I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A moment later, he muttered to himself with a look of sudden realization:

"So that's how it is... They're trying to intimidate me by using historical allusions to illustrate their point..."

Opposing the Muromachi Shogunate—this was the politically correct stance of those who revered and opposed it.

To understand why this is the case, we need to go back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties period more than 700 years ago.

At the end of the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the Kamakura shogunate was in decline. Emperor Go-Daigo, who was in power at the time, was determined to restore the authority of the court and plotted to overthrow the shogunate.

He launched two anti-shogunate movements, known in history as the "Shochu Incident" and the "Genkō Rebellion," both of which failed.

After the Genkō Rebellion, Emperor Go-Daigo was exiled to Oki Island, and the shogunate supported a new emperor, Emperor Kōgon.

However, the anti-shogunate forces were still active throughout Japan at that time.

In 1333, Emperor Go-Daigo fled Oki Island with the help of anti-shogunate patriots and subsequently raised an army to overthrow the shogunate again.

The Kamakura Shogunate dispatched Ashikaga Takauji to quell the rebellion. Ashikaga Takauji, who was already dissatisfied with the shogunate's autocratic rule, defected en route, returned and conquered Kamakura, thus ending the Kamakura Shogunate.

Ashikaga Takauji was bestowed with the character "尊" (respect) from the Emperor's name because of his major contribution to the overthrow of the shogunate, and his name was changed to "Ashikaga Takauji".

After Emperor Go-Daigo returned to Kyoto, he initiated the first restoration of imperial rule and implemented new policies.

First, they did not recognize the legitimacy of Emperor Kōgon's throne, honored him as Emperor Emeritus, and stripped him of all his powers.

At the same time, the shogunate and the regency system were abolished, and an imperial dictatorship was established, with the emperor appointing and dismissing officials at his own discretion.

This is the "Jianwu New Deal" in history.

The new policies failed to meet the demands of the samurai and only promoted nobles and courtiers from Kyoto, which aroused their dissatisfaction.

Ashikaga Takauji, a general who overthrew the shogunate, was particularly dissatisfied and intended to establish the shogunate.

Subsequently, Ashikaga Takauji forced Emperor Go-Daigo to abdicate and installed Emperor Kōmyō of the Jimyōin line.

Emperor Kōmyō appointed him as Shogun and established the Muromachi Shogunate, marking the beginning of the Northern Court.

After being forced to abdicate, Emperor Go-Daigo managed to escape, taking with him the Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Family—the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Yasakani-no-Magatama, and the Yata-no-Kagami—and retreated to Yoshino in Yamato, thus establishing the Southern Court.

Thus, the Northern and Southern Dynasties (1336-1392) were finally formed.

After numerous battles and offensives, the power of the Southern Dynasty gradually declined.

Finally, during the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, the Southern Court fell under the powerful offensive of the shogunate army.

The Southern Court Emperor handed over the Three Sacred Treasures to the Northern Court Emperor, thus ending the Northern and Southern Courts period.

This period of division in Japan, which lasted for decades, gave rise to an extremely serious question that cannot be taken lightly: which of the Northern and Southern Courts was the legitimate successor?

Japanese scholars have been debating this issue for a long time.

Because the Northern Court inherited the Emperor's imperial lineage after the unification of the Northern and Southern Courts, the "Northern Court's legitimacy" theory prevailed before the "Black Ships Incident," despite some debates.

For example, in the early Edo period, the official historical work of the Edo Shogunate, the "Honcho Tsūkan," drafted by Hayashi Razan and written by the Hayashi family, regarded the Northern Court as the legitimate dynasty.

However, when the Mito Domain published the Dai Nihonshi, a biographical history of Japan written in classical Chinese, the "Southern Court Orthodoxy theory" gradually gained influence.

The Dai Nihonshi (Great History of Japan) has consistently upheld the "Southern Court legitimacy theory".

The main purpose of the Mito Domain in compiling the Dai Nihonshi (Great History of Japan) was to evaluate the merits and demerits of its ministers using Confucian moral standards.

According to Confucian moral standards, Ashikaga Takauji, who exiled the emperor and supported the false emperor, was an utterly heinous traitor.

In addition, another reason why the Dai Nihonshi (Great History of Japan) insists on the "Southern Court Orthodoxy" theory is based on the ownership of the three sacred treasures that symbolize the emperor's authority.

During the period of division between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, all three sacred artifacts were in the hands of the Southern Dynasty, so the Southern Dynasty should rightfully be recognized as the legitimate dynasty.

After the "Black Ships Incident" broke out, the conflict between the shogunate and the imperial court intensified to an unprecedented degree.

Based on their vague intuition, the patriots deduced an equation: because the shogunate advocated the "Northern Court's legitimacy," supporting the "Southern Court's legitimacy" was equivalent to opposing the shogunate.

As a result, the idea that "the emperor of the Southern Dynasty is the legitimate ruler" became very popular among those who respected and opposed the emperor.

Those who uphold patriotism are a complex group that is difficult to define.

Most of them suffer from "convert fanaticism," which means that people who join a particular group later are often more loyal and fanatical to that group than those who are born into it.

If I don't do something to express my loyalty to the court, I will feel terrible—this is the mentality of many radical and patriotic individuals.

Despite never having set foot in the Imperial Palace, never having seen the Emperor, and never having eaten a single grain of rice from the court, he inexplicably felt a surge of emotion, a sense of "a scholar will die for one who understands him."

[Note: Imperial Palace: After the imperial court moved the capital to Kyoto in 794 AD, this place has been the residence of successive emperors.]

In the eyes of those who advocated for the restoration of the dynasty, Ashikaga Takauji, who forced the imperial line to split, and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who destroyed the Southern Court, were truly heinous traitors.

Unbeknownst to them, their advocacy of the "Southern Court's legitimacy" has ironically placed Emperor Tonin in an extremely awkward position.

After the fall of the Southern Dynasty, the throne naturally fell to the emperors of the Northern Dynasty.

If the emperor of the Southern Dynasty is recognized as the legitimate ruler, wouldn't that mean that the current emperor and all emperors from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the present are false emperors?

The heads of the wooden statues of Ashikaga Takauji, Ashikaga Yoshiakira, and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu were cut off and displayed to the public... Even a fool could tell that this was the work of Takauji.

Qingdeng speculated that the actions of the patriots were likely due to two reasons.

On the one hand, it is to demonstrate one's enthusiasm for respecting the king.

On the other hand, it was also to intimidate Qing Deng.

As one of the Baku army units, the Shinsengumi was undoubtedly a pro-Baku force.

The act of "beheading" a general from the previous dynasty is a metaphorical way of expressing the "overthrow of the shogunate".

This incident occurred on the very day the Shinsengumi entered Kyoto... How could such behavior not enrage Matsudaira Katamori, who was in charge of the Kyoto Guardian?

He angrily summoned his subordinates and ordered them:

"Return the portraits and memorial tablets of these three generals to the Dōji-in Temple, and find out as soon as possible who committed such a heinous crime at all costs!"

At this moment, Qingdeng, who had sharp eyes, suddenly noticed that there were three lines of small characters carved on the wooden frame.

"Lady Higo, look, there are words here."

Upon hearing this, Matsudaira Katamori immediately leaned over.

"This seems to be... a poem?"

He softly recited the poem carved on the table:

“‘A fierce battle cry arose, a surge of passion welled up in my throat, and the shadow of a sword pierced the sky…’”

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow:

"It's a poem by the 'Eternal Sword Saint'."

In an instant, the anger on Matsudaira Katamori's face intensified.

"Hmph! They really know how to pat themselves on the back. What are they trying to do? Are they trying to compare themselves to Ogata Itsuki?"

The origin of this poem is quite remarkable.

In 1791, Matsudaira Sadanobu, then the head of the senior council, led an army of 10,000 men on a major northern expedition to personally subdue a group of Ezo (Japanese pirates) entrenched in the north.

Just when the battle was at its most critical and the Emishi were about to be defeated, Ogata Hayanari led dozens of Cossack cavalrymen and appeared like divine soldiers, launching an unstoppable charge against the Shogunate army.

Ogata Hayanari's attack was unstoppable, breaking through seven battle formations, killing nine generals, and conquering the main camp all the way, forcing Matsudaira Sadanobu to flee in panic.

Legend has it that just before Ogata Hayase launched his charge, he softly recited this poem: "The sound of the battle drums is loud, a surge of hot blood rises to my throat, the shadow of the sword pierces the sky."

And so, this poem, along with Ogata Hayanari's enduring legend of "breaking seven formations, slaying nine generals, and being unparalleled in the world," was forever etched in history.

Since his sudden emergence, Ogata Hayanari has been at odds with the shogunate.

First, he assassinated his own lord, Matsudaira Gennai, the lord of the Hirose Domain, one of the daimyo of the royal domains.

Next came the capture of Nijo Castle, the Shogun's temporary palace in Kyoto.

Then, they defeated the shogunate's northern expeditionary army in Ezo, causing the shogunate's grand plan to "annex Ezo" to fall through.

It can be said that every time Ogata Hayanari's prestige soared, it was accompanied by the shogunate's loss of face.

For this reason, those who respected and opposed the shogunate praised him as "the first anti-shogunate patriot," making him a banner to win people's hearts and expand their influence.

Many patriots took pride in imitating Ogata Hayashi.

They often quoted Ogata Hayanari's poem.

Of course, anyone could see at a glance that their behavior was simply an attempt to glorify themselves.

Although Ogata Itsunari was always causing trouble for the shogunate, he never openly opposed it.

The so-called "original anti-shogunate patriots" are simply not true.

The sound of hurried footsteps.

Under Matsudaira Katamori's orders, a dozen Aizu soldiers rushed forward, retrieved the head, and removed the wooden frame.

Just then, Qing Deng suddenly spoke up:

"...Wait a minute."

The Aizu soldiers were stunned, and then subconsciously looked at their lord—Matsudaira Katamori was also casting a questioning glance at Aoto.

To be honest, Qing Deng didn't want to make a big splash when he first arrived.

However, on the very day that he led the Shinsengumi into Kyoto, the loyalists directly beheaded and displayed the heads of three shoguns of the Muromachi Shogunate to intimidate him... Since they had already gone so far as to confront him directly, it would be very unlike Aoto's character if he did not respond at all!

"What? Is this all the patriots who claim to uphold the imperial court and expel the barbarians are capable of?"

Qingdeng held his head high.

His voice, amplified by the "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Stones +2" talent, clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

"Are you only capable of getting angry at a piece of wood?"

"Are you only brave enough to swing your knives at wood?"

"If you want to give me, Ju Qing, a hard time, why resort to such a despicable method?"

"The Shinsengumi is stationed in Mibu-go, in western Kyoto!"

"If you don't like me, you're welcome to come knocking on my door! I'm ready to teach you a lesson anytime!"

"You should have legs, right?"

"You should know the way, right?"

"If I walk up to the gate of the Shinsengumi headquarters and shout, 'Tachibana Aoto, I challenge you!', I will definitely come out to fight!"