I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A question was successfully resolved.

But the "fog" trapping Qingdeng's mind shows no sign of lessening...

"Your Highness Tenshōin, if that's the case... then I understand even less. Why would someone as high-ranking as the Great Minister of the Shogunate appear here? Why have you transformed yourself into a 'high-ranking priestess' of this shrine?"

"Gluck cluck~"

Tenshōin glanced at Seidō's eager expression, which showed he desperately wanted an answer, and chuckled softly, covering his mouth as if he found it amusing.

The laughter was as strange as ever, but not unpleasant.

"Tachibana-kun, it seems you have quite a few questions."

"I have so many questions for you, they're like a mountain..."

Influenced by Tenshōin's kind, approachable, and unpretentious demeanor, Aoto has become accustomed to interacting with this "Mother of the Nation" in a more casual and friendly manner, as if he were talking to an ordinary friend.

Tenshōin smiled gently, picked up the red tea on his lap, and took a small sip.

"OK then."

"I originally planned to explain the whole story to you in a long and detailed account."

"Now that I think about it, using a 'you ask, I answer' format... doesn't seem so bad."

"Tachibana-kun, just ask me whatever you want. I'll answer everything I know."

Since this woman has said so... then Qingdeng will not mince words and will not stand on ceremony.

After a moment's thought, Qing Deng said in a deep voice:

"Well... Your Highness Tenshōin, please answer my question first. Why would you, as the Ōmitai-no-sho, appear in this shrine as Negi?"

"Hmm... well... where should I begin..."

With a gentle smile, Tenshōin took another sip of tea, then slowly placed the teacup back in its original position.

"Tachibana-kun, do you know about 'Oniwaban'?"

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then answered without hesitation:

"of course I know."

This name is widely known.

The Imperial Household—an intelligence agency directly under the Shogun!

On the surface, the job of the Oniwaban is to stay overnight at the Fukiage Palace and to patrol and guard the courtyard.

But in reality, they are secret agents who are ordered by the general to carry out covert missions such as secret reconnaissance and intelligence gathering!

His main task on weekdays was to help the shogun monitor his retainers and the daimyo of various feudal lords.

In terms of function, the Imperial Guards were very similar to the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Ming Dynasty in China—an intelligence agency that reported directly to the emperor/general and supervised all officials on behalf of the emperor/general.

Because the duties of the Oniwaban are very similar to those of ninjas in the public's perception, many people jokingly refer to the Oniwaban as the "official ninja force" of the Edo Shogunate.

"Since the end of the Yuanhe era, the world has been at peace. For more than two hundred years, there have been almost no major wars."

Tenshōin calmly recounted the story.

"Whether it's the Imperial Guard like the 'Sanbangu' or ordinary troops like the First-Hand Archer Group, the First-Hand Firearm Group, the Junior Ten-Man Group, or the New Group, all the standing armies of the shogunate are recruited from the shogun's close retainers... namely, hatamoto, gokenin, and their sons."

"The purpose of this design was to ensure the source of soldiers and their loyalty to the shogun and general."

"But gradually, the drawbacks of this recruitment system, which was no different from 'hereditary succession,' began to emerge."

"The long period of peace without any battles led to the gradual degeneration of the various military forces under the shogunate."

"Take the most corrupt 'Third Division' as an example—"

"The main duty of the 'Third Division' is to provide close protection for the Shogun. Therefore, apart from the large divisions that need to be stationed at Nijo Castle in Kyoto and Osaka Castle every year, all the 'Third Division' units are stationed in the bustling city of Edo."

"Once you leave the military base, you'll find yourself in a vibrant world of Yoshiwara, Okaba, casinos, and countless izakayas."

"My daily work is also very easy."

"No matter which general it was, the number of times they left Edo Castle throughout the year could be counted on one hand. So all they had to do each day was stand guard and keep watch inside Edo Castle."

"There's no need to worry about the General being attacked."

"Edo Castle was built to military fortress standards and was so impregnable that it was impossible for any thief to sneak into it."

"And indeed it is true. Since the construction of Edo Castle, no one has ever been able to successfully break through the layers of Edo Castle's defenses and reach the shogun."

"They wouldn't be sent to backward areas with harsh living conditions, and the work was easy... The superior conditions of 'Third Division' attracted a large number of Hatamoto disciples who were either not very capable or didn't want to do dirty or hard work."

“These parasites used their family connections, or even directly bribed relevant personnel, to infiltrate the ‘Third Division’.”

"Thanks to these parasites, the 'Third Division' quickly became corrupt, degenerate, and degenerate."

"The 'Third Division' has now become a place where lazy and lazy hatamoto kids come to gain seniority and coast along."

"More than 90% of the barbarian soldiers are lazy, demoralized, and mentally lethargic, only wanting to lie on the laurels of their ancestors and wait to die... This is the true picture of the 'Third Division' today."

Qingdeng nodded slightly in agreement.

The performance of the "Third Group" fighters in yesterday's competition left a very deep negative impression on Qing Deng.

The martial arts competition is about to begin, yet they're still chatting nonchalantly as if it's none of their business.

Moreover, judging from their conversations, they frequently frequented places like Yoshiwara that were notorious for their extravagance.

After the competition started, he seemed to have no fighting spirit, as if winning would be great and losing wouldn't matter, and he just wanted to get off work as soon as possible.

Such a person is clearly not qualified to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the "Shogunate Imperial Guard".

"The current state of the 'Third Division' is merely a microcosm of the shogunate's army."

Tensho-in, his lips parted again, lowered his eyes, and stared intently at the teacup in front of him.

The calm, mirror-like tea water clearly reflected Tenshōin's beautiful eyes, which shimmered slightly.

"All of the Shogunate's troops are corrupt to varying degrees."

"Even secret units like the Oniwaban are no longer up to the task."

“Since its establishment during the reign of the third-generation general, Iemitsu, this army, which has a history of nearly two hundred years and has made countless outstanding achievements, has long lost its former glory.”

"With such generals and soldiers, with such an army, what kind of fighting power can they have? How can they protect the shogunate?"

Tenshōin's tone gradually became more impassioned.

Before she could finish speaking, she abruptly changed the subject.

"At present, foreign powers are pressing closer and closer, and a group of rebels led by 'patriots who advocate respecting and resisting' are stirring up trouble. The national situation is in grave danger."

"In such a critical situation, the army is the foundation and cornerstone of the shogunate's ability to eliminate evil, uphold justice, quell rebellions, and pacify the region."

"In order to prevent the shogunate from falling into a predicament of having no generals to command and no soldiers to use in the future, the shogun is determined to make great efforts to rectify all the chaos within the shogunate army and correct all the unhealthy practices within the shogunate army!"

"However, the various units, led by the 'Third Division,' are deeply rooted and have a large number of scions of powerful families mixed in with them."

"The General has only held the position of General Who Conquers the Barbarians for less than two years."

"His short reign has left the Shogun with a weak foundation in the shogunate."

"If we rush into taking drastic measures and rashly deploy units such as the 'Third Division,' it will only backfire."

"In comparison, the Oniwaban is much easier to deal with."

“The Oniwaban did not select its members from among the direct retainers of the shogunate, so there was less resistance to reform.”

"The Oniwaban, who are dedicated to intelligence gathering, are the eyes of the shogunate and hold an unparalleled position. Restoring their fighting strength is of utmost urgency."

"Therefore, the General has made the Oniwaban the first target for rectification."

"But the corruption of the Oniwaban far exceeded our imagination."

"The personal qualities of many of the foreign soldiers are so poor... Let alone carrying out secret missions, they might even lose a letter if asked to deliver it."

"The difficulty of the rectification far exceeded expectations."

"After much deliberation, we have decided that instead of repairing a dilapidated house, we should just tear it down and start over!"

At this point, Tenshōin's lips curled up slightly, forming a mysterious and unpredictable arc.

"The general has abandoned the reorganization of the Imperial Guard and instead rebuilt a new secret force, namely the 'New Imperial Guard'!"

"As the Ōmōdai-no-sō, I have little else but plenty of time."

"Therefore, entrusted by the General, I took on the task of establishing and operating the new Imperial Household."

Tenshōin pointed to the tatami mat beneath his knees.

"This Moon Palace Shrine is the headquarters of the new Oniwaban."

"Everyone you encounter inside the shrine is a member of my new Oniwaban."

"Including Sae and Yae, who just led you into the guild. These two sisters are female ninjas I trained with a lot of effort."

"Our clerical attire is merely a disguise."

Qingdeng's neck suddenly stiffened.

From that moment on, a deluge of information came crashing down on him like a tsunami…

*******

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I'm so sorry! I didn't write enough words today (8000 words total)! The leopard head is gone! QAQ (Leopard head chopped off.jpg)

I wasn't in a good mood yesterday. After writing over 7000 words, I wasn't satisfied with the second half, so I deleted it all, leaving only the current 4400 words... (This is the truth, absolutely not lying. If I were lying, I'd never find a girlfriend in my life QAQ)

I'm absolutely confident I can keep the leopard head tomorrow! (The leopard head has grown back.jpg)

Chapter 256 A meteoric rise! The young widow's direct "agent"! [6300]

The newly established secret force of the shogunate: the New Oniwaban; this Moon Palace Shrine is the headquarters of the New Oniwaban; everyone in this shrine is a member of the New Oniwaban; the woman in front of him is ostensibly the shogunate's Ōmitai-sho, but secretly the leader of the New Oniwaban... Any one of these secrets could make Aoto's brain buzz.

To be honest, it's a bit too much to ask Qing Deng to immediately accept this series of astonishing facts.

Tenshōin thoughtfully gave Aoden time to process and recover.

"Are all the people in this shrine members of the New Oniwaban?"