I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

“I believe that when France learns that the Shogunate is at war with Britain, they will be happy to provide us with all the support they can.”

"Just like the American Revolutionary War, we'll give you a good bloodbath."

"Your strength will be weakened, and you will also lose an important stronghold that could contain the Kingdom of Lucia."

"Admittedly, even with French aid, it would be difficult for us to win."

"However! We are absolutely confident that we will inflict incredibly heavy casualties on you!"

"At least a third of the British soldiers will never be able to return home!"

"In the end, your Queen Victoria will win honor, while you will reap death!"

“Your wives will lose their beloved husbands and be mocked as widows.”

"Your mothers will lose their beloved sons and let out a heart-wrenching wail that will tear the heavens apart."

"The sorrow it brings will far outweigh the joy!"

"Your Excellency, these poor wives and mothers have every reason to resent this war that could have been avoided!"

"Your Excellency, those vengeful spirits scattered here will all curse your recklessness and folly with resentment!"

"Therefore, Your Excellency, cherish the peace you have now! Captain, cherish your soldiers!"

"Now, tell me, how do you answer?!"

"Are you willing to accept our terms and avoid all of this?!"

At the end, Qing Deng's tone rose to its peak.

Its imposing presence was so strong that it seemed poised to tear down the entire ceiling.

Even Katsu Rintaro and Manjiro, who were sitting on either side of Aoto, were startled.

Those unaware of the situation might mistakenly believe that the shogunate was the stronger party in these negotiations.

While it's true that being right doesn't require shouting, a firm stance can always give you some leverage in negotiations.

With his fierce and tiger-like aura, Qing Deng successfully suppressed his opponent.

Neal and Colonel Jocelyn were both intimidated by Qing Deng.

However, they were, after all, envoys representing the face of a nation and captains of a warship.

In the blink of an eye, they had adjusted their emotions and expressions.

"..."

Neil frowned, meeting Qingdeng's gaze without flinching, his sharp eyes seeming to pierce through Qingdeng's body.

Qing Deng's words can be considered half true and half false.

First of all, the shogunate did not have the ability to launch a series of resistances within Japan itself.

Seito knew all too well what kind of state the current shogunate was in.

In short, it consisted of an overwhelming majority of incompetent drinkers and a very small number of capable officials, including himself, Katsura Rintaro, and Manjiro.

Without these loyal and capable generals who helped maintain the shogunate's facade, it would have collapsed long ago.

To describe it as a makeshift operation would be an overstatement.

If Edo falls, the shogunate will surely collapse instantly.

When the British army attacked, the 80,000 bannermen... those sons of the direct subordinates who were used to a life of leisure, would definitely run away without a trace.

Those who still have the courage to fight are unlikely to amount to anything anymore.

After all, war is about spending money.

The Kanto Plain is one of the few affluent regions in Japan.

Losing Edo is equivalent to losing the Kanto Plain; losing the Kanto Plain is equivalent to losing money and food.

A resistance launched under conditions of scarcity of money and food would inevitably be extremely brutal.

However, Qing Deng truthfully recounted the statement regarding France.

France had been in contact with the Shogunate for several years.

With the advent of the Age of Exploration, Africa, Australia, the Americas and other places were basically divided up by the great powers, and the Far East became one of the few "untouched lands".

Western countries all want to find a "handle" in the Far East to exert their influence.

A country like Japan, with its considerable strength, naturally attracts the attention and efforts of various factions.

Although various anecdotes about insulting France have circulated on the internet in later generations, 19th-century France was certainly not a country to be trifled with.

France has the strongest army in all of Europe—at least on the surface.

The shogunate planned to establish a new army and introduce advanced Western weapons and military systems.

France, possessing the strongest army, was able to assist the Shogunate.

The two sides were highly complementary, so the shogunate did indeed intend to engage in long-term cooperation with France.

Such half-truths are the easiest to fool people.

The invention of the steamship brought the world together.

The days of working in isolation, like before, are definitely not over.

Therefore, Qingdeng has always paid close attention to the situation overseas, both before and after his trip to Kyoto.

Osaka, with its unique geographical advantages, has always been Japan's transportation hub, logistics center, and information center.

For this reason, after arriving in Kyoto, which is very close to Osaka, Aoto worked even harder to collect news and information from overseas.

Through long-term efforts, he has always had a fairly clear understanding of the current situation and interests of various overseas countries.

Britain, which has dominated the world, is not without its weaknesses.

As long as the key to Britain's success is grasped, even a weak shogunate can achieve good results in negotiations—and this is the biggest source of confidence that allows Seido to take on this mess.

Qing Deng's argument precisely hit the nail on the head regarding the British side's weaknesses.

He understood very well what the British wanted and what they couldn't give up.

Firstly, Britain was very wary of France's meddling.

Secondly, Britain is currently employing various means to curb the development of Russia.

The relationship between England and France is frighteningly complex.

The two sides often formed alliances, but they also had deep-seated blood feuds, having fought two separate Hundred Years' Wars.

England's foreign policy toward continental Europe has never changed: to wholeheartedly act as a troublemaker, maintain the balance of power in Europe, and never allow any single power to dominate the continent.

When France rose to power, it rallied other countries, including Russia, to attack France.

As the Kingdom of Lu rose to power, it rallied France and other countries to attack it.

France rose up again, and following the traditional path, it once again formed an anti-French alliance.

And so the cycle continues.

Given this back and forth, it's not hard to imagine how much the European continental countries, led by France and Russia, would dislike Britain.

France has always been eager to do anything that could cause trouble for Britain.

The most typical example is the American Revolutionary War.

As is widely known, the founding father of the United States was not George Washington, but King Louis XVI of France.

Without Louis XVI's support, it's uncertain whether the United States could have won the War of Independence.

Going to war with the Shogunate would lead to France sabotaging it—something Britain deeply feared.

Getting bogged down in war in the Far East... even the wealthy "Empire on which the sun never sets" would be apprehensive about it.

The second point is even easier to understand.

For nearly a century, the Kingdom of Russia has been expanding eastward at an unprecedented pace, as if it were on steroids.

Since the mid-18th century, its sphere of influence had extended to Ezo (Hokkaido), leading to disputes with the shogunate.

During the Bunka era (1804-1818), several small-scale wars broke out between the two sides, historically known as the "Bunka-Russian Wars".

As far as Qingdeng knows, in order to curb the development of Russia, Britain has been planning to find a "bridgehead against Russia" in the Far East.

In the vast Far East, there are very few suitable allies.

If the British were to offend the shogunate to the death, the shogunate might not only side with France but also with Russia, which would greatly affect the British plan to "contain Russia in the Far East".

With this thought in mind, Neil's brow furrowed even more deeply.

No wonder the shogunate sent this young man to clean up the mess...!

Neil couldn't help but raise his gaze and cast a complex look at Qingdeng, half displeasure and half admiration.

The young man before me possessed more than just wondrous "power"; he had a clear understanding of the world—at least of Britain's needs and desires! He had an extraordinary sense of the big picture!

This is far superior to those incompetent fools who didn't even understand the relationship between Britain and France!

—Tsk…! I thought it would be a simple task, but now it's really tricky…!

Neil suppressed the urge to gasp.

In reality, the existence of the French state of Louvre is not the most troublesome factor for him at present.

What troubled him most was the harsh statement made by Qing Deng that "at least one-third of the British soldiers will not be able to return to their homeland."

Despite his pride, after witnessing the dragon bone that had been severed in one stroke, Neil had to admit the fact that the Shogunate did indeed have the ability to retaliate!

Even a single swordsman capable of "cutting a ship in half with a single strike" could cause the British army a great deal of trouble!

If the two sides really go to war, they will really lose a lot of people!

Queen Victoria received honors, while they, the frontline personnel, received deaths… To be honest, Neil didn’t possess such noble sentiments.

After a long silence, Neil said softly:

"...Your Excellency, we absolutely cannot remain silent when citizens of the British Empire are being harmed."

Qingdeng pursed his lips, a thoughtful look crossing his brows.

A moment later, he curled the corners of his mouth into a smile: