I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1119 The Reappearance of "Kyoto's Number One Beauty"! [5000]

The sheer terror of the Shinsengumi's "Great Memory Restoration Technique" is universally acknowledged.

After the Battle of Ikedaya, the detailed process of the Shinsengumi interrogating the loyalist Shuntaro Furutaka was circulated in great detail and became an urban legend.

The Shinsengumi have a little dark room where once you go in, you'll never come out unscathed...

The Shinsengumi supposedly raised a group of perverts who enjoyed torture; their greatest hobby was watching the screams of their victims...

After key members of the Satsuma royal thieves, such as Imuta Shohei and Masumitsu Kyunosuke, were imprisoned by the Shinsengumi, they quickly experienced firsthand that while the world's evaluation of the Shinsengumi's "Great Memory Restoration Technique" was exaggerated, it was truly terrifying!
Whipping, stone-holding, branding with fire... all kinds of torture instruments are available. The Shinsengumi's prison has all the interrogation methods you can think of, and there is definitely one that can drive you crazy.

If none of the above methods work, then the classic old method is used directly—nails are driven into the person's feet, entering from the instep and exiting from the sole, and the person is then hung upside down with huge five-eyed candles on each of the two nails, so that the victim experiences the pain of being hung upside down while enduring the torment of hot oil flowing all over their body—to date, none of the many members of the Satsuma Imperial Thieves who have been imprisoned have been able to endure this ordeal.

In this way, after a series of "memory restoration techniques," even the most stubborn person will obediently open their mouth, eager to reveal even the old story of peeping at the neighbor girl taking a bath when they were a child.

Incidentally, the remnants of the Satsuma royal thieves failed to return safely to Satsuma.

Because of Sagara Sozo's disobedience and the fact that Imuta Hisahiro and the other members of the Shinsengumi had become prisoners of the Shinsengumi, there was no qualified and capable leader to lead the remnants of the Satsuma Imperial Thieves.

Therefore, the vast majority of them were unable to return to Satsuma, as they were caught by Shinsengumi sentries and patrols before even leaving the capital region.

After interrogating these guys, Qingdeng learned the details of many things, including the cancellation of the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" and Xiang Le Zongsan's solo departure.

Seito found Sagara Sozo's tragic fate both comical and regrettable.

Was he too naive, or did he place too much trust in the "Southern Dynasty"?

If it were Qingdeng, he would have noticed the anomaly of the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" immediately.

A closer examination reveals that the sudden cancellation of the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" was foreshadowed from the very beginning—the "Southern Dynasty" never officially publicized this policy!

If such a favorable policy, capable of winning people's hearts, is truly intended to be implemented, it will certainly be announced widely at the first opportunity, without any attempt to conceal it.

However, it wasn't until the remnants of the Satsuma royal thieves were captured that Qing Deng learned of the existence of this policy!
This only proves one thing: the high-ranking officials of the Southern Dynasty never took the "Annual Tribute Halving Order" seriously! They were always prepared to cancel it at any time!

Although Qing Deng never had any expectations of the "Southern Dynasty's" moral standards, this kind of despicable behavior of going back on one's word still left him speechless.

Qingdeng originally thought that the "Southern Dynasty" was ultimately a large political group and would have some bottom line.

Unexpectedly, the leaders of the "Southern Dynasty" completely disregarded all bottom lines! They didn't even care about the most basic sense of decency!
After this incident, Qingdeng saw through the hypocrisy and pretense of the "Southern Dynasty" and realized more deeply how difficult it was to deal with them—this kind of immoral enemy was the most troublesome!
However, from another perspective, the sudden cancellation of the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" by the Southern Dynasty can be seen as providing ammunition to Qingdeng.

How could we let such excellent promotional material slip by?

Qing Deng immediately summoned Iwasaki Yataro and ordered him to fully activate the media machine, spread rumors, distribute tabloids, and publicize the shamelessness and despicable nature of the "Southern Dynasty" to the whole world!
Although the Southern Dynasties would certainly argue that the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" was a complete fabrication, it didn't matter.

A core principle of the information war is "you say your piece, I'll say mine," regardless of whether it's reasonable or not, the important thing is not to lose momentum!

In the end, the "Annual Tribute Halving Order" became a complete farce, and it was only pitiful for Sōzō Sōzō, who genuinely wanted the policy to be implemented.

Speaking of this person... Qing Deng was no stranger to him.

Several months ago, during the Battle of Goryokaku, Aoto summoned Oishi Kuwajiro, who had made great contributions in the siege.

At that time, Oishi Kuwajiro, who had spent some time in Satsuma, specifically mentioned Sagara Sozo, saying that he was a formidable talent and that Aoto should pay close attention to him.

It seems that Oishi Kuwajiro wasn't exaggerating; this man does indeed have some skill.

He would rather break with the "Southern Dynasty" than go against his conscience... Even if they were enemies, it would not stop Qingdeng from paying high tribute to such a great man.

If they could meet, he would be happy to bring the other under his command; even if they couldn't be comrades-in-arms, they could still be friends.

Unfortunately, they will not be able to meet for the time being.

After arresting a large number of Satsuma's trusted thieves, the Shinsengumi's prisons were almost full.

Among them, only a handful of people, such as Imuta Shohei and Masami Kyunosuke, truly had a firm will.

The rest of the people... to put it bluntly, were a complete rabble.

After a brief display of the torture instruments, they immediately became very talkative and revealed the address of Sagara Sozo.

Unfortunately, when the main force of the Shinsengumi rushed over, there was not a trace of Sagara Sozo.

It was a pity that we couldn't find Sagara Sozo, but the Satsuma royal thief was already a dead man, so whether or not we caught his leader was no longer important.

The Shinsengumi's siege of the Satsuma imperial thieves was largely as described above, and the results were so fruitful that it can truly be described as a great victory!
As for the demise of the "Ito School," there is not much to say, but a few points still need to be mentioned.

On the night of the killing of Ito Kashitaro, Kondo Isami and Saito Hajime successfully rejoined the team, and the next day they walked around in public wearing light blue haori, completely dispelling the public's suspicions about a "split in the Shinsengumi".

With Ito Kashitaro dead and all his followers executed, the damage caused by his rebellion has been minimized. In conclusion, the incident has come to a satisfactory end.

However, the indirect effects resulting from this are not so easily eliminated.

Many members of the "Ito faction"—such as Takeo Hattori and Mikisaburo Suzuki—were highly talented individuals.

Filling these vacancies won't be easy.

Among them, the most outstanding and the hardest to find a replacement for is Ito Kashitaro.

It's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a general. A talent like Ito Kashitaro, who excels at paperwork, is even rarer.

Without the assistance of Ito Kashitaro, the burden on Yamanami Keisuke's shoulders became much heavier.

He worked tirelessly, so busy he was practically running himself ragged, wishing he could borrow even a cat's paws to keep the General Affairs Department running smoothly.

This clearly demonstrates Ito Kashitaro's competence.

Aoto genuinely regrets Ito Kashitaro's betrayal—losing such a talented individual makes it impossible to find a replacement.

In conclusion, the "Ito Rebellion" and the rampages caused by the Satsuma imperial thieves can be considered a thing of the past.

Just when the situation had stabilized somewhat, a man suddenly came to Otsu and specifically asked to see Seido.

……

……

The first year of Kuangtian/the first year of Meiji (1865), November 20st, night——

Hatazu Domain, Otsu, Tachibana Residence, Aoto's office—

"Mr. Ju, Miss Ziyang requests an audience."

Kyoto Director Shintaro Tojo knelt respectfully before Aoto.

Ziyang – the intelligence chief of the Great Salt Party.

Because he hadn't seen her for a while, Qingdeng paused for a moment before remembering her.

Qingdeng had a favorable impression of the Dai-Yo Party and shared common interests with it on the front of "opposing the law and eliminating the party," so the two sides had a very broad basis for cooperation.

Therefore, after learning Shintaro Tojo's true identity, Aoto not only did not remove him from his post, but instead allowed him to continue serving as the Kyoto Director.

The Kyoto Chief Administrator was a direct subordinate of the Kyoto Garrison Commander and had the privilege of "being able to meet with Seito at any time," making him the most convenient messenger.

If the Ooshio Party needs to contact Aoto, or if Aoto needs to contact the Ooshio Party, they can have Shintaro Tojo relay the message—just like right now.

"Oh? Miss Ziyang wants to see me? It's been a long time."

Qing Deng smiled slightly, then changed to a regretful tone:

"I would be happy to meet Miss Ziyang. However... could we perhaps discuss this again tomorrow at dawn?"

Although Otsu and Kyoto are very close, traveling at night in the dead of winter... unless absolutely necessary, Aoto has always politely declined such behavior that "disrespects nature".

No sooner had Aoto finished speaking than Shintaro Tojo responded in a muffled voice:
“Mr. Tachibana, you don’t need to go to Kyoto.”

"To make it easier for you to meet, Miss Ziyang has already come to Otsu."

"She is waiting for you in the western suburbs of Otsu."

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow:

"Is Miss Ziyang in Dajin?"

This was truly unexpected.

The sudden "meeting invitation" had already surprised Qingdeng, but he never expected that the other party would take the initiative to come to Dajin. It's not hard to guess that something important must have happened, or some important news that needed to be told to Qingdeng immediately, which is why Ziyang went to such lengths to come here.

With this thought in mind, Qingdeng no longer hesitated and immediately stood up:
"I understand. I'll go change my clothes in a moment."

……

……

After quickly getting dressed, Aoto followed Shintaro Tojo to the western suburbs of Otsu.

Because it was a very private meeting, they left through the back door to avoid attracting attention.

call!call!
As soon as I stepped outside, a sharp, cold wind blew like a knife.

Qingdeng pulled up her scarf, covering most of her face.

It's unusually cold tonight, to the point where it could snow at any moment.

Because it was so cold, there were no pedestrians on the street, not even a single "Night Hawk Noodles" stall.

For Qingdeng, this helped a great deal by dispelling the biting cold from the pedestrians, as no one saw "Ren-o" having a "secret rendezvous in the dead of night".

Led by Shintaro Tojo, the two walked briskly one after the other towards the western outskirts of Otsu.

Before long, the houses on both sides of the street gradually thinned out, and the uniquely quiet air of the suburbs began to linger around Qingdeng's nose.

"Mr. Ju, over here."

Suddenly, Shintaro Toujou gave a reminder, then turned left and led Aoto toward an old-fashioned izakaya.

Shintaro Toujou stepped forward and knocked on the tightly closed shop door.

A lazy voice immediately came from behind the door:

"Sorry, we're closed."

Shintaro Toujou responded in a deep voice:

"When autumn comes, on the eighth day of the ninth month..."

After a moment of silence behind the door, a slow and deliberate reply was given—no longer a languid voice, but a solemn one:
"The streets of heaven are trodden with the bones of high-ranking officials."

A moment later, the shop door opened, revealing an ordinary, young face.

The person peeked halfway out through the crack in the door, looked around to make sure no one else was there, and then waved to Aoto and Tojo Shintaro, signaling them to "come in quickly."

"Mr. Ju, please come in."

Shintaro Toujou turned to the side and gestured "please".

Qingdeng darted inside, taking three steps at a time. He quickly scanned the space and soon spotted a graceful figure in a green kimono at a small table in the corner—it was none other than Ziyang, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Shintaro Toujou and the young man who had just opened the door consciously stepped aside and disappeared into the shadows.

Qingdeng untied the Vairocana from his waist, held it in his right hand, and walked straight toward Ziyang.

At this moment, Ziyang was staring at the candlelight in front of him, deep in thought. The slightly flickering orange-red light filled his eyes, and he seemed to be lost in thought, pondering something.

She was already a stunning beauty, and the interplay of flames and shadows gave her an air of fragility and dreamlike quality—as if she would vanish with the passing of the flames.

For no apparent reason, Qingdeng suddenly thought of:
—She was just a teenage girl after all.

She holds a pivotal position in the Great Salt Party, is the party's intelligence chief, has long been involved in dealing with the Fazhu Party, and has devoted herself to the ideal of "universal harmony"... Compared to these responsibilities, this young girl's shoulders seem so delicate, as if a little more force could break them.

She was able to shoulder such a heavy burden with her small, narrow shoulders... The saying "women are not inferior to men" is probably a good way to describe a heroine like her.

As Qingdeng was secretly marveling at Ziyang's power, she belatedly snapped back to reality and reflexively flashed a bright smile:
“An Yi… ah, no, I should call you ‘Zuo Fu’ now.”

[Note: Qing Deng's official rank has been promoted to "Left Minister," and he can be referred to as "Left Minister."]

Qingdeng Xiaoxiao:

"This is a private meeting, so there's no need to be so particular about how you address me."

Although Qingdeng generously said there was no need to be reserved, Ziyang still respectfully addressed him as "Zuo Fu".

"Please have a seat, Mr. Zuo. You've come at the perfect time; this bottle of sake has just been warmed and tastes just right."

As she spoke, she placed a wine glass in front of herself and Qing Deng, and then filled them both with practiced ease—truly befitting Kyoto's top geisha, even her movements of setting up wine glasses and pouring wine were so beautiful and elegant.

Qingdeng didn't stand on ceremony, boldly raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The warm liquor went down his throat, and a pleasant sensation traveled down his esophagus into his stomach, instantly dispelling the chill in his body.

"Master Zuo, would you like another drink?"

Qingdeng put down his empty cup and shook his head:
"No, before we drink, let's talk business. Miss Ziyang, what brings you here so suddenly?"

Qingdeng's straightforward approach seemed to suit Ziyang's tastes perfectly.

She smiled gently, then put down the sake in her hand without hesitation:

"Master Zuo, I have come here tonight to inform you that the Fa-Zhu Party is suspected of colluding with the 'Southern Dynasty'."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng was first taken aback, then let out a few cold laughs.

"'Western Alliance' and the French Extermination Party... Ha, this combination is hardly surprising."

Given that the Fazhu Party had a history of "allying with Changzhou," it is not surprising that it has now colluded with the "Southern Dynasty."

Based on past experience, nothing related to the persecution of the Party is ever a good thing—therefore, Qing Deng couldn't help but put on a stern face and adopt a solemn expression:

What is the purpose of "punishing the party with the law"?

Ziyang shook his head, a solemn expression also appearing on his face:

"We don't know. All we know for now is that the Fa Zhu Gang is frequently active in Changzhou, and their intentions are unclear."

After a long silence, Qingdeng said in a half-joking voice:
"The enemy has all gathered together... Well, that makes things easier; we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"

The "Law Punishment Party" was Qingdeng's mortal enemy, as was the "Southern Dynasty."

The fact that two arch-enemies have joined forces is certainly a headache, but from another perspective, it may not be a bad opportunity to solve the problem once and for all!

Upon hearing this, Ziyang couldn't help but cast a helpless, reproachful glance at Qingdeng:
"Master Zuo, please be very careful. Punishing a faction under the law is no small matter..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qingdeng waved his hand and interrupted:
“I know. I’ve been dealing with the Law Extermination Party for quite some time now, so I know how dangerous they are. Don’t worry, I won’t let my guard down.”

After speaking, Qingdeng paused, as if remembering something, a thoughtful light appearing in his eyes.

As Kyoto's top geisha, Shiyo had long since mastered the skill of "reading between the lines".

Therefore, she immediately noticed Qing Deng's unusual behavior.

"Master Zuo, what's wrong? Why do you look like you want to say something but can't? If you have something to tell me, please speak freely. I will listen attentively."

As she spoke, she smiled gently, her beautiful eyes curving into lovely crescent moons—her smile seemed to possess a special magic, making people unconsciously lower their guard.

With Ziyang taking the initiative to speak, Qingdeng was able to smoothly continue the conversation:

“Miss Ziyang, to be honest, I have had this idea for a long time.”

"Now is the best time to bring this up."

As Qingdeng spoke, he raised his gaze, his expression serious, staring intently into Ziyang's eyes, and asked, word by word:

"Would you, the Great Salt Party, like to form an alliance with me?"

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: Leopard might need to go to the vet... Lately, his left jaw has been hurting a lot when he eats, to the point that it's affecting his eating (Leopard in pain.jpg)

Let's wait a couple more days. If he hasn't recovered by then, I'll have to see a doctor... (crying leopard head.jpg)