He changed Tiwat

Smuggling, fast food delivery, creating trouble out of nothing;

Detention, bribery, free departure from port;

Forced requisitioning, obstruction, deception and cover-up!

The nursery rhyme seems to be about something from a novel, but it's obvious who it refers to.

The Kujo family is now in dire straits, both internally and externally. This is the perfect opportunity to overthrow Kujo Takayuki and reform the shogunate.

They certainly wanted to seize this opportunity.

The only concern is the general's attitude—offering advice is risky, of course; if not handled properly, loyal advice might be seen as partisan strife in the court, or even result in losing one's head.

But when he thought that this was a scheme by the Yae no Kami, Okazaki Rikuto decided to believe it unconditionally.

...He had personally witnessed how the Palace Master had placed a "useless" piece more than ten years ago, which just happened to come in handy today.

Okazaki Rikuto raised his cup again and said to Lords Matsukawa and Nagaoka, "This cup is to Lord Taichō and Lord Yae no Miko."

More than ten years ago, the defection of the "Five Thunder Gods" occurred, and the surging undercurrent implicated countless powerful figures. The powerful families involved were all held accountable and demoted. Even the Kamisato family, which was in charge of the society's administration, was implicated for failing to supervise its subordinates.

Before the general issued his final judgment, Yae no Miko, the chief priest of Narukami Taisha, who had never been involved in politics, suddenly defied the prohibition and personally entered the castle tower to speak to the general.

Inazuma's court official system was divided into "two officials and eight departments".

The "Two Officials and Eight Departments" system is similar to Liyue's "Seven Stars and Eight Gates" system, which divides government functions into various departments for separate management. Apart from the Otsui Clan, who are the Imperial Guards directly established by the Shogun and operate independently of the system, all other Shogunate officials are included in this system.

The status of the "Eight Provinces" is similar to that of the "Eight Gates" in Liyue. Each province has a provincial minister, which is equivalent to the head of the department of each of the Eight Gates.

The status of the "Two Officials" is similar to that of the "Seven Stars" in Liyue, consisting of the "Grand Councilor" who oversees the affairs of eight provinces, and the "Divine Official" who holds a transcendent position.

The Grand Councilor is a cabinet minister in the Shogun's inner court, in charge of government affairs. For example, Kujo Takayuki, who holds the rank of Junior Third Rank "Dainagon," is the chief minister of the Inatsuma cabinet and is currently the highest-ranking Grand Councilor in Inatsuma.

The priests in charge of religious ceremonies and rituals are called "Jinji-no-kan" (神祇官). The chief priest of Narukami Taisha Shrine is Yae no Miko (八販子). His official title in the imperial court is "Jinji-no-kan" (神祇莊), which means he is the head of all the priests in Inazuma.

Because Inazuma is the "eternal kingdom" and Raigin is the "eternal god" or "god of the eternal world," the god is also called "Taichangqing" or "Changshiqing," meaning a servant who serves the "god of the eternal world."

In the past, the previous head of Narukami Taisha, the "Taijō-kyō" (Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices) and "Seisho Betō" (Sect Master of the State Office), was also one of the Taijōkan (officials in charge of state affairs) and could participate in the deliberation of state affairs. However, when the head of Narukami Taisha passed away, the princess Yae was still young, and it was already difficult for her to serve as the head of Narukami Taisha. Therefore, the position of "Seisho Betō" was not taken over by the princess, but was instead taken over by the deputy head of the state office, Matsukawa Kazue.

Thus, Yae no Miko stayed away from the Inazuma political arena for four hundred years, devoting herself to serving the gods at Narukami Taisha Shrine, and the Shinto priests no longer participated in political affairs.

...At least that's how it appears on the surface.

In fact, according to what Okazaki Rikuto heard from Yae no Miko herself, the Shogun deliberately wanted to "squeeze" her out of the castle tower. As for why the Shogun wanted to "squeeze" his own family member, Miko didn't say, and Rikuto didn't dare to ask.

In short, what Lu Dou knew was that Yae Miyaji had saved the Kamisato family during a time of great turmoil.

At that time, almost all the civil officials in the court, including himself, followed the chief of the palace in petitioning the general for mercy and to protect the Shenli family.

This is by no means a coincidence.

Thus, although the Kamisato family suffered a great loss of strength, they were ultimately spared the danger of being deposed as magistrates.

In the years that followed, there was much speculation about Yaeguchi's actions:

One theory suggests that the shrine's administrators have close ties with Narukami Taisha, and that this trip was to cultivate loyal representatives.

However, Narukami Taisha is a separate entity, and the chief priest has never shown any intention of getting involved in politics. Helping the shrine's administrators, where the benefits outweigh the costs, may not be a wise move.

One theory is that the chief priest suspects something is amiss, and now that many are implicated, if the shrine administrator encounters further complications, it could destabilize the situation in Inazuma.

This statement seems reasonable at first glance, but it doesn't hold water upon closer examination. It should be understood that the rise and fall of powerful families is just a common occurrence in human life; even if the Kamisato family loses power, a new head will always emerge.

Another account states that after the initial turmoil subsided, the Divine Child had a secret meeting with the then head of the Kamisato family.

—But the elderly and seriously injured head of the Kamisato family is like a candle flickering in the wind; what ability does he have to influence the overall situation?

Thus, all the speculations circulating in the public have come to nothing.

There are no answers to what the divine child thinks or does.

What people don't know is that the instructions given by the divine child that day were left in the Shinri Palace like family rules.

"The Shinri family survived this incident thanks to the general's leniency. From now on, never forget the general's kindness."

This statement became the seed of cause and effect, foreshadowing the future position of the society.

—If a storm were to descend upon Inazuma someday, even if the other two schools were to clash head-on, the school's Shinri family must remember the grace and uphold the eternal way of the "shogun."

On the chessboard, the priest made a move he could not regret.

From then on, the Society became the most steadfast guardian of the "Eternal Kingdom".

Two days ago, Ayato Kamisato came to inform him that "the time has come," meaning that the "idle" that the chief priest had been doing for over a decade was now in effect.

And Shima Masaoki is also such a "leisurely person".

The one who truly deserves the title "The talent of Sakon is unknown to the world, but I alone know it first" is not Okazaki Rikuto, but Yae no Miko.

When the court priest recommended Sakon to Rikuto, he had already confidently told him that this man would hold a high position among the Okuzawa clan in a dozen years and play an important role in Inazuma's reforms.

Perhaps that Grand Master of Ceremonies truly possessed a pair of discerning eyes that could see through the fate of the world?

After several rounds of drinks, Matsukawa Sōzen pulled out his "Letter of Intent for Rise," which he planned to present to the shogun the next day, and, taking advantage of his drunkenness, loudly recited it:

"I believe that the eternal nation of Inazuma was established under the leadership of His Highness the God of the World, the Supreme Lord of the Temple of the God of the World, the God of the Temple of the World, who united the nation to create and nurture it, ultimately achieving the national system of the Eight Directions under One World."

"This nation, with its supreme dignity and beauty, is now in a time to look out to all nations and seek expansion and progress. However, recently, vicious and unruly people have appeared everywhere. They are blinded by greed and despise the supreme dignity, overstepping their bounds, thus hindering the growth and development of all people, causing them to groan in misery, and thus foreign aggression and internal strife are getting worse day by day."

"The so-called Heavenly Commander and the Imperial Commander are the main culprits who destroyed this nation. The two commanders colluded with the Winter Fools, working together in a wolfish manner, with interests intertwined, and resorting to all sorts of schemes. All these crimes are heinous and cannot be described even with bloodshed and indignation. The Uprising of the Sea God and the Liyue proclamation are the most prominent examples."

“It is pitiful that our loyal and brave soldiers of the Shogunate sacrificed their lives, their blood splattering everywhere, yet they still show no remorse or reflection, continuing to abuse their power and live in complacency. At this critical moment of internal and external crisis, if we do not punish these unjust ministers who undermine the national dignity and eliminate the treacherous villains who obscure the majesty of the Emperor, then the majesty of the Emperor will be completely lost.”

"We comrades share weal and woe, rise up together, punish the traitors and uphold justice, and are willing to sacrifice our lives to defend and glorify our nation, dedicating ourselves to the cause of our beloved country!"

The stirring voices echoed through the "Utopia Pavilion".

Hideaki Nagaoka, slightly tipsy, nodded repeatedly. Even Masahiro Shima was moved by the stirring and tragic song and couldn't help but softly recite it along.

Meanwhile, Okazaki Rikuto silently gazed in the direction of the castle tower, wondering whether tomorrow would see the blood of the unrighteous traitors spilled, or the blood and brains of the loyal and righteous men.

Chapter 183 With swords at our waists, we will purge the land of the wicked and ignorant! [5k]

As the nobles at "Uyu-tei" raised their cups and sang, not too far away at the gate of the town magistrate's office, a young shogunate officer was pleading with the gatekeeper, hoping that his colleagues would give him a chance to meet Lord Takatsukasa.

But no matter how much he pleaded, the officials behind the door pretended not to hear him.

The most senior officer in the magistrate's office, Yoriichi Owada, couldn't bear to hear the cries of anguish outside the door. He quietly instructed the gatekeeper, Tongxin, to open the door a crack—just a crack, enough for the young officer outside to see his face.

"Kurosawa, give up. Lord Takatsukasa won't see you." Owada's voice was full of helplessness.

Kurosawa clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to Owada Yoriki: "Please, Mr. Owada... at least, at least let me in to see you, sir! I know that Lord Takatsukasa is very busy and I would never dare to bother you too much. I only ask to explain the situation and ask you to grant me some time."

Ōwada shook his head: "Don't waste your time. Even if we let you in, you still won't be able to see Lord Takatsukasa."

In fact, Lord Takatsukasa Susumu was never on duty at the magistrate's office. Even the conscription task that was forced upon the officers in the town magistrate's office was announced by Takatsukasa Susumu through his retainers. He himself never came to the magistrate's office.

Perhaps he had already anticipated the reaction this order would provoke from his subordinates, which is why he claimed to be ill and refused to leave his home.

Kurosawa was not the first person to return to the Magistrate's Office to ask Lord Takatsukasa for an extension of time; several others also came to complain, but they were all blocked by Ōwada.

Of course, Ōwada knew that this was an impossible task.

The entire town magistrate's office has a total of fifty officers, and each officer's jurisdiction is assigned a number of conscription slots. On average, each officer has to recruit at least two hundred new soldiers.

...In other words, the Heavenly Commander actually wanted to assemble another army of tens of thousands of people in just a few days.

How absurd!

“Brother Kurosawa, listen to my advice—the law does not punish the masses.” Owada lowered his voice. “It’s not that you alone cannot complete the mission; it’s that everyone cannot complete the mission. It’s impossible for the Commissioner to punish everyone who fails to complete the mission.”

“We’re all in jail now. Who will they recruit soldiers from? And who will protect the homes of the nobles? Don’t overthink it. If they can’t find two or three hundred men, they should at least recruit twenty or thirty. Just do your best. Afterward, we can all apologize to the magistrate. He won’t make things too difficult for us.”

Having served as a subordinate for decades, Ōwada had long since figured out the ways of those superiors at the top.

According to Ōwada's own speculation, Lord Takatsukasa never intended to recruit 10,000 people from the beginning. It was just the same old trick of escalating the problem layer by layer. They were dealing with Takatsukasa Susumu, but wasn't Takatsukasa Susumu dealing with Kujō Takayuki?

Perhaps Kujo Takayuki's order was to recruit 1,000 people, but when Takatsukasa Susumu passed the order on to the town magistrate, it became to recruit 10,000 people.

The town magistrate and his men worked themselves to the bone to gather a thousand or two thousand men to complete the task. Takatsukasa Susumu could exceed the quota and be rewarded by his superiors, and he could also pretend to be magnanimous and not punish his subordinates, making them grateful. Why not?

Furthermore, the fact that Takatsukasa was unable to enter the Magistrate's Office to oversee its work, and that he issued an impossible task, also represented an attitude.

As a veteran and powerful figure, Ōwada knew all too well that the best way to obstruct a policy was to implement it 200%.

Rumors have been circulating in the city lately, with many saying that the person who took the blow from "Wu Xiang" that day was the new Demon God of Liyue. Regardless of whether the young Demon God or the General is stronger, he is certainly not someone that the Heavenly Envoy can handle.

The opposing side raised the banner of "punishing the guilty and rescuing the people," directly targeting the Tenryō Magistrate and the Kanjō Magistrate. Many people speculated that the Kujō and Hiiragi families were doomed. These "chaotic orders" from Takatsukasa Susumu were perhaps a signal of severing ties with the Kujō family.

Of course, this cannot be said outright. He has already done more than enough to give Kurosawa this much guidance today.

"But……"

Kurosawa opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Owada interrupted him directly: "Brother Kurosawa, don't waste time here. Use this time to recruit people. It doesn't matter how many, you still have to deliver."

After saying that, he closed the door a crack.

Kurosawa stood blankly at the entrance of the Magistrate's Office.

He wanted to say that he couldn't even recruit two or three people, let alone twenty or thirty. Due to the suspension of "relief grain," the displaced people in the castle town were already on the verge of rebellion... Forcibly conscripting soldiers would only exacerbate the resentment of the people in the castle town.

However, no one was willing to listen to him.

Yes... In such a large city as Inazuma, there isn't even a single person willing to listen to him properly.

After returning home from the "Meijō-shū-ryū" dojo last night, Kyonosuke Kurosawa couldn't sleep a wink.

Tsuchimon's words, "Don't let your 'benevolence' become a lie," kept Kurosawa tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

What kind of person was I in the past? What exactly was the "benevolence and righteousness" that I once upheld?

After losing his God's Eye, Kurosawa couldn't remember anything from before... Tsuchimon's words didn't resolve his doubts, but only made him more miserable.

It's like having a fishbone stuck in your throat; you can't swallow it or spit it out, yet it constantly reminds you of its presence with its stinging pain.

Have I really done something wrong?

He was just doing his job, so why is everyone criticizing him?

What does the knife his father left him, and the two characters "仁义" (benevolence and righteousness) engraved on its hilt, signify?

He didn't know the answer.

In the end, all he came to was to do his job well.

So this morning he rushed to the town magistrate's office to see his superiors, requesting leniency and also wanting to inform them that the townspeople were restless and hoping they would take note and provide a solution.

But all he got was a cold shoulder.

confused.

Kurosawa was left with only confusion.

What should he do next?

When people are confused, they always hope to have a teacher who can answer their questions.

Kurosawa's bewildered gaze fell upon a dojo not far from the town magistrate's office.

His mentor, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, lived there.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa was the owner of the "Strategy Dojo" in the castle and a famous swordsman in Inazuma Castle.

In the Inazuma tradition, the study of military strategy is called "Great Military Strategy," while martial arts such as Kendo, Kyudo, Spearmanship, and Naginata are called "Small Military Strategy." Military strategy and martial arts are collectively referred to as "Military Strategy."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa served as a military strategy instructor in the shogunate army when he was young. He was a master of both military strategy and martial arts, and the dojo he opened was mainly for the sons of shogunate officials.

This dojo not only teaches swordsmanship, but also military strategies for marching and fighting, hence it is called the "Military Strategy Dojo".

Kurosawa was only able to enter the "Strategy Dojo" to study under Ryunosuke because his father used various connections, including the previous head of the family and the magistrate, to barely get him in.

For Kurosawa, Ryunosuke was the most knowledgeable person in the world he knew, and perhaps Ryunosuke could give him the answer.

But he was unable to meet Ryunosuke-sensei.

The gates of the "Strategy Dojo" were tightly shut; Kurosawa only saw a cold notice on the gate:

Ryunosuke Ryunosuke announces that the "Bingfa Dojo" will be permanently closed starting today.

The so-called "Way of the Sword" is a technique of protection, and should not exist as a weapon for killing brothers.

In recent years, I have witnessed too many tragedies of disciples killing each other. Although I dare not call myself a loving father, my conscience as a teacher has been deeply wounded.

The many sins should cease.

Therefore, the military strategy training center will be permanently closed, and he will never return.

Furthermore, disciples of the "Military Strategy Dojo" are forbidden from serving the Kujō family.