I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Those high-ranking officials and businessmen who are usually respectable become unrestrained in their speech after a couple of sips of horse urine.

He blurted out everything he should and shouldn't have said, it was utterly outrageous.

Therefore, from the moment Ziyang sat down beside him, Qingdeng became wary and always maintained a certain physical and psychological distance from him.

Qingdeng's acquaintance with Ziyang can be traced back to when he first arrived in Kyoto.

Not long after he arrived in Luoyang, he met Ziyang by chance.

Even so, they were not so familiar with each other that they knew each other inside and out.

For Qingdeng, Ziyang was merely "someone he happened to know".

What kind of person is she beneath her "succubus" exterior? Is she loyal to the shogunate or to expel foreigners? Did she have an affair with Choshu?

Qingdeng couldn't explain these issues clearly.

However, there was one thing he was very certain of—it was absolutely the right thing to do to be cautious and suspicious of Ziyang!

After refilling Qingdeng's cup with wine, Ziyang said sweetly:

"Your Highness, I was overjoyed when I learned that you were coming to Gion! It has been so long since I last saw you, and I can't wait to talk to you as much as I can!"

Qing Deng Wan Er:

"We're quite destined to meet, aren't we? We always manage to see each other every now and then."

Qingdeng had only two requirements for today's welcoming banquet: it had to be grand and solemn.

Therefore, after obtaining Aoto's permission, the person in charge of organizing the banquet quickly contacted Gion and hired a geisha with exceptional talent.

When the news spread that "Lord Niou is preparing to hold a banquet in Gion," a great commotion broke out throughout Gion!

From the perspective of ordinary people, Qingdeng was already a lofty figure, second only to the emperor.

Regardless of his prestige and social status, the sheer height of his official position alone was enough to make the general public stare wide-eyed and tremble with shock.

Throughout history, it has been common for geishas to rise to prominence and become successful.

Because they frequently came into contact with high society, some geishas were fortunate enough to be noticed by noblemen and taken as concubines.

Indeed, quite a few geisha dreamed of "marrying into the Tachibana family."

In short, the geisha believed that establishing a relationship with Niou would be entirely beneficial!

Now that we have such a precious opportunity to make a name for ourselves in front of Niou, how can we let it slip by?

Thus, an incredibly fierce "battle" was launched!

"I happen to be free that day, please let me go!"

"Sister, your leg injury hasn't healed yet, let me go this time!"

"You're still too young. You can't handle such a grand banquet."

"Oh ho ho ho~~ Sister, you're joking."

"Oh dear, little sister, you should know when to stop joking."

"..."

"..."

"Oh."

"Humph!"

At the beginning, the geishas competed fiercely, using all sorts of methods, truly a case of each showing their unique talents.

Ultimately, this "battle" continued until Ziyang came out to make a statement.

"This humble servant is willing to serve Your Majesty the Benevolent King"—the moment these words were uttered, the dispute was immediately resolved.

Just kidding! Who has the ability to compete with "Kyoto's number one geisha"?

Thus, Ziyang and his team were selected without any obstacles.

As the most beautiful and famous geisha in all of Kyoto, the line of people who admired Ziyang and wished to drink with her stretched from Kyoto to Edo.

However, it's obvious that given Ziyang's status, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could meet her.

As for inviting Ziyang to the banquet and having him drink with them, that would be even more difficult!

In short: unless you're a very important person, don't even think about getting close to Ziyang!

In fact, none of the clients that Ziyang has ever served have been ordinary people.

They were either princes, high-ranking officials, or famous and noble people.

Because it was very difficult to invite Ziyang, over time, "inviting Ziyang to a banquet" gradually became a prestigious thing that one could boast about to others.

Ziyang's "voluntary registration and siding with the Ju family banquet" further proves that the gap between people may be even greater than the gap between people and dogs!

The goddess whom countless people longed to see but could not have was actually eager to serve Qingdeng... If this were to spread, countless people would probably be jealous of Qingdeng and go mad with envy.

"Mr. Toujou, where are you from? Judging from your accent, you must be from Edo."

“I’m not from Edo, but I lived in Edo for a long time, so I lost my native accent early on, and now I speak with an Edo accent.”

Aoto glanced at Toujou Shintaro beside him—he was having a pleasant conversation with the geisha next to him.

It must be said that the geisha serving him has a truly high level of professionalism.

Even if the customer in front of him is an unkempt, shabby-looking middle-aged man, he still smiles broadly and shows no sign of anything amiss.

On the other hand, Shinpachi Nagakura and Sanosuke Harada are having a blast.

Even Yamanami Keisuke, who is usually indifferent to women, had a rare interaction with a geisha at this time.

"Nowadays, when people talk about 'respecting the emperor and expelling the barbarians' and 'the unity of the court and the military,' they subconsciously think that they are mutually exclusive. But I personally believe that these two schools of thought are not in conflict! The imperial court is important, but the shogunate is equally important!"

Yamanami Keisuke spoke eloquently and very seriously, explaining the similarities and differences between the "Respect and Exile Theory" and the "Support the Shogunate Theory".

The geisha beside him looked bewildered and listened in a daze.

Well... this scene made Qingdeng recall his past life.

In his previous life, he had a friend who was a fanatical seal enthusiast and even claimed to be a seal spirit who had cultivated himself into human form.

When he went out with the girl, he earnestly explained to her the differences between seals and sea lions, and why seals are so fond of patting their bellies. Afterwards, the girl never contacted him again.

However, this is indeed Keisuke Yamanami's style.

Although he has a refined and handsome face, he is actually quite dull-witted, focused only on his career and clueless about women's hearts.

Everyone was busy having fun with the geisha, and Qing Deng, who had nothing to do, could only chat with Zi Yang, who was serving him.

"Time flies! It feels like we met just yesterday."

"In the blink of an eye, your fame and fortune have risen to a new level, making you the lord of a city and a region, and you have also married three beautiful wives. This is truly a cause for celebration."

"Although it is a bit late to offer my congratulations now, I still wish you a happy marriage and a house full of children and grandchildren!"

At this point, Ziyang paused for a moment, then his face lit up with anticipation.

"To unite with your loved one and start a family... Your Highness, that feeling must be wonderful, right?"

As soon as the other person finished speaking, Qingdeng jokingly asked in return:

“Miss Ziyang, from what you’re saying, you seem to really long for marriage.”

Ziyang smiled sweetly.

"It's less about 'longing' and more about 'curiosity'."

Qing Deng's tone became slightly more playful.

"The beauty of 'building a family with your loved one' can't be explained in just a few words. If you're really curious, why don't you consider marriage?"

Ziyang shrugged.

"If I were to get married, I don't know how many men would be heartbroken."

"Therefore, for the sake of their lives, I will maintain the status quo for now."

After saying that, she winked playfully and then added.

"Besides, once I get married, I won't be able to be a geisha anymore, and I don't want to retire so soon."

"For me, finding a good man to marry is an easy thing, there's no need to rush."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng raised an eyebrow, a hint of confusion appearing on his face.

"Oh? That's really strange."

"As far as I know, no geisha wants to stay in this profession for long."

"Once they meet a suitable rich husband, they can't wait to run to him and escape this muddy swamp."

"And what's the result? You're quite interesting. You could have left much earlier and become a noblewoman enjoying wealth and luxury, but you still stayed in Gion and refused to leave."

Ziyang smiled slightly and said quietly:

“I will retire, get married, and become an ordinary citizen one day, but not today.”

"As for the specific day, that's up to the gods to decide."

From a certain perspective, Ziyang is a very strange woman.

Despite their glamorous appearance, geishas are essentially "playthings for men," belonging to the lowest social class.

Moreover, being a geisha is a typical job that relies on youth.

No matter how skilled or famous a geisha is, once she grows old and loses her beauty, she will inevitably be forgotten.

At that time, they will either go behind the scenes to become teachers who train geishas, ​​or they will change careers and do other jobs, or they will get married and spend the rest of their lives quietly being wives and mothers.

As a succubus herself, the number of people who admire and pursue Ziyang is naturally countless.

Many people were so infatuated with her that they felt they would marry no one but Ziyang.

Among her suitors were many respectable men from wealthy families, and many of them were even willing to marry Ziyang as their principal wife.

For a mere geisha, to be able to enter into the life of a wealthy and powerful family as their principal wife is an immense blessing! This is not just good fortune, it's downright incredible!

On the other hand, there were also quite a few people who coveted her beauty and wanted to take advantage of their power to do unethical things to her.

However... no matter who pursued her or who coerced or tempted her, Ziyang never changed her indifferent attitude.