I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 884 Jia Mao: "It's not easy for me to be a son!" [5000]

Tokugawa Iemochi was startled:
"He Gong asked you to tell her something? What did she say?"

Qing Deng said slowly:
"His Majesty the Prince asked me to tell you: You must eat well and rest well, and don't exhaust yourself because of your busy work."

With the blessing of his gift of "photographic memory", Qing Deng relayed He Gong's original words truthfully without any fabrication.

There are no complicated words, only the most sincere and simple feelings.

Tokugawa Iemochi probably did not expect that Princess Kazunomiya would say this to him.

He was stunned at first, and then the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up.

At this time, Qing Deng smiled and added:
"Your Highness, you have a good wife."

Qing Deng's previous impression of Princess Kazunomiya was that she was a spoiled young lady with a strong sense of superiority, who was extremely discriminatory against people from Kanto and was like a porcelain doll.

From today on, after hearing with his own ears how much Princess Kazunomiya cared about Tokugawa Iemochi, his impression of this weak girl changed greatly.

"Your Highness, although I have no intention of interfering in your family affairs, I still want to remind you: do not let official business delay your family affairs."

“No matter how tired you are, don’t let the person waiting for you at home be treated coldly.”

"It would be best if you go to meet His Majesty the Palace tonight."

Tokugawa Iemochi listened carefully with a serious expression, and after thinking for a moment, he nodded solemnly.

"Well, I see."

As soon as he finished speaking, he chuckled a few times as if he thought of something interesting.

"You look so sincere in admonishing me, you are really like a father."

Boom!
Qing Deng didn't dare to stay any longer and slammed the door and left.

……

……

Qing Deng's footsteps gradually faded away.

After the sound of his footsteps faded away, Tokugawa Iemochi stood up slowly, turned around and walked towards the next room.

Wow—just as he opened the door, he happened to meet Tianzhangyuan’s vicious gaze.

"Jia Mao, you are so bold to say that. You actually said that I am a 'girl in love'...!"

Tokugawa Iemochi shrugged and laughed dryly:
"Mother, I am only telling you the truth."

Upon hearing this, Tianzhangyuan seemed to be unable to catch her breath, and her plump chest heaved violently.

It was not until a long time later that she managed to calm down.

"… Jia Mao, what is your intention?"

The look, which seemed to be both angry and coy, was directed directly at Tokugawa Iemochi.

At this point, she finally understood why Tokugawa Iemochi let her stay in this room.

Let her eavesdrop through the door, and then propose marriage directly in front of her and Qing Deng, killing two birds with one stone... What a good plan!
Tokugawa Iemochi was not afraid of Tenshoin's sharp gaze at all.

He tilted his head and said calmly:

"My intention...I have already made it very clear when I was talking to Ju-kun just now."

"I hope you can leave Edo Castle, stop being a great lord, and live the rest of your life happily with Tachibana-kun - that's my intention."

"To be honest, at the beginning, I just wanted to watch from the sidelines and had no intention of interfering in your relationship with Ju Jun."

"What can I do... You care too much about your status as the 'Omidaisho' and the world's eyes on you."

"Even though my heart was filled with deep affection for Ju-kun, I deceived myself and was unwilling to face my heart frankly, which only added to my depression and troubles."

"If you were allowed to develop freely, even if it took you ten lifetimes, you would hide your feelings deep in your heart and would not be willing to take a firm step forward."

"In that case, let me help you break through the window paper."

"This way, no matter what happens in the future, I can finally have a happy ending."

"At least it's much better than the previous situation where we were neither up nor down."

Tianzhangyuan's facial expression changed several times.

Annoyance, shame, confusion...all kinds of emotions appeared and disappeared on her cheeks, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

"... Jia Mao, I appreciate your kindness."

"Although I understand your good intentions, you are wrong in one aspect."

"My feelings for Sheng Qing are not what you think."

When Tokugawa Iemochi heard this, he immediately laughed out loud.

"Mother, at this point, it would be a bit boring to say such things, right?"

"Perhaps this is the case that those who are involved are confused, while those who are not involved can see things more clearly."

"You probably don't realize it, but in fact, your close associates such as Sae and Yae have long seen your special feelings for Tachibana-kun."

"After all, the change in your appearance after meeting Ju Jun is too obvious."

"Any discerning person would understand the trick."

"It's just because this matter is so serious that no one dares to talk about it."

Tian Zhangyuan's face turned red again.

Perhaps she couldn't think of any words to refute, she hesitated for a long time but didn't utter a single word.

Tokugawa Iemochi didn't give her enough time to react, he just "took advantage of the victory":
"Mother, no matter what decision you make - whether to continue to stay in Edo Castle, or to flee far away with Tachibana-kun, or any other option - I will fully support you."

"Your happiness is my child's long-cherished wish."

"You have done enough for the shogunate and this country. Please...consider yourself more."

After hearing this, Tian Zhangyuan subconsciously pursed her red lips.

After a moment, she raised her eyes and looked deeply at Tokugawa Iemochi, her eyes filled with indescribable complexity.

"..."

Finally, she said nothing, stood up suddenly, pulled up the hem of her dress, and ran out of the room in quick steps as if escaping.

Tokugawa Iemochi stood quietly, turned his head, and watched his back.

When he was the only one left in the room, he looked up to the sky, let out a long breath, a tired look on his face, and muttered:

"It's not easy for me as a son..."

……

……

Edo Castle, outside the city gate——

“Moo…? Moo moo moo…?”

Luobo noticed that his owner was acting strangely. He walked straight forward while mooing, turning his head frequently to look at Qingdeng on his back with curiosity and worry.

How he left the rest room, and then how he passed through the gate of Edo Castle... This memory seemed to be cut off and extracted, and Qing Deng could not recall it at all.

Now he only felt his whole body become light, and he had a kind of "unreal feeling" all over his body, as if his feet could not touch the ground.

At this moment, it was as if there was a broken tape recorder in his mind, replaying the words that Tokugawa Iemochi had just said over and over again.

Marrying Tianzhangyuan... Qingdeng had never thought of such a thing before.

To be more precise, I deliberately don't think about this kind of thing.

Because he knew this was an impossible fantasy, he consciously ignored it.

However... thanks to Tokugawa Iemochi, he can no longer continue to "play dumb".

Let’s not discuss the feasibility of marrying Tianzhangyuan.

If he really married Tian Zhangyuan, the series of chain reactions that would be triggered would definitely make him extremely anxious.

Even if he could hide it from the whole world, he could not hide it from his lovely wives at home.

"Sanako, Ama, Koji, this is Tenshoin Atsuhime. Yes, she is the Grand Odaisho of the shogunate! But this is a thing of the past. From now on, she is 'Tachibana Keiko'. You all have to get along well with each other!" - To be honest, Qing Deng couldn't imagine what the consequences would be after saying such words to Sanako and others...

Tianzhangyuan has a lot of names.

Her nickname is "Yuyi".

After becoming the adopted daughter of Shimazu Nariakira, she changed her name to "Shimazu Atsuko" or "Minamoto Atsuko".

The shogun's wife was mostly brought in from the five regent families (Ichijo, Nijo, Kujo, Konoe and Takashi) or the imperial family as a tacit token of trust between the court and the shogunate. Therefore, after being adopted as a daughter by Konoe Tadayoshi, she changed her name again to "Fujiwara Keiko".

In this case, if Tenshoin really became Aoto's wife, her name should be changed to "Tachibana Keiko".

Faced with Tenshoin Atsuhime who has transformed into "Tachibana Keiko"... Sanako and others will probably be in a long downtime.

Indeed, Sanako and Ama are both young ladies of noble status.

But compared with Tianzhangyuan, they are really nothing.

Princess of Satsuma Domain + Omido-no-Odaiko of the Edo Shogunate... this identity is too important!

Even if you search all over Japan, you won't find a woman with a more noble status than Tenshoin.

The arrival of Tenshoin will definitely break the "balance of power" in the Tachibana residence. In addition, if she marries Tenshoin, then Tokugawa Iemochi... the current Shogun will really become his adopted son!

Friends in the past, father and son today…what a thing!

At this moment, a sudden call brought Qing Deng back to his consciousness.

"Tachibana-kun...Tachibana-kun...! Tachibana-kun!"

Qing Deng was startled and looked hurriedly in the direction of the voice - he saw Boss Kiryu standing five meters away, looking at him suspiciously.

"Jujun, what are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought, and your expression is so weird."

Hearing this, Qing Deng subconsciously raised his hand to touch his face.

Because there was no mirror, he had no way of knowing what the expression he had carved looked like.

However, he could roughly feel that his facial lines were strangely distorted, as if he was smiling but not smiling, and crying but not crying.

"Nothing, I'm just...stuck up in trivial matters."

He made up a few nonsense words and tried to get away with it.

Of course, he would not casually leak such important secret as "The Shogun wants to be my adopted son".

He rubbed his face vigorously to adjust his physical and mental state, while laughing at himself in his heart.

Although it was something that hadn't even begun, he began to fantasize about "a new life after marrying Tianzhangyuan"...

It can be seen that his mood is really a mess now.

Boss Kiryu looked Qing Deng up and down. Although there was still a hint of confusion on his face, he did not ask any more questions and turned to business:
"Tachibana-kun, I found Shikizaki Kiyomi. As expected, he has been hanging out in Yoshiwara recently and hasn't been home for a while."

Hearing that it was a serious matter, Qing Deng immediately looked serious and solemn, and all those strange and distracting thoughts were thrown out of his mind.

Boss Kiryu didn't finish his words:
"How about it? Are you going to meet him tonight?"

Qing Deng curled his lips and answered without hesitation:

"Of course! I wish I could finish everything in one day!"

……

……

That night--

Edo, Nippon Tsutsumi, Yoshiwara——

In Qing Deng's memory, the last time he visited Yoshiwara was a long time ago, dating back to the time when he was tracking down Huanfudian.

Yoshiwara remains the same.

At night, pink lanterns were hung on the streets and in front of the prostitutes' houses, lighting up the entire city in red, adding a touch of charm to the atmosphere.

However, compared to the past, the number of people on Yoshiwara Street has decreased significantly, and the air has a bleak feel.

Since the shogunate abolished the "Sankin Kotai", the chain reaction caused by it caused severe damage to Edo's economy.

Only half of Edo's population was permanent, and the other half was mobile.

Every year, at least half of the daimyo would rush to Edo with their entourage, ranging from dozens to thousands.

Their long journey not only brought considerable income to the hotels, restaurants, pubs and post stations along the way, but also injected fresh blood into the Edo economy.

It is no exaggeration to say that if Edo's prosperity is "out of 10", then 3 or even 4 of them can be attributed to "Sankin Kotai".

Nowadays, with the cancellation of the "Sankin Kotai", no daimyo will go to Edo with his entourage, causing the total population of Edo to plummet, which in turn caused the economy to suffer a setback.

What Yoshiwara does is pure "service industry".

The direct reduction in customer base has had a very direct and significant impact on Yoshiwara.

The decline of Yoshiwara can be seen from the enthusiasm of the mishiban.

As soon as the master and his disciple passed through the gate of Yoshiwara, many people came up to them and tried their best to attract customers.

[Note: Jianshiban: Also known as "prostitute", commonly known as "turtle man", set up a platform near the main entrance of the prostitute house to solicit customers. ]

"My two guests! Where do you want to go?"

“Please come to our store!”

"We have a few new young girls in the store!"

Although Mr. Kiryu is already an old man with gray hair, this does not hinder his enthusiasm for seeing the world.

Of course, no matter what they said, the master and disciple were unmoved and ignored them all.

They took big strides and moved forward without stopping, heading straight for the yujo house where Shikizaki Kiyoshi was.

In order to conceal his identity, Qing Deng wore a low-brimmed hat that covered most of his face, and tried to remain silent and avoid communicating with others.

Suddenly, Qing Deng slightly raised the low-brimmed bamboo hat on his head and looked left and right along the brim of the hat.

In order to facilitate the guests' selection and nomination, each brothel will have a window-like space on the first floor facing the street, which is enclosed by a cell-like grid fence.

The prostitutes would sit in these "windows", and passers-by could freely choose the girl they liked through the fences.

It was just past dinner time, which was the busiest time for Yoshiwara business.

However, due to the sharp drop in customer flow, many prostitutes have not been named and are still trapped in the "windows".

Whenever the master and his disciple passed by each "window", the prostitutes inside would show off their magical powers.

Or you can change your sitting posture, hold your head high and chest out, and try to show the most attractive part of yourself.

Or they would stare at the master and his disciple eagerly, begging for their mercy.

Looking at these prostitutes who looked no different from those in prison, Qing Deng lowered his eyelids, pursed his lips, and didn't know what to think.

Boss Kiryu noticed Qing Deng's strangeness and asked casually:
"Jujun, you don't seem to like Youkuo?"

Qing Deng curled his lips and said in a joking tone that was hard to tell whether it was true or false:

"Boss Kiryu, to be honest, if I ever rule the world, I will definitely launch drastic reforms so that everyone in this world can live a dignified life."

Upon hearing this, Boss Kiryu was stunned, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

After a while, he changed his tone to a quiet one:
"...Come to think of it, even though we have a deep friendship, I have never asked you about your opinion on 'the world'."

"Ju Jun, if there really comes a day in the future when you become the ruler of the world, what kind of world do you plan to establish?"

"You are a descendant of the Genji clan. You can definitely create a new shogunate."

"Or will you follow Taira no Masakado's example, call yourself the 'new emperor', destroy the Kyoto court, and start a new dynasty?"

"What kind of system do you plan to implement in this new country that you have built?"

"Are you going to completely replicate the Edo Shogunate's 'Bakuhan System', with the shogunate and the feudal domains ruling the country together?"

"Or should we follow the example of Qin Shi Huang and use our powerful military force to wipe out all the princes in the world, abolish feudal fiefdoms, establish counties, and implement centralized power?"

If outsiders heard what Mr. Kiryu said, they would probably be dumbfounded.

To openly say such outrageous words that could cost you your life in a busy street...

Qing Deng listened quietly and smiled slightly:
"Boss Kiryu, there are too many people here to hear anything, so I can't say more."

"But... I can tell you a little bit."

"Since I started working, the thing I have seen most is inequality and the resulting oppression."

“I hate ‘oppression’ and ‘inequality’ from the bottom of my heart.”

“Therefore, the ideal world in my mind is a world without distinction of status, without ‘oppression’ and ‘inequality’, without plunder and war, where everyone can stand tall and proud between heaven and earth.”

"Okay, that's all I can say."

"If I continue talking, my ambition will be completely exposed."

Qing Deng ended with a joking tone.

As if he had heard something extraordinary, Mr. Kiryu's pupils shrank slightly and he looked at Qing Deng in surprise.

"...Jujun, you have big ambitions."

He spread his hands as he spoke, expressing regret.

"What a pity... If you want to create such a world, you can't just rely on 'hard work' and 'prestige' to do it."

Qingden Wan'er:

"This is just right. Fruits that are too easy to obtain are not sweet."

Boss Kiryu laughed dumbly:

"...Jujun, if you really want to build such a great world in the future, please feel free to ask me for help. I will support you to the best of my ability."

Qing Deng heard this and chuckled a few times:

"Yes, I will. Don't complain when the time comes."

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(End of this chapter)