I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1120 The Beautiful Mature Woman Reappears and the Woman Named "Dragon" [6000]

The sudden invitation to form an alliance caught Ziyang off guard.

Even Shintaro Toujou, who was waiting quietly to the side, couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

Ziyang blinked her beautiful eyes repeatedly, asking in a questioning tone:

"An alliance?"

Qingdeng nodded solemnly:

"Yes."

“I have always witnessed the excellence of the Great Salt Party.”

"If we can get the assistance of the Great Salt Party, we will be like a tiger with wings!"

"Miss Ziyang, I need your assistance. Please lend us a hand!"

Judging solely from the perspective of "combat effectiveness," the Great Salt Party is indeed unremarkable and can only be considered a third-rate force.

However, when it comes to intelligence gathering capabilities, it has few rivals!

The Great Salt Party was deeply rooted in the grassroots and had great appeal among the people. Countless scholars and commoners in the city served as its eyes and ears.

The porter you brush past might be a member of the Big Salt Party; the waiter serving you food at the restaurant might be their informant...

Even Qing Deng couldn't help but feel envious of such a powerful intelligence network.

Therefore, he had long desired to form an alliance with the Great Salt Party.

With the "decisive battle between East and West" about to erupt, we must strive to win over every possible force.

An independent force as outstanding and powerful as the Great Salt Party is naturally not to be overlooked.
Since we have the opportunity to meet Ziyang tonight, Qingdeng might as well put the matter of "forming an alliance" on the agenda!
Qingdeng's attitude was undeniably sincere.

Unfortunately, no sooner had he finished speaking than Ziyang looked regretful and shook his head:
"The Zuo family thanks you for your kindness."

"I am deeply honored to be valued by you in this way."

"However, it is impossible for us to form an alliance with the shogunate."

At this point, Ziyang suddenly emphasized his words, and his tone became serious:
"The shogunate is our mortal enemy—that will never change."

"Our ultimate goal is to overthrow the corrupt Edo Shogunate and realize the ideal of 'universal harmony'."

"One or two collaborations are fine, but asking us to form an alliance with the shogunate is absolutely impossible, there is no room for negotiation."

Qingdeng smiled slightly, as if he had anticipated Ziyang's blunt rejection:
“I know you despise the shogunate and will never ally with it.”

"So what I said wasn't 'allying with the shogunate,' but 'allying with me.'"

“‘I’ and ‘the shogunate’ are two different things and should not be confused.”

Ziyang tilted his head, a look of confusion on his face.

"Master Zuo, please elaborate."

Qingdeng said slowly:
"Although I am a retainer of the shogunate, it does not mean that I am the embodiment of the shogunate."

"To put it bluntly, in many ways, 'I' and the 'shogunate' have serious and irreconcilable differences."

"Therefore, I do not want the Great Shio Party to work for the Shogunate."

"I only hope that the Great Salt Party can help me defeat the Southern Dynasty."

"I dare not call myself a righteous person."

"However, compared to the beasts of the Southern Dynasty, I still deserve the title of 'a virtuous gentleman'."

"At least I won't go back on my word or arbitrarily cancel policies like it's a child's game."

"You are known for your expertise in 'intelligence gathering,' so you must have known about the farce that started with the 'Annual Tribute Halving Decree,' right?"

Upon hearing this, Ziyang frowned slightly, his expression darkening—it seemed that the antics of the "Southern Dynasty" had indeed not escaped the notice of the Great Salt Party.

Qingdeng continued:
"In order to please merchants, they did not hesitate to cancel the 'Annual Tribute Reduction Order' and disregarded the interests of millions of farmers—this one incident alone is enough to show the character of the rulers and ministers of the 'Southern Dynasty'."

"If the Southern Dynasty were to gain control of the country... I can't even imagine what the consequences would be."

"Since your goal is to achieve 'universal harmony,' can you just stand by and watch those beasts of the 'Southern Dynasty' seize power?"

He paused here, then added:
"Moreover, the Fazhu Party has already formed an alliance with the Southern Dynasty."

"Even if it's just to defeat the Fazhu Party, we have the most compelling reason to form an alliance."

After Qingdeng finished speaking, he waited quietly for the other party's response.

Zi Yang half-closed his eyes, his face tense, as if deep in thought... She didn't keep him waiting long.

After a moment, she parted her lips slightly:
"……I see."

“If the alliance partner is ‘Nioh’, then that’s a different story.”

"However, this is a matter of great importance, and I alone am not capable of making a decision."

"I will ask the teacher to make a decision later."

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow:

"'teacher'?"

Ziyang explained:
"Our teacher is our leader. Out of respect, I and most of my comrades call him 'teacher'."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng involuntarily narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

The leader of Ziyang and others... in other words, the head of the Great Salt Party!

He had dealt with the Great Salt Party for so long, yet he had never seen the true face of its leader, nor did he even know whether the person was male or female or how old they were... It would be impossible for him not to be curious about them.

After pondering for a moment, Qing Deng spoke again:
"Miss Ziyang, if it's possible, could I possibly meet your teacher?"

Zi Yang was stunned again, his expression changing slightly.

Shintaro Toujou, who was standing to the side, also changed his expression.

Qingdeng ignored their reactions and continued speaking on his own:
"As you just said, the alliance involves the fate of both sides, and this is a matter of great importance."

"In that case, I think it would be better for me to talk to your teacher in person."

"This makes communication much easier."

Ziyang seemed to be deep in thought, and nodded slightly.

"……I see."

Seeing this, Shintaro Toujou could no longer contain himself and hurriedly said:

"Miss Ziyang, His Highness..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ziyang interrupted:

"Shintaro, please be patient."

Shintaro Toujou opened his mouth, but hesitated... Although he really wanted to speak, he ultimately obeyed Ziyang's instructions and obediently kept his mouth shut.

Aoto turned his head and cast a questioning look at Shintaro Tojo.

"Your Highness?"

Ziyang smiled slightly:
"Shintaro Tojo deeply respects his teacher and dares not consider himself his student, so he does not call him 'teacher' but 'Your Highness'."

After explaining, she said, "Let's get back to the main point:"

"To be honest, I had been thinking about meeting you before."

"However... for some reason, this idea has been delayed in being implemented."

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng couldn't help but ask in return:
"Why? Is it because your teacher is unwell?"

Ziyang gave a bitter smile:
"Well... I'm very sorry, I can't say more about this."

"In short, I will consult with the teacher."

"If the teacher is willing to meet with you, I will notify you immediately."

"However, it may take you a little while."

"Please understand that the teacher is currently not in the capital region and will not be able to return until after the New Year."

Qingdeng nodded:
"It's okay, I can wait a short time."

Ziyang hesitated for a moment, then added apologetically:
"If the teacher does not wish to meet with you... please do not be offended. It is not that the teacher dislikes you, but that he/she truly has difficulties that make it inconvenient to meet with people."

Qingdeng laughed heartily and waved his hand magnanimously:
"It's alright. Whether you want to meet me or not, it's entirely up to your teacher. I will not force you."

"Only the matter of 'alliance' should you seriously consider."

“I genuinely want to form an alliance with the Big Salt Party.”

Ziyang nodded solemnly:

"It's natural."

……

……

“It’s late, why don’t you stay overnight in Otsu and go back tomorrow morning? I can help you arrange accommodations.” — Qing Deng kindly invited them to stay.

Although grateful for Qingdeng's kindness, and genuinely reluctant to "brave the cold and rush back to Kyoto overnight," Ziyang politely declined Qingdeng's suggestion.

Behind the title of "Kyoto's First Geisha" lies an immense workload.

She not only had to practice singing and dancing, but also had to take on the important task of guiding newcomers... While playing the role of "the most perfect geisha", she could not neglect her main job as the "head of the Great Salt Party's intelligence."

Fortunately, Ziyang was a rare heroine, one in a million, with extraordinary energy and outstanding talent; otherwise, an ordinary person would have been overwhelmed by the heavy workload long ago.

Tonight's meeting with Qingdeng was something she squeezed out of her busy schedule.

If the intelligence that "the Fazhu Party has allied with the Southern Dynasty" had not been so important that it could not be delayed, Ziyang would not have made a special trip to Dajin to see Qingdeng.

In short, she simply didn't have the time to waste a night in Otsu.

After bidding farewell to Aoto, she rushed back to Kyoto overnight, escorted by Shintaro Tojo.

About an hour later, she returned safely to Gion in Kyoto, to her residence, and to her familiar room.

Standing alone in the center of the bedroom, Ziyang let out a long breath... As she slowly exhaled, her originally straight shoulders and back gradually relaxed.

Then, she lay on her back on the ground, looking exhausted, with her hands folded on her flat stomach.

Years of life as a geisha have ingrained the word "dignity" into her very being; even her lying down movements are so beautiful and elegant.

"Ugh... I'm so tired... I don't even want to move a finger..."

She let out a desperate groan towards the air in front of her.

The fatigue from traveling back and forth between Kyoto and Otsu accumulated, solidified, and erupted within him... He was truly exhausted.

All she wanted to do was quickly take off her socks, then lie down in the soft bedding and have a good sleep until she naturally woke up. However, as luck would have it, no sooner had she lain down than a pleasant female voice suddenly came from outside the door:
"Miss Ziyang, it's me."

There hadn't been any footsteps just now, yet suddenly voices came through... a strange sense of dread. When did this woman arrive at the door?
However, Ziyang showed no reaction to this, as if he was used to it.

In the blink of an eye, as if by reflex, Ziyang forced himself to stand up, sat upright, crossed his hands on his lap, and straightened his back again.

She faced the door and said in a strong voice:
"come in."

After receiving Ziyang's permission, a "trainee geisha" gently pushed open the door, crawled inside, and moved to Ziyang's right side.

Ziyang turned his head toward the "apprentice geisha".

The latter leaned closer and said in a soft but clear voice:

"Miss Ziyang, we've found Sagara Sozo."

In an instant, the weariness deep in Ziyang's eyes vanished with joy.

"Great...we've finally found him..."

……

……

The first year of Kuangtian/the first year of Meiji (1865), November 12th——

The New Year is approaching.

The streets and alleys of Kyoto are already filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

Looking up, countless houses have been decorated with door pines, adding a touch of greenery to the street.

Just by looking at these beautiful pine trees, you can intuitively feel: Ah, the New Year is almost here!

People are actively preparing for the New Year, hoping to have good luck in the coming year.

In contrast to the joy of the people, the Shinsengumi garrison (Kyoto Garrison) in Mibu Township was permeated with a somber atmosphere as always.

Even with the holidays approaching, the Shinsengumi will not let up in the slightest in its attacks on those who uphold the righteous cause!

Just then, a dozen or so Shinsengumi members lined up in two long rows and headed straight for Fushimi.

Upon seeing the iconic light blue haori fluttering high in the wind as the rider sped along, the surrounding crowd quickly moved aside to make way for him.

Soon, the team arrived at their destination—a liveaboard hotel called "Terada-ya".

The so-called "live-in" is a hotel for travelers and ships to dock.

Because Fushimi is adjacent to the Yodo River system, shipping is well-developed, commerce is thriving, and there is frequent movement of people, there are a large number of boat accommodations in the area.

The leader of this squad—a young man with a scar on his forehead—let's call him "Scarface"—stepped forward and slammed open the door of Teradaya's shop:

"We are the Shinsengumi under the Left Minister! We are conducting a search on official business!"

Upon seeing that it was the Shinsengumi, everyone in the shop was taken aback and quickly dispersed.

Under the strict control of Qing Deng, the Shinsengumi was known for its impeccable conduct, and anyone who dared to harass the people would be subjected to ruthless punishment.

For this reason, the public is not too afraid of the new electoral group.

When the Shinsengumi members are on missions, some daring children even gather around to watch.

However, the faces filled with murderous aura from countless battles, and the gleaming swords at their waists, would always frighten ordinary people.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, a beautiful woman emerged from the kitchen—around thirty years old, with fair skin, regular features, and a still-charming appearance; her bare feet, with their full insteps, were exceptionally beautiful—and with unhurried steps, gracefully moved to the entrance, bowing to the soldiers.
"I am the female general of this shop, Otose. May I ask what brings you gentlemen here so suddenly?"

[Note: Female general: i.e., female master]

The scarred man paused, then looked Tatsushi up and down with great curiosity:
"Otose...you're that famous Otose, aren't you?"

The beautiful woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly a few times:
"Yes, it is indeed me."

"I never expected that you would know me, sir. It is truly my honor."

"However, I have never had any remarkable achievements to speak of, and I am truly unworthy of the title of 'famous'."

Speaking of Otose, she was quite a famous and remarkable woman in Kyoto.

In 1862, the second year of Bunkyū, Shimazu Hisamitsu, the father of Satsuma, led more than a thousand domain soldiers to Kyoto in order to propose the "union of the court and the military" to the Imperial Court in person.

Arima Shinshichi, Tanaka Kensuke, and other Satsuma patriots wanted to take this opportunity to launch a movement to overthrow the shogunate, thereby influencing Shimazu Hisamitsu's anti-shogunate efforts.

On April 23 of the same year, anti-shogunate patriots gathered at Fushimi-ji Taya in the southern suburbs of Kyoto. When the lord of the domain, Shimazu, learned of this, he immediately sent his retainers with domain troops to dissuade them. Shinshichi and others did not listen, and the two sides killed each other.

As a result, six of the patriots died on the spot, and three later committed suicide by disembowelment.

This is the famous "Teradaya Incident".

Legend has it that after the chaotic battle, the Terada-ya was filled with blood, and severed limbs and broken internal organs were scattered everywhere, a truly horrifying sight. The maids in the shop were so frightened by the sight that they all cried out.

However, the proprietress, Otose, remained calm and composed, directing the staff to clean up the bloodstains and replace the tatami mats. In just half a day, Teradaya was restored to its original state.

Her fearless demeanor amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood is admired by the world.

From then on, the name "Otose" spread throughout Kyoto and beyond.

Although he wasn't exactly a big celebrity, at least in the Fushimi area, Otose's name was known to everyone.

After scrutinizing Tatsushi several times, the scarred man straightened his face again, a stern glint in his eyes, and said in a menacing voice:

"Miss Otose, we suspect you of harboring thieves! Therefore, we are searching your shop. Excuse me!"

Without saying another word, he barged into the store, followed by the rest of his squad members—two of them stayed at the entrance to block the main door and keep an eye on Otose to prevent her from escaping.

Faced with the group of soldiers' forced search, Otose did not stop them, but silently stood aside and let them do as they pleased.

Because of the Shinsengumi Laws, the members dared not make a mess of the shop. At most, they would knock on the ceiling, lift the tatami mats, and open all the doors and cabinets that could be opened.

About half an hour later, they searched every corner of Terada-ya, not even missing the dusty attic and the smelly outhouse.

The soldiers returned to the entrance in twos and threes, reporting one by one:

"not found!"

"I didn't find it here either!"

"We didn't find it on the second floor either!"

"everything is normal!"

The scarred man frowned and muttered to himself:

"Strange... Could the intelligence be wrong?"

It's common for intelligence to be wrong.

One of the Shinsengumi's major sources of intelligence was gossip and rumors circulating in the city.

The daily task of some members of the Ninth Division is to disguise themselves as inconspicuous minor characters such as porters, ronin, and beggars, and to move around in crowded places to collect rumors.

Human society is a vast makeshift organization—countless examples throughout history have repeatedly proven the truth of this statement.

Because of drinking too much, or simply wanting to show off in front of geisha, some people inadvertently leak important information... Such cases not only exist, but are quite common.

In summary, the Shinsengumi's common procedure for arresting people was roughly as follows: whenever they heard rumors of "the appearance of a loyalist who sought to overthrow the government," regardless of whether it was true or not, they would first send someone to investigate. Even if they found nothing, they would not let the matter go unpunished.

It's no surprise that this type of search rarely yields any results; most of the time, it's just empty talk. So the scarred man wasn't discouraged, having experienced this kind of thing far too often.

Since then, Otose has remained in the entrance hall with a smile on his face, without making any unusual moves.

The scarred man turned to look at Otose, his hand on the sword at his waist, and bowed slightly, offering a perfunctory apology:
"I'm sorry to bother you."

Otose smiled and shook his head:
"Not at all, you're too kind. Assisting the government within our capabilities is our duty."

Otose's submissive attitude pleased the scarred man greatly.

He gave him an approving look, then waved his hand dismissively:
"Close the team!"

Arriving in a whirlwind, leaving with lightning speed—Otose stood in the entrance hall watching them go, and after the pale blue haori disappeared from her sight, she turned to look at the shop assistants behind her:

"Alright, stop standing there like idiots, let's get back to work!"

Seeing that the Shinsengumi members had all left, the shop assistants breathed a sigh of relief—the unexpected "public service search" had made it impossible for them to do business.

Under Otose's direction, the staff returned to their posts, and Teradaya quickly returned to normal operation.

Otose glanced at the entrance hall, then silently went up the stairs to the second floor, entered a room, and gently knocked on the east wall of the room:
"Ryoma, you can come out now."

Then, a soft "click" was heard—the wall slowly opened from the inside out, revealing the space behind it—and Sakamoto Ryoma rolled out from inside.

"Oh, Otose, thank you so much!"

As Sakamoto Ryoma stretched his body, which had become stiff from being in the cramped space for so long, he flashed a bright smile at Otose:
"Otose, when did you install this hidden door?"

Otose said with a helpless expression:

"This hidden door has always been there; it was specially made when the house was built."

"It was originally intended for storing valuables, but it would be suitable for hiding people."

"Oh, that really scared me to death... I'm so glad you're alright."

As she spoke, Otose raised her hand and patted her ample chest, revealing a look of lingering shock.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached from the direction of the corridor.

Someone was approaching... but neither Sakamoto Ryoma nor Otose panicked—because they both recognized the owner of the footsteps.

Before long, a tall, beautiful young woman pushed open the door and entered, looking at Sakamoto Ryoma with a nervous expression.

"Ryoma, are you alright?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Sakamoto Ryoma's smile became even more joyful.

"Oh! Ah Long, you've come at the perfect time! I'm a little hungry! Could you make me some rice balls?"

The woman called "Ah Long" rolled her eyes at him and said irritably:

I knew you were hungry.

As soon as she finished speaking, she magically produced a lotus leaf pouch from her bosom, inside which were three freshly made, still steaming hot rice balls.

Sakamoto Ryoma's eyes lit up:
"Oh! As expected of Ah Long! You know me so well!"

Otose watched the couple interacting with a smile.

"Ah Long, it's rare for Longma to come back, so spend more time with him."

"Eh? But I still have to work..."

"I will allow you to rest for two hours. During this time, you may use this room as you wish."

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PS: Otose and Aryu have already appeared. For details, please see Chapter 114 of Volume 3, "The Beautiful Mature Woman and the Woman Named 'Ryu'".