I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As everyone began to chatter, the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy...

Just then, Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Hajime, who had finished their sparring session, walked over.

"Tch! Who cares about all that!"

Nagakura Shinpachi grinned, revealing a smile.

"All I know is how to wield my sword! Everything else is beyond my consideration! I don't care about foreign affairs or anything like that, I'll just cut down any enemy I encounter!"

Kinoshita Mai raised her gaze, scanned everyone, blinked her beautiful eyes a few times, and revealed a thoughtful expression.

After a moment, she asked softly in return:

"Do you think... the shogunate might be forced by the imperial court to implement a policy of expelling foreigners?"

No sooner had Kinoshita Mai finished speaking than Yamanami Keisuke immediately replied without hesitation:

"impossible."

"Unless Hitotsubashi and the others have lost their minds, they would never agree to expel the foreigners."

The chief blinked her beautiful eyes a few more times:

"What if... I mean, what if Hitotsubashi and the others really lost their minds and actually implemented the policy of expelling the barbarians?"

"..."

Yamanami Keisuke remained silent.

Souji, Sanako, and the others also kept their mouths shut.

After a while, Yamanami Keisuke finally replied slowly, half helplessly and half worried:

"If that's the case... then let's sharpen our blades and prepare for war."

……

……

Wenjiu three years (1863), January 7th——

Kyoto, imperial palace, small imperial palace——

Three sharp, beautiful voices echoed throughout the small palace.

"Lord Hitotsubashi! If your father were here, he would never act like a daughter! He would accept the imperial decree without hesitation and vow to fight to the death to expel the barbarians!"

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's biological father was Tokugawa Nariaki, the former lord of the Mito Domain.

While Tokugawa Nariaki was still alive, he was known for his hawkish image of "strongly advocating the expulsion of barbarians".

As early as when the "Black Ships Incident" occurred, he strongly demanded that the shogunate launch a counterattack and never bow down to the Western barbarians.

Following Sanjo Saneyoshi, the other court nobles spoke up one after another, putting pressure on Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu.

"That's it!"

"King Hitotsubashi, don't think we don't know what you're up to!"

"No more delays! You have today to give us a reasonable explanation!"

……

"..."

Yoshiki Ichihashi remained silent, his body half-bent over, supporting himself with his hands on the ground, silently enduring the scolding and pressure from his entourage.

Matsudaira Haruaki knelt to his side and behind, occasionally raising his eyes to secretly glance at Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu's back.

Tokugawa Iemochi is still recovering from his illness, so now it's just the two of them taking charge.

Although Tokugawa Iemochi was still very young, he was the rightful 14th Shogun of the Edo Shogunate.

Even someone as radical as Sanjo Sanetomi had to restrain himself in the face of Tokugawa Iemochi.

Now, without Tokugawa Iemochi to keep things in check, the court nobles of the anti-foreign faction can be said to have completely "let loose."

They used every trick in the book to spew out offensive words, recklessly mocking and provoking Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi and Haruaki Matsudaira.

Faced with this situation, Matsudaira Haruaki sighed silently.

Although they had deep conflicts with Tokugawa Iemochi, they were ultimately just politically divided.

On the level of "protecting the interests of the shogunate," they were in agreement and none of them wanted the Edo shogunate to continue its decline.

After Tokugawa Yoshinobu fell ill, he and Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu truly did their best.

They tried every means to persuade the court to rescind the edict to "immediately expel the barbarians".

However... under the leadership of Sanjo Sanetomi and others, the imperial court completely ignored the opinions of the shogunate and only knew how to talk about "expelling the barbarians." The two sides were simply talking past each other.

How can a discussion that "completely ignores the other party" possibly lead to a conclusion?

During this period, pro-shogunate nobles, led by Kujo Naotada, were trying to find ways to support Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and Matsudaira Harugaku.

Unfortunately... compared to the power of the anti-foreign faction, the pro-shogunate faction's power was negligible.

Suddenly, three sharp, beautiful voices rang out again:

"Lord Hitotsubashi? Lord Hitotsubashi? Can you hear us? Why are you standing there like a statue?"

"..."

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi has been silent ever since he started speaking.

Matsudaira Haruaki raised his gaze again, staring intently at Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu's back.

He really wanted to see the other person's expression... but due to the limited angle, he was powerless to do so.

In fact, due to the lighting, even Sanjo Sanomi, who was sitting to the side and in front of Hitotsubashi Yoshiki, could not see the facial expression etched on his face.

For some reason… a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in Matsudaira Haruaki's heart…

As Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's comrade-in-arms and old acquaintance, he knew the other's temperament all too well.

Although 26-year-old Yoshiki Hitotsubashi is nearing 30, he is more irrational than he appears.

In short, he is a very emotional person.

To calm his unease, Matsudaira Haruaki swallowed hard, then lowered his voice and spoke softly, in a volume only he and Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu could hear:

"Mr. Hitotsubashi, you must stay calm and not let them lead you by the nose..."

Before he could finish speaking…

"...Your Majesty! My ministers!"

Then Ichijo Yoshiki suddenly straightened up.

His loud shout immediately drew everyone's attention.

“Blog, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle, bustle…

He was like a broken tape recorder, constantly repeating the word "expel the barbarians".

His appearance was so terrifying that many people in the room involuntarily shrank their necks.

Even Matsudaira Haruaki couldn't help but ask, "Hitotsubashi-kun, what are you doing?"

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi completely ignored Matsudaira Haruaki's question, as well as the astonished looks that others were giving him.

A moment later, he adopted a cold, indifferent tone, devoid of joy or sorrow:

"You keep saying 'expel the barbarians'... Your Majesty, my ministers, do you really want to expel the barbarians that much?"

"Fine! Since you're so eager to expel the barbarians, then so be it!"

"The matter of expelling the barbarians will be set for May 10th!"

quiet……

In an instant, an eerie silence descended upon the small palace.

Everyone present—especially Matsudaira Haruaki—stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

The first person to come to their senses was Sanjo Mitsumi.

He first looked Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi up and down with a suspicious gaze, then asked in a low voice:

"Lord Hitotsubashi, is this really true?"

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi replied without hesitation:

"It's true! On May 10th, the expulsion of the barbarians will begin! On this day, the shogunate and all the domains must be determined to 'expel the barbarians to the death' and fight the Western barbarians to the death!"

Needless to say, Matsudaira Shungaku and the pro-shogunate court nobles wore expressions that practically screamed "shock."

If it weren't for the need to maintain appearances, Matsudaira Haruaki would have grabbed Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu by the shoulders and loudly questioned him, "What are you doing?!"

The officials and nobles who advocated for the expulsion of foreigners looked at each other in bewilderment. Some of them looked puzzled, some seemed to be in a daze, while most were overjoyed.

Before she could finish, Sanjo Mimi's face was beaming with smiles, her lips almost reaching her ears, revealing two rows of uneven, black teeth.

"Good! Well said! Mr. Hitotsubashi, you should have thought of this long ago!"

……

……

The shogunate accepted the imperial edict and decided to launch the Expulsion War on May 10th to fight the Western barbarians to the death—the news spread throughout Kyoto and beyond in just half a day.

The entire city was in shock!

Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin of Nijō Castle, Matsudaira Katamori of Kinkai Kōmyōji Temple, and... Aoto of Mibu-go were all struck as if by lightning.

Upon hearing this news, Qingdeng was instantly petrified.

He remained stunned for a while before his consciousness returned to his body.

In the next instant of regaining his senses, he took a deep breath—

"May 10th? The anti-foreign movement starts in 3 days? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

He let out a terrifying roar.

*******

*******