I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Therefore, the attractive and inexpensive geishas seamlessly filled the entertainment needs of the urban class.

Besides being "good quality and inexpensive," geisha, unlike courtesans who speak difficult "koto" and play outdated tunes, are very down-to-earth and interact with the urban class. They are informal in conversation and sing the most popular songs of the moment, which makes geisha very popular and their status continues to rise.

[Note: This refers to the way courtesans often speak, characterized by a very affected intonation and the addition of the suffix "alins" at the end of sentences.]

Compared to courtesans whose personal freedom is restricted and who cannot freely leave the brothel, geisha, whose movements are not restricted, are better able to meet the diverse needs of their guests.

Wealthy people often hire geisha to perform in their mansions or as "rent-a-girlfriends" to travel together.

In addition, the "freedom of love" enjoyed by geisha is a huge advantage that courtesans cannot match.

Because courtesans earn money through their bodies, they are like modern idols, and are strictly prohibited from dating.

If you fall in love with someone, it's fine as long as it doesn't affect your business. But if you can't properly entertain customers, or if you do something like eloping, then you'd better pray that you don't get caught and brought back.

Geisha are different.

Because they make a living through their skills, they can freely and boldly fall in love.

Whether she marries a talented scholar or a beautiful woman, or spends time with a portly wealthy merchant, it all depends on the geisha's whim.

In the streets and alleys, there are always wonderful stories of "handsome samurai marrying beautiful geisha".

Kyoto is the birthplace of Geisha.

With the passage of time, Gion exudes an indescribable elegance.

An old brick road.

A row of quaint, old-fashioned buildings.

An atmosphere of decadent extravagance.

Of course, the most eye-catching sight is the geisha who roam the streets of Gion.

Wearing a flower-shaped bun, a furisode kimono, a sash around the waist, and thick-soled wooden clogs, this is the standard attire of a geisha.

[Note: Furisode kimono: also known as long-sleeved kimono, is a style of kimono worn by unmarried women. It is characterized by sleeves that reach almost to the instep, bright colors, and ornate patterns.]

Geisha's headdresses are very elaborate, especially the flower hairpins, which have specific designs for each month. January features pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms; February features plum blossoms; March features rapeseed flowers; April features cherry blossoms; May features irises; June features hydrangeas; July features Gion fans; August features morning glories; September features bellflowers; October features chrysanthemums; November features autumn leaves; and December features the style of theater signboards.

It's February now, so as far as the eye can see, all the geisha on the street are wearing delicate plum blossom-shaped hairpins, forming a unique plum blossom forest.

Geisha's hairstyles are also very distinctive.

Younger geisha typically wear the "momowari" hairstyle, where the hair on top is tightly gathered and coiled into buns on both sides, resembling a peach when viewed from the front. Older geisha wear the "akashiko" hairstyle, which, unlike the rounded momowari, is pentagonal when viewed from the back.

Besides their hairstyles and hairpins, geisha's shoes and belts are also quite different from those of ordinary girls.

The thick-soled wooden clogs they wore had soles up to 15 centimeters thick. The clog laces of geisha of different ranks were different colors. Young geisha with a peach-shaped hair bun had red laces, while older geisha with an Akashika-shaped hair bun had light red laces.

As for the obi (belt) they wear, it is called a "haedi" (embroidered belt). The length of the haedi is 1.5 times that of a regular kimono obi (3-5 meters), and some haedi can even be as long as 7 meters. The patterns on the haedi are very rich and gorgeous. Geisha walk gracefully, and the swaying haedi behind them is very alluring.

When geisha walk the streets, they always carry a bag called a "gajinki," which consists of a kinki (a small Japanese drawstring bag) at the top and a bamboo or wooden basket at the bottom. The gajinki is usually used to carry essential items for geisha to attend banquets, such as handkerchiefs, fans, kaishi (paper towels), toothpicks, and lip rouge.

Although Edo also had geisha and areas where geisha gathered, it did not form such a large "industrial park" as Gion.

It is said that there are more than 3,000 geisha in Gion.

Seeing so many geisha for the first time, Seito became somewhat mesmerized without even realizing it.

It really was just a tiny bit! However...

Suddenly, Qingdeng felt a needle-like chill pricking his skin.

Aoto shivered, then looked in the direction from which the chill came—Sanako glanced at him, her eyes narrowed, staring at him expressionlessly.

That expression, that look, it's as if he's saying: Wow~ you seem to really like geisha?

Sanako is more jealous than anyone else, and she holds the most vehement opposition to Aoto's ambition to "marry three wives and form a large family".

In an instant, Qing Deng straightened his gaze, no longer daring to look at the geisha on the street, and stared straight ahead at the air.

His dignified bearing and solemn expression perfectly exemplify the term "upright gentleman".

"This is Sumireya, one of the most popular teahouses in Gion."

"That's Tomoe House, which produced the now very famous geisha, Yukishiro."

"This teahouse often collaborated with various teahouses in Gion."

……

Led by Goro Komaki, the group strolled around Gion, stopping frequently to explore the area.

Goro Komaki was very familiar with Gion.

He was not only very familiar with the terrain of Gion, but he also had detailed information about all the teahouses, government offices, and shops in Gion.

Seeing this, Qingdeng couldn't help but tease:

"Mr. Komaki, you seem to know Gion very well. You must be a frequent visitor here, right?"

Komaki Goro smiled.

Then he turned his head and looked straight at Qingdeng, his expression extremely serious:

"Talk is talk, jokes are jokes, but some jokes are not to be taken lightly."

At the same time, Atachi turned her head and cast a sharp, piercing gaze at Komaki Goro—a gaze so similar to the one Sanako had used to glare at Aoto earlier.

"Feel sorry……"

Knowing how terrifying such a "kind gaze" was, Qingdeng slipped away and apologized.

"Don't underestimate Gion, I didn't bring you here to see geisha."

As he spoke, Goro Komaki adopted a serious tone.

“Gion is the largest social gathering place in Kyoto, bar none.”

"Businessmen discuss business here."

“The drunkards are indulging in drinking here.”

"Talented men are here discussing poetry and literature."

"The warriors exchange martial arts techniques here."

"Naturally, there are also many patriots here discussing important national affairs."

Goro Komaki tilted his head and cupped his right palm over his right earlobe.

“Listen… prick up your ears, and you’ll hear a cacophony of accents from all over the country.”

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately held his breath and listened intently.

The talent "Wind Perceiver +1" is activated.

Kyoto dialect, Osaka dialect, Edo dialect, Choshu dialect, Satsuma dialect... all sorts of accents and intonations poured directly into Aoto's ears.

“The patriots often gathered and held meetings in Gion.”

“Gion, where people come and go, scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants crowd together, is actually a place to deceive people.”

"They even hired and bribed geisha who frequently interacted with people from all walks of life and had a high degree of freedom, to become their eyes and ears, helping them to gather intelligence and gather information."

“Tachibana-kun, this is my suggestion to you—since you are the Kyoto Garrison Commander responsible for maintaining the security of Kyoto, you should designate Gion as a key area for surveillance.”

"If we're lucky, we might be able to gather a lot of useful information here."

After listening, Qing Deng glanced around at the surrounding street scene, then solemnly expressed his gratitude:

"Mr. Gomak, thank you very much. Your suggestion is very useful to me."

Goro Komaki smiled slightly.

"You're welcome. My wife and I have lived in Kyoto for many years and have a deep affection for this city. More than anyone else, we hope that Kyoto can return to its former peace and stability as soon as possible. If we can contribute to the long-term stability of Kyoto, we will do our utmost."

As soon as Komaki Goro finished speaking—

"Hey! Haven't we made ourselves perfectly clear? I want to see 100 taels of gold in 7 days! Otherwise, I'll tear down your shop!"

The sudden shout drew the attention of Qing Deng and the others.

Five menacing samurai with swords at their waists rushed into a teahouse not far away like wolves.

Upon seeing this, nearby pedestrians quickened their pace and hurried to avoid the area.

Komaki Goro raised an eyebrow and said quietly:

"Oh dear, what a small world! Aren't these the bastards from the Kusunoki Group?"

This morning, Qing Deng learned about the history of the Nanmu Group from the stories told by Mr. and Mrs. Komaki and the elderly people at Wulangpu.

The teahouse that the five scoundrels from the Nanmu Group broke into had a simple and unpretentious feel, both in terms of its size and its exterior decoration.

This is probably just an ordinary small shop catering to the general public.

When the scoundrels from the Nanmu Group forced their way in, the shopkeeper—a short, middle-aged man—knelt on the ground, bent over, with three fingers supporting his weight, his posture so humble it was almost groveling.

"My lords, we are just a small family, and we really can't afford that much money! Is this amount acceptable to you?"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper took out a money bag from his pocket, untied it, and pushed it forward.

The money bag was glittering with gold; a rough count revealed about 6 or 70 taels, certainly not 100 taels.

The leader of the scoundrels—who had a conspicuous diagonal scar on the left corner of his mouth—kicked the pile of money away.

The gold coins tumbled down with a whoosh.

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Scarface furrowed his brows, revealing his menacing nature.

"You merchants only know how to eat, drink, and have fun all day long! What? You have money when you're indulging in feasting and womanizing, but when it comes to donating money to support the cause of honoring the king and repelling the barbarians, you just happen to be broke?"

As soon as Scarface finished speaking, his companions behind him began chattering in agreement:

"That's right, that's right!"

"You merchants only care about material possessions; you have no sense of national responsibility whatsoever!"

"Our nation is in peril! The Western barbarians could attack at any moment! Every penny of your donation will become our strength to fight back against the Western barbarians in the future!"

Faced with the accusations of the scoundrels, the shopkeeper huddled up, his face pale, and dared not speak.

Just then, a brisk female voice, accompanied by approaching footsteps, came from the back room of the teahouse.