I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

However, in order to continue monitoring the Toyotomi clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu quickly completed the reconstruction once again.

Ultimately, Tokugawa Ieyasu assumed the position of Shogun here, and soon after established the Edo Shogunate.

This small city witnessed both the demise of the previous hegemon and the ascension of the new hegemon... It was fate!

In the early Edo period, Fushimi Castle was abolished and replaced by Yodo Castle, which became part of the Yodo Domain.

Because it is located between Kyoto and Osaka, this place became the port "Fushimi Port" and the post town "Fushimi-juku" by means of water transport on the Yodo River.

Whether in ancient times or today, any region that is adjacent to a river and can utilize water transport will be well-developed.

Today, Fushimi has become a bustling and prosperous commercial town with a large population and numerous streets and alleys.

If you're looking to find business opportunities that can make you a lot of money, this is the place to be!

Qing Deng had only taken a couple of steps when he felt a tightness in his left wrist—Kinoshita Mai reached out and grabbed his left sleeve.

"Qingdeng, this way."

Mai Kinoshita raised her right thumb and gestured towards a Tsujiguchi (a type of sluice gate) on her right.

"This is a shortcut to leave Mibu Village!"

Qing Deng raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.

Before he could raise any questions, Kinoshita Mai chuckled a few times, feigning profundity, a smug look on her pretty face.

"Hmph hmph hmph~~ Qingdeng, don't forget, I am 'Little Cat Monk'!"

“Investigating street layouts is a professional habit of mine.”

“Since arriving in Kyoto, I have never been idle and have been working hard to collect specific details about the various towns and streets of Kyoto.”

"Although I can't say that I've memorized the entire city of Kyoto yet, I have a clear understanding of the layout around Mibu-go!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng burst into laughter:

"Ah Wu, well done. In that case, I'll trouble you to lead the way."

The two switched places.

Kinoshita Mai led the way, with Aoto following closely behind.

Led by the girl, they sometimes walked onto the main road, and sometimes turned into the unknown Tsujiko.

Qingdeng frequently scanned the surrounding road conditions, intentionally observing them, and thought to himself:

—The traffic in Kyoto is just too complicated…

Because Kyoto was built in imitation of Chang'an and Luoyang of the Tang Dynasty, its street layout also adopted the "street-style" system.

In addition to building the "Odoi Residence," Toyotomi Hideyoshi also made further adjustments to the zoning of Kyoto.

He ordered the construction of more north-south roads, and the neighborhood was further divided into several rectangular sections, laying the foundation for the current appearance of Kyoto's urban areas.

From the 16th century onwards, Kyoto's industry and commerce flourished, and the city's population grew rapidly.

People began to build houses on the vacant land, and to make it easier for people to walk, they also laid paths in front of their houses.

Thus, "路地" and "辻子" came into being.

Tsujiko: A path with two or more entrances and exits, connecting two main roads.

A lane with only one entrance or exit. Lanes are generally private areas, and the entrance often has a nameplate belonging to the homeowner. There are two special types of lanes: "inner lanes" and "bag lanes".

The former is similar to the Chinese term "dark alley".

The latter is a narrow, secluded path where residents can safely let their children play while adults can focus on housework at home.

After marveling at the complexity of Kyoto's roads, he immediately added in his mind:

—A large number of troops must be deployed to effectively deter the bandits entrenched in Kyoto…

Kyoto is one of the oldest cities in Japan.

Therefore, it has a large number of road networks and building complexes that are like "shit mountain codes" and it is impossible to know where to start to rectify them.

This is a huge disadvantage for the Shinsengumi, who are currently shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting Kyoto.

Conversely, in the eyes of thieves, this is a huge advantage.

As long as you are familiar with the road conditions, you can easily shake off your pursuers by turning into any Tsujiko.

The Shinsengumi must deploy a large force to conduct a thorough manhunt and interception in order to bring the escaped thieves to justice.

—Our forces are still too few…

Qingdeng let out a heavy sigh in his heart.

With the Shinsengumi's current strength of only about a hundred men... let alone defending Kyoto, they would have a hard time just holding onto Kyoto.

If you want to recruit soldiers, you need to spend money, and a lot of money at that!

With this thought in mind, Qingdeng became even more determined to find a way to make big money as soon as possible.

……

……

Both Aoto and Kinoshita Mai are people who have plenty of stamina.

They arrived in Fushimi in less than an hour.

Because of its proximity to Kyoto, Fushimi was deeply influenced by Kyoto culture.

Fushimi speaks fluent Kyoto dialect, dresses in classic Kyoto style, and his architecture is virtually identical to other Kyoto buildings.

Because Fushimi and Kyoto have almost identical customs and culture, people often jokingly say: since there's no difference anyway, Fushimi should merge with Kyoto as soon as possible.

Both Aoto and Kinoshita Mai were visiting Fushimi for the first time.

They walked forward at a leisurely pace, observing their surroundings with great interest.

The buildings on both sides of the street are classic Kyoto townhouses.

Kyoto townhouses refer to traditional mixed-use residential and commercial houses in Kyoto, built according to the traditional wooden frame construction method. They are two-story buildings with a long and narrow layout, with a shop in the front and a house in the back, and an attached garden.

The most distinctive feature of Kyoto townhouses is that they place a tiled Zhong Kui image on the first-floor roof as a talisman against evil spirits.

Meanwhile, insect cage windows—a type of barred window—were installed on the second floor facing the street. In ancient Kyoto, where unrest and riots were frequent, these windows allowed people inside to observe the situation outside while preventing outsiders from spying on them.

In addition, small roof structures called "Maojian" will be built on both sides of the roof, which serve both decorative and firewall functions.

Just like the people of Kyoto, the people of Fushimi also have the habit of sweeping and cleaning in front of their houses.

Looking out onto the street, you can always see people with cleaning tools, meticulously sprinkling water and removing dust, cleaning their own yards, and sweeping the street as well.

Fushimi was a commercial city that prospered because of water transport, so naturally, ships were an indispensable part of it.

The closer you get to the Yodo River, the denser the crowds become.

Upon arriving at the port, the prosperous scene surprised even the worldly-wise Aoto and Kinoshita Mai.

Countless laborers worked on boats of all sizes, carrying all kinds of goods.

"It's so lively..."

Kinoshita Mai muttered softly.

Qingdeng nodded slightly in agreement.

"Ah Wu, let's go, let's go take a look at the harbor... Hmm?"

Suddenly, as if he had discovered some rare animal, Qingdeng turned his head and stared straight at a certain spot.

"Qingdeng, what's wrong?"

As Kinoshita Mai asked, she followed Aoto's gaze—and saw that what he was looking at was a boat house.

The so-called "live-in boats" are hotels built near ports, specifically for travelers to stay overnight.

"Temple...field...house...?"

Kinoshita Mai softly uttered the name of the boathouse that Aoto was looking at.

"...Ah Wu, before inspecting the port...I want to see someone first."

Having said that, Qing Deng strode quickly toward the Teradaya.

Although Kinoshita Mai didn't understand why, she still followed closely.

With a soft thud, Qing Deng gently pushed open the door of Teradaya's shop, then asked loudly:

"Who is Ms. Otose?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a pleasant, mature female voice came from deep within the shop:

"Hmm? Who is it?"

Immediately afterwards, a beautiful young woman, still possessing a certain charm, gracefully approached the entrance and stood before Aoto and Kinoshita Mai.

"I am Otose, and you are?"

Qingdeng opened his mouth, about to say something... when he suddenly felt a sharp gaze piercing from behind...

Chapter 600 The Beautiful Mature Woman and the Woman Named "Dragon" [4500]

Even without turning around, Aoto could feel Kinoshita Mai staring fiercely at his back with incredibly sharp, thorn-like eyes.

"Aoto, you seem to know this beautiful young woman named Otose?" — Kinoshita Mai's eyes, as if shrouded in darkness and devoid of any light, conveyed a silent, cold question.

Qingdeng shivered violently, an indescribable chill shooting up his spine and through his skull, making his skin numb and causing goosebumps to rise.

Although that might be a slight exaggeration... in that instant, Qing Deng truly felt an immense threat! It was as if a knife was hanging over his head!

To clear up the misunderstanding and to save his life, he quickly turned to the side and explained to Kinoshita Mai:

"Amai, this is the site of the 'Terataya Incident'!"

"'The Teradaya Incident'...?"

Kinoshita Mai murmured softly, then, as if remembering something, let out a soft "Ah".

"Is this the place...?"

As she spoke, she raised her head, turned her gaze, and carefully examined her surroundings.