I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Edo was like a nouveau riche, while Kyoto was like a wealthy young lady from a prominent family.

Indeed, this is true. Kyoto is an ancient capital with a long history of over a thousand years, while Edo... before Tokugawa Ieyasu moved his fiefdom to Kanto, was just a poor village.

No matter how carefully a nouveau riche dresses, there's always an undeniable air of frivolity about them.

Influenced by this cultural atmosphere, Kyoto women dress with great charm and an indescribable elegance.

In addition, the accent of Kyoto women is also a plus.

Although the honorifics in Kyoto-genre are very sophisticated and tiring to listen to, their tone sounds soft.

Even Qing Deng, who had a deep psychological trauma from Kyoto Kotonoha, had to admit: the woman who talked about Kyoto Kotonoha was very pitiful.

Of course, a large part of the reason why Kyoto women are so alluring is due to the regional advantage.

Kyoto was a noble royal land, and the people of Kyoto were very proud—this was a common perception among Japanese people during the Edo period.

Therefore, when flirting with women in Kyoto, one experiences a sense of exhilaration, like "a toad eating swan meat" or "a goblin capturing a female knight."

However, none of these things had anything to do with Aoto—even if he had a thousand times the courage, he wouldn't dare to experience the beauty of Kyoto women under the noses of Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji.

Can the womanizing Hijikata Toshizo really control himself in front of the charming women of Kyoto?

Hijikata Toshizo noticed Aoto's gaze.

He immediately said in an annoyed tone:

"Hey, Tachibana, don't you trust me that much? And don't just focus on me, aren't Nagakura and Harada pretty philanderers too?"

Qing Deng replied calmly:

"Who do you think caused Nagakura and Harada to become obsessed with matters of love and sex?"

"..."

Hijikata Toshizo remained silent, guiltily averting his gaze.

Nagakura Shinpachi was from the Matsumae Domain in Ezo, while Harada Sanosuke was from the Iyo-Matsuyama Domain in Shikoku—to put it bluntly, they were both country bumpkins who had never seen the world.

After arriving in Edo to make a living, when they saw the brightly lit and bustling Yoshiwara from afar, the feeling that welled up in their hearts was not impulse, but fear—until Hijikata Toshizo personally led them to seek pleasure...

For Hijikata Toshizo, the various okata (traditional settlements) in Yoshiwara and Edo were more familiar to him than his hometown.

Under his careful guidance, Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke—two complete novices who didn't even know the exact location of Yoshiwara—quickly transformed into incredibly experienced gangsters.

Over time, the image of "the three brothers, Tsuchi, Nagare, and Hara, arm in arm heading to Yoshiwara" has almost become a classic scene at Shieikan.

Hijikata Toshizo also seduced Saito Hajime, Todo Heisuke, and Yamanami Keisuke.

Fortunately, these three did not like places of entertainment, so they were spared from harm.

To cover his embarrassment, Hijikata Toshizo cleared his throat and abruptly changed the subject:

"Ju, I know very well what I should and shouldn't do. Even I wouldn't recklessly seek pleasure when things are still unclear."

"Then I look forward to your performance."

Having said that, Qing Deng raised his eyes and looked around.

"Do you have anything to say or add?"

The group looked at each other, speechless.

"Since there's nothing else to say, let's adjourn the meeting. Everyone should get some rest tonight; tomorrow will likely be very busy."

……

……

The next day—

Wenjiu three years (1863), January 18th——

At the crack of dawn, the Shinsengumi set off for Kyoto.

Otsujuku is very close to Kyoto; if you walk fast enough, you can reach Kyoto in less than half a day.

Today marks the official entry of the Shinsengumi into Kyoto, and such an important day cannot be taken too seriously.

In order to make a good impression on their allies, led by the Aizu Domain, and the people of Kyoto, all the soldiers, including Aoto, took a bath last night and combed their hair and changed into the best clothes they had.

As the saying goes: there are only two kinds of cross-dressing: zero times and countless times—the same goes for armor.

After experiencing what it's like to be fully armored at the previous departure ceremony, Qing Deng seemed to have an awakening and suddenly realized: Hey! Wearing armor is actually quite cool!

There's no way around it; young men just love wielding swords and spears, donning robes and armor.

Therefore, Qingdeng did not hesitate, spared no effort, and couldn't wait to put on his magnificent blue and white armor today.

Time passed...

As the sun was about to reach its zenith in the sky, Qingdeng's gaze suddenly sharpened—

On the horizon ahead, there were faint, swaying shadows, like weeds.

The commander-in-chief immediately became alert.

"Hmm? Tachibana-kun, something's up!"

"Commander, don't be nervous."

Qing Deng smiled slightly.

"They're friendly forces!"

With his exceptional eyesight granted by his innate "eagle eyes +5", Qingdeng clearly saw that the true form of those "weeds" was actually a group of fully armed soldiers!

The soldiers were arranged in a tight and orderly formation, with a dozen large flags embroidered with clover standing tall in the middle of the formation, fluttering in the wind.

The Tokugawa clan originated from the Matsudaira clan of Mikawa.

After Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo Shogunate and bestowed titles upon his relatives, only the main family and three branch families in Owari, Mito, and Kii retained the surname "Tokugawa." The rest of the branch families adopted the surname "Matsudaira."

Because they came from the same family, both Tokugawa and Matsudaira used the same family crest: the three-leaf hollyhock.

To distinguish them, the patterns on the three-leaf clover may differ slightly from those from different families.

Aoto recognized it at a glance: it was the holly crest of the Aizu Domain!

At this moment, Kiyohachiro, the vanguard commander, jogged over and shouted:

"Lord Tachibana, ahead lies the army of the Marquis of Aizu! They have come to greet us!"

Qingdeng nodded slightly.

"Yes, I see it. Order the entire army to halt."

Having said that, he lightly tapped the ox's belly, and the radish "mooed" as it carried him past the central army and towards the front of the train.

At the same time, he saw a young man in imposing armor riding out from the Aizu army's formation opposite him.

He wore full armor, predominantly black with orange and white accents, a folded eboshi hat, an exquisite katana at his waist, and a flowing jinhaori (a type of traditional Japanese armor).

He was none other than Matsudaira Katamori, the current head of the Aizu Domain and the governor of Kyoto.

Gentian leaves and sunflower patterns—two large flags standing opposite each other, fluttering in the gentle breeze.

After walking about ten paces apart, the two men simultaneously tightened their reins, dismounted, and walked towards each other on foot.

Soon, Aoto and Matsudaira Katamori faced each other, almost touching.

Matsudaira Katamori curled the corners of his lips into a smile and said:

"Lord Tachibana, we've been waiting for you for so long."

Qing Deng also smiled:

"Lord Aizu, it's been a long time."

Matsudaira Katamori paused for a moment upon hearing this, then his face showed a look of emotion.

"Yes, it has indeed been a long time... The last time we met, you were just an ordinary samurai. Now, you are a general guarding the western frontier for the shogunate!"

"Haha, you flatter me."

The last time the two met was three years ago at a sword tournament organized by the Aizu Domain.

At that time, when Aoto, who won the championship, was receiving his award, he met Matsudaira Katamori for the first time.

Time has passed, and the two men, whose statuses were once worlds apart, are now equals among the world's outstanding figures.

Three years had passed, and Matsudaira Katamori's face looked more mature, but also more weathered.

However, overall, he still looks very young, after all, he is only 27 years old this year.

The Governor of the Capital Region and the Guardian of Kyoto—one was 21 years old, and the other was 27.

The future of Gyeonggi will be entrusted to these two young men in their early twenties.

"Lord Ju, please follow us. We have prepared a grand welcome banquet for you."

"Haha, then I'm really looking forward to your feast."

Aoto and Matsudaira Katamori got back on their horses and rode side by side.

The Shinsengumi and the Aizu Army followed closely behind them, advancing side by side.

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P.S.: The song and dance number "Isn't this good?" is historically accurate and frequently appears in works set in the Bakumatsu period. Examples include the film *Burn, Sword!* and the game *Yakuza: Ishin & Kiwami*.

Chapter 560 The Shinsengumi: Disliked and Humiliated [7000]

Whether in China or Japan, being greeted outside the city is considered a very high honor.

Matsudaira Katamori not only came in person, but also brought his senior retainers and hundreds of feudal soldiers with him.

It should be noted that the Aizu Army currently stationed in Kyoto only numbers around a thousand men.

In order to welcome the Shinsengumi in the most solemn and grand manner, Matsudaira Katamori immediately mobilized nearly half of his military force.

His emphasis on the Shinsengumi is evident.