I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"No, Your Majesty...and Palace, I was not flattering you. You did a truly excellent job, even better than I expected."

"To be honest, I never imagined that you would have such a heroic and imposing presence after putting on that imperial robe."

Recalling the scenes he had witnessed in the Zichen Palace, Qing Deng couldn't help but shudder.

Besides her complexion, Kazuhime's spirit and energy also underwent a tremendous change!

Less naive, more mature; less impulsive, more composed!

That imperial robe seemed to possess a special magic power; once it was put on, it instantly transformed an innocent girl into a valiant heroine!

Qing Deng gave a half-joking, wry smile:

"I thought it would take me much longer to convince you to ascend the throne, but I never expected you to agree so readily."

Kazuya blinked her beautiful eyes, a complex expression appearing on her cheeks.

"Actually... the moment I sat on the Takamidai, I started to regret it."

"Even now, the regret in my heart has not disappeared."

"That imperial robe was more cumbersome than I imagined...that divine sword and that imperial seal were heavier than I imagined..."

"But... Jiamao trusts you a lot."

At this point, she reached out her slender hand and gently stroked Tokugawa Iemochi's face.

“I promised Jiamao… Since Jiamao has placed his complete trust in you, I have no choice but to risk my life to accompany him.”

Qingdeng couldn't understand what He Gong meant by these words.

He only instinctively realized that there was probably some kind of agreement between the Prince and Tokugawa Iemochi—an agreement that involved him!

At this moment, He Gong turned her head, their eyes met, and she cast an inquiring look at him.

"Master Zuo, things have come to this point, there's no turning back. Can you dispel the lingering regret in my heart?"

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously:

"Of course! I will never let you and Jiamao down!"

*******

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Chapter 1101 The Law Suppression Party Strikes! "Compared to Niou, Kondo Isami is far inferior!" [5300]

Satsuma Domain, Kagoshima Castle (Satsuma Domain Office), a certain room—

Saigo Kinosuke and Komatsu Tateto sat on opposite sides of the Go board, quietly playing their game.

The clicking sounds of pieces being placed one after another became the only noise on the scene.

The former was calm, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow; while the latter had obvious restlessness between his brows, looking uneasy.

Suddenly, Saigo Kinosuke reached out and closed the Go box beside his knee.

"I'm not playing anymore. Komatsu-kun, your mind is already wandering to the distant capital region. I don't want to play chess with a mindless shell."

Komatsu paused for a moment, then looked at the white stone he was pinching between his fingers with a bitter expression.

"I'm sorry, Saigo-kun, I spoiled your fun."

Saigo Kinosuke shook his head:

"No need to apologize, I understand how you feel. The situation in Gyeonggi has completely exceeded our expectations, so it's no wonder you're so distraught."

After saying this, Saigo Kinosuke slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, and solemnly gazed at the distant eastern horizon.

Komatsu, carrying his sword, stepped forward and moved to Saigo Kinosuke's side, where the two stood side by side.

“‘King Ren’ is really ruthless… I originally thought he would just engage in verbal battles at most, adding the crime of ‘persecuting the late emperor’ to Changzhou’s name.”

"I never expected... that he would not only smear Changzhou, but also install a new emperor...!"

Komatsu clicked his tongue, his tone a mixture of admiration and bewilderment, and continued the conversation:

"If he is defeated in the future, he will be branded with the infamy of 'establishing a false emperor and disrupting the court,' and will never be able to recover!"

"If it were me, I wouldn't dare to take such a radical step!"

When the news of "Kong's ascension to the throne" reached Satsuma, the entire region was in an uproar.

Even the resolute Saigo Kinosuke, Komatsu Tateto, and others were so shocked by the news that they were unable to recover for a long time.

Since Kazuhime married into the Kanto region, her presence has become virtually nonexistent, to the point that everyone has completely forgotten that Aoto was accompanied by a member of the royal family with extremely pure blood.

In fact, even if they could remember the Prince of Kazuya, they might not have imagined that Aoto would come up with the ingenious strategy of "using the Emperor to control the Emperor".

Just as Komatsu said, they never expected Qing Deng to be so ruthless! He left them no way out!

As soon as Komatsu finished speaking, Saigo Kinosuke smiled and chimed in:

"If that's the case, then as long as we win, that's all that matters."

"If Ju Qingdeng loses, he will be an unpardonable traitor. Conversely, if we lose, we will be the ones who usurp the throne and wreak havoc on the court."

"Therefore, the current situation is becoming increasingly clear—whoever has the last laugh is the rightful heir!"

At this point, Kinosuke Saigo's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Heh, this war is getting more and more interesting."

Upon hearing this, Komatsu, carrying a knife, stiffened and rebuked him irritably:

“It’s not funny at all! I just want peace and quiet and don’t want any more trouble! Sigh… Even though we’ve been on high alert, ‘Niou’ still manages to give us a ‘surprise’ from time to time… Being his opponent is really tough.”

As Komatsu spoke, he raised his hand to rub his temples and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Saigo Kichinosuke smiled without saying a word.

At this moment, as if remembering something, he turned to Komatsu and asked:

"Bring your sword, any news from Changzhou lately?"

Komatsu answered without hesitation:

"Nothing major. The only noteworthy news is that Lord Iwakura is serving as the new emperor's tutor, attending to him and teaching him every step of the way."

Saigo Kinosuke nodded slightly, muttering to himself:

"I see..."

Komatsu, slightly slow to notice the strangeness in the other person's mood, asked in return:

"Saigo-kun, what's wrong? Why do you look so thoughtful? Is something bothering you?"

Saigo Kinosuke glanced sideways at Komatsu Tateto with a detached look:

"Bring a knife, do you also believe that the late emperor died of beriberi?"

"...Saigo-kun, isn't it inappropriate to talk about this kind of topic?"

"It is precisely because there is no one else here but you and me that I dare to talk about this topic."

"..."

"..."

An eerie silence enveloped the room...

About half a minute later, Komatsu, carrying a knife, said in a deep voice:

"The late emperor was in poor health, so it would not be surprising if he suddenly died of illness."

Saigo Kinosuke shook his head:

“I know, but I just feel something is wrong… I always feel that Mr. Katsura and Lord Iwakura are hiding something from us.”

Komatsu chuckled, then teased in a playful tone:

"What? Could it be that even you have believed the 'King of Benevolence's' lies and think that the new emperor is an imposter?"

In an effort to undermine Emperor Meiji's legitimacy, Aoto spared no effort in mobilizing the "public opinion machine."

First, they mobilized "journalists" to distribute tabloids all over the country with articles such as "The 'Muren' who stole the magic weapon is an imposter" and "The real Muren has been killed by the people of Changzhou."

Secondly, he ordered the members of the Ninth Division, who were lurking in the city, to spread the relevant information in social places such as teahouses, izakayas, and bathhouses.

This overwhelming media offensive has now reached Samo.

Recently, in the streets and alleys of Kagoshima, one can often hear the common people earnestly discussing which of the two emperors is the rightful heir.

Komatsu carrying a sword was just a joke.

Unexpectedly... his joke made Saigo Kinosuke's expression even more serious.

The smile on Komatsu's face gradually froze and disappeared, replaced by confusion and astonishment.

"Hey, Saigo-kun, you don't actually doubt the authenticity of the new emperor, do you? Don't be fooled by 'King Ni's' sophistry."

Saigo Kinosuke said softly:

"If it really is 'sophistry,' then that's good..."

Perhaps he didn't want to talk about this anymore, because after murmuring like this, he took a deep breath:

"Forget it, let's bring this up another time... By the way, has Ryoma sent any letters?"

Komatsu, eager to quickly move past this frightening topic, hurriedly replied:

"No. He's been out of contact since leaving Nagasaki. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be almost in Tosa by now."

As he listened, Saigo Kichinosuke turned his head and gaze away from the eastern horizon, turning his eyes toward the Tosa Domain.

"Notify me immediately if you receive a letter from Ryoma."

Komatsu nodded vigorously, sword in hand.

"clear."

Encouraged by their success in forging the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance," Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro decided to press on and embarked on the "Tosa Trip" and "Hizen Trip" without stopping, preparing to further expand the alliance.