I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A moment later, Hai Laoming grinned, a look of curiosity appearing between his brows.

"You're quite an interesting child. Why are you asking this?"

Nishino Chotaro said seriously:

"My father always taught me: to become a qualified samurai, even if you die, you must die a glorious death, a death worthy of the name of a samurai."

“Besides that, he always told me that his lifelong wish was to die a worthy death, a death that would make all his relatives and friends proud of him.”

"So...I really want to know...when my father died...whether he fulfilled his long-cherished wish...whether he died...making me feel incredibly proud..."

As Nishino Chotaro continued speaking, his voice grew softer and softer.

By the end, his eyes were already slightly red.

Looking at the boy who was so mature for his age, Ebina pursed his lips, lost in thought.

Then, in a measured and determined tone, he said:

"Your father didn't look like a warrior at all when he died."

Before Nishino Chotaro could even express his surprise, Ebina continued on her own:

"The so-called 'samurai' are nothing more than a group of domesticated dogs with a dog collar called 'Bushido' around their necks."

"And Nishino Hosojiro—he broke free of the dog leash around his neck. He no longer lay in the mud as a 'dog,' but stood on the earth as a 'human.'"

"The word 'samurai' is far too insignificant in comparison to him; this ugly word cannot contain his courage and will."

"He embraced his new life as a fighter and a true man."

Having said that, Ebina withdrew his gaze from Nishino Chotaro and strode away without lingering.

Just as their figures were about to disappear into the distance, a long, drawn-out middle-aged male voice drifted into Nishino Chotaro's ears.

“My child, take your father as your role model, and become a fighter like your father who breaks free from constraints and follows his heart.”

Chōtarō Nishino stared blankly, mouth agape, and blinked.

"Break free from constraints...? Follow your heart...?"

He stood there, silent for a long time.

……

"Mr. Ebina, are we really going to return to the Gyeonggi region like this?"

Akutsu asked.

"Well, there's no point in staying in Edo any longer. It would be better to return to the capital region to report back."

At this point, Hai Laoming looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh.

"Niou... he's really something. I never expected that he could turn a seemingly hopeless situation around..."

Ichinose chimed in from the side:

"The Shimizu clan has been severely damaged and is on the verge of extinction. Without the assistance of the Shimizu clan, the Hoju Party, which lacks a foothold in the Eastern Country, should no longer be able to spread its phantom fodder in the Kanto region."

Ebina took the lead again:

"That's why we need to hurry back to the capital to report. We must immediately report to the organization that a peerless talent has emerged in Edo, and we must do everything we can to win him over."

The three of them stopped talking and headed straight for the starting point of the "Five Streets": Nihonbashi.

The three figures gradually disappeared into the dust and smoke stirred up by the spring breeze.

……

……

Two months later—

The first year of Wenjiu (1861), April 22——

Edo, Nihonbashi

Spring has arrived, and cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Cherry blossoms quietly bloom on tender branches.

Warm white sunlight streamed down through the gaps in the branches, and cherry blossom petals, bathed in sunlight, fell one after another.

"Look! Look! Come and see! The shogunate's bestowal of honors upon 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto has been granted! Look! Look! Come and see! An unprecedented and unparalleled honor!"

Beside the east end of Nihonbashi Bridge, a pair of tile merchants were energetically hawking their wares.

[Note: "Waban Kogao" can be understood as a newspaper from the Edo period. It was a non-official publication, freely printed and sold by the public. It reported various types of news, including newsworthy events such as domestic wars, riots, and murders, as well as gossip and legends of the entertainment value, such as love triangles and revenge killings.]

The tile vendors were mostly in pairs, with one person responsible for selling the tiles and the other responsible for reading out the day's news headlines to attract the attention of passersby.

The words "Nioh" (a title given by the emperor) and the shogunate's bestowal of titles are the best advertisement.

Nihonbashi was one of the busiest places in Edo.

Before long, a dense crowd had gathered around the tile merchants, three or four deep.

Hundreds of men and women looked on with anticipation.

A flurry of interested gazes fell upon the two tile merchants.

Seeing that the number of people was almost there, the tile merchant in charge of attracting customers cleared his throat loudly.

"As you all probably know, more than two months ago, 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a rough voice:

"Stop with all that boring backstory! Tell me quickly what the shogunate bestowed upon 'Niou'!"

These words immediately drew numerous echoes.

"Yes, yes!"

"Get to the point!"

"If you don't tell us, we'll buy roof tiles from someone else!"

Seeing this, the tile merchant smiled sheepishly and hurriedly said, "Okay, okay," and "I understand, I understand."

After the public grievances subsided somewhat, he cleared his throat again.

"Just yesterday at noon, the shogunate released the official award for Tachibana Aoto."

"Increase the family stipend of 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto by 4000 koku!"

"Adding the original 1250 shi, the total is 5250 shi!"

Before the tile merchant could finish speaking, a chorus of gasps filled the air.

5250 stones!

I gained 4000 stones in one go!

The stipend of a hatamoto (a type of Japanese hatamoto) is generally between 200 and 10000 koku. Those with a stipend exceeding 3000 koku are called "Ōshin hatamoto" (a type of Japanese hatamoto with a large stipend).

Ōshin-hata could have held important positions in the shogunate, such as Ōban-tō or Gōryū-no-kami, which would have greatly influenced national politics.

What does it mean to have a family stipend of over 5000 koku?

In the early Edo period, the number of hatamoto (traditional Japanese hatamoto) was approximately 5165, of which only a mere 100 held a koku (a unit of rice measure) or more but less than 10,000 koku.

Although the number of hatamoto has increased after more than two hundred years of peace, the number of Ōshin hatamoto with a family stipend of more than 5000 koku has remained basically unchanged.

In other words, Seido had already risen to the very top of Edo society! He had become someone that even countless hatamoto samurai could only look up to!

At this moment, the tile merchant continued speaking:

"In addition to bestowing upon him a large amount of wealth and fine clothing, the shogunate also promoted Tachibana Seino to—"

Everyone immediately shut their mouths, held their breath, and stared intently at the tile merchant, waiting for him to say something next.

However, the tile merchant then played a trick.

He paused at that moment, deliberately teasing everyone.

Just as impatience was about to show on everyone's faces—

"The side members are also the servants of the emperor!"

The tile merchant roared this at the highest volume he could muster.

The previously noisy venue fell silent instantly.

A samurai with a very loud voice.

A woman holding a baby.

Laborers with sweat towels wrapped around their heads.

Everyone... everyone present, regardless of age or gender, fell silent.

After a five-second silence, things began to stir.

Then, the commotion turned into agitation, and the agitation then turned into a clamor like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.

The position of "Side Attendant and Imperial Envoy" – upon hearing this title, everyone's mind immediately conjures up the thought, "No way!"

Side retainers: Close retainers of the Shogun, responsible for managing the Shogun's pageboys, patriarchs, and physicians. They also handled miscellaneous affairs for the senior councilors (Roju) and the Shogun. After the senior councilors retired, they took over the miscellaneous affairs within Edo Castle.

[Note: Kognagon: Responsible for taking care of the shogun's daily life and occasionally assisting the shogun with routine matters; the scope of work is very broad.]

Odai-sama Yongin: Male officials in charge of the affairs of the Ooku (the shogun's harem), also known as "Hirofuki Yongin".

It was quite rare for one person to hold two positions—a situation that was highly valued in the Edo period, which emphasized the "decentralization of power."

Such a situation, where someone holds two important positions simultaneously, is even rarer.

Even someone who knows nothing about politics can tell how powerful Qing Deng’s new position is just by looking at the job descriptions of these two official duties!

He was both a close advisor who frequently walked in front of the shogun and the chief official in charge of managing the inner palace. He could speak and exert influence in both the inner and outer courts!

In terms of power alone... some daimyo of small domains might not even be as powerful as Seido today!

From a thief who was originally a squad leader, he rose in one fell swoop to become a powerful minister of the shogunate who could influence the national government... In no time, no one knew who started it, but the saying "Tachibana no Aoto, soaring to the heavens" spread throughout the streets and alleys of Edo, and then spread to even more distant places...

……

……