I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A daimyo... For a samurai, this is a supreme honor, and also the lifelong ideal of countless samurai!

In the distant Warring States period, countless warriors risked their lives, braving danger and hardship, all for the sake of becoming the lord of a city or region!

Today, no one questions whether Qing Deng deserves this honor.

Whether judged by reputation or achievements, his becoming a powerful regional lord was a popular choice.

The vast majority of people have already concluded that Qingdeng is about to become the new daimyo, joining this once-in-a-millennium era of great contention as a feudal lord.

Many people were even excitedly discussing where Qingdeng would be assigned.

To date, there are two main viewpoints.

Firstly, the Aoto-kai was assigned to western Japan, much like the Aizu Domain was to the Oshu region, serving as a wedge driven into the western country to tightly restrain the western domains led by Satsuma, Choshu, and Tosa.

Secondly, Qing Deng is the Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Region, so he should rightfully be enfeoffed in the capital region. In this way, the fief and the official position can complement each other and achieve a mutually beneficial relationship.

Both opinions have their merits, and the two sides are deadlocked.

Some people have even begun to speculate on what name the vassal state of Qingdeng will be given.

From Himeji Domain to Omi Domain, and so on.

However... when the shogunate officially announced the rewards bestowed upon Seido, the world was shocked and wide-eyed.

He increased his family's stipend by 1500 shi (a unit of grain), and bestowed upon the Eighth Prince the title of "One Heart for a Thousand People"—a short sentence that shocked the world twice in a row!

First, the first half of the sentence: "The family stipend will be increased by 1500 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Qingdeng's family stipend was increased by 1500 shi to the original 8220 shi, totaling 9720 shi.

He was still 280 shi away from 10,000 shi... He was still not a daimyo, but a direct senator, only his family background and status were much higher.

If the rewards bestowed by the shogunate were only this much, the world would definitely cry out in injustice and seek justice for Seito.

Despite Qing Deng's great achievements in repelling the British warships and protecting the people of Edo, the reward he received was merely an increase of 1500 koku in his family stipend.

This is outrageous!

But... if we add the second half of the sentence, the situation will be completely different!

"The Eighth Prince, with a thousand hearts united"—anyone with even a slight sensitivity to the politics of the shogunate and Japan's geopolitical environment knows what this official position signifies.

Koshu was the western barrier of Edo.

If Koshu falls, the western gateway to Edo will be completely wide open.

Excluding Western countries, the main enemies of the Edo Shogunate were mostly concentrated in western Japan.

In other words, if the western domains wanted to attack Edo and eliminate the Tokugawa, they had to take Koshu first.

The importance of Malacca is evident.

Thus, the crucial position and special status of the Eighth Prince, who was trusted by all, are self-evident.

Since the founding of the shogunate, those who were qualified for this position were all confidants of the shogun, and most of them were related to the Tokugawa family.

Tokugawa Iemochi actually granted this position to Aoto…

Many people are puzzled by this – didn't Tokugawa Iemochi trust Aoto far too much?

Aoto was neither surnamed Tokugawa nor Matsudaira, nor was he related to the Shogun's family by marriage.

What merit does he possess to be the unanimous leader of the Eighth Prince?

Tokugawa Iemochi's actions were tantamount to handing over the key to his own house to an outsider! He also took the opportunity to give away the last remaining bodyguards who were still capable of fighting.

The Eighth Prince's thousand-strong united army is no ordinary local militia.

Hachioji is located on the Kanto Plain, with flat terrain, fertile soil, and a suitable climate, making it an excellent agricultural area.

For this reason, this place has always been very prosperous.

Unless a major famine of natural disaster magnitude like the "Great Famine of Tenmei" occurs, the people of Hachioji generally live a relatively comfortable life.

Although we couldn't get any really good food, at least we could fill our stomachs.

This is why all of the Thousand Princes have relatively healthy bodies.

The thousand men, united in purpose, guarded Koshu for generations, and the shogunate reciprocated by granting them corresponding benefits and social status.

In addition, it was very close to Edo and was deeply influenced by the shogunate.

Over time, the thousand people developed a strong affinity for the shogunate and took pride in their status as residents of the shogunate.

[Note: Tenryū refers to the territories directly controlled by the shogunate.]

To this day, the Qianren Tongxin still maintains a lifestyle of being both soldiers and farmers.

During busy farming seasons, they farm; during slack seasons, they practice martial arts.

Dojos are everywhere, and they often invite sword masters to teach them swordsmanship.

Because of their farming, they are physically strong and retain the simple and honest habits unique to farmers.

Because they practice martial arts, they possess a certain level of combat ability.

Healthy physique + unwavering loyalty to the shogunate + generally trained in martial arts + simple and honest character... these are the best of the best! They are the finest recruits!

In feudal times, the best soldiers were often farmers.

Based on his own experience, Qi Jiguang, a famous general of the Ming Dynasty, summarized his recruitment principles: farmers first! miners first! Never recruit city dwellers!

He believed that most city dwellers were cunning and treacherous, far inferior to the simple, hardworking rural youths.

Although Qi Jiaguang's view is quite biased, it is not entirely without reason.

Putting aside everything else, there is a significant difference in basic physical fitness between farmers and townspeople.

While one cannot expect a thousand men united to possess formidable fighting power, their combat ability and fighting will absolutely crush the direct-commissioned soldiers whose minds and bodies have been corrupted by the dazzling world of the city!

In conclusion, it is not hard to understand why so many people are worried.

An outsider, controlling both the western gateway to Edo and the shogunate's last remaining fighting force... this...

If Seito can remain loyal to the shogunate, then so be it.

But what if he develops ulterior motives in the future and wants to become a "Japanese version of An Lushan"?

With the Eighth Prince and his thousand men united in his hands, he could bring his army to Edo in a single day if he so desired!

Although many people had reservations, ironically, no one stood up to object.

Those who opposed Qingdeng's appointment as the Eighth Prince, and who were of one mind with him, only dared to whisper among themselves.

Having gone through this "Shogunate-Hei-Makuten Negotiation," any human being with a sound mind has already seen that Tachibana Seito is the most trusted pillar of the Shogunate right now!

Using "pillar of the nation" or "pillar of the state" to describe him is truly the most accurate description.

In fact, recently, quite a few people who admire Qingdeng have begun to refer to him as "the pillar of the nation".

Once Tachibana Seito is gone, this deeply corrupt samurai regime will likely collapse quickly.

The powerful figures of Edo have now realized that Seito is their overlord!

They're all counting on Qingdeng's protection!

Only by protecting Seido can they protect the shogunate, and in turn, preserve their wealth and status!

As a result, Qingdeng is now like a privileged person.

No one dares to criticize Qingdeng!

Everyone flatters Qingdeng!

Thus, Qing Deng obtained another position after serving as the Governor of the Capital Region and the Minister of War, becoming a rare high-ranking official who held two powerful military posts simultaneously since the founding of the Tokugawa regime.

As the news of "Qing Deng taking office as the Eighth Prince and a thousand people united in heart" gradually spread, both the pro-shogunate camp and the pro-revolutionary camp were shocked by the formidable military power that Qing Deng now possessed!

Qingdeng now has two armies!

The number of troops is not the main issue; the key problem is the extremely strategic and crucial location of these two armies.

One force was stationed in Kyoto, and the other in Koshu.

Kyoto is located in the very center of Japan, allowing for invasions of western countries to the west and attacks on eastern countries to the east.

The importance of Melaka needs no further explanation.

Qingdeng has a significant military presence in both of these strategically important locations!

To be honest, compared to Qingdeng now, An Lushan is child's play—An Lushan didn't station troops in Tongguan and Chang'an!

Qing Deng himself was quite surprised by the large sums of money he had gained.

He thought he would become a big name, but he never expected to be given such an important position.

Speaking of which, he and the Eighth Prince, Qianren Tongxin, have quite a connection.

His two buddies—Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo—were both farmers in Tama.

Tama is adjacent to Hachioji, so the former was deeply influenced by the latter.

The two places not only share similar dialects and customs, but even their mental states are remarkably alike.

They all had a strong martial spirit, deeply respected the Tokugawa family, and lived a life of part-time soldiers and part-time farmers.

It can be said that although the people of Tama are not a thousand people of one mind, they are even more so than a thousand people of one mind.

Besides Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo, there is another person under Aoto who has a very deep connection with Sennin Doshin.

That was Inoue Genzaburo, the captain of the Sixth Division and the hardworking old ox of the Shieikan.

Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo can only be considered distant relatives of the Sennin Doshin, while Inoue Genzaburo is a direct descendant of the Hachioji Sennin Doshin!

Therefore, Qing Deng felt not only no bewilderment towards this new force that would be under his command from now on, but also a strange sense of familiarity and warmth.

If conditions allowed, he would love to immediately mount Radish's broad back and rush to Hachioji to see firsthand the current state of the thousand men united, and then properly train... no, reorganize this village army based on the actual situation.

Unfortunately, after dealing with the British ships in Edo Bay, Aoto immediately turned to the next important matter—the Edo conscription of the Shinsengumi—and was temporarily unable to handle other affairs.

……

……

The British warships withdrew, and the official awards for Aoto were issued, revitalizing Edo.

Those townspeople who had fled Edo returned to the city.