I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The commander casually crossed his legs.

Sanako bent her knees properly and knelt upright.

They didn't speak, they just stared straight at Qingdeng.

The meaning in the two women's eyes was self-evident—Alright, hurry up and explain it to us!

Sanako and Souji's gazes transformed into an invisible pressure.

Under this pressure, Qing Deng gave a bitter smile.

"Where... should I begin..."

……

Qingdeng succinctly recounted his experiences and actions to the two women.

Of course, Qing Deng didn't say a word about things he shouldn't have.

For example, Aoto concealed all matters involving the new Oniwaban and Tenshōin.

The New Oniwaban was a secret intelligence agency established by Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin to cultivate their own power.

Even most of the high-ranking officials in the shogunate were unaware of the existence of the new Oniwaban.

In order to avoid arousing suspicion and attacks from the Hitotsubashi faction, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin never made the new Oniwaban public.

Therefore, without the permission of Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin, Aoto was not allowed to reveal the name "New Oniwaban" to outsiders.

As for the Tensho Academy, needless to say.

Hey, Okita-kun, Sanako-san, did you know? The lady you met at the Moon Shrine, Atsuhime, is actually the current Grand Lady of the Edo Shogunate: Tenshōin Atsuhime—if you said that out loud, Sanako and Souji would probably think Aoto had gone mad…

To be honest, the high and mighty Tenshōin Atsuhime working as a shrine maiden in a remote shrine... If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed such an outrageous thing.

So, Qing Deng lied and said that Miss Yu Du of the Moon Palace Shrine was an acquaintance of his, so he temporarily used the Moon Palace Shrine as his resting place.

Qing Deng's two great talents—the art of deception and the art of emperorship—were being displayed to their fullest extent at this moment.

The former allows Qingdeng to lie without blushing or skipping a beat, and with a sincere tone.

The latter method ensured that Qing Deng's expression remained natural throughout, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Breaking into the government office that had been turned into a burglary by thieves, going to Yoshiwara alone, capturing Kitahara Kōnosuke, investigating the strange drug... As they listened to the series of thrilling events that Aoto had recently encountered, Sanako and Souji's facial expressions underwent a series of fascinating changes.

Upon learning that Aoto was currently investigating such a dangerous case, Sanako and Souji could no longer contain themselves and both showed expressions of horror.

Finally, Qing Deng finished speaking.

As Qingdeng finished speaking, the room fell silent.

The air around Qing Deng and the others seemed to have solidified into liquid, making it feel exceptionally heavy.

Sanako and Souji looked at each other, then glanced at Aoto.

In this tranquility, Souji broke the silence first:

"Tachibana-kun, what are your plans next? Are you going to continue investigating that strange drug?"

"of course."

Qingdeng nodded solemnly and replied without hesitation.

"My father was always investigating strange drugs despite the dangers he faced."

"Although there is no conclusive evidence yet, I suspect that there is something fishy about my father's 'death from illness'."

"I really want to know the truth about my father's death, and what he did to be so hated by Kitahara Konosuke and others."

"Moreover, even setting aside my father's influence, I have every reason to continue investigating the strange drug."

“I have not forgotten the tragic deaths of Kanazawa-kun and Kanazawa-san.”

"Even if it's just to avenge Kanazawa-kun and Kanazawa-san, I won't let this go so easily!"

At this moment, Sanako interjected and asked:

"But...didn't you say you didn't know what to do at the moment?"

"Yes."

Qingdeng sighed helplessly.

"Although it has been found that the Qingshui clan is connected with the strange medicine, I have no idea where to go or who to find to collect new clues and information."

At this point, Qingdeng paused for a moment.

Then, he switched to a half-joking tone:

"If only Mr. Miyagawa were in Edo... He was my father's close friend, he might know something."

The "Mr. Miyagawa" that Aoto mentioned naturally refers to Tachibana Takayuki's good friend and Otsuki Minoru's biological father: Miyagawa Shunzo.

After Ōtsuki Minoru married and moved to Nara, Miyagawa Shunzo and his wife also moved to Nara.

From then on, neither "Yuanju Qingdeng" nor Qingdeng ever saw him again.

Qingdeng's remark was originally just a casual jest.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Sanako and Souji both revealed meaningful expressions and exchanged a glance.

"Tachibana-kun, what a coincidence..."

"I can't speak," Sanako said slowly.

"Mr. Miyagawa happens to be in Edo right now."

"……what?"

Qingdeng stared wide-eyed in surprise.

*******

*******

Another failed attempt at updating today, I'm extremely sorry! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

For readers who have forgotten when Miyagawa Shunzo came to Edo, you can refer back to this volume.

Sanako's jealous nature, her seemingly serious demeanor but actually rich imagination, is just so adorable~~ (Leopard.jpg)

PS1: Every storyline that Leopard designed before was meaningful; I have never made the storyline feel like filler.

Simply put, this book has no side plots; every part of the story you read is part of the main plot.

The reason for creating the character of Minoru Otsuki is not just to let Aoto show off in front of the "former goddess" - the main purpose is to introduce the related plot of Shunzo Miyagawa and Takayuki Tachibana!

If Aoto and Ootsuki hadn't reunited at the fireworks festival, Aoto wouldn't have later rescued Ootsuki's husband to repay a debt of gratitude to Miyagawa Shunzo.

Naturally, Miyagawa Shunzo would not have come to Edo to personally thank Aoto.

Each step is interconnected, and there is no superfluous detail.

*********

PS2: This book has unknowingly reached 253 million words. According to Leopard's estimate, the second volume will probably end at around 280 million words.

What a long prologue… using 300 million words to write the prologue of a book… this book might actually be tens of millions of words long. The following…

Chapter 413 When has the General ever done us a favor? [5000]

In Edo, at the home of Nishino Hosojiro, the "Number One Detective of the Hokuban-sho"—

While working at the Magistrate's Office, where the average income was the highest among most government offices in the shogunate, Nishino's standard of living was not extremely wealthy, but it was certainly not impoverished.

The soft morning sunlight streamed in through the window, falling onto the tatami mats and dividing the small living room in two.

On one side is a half-room draped in pale yellow.

On the other side, the Nishino family, shrouded in shadow, are having breakfast.

As the current head of the family, Nishino naturally sat in the main seat.

His family members sat below him in order of their social standing within the family.

"Chōtarō! Don't be picky! Eat all the pickled radishes now!"

Nishino's mother, Ahe, had a shrill voice that echoed throughout the hall.

"Yes Yes!"

Chotaro... Nishino's son, was so frightened by Ahe's sudden rebuke that he involuntarily shrank his shoulders.

After quickly responding, he hurriedly shoveled all the pickled radishes from the plate in front of him into his bowl.

Nishino's family is a typical family of four—himself, his mother, his wife, and his son.

Nishino's father died of illness at a young age.

Six years ago, under his mother's strong encouragement, Nishino married a woman from a samurai family who was also from the Goken clan.

The following year, Nishino had his first child, Chotaro, who is now 5 years old.

After years of adjustment, the Nishino family still has occasional conflicts in their daily interactions, but overall they are quite harmonious.

As the saying goes: a strict father and a kind mother.

However, the Nishino family's situation is somewhat different from this proverb—they not only have a strict father, but also a strict mother.

When Nishino's father was still alive, he was a serious and stern person who treated others and himself very strictly.

His mother was even more so than his father.

Ah-He comes from a conservative family that regards tradition and ancestral laws as the highest truth.

Every morning after getting up, the whole family would respectfully bow three times and kowtow nine times in the direction of Edo Castle.

Before eating, they would always express their deepest gratitude to the general, saying that it was thanks to the general's kindness that they were able to eat.

Growing up in such an environment, Ahe developed a rigid, conservative, and stubborn personality through constant exposure to the environment.

She often uses terms like "Bushido," "self-discipline and public service," and "sworn to be loyal to the death." Her most frequently read book is Yamamoto Tsunetomo's "Hagakure."

Ah-He's diligence in reading "Hagakure" is so great that even the phrase "the leather binding broke three times" doesn't quite capture it—Nishino couldn't even count how many copies of "Hagakure" his mother had worn out.

[Note: *Hagakure no Tsunetomo* (The Book of Hidden Valley) was written in 1716. It was dictated by Yamamoto Tsunetomo of the Saga Domain and transcribed by Tashiro Jinmochi over seven years. This book is considered a classic of Bushido, comparable to the *Analects* in Confucianism. It begins by stating, "Bushido is about dying," advocating that "'to die for one's cause and to uphold loyalty and righteousness' is the ultimate pursuit of Bushido."]