I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Kyoto, Kyoto Administrative Office, Hakushu——

Shirasu: The courthouse of the magistrate's office and other litigation agencies during the Edo period, named for the white sand that symbolized justice and sanctity that covered it.

A straw mat was laid out in the very center of Baizhou, where the suspect, who was bound hand and foot, knelt.

The constable, known as "Rope Taker," stood behind the suspect, holding the rope used to bind him, to prevent the suspect from committing any misdeeds.

Tong Xin, who was in charge of assisting with the case hearing, sat on either side of Bai Zhou.

The judges in charge of the trial, including Yinwei Fang and Li, as well as the clerks who recorded the trial process, all sat upright in the hall directly in front of the suspect.

[Note: Ginmi-kata was a judicial institution during the Edo period.]

The above describes the basic personnel configuration of the judicial courts during the Edo period.

In order to reduce the occurrence of wrongful convictions and to limit the power of the judiciary, the shogunate had a complete set of complex and sophisticated judicial procedures.

The suspect was first handed over to Yinwei Fang and Li for interrogation.

Once the suspect confesses, the clerk records it, the editor compares it with the old record, and the case is then drafted according to the previous example before being submitted to the town magistrate.

[Note: The editor in charge of drafting the main text is responsible for reviewing the court records of the clerks. The case filer is responsible for recording and investigating precedents.]

After multiple interrogations and confirmation of the suspect's confession, the town magistrate would announce the sentence; however, a death sentence required the permission of the Edo elder.

At this moment, Qing Deng sat upright in the suspect's seat in Shirasu of the Kyoto Magistrate's Office, looking around with a curious gaze.

Previously, when he was serving as the head of the Hokuban-sho-cho in Edo, he always looked down on others and this was the first time he had sat in the suspect's seat.

On both sides of Shirasu, there are some torture instruments used to intimidate prisoners, but according to custom, torture is not carried out indiscriminately.

Only when a suspect has committed a crime punishable by death or more but refuses to confess, Yoriki would apply to the town magistrate for permission to torture the prisoner. The town magistrate would then consult with the senior councilor. After obtaining the senior councilor's permission, Yoriki and Yoriki would go to the prison residence and, accompanied by the prison magistrate, torture the prisoner at the torture chamber.

If the prisoner still does not confess, he will be taken to the interrogation room for severe torture. If the prisoner's guilt is conclusive but still not true, an application will be made for "chadoujie" (a form of punishment where, if the evidence is clear, the prisoner can be executed without a confession).

Yu Li and Tong Xin, who were in charge of the entire case, would be present to witness the execution until it was over.

However, with the help of the talent [Sharp Eyes +5], the sharp-eyed Qing Deng keenly noticed that the torture instruments placed on both sides of Bai Zhou were not covered with deep dust, but showed signs of wear and tear everywhere, indicating that they were frequently used.

Qingdeng turned his head to look at the two Tongxin who had arrived and were sitting on either side of Baizhou in a very imposing manner.

"Hey, Sato-kun, wanna go to Shimabara tonight and have some fun?"

"Going to Shimabara again? You have way too much energy!"

"There's nothing I can do. The new courtesan at Lotus House is just too alluring! Those tiny feet are simply irresistible!"

They chatted casually as if no one else was around, not even glancing at Qing Deng, the suspect. Their words, actions, and appearance all exuded a strong sense of nonchalance.

"...Young man, do you have any money?"

Just then, a calm male voice suddenly came from behind Qing Deng.

Qing Deng turned his head and looked at the owner of the voice—the one who was in charge of watching over him, Sheng Qu.

Faced with Qingdeng's blade, the officers dared not approach him, let alone tie him up with rope.

Therefore, the rope handler who was in charge of guarding Qingdeng had a very easy job. He didn't need to control the rope used to tie Qingdeng up; he only needed to stand straight behind him and stare blankly.

"Money? What? You want me to bribe you?"

Rope took a sneer.

“I am just a powerless and insignificant official. What use would it be if you stuffed all the gold and silver in the world into my hands? If you have money, you can use it to bribe Lord Takahashi. That way, you might be able to save your life.”

"Lord Takahashi? Who is he?"

"Kinsaburo Takahashi, with your discerning taste and strength, will be the one to judge you in a moment."

At this point, Rope pursed his lips.

"Young man, you're really unlucky."

"I just offended the Kusunoki Group, and now I'm stuck with Lord Takahashi."

"Lord Takahashi is a notorious miser."

"For a long time, he has been unscrupulously accumulating wealth by taking advantage of his identity as a 'Yinwei Fang Yu Li'."

"In any case he handled, the trial outcome was not related to the amount of evidence, but only to the amount of bribes."

"As long as you pay enough money, he can change a serious crime to a minor crime, and a minor crime to an acquittal."

"If conditions allow, and you pay enough, he can get you free that very day, even for the most heinous crimes."

"Lord Takahashi may not have many other skills, but he is very good at making money by taking advantage of his official position."

"In terms of his ability to bend the law for personal gain, he is simply a genius of unparalleled talent."

"Even if someone has been proven innocent, he will still try to squeeze a large sum out of them. If they don't pay, he will change their acquittal to a guilty verdict."

"In short, young man, if you have money, I can help you contact your family and have them bring the money over. This is your only chance to live, so think it over carefully."

At this point, Rope seemed to remember something, paused, and then adopted a serious tone:

"By the way, don't get cocky and act recklessly, thinking you can do whatever you want in this capital."

"I know you are very skilled."

“I’ve already heard from my friends that the famous Junji Umehara didn’t even last a single round against you. A dozen or so officers with ladders and spears attacked at once, but they couldn’t even get close to you.”

"But no matter how skilled you are, can you stand against the entire Kyoto Magistrate's Office?"

"Even if you manage to break out, you will be burdened with a heavy warrant for your arrest from now on and live a life of constant wandering."

"Even the unparalleled Ogata Itsune, after being wanted by the shogunate with a large sum of money, had to go into hiding due to the unbearable turmoil, living a secluded life in which no one knew whether he was alive or dead. How much more so for you?"

After hearing this, Qing Deng blinked and adopted a half-joking tone:

"Thank you for your kind reminder. I've long heard that the Kyoto Magistrate's Office is a stinking garbage dump, teeming with rotten people. But now it seems that's not entirely true."

Rope shrugged.

"You flatter me. Such a heavy compliment is not something I can accept."

"I'm not a good person, so don't imagine me to be anything more noble."

“You killed the members of the Kusunoki Group—such a feat made me feel very relieved, and that is why I decided to do everything I could to help you.”

He paused, remained silent for a moment, and then continued:

“I am a native of Kyoto. Seeing my hometown in this state because of those so-called patriots who advocated for the liberation of the country makes me feel very pained.”

Qingdeng pursed his lips, looking thoughtful:

"So... in your opinion, how much money would I need to pay to get off the hook?"

“You killed the Nanmu Group members. If you want to get away with it, you’ll need at least 100 taels of gold.”

"100 taels of gold?"

Qing Deng couldn't help but sneer.

"How could an ordinary person afford such a large sum of money?"

Rope let out a long sigh.

"Yes, it's because ordinary people simply can't afford this money, so in the end, the ones who suffer are the poor people who are starving and freezing."

“Those wealthy and noble people who are rolling in money and adorned with gold and purple can smugly evade the law by virtue of their vast wealth and high status.”

"At this moment, all that matters in the world is money. Who cares about reason? The government offices are wide open, but if you have reason but no money, don't bother coming in."

Qingdeng nodded slightly in deep agreement:

"...The righteous are acting recklessly, various forces are fighting each other, and the authority of the government has vanished. The social order in the capital is really worse than I expected."

Rope took a bitter smile:

"Who can argue with that? Although the shogunate has sent a new governor of the capital region, in my opinion, this new official is unlikely to accomplish anything. At the age of 21, with only a hundred or so men under his command, what good can he do? Let alone the powerful Choshu Army and Satsuma Army, I'm afraid the Kusunoki Group alone would be enough to give them a hard time."

"...That's not a good thing to say."

"Ok?"

Rope raised an eyebrow and subconsciously cast a questioning glance at Qing Deng—only to see a meaningful expression on the other's face.

"You should be able to tell from my accent, right? I'm from the Kanto region, so I have a much deeper understanding of this newly appointed Governor of the Kyoto Region who is from Edo than you do."

"As far as I know, the Commander of the Capital Garrison... that is, Ju Qingdeng, is known for his brutal style and is most adept at making swift and decisive decisions."

Creak, creak, creak, creak, creak...

As soon as Qingdeng finished speaking, footsteps suddenly came from the depths of the main hall in front of Baizhou, growing louder as they approached.

The rope's face changed color:

"Tsk! Lord Takahashi is here!"

At the same time, Tongxin, who had been chatting idly on either side of Baizhou, also stopped talking. They quickly pursed their lips and sat up straight.

"Young man."

A light, floating sound came from above Qing Deng's head.

“I have done all the duty I could. Now you can fend for yourself. If you want to bribe Lord Takahashi, just shout, ‘I still have one piece of evidence to prove my innocence that I have not yet presented.’ This is the common code word of our Kyoto Magistrate’s Office. That way, Mr. Takahashi will understand your intention.”

"..."

Qingdeng remained silent, his gaze fixed calmly ahead.

A moment later, the heavy footsteps finally arrived directly in front of him.

Qing Deng raised his gaze—an ugly mountain of flesh came into view.

His menacing, fleshy frame, and unattractive features... If it weren't for the fact that he was dressed as an official, it would be hard to imagine that such an ugly fellow, who looked like a member of the opposite sex, could be the dignified Yinwei Fang Yuli.

Kinzaburo Takahashi bent his thick waist and knelt down with great difficulty in front of Aoto.

As soon as he sat down, he shouted in a loud voice:

"Are you the criminal who wrongfully killed an honest and upright official? State your name!"

"...Kinoshita Saji, a ronin from Kanto."

Qing Deng casually gave a pseudonym made up of the names of his girlfriends.

……