I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Tachibana-kun?"

Qing Deng strode to catch up with Kondo Isami and then asked him directly:

"Kondo-kun, what's wrong? Today is your big day, why do you look so gloomy?"

"Uh...this...um..."

Perhaps not expecting his unusual behavior to be noticed by others, Kondo Isami turned around awkwardly, scratching his hair helplessly.

He hadn't even had a chance to speak...

"Ju, so you're here to chase after Asheng too."

Not only Kondo Isami, but even Aoto was surprised by this "uninvited voice".

The two of them looked at Hijikata Toshizo, who was carrying a bottle of sake and walking leisurely towards them.

"Ah Sui? What brings you here too?"

Hijikata Toshizo chuckled.

"Ah Sheng, who do you think I am? With our relationship, I can tell what kind of shit you're going to take just by lifting your butt."

Hijikata Toshizo leaned against the window beside him, unscrewed the bottle of sake in his hand, and while gazing at the scenery outside, asked in a tone devoid of joy or sorrow:

"Speak up, why do you keep wearing that ugly, deadpan face? Don't you want to inherit the position of head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family?"

No sooner had Hijikata finished speaking than Kondo quickly interjected without hesitation:

"How could that be! It has always been my dream to carry forward the Natural Ryōshū style! I am overjoyed to be able to successfully inherit my father's mantle!"

Qingdeng picked up the conversation:

"Then why do you look so unhappy on a day when you should be smiling? There must be a reason, right?"

"A-Sui, Tachibana-kun, I just... I just... I just..."

After he had been saying "just" for a while, Kondo Isami finally seemed to give up and let out a long sigh.

"I'm just... feeling a little lost..."

Tu Fang twitched his eyebrows.

"Feeling lost? What are you feeling lost about?"

"...A-Sui, Tachibana-kun, I believe you've both realized this to some extent, haven't you? We are currently living in a great era of strife that occurs only once every hundred years... no! Once every thousand years!"

Upon hearing Kondo's words, both Aoto and Hijikata's facial expressions changed.

Tu Fang frowned.

Qingdeng lowered his eyelids.

Although Kondo had just started speaking, Aoto already guessed what he was going to say next.

And what the other party said next was exactly what he expected.

"The authority of the shogunate plummeted."

“The powerful western domains of Choshu, Satsuma, Tosa, and Hizen are stirring with ambition.”

"In addition, there are also Western barbarians eyeing us covetously from the outside."

"The capital region is already filled with the clouds of war."

"Who knows when this country will return to the Warring States period of three hundred years ago."

"This is... the perfect time to rise to prominence!"

At this point, Kondo Isamu clenched his fists tightly, his eyes gleaming with a fiery light.

"As long as you dare to fight and take risks... as long as you can seize the opportunity... let alone being promoted to a gokenin or hatamoto! Becoming the lord of a country and a castle, or a daimyo with hundreds of thousands of koku of fiefdom, is not an impossible thing!"

"Two years ago, when Mr. Ito first came to our Shieikan Museum, his words touched me deeply!"

As he spoke, Kondo Isami turned around, facing the window on his left, and placed his hand on the windowsill.

Deep within his eyes, which gaze at the night sky, seemed to lie a hidden melancholy.

“Lately, I’ve been asking myself this: Is it really okay to just stay in Edo and spend my whole life as the head of a martial arts school and the master of a dojo…?”

Qingdeng and Tufang exchanged a glance, looking at each other intently.

There was silence for a long time.

*******

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For readers who have forgotten the plot related to Ito Daizo, you can revisit it.

This chapter serves as a prelude to the "Kyoto Arc" to come.

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

Chapter 499 "Sword Saint" Seiichiro Tani makes his appearance! [4500]

Edo, the Hitotsubashi family residence—

The Hitotsubashi family is one of the "Three Ministers of the Imperial Court".

The Tokugawa families of Tasukushi, Hitotsubashi, and Shimizu—these three families, like the previously established Go-San families, were all considered as candidates for succession to the Edo Shogunate.

The heads of these three families were all of the third rank, equivalent to the "minister" rank, so they were collectively known as the Three Imperial Ministers.

The surname is actually Tokugawa, and the common names Tasuku, Hitotsubashi, and Shimizu are actually taken from the names of the gates of Edo Castle closest to their residences.

In terms of family status, the "Three Imperial Ministers" are second only to the "Three Imperial Families," and their fiefdoms are scattered throughout various territories, each receiving 10 shi (a unit of dry measure).

[Note: Tenryo: Land directly governed by the Edo Shogunate]

Given the prestige of such a wealthy and prominent family, their residence is naturally extremely luxurious.

A grand and imposing gatehouse.

A high, gray wall stretching as far as the eye can see, covered with black tiles.

Upon entering, there is a wide avenue paved with white gravel that connects the gatehouse and the buildings.

The buildings are like the embodiment of the phrase "a palace of pearls and shells." The exterior is magnificent, with red pillars and carved beams; the interior is a hidden world, with winding corridors.

At this very moment, in a room deep within the Ichibashi Residence, a samurai dressed in formal attire knelt respectfully on the ground.

This man appeared to be around 35 years old—which would be considered middle age in the Edo period—his complexion was slightly ashen, with faint dark circles under his eyes, but his gaze was sharp, and his bright eyes radiated a strong light.

His formal attire was embroidered with the three-leaf hollyhock pattern, a feature reserved for the Tokugawa family and their relatives. He also wore a white-sheathed, white-handled wakizashi at his waist, which, judging from its appearance alone, was undoubtedly expensive.

Wearing a robe with sunflower patterns and carrying a large sword at his waist... it's obvious to anyone with eyes that this middle-aged warrior is no ordinary person.

In fact, this person is quite well-known in Japan today.

He is none other than Matsudaira Harugaku, the lord of the Fukui Domain who currently holds the position of "President of Political Affairs" in the shogunate!

The Fukui Domain, also known as the Echizen Domain or the Kitanosho Domain, had a territory of 32 koku and was one of the daimyo of the imperial domains.

"Matsudaira" was the former surname of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Apart from the "Gosanke" and "Gosankyō", all the other daimyo of the Shingen (female feudal lords) shared the surname Matsudaira.

Matsudaira Shungaku was known as the "wise lord".

Judging from his past deeds, he certainly deserves the title of "virtuous".

First of all, he is very knowledgeable.

Matsudaira Haruaki, who came from a good family, received an excellent education from a young age.

In his childhood, he studied Confucian classics such as "The Great Learning" and "The Analects" every morning, and practiced calligraphy diligently in the afternoon.

He has maintained his studious habit ever since. Even now, as the lord of the Fukui Domain and the chief executive officer of the shogunate, he still has a book in his hand.

In terms of scholarship and cultivation, he should be considered the best among the three hundred feudal lords.

[Note: The Three Hundred Lords: A collective term for the daimyo of feudal domains during the Edo period]

Secondly, he is very open-minded and acts decisively and swiftly.

Faced with a series of serious problems arising from the "Black Ships Incident," he, as one of the nation's key ministers, initially insisted on a policy of national isolation.

However, after the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States in 1858, he changed his stance, transforming from a "pro-isolationist" to a staunch "pro-opening" advocate.

He actively engaged with Western knowledge and culture, built Western-style arsenals in the Fukui Domain, encouraged education, and developed medical facilities.

As is widely known, the "Hitotsubashi faction" favored isolationism, while the "Nanki faction" favored opening up the country.

Logically speaking, Matsudaira Shungaku, who strongly advocated for the opening of the country, should have sided with the latter.

However, he had a violent conflict with the elder statesman Ii Naosuke over the issue of succession to the shogun, and was imprisoned until Ii Naosuke was murdered.

Matsudaira Haruaki always believed that Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu, who was older and more capable, was the only one who could serve as the Shogun and save the dynasty from collapse.

With his open-mindedness, support for the founding of the nation, and support for Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi, his political stance was completely aligned with that of Hisamitsu Shimazu, the father of the Satsuma Domain.

For this reason, Hisamitsu Shimazu greatly respected and admired Haruaki Matsudaira.

That is why he strongly recommended that the other party take up the position of "President of State Affairs," a position that is similar to that of a "senior official."

At this moment, Matsudaira Haruaki, sitting upright on the tatami, seemed to be waiting for something. His eyes were half-closed, and his gaze was fixed on the tatami in front of him. He was as still as a rock.

In the midst of this silence... he suddenly heard the sound of a door being gently pulled open and someone slowly walking in.

Upon hearing this sound, Matsudaira Haruaki bent down without hesitation, lowered his head, placed his palms on the ground, and brought his nose to within inches of the tatami mat.

*Thud*—Someone sat down in front of Matsudaira Haruaki.

Immediately afterwards, a soft, young male voice broke the silence of the room.

"Chunyue, raise your head."

"Yes!"

Matsudaira Haruaki shouted—he didn't straighten his back completely, but just hunched over, his hands on the ground, his gaze fixed on the chest of the person in front of him—in the Edo period, this was the most standard posture for a subordinate to meet a superior.

"Lord Hitotsubashi, I apologize for my intrusion in visiting..."

"Alright, alright, let's skip the pleasantries."

Hitotsubashi-sama—There is only one person in all of Japan who is respectfully addressed as "Hitotsubashi-sama" by Matsudaira Harugaku, and who commands such utmost respect from him.