Chapter 4 Bloody Times

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After the fat man left, the other two people immediately put away their knives and left immediately behind the fat man.

After a while, the figures of these three people disappeared from Qingdeng's field of vision.

Seeing these three people leaving, Qingdeng felt relieved and let out a sigh of relief.

He did not pursue these three people.

He went crazy and chased those three people.

If these three people were unarmed, Qingden would still have some confidence to knock them down with his martial arts skills in his previous life, but the problem is that all three of them are holding knives.

What's more, if you don't know someone else's ins and outs and rush after them, you'll be in danger of being ambushed.

It was a blessing among misfortunes that the "sudden attack" just ended in such a peaceful way.

The originally tense nerves relaxed in one fell swoop.

Only now did Qingdeng realize that the clothes on his back had been slightly soaked with cold sweat at an unknown moment just now.

More and more courageous "melon-eating people" gathered around at this time. They looked at Qingdeng who still held the knife in his hand with doubts and vigilance.

"Don't be nervous, everyone."

Qingdeng said hurriedly while putting his sword back into its scabbard.

"In Shimonohita Town, we will pursue the unity of the designated town - Tachibana Aoden."

After saying that, Qingden lifted the right hem of his haori, revealing the jushou with a red tassel on the bottom of the handle inserted on his right waist, and the inrō hanging on his right waist.

[Note: Inro: a small box-type lacquerware that became a decoration often worn around the waist by samurai during the Edo period. Although it is mainly used for decoration, it is also somewhat practical and can be filled with change and keys.

It can be used as a pocket for other gadgets.]

Qingdeng's right waist has always been hung with a "special seal cage for the staff of the practice" issued by the practice.

The body of the vessel is black, with a golden clover and various decorative patterns on the front - only samurai who perform their duties have such inrogongs.

The use of tokens was not popular in Japan during the Edo period, so this inro assumed some of the functions of tokens.

After Qingtou revealed the seal that only samurai who served in the training camp had, and the blunt weapons that only "policemen" would carry: After ten hands, the surrounding "melon-eating people" suddenly looked wary and suspicious.

Eliminate most of it.

"I was just attacked by thugs just now. It was nothing serious." Qingdeng continued, "Don't all gather here! Please disperse!"

These "melon-eating people" who dare to go out of their homes basically come to join in the fun.

Seeing that there was no fun to join in, they immediately dispersed.

After successfully getting rid of these "melon-eating masses", Qingdeng breathed a sigh of relief again.

——Those three people just now...who are they?

——You say I am a national traitor who worships Yi and Mei Di?

Qingdeng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead while searching for the memory of "Original Orange Qingdeng".

In just a moment, he found the identities of the three people just now in the memory of "Original Orange Qingden".

After figuring out the identities of the three people just now, black lines immediately appeared on Qingdeng's face...





Edo, Hatchobori——

Aoto followed the memory of "Original Tachibana Aoto" and came to a place called "Hatchobori".

This place was a samurai settlement, and almost all the officials in the military camp basically lived in this neighborhood called Hatchobori.

It was obviously the first time for him to walk this way home, but because of the memory of "Original Orange Qingdeng", Qingdeng had a strange feeling of being familiar with it.

After turning on two small roads in succession, Qingdeng stood in front of the door of an ordinary small house.

Before entering the door, Qingdeng once again scanned the surroundings with vigilant eyes.

After confirming that no one was following him, he reached for the door.

"I'm back."

Boom, boom, boom.

As soon as Qingdeng opened the door and entered the small house, the sound of "dong dong dong" footsteps came from the room.

Then, an old man with white hair and beard appeared from the depths of the house.

This person slid in front of Qingdeng in a shovel-like posture, then knelt down and saluted Qingdeng.

"Young Master, welcome back! Come on, please bring your saber...Ah! Young Master! What happened to your leg?!"

"It's nothing." Qing Deng smiled bitterly at the old man, "It's just that we were attacked by the 'rejecting barbarians' again just now."

This old man's name is Kubei, and he is the youngest member of Aito's family.

The so-called "little one" can be understood as a waiter, an attendant in a samurai's family.

Kubei is considered the old man of their Tachibana family.

Before Ayoto's mother even married his father, Kubei came to Tachibana's house to serve his father.

After Aoto's father died, Kyubei began to serve Aoto.

After all, Jiubeyi has been serving their family for almost 30 years.

For such an old man who has served their family for most of his life and is still working diligently, "Original Orange Qingden" has always respected him, so the relationship between master and servant is particularly harmonious.

Qingdeng has no brothers or sisters and has not yet married.

Now that his parents have passed away and he has no other family members, Kubei is the only family member Aomori has.

After hearing the word "Expelling the Barbarians" from Aomori's mouth, Kyubei's face suddenly turned pale.

"Are they the 'anti-barbarian faction' again... Those people are really too much... Young Master, you have only served in the embassy of the United States for a period of time, why are you attacking you one after another... Really

If you want to fight off the barbarians, they will kill the real barbarians...Ah! Young Master, come in quickly! I will bandage your wounds!"





Naturally, there was no such thing as bandages in Japan at this time.

The Japanese of this era used something called "burlap" to stop bleeding and bandage wounds.

The injury on Qingdeng's leg is just a minor injury and does not affect his daily activities. He only needs some time to recuperate and he will be able to recover as before.

While Kyuubei was using a somewhat clumsy method to help Aoto bandage the wound on his leg, Aoto rubbed his frown tightly.

——So what's the situation now... Just after crossing over, you are in a desperate situation where you may be hacked to death by a group of lunatics at any time?

After searching the memory of "Original Tachibana Aoden", Aomori finally found out the identities of the three samurai who just attacked him.

They are the "rejection faction" people!

What is the "anti-barbarian faction"?

This is a long story.

More than 1,000 years ago, the great eastern countries across the sea had entered the Sui and Tang Dynasties, while Japan was still in the backward era of slavery.

After seeing the huge gap between their own country and the Sui and Tang Empires across the sea, the Japanese rulers at that time decided to comprehensively study the advanced systems and culture of the Sui and Tang Empires in 645 AD in order to become rich and powerful.

This reform is known in history as "Dahua Reform".

The "Dahua Reform" can be said to have completely transformed Japan, transitioning from the era of slavery to the feudal era in one breath.

Not long after the Taika Reform, Japan moved its capital to Nara, and the period when Nara was the capital was called the "Nara Period" (710-794).

In 794, Japan moved its capital again to Heian Kyo (today's Kyoto). The period when Heian Kyo was the capital was called the "Heian Period" (794-1192).

The Japanese emperor of the Nara period and the Heian period, like the emperor of China, was a veritable head of state, wielding great power over the country.

However, in the middle and late Heian period, the power of the samurai family...that is, the samurai group began to rise.

The samurai family was originally just a group of rough men responsible for fighting wars, but at the end of the Heian period, they gradually formed a group, rose up, and began to control the government and evade the emperor.

The samurai group gradually turned into a new class of importance in Japan: the samurai class!

Finally - at the end of the 12th century, the Genji samurai group completely eclipsed the emperor and took over the power of the court.

Due to its special national conditions, Japan cannot arbitrarily depose the emperor and change dynasties like China.

At that time, it was extremely difficult and risky to abolish the emperor's clan, which had existed for hundreds of years.

Therefore, the leader of the Genji samurai group: Minamoto Yoritomo created the "shogunate system".

He asked the emperor for the official position of "General of the Conquest of Barbarians", retaining the emperor and the imperial court, but established a new government in the Kamakura area.

This new government was called the "shogunate".

Because it was built in Kamakura, it is often called the "Kamakura Shogunate".

The head of the shogunate is the General of the Conquering Barbarians, and the official position of the General of the Conquering Barbarians is passed down from generation to generation by the descendants of the Minamoto clan.

The nominal head of state and the institution that governs the country are still the emperor and the Kyoto court.

But the actual people in power and the institutions that manage the country are the generals who conquered the barbarians and the shogunate in Kamakura.

Since then, the shogun has become the de facto emperor of Japan, and the title "General of the Conquering Barbarians" has also become a title that represents the world's supremacy, and countless careerists want to grab it.

The Kamakura shogunate only lasted for more than 100 years (1185-1333). This period of time when the Kamakura shogunate ruled Japan is called the "Kamakura period".

After the Kamakura shogunate weakened, the imperial court led by the emperor once tried to regain the power of the country, but failed. The power of the country was taken away by another samurai group, the Ashikaga clan.

The Ashikaga clan destroyed the Kamakura shogunate and established the second shogunate in Japanese history in the Muromachi area: the Muromachi shogunate. They took away the official position of "Conquering the Barbarians" and national power from the Genji, and the emperor and the court continued to be mascots.

.

The period when the Muromachi shogunate ruled Japan is called the "Muromachi Period" (1336-1573)

Due to the special political system, at the end of the Muromachi period, tycoons from various places rose up and rebelled, and Japan entered an unprecedented era of war: the Warring States Period (1467-1603).

This is a troubled time when princes from all walks of life sing their songs and others come on stage, and national hegemony is fought for by you and me.

In the end - the one who had the last laugh was the Tokugawa family.

A samurai named Tokugawa Ieyasu successfully unified the country in 1603, and then established the third shogunate in Japanese history: the Edo shogunate in Edo (today's Tokyo).

The title of General Conquering the Barbarians thus fell on the Tokugawa clan.

And this is also the era Aoto is currently living in - the Edo period ruled by the Edo shogunate.

By the Edo period, where Aoto is currently living, the shogunate system could be said to have been perfected to near perfection.

At this time, Heian-kyo had already been renamed Kyoto. The emperor and the imperial court still remain in Kyoto, but they have become a complete mascot and have no real power at all.

To put it simply - Japan now has two governments: the imperial court in Kyoto and the Edo shogunate in Edo.

The head of the Kyoto court was the emperor, while the head of the Edo shogunate was the general who conquered the barbarians, inherited from the Tokugawa clan.

The former is the mascot and the nominal head of state, while the latter is the real ruler of Japan now, the real "Emperor of Japan".

Aomori didn't know Japanese history, and he didn't know what year AD it was now, but based on the memory of "Original Tachibana Aomori" he estimated that it was roughly the middle to late 19th century.

Because seven years ago, the American steam fleet opened Japan's doorstep.

Since there was a steam fleet and there was invasion by European and American powers... then the time is probably the middle or late 19th century.

Not long after the establishment of the Edo shogunate, in order to ensure the stability of the country, the shogunate issued an order to isolate the country. Japan then entered a state of isolation, maintaining contact only with China, North Korea, and the Netherlands.

Under the lockdown order, Japan spent more than two hundred years of peace.

Until...seven years ago, in the sixth year of Kaei (1853), Commodore Perry of the United States Navy led a fleet to knock on the door of Japan.

Because the fleet brought by Perry included black steam battleships, people called this incident the "Black Ship Incident."

How can Japan, which is still in ancient society, be a rival to the United States, which has already been baptized by the Industrial Revolution?

Due to the despotic power of the United States, Japan was forced to accept the "Japan-U.S. Goodwill Treaty" of the United States.

The door to Japan is now open.

The "Black Ship Incident" had a great impact on the shogunate officials and the people.

Some people have clearly seen the gap between Japan and overseas powers, and propose to learn from the advanced systems and technologies of the Western powers, just like the Eastern powers that faced them thousands of years ago. They demand "reform" and learn from the foreigners to learn skills to strengthen themselves.

However, the number of people in Japan who currently have this concept of "learning from the West" is pitifully small.

The "lockdown order" that has lasted for nearly 250 years has made Japan, from meat eaters to ordinary citizens, narrow-minded and arrogant.

Facing the incoming Western powers, the most popular and popular trend among Japanese people at this time is that these foreigners are all barbaric barbarians, and they must be expelled without leaving a trace!

Fight! Fight! Fight!!

Those who advocated driving out all the Western powers used the slogan of "repelling the foreigners". Therefore, these people who advocated "repelling the foreigners" were collectively called the "repelling the foreigners".

The idea of ​​"rejecting the foreigners" is the most mainstream idea now, bar none.

The "anti-foreigners" faction who advocate driving foreigners out of the country are currently the undoubted majority, while those who advocate peaceful coexistence with and learning from the great powers are all in the minority.

Although those who advocate "repelling the foreigners" are collectively called the "repelling the foreigners", the "repelling the foreigners" are divided into many different schools of thought.

Some people have a more moderate view and advocate driving away Westerners through peaceful means.

However, most of the current "anti-barbarian factions" advocate using force to expel all the great powers headed by the Americans.

In the past seven years, as more and more foreigners have set foot on Japanese soil, some people who advocate using force to repel the foreigners have become more and more radical and extreme in their ideas.

To this day, there is even a voice among the "anti-barbarian faction": those who admire the West, think that Western things are good, or work for Westerners, are all national traitors who admire the Yi and Mei Di! These national traitors should also be killed

!

Such ridiculous and extreme ideas are gradually spreading, and more and more people are following them.

The three samurai who assassinated Qingdeng just now were members of the "radical anti-barbarian faction" with such extreme ideas.

Why do people from the "radical anti-barbarian faction" target Qingdeng?

The reason is that "Original Orange Qingden" worked at the American Embassy for 7 days more than a month ago.

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The Japanese pronunciation of the protagonist Tachibana Aoden is: たちばなあおと.

The Roman pronunciation is: tachibana aoto.

Therefore, Qingdeng's full name seems very short, with only 3 Chinese characters, but its pronunciation is very long, with 7 sounds. The surname "Ju" alone has 4 sounds.


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