I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

After saying that, she picked up the burning moxa stick again and poked it into Qingdeng's back.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh...!"

Qingdeng screamed again.

"Don't yell! Just bear with it! It'll be over soon!"

The man took off his shirt and lay face down on the bed; the woman held a burning unidentified object and poked it at the man's back... At first glance, it looked like the young couple was playing some novel game.

In fact, anyone with even a basic understanding of acupuncture would know that Sanako was performing moxibustion on Aoto.

Moxibustion—a type of moxibustion therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine—uses the heat generated by moxa sticks made from mugwort leaves to stimulate acupoints or specific areas of the body. By stimulating the activity of Qi (vital energy) in the meridians, it adjusts the body's disordered physiological and biochemical functions, thereby achieving the purpose of preventing and treating diseases. It is truly a famous and mysterious power of the East.

Sanako's great-grandfather, Chiba Kōemon, was a famous "sword and medicine practitioner." Although he practiced medicine, he loved swordsmanship even more than medicine and was extremely skilled in it.

In addition to swordsmanship, he also passed on his medical skills, honed over decades of practice, to his descendants.

By the time it came to Sanako's generation, her brothers (Chiba Eijiro, Chiba Jutaro, and others) had little interest in medicine.

In fact, Sanako had no interest in medicine either.

However, she has a special fondness for acupuncture, believing that this technique of curing patients with just a few needles is quite magical.

Therefore, in addition to practicing martial arts, she diligently studied the acupuncture techniques passed down from her ancestors.

This became Sanako's biggest advantage when she argued with her brother, Chiba Jutaro, about her previous refusal to marry.

“Brother, don’t worry about my future. At worst, I’ll open an acupuncture clinic! I refuse to believe that with my skills, I’ll starve!”

Whenever Sanako uttered this sentence, Chiba Jutaro would be speechless.

As Sanako's older brother, he naturally knew how skilled the other party was.

While I wouldn't presume to say he's a reincarnation of Hua Tuo, he's definitely at a level where "if he were to open a shop, he would never lack customers."

To be honest, just based on Sanako's face alone, she could attract countless perverts to patronize her.

Qingdeng disliked acupuncture, whether it was the traditional method of poking the body with thin needles or moxibustion.

The reason for this is that he watched a horror movie in his previous life.

In the movie, a character was receiving acupuncture when he accidentally fell off the bed, landing on the side with the needles inserted into his body...

From then on, Qingdeng developed a great psychological aversion to acupuncture.

Every time he sees acupuncture, he can't help but think of this movie... which triggers a strong aversion to it.

After the battle with Prajna, Qingdeng did not suffer a fatal injury, but he had a number of wounds, large and small, totaling 17.

In order to help Qingdeng recover as soon as possible, Sanako volunteered to use her family's traditional moxibustion to invigorate Qingdeng's blood and qi and enhance his resistance to disease.

Deeply moved by Sanako's enthusiasm, Aoto declined.

It's obvious how he could possibly win against the strong-willed Sanako.

Under Sanako's forceful demands, he could only obediently strip naked from the waist up, lie on the bed, and let her do as she pleased—just like how Aoto usually treated his wives.

And so, Sanako would personally perform moxibustion on Aoto every few days.

I must say, her skills are truly impressive.

Although the moxibustion process is painful, Qingdeng always feels much lighter afterward.

About twenty minutes later, today's moxibustion session finally came to an end...

"Zanako, I feel that today's moxibustion session will last much longer than usual."

“Are you going to have a problem?”

Sanako tilted her head, feigning confusion—a faint smile lurked in her eyes.

"...Hey, you're not deliberately prolonging the treatment time just to see me look pathetic, are you?"

"Well... I can only say: use your imagination."

After saying that, she smiled triumphantly and looked very happily at Qingdeng, who had a helpless expression on his face.

Since getting married, Sanako has become much more cheerful.

Although she remains a dignified and composed Yamato Nadeshiko in front of outsiders, she often reveals a cunning side in private, just like she did earlier.

"Alright, stop being naked and get dressed. It's already autumn, don't catch a cold."

As Aoto was getting dressed, Sanako, while packing up her equipment, cast a concerned glance at him.

"Qingdeng, how are you feeling now? Does your wound still hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt much anymore, and my body is recovering very well. I think I'll be fully recovered in about ten days to two weeks at most."

Sanako smiled gently upon hearing this:

"Ah That's good."

The Kyoto Summer Siege happened a month ago.

Over the past month, nothing major has happened, neither in Qing Deng's personal affairs nor in his official duties.

Qing Deng focused on recovering from his injuries, leaving all matters that weren't confidential or urgent to Hijikata Toshizo and Yamanami Keisuke.

Registering those who have rendered meritorious service, treating the wounded, and providing compensation to the deceased are all tedious tasks.

After the Battle of Kyoto Summer Siege, the Shinsengumi suffered 59 deaths and 177 injuries.

Compared to the astonishing results, these casualties were negligible.

The casualties in Choshu were more than ten times that of the Shinsengumi.

Even so, Qingdeng still felt the pinch.

After all, his troops were extremely valuable, all of them elite soldiers and generals who had been trained with ample food and pay.

For Qingdeng, even the most ordinary soldier in the army, every death or injury was a huge loss.

Re-enlisting and replenishing the losses is also a tedious task.

If I had to name a major event that has happened recently, it would be the imperial court's declaration that Changzhou is an "unforgivable enemy of the court."

Even without the coercion and enticement of the shogunate, the emperor spontaneously wrote articles criticizing Choshu in the harshest language.

Although the reasons given by Choshu for launching the Eastern Expedition were very high-sounding—claiming that the Emperor had been misled by treacherous officials and that they wanted to welcome the Emperor back to Choshu—…

It is common knowledge that those who claim to be purging corrupt officials from the court end up being the ones who are purged the most.

Not only were the "imperial advisors" removed, but the "emperor" himself was also conveniently eliminated.

Therefore, the Emperor did not believe that Choshu had any good intentions.

From the Emperor's perspective, Choshu's actions were no different from those of An Lushan and his ilk.

Although the Imperial Court had declared Choshu an enemy of the Court after the "August 18th Coup," in order to show its stance, especially the Emperor's great dislike for Choshu, the Imperial Court immediately added another title to Choshu as soon as the Kyoto Summer Campaign ended, calling it "the most heinous enemy of the Court."

As a result, Changzhou's situation became increasingly precarious.

Conversely, this greatly benefited the shogunate and the pro-shogunate faction.

As early as the beginning of this year, news that the shogunate was going to launch the Choshu Expedition had already spread far and wide.

Now that Changzhou's national strength has greatly diminished, how can we not take advantage of its weakness and finish it off?

Anyone you randomly pick on the street knows that it won't be long before a new, larger-scale war engulfs the entire Changzhou region.

With this noble cause of "punishing the wicked enemy of the court," the "Changshu Expedition" will surely be much easier to launch in the future.

Of course, launching a western expedition and attacking Changzhou would definitely be several months later.

Having fought two major battles in quick succession, the Battle of Ikedaya and the Summer Siege of Kyoto, Aoto didn't want to think about things that far ahead for the time being.

After getting dressed, Qingdeng turned to look at the sky outside the window.

The azure sky, the white clouds that drifted by... Gazing at this beautiful scene, Qingdeng lowered his eyelids, appearing thoughtful.

A moment later, he suddenly said to Sanako:

"Zanako, the weather is so nice today, shall we go for a walk in the yard?"

Sanako blinked her beautiful eyes a few times, her face showing surprise:

"It's possible... but why so suddenly?"

"It's nothing, just a sudden whim. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I could carefree spend time with my wife."

Upon hearing this, Sanako chuckled in disbelief.

"Okay, let's go then."

The commander-in-chief is busy at the Shinsengumi's camp.

Ah-Wu, whose sleep schedule has been becoming increasingly cat-like lately, was fast asleep in her room.

Therefore, now only Sanako is available to accompany Aoto's wife.

Qing Deng helped Sanako up by the waist, and the two walked side by side to a courtyard not far away.

The sweltering summer has passed, and the wind carries the scent of autumn.

The babbling brook and melodious birdsong, along with the rhythmic tapping of a startled deer on the stones, create a crisp "thump, thump, thump" sound, adding to the tranquility of the courtyard.

Sanako stepped down from the veranda, her two delicate white feet shuffling in flat wooden clogs, and slowly walked towards the center of the courtyard—a place bathed in soft, sweet sunlight.

"The weather is so nice."

She tilted her little face up to the warm sunlight, a gentle smile like that of a Bodhisattva.

Aoto walked slowly to her side, nodding slightly in response while enjoying the scenery and Sanako's expression.

Although it sounds a bit cheesy, Qing Deng feels refreshed whenever he sees his wives with such happy expressions, and all his negative emotions, such as fatigue and depression, vanish instantly.

The Ikedaya Incident, the Kyoto Summer Campaign... In recent days, one after another, these far-reaching and undeniable battles have kept Aoto constantly on the move.

It's not bad to spend your days leisurely like this once in a while.

Suddenly, Sanako abruptly asked him:

"Qingdeng, have you thought of a name for the child?"

As she spoke, she raised her hand and gently stroked her increasingly round and protruding belly.

Perhaps because both Sanako and Ama were martial artists and were healthy and strong, they did not experience any strong discomfort after becoming pregnant. They did not experience morning sickness or cravings for sour foods. They ate and drank as usual, and apart from some difficulty in moving around, they did not have any unusual symptoms.