I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He whispered something to her.

Yu Shang listened attentively, and after the other person finished speaking, she said loudly to Qing Deng:

"General Tachibana, His Highness said: I have heard about your activities in recent years. Thank you for your hard work."

Qing Deng responded neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"I dare not accept such praise."

As soon as he finished speaking, He Gong glanced at Yu Shangzhao again, and the latter leaned closer once more.

Seeing this, Qing Deng secretly twitched his lips.

Another major reason why he was unwilling to meet with the Prince was this—communication was simply too troublesome! This "message relay game" was too torturous!

After a short wait, the Emperor spoke again:

"His Highness asks: How is His Majesty doing lately?"

The "Your Majesty" he refers to is naturally the current emperor.

How could I possibly know!

Qingdeng had no goodwill toward the imperial court.

He would never set foot in the Imperial Palace unless absolutely necessary.

Although the imperial court has made many moves in recent years, giving people the feeling of a "rise of the imperial court," a closer examination reveals that its status has not fundamentally changed.

The imperial court still had no soldiers under its command, and the emperor remained a figurehead.

Qingdeng has never cared about the life or death of the "mascot", so how would he know if he is doing well now?

Princess Kazuno is the current Emperor's younger sister; she probably asked this question out of concern for her brother.

Driven by the simple idea of ​​"caring for the siblings' feelings," he began to rack his brains, trying to recall the rumors he had recently heard about the Emperor.

Say things like "You have a good appetite" or "You're in good spirits"—just pick something that sounds pleasant and agreeable.

After listening to the story, He Gong smiled gently, and the tense lines of his face relaxed a little.

She then took over the "telephone game".

"General Tachibana, His Highness asks: What's the weather like in Kyoto lately?"

They were just asking about the Emperor's condition, but now they're asking about the weather in Kyoto.

The abruptness of the question startled Qing Deng.

Of course, despite his surprise, he quickly recovered and answered truthfully:

"Your Highness, since the beginning of autumn, the weather in Kyoto has become exceptionally cool, making it a perfect time for outings."

"General Ju, His Highness asks: Was this year's town flower festival held as scheduled? Were there many flowers in bloom this year? Were they beautiful?"

The Kyoto Flower Festival—one of Kyoto's three major festivals—is held in the spring when flowers are in full bloom and is considered one of Kyoto's grandest festivals.

Legend has it that during the Heian period of Japan, the plague god, instigated by the spring spirit, wandered around Kyoto, causing rampant disease wherever he went.

People would dance and sing around the flower umbrellas in the streets and alleys, leading the plague god to the umbrellas, and then sending the umbrellas to the Murasaki Shrine to suppress the plague god. This is the origin of the Flower Suppression Festival.

Today, during the town flower festival, local worshippers dress up as red-haired and black-haired demons and perform dances to the gods in front of the main hall of Murasaki Shrine. Then, two other worship teams join them, one from Ueno and the other from Murakami district of Kyoto. They parade to the shrine and perform dances to the gods.

Coincidentally, Qingdeng happened to be attending this year's town flower festival—with his newlywed wives.

That day, he and his wives went on their first group outing, creating many wonderful memories.

"Your Highness, I have the honor of bringing my wife to this year's town flower festival. The weather has been excellent this year, with plenty of wind and rain, so the flowers are blooming exceptionally profusely and beautifully."

Upon hearing this, He Gong immediately perked up and eagerly moved his lips toward the Emperor.

"General Tachibana, His Highness says: Please recount your specific experiences during the Town Flower Festival in detail."

Qing Deng raised an eyebrow, then looked at He Gong thoughtfully, a look of understanding appearing on his face—he had roughly guessed what He Gong's purpose was in suddenly summoning him.

He cleared his throat and then began his description concisely.

The bustling crowds, the ever-present fragrance of flowers, the picturesque scenery... With his excellent eloquence, Qingdeng vividly recreated the town's flower festival through his words.

He Gong listened very attentively.

Because she was so focused, she subconsciously leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Qingdeng without blinking, as if afraid of missing a single word.

On her smooth, porcelain-like cheeks, a faint hint of nostalgia could be seen.

The ladies-in-waiting beside her were all much the same, listening intently to Qingdeng's story, some with nostalgic expressions, others with sorrow.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng confirmed his earlier guess—as expected, He Gong was homesick.

One of the main reasons why Kazumi strongly opposed marrying into the Kanto region was that she couldn't bear to leave her home and hometown.

Once she marries into Edo, she will likely never have the chance to return to Kyoto for the rest of her life... It's no exaggeration to say that she may never be able to go back to Kyoto again...

Being far away in a foreign land, confined in a fortified castle, and looking at scenery so different from one's hometown, it's inevitable to feel homesick.

In this era of limited information exchange, people could only rely on word of mouth to learn about their hometown.

That's why she suddenly summoned Aoto, who had just returned from Kyoto, and asked him to tell them more about the current situation in Kyoto to ease their homesickness.

No sooner had Qingdeng finished speaking than He Gong posed a new question:

"General Tachibana, His Highness asks you: What about this year's Gion Festival? Was the Gion Festival held as scheduled this year?"

"Go back to Your Highness..."

……

……

This question-and-answer "telephone game" lasted for quite a while.

After discovering that Kazumi had only summoned him because he was homesick, Aoto became even more dedicated and serious.

No matter what Gong asked, he would try his best to answer.

He simply disliked the gossipy women around Kazumiya; he had no ill feelings towards Kazumiya herself.

Rather, he was quite sympathetic towards He Gong.

Forced to leave her home and marry someone she didn't want to, she became a political sacrifice... just like Tenshōin back then.

At this moment, looking at the girl in front of him with a complex expression—nostalgia, sadness, and loneliness, three emotions beautifully mixed together—Qing Deng couldn't help but wonder: After marrying into Edo, would Tenshōin also miss her hometown?

At least Kazumiya has a normal husband with whom she can communicate, and she can also learn about the current situation in her hometown through Aoto.

What was in Tianzhangyuan back then?

Regardless of whether anyone told her about the current situation in her hometown of Satsuma, her husband, who was terminally ill and unable to communicate normally, was enough to exhaust her both physically and mentally.

Ultimately, it remains a question of how many times she actually met with former Shogun Tokugawa Iesada.

When Tenshōin married into Edo, Tokugawa Iesada was on the verge of a mental breakdown, suffering from severe paranoia.

He often felt that someone was trying to kill him. Not only did he refuse to eat the food prepared by the kitchen, but he also locked himself in his room all day long, refusing to see anyone except his wet nurse.

Thinking of this, Qingdeng felt a deep sense of sadness.

Out of this compassion, he was happy to help the palace.

Furthermore, Kazumiya was Tokugawa Iemochi's principal wife—even based solely on this relationship, Aoto would not mistreat her.

It's just a small favor, requiring only a few words, so I'll do my best to help.

After posing several more questions, Kazumi finally fell silent.

She remained silent for a moment, then turned her head and said something to Yu Shangzhai.

Yu Shangzhao's facial expression suddenly underwent a subtle change.

However, she didn't say much, but silently recited aloud:

"General Tachibana, please stay. All others, please follow me and withdraw!"

After saying that, Mikami Ryo stood up first, clasped his hands in front of him, and retreated inch by inch out of the room with elegant steps that made his feet stick to the tatami mats.

Qingdeng and the other female officials present were all stunned.

Judging from the expressions of the ladies-in-waiting, it was easy to see that they were very puzzled by the princess's order.

However, just like the emperor, even if they had doubts, they would never openly question their master's orders.

Accompanied by the swishing sound of feet brushing against the tatami mats, the ladies-in-waiting filed out.

Soon, only Qing Deng and He Gong remained in the huge meeting place.

Qingdeng looked around and saw that the room was much emptier and no longer had the presence of those stinky bastards. He suddenly felt a sense of triumph.

Although she didn't understand why Kazuya had driven them away, it didn't stop Aoto from breathing a sigh of relief at the departure of those stinky bitches.

"...General Tachibana, thank you for your hard work."

An unfamiliar female voice... About half a second later, Qing Deng belatedly realized—it was He Gong's voice!

Ironically, even though they had met many times and had known each other for several years, it was only today that Qing Deng heard He Gong's voice for the first time.

Kazumiya's voice was very soft, giving the impression of weakness.

That suits her appearance quite well.

Her slender and petite body was truly frail.

"Your Highness, I dare not accept such praise."

Qing Deng responded neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"General Tachibana, how is the Great Tree Master...?"

Daiki-no-Kou, also known as Tokugawa Iemochi.

Qingdeng blinked, involuntarily casting a puzzled look at He Gong.

—Aren't you someone's wife? Do you even need to ask me this kind of question?

Kazuya noticed Qingdeng's confusion and smiled helplessly:

"Master Dashu has been busy with government affairs lately, working day and night. I haven't seen him for quite some time, so... I can't help but be a little worried."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kazumi bit her lip, raised her right hand, and covered most of her face with her wide sleeve, revealing only a pair of half-closed, shy eyes.