Chapter 508 The selection of the Zhenfu Army begins! Qingdeng vs. thousands of applicants
"Anyway, let me make it clear - I didn't know that he was planning to move me to the right as the envoy of Gyeonggi Town until yesterday afternoon when I received the summons from Jia Mao... from Dashu Gong, so I didn't hide it from you in advance.
My promotion did come out of the blue."
"Qingteng, you...are you really going to Kyoto?"
After asking, Kinoshita Mai subconsciously clenched her fists.
"Well, yes."
Qingden replied without hesitation and with a firm look in his eyes.
"You are both my fiancées, so I won't hide anything from you either."
Although the three daughters still objected to "marrying Qingdeng together", this did not prevent Qingdeng from having fun at all.
"The Pazhu Party is active again. According to reports from spies: the Pazhu Party is suspected of colluding with the Changshu Domain."
The three women all knew about the existence of the Fa Zhu Dang and the grudge between Qingdeng and the Fa Zhu Dang.
Therefore, Qingdeng could relay this information to them without any scruples.
After learning the true story of Qingdeng taking over the hot potato of "guarding the capital", the three women all had heavy expressions on their pretty faces.
"Qingto, although I already understand the reason why you decided to go to Kyoto, but... but... isn't Kyoto in chaos now?"
"I've been hearing people say that the Choshu Domain, Satsuma Domain and Aizu Domain are about to start a war."
"In addition, there are Tanaka Shinbei, Okada Izo and others who are causing chaos in the streets of Kyoto."
"I'm not doubting your strength, it's just...just..."
Kinoshita Mai kept repeating "it's just", her voice getting lower and lower, and her head gradually became lower along with it.
At this time, the general manager took over the conversation:
"Mr. Ju, if you want to defeat the Fa Zhu Clan, there should be other options. Is it really necessary to take over such a...such a dangerous position?"
Sanako followed closely:
"Mr. Ju, those radical-thinking people who respect the king and fight against the foreigners have always put you on the 'List of Heavenly Execution'."
"Today's Kyoto has long become the largest 'nest' for those who respect the king and fight against the barbarians, except for the Choshu clan."
"When you arrive in Kyoto, you will definitely be assassinated by them."
"It's easy to hide from an open gun, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow... Even if you are as powerful as you, it is difficult to avoid this wise saying."
The three women explained the same content in different ways of speaking - stay in Edo and don't go to the dangerous Kyoto.
Qingden looked at them silently with a calm smile.
In the next breath, he suddenly stretched out his upper body and opened his arms, just like a mother bird spreading her wings to protect her chicks, and took all three women into his arms.
The sudden embrace caused the three girls to scream in surprise.
Qingdeng almost couldn't breathe.
He took several deep breaths before finally adjusting his breath.
"Thank you."
"I have received your concern; I understand what you mean."
"But I have made up my mind."
As he spoke, Qingdeng slightly tightened his arms around the three women, with a solemn look on his face.
"The Fa Zhu Party is a huge group."
"They have a strict and hierarchical organization; an accurate and efficient intelligence network; immeasurable human and material resources; and outstanding talents."
"No matter how powerful I am, no matter how superb my swordsmanship is, I only have one head, two hands, and two legs."
"I alone am destined to be unable to compete with such a behemoth."
"So... I also need to have my own strict organization! Have my own intelligence network! Have my own resources! Have my own troops!"
"This trip to Luo is both my 'crisis' and my 'opportunity'."
"Dashugong gave me the greatest degree of autonomy, allowing me to free my hands and feet to work hard."
“If we don’t fight now, when will we wait?”
"No matter what, I don't want to sit in Edo anymore and wait for the madmen from the Punishment Party to come knocking on my door."
"This time...it's my turn to take the initiative!"
Speaking of this, Qingden paused for a moment, then changed into a half-joking and relaxed tone:
"Besides, this is also a great opportunity for me to marry you."
"When I have guns and cannons under my command, and thousands or even tens of thousands of troops, I wonder who will dare to make irresponsible remarks about our marriage."
Listening to Qingdeng's words, the three women all had amused and gentle expressions on their faces.
Three small hands climbed up Qingdeng's back and hugged him.
Then……
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three small hands suddenly clenched into fists and punched Qingdeng's waist indiscriminately!
"Ahem!"
Qingden screamed in pain as pain and numbness spread along his back and throughout his body. While letting go of the three women, he lay down softly on his side.
At the same time, they stood up slowly and expressionlessly, looking down at Qingdeng who fell to the ground. Three beautiful figures, one tall and two short, were pressing on him like a mountain.
"Why, why did you hit me...?"
Qingdeng timidly raised his gaze and cast a weak and pitiful look at the three women in front of him.
"nothing."
Sanako said calmly.
"I just felt inexplicably unhappy when I heard you say 'our marriage' and other words."
Qingdeng was dumbfounded and said:
"Didn't you already agree that you would give me a chance to marry you?"
One year and eight months ago, Qingdeng, a ward of Ren Medical Center, was almost killed on the hospital bed by the out-of-control parents after he spoke frankly to his three daughters and their parents at that time and place.
Thanks to the mediation of the General Secretary, Qingteng finally reached an agreement with everyone: Qingteng's "lovemaking" behavior will not be investigated for the time being, and Qingteng will be given a chance to prove that he has "the parents who impress the three daughters."
The ability to "even if you marry three women, you can still bring them happiness".
As for how long this "investigation period" will be, it has not been determined.
Kinoshita Mai nodded lightly:
"We do have such an agreement, but don't make it sound like we have agreed to marry you together."
The director-general put his hands on his hips and nodded vigorously:
"That's right! That punch just now was just a little reminder to you - don't get carried away. If you think you can definitely marry us, you might lose us instead."
Sanako added:
"Ji Jun, don't think that you can't survive if we leave."
At this time, Kinoshita Mai lowered her head, played with her fingertips, and whispered coyly:
"Well... that's not what I said..."
Director-General: "..."
Sanako: "..."
The two of them showed speechless expressions at the same time, turned their heads to the side, and looked at Mai Kinoshita with "Uh, aren't you?"
Under the intense glare of these two sharp gazes, Kinoshita Mai's face turned red with embarrassment.
In order to save face, she hurriedly said:
"No, no, no, that's right! Qingdeng, don't think you can't survive if we leave! Also, don't hug me suddenly! It's very, very scary!"
Qingdeng slowly sat up again while rubbing his still aching back.
Looking at the fierce but rejuvenated three women, his cheeks relaxed involuntarily.
The corners of his mouth also relaxed.
After a moment, a happy smile appeared on his cheek.
In this way, he smiled and enjoyed this noisy but extremely relaxing time.
…
…
Just when the three women unanimously "denounced" Qingdeng——
Trial Guard Hall, Isamu Kondo's room——
Kondo Isamu sat cross-legged by the window, looking up at the night sky outside the window... Correction. It seems inappropriate to say "he was looking at the night sky".
To be more precise, he seemed to be looking up at the night sky, staring blankly at something in front of him, or he was looking at nothing at all.
His whole mind was immersed in a torrent of thoughts.
After a while, he murmured to the air:
"Kyoto...?"
…
…
Wenjiu three years (1863), January 3——
Asakusa - a prosperous area centered on Sensoji Temple.
The bustling Yoshiwara is located in Senshu Village behind Sensoji Temple.
In addition, it is known as the Edo Three Theaters...that is, the three most famous and powerful kabuki theaters in Edo: "Ichimuraza", "Nakamuraza", and "Moritaza", all of which are located in Saruwaka in Asakusa.
Town.
There are both "Peach Color Theme Park" and "Drama Theme Park". With the blessing of this unique location advantage, Asakusa is known as the "Happy Place" by Edo people and is the unshakable "Japan's No. 1 Bustling Street"
”.
Even now that the pilgrimage handover system has been overhauled and the flow of people in and out of Edo has dropped sharply, Asakusa is still extremely lively.
Even on weekdays, Asakusa's prosperity is so dazzling and eye-catching, let alone today.
Today is the day when the Zhenfu Army officially starts recruiting troops, and the recruiting location is in Asakusa.
As for how to describe the flow of people in Asakusa today... just using idioms such as "crowded" and "water-filled" to describe it seems too unrealistic and inappropriate.
"My dear...this number of people is too exaggerated..."
The General Secretary used his palms as a canopy and placed it on his brow bone. He stood on tiptoes and looked at the flow of people in front of him.
Since the beginning of winter, sunny days have been quite rare.
Under the gray clouds unique to winter, the streets of Asakusa are covered with a layer of chaotic colors.
Black, flesh-colored, red, green, cyan...all colors are available.
The true identities of these "colors" are real people.
There are both men and women, old and young. You can see not only senior warriors with swords on their waists and well-dressed clothes, but also common people with shabby clothes and sallow complexions.
To use a vivid but inelegant metaphor... the streets of Asakusa at this time looked like ditches full of debris.
The "water flow" flows forward slowly.
The "clutter" floating on the water...that is, people moving slowly along the current.
Such a terrifying flow of people made the director secretly speechless.
"Are these people all here to sign up to join the Suppressing Army?"
Toshizo Hijikata, who crossed his arms and walked side by side with Souji, shook his head:
"Of course not. A considerable number of people obviously come here to join in the fun."
Everyone from the Trial Guard Hall, led by Isamu Kondo, the general manager, came to join in the fun today.
They all wanted to come and see how bustling the "Zhenfu Army Recruitment Site" would be and what method Qingdeng would use to select soldiers.
Also coming to join in the fun today were the Chiba brother and sister and the old and young duo from Chishiya.
Although the three groups of people are not in the same place, they are heading in the same direction.
In this crowded environment, even walking around was extremely strenuous, let alone running.
The way the crowd moves is not to walk, but to squeeze - whenever there is an empty space in front of them, they immediately squeeze through.
January is a holiday month for Edo Minami.
However, due to a serious shortage of manpower, all the co-workers were temporarily pulled over to work overtime due to the "three rounds" of Nanfan Institute.
The government mobilized a large number of police forces including the "Three Chapters" of the Enforcement Office and its own division to finally maintain public order in Asakusa.
Thanks to this, although Asakusa is noisy, it is generally peaceful, and there have been no serious incidents such as stampedes.
In this way, after repeated pushing and squeezing, Souji and others finally arrived at their destination - the open space in front of Sensoji Temple.
I saw a temporary and simple high platform standing in the center of the spacious open space.
This is the recruitment meeting place for the Fu army in Gyeonggi Town.
As they approached the venue, the crowd split into two parts.
Those who sign up to join the army should go to the east side of the high platform.
People who came to watch the excitement moved to the west and south of the high platform.
The north side of the high platform is open and no other people are allowed to approach - after a while, Qingdeng will come from this direction.
In order to prevent outsiders from approaching, dozens of heavily armed fire thieves and warriors formed a tight human wall shoulder to shoulder, isolating the crowd from the outside, and created a strange path between the high platform and the crowd.
Nearby "vacuum zone".
The samurai responsible for leading this team is none other than Aoto's old friend, the Fire Tiger Mizushima Rensaburo.
After experiencing the previous series of changes, Huo Fu Thief Kai's vitality has been seriously damaged.
My grandson Chutaro, the captain of the first division, and Chusuke Kanazawa, the captain of the second division, died.
The captain of the third division, Tachibana Aoto, moved to the right.
Kimura Suma, the captain of the fifth division, and Genzo Hosaka, the captain of the sixth division, were executed.
There are 5 fewer captains out of the 8, and they are basically all powerful people.
Mizushima Rensaburo became the strongest member of the Fire Thieves Kai in this way.
Although new people have been selected to fill the vacancy of the captain, as the saying goes, "A thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find." The abilities of these new people cannot be compared with Qingdeng, my grandson and others.
In the short term, Huo Fu Thief Gai will not even think about returning to its past glory - although it has no "glory" in the past.
For a long time, various departments of the shogunate and various armies, including the Huofu Thief Kai, have been constantly repeating the process of "decline, decline, and decline again".
…
…
Time passes.
Just when the clock of time in the distance struck five bells (five o'clock in the morning, that is, 8 a.m.), the man who created today's grand occasion finally appeared to everyone's expectation.
"Moo moo~~"
Qingdeng was seen wearing a kendo uniform, riding a carrot, and without any entourage, he walked slowly from the north to the bottom of the high platform, and then slowly stepped onto the stage under the glare of countless eyes.
Obviously he didn't do anything, he just appeared in everyone's sight, but the scene was already boiling.
"Ohhhhhhhhhh!"
"Tachibana-sama!"
"Lord Niou!"
…
Thunderous cheers.
The shouts and shouts are endless.
Even the members of the Trial Guard Hall who were familiar with Qingden, the Chiba brother and sister, and the young and old duo of Chishiwu couldn't help but be alarmed by the majestic heat that permeated the surroundings.
"Is this the influence of Niou..."
Kondo Isamu murmured to himself.
Hijikata Toshizo shrugged and said with a smile:
"What do you think? Don't underestimate the importance of a good official who can do practical things in the hearts of the people. Asheng, I dare to bet you - at least half of the people here come here because they admire Ju."
…
…
Qingdeng stood in the center of the high platform, looked around the platform, and then stretched out his hand to press down a few times in mid-air.
Seeing this, the crowd became silent.
After a while, the noisy venue fell silent, and you could hear a needle drop.
"I believe you all know why I am here today."
After the reinforcement of "Cloud-Splitting Stone +1" and "Orioles' Cry", Qingdeng's loud and clear voice clearly spread to every corner of the venue.
"Time is precious, so I won't waste any more nonsense."
"This selection is to select brave warriors."
"Therefore, the assessment method is very simple - play against me! Show your strength! As long as your strength can be recognized by me, you can join the team!"
As soon as Qingdeng finished speaking, the venue...especially the eastern venue where the applicants were waiting, suddenly went into an uproar.
Those who are confident in their abilities either look normal or look happy.
As for those who were mediocre in strength, or even those who had never learned martial arts at all, they had anxious expressions on their faces.
In addition to having mixed feelings about the simple and crude selection method, the public also marveled at Qingdeng's "dedication".
There are at least thousands of applicants gathered here!
Qingdeng wants to fight these thousands of people one by one?
Even if he doesn't mind the trouble, it will tire him to death, right?
Qingdeng had already expected such a reaction from everyone, so he was not impatient and added calmly:
"Martial arts level is not the only criterion for assessment. If you have outstanding physical fitness, I will make an exception and admit people. Even those who have never learned martial arts don't have to worry about not having a chance to pass the selection."
As soon as these words came out, the faces of those who were originally looking sad immediately looked much better.
I don't want to waste any more time, I just want to start recruiting talents quickly... Ah, no, I want to start the selection quickly. Qing Deng lowered his head and glanced at a young official below the high platform.
The officer nodded understandingly, then turned around, facing the east side of the venue, picked up the book as thick as a brick in his hand, and opened the first page.
"Inutaro! Inutaro of Ino Village!"
This officer was specially selected by Qingdeng to give his name because his voice was loud enough.
As soon as his words came out, a man with a simple and honest appearance immediately raised his arms.
"I, I am Inutaro!"
"Pick your weapons! Get on stage!"
As he spoke, the officer nuzzled towards the weapons rack placed under the high platform.
On the weapon rack, there are bamboo swords, bamboo Kodachi, bamboo Odachi, wooden spears, wooden naginata, scythes... all the melee weapons commonly used by Japanese samurai.
"Yes, yes!"
Inutaro hurriedly pushed through the crowd and rushed to the weapon rack. After scanning the weapon rack several times in a panic, he casually pulled out a bamboo sword.
When he climbed onto the high platform and faced off against Qing Deng, he immediately aroused a lot of discussion.
Wearing a coarse cloth that was faded with sweat, without a knife on his waist, and with skin as dark as coal, he could easily be identified as a farmer.
The first applicant to take the stage was actually a farmer... This was really beyond everyone's expectation.
Perhaps because of his nervousness, Inutarou's limbs were trembling all the time, and even the bamboo sword in his palm was trembling like the swordsmanship of Beichen's Itto-ryu.
Qingdeng picked up the bamboo sword that was given to him just now and took a mid-level stance.
"Inutaro, attack here!"
"Lord Nioh, I, I have never practiced martial arts..."
"It doesn't matter, just attack. If you haven't practiced martial arts, just show me your strength and courage. To put it bluntly, the so-called fighting is nothing more than 'one courage, two strength and three kung fu'."
Hearing Aoto say this, Inutaro's nervousness disappeared a lot.
After taking several deep breaths, he raised the bamboo sword above his head.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Accompanied by a strange sound of energy coming together, Inutarou quickly ran to Aoto and slashed with his sword.
Qingdeng raised his sword to defend.
The bamboo swords collided in the air, and a "ka-ka" sound was heard immediately.
Inutaro wasn't lying or being modest, he had never studied martial arts.
The footwork is a mess.
There are basically no skills.
He only knows how to use the "New Year Sword Technique", which is to repeatedly lift the bamboo sword and then chop it down.
However, his strength is really not small.
The "whooshing" sound of the wind is surprising.
Qingdeng continued his move while counting the time in his mind.
——8…9…10…11…12…13…
To be on the safe side, he even added 3 seconds.
When the 13 seconds passed, Aoto flexibly flipped his wrists - blocking and picking - and in just these two moves, Inutaro's bamboo sword was swept away.
Immediately afterwards, Qingdeng listened intently... There was no system sound in his mind.
Qingden has long been used to such things, so he is not surprised.
While disengaging from the fighting stance, he smiled at Inutaro and said:
"Good strength, you passed the test! Go over there and fill in your personal information!"
Inutaro was stunned on the spot.
After a while, he finally realized that he was ecstatic.
"Yes, yes!"
Inutaro's passing was like thunder on the ground.
Suddenly, exclamations arose from everywhere.
Immediately afterwards, a pair of eyes flashed with excitement and excitement.
It turns out that what was written in the tabloid before was all true! What Nioh said was also true!
Regardless of origin or age, those who can do it will do it!
As long as you have outstanding strength or a strong physique, you can pass the assessment!
Suddenly, the morale of the applicants was greatly boosted, and they were all gearing up, hoping that they would be the next person named.
"Next! Mantaro Taniguchi!"
"exist!"
A young samurai with two swords at his waist, gorgeous clothes and neatly combed Tsukiyo hair, strode out.
He pulled out a bamboo sword from the weapon rack, and after ascending to the high platform, he assumed an ordinary mid-section posture.
"Katori Shinto style"
"Taniguchi Mantaro!"
"Please advise!"
Qingdeng holds his sword in front.
"bring it on."
Mantaro Taniguchi howled, waving his bamboo sword like a wheel.
A scene very similar to the one before happened again.
Aoto was able to neutralize Mantaro Taniguchi's offensive with ease.
More than ten seconds later, he knocked away the opponent's bamboo sword with one blow.
There is no system sound again.
"You are not qualified, go down."
"What?!"
Mantaro Taniguchi's eyes widened with disbelief on his face.
"Impossible! How could I fail?!"
After saying that, he put on an indignant expression that said, "You must have made a mistake."
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