I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

She was Japan's first female emperor, the aunt of Prince Shotoku, and during her reign she implemented the twelve ranks of crown rank and the seventeen articles of the constitution, introduced Buddhist culture, and dispatched envoys to Sui China, thus initiating official exchanges between China and Japan.

The last female emperor was Empress Go-Sakuramachi (the 117th, reigned 1762-1770), not long ago.

The emergence of female emperors is mostly a transitional role when the male heir to the throne is young or the position is vacant.

Although female emperors are quite rare, the Japanese Imperial Family does have a tradition of allowing a princess to inherit the throne in times of crisis.

Princess Kazumi is the late emperor's younger sister, of pure blood, and of suitable age.

Aside from the dubious Mutsuhito, she was the person closest to the throne.

She is the most suitable person to take the throne!

A deathly silence enveloped the two of them... The sound of the wind outside the window seemed exceptionally distant.

He Gong did not keep Qing Deng waiting for long.

About ten seconds later, her rationality caught up with reality.

In the instant she came to her senses, she cast an incredulous glance at Qingdeng and shrieked indignantly:

"General Tachibana, do you understand what you're saying? How dare you utter such heretical words?"

Qing Deng said calmly:

"The late emperor has passed away, and the throne is vacant. The situation is urgent. At this critical moment of life and death, the only person who can inherit the imperial line and take charge of the overall situation is Your Highness."

Kazuya clenched her teeth and furrowed her brows:

"The throne is vacant? General Tachibana, what nonsense are you spouting? Mutsuhito is already..."

Before He Gong could finish speaking, Qing Deng interrupted:

"Under the palace, we suspect that the late emperor was murdered, and as for the new emperor... he is very likely an imposter."

"……what?"

Kazuya was stunned.

Qingdeng recounted in detail all the inferences they had made during their meeting.

The late emperor died under mysterious circumstances, and Mutsuhito seemed like a completely different person... Although there is no concrete evidence, these are all reasonable conjectures.

After hearing this, Kazumi's already pale cheeks turned even paler, and her hands, which were folded on her lap, clenched involuntarily.

"Your Highness, the late emperor's death was so suspicious, didn't you ever have any doubts?"

"..."

"Muren was originally a shy and timid prince, but now he can speak eloquently in front of all the officials of Changzhou. Don't you think something is wrong?"

"..."

Kazumiya pursed her lips, remaining silent for a long time...

In fact, upon hearing the news of the late emperor's death and Mutsuhito's various unusual behaviors, she instinctively sensed that something was amiss.

However, she was overwhelmed by intense grief and had no time to think about anything else.

Now, after hearing Qingdeng's words, she belatedly realized that this series of events was indeed full of suspicious aspects...

Qing Deng spoke again:

"The people of Changzhou have always been ruthless and unscrupulous."

“Nowadays, they control the imperial family, recklessly smear the shogunate, persecute loyal officials, and do everything they can to vilify us, putting us in a disadvantageous position.”

"Below the palace, we need your strength."

"We need a true emperor to fight against the 'false emperor' of the West!"

He Gong's pupils constricted, and she subconsciously shrank back to get away from Qing Deng, shaking her head like a rattle-drum.

"This...this...this is absolutely impossible...! I'm not a prince...!"

"Furthermore, it is still inconclusive whether someone is impersonating Mutsuhito."

"How could I possibly seize a divine artifact without legality, reason, or knowledge?"

Qingdeng shook his head.

"Under the palace, no."

"Female emperors are rare, but there are precedents."

"Empress Suiko and Empress Jitō were both empresses of great achievement."

"As for the authenticity of 'Mujin'... once we defeat the Long Bandit, raze Hagi Castle to the ground, and rescue 'Mujin,' the truth will naturally be revealed."

"That is precisely why we must gather all our strength to attack Changzhou."

He Gong choked for a moment, then hurriedly changed his words:

"I am of little talent and learning! I only know how to talk and have fun! I am utterly useless! A mediocre person like me would never dare to inherit the throne!"

Qingdeng patiently said:

"Your Majesty, I understand your dilemma."

"It is indeed difficult to ask you to make such a major decision in such a short time."

"However, we have no other choice."

"If we allow the rebel leader to use the emperor's authority to cause chaos without taking equitable measures to counterbalance him, the people's hearts will be in turmoil and the army's morale will be lost!"

"Please understand our good intentions, Your Highness!"

"At a time when bandits are rampant, the virtuous and wise Prince He ascends the throne and governs the country, treating enemies with benevolence and summoning righteousness with kindness. Just imagine how inspiring this is!"

Qingdeng spoke very tactfully, using only flowery language.

In essence, to paraphrase what he just said, it roughly means this: We don't need you to have any outstanding talent. As long as you can sit on the throne, it doesn't matter if you never say a word or do anything in the future.

Of course, Kazumiya was no fool, and naturally understood Aoto's unspoken meaning.

She knew very well that Seido didn't need her, this "female emperor," to be some kind of invincible, unparalleled heroine; she only needed to be a "mascot" who stood with the shogunate through thick and thin.

She simply wanted to find a reason to reject Qingdeng.

However, Qing Deng shut down every one of her excuses with an undeniable and firm tone.

Kazumiya lowered her head, staring intently at the tatami mat in front of her, her pretty face displaying an overwhelming mix of emotions.

Qing Deng's earlier statement, "This humble official understands your dilemma," was not a perfunctory remark.

He truly understood her predicament, so he paused at the right moment, no longer pressing her, and gave her ample time to process and think.

If you think from the perspective of the princess, it's not hard to understand her hesitation and fear.

Since her birth, she has been a pampered princess, living a carefree and privileged life. Her only worries every day are what to do, whether to compose poems or play games.

The first time in her life that she made a decision based on her own will was two years ago when she joined forces with the military.

Because she harbored prejudice against the samurai family and was unwilling to marry into the distant Kanto region, she argued her case forcefully, even threatening suicide.

Her fervent struggle ultimately ended in a crushing defeat due to Iwakura Tomomi's manipulation...

Having wasted 19 years of her life, never making any decisions for herself, and even the one time she did make a decision, she was cruelly rejected... This simple yet tragic life experience has made her habitually dependent on others, and when faced with major choices, she will subconsciously avoid them and refuse to face them.

Moreover, she had not yet recovered from the grief of her husband's coma and her brother's death, and had no intention of getting involved in politics.

In this situation, it is not surprising that Qingdeng suddenly said to her, "The organization has decided that you will be the Emperor."

Helpless, she unconsciously turned her head to look at Tokugawa Iemochi behind her, hoping that the latter could help her make a decision.

Of course, this was a complete futile endeavor for her.

How could Tokugawa Iemochi, who walked on the edge of life and death, possibly respond to her prayers?

Logically speaking, that should be the case.

However... something incredible happened.

The instant her gaze fell upon the other's face, she froze... as if lightning had struck her mind, she suddenly recalled a phrase.

On the eve of launching the "Chōshū Conquest", she had a private and unusual conversation with Tokugawa Iemochi.

(In this chaotic world filled with the smoke of war, even the Great General of the Expeditionary Army could not escape danger.)

(So... if one day in the future I can no longer be by your side, there are three people you can always trust.)

(First is Tachibana Aoto, second is Katsura Rintaro, and third is Mother.)

(If you encounter difficulties that are hard to handle or problems that you can't decide, you might as well ask these three people for help.)

(They will never let you down.)

(You just need to keep these words in mind and remember them from time to time.)

At that moment, just as Tokugawa Iemochi had advised, she recalled this advice.

At that moment, she clenched her fists.

At that moment, a subtle change occurred in her gaze... her confusion gradually dissipated.

Qingdeng was unaware of the thoughts and feelings that He Gong had been having.

Due to the angle, he couldn't see the changes in Kazuya's expression.

In his eyes, Kazuya was staring intently at Tokugawa Iemochi, and he was stunned.

Seeing this scene, Qingdeng let out a silent sigh in his heart.

—Was it really too much of a stretch after all...?

Before coming here, Qing Dengye had already prepared for the worst.

Kazumiya was ultimately just an innocent girl who knew nothing of the world.

It is indeed too much to ask her to shoulder such a heavy responsibility and to impose the fate of "all living beings" on her.

Just as Qing Deng opened his mouth, preparing to give He Gong a way out—

"...I understand. Please leave it to me."

This time, it was Qingdeng's turn to be stunned.

The unexpected reply startled him.