I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Then, Tokugawa Iemochi turned to look at another senior Chinese, Inaba Masakuni:

"Inaba-kun, you're in charge of negotiating with the domains of Oshu and getting them ready to receive the refugees!"

"All Edo samurai who have nowhere to go will be relocated to the domains of Oshu!"

Like Makino Tadakatsu, Inaba Masakuni reluctantly agreed after showing his reluctance.

Tokugawa Iemochi turned his gaze to the next minister—Katsu Rintarō.

"Katsu-kun, I request that you mobilize all the ships in the navy that are operational to take the samurai and civilians of Edo to the domains of Oshu."

Katsura Rintaro raised an eyebrow:

"Should we deploy all of the navy's ships?"

Tokugawa Iemochi nodded:

"This time we're going to completely 'empty' Edo Castle."

"In order to evacuate all the civilians and soldiers in the town before the enemy arrives, we must mobilize all available transportation resources."

"Furthermore, Shengjun, I hereby appoint you as the deputy governor-general of this siege battle, with full command over this operation!"

Katsurin Taro's expression hardened, he sat up straight, and then bowed respectfully to accept the appointment.

Upon hearing Tokugawa Iemochi bestow this position upon Katsu Rintaro, many people present couldn't help but look puzzled.

They all assumed that Tokugawa Iemochi would directly appoint Katsura Rintaro as governor.

In terms of rank, Katsura Rintaro is already the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy; apart from the Admiral himself, there are almost no officers with a higher rank than him.

There is nothing wrong with appointing him as governor.

If even Rintaro Ren is only the deputy governor, then who is the governor?

In an instant, the expressions of the other veterans who had not yet received their assignments all changed.

With the Navy Commander-in-Chief merely a Deputy Governor-General, if anyone could possibly serve as Governor-General... it would only be the Chinese.

Tokugawa Iemochi saw through their doubts and smiled slightly:

"I will personally assume the role of governor for this campaign!"

"I will remain stationed at Edo Castle until Edo falls or the enemy is annihilated!"

In the blink of an eye… it really was in the blink of an eye! Gasps of shock rose and fell throughout the scene!

When they saw Tokugawa Iemochi proclaiming that he would personally lead the expedition, all the retainers, including Katsu Rintaro, were astonished.

A minister who was extremely loyal to the Tokugawa clan immediately said:

"My lord, you mustn't!"

After this man started it, the other ministers, one after another, urged Tokugawa Iemochi to seek refuge:

"My lord, as the General Who Conquers the Barbarians, how can you personally risk your life?"

"My lord, please follow the navy to Oshu for refuge!"

"My lord, please heed my advice on this one point!"

After hesitating for a moment, Katsura Rintaro also adopted a more earnest tone:

"My lord, please go and seek refuge without worry. Leave the defense of the city to us!"

Faced with the earnest persuasion of Katsu Rintaro and others, Tokugawa Iemochi's reaction... can be summed up in one word: unmoved.

Only when all the ministers had grown tired of talking did he slowly and deliberately speak:

"I am the fourteenth Shogun of the Edo Shogunate."

"As the common leader of the samurai clan, how can we possibly run away with our tails between our legs?"

"I'm staying here, I'm not going anywhere!"

"Live or die!"

……

……

Edo Castle, Ooku——

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump!

The rapid, torrential footsteps dominated the entire inner palace.

At this moment, the figures of female officials could be seen everywhere in the inner palace, their faces filled with anxiety as they ran around quickly, completely devoid of their former elegance.

Not only the samurai and civilians in Edo town had to evacuate, but all non-combatants in Edo Castle—especially the ladies-in-waiting in the inner palace—had to evacuate as well.

Perhaps because they had been in a comfortable and peaceful environment for too long, even though disaster was imminent, many female officials in the inner palace still couldn't grasp the seriousness of the situation and were preparing to run away with all their belongings.

Previously, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin were helpless in dealing with the various problems within the Ooku... especially its extravagant lifestyle.

In the "Nanki-Hitotsubashi Dispute" of that year, the Ooku faction overwhelmingly supported the Nanki faction and did indeed make some contributions.

In other words, Tokugawa Iemochi's successful rise to power was partly due to the influence of the Ooku faction.

From this perspective, the Ooku faction consisted of Tokugawa Iemochi's own people.

As we all know, casually turning on one's own family members can easily lead to uncontrollable and severe consequences, affecting the whole situation.

Putting aside other issues, if the powerful forces of the Ooku, who are the meritorious retainers, are wronged, it will make the other meritorious retainers feel disheartened.

However, now that things have come to this and they are in dire straits, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin are no longer going to tolerate these vain and ungrateful women.

"What's with this pile of clothes? Do you think we're going on a spring outing? Get rid of all these bulky, space-consuming clothes!"

"Listen up, all of you! Only bring the bare minimum of luggage! Just bring a couple of sets of easy-to-move-in clothes! No bulky, useless formal wear or jewelry allowed!"

"There isn't enough space on the ship! Every extra piece of luggage means one more person will lose their chance to board!"

The person in charge of coordinating this "emptying of the Ooku" operation was a close female official of Tenshōin.

At Tokugawa Iemochi's behest, she mercilessly rebuked the female officials who lacked self-awareness and dragged around large bags of luggage.

Looking at the exquisite jewelry and gorgeous clothes, the ladies-in-waiting felt heartache but dared not utter a single complaint. They obediently complied, taking only the bare minimum of belongings—they were terrified that Tokugawa Iemochi would abandon them and not help them escape.

Just as the entire Ooku was bustling with activity, somewhere within the Ooku—

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump...

Tokugawa Iemochi strode through the corridor.

He no longer dressed in his everyday clothes, but in military attire—wearing a black and purple tunic, a black hat, and a katana at his waist—looking majestic and extraordinary.

Directly in front of him, several women dressed in court attire—they were the personal ladies-in-waiting of the palace—gathered anxiously outside a door and called out into the room:

"Your Highness, the Great Tree Elder has already told you to evacuate immediately..."

Before the lady-in-waiting could finish speaking, a sharp scream came from inside the room:

"No! I'm not going anywhere!"

Just as the ladies-in-waiting were about to say something more... they noticed Tokugawa Iemochi walking towards them.

Upon seeing the general arrive, the female officials quickly prostrated themselves on the ground and bowed respectfully.

Tokugawa Iemochi waved his hand, signaling them to get up.

"Is the Kazuya Palace inside?"

A female official immediately replied:

"Yes. Her Highness... she absolutely refuses to leave..."

Upon hearing this, Tokugawa Iemochi gave a wry smile.

Then, he moved to the door and cleared his throat:

"It's me, Kazumiya! Iemochi!"

"..."

The room was silent; no one answered.

"If you don't respond, I'm going straight in!"

"..."

Still no response.

Seeing this, Tokugawa Iemochi no longer hesitated, directly pulled open the door, and slipped inside.

In the dimly lit room, a petite girl dressed in gorgeous clothes slumped dejectedly on the tatami mat.

She was none other than the most love-struck woman in Edo Castle… ah, no, she was none other than Tokugawa Iemochi’s principal wife, Kazumi.

Upon seeing Tokugawa Iemochi suddenly appear, a hint of joy flashed across Kazumiya's face.

However, in the blink of an eye, as if she had remembered something, she turned her head away with a "humph," leaving Tokugawa Iemochi with the back of her head, looking like she was throwing a tantrum.

Tokugawa Iemochi stepped forward with a wry smile and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Kamiya, let's go. I'll see you off from Ooku."

"I do not go!"

While shouting, Kazumi bent over, hugged her bent legs tightly with both hands, buried her face between her legs, and became a "human bowling ball".

I'll go wherever you are!

"Since you want to stay in Edo Castle, then I will stay in Edo Castle too!"

"If you leave Edo Castle, I will leave with you!"

As she spoke, she hugged her legs even tighter, as if she were determined to become one with the tatami mat beneath her.

Tokugawa Iemochi blinked, then gave a smile that was half helpless and half delighted.

After waiting for a long time, Kazumiya received no comfort or advice from Tokugawa Iemochi. Instead, she noticed him staring at her with a smile, so she couldn't help but ask:

"why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing, I'm just genuinely happy to have such a good wife."

"Compared to generals of all dynasties, I am truly fortunate."