I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

This is also related to the institutional design of the Edo period.

To prevent the concentration of power, the shogunate required a large number of people to hold every position, from senior officials and young men to ordinary clerks.

With so many redundant officials and staff, it's no wonder that efficiency can't be improved.

The samurai and commoners of Edo had long been accustomed to the ugly behavior of the shogunate officials who only knew how to shirk responsibility and pass the buck—until Aoto took office.

After taking office as a junior official and chief of staff, Seito displayed a style that was completely different from his other colleagues, characterized by integrity, incorruptibility, and decisiveness, which impressed the people of Edo.

Firstly, it's due to his personality; Qingdeng is someone who dislikes procrastination and prefers quick and decisive action.

Secondly, he was a favored retainer trusted by Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin. Although nominally a subordinate, he was actually a side servant, and there was no one around him with the same function who would hinder him.

Therefore, regardless of the type of political situation, Qing Deng was able to take swift and decisive action.

As a result, he achieved many commendable accomplishments during his tenure.

Just like what one of the people just shouted, "The water in the sacred field has been dredged."

Kanda-josui was a waterway built by the shogunate in 1629 (Kan'ei 6) to ensure the water supply for the people of Edo. It used Inokashira Pond as its water source and collected water from the pond along the way to bring it to the area under Edo Castle.

In Japanese, "上水" refers to water that is drinkable.

A month ago, a small earthquake occurred near Edo, damaging a section of the Kanda waterway and disrupting the water supply.

Kanda-josui was one of the most important water sources in Edo. If its water supply were cut off, the lives of nearly half of the people in Edo would be severely affected.

At this critical juncture, Qing Deng was appointed to lead the team to dredge the water supply to Kanda and supervised the entire project.

Thanks to his high reputation and his well-honed management skills, Qing Deng managed to clear the Kanda irrigation system in less than two days, minimizing the damage.

In the Edo period, such a speed of action was considered incredibly fast.

With his decisive and bold approach to governance and his outstanding achievements, it was only natural that Seido was deeply admired and loved by the people of Edo.

Qing Deng's humble background further bridged the gap between him and ordinary people.

The presence of radishes also indirectly boosted Qingdeng's popularity.

This distinguished and important figure neither rode in a sedan chair nor on a horse, but on an ox!

It's a cow!

Qingdeng's behavior of refusing to ride in a sedan chair or on a horse, insisting on riding an ox to and from get off work, is both amusing and makes him seem more approachable.

……

Cross the main road and turn the corner.

Gradually, the towering Edo Castle came into Aoto's view.

The man and the ox strolled leisurely through the numerous mansions of famous figures surrounding Edo Castle.

Qing Deng involuntarily scanned his surroundings, looking at the magnificent and luxurious mansions around him, yet devoid of any human presence... As far as the eye could see, everything was desolate and bleak.

Under Shimazu Hisamitsu's insistence, the annual sanjin kōtai (attendance ceremony) was changed to once every three years. The wives and heirs of the daimyo who had been held hostage in Edo were also released back to their respective domains.

Such actions would have caused immense damage to the economy of Edo.

It is no exaggeration to say that a significant part of Edo's economic prosperity stemmed from the sanjin kōtai (a system of official duties involving the worship of the emperor).

According to the regulations for the sanjin kōtai, all the daimyo of the feudal domains had to go to Edo every once in a while to help the shogun with government affairs, thus consuming the daimyo's time and resources.

When daimyo came to Edo, they were accompanied by hundreds or even thousands of attendants.

In other words, thanks to the sanjin kotai (a system of official appointments for the emperor), Edo experienced an additional hundreds of thousands of people moving around every year, which not only boosted the inns along the route but also the economy of Edo.

Now that the sanjin kōtai (attendance ceremony) has been changed to once every three years, the flow of people entering and leaving Edo has plummeted.

The feudal residences surrounding Edo Castle became deserted, and the entertainment districts and commercial streets such as Yoshiwara, Ryogoku Hirokoji, and Asakusa Mimonuchi Hirokoji also became much more desolate.

Click, click, click, click, click.

Before they knew it, Radish had already stepped onto the wooden bridge leading to Edo Castle.

Beneath the hooves lies the bridge, and below that is the murky moat.

The sound of cow hooves pounding against the bridge was constant—Qingdeng loved this sound; it made him feel relaxed without him even realizing it.

Edo Castle was surrounded by a wide moat, with only a few wooden bridges connecting it to the outside world.

Upon seeing Qingdeng arrive, the gatekeepers immediately rushed forward and knelt on one knee before Luobo's bull head.

Qingdeng dismounted from the ox and handed the reins to the gatekeeper.

From here on, they could no longer ride oxen; they had to walk.

"Radish, be a good boy and wait for me to come back."

Qingdeng rubbed the cow's head on the radish.

"Moo~~"

Radish swung its long tail and stretched its neck, snuggling closer to Qingdeng's chest.

"Alright... let's get to work..."

After murmuring this in a volume only he could hear, Qing Deng quickly straightened his clothes and strode forward into Edo Castle.

On the other side, the gatekeeper gently pulled on the reins, leading Carrot to the stable located next to the gate.

In the huge stable, among hundreds of fine horses, there was a large black ox... The scene was quite comical.

To prevent invasion by foreign enemies, Edo Castle was designed with a "の"-shaped structure.

Simply put, it's a mosquito coil type.

Whether friend or foe, to enter the main citadel of Edo Castle where the Shogun resides, one must start from the bottom right corner of the "no" and proceed along the only road, passing through the second citadel and the first citadel, before finally reaching the main citadel where the Shogun resides.

Although such architectural design was extremely grueling for people like Qing Deng who commuted to and from Edo Castle, it must be admitted that Edo Castle, with its moat and "の"-shaped structure, had top-notch defensive capabilities.

If Edo Castle had 1 elite soldiers and an inexhaustible supply of provisions, then even if an army of 10 attacked, there would be no need to fear—of course, this only applies to feudal armies that are not equipped with a large number of firearms.

With his amazing speed, Qing Deng quickly arrived at his office in the Honmaru.

"Tachibana-sama!"

A young boy was waiting there early on, kneeling down to bow to Qingdeng while greeting him in a cheerful voice.

This person's name is Uchimura Soutaro. He is 16 years old and is a page of Tokugawa Iemochi. He was sent by Tokugawa Iemochi to assist Aoto, and can be considered Aoto's secretary for the time being.

Although he is not old, he is very clever.

After working together for nearly two years, Qing Deng quite liked him.

"Good morning, Uchimura-kun."

Aoto smiled and agreed, then took off the Dingguishen and Piluchana from his waist and handed them to Uchimura Sōtarō.

The other person took Qingdeng's knife with both hands, stood up, and carefully placed the two knives on the knife rack in the office with a gentle movement as if carrying a fragile item.

Generally speaking, a samurai usually carries only two swords: a katana and a wakizashi.

Since the "gift of the sword under the moon", Qing Deng now has a total of 3 swords in his possession: the family heirloom "Ju Shui", the treasured sword "Ding Gui Shen" given to him by Ii Naosuke, and the demon sword "Virochana" entrusted to him by Kiryu.

Made of special materials, the Vairocana sword possesses both a strong and tough blade and a terrifying sharpness capable of cutting through a hair, making it far more destructive than the Orange Water and the Demon-Suppressing Elixir.

However... putting aside Ju Shui, Ding Guishen was Qing Deng's old comrade-in-arms, and he had a deep affection for him.

He couldn't bear to just leave it to gather dust on the sword rack in the Imperial Guard Hall.

So, after much deliberation, he decided to use the same strategy he had used when pursuing Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji—I want them all!

And so, Qingdeng became a swordsman with three swords at his waist.

Although my left side is much heavier, it's good to have an extra knife at my waist.

Even precious swords and demonic swords like the one that can pacify ghosts and spirits or the one that can be stained with too much blood and fat can become dull.

If you have an extra knife at your waist, you can immediately draw the other knife to continue fighting when one of the knives becomes dull.

In addition, more complex and diverse tactics can be used.

As Uchimura Sotaro helped Aoto put away his sword, Aoto quickly walked to the back of the table and knelt down—the upper left corner of the table was already piled with many scrolls and documents.

Looking at the "small mountain" of scrolls and documents piled up in front of him, Qing Deng's lips twitched slightly.

"Tsk... Why are there so many official matters today..."

Despite his complaints, his hands moved quickly – his left hand took down the scroll at the top of the "mountain," and his right hand picked up the brush resting on the brush mountain. He dipped the brush tip into the inkstone, which had already been ground by Uchimura Sotaro, and officially began his work for the day.

To be honest, when Aoto first took office as a staff member of the Imperial Household Agency, he suffered a lot.

His previous positions as a captain in the town's military district and as a squad leader were military officers whose main job was fighting and wielding weapons.

In contrast, this new position, which is to assist Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin, is purely a civil service position.

Therefore, Aoto's previous work experience was completely useless in the cold and austere Edo Castle.

He was completely clueless about how to handle these messy government affairs and how to deal with those famous political figures.

Fortunately, Qingdeng has always been a person who is good at learning and enjoys learning.

When he led troops to quell the mountain bandits of Kai, he learned a great deal about military administration and logistics from my grandson.

Moreover, he also possesses a god-like talent: the "Heart of the Demon" which enhances comprehension.

Through his own efforts and with the little help of "Ghost Heart," he quickly learned the methods and skills of governing the country and maneuvering between states.

Ultimately, he mastered the duties of a junior official and chief steward in less than a month, which greatly shocked those around him, including Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin.

After nearly two years of training, Aoto is now a professional politician who can skillfully handle the affairs of the shogunate.

Time slipped away, bit by bit...

Qingdeng would sit behind his desk for hours on end.

Before we knew it, the sun had climbed to its highest point in the sky.

"It's already noon..."

Qingdeng put down his brush and stretched vigorously.

After a morning of hard work, the "mountain" on my desk has shrunk by more than half.

Just as he took out the bento box that the chief had made for him, preparing to rest for a while and have lunch—

"Tachibana-sama!"