise his hand to smooth his hair.

I saw that Hijikata Toshizo at this time... had really changed his appearance.

He was not wearing Japanese-style clothes such as haori, gaijin, or footbags. Instead, he was wearing a black suit, a knee-length black coat, big black leather boots, and a very stylish white silk tie around his neck. towel.

Of course, compared to his clothes, the change in his hairstyle is more shocking.

He cut his hair, and it was no longer long enough to be tied into a bun.

So, he combed all his hair back into a neat slicked back hair.

At first glance, he looks like a Western gentleman.

Except for his oriental face and the Izumi Mamoru Kanesada still hanging around his waist, there is no Japanese element in his body.

After Qingdeng looked at him back and forth for a while, he said in an appreciative tone:

"Well... you look really good in this outfit."

“Especially this coat, it’s very stylish.”

When Hijikata Toisan heard this, he raised his eyebrows and smiled brightly:

"Oh! Tachibana, you know it very well!"

"You and I want to go together. I also think this coat is very stylish."

As he spoke, he fiddled with the hem of his coat, making a "swishing" sound.

"Let me tell you, there is a little thing called 'Bu Tong' (English transliteration of "button") under the pants. As long as you unbutton the 'Bu Tong', you can take out the penis for urination."

As he spoke, he directly showed off the button on his trousers and enthusiastically introduced all the details of this suit to Qingdeng.

To others, his outfit might be unusual.

Qingdeng was not surprised by this, after all, he was used to seeing it in his previous life.

One thing to say, Hijikata Tobizo's uniform is indeed very handsome.

The well-tailored black suit; the big black leather boots that make a clanging sound when stepping on the ground; the extraordinarily stylish black long coat... all of them are handsome and sharp tools, which are very in line with Qingdeng's aesthetic!

After sizing up the other person a few more times, Qingdeng asked:

"Suisan, what are you doing here?"

He said with a look of helplessness on his face and sighed.

"Why do you need to change your clothes and hairstyle?"

"Do you know that your 'haircut' has aroused the dissatisfaction of many people?"

Qingdeng has always advocated openness and innovation and resisted stubbornness and conservatism.

While shouting slogans, he also did not forget to take practical actions, such as introducing sharp guns from the West and introducing advanced knowledge from overseas.

Therefore, under his leadership, Shinseng formed one of the most open organizations in Japan today.

Of course, its "openness" is just to make a short person taller.

How could the conservative thinking that has lasted for thousands of years undergo a fundamental change because of Qingdeng’s few calls and actions?

Even today, many people in the Shinsengumi still regard Western things as a scourge.

It's just because they are afraid of Qingdeng's prestige that they usually behave well and don't dare to make trouble.

Wearing a Western-style uniform like Hijikata Tobizo is simply dancing in the minefield of these conservatives.

If it's just a change of clothes, that's it.

But even if the bun is cut off, the problem becomes serious.

During the Edo period, the bun on the head of a samurai was considered a status symbol.

People generally believe that once the bun is cut off, it is equivalent to having the head cut off, which is a great shame and humiliation!

It was too late for others to protect the bun, but Toshizo Hijikata actually cut it off...

In this case, it is no wonder that conservatives have denounced Hijikata Toshizo's rebellious behavior.

Faced with Ayoto's question, Hijikata Toshizo smiled calmly:

"It's actually nothing."

"I just happened to meet a clothes dealer from the West. I thought this outfit was very good, so I bought it on a whim."

"When I was trying it on, I always felt that the bun on my head didn't match the clothes, so I simply cut it off."

"That's fine. I've long been displeased with hair buns."

"Tachibana, don't you think the bun is in the way?"

"It takes a lot of time to take care of it every day. It's so troublesome."

"After cutting this ugly bun, I immediately felt refreshed."

"Besides, our Shinsengumi has always aimed at a 'Western-style army'."

"The obstructive bun and the loose clothes are not suitable for fighting. Sooner or later, they will be eliminated."

"In that case, it's better to prepare early."

"Start with yourself first, and then gradually promote reforms, abandon these hairstyles and clothing that cannot keep up with the times, and completely transform the Shinsengumi."

"Tangerine, why don't you think about it too?"

Hijikata Toshizo smiled and stretched out the index and middle fingers of his right hand and made a "scissors" gesture to Aoden's bun.

After listening to his explanation quietly, Qingdeng couldn't help but smile bitterly.

I bought this uniform on a whim, and then I cut my hair into a bun on a whim... Okay, this is very earthy.

"I'll spare it."

Qingdeng waved his hand and continued:

"If I also cut my hair and change my clothes, I'm afraid it will cause untold disaster."

To be fair, looking at Hijikata Toshizo's outfit and his refreshing hairstyle, Aoto was slightly moved.

Oriental clothes that are roomy and comfortable are beautiful, but Western clothes that flatter your figure are equally handsome.

No matter what...he is now one of the symbols of the Edo shogunate.

Although Hijikata Toshizo is the patriarch of Qinjin Clan and the deputy chief of the Shinsengumi, to put it bluntly, his popularity is not high enough and he does not receive much attention as Ainoto.

Therefore, he is certainly much freer, and even if he causes criticism, it will not lead to irreversible serious consequences.

On the other hand, the same cannot be said for Qingdeng.

His every move attracts the attention of people all over the world.

It is no exaggeration to say that any abnormality in his words and deeds would be enough to surprise the world, and then rack their brains to do "reading comprehension" to study the true meaning behind it.

The dignified president of the shogunate army actually cut his hair and wore a suit... What will the world think of this?

Ainoto dared to conclude that by then, there would definitely be more rumors in the market such as "'Nioh' Tachibana Aotobu bows to the Westerners" and "the shogunate has completely become a puppet of the Western powers".

All in all, the Shinsengumi is like this. Hijikata Toshizo only needs to think about his own affairs, but Aoto, who is in a high position, has many things to consider.

At this time, Hijikata Toizan seemed to have remembered something, and said abruptly:

"Ah, that's right, I almost forgot. Tachibana, look at this."

As he spoke, he reached into his arms, took out a small piece of paper, and handed it to Qingdeng.

Qingdeng reached out to take it, and when he took a closer look, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his brows.

"Hey, this is... a photo?"

This small piece of paper is a photo, about 9×6cm in size.

Due to backward technology, today's photos are not only black and white, but also very blurry. In terms of clarity, they are not even as good as 360P.

However, despite this, Qingto still recognized the person in this photo - it was none other than Toshizo Hijikata.

In the photo, Tobizo Hijikata is wearing a crisp suit - the suit he is wearing now - with his right hand naturally placed on his lap, and his left hand supporting Izumi Mamoru Kanesada at his waist, sitting elegantly on a chair Go up, look ahead, you are in full bloom and high-spirited.

"Susan, where did you get this photo?"

"While purchasing this suit, I accidentally met a photographer named 'Tadamoto Kenzo'."

"This is the first time I have come into contact with cameras and photography. This thing is really good. After a few fiddles with a big machine, the picture can be printed on the paper. It is much clearer than the picture."

"I thought his craftsmanship was quite good, so I invited him over and let him stay in my mansion temporarily, so that he could take some photos for us."

After Qingdeng heard this, he was stunned again.

"Photograph?"

"That's right, take pictures! Take you and me as an example, we have such a deep friendship, but we don't even have a photo together. It would be a pity, wouldn't it?"

Hijikata Toshizo paused for a moment, then slightly raised the corners of his mouth and put on a persuasive tone:

"Miss Chiba and Miss Kinoshita...ah, no, I said it wrong again. I always forget that they have changed their names. Miss Sanako and Miss Mai are about to give birth."

"After your child is born, you can just take this opportunity to take a family photo."

"Anyway, since we don't lack this little money, let's take more photos."

“With these photos in hand, I can take them as a souvenir in the future.”

After Aoto heard this, he subconsciously lowered his gaze and looked back at the solo photo of Hijikata Toizo in his hand.

Photos are indeed a rare commodity in Japan nowadays.

No matter which way you look at it, taking precious photos of yourself, your family and everyone is undoubtedly a good thing.

So, not long after, he nodded gently with a look of appreciation on his face.

"Sui San, you have a good idea. Well, let's set the day for taking pictures tomorrow morning."

Hijikata Toshizo smiled slightly and said half-jokingly:

"Then you have to gather everyone here. It would be too boring to just take pictures with you."

Qingdeng laughed dumbly:

"It's natural. If it's just you and me, what kind of words would that sound like?"

He said and handed the photo back to the other party.

At this moment, rapid footsteps suddenly came from the direction of the corridor.

Aoto and Hijikata Toizan knew it as soon as they heard it - it was Souji's footsteps.

After a moment, Souji opened the door and appeared in front of the two of them with an anxious face.

Before Qingdeng could ask, she shouted impatiently:

"Aoden, Sanako and Amai are going into labor!"

…

…

Tachibana Residence, Sanako's delivery room——

"Miss Sanako, please use your strength!"

"Uh-huh...! Uh-huh...! Uh-huh...!"

"Yes, that's it, keep working hard!"

"Where's the hot water? Bring more hot water!"

"Don't be stunned, help Miss Sanako wipe the sweat!"

"The child...my child...is out...?"

"You can already see the head! Work harder! The baby will be out soon!"

…

At the same time, A Wu’s delivery room——

"Wuwu...I, I have no strength..."

"Miss Wu, don't be discouraged! This is the critical moment! Come on, hold on tight and keep working hard!"

"Woooo..."

…

There was a lot of bustle inside and outside the delivery room.

In the Edo period, due to the popularity of childbirth, people would build a maternity house before giving birth and let mothers give birth in the maternity house in order to remove filth.

The most common method of delivery at that time was "sitting delivery," in which the mother held on to a rope hanging from the ceiling (a rope that facilitated the mother's exertion).

At this moment, Sanako and Awu were engaged in a long battle in their respective delivery rooms.

Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: Kenzo Tamoto is a historical figure. In historical facts, it was he who took this famous photo of Hijikata Tozo, so that we can see the true appearance of this influential figure.

If this book becomes popular enough to take action, Leopard Baozi will definitely take action! Here comes the "Regular Wear Style Aoden", here comes the "Shinsengumi Uniform Style Aoden", and here comes the "Suited Thug Style Aoden", come on, chami!