The Ancestral Legacy Begins in the Wild West

Chapter 111 The Shogunate is in chaos after the blockade of Kyoto.

In the video, several figures are blurry and it's unclear what they are studying, but the wall behind them can be vaguely seen.

On the wall, sunflowers and chrysanthemums complemented each other, causing Hijikata and Saito to freeze in surprise. They were all too familiar with these patterns. In fact, no Japanese person of this era would be unfamiliar with them.

The chrysanthemum pattern is only used by their so-called Emperor, while the three-leaf hollyhock pattern on the other side is a pattern that has been used by the Tokugawa Shogun, who is now the shogunate.

There is only one place in Kyoto where such large-scale paintings of these two patterns are displayed on the wall.

Nijo Castle, the imperial palace of the Shogun and the Emperor in Kyoto.

It was at this moment that the image on the water in front of Zhang Chang'an gradually disappeared, leaving only ripples.

He reacted calmly, because he knew that after seeing the blurry fragments and the last two patterns, the two people behind him would definitely be able to recognize the location of these people.

However, this was an important location for the Japanese, so Zhang Chang'an remained calm about it.

The main issue is that it involves family genealogy. Even if it's not a temporary palace, he would still have to find a way to go to the Emperor's proper palace.

Zhang Chang'an pondered for a moment, then picked up the basin of water and splashed it forward, extinguishing the herbs in front of the two of them.

Turning around, I saw that Hijikata's face was ashen, and Saito Hajime's face wasn't much better either.

This is likely not only due to the location of these people, but also to what the researchers said earlier.

Their targets were never just these few eccentrics; they said they wanted to target most people in Kyoto.

This was also Zhang Chang'an's biggest concern besides the location: "You've all heard it. These people are very ambitious. This matter is much bigger than you think."

As dawn broke, the fog over the Kamo River had not yet dissipated.

As usual, the boatmen untied their mooring lines, preparing to begin their day's work. A light morning mist floated on the river, and several early-rising egrets stood on the shallows, pecking at the small fish in the water.

The sound of horses' hooves came from afar, extremely dense, sounding like there were dozens of horses.

Through the fog, a group of people galloped from the direction of the Five Bridges. The one in the lead was quite old and looked aggressive, riding at the very front.

Behind him was a whole squad of Shogunate cavalry, more than thirty riders.

The boatmen on the dock were stunned. The man quickly reined in his horse and looked down at them. The firelight illuminated his face, which appeared to be around forty years old, with a short beard and a cold, piercing gaze.

-

"Lord of the Aizu Domain and Governor of Kyoto, Lord Matsudaira Katamori, has arrived!"

The cavalry behind them shouted loudly, and the countless boatmen hurriedly knelt down.

Matsudaira Katamori didn't look at them. He merely raised his chin slightly, and his adjutant behind him unfurled a scroll: "By order of the Shogunate, the Kamo River is closed from this day forward. All ships are to cease navigation, and no departures or ferries are permitted. Violators will be executed."

An uproar erupted on the dock: "Sir! Our family has relied on this river for generations. If we can't sail, how are we supposed to survive?"

"I need to leave the city, sir. My mother is waiting for me to bring medicine back!"

"On what grounds—"

—

Matsudaira Katamori's gaze swept across the crowd, and the voices below immediately quieted down a bit.

But he didn't speak. He simply raised his hand and pointed into the mist behind him.

A figure slowly emerged from the mist.

Riding a tall horse, his heavy armor overlaid with a ceremonial robe, the Kun character pattern fluttering in the wind, he faced the crowd and, without hesitation, drew his sword.

A cold light shone on the mask that covered most of his face, making him look like a ferocious demon general. Bishamonten, the Dragon of Echigo, Uesugi Kenshin.

The murderous aura slowly spread, and naturally no one on the dock dared to speak anymore.

Only Matsudaira Katamori's voice echoed through the mist: "Execute!"

Kyoto Station.

The platform was crowded with passengers waiting to board the train. Some were yawning, some were complaining about the late train, and some were saying their final goodbyes to relatives and friends who were seeing them off.

At that moment, a group of warriors pushed through the crowd and strode toward the ticket gate.

The man at the head of the group was about fifty years old, dressed in a plain jacket and wearing a black hat with a folded tassel on his head. He had a thin face, but exuded an air of authority that came from someone who had long held a high position. Behind him followed more than twenty fully armed warriors, each with two swords at their waist, their steps perfectly synchronized.

"That's—" someone recognized him: "Lord of the Kuwana Domain, Kyoto Shojidai, Lord Matsudaira Sadataka!"

The crowd stirred.

Matsudaira Sadataka ignored the stares and walked straight to the ticket gate. He raised his hand, and the samurai behind him immediately parted, completely surrounding the ticket gate.

"The Shogunate's decree." His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly: "All trains at Kyoto Station, namely—"

From this day forward, only passengers will disembark; no passengers will board. All passengers waiting to travel should leave the station immediately.

"What?!"

"Why should I?!"

"We're going to Osaka, the goods are all loaded."

Hearing the commotion, the crowd immediately erupted in noise and began to surge forward. Matsudaira Sadakane, however, did not retreat. He simply drew his long sword from his waist.

But that wasn't the key point. The main issue was that the countless warriors behind him also drew their katana.

And as the crowd retreated in a flurry, an astonishingly long spear flew past him, disappearing into the crowd with lightning speed.

"Pfft!" The middle-aged man who rushed forward first had his throat pierced, and blood splattered all over the ground.

From the mist at the end of the platform, a colossal figure slowly emerged. A helmet adorned with antlers. A jet-black armor. A massive spear longer than a man. The peerless master of the East, Honda Tadakatsu.

After he withdrew his spear, he stood there motionless, yet he seemed like a mountain pressing down on everyone's chest.

The surging footsteps immediately stopped.

Even if someone had just died in front of them, no one screamed; no one dared to scream.

Someone was sobbing softly. Someone was trembling. Someone's luggage fell to the ground, but they didn't dare to bend down to pick it up.

Matsudaira Sadayasu's voice rang out again at that moment: "Within three quarters of an hour, everyone must leave the station and enter the city. Anyone who disobeys will be treated as a traitor."

No one spoke. The crowd began to silently retreat, retreat, and then turn and flee.

Meanwhile, at Shichijo-guchi in Kyoto, the largest gate of Tokyo Castle, long queues had formed in front of the gate because it was already broad daylight. Caravans, porters, and people visiting relatives were waiting for the gatekeeper to let them through.

The sound of horses' hooves broke the commotion. Behind a pair of mounted warriors, more than twenty foot soldiers, armed with spears, surrounded the city gate.

"The remnants of the Choshu Domain's Ikedaya Rebellion have not yet been eliminated. By order of the Shogunate, all gates of Kyoto are to be closed immediately!" The leading samurai raised the document in his hand. "No carriages or pedestrians are permitted to leave the city!"

And the changes here were the fastest; before the crowd had even fully begun to stir, "Whoosh—Bang!"

A bullet was shot down from the city wall and landed on the leg of the man at the front of the line, turning his leg into a bloody mess.

--------

The man was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

Everyone looked up.

On the city wall, a figure clad in heavy armor, wielding a musket, and sporting the newly completed "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain" banner on his back, coldly observed the crowd as he reloaded his weapon: "Anyone else want to leave the city?"

No one answered Takeda Shingen's question. No one dared to move.

A morning breeze blew, and the banners at the city gate fluttered in the wind. Those who wanted to leave the city could only silently retreat, one after another.

At that moment, Takeda Shingen turned around and said, "That's enough. Turn your troops around and deal with those people!"