I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 869 I am "Lang Hua's Prodigy" [5000 words]

Although it was absurd, Aoto could still understand the strange phenomenon that "some Kyoto gentry sympathized with Choshu".

Although Changzhou was completely incompetent, it still occupied the moral high ground of "expelling the barbarians" no matter what.

Leaving aside the issue of "respecting the king," "expelling the barbarians" is undoubtedly the most politically correct stance at present, without exception.

No amount of the most eloquent language in the world can whitewash the atrocities committed by the Western powers.

The actions exemplified by the "Black Ships Incident" were unequivocally acts of aggression, leaving no room for argument.

From the Treaty of Kanagawa to the Ansei Five-Nation Treaty, the shogunate signed a series of unequal treaties with Western powers.

While this matter cannot be entirely blamed on the shogunate, as it was indeed driven by practical pressures, from a third-party perspective, the shogunate's actions were undeniably acts of treason.

Faced with the stern accusation of "submitting to the tyranny of Western powers," the shogunate never dared to respond directly, only daring to make vague statements, and could only swallow its bitterness.

In short, as long as Changzhou maintains its righteous cause of "expelling the barbarians," there will always be people who sympathize with and support it.

Some Kyoto residents sympathize with and support Choshu—a sentiment Aoto understands.

With so many unusual events suddenly appearing, Qing Deng absolutely does not believe that no one is behind it!

They were selling "Changzhou Hagi Mochi" and performing "Changzhou Sheng".

One argument is that not dancing will kill a child, and another is that visiting the graves of the patriots of Changzhou can cure diseases.

In just over a month, these outrageous incidents have emerged one after another.

In modern terms, this is a classic example of information warfare and cognitive warfare.

To demoralize the pro-shogunate faction and elevate the image of the pro-imperial faction... their efforts were undeniably painstaking.

Who is the mastermind behind this?

The answer is self-evident.

"Although Changzhou is a starved camel, it's still bigger than a horse..."

Qingdeng muttered this in a volume that only he could hear.

Without a doubt, Choshu is the prime suspect.

Changju is now in dire straits.

Qing Deng wouldn't be surprised if they did anything to save themselves.

Of course, besides Choshu, Aoto also considered other possibilities.

For example, the Satsuma Domain, which had ulterior motives.

Another example is the cunning and treacherous method of punishing the party.

In short, it's always good to be vigilant.

—We need to strengthen Kyoto's intelligence network...

One plan and strategy after another emerged in Qing Deng's mind.

From the moment he left, Shintaro Tojo stood there, waiting for Aoto's reaction and instructions.

After a while, Qingdeng belatedly realized that he had been ignoring the other person for quite some time.

"Toujou-kun, I'm sorry to have kept you standing for so long. Please sit down."

As he spoke, he gestured "please" towards the tatami mat in front of him.

Shintaro Tojo shook his head.

"No, I'll just stand up."

Qingdeng smiled slightly, a meaningful expression appearing on his face.

"Please sit down. I have a long story to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Tojo frowned slightly—he sensed the unusual emotion in Aoto's tone.

Before he could respond, Qing Deng slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, and moved to the window not far away, facing the view outside.

"So...where should we begin...First, should I continue calling you 'Shintaro Toujou,' or should I start calling you 'Kazuma Kazami'?"

In an instant, Shintaro Toujou's pupils contracted, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

On the night of the raid on Ikedaya, Aoto accidentally discovered a very obvious burn mark on Tojo Shintaro's right abdomen.

Skilled with a long spear, with burns on his right abdomen... Such distinctive features immediately reminded Qing Deng of that once-renowned name that shook the capital region—"Lang Hua's Qilin Child"!

Qingdeng had long wanted to verify this matter with the other party.

Unfortunately, important matters such as the Kyoto Summer Campaign and the reform of the shogunate's military system came one after another, leaving him no time to attend to anything else.

Since we have the rare opportunity to be alone with each other today, let's seize the day and have a frank and open conversation!

In the blink of an eye, Shintaro Toujou composed himself and calmly retorted:

"...Your Highness, what are you talking about? Who is 'Kazami Kazuma'?"

His response was exactly what Qing Deng had expected.

Before he could finish speaking, Qingdeng calmly said:

"Around the end of last year, when I went to Osaka for the first time to facilitate an alliance between the Hatazu Domain and the Karasuya, I met an old man by chance."

"This person participated in the 'Ōshio Heihachirō Uprising' 27 years ago..."

Qing Deng succinctly recounted his encounter with the old man and the story of Kazami Kazuma told by the old man himself.

With each word he spoke, Shintaro Toujou's facial expression changed.

After Qingdeng finished speaking, he remained silent for a long time.

Qingdeng was not in a hurry and waited quietly.

A deathly silence enveloped the room, both inside and out.

About 10 minutes later, laughter that was neither sad nor happy broke the silence.

"……Ha ha ha ha……"

Although he was smiling, Shintaro Toujou had a bitter expression on his face.

"I never imagined that in my lifetime I would still hear someone call me 'Kazami Kazuma'..."

After saying that, he took a deep breath, then turned his head and stared straight at Qingdeng, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

“That’s right, my former name was 'Kazami Kazuma'.”

These words silenced the room once again.

Despite having prepared himself mentally, Qing Deng still couldn't help but gasp when he heard the other party admit his true identity.

To be honest, he simply couldn't equate "the prodigy of Langhua" with this out-of-shape, unkempt, and obese man...

However, the undeniable facts were right in front of him, and he had no choice but to accept them, even if he didn't believe them.

He turned to the side, turning his gaze away from the window and looking at Shintaro Toujou; their eyes met.

Whether it was his imagination or the truth, he felt that after acknowledging his true identity, Shintaro Toujou's facial expression—especially his eyebrows—underwent a very subtle change.

It has become even more incisive.

Unlike before, there was always a lingering sense of decadence.

"...The once-famous 'prodigy of Langhua' is right before my eyes, and he is an old acquaintance of mine... To be honest, I still can't believe it."

Upon hearing the phrases "renowned throughout the capital" and "a prodigy of the Langhua region," Shintaro Toujou's lips twitched, a self-deprecating expression appearing on his cheeks.

Driven by curiosity, Qingdeng continued:

"Toujou-kun... no, Kazami-kun, could you tell me in detail how you changed your name and how you joined the Great Shio Party?"

"Of course, if you don't want to go into details, I won't force you."

Kazami Kazuma, who made great contributions in the battle to quell the "Ōshio Heihachirō Uprising", disregarded his fame and fortune, not only changing his name and identity, but also joining an organization that was once his enemy... If Aoto is not curious about the story behind this, then it must be fake.

He could conjure up a whole host of stories just by imagining it.

Shintaro Tojo, seemingly seeing through Aoto's thoughts, chuckled to himself.

“Your Highness, if you are looking for some epic story to tell me, you will be disappointed.”

"My story... is full of embarrassment and filth, and there is nothing remarkable about it."

After saying that, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if to compose himself.

About 10 seconds later, he picked up the subject again:

“Your Highness, although it may be somewhat offensive of me to say this... someone as gifted as you probably cannot understand the pain of being unappreciated.”

"You became famous at a young age."

"At a young age, he displayed amazing talent and outstanding ability, and rose rapidly through the ranks."

"A mere mortal like me is utterly incomparable to you."

Despite the subtle hint of sourness in his tone, Qing Deng showed no abnormality and remained calm.

After all... everything the other party said was true.

From any perspective, Qingdeng is a winner in life that ordinary people can only dream of!

In just four years, he rose from an unknown minor servant to a powerful daimyo who controlled a region and became the top figure in the shogunate army.

Such a rapid rise in rank is rarely matched by anyone throughout history or across the world.

When leading the Shinsengumi to conquer all sides, he was invincible and always victorious.

Not only that, he also married three beautiful women.

Chiba Sanako, the "most beautiful woman in Edo" who captivated countless men, was merely one of his wives—this alone was enough to make countless people green with envy.

Not to mention his other two wives, both of whom were stunningly beautiful women.

He was successful in officialdom, on the battlefield, and in love.

The so-called "winners in life" are nothing more than this.