I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Katsura Rintaro's amiable personality suited Aoto's tastes very well, and Katsura Rintaro also admired Aoto. Thus, the two unknowingly formed a close friendship despite their age difference.

A short while later, Qing Deng arrived at the top floor of the Banshu Institute and found Katsurin Taro's study.

"Mr. Katsu! It's me! Tachibana Aoto!"

"Oh! Mr. Tachibana, you've arrived! Come in quickly."

Qing Deng pushed open the door and entered.

Upon entering Katsura Rintaro's study, Aoto had a surreal feeling of time travel—Katsu Rintaro's study was like a storage room, filled with Western objects.

French sofas with a strong palatial feel, Russian bearskin carpets covering the floor, English stargazing telescopes, American cowboy hats... it's like a mini World Expo.

"Mr. Orange! Haha! It's been a while since we last met! Come, come, have a seat!"

When Qing Deng looked up, he saw that Sheng Lin Taro was engrossed in his book, with a huge globe always placed next to his desk.

“Mr. Sheng, your study seems even more cluttered than when I last visited.”

With a hopscotch-like motion, Qing Deng carefully jumped into the gap in the cluttered room on the ground and slowly moved closer to Sheng Lin Taro.

"It's not 'seems like,' it's 'definitely'!"

Katsura Rintaro, with a smug expression as if he were talking about some proud achievement, puffed out his chest and continued confidently:

“A friend of mine from America recently sent me a batch of interesting Western goods. Come, Mr. Orange, look! This is the latest kaleidoscope! It's absolutely beautiful! It can change into a whopping 20 different patterns—it's amazing!”

Qingdeng had absolutely no interest in that kaleidoscope.

However, seeing his old friend so enthusiastic, Qingdeng felt embarrassed to refuse.

So he could only force himself to stay alert and pretend to be delighted as he watched the other person manipulate a very exquisite kaleidoscope.

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly noticed a small brocade pouch on the corner of Sheng Lin Taro's desk.

This object, full of oriental style, looks extremely out of place in this room full of Western flavor.

Out of curiosity, Qingdeng asked:

"Mr. Sheng, what is this?"

Katsurin Taro glanced at the brocade pouch, and his lips suddenly drooped:

"Oh, this..."

Katsu Rintaro put down the kaleidoscope in his hand and let out a long sigh.

“Three days ago, while I was strolling along the road in Ryogoku-hiro, a fortune teller suddenly stopped me and said: “I will surely rise to great heights and become the supreme commander of the Shogunate army, leading both the land and sea forces! However, during my time at the highest position, I will encounter countless dangers. But don’t worry, just spend 20 mon to buy one of his magical artifacts and carry it with you. In this way, you can rest easy and no matter what crisis you encounter in the future, you can turn bad luck into good under the protection of that artifact.”

Qing Deng smiled after hearing this:

"So... this is that 'magical artifact'?"

"Yes!"

Sheng Haizhou paused for a moment, then continued in an annoyed tone:

"Let me add something: I didn't buy this brocade pouch because I believed the fortune teller's nonsense."

"That fortune teller is obviously a fraud!"

“I’ve seen this kind of scam many times! First, they keep flattering you, saying all sorts of nice things, such as ‘You will definitely rise to the top in the future’ or ‘You will definitely become very rich and powerful in the future.’”

"That swindler must have recognized me. He knew that I was Katsura Rintarō, who was about to be transferred to the head of the naval training institute and was in charge of training the navy for the Edo Shogunate. So he flattered me by saying that I would not only be in charge of the navy in the future, but also the army."

"I didn't want to pay any attention to that swindler. But I found this brocade pouch quite nice, both in terms of material and workmanship, and since the price wasn't too expensive, I decided to buy it to keep as a collectible."

Qingdeng nodded slightly to show that he understood the whole story.

"The commander-in-chief of the Shogunate army, who is in charge of both the land and sea forces... Goodness, that's a very high-ranking position."

Qingdeng grinned and joked:

"Lord Katsu, if you become rich and powerful, don't forget me. If you ever become the commander-in-chief of the shogunate army, please be sure to help and promote me. I'm not greedy; just promote me to be your deputy and give me a position like 'Generalissimo of the Shogunate Army'."

Katsura Rintaro laughed heartily and waved his hand:

"Okay! No problem! It's a deal!"

Both of them treated what they were saying as nothing more than a fantasy, something no one took seriously.

The two chatted for a while about the trivial things they had recently encountered.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Qing Deng put down the tea that Sheng Lin Taro had just brewed for him and said calmly:

"Mr. Sheng, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

……

……

The next day—

The first year of Wanyan (1860), December 8th——

Edo, the garrison of the Third Division of the Fire-Taming Thieves, the training ground—

All the members of the Third Division, who had just received the summons, hurriedly assembled on the training ground.

As soon as the soldiers arrived at the training ground, they saw Qingdeng waiting for them with his hands behind his back, looking calm and collected.

"Everyone!"

After making two opening remarks, Qing Deng paused as if gathering his emotions, and then suddenly began to recount the arduous process of the Magistrate's Office and the Fire Thief Association joining forces to suppress the Extermination Group.

The crowd below grew increasingly confused—what was the captain doing? Why had he summoned us out of the blue just to spout nonsense?

Qing Deng ignored the questioning looks from his teammates. He continued talking to himself, his tone becoming more and more impassioned.

"After our arduous struggle, the vicious and wicked Extermination Group, which brought immense suffering to Edo, has finally been destroyed!"

"However, we must not let our guard down!"

"Although the Extermination Group has been destroyed, there are still many villains who are at large and committing crimes!"

"We must always be prepared to face new difficulties and new powerful enemies!"

"but!"

Qing Deng abruptly changed the subject.

"After careful observation in recent days, I have found that some members of the team may feel that 'the Extermination Group has been wiped out, and we can rest easy now,' and their mentality is very lax!"

"This unhealthy trend must be stopped!"

"Although I am just a newly appointed official, I know the importance of 'mobilization'!"

"Therefore! In order to boost everyone's morale and mobilize everyone's spirits to the greatest extent, I have specially invited Mr. Katsura Rintaro, the head of the Banshu Bureau, to speak to us!"

*******

*******

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

I forgot to mention that the Foreign Languages ​​Bureau later underwent a series of changes and eventually became a school that, while not exactly well-known, was certainly quite famous.

Its name is the University of Tokyo.

Let me share a little more background information—Katsu Rintaro, also known as Kaishu, was also called "Katsu Kaishu." Even readers unfamiliar with the history of the late Edo period should have heard this name from anime and movies.

Chapter 292 Qingdeng's Super Backing! [5000]

at the same time--

Edo, on the outskirts, beside a certain river—

Kimura Kazuma, who is on vacation today, sat motionless on the riverbank, fishing like a stubborn rock, with a fishing rod in hand.

On one side is a rushing stream, followed by dense thickets of trees, beneath which rise rocky hills, connected to small mountains not far away.

On the other side was an open field with several paths crisscrossing it, worn smooth by footsteps. The paths stretched eastward, ending at the outskirts of Edo.

Looking around, it was a beautiful scene—however, Kimura's expression at that moment ruined it.

Kimura remained expressionless, every line on his face as hard as a knife's spine, his demeanor unfathomable.

Beside Kimura, the captain of the Fifth Division of the Fire Thieves, Motozo Hisaka, who was also on vacation today, was fishing with a fishing rod.

At first glance, the two people sitting side by side appear to be fishing intently.

However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that both of them had ulterior motives.

Kimura squinted, staring intently at the river, his thoughtful gaze making him appear as if he were gazing at a distant world.

As for Hisaka, he seemed completely distracted.

Sometimes he would glance at the still, mirror-like river surface, and sometimes he would squint and steal a glance at Kimura's face.

—Kimura-sama suddenly summoned me to go fishing…what is his purpose?

At this moment, Hisaka was filled with questions.

Today is a long-awaited day off. In order to make the most of this rare holiday and eliminate the fatigue accumulated in her body and mind, Hisaka has made a very detailed "play plan".

Although he is over forty, Hisaka is more playful and knows how to have fun than young people.

First, head to Ryogoku Hirokoji Street, known as "Edo's No. 1 Entertainment Street," to listen to storytelling and watch performances such as Kabuki and Joruri puppet shows.

After the performance, if there's still time, go to Suharaya in Nihonbashi—one of the most famous bookstores in all of Edo—to see if they have any new yellow paper on the shelves.

Yellow Paper: A erotic literary publication with yellow covers and embroidered images. It consistently ranked high on the bestseller lists in bookstores. Because this kind of publication sold so well, many writers made a living solely by writing for Yellow Paper.

Hisaka was extremely fond of women. Reading yellow paper was one of his greatest hobbies. He had a vast collection of yellow paper at home, so much so that it filled a house and was so numerous that it would weigh down an ox and a horse.

After leisurely while away the day, he headed to Yoshiwara, the "city that never sleeps," a place that haunted the dreams of countless Edo men. He spent a delightful night in the company of a beautiful woman, and he missed the tiny feet of Miss Sakiku from the Ussume-ya shop so much.

A perfect plan, a fulfilling day—but Kimura's sudden arrival completely disrupted his perfect plan.

This morning, Kimura suddenly came to visit, saying he wanted to go fishing with Hisaka.

Kimura's sudden invitation puzzled Himaka.

Although he and Kimura were both captains of the Fire Thieves Division, they didn't interact much on a daily basis.

The two were not exactly strangers, but they weren't exactly close either—at least not close enough to go fishing together on their days off.