I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, lifting a corner of the long, narrow cloth bundle in Kiryu's left hand, revealing what was hidden beneath the white cloth—an ancient sword with a black and purple hilt and sheath...

……

……

"Whirring whirring……"

Qing Deng looked around, his gaze sweeping over Mo Guang's corpse at his feet and the enemy group that had all retreated.

"Did we win...?"

Suddenly, a tingling sensation came from deep within Qingdeng's eyes.

The sudden tingling and numbness made Qingdeng instinctively let out a low cry of pain, and then he raised his hand to cover his eyes.

When Qingdeng opened his eyes again, he found that his vision had returned.

They can no longer "overlook" this land.

And those strange "air currents" can no longer be seen.

He looked up at Komuro and the others, who had gradually recovered and were now cheering for their victory... He could no longer sense their strength from them...

"Orange..."

"Saito...?"

Aoto turned his head and looked at Saito, who was using a knife as a crutch and limping toward him.

"Saito, are you alright?"

Saito shook his head: "They're just minor, insignificant injuries. What about you? Are you hurt?"

Qingdeng smiled slightly: "Just like you. They're all minor, insignificant injuries..."

After saying that, Qingdeng swayed slightly and then slowly fell forward.

Upon seeing this, Saito quickly stepped forward and helped Aoto up.

The battle is over, and the power boost brought by "Lone Wolf" is gradually fading.

And the nerves that had been tense began to relax slowly.

An intense feeling of exhaustion pressed down on Qingdeng like a waterfall cascading from the heavens.

"Saito... I'm sorry..." Aoto smiled and said to Saito in a half-joking tone, "I think I can't stand up very well... Could you help me?"

Saito did not reply.

After nodding firmly, he helped Qingdeng to a spot with less snow nearby.

At this moment, Komuro and the others cheered and hurried towards Aoto, the place that would lead them to victory that night.

This battlefield, which was filled with the deafening shouts of battle not long ago, is now filled only with jubilant cheers and shouts.

……

……

Four days later, at night—

Edo, the Ii family residence—

Inside a room within the Ii family mansion, candlelight flickered.

This is an extremely spacious room.

Even with a tall floor candlestick placed in each of the four corners of the room, the space was not fully illuminated.

The candlelight, flickering gently in the occasional breeze that blew into the room, cast a long shadow of an old man inside.

This is an elderly man who is nearly 50 years old.

His neatly shaved chonmage and short stubble on his chin were a mix of black and white. His face was covered in wrinkles, and faint dark circles hung under his not-so-large eyes. His cheeks, with their dull gray sheen, bore the marks of lack of rest.

However—despite his pale complexion, the old man's eyes were remarkably bright.

His clear, black-and-white eyes radiated an arrogant and determined light, while the faint dark circles under his eyes only accentuated the dazzling brilliance in the middle-aged man's eyes.

The old man leaned against the armrest beside him, looking expressionlessly at a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his early forties kneeling respectfully before him.

"Big Boss."

The middle-aged man, with his head bowed, spoke slowly and deliberately to the tatami mat beneath him.

You look a bit more haggard.

"I heard that you seem to be going to bed very late every night lately. Please take good care of your health."

"The Shogunate... no, this country cannot do without you now."

No sooner had the middle-aged man finished speaking than the old man chuckled softly.

"Ando, ​​don't worry. I'm fine, I'm in good health."

The old man raised his hand and rubbed the dark circles under his eyes.

"The reason I've been staying up late lately is simply because I've been quite busy with work."

"Once I'm not so busy anymore, I'll naturally return to my normal routine."

The middle-aged man addressed the old man as "Big Boss"...

In the world today, there is only one man who can be called a "big boss".

The old man's identity is now obvious—he is none other than the powerful minister who currently holds immense influence in the court: Ii Naosuke!

The man sitting in front of Ii Naosuke, whom Ii Naosuke calls "Ando," is one of the current senior councilors of the shogunate: Ando Nobumasa.

After exchanging brief pleasantries with Nobumasa Ando, ​​Naosuke Ii yawned loudly.

"Alright, Ando, ​​let's get down to business."

"The sooner we finish discussing business, the sooner I can go and rest."

After saying that, Ii Naosuke yawned forcefully again.

"Why did you suddenly come to see me so late at night? Is there something important you want to report to me?"

Upon hearing Ii Naosuke's words, Ando Nobumasa pursed his lips.

After a moment of silence, Nobumasa Ando took a deep breath and then slowly said with a very serious expression:

"...Elder."

"Something has happened at the Mito Domain!"

Upon hearing the name "Mito Domain," Ii Naosuke's eyes flickered slightly, and his gaze, which had been lowered to the tip of his nose, slowly rose to focus on Ando Nobumasa.

"According to intelligence reported by spies infiltrating the Mito Domain, a group of Mito Domain samurai with extremely radical ideas are planning to infiltrate Edo recently."

"They... intend to emulate Ittosai of yesteryear and assassinate you, sir!"

*******

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The terms "大老" and "老中" can be understood as equivalent to the "相国" (Chancellor) and "丞相" (Prime Minister) in the pre-Qin and Han dynasties of my country.

There can be many "Chancellors". But there can only be one "Prime Minister" and the Prime Minister's position and power are far above those of the Chancellors.

Therefore, the Ii Naosuke and Ando Nobumasa at the end of this chapter can be understood as the "Prime Minister" and "Chancellor" discussing state affairs.

Chapter 82 "Tachibana-kun, are you interested in sword-drawing techniques?" [6400]

call……

A cool night breeze seeped into the room through the cracks in the window.

A cool breeze was blowing, and the candlelight flickered.

The flickering light cast dappled shadows on the face of Ii Naosuke, who was resting his right elbow on a brace and supporting his head with his right palm.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat heavy after Nobumasa Ando's words.

No sooner had Ando Nobumasa finished speaking than Ii Naosuke immediately countered with a flat, emotionless tone:

"...Ando, ​​is the intelligence accurate? Have you found out when they plan to carry out the assassination, and who the assassins are?"

"..." Ando Nobumasa nodded solemnly, "Several of our spies planted in the Mito Domain reported the same information at almost the same time."

"The intelligence should be very accurate."

"As for the specific time of the assassination and the assassins... it has not yet been determined."

The room fell silent once more, so silent you could hear a pin drop…

After a short while, Ii Naosuke let out a long breath and then sat up slightly.

"Assassinate me, huh... Heh heh. The day has finally come."

Ando Nobumasa looked up and cast a surprised glance at Ii Naosuke in front of him.

"My lord, judging from your tone... did you anticipate that a retainer from the Mito Domain would come to assassinate you?"

“Heh, I suppose so.” Ii Naosuke sat up a little straighter. “Two years ago, when I accepted the position of ‘Grand Elder,’ I already thought this day would come.”

"My ideas and those of the Mito Domain people have always been irreconcilable."

Ii Naosuke smirked and chuckled before continuing.

"I advocated opening the country and punishing that old scoundrel Tokugawa Nariaki first, and then I ignored the Emperor and forcibly signed the Five Kingdoms Treaty with the barbarians. I have already completely offended the Mito Domain, which has been shouting about 'expelling the barbarians' and 'respecting the Emperor' every day."

"I would be surprised if they didn't take some extreme measures against me."

"...Those people from the Mito Domain...they're a bunch of lunatics!" Ando Nobumasa's face turned ashen, as if recalling some unpleasant memory. "They're always shouting 'Expel the barbarians,' 'Expel the barbarians'..."

"Don't we want to drive all the barbarians out?"

"I dream of driving these barbarians out as soon as possible!"

After saying that, Ando Nobumasa gritted his teeth, clenched his right fist, and punched the tatami mat beneath him hard.

"But if we don't become strong, what will we use to repel the barbarians?"