I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He used "marriage alliance" as a bargaining chip to put pressure on the shogunate and force it to compromise.

Beset by internal and external troubles, the shogunate was forced to agree to most of the conditions proposed by Iwakura Tomomi.

In the end, he did indeed bring considerable benefits to the imperial court.

"Facilitating the union of the public and the military" marked Iwakura Tomomi's first public appearance, showcasing his exceptional political skills and keen political insight.

Compared to other officials who were unruly and only knew how to compose poems, he was indeed an outstanding person.

After Kazuya set off eastward, he accompanied him as an attendant—it was during this time that he met Aoto.

Not long after, he left Edo and returned to Kyoto.

Soon after, he was affected by the "August 18th Coup" and was forced to resign his post and go into seclusion.

After that, there was no further news about him.

Tonight, at this very moment, he led a group of his confidants straight towards the Imperial Palace!

Their target was Xuanqiu Gate, located on the west side of the Imperial Palace.

Xuanqiu Gate—also known as the "Gongjia Gate" or "Tang Gate"—was the first gate through which princes, dukes, generals, and feudal lords granted permission to enter the palace.

Before long, the magnificent Xuanqiu Gate came into view.

However, the Aizu soldiers who were supposed to be guarding this place were nowhere to be seen.

Iwakura Tomomi calmly stepped forward, moved below Tang Pofeng, and shouted back:

"It's me, Iwakura Tomomi! Open the door!"

[Note: Tanghafu: A common decorative element on the roof of the main entrance in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of recessed sides and a central arched section resembling a rain shelter. Its shape is similar to a Chinese covered porch.]

As soon as the words were spoken, a creaking sound was heard—the Xuanqiu Gate slowly opened!

Iwakura Tomomi raised his head and stepped forward, crossing the threshold. He then saw a young samurai in full armor—the very same Aizu general in charge of protecting the Senshu Gate.

Iwakura Tomomi exchanged a glance with him, and they nodded to each other.

The samurai said:

"Please hurry."

Iwakura Tomomi said calmly:

"That's natural."

After that, he said no more and led a group of his confidants straight into the depths of the Imperial Palace.

At this moment, one of his trusted confidants quickened his pace slightly and said to him, barely able to contain his excitement:

"Lord Iwakura, everything is going exactly as you planned! We stormed the palace without firing a single shot!"

Iwakura Tomomi curled the corners of his mouth into a meaningful smile, then slowly recited a famous line from the "Six Strategies of Proverbs":

"The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for profit."

"Most of the 'loyalty' in this world is because the price of 'betrayal' is not high enough."

There was no complicated reason why the guard at Xuanqiu Gate opened the gate just now.

Iwakura Tomomi offered him an enormous sum of money that he couldn't refuse, asking him to act as an inside man—it was that simple.

Enticing others with incentives—this was a skill that Iwakura Tomomi had already mastered when promoting the "Koubu Gatai" (a political alliance between the public and the military).

The larger the organization, the more prone it is to blunders and the more often it will experience absurd and ridiculous accidents.

Sometimes, superiors have good intentions—for example, Matsudaira Katamori specifically deployed the army's elite troops in the palace.

However, once it was implemented at each level, it completely changed – for example, Iwakura Tomomi easily bribed the guard of Xuanqiu Gate simply by using a “money offensive”.

The times were difficult, and even among the elite of the Aizu army, many were troubled by financial difficulties.

"Breaking into the Imperial Palace" is only the first step; it is far from time to let our guard down.

Iwakura Tomomi straightened his face again and said in a deep voice:

"Proceed according to plan! Remember, be quick! Not a second can be wasted!"

Upon receiving this order, the group immediately dispersed, splitting into three separate groups, each heading towards different areas.

Tonight, they have three tasks to complete—

First, they kidnapped the Emperor.

Secondly, they kidnapped the crown prince.

Third, they stole the "Three Divine Artifacts".

No matter who it is, they would probably gasp in shock after seeing this "plan list".

Forcibly abducting the Emperor and Crown Prince, and even attempting to steal the "Three Sacred Treasures"... Such an act is unprecedented in history!

Iwakura Tomomi will personally take charge of the most crucial of these three tasks: kidnapping the Emperor.

Before resigning from his official post and going into seclusion, he frequently visited the imperial palace.

Therefore, he was very familiar with the terrain and architectural layout of the Imperial Palace.

It's no exaggeration to say that he could easily find the Emperor's bedroom even if he walked with his eyes closed.

The Imperial Palace was much smaller than Edo Castle.

Before long, they arrived at their destination as scheduled.

There were many attendants waiting outside the Emperor's bedroom.

Upon seeing an unknown person approaching, the attendants were immediately stunned:

"Who are you...?"

Before the man could finish speaking, Iwakura Tomomi's confidants rushed forward and tore him to pieces.

With the prepared attacking the unprepared... a brutal massacre began.

In just five seconds, the world fell silent again... The attendants outside the Emperor's bedroom were all slaughtered.

Iwakura Tomomi pushed open the door with a blank expression and stepped inside.

Immediately afterwards, he heard a piercing scream:

"Who...who are you?!"

In the center of the bedroom, behind the curtain, a figure was shaking violently.

[Note: Imperial curtain: A curtain used to conceal the Emperor's face.]

Iwakura Tomomi quietly walked over and said to the Emperor through the curtain:

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Who...who are you?!"

"Your Majesty, it is I, Iwakura Tomomi."

"Iwakura-kei? You... how could you..."

The Emperor was so shocked that he was at a loss for words, his tongue tied in knots, and he temporarily lost the ability to speak.

Iwakura Tomomi, too lazy to say much, got straight to the point:

"Your Majesty, the capital is already a den of dragons and tigers, and we cannot stay any longer. Please move your journey to Changzhou."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor instantly recovered.

Upon hearing the word "Changzhou," it was as if a psychological trauma had been triggered; without thinking, he roared:

"Changzhou? I will never go to Changzhou!"

Given such remarks and circumstances... even the Emperor, if foolish as he is, would know his current predicament.

He disregarded everything else and hurriedly opened his throat, screaming in a pathetic manner:

"Help! Help! Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!!"

Seeing this, Iwakura clicked his tongue in displeasure:

"Tsk... I wanted to be gentler with you, but I couldn't..."

After saying that, he turned his head and winked at his two trusted confidants behind him.

The two men, understanding each other perfectly, stepped forward, lifted the imperial curtain, and then dragged the emperor out like a dog.

The Emperor struggled desperately, but to no avail.

In despair, he glared angrily at Iwakura Tomomi:

"Even now, you still won't give up?!"

"Changzhou is already in decline! It will be destroyed soon!"

"Even if you abduct me to Changzhou, what use will it be?"

Faced with the Emperor's criticism, Iwakura Tomomi chuckled—a laugh full of sarcasm.

The next moment, he let out a cold laugh.

"How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?"

"Your Majesty is right."

"Changzhou today is indeed like a candle flickering in the wind."

"If you wish to preserve your fame and fortune, it would be best to pledge allegiance to Ju Qingdeng as soon as possible—just like those good-for-nothings under your command."

"However, in my opinion, there are things in this world that are more important than fame and fortune."

"To build the world I envision—that is my grand ambition!"

"Ju Qingdeng is not trustworthy."

“I don’t think that the ‘world’ that Tachibana Seiden wants is the same as the ‘world’ that I want!”

"Therefore, rather than begging for mercy from Tachibana Seito, I would rather fight alongside Choshu to the very last moment!"

After speaking, he reached into his robes and pulled out a damp piece of cotton cloth—in the next instant, he leaned forward and used the cloth to block the Emperor's mouth and nose.

The Emperor, who had been struggling violently just moments before, suddenly became limp and weak, requiring two people to lift him.