I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1123 "Qingdeng, is the only person you want to marry Tianzhangyuan?" [5100]

The two women's questions startled Qing Deng.

To be fair, he always thought he had concealed it very well.

In public, he always maintained the proper distance between himself and Tenshōin, never overstepping the bounds of propriety.

Only when they are alone and in private do they show each other the passion they deserve.

Thirty is like a wolf, forty is like a tiger—this proverb left by our ancestors is truly not to be underestimated.

By the following year (1866), Tenshōin will be at the age of a wolf (Tenshōin was born in 1836).
Hormonal changes, coupled with the release of long-suppressed emotions, caused Tenshōin to reveal a wild side of himself to Aoto.

—Could it be because we made too much noise and Sanako and the others heard us?

Just as Qing Deng was pondering this in secret, Sanako saw through his thoughts and sighed:
"Qingdeng, don't think we're fools."

"The moment I saw the Ōmiya Shrine, I knew who she was—wasn't she the beautiful shrine maiden from the Tsukimiya Shrine?"

This happened a long time ago.

When Qing Deng deliberately faked his death to investigate the Phantom Lake, a group of relatives and friends from the Shieikan and Kochiba Kenkan searched for him all over Edo.

By chance, Sanako and Souji found the Tsukikō Shrine together and met Tenshōin, who was disguised as a shrine maiden in purple hakama.

Because this happened so long ago, Aoto always thought that Sanako and Souji had forgotten about it.

As if to echo Aoto's confusion, Sanako added at the opportune moment:

"With someone as beautiful as the Imperial Concubine Omiya, it's probably even harder to forget her, isn't it?"

"A mysterious shrine maiden who once had a past with you has now appeared as the 'Great Imperial Palace'... Anyone would suspect something's amiss, right?"

Ah Wu suddenly interrupted:

"Although I have never met the Ōmikado, who is disguised as a shrine maiden, I can vaguely sense from your interactions with her that your relationship is not ordinary."

Like a duet, the two women worked together seamlessly. As soon as A-Mai finished speaking, Sanako smoothly picked up the conversation:

"I think everyone has more or less sensed that you have a secret with Tenshōin, but no one dares to say it out loud."

"Do you really think that the rumor that 'Tachibana Aoto is causing chaos in the harem' came out of nowhere?"

After listening to the two women's "alternating torture," Qing Deng chuckled awkwardly.

It turns out the wives saw through everything from the very beginning...

"I thought I'd be given the cold shoulder after I confessed my true relationship with Tenshōin..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sanako rolled her eyes at him in a very cooperative manner.

Even if we object, you won't listen, will you?

Yes, that's right, exactly.

Although Qing Deng did not say it explicitly, his silence was an admission.

Sanako continued:

"Since there's nothing I can do to stop you, I'm too lazy to say anything more. Anyway..."

She paused, remained silent for a moment, as if trying to hide her facial expression, slightly turned her head away, showing Qingdeng the back of her head, and gently continued the conversation:
"To me, your peace and happiness are the most important things. Everything else is irrelevant."

Ah Wu said slowly:
“Omiya-no-sho is a good person. If it’s her… although I have mixed feelings, it’s not unacceptable…”

Tenshōin loves small animals like cats and dogs, and A-Mai happens to be a girl who is like a small animal, which can arouse people's protective instincts, so Tenshōin likes her very much.

Whenever there's something delicious or fun to do, he always invites Ah Wu to come and enjoy it together.

Naturally, A-Wu became quite close to her and admired her like an older sister.

It's worth mentioning that the relationship between Tenshōin and Sanako is rather delicate.

It's not that their relationship was bad, but rather that both of them were relatively strong women, like two sharp needles clashing, which naturally produced a subtle "kings meeting kings" chemical reaction.

At this moment, Sanako straightened her head again and glanced at Aoto:
"Qingdeng, when exactly do you mean when you said, 'When the time is right, I will marry Tenshōin'?"

Qing Deng shrugged:

"In short, let's defeat the Southern Dynasty first."

"Before the 'Southern Dynasty' was destroyed, any expectation of the future was futile."

Qing Deng did not have a specific timeline for when he would officially marry Tenshōin.

Defeating the Southern Dynasty was just the beginning.

Even with the power to pacify the world, his journey to marry Tenshōin will not be easy.

A subject marrying the current Empress Dowager... this is probably unprecedented in history.

Besides being the shogunate's Ōmitai-sho, Tenshōin also had another identity: a nun, and therefore faced religious pressure.

Admittedly, there are many difficulties—but Qingdeng already has a plan.

Since the biggest obstacle to marrying Tenshōin is the difference in their social status, wouldn't it be enough to simply change the situation so that they are no longer ruler and subject?
Because such a thing was too horrifying, Seido never mentioned it to anyone—in fact, ever since Tokugawa Iemochi fell into a coma and Seido became the de facto head of the shogunate, he had always been able to vaguely sense an invisible "force".

This "force" pushed him...and propelled him to even greater heights!

Qing Deng inexplicably thought: Yang Yong, Zhao Kuangyin, Tokugawa Ieyasu and other heroes who overthrew their superiors probably had the same mental journey - looking around the world, they had no rivals, and as long as they took one more step forward, they could ascend to the highest throne!

However, the "force" driving Qingdeng is not limited to this.

It is not about letting Qing Deng usurp the throne and establish himself, but about pushing him to a higher position... not about establishing a completely new samurai regime, but about building an even more glorious legacy!

Thinking of this, Qingdeng couldn't help but fall into deep thought, pursing his lips as his mind wandered in an endless sea of ​​thoughts.

Just as he was lost in thought, out of the blue, A-Wu abruptly asked:
"...Aoto, is the only person you want to marry really Oomidai-sho?"

Qingdeng was startled and subconsciously turned to look at Awu—and thus, their eyes met.

But then A-Wu turned her head and stared intently at Qing-Deng with a deep, meaningful gaze—her beautiful eyes radiating a slightly eerie light.

“I have a feeling that you’ve been getting extra close to Elodie lately, and you go to chat with her every now and then.”

"You not only want to marry Tenshōin, who is 6 years older than you, but also Elodie, who is 6 years younger than you?"

In an instant, as if stunned by A-Wu's gaze, Qing Deng's forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

He's been getting close to Elodie lately... The above is largely correct.

Mael is still imprisoned in the Shinsengumi's jail and is under close guard—Elodie has never visited him.

Her petite frame concealed extraordinary courage.

After being deeply disappointed in Mael, she adopted a resolute attitude of "never speaking to him again," and the father and daughter were clearly on the verge of a complete break.

It's easy to imagine that this complex feeling of both love and hate is not so easy to let go of.

To comfort Elodie and alleviate her pain as much as possible, Qingdeng has been frequently talking to her and having heart-to-heart talks with her recently.

To put it bluntly, he wanted to do everything he could to fill the void in her heart as the "father."

In other words, his excessive closeness to Elodie was entirely benevolent and he had absolutely no ill intentions.

Faced with A-Wu's terrifying gaze, Qing Deng coughed twice:
“Ah Wu, you’re overthinking it. Elodie and I don’t have that kind of relationship. I’ve always treated her like a younger sister.”

"...That's good."

As A-Wu spoke, she looked away, her expression returning to normal.

"If you really marry Elodie... I don't even know what kind of expression I should make."

"I'm sharing a husband with my best friend... Just imagining it makes me feel conflicted..."

Qingdeng repeated it again:
"You're overthinking it."

For some reason, he felt a little guilty when he said those words.

Now that he had told the two women his determination to marry Tenshōin, there was no reason to discuss the topic any further.

So, he abruptly changed the subject:

"Wow, look! The snow is getting heavier!"

The snowfall outside the window was indeed gradually intensifying.

Snowflakes fluttered down, adorning the night sky, and a thin layer of white carpet had accumulated on the ground in the courtyard.

Sanako and Ama obediently cooperated with Aoto and stopped talking about Tenshōin and Elodie.

A peaceful and tranquil atmosphere spread.

The three of them quietly admired the snow... Although it gave a sense of desolation, it was also quite endearing.

At this moment, although no one spoke, the three of them had the same thought: If Xiao Si were here.

The absence of the commander cast a shadow of gloom over the atmosphere.

Since last month, Souji's coma has been lasting longer and longer.

She used to wake up briefly every time she slept for a while.

Now, she spends longer and longer periods in a coma and shorter and shorter periods when she is awake.

The longest record so far is seven days and seven nights of continuous sleep. I would fall asleep again shortly after waking up. Even when I did wake up, I was groggy and could only mumble some broken, incoherent words. I couldn't even open my eyes.

The last time the commander woke up was six days ago... He may break the record.

Fortunately, her vital signs were relatively stable.

Even after a long period of fasting, he did not show signs of weakness, and all his muscles maintained their elasticity and vitality.

This seems to be a sign of improvement.

Suddenly, Qingdeng said softly:

"...Shall we go visit Xiao Si together later?"

Sanako and Ama nodded in unison.

……

……

At this very moment—in the Tachibana residence, in Souji's hospital room—

The pitch-black darkness and the utter silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, were just like the depths of the ocean, where the only sound was the faint sound of breathing.

Souji lay in his warm bed, fast asleep, with a large amount of konpeito (Japanese candy) piled up beside his bed as always.

Though almost imperceptible, her slender fingertips did indeed twitch slightly for a fleeting moment…

……

……

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, a certain street——

"Back in the day, before I became a ronin and was still an official in the Matsuyama Domain of Iyo, there was this annoying guy who slandered me as a 'lowly clerk who didn't even know how to commit seppuku.' I'm the kind of person who likes to take things seriously. Didn't he say I didn't even know how to commit seppuku? I immediately pulled out my wakizashi, stabbed it into my stomach, and performed seppuku on the spot to show him!"

Harada Sanosuke, completely drunk, was recounting his glorious past of "surviving seppuku".

Inoue Genzaburo and Todo Heisuke, who were supporting him on either side, both wore wry smiles.

Hijikata Toshizo, standing nearby, showed an impatient expression:
"Here we go again... I'm so sick of hearing this. Sanosuke, can't you tell me something new?"

Harada Sanosuke chuckled:
"This is the pride of my life... I want to talk about it for the rest of my life... Would you be willing to be my audience for the rest of your life...?"

At this point, he seemed to remember something and paused.

After a moment, he grinned and chuckled softly.

"However... after following Mr. Tachibana to Kyoto... there are several things that I'm proud of..."

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled.

Ironically, apart from Kondo Isami, the rest of the "Shieikan faction" were all eligible bachelors.

Although Kondo Isami was the only exception, his wife (Otsune) was far away in Edo, and they could not be together.

In other words, the "Shiekan faction" members can simply pick up their chopsticks and lunchboxes and start eating their New Year's Eve dinner... It's unbearable to hear about.

And so, Sanosuke Harada stepped forward like a hero.

Let's go for a drink!

And so, at the call of Harada Sanosuke, the members of the "Shieikan faction" decided to hold a long-awaited drinking party tonight.

As evening approached, they swarmed into a popular izakaya and began their "heavy drinking spree."

The specific details of the gathering will be left aside for now.

In short, about four hours later, they cleared out the entire store's stock of alcohol, which moved the store owner deeply. He not only personally saw them off but also excitedly exclaimed, "Please come back often in the future!"

Such a record is indeed astonishing.

So, what's the cost?

The price was that Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke, and Kondo Isami were completely drunk and could only be helped home by the relatively sober Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, Saito Hajime, Inoue Genzaburo, and Todo Heisuke.

Hijikata Toshizo patted Kondo Isami's face without any hesitation:
"Hey, Sheng, we're almost home, hang in there a little longer."

"Ugh... Oh no... I feel like throwing up..."

"Let me make this clear: if you dare to vomit on me, I'll throw you out onto the street."

Nagakura Shinpachi blinked hard, staring blankly at Saito Hajime who was supporting him:

"Hmm...wait...? Strange...Saito...how come there are four of you...?"

After asking the question, he raised the half-finished sake in his hand and took another big gulp.

Saito Hajime said calmly:
"Look again in a while, I'll have eight."

"Huh? It really is... You've become ten..."

"Then it will become twelve in a while."

The Shinsengumi executives all lived in the center of Otsu-cho, but their specific residences were different.

The first person to "drop out" was Keisuke Yamanami.

He turned west and said to the crowd behind him:

"I'm going ahead now, see you tomorrow."

Hijikata Toshizo waved his hand:

"Well, see you tomorrow."

After saying goodbye to everyone, Yamanami Keisuke put his right hand into his pocket, carried the lantern in his left hand, and walked home alone.

It was late at night, and only Yamanami Keisuke remained on the street.

The wind whistled, accompanied by the soft rustling of straw sandals sinking into the snow.

Yamanami Keisuke looked up, gazing with great interest at the crescent moon on the horizon.

Suddenly, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

Then, he slowly stopped, turned around, and stared coldly into the dark alley not far away.

"...Stop hiding, come out."

As he made his threatening remarks, he reached his right hand out of his robes and gripped the sword at his waist, preparing for battle.

Putting his right hand inside his robes—this was not an unintentional act by Yamanami Keisuke, but rather a deliberate one.

Whether or not one pays attention to the temperature of their dominant hand is a major dividing line between martial arts novices and masters.

In such cold weather, one should keep the temperature of their hands warm and be ready to "fight at any time".

Once the dominant hand freezes, it will inevitably affect the action of drawing a sword, thus making it impossible to launch an effective and rapid response to enemy attacks.

Some assassins prefer to carry out their attacks on cold days, and that's why.

Therefore, swordsmen of Yamanami Keisuke's caliber consciously take care of their dominant hand, which has become a habit.

In a matter of seconds, Keisuke Yamanami had adjusted his mind and body to their best state.

As he locked onto his target, the shadows at the deepest part of the alley began to undulate slightly—a tall figure stepped out.

"Oh my, as expected of Yamanami-kun, he found me so quickly."

Yamanami Keisuke stared blankly at the newcomer, muttering in astonishment:
"Sakamoto...kun...?"

Sakamoto Ryoma scratched his messy hair and chuckled a few times:

"Yes, it is I. Mr. Shannan, it's been a long time. Because of the time constraints, I'll keep it brief—I would like to meet with the Zuo family. Could you introduce me?"

……

……

The following day (January 1, 1866), early morning—

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

From today onwards, it is the second year of Kuangtian/Meiji, and the Western calendar year is 1866.

On New Year's Day, the first day of the new year, a day that should be full of meaning, he could not neglect his work... Despite feeling regretful, Qingdeng still entered his office on time.

Unexpectedly, just as he was getting ready to get into his work for the day, he received a meeting request from Keisuke Yamanami.

……

……

"Sakamoto Ryoma?"

Aoto looked at Yamanami Keisuke in front of him with a surprised expression.

Yamanami Keisuke nodded slightly:

"That's right, he wants to see you."

He recounted his experience from the previous night in a concise manner.

The reunion with Sakamoto Ryoma, Sakamoto Ryoma's propositions...

After listening, Qing Deng raised an eyebrow:

"Peace through negotiation? Did he really say that?"

Yamanami Keisuke gave a wry smile.

"Yes, that's exactly what he said."

Qing Deng twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a half-smile:
"What nonsense is he talking about? The conflict between the two sides has escalated to this point, there is no possibility of mediation."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded slightly:

"I understand, then I'll go and reject him..."

Qingdeng shook his head and interrupted:
"No, that's not necessary. Although I can't agree with his ideas, I'd still like to meet him."

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

P.S.: I've been watching Gundam Unicorn lately, and it suddenly made me really want to write a mecha fanfic. When I'm financially secure enough, I'll write a "mecha battle" mecha fanfic, and I hope you'll support me then! (Leopard.jpg)

The villain piloting the black mecha sensed something and looked up at the vast and boundless Milky Way.

At the edge of the horizon, a fully armed white machine swooped down.

"They're finally here!" the villain roared.

In a split second, the black machine drew its lightsaber, its engines roared to life, and it charged straight at the enemy.

At almost the same time, the lightsaber gripped by the white machine reached its maximum output.

The flames of the two machines hurtling towards each other traced meteor-like trajectories in the universe.

The impact of the lightsabers clashing could reach light-years away.

……

I want to write a mecha novel just like this! Not a fantasy novel with a fantasy theme, but a pure military novel! Except the form of war isn't missile battles, but mecha battles (Leopard High.jpg)