I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The existence of Qingdeng has well met this part of the needs of the people.

Even before the Shinsengumi returned home, news of Aoto's siege had spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Kyoto.

They all spoke with such conviction and detail, as if they had been there the night Qingdeng attacked the city.

Then, the classic "three men can make a tiger" scenario played out once again.

At first, it was normal information dissemination.

Then, at some point, the topics of discussion became increasingly skewed and fantastical.

The statement that "Niou did not infiltrate the city, but attacked it directly from the front" is false.

The statement that "Niou used a single Iaijutsu to smash the main gate of Takatori Castle" is false.

The latest version shows Qing Deng as if possessed by Susanoo, smashing the gate of Takatori Castle from the front with a single slash, and then directly cutting through the entire castle, making seven in and seven out of the castle with just one person and one sword.

Judging from the current trend, these rumors may become even more outrageous.

Qing Deng not only did not oppose this, but was actually happy to see it happen.

Since becoming the Commander of the Capital Region, Qing Deng has welcomed the people's amazing imaginations and their ability to sway public opinion.

What's the point of objecting to this kind of free, highly effective advertising?

By exaggerating his abilities to the point of being a superhuman or a reincarnation of a god, he might one day be able to intimidate enemies simply by his name, achieving the effect of subduing the enemy without a fight.

It's worth mentioning that not only Aoto, but also the other members of the Shinsengumi have seen a surge in popularity.

In particular, the five people: Souji, Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, Sanako, and Kinoshita Mai.

No matter how times change, everyone still likes handsome men and beautiful women.

During the Edo period, people made no secret of their fondness for handsome men and beautiful women, and many respectable professions could only be held by good-looking people.

The most typical example is the entanglement of the Edo-machi fire.

The so-called "entanglement" can be understood as the person carrying the flag, who is responsible for carrying the command flag at the fire scene and assisting the captain in directing the soldiers to extinguish the fire.

Because the role of the team is to be the face of the group and they often need to appear in front of the townspeople, only the strongest, most sunny, and most handsome person in the entire team can take on this role.

Souji and the others are the most handsome members of the Shinsengumi, so it's no wonder they are so popular.

Hijikata Toshizo is a handsome guy with a roguish charm.

Keisuke Yamanami is a handsome man with a refined and scholarly air.

Okita Souji is a handsome man with an androgynous appearance.

As for Sanako and Kinoshita Mai, needless to say.

One was the most beautiful woman in Edo, and the other was a beautiful young woman with a pretty face and a stunning figure, both of whom were very popular with the old perverts in Kyoto.

Their combined fan base is probably no less than that of Qingdeng.

Of course, in addition to the generals, ordinary middle and lower-ranking soldiers also received a great deal of attention.

Under the admiring gaze of the townspeople, all the soldiers stood tall and proud, their faces filled with pride.

The vast majority of Shinsengumi members were low-ranking samurai from humble backgrounds.

Most of them harbored the dream of "turning their lives around through military merit" and came to join the Shinsengumi despite the hardships.

They had never been treated with such great respect before.

At this moment, on this bustling street where the townspeople lined the road to welcome them, they were all incredibly grateful for their wise decision to join the Shinsengumi!

……

……

On the same day that the Shinsengumi returned to the capital, the Emperor issued a new edict: the so-called Yamato Imperial Tour, which had been so widely publicized recently, was a despicable conspiracy conspired by Choshu and the pro-imperial faction of court nobles, and therefore the matter was null and void!

This imperial edict was tantamount to driving the final nail into Changzhou's coffin, definitively confirming Changzhou's status as a "traitor."

After Choshu was expelled, the shogunate, Aizu, and Satsuma jointly controlled the political situation in Kyoto.

At this point, the pro-imperial faction was completely ousted from Kyoto.

The movement to revive the Ming dynasty, which was in full swing until recently, has now come to a standstill.

In less than four months, both Edo and Kyoto underwent tremendous political changes.

In Edo, the Nanki faction dominated the Hitotsubashi faction.

In Kyoto, the pro-shogunate faction is overwhelming the pro-revolutionary faction.

The major changes in the political situation naturally triggered a series of chain reactions.

Unsurprisingly, it's that time of year again for "major factionalism."

Those who had previously sided with the pro-imperial faction severed ties with Choshu, declaring that they had no connection with Choshu and no intention of opposing the shogunate or the imperial court.

As for those fence-sitters caught in the middle, they were busy professing their loyalty to the shogunate.

The first to make a move was Yamanouchi Yodo, the former lord of the Tosa Domain who was living in seclusion in Edo.

Although Yamanouchi Yodo had relinquished his position as lord of the domain and had long since retired to Edo, he was like the Qianlong Emperor, nominally a retired emperor but still the de facto ruler of the Tosa Domain.

After Choshu lost power and the Sonno Joi movement suffered a severe blow, he immediately issued an order: the Sonno Joi faction within the domain is a rebel party! Arrest them immediately!

The Tosa Domain's pro-imperial faction... without a doubt, he was referring to the Tosa loyalist party led by Takechi Hanpeita!

In recent years, the Tosa Loyalist Party has maintained a high level of presence and activity.

Full of ambition, Takechi Hanpeita even proposed the idea of ​​"one domain serving the emperor," that is, the Tosa domain should carry out the great task of going to the capital to serve the emperor.

Therefore, it was no surprise that Yamanouchi Yodo's decree caused such astonishment among the people.

His decree effectively stripped the Tosa Loyalists of their legitimacy, turning them into traitors!

Anyone with even a basic understanding of politics could discern the underlying reasons for Yamanouchi Yodo's series of actions.

As the de facto ruler of the Tosa Domain, Yamanouchi Yodo could make a move at any time if he wanted to cause trouble for the Tosa Loyalists.

As a result, he only took action now.

Prior to this, he had been watching the Tosa loyalist party grow and expand.

It's not hard to see that Yamanouchi-do is simply playing the fence-sitting game in a different way!

He never expressed any political stance, neither respecting the king nor supporting the shogunate.

On the other hand, they allowed the Tosa loyalist party to cause trouble.

In this way, both a backup plan and sufficient room for change were left.

If the pro-imperial faction gains power, they will vigorously support the Tosa loyalist party, calling it the pride of Tosa.

If the pro-shogunate faction gains power—as it is now—the Tosa loyalist party will be denounced as treacherous and wicked traitors.

He would side with whoever won... In this way, Yamanouchi Do and the entire Tosa Party would be in an invincible position.

What a brilliant plan!

In fact, Yamanouchi Yodo's terrifying cunning was no secret for a long time.

Yoshida Toyo, the former councilor of the Tosa Domain, was a trusted confidant of Yamanouchi Yodo.

As a result, Yoshida Toyo was suspected of being assassinated by the Tosa Loyalists, but he made no comment, continued to drink and have fun, and continued to let the Tosa Loyalists run wild.

Such cunning, such political maneuvering... it's terrifying to think about!

In short, with Yamanouchi Yodo's order, the Tosa Loyalist Party is now like a grasshopper in autumn—it won't be able to jump around for much longer.

It is a poignant truth, but... the victor is king, the loser is a bandit—an eternal truth.

Thus, the Tosa Loyalists encountered the same predicament as Choshu—overnight they became national traitors hated by everyone—the two sides could be said to be in the same boat.

……

……

Kyoto, an unassuming mansion (one of the secret strongholds of the Tosa Loyalists) —

"What should we do now?!"

Someone shouted anxiously.

"Let's escape! We can't stay in Kyoto any longer!"

Another person chimed in.

"Escape? Where have we escaped to? The world is vast, but is there anywhere left for us?"

Instantly, this person's words caused the entire atmosphere to freeze.

Yamanouchi-do has already labeled them as traitors, so they certainly can't go back to their hometowns.

If they want to escape, they can only seek refuge with other forces.

The problem is, which power would be willing to take them in?

Nowadays, the pro-democracy faction has become a pariah, and most forces do not want to be associated with it for fear of being implicated.

Moreover, the Tosa Domain was a powerful domain with a staggering 24 koku of rice, making it one of the most powerful domains in western Japan. Few powers were willing to offend the Tosa Domain.

In short, the various domains avoided the Tosa Loyalists like the plague.

The only place that might take them in is the Choshu Domain.

However... Choshu Domain is too far away, located at the westernmost tip of Honshu Oshima.

Moreover, the Choshu Domain is currently in dire straits, so whether they have the resources to settle them is a huge question.

Just as everyone inside the room was looking worried—

Splash splash splash splash!

A flurry of footsteps sounded outside.

Immediately afterwards—

"We are from the Shinsengumi! We are conducting a search under the orders of the authorities!"

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