I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Influenced by this theory, the Japanese call the first moment of the day, midnight, "Makyu-ji" or "Shin-ya-ji," and the number of times the bell is rung corresponds to the number of digits in the name.

For example, at 0:9 AM, the bell is rung nine times.

The numbers for the time are counted backwards in the order of "9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4".

And so on:

At 2 a.m., it is "Eighths of Dusk", and the bell is rung 8 times; at 4 a.m., it is "Seventh of Dusk", and the bell is rung 7 times.

By 6 a.m., it is almost dawn, so the term will change from "dusk" to "dawn," but the number will remain the same, and it will be called "6 a.m."

Next are 5:00 AM and 4:00 AM.

Noon is considered the beginning of the other half of time, so the count starts again at noon. The name changes back to "nine o'clock," and the number of bells is also changed back to nine.

9:00 AM (12:00 PM), 8:00 AM (2:00 PM), 7:00 AM (4:00 PM)...

At 6 p.m., as night was approaching, the term changed back to "dusk" and became known as "dusk six o'clock".

5 PM (8 PM), 4 PM (10 PM)...

At midnight, a new day began, and the number returned to the original "nine".

And so it goes, cycle after cycle.

The bell that Qingdeng and the others had just heard was the preparatory sound from the nearby clock tower to signal the time.

Tokugawa Iemochi stopped and listened intently.

A moment later, six chimes echoed in the air.

Six chimes – 6 PM.

Tokugawa Iemochi looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken.

"Time flies... Before I knew it, the day was over..."

After a self-deprecating chuckle, Tokugawa Iemochi summoned Aoto and the Nie sisters to his side.

"Since it's getting late, let's end today's visit here."

"Tachibana-kun, Sae, Yae, thank you so much for today."

"Thanks to your care, my mother and I were able to travel around Edo so smoothly today."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately replied:

"General, you are too kind. Rather, I should apologize to you and Prince Tenshōin. I am truly sorry for what happened just now. I had a conflict with those Confucian scholars and that Itakura Hirahiko, which caused a great deal of delay to your journey. I am really sorry."

Tokugawa Iemochi smiled and shook his head:

"No, those people were in the wrong first, you don't need to apologize. Today's visit has benefited me greatly, and I have personally witnessed what kind of life the people of Edo are living now."

"What I see today is just the tip of the iceberg of the suffering of the people."

"So, if I have the opportunity, I would like to travel to more distant places and see what kind of life people outside of Edo lead."

At this point, Tokugawa Iemochi looked directly into Aoto's eyes, a smile in his eyes.

"When the time comes, please be my bodyguard again!"

Yesterday, Leopard slept for most of the day, not getting up until after 4 pm...

Although my head still felt groggy after waking up, I felt better overall.

It's probably not the flu; it's just a common cold or from overwork...

Because the author is a part-time writer, his daily schedule is always packed. It's common for him to go to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning and then get up at 8.

It must have been exhausted, because after sleeping for most of the day, the leopard's condition improved considerably.

Because my physical condition just improved yesterday, today's chapter is a little shorter. I will resume the normal update frequency tomorrow!

Chapter 349 "Sōji: Aoto! Quick! Come to my room!" [4100]

Tokugawa Iemochi's smile was calm, gentle, and infectious.

Qing Deng unconsciously smiled slightly along with him.

If we were to say what Qingdeng gained from this incognito visit besides broadening his horizons and increasing his knowledge, it would be a deeper understanding of the young monarch who had ascended the throne at such a young age.

He began to understand why Tenshōin so highly praised and unconditionally supported Tokugawa Iemochi.

The fact that this young man dared to leave the safe and comfortable Edo Castle with ease and witness firsthand the suffering of the people today already shows that he was more responsible than most feudal rulers throughout history and across the world.

To be honest, at first Aoto even suspected that Tokugawa Iemochi might be using the guise of "incognito visits" to actually "go on a trip."

Aoto's doubts were gradually dispelled after he saw that Tokugawa Iemochi had indeed visited various areas and facilities related to people's livelihoods, such as Kanda and Koishikawa health centers.

Whether Tokugawa Iemochi was a good ruler... remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: he must have been a good person... Aoto thought with certainty.

……

……

Escorted by the two sisters, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin sped off towards Edo Castle.

Qingdeng stood there and watched their figures gradually disappear into the distance.

Before leaving, Tenshōin gave Aōdō a flirtatious look and mouthed: "Make me happy, okay?"

Qing Deng had to admit: this succubus's allure was indeed extremely strong.

The moment he deciphered Tenshōin's lip movements, his heart skipped a few beats.

Even Qingdeng, who was quite knowledgeable, was starting to lose track of which of Tianzhangyuan's words and actions were jokes and which were genuine.

Perhaps there really is such a thing as elemental counteraction, or one thing subduing another.

And Tenshōin happens to be the one who can subdue Seidō.

Her actions, her every smile and frown, always touched Qingdeng's heartstrings just right.

In front of Tenshōin, Aoto was just like a naive little boy, letting this older sister, who was six years his senior, do whatever she wanted with him.

In a short while, the figures of Tenshōin and the others completely disappeared from Aoden's sight.

Qingdeng turned around, preparing to embark on his journey home.

Before he could take more than a few steps, his feet suddenly stopped.

He stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him.

Smoke from the dinner cooking fires rose gently from the rooftops of the rows of mansions, drifting into the sky bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

After finishing their day's work, the townspeople flocked to the izakaya in small groups; children ran off laughing and shouting into the distance; a young vendor pulled a cart full of goods for sale past Aoto.

Looking at this scene, Qingdeng inexplicably recalled the scenes and the vibrant lives he had witnessed today.

The ronin of Nihonbashi, the farmers of Kanda, the poor and Eta of the Koishikawa Sanatorium...

Even in England, currently the most developed and powerful country, there must be many impoverished people living on the edge of hell...

Thinking of this, Qingdeng felt an unknown surge of heat rising in his chest.

This heat seemed to have a life of its own. In the blink of an eye, it expanded and spread throughout Qingdeng's entire body.

Qingdeng calmly raised his hand to his chest, continuing to gaze at the street scene ahead with a composed expression.

Gradually, the streets quieted down.

The last rays of the setting sun gradually faded.

The surroundings were gradually swallowed up by the night.

Nearby teahouses and izakayas hung lanterns with a dim, yellowish glow.

At that moment, Qingdeng took another step towards returning home.

His tall, slender frame and thoughtful young face disappeared into the dimly lit street corner...

……

……

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi Town, Test Guard Hall——

When Qingdeng returned to the Shiwei Hall, it was already very late at night.

For some reason, even though Aoto hadn't felt tired until now, after climbing the steep slope of Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagicho and seeing the tall silhouette of the Shieikan building, Aoto suddenly felt a surge of fatigue.

Qingdeng had only one thought in his mind: to go to bed as soon as possible.

That's the good thing about winter; even if you don't shower for a day or two, you won't have any body odor.

As Qingdeng pondered this to himself, he slowly climbed the steps.

Just then, Qingdeng suddenly heard light footsteps above his head.

Immediately afterwards, the light in front of him dimmed.

"what……"

A familiar neutral voice.

"what……"

Qing Deng couldn't help but blurt out an "Ah!"

The owner of the footsteps... the person standing on the steps above the blue steps at this moment was none other than the Souji.

Souji looked as if he had just taken a shower.

Her damp, dark hair cascaded down her back, and a warm, cozy atmosphere enveloped her. Her delicate, pinkish-white feet peeked out from under the hem of her kimono.

"Tachibana-kun..."

Even though he had already spotted Qing Deng, Souji hesitated to look at him.

Even if their eyes met for a fleeting moment, she would immediately look away timidly.

"Tachibana-kun, you...you're back?"

"Yes, I just got back. Okita-kun, did you just take a shower?"

"Hmm...yes...I drank too much last night, and slept straight until almost evening before getting up. When I woke up, I was covered in sticky sweat, so I just took a nice, relaxing bath at Chihiro's place..."