I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A heavy silence fell between the two.

About 10 seconds later, Yoshiki Hitotsubashi silently turned around, his deep gaze returning to the window, and sighed silently.

"...Chunyue, I have two things to worry about right now."

"Firstly, Tokugawa Iemochi's indulgence of Tachibana Aoto will lead to a repeat of the events of the Tenpaku era."

Matsudaira Haruaki's pupils suddenly contracted.

Anyone familiar with Chinese history can easily understand what Yoshiki Hitotsubashi meant by "the old stories of the Tianbao era" by considering the context.

In the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan, who held the positions of military governor of Fanyang, Pinglu, and Hedong, mobilized 15 troops under his command, along with troops from the Tongluo, Xi, Khitan, and Shiwei tribes, claiming a total of 20. He launched an uprising in Fanyang under the pretext of "concern for the country's peril," "purging the court of corrupt officials," and "being ordered by a secret edict to punish Yang Guozhong." This event is known in history as the "An Lushan Rebellion."

Because it broke out during the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, it is also known as the Tianbao Rebellion.

The An Lushan Rebellion lasted seven years and two months, causing an unprecedented catastrophe to Tang Dynasty society and marking a major turning point in Chinese history.

Matsudaira Haruaki swallowed hard.

"Lord Hitotsubashi, this... this... is such a thing even possible?"

Yoshiki Ichibashi shouted without hesitation:

"Why not?"

"Haruyuki, I don't need to reiterate to you just how terrifying the power Tachibana Seito currently wields, do I?"

"His military equipment, financial income, personnel management, and other aspects were completely outside the control of the shogunate."

"Although the current Shinsengumi is still very weak, no matter what, it cannot change the fact that its nature is basically the same as Tachibana Seito's private retinue."

“Apart from Tokugawa Iemochi himself, neither you, I, nor Matsudaira Katamori, who is of the same rank as him, have the right to command Tachibana Aoto, nor can they interfere with Tachibana Aoto’s actions.”

"If Tachibana Seito has the ability, and Tokugawa Iemochi agrees, he and his Shinsengumi could become as powerful as An Lushan and the three towns of Hebei!"

"Just think about it."

"If the Shinsengumi's military strength expands to more than a hundred times its current size."

"If Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin were both far removed from the power center of the shogunate, or if they were both no longer alive..."

"I ask you, under heaven, who else can restrain the ripening of oranges?"

"At that time, whether Ju Qingdeng becomes An Lushan, who destroyed the Tang Dynasty, or Guo Ziyi, who rebuilt the Tang Dynasty, will all depend on his decision!"

Matsudaira Haruaki lowered his head, his taut facial lines forming a solemn expression.

"...Lord Hitotsubashi, you just said that you are worried about two things. So, besides 'Tachibana Aoto becoming the next An Lushan', what else are you worried about?"

"..."

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi did not respond immediately.

After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly and softly:

"...Compared to everything I've just mentioned, this next conjecture is what truly sends chills down my spine."

"I suspect... that Tokugawa Iemochi deliberately appointed Tachibana Aoto as the powerful Governor-General of the Capital Region!"

"He wanted Tachibana Seito and his new electorate to become like a feudal lord, which is why he granted him so many privileges!"

As Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi finished speaking, Haruaki Matsudaira's brows furrowed deeply.

Perhaps because he was so surprised, he began to stammer when he spoke.

"Deliberately allowing Tachibana Aoto and his new selection to become like a feudal lord? What... what is the meaning of this? Why would Tokugawa Iemochi do this? What benefit would he gain from doing so?"

Yoshiki Ichihashi shrugged with a wry smile.

"I'm not a mind reader like Tokugawa Iemochi, how could I possibly know what he's thinking?"

"That's why I just said I understand Tokugawa Iemochi less and less."

“Aside from intentional actions, I really can’t understand why a sane and capable monarch would do something as dangerous as playing with fire by sending capable ministers to local areas while giving them independent military, financial, and personnel powers.”

"Isn't he afraid that Tachibana Aoto will become Akechi Mitsuhide, and he himself will become Oda Nobunaga in Honnoji Temple?"

Oda Nobunaga in Honno-ji Temple—a famous historical figure in Japan. In 1582, Oda Nobunaga, who was on the verge of unifying all of Japan, was betrayed by his subordinate Akechi Mitsuhide and died tragically in Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto.

"Or perhaps..."

Yoshiki Ichibashi narrowed his eyes, a meaningful glint in them.

"His goal was to watch Tachibana Aoto grow stronger and develop into someone capable of assassinating Oda Nobunaga..."

"Sigh... I don't understand... I really don't understand..."

At this point, Yoshiki Hitotsubashi sighed again.

"In short, what we need to do now remains the same: continue to keep a close watch on Tachibana Aoto and Tokugawa Iemochi, and never let our guard down."

Matsudaira Haruaki nodded slightly.

"That's for sure. I've never underestimated Tokugawa Iemochi and Tachibana Aoto."

Yoshiki Ichihashi raised his chin, indicating "Excellent".

At that moment, Matsudaira Haruaki seemed to remember something, and suddenly showed a strange expression.

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi keenly noticed his unusual demeanor.

"Chunyue, what's wrong? Why do you look like you want to say something but can't?"

Yoshiki Ichihashi's sudden question startled Haruaki Matsudaira.

After hesitating for a moment, he slowly spoke:

"Lord Hitotsubashi, please forgive my bluntness."

"You seem to harbor unusual hostility towards Tachibana Aoto."

He paused here, hesitated for a moment, and then continued, haltingly:

"To be honest... I don't dislike Tachibana Aoto."

"My conflict with him was nothing more than a difference in political views, that is, a struggle between political parties."

"If we set aside party affiliation, I actually admire this person very much."

“If one day the war between the ‘Nanki School’ and the ‘Hitotsubashi School’ ends, I would be happy to drink and make peace with him.”

"On the other hand, Your Excellency... I have always felt that your hostility toward Tachibana Seito does not seem to be limited to opposing political views."

"Lord Hitotsubashi, am I right?"

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Why did Tokugawa Iemochi value Aoto so much? Does any reader have a clue why?

Chapter 622 No need to worry about Tachibana Aoto! [4200]

Matsudaira Shungaku raised his gaze and stared straight at Hitotsubashi Yoshiki's back.

Although he used a question format, his tone conveyed a strong sense of affirmation.

"..."

Another brief silence followed.

Another reply, delivered in a deep and somber tone.

"...Although this is just my intuition, I firmly believe that Tachibana Aoto is by no means a loyal retainer of the shogunate!"

“Whenever I meet him, a feeling of unease arises in my heart, as if I were keeping company with a jackal.”

"Therefore, I have always regarded Tachibana Aoto as my number one enemy."

Matsudaira Haruaki tentatively pressed on:

"Lord Hitotsubashi, do you mean... you suspect that Tachibana Aoto is a two-faced, treacherous villain or a greedy and ambitious schemer?"

“But… in my opinion, Tachibana Seiden doesn’t seem like that kind of person. From my observation, he doesn’t seem to have a strong desire for money and power.”

Yoshiki Ichihashi smirked and gave a sneer.

"Who knows about things like that?"

"When the Duke of Zhou feared rumors, Wang Mang was humble before his usurpation."

"Moreover... 'ambition' is something that can grow."

"Chunyue, have you ever gone hungry? Have you ever lacked the company of beautiful women?"

The question seemed rather strange... Matsudaira Haruaki, though puzzled, quickly replied:

"No. I have never been hungry. I had already tasted the pleasures of love with a maid when I was 12 years old."

Yoshiki Ichibashi smiled silently.

"Me too. I've never known hunger or lust since I was born."

"What is a treasure that is out of reach for ordinary people is just an ordinary thing that is within my reach."

"We were both born into wealthy families and have been used to a life of luxury since childhood."

"Having grown accustomed to delicacies and tired of beautiful women of all kinds."

"For this reason, ordinary food and mediocre female ninjas simply cannot impress us."

"But... that's not the case for ordinary people."

"To my shame, this is a truth I've only recently come to understand."

At this point, Yoshiki Ichihashi lowered his head and looked down.

He and Matsudaira Haruaki are currently on the top floor of the Hitotsubashi Residence.

As a symbol of the noble status of the "Three Noble Gentlemen," the Hitotsubashi Residence was a magnificent four-story mansion—a truly extraordinary and massive building in the Edo period.

Therefore, from Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's current perspective, the spiderweb-like streets, the scattered houses, the rows of rooftops, and the vast land are all under his view.

“I’ve been standing ‘above’ for so long that I’ve overlooked how terrible the desire to be opened is.”