I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Katsura Rintaro's rapid rise to prominence in just a few years was inseparable from Tokugawa Iemochi's appreciation and strong support.

Currently, Katsura Rintaro, due to his expertise in artillery and naval affairs, is confirmed to be transferred to the military to take charge of the formation of the Shogunate Navy. However, it's clear to everyone that, deeply appreciated by Tokugawa Iemochi, his future achievements are limitless!

The first Fleet Admiral of the Shogunate Navy... This is very likely not the end of his career!

As a rising star in the shogunate political arena in recent years, Katsura Rintaro is arguably one of the most popular and sought-after figures at the moment.

There are countless people who want to curry favor with him and latch onto this "powerful figure".

And then, this important figure actually appeared before them, giving them a speech with a kind expression...

Ju Qingdeng actually managed to invite such a high-ranking official to give a speech at their garrison!

This is such a huge display of power!

More and more people unconsciously shifted their gaze, casting a look of awe and admiration at Qingdeng.

In ancient Japan, a society with such rigid class structure that it was almost distorted, many people feared power more than the force that could cause bloodshed in an instant.

In many situations and in the eyes of many people, power carries far more weight than force.

As the saying goes: "I fear not the wandering vagrants on the street, but only the high officials in the court."

The thought that Tachibana Aoto was on good terms with Katsura Rintaro caused many people's feelings to subtly change.

In fact, the reason why this group, led by Akabane and Shirasaki, dared to ignore Qing Deng and even speak ill of him was entirely because they believed that they had strong backing and that Qing Deng could not do anything to them.

Nearly half of the team members are from the Hatamoto family, and their families have some influence or influence.

With their families backing them up, they have nothing to fear from Qingdeng – this is a true reflection of the feelings of many team members.

However, upon seeing Aoto standing side by side with Katsura Rintaro, they had to change their minds.

They can't afford to offend someone as important as Katsura Rintaro!

Forget about offending them, they'd be too busy trying to seduce and flatter them!

This man, with his legendary background, is the future commander of the Navy. Although functionally, the Fire Thieves were transferred to the Army and have nothing to do with the Navy, they are still part of the same military system.

If one could curry favor with such a high-ranking military figure... then everyone in the family would rise to prominence!

Suddenly, the atmosphere on the training ground changed drastically.

Some people no longer cast indifferent or annoyed glances at Qingdeng.

But some people... became even more excited.

As expected of the Benevolent King! Not only does he know such a high-ranking official, but he can also invite him to give a speech!

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I wasn't feeling well yesterday, so the word count was a bit low... (crying leopard.jpg) But I'm still shamelessly asking for some monthly votes!

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets!

P.S.: Suharaya is a real store. There was indeed a very famous bookstore called "Suharaya" in Ryogokubashi during the Edo period.

Chapter 293 Leading the Army Westward! Conquering the Kai Mountain Bandits! [6000]

Gradually, some people with sharper eyes and more acute awareness further discovered that the relationship between Aoto and Katsura Rintaro seemed to be more than just "acquaintances".

When Katsura Rintaro gives a speech, he often pulls Aoto next to him to do some simple interaction.

Whenever the two interact, both Aoto and Katsura Rintaro display natural and graceful expressions and movements.

During their conversation and in their gestures, there was not a trace of superior-subordinate hierarchy; all that could be felt was the friendly atmosphere of equals—which made everyone even more shocked.

From a certain perspective, the claim that "Aoto and Katsura Rintaro are friends" is even more shocking than the claim that "Aoto is exceptionally strong in combat."

Led by Lan Jingyang, a group of people had their eyes shining and their faces full of respect. Their reverence for Qing Deng was evident.

Some shrewd schemers, however, had greed in their eyes: Since Tachibana Aoto and Katsura Rintaro have a close relationship, if I befriend Tachibana Aoto, wouldn't I also have a chance to get in touch with Katsura Rintaro?

Some were happy, some were sad—just as Lan Jing and the others were staring intently at Qing Deng with great enthusiasm, the faces of Chi Yu, Bai Qi, and the others sitting not far from Lan Jing were all extremely ugly.

Akabane, Shirasaki, and the others had complexions ranging from liver-colored to pale. But without exception, a faint numbness lingered between their brows—since Aoto took office, this excessively young man had been constantly bringing them small "Aoto shocks."

Unconsciously, they have become somewhat accustomed to and numb to these "Qingdeng shocks".

Shirasaki lowered his head dejectedly, his eyes half-closed, looking like a defeated rooster. The arrogant gleam that used to shine in his eyes when he looked at Aoto was gone—there were quite a few people like Shirasaki.

As for Akabane and the small group he represented, they were simply filled with resentment, but powerless to do anything about it.

Before this, they could comfort themselves by thinking that Tachibana Aoto was only good at swordsmanship and fighting, and at most had some talent for investigating and solving cases. Other than that, he had no other skills.

But now... looking at Aoto and Katsuragi Taro standing side by side, chatting and laughing, they could no longer think of any words to comfort their hearts.

Since Ju Qingdeng has such a powerful backer, wouldn't it be...? Just thinking about this made many people shudder as they felt a chill run down their spines.

Taking advantage of his height, Qing Deng could see the faces of everyone below at a glance.

Qingdeng silently surveyed the myriad expressions on everyone's faces below, a faint smile of pleasure playing on his lips.

……

……

Katsura Rintaro's speech came to a successful conclusion.

It must be said that Katsura Rintarō was indeed very eloquent. He started by pointing out the invasion of Western powers, the riots caused by the imperialist and anti-foreign elements with their delusions, and the precarious state of the country. He then elaborated on the necessity and importance of the existence of security forces like the Fire-Taoist Corps, and concluded with a passionate statement: "The peace and stability of Edo is in your hands."

Qingdeng listened to his speech with great interest.

He truly deserves to be called a top-notch lobbyist who can persuade high-ranking officials and feudal lords to fund the introduction and cultivation of Western learning with just his silver tongue.

Qing Deng increasingly understood why Tokugawa Iemochi favored and heavily relied on Katsu Rintaro—such a versatile talent, with excellent eloquence, proficiency in Western subjects such as artillery, navigation, and shipbuilding, and the ability to manage both education and military affairs, was truly priceless.

After the speech, many members of the Third Division were still eager for more.

For many in the Third Division, today's experience is something they can brag about in the future—Hey! I not only saw Katsura Rintaro with my own eyes, but I also heard him give a speech!

Katsurin Taro is currently in a high position and has many affairs to attend to, so he naturally doesn't have much free time to squander.

Therefore, after the speech, Katsu Rintaro stayed in the camp for a while, drank two cups of tea, and then got up to say goodbye.

Knowing that Katsu Rintaro was prone to making a fortune, Aoto did not insist on keeping him. After exchanging a few polite words, he personally saw Katsu Rintaro off.

They walked side by side on the road leaving the village. The warm midday sun cast their shadows into oval-shaped black dots.

"Mr. Sheng, thank you so much for today."

"Don't mention it."

Katsura Rintaro smiled, patted the sword at his left hip, and said half-jokingly:

"What kind of relationship do we have? We've been through thick and thin together, so there's no need to thank me for this small favor."

Qing Deng smiled.

He and Katsura Rintaro did indeed share a life-or-death bond—a physical bond that transcended life and death.

If Aoto hadn't climbed through the window in time and blocked Kanna's blade, Katsura Rintaro would be buried with grass three feet tall by now.

"Mr. Ju, I've done all I can."

Katsurin Taro said slowly, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

"Next... whether you can completely subdue those arrogant soldiers in your unit depends entirely on yourself."

"Yes." Qingdeng nodded slightly. "I understand."

"If you need my help with anything else in the future, please feel free to come to me again anytime," Katsura Rintaro added.

"Haha, I will." Qingdeng smiled and nodded.

As clever as Katsu Rintaro was, he had long ago seen through what Aoto was thinking.

Why did Qing Deng suddenly invite him to give a speech at the Third Division's headquarters?

Simply put, it's all about "leveraging existing trends"!

Using the current immense popularity of Katsura Rintaro, he aims to intimidate the ignorant fools in the Third Division who still believe they can rival Aoto.

Qing Deng has been in this era for almost a year now. After such a long time, he has roughly figured out the ways of officialdom under the Tokugawa family.

The extreme rigidity of class and the hereditary system of official positions made bureaucracy extremely prevalent in the Edo period.

If that's the case, then I'll turn bureaucracy into my own weapon!

The reason why Qing Deng invited Sheng Lin Taro to the camp to give a speech was precisely this—to let all the officers and soldiers of the Third Division see with their own eyes just how powerful the high-ranking official was behind him.

This move is incredibly powerful.

Qing Deng saw it clearly: upon seeing Katsu Rintaro appear, many people's expressions changed immediately. Some even stared wide-eyed; their jaws seemed about to drop to the ground.

It's no wonder they reacted so irrationally.

To give a vivid example:

As an ordinary soldier, you suddenly see your lieutenant superior leading a naval admiral in front of you, and the two seem to have a good relationship... What do you think?

Of course, Aoto's real backers were Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin Atsuhime.

But clearly, Qing Deng would not seek help from these two super big shots unless absolutely necessary.

"Very good, everything is proceeding steadily according to plan..." Qingdeng thought to himself.

By demonstrating his personal strength and the power behind him, Qing Deng has successfully won over some of the members of the Third Division. In short, he has established his own "base" within the military and is no longer a "parachuted leader" who doesn't know who to send to do things.

Let's consider this a good start. As long as we have people on our side, we can move on to the next phase of our plan!

Although establishing authority through various means can slightly improve one's situation, to truly win people's hearts, one must still consider the principle of "profit"!

As the saying goes: those who share the same desires will go together, and those who share the same interests will die together.

If you can help everyone get promoted and make money, then everyone will naturally support you.

But if you can't lead everyone to a good life... then even if you are truly a benevolent king descended to earth and have the Heavenly King as your backer, it will be difficult for everyone to follow you sincerely.

So what the next plan is... is already very clear.

Qingdeng let out a long breath:

—I wonder when the next case will come…