I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"In short, it can be summed up in one sentence: 'According to the actual situation, be blind, deaf, and stupid.'"

If someone else were to say such things, it might be suspected that they are talking nonsense or boasting.

But these remarks came from Usui... which makes them all the more convincing.

The Edo-cho Magistrate was one of the most miserable of the "Three Magistrates"... no, he was one of the most miserable in the entire shogunate.

As the largest city in Japan at the time and the center of the Tokugawa family's rule, Edo's social environment was a mixed bag.

Local feudal states, Yakuza, hatamoto and gokenin, wealthy merchants, town and village self-governing organizations... all kinds of forces are intertwined.

One wrong move and you could offend a powerful figure in a powerful family.

Because of the enormous workload and work pressure, the mortality rate of Edo-machi magistrates during their tenure was extremely high.

Despite working in such a harsh environment, Usui has remained calm and composed.

To achieve such success, Bo Jing certainly has some skills in "being an official".

“Nishino-kun, you are one of the few people in the Hokuban-do that can take on important responsibilities. I have always admired you.”

"However, you have a major flaw: you are too straightforward and inflexible."

"With this kind of personality, one day it will cause you to suffer a great fall."

"Take this opportunity to get used to this feeling of powerlessness of 'knowing you can do it but being unable to'—as long as you are still serving in the shogunate, this is a process you must go through."

Usui's words of comfort were undeniably well-intentioned and earnest.

However... Nishino did not appreciate Usui's feelings.

"Lord Usui! Indeed, as long as one cleverly acts as a deaf, blind, and fool, one can live very comfortably in the cutthroat world of the shogunate."

"But if everyone did this, it wouldn't just be that the law would cease to be lawful, but that the country would cease to be a country!"

"At this time when the shogunate is in turmoil, it is precisely the time for us, the direct officers, to work together with one heart and one mind and to strive steadfastly."

[Note: Direct Advisors: Hatamoto and Gokenin are collectively referred to as "Direct Advisors"]

"How can we only think of ourselves and ignore the bigger picture?"

It's unclear whether Nishino's stubbornness and refusal to listen to reason upset Usui, or whether his words just now offended Usui.

In short, anger surfaced on Usui's face.

"Nishino! That's enough! Stop being unreasonable!"

"I don't want to argue with you about this anymore!"

In conclusion, this topic ends here!

"You have one day to release that beast, understand?"

At this point, Usui, perhaps worried that Nishino still wanted to disobey orders, paused and then added:

"Nishino-kun, don't forget who you are!"

"You are a 'samurai,' aren't you?"

"To be loyal to one's superiors is a warrior's duty!"

"What? Are you trying to disobey orders?"

As soon as Usui finished speaking, Nishino's eyes twitched several times.

An indescribable surge of emotion formed a vortex within Nishino.

As the vortex gradually expanded, Nishino clenched his hands tightly, which were hanging down naturally, as if he wanted to dig his palms until they bled.

However... just as this vortex was about to expand to its limit, an invisible force shone into Nishino's heart.

This invisible force is called "the loyalty of the samurai".

Under the influence of this force, the boiling vortex gradually subsided.

Nishino slowly relaxed his clenched fists...

"Yes, I understand……"

Nishino lowered his head and whispered to his toes.

Seeing that Nishino had finally given in, Usui breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't say anything more, silently passing by Nishino.

The sound of Bo Jing's footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Nishino stood there, motionless for a long time.

It wasn't until quite some time later that he slowly turned around, facing east of Wufu Bridge, and braced his hands on the bright red bridge railing.

East of Gofuku Bridge... this direction is exactly where Edo Castle is located.

Nishino gazed expressionlessly at Edo Castle in the distance.

Then, he lowered his head, gazing at the murmuring water beneath the bridge, his expression remaining neither sad nor happy.

Suddenly, without any warning, Nishino pounded on the bridge railing.

The sound was so loud that it startled passersby.

After forcefully slapping the bridge railing once, Nishino was still not satisfied and slapped it more than ten times until his palms turned red before he finally stopped.

"In ancient times, Xin Qiji patted the railing repeatedly; now, Nishino Tadashi imitates him like a poor imitation..."

A self-deprecating murmur escaped from Nishino's lips like a delirious whisper.

Tadashi—Nishino’s real name.

Xin Jiaxuan is Xin Qiji.

"Xin Jiaxuan patting the railing" is one of the most well-known anecdotes in the Chinese cultural sphere.

Everyone who feels they are underappreciated and have unfulfilled ambitions loves to use this allusion.

So much so that even uneducated, uneducated people, upon hearing the name Xin Qiji, would always associate it with the phrase "pounding on the railing."

Xin Qiji broke away from the Jin Dynasty at the age of twenty-three and returned to the Song Dynasty in the south, but he was never given an important position. At the age of twenty-six, he submitted "Ten Essays on the Beauty of Celery" and proposed strategies to resist the Jin Dynasty, but they were not adopted.

In the first year of Chunxi reign of Emperor Xiaozong of Song (1174), Xin Qiji was to be appointed as a councilor of the Eastern Pacification Commission. At this time, he had been in the south for eight or nine years, but he was given a minor post and left to idleness.

Once, he climbed the Shangxin Pavilion in Jiankang and looked out over the mountains and rivers of his motherland. Overwhelmed with emotion, he felt even more sorry for himself for being full of ambition but having achieved nothing in his old age. So he wrote a poem called "Shuilongyin".

In this poem, Xin Qiji left behind a famous line that has stood the test of time: "I have examined the Wu hook sword, and patted the railing all over, but no one understands my feelings upon ascending this height."

The idiom "to pat the railing all over" originates from this poem and this line.

As if all his strength had been used up, Nishino leaned dejectedly against the bridge railing.

No one knows what he is thinking at this moment.

About 10 minutes later, he straightened up and walked down Wufu Bridge alone without saying a word...

……

……

Edo, Gofuku Bridge, Hokuban-sho (Northern Frontier Office), Interrogation Room—

What is your favorite food?

"Grilled squid..."

Have you ever been to Yoshiwara?

"I've been there..."

Have you ever been to Okabe?

"I've been there..."

Which brothel in Yoshiwara do you like the most?

"Linghua House..."

Who is the person you admire most?

"'Eternal Sword Saint' Ogata Ittosai..."

What is 1000 - 7?

"I don't know... I can't count..."

"Let's try something simpler: what is 5 + 3?"

"8..."

How many people are in your family?

"Besides me, there's no one else here..."

……

As Nishino pushed open the door to the interrogation room, he heard his men, Okabiki and his men, diligently interrogating Terasaka Juheiji.

Terasaka Juheiji—the suspicious individual who lingered at the scene of the Kanazawa siblings' murder.

On the day of his arrest, Nishino learned his name through interrogation.

Unfortunately, after revealing his name, Terasaka refused to say anything more.

“I am innocent! I know nothing! No matter what you say”—he has always insisted.

Terasaka's stubbornness... is exactly what Nishino wanted!

Nishino is least afraid of stubborn people—because he has a unique interrogation method that never fails!

When Nishino's men saw their eldest son arrive, they all stood up and bowed.

Nishino waved his hand, indicating that they should dispense with the formalities and continue with their own business.

It was at this moment that Okabiki, who was in charge of interrogating Terasaka Juheiji, suddenly changed the subject:

"You participated in the murder of Mr. Kanazawa Tadatsugu and Ms. Kanazawa Koto, didn't you?"

Terasaka opened his lips, as if he was about to say something.

But just as he was about to speak, he seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly shook his head, saying: