I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

All of these abnormal and unreasonable things have now been answered.

The members of the "Third Division," who were soldiers of the Shogunate's Imperial Guard responsible for the Shogun's personal protection, must have seen what Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshō looked like.

The reason for hiding the counterfeit goods behind a thick curtain is to avoid detection.

The reason why each contestant was immediately driven out of the room after their duel was probably because they were afraid that the voices of Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin would expose their identities when they went to fight Aoto.

So... while I was changing into my protective gear in the Chrysanthemum Room, he suddenly asked me what my opinion was of Tenshōin... Was it to test my loyalty?

Just as Qingdeng was thinking this, Tenshōin, as if he could read minds and see through Qingdeng's thoughts, pursed his red lips and then smiled slightly:

Let me emphasize this again.

"I truly did it on a whim, bringing the General along and impersonating him to duel with you."

"The reason I suddenly asked you about your opinion of Tenshōin before the competition started... wasn't anything special."

"It's just my personal habit."

"Personal...habits?" Qing Deng asked in surprise.

Tenshōin smiled gently.

"Tachibana-kun, you're a native of Edo. You should know how often my name appears in the casual conversations of ordinary people, right?"

"What kind of young widow, Tianzhangyuan, is so sexually frustrated every night..."

"The so-called Tenshōin actually has an ambiguous relationship with the general, who isn't that much younger than him..."

"What? Princess Tenshōin likes men younger than herself, so every night she has someone secretly bring some strong young men into Edo Castle to serve her, and then sends them out of the castle at dawn..."

"What do you mean by Tenshōin, the princess of the Satsuma Domain, having no loyalty to the Edo Shogunate? Her current act of loyalty is all an act; in reality, she's a witch who's only thinking about securing as much benefit as possible for the Satsuma Domain..."

"..." Qing Deng was speechless after hearing this.

Qing Deng was well aware of how "popular" Tenshōin was among the common people... especially among men who loved "fantasy".

Tenshōin's past is full of drama and wonderful elements that can inspire endless imagination.

It's only natural that people would use it as a topic of conversation.

Although Tenshōin has kept a low profile recently, and the public attention has decreased slightly, people can still often make fun of Tenshōin in crowded social places such as bathhouses, teahouses, and izakayas.

At this point, Tenshōin continued:

"While some of these rumors may be true, the vast majority are complete nonsense."

"Although I really wanted to ignore all these malicious rumors and sarcasm... the destructive power of 'language' is actually surprisingly great."

"This is what they mean by 'a kind word warms the heart for three winter months, while a harsh word chills the heart for six summer months.'"

"Even ignoring these rumors and ridicule isn't so easy."

"Finally, I figured it out—since I can't completely ignore the harm caused by these 'languages,' I should try to accept their existence."

"Let those boring guys talk... even talk along with them."

"I feel a little better as long as I imitate the tone of those boring guys and join in saying bad things about Tenshōin."

At this point, Tenshōin revealed a sweet smile.

A bright and cheerful smile... a perfect smile without a trace of negative emotion.

"Without realizing it, I developed a habit of making fun of myself."

"Whether in private or in public; whether in front of acquaintances or strangers, they often habitually belittle Tenshōin and say all sorts of bad things about him."

"I have to say—my method of 'decompression through self-deprecation' is actually quite effective."

"Ever since I started making fun of myself more often, I've felt much better and I'm not as gloomy as before. Hehehe~"

Tenshōin laughed happily.

But Qing Deng had no desire to laugh at all... He was speechless for a moment and pursed his lips.

When Tenshōin recounted what he had just said, he used a cheerful tone throughout, as if he were talking about something fun.

Beneath such a cheerful tone and such brisk words lies a profound and weighty message...

Because he has no similar experience, Qingdeng is not able to truly understand what it feels like to be "the target of public criticism and condemned by thousands of people".

"It must be very agonizing..." Qing Deng sighed inwardly.

Suddenly—at that moment, Qingdeng's mind drifted to a distant place.

……

(While some of these rumors may be true, the vast majority are complete nonsense.)

……

After recalling what Tenshōin had just said, Aoto unconsciously thought to himself:

—Lord Tenshōin said that some of the rumors circulating in the city are true... Which parts are true?

Various speculations, some serious, some... a little unserious, seemed to have a life of their own, popping up automatically in Qing Deng's mind one by one...

At this moment, Tenshōin, as if possessing mind-reading abilities and seeing through Aoto's inner thoughts, once again raised his hand to lightly cover his red lips:

"Ju-kun, are you wondering right now: which parts of those rumors circulating in the streets about me are true?"

Tenshōin asked this in a teasing tone, while slightly narrowing her beautiful eyes and giving Aoto a playful look.

The light in her pupils and the lines of her eyes became even more alluring with her squinting... Being looked at by her like that felt like a soft silk ribbon gently tickling one's heart.

"...?!" Qing Deng was suddenly stunned, and then almost showed a look of astonishment and embarrassment.

At this moment, the newly copied and still "hot" and "fresh" talent, "The Art of the Emperor," has come into play!

Qing Deng never expected that he would be able to use this new talent so quickly.

Thanks to the extraordinary facial muscle control granted by the "Art of the Emperor," Qing Deng managed to control his expression at the critical moment, preventing his embarrassing state from showing.

Although he maintained a calm expression, Qingdeng's heart was uncontrollably churning with turmoil.

—Does this woman possess the talent of "reading what others are thinking based on their expressions"? Otherwise, how does she know what I'm thinking...?

What he was thinking was precisely pointed out by Tenshōin.

Thinking back on the various speculations he had just made, some serious and some... not so serious, Qing Deng felt extremely ashamed and embarrassed.

Just as he was pondering how to gloss over this embarrassing topic—

Wow.

The sound of a door being pulled open came from the left front again.

The two, whose conversation was interrupted by the sound of a door being opened, turned around in the direction of the sound.

A young man with a neatly styled topknot and wearing a magnificent robe embroidered with hollyhock patterns strode alone into the Black Academy.

It was none other than Tokugawa Iemochi, the 14th Shogun of the Edo Shogunate and the de facto ruler of Japan at the time.

As soon as Tokugawa Iemochi entered the room, just like Tenshōin had done before, he did not go to the main seat of the room, but walked quickly to Aoto’s side and Tenshōin’s side, and then sat down with his knees bent.

Tokugawa Iemochi finally arrived, and his seats, along with those of Aoto and Tenshōin, formed the shape of the Chinese character "品" (pǐn).

"I'm sorry, Mother, Tachibana-kun, for keeping you waiting."

The first thing Tokugawa Iemochi said was to apologize for his lateness.

Immediately afterwards, he turned to look at Qingdeng.

A friendly smile appeared on his face.

"Tachibana-kun, I've wanted to meet you for a long time, and today my wish has finally come true."

Tenshōin just said something similar.

Despite being only 10 years apart in age and having no blood relation, this nominal mother and son are remarkably similar in personality—they are both quite gentle and kind to others, at least when dealing with Qingdeng.

She showed absolutely no airs of being the "General Who Subdues the Barbarians," the "Great Imperial Palace," the "Supreme Ruler of the Nation," or the "Mother of the Nation."

After exchanging brief pleasantries with Aoto, Tokugawa Iemochi bowed slightly and changed the subject, apologizing to Aoto for their earlier "concealment of their identities," just as he had done with Tenshōin.

"It's all Mother's fault for being so reckless, which has reduced the time I have to see and talk to you."

"What?" Upon hearing Tokugawa Iemochi's words, Tenshōin immediately showed his displeasure. "Shogun, you were clearly having a lot of fun just now, weren't you?"

Before he could finish speaking, Tenshōin's face broke into a gleeful expression—a mischievous grin that betrayed his true intentions.

"General, although you say 'this is too much trouble' and 'is it really necessary to go to such lengths just to spar with Tachibana-kun,' you are actually quite looking forward to fighting with him, aren't you?"

"Uh..." Tokugawa Iemochi, whose secrets had been ruthlessly exposed by Tenshōin, grinned awkwardly and then coughed a few times to cover up his embarrassment.

Then, he abruptly steered the conversation back to the main topic.

"Mr. Tachibana, because the time for our meeting and conversation was shortened due to the martial arts competition just now, I'll get straight to the point and get to the important business first."

At this point, Tokugawa Iemochi cleared his throat again.

His expression gradually became solemn as his back straightened inch by inch.

"Mr. Tachibana, the reason I summoned you today is not only to fulfill my wish to 'see you,' but also because I have a very important task to entrust to you."

"A mission?" Qing Deng's eyes widened instantly.

Tokugawa Iemochi nodded.

"The task is not complicated—before 5 a.m. tomorrow, go to the Moon Shrine in 6-chome of Sou-cho and find a shrine maiden named 'Otoku'."

*******

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How was it? The author didn't stand me up, did they? Not only did I get 8300 words today, but I was also right on time. Successfully saved the top spot! (Like a broken leopard.jpg)

Today is the last day of November. Readers who still have monthly passes, please vote for this book today! (Like a leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: The pseudonym "Shimazaki Hajime" for Tenshōin has a historical basis; it wasn't just randomly chosen. "Shimazaki" is a variant of Tenshōin's original surname: Shimazu. Tenshōin's childhood name was "Oichi," and his adult name was "Atsuko," hence he was also known as "Tenshōin Atsuhime." Does this mean so many readers didn't guess that Shimazaki Hajime and Tokuyama Shigeru were Tenshōin and the Shogun? I thought I'd been quite explicit...

The shrine maiden character that many readers have been eagerly anticipating is finally about to make her appearance!

Sure enough, in this kind of ancient-themed sword and spear story, it just doesn't feel right if there isn't a character with some shrine maiden attributes.

Chapter 253 Encounter with Twin Shrine Maidens! A Sudden Ambush! [8100]