The general manager put his hands on his brows, forming a small tent with his flat palms, and looked at the dense flow of people in front of him with interest.
I saw that the scene of the "Tenurishin-ryu clan succession ceremony" was full of people and bustling with people.
It was obviously a ceremony to pass down the throne of the swordsmanship school, but the people present included both samurai with double swords at their waists, as well as farmers with dark skin and simple clothes.
Listen attentively - the Tama dialect is heard everywhere, and the Edo accent seems weak in comparison.
"There are so many Tama people here..."
Qingto, who was walking side by side with Souji, murmured.
"Of course."
The Souji put his hands on his hips and said in a proud tone:
"The Tama people are our old friends of Natural Rishin-ryu! How could they be absent?"
When Qingdeng heard this, he was speechless and laughed.
"Well, that's true. Anyone may not come to today's throne passing ceremony, but the Tama people cannot be absent."
Naturally, Rishin-ryu has a deep connection with Tama.
Tama is located in Musashi Province, which is the shogunate territory, that is, the land directly under the jurisdiction of the general who conquered barbarians, and has a deep connection with the shogunate.
This matter has to start with the Eighth Prince and thousands of people working together.
The Eight Princes and Thousands of People United Together - At the end of the Warring States Period, when Japan was still surnamed Toyotomi, at the request of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu of Kanto was forced to transfer the seal to Tokugawa Ieyasu in order to ensure the future supply of troops for the world and to guard against the Toyotomi clan.
In order to attack, an army of country soldiers was deployed at the key pass connecting Gyeonggi and Kanto...that is, the Hachioji area of Musashi Province.
They were half farmers and half soldiers, doing the work of farmers, but they were samurai. They farmed during the busy farming season, practiced martial arts during the slack farming season, and were ready to accept military conscription from the shogunate at any time.
This regiment of rural soldiers stationed in the Hachioji area was called "Hachioji's Thousands of People with One Heart".
Although it is named "Thousand Men", this does not mean that its total strength is 1,000.
The "thousands" among them is just a false name. After more than 250 years of development, its total number of troops has long been more than a thousand.
Influenced by the unity of the Hachioji, the Musashi people, represented by the Tama people, have a strong sense of self-defense and martial arts, and generally have a high sense of honor, and are deeply proud of themselves as residents of the shogunate.
The relationship between Tennorishin-ryu and Tama began as early as the time when Kondo Uchizosuke, the founder of the ryu, was still alive.
Natural Rishin-ryu does not stick to the situation, does not have any fancy tricks, and focuses on practical simplicity, which is very suitable for the taste of Tama Farmers.
Therefore, after Kondo Naizosuke founded the Natural Rishin-ryu, he opened a dojo in Yakukenbori in Edo Ryogoku and went to Tama to teach his skills, thus ensuring his disciples.
The second-generation leader, Kondo Sansuke, was born in Tobuki Village, Tama County. He built a dojo there, causing the Natural Rishin-ryu to begin to expand around the Tama area.
When Shusuke Kondo came to power and succeeded as the head of the Sandaime, he transferred the development center of the school to Edo and opened the Shoeikan.
After the hard work of the previous two generations, Natural Rishin-ryu has taken root in the land of Tama.
In the countryside of Tama, natural Rishin-ryu dojos are open all over the place.
There was a village chief and rich farmer named Sato Hikoro, who opened a Natural Rishin-ryu Dojo in his village specifically for the villagers.
And this brother-in-law of Hikoro Sato is Toshizo Hijikata - this country dojo opened by his brother-in-law is where he formed an indissoluble bond with the natural Rishin-ryu and met Isamu Kondo, Souji, Aoto and others.
starting point.
Although Kondo Shusuke opened a new dojo in Edo, he did not dislike the Tama folks who had always strongly supported Natural Rishin-ryu.
He continued to carry forward the fine traditions of the previous two generations of leaders and went to Tama to teach in person from time to time - it was during this process that he met and fell in love with Isamu Kondo.
Nowadays... Natural Rishin-ryu has a deeper relationship with Tama. The fourth generation head of the clan is directly a farmer of Tama!
It is no exaggeration to say - Natural Rishin-ryu is Tama's business card, Tama's pride, and Tama's national martial arts.
As long as one understands the inseparable relationship between Natural Rishin-ryu and Tama, it is not difficult to understand why there are so many Tama people here and now, and it is also not difficult to understand why all the Tama people present are smiling brightly and being in high spirits.
After all, since their ancestors, they have been watching the development of Natural Rishin-ryu with their own eyes, witnessing with their own eyes how this "little seedling" that was extremely fragile at the beginning has grown bit by bit into the magnificent appearance it has today.
Aomori and Souji strode towards a small table placed "at the entrance of the venue".
I saw a young man with a tall figure, fair skin and a delicate face sitting upright behind the small table.
When the young man noticed the two men walking towards him, he immediately gave them a friendly smile.
"Tachibana-kun, Okita-kun, good morning."
Clear articulation and a gentle voice full of magnetism - even a straight man like Qingdeng can't help but feel like a spring breeze after listening to it.
As he spent more time with this young man, Qingdeng came to understand more and more deeply why this man could become the "Big Mom Killer".
Director General: "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Shannan!"
This young man is none other than Qingden's old friend, Shannan Keisuke.
At the beginning of this year, not long after the Spring Festival of the second year of Bunkyu (1862), Shannan Keisuke moved from the small Chiba Kenkan to the Shiwei Hall and became a diner and apprentice at the Shiwei Hall.
Regarding Shannan Keisuke's surprising move, everyone... including Qingden, who was very familiar with him, was puzzled.
Although thanks to the fame brought by Aoto, the development momentum of the Shiwei Hall has indeed been very rapid in recent years, in terms of reputation and comprehensive strength, it is still far behind the Little Chiba Sword Hall.
After all, the latter is a branch of Beichen Ittoryu, a behemoth that ranks only below the "Three Great Swordsmen". It has an extremely deep foundation and cannot be easily surpassed by an "upstart" like Shiweiguan.
Moreover, it stands to reason that Shannan Keisuke, who has superb swordsmanship and has long been awarded the Hokatsu Ito-ryu's free pass, seems to have no need to stay in the dojo to study and study sword skills.
"Kingsuke, why did you come to the trial defense hall?" - One day, Qingto asked Shannan Kesuke very straightforwardly.
At this time, the other party showed a gentle smile and replied like this:
"I like the atmosphere of the trial gym very much, and... Mr. Orange, I think you are great. My intuition tells me: as long as I follow you closely, I will definitely learn a lot. So, I decided to join
It’s time to test the defense hall.”
Although his answer was a bit gay, and Qingdeng couldn't help but shudder after hearing this, but all in all, with the addition of Shannan Keisuke, the Trial Guard Hall has gained an outstanding cadre, who is envious of others.
Peers.
Because there was no imperial examination system in the Edo period, studying hard could not bring you fame and fortune.
Unless one's family is well off, or one is "supported" by a big shot who is not short of money, the only way out for scholars is to become a teacher or open a private school.
In such an environment, both warriors and civilians prefer to practice martial arts rather than delving into knowledge.
Shannan Keisuke is a very rare all-rounder in this era, capable of both literary and military skills.
He has both the Ono Itto-ryu and the Beishen Itto-ryu, both of which are Fusou all-den. Moreover, his Beichen Ittou-ryu is taught by the great swordsman Chiba Sadakichi.
Looking around the Imperial Guard Hall, there are only seven people who can definitely beat Shannan Keisuke, including Aoto, Kondo Shusuke, Kondo Isamu, Souji, Hijikata Tobiyama, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Saito Ichi. The rest are not the same.
The opponent of this seemingly harmless young man.
In addition to being powerful in military force, he also has extremely high cultural attainments.
Confucianism, Sinology, Chinese studies, Mito studies... all traditional knowledge, he had at his fingertips.
His academic level is so high that many professional scholars are inferior to him.
For this reason, except for the elder Kondo Shusuke, his old acquaintance Aoto, and Hijikata Toshizo, who always had a very arrogant personality, everyone else in the imperial examination hall called him "Mr. Shannan".
Because Shannan Keisuke's swordsmanship level and cultural attainments were so high, after he became a disciple of the Shiwei Hall, while practicing Natural Rishin-ryu, he also served as the swordsmanship teacher and academic teacher in the school.
When he has free time, he teaches newbies some basic knowledge that is common to all fencing schools, such as: the placement of swordsmanship, and the techniques of retracting and retracting the sword.
In addition, he also opened a "literacy class" to teach cultural knowledge, and all members of the imperial examination hall were free to participate.
Those who participated in his "literacy class" included Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke.
The two brothers respected the knowledgeable Shannan Keisuke very much and were interested in studying to enrich themselves. Therefore, after learning that Shannan Keisuke had opened a "literacy class", the two signed up as soon as possible.
The two brothers respected the knowledgeable Shannan Keisuke very much and were interested in studying to enrich themselves. Therefore, after learning that Shannan Keisuke had opened a "literacy class", the two signed up as soon as possible.
Nagakura Shinpachi is not bad, he is not stupid, and although he has not reached the level of mastery in one point, his learning efficiency and learning progress are still normal.
As for Harada Sanosuke...
"Mr. Shannan! Why did Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga fight the Sekigahara War?"
"You remember wrongly, it's Ishida Mitsunari."
"Oh! Yes, yes, I remembered it again. Then I will ask again: Mr. Shannan! Why did Ishida Mitsunari and Oda Nobunaga fight in the Sekigahara War?"
Conversations similar to this are always happening between Harada Sanosuke and Shannan Keisuke...
Fortunately, Shannan Keisuke has a good temper and a gentle personality. Even though Harada Sanosuke has a bad head, he still works hard to teach him.
Another change that Shannan Keisuke's arrival brought to the Trial Guard Hall is that there are more nymphomaniacs entrenched around the Trial Guard Hall.
In terms of appearance alone, Shannan Keisuke's facial features can only be regarded as delicate, far from being charming. However... his temperament is very good.
There is a saying: there is poetry and calligraphy in your belly.
Shannan Jingsuke, who is knowledgeable about the past and present, exudes an elegant yet generous temperament in his every move.
This kind of temperament is deeply loved by women...especially middle-aged aunts.
Young girls are easily attracted to unrestrained and wild men, while middle-aged women prefer gentle and elegant gentlemen - this rule applies everywhere.
In this way, after the general manager, Hijikata Toshizo, the trial guard hall ushered in a new "good-looking signature".
Every day, many girls, men and aunts - most of the young girls are fascinated by Hijikata Toshizo, most of the Taoists are fascinated by Okita Souji, and most of the middle-aged aunts are fascinated by Shannan Keisuke - are squatting tirelessly around the trial defense hall.
, and indulge in nymphomaniacs endlessly.
Qingden leaned on the table, smiled at Shannan Jingsuke and asked:
"Kingsuke, how are you? Are all the guests here?"
As early as more than a month ago, they sent invitations to all those who had good relations with the Trial Guard Hall.
Shannan Keisuke, who is proficient in etiquette, has excellent temperament, and is good at dealing with others, is undoubtedly the most suitable person to serve as the "face".
As a result, the important task of "responsible for welcoming guests at the throne passing ceremony" was handed over to him.
Shannan Keisuke flipped through the book in his hand.
"Basically everyone is here, the only thing missing is... oops, they're here."
As soon as he finished speaking, a loud and loud voice sounded from behind Qingdeng.
"Hey! Tachibana-kun!"
Qingden turned his head and looked, with a smile on his face.
"Brother Chong, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
Several warriors with swords hanging on their waists and strong auras strode straight towards Qingden.
The leader is an old man who is over seventy years old.
Walking behind the old man were three young men with similar looks and a stunningly beautiful woman.
Chiba Sadayoshi, Chiba Jutaro, Chiba Michizaburo, Chiba Tamonshiro, Chiba Sanako... Except for Chiba Eijiro who is an official in Mito, basically all the members of the Chiba family are here.
.
As expected of the world-famous "Swordsman Family", as soon as they appeared, Qingden immediately felt that the air around him became sharper.
The Kondo family and the Chiba family have always been on good terms.
How could the latter be absent from the former's passing ceremony?
"Tachibana-kun, Okita-kun, congratulations to you."
Chiba Nobuyoshi showed a kind smile.
"The Natural Rishin-ryu clan has welcomed a new and talented leader. I believe that under Yong's leadership, Natural Rishin-ryu will reach unprecedented heights."
Qingdeng, the general secretary, and Shannan Jingzhu listened, and they all smiled and spoke humbly.
"Inheritance" - this is a top priority in all walks of life, especially in the martial arts world.
Whether the mantle can be passed on to a qualified heir is a matter of life and death for the school.
Therefore, in the Japanese swordsmanship community, it is common to adopt an adopted son as your heir.
For example, if the leader feels that he does not have the talent to learn swordsmanship, or if the leader does not have a man or a woman, he will often find an outstanding young man among his disciples to adopt as his successor.
The position of the leader of the natural Rishin-ryu clan was successfully handed over to the powerful, talented and young Isamu Kondo - this is indeed a big deal for Ayoto, Souji and other disciples of Natural Rishin-ryu.
This is a great event worth celebrating.
After chatting with Chiba Sadakichi for a while, Qingto's eyes began to unconsciously move to a certain Yamato Nadeshiko.
Because she was here to participate in a serious event that should not be taken lightly, Sanako's outfit today was particularly formal and stunning.
Her hair, which was pulled into a Shimada bun, was decorated with many decorations that Aoto couldn't name.
Emerald blue kimono, spring green belt.
Further down, there are alluring slender feet wrapped in white socks and wearing blue clogs.
Just like telepathy, when Qingto looked sideways at Sanako, the other person was also peeking at him.
The two people's eyes intertwined in mid-air.
Then, she subconsciously averted her eyes.
But after a while, she couldn't help but return her gaze to its original track.
Gradually, a calm but shy smile appeared on her cheeks.
At this moment——
"Ah! Qingden!"
A young female voice, as sweet as a silver bell, suddenly came from not far away.
In an instant... the moment after this female voice sounded, the smile on Sanako's face disappeared.
Another person who also lost his smile was Chiba Jutaro.
The Souji's expression immediately became strange.
Qingdeng was startled for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal, and greeted the visitor warmly like a normal person:
"Ah! Boss Kiryu! A Wu! You are here too!"
Boss Kiryu, Mai Kinoshita, and a girl in yellow who was being held by Mai Kinoshita and wearing a low-brimmed bamboo hat on her head, whose appearance could not be clearly seen, quickly walked up to Qingden.
It's a coincidence that Souji, Sanako and Mai Kinoshita formed a powerful force surrounding Aoto.
Girlfriends gathered together... For Qingdeng, he has experienced such occasions too many times in the past year and eight months... He has long been used to it and has become numb.
Good at dealing with it.
*******
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I spent a day shopping at the CP Exhibition yesterday and was really exhausted, so I slept for nearly 11 hours today...
Since I spent all my time sleeping, today’s update will be a little shorter. Sorry! (Crying Leopard Head)
