——This is... the Imperial Guards of the Shogunate?

Thinking of this, Qingdeng turned his head and looked at the other people in the room.

Although the others were not as outrageous as the three people who chatted about "where to go after get off work tonight," they still looked more relaxed than the other.

There is no spirit... no excitement or high-spirited spirit.

After some observation, only Shimazaki Kazuo and Tokuyama Shigeru in front of him looked somewhat similar - at least these two people had already worn protective gear. Unlike some people, who moved slowly and often.

Half a day passed before I just put on the cage.

——It’s really outrageous...

The competition was about to begin, but the rest of the group, except for Shigeru Shimazaki and Shigeru Tokuyama, were sitting here talking about romance as if it had nothing to do with them... To be honest, their attitude made Aonto a little disappointed.

.

No, I am very disappointed.

He originally thought that the "Third Division", as a unit that enjoys the best logistical support, has the strictest selection conditions for soldiers, and shoulders the most important responsibilities, the physical and mental condition and overall quality of the generals will be far better than ordinary soldiers.

warrior.

Unexpectedly... there is such a big gap between the "expectation" and the "reality" that is unfolding before our eyes.

Qingden was not looking forward to the upcoming competition anymore - it was hard to imagine that such a distracted and dull-eyed guy could perform brilliantly in the upcoming competition.

"... Mr. Tachibana, what do you think of these guys?"

Suddenly, Shimazaki asked Aonto like this.

Compared with the demeanor when he was chatting with Aoto just now, Shimazaki's tone suddenly became much more solemn.

"What is it like?" Qingdeng pretended not to understand.

"Don't be stupid. You should know what I mean."

"..." Qingdeng remained silent, without saying a word.

It is a taboo in social life to make shallow acquaintances and talk deeply - Qingdeng also understands this.

He, Shimazaki Kazu and Tokuyama Shigeru were strangers to each other. Talking about this kind of topic with strangers like them would only do harm but no good.

So Qingdeng chose to play dumb and remain silent to the end.

However, Aoto didn't say anything - Shimazaki thought to himself and murmured:

"I'm very disappointed in these guys... How do they look like this? If there is a war in the future, how will they protect the general with their moral character..."

After saying this, Shimazaki lowered his head and sighed heavily...a breath called "loss" emanated from his body.

But it only took a moment for Shimazaki to cheer up.

He raised his head suddenly, and the aura of disappointment in his body was suddenly swept away.

"Speaking of 'Yoshiwara'... Mr. Tachibana, have you ever been to Yoshiwara?"

"No." Qingdeng replied without hesitation.

"What a coincidence, I haven't been to Yoshiwara either. I've always wanted to go to Yoshiwara to open my eyes and see what this 'city that never sleeps' looks like, which has fascinated countless Edo men."

"Huh? Go to Yoshiwara to broaden your horizons? What's so difficult about this?" Qingto asked puzzledly, "Yoshiwara is not located in some remote place that is difficult to get to. When you are free one day, just go to Yoshiwara.

Can you see what Yoshihara looks like?"

"Kekeke..."

Shimazaki smiled and said nothing... Suddenly, he changed the topic slightly stiffly:

"Speaking of which - Mr. Ju, you should have met His Highness Tianzhangyuan just now, right?"

"...Why do you ask this?"

Although after the assassination of Naoki Ii, the power of the "Nanki Sect" was seriously shaken, and after the "Ichitsubashi Sect" made a comeback, the status and power of Tenzou-in were severely impacted, but no matter what, Tenzou-in is the great imperial institution.

, is the nominal mother of the current general.

Talking about the rights and wrongs of the "Mother of the Nation" with strangers... This is not a rational behavior.

Therefore, after hearing the name Tianzhangyuan from Shimazaki Kazuichi, Qingto's eyebrows jumped and he was secretly wary.

"nothing."

Shimazaki smiled.

"I just want to have a casual chat with you."

"I heard that when you met with the General at Black Academy just now, His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan was also present."

"So I just want to ask you: What did you think when you met His Highness Tianzhangyuan for the first time?"

After finishing speaking, Shimazaki let out a "huh" and let out a long breath.

There was a hint of reminiscence on the face under the mask.

"My first impression of His Highness Tianzhangyuan was very profound - the first time I saw His Highness Tianzhangyuan, I was really disappointed."

"I used to hear from others how beautiful Her Highness Tianzhangyuan is."

"It's like 'Her Royal Highness Tenjoin is the most beautiful woman in Edo', and 'Sanako Chiba of Okemachi Chiba is a little inferior compared to her'."

"In the end, His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan's true appearance turned out to be so average. I feel like he is not as good-looking as my sister."

"Perhaps Duke Jia Ding dislikes the fact that His Highness Tianzhangyuan is too ugly, so he never has sex with her. Haha~"

Shimazaki laughed unbridled.

After laughing to his heart's content, he seemed to want to say something more——

"...Okay, stop talking."

But Qingdeng interrupted him with a cold tone.

After Shimazaki Kazuo and Tokuyama Shigeru beside him both cast confused glances at Aoto, Aoto said seriously with a very solemn face:

"Although I have only met His Highness Tianzhangyuan once... I personally think His Highness Tianzhangyuan should not be ridiculed like this by others."

"Oh?" Shimazaki tilted his head, "Why do you say that?"

"...His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan has tasted the harshness of the world and the warmth and coldness of the world, but she has not surrendered. She has survived all setbacks with an extremely tenacious will."

"His Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan has always fulfilled his obligations as a great emperor and actively assisted Mr. Dashu to the best of his ability."

"Her character is so admirable."

"A wonderful woman like Her Royal Highness Tianzhangyuan should not be mocked maliciously like this."

The above words of Qingdeng... were not complimentary in any way and were meant to be polite. They were all spoken from the bottom of his heart.

Besides, there is no point in talking good things about Tianzhang Academy to such "third division" warriors.

As one of the most famous celebrities in Edo, Tenjoin's past has been spread far and wide in the city a long time ago.

Tenjoin, who married to Edo as the "Princess of the Satsuma Domain" and married the Edo Shogunate, was not a princess of the Satsuma Domain from the beginning.

The family that rules the Satsuma Domain is the Shimazu clan. Tenjoin was born in a branch of the Shimazu clan in Satsuma: the Izumi clan.

The former lord of the Satsuma Domain: Shimazu Saibin, is a die-hard member of the Hitotsubashi faction.

In order to better support Hitotsubashi Keiki's rise to power and expand the influence of the Hitotsubashi faction within the shogunate, Shimazu Saibin decided to marry with the Edo shogunate.

However, Shimazu Qibin did not have any girls of the right age... So Shimazu Qibin set his sights on the Shimazu family branch, and prepared to accept the adult women from the branch family as his adopted daughters - this is how Tianzhangyuan became

The princess of Satsuma Domain.

Not long after she was adopted as an adopted daughter by Shimazu Saibin, Tenjoin was sent out of her hometown as if she was being driven to a shelf, and traveled thousands of miles to marry Tokugawa Isada, who had medical cerebral palsy and no longer looked like a normal person.

.

Falling a victim of politics... This is just the beginning of Tianzhangyuan's tragedy.

Tokugawa Iedada, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has not only been weak since childhood, but also has a cowardly nature. He hates talking in front of others. Only his wet nurse Utahashi can communicate with him.

When Tianzhangyuan married him, his body and mind had basically reached a state of total collapse.

He locked himself in his room all day long and hardly saw anyone... Tianzhangyuan, who was already known as husband and wife to him, was no exception.

On July 6, the fifth year of Ansei (1858), Tokugawa Iesada died of illness. Tenzouin's short-term marriage with him, which lasted for one year and seven months, came to an end.

According to the regulations of the Edo Shogunate, after a shogun dies, his main wife and side wives must become nuns.

She may not have even met her husband for a few times, and she became a little widow who had to leave her family...

While Tenjoin was marrying away to Edo, her biological father died of illness in Satsuma Domain.

But Tenzouin was unable to return to her hometown to visit her late father... not to mention her parents. From the moment she was selected as "the marriage partner of the Tokugawa family", she never had the chance to return to her hometown.

, no chance to see her former relatives and friends.

She had suffered so many injustices, but she didn't even have an object to vent her resentment on - because the person who caused her to be in this situation today: Shimazu Saibin, died of illness as early as 10 days after Tokugawa Iesada died of illness.

Kagoshima died suddenly.

The setbacks suffered by Tianzhang Institute were not over yet - after Shimazu Saibin died of illness, the new governor of the Shimazu family: Shimazu Tadayoshi, adopted a completely indifferent attitude towards Tianzhang Institute.
To be continued...