I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"It is truly our good fortune that such an outstanding talent as Lord Tachibana could emerge amidst the chaos of war!"

"With Lord Ju here, the national situation will surely turn from danger to safety!"

……

All sorts of flattery poured down on Qingdeng.

The "Katsu-sama" mentioned by this person is naturally Katsu Rintaro, a close friend of Aoto, who also rose from humble beginnings and was deeply trusted by Tokugawa Iemochi.

In early 1862, Katsu Rintaro resigned from his positions as head of the Banshu-tsho (foreign affairs office) and artillery professor at the Kobu-sho (military academy). With the reform of the shogunate, he returned to the navy and became head of the Tsukiji Naval Training Office (the principal of the shogunate's naval officer school).

On August 17th of the same year, he was promoted to the rank of Warship Magistrate and began to be active as a high-ranking bureaucrat in the administration of the shogunate.

Tokugawa Iemochi entrusted the important task of building the shogunate navy to Katsura Rintaro.

Katsura Rintaro did not disappoint Tokugawa Iemochi's trust. Thanks to his tireless efforts day and night, the formation of the shogunate navy finally made some progress.

"Tachibana" and "Katsu" – one was the "Minister of the Grand Council," and the other was in charge of the Tokugawa Navy. The two were known as the "Twin Pillars" under Tokugawa Iemochi.

In Edo, a common saying even circulated among the common people: "The talents of the clerks total one shi (a unit of dry measure), oranges and katsu together occupy nine dou (another unit of dry measure), and the rest of the people share one dou."

Faced with the flattery of the crowd, Qingdeng smiled slightly, neither showing that he was pleased nor that he was impatient.

While taking a sip of tea, with his face obscured by his hands and the teacup, Qingdeng sighed imperceptibly.

A hint of weariness flickered in his eyes.

……

……

The next day, early morning—

In the second year of Wenjiu (1862), December 2th——

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi Town, Test Guard Hall——

"Radish, let's go."

"Moo~~"

Dressed in a samurai uniform, Qing Deng rode his pet cow, Luo Bo, and skillfully made his way to the main road leading to Edo Castle.

[Note: Samurai formal attire: also known as "裃". The literal and practical meaning are the same; it is a set of clothes. The upper body is covered by a very straight "shoulder jacket," and the lower body is covered by "hakama." The "shoulder jacket" and "hakama" are made of the same material and have the same pattern. Family crests are displayed on the shoulders and back of the neck.]

Although he was already a powerful retainer of the shogunate, Aoto still lived in the Shieikan.

With his current wealth and status, he could easily move out of the Shiwei Hall and build a mansion in the city center that is several times larger than the Shiwei Hall.

However, no matter how luxurious the house or how many servants there are, there is one crucial thing missing—the laughter and joy of companions.

Kondo Isami's generosity.

Hijikata Toshizo's carefree spirit.

The simplicity of Genzaburo Inoue.

Yamanami Keisuke's refined manner.

Nagakura Shinpachi's unrestrained nature.

Saito Hajime's composure.

Todo Heisuke's honesty.

Harada Sanosuke's honesty and simplicity.

Okita Souji's cheerfulness.

Qingdeng couldn't bear to part with these beautiful things.

Compared to living a so-called aristocratic life in a luxurious but cold mansion, Qingdeng prefers the hustle and bustle of the present moment.

And so he continued to live in Shieikan and to be a customer there.

Fortunately, his choice did not cause displeasure among the crowd.

Master Shusuke, Kondo Isami, and others warmly welcomed Aoto's "refusing to leave" behavior.

It wasn't because Qing Deng was there that the reputation of Shieikan was greatly enhanced.

It's not because they genuinely like this outstanding and approachable young man.

The distance from Shieikan to Edo Castle is not short.

If Qingdeng continued to commute on foot as before, he would spend at least an hour a day traveling.

There was no other way but to travel by sedan chair or horseback.

However, Qingdeng really disliked riding in a sedan chair.

In China, the sedan chair had a seat placed on top of a pole.

In Japan, the palanquin is carried with the seat placed under the crossbars—similar to dragging a coffin.

In addition, Chinese sedan chairs typically have two poles and are carried by four people.

In contrast, Japanese palanquins typically have only one bar and are usually carried by two people.

One major drawback of this design is that the seat is very unstable and wobbles a lot.

Although Qingdeng doesn't get motion sickness, the feeling of being in an egg shaker is really unpleasant.

Ever since his first day as a full-fledged attendant and imperial advisor, after riding in a sedan chair once, Aoto has kept his distance from such a mode of transportation.

Therefore, the only commuting option left for them was horseback riding.

Qingdeng doesn't dislike riding horses.

However, speaking of horses... he already has an excellent mount—a big, round-headed black ox: Radish!

Previously, Radish had been fostered at the Chiba Kenkan, and was mainly fed by Sanako.

I have to say, Sanako really raised radishes exceptionally well.

Compared to when we first bought it, it has grown much stronger, its fur is black and shiny, and its big, round head makes it look very cute and憨厚 (honest and simple)... It could be dragged to a "livestock exhibition" to participate in the exhibition.

In terms of top speed, a cow's carrot can't compare to a horse's.

However, in terms of riding comfort, endurance for long runs, and destructive power in a charge, Carrot is far superior to ordinary warhorses.

What's even more remarkable is that Luo Bo is very intelligent and perceptive, and gets along very well with Qing Deng.

Cows are inherently intelligent animals, and radishes are the best among cows.

It can understand human speech and can faithfully obey commands.

When Qingdeng was riding Luobo, he didn't even need to hold the reins.

As long as he says "Radish, turn left," it will moo and obediently turn left.

He said, "Radish, let's go," and it would moo once more, then stride forward without hesitation.

He said, "Radish, charge!" and it would moo and enter "bullish charge" mode.

Of course, it doesn't obey every command.

According to Qing Deng's observation, Luo Bo only obeys him and Sanako.

As for the others... it seemed rather indifferent.

Qingdeng would sometimes think to himself: given the current chaotic state of the country, if he ever really had to go to the battlefield, he wouldn't need to find a warhorse at all; riding a carrot would be enough.

The value of a mount lies in the harmony between rider and rider, rather than in its speed or power.

Only when the rider and the mount have a very high degree of synergy can they unleash their greatest power.

To make commuting easier, Qing Deng brought Luo Bo back from the Chiba Sword Hall, then bought a small house next to the Shiei Hall, converted it into a cowshed to serve as Luo Bo's home, and hired a farmer who was good at raising cattle to take care of Luo Bo's daily life.

Under Qingdeng's meticulous arrangements, Luobo was living a very comfortable life.

All they did was eat and sleep; their daily work consisted of simply dropping off and picking up Qingcheng Mountain.

Before long, the man and the ox arrived at a bustling street.

With an exceptionally tall stature, three swords at his waist, and riding a large black bull—upon seeing such a distinctive figure, the passersby on the street spontaneously parted to the left and right, making way for a straight and wide avenue.

"Ah! Lord Niou!"

"Tachibana-sama!"

"Lord Niou! Thank you for clearing the Kanda irrigation system! Thank you!"

……

Large crowds crowded on both sides of the Qingdang, some casting admiring glances at it, others shouting excitedly, and still others waving vigorously in hopes of getting its attention.

Qingdeng smiled and nodded frequently to the people around him, much like a lord inspecting his territory.

Aoto enjoyed immense popularity among the people of Edo—and this was only to be expected.

Looking back on his past achievements: first, he eliminated the Extermination Group, and then he severely damaged the Shimizu clan.

Both the former and the latter were social ills deeply hated by the people of Edo.

Qingdeng eradicated these two great evils, how could people not respect and love him?

After Rakshasa, Shimizu Eiichi, and others were all killed, the strength of the Shimizu clan plummeted.

The Shimizu clan, who rose to power through swords and blood, naturally have many enemies.

For a long time, countless Yakuza groups, large and small, have been lurking nearby, eyeing the Shimizu clan with covetous intent.

If it can maintain its position as the "strongest in Kanto", then that's fine.

But what if it falls from this throne...?

What awaits it is the extremely cruel law of nature—survival of the fittest.

Even without government intervention, just days after the Shimizu residence was breached, a considerable number of Yakuza groups couldn't contain themselves and began to attack the Shimizu clan.

Immediately afterwards, other organizations, like sharks smelling blood, swarmed in and attacked, devouring the legacy of Rakshasa and Shimizu Eiichi.

Although the Shimizu clan still exists today, it is on its last legs and could be swept into the dustbin of history at any moment.

Even disregarding Qingdeng's past achievements, his current performance is equally dazzling.

The most distinctive feature of the officialdom during the Edo period was the extreme bureaucracy. It was common for officials to pass the buck and shirk responsibility. It was also common for a trivial matter to take a month or two to resolve.