I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

……

Qingdeng and the others walked forward silently.

Before long, the scenery on both sides of the field began to change.

Looking around, one sees a grid of rice paddies scattered about, interspersed with uniquely shaped scarecrows, connecting to villages in the distance.

It is now autumn, and the rice has begun to ripen, producing plump ears of grain.

Looking at the rice paddies that were gradually turning golden, Iwasaki Yataro, who came from a poor background, beamed with joy:

"Great! It looks like we'll have a good harvest this year!"

Where there are rice paddies, there are naturally farmers.

The figures of people working diligently in the fields, their faces to the soil and their backs to the sky, can be seen everywhere.

The sounds of hoeing echoed one after another.

The sudden arrival of Qingdeng and his group naturally aroused the curiosity of the farmers.

They all stopped what they were doing and looked at Qingdeng and the others with puzzled expressions.

"Hey, look, someone's coming."

Who are they?

"I don't know, maybe they're tourists who came to see Lake Biwa."

"Look at them, they don't seem like ordinary people."

Why is that person riding a cow?

"This is the first time I've ever seen a nobleman riding an ox..."

"You don't understand! That's how important people are; they always do some strange things. Back in the day, Confucius rode a yellow ox south to Shanhaiguan to preach!"

……

The farmers chattered and talked amongst themselves.

Their main focus, naturally, was Qingdeng, who was walking at the very front, riding a large black ox and standing out conspicuously.

Rural areas are different from cities; they lack media channels and are isolated from information.

Therefore, it is understandable that they did not recognize Qingdeng.

They may not even know now that they are no longer the people of the Lord.

Five days ago, they took on a new identity: subjects of Qin Jin Fan!

The inspection of Otsu began just now.

Qing Deng scanned the area, solemnly examining the farmland of Otsu.

Otsu truly lives up to its reputation as a blessed land rich in natural resources.

The vast expanse of rice paddies alone is enough to make countless farmers envious.

Seeing that Aoto was observing the rice paddies, Iwasaki Yataro, with great tact, took out a scroll from his pocket, unfurled it, and then cleared his throat:

"Mr. Ju, I have completed the task you previously assigned me. Now please allow me to report to you!"

Four days ago, Aoto urgently summoned Iwasaki Yataro and gave him an important task—to compile and organize the local specialties of Otsu.

It was obvious that Aoto was preparing to vigorously develop the economy, hence he ordered Iwasaki Yataro to investigate in advance.

Knowing the weight of his responsibility, Yataro Iwasaki readily agreed and then demonstrated his exceptional efficiency, quickly and thoroughly investigating the situation of Otsu's businesses.

Qingdeng nodded slightly and said, "Mm."

Yataro Iwasaki immediately looked down at the scroll in his hand and said, word by word:

“Otsu’s traditional industries include Otsu paintings, Otsu abacuses, Matsumoto tiles, Zensho yaki, Hunan yaki, yuba, crucian carp sushi, salted lake fish, Seta clams, edible chrysanthemums, and Zensho tea.”

"Among them, porcelain and tea... namely Matsumoto tiles and Zensho tea, are the most famous and most profitable products in Otsu."

"Tea, in particular, is the mainstay of Otsu's economy."

"When the Black Ships arrived, the shogunate served Matthew Perry tea from the Otsu restaurant on board."

"The refreshing taste of the tea at the restaurant deeply attracted Matthew Perry."

"From then on, Zenso tea was favored by Americans and became the number one export product to the United States."

"Previously, due to limited energy and financial resources, the shogunate was unable to expand the export scale of Zensho tea."

At this point, Yataro Iwasaki paused.

When he spoke again, his eyes gleamed with excitement, and he looked eager to try.

"Mr. Ju, to be honest, I already have a huge business plan in mind!"

“Otsu is adjacent to Osaka, and Osaka is an important port for foreign trade.”

"Unless there are extreme weather or other unexpected situations, it is possible to travel back and forth between Otsu and Osaka within 3 days."

"Therefore, it is very easy for us to develop foreign trade!"

"Westerners have a special fondness for tea, and selling tea to the West is a sure-fire way to make a fortune!"

"If we manage it properly, we can definitely increase the current export volume of Shansuo Tea several times over!"

"At that time, even by the most conservative estimate, we will be able to earn tens of thousands of dollars in revenue every year!"

Yataro Iwasaki's words drew surprised expressions from everyone else present.

Tens of thousands in income...that's so tempting!

The total annual income of most vassal states was probably less than 5 taels of gold.

Otsu could earn tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of taels of gold from tea alone...

Such exorbitant profits are enough to make countless daimyo envious—Otsu is far too rich!

When Yataro Iwasaki was speaking, Aoto listened attentively throughout without interrupting.

Only after the other person finished speaking did he say with a wry smile:

"Yitaro, your plan is excellent."

"But... there is a problem."

"Where are we going to raise the money to 'expand the scale of tea exports'?"

After hearing this, Yataro Iwasaki was stunned on the spot.

After a short while, he sighed heavily, his face losing its previous excitement and turning into a look of melancholy and helplessness.

"Mr. Tachibana, this is exactly the problem that's troubling me right now..."

……

……

After a while, Qingdeng and the others gradually left the farmland behind.

Instead, a vast town slowly unfolded before their eyes.

It is the castle town of Otsu Castle!

Thousands of tiles, wisps of smoke rising from chimneys.

The streets are crisscrossed, and pedestrians come and go in an endless stream.

In short, this is a vibrant and bustling town.

Qing Deng and his group walked onto the street, and unsurprisingly, they became the focus of attention once again.

The townspeople made way, crowding on the side of the street, looking at Qing Deng and the others with puzzlement.

Just like the farmers earlier, the townspeople present also found Qing Deng unfamiliar and did not recognize him.

Of course, this situation did not last long.

A town is still a town, and it's not as isolated as a rural area.

Soon, a shout rang out from the crowd:

"Ah! I've figured it out! He's 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto!"

"Tachibana Aoto? Really?!"

"So he's our new master?"

……

Amid the commotion, it's unclear who started it, but suddenly someone lowered their body and knelt down on the ground.

Immediately following, as if a chain reaction had occurred, townspeople on both sides of the street knelt down in droves, resembling leeks that had been cut down.

The once bustling street has now become unusually quiet.

No one spoke, and no one dared to look up at Qingdeng.

The feudal lords should not be looked at eye level, and the emperor should not be looked up at – this is one of the important etiquette rules in Japan.

This means that commoners cannot look at feudal lords with a straight face; they must kneel on the ground and look up at them.

The emperor was not even allowed to look up; he had to kneel on the ground and turn his back.

Of course, ordinary people don't usually have the opportunity to see the Emperor.

The Emperor is Japan's number one shut-in; he will not leave the Imperial Palace unless absolutely necessary.

Qing Deng was no longer an ordinary samurai, but a proper daimyo.

As such, the lively scene he used to experience, where "as soon as he went out, many people would come up to greet him," is no longer there.

From now on, all they will see are quiet streets and figures kneeling on the ground.

"How amazing..."

Kinoshita Mai murmured.

Although Yamanami Keisuke, Iwasaki Yataro, and the others did not respond, their expressions revealed that they were also shocked by the scene before them.