I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Ii, I... have something to tell you."

Tokugawa Iemochi quickly informed Ii Naosuke that his spies, whom he had sent to the Mito Domain, had made no progress and had not yet obtained any detailed information about the group of Mito Domain samurai who intended to assassinate Ii Naosuke.

After hearing the so-called bad news from Tokugawa Iemochi, Ii Naosuke... reacted rather calmly.

"...Shogun." After a moment of silence, Ii Naosuke kowtowed his head to Tokugawa Iemochi again. "I am truly sorry...that my trivial matters have caused you worry."

"Not at all," Tokugawa Iemochi smiled. "Not only should subjects share the burdens of their lord, but lords should also think more about their subjects."

In the marketplace, people often make pronouncements with absolute certainty: Ii Naosuke is an ambitious and powerful minister! He is currently holding onto the government under the pretext that "the shogun is young," and once the shogun grows up, Ii Naosuke will inevitably continue to cling to power and refuse to return it to Tokugawa Iemochi.

If people who had frequent contact with Tokugawa Iemochi and Ii Naosuke were to hear these rumors, they would certainly scoff at them.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of the relationship between these two is well aware that the relationship between Tokugawa Iemochi and Ii Naosuke, who fought side by side in the "Hitotsubashi-Nanki War," was far closer than some people in the city believe.

"We have intensified our intelligence gathering efforts, but we still haven't been able to find out anything about the group of Mito Domain retainers who intend to assassinate you."

"These assassins are far more cunning than we thought."

"This also shows that this assassination operation by these assassins must have been carefully planned, and was not a small-scale operation."

A solemn expression gradually crept onto Tokugawa Iemochi's face.

“Ii, I don’t want to see you killed, whether out of emotion or reason.”

"I've already discussed this with my mother."

"We are planning to have you temporarily step down from your position as the top leader."

"Until the turmoil completely subsides, let's hide somewhere safe in Edo for a while."

"Ii, what do you think?"

Ii Naosuke's expression changed rapidly several times in an instant.

He was taken aback at first.

After staring at Tokugawa Iemochi with a surprised look for a while, he slowly pursed his lips, and the surprise in his eyes slowly turned into a faint sense of relief.

"...General."

Naosuke Ii lowered his head once again.

"Thank you for your concern, as well as that of His Highness Tenshōin."

"But... if I were to temporarily step down from my position as Grand Elder, Ando Nobumasa and the others might cry."

Naosuke Ii smiled slightly and continued in a half-joking tone.

“Now, the 'expelling the barbarians' thugs are becoming increasingly rampant, and their existence has posed a threat to the survival of the shogunate.”

"Ando Nobumasa and the others do not yet have the ability to handle such critical moments, and they are not yet able to assist you, General, in overcoming these difficulties."

"Moreover, even if I hide for the time being, I may not be able to escape the attacks of those who hate me."

“If these assassins are determined to take my head, then even if I flee to the ends of the earth, they will eventually find me.”

"So—General, I appreciate your and Prince Tensho's kindness."

Upon hearing Ii Naosuke's words, Tokugawa Iemochi immediately showed a look of anxiety.

He was about to say something more to persuade Ii Naosuke.

But he stopped abruptly as soon as he opened his mouth.

In the eyes of the old minister before him, he saw a gaze that involuntarily reminded him of a rock.

Seeing the light in Ii Naosuke's eyes, a thought flashed through Tokugawa Iemochi's mind—it was impossible to persuade Ii Naosuke with words alone…

"what……"

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Ii Naosuke let out a low gasp and smiled as he reached into his robes.

"General, I was originally planning to give you this in a few days."

"But since we rarely have time to be alone now... I might as well hand this over to you now."

Ii Naosuke pulled a thin booklet from his pocket.

"This is...?" Tokugawa Iemochi took the booklet with a puzzled look and opened it.

The booklet contained a list of names, one after another.

Some of the names in this booklet are truly household names.

For example - Matsudaira Yoho, the lord of the Aizu Domain, Matsudaira Sadeiki, the lord of the Kuwana Domain...

After each person's name, there was a simple sentence that sounded like a comment.

Following the name of Matsudaira Katamori, the lord of the Aizu Domain, there is a saying: "A pillar of the state, he can be boldly relied upon and trusted."

Following the name of Matsudaira Sadataka, the lord of the Kuwana Domain, it reads, "He lacks courage, but is still capable of being given important responsibilities; however, he should not be entrusted with overly heavy burdens."

The rest of the names on the list all had similar comments, some longer and some shorter—

He possesses excellent eloquence and is a good debater; he is skilled in financial management; although he doesn't have any special talents, his loyalty is commendable...

While Tokugawa Iemochi was still reeling from the contents of the booklet, Ii Naosuke smiled faintly and said:

"Although I have increased the number of guards I bring with me when I go out every day, even the most careful plan can have a loophole."

"No matter how many guards you bring, you can't guarantee absolute safety."

"71 years ago, the lord of the Hirose Domain, who was protected by hundreds of guards, was still killed by 'Shura' Ogata Itsuse all by himself."

"Therefore, we must always plan ahead."

"This booklet is a 'list of outstanding talents' that I have spent a full month compiling."

"This list contains the names of the most outstanding talents whom I have carefully selected after thorough examination."

"These people come from all walks of life; some are lords of a certain domain, while others are just low-ranking samurai from humble backgrounds."

"But regardless of their background, they all have one thing in common—they are all outstanding talents worthy of being given important responsibilities or attention."

"General, if one day I am no longer here, please use this list as a reference and make appropriate use of or pay attention to these outstanding talents on the list without being bound by convention."

Tokugawa Iemochi stared wide-eyed in surprise.

He looked at Ii Naosuke with a dazed expression.

He then pursed his lips tightly and turned his gaze back to the booklet in his hands.

Silently, he turned the pages of the "List of Outstanding Talents" that Ii Naosuke had specially prepared for him.

When he turned to the last page of the list with names on it, Tokugawa Iemochi's finger suddenly stopped.

Ju Qingdeng—this is the last name written on this "List of Outstanding Talents".

Each person's name on the list is followed by a brief comment describing their talents.

Only Tachibana Aoto was an exception—there were no comments written on his back.

“Tachibana Aoto…?” Tokugawa Iemochi pondered the name carefully.

So far, Tokugawa Iemochi has a slight recollection of every name he has seen on this list.

The name "Tachibana Aoto" was the only one that Tokugawa Iemochi found unfamiliar, yet he felt as if he had heard it somewhere before...

Ii Naosuke's reaction was also swift.

Noticing Tokugawa Iemochi casting a questioning glance at the name "Tachibana Aoto," he immediately said:

"General, you should have heard of this name as well."

"He is the one who, more than a month ago, protected a French merchant and his family from an attack by more than two hundred 'anti-foreign' thugs in the Edo Hokuban Sōchō-kō: Tachibana Aōtō."

Ii Naosuke's words dispelled the fog that had been shrouding Tokugawa Iemochi's mind.

“Oh… I remember now…” Tokugawa Iemochi nodded slightly, “It’s him…”

"Based on my observation and consideration, Tachibana no Seito did not achieve such a brilliant victory by luck," Ii Naosuke said slowly. "He won that chaotic battle by means of excellent command and control, as well as an extremely keen sense of the battlefield."

"There is no doubt that Tachibana Seito possesses certain command abilities."

"Whether he deserves to be given a more important role remains to be seen and tested."

"After all, the battle he won was a small-scale battle in which the total number of people on both sides did not exceed three hundred. The scale of the battle was too small to be a valid reference."

"What the shogunate needs now is a person who can fight a battle beautifully, regardless of its size."

"Moreover, since we have only known Tachibana Seiden for a short time, we have not yet been able to ascertain his true character."

"Although it is still too early to determine whether this person deserves to be given important responsibilities, we can look forward to his future."

"Therefore, I have also included his name in this 'List of Outstanding Talents'."

"If I am no longer here, I ask that you, General, observe and test this Tachibana Aoto in my stead."

"It's not impossible... that he might become a pillar of our shogunate in the future."

"Ii!" Tokugawa Iemochi raised his gaze with displeasure and glared at Ii Naosuke. "Please don't say such ominous things as 'If I am no longer here'!"

Seeing Tokugawa Iemochi's displeased expression, Ii Naosuke paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "I'm sorry... I will be more careful in the future."

After briefly reprimanding Ii Naosuke for his inauspicious remarks, Tokugawa Iemochi turned his attention back to the name "Tachibana Aoto" on the list.

“Ju Qing Deng…”

Then, I pondered the name again.

Chapter 105 Outside Sakurada Gate, the Era of Rampage!

"...Jing Yi."

After taking one last deep look at the "talent list" in his hand, Tokugawa Iemochi slammed the booklet shut.

"Are you really... unwilling to step down from your position as a senior leader for the time being and avoid the limelight?"

"General," Ii Naosuke laughed, "I am a descendant of Ii Naomasa, the 'Red Demon' who struck fear into the hearts of countless heroes during the Warring States period three hundred years ago."

Ii Naosuke raised his head slightly, his eyes filled with pride.

"Looking back, our ancestor Ii Naomasa personally led the 'Ii Red Guard' and repeatedly served as the vanguard of the army, clearing obstacles for the Tokugawa clan."

"Our ancestors were so brave, how can I, as their descendant, shrink back?"