I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

There is no doubt that Yamanami Keisuke, who is both literate and skilled in martial arts, possesses exceptional personal abilities.

However, he has a major weakness in his personality: he is too gentle and too kind.

This is both his strength and his weakness.

Gentle and kind... this means that when it's time to be ruthless, it's hard to be decisive.

In contrast, Hijikata Toshizo, nicknamed "Thorn Child," doesn't have this problem—when he gets angry, he doesn't even give face to Aoto, Kondo, or Souji.

Although these personality traits destined Yamanami Keisuke to be unsuitable for military affairs, administrative work would suit him very well.

Keisuke Yamanami, who was well-versed in poetry and literature from a young age, was not only knowledgeable and highly accomplished, but also possessed a photographic memory.

Therefore, it is definitely the right thing to do to entrust the General Affairs Department, which is responsible for handling administrative work, to him.

As for the head of the finance department... this position really gave Qing Deng a headache.

Countries within the Confucian cultural sphere have traditionally valued literature and history while downplaying mathematics and physics.

During the Edo period, most temple schools and academies only taught traditional Confucianism, Mito school, and Japanese classical studies, and rarely touched on mathematics.

In such a social environment, it is very difficult to find even one person who is proficient in mathematics.

The finance department is in charge of finances and logistics—it's no exaggeration to say that the finance department controls the lifeline of the Shinsengumi.

A room manager needs more than just the ability to use an abacus and keep accounts; they also need strong calculation, organizational, and planning skills to manage massive amounts of resources and deliver them accurately to every place where they are needed.

Such an important position cannot be easily delegated to others.

Left with no other choice, Qing Deng had to temporarily vacate the position of "section chief" until a suitable candidate was found in the future.

……

……

Edo, a certain inn—

"Serizawa! Serizawa!"

Shinmi Nishiki pushed open the paper door and strode into the room.

Inside the room, Serizawa Kamo lay on her back with her hands behind her head, legs crossed, leisurely dozing off.

"Huh? Shinmi, what's up?"

He asked lazily in return.

Niji Shinmi plopped down next to Serizawa Kamo, pulled out the latest copy of the tabloid he had just bought, and waved it in front of Serizawa Kamo's face, making a "rustling" sound.

“Serizawa, look, that Tachibana Seito is really generous, he gave us both an official position.”

Shinji Nishiki's tone was frivolous, making it unclear whether he was mocking himself or ridiculing Aoto.

Upon hearing this, Serizawa suddenly opened his eyes, sat up abruptly, snatched the newspaper from Niimi Nishiki's hand, and began to read it quickly, skimming through it.

During the Edo period, small newspapers were typically only one sheet of paper, unlike later newspapers which had many pages and were stacked into a thick pile.

The tile vendors would carve news content and print illustrations on this small piece of paper.

Therefore, Serizawa Kamo quickly finished reading the contents of the tabloid, then angrily tore it into pieces and threw them into the air.

Suddenly, it started "snowing" in the room.

Amidst this flurry of "snowflakes," he muttered through gritted teeth:

"Sword-drawing squad... Fourth Division captain... Hmph! Who do you think you are! Even if someone is to be a captain, it should be me, the captain of the First Division!"

bass!

With that, Serizawa Kamo pulled out the sword that was resting beside his leg and slashed at the air in front of him as if venting his anger.

The gleaming blade reflected the flattened, menacing eyes.

……

……

Edo, somewhere—

Kiyokawa Hachiro read the tabloid in his hand expressionlessly.

After a moment, he let out a cold laugh.

"A staff officer... you want me to be a staff officer?... Hmph! What a clever scheme!"

Ironically, even though Kiyokawa Hachiro and Serizawa Kamo were in different times and places, they did the same thing after reading the tabloid—tearing the tabloid into pieces and throwing it away.

Before the fluttering pieces of paper could fall, he jumped up and rushed to the window to look at the scenery outside.

He took several deep breaths, and the cold, dark clouds that had gathered on his face were gradually dispersed by his breaths.

"...Fine, I don't need to bother with a stubborn pro-shogunate member like Tachibana Seito."

"No matter what, my plan remains unchanged!"

……

……

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi Town, Test Guard Hall——

Qingdeng lay sprawled on the desk, writing furiously.

Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap...

At that moment, the sound of Souji's footsteps approached from the direction of the corridor.

"It's me, Tachibana-kun!"

Qing Deng replied without looking up:

"Come in."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the commander impatiently pushed open the door.

When she saw Qing Deng working at his desk, she was stunned.

"Oh, are you busy?"

"It's alright, come in."

After receiving Qing Deng's permission, Souji closed the door, tiptoed to Qing Deng's side, and sat down with his knees bent.

"Tachibana-kun, wasn't the recruitment for the Jinpu Army... ah, no, the Shinsengumi already finished? What are you busy with now?"

After glancing at Qing Deng's desk, the commander quickly looked away.

Do not peek at other people’s work without permission—this is basic etiquette.

"Hmm... well..."

Qing Deng pondered for a moment, a meaningful smile slowly appearing on his face.

"I'll tell you later. Let's talk about your matter first. What's wrong? Why did you suddenly come to see me? Is there something you need?"

"It's nothing, I just suddenly wanted to chat with you. Tachibana-kun, it's quite lively outside right now, everyone's talking about your Shinsengumi."

"Especially Harada-kun, he was so excited, he kept shouting that he wanted to make the 10th Division the strongest unit in the Shinsengumi."

"Todo-kun was also very excited, and he vowed that he would never fail Mr. Tachibana's kindness in recognizing his talent."

At this point, Souji seemed to recall some funny joke, and chuckled jokingly said:

"Tachibana-kun, you're really wicked. You promoted Kiyokawa Hachiro to the position of staff officer... Even someone like me who knows nothing about politics can see at a glance that you're undermining him."

"..."

Qing Deng did not respond immediately.

His lips parted to the sides, gradually forming a smile that seemed to invite contemplation.

"Kiyoshi Hachiro is neither a brother who shares my loyalty nor a colleague I can trust."

"How could I possibly entrust an important position to such a dangerous person who requires so much caution?"

"However, he also had considerable influence among the Edo ronin."

"Many soldiers in the Shinsengumi came to join him because they admired his great reputation."

“If we don’t give him an official position, it will easily arouse the dissatisfaction of the Qinghe Party.”

"Therefore, there is no position more suitable for him than one that is prestigious and high-ranking, but without any real power."

As set up, the staff officers of the Shinsengumi are independent of the four major departments, do not undertake specific work, and are only responsible for providing advice and strategies to Aoto.

Anyone with a normal IQ can clearly see how big a trap Qingdeng has dug for this position.

The power of this position is entirely tied to Qing Deng's will—and completely tied to it.

When Qingdeng trusts and heavily relies on his advisors, their words and actions will carry immense weight.

But when Qing Deng disliked and ostracized the staff officer, his existence became nothing.

The position of the staff officer was entirely determined by Qing Deng's word.

On the surface, Kiyokawa Hachiro was enjoying unparalleled prestige, seemingly acting as the "second-in-command of the Shinsengumi."

In reality, he was completely ostracized from the power structure by Qing Deng and was merely a powerless puppet who could not command a single soldier.

*******

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Today's update time has been brought forward again!

It's so tough... When will I finally be able to go back to "updating promptly at 10 AM"...? (crying leopard head.jpg)

Chapter 521 Qing Deng's Biggest Dungeon in Edo: [Challenging All the Martial Arts Halls in Edo]! [5200]

At this point, the commander expressed his concerns.

"Even an idiot like me can see at a glance that you're intentionally ostracizing Kiyokawa Hachiro. In that case, he himself will definitely see through your intentions immediately. Tachibana-kun, you'd better be more careful in the future. Beware of his retaliation."

"Don't worry, since I dare to sideline him, I'm not afraid of his revenge."

"It's good that you know what's going on."