I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

Atachi recounted the jobs her children were currently doing, as if reciting a familiar story.

Doctors, tailors, izakaya owners, novelists, teachers... these are all very ordinary and common professions.

As soon as Atachi finished speaking, Komaki Goro grinned and added:

"I had hoped that one of my descendants would be a swordsman."

"But to my surprise... not one of the 14 children was interested in swordsmanship."

"However, this is for the best."

At this point, Goro Komaki's facial features softened.

"The children have become independent and are all pursuing careers they love... There is nothing more gratifying for parents than this."

Atachi nodded in agreement!

"That's right, that's exactly it!"

"Seeing all the children living ordinary and happy lives makes me feel that all the hardships I have endured in the past have been worthwhile."

Goro Komaki picked up the conversation again:

"The children have spread their wings and flown high; they no longer need the company of these two old folks."

"So, we separated from our children, left them, came to Kyoto, started selling wagashi (Japanese sweets), and prepared to spend the rest of our lives like that."

"Although very occasionally, I can't help but miss my children."

"But... this will do."

"We would be content with maintaining the status quo."

"We no longer want to ask for anything more."

The couple finished speaking.

Parents and children separating from each other... This is a rather sad thing.

Strangely, however, there was not a trace of sorrow or helplessness in the couple's words—only joy and relief.

*******

*******

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

I'm not feeling well today, so the word count is a little lower than usual. I'm very sorry! (crying leopard head.jpg)

Chapter 761 You look just like Ogata Itsuki! [4400]

Qing Deng and the others listened attentively.

They have never had children, so they don't quite understand the feeling of "procreating, accompanying, and leaving offspring".

However, the Old Shepherds clearly felt the love that they had for their children.

That heartfelt joy and satisfaction was already evident in his words.

Just then, Komaki Goro suddenly spoke up:

"Speaking of which... Tachibana-kun, isn't it about time you settled down and started a family?"

As this question was asked, a variety of gazes, each with its own distinct emotion, fell upon Qing Deng.

Qing Deng was taken aback – the sudden pressure to get married caught him off guard.

Goro Komaki continued the conversation quietly:

“You are now the lord of a city and a region, no longer an official receiving a fixed salary.”

“In the past, whether you wanted to get married or remain single, no one would care.”

"But now, the situation is very different."

At this point, his tone and expression gradually became serious.

"Whether or not one has offspring is directly related to the survival of the entire vassal state."

"To put it bluntly... whether or not you get married, and whether or not you have children, is no longer up to you."

"Your subordinates are definitely more anxious about your marriage than you are."

"If things go wrong, they might force you to get married, or at the very least, they'll adopt a highly capable son."

"Therefore, even if it's just to ensure the stability of the vassal state, it's time for you to get married."

No sooner had Komaki Goro finished speaking than Omachi chimed in:

"Getting married..."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze, looking at Qing Deng and then at Kinoshita Mai, her eyes gradually becoming meaningful.

"Kid Orange, if you ever get married in the future, you absolutely must invite us to your wedding!"

She emphasized the word "you" when she said it.

Faced with the couple's back-and-forth banter, Qingdeng couldn't help but show a wry smile.

In his memory, this was the first time he had been pressured to get married this year.

Although what Komaki Goro just said sounded alarmist, it is indeed true that it is time for Aoto to get married.

It's no exaggeration to say that... compared to building up the vassal state, getting married and having children is Qingdeng's top priority right now!

The reason for this is that Qingdeng is now the lord of a vassal state, no longer an ordinary person.

History has proven countless times how great the risks could arise from the scarcity of royal family members in feudal times.

A typical example in China is the Wei dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period.

The scarcity of members of the imperial clan allowed powerful ministers to exploit the situation.

After the Jin dynasty replaced the Wei dynasty, it learned from its mistakes and bestowed titles and honors upon its members.

A prime example from Japan is Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi suffered from severe fertility problems, leaving behind only a young child until his death, which allowed Tokugawa Ieyasu to take advantage of the situation.

After the Tokugawa family replaced the Toyotomi family, they also learned from the experience and also bestowed titles upon their relatives, creating a large number of daimyo and establishing the "Three Houses" and "Three Ministers".

In short, in a feudal organization that values ​​hereditary succession, if the leader has a large number of descendants, it means that the organization has a stable successor.

In this way, the organization can develop stably and in the long term, and its members can continue to serve it without any worries.

Conversely, following a leader who has no offspring is like working for a company that could go bankrupt or fall apart at any time.

To put it bluntly... if Aoto were to encounter some accident and unfortunately pass away, what would happen to the Shinsengumi? What would happen to the Shinsengumi Merchant Guild? What would happen to the Hatazu Domain?

It's not hard to imagine—a massive internal conflict will definitely erupt!

The Shinsengumi and Shinsen Chamber of Commerce are military groups and business organizations established by Ching Teng.

At a time when the domain was newly established and urgently needed talented people to govern, people like Yamanami Keisuke and Iwasaki Yataro directly took on various important positions within the domain.

In other words, the core members of the Shinsengumi and Shinsenshokai were essentially equivalent to the ruling class of the Hatajin Domain.

Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, and others were all ronin who broke away from their domains.

Since they are ronin, it means they no longer have a lord and are completely free.

The only exception is Kondo Isami.

Judging from the family register, the Kondo family were vassals of the shogunate, so Kondo Isami was a legitimate vassal of the shogunate.

Legally speaking, he was more like a knight-errant temporarily lent to Aoto by the shogunate.

[Note: "寄骑" simply means that a superior temporarily lends his direct subordinates to someone else for use; such a person is called a "寄骑".]

For this reason, in the recent "Grand Rewards" (the rewards for quelling the "Tenchugu Rebellion"), although Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, and others received corresponding generous rewards, only Kondo Isami was promoted in his family stipend.

However, whether it's Kondo Isami or others, their interests are now highly intertwined with Aoto's.

The two sides have formed a close-knit community of shared interests.

Qing Dengrong, they too will be honored.

Qingdeng was humiliated, and so were they.

Although no official statement has been made to the public, and Aoto has not publicly accepted Kondo Isami and others as his retainers, since they are already in a relationship of mutual support, how are they any different from "Aoto's retainers"?

Shinsengumi, Shinsenshokai, Hatajin Domain... These were not only the private property of Seido, but also the dreams of many others.

Countless people yearn to ride the wave of success associated with the "Shinsengumi" and "Shinsen Chamber of Commerce," hoping to personally experience the thrill of "riding the winds to soar to the clouds."

Countless people are hoping to board the "Qinjin Fan" ship and sail towards a bright future.

If all these "dreams" were to disappear... it's hard to imagine how terrible that would be!

"Trying every means to weaken the power of the feudal domains" was always the basic national policy of the Edo Shogunate.

According to custom, if the lord of a domain dies, the domain will be abolished, its territory will be confiscated, and all the samurai within the domain will become unclaimed ronin, left to fend for themselves.

To avoid such a tragic end, the vassals of each domain all wished that their lord would establish a large harem and have a litter of children.

This is precisely why the culture of adopting children is so prevalent.

It is better to preserve the family name than to watch it be destroyed.

Tokugawa Iemochi had a very close relationship with Aoto—but his relationship with Kondo Isami and others was anything but close.

It's not hard to imagine that if Aoto had died today, then Tokugawa Iemochi's order to "abolish the Hatazu Domain" would have arrived tomorrow!

Similarly, if Qing Deng were to pass away, would the Xinsengumi and Xinsen Chamber of Commerce still be able to exist?

The massive infighting caused by the "lack of a legal successor" alone was enough to cause the two organizations to fall apart.

Under Qing Deng's overwhelming force, the troublemakers, led by Serizawa Kamo, will at least maintain a facade of obedience.

However, without Qingdeng's suppression, these guys would definitely pop up and cause trouble everywhere.

In conclusion, if Aoto could marry soon and have as many children as possible, it would greatly contribute to the stability of the Hatazu Domain, the Shinsengumi, and the Shinsenshokai.

Of course, even disregarding these utilitarian factors, Qing Deng should indeed get married.