I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As Iwakura Tomomi put away the damp cloth, he said coldly:

"Put him in the sedan chair."

The confidants responded in agreement, and then roughly shoved the emperor into the palanquin that had been prepared beforehand.

Although the process was somewhat brutal, the result was very satisfactory—they successfully captured the Emperor!

"Let's go!"

Iwakura Tomomi waved his hand and then led everyone back along the original route.

They hurried back to Xuanqiu Gate, awaiting news of their victory from the other two groups.

A moment later, footsteps approached—Iwakura Tomomi looked in the direction of the sound and recognized it as the group heading to kidnap the Crown Prince, so he quickly asked:

Where is Crown Prince Mutsuhito?

To highlight the special status of the imperial family, male members of the Japanese imperial family are generally called "X-Jin".

The current emperor is named "Tsutohito", and the crown prince is named "Mutsuhito".

Crown Prince Mutsuhito is only 13 years old this year and is still a teenager.

No sooner had Iwakura Tomomi finished speaking than an excited response came from the other end:

"We caught him! He was in the sedan chair!"

As he spoke, the other person pointed to the sedan chair in the procession.

Iwakura Tomomi nodded, a satisfied look on his face:

"Great! Now all that's missing are the 'Three Divine Artifacts'!"

The Three Sacred Treasures are the Kusanagi Sword, the Yasakani no Magatama, and the Yata no Kagami.

It is said to be a treasure bestowed upon Ninigi-no-Mikoto by Amaterasu when the grandson of the heavens descended, and it has been passed down through generations of Japanese emperors.

These three sacred artifacts have been regarded as tokens of the Japanese imperial family for thousands of years and are considered symbols of Japanese imperial power, similar to the imperial seal in China.

However, there are rumors that these three sacred treasures were all lost when Emperor Antoku committed suicide by jumping into the sea, and that all the "Three Sacred Treasures" that have been passed down to us are fakes.

The truth is now difficult to verify.

Regardless, according to popular custom, the "Three Sacred Treasures" hold a pivotal position in the Japanese Imperial Family and are essential items that must be obtained.

Iwakura Tomomi waited anxiously, craning his neck repeatedly in hopes of catching a glimpse of the group that was going to steal the "Three Sacred Treasures".

Unexpectedly... instead of seeing the "Three Divine Weapons," I first heard a cacophony of shouts...

*******

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Chapter 995 Qingdeng's Great Victory! The "Southern Era Faction" Wins a Major Triumph! The Civil War Temporarily Ends! [4600]

The clashing of footsteps... interspersed with the clang of clashing weapons...

Iwakura Tomomi's ears are very pointed.

Amidst the strange noises, he keenly heard a hoarse roar:

"Run! Everyone run!"

"The thief is at Xuanqiu Gate!"

"Damn it! Call reinforcements!"

"Notify the Shinsengumi! Seal off the 'Seven Gates of Kyoto'! Do not let the thieves escape Kyoto."

The Seven Gates of Kyoto – the seven gates that separated “Kyoto” from “Kyoto” – Nagasaka Gate, Kurama Gate, Ohara Gate, Awata Gate, Fushimi Gate, Torigo Gate, and Tanba Gate.

The Imperial Palace is located in "Luozhong".

To travel from Luozhong to the outside world, one must pass through the "Seven Gates of the Capital".

The essence of "Rakugai" is a castle town that developed around "Rakuchu", and it has no outer walls.

In other words, the "Seven Gates of the Capital" in "Rakuchō" were the last line of defense to prevent Iwakura Tomomi and others from escaping!

Once Iwakura Tomomi and the others leave "Rakuchu" and escape to "Rakugai", they will truly be free to fly like birds in the sky and leap like fish in the sea!

Iwakura Tomomi gritted her teeth, her expression darkening:

"Damn it...we've been found out...!"

Before the "Three Divine Weapons" arrived, the enemy troops arrived first... The situation suddenly became tense.

Fortunately, just then, he heard one of his confidants shout:

"My lord! My lord! They're here!"

Iwakura Tomomi quickly turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound, and saw the team he had been longing for finally running towards them.

Without bothering with pleasantries, he impatiently pressed on with the question:

"What about the 'Three Divine Artifacts'? Did you get the 'Three Divine Artifacts'?"

The leader pulled down the corners of his mouth, forcing an embarrassed expression:

"Sir! Something unexpected has happened!"

"On our way to the treasury, we encountered enemy soldiers!"

"In the chaos of battle, we only had time to snatch... and retrieve the 'Yasakani no Magatama' and the 'Yata no Kagami'!"

Upon hearing this, Iwakura Tomomi immediately frowned.

Having only two of the "Three Sacred Treasures"... this will undoubtedly greatly diminish the "sacredness" of the royal family.

However, now that things have come to this, it is impossible to go back and retrieve the "Kusanagi Sword".

Iwakura Tomomi quickly suppressed the negative emotions in his heart and said in a deep voice:

"Fine!"

"Victory will be achieved as long as we successfully take the Emperor and the Crown Prince away!"

"Let's retreat!"

The group did not linger and turned to flee, leaving Xuanqiu Gate along the road they had come from.

Incidentally, the garrison commander of Xuanqiu Gate was also in this queue.

Having committed such a heinous act, he could no longer remain in Aizu and could only flee with Iwakura Tomomi and the others.

Although he has a family, with his parents, wife, and children in Aizu, so what?

He already possessed an astonishing fortune that he could not spend in ten lifetimes, and could easily start a new family after arriving in the Western Kingdom.

……

……

The tranquility of the night was shattered.

Squads of soldiers drove through the streets and alleys of Kyoto.

Torches illuminated the city and its surroundings.

Footsteps and shouts filled the air.

The commotion was like a thunderclap, startling all the townspeople.

Curious onlookers pushed open their doors, eager to see what was happening.

However, upon seeing the numerous fully armed soldiers, they consciously retreated back into the house and locked the doors and windows.

Although I don't know what happened, staying away from areas with many military units is the safest bet!

Thus, the people of Kyoto all stayed at home, only daring to peek out from their windows.

In an effort to bring back Iwakura Tomomi and the others, the Aizu soldiers stationed in Kyoto all sprang into action.

They were all utterly panicked.

Many people were sweating profusely and their legs were shaking.

Putting yourself in their shoes, it's not hard to understand their fear.

The sole mission of the "Government Garrison in Tokyo" was to protect the Imperial Palace and the Emperor.

But in the end, they didn't even do this one and only task well!

Although it has been a short time, they have roughly figured out how the Imperial Palace fell.

There was no clever scheme or trickery involved; the guards at Xuanqiu Gate were simply bribed, and the thieves swaggered into the Imperial Palace!

With such a huge blunder and such a serious mistake, there is no doubt that even if they eventually manage to bring Iwakura Tomomi and the others back, they will not escape punishment.

Moreover, Matsudaira Katamori's respect for the Emperor is well-known.

If no remedy can be found... the soldiers of the "Army Stationed in Beijing" dare not imagine how angry their lord would be!

I can't think about it too much... otherwise, I'll start trembling all over and won't even be able to walk properly.

Such a serious accident naturally alerted even the "New Selection Group stationed in Beijing".

The current captain in charge of guarding Kyoto is Niimi Nishiki, the captain of the Fifth Division.

Under normal circumstances—unless a general mobilization is launched and all captains go to the front lines—there will always be at least one captain stationed in Kyoto.

When Iwakura Tomomi and others forcibly broke into the Imperial Palace, Niimi Nishiki was sleeping in the Shinsengumi camp in Mibu-go.

Upon learning the bombshell news that "the Emperor and the Crown Prince have been kidnapped and two of the Three Sacred Treasures have been lost," he was instantly wide awake, stood up abruptly, and remained unable to regain his composure for a long time.

Although the chaos was caused by the "Kyoto Garrison" and they will bear the main responsibility, the Shinsengumi will also be held accountable if the thieves are allowed to escape Kyoto.

Therefore, Xin Jianjin naturally could not remain a bystander.