I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Without the surrender of the Sendai Domain, stability in Oshu is out of the question.

Qingdeng repeatedly sent people to ask, "Where is Ida Qingbang?"

Without exception, all the replies received stated, "The lord of the Sendai Domain has not yet arrived in Wakamatsu."

Finally, on the last day of the "one-month" deadline set by Qing Deng, the banner embroidered with the bamboo and sparrow pattern (the family crest of the Date clan) finally appeared before Qing Deng's eyes.

There's a reason why the lord of Sendai arrived so late—their procession was enormous! They were putting on a show worthy of a "sankan kōtai" (imperial audience with superiors)!

From fully armed guards to servants serving tea and water, the entourage numbered as many as two thousand.

Such a grand spectacle attracted countless people to line the streets and watch.

Looking at the endless procession of daimyo, the people of Wakamatsu Castle marveled, exclaiming, "As expected of the Sendai Domain!" and "As expected of the Date clan!"

Not only did they arrive at Wakamatsu Castle on the very last day, but they also put on such an extravagant display… Qing Deng saw through the petty thoughts of the Sendai court at a glance, and couldn't help but sneer, thinking to himself:

—So that's how it is, trying to put pressure on me...

The Date clan is a very ancient family that has been based in Oshu since the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and continues to this day, making it a prestigious family among prestigious families.

A prestigious family with a long history like the Date clan possesses considerable pride and would certainly not be willing to simply submit to others.

Moreover, the person they were to submit to was, just a few years ago, a gokenin (a member of the imperial family) with a stipend of 100 koku (a unit of grain) – which made it even more unacceptable to the Date clan.

They definitely wouldn't dare to directly oppose Qingdeng.

However, they do have the audacity to use unorthodox methods to assert their presence, and they are quite bold about it!

So he deliberately set up this grand spectacle and arrived on the last day, just to show off in front of Qingdeng.

How about it? Our Sendai Domain is pretty powerful, isn't it? If you want us to submit, then show us some sincerity—Aoto could almost hear the Sendai ruler and his ministers calculating their own gains.

They actually used such petty tricks to put pressure on him... Qing Deng found it more and more amusing.

Although he was inwardly sneering, he remained calm and greeted Date Yoshikuni, the lord of the Sendai Domain, with a smile.

Date Yoshikuni was the 13th lord of the Sendai Domain and the 29th head of the Date clan, holding the official rank of Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, and Left Vice-General of the Imperial Guard.

This was the first time Qingdeng had met him.

Upon first meeting, the other person left a very deep impression on Qingdeng: what an ugly face... what a pathetic person...

This man's features were unremarkable; to put it bluntly, he was extremely ugly, with narrow eyes, a large nose, and thick lips, lacking any regal bearing.

Because of his obesity, his face was full of fat, and his features were all squeezed together, making his already ugly appearance even more unsightly.

He was not only ugly, but also very short. To put it simply, he was perfect for playing the role of "Wu Dalang" (a character from a Chinese folktale known for his short stature).

Ugly, short, fat... Date Keikun is simply the best embodiment of the term "short, fat, and ugly"!

In preparation for this meeting, Aoto had studied the lords of the various major domains in Ōu beforehand, so he had a certain understanding of Date Yoshikuni.

Overall, he can hardly be considered a good monarch.

Since ascending to the throne, he has never achieved anything remarkable, but he has also made no significant mistakes. Unremarkable in his achievements, he can be considered a mediocre monarch.

On the very day that Date Yoshikuni arrived at Wakamatsu Castle, Aoto suddenly heard some interesting news: Date Yoshikuni had brought his "Seven Spears of Senshu" with him!

The so-called "X Prefecture" was a convenient name for various vassal states.

For example, the Hatazu Domain is "Kata-shu", the Aizu Domain is "Ai-shu", and the Satsuma Domain is "Satsu-shu".

In addition, "X Province" could also be used as a private self-designation by the feudal lords.

For example, Qingdeng could privately refer to himself as "Qinzhou".

The Seven Spears – a collective term for valiant samurai or generals since the Sengoku period in Japan, usually referring to seven samurai who distinguished themselves in key battles, similar to the "Five Tiger Generals" or the "Five Good Generals".

The seven most famous spearmen in Japanese history include the "Seven Spears of Azukizaka" who made significant contributions in the Battle of Azukizaka, and the "Seven Spears of Shizugatake" who played an active role in the Battle of Shizugatake.

Of course, as the old saying goes, the generals of the Warring States period may not have had many other skills, but they were all incredibly good at boasting.

"The Seven Spears of Shizugatake" is a typical example of boasting.

Fukushima Masanori and others, who were given the title of "Seven Spears of Shizugatake" by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, were basically all in name only. Their military achievements were not necessarily great, but their reputations were very famous.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi rewarded these seven samurai so generously, forcibly elevating their status, simply to expand his own ruling circle.

The "Seven Spears of Sendai" refers to the seven most powerful samurai in the Sendai Domain.

This is an honorary title with a long history, dating back over a hundred years.

Since the establishment of this title, all seven samurai who were designated as the "Seven Strongest" by the lord of the Sendai Domain have been collectively known as the "Seven Spears of Sendai".

Seven samurai who stood out from the vast Sendai Domain... It's clear that the Sendai samurai who could earn this title were no ordinary people.

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Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg) Requesting monthly passes! Requesting recommendation votes! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: The "Seven Spears of Immortal Continent" in this book is purely fictional, so please don't take it seriously.

Chapter 1010 The Seven Spears of Immortal Continent: "What are the Shinsengumi anyway?" [4400]

On the night of Date Keikuni's arrival at Wakamatsu Castle—

Wakamatsu Castle, Aoto's room—

Qingdeng put down the scroll in his hand and silently let out a long breath.

—Still haven't found Iwakura Tomomi...?

He was just reviewing the latest "Western Intelligence Overview".

There was nothing noteworthy; it was all information we already knew.

The thing that Aoto is most concerned about right now is "the whereabouts of Iwakura Tomomi".

The only thing we can be sure of right now is that he definitely went to Changzhou.

Where exactly did he hide the Emperor and the Crown Prince?

What is his next move?

These are all pieces of information that Qing Deng wants to know.

Unfortunately, after abducting the Emperor and the Crown Prince, Iwakura Tomomi seemed to have vanished into thin air, and his whereabouts and whereabouts remained unknown for a long time.

From the North to the West, there were state affairs everywhere that he needed to worry about and concern himself with... Thinking of this, Qing Deng couldn't help but purse his lips and reveal a bitter smile.

As his status continued to rise, he had less and less personal time, and countless things to do every day.

Then, belatedly, he noticed that the night was quite beautiful.

The full moon rises, and the light is as bright as day.

He happened to be feeling tired, so he moved to the window, put his hands on the windowsill, and looked out to admire the scenery.

The bright, full moon hangs high in the sky.

The clear moonlight poured down from the sky, illuminating Wakamatsu Castle and Aoto's face.

A gentle evening breeze carried the faint sounds of laughter and clinking glasses.

Qing Deng lowered his head and scanned the view below—he lived on a high point in Wakamatsu Castle, with a panoramic view of the night scene of Wakamatsu Town—and saw that Wakamatsu Town was divided into two distinct parts.

One is "residential area".

Because it was already night, the "residential area" was pitch black, and the townspeople were all asleep. There were hardly any lights to be seen, and only occasionally could one see two or three pedestrians carrying lanterns and walking hurriedly.

Secondly, there is the "bustling area" with many ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants), izakayas (Japanese pubs), and casinos.

The "downtown area" is simply the opposite of the "residential area".

Bright, noisy, bustling.

A sea of ​​bright candles, bursts of laughter and curses, drunkards staggering as they walk... what a lively scene!

Aoto wasn't interested in the night view of Wakamatsu Town, so he quickly glanced at it before raising his gaze again and looking straight at the full moon in the sky.

The ethereal, dreamlike moonlight filled his eyes.

For some reason, he suddenly recalled the faces of his wife and children.

—I wonder how the commander and the others are doing.

After parting ways at Sekigahara, Aoto never saw Souji again.

He had been separated from Sanako and Omai for even longer; the last time he saw them was on the eve of his departure for Sekigahara.

While missing his wives, he also deeply missed his two children (Tachibana Masatomi and Tachibana Mako).

Since the birth of their children, they have been separated for most of the time.

Upon realizing this, Qingdeng couldn't help but feel a pang of self-reproach.

—Are Souji and the others also moon-gazing right now?

At this moment, Qingdeng finally understood why the ancients always associated the "moon" with "longing".

Though separated by thousands of miles and lacking means of communication, only the moon can connect us.

Just as Aoto was lost in thought, footsteps approached from the direction of the corridor, followed by Kondo Isami's voice:

"Qingdeng, are you there?"

"Yong, what's wrong?"

May I open the door?

"Please go ahead."

Whoosh... The door was slowly pulled open.

Kondo Isami, dressed casually, leaned against the doorframe and said to Aoto with a grin:

"Qingdeng, want to go out for a drink together?"

"Want a drink? Just the two of us?"

"Of course not, there's also Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Hajime. It would be a shame to come all the way to Oshu and not experience the local customs and culture. So I'm going to invite all the captains and vice-captains who are currently here for a long-awaited 'Shinsengumi banquet'!"

As he spoke, he made a "drinking" gesture near his mouth.