I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The voice of Sotaro Uchimura came from the direction of the corridor.

"His Highness Tianzhang summons you!"

"Your Highness, Prince Tianzhang?"

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow.

"I see."

He answered quickly while stuffing the lunchbox he was holding back into his bundle.

But at that moment, Sotaro Uchimura added:

"Ah! His Highness Tenshōin said that you should bring your lunchbox with you as well!"

"...Huh?"

Chapter 491 Teasing Tianzhangyuan! [6600]

Qing Deng, carrying his lunchbox, walked briskly towards the depths of Edo Castle's main keep, led by a certain Imperial Guard.

[Note: *Gōchū-ryō* was a type of official position in the Ōoku (inner palace) during the Edo period. Primarily responsible for serving the Shogun or the Odai-sō (Imperial Palace), it was also a major rank for candidates to become the Shogun's concubine.]

Before long, the two arrived at a secluded and quiet area.

The Imperial Guard entered the secondary chamber with small, quick steps, knelt on the ground, and respectfully addressed the throne room in front of him:

"Your Highness Tenshōin, Lord Tachibana has arrived."

The Tsuji-ma and Gokage-ma are both functional areas in ancient Japanese palaces. The former was where subordinates reported news to their lord and the lord issued orders; the latter was where the monarch usually sat to receive the homage of his subjects, listen to reports from his subordinates, and issue summons or orders.

As soon as Yu Zhonglai finished speaking, a soft female voice, extremely familiar to Qing Deng, came from inside the throne room:

"Let him in. And all of you, step back."

With his shoulders slumped, the index, middle, and ring fingers of both hands lightly touched the tatami mat. He bent low, his forehead almost touching the ground, and responded in a respectful yet resonant voice:

"Yes!"

Immediately afterwards, the two royal attendants who were kneeling on the left and right sides of the door outside the throne room simultaneously stretched out their slender arms and slowly opened the door in unison.

[Miss-in-waiting: A personal maidservant to the Imperial Palace. These were girls from hatamoto families aged 7 to 13. (After reaching the age of 13 and completing their coming-of-age ceremony, they became "genpuku koshū" (coming-of-age maidservants).) They had the opportunity to rise to the rank of Imperial Chamberlain.]

A spotless tatami mat, tasteful interior decorations, perfectly trimmed green potted plants, and a stunningly beautiful woman...

The moment Qingdeng and the beauty locked eyes, she revealed a smile of unparalleled elegance.

Sanako usually has two main styles of dressing.

One type is the "Yamato Nadeshiko" style, which features women wearing kimonos and having their hair styled in a Shimada bun.

Another option is the "female samurai mode," which features women wearing kendo uniforms and having their hair tied in a high ponytail.

Tenshōin also has two different styles of dress.

One type is the "shrine maiden mode," which is only worn at the Moon Shrine.

Her attire was a white top and purple bottom, typical of a high-ranking shrine maiden. Her hairstyle was also very typical of a shrine maiden: her hair was tied into a low ponytail that trailed down her back, with white washi paper wrapped around the base of the braid and tied with white and red threads.

Another one is the "O-O-Dai-Sho model," which is most widely known among the cabinet ministers of the shogunate.

Her hair was tied into a short ponytail with a white ribbon. Since she had become a nun, she could not wear overly bright and flamboyant clothing. Therefore, the "Ōmōdai-sho style" of dress was generally elegant. The outer layer was a purple sash, the middle layer was a blue furisode, and the innermost layer was a pure white undergarment. Everything inside and out was a solid color with no delicate patterns on the fabric, and there were no hair ornaments or hair buns on her head.

Just as Sanako's "Yamato Nadeshiko Mode" and "Female Samurai Mode" can give people completely different feelings, Tenshōin's two modes can also give people completely different feelings.

If we were to say that Tenshōin in "shrine maiden mode" is a quirky and clever older sister.

So, Tenshōin, in the "Ōmōdai-sho model," is a composed and elegant queen, making people feel directly that the woman in front of them is one of the most distinguished figures in the Edo Shogunate!

With practiced ease, Qing Deng stepped forward, crossed the choji room, and entered the throne room.

His front foot had just stepped onto the comfortable and soft tatami mat when he heard the sound of the door closing behind him.

Immediately afterwards, the light footsteps gradually faded away... Following Tenshōin's earlier orders, the Imperial Guard and his servants quickly left without pausing for a moment.

This quiet space is now etched with the image of a lonely man and woman gazing into each other's eyes.

The very next instant after the footsteps of the Imperial Guard and his servants completely disappeared—

"Ugh... I'm exhausted... This rigid sitting posture is really tiring...!"

Tenshōin's waist seemed to have lost its bones, and he bent over instantly.

She first leaned forward, then fell to the left, collapsing onto the tatami mat like a rag doll.

Alright, the quirky and clever older sister that Qingdeng knows is back.

"Your Highness, if the ladies-in-waiting of the inner palace and the cabinet ministers of the shogunate were to see you like this, they would probably be paralyzed with fear."

Qingdeng jokingly complained as he sat cross-legged directly opposite Tianzhangyuan.

When no outsiders were present, his interactions with Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin were always very casual.

"That's why I deliberately sent them away."

Tenshōin, who was lying on his side, rolled over, propped his head up on his left forearm as he faced Aoto, and continued with a smile:

"Without unwanted people bothering us, we can both be much more relaxed and at ease, can't we?"

That's true.

Qingdeng nodded in agreement.

Then, he changed the subject:

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Your Highness, what is the purpose of summoning me here so suddenly?"

"Nothing, I just suddenly wanted to have lunch with you, and while we're at it... how about we play some Sugoroku together?"

As she spoke, she magically produced a 'sougo' (double six) board from behind her back and pushed it in front of Qingdeng's lap.

"'Double Six'?"

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow.

"Suguroku" can be understood as a board game from the Edo period, a very old and popular game that is an imported game and not created by the Japanese.

It originated in Mesopotamia around 2600 BC, was introduced to China via India, and took root in China. It was then transmitted to Japan during the Nara period (710-784 AD).

This game is similar to the modern game "Monopoly". You roll a die to determine the number, and then move to the next square based on that number. The first player to reach the finish line wins.

The chessboard is filled with "life experiences," both good and bad, such as a house fire, broken limbs, or suddenly inheriting a fortune and becoming a super-rich person.

The game is named "Double Six" because it requires two dice, and the highest possible number that can be drawn from two dice is two sixes.

In Qingdeng's eyes, in this era where there are neither electronic products nor board games, "Shuanglu" is the most fun board game.

When he was extremely bored, he would occasionally play "suguro" with Souji, Harada Sanosuke, and others.

Qing Deng raised his gaze and stared intently at Tian Zhangyuan's face, as if searching for something.

Before Tenshōin discovered his little act, he nodded slightly.

"I understand, let's play then."

After saying that, he opened the game box in front of him and began to arrange the chess pieces.

At this moment, Tensho-in sat up.

"Tsk...this kind of long, tight skirt is really cumbersome..."

The clothes worn by Tenshōin under the "Ōmikado-sho model" were very typical aristocratic attire.

The skirt on the lower half of the body is very narrow, as if it binds the legs tightly together. It is so narrow that the legs cannot swing widely, and one can only take small, quick steps when walking.

At the same time, because the skirt is very narrow, it is not possible to choose any sitting posture other than "kneeling".

However... this was no challenge for the free-spirited Tenshōin.

"Hmm~ This is more comfortable."

She pulled her skirt up in one go, up to above her knees, and then sat cross-legged like Qingdeng.

Suddenly, the room became a little brighter.

This was certainly not because candles were lit or sunlight was shining in—it was simply because Tenshōin's legs were reflecting light.

Her two calves were long and shapely, slender yet fleshy, white as jade, and smooth as silk.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder: naturally beautiful girls like Tenshōin, Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, Souji, and Elodie are truly amazing creatures. Don't they have any body hair?

If the person sitting in front of him at this moment were Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, or Souji, he would definitely open his eyes wide without any attempt to hide it, and openly take in this alluring view.

However... the object of his affections happened to be his friend and boss.

He was insatiable with the women he loved; he was polite to ordinary women—this was the source of Qing Deng's confidence in always insisting that he was a gentleman and hating others saying he was a lecher.

So, he subconsciously looked away, avoiding looking at Tenshōin's beautiful legs—this action was completely caught by Tenshōin.

"Ouch~~"

She squinted her eyes, her lips curled up slightly, forming a "ω" shape like a cat's mouth.

"Tachibana-kun, you don't really need to be so polite~ I only showed a bit of my calf, why are you so shy? You kids are really something~~ seeing a calf and immediately thinking of 'this' and illegitimate children."

When he said "this", Tenshōin raised his right pinky finger - in the Edo period, the pinky finger represented a girlfriend or mistress.

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but say in a helpless tone:

"First of all, I'm not ashamed; secondly, I'm 20 years old this year, not a child; finally, someone who associates seeing calves with mistresses and illegitimate children is no longer a child, but a patient who should see a doctor, right?"

Qingdeng's explanation failed to gain Tenshōin's approval.

She relentlessly pursued him, letting out a teasing laugh.

"Oh dear~ you're starting to make excuses now~~ I think you're just shy."

"You're already 20 years old, so what? I'm already 26... ... ... "

The more Tenshōin spoke, the more dejected his tone became.

First, the volume gradually decreased, turning into a mosquito's hum, and finally, it couldn't even speak anymore.

Along with her, her head drooped.

With each "de" she uttered, her head drooped a little lower, and the light in her beautiful eyes dimmed considerably.