I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"The Western Barbarians are nothing but a bunch of barbarians from the frontier who do not know propriety, righteousness, or shame, and have not been taught by sages. Instead of teaching them the teachings of sages and helping them to become civilized, we have learned their strange and ingenious skills—what kind of logic is this?"

"Lord Dashu abuses the absurd system of the Western Barbarians, promoting and appointing heretics like Katsurin Taro and Takashima Shuho, who are full of blood and gore! He disrespects Confucianism and favors heterodox learning! Where does such behavior place Confucianism? Where does it place us Confucian scholars? Is the learning of the sages wrong? Are the laws of our ancestors wrong?"

The burly man's words directly ignited the emotions of the other Confucian scholars sitting with him.

They all spoke enthusiastically and with great spirit:

"Yes! Well said!"

"To actually import the strange and ingenious skills of the Western Barbarians is truly the most ridiculous thing imaginable!"

"The laws of our ancestors cannot be changed! Otherwise, how will we face our ancestors in the afterlife after we have passed away?"

"Alas! Order is corrupt, and human relations are collapsing! If the Great Tree Lord appoints those heretics who have sunk into the heretical teachings of the Western Barbarians, what is the way of the sages? What are we, who have studied the teachings of the sages for so many years,? We might as well just invite those barbarians covered in stench to be officials!"

……

The shouts of the Confucian scholars filled every corner of the teahouse.

Not long after parting ways with Qing Deng and the others, Ms. Teshiro rushed out of the kitchen empty-handed and looking anxious.

Looking at the scholars who seemed to be helping infants who lacked self-control, shouting and yelling at will regardless of the occasion or time, a hint of hesitation appeared on the young lady's cheeks.

A moment later, she gritted her teeth and strode toward the scholars—she probably wanted to persuade these self-amusing "sages" to be quiet and not disturb the other guests present.

However, before she could take a few steps, she felt a strong hand press down on her right shoulder from behind.

“Boss…” The young lady turned around and saw her boss shaking his head at her with a helpless expression.

"Fine, let them be," the boss said through gestures and glances.

Having run a restaurant for over a decade in the chaotic Edo period, the owner knew all too well the consequences of recklessly disturbing such a self-important person who was in the midst of high spirits.

The wise choice at present is to avoid trouble and pretend that group of Confucian scholars doesn't exist.

The young lady bit her lower lip indignantly, and finally—she took her boss's advice and stopped approaching the Confucian scholars, only watching their performance from a distance.

Although it was a bit mean, Qingdeng really wanted to see what Tokugawa Iemochi's expression was right now after being so belittled.

He casually raised his teacup, pretending to drink tea, and secretly glanced at Tokugawa Iemochi's face under the cover of the teacup.

Tokugawa Iemochi, who became the 13th lord of the Kii Domain at the age of 4 and was welcomed to Edo at the age of 12 to inherit the position of Shogun, can be described as a perfect embodiment of the phrase "ascending the throne at a young age".

Tokugawa Iemochi, who entered the political arena at a young age, was cultivated to have excellent manners under the influence of his surroundings.

Qing Deng had never seen Tokugawa Iemochi's face show such a significant change in emotion.

His young face always wore a calm and serene expression.

However, Tokugawa Iemochi, who was so well-mannered, made no attempt to hide his disgust at this moment.

A hint of impatience was brazenly and openly displayed between Tokugawa Iemochi's eyebrows.

This gives a glimpse into Tokugawa Iemochi's views on the political propositions of these Confucian scholars.

That's normal.

Let alone a monarch like Tokugawa Iemochi, who had a broad vision, was ambitious, and had long since opened his eyes to the world, any human being with normal intelligence and perspective would not possibly have any goodwill toward the arguments just made by those Confucian scholars.

Restoring the well-field system; resisting Western learning and exclusively respecting Confucianism... The governing philosophies of this group were more and more outrageous than the last.

Qing Deng originally thought that making Tokugawa Iemochi unhappy was the limit for these people.

Little did he expect that these guys' sudden and outrageous new theories would drastically push the limits of Qing Deng's imagination.

After the crowd's praise for the burly man subsided somewhat, a short, stunted man with a face full of acne stood up:

"Gentlemen! If you ask me, it is equally absurd that Lord Daiki relies on the Ōmikado and frequently seeks advice from the Ōmikado."

Now that the person being discussed is the Ōmitai-no-sho, Tenshōin's expression changes.

"It is illogical and unreasonable for a woman to interfere in politics. What kind of system is this! The Grand Empress Dowager is just a woman. Does she know anything about governing a country? Has she ever studied the books of the sages?"

"The Great Tree Lord relies on the Great Imperial Terrace... What? Does he want to emulate Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty and create a system of two emperors ruling in our country, or even have another Wu Zetian?"

The short, ugly man successfully steered the conversation from "criticizing Tokugawa Iemochi" to "criticizing Tenshōin" all by himself.

"Yes! Well said!"

"The Ōmikami-no-kō (the shogun) is not virtuous as a woman. She did not have a single child to continue the bloodline of the Tokugawa family's main branch during the reign of the previous shogun, which is bad enough! But she has the audacity to presume to discuss national affairs and arbitrarily participate in the shogunate's politics!"

"If the Ōmikazuchi truly wants what's best for the country and wants to contribute to the future of the shogunate, then he should immediately stop interfering in the shogunate's affairs! He should focus on governing the Ōoku for Ōki-no-kō! And he should never appear in public again!"

Amidst the chaos, soft sobs gradually began to rise.

That was an ugly guy who looked somewhat human.

The ugly man covered his face, his thin, narrow shoulders trembling slightly beneath his clothes embroidered with family crests. He cried as he spoke:

"Alas! I have no way to serve my country! My literary and martial skills have nowhere to be used, what a pity!"

These words perfectly capture the feelings of many people present at this moment.

For a moment, sobs and wails rose and fell.

"Born at the wrong time!"

"It's such a waste of all my skills..."

Just then, an impatient and anxious voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire teahouse.

"What are you crying for? What good will it do you all to imitate the 'crying at Xinting'? The nation is in peril, we should be united in our efforts, even to the point of exhaustion! Why are you acting like prisoners of Chu? Why are you behaving like children!"

Qingdeng turned around with the others and saw a large, fat man with a face covered in a thick layer of grease, looking at him with a disappointed expression, and excitedly shouting:

"Looking back over the years, the God of the East was born in the chaotic Warring States period! At that time, the sea was turbulent, wars were raging, clouds were rising and dragons were soaring, and feudal lords rose up one after another!"

"Heaven's justice is unjust, causing Tosho Shinjun to be held hostage by the Imagawa clan from a young age, wandering and suffering hardships. Even in such a perilous situation, Tosho Shinjun never gave up on himself, nor did he ever act like a child!"

"Enduring hardship and humiliation! Leaving Imagawa, pacifying Takeda, capturing Ishida, destroying Toyotomi, and finally establishing the Tokugawa dynasty's three-hundred-year reign!"

"It's just a minor setback, and you're already weeping and burying your face in your hands. What kind of behavior is that? Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock among the ancients in the afterlife?"

The Tosho Shinjun that the fat man mentioned refers to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founding shogun of the Edo shogunate.

After Tokugawa Ieyasu's death, the Kyoto court bestowed upon him the divine title: Tosho Daigongen.

Therefore, Tosho Shinkun became the respectful title used by later generations to refer to Tokugawa Ieyasu.

This impassioned rebuke lifted the slightly somber atmosphere caused by the wailing of the ugly man and others.

The ugly guy and the others who had been crying so enthusiastically just now stopped sobbing because they felt embarrassed, and looked at each other awkwardly.

Fortunately, at that moment, a handsome young man stood up and skillfully diffused the awkward atmosphere that was permeating the room.

"Tianyin-jun is right! How can a true man repeatedly imitate the weeping of a prisoner of Chu? To hone oneself and serve the country with fervor is the right path!"

Thus, the Confucian scholars' conversation returned to its original topic—how to revive the shogunate.

"Indeed, restoring the well-field system should be the priority! As long as the land system is reformed, there will be no more worries about insufficient funds and grain! With money and grain, why worry about the revitalization of national strength?"

"No! Land system reform is secondary. The most important thing is to select virtuous and capable officials as soon as possible! We cannot allow incompetent people to serve as officials again!"

"Yes! Well said!"

"Agreed! As long as those currently in power are heretics like Katsura Rintaro or brutes like Tachibana Seito, no matter how appropriate or excellent the policies and laws are, they can never be fully and completely implemented! You might as well think about it: is it possible for people like Katsura Rintaro and Tachibana Seito to understand our ideas and beliefs? Since they cannot understand our ideas and beliefs, how can they accurately implement our political plans?"

"Yes! Well said!"

"Hirota-kun is right! Success depends on human effort! How can we accomplish anything without the support of talented people?"

"Speaking of which... I suddenly remembered that I recently heard some new rumors about that Tachibana Aoto. I wonder if any of you would be interested in hearing about them?"

"Oh? A new rumor about Tachibana Aoto? Please speak freely!"

"Then, please listen carefully—according to one of my friends, Tachibana Seiden is a lecherous man who appears respectable on the outside but is actually obsessed with matters of the heart! It is said that on holidays or weekends, he lingers among the 'flower garden,' maintaining ambiguous and unclear relationships with a wide range of women, from young girls several years his junior to lonely widows several years his senior. Hmph, he is truly the epitome of a womanizer!"

"What? Are you telling the truth?"

"Heh, that's not surprising. After all, Tachibana Seiden was just a mere member of the Imperial Guard before. He rose to prominence overnight and hadn't seen much of the world before. It's normal that he couldn't resist the temptations and fell into the world of pleasure."

"From widows to young girls, no one is spared... Tsk tsk tsk, Ju Qingdeng has quite the appetite. Hahaha!"

This time, Qingdeng's expression changed.

He was derogatoryly called a "reckless man" and criticized as "unworthy of his position"—Qing Deng could laugh off these comments.

But to call him a womanizer and lecher... such a level of slander is something Qing Deng can't ignore!

He admitted that, so far, his actions had indeed been far too...philanthropic.

He confessed his feelings to Kinoshita Mai, Sanako, and Souji, secretly vowing to stay with these three women forever.

But his feelings for the three women were genuine!

His determination to bring happiness to the three women himself was unwavering!

Therefore, Qingdeng never considered himself to be the kind of fickle, promiscuous, and philandering person who was easily swayed by others.

In the realm of "love," Aoto believes that his will is firm and his affections are devoted—he loves Kinoshita Mai, Sanako, and Souji devotedly.

He neither frequented places of ill repute like Yoshiwara, never had any dealings with prostitutes, and tried to avoid having overly intimate contact with any women other than the three women.

The fact that he "never frequented brothels" alone was enough to make Qing Deng surpass more than 90% of his peers.

With Qingdeng's current wealth, status, and reputation, what level of courtesan couldn't he meet?

Even the most top courtesans, the most beautiful courtesans, Qing Deng could easily meet with them and spend a pleasant night with them.

The only difference between me and most people is that I have one more girl I love deeply—Qingdeng was absolutely certain of this.

As for the ridiculous claim of "not sparing anyone from widows to teenage girls"... that's even more absurd!

Although it is unknown where this message came from or who said it, it is indeed half right—Qingdeng does know a widow (Tenshoin) who is unaware of her loneliness, and also a young girl in her prime (Elodie), but Qingdeng is innocent with them.

Despite the mischievous nature of Tenshōin, who often teases him and creates an ambiguous atmosphere between them, their relationship is ultimately just that of a superior and subordinate.

A "workplace romance" with Tenshōin... This is too sensational.

Leaving aside the fact that developing a relationship and engaging in behavior that goes beyond friendship with the widow of a former monarch would inevitably invite condemnation from all over Japan.

Tenshōin was Tokugawa Iemochi's godmother.

In other words, if something really happened between him and Tenshōin, he would immediately become the nominal father of the current Japanese emperor.

To rise to the top in one fell swoop and become the "emperor emeritus" of the country overnight—even a novelist couldn't write such an outrageous plot, right?

As for Elodie, there's no need to mention her; the relationship between Qingdeng and her is simply that of a master and disciple.