I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Secondly, Iwakura Tomomi resorted to underhanded tactics such as bribery and threats in order to facilitate the marriage of Princess Kazu, which aroused great disgust among the court nobles.

However, despite being cursed and scorned by millions, Iwakura Tomomi remained unmoved and went her own way.

Aoto and Iwakura Tomomi didn't have much of a relationship.

However, for some reason, he just inexplicably disliked this person.

Perhaps it's because his vulture-like eyes are simply unpleasant to look at.

……

During this period of idling waiting, the five most important guests—Tokugawa Iemochi, Tenshōin, Kazumiya, Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu, and Matsudaira Harugaku—finally all arrived.

Tokugawa Iemochi, dressed in a straight-cut robe, was undoubtedly at the forefront.

[Note: Straight dress: the highest rank in the samurai class.]

The samurai family's formal attire is not limited to the kimono.

A 裃 is a formal suit worn only at work, similar to a modern suit.

When attending elegant banquets and extremely formal and important ceremonies, the samurai would change into another set of formal attire.

Those holding official positions in the imperial court, from the fourth rank or below, wore straight-legged robes; those from the fifth rank or below wore robes with large patterns.

People like Qing Deng and Sheng Lin Taro, who did not hold official positions in the imperial court, wore plain white jackets.

To be fair, Qingdeng prefers the plain white jacket to the simple white robe.

Those two large and bulky shoulder straps were really getting in the way.

Tenshōin and Kazumiya, the young mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, walked on either side of Tokugawa Iemochi.

After Tenshōin appeared—aside from a handful of people like Aoto, Otani Seiichirō, and Iwakura Tomomi, who were already used to Tenshōin's face—the eyes of all the men in the room became unnatural.

Who could blame them when Tenshōin possessed beauty and figure that rivaled Sanako's?

On the one hand, the men tried their best not to look at Tianzhangyuan in order to observe etiquette, but on the other hand, they could not suppress their physiological instinct to have offspring with beautiful women, and kept glancing at Tianzhangyuan out of the corner of their eyes.

As always, Kazumiya wore a gaudy court dress and sported a bulky court hairstyle—a stark contrast to Tenshōin beside her, who wore a simple samurai dress and had a neat samurai hairstyle.

As for the attire of government officials... Qingdeng is speechless.

Putting aside the clothing, the hairstyle was absolutely hideous.

The hairstyles of samurai women, such as the Shimada bun and high ponytail, which are worn by female servants like Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Tenshōin, become quite pleasing to the eye after a while.

In contrast, the hairstyles of the women in official households... Qing Deng just couldn't get used to them no matter how she looked at them.

The hair must be long and straight; the forehead must be exposed, all the hair must be combed back and tied into a low ponytail; the hair on the temples and the top of the head must be fluffy and high, so that when viewed from the front, it looks like a soft, frizzy afro, like wearing a helmet, making the whole face look fat and big, extremely ugly.

Following Tenshōin and Wakō are Hitotsubashi Yoshiki and Matsudaira Shungaku.

Matsudaira Shungaku stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the ground.

On the other hand, Yoshiki Ichibashi... As he walked past Aoto, he subtly glanced at Aoto, giving him a meaningful look before quickly looking away before Aoto noticed.

The emotion in those eyes was hard to decipher, but one thing was certain—it wasn't admiration.

……

……

Although Qingdeng wielded considerable actual power, his official rank was not particularly high—at least compared to the other banquet attendees.

Therefore, his seat was placed in an in-between position, right next to Katsura Rintaro and Otani Seiichiro.

The seating arrangement at the banquet was in a classic Japanese style.

Tokugawa Iemochi sat in the head seat, with Tenshōin and Kazuya on his left and right sides respectively.

Led by Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and Matsudaira Haruaki, the others sat facing each other on either side below Tokugawa Iemochi, according to their official rank and social status.

It's unclear whether this arrangement was intentional or not—the "Nanki faction," including Seito and Katsura Rintaro, all sat to the left of Tokugawa Iemochi—which was also the direction Tenshōin was sitting.

The court nobles and the "Hitotsubashi faction" all sat to Tokugawa Iemochi's right—since Tenshōin was sitting in the other direction, then the person sitting in that direction was naturally Prince Kazu.

Therefore, the two opposing factions, who were irreconcilable, glared menacingly at each other, staring at one another.

Even before the banquet began, the atmosphere was already quite subtle...

After Tokugawa Iemochi delivered an extremely elegant opening speech in a highly respectful tone, today's "Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet" finally officially began!

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This incredibly difficult transitional chapter, used to introduce important characters, is finally finished! From the next chapter onwards, I can finally write something interesting! (Leopard slams keyboard.jpg) Today's chapter is still one that Leopard painstakingly typed out... (Tearful Leopard head.jpg)

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

PS: Otani Seiichiro is a historical figure. He was indeed recognized by his contemporaries as a "sword saint," the kind of "sword saint" who was invincible throughout the world.

I'd like to recommend a book—"In This Life, Even a Love Dog Won't Talk About It."

Summary:

In my first life, I was kept by a scheming woman for 10 years. She said she only saw me as a brother, and then she got into someone else's car.

In my second life, I realized my mistake: I'll never be a sycophant again! I saved a rich, beautiful, and beautiful senior, thinking I could finally have a sweet romance and live a carefree life. But who knew that this yandere senior would create a lifelong psychological trauma for me?

In my third life, I've finally understood! I've truly understood! If I were to fall in love again, I'd be a dog!

In this lifetime, I'm not even in a relationship!

Woof! Woof woof!

Chapter 501 Tenshōin Suffers Humiliation [4500]

To be fair, Qingdeng really had no interest in such so-called "high-class banquets".

Because it was a very high-class banquet, we had to pay attention to our image.

Crossing your legs and slouching is definitely not acceptable.

Forget about eating meat and drinking alcohol to your heart's content.

The food on the table was kaiseki cuisine, which had no merits other than its beautiful presentation.

The guests around him were merely putting on an act; they tightened their cheek muscles and skillfully forced out polite yet contrived smiles.

To be honest, for Qingdeng, attending this type of banquet was no different from being tortured.

Even the most vulgar and low-class meals he usually had with his brothers at the Shiwei Hall were far more interesting than this banquet.

Perfectly warm drinks, perfectly grilled saury...aren't these better than kaiseki cuisine?

Harada Sanosuke telling his unchanging seppuku story, Kondo Isami and Nagakura Shinpachi's enthusiastic dance, Souji's adorable drunken appearance... Aren't these more interesting than the "smiling masks" currently displayed in front of Aoto?

In addition, he could also secretly flirt with Souji, pinching Souji here and rubbing Souji there.

The people sitting on either side of Aoto are Katsura Rintaro and Otani Seiichiro.

We can't expect Qingdeng to flirt with the two of them, can we?

Looking around the entire room, the only person who was familiar with Qing Deng and could openly play with him was Tenshōin.

Thinking of this, Qingdeng subtly turned his head and quietly glanced at Tianzhangyuan, who was sitting in a high position some distance away from him.

Today, she wore elegant light makeup, a bamboo-green furisode underneath, and a crimson blouse over it.

Because she is a nun, she cannot wear gold and silver, but she looks beautiful enough as she is.

Good-looking people look good even when wrapped in a bed sheet—this is a universal truth. Even if the law of conservation of energy were overturned, this truth would remain unchanged.

Today, Tenshōin is operating under the full "Omikado-sho" model.

Her slender, fair hands were naturally and gracefully draped over her legs.

Her back wasn't the kind of straight, soldier-like posture that looked like a washboard stuck in her lower back.

Instead, it has a soft curve.

Not only does it not make one feel out of place, but it also exudes a gentle and graceful aura... a very elegant sitting posture.

She didn't say a word or make any expression; she just sat there. Yet, you could feel her extraordinary aura.

Those unaware of the situation, upon seeing Tenshōin's dignified and elegant appearance, would surely exclaim: "As expected of the princess of the Satsuma Domain and the Ōmikado of the Edo Shogunate! Truly extraordinary bearing!"

In fact, even Qingdeng, who had a very deep relationship with Tenshōin, couldn't help but feel a little dazed at this moment.

He had grown accustomed to her quirky, charming, and captivating appearance.

Now, the mischievous and clever girl has become a swan standing tall and a phoenix perched on the ground, and the charming and alluring girl has become a reserved and unyielding girl... Faced with such a huge contrast, Qing Deng felt somewhat unaccustomed for a moment.

Aoto was also very familiar with Tokugawa Iemochi.

However, he spent significantly less time with Iemochi than with Tenshōin.

As for Katsura Rintaro...

Born in 1823, Katsura Rintaro is 39 years old this year, almost twice the age of Aoto.

There is no doubt that Aoto and Katsu Rintaro are close friends who share the same ideals.

The way the two interacted was a very typical example of a gentleman's friendship.

They can share their recent interesting experiences and talk about their ideals, but when it comes to private entertainment... the two, who are so far apart in age, actually don't really get along.

In such a setting, Qingdeng could not possibly swagger over to Tianzhangyuan's side, much less joke and play with her as he usually did without any restraint.

In private, the two of them can do whatever they want.

However, in public places, they still have to obediently abide by the etiquette between ruler and subject.

Despite the incredibly dull banquet format, there's no denying that the view from the courtyard was captivating.

It is currently the peak season for plum blossoms.

The plum blossoms, dyed a uniform bright red, spread widely across Qingdeng's field of vision.

The plum blossoms on the branches are dazzling and eye-catching, as if they have been washed in water. They compete for beauty and are as red as fire. From a distance, they look like a red cloud under the blue sky. A gentle breeze brings a faint fragrance.

Raise your gaze a little higher, and you'll see the Satoyama Mountains in the distance.

The verdant Lishan Mountain stretches like a long screen across Qingdeng's field of vision.