I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The sound of armor plates colliding grew louder as they approached.

A military general dressed in light blue full armor, wearing a cloud-white cloak, a shovel-shaped helmet, and three swords at his waist, walked slowly into view from the back of the venue.

In an instant, all sorts of gazes—admiration, envy, love, and jealousy—fell upon Qing Deng, from the newly formed ranks inside the arena to the onlookers outside.

At a time when the Western world was already operating giant ships and cannons, wearing heavy armor that looked like it came from the Warring States period did indeed seem a bit ostentatious.

Such armor might be passable against swords and blades, but against firearms and cannons, it would be nothing more than a bullet hole and a cannonball pile of slag.

However exaggerated it may be, even those who dislike and hate Qingdeng must admit at this moment: Qingdeng, wearing this armor, is extremely majestic and awe-inspiring.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man.

On the other hand, clothing also depends on the person.

Some clothes require a certain level of poise to pull off. Otherwise, they just give the impression of "a child wearing adult clothes."

Having fought countless battles, slain numerous enemies, achieved numerous feats, and risen rapidly in rank—such a legendary life, paired with magnificent armor, is naturally a perfect match, inspiring awe and admiration.

Not long after Aoto appeared, the highest authority in the Edo Shogunate also appeared.

Tokugawa Iemochi was seen wearing a tasseled crown and a black court robe, looking elegant and distinguished.

If Aoto was a general who emerged from a war painting of the Sengoku period, then Tokugawa Iemochi was a refined scholar who was transformed from a freehand painting of the Heian period.

That court dress, full of the characteristics of the Heian period, matched the imposing Tokugawa Iemochi perfectly, exuding the aura of a ruler.

When this emperor and his minister stand together, they create a wonderful sense of harmony.

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Today is the date of this month.

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

P.S.: In the previous article, when Serizawa Kaker first appeared, Leopard made a mistake and wrote "with an iron ruler tucked into his waist" instead of "with an iron fan tucked into his waist". This has now been corrected.

Chapter 553 The Shinsengumi sets off! Go to Luo! 【4600】

As the Shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi would naturally not come alone.

Besides the soldiers of the Third Division who served as guards, a number of high-ranking officials of the shogunate also followed closely behind Tokugawa Iemochi.

[Note: The Three Guards: a collective term for the Ōbangu (large guard), Shoingu (academy guard), and Koshōgugu (coach guard). They were the shogun's personal guard.]

Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu, Matsudaira Shun'gaku, Katsu Rin'taro, the daimyo of the domains who stayed in Edo due to the imperial audiences, and the senior councilors led by Matsudaira Nobuyoshi...

Qingdeng glanced around and thought to himself:

—Lord Tenshōin didn't come after all…

To prevent the harem from interfering in politics, in accordance with the rules of the Edo Shogunate, the only job of the O-oku (harem) was to manage the household affairs of the Shogun.

In this patriarchal era, it was impossible for the Ōmikado to frequently appear in public.

Tenshōin was able to participate in and discuss politics purely because Tokugawa Iemochi gave her the green light.

In addition, the shogunate is now beset by internal and external troubles, and the retainers are too busy to deal with anything other than the foreign powers, the Kyoto court, and the western domains.

However, no matter how much leniency is given, there are limits.

For Tenshōin, a woman who is also a nun, to appear so openly at an army mobilization ceremony... is indeed inappropriate.

Moreover, Souji and Sanako are also present; they both saw Tenshōin in person at the Tsukimiya Shrine.

Given her beauty, which is no less than that of Sanako, the possibility that the two women would forget her appearance is extremely slim.

If the two women were to see "Utsu Shrine Maiden" wearing the clothes of the Great Imperial Palace, standing side by side with Tokugawa Iemochi... then even if Aoto possesses the talent of "Trickster +9", he would have no way to defend himself.

Although he had long been mentally prepared that he would not be able to see Tenshōin, when he actually failed to see that graceful and mature figure, Qingdeng still felt an indescribable sense of regret.

The person I want to see is unavailable.

The people I didn't want to see all showed up.

The two men, Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu, who held the position of "Shogun's successor," and Matsudaira Haruaki, the "President of Political Affairs," stood behind Tokugawa Iemochi.

After glancing at Qingdeng, the latter coldly looked away.

As for the former... he stared intently at Qing Deng with a deep gaze, seemingly lost in thought.

……

……

The troops set off, and the Shogun personally saw them off—it had been a long time since the shogunate had held such a grand ceremony.

Judging solely from Tokugawa Iemochi's attire and the fact that he brought along daimyo from various domains and high-ranking officials from the shogunate, it is clear that he attached great importance to the Shinsengumi's expedition.

Once everyone who was supposed to be there had arrived, the ceremony officially began in a very solemn atmosphere.

Elegant music, elaborate etiquette... all the activities proceeded in an orderly manner.

As the ceremony drew to a close, Tokugawa Iemochi presented a wakizashi with both hands.

This is a very ornately designed knife.

The hilt, guard, and scabbard are all covered with shimmering gold lacquer and intricately carved patterns. The sword is 17 feet long (approximately 45 cm), and the front of the scabbard is engraved with the Tokugawa family crest: the three-leaf hollyhock.

"Tachibana Moriharu, I present this sword to you! Seeing it is like seeing the sunflower pattern! Punish the wicked according to the law!"

Formal official documents and official events never use the term "common name".

The term "common name" is only used in everyday conversation.

In such a formal setting, it is natural to address each other by their real names.

Therefore, Tokugawa Iemochi did not use "Tachibana Aoto," but instead used Aoto's most formal name: "Tachibana Moriharu."

Seeing it is like seeing a sunflower pattern... which translates to "Seeing it is like seeing the emperor."

In other words, this wakizashi is the imperial sword that Tokugawa Iemochi gifted to Aoto!

In certain situations, it can be used to deter scoundrels.

Qingdeng stretched out his hands and solemnly accepted the knife.

When he looked up, he suddenly noticed a faint smile on Tokugawa Iemochi's lips.

The two locked eyes.

Looking at the boy who was four years younger than him and still too young, Qing Deng's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

—Thinking about it carefully, Jia Mao and I really are old acquaintances and old partners...

His acquaintance with Tokugawa Iemochi dates back to after Iemochi was promoted to "supplementary staff and attendant to the emperor".

Before this, the two of them were not very familiar with each other.

Due to the nature of his work, Aoto frequently had to go up to Edo Castle. The two saw each other all the time, and over time, a deep friendship was established between them.

They not only governed together, but also discussed and studied issues together.

On many issues such as "how to govern the country" and "how to manage personnel," they were both clueless and inexperienced novices.

When Qingdeng was by the side of this gentle, kind, respectful and frugal young man, he would unconsciously forget the difference between ruler and subject.

At that moment, Qing Deng noticed that Tokugawa Iemochi's lips were moving slightly, and words, as soft as the buzzing of a mosquito, were flowing out from between them.

Although his voice was very soft and quiet, because he was so close, only Qing Deng heard him among everyone present.

"Tachibana-kun, I beg you, please restore peace to the capital region."

……

……

The music has ended, the ceremony is complete, the precious sword has been presented, and the ritual is finished.

By conventional standards, today's departure ceremony has come to a successful conclusion.

However, at Aoto's insistence, the ceremony was extended—he wanted to say a few words to the Shinsengumi and his men.

Tokugawa Iemochi granted his request without hesitation and with great pleasure.

Click, click, click, click...

Qingdeng, with unhurried steps and holding a wine glass overflowing with wine, ascended the temporary platform.

The moment he stepped onto the platform—with a “whoosh”—a refreshing breeze swept in from afar, lifting Aoto’s battle robe and simultaneously raising the two military flags standing not far behind him, embroidered with hollyhocks representing the Tokugawa family and gentian leaves representing the Tachibana family.

The flag fluttered and rustled in the wind.

From the perspective of the commander and others below the stage, Qing Deng was backed by the two flags and the bright sun. The sunlight shone from behind him, outlining his figure. Because the light was so dazzling, it put his face and features in relative shadow.

Qing Deng raised his gaze—right below the platform, right in front of him, the 120 soldiers of the Shinsengumi were arranged in a square matrix.

The officers, led by Kondo Isami, and the captains of the sword-drawing squad, led by Souji, lined up at the front of the battle.

All 120 gazes converged on Qingdeng.

Qingdeng could clearly feel their gaze and clearly see their expressions.

Because uniforms and flags had not yet been made, the scene looked quite chaotic at first glance.

Black, brown, gray, white... all sorts of colors, pieced together into a chaotic mess of colors.

Some wore extremely formal crested haori, such as samurai sons represented by Souji and Kondo Isami.

Some people wear kendo uniforms like Sanako and Kinoshita Mai.

Those team members from humble backgrounds were so poor that they didn't even have a decent set of clothes and could only wear old, tattered clothes.

On the surface, this was simply a motley crew cobbled together, making it hard to imagine that they were the newly formed fighting force of the shogunate.

However, despite their shabby appearance, they possessed something that so-called elite units such as the page corps and the daiban corps did not have.

That was a bright, spirited gaze.

The recruitment of members for the new selection team is based on a voluntary system.

Therefore, most of the team members who appeared here wanted to take advantage of this once-in-a-century opportunity to make great achievements and realize their dreams of rapid advancement and upward mobility.

Putting everything else aside, their spirit and energy alone far surpass those of the Manchu gentlemen.