I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"The Commander of the Capital Region is not subject to the control of any person or force, and is only responsible to the General Who Subdues the Barbarians... which means he is only responsible to me!"

With each word Tokugawa Iemochi spoke, Aoto's eyes widened a little more.

When the other person finished speaking, his expression was dominated by intense shock.

Anyone familiar with history... no! No need to be familiar with history at all! Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows just how terrifying these "favorable" privileges granted by Tokugawa Iemochi were!

Establishing a government office – that is, setting up a government office, appointing officials and staff, and having an independent “small government”.

They can independently recruit soldiers and collect and allocate military supplies—that is, they have independent military and financial power.

He was only responsible to Tokugawa Iemochi—meaning he had a great deal of freedom, and no one except Tokugawa Iemochi could interfere with Aoto's style, behavior, or methods.

This is no longer a pacification commissioner, but a military governor of the Tang Dynasty!

Tokugawa Iemochi's shocking remarks struck Aoto's brain like a machine gun bullet, nearly causing it to shut down. It took him a while to gradually recover.

As his emotions calmed down, his thoughts returned to their normal working pace.

Although the power of the Jingji Zhenfu Shi (京畿镇抚使) was terrifying, it was still somewhat different from that of the Jiedushi (节度使) of the Tang Dynasty.

The military governors of the Tang Dynasty held power over the military, civilian affairs, and finances, making them unshakeable, uncrowned emperors within their own territories.

In contrast, the new Kinki Chūfushi (Kyoto Military Governor) appointed by Tokugawa Iemochi only had military and financial power, and could not interfere in the political affairs of the Kinki region.

Moreover, its financial power was also "incomplete," as it could not directly utilize the tax revenue and treasury reserves of the capital region.

In other words, they must find other ways to expand their income.

Even so, the power of the Commander of the Capital Region was already considerable.

Especially for the Edo Shogunate, which liked to disperse the power of officials through various means such as redundant officials and staff, the power of this position was unimaginably great.

"...Jia Mao, there's something I don't understand."

"Please speak."

Tokugawa Iemochi made a "please" gesture.

"As intelligent as you are, you must know the terrible consequences that would easily result from granting someone such great power."

"Even with the Kyoto Guardian, who was of equal rank, keeping the Kyoto Garrison Commander in check, the latter still possessed enough power to pose a profound threat to the Tokugawa family's rule."

Qing Deng narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the mature-looking young man in front of him, as if trying to see through him.

"Aren't you afraid that I will seize power, establish a regional regime, and repeat the old ways?"

The Sekigahara Chronicles – the Battle of Sekigahara more than two hundred years ago.

Originally a retainer of the Toyotomi clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, just two years after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, personally led his men from the Kanto region and the daimyo from various regions who supported him to eliminate the pro-Toyotomi Western Army in the Sekigahara area, thus establishing the "Tokugawa rule".

Facing Aoto's piercing gaze, Tokugawa Iemochi lowered his eyelids, concealing the strange glint in his eyes.

"Kid Tachibana, you don't need to worry about that."

"I have my own profound reasons for making this arrangement."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss the specifics at the moment."

"But I can assure you: all my actions and all my good intentions are for the sake of 'the world'!"

Tokugawa Iemochi's voice was strong and resonant.

When he spoke the word "all under heaven," his voice conveyed an unparalleled sense of sacredness.

"Although at first glance the position of the Commander of the Capital Garrison may seem glamorous, in reality it is as heavy as an ox carrying a heavy load."

"All the privileges it enjoyed were out of necessity due to the shogunate's financial difficulties."

"After the initial investment of 3000 taels of gold is paid, the shogunate will not provide any further financial or material support to the garrison."

"The subsequent supplies of the Zhenfu Prefecture shall be handled entirely by the Zhenfu Commissioner of the Capital Region."

"At the same time, as I just said, the Governor-General of the Capital Region cannot use the tax revenue or treasury reserves of the Capital Region."

“Apart from Kyoto and Osaka, which have some surplus funds, the rest of the capital region is in dire financial straits. If their interests are touched, it will easily trigger unrest.”

"In short, as long as you do not violate this one and only prohibition, you may use your own private wealth, ask for sponsorship from merchants, even form your own trading corps, or even wipe out the thieves entrenched in the capital region and confiscate their savings accumulated over the years. In short, you may use any method you can think of to increase revenue and broaden the financial resources of the garrison."

Qing Deng gave a bitter smile:

"As expected, I knew it wouldn't be that simple... In other words, after leading the ronin and ambitious men of Edo to Kyoto, whether the Zhenfufu (a powerful military force) becomes a weak organization in name only or a powerful legion capable of intimidating all sides depends entirely on my ability and fate, right?"

Tokugawa Iemochi nodded slightly, then said half-jokingly:

"If you have the ability, it's not impossible to raise a massive army of 100,000 people."

"The Edo Shogunate, which directly commanded a quarter of Japan, didn't even have 100,000 troops. Where is the Zhenfufu, which can only show off its power in the Kinai region, going to gather 100,000 men for you?"

Qing Deng responded in the same half-joking tone.

After chuckling a few times, Tokugawa Iemochi slowly straightened his posture again, his expression solemn, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Tachibana-kun, I've already given you such a big 'discount'... so, what's your answer?"

"..."

Qingdeng remained silent.

At this point, Tokugawa Iemochi added:

"Whether you stay or leave is up to you. If you don't want to take this position, I will never force you."

"Do I still have the right to refuse?"

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow.

"To pacify the capital region—this heavy responsibility is not something that a reluctant, timid, or cowardly person can shoulder."

"Jiamao, if I may ask one more question: if I refuse to take up the post, do you have a backup candidate to replace me?"

"It's gone."

Tokugawa Iemochi responded without hesitation.

“You know my situation; I am a general who was succeeded by a foreign ruler.”

"I have only been in Edo for about four years, and my roots in Edo are still shallow."

"Up to now, the only people I can truly trust are my mother, you, Rintaro, and a very few others."

"And the only people who understand military affairs and can raise troops are you and Rintaro."

"In order to build a naval force that can fight and win as soon as possible, Katsura Rintaro is already extremely busy and has no time to spare."

"If you refuse the position of Governor of the Capital Region, I can only ask Matsudaira Katamori to try harder and persevere a little longer."

Tokugawa Iemochi spoke with heartfelt sincerity.

It seems he was telling the truth.

Aoto also believed that Tokugawa Iemochi was not lying.

He was often used as a "side servant," so he was well aware of how depleted the talent pool was within the "Nanji faction."

Qingdeng: "..."

Kamo: "..."

Silence fell between the two.

About five seconds later, Qingdeng's breath finally turned into sound.

"...A few days ago, after I almost got sent to my death by that bomb, I suddenly realized something."

When Tokugawa Iemochi saw Aoto suddenly bring up something that seemed to have nothing to do with the current situation, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

But he didn't interrupt; instead, he listened patiently.

"The threat posed by the punishment of the party by law is far greater than I anticipated."

"They still hold a grudge against me for making it difficult for their 'phantom agarwood' to circulate in the Kanto region."

"They are a bunch of vicious psychopaths who would throw bombs into even crowded streets without hesitation."

"The French Extermination Party, which had been dormant for nearly two years, has suddenly resurfaced... This gives us a signal: they are preparing to become active again."

"Perhaps it's because they've accumulated enough strength, or perhaps they feel the time is right to start an uprising."

"No matter what, heaven knows what other methods they will use against me in the future."

"So I thought: instead of passively waiting for them to come to us, we should take the initiative!"

"Since the Hoju Party is suspected of colluding with the Choshu Domain, these lunatics will definitely launch intensive activities in the Gyeonggi region in the future."

"This is the perfect opportunity for me to go to the capital and settle this score with them!"

Upon hearing this, Tokugawa Iemochi's face immediately lit up with joy.

Qingdeng's words had not yet stopped:

"I dare not say for sure that it will definitely restore stability to the capital region."

"But I dare to guarantee—I will do everything in my power to thoroughly purge the party and eliminate its members!"

Tokugawa Iemochi smiled, looking very pleased at Aoto, who had a serious expression on his face.

"That's enough. With the law eradicated and the faction eliminated, the world should become much more stable."

"Tachibana-kun, the capital region... no."

Tokugawa Iemochi paused, his expression becoming even more solemn:

"I'm entrusting half of the world west of Owari to you!"

……

……

The next day—

"Breaking news! Huge news! Prince Ren has been appointed to a new post! Commander of the Capital Region! Commander of the Capital Region! From this day forward, Tachibana Aoto will be the Commander of the Capital Region, overseeing this region!"

"Recruit soldiers! Recruit soldiers! Prince Ni personally leads the formation of a new combat force!"

"From January 3rd to January 20th next year, Niou will open a conscription office in Asakusa! Everyone can sign up! No questions asked! No questions asked! Only the capable will be chosen! Whether you are an honest farmer, a wealthy merchant, a penniless ronin, or a rich and powerful hatamoto, you will have the opportunity to join Tachibana Aoto's ranks!"

"On February 1st of next year, Prince Ni will lead this new fighting force to Kyoto! To pacify the capital region! To quell the internal rebellion!"