I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At this point, the envoy paused appropriately.

To everyone's surprise, the important part arrived so quickly!

At that moment, everyone's hearts were in their throats.

Under the intense scrutiny of all eyes, the envoy spoke again:

"From this day forward, Otsu Castle will be your domain, and the 30 koku of land south of Lake Biwa will belong to you!"

"In that case, your domain should rightfully be called the 'Otsu Domain'."

"However, I think the name is really lacking in prestige."

"Therefore, I have decided to bestow one title upon your esteemed domain."

"The Zhou court of Tang once enfeoffed the Qin dynasty in the western frontier, ordering them to defend against the Western Rong."

"Mr. Tachibana, I hope that your domain can also be like the Qin Kingdom, guarding the western frontier for the shogunate, maintaining peace in the western frontier, becoming the stabilizing force of the western frontier, and deterring villains from invading."

"Therefore, your domain will be named 'Qinjin'!"

"Lord of Qinjin, I urge you to continue your efforts and not let me down!"

The messenger finished speaking.

He slowly put away the warrant in his hand, and then bowed slightly to Qing Deng, who was sitting in the main seat in front of him.

quiet……

From the moment the envoy began reading, or more precisely, from the moment the envoy read, “From this day forward, Otsu Castle will be your domain,” the entire hall fell silent.

It's eerily quiet!

It was so quiet that even the sound of fabric rubbing together when the messenger bowed sounded jarring.

It wasn't until quite a while later, when Qingdeng had somewhat recovered his senses, that he took a deep breath:

"Yes... I... no, Qin Jin obeys!"

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PS: Actually, there was already a subtle foreshadowing in the previous text that "Aoto would be assigned to Ōtsu". When Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin came to Kyoto, Aoto admired the beautiful scenery of Ōtsu with Tenshōin, and I went to great lengths to describe Ōtsu.

Chapter 755 Qingdeng's Promotion! Lord of Qinjin! [The End]

The messenger departed.

The Shinsengumi generals remained seated, silent and motionless, like clay or wooden sculptures.

The auditorium was shrouded in a deep, still silence, so profound you could hear a pin drop.

About 10 seconds later, Harada Sanosuke, with the most unconventional personality, uttered the first sound:

"Otsu... Mr. Tachibana has become the master of Otsu?"

His tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Otsu—even the most uncultured and always portrayed as an "idiot" like Harada Sanosuke understood the value of the Otsu region, let alone anyone else.

Kondo Yuichi slapped his thigh.

"Great! That's really wonderful!"

Nagakura Shinpachi said excitedly:

“Otsu is right next to Kyoto. If you ride a fast horse, you can easily make two or three round trips between the two places in a single day.”

Inoue Genzaburo continued the conversation:

"In this way, Mr. Tachibana can use Otsu as a base to better support Kyoto! This will allow the two places to support each other and ensure lasting peace in the western frontier!"

Souji murmured:

"Qin Jin Fan... Qin Jin... not a bad name!"

Todo Heisuke frowned slightly:

“How strange… Since Ōtsu Castle is the domain headquarters, the domain name should rightfully be ‘Ōtsu Domain’. Lord Ōki actually bestowed this name on his own… This is truly against the laws of our ancestors.”

Kinoshita Mai chimed in:

"Doesn't this just show how much the Great Tree King dotes on Qingdeng? He enjoys an unparalleled privilege."

Sanako was initially overjoyed, but then her face fell as if she remembered something.

"Being granted the title of Ōtsu... While this is a good thing, it also means that the burden on Tachibana-kun's shoulders is heavier. Ōtsu is the western gateway of the shogunate, the front line directly facing the daimyo of the western provinces. If the daimyo of Chōshū or other western provinces attack in the future, we will be the first to bear the brunt."

Hijikata Toshizo shrugged:

"What's there to be afraid of! We'll meet force with force and water with earth. I'm not afraid they won't attack! If there's no battle to fight, wouldn't we lose the opportunity to make a name for ourselves?"

Shinji Nishiki said softly:

“I don’t quite understand… Although Mr. Tachibana is a confidant of the Great Tree Master and deserves more favor, isn’t the favor Mr. Tachibana has received this time a bit too much? The land that Mr. Tachibana was granted is not some insignificant, remote backwater, but that Great Tsu!”

Kondo Isami grinned:

"Who cares about this kind of thing!"

Looking around, one sees a bustling scene.

The auditorium was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Everyone was actively and enthusiastically participating in the discussion, conveying a sense of jubilation.

Everyone was genuinely happy and excited about the good news that "Qingdeng was granted the title of Dajin".

Even Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki, who did not belong to the "Shiekan faction," no longer had tense faces, and both showed a complex expression that seemed to be both gratified and admiring.

Even the usually composed Yamanami Keisuke's eyes widened in astonishment, and he involuntarily muttered:

"It's Otsu...and a whole 30 koku of land...this...this..."

Keisuke Yamanami's shock was palpable.

Previously, he had come up with many ideas about where Qingdeng would be enfeoffed—the most likely location he believed to be Kai.

Qing Deng had recently gained command of the thousand-strong army of Hachioji due to his achievement of "dismissing the British ships," so it was only natural that he would now take over Kai territory.

But the result... he never expected that Tokugawa Iemochi would entrust the crucial Otsu to Aoto!

What kind of place is Otsu?

It is not just a blessed land with beautiful mountains and clear waters adjacent to Kyoto!

Although Japan is a small island nation with a narrow area and dense mountains, it still has four strategic locations that it cannot easily give up.

These are the Kanto region, Noo region, Osaka region, and Otsu region, which includes Kyoto.

The Kanto region is like the Guanzhong Plain in China.

It not only has a vast plain (the Guandong Plain), but also possesses a natural barrier that is easy to defend and difficult to attack (surrounded by mountains).

It can truly be described as "surrounded by mountains and rivers, with fertile land, suitable for establishing a capital and becoming a hegemon," truly the foundation of a nation.

Eight hundred years ago, Minamoto no Tomoyuki, and two hundred and fifty years ago, Tokugawa Ieyasu both used the Kanto region as their base to sweep away all rivals, unify Japan, and achieve unparalleled feats.

The Nobi region – namely Mino and Owari.

There is a saying in China: "Whoever controls Jingzhou controls the world."

Coincidentally, Japan also has a similar saying: "He who controls Mino controls the world."

In other words, the Nobi region is like the Jingchu region of China.

Noo is located right in the center of Japan.

To give a vivid example... Japan's landmass is like a dumbbell, thick at both ends and thin in the middle—the thick tail is located in the thin middle part.

The boundary that divides eastern and western Japan—Sekigahara—is located in Mino.

Moreover, this area is one of Japan's important grain-producing regions. Despite its small size, it produces an astonishing 113 million koku of grain!

Therefore, if Noo is considered a "strategically important location," then no other place would dare to claim the title of "number one in Japan."

The Osaka region—that is, the Osaka Plain centered on Osaka.

Since the Nara period (710-784), Osaka has been a trading port due to its coastal location.

Since the establishment of the Edo Shogunate, Osaka has been the nation's economic and logistics center, and the most economically vibrant city.

The Osaka region is to Japan what the Jiangnan region is to China.

As for the Otsu region...

To put it bluntly, the status of the Central Plains in China is the same as the status of Otsu in Japan!

First, Otsu is located in a plain area with abundant resources, a suitable climate, and high grain production.

Secondly, Otsu and Kyoto are neighbors.

As Nagakura Shinpachi just said, if you ride a fast horse, you can easily make two or three round trips between the two places in a single day.

In other words, possessing Otsu meant possessing the military capability to "approach Kyoto within a single day."

In addition, Otsu is a crucial transportation hub.

Whether traveling from eastern Japan to western Japan or from western Japan to eastern Japan, one must pass through Ōtsu.

The Tokaido, one of the "Five Roads," inevitably passes through Otsu, with Otsu-juku being the penultimate stop on the Tokaido.

Moreover, Otsu is also near Lake Biwa.

As a world-renowned lake and the largest lake in Japan, it attracts countless tourists every year.

Even just running a tourism business can bring in a considerable income.

Finally, Ōtsu served as the western gateway to the shogunate.

The shogunate's authority only extended to eastern Japan, leaving western Japan powerless to intervene.

To the shogunate, western Japan was no different from any other country.