I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Tokugawa Ieyasu even declared directly: The Emperor does not need to interfere in political affairs; the Emperor only needs to focus on scholarship.

Because they had been far removed from politics for so long, the emperor and court nobles of the imperial court were completely ignorant of governing the country, and their political views were frighteningly naive.

In short: the government is a bunch of useless good-for-nothings who have no talent other than cultural influence.

Cooperating with them... is fraught with hidden dangers.

Tenshōin vehemently opposed the "unity of public and military forces," but his voice carried little weight...

The Hitotsubashi faction's relentless suppression rendered Tenshōin increasingly powerless within the shogunate.

Moreover, those who support the "unity of public and military forces" can silence the Tenshōin with just one sentence—

"Your Highness's insightful remarks have deeply moved me. However, I wonder if Your Highness possesses a strategy even more brilliant than 'the unity of public and military forces'?"

Although reluctant, Tenshōin truly couldn't think of a more suitable or superior solution to salvage the situation than "the union of the court and the military"...

Japan today is undergoing a transformation unlike any seen in a millennium.

What should we do next?

Which path leads to the light?

These are questions that only a once-in-a-millennium genius could answer.

Clearly—Tenshōin is not such a peerless genius…

Unable to resist the implementation of the "King-Martial Alliance"... Self-deprecation and exhaustion lingered in Tenshōin's mind.

To relieve her distress, she took advantage of this rare free time to relax a little.

This feeling of having no thoughts in my mind, lying on the tatami like a limp rag... it feels so good...

I'm so comfortable I'm almost asleep...

Tianzhangyuan's eyelids kept drooping.

Just as her bright eyes were about to close—

"Lord Yu Du! Lord Yu Du!"

Suddenly, the sound of heavy gauze came from outside the room.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he was woken up by someone... A noticeable look of displeasure appeared on Tenshōin's cheeks.

Although she was displeased, she knew that if she couldn't even manage her own little emotions, she wouldn't be Tenshōin.

In the blink of an eye, her mind returned to peace.

"Come in."

Sha Zhong flung open the paper sliding door with a "whoosh" and strode into the room.

"Lord Uto, the officers in charge of investigating the past case files of the 'Three Times' of the Magistrate's Office, the Fire and Thieves Reform, and the Eight Provinces Expeditionary Office have made a significant discovery."

As she spoke, Sae handed Tenshōin an old file with both hands.

The drug can affect a person's mind, making them extremely aggressive.

If that's the case, then some of the past "violent incidents" might be related to illicit drugs.

Therefore, in order to gather as much information as possible related to the "strange medicine," Tenshōin ordered his subordinates to search through the past case files of the Magistrate's Office, the Fire-Fighting Thieves Bureau, the Self-Governing Bureau, and the Eight Provinces Expeditionary Bureau to see if they could find any new and useful clues.

However, the scale of this task was much larger than Tenshōin had imagined.

Despite deploying a significant number of personnel, after investigating for more than half a month, we still haven't found anything.

Upon learning that the "big data search," which had consumed a great deal of manpower and resources, had finally yielded results, Tenshōin's eyes lit up.

She immediately took the old file from Saeshige's hand, unfolded it, and began to scan it quickly.

A short while later—

moment.

What happened next really happened in an instant.

"This is……?"

As if witnessing something unbelievable, Tianzhangyuan's beautiful eyes widened instantly.

She suddenly increased the pressure in her hands holding the file.

Although she expressed her emotions with restraint, her astonishment, her shock, and her disbelief were all clearly evident.

Although Sashige was puzzled by Tenshōin's unusual reaction, she dared not say anything.

She silently lowered her head, waiting for the emotional turmoil in Tianzhang Courtyard to subside.

After nearly a minute, Tensho-in finally seemed to come to his senses and looked away from the dossier in his hands.

She stared into the void before her, as if something was blocking her throat:

“Sheng Qing…”

She whispered the man's name, then bit her lower lip, her expression complicated.

……

……

Edo, Koishikawa, Kohinata-Yanagi-cho, Shieikan, Garden—

Wow!

The commander splashed the cold well water onto his face.

Water droplets, seemingly ready to freeze at any moment, dripped down Souji's delicate face and pretty nose, gathering into small puddles at her feet.

After being stimulated by the ice water, Souji immediately felt refreshed.

Just as Souji picked up the towel hanging around his neck, preparing to wipe his face, a pleasant but aloof female voice suddenly rang out behind him:

"Okita-kun, what are you doing?"

The speaker wore a gorgeous kimono with blue as the main color and white as the embellishment, with a meticulously styled Shimada bun hairstyle, an absolutely stunning face, a graceful figure, and an elegant and noble demeanor.

She favors blue clothing; possesses unparalleled beauty; and has an overwhelming presence that draws all light away from her wherever she goes… Her identity is already quite obvious.

"I felt a little sleepy, so I washed my face."

The commander smiled slightly.

"Miss Sanako, what are you doing here? Are you here to wash your face too?"

Sanako gently shook her head.

"I was just taking a walk."

After saying that, Sanako stared intently at Souji, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

“…Okita-kun, forgive my bluntness, but you don’t look well right now. If you’re sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t force yourself to stay awake.”

Upon hearing this, the commander looked down at the puddle at his feet.

A pale, delicate face was reflected in the puddle, along with eyes with faint dark circles.

"Hahaha..."

Souji chuckled and then pretended to wipe his face, using this as an excuse to cover up the unnatural expression on his face.

"I'm fine! I'm a swordsman, after all. This little bit of exertion isn't enough to make me collapse!"

At this point, the commander suddenly changed his tone, "turning the tables":

"On the contrary, it's you, Ms. Sanako. I think you're the one who needs rest the most right now. I heard that you've been living like an ascetic every day so that you can find Tachibana-kun as soon as possible."

Sanako's body stiffened.

"I didn't live a life like an ascetic just to find Tachibana-kun as soon as possible."

She asserted this without hesitation, in a resolute tone.

*******

*******

Yesterday's total monthly votes were 1006, falling short of the target of 1030. Although it didn't reach the goal, it was just a little bit short. The author originally planned to update with 8000+ words today to thank everyone, but last night the author's uncle came to Guangzhou.

Because I was entertaining them, I didn't get home until very late, so I didn't have any time to write last night. Therefore, today's chapter is a bit shorter (leopard dead.jpg).

I promise to update with over 8000 words tomorrow to make it up to everyone! (Like a cat crying.jpg)

Chapter 393 The Sudden Arrival of Takayuki Tachibana's Old Friend [5000 words]

Looking at Sanako, who vehemently denied it, Souji wore a maternal smile.

"Miss Sanako, lying is not a good thing."

She spoke in a gentle tone, uttering words that made Sanako's delicate body stiffen once again.

Sanako tightened her hands clasped in front of her, turning her head to look around restlessly. She even made a move to leave, but then cleared her throat, changing her mind:

"Ju-kun is my good friend and also my savior."

As she said this, a stern and heroic look appeared in Sanako's eyes.

"If it weren't for Tachibana-kun's life-saving rescue, I would probably have died under the sword of the Extermination Group long ago."

"When living in this world, benevolence and righteousness should come first."

"Anyone with a conscience knows the principle of 'repaying a debt of gratitude for a meal or a drop of water.'"

"Moreover, I am the daughter of the Wu family."

"I would rather die than be an ungrateful and dishonest person."

"Therefore, whether from a moral or logical standpoint, I cannot abandon Tachibana-kun!"

Sanako's words were delivered with great passion and fervor.

In fact, she wasn't exaggerating.

That's just how Sanako is; she's strict with herself and others.

She strictly demanded of herself the "Eight Virtues" of ancient Chinese morality: righteousness, courage, benevolence, propriety, sincerity, honor, loyalty, and self-discipline. She not only aimed to emulate the sages internally, but also to be perfect externally.