1 year and 8 months later——
In the second year of Wenjiu (1862), December 1——
The sky in early winter is blue and clear, and the sunshine is soft.
Due to the cold weather, the streets and alleys of Edo were covered with white snow between the tiles.
Pedestrians on the road were already wearing thick winter coats, looking bloated and funny.
With the arrival of cold winter and the decrease in water volume, the number of canoes and small boats on the Sumida River, Kanda River and other rivers has significantly decreased.
However, as the Spring Festival is approaching, many families now have exquisite door pine trees placed outside their doors.
Classic New Year products such as tangerines, mirror cakes, and red envelopes have already appeared on the shelves of various stores.
Starting from the Konamegawa River in the west and ending at Naito Shinjuku in the east, the huge Edo is full of strong "New Year flavor".
The cries of sellers echoed in the streets and alleys.
The woman carrying a vegetable basket cast a scrutinizing gaze at the dazzling array of products on the shelves.
Young people with nothing to do gathered together, looking here and there, and lurking wherever there was excitement.
The children ran away laughing and playing.
At schools, dojos and other places where young warriors often gather, people from time to time hear "What are the people of Changzhou trying to do? Are they trying to 'hijack the emperor to order the princes'?!", "We must do it as soon as possible."
Stop the chaos in Kyoto!", "Kawagami Hikosai, Okada Izo, Tanaka Shinbei...these people who are causing chaos in Kyoto are really unreasonable! Do they think they can change the world with just a sword?
?!" and other impassioned speeches.
Bustling and moving.
Although there are "Western barbarians" outside and "rebellious parties" inside, the situation in the country is becoming more and more chaotic day by day, with "rice riots", "human-killing actions", "the Aizu Domain who just took office as the "Kyoto Guardian""
The feudal lord Matsudaira Yōho cannot suppress the chaos in Kyoto", "Satsuma Domain, Choshu Domain and Aizu Domain will declare war on each other at any time", and news such as "War is about to break out in the Gyeonggi region" are constantly circulating.
But...perhaps it is due to the regional characteristics of "you can get drunk today," and "Edo people don't save overnight money." Neither the Western countries that are constantly advancing overseas nor the numerous chaos in the Gyeonggi region have failed.
It affected the food, drink, housing, transportation and timely entertainment of Edo people.
They are still like stepping onto the spring stage, happily welcoming the arrival of the New Year.
The largest city in Japan is still full of entertainment, luxury and extravagance...
…
…
Edo, Asakusa Imperial Gate Uchihirokoji, Yoshikawa Ryotei——
The mellow aroma of wine, the rich aroma of vegetables, and the alluring aroma of powder and powder constantly wafted out from the restaurant, filling up half the street.
The history of ryotei, like that of izakaya, also begins in the Edo period.
The so-called "ryotei" can be understood as a high-end restaurant, which mostly serves relatively wealthy and upper-class people in society. General Japanese restaurants cannot be casually labeled as "ryotei".
At this moment, in a private room of Yoshikawa Ryotei, a middle-aged man over fifty was toasting the young man in front of him with a flattering smile on his face.
"Mr. Hayakawaya, why don't you come here today? The shop is really full of glory!"
Flattery that is both corny and disgusting.
The young man who was called "Hayakawa-ya" was obviously used to the flattery of others.
Faced with the flattery of the middle-aged man, he was completely unmoved. He stretched out the wine glass in his hand with no expression on his face, filled it with wine, and drank it down in one gulp.
There is the word "house" in the last name - a very typical businessman's name.
"Kikkuro, is Suzune here?"
Hayakawaya said impatiently.
Yoshikuro said quickly, half panicked and half nervous:
"Coming, coming! She's coming soon!"
As soon as he finished speaking, soft footsteps came from the direction of the corridor from far to near.
Immediately afterwards, two maids kneeling outside the private room door pushed open the paper sliding door with exquisite pictures, and a young girl with a shamisen in her arms entered the room slowly.
The girl has a pair of clear and handsome willow eyebrows, smooth and slender eyelashes, a straight nose, full red lips, and eyes shining with intellectual brilliance - she is a very beautiful beauty.
In addition, she is also extremely well-dressed, elegant and impeccable in everything she wears.
She wore a goose-yellow lining underneath, a light blue feathered outer coat, and a delicate milky white belt wrapped around her soft slender waist.
A pair of flawless white footbags plump the insteps of her feet, wrapping her beautiful slender feet all the way to her ankles.
Her light and graceful gait, obviously trained, has an elegant, concise and pleasing charm.
Seeing the arrival of this woman, Hayakawa's eyes suddenly lit up, he immediately put down the wine glass in his hand, clasped his hands and laughed:
"Oh! Ringtone, you are finally here!"
Suzune bowed gracefully and bowed to Hayakawa in front of her in a standard manner that could not be faulted.
"Mr. Hayakawaya, Gui'an, you..."
Before she could finish her words, she was rudely interrupted by the other party:
"Okay! Stop talking about those boring nonsense! Come on! Come to me!"
As Hayakawa talked, he slapped the tatami beside him vigorously.
From the moment Suzune entered the room, his eyes never left her neck, waist, chest, ankles, etc., looking disgusting and salivating.
As soon as Hayakawaya's request came out, Suzune's expression suddenly froze.
Having worked at Yoshikawa Ryotei for many years, she is very skilled in how to deal with customers' difficulties.
She quickly reacted and replied in a nonchalant manner:
"Mr. Hayakawaya, my daughter is a musician who performs tricks, not a wandering girl who performs tricks."
Yoshikuro also said with a smile on his face:
"Mr. Hayakawaya, I'm very sorry, but the musicians in our store do not provide this kind of service..."
After all, a restaurant is a high-end place, and cannot be compared with those low-end pubs and restaurants on roadside alleys. It is impossible to provide the kind of service that "plays the piano for you during the day and studies how to make sounds with the human body with you at night."
The musicians, karaoke, and maiko of Yoshikawa Ryotei are all very serious craftsmen who only sell their skills but not their bodies.
However, Hayakawaya didn't buy the argument between the two.
"What are you talking about?"
He slammed the tatami beside him, and the loud noise startled Suzune and Kikokuro.
"Young girl who makes a joke? She doesn't provide this kind of service? What a mess!"
"Did I ask her to take off her clothes immediately? Did I order her to sleep with me at night?"
"I just asked her to sit next to me. I wanted to get closer to her and talk to her more about myself!"
"I came here just to chat with Ling Yin! Otherwise, no one would come to a shabby shop like yours!"
Their own shop was slandered, and their own personalities were also belittled... Suzune and Kichikuro's expressions became extremely ugly.
But they didn't dare to have an attack, so they could only swallow the anger and grievances they had filled back into their stomachs.
Hayakawaya is one of the most famous restaurants in Edo.
Zha Cha - that is, the group of giant businessmen who monopolized the lumi trade of Hatamoto, imperial family and other samurai, and were as rich as the enemy.
This young man who is making trouble unreasonably - Hayakawaya Danshichiro - is the current head of Hayakawaya: the seventh son of Hayakawaya Shotaro.
According to the regulations of the Edo shogunate, there is no "separate inheritance" of family property from the daimyo of one of the separatist parties to the peasants who only have a few pieces of thin land.
All property must be passed on to the eldest son. If the eldest son is gone, it will be passed to the second son. If the second son is gone, it will be passed to the third son. If there are no legitimate sons, it will be passed to the eldest son, and so on.
After the family property is inherited, the other sons either stay at home and grow old, or they find another way out.
This is why cultural celebrities and martial arts celebrities in the Edo period are often the second or third sons of the family - because the eldest sons are busy inheriting the family business and cannot make a penny, and they don't want to be the losers in the family. The second and third sons can only pursue other careers and develop in other fields.
Hayakawa Danshichiro knew that as his father's seventh son, he had basically no chance of inheriting the family business, so he had been very self-aware since he was a child - he became a famous dandy in Edo...
He is proficient in eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, spending money like water, being lustful and romantic, and using his power to bully others... He has not fallen into any of the bad habits common among playboys.
Although they all pursue pleasure, there is an old saying that goes well - "Everyone has his own ambitions."
We are all playboys, but some like to eat and drink, some like to gamble, and some like to listen to operas.
As for Hayakawa Danshiro, he is more ordinary - he likes women.
Almost every day you can see him spending a lot of money in Yoshiwara, Okaba and other sexy places.
The women around him changed one after another, and he was surrounded by women all day long.
If he is just lustful and only vents his endless desires on wandering girls, then that's it.
However... he often uses his power to bully good girls.
In order to seize the woman he likes, he would not hesitate to use some very despicable methods, semi-force, or even force the other party to submit.
In the "Edo Dandy Circle", which has a very bad reputation, Hayakawa Danshiro belongs to the group of people who have a very bad reputation.
Just when Suzune and Yoshikuro didn't know what to do, Hayakawa Danshiro suddenly put on a friendly expression.
"Lingyin, don't worry, I really just want to get closer to you and hear your sweet voice more clearly. I will never do anything excessive to you."
After saying that, he patted his chest matter-of-factly.
Huh! I'm afraid you've said this kind of nonsense to at least 10 women! Suzune cursed. She didn't believe a word of these sweet words from Hayakawa Danshichiro.
When she really sits next to him, he will definitely rub her legs without leaving a trace, hold her shoulders, then touch her feet, kiss her face... just like this, step by step, he will molest her step by step.
If he really did nothing and just wanted to get close to her and chat with her, it would have a very bad impact on her reputation.
She is a serious musician who only sells her skills but not her body, and specializes in serving the upper class of society.
It can be said that "innocence" is her biggest drawcard.
If she had a black history of "having sat down with a guest", how could she get along in the future?
Seeing that Suzune was still hesitating and standing still, the smile on Danshiro Hayakawa's face dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Instead, there was an increasingly intense look of impatience.
"Tsk! You woman are so troublesome! Don't you have ears? Didn't you hear me calling you over? Do you have to wait until I get angry before you can understand people's words?"
Danshiro Hayakawa took off his hypocritical mask and slapped the tatami next to him vigorously again.
The huge sound...or rather the threat hidden in his words, made both Suzune and Kichikuro tremble.
Although Yoshikawa Ryotei is a restaurant that stands above thousands of restaurants in Edo, in terms of appearance, it can only be ranked at the bottom among many restaurants in Edo, and it can never afford to offend Hayakawaya, who has a large business.
"That... ring tone...?"
At this time, Yoshikuro slowly turned his head to the side, with a slumped face, and cast a meaningful look at Suzune.
Such eyes, such expression... His meaning is very obvious...
Even Mr. Yoshikuro, the only person he could rely on now, surrendered... Suzune bit her lower lip, her pretty face full of grievance and dissatisfaction.
The delicate figure of the shamisen, subconsciously hugged tightly because of deep uneasiness, is like a willow catkin swaying in the strong wind, helpless.
Suddenly, at this moment, she seemed to have remembered something, and she was startled.
Then, she took a deep breath and summoned up the courage to speak loudly:
"Hayakawaya-sama! I have some friendship with Tachibana-sama! Can you give Tachibana-sama some thin noodles?"
Hayakawa Danshiro was stunned.
"tachibana? Which tachibana?"
In Japanese, tachibana can be written as "Tachibana", "Tachibana", or... the surname of the adult who has been stirring up trouble since 2 years ago.
At this point, Suzune no longer had any room to regret, so she could only continue speaking:
"That Tachibana-sama who serves as a sidekick and is also the servant of the imperial government!"
Hayakawa Danshiro was stunned again, then slowly murmured as if chewing every word:
"Oh...that's the 'Nioh'..."
If we want to say who is the most famous celebrity in Edo in recent years, it is undoubtedly "Nioh" Tachibana Aoden!
Since Aoto's attack on Shimizu Residence, the reputation of "Nioh" has spread from being only in the Kanto region, Kyoto, Osaka and other popular places to spreading to all over the country!
From Matsumae in the north to Satsuma in the south, "Tachibana Aoden" has become a name that everyone knows.
Especially after the Edo shogunate gave him a rare and generous reward, his legend became even more intense.
The family's salary increased by 4,000 ge, and he was upgraded several levels in a row. He was transferred from the original fire thief to the captain to a side member and an employee of the imperial court... How many years has it been since the shogunate produced such a dazzling new political star?
There are mainly two types of ministers of the general who conquered the barbarians, one is called "side servants", and the other is the "side ministers" who Qingdeng currently serves.
The former is responsible for passing the general's orders to the old and middle-aged men, and their treatment is the same as that of the old and middle-aged men. They are usually selected from those with a family income of more than 10,000 dan.
In 1684, the first year of the reign of Emperor Zhenxian (1684), after the assassination of Masatoshi Hota, who served as the eldest brother, the power of side servants increased accordingly.
Yanagisawa Yoshiho (employee of the fifth shogun Tsunayoshi), Mabe Kanfusa (employee of the sixth shogun Ienobu, the successor of the seventh shogun Ieharu), Tanuma Itsuji (employee of the tenth shogun Ieharu), Mizuno Tadanari
(The side servants of the eleventh generation general Jiaqi) are all very famous side servants.
The maximum number of side members is 5-8 people, and their status is lower than that of side employees. Although they can also participate in politics, the political figures they can come into contact with and the political events they can interfere with are definitely not as good as those of side employees.
Qingdeng's family's income was less than ten thousand shi, so the position of side servant was naturally out of reach for him.
However, precisely because the specific functions of side members were not so clear, Tokugawa Iemo was given considerable room for maneuver.
With the full support of Tokugawa Iemo, Aoshinobu's true status... In a nutshell: he is called a side official, but he is actually a side employer!
Tokugawa Iemo has not yet set up his own staff, so he almost uses Aoshinobu as his staff to punish and train.
Political affairs that were not very important...especially those related to military affairs, were mostly handled by Aishobu by Tokugawa Iemo.
When a summit meeting was held with the participation of only the shogun, Lao Chu, and Wakatoshi, Aoto also had the right to sit next to Tokugawa Iemo.
To give an example that may not be particularly accurate, but is generally the same image - if the senior middlemen headed by Nobuyoshi Matsudaira are prime ministers, then Qingteng is now the Minister of Military Aircraft Department! He has great power!
What's more, he is also the servant of Yutai who oversees Daou affairs.
Don't underestimate Daao's energy.
No matter what era, country, or concubine, the political energy cannot be ignored.
Let’s not mention the complicated political operations, but just talk about the most simple and easy-to-understand pillow talk-a pillow talk from a certain concubine may affect national affairs and even shake the foundation of the country.
Since Da Qingdeng took office as the official of Yutai, the Tianzhang Academy has expressed its greatest support for his appointment.
She personally took the lead in cooperating with all Qingdeng's work, and the officials under her, such as Yu Nianji, Yu Zhongnan, Yu Ke Huishe, etc., had to obey her.
Except for the recent arrival of women from Kyoto, headed by Wakomiya, who don't show much respect for Aoto, the Daou women of the Tianzhangin family are all obedient to Aoto - this naturally further strengthens Aoto's
Power.
Even a blind man could see that Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin intended to focus on cultivating Aoshinobu.
Ju Qingden is very favored - this political signal has invisibly raised his political status.
To put it bluntly...Aoden nowadays is totally capable of walking sideways in Edo!
Even if he is an old, middle-aged or powerful feudal lord, when he meets Qingdeng, he must greet him politely and show off his skills.
This is true even for these boss-level figures, let alone Zha Zai, who has no other redeeming qualities besides being rich.
Zhacha could only bully the powerless common people and middle- and lower-level samurai.
Facing senior samurai with lofty political status...especially senior samurai of Qingto's level, they would never try to defeat them.
Looking at Suzune who threatened that he had a friendship with Tachibana Aoden, Hayakawa Danshiro blinked, then laughed and said:
"You have a relationship with Ju Qingden? Then you should invite Ju Qingden over quickly!"
As he said that, Hayakawa Danshiro showed an expression of disdain.
"Huh, Suzune, I'm going to let you go this time. This opportunity is rare, so let me give you a piece of advice: in a place like Edo, don't just give the name of a big shot, or you'll only be asking for trouble."
His ridicule towards Ling Yin was beyond words.
What is Tachibana Aoden’s identity?
What is your identity as ring tone?
The former is a powerful official.
You are just a musician, how can you have a relationship with the other person?
Stop teasing me!
Hayakawa Danshiro believed that Suzune was bragging to protect herself, and he laughed unconsciously.
Just when his patience was exhausted, he stood up leisurely and was about to walk over and take Suzune into his arms with his own hands——
Bang!
The door that was originally closed was suddenly opened.
A young samurai who looked to be around 20 years old strode into the room.
I saw this young man wearing a black lacquer hat with gold foil inside, which symbolizes senior ministers, and a dark red silk pattern suit (a kimono with a family crest) on his upper body. The family crest is the gentian leaf of the Genji family, and he also wears a
She wears a haori hakama (a dress with a short haori and hakama), and wears three swords on her left waist - one is an ordinary wakizashi, the other is a sword with a black and red handle and a sheath, and the last one is a
It's an ancient sword with a black purple handle and sheath.
After entering the room, the young man was in no hurry to speak.
Instead, he put his left hand on his hips, holding the three knives close to his waist. He tilted his head and glanced around the room with calm eyes. His eyes were on Danshiro Hayakawa, Suzune, and Yoshikuro who looked shocked.
He crossed his face one by one, and finally said softly in a nonchalant tone:
"I seem to hear someone calling my name. Who is it? Who is calling my name Tachibana Aoden?"
*******
*******
The third volume of "Yunqi Longxiang" has officially begun serialization!
Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a recommendation vote! (Leopard Head Cries)
The total number of words in this volume is over 1 million. It might be another super long story comparable to the previous volume, so please be prepared~~
The Satsuma Domain, Choshu Domain, Aizu Domain and other vassal forces have all stepped onto the stage of history; Kawagami Hikosai, Okada Izo and others have also begun to emerge... This volume is full of "The storm is coming" as soon as it opens.
"With such momentum, even Leopard Baozi can't wait to write the following plot~~
Recommend a book today!
"Tokyo: There's something wrong with this narration!"
Traveling through Tokyo, with a thirty-year-old soul in an eighteen-year-old body, I thought I had made a profit, until I got a diary that seemed to be the original body, and a strange narration sounded in my ears...
[Tsk tsk, who will be the target of the diary owner? Or is it the hunter hiding in the dark waiting for the lost lamb to be caught? 】
This book is also called "My Neighbors and Me"
【Tokyo】+【Love】+【Suspense】+【Narration】+【Reversal】
This chapter has been completed!