I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1010: The Seven Spears of Xianzhou: "What is the Shinsengumi?" [4400]

On the night when Date Yoshikuni arrived at Wakamatsu Castle—

Wakamatsu Castle, Aoto's room——

Qing Deng put down the scroll in his hand and let out a silent sigh.

—Still haven’t found Iwakura Tomomi yet…

He had just been reading the latest "Western Intelligence Overview" that had been delivered.

There was nothing noteworthy in it, it was all information that had been known for a long time.

What Qing Deng is most concerned about now is "the whereabouts of Iwakura Tomomi."

The only thing that can be confirmed at the moment is that he definitely went to Changzhou.

Where on earth did he hide the Emperor and the Crown Prince?

What is he going to do next?

These are the information Qing Deng wants to know.

However, after abducting the Emperor and the Crown Prince, Iwakura Tomomi seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth, and his whereabouts and news were never discovered.

From the North to the West, everywhere was state affairs that he needed to worry about and take care of… Thinking of this, Qing Deng couldn't help but pursed his lips and revealed a bitter smile.

As his status continued to rise, he had less and less private time and had countless to-do items every day.

At this moment, he noticed belatedly that the night view was quite nice tonight.

The full moon rises, and it is as bright as day.

He happened to be feeling tired, so he moved to the window, put his hands on the windowsill, looked out and admired the scenery.

The bright full moon hangs high in the sky.

The clear moonlight poured down from the sky, illuminating Wakamatsu Castle and Aoto's face.

The evening breeze blows gently, bringing with it the faint sounds of laughter and clinking of glasses.

Qing Deng lowered his head and looked down - he lived on a high place in Wakamatsu Castle, and had a panoramic view of the night view of Wakamatsu Town - and saw that Wakamatsu Town was divided into two distinct parts.

One is the "residential area".

Because it was already nightfall, the "residential area" was completely dark. The townspeople had all fallen asleep and there were almost no lights. Only occasionally could one see three or two pedestrians walking hurriedly with lanterns.

The second is the "downtown area" with many restaurants, pubs and casinos.

"Downtown" is simply the opposite of "residential area."

Bright, noisy and bustling.

The bright sea of ​​candles, the constant sounds of laughter and scolding, the drunkards who were staggering as they walked...it was such a lively scene.

Qing Deng was not interested in the night view of Wakamatsu Town, so after a quick glance, he raised his eyes again and looked straight at the full moon in the sky.

The dreamy and misty moonlight filled his eyes.

Somehow, he suddenly recalled the faces of his wife and children.

——I wonder how Souji and the others are doing.

After their separation at Sekigahara, Qing Deng never saw Souji again.

He had been separated from Sanako and Mai for a longer time. The last time he saw them was on the eve of the expedition to Sekigahara.

While missing his wives, he was also very concerned about his two children (Tachibana Masami and Tachibana Masami).

Since their children were born, they have been apart more than together.

Thinking of this, Qing Deng couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

——Are Souji and the others also admiring the moon now?

At this moment, Qing Deng finally understood why the ancients always linked "moon" with "missing".

Thousands of miles apart and with no means of communication, only the moon can connect us.

Just as Qing Deng was immersed in his thoughts, footsteps came from the direction of the corridor, and then Kondo Isami's voice sounded:
"Qing Deng, are you there?"

"Yong, what's wrong?"

"Can I open the door?"

"Please."

Wow...the door was slowly opened.

Kondo Isami, dressed in casual clothes, leaned against the door frame and said to Qing Deng with a smile:
"Qing Deng, do you want to go out for a drink together?"

"A drink? Just you and me?"

"Of course not, there are also Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Ichi. It's a rare trip to Ou, and it would be a pity if we don't experience the local customs and culture. So I plan to invite all the captains and vice-captains who are currently here to a long-awaited 'Shinsengumi Banquet'!"

As he spoke, he made a "drinking" gesture at his lips.

"Qing Deng, if you don't come, this banquet will be incomplete, so if you are free, please come and join us. It will be a good opportunity for you to relax."

After hearing this, Qing Deng blinked and a smile appeared in his eyes - what a coincidence, Kondo Isami arrived just in time.

Influenced by the feeling of missing someone, Qing Deng now just has an urge to "leave the deserted room".

He is relatively free at the moment and has no important matters to attend, so it is not impossible for him to attend the banquet.

——That’s true… It’s a rare opportunity to come to Ou, and it would be a shame if I stayed stuck in the room all the time.

He silently agreed with what Kondo Isami had just said.

So, he turned around, took the sword from the knife rack beside him, and said with a smile:

"Well, let's hold a 'Shinsengumi Banquet' after a long absence."

……

……

Somewhere in Wakamatsu-cho——

Aoto, Kondo Isami, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, Serizawa Kamo, Inoue Genzaburo, and Harada Sanosuke - a group of seven people dressed in casual clothes and wearing low-brimmed hats that concealed their faces, walking low-key on the streets of Wakamatsu-cho.

The entourage also included the second division vice-captain Nakajima Noboru, the third division vice-captain Nakazawa Sadaki, the sixth division vice-captain Soma Shukei, and the seventh division vice-captain Nakazawa Koto.

Others who did not come, such as Abe Juro (captain of the 11th Division), Tani Sanjuro (vice-captain of the 4th Division), etc., all declined Kondo Isami's invitation with various reasons such as "not good at drinking" and "not acclimatized".

When I first left Wakamatsu Castle, I didn't notice anything unusual.

It was not until we entered the "downtown area" that we saw the bustling street scene.

Looking up, I saw dense crowds of people filling the streets.

Crowded and noisy, rubbing shoulders with each other.

In many cases, Qing Deng and others could only "go with the flow".

When a small gap appeared ahead, he would rush forward to occupy it, and move forward little by little.

Seeing this, Nagakura Shinpachi smacked his tongue and murmured:

"There are so many people...it's almost as if we were at the temple fair."

Serizawa Duck said calmly:

"The lords of the Oshu domains have all gathered here. It would be surprising if there wasn't a lot of noise."

The lords of the Oshure domain rushed to Wakamatsu Castle with their respective entourages. Although a detailed count has not been made, according to conservative estimates, Wakamatsu Town now has at least an additional 10,000 people!
The hotels were full, so Yokoyama Shusei had to step in personally and rent a large number of houses, so that the samurai from various domains could be properly accommodated.

Most of these people are young and strong.

It’s easy to imagine how these energetic young people could possibly control their temper.

Therefore, whenever night fell, samurai from various domains would go out in groups to have fun.

They either sang and drank, or lingered in the brothels, or went into the casinos... Their lavish consumption greatly promoted the economic development of Wakamatsu Town.

In recent days, bosses from various industries in Wakamatsu-cho, including the catering, gambling, and erotic industries, have all been grinning from ear to ear.

The reason why Edo, which was once very backward, was able to rise to become the "number one castle in the world" in a very short period of time was because of the "Sankin Kotai".

Every year, hundreds of feudal lords came to Edo with a large number of followers, which greatly promoted the economic circulation of Edo.

However, it is worth noting that the surge in traffic is a double-edged sword, with considerable benefits but also negative impacts that cannot be ignored.

Poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people - this is not regional discrimination, but a serious scientific conclusion.

In contrast, "When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace."

Only when the people have sufficient granaries and are well-fed and well-clothed can they take etiquette into account and attach importance to honor and shame.

The people of Gyeonggi and Kanto discriminated against the Oshu people and regarded them as barbarians, and there was a reason for that. Influenced by the environment, the people of Oshu were notoriously tough.

He has a bad temper and is aggressive and will use knives and guns when he disagrees with something.

There are suddenly a lot of young men from the Oshu domain... You can imagine how much security pressure Wakamatsu Town is under right now!

In recent days, Wakamatsu Town has been very unstable, with frequent security incidents.

Especially after nightfall, after those drunkards drank a few ounces of horse urine, they didn't even know their last names anymore. They spoke without restraint and behaved strangely, as if they all thought they were the "Eternal Sword Saint" Ogata Issey and the "Nioh" Tachibana Aoto.

They are both the God of Wealth and the troublemaker... Because these guys come from other feudal states, it is inconvenient to deal with them, which gives Yokoyama Shucai a headache.

He had to mobilize a large number of officials and order them to patrol the "downtown area" day and night and try to maintain order.

Although this move is effective, it has its limits.

Security officers don't always show up in time around crime scenes.

For example, right now, a fierce conflict broke out not far from Qing Deng and others.

"Hey! Don't you have a mouth? Don't you know how to say 'sorry' when you bump into someone?"

"Ah? It's obviously you who didn't have eyes."

The sudden quarrel instantly attracted the attention of people around.

In a blink of an eye, spectators gathered in three layers inside and three layers outside the crime scene.

Qing Deng and others also stopped to watch unconsciously.

The two parties in the quarrel were two groups of warriors, each with 4 people, and they all reeked strongly of alcohol.

"Stop talking nonsense! Apologize to me now!"

"From the weak tone you speak, you must be from Yonezawa, right? No wonder you sound so poor the moment you open your mouth. It's no wonder you're from Yonezawa, the 'poorest clan in the world.'"

"What did you say?! Damn it! Draw your sword!"

"Humph! You can't even walk steadily, and you still want to use force against us? Fine, draw your swords! Just come at me!"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't be impulsive. We can talk it over. We are all samurai and we should know the consequences of 'drawing the sword'."

"There are so many people here, bumps and bruises are inevitable, you all should calm down!"

Within just a few words, the quarrel escalated into a fight.

Fortunately, a few rational onlookers rushed out, stood between the two groups of warriors, and tried to mediate and cool down the quarrel.

It is not difficult to see that these two groups of people do not really want to draw their swords and fight each other.

Seeing someone coming out to mediate the fight, they took advantage of the situation and, after saying a few harsh words like "You're lucky", "There are too many people here, it's inconvenient to fight, I'll spare your lives", they sheathed their half-drawn swords and turned away in a pretentious manner.

Seeing that there was nothing exciting to watch, the onlookers gradually dispersed.

Harada Sanosuke expressed regret.

"Is this the end? What a shame! I was looking forward to seeing a good show."

Nagakura Shinpachi refuted angrily:
"Stop it, I don't want to see blood, it will ruin my mood for drinking."

Although Wakamatsu-cho has been unstable recently, most of the incidents have been quarrels and fights, and there are actually very few cases of actual fights.

Unless one is a drunkard who is unconscious, or a fool with a brain problem, any normal person knows that the thing around his waist is not a toy. Once it is pulled out, it cannot be resolved peacefully by just saying a few soft words.

This "street incident" was just a minor episode, and Qing Deng and others continued on their journey.

Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke were leading the way at the front, chatting idly.

Saito Ichi walked behind the two of them, turning his head frequently and looking at the street scenes around him with interest.

This is actually his little hobby. Once he is in a crowded place, he likes to observe the expressions of passers-by.

Behind him was Kamo Serizawa, who seemed to be in a good mood and was reciting Wen Tianxiang's "Song of Righteousness" in a low voice.

His rough temper always makes people forget that he is a talented man with both literary and military talents.

Aoto, Kondo Isami and Inoue Genzaburo walked side by side in the middle of the team.

Vice captains such as Nakazawa Sadagi and Nakazawa Koto followed closely at the end.

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly found that Kondo Isami beside him was smiling happily with the corners of his mouth curved.

He asked half jokingly:
"What's wrong? Yong, why are you smiling? Have you thought of something good?"

"Well, it is."

Kondo Isami nodded readily in acknowledgement.

"We all went out for a drink together... This long-lost scene made me happy, nostalgic, and a little sad at the same time."

After saying this, a hint of sadness appeared on his face.

"After my father died, I suddenly realized that there is no such thing as eternity."

“What you think will last forever may be gone tomorrow.”

"After tonight, we don't know how long it will take before we can be together again."

"When I think of this, I can't help but feel sad."

"I really hope that even fifty years from now, we can still go out in groups to get drunk like we did tonight."

"If that's the case, I couldn't be happier."

Kondo Isami's sigh caused Qing Deng's facial expression to change subtly.

After a while, he changed his tone and said word by word:

"Yes, we can do it."

Inoue Genzaburo on the side grinned and said in a joking tone:

"We're still going to drink together fifty years later... Then we have to pay more attention to our health."

Upon hearing this, Kondo Isami smiled, and the sadness on his face gradually disappeared:

"Uncle Yuan, you are the oldest and the one who needs to pay the most attention to your health."

"Although I am the oldest, I am only 36 years old this year, which is still the prime of my life!"

Qing Deng smiled slightly and listened silently to the conversations and laughter of his close friends.

A peaceful atmosphere arose and lingered around them.

……

……

About 10 minutes later, the group arrived at their destination - a gorgeous and spacious izakaya.

According to Kondo Isami, this restaurant was recommended by Yokoyama Shuei.

"This is a famous local restaurant, and the taste of its drinks is a must-try" - said Mr. Yokoyama.

Qing Deng and others opened the door curtain, and noise and heat burst out.

In terms of the scale of its business, this izakaya does have the style of a famous restaurant.

Looking around, more than 90% of the seats were occupied.

However, by coincidence, there was a vacant long table in the corner of the lobby.

Harada Sanosuke was quick-witted and quick-handed. He rushed forward in an instant, spread out his limbs, and occupied it with his body.

Everyone walked over and sat down in order. Then a very young attendant flashed out like a ghost.

"Guests! What would you like to drink?"

The carefree Harada Sanosuke asked directly:

"We want to drink Ou's specialty, any recommendations?"

The hand generation chuckled:
"It's cold here, which is perfect for brewing sake! Please try our sake!"

"Okay then! Then we'll charge by the number of people. Bring as many bottles of sake as there are of us! Also, don't forget the snacks..."

Just as Harada Sanosuke was ordering dishes with great interest—

"Hey! Who are the captains of the Shinsengumi? As long as we use the 'Seven Spears of Senshu', we will be able to beat them to a pulp!"

Arrogant shouts were heard not far away.

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PS: Leopard Leopard is currently reading The Tale of Genji. Influenced by this, the recent updates seem to have become much more literary.