Gradually, some people with sharper eyes and keener consciousness further discovered that the relationship between Ayoto and Katsurin Taro seemed to be more than just "acquaintance".
When Rintaro Katsu gives a speech, he often pulls Aoto next to him to have some simple interactions with him.
Whenever two people interact, be it Aoto or Katsurintaro, their expressions and movements are quite natural and graceful.
During the conversation and gestures between the two parties, there was no trace of superiority or inferiority. All that could be felt was the aura of friendship between them. This shocked everyone even more.
From a certain perspective, "Aoto and Katsurintaro are friends" are even more shocking than "Aoto's superior military strength".
A group of people led by Lan Jingyang, their eyes were shining at this moment, their faces were full of admiration, their respect for Qingdeng was beyond words.
Some people who are good at craftsmanship are looking at greed at this time: Since Tachibana Aoden has a close relationship with Katsurin Taro, then if I have a good relationship with Tachibana Aoden, wouldn't I also have the opportunity to hook up with Katsurin Taro?
relation?
Some are happy, some are sad - just as Aoi and others are staring at Qingteng in high spirits, Akabane, Shirasaki and others sitting not far from Aoi have expressions on their faces that are getting more ugly than the others.
The complexions of Akabane, Shirasaki and others may turn pig liver color or become pale. But without exception, there is a looming numbness between everyone's brows - ever since Aoden took office, this young man has become too young.
Men, they have been giving them little "Qingdeng shocks" without interruption.
Unconsciously, they all felt vaguely accustomed to these "Qingdeng shocks" and became numb.
Shirasaki lowered his head with a lonely expression, half-squinting his eyes, like a defeated rooster. His eyes no longer had the arrogant light that often flashed out when he looked at Qingdou before - a person like Shirasaki,
There are quite a few.
As for Akabane and the small group of people represented by him, they are simply angry, but there is nothing they can do.
Before that, they could comfort themselves: Ju Qingden was just better at wielding a sword and fighting, and at most he had some talent for investigating and solving crimes. Apart from that, he didn't have any other abilities.
But now...looking at Qingdou and Katsurintaro standing side by side, talking and laughing, they couldn't think of any words that could comfort their hearts.
Since Ju Qingden has such a strong backing, then if I go against him again, wouldn't it be... Thinking of this, many people couldn't help but shudder as they felt chills down their spines.
With his height advantage, Qingdeng could see the faces of everyone below him at a glance.
Qingdeng silently looked down at the various expressions of everyone below him, and raised a faint smile of joy at the corner of his mouth.
…
…
Katsurin Taro’s speech came to a successful conclusion.
I have to say that Katsurin Taro's eloquence is indeed very good. He first starts with the invasion of Western powers, the turmoil of the king-resisting and anti-barbarian elements who are full of evil thoughts, and the precarious situation of the country as arguments, and then details the public security issues such as the fire-fighting bandits reform.
The necessity of the existence of the troops and the importance of their work ended with an impassioned sentence: "I leave the peace and stability of Edo to you."
Qingdeng was fascinated by his speech.
He is worthy of being a top lobbyist who can persuade senior officials of various ministries and lords of various vassals to invest in the introduction and cultivation of Western learning with just a sharp tongue.
Ayoto came to understand more and more why Tokugawa Iemo favored and reused Rintaro Katsu so much - this kind of eloquent man who was proficient in artillery, navigation, shipbuilding and other Western knowledge, and who could engage in education and military affairs was a real treasure.
Don't change it either.
After the speech, many members of the Third Division were still unsatisfied.
For many people in the third team, today's experience can be used as a bragging capital in the future - Hey! I not only saw Katsurin Taro with my own eyes, but also listened to his speeches with my own ears!
Katsurin Taro currently holds a high position and has many things to do every day, so naturally he doesn't have much free time to waste.
Therefore, after the speech, Katsurin Taro stayed in the camp for a while, drank two cups of tea, and then stood up to say goodbye.
Qingdeng knew that Katsurintaro was a gift to him ten times, so he did not force him to stay. After a few polite words, he personally sent Katsurintaro off.
They walked side by side on the road leaving the camp. The warm sunshine at noon shone down, stretching their figures into oval black spots.
"Mr. Sheng, thank you so much today."
"Why are you so polite?"
Katsurin Taro smiled, patted the saber on his left waist, and said half-jokingly:
"What kind of friendship do you and I have? We are a life-long friendship, so there is no need to thank you for this small favor."
Qingden smiles.
There was indeed a fateful friendship between him and Katsurin Taro - a fateful friendship in a physical sense.
If Aoden hadn't climbed through the window in time and blocked Kamino's blade with his sword, the grass on Katsu Rintaro's grave would have been 3 feet high now.
"Mr. Tachibana, I have done everything I can."
Katsurin Taro said slowly and pointedly.
"Next...it all depends on you whether you can completely subdue the arrogant soldiers in your army."
"Yes." Qingdeng nodded slightly, "I understand."
"If you still need my help with anything in the future, you are welcome to come to me at any time." Katsurin Taro added.
"Haha, I can." Qingden smiled and nodded again.
As smart as Rintaro Katsu, he had already seen through Qingteng's mind.
Why did Qingteng suddenly invite him to give a speech in the camp of the Third Division?
To put it simply, it is to "take advantage of the situation"!
With the help of the fame of Rintaro Katsu, who is currently very popular, he can overwhelm the stubborn and ignorant people in the third division who still think they can fight against Aomori.
It has been almost a year since Aoden traveled to this era. After such a long period of time, he has roughly figured out the officialdom under the Tokugawa family.
The extreme solidification of classes and the official position system of Shiqing Shilu made bureaucracy extremely prevalent in the Edo period.
If this is the case, then I will turn bureaucracy into my own weapon!
This was the reason why Aoto invited Rintaro Katsu to come to the camp to give a speech - to let all the generals and soldiers of the Third Division come and see with their own eyes what a powerful official stood behind him.
Once this move is released, it is extremely lethal.
Qingden saw it clearly just now: after seeing Katsurin Taro appear, many people's expressions changed immediately. In some cases, their eyes went straight; their jaws seemed to fall to the ground.
No wonder they reacted so rudely.
Give a vivid example:
As an ordinary soldier, you suddenly see your leader with the rank of lieutenant, leading the navy marshal, appear in front of you, and the relationship between the two is very good... What do you think?
Of course, Aoto's real backstage is actually Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin Atsuhime.
But obviously, it is impossible for Qingdeng to ask these two super bosses for help unless he has to.
Very good, everything is proceeding steadily according to plan... Qingdeng thought to himself.
By successively demonstrating his personal force and the power behind him, Qingteng has successfully won over the hearts and minds of some people in the Third Division - to put it simply, he has his own "basic base" in the army and is no longer a person who wants to send people. The "airborne leader" who doesn't know who to dispatch to do anything.
This can be considered a good start. As long as there are people under your command, then the next plan can be carried out!
Although establishing authority through various means can make one's situation slightly better, if one wants to completely win over people's hearts, one still has to pay attention to the word "profit"!
There is a saying: those who share the same desires tend toward each other, and those who share the same interests will die against the others.
If you can bring everyone to promotion and wealth, then everyone will naturally support you.
But if you can't lead everyone to live a good life...then even if you are really a benevolent king with the King of Heaven as your backer, it will be difficult for everyone to follow you sincerely.
So what the next plan is... is clear.
Qingdeng let out a sigh of relief:
——I don’t know when the next case will come...
…
…
In the first year of Wanyan (1860), early morning on November 19th——
Edo, Okemachi——
The dry and cold wind howled through the dusty streets, and the steep chill caused every pedestrian on the street to unconsciously tighten their clothes and speed up their pace.
Large carts pulling goods, packhorses transporting goods, and ordinary passers-by formed a very long queue outside the wooden outdoor area of Okemachi.
In the Kido Banya next to Kido, Bantaro impatiently faced the people queuing outside the Kido and shouted loudly:
"Don't squeeze! Don't squeeze! Hey! What about you? Don't squeeze anymore! Just wait in line! Don't jump in line! If anyone dares to jump in line, don't blame me for being rude!"
In order to facilitate the management of Edo's civil affairs, a wooden gate called "Kido" was installed at the boundary of each town in Edo.
In Edo, no matter which town you want to go to, you must take the Kido road between the towns.
Next to Kido, there is a guard box called "Kido Banya", and the officials on duty in the guard box are commonly called "Bantaro".
During the day, the wooden door is open and can be passed freely; it is closed at ten o'clock in the evening, and no one is allowed in or out unless there is a fire or other major incident.
The prosperity of Okemachi is one of the best in Edo.
The people currently queuing up in the wooden outdoor area of Otomachi are all businessmen rushing into Otomachi to do business.
Land is at a premium in Edo, so the area of the wooden house will naturally not be too spacious. Once the goods carried by the merchants and the size of the carts are slightly larger, it will easily form a blockage at the gate of the wooden house, which will last for a long time.
Only in this way can things be smoothly unclogged - Kido of Okemachi is currently in such a predicament.
As an important transportation hub connecting the inside and outside of the town, Kido naturally has a large flow of people. Therefore, Takazawa is often established near Kido.
Gaozha is a notice board.
The government often publishes new government decrees, policies, and wanted orders for criminals who have not yet been arrested and brought to justice, directly on Gaozha.
At this moment, a small group of people of different genders and ages stood in twos and threes in front of Takazawa in Okemachi.
The Takazawa of Okemachi is divided into two neat halves with a mark in the middle as the dividing line.
The right half is dedicated to posting wanted posters for wanted criminals. It is like a naturally formed stratum that has evolved over countless years. Countless wanted posters cover one another, layer upon layer.
At the top is the wanted order for Kamino, the leader of the anti-barbarian group.
The bottom layer has turned into a blurry, dirty black pulp due to age. Only one line of words can be vaguely discerned from the dirt - "Executioner Ittosai" Ogata Issei.
The pedestrians currently standing in front of Omemachi Takazawa did not read the profound history printed on the right half of the board, but focused their attention on the left half of the board.
The left half of the board is dedicated to announcing the latest government decrees and policies. There is a very brand-new document stuck on it, and you can tell at a glance that it is a new official document that has been issued recently.
The language used in government official documents has always been extremely formal and serious.
Not only are the texts basically in Chinese characters, but even the grammar is very awkward to pronounce in classical terms.
An old man who knew Chinese characters loudly read the contents of this official document to the blind people around him - a group of extremely ferocious bandits appeared in Kai. The townspeople made a note not to go to Kai unless necessary.
Order the thieves of Huo Fu to go on a crusade instead, and they will surely restore peace to Jia Fei as soon as possible.
"I hate it, why are you a bandit again..." A certain woman let out a long sigh.
Kai is located to the west of Edo, very close to Edo. It is rich in horses, but the land is mostly hills and mountains, so it has been nicknamed "Mountain Country" since ancient times.
Mountainous areas like this have always been the best breeding ground for "cultivating" bandits. Kai's bandits have almost become a well-known local "specialty".
"Alas... the world is getting more and more uneven..." An old man shook his head gently with a melancholy look on his face, "Ever since the barbarians arrived in Edo Bay in black ships, the world has become more and more turbulent...
…”
"Ani, don't worry." A middle-aged man stretched out his hand and put his arm around the shoulders of the woman who just sighed, "Look - hasn't the government already sent Huo Fu thieves to conquer?
Although the officers and soldiers of the Huo Fu Thieves Reform were very ruthless in investigating the case, we have to admit that they are still somewhat capable in fighting."
As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, a burst of noise was suddenly heard from the west side of the street.
Immediately afterwards, as if attracted by something, groups of people surged toward the west side of the street like jumping waves.
People who didn't know what happened asked around. After a while, they all understood what happened.
After the Huosuke Bandits Kai received the order from the shogunate to "wipe out the Kaibi Mountain bandits," Okubo Tadashi and Kurosawa Atsushi attached great importance to it and immediately ordered the formation of a conquest army.
Fighting bandits is not as good as catching criminals. The former is a real military operation! No matter in terms of importance or danger, it is far beyond the comparison of the latter!
Therefore, in order to make this operation a complete success, Okubo Tadashi and Kurosawa Atsushi sent most of their elite troops - the first team, the second team, the third team, the fourth team and the eighth team, composed of the above
The five teams are fully responsible for this "bandit expedition"! With the captain of the first team, my grandson Chutaro, as the main general, and the captain of the second team, Kanazawa Chusuke, as the deputy general! Set out immediately!
Five squads, a total of 300 people... In peacetime and in the social context of the Edo period, this was an incredible military force.
Today is the day when the crusade army sets off.
A vast military column is currently passing near Okemachi.
The army went out to fight... This was a rare sight in ordinary times! Just to see it, they rushed straight to the west of the street in such a hurry.
After figuring out what was going on, those who originally didn't know the truth lit up their eyes, and then hurried towards the direction where the noise came from.
In the blink of an eye, the long queue that crowded outside Okemachigi disappeared.
Almost everyone is flocking in the same direction to find a solution to their curiosity.
At this time, it was three poles in the sun.
The rising sun climbs high into the sky, illuminating the sky into a clear blue sky
On the spacious street where eight people can walk side by side, the black and dense army of thieves is like a giant black snake, like a moving thundercloud, moving westward inch by inch.
Matchlocks shot straight into the sky, forming a lush steel jungle.
The armor, swords and guns shone with a sharp cold light in the sunlight.
A large flag with the Tokugawa family's crest, the three-leaf sunflower pattern, swaying in the autumn wind.
The onlookers who came to watch this rare spectacle crowded both sides of the street. They stretched their necks and cast curious glances at the military column in the middle of the street.
All local police officers nearby were mobilized.
They either held long wooden sticks or went into battle with bare hands. The sticks were connected to the sticks and their hands were pressed together to form a solid human wall dividing the side of the street and the middle of the street.
While preventing onlookers from getting too close to the procession, constantly monitor the crowd.
As soon as you see someone hustling and moving in the crowd, you should immediately stop them and put out any flames that may lead to stampedes or other vicious incidents before they happen.
The person at the head of the military column was the captain of the First Division who was given the important task of serving as the commander-in-chief of the entire army during this operation: my grandson Chutaro.
I saw a slight smile hanging on his lips as usual, and his expression was relaxed.
Judging from his appearance, it seemed as if he was not out on an expedition to capture the bandits, but was on an armed march.
My grandson is one of the few "famous detectives" among the criminal robbers who does not rely on torture to extract confessions, but relies on normal clue search and deductive reasoning to solve the case. He is quite famous in the market, and there are countless people who have benefited from my grandson's favor.
Therefore, from the onlookers on the street, voices like this broke out from time to time:
"My grandson!"
"My grandson! We must kill all the bandits who are entrenched in Kai!"
My grandson's attitude towards supporters is very enthusiastic.
He frequently raised his hands to indicate the direction from which these shouts came, and from time to time responded loudly: Leave it to us with confidence! We will definitely win!
Behind my grandson is the deputy general: Captain of the Second Division, Tadatsuki Kanazawa.
After that, there were the captain of the fourth division, Mizushima Rensaburo, the captain of the eighth division, Nobuyoshi Kazama, and the captain of the third division, Tachibana Aoden, who were also sent to participate in this western expedition.
As officers, the squad leaders and the troops of each team all have the privilege of riding horses. Therefore, Qingto and others do not need to walk, because they have military horses available for transportation.
Although in Japan these days, because advanced foreign horse breeds have not yet been introduced, the local horses are short and thin, with an average shoulder height of only 1.2 meters, the Japanese are also very short, so in comparison,
A pony with a shoulder height of 1.2 meters is considered an extremely tall horse in this country.
The military horses modified by Huo Fu Thief have been strictly trained, and each one is very docile. Therefore, even a layman like Qingdeng, who has just learned riding and has only ridden a big black bull before, can ride on the saddle.
Sit firmly.
Along the way, Qingdeng met supporters and heard no fewer farewell messages than my grandson.
"Tachibana-sama!"
"Look! It's Nioh-sama!"
"Great! Lord Nioh has also been sent to fight the bandits! The bandits in Kai are dead!"
"Lord Nioh! I wish you good luck in martial arts!"
This was the first time that Qing Deng was surrounded by countless people and sent off like a star.
Whether it was the excited gazes projected from the crowd or the excited shouts one after another, Qingden was embarrassed.
At this moment, Qingdeng suddenly spotted a familiar, beautiful figure with a shining aura among the crowd of onlookers in front of him.
Chiba Sanako, with her hair tied into a Shimada bun, a white belt embroidered with cloud patterns around her waist, and a blue silk kimono dressed like a young lady, stood quietly accompanied by Chiba Jutaro, quietly
He cast a solemn glance at Qingdeng.
Only the area where Sanako is located is completely different from other areas - the people in the former area are all ignoring the military formations that the thieves have reformed, but basically taking a peek at Sanako, who is so beautiful that he is incompatible with the surrounding environment.
.
The woman looked envious and jealous.
The man looked eager and lustful.
Chiba Jutaro took the trouble to stand behind Sanako, opened his arms slightly, and protected Sanako with his body as a wall and ground wing. He looked around with a vigilant face, guarding against any suspicious people approaching his precious sister.
This is Okemachi, the town where the Chiba Sword Hall is located. It is reasonable and reasonable for the Chiba brothers and sisters to appear here, and there is nothing surprising about it.
When Qingteng noticed Sanako's presence and looked up at her, Sanako felt Qingteng's gaze for the first time.
She stared slightly and met Qingdeng's eyes.
The next moment, she folded her hands in front of her body, bowed gracefully to Qingdeng, and gently opened her plump red lips.
Qingdeng read her mouth: I wish you good luck in martial arts.
Qingden, with a happy smile on his lips, raised his hand, ready to wave to Sanako.
But at this time, something embarrassing happened.
Suddenly, Qingden suddenly discovered that not far from Sanako, Youdao was also a very familiar red figure to him...
*******
*******
Edo's Kido, its own banya, and Takazaba look roughly like this. For details, please click on the comment on the far right→→
The author is resurrected!
It seems that I have not been sleeping well recently and slept too little, which led to my physical fatigue. After sleeping for most of the day yesterday, the author woke up again!
Since the author has just written a 6,000-word chapter right from the start, please be sure to vote for this book!
Please give me a monthly ticket! Please collect it! (Leopard Head Cries.jpg)
This chapter has been completed!