Qingto's answer naturally disappointed Echigoya Bunzaburo and others.
But everyone present is worthy of being elite people who have been working hard in the cruel business world for many years. Even if they are unhappy in their hearts, it will not hurt the outward harmony.
I saw that all of them looked as normal and did not show any negative emotions.
"Alas... troubled times!"
Someone sighed.
Another person held up the tea bowl, with a smile on his face, and said to Qingden respectfully:
"Tachibana-sama, at this time of crisis, we must rely more on capable people like you and Katsu-sama!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the others started croaking like toads after a rainy day.
"That's right! Mr. Omiya is right!"
"We are so lucky to have such a great hero like Mr. Tachibana come out of nowhere during this time of war and chaos!"
"With Lord Tachibana here, the country's situation will definitely turn around!"
…
All kinds of flattery came to Qingdeng.
The "Katsu-sama" this person refers to naturally refers to Aoto's old friend, Rintaro Katsu, who also started from humble beginnings and is deeply trusted by Tokugawa Iemo.
At the beginning of the 2nd year of Bunkyu (1862), Katsu Rintaro resigned from his position as professor of gunnery at the Toshu Tiao Institute and the Kōbu Institute. Following the reform of the shogunate, he returned to the navy and served as the Tsukiji Warship Drill Station Totori (the principal of the shogunate's naval cadet school).
).
On August 17th of the same year, he was promoted to warship commander and began to be active as a senior bureaucrat in the shogunate's administrative department.
Tokugawa Iemo entrusted the important task of establishing the shogunate navy to Katsurin Taro.
And Rintaro Katsu lived up to Tokugawa Iemo's trust. With his hard work day and night, the establishment of the Shogunate Navy finally improved slightly.
"Tachibana" and "Katsu" - one is the "Minister of the Military Aircraft Department" and the other is in charge of the shogunate navy. The two are collectively known as the "double wall" under Tokugawa Iemo.
There was even a saying in the streets of Edo: "The talents of the civil servants share one stone, Tachibana and Katsu share nine dou, and the rest share one dou."
Faced with the flattery of everyone in front of him, Qingdeng smiled slightly, neither showing appreciation nor impatience.
By raising the bowl to drink tea, with his face blocked by his palms and the tea bowl, Qingteng sighed without leaving a trace.
There was a faint look of exhaustion in his eyes.
…
…
The next day, early morning——
In the second year of Wenjiu (1862), December 2——
Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi Town, Imperial Guard Hall——
"Carrot, let's go."
"Moo~~"
Aoto, dressed in formal samurai attire, rode his pet radish on the road leading to Edo Castle with ease.
[Note: Formal attire of the Wu family: that is, "裃". The literal meaning is the same as the actual meaning, it is a kind of suit. The upper body is covered with a very straight "shoulder jacket", and the lower body is wearing a "hakama", which is made of the material of "shoulder jacket" and "hakama"
The patterns are the same, with family lines on the shoulders and the back of the neck.]
Although he was already a powerful minister of the shogunate, Ayoto still lived in the Imperial Guard Hall.
With his current financial resources and status, let alone moving out of the Imperial Guard Hall, it is more than enough to build a mansion in the city center that is several times larger than the Imperial Guard Hall.
However, no matter how luxurious the house, no matter how many servants there are, there is still one crucial thing missing - the laughter and laughter of the partners.
Isamu Kondo’s generosity.
Hijikata Toshiro's chic style.
The simplicity of Genzaburo Inoue.
The elegance of Shannan Keisuke.
Nagakura Shinpachi's boldness.
Saito Ichi's stability.
Todo Heisuke's honesty.
Harada Sanosuke’s honesty and honesty.
Okita Souji's cheerfulness.
Qingdeng couldn't bear to part with these beautiful things.
Compared to living the so-called aristocratic life in a luxurious but devoid of warmth, Qingdeng preferred the lively and noisy life at the moment.
So, he has been living in the trial Wei Hall and being a diner in the trial Wei Hall.
Fortunately, his choice did not cause dissatisfaction among everyone.
Master Zhousuke, Isamu Kondo and others all warmly welcomed Qingto's behavior of "not leaving".
It's not that Qingden's presence can greatly enhance the reputation of the Trial Guard Hall.
It's because they really like this outstanding, approachable young man.
The distance from the Imperial Palace to Edo Castle is not short.
If Qingdeng continued to commute on two legs as before, he would have to spend at least one hour of his day on the road.
There is no other option but to ride in a sedan chair or ride a horse.
However, Qingdeng really didn't like riding in a sedan chair.
In Chinese sedan chairs, the seat pockets are placed on top of the poles.
In Japanese sedans, the seat pockets are placed under the pole - just like dragging a coffin.
In addition, Chinese sedans usually have two bars and are carried by four people.
On the other hand, Japanese sedans basically have only one bar, and are usually carried by two people.
One of the consequences of this design is that the seat is very unstable and wobbly.
Although Qingdeng won't get "sick in the sedan chair", the feeling of being in an egg shaker is really uncomfortable.
On the first day when he officially took up his position as the side minister and the servant of the royal palace, Qingteng had ridden in a sedan chair once, and he had stayed away from this kind of means of transportation.
Therefore, the only commuting option in front of him is horseback riding.
Qingden doesn't hate riding horses.
But, speaking of horses... he already has an excellent mount - a big black bull with a round head and a big brain: Carrot!
Previously, Radish had been fostered in the Little Chiba Sword Hall, and Sanako was mainly responsible for feeding it.
I have to say that Sanako raised radishes really well.
Compared with when I first bought it, it has grown a lot stronger, its hair is black and shiny, and its head is very big and round, so it looks very simple and cute...it can be said directly.
I dragged it to the "Animal Husbandry Exhibition" for exhibition.
In terms of top speed, a carrot like a cow can't beat a horse.
But in terms of riding comfort, durability for long runs, and destructive power of charge, Carrot is far stronger than ordinary war horses.
What's even more rare is that Carrot is very smart, very understanding of human nature, and gets along well with Qingdeng.
The cow itself is a very humane animal, and the radish is "the best among cows".
It understands human speech and can faithfully follow instructions.
Qingden didn't even need to hold the reins when riding Carrot.
As long as he says "Carrot, turn left", it will make a "moo" sound and turn left obediently.
He said "Carrot, let's go", and it said "moo" again, and then moved forward without hesitation.
When he says "Carrot, charge", it will make a "moo!" sound and enter the "bull charging" mode.
Of course, it doesn't listen to everyone's orders.
According to Qingden's observation, Luobo was only obedient to him and Sanako.
As for everyone else...it's a bit indifferent.
Qingdeng would occasionally think this way: Given the current extremely chaotic national situation, when he really has to go to the battlefield one day, he doesn't need to find a war horse at all, he can just ride a carrot into battle.
The importance of a mount lies in the "integration of man and rider", not in running fast or charging fiercely.
Only when the rider and mount have a high degree of tacit understanding can the greatest power be unleashed.
In order to make commuting easier, Aomori brought Radish back from the Chiba Sword Hall, then bought a small house next to the Imperial Guard Hall, transformed it into a cowshed, and used it as Radish's home, and hired a man who was good at it. The farmer who raised cattle asked him to be responsible for taking care of the radish's diet and daily life.
Under Qingdeng's careful arrangements, Luo Bo's little life was having a great time.
He either eats or sleeps, and his daily job is just to take Qingdeng to and from get off work.
After a while, a man and a cow came to a busy street.
Extraordinarily tall, with three swords on his waist, riding a big black bull - after seeing such an iconic image, in the blink of an eye, the passers-by on the street parted to the left and right to make way for a straight, spacious avenue.
"Ah! Nioh-sama!"
"Tachibana-sama!"
"Nioh-sama! Thank you for clearing the Kanda water! Thank you!"
…
A large number of people crowded on the left and right sides of Qingdeng, either casting admiring glances at him, shouting excitedly, or waving vigorously, hoping to attract the other party's attention.
Qingdeng smiled and nodded frequently to the people around him, like a lord inspecting his territory.
Aoto enjoys high popularity among the people of Edo - and rightly so.
Looking back at his past achievements: he was the first to eliminate the Yi group, and he was the last to severely injure the Qingshui clan.
Whether it is the former or the latter, they are social cancers that are deeply disgusted by the people of Edo.
Qingdeng eradicated these two great evils, so how can people not respect him and love him?
After Rakshasa, Qingshui Eiichi and others were all killed, the Qingshui clan's strength plummeted.
The Qingshui clan, which relied on swords and blood, naturally has many enemies.
All along, countless Yakuza groups, large and small, have been standing by, eyeing the Qingshui clan.
If it can always sit firmly on the throne of "the strongest in Kanto", then that's it.
But if it falls off this throne...
Then, what is waiting for it is the extremely cruel law of nature - the weak eats the strong.
There was no need for the government to take action. Just a few days after the Qingshui Residence was breached, a large number of Yakuza groups could not help but begin to attack the Qingshui clan.
Immediately afterwards, other organizations, like sharks that smelled fishy smell, swarmed up and attacked in groups, eating up the legacy of Rakshasa and Eiichi Shimizu.
Nowadays, although the Qingshui clan is still alive, it is at the end of its rope, with only half a breath left, and may be completely swept into the trash can of history at any time.
Even if we don't mention Qingdeng's past achievements, his current performance is equally dazzling.
The biggest feature of the officialdom of the Edo period was that bureaucracy was extremely serious. It was normal for officials to argue with each other and play ball with each other. It was even more common for a small matter to take months to resolve.
This is also related to the institutional design of the Edo period.
In order to prevent the concentration of power, the shogunate had to set up a bunch of people to fill each position, ranging from senior officials to senior officials and ordinary officials.
With redundant officials and redundant staff, it would be surprising if the work efficiency could be improved.
The samurai and civilians of Edo had long been accustomed to the ugliness of shogunate officials who only knew how to shirk blame and just muddle through when things happened - until Aoden came to power.
After Aoshinobu took office as a side minister and the servant of the imperial government, he showed an upright and resolute style that was completely different from his other colleagues, which made the people of Edo feel fresh and new.
First of all, it is due to his personal personality. Qingdeng himself is a person who does not like procrastination and only likes quick decisions.
Secondly, he was a favored minister who was trusted by Tokugawa Iemo and Tenjoin. He was called a side official, but he was actually a side servant. There was no one around him who had the same function as him and would hold him back.
Therefore, no matter what type of political situation he encounters, Qingdeng can take measures quickly and decisively.
As a result, during his tenure, he accomplished many achievements worth boasting about.
It's just like what a common person just shouted, "The water above Kanda has been dredged."
Kanda Josui was built by the shogunate in Kanei 6th year (1629) to ensure the daily water supply of the people of Edo. It used Inokashira Pond as the water source and collected the water from the pond on the way and directed it to the waterway under Edo Castle.
In Japanese, "hosui" refers to drinking water.
A month ago, a small earthquake occurred around Edo. A certain section of the Kanda Josui waterway was damaged and the water supply could not be supplied.
Kanda Josui is one of the most important water sources in Edo. If its water supply is cut off, the lives of nearly half of the Edo people will be seriously affected.
At this time of the race against time, Qingteng was ordered to lead the people to dredge the Kanda waterway personally and supervise the entire project.
Relying on his lofty popularity and well-honed management methods, in the end, Qingto dredged the Kanda waterway in less than two days and minimized losses.
In the Edo period, such speed of doing things was extremely fast.
With both his drastic style of doing things and his extraordinary achievements... it is natural that Ayoto is deeply admired and loved by the people of Edo.
Qingdeng's ordinary background has narrowed the distance between him and ordinary people.
The existence of radish also indirectly increased Qingdeng's popularity.
This dignified man neither rides in a sedan chair nor on a horse, but rides an ox!
It’s a cow!
Qingdeng's behavior of riding an ox instead of riding in a sedan or sitting on a horse, while making people laugh, also makes his image more friendly.
…
Cross the avenue and turn the corner.
Gradually, the tall Edo Castle came into view.
One person and one cow walked leisurely through the rows of famous mansions surrounding Edo Castle.
Qingdeng couldn't help but scan his eyes, looking around at the mansions of the feudal lords that were grand, luxurious, but not even remotely popular... Looking up, he saw a deserted and desolate place.
Under Shimazu Hisamitsu's strong request, the pilgrimage schedule was changed to once every three years. The daimyo royal family members and princes who were held hostage in Edo were also returned to their respective feudal kingdoms.
Such an approach would do great harm to the Edo economy.
It is no exaggeration to say that a large part of the reason why Edo's economy was so prosperous was due to the pilgrimage.
According to the regulations of the pilgrimage, all the daimyo of the vassal state must go to Edo at regular intervals to help the shogun handle government affairs for a period of time, thus consuming the daimyo's time and financial resources.
When the daimyo came to Edo, they were accompanied by followers ranging from hundreds to thousands.
In other words, thanks to the pilgrimage, hundreds of thousands more people flowed to Edo out of thin air every year, which not only prospered the lodging stations along the way, but also prospered Edo's economy.
But now, the pilgrimage schedule has been changed to once every three years, and the flow of people entering and leaving Edo has plummeted instantly.
The feudal residences surrounding Edo Castle became deserted, and the sensual places and commercial streets such as Yoshiwara, Ryogoku Hirokoji, and Asakusa Imperial Gate Hirokoji became a lot more depressed.
Click, click, click, click, click.
Before he knew it, Radish had stepped onto the wooden bridge leading to Edo Castle.
Beneath the hoof is the bridge body, and further down is the turbid moat.
The sound of cow hooves hitting the bridge is endless - Qingdeng likes this sound very much, and it will make him relax unconsciously.
Edo Castle is surrounded by a spacious moat, and only a few wooden bridges connect it to the outside world.
Seeing Qingdeng coming, the guards who were in charge of guarding the door immediately rushed to greet him, and then knelt down on one knee in front of the carrot's head.
Qingdeng got off the cow and handed the reins of the cow to the gatekeeper.
For the rest of the journey, you can no longer ride the bull, you have to walk.
"Carrot, wait for me to come back."
Qingden rubbed the head of the radish.
"Moo~~"
Carrot swung its long tail, stretched its neck, and arched into Qingdeng's arms.
"Okay... let's start working..."
After muttering in a volume that only he could hear clearly, Aoto simply arranged his clothes, then strode forward and walked into Edo Castle.
On the other side, the guard gently pulled the reins and led Carrot to the stable next to the gate.
In the huge stable, among hundreds of fine horses, there was a big black cow... The scene was so funny.
In order to prevent foreign enemies from invading, Edo Castle was designed into a "の"-shaped structure.
To put it simply, it is the mosquito coil type.
Regardless of whether you are a friend or an enemy, if you want to enter the Edo Castle Honmaru where General Zhengyi is located, you must start from the lower right corner of "の" and continue along the only road, passing through Ninomaru, and a
Only in this way can we reach the main pill where General Zhengyi is.
Although this kind of architectural design is very torture for people like Aoto who commute to Edo Castle, we have to admit that Edo Castle, which has both a moat and a "の"-shaped structure, is very defensive.
The power is top notch.
Assuming that there are 10,000 elite soldiers and inexhaustible supplies in Edo Castle, there is no need to be afraid even if a 100,000-strong army attacks - of course, this is limited to feudal armies not equipped with a large number of hot weapons.
Ainoto, who has amazing leg strength, quickly arrived at his office in Honmaru.
"Tachibana-sama!"
A young man had been waiting there early. He knelt down to salute Qingdeng and said hello to him in a hearty voice.
This man's name is Uchimura Soutaro. He is 16 years old this year. He is Tokugawa Iemo's nickname. He was sent by Tokugawa Iemo to assist Aoto. He is temporarily regarded as Aoto's secretary.
Although he is not very old, he is very clever.
After nearly two years of working together, Qingdeng quite liked him.
"Uchimura-kun, good morning."
Qingden smiled in harmony, then took off the Dingguishen and Vairocana from his waist and handed them to Uchimura Soutaro.
The other party took Qingdeng's knife with both hands, stood up, and carefully placed the two knives in his palms on the knife holder in the office with a gentle movement as if he were carrying something fragile.
Generally speaking, samurai usually only wear two swords, one for katana and one for wakashi.
Since the "Gift of Swords under the Moon", Qingto now has a total of 3 hidden swords - the family sword "Orange Water", the sword "Ding Guishin" given by Naomi Ii, and the demon sword "Vairocana" entrusted by Kiryu's boss
”.
Made of a special material, Vairocana has a strong blade and is so sharp that it can blow hair and break hair. It has destructive power that far exceeds that of orange juice and ghosts.
However... Ju Shui aside, Ding Guishen is Qingdeng's old comrade-in-arms, and he has deep feelings for him.
He would really not be able to bear it if he just left it on the knife rest in the trial hall to collect dust.
So, after some careful consideration, he decided to use the same strategy he used when pursuing Sanako, Kinoshita Mai and Souji - I want them all!
In this way, Qingden became a swordsman with three swords at his waist.
Although the left side of my body has become a lot heavier, it would be nice to have an extra knife on my waist.
Even treasured swords and demon swords such as Vairocana and Vairocana will become dull because the blade is stained with too much blood and fat.
If you have an extra knife on your waist, when one of the knife becomes dull, you can immediately pull out the other knife to continue the fight.
In addition, more complex and diverse tactics can be used.
When Uchimura Soutaro was helping Aoto place his sword, Aoto quickly walked to the back of the desk and sat down on his knees - there were already a lot of scrolls and slips piled on the upper left corner of the desk.
Looking at the "hill" made up of scrolls and documents in front of him, the corners of Qingdeng's mouth twitched slightly.
"Tsk...Why are there so many government affairs today..."
Although he was complaining, his hands moved quickly - he took down the scroll on the top of the "hill" with his left hand, and picked up the brush resting on the mountain of brushes with his right hand. The tip of the pen was inserted into the brush and had been polished by Soutaro Uchimura.
With the ink in the inkstone, today's work officially began.
To be honest, Qingdeng suffered a lot when he first took up his position as a side official and the employee of the imperial government.
The captains of the Sadachi Hui Tongshin Division he had previously served as were military attachés whose main job was to fight, dance with guns and wield sticks.
On the other hand, the new position responsible for assisting Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin this time is a purely civil official.
Therefore, Aomori's previous work experience was completely useless in this cold and forbidding Edo city.
How to deal with these messy government affairs, how to deal with those famous political figures... He was completely blind.
But fortunately, Qingdeng has always been a person who is good at learning and very willing to learn.
When he sent troops to defeat the bandits in Kai, he learned many methods of running an army and managing logistics from my grandson.
Moreover, he also has a god-level talent: the blessing of the "Ghost Heart" that improves understanding.
With his own efforts and the help of hundreds of millions of "ghost hearts", he quickly learned the methods and techniques of governing the country and managing everything.
In the end, it only took him less than a month to completely master the work of being a side member and an employee of the imperial government, which deeply shocked the people around him, including Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin.
After nearly two years of training, Qingto is now a professional politician who can skillfully handle the government affairs of the shogunate.
Time passes bit by bit...
Qingden sat behind his desk for hours.
Unconsciously, the sun climbed to the highest point in the sky.
"It's already noon..."
Qingdeng put down the brush in his hand and stretched hard.
After a morning of hard work, the "hill" on the desk has shrunk by more than half.
Just when he took out the lunch box made for him by the general manager and was about to rest for a while and have lunch——
"Tachibana-sama!"
The voice of Soutaro Uchimura came from the direction of the corridor.
"His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan summons you!"
"His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan?"
Qingden raised his eyebrows.
"I see."
He responded quickly while stuffing the lunch box in his hand back into the bag.
But at this moment, Uchimura Soutaro added:
"Ah! My God, His Highness Tianzhangyuan said: I want you to bring your lunch box with you!"
