I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"As long as we unite as one and work together, we can unleash tremendous energy that will help Tachibana-kun get out of prison as soon as possible!"

As soon as Hijikata finished speaking, Kiryu said calmly:

“I am on good terms with Yoshikawa Torajiro, Suzuki Kentaro, and others. If necessary, I can ask them for help.”

In an instant, shocked gazes fell upon Kiryu.

Yoshikawa Torajiro, Suzuki Kentaro... these names were legendary to the people of Edo!

They were all renowned wealthy merchants of Edo! Each one was incredibly rich and powerful!

With the gradual collapse of the small-scale peasant economy, the booming development of the commodity economy, and the increasing prevalence of the worship of money, wealthy merchants and tycoons under the Edo Shogunate had long since acquired a transcendent political status and social influence.

"Winning over merchants and gaining their support" has even become the foundation of survival for some retainers of the shogunate.

The two people Kiryu just mentioned are top-tier merchants whom countless people, including some officials, would try to curry favor with but couldn't.

These big names are actually Kiryu's friends, and Kiryu was able to get them to help him out...

Apart from Katsura Rintaro, Arima, and others who were not familiar with Kiryu and were still astonished by Kiryu's boldness, the group from Shieikan, who were sitting at the end of the table, had gradually regained their composure.

Souji and the others already knew that Kiryu was the owner of the job placement agency.

It makes perfect sense that employment agency owners have close ties with the business community.

Hijikata had just mentioned that anyone who could open a job agency in a place like Edo must be no ordinary person. So, while Souji and the others were still in astonishment, they couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Kiryu-sensei is indeed no ordinary person..."

As if in a competition, Chiba Jutaro straightened his back and shouted loudly, right after Kiryu:

"Tachibana-kun is not only my friend, but also a friend of the Chiba Sword Hall! We Chiba... no, we Hokushin Ittō-ryū are willing to do our utmost for Tachibana-kun!"

The atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Katsura Rintaro's timely remarks added fuel to the "flames" already spreading through the dojo.

"Without Tachibana-kun, I would have died long ago, and the Foreign Documents Research Institute would have become a cold, lifeless historical term. I cannot guarantee how much assistance I can provide, but at least I can stand with all the members of the Foreign Documents Research Institute and advance and retreat together with Tachibana-kun."

……

Everyone expressed their willingness to go through fire and water for Qingdeng.

Seeing this, the commander and the others were once again amazed by Qing Deng's popularity, and secretly pleased.

They had initially worried that forming the "Support Orange Alliance" would be fraught with difficulties. Now, it seems that such concerns are unnecessary!

……

……

Despite the tight schedule and hasty preparations, a rough but barely functional "Support Tachibana Alliance" was finally established through the alliances and maneuvering of the Shieikan group led by Hijikata!

After the meeting ended and everyone left the testing center, they immediately proceeded according to the agreed-upon plan.

The first to take action were the martial arts world, represented by the Chiba Kenkan.

With superhuman efficiency, Chiba Sadakichi summoned the masters of all the Hokushin Itto-ryu dojos in Edo.

Influenced by cultural and historical inertia, the relationship between fellow students in the Edo period was a very special kind of friendship.

To some extent, "fellow disciples" even surpasses "blood ties".

People from the same school of thought can feel an inexplicable closeness to each other.

Among them, the Hokushin Itto-ryu style is the best.

The members of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school are known for valuing sectarian differences and forming cliques.

Even if we don't come from the same dojo, it doesn't matter. As long as we are both disciples of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school, then you are my brother.

This unity is a major reason why the Hokushin Itto-ryu school was able to dominate the Japanese swordsmanship world in such a short time.

Chiba Sadakichi is the younger brother of Chiba Shusaku, the founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school, and the current head of a branch family. With such a status and reputation, which Hokushin Itto-ryu disciple would dare to disobey his summons?

In an instant, all the masters of the Hokushin Itto-ryu dojos in Edo rushed to the Chiba Sword Hall as fast as they could.

Once everyone had arrived, Chiba Sadakichi didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

About half an hour later, a petition led by the main family's Genbukan and the branch family's Kochibakenkan, and jointly signed by all the Hokushin Itto-ryu dojos in Edo, was submitted to the shogunate.

The petition, of course, requested the shogunate to release the innocent Seito and clear his name.

Hokushin Itto-ryu is the premier swordsmanship school in Japan today.

Throughout Edo, the Hokushin Itto-ryu school had the most dojos and disciples.

The entire Hokushin Itto-ryu dojo in Edo was supporting Aoto... This was practically the same as half of the Edo martial arts world backing Aoto up.

Following the martial arts community, the political and academic communities have also begun to exert their influence.

The scholars at the Bureau of Foreign Literature Research all deeply respected Aoto, who had once saved the Bureau. Thus, without any elaborate mobilization by Katsurin Taro, he simply made a call to action and received an enthusiastic response from all the scholars at the Bureau.

Using words...that's Katsu Rintaro's forte!

He tirelessly lobbied officials at all levels with whom he had good relations, frantically expanding the power of the "Support Orange Alliance".

At the same time, Arima, together with Inoya and Ushiyama, used the Magistrate's Office's channels to report the injustices suffered by Seido Office to their superiors.

Then, the business community also began to speak out in support of Qing Deng.

The wealthy merchants, such as Yoshikawa Torajiro and Suzuki Kentaro, whose sneezes could shake the economy of Edo and even the Kanto region, put pressure on the shogunate over the "arrest of Niou".

The "Support Orange Alliance" offensive is not over yet!

At almost the same time that the business community launched an attack on the shogunate, the military and Western powers stirred up trouble.

Because he was unaware of the deep camaraderie between Aoto and Abiko, the captain of the first division of the Fire Thieves, and Kanazawa, the captain of the second division, Hijikata overlooked the power of the military and did not bring Abiko and the others into the "Support Tachibana Alliance".

But it doesn't matter.

My grandson, Kanazawa, and Mizushima spontaneously submitted a joint letter arguing that Aoto's killing of Akabane Koichiro was entirely in accordance with military law and there was nothing wrong with it. They found it difficult to agree with imprisoning Aoto on the grounds of "abuse of power and wrongful killing of a loyal official."

At Anthony's call, many Westerners who had been rescued and benefited from Aoto when the Expeditionary Force attacked their settlement last year united to seek justice for Aoto and demand an explanation from the shogunate.

……

……

Edo, Tsukimiya Shrine, a certain room—

"How could this guy be imprisoned for such a reason...?"

Tianzhangyuan put down the report in his hand, rubbed his forehead, and sighed deeply.

Just then, Saeshige's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door:

"Lord Yu Du, I have something urgent to tell you."

Tianzhangyuan: "Come in."

Sha Chong pushed open the door and entered.

"Lord Yudu, something has happened...!"

A heavy cloud of worry clouded over Sae's small face...

……

……

Political circles, military circles, academic circles, business circles, martial arts circles, Western forces... Qing Deng's influence is so terrifying that people from all walks of life are willing to support him.

From daimyo who stayed in Edo due to the "sankin-kotai" (a form of official appointment), to ordinary commoners, more and more Edo residents stood on tiptoe, craned their necks, and looked up to see what was happening.

How will the shogunate respond to the fierce offensive of the "pro-orange alliance"?

What will the shogunate do next with Tachibana Aoto?

With such a rare and spectacular show to watch, everyone in Edo, young and old, was filled with anticipation.

However... just as the world was eagerly awaiting news, a bolt from the blue suddenly arrived:

Tachibana Aoto is dead.

*******

*******

Those readers who previously claimed to have guessed the subsequent plot developments, what do you have to say now? (Laughing.jpg) Didn't I say it the day before yesterday? The plot of this book is about to enter a "take-off" phase, do you believe it now?

Given how exciting the plot is in this chapter, please be sure to vote for this book with a monthly ticket!

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

Chapter 362 A Brief Account of the Machi Incident! Qing Deng, "Being Yourself in the Fire" [5100]

In the second year of Wanyan (1861), January 10 (the day Qingdeng was imprisoned), night——

Edo, Kodenmacho, Prison House —

As night fell, the jailers at the prison finally quieted down.

All those cries of pain, shouts of anger, pleas for mercy, the sounds of whips striking human bodies, and the sounds of stones crushing flesh and bones—all vanished like smoke.

Because the environment suddenly became unusually quiet, Qingdeng was a little unaccustomed to it for a while.

The only fellow inmate in the same area as Qingdengguan, Miyabe Kyotaro, had already gone to sleep.

He slept quite gracefully, without snoring or grinding his teeth. He used his hands as a pillow, curled up like a cat, his chest and shoulders rising and falling rhythmically.

There was no one left to talk to... A deep sense of loneliness overwhelmed Qingdeng's consciousness.

Although the living conditions at the Ageyashiki were very good, no matter how excellent the treatment, it was impossible to provide prisoners with a wide range of entertainment options.

This is, after all, Japan during the Edo period, not some modern "Motherland" that provides prisoners with five-star accommodations, refrigerators, color TVs, and game consoles.

Qingdeng was still energetic and didn't want to sleep yet.

Out of sheer boredom, he poked his head out of the cell and examined the large brass lock on the door.

The gaps in the prison bars were so small that only half of Qingdeng's head could barely squeeze through the two gaps.

—This lock… although it’s big and complicated, it’s not impossible to pick it…

"Lock picking" is a key element of the Cloud Flow Ninjutsu.

With the powerful comprehension ability of "Demon Heart", the enhanced finger strength brought by "Skillful Hands +1", and the professional guidance of Saeshige, Aoto has grown into a lock-picking master in just a few months.