I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Kinoshita Mai: "..."

Aside from the crisp sound of footsteps, there was an utter silence...

An awkward atmosphere, difficult to describe, lingered between them.

Their strange relationship made it difficult for them to know how to talk to each other in private.

The road leading to Hijikata Toshizo's office seemed to stretch several times longer.

Fortunately, at that moment, a reassuring voice suddenly rang out behind them:

"Huh? Miss Mai? Miss Sanako? This combination is quite unusual."

As he greeted them warmly, Souji quickened his pace and slipped in front of the two women.

Looking at the suddenly appearing Souji, Kinoshita Mai's face showed surprise and delight:

"Sōji, what are you doing here?"

"I need to speak with Mr. Hijikata."

Sanako chuckled to herself:

“What a coincidence. We have the same destination, and we also have something to discuss with Hijikata-kun.”

"Oh? Is that so? That's great! We're going the same way!"

With the arrival of the chief, the atmosphere on site instantly changed.

Like brilliant sunlight shining into a misty forest, dispelling the fog and illuminating the world.

Souji walked naturally and gracefully between Sanako and Kinoshita Mai, separating the two.

She would sometimes talk to Sanako about the funny things that happened during training, and sometimes share with Kinoshita Mai about the hidden gem dessert shop she had recently discovered.

Souji, who seems to be the embodiment of a "succubus," has a good relationship with everyone—even with Sanako and Kinoshita Mai, who are her "love rivals."

For a long time, the head of the company has played a "lubricant" role in their awkward little group.

Without Souji, Sanako and Kinoshita Mai would find it difficult to even establish normal communication.

Now that Souji is here as a "transfer station," Sanako and Kinoshita Mai can finally have a chat.

Before long, the door to Hijikata Toshizo's office came into view.

Just as Souji raised his hand, preparing to knock on the door—

"Kondo-kun, Hijikata-kun, I still stand by my opinion—even if it means forcing him, I will make sure Tachibana-kun gets married as soon as possible!"

This is Keisuke Yamanami's voice.

Upon hearing this, the commander's raised hand froze in mid-air.

The next moment, as if they had agreed beforehand, the three women simultaneously leaned forward, pressed their ears against the door, held their breath, and focused intently on listening to the sounds behind the door.

“Mr. Shannan, I understand how you feel. But marriage is a serious matter that can’t be rushed.”

That's Kondo Isami's voice.

“Asheng, on this point, I vote for Shannan. Now is not the time to ‘let Ju slowly find a wife,’ now is the time to ‘we need Ju to have at least one wife.’”

Hijikata Toshizo's voice interrupted.

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

Damn it, they haven't written the scene of Qingdeng's wedding yet? (crying leopard head.jpg) Actually, it wouldn't matter if they did, because the erotic scenes in my mind can't be shown.

Chapter 768 Sanako: You want to get married? Okay! Let's get married! [4500]

In Toshizo Hijikata's office, the "three leaders" (deputy director, bureau chief, and general manager) gathered together.

Yamanami Keisuke stood upright.

Hijikata Toshizo casually leaned against the elbow.

Kondo Isami crossed his arms and sat cross-legged on the ground in a very casual manner.

The positions carved by the three people form an isosceles triangle—Kondo Isami is the top point, and the other two are the two bottom angles.

Hijikata Toshizo's showdown had already demonstrated that his position was consistent with that of Yamanami Keisuke.

Looking at the two who had joined forces, Kondo Isami gave a few wry smiles:

“Ah Sui, Mr. Shannan, I can understand your thoughts, but…”

Before he could finish speaking, Yamanami Keisuke solemnly announced in a loud voice:

"Kondo-kun, I'm very serious."

"According to my investigation, there are already quite a few people within the Shinsengumi who are dissatisfied with the fact that Tachibana-kun is still unmarried."

"Tachibana-kun needs a successor."

"A legitimate heir who can put everyone's mind at ease."

"Only by having a successor can we prove to everyone that Qin Jinfan will always exist and that this grand structure will not fall apart!"

"To this day, whether it is the Shinsengumi or the Hatatsu Domain, they all carry our hard work and dreams."

"Let's not talk about others, let's talk about myself—I've staked everything on protecting the Shinsengumi and the Hatazu Domain."

Even from a selfish standpoint, I will never stand by and watch them perish!

"To put it bluntly, the current situation of 'Tachibana-kun having no offspring' is really too dangerous."

"It's like walking on stilts on a silkworm's silk; one wrong step and you're doomed."

"If something were to happen to Tachibana-kun now, everything would be over!"

"Who will take charge of the Qinjin Domain?"

Who will take charge of the New Senkaku Group and the New Senkaku Chamber of Commerce?

"No matter how fast or sharp the blade, it cannot suppress a divided heart."

"The lesson of the Taiko was far too painful."

"We must take this as a warning."

The lesson of Taiko—Yamanami Keisuke was referring to was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who lost his kingdom because of his few offspring.

In just three years, Aoto rose from a servant with a fief of 3 koku to a daimyo with a fief of 30 koku.

Although it was a groundbreaking achievement, it also raised a question: he rose to power too quickly, too quickly to build a "interest group" specifically for himself.

The Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of King Wu Bi, states: "Those who share the same desires will rush towards each other; those who share the same interests will die for each other."

To solidify one's rule, it is necessary to artificially create a "rent-seeking class," ordering them to assist in ruling and share power with them. This is how all the nobles and all the aristocratic families came into being.

Only when everyone forms a community of shared interests can they work together with one heart and one mind, and exert their efforts in the same direction.

Otherwise, why would we risk our lives for you?

Qingdeng was not born into a prestigious family, so he did not have the protection of a family. Unlike those scions of noble families, he was born with a group of highly skilled retainers.

Furthermore, he had no relatives he could rely on.

Therefore, the only group that Aoto could rely on was the soldiers of the Shinsengumi.

Because the vassal state had just been established, all sorts of affairs were waiting for Qingdeng to handle one by one, so he couldn't attend to anything else for the time being.

Once he has free time, in order to enrich his "interest group," he will definitely bestow generous rewards upon the Shinsengumi soldiers, making them part of the Hatazu Domain.

From this day forward, you will no longer be ronin or commoners, but retainers of the Hatsu Domain with status, position, and generous stipends!

Some people may not care about this.

But a significant number of people care about this a lot!

Who wouldn't like to get promoted and make money?

He risked his life, shed countless drops of blood and sweat, and shattered countless heads, finally earning fame and success.

Qin Jinfan was their hope for achieving "class leapfrogging"!

Once you understand this level of the power struggle, everything else becomes much easier to explain.

Put yourself in their shoes—suppose you are a member of the Shinsengumi, about to shed your ronin identity and become a retainer of the Hatatsu Domain, but your lord is still unmarried and has no heir. If something were to happen to your lord, the entire domain would be immediately expelled, and you would become a ronin again, all your previous efforts would be in vain, and you would be back to square one.

Would you feel apprehensive or anxious?

Throughout the Edo period, there were countless feudal states that were abolished due to the extinction of the head of the household.

In conclusion, what Yamanami Keisuke just said—that "many people within the Shinsengumi are already dissatisfied with the fact that Tachibana-kun is still unmarried"—is by no means an exaggeration.

If they say that they "wish Qingdeng would find a dozen wives and have a litter of babies to ensure that Qin Jin's bloodline would not be cut off," then that is no empty talk!

After listening to Keisuke Yamanami's impassioned speech, Isami Kondo pondered for a moment, then sighed silently:

"Alright... then let's jointly submit a petition, urging Tachibana-kun to find a suitable match as soon as possible, so that we can have peace of mind."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded slightly:

"Kondo-kun, I am extremely grateful. Your support will be of great benefit."

At this point, he suddenly stopped speaking, as if he had thought of something important.

After a moment, he spoke again:

"The main problem now is... who should Tachibana-kun choose as his wife?"

Upon hearing this, Hijikata Toshizo's facial expression immediately turned strange.

Unaware of the change in Hijikata Toshizo's expression, Yamanami Keisuke continued, preoccupied with his own words:

"At first, I thought that Tachibana-kun and Chiba-san would become a couple."

The sudden roll call startled Sanako, who was eavesdropping outside the door.

The other two women also subconsciously focused their attention and listened more attentively, wishing they could merge their ears with the door panel.

"When it comes to marriage, it is important to be well-matched in terms of social status and family background."