I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"When I heard the devastating news of the late emperor's passing, I thought to myself: since Choshu was able to produce an emperor, why don't we do the same?"

"Instead of passively defending, we should take the initiative—as long as we also have an emperor, we can rightfully throw back the stigmas of 'enemy of the court' and 'traitor'!"

"What Toshizo just said is very true: the only one who can rival the Emperor is the Emperor!"

"Since the shogunate has already split into two, it doesn't matter whether the imperial court remains intact!"

Qing Deng's words caused everyone present to change their expressions.

The same content delivered by different people carries vastly different weight.

When discussing the "establishment of a separate emperor," the "Demon Vice-Commander" only used a half-joking tone.

Now, the "King of Benevolence" has made a bold statement with righteous indignation: "Reboot the Northern and Southern Dynasties!"

Therefore, everyone present had no choice but to rouse their spirits and show a solemn expression!

They looked at each other, exchanging shocked glances, unsure of what to say.

Kondo Isami blinked, gradually regaining his senses, and stammered as he spoke first:

"But, however, Mutsuhito is the only prince currently alive."

"The late emperor has no other bloodline, so even if we were to elect another emperor, there would be no one else to choose from!"

Qing Deng said calmly:

"I know."

Hijikata Toshizo suddenly interjected:

"Why not find a trustworthy person and have him impersonate the emperor, saying that he is the descendant of the Southern Dynasty that we have been searching for?"

"The Southern Dynasty is the undisputed legitimate dynasty. As long as we put forward a 'Southern Dynasty Emperor,' we can easily suppress the 'Northern Dynasty Emperor' of Changzhou."

Qingdeng shook his head:

"For a long time, the folk legends of 'descendants of the Southern Dynasties' have been mostly a kind of 'noble lineage exile' that has been used by the mountain people and is very unreliable."

"It would be difficult to convince the public if someone were to arbitrarily promote a 'Southern Dynasty emperor'."

"Although there are no other princes, who says that only princes can inherit the throne?"

After saying that, Qingdeng looked around the room with a helpless expression on his face, as if to say, "I've explained it to you so clearly, don't you understand?"

Tenshōin immediately realized something, his pupils contracted slightly, and he cast a shocked look at Aoden:

"Sheng Qing, you mean..."

Qing Deng nodded slightly, and said solemnly, word by word:

“A member of the royal family of pure blood—isn’t there one right here among us?”

……

……

Hatazu Domain, Ōtsu, Tachibana Residence, Tokugawa Iemochi's bedroom—

Kazumi sat blankly beside Tokugawa Iemochi, his eyes lifeless... as if he were staring at Tokugawa Iemochi's face, yet also as if he saw nothing at all.

Her face was as pale as paper, completely devoid of color.

Her already petite frame became even thinner, and the oversized gown made her look like a child wearing adult clothes, as if a gentle breeze could blow her away.

The phrase "emaciated" roughly describes this.

She has absolutely no memory of the past few days.

In her memory, she had been like a walking corpse these past few days, truly in a daze...

Whenever it is conscious, it cries loudly until it faints, and then continues to cry after waking up... in a never-ending cycle.

She desperately wished that the "death of her brother" was a hoax, that she was having a nightmare, and that opening her eyes would allow her life to return to normal.

However... however...

Overwhelmed with grief, she nearly went mad.

Seeking comfort, she instinctively hid in Tokugawa Iemochi's bedroom, hoping to find solace in her husband.

But... seeing Tokugawa Iemochi still unconscious and showing no signs of waking up only added to the sorrow.

After becoming a "sleeping beauty," the only food that Tokugawa Iemochi could eat was thin porridge.

After being fed porridge, he would instinctively swallow it, which is how he has managed to survive until now.

However, eating only liquid food each day can barely maintain vital signs, but that's all.

His increasingly severe malnutrition caused him to shrink considerably, his cheeks to become sunken, and his complexion to become dull... He had lost all his former dashing appearance and was visibly weak.

A while ago, the doctor gave a clear diagnosis: if Tokugawa Iemochi remained unconscious, he would pass away due to physical weakness within six months to a year...

Upon realizing this, the sorrow in the palace grew even stronger.

My beloved elder brother is dead, and now my cherished husband is on the verge of death... Why has it come to this? Did I do something wrong? Is this God punishing me?

She felt her vision blurring again... Large tears rolled out of her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

Just then, footsteps approached from the direction of the corridor.

Before He Gong could think further, he heard Qing Deng's voice:

"Your Majesty, it is I, Tachibana Aoto. May I enter?"

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: The long-awaited "Katsunomiya route" has finally come into play! (Leopard.jpg)

The reason why we gave Kazumi so much screen time earlier was to make her the empress. Didn't expect that, did you?

Chapter 1098 The Empress Ascends the Throne! Japan's Ninth Empress! [4400]

He Gong was startled and quickly wiped away her tears, trying to appear calm.

"Please come in."

Qingdeng gently pushed open the door and tiptoed into the room.

Kazuya turned around, his back to Tokugawa Iemochi, and faced Aoto.

Looking at Tokugawa Iemochi, whose figure was growing thinner day by day, a dark look flashed in Aoto's eyes.

They were first inseparable ruler and subject, then brothers working together, and now father and son of similar age... His relationship with Tokugawa Iemochi was both deep and complex, no less than the feelings that Prince Kazu had for him.

Since he fell into a coma, Qingdeng would often come to his bedroom whenever he had free time, silently watching over this precious friend who was like a brother, a brother, and a son.

After a brief moment of being troubled by sorrow, Qing Deng took a deep breath, cleared his mind of all distractions, and sat respectfully before the palace.

"General Tachibana, what brings you here so suddenly?"

Before Qingdeng could respond, she continued speaking on her own:

"If there is nothing urgent, please leave... I am a little tired..."

As she finished speaking, her shoulders slumped, and weariness filled her face.

She wasn't just giving Aoto a perfunctory answer; she was truly exhausted... After visiting Tokugawa Iemochi, she felt even more grief than before, her anger was choked in her chest, and she was in a daze, unable to concentrate on talking to Aoto.

Qing Deng said solemnly:

"Your Majesty, please forgive my unauthorized visit. I have come for the sake of all people. Please forgive my intrusion."

Kazuya was stunned.

Although she was a noble princess and the Empress Dowager, that was all she was.

Unlike Tenshōin, she did not wield considerable power due to the circumstances of the time.

According to ancestral rules, the only power and responsibility of the Imperial Palace is to manage the Ooku (the shogun's harem) on behalf of the shogun.

However, because she was overshadowed by Tenshōin, the Grand Master, her power to manage the inner palace was incomplete.

To put it bluntly, she was a complete vase, good for nothing but writing poetry and composing prose, and spent her days in emptiness.

Why would a useless woman like her bother "King Ni" to meet with her?

Moreover, he was "coming for the sake of all living beings"... Qing Deng's words startled her, and even her muddled mind became much clearer, causing her to unconsciously perk up.

She straightened her back, spread her shoulders, and forced a solemn posture to make herself appear more dignified.

"Since that's the case, let's move elsewhere; this is not the place to talk."

Qingdeng shook his head:

"No, let's do it here."

“This is exactly what I wanted to talk about.”

"The contents of our next conversation should be made known to the General."

Kazuya was startled again, the look of confusion on her face growing even deeper.

She glanced at Tokugawa Iemochi behind her, pondered for a moment, and then nodded slightly.

"Very well, then so be it. General Tachibana, what urgent matter do you wish to discuss? Please speak freely."

Considering that what is about to be said is extremely shocking and might even cause Kazumiya's brain to shut down, Aoto should lay the groundwork first.

But based on the simple idea that "a short pain is worse than a long one," Qing Deng simply deleted the entire preface and stated directly and loudly:

"Your Highness, we humbly beseech you to inherit the throne and mend the heavens to save the world!"

In an instant, his needle-like gaze pierced Qing Deng.

Kazumi was like a frightened fawn, instinctively tensing her shoulders, her whole body stiffening, and her face filled with horror.

Fuhe Palace ascends to the throne, using the empress to counter the "false emperor" of Changzhou—this is Qingdeng's plan!

Japan has had female emperors, and quite a few at that, with a total of eight female emperors throughout history.

The most famous female emperor was Empress Suiko (the 33rd emperor, reigned from 592 to 628).