I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 1142

"I'm not really sure either..."

"As far as I know, the original purpose of establishing the position of the Governor of the Capital Region was to share the pressure of the position of Governor of Kyoto."

Regarding this question, the man with the most authoritative answer suddenly spoke up:

“You’re right, that’s exactly it.”

"From now on, Matsudaira Katamori, the Kyoto Guardian, will only be responsible for protecting the Imperial Palace and keeping the Choshu and Satsuma Domains in check."

"The Governor of the Capital Region, Tachibana Seito, is responsible for maintaining order in the capital region and quelling any unrest there."

He was also responsible for monitoring the movements of the Fa-Zhu Party—Qing Deng secretly added to himself.

To avoid causing public panic, and also due to the inherent Japanese national character of "the train is out of control and about to fall off a cliff, but no one wants to be 'the odd one out' and no one will take the initiative to step on the brakes, so the whole train just looks at each other and falls off the cliff together," the shogunate has not yet made public the existence of the Fazhi Party.

However, any power with even a little influence is aware of the existence of this ancient and profound mysterious society.

"Sigh... that Commander of the Capital Region... I remember his name is Tachibana Aoto, right? He's only 21 years old this year, so young... Does he have a way to suppress all the petty scoundrels in the capital region?"

"We've gone off on a tangent. These national and family matters are none of our business. Let's think of a way to solve Heigoro's problem first."

"Hmm...that's true. We should just take care of our own meals and leave the important matters to the big shots."

"Heigoro, don't be discouraged. Although 200 taels of gold is not a small amount, if the few of us pool our money, we can still manage to raise it."

Upon hearing this, Heigorō hurriedly waved his hand and said:

"How can that be! Aren't you all short of money right now? How can I borrow money from you?"

"It's precisely because we're all strapped for cash right now that we need to help each other out even more!"

Hearty laughter rose and fell.

"Although the days ahead are tough, we can get through them as long as we help and support each other!"

"That's right! I refuse to believe that the Nanmu Group can be powerful for a while, but can they be powerful forever?"

……

The encouragement and help from his friends brought tears to Heigoro's eyes once again.

At the same time, Atachi brought over several cups of hot tea—she had somehow released Komaki Goro and released him from his "koala" state—and distributed the hot tea to everyone, including Aoto and Sanako.

The old men looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion.

"Miss Atachi, we didn't order any tea."

Atachi smiled sweetly:

"This tea is on me! Please drink as much as you like!"

"Oh, well then we'll have to accept your offer!"

"Haha, it's just a few cups of cheap tea, it won't cost much. Don't be polite with me and my husband, drink up."

At this moment, Komaki Goro shifted his body and sat a little closer to Heigoro.

"Heigorō, it's always good to stay optimistic."

"Who knows, a chivalrous hero might actually appear who stands up for justice and is also exceptionally skilled, and wipes out all the scoundrels from the Nanmu Group."

After saying that, he curled the corners of his mouth into a meaningful smile.

……

time flies.

When the hour hand on the clock passed the number "9", the number of customers entering and leaving Wulangpu began to decrease sharply.

The old folks, including Heigoro, began to leave in twos and threes.

Finally, only Aoto, Sanako, and the Komaki couple remained in the store.

"A-Machi, go and close the shop door, and put up the 'Temporarily Closed' sign."

"it is good."

Atachi followed Komaki Goro's instructions swiftly and diligently, then returned to his side.

Aoto and Sanako, Komaki Goro and Atachi—two pairs of men and women, facing each other.

"Well... at least we can talk without any reservations now. Tachibana-kun, although I've known for a long time that you're no ordinary person, I really didn't expect that in just over three years, you've risen so high. So, how come the dignified Governor of the Capital Region would appear in my humble wagashi shop?"

Qingdeng smiled helplessly:

"To be honest, Sanako and I are here incognito."

He succinctly explained his plan to conduct an in-depth investigation into the lives of ordinary people and the social order in Kyoto.

Upon hearing this, Goro Komaki couldn't help but smile:

"So, you and Miss Chiba wanted to go on an incognito visit, and the first stop you visited was my shop... It seems we really are destined to meet."

Goro Komaki speaks with the same accent as Atachi, both speaking with a strong Omi dialect.

However, the former is not as standard as the latter.

In some words, Goro Komaki's accent leans more towards a regional Chinese dialect.

[Note: Chugoku region: The area of Japan located between Kyushu and the Kinki region.]

Therefore, Qing Deng speculates that Komaki Goro was not from Omi Province, but rather came from a region in Chugoku Province.

Because she spent so much time with Atachi, she gradually learned the Omi dialect through constant exposure.

The Kansai dialect in Japan is just like the Northeastern dialect in China; it has a very strong "infectious" quality.

Spending a lot of time with people who speak Northeastern Chinese will make you unconsciously learn the dialect—the same applies to Kansai dialect in Japan.

Spending a lot of time with people who speak the Kansai dialect of Japan will gradually assimilate you into the Kansai dialect, no matter what dialect you used to speak.

Atachi picked up the conversation:

"You've only just arrived in Kyoto and you're already making swift and decisive moves, personally going down to the grassroots level to understand the people's conditions... Hmph~~ It seems that you, the newly appointed Governor of the Capital Region, are worth looking forward to! Under your leadership, Kyoto might really be able to restore peace!"

Qing Deng smiled wryly.

“Miss Atachi, you flatter me too much. Understanding the people’s sentiments is only the first step in a thousand tasks. We are still a long way from ‘restoring peace to Kyoto’.”

Atachi shook her head.

"No, no, no. Compared to those good-for-nothings in the Kyoto Magistrate's Office, your willingness to do your job well is already commendable."

At that moment, Goro Komaki's voice rang out:

"Tachibana-kun, are you planning to inspect the key areas along a fixed route, or just wander around aimlessly?"

"To be honest—it's the latter."

Qingdeng didn't hide anything and answered honestly.

"This is the first time Sanako and I have been to Kyoto. The streets and alleys of Kyoto are too unfamiliar to us, and we are even too tired to inspect the key areas of Kyoto."

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Komaki Goro turned his head and looked at A-Machi.

Coincidentally, at the same time, his beloved wife tilted her head and looked at him.

The couple looked at each other.

Although the two remained silent, Qing Deng could sense that the Gu Mu couple were conveying a message through their eyes that only they could understand.

After a moment, Atachi withdrew her gaze from her husband and exclaimed excitedly:

"In that case, we'll be your guides!"

No sooner had Atachi finished speaking than Komaki Goro added:

"My wife and I have lived in Kyoto for a long time. Not to mention the streets and alleys of Kyoto, I know even the heavily guarded Nijo Castle as well as my own backyard!"

The proposal from the Komaki couple was truly unexpected for Aoto and Sanako.

While they were momentarily stunned, the two took the latter part of Komaki Goro's words as a joke and naturally ignored them.

Sanako spoke first:

"This...this isn't a good idea, is it? If you come to be our guides, what will happen to this shop? We can't just close it down, can we? Don't you not have any guides?"

Atachi smiled and waved her hand:

"You don't need to worry about that! We've always run this wagashi shop with a pretty relaxed attitude!"

Goro Komaki, adopting a half-joking tone, interjected at the opportune moment:

Whether the shop is open or not depends entirely on my mood. It's quite common for the shop to be closed for more than ten days in a row due to bad weather or traveling.

Although "how to run one's own shop" is a private matter, after listening to the Old Mu couple's account, Qing Deng couldn't help but comment:

"...Are you really doing business seriously?"

Goro Komaki shrugged and shook his head:

"Mr. Tachibana, you are mistaken!"

What is the purpose of opening a shop and doing business?

"To make money, right?"

"And what is the purpose of making money?"

"To live a comfortable life for yourself and your family, right?"

"Great wealth and high status are not what my wife and I desire."

"All my wife and I seek is peace and tranquility."

"So, we just skipped the intermediate steps and went straight to the leisurely life we've been longing for."

"Working for the sake of working, or doing business for the sake of doing business, will only bring more trouble."