I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 891 Sanako and Ama start having children! [4300]

The next day after bidding farewell to Tensho-in and leaving Tsukimiya Shrine, Qing Deng set out on the journey back to Otsu, watched by Kondo Shusuke and others.

This time, Qing Deng's team was much larger - there were Chiba Sadakichi, Sanako's mother, and Chiba Shigetaro traveling with them.

Sanako was about to give birth, and Chiba Sadakichi and others were planning to go to Otsu to take care of her.

Since Qing Deng was going back, they decided to go together so that they could take care of each other.

As for the Xiao Chiba Sword Hall, it will be temporarily handed over to Chiba Tamon Shiro to manage.

……

……

West of Edo, somewhere on Tokaido Street—

"Moo~moo~moo~"

Radish wagged its tail and walked forward leisurely.

Qing Deng, who was sitting on it, turned his head from time to time to look at the Edo Castle behind him which was getting farther and farther away.

This trip back to Edo was very fruitful.

The Western Expedition was successfully negotiated.

The recasting of Vairocana is just around the corner.

At the same time... a very important agreement was made with Tianzhangyuan.

Whenever he thought of the red face he saw yesterday, and whenever he recalled the words he heard yesterday, Qing Deng couldn't help but tighten the reins in his hands, with high morale emerging in his eyes.

To be honest, until yesterday, the "Changzhou Expedition" was just an ordinary battle for Qingdeng.

Compared with previous battles, the enemy this time is just stronger and larger in scale.

However, after meeting with Tenshoin yesterday, Qing Deng's opinion on the "Choshu Expedition" has changed.

For him, this battle took on a whole new meaning.

It is no exaggeration to say that Qing Deng has never been as motivated as he is now regarding the upcoming war!
Although it may sound bellicosity to say this, he was eager to start the battle right away, and then defeat Changzhou with overwhelming force! Achieving an unquestionable victory!

At that time... he will rush to Edo as promised and pick up Tenshoin to take to Otsu.

Honestly, it's pretty risky.

A minister marries the queen mother...If this matter were to get out, God knows what consequences it would cause.

However, at this point, neither he nor Tianzhangyuan intends to retreat or escape.

Tianzhangyuan's bold move yesterday completely punctured the window paper between them.

Today, even if Qing Deng tried his best, he could no longer deceive himself and say "I have no interest in Tianzhangyuan".

Therefore, he had prepared himself to introduce Tenshoin to Sanako and the others, and then be criticized, scolded, and even beaten...

It's just marrying the current Queen Mother, and increasing the number of wives from 3 to 4. Sanako and the others shouldn't have too strong a reaction...right?

In short, for the next period of time, I will first talk to them and let them prepare themselves mentally...

……

……

Only ten days passed from the trip to Edo to the return to Otsu.

The number of days was not too many and the time taken was completely within Qingdeng's expectations.

However... he never expected that after just 10 days of absence, when he came back, Hijikata Toshizo actually gave him a big job...!
……

……

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Judi——

"Sai San, what's with your attire?"

Qing Deng's mouth twitched slightly. While asking the question loudly, he moved his eyes around, carefully looking up and down at Hijikata Toshizo in front of him.

Hijikata Toshizo chuckled complacently:
"Ju, how is it? My outfit looks good, right?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and smoothed his hair.

At this time, Hijikata Toshizo...had really changed his appearance.

He was not wearing Japanese clothing such as haori, kimono, or tabi. Instead, he was wearing a black suit, a knee-length black coat, big black leather boots, and a very stylish white silk scarf around his neck.

Of course, compared to his clothing, the change in his hairstyle is more shocking.

He cut his hair, which was so short that it reached his ears and was no longer long enough to tie it into a bun.

So he combed all his hair back into a neat slicked-back style.

At first glance, he looks like a Western gentleman.

Apart from his oriental face and the Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada belt still worn around his waist, there was no trace of Japanese elements on his body.

Qing Deng looked him up and down for a while before speaking in an appreciative tone:
"Well... your outfit is really nice."

"Especially this coat, it's very stylish."

Hijikata Toshizo heard this, raised his eyebrows and smiled:

"Oh! Ju, you really understand!"

"You and I are of the same mind. I think this coat is very stylish, too."

As he spoke, he fiddled with the hem of his coat, making a rustling sound.

"Let me tell you, there is a little thing called a 'buton' (the English transliteration of "button") on the pants. As long as you unbutton this 'buton', you can take out your thing and pee."

As he spoke, he directly showed the button on his trousers and enthusiastically introduced the details of the suit to Qing Deng.

To others, his outfit might seem rare.

Qing Deng was not surprised by this, after all, he had seen it in his previous life.

To be honest, Hijikata Toshizo's uniform is really handsome.

A well-cut black suit; big black leather boots that make clanging sounds when stepping on the ground; an exceptionally cool black long coat...all of them are great tools for looking handsome and very much in line with Qingdeng's aesthetic!

After looking at the other person for a few more times, Qing Deng asked:

"Sui San, what are you doing?"

He said this with a helpless look on his face and sighed.

“Why do you need to change your clothes and hairstyle?”

"Do you know that your 'haircut' behavior has caused dissatisfaction among many people?"

Qingdeng has always advocated openness and innovation and resisted stubbornness and conservatism.

While shouting slogans, he did not forget to take practical actions, such as introducing sharp guns and artillery from the West and advanced knowledge from overseas.

Therefore, under his leadership, Shinsen became one of the most open organizations in Japan.
Of course, its "openness" is just like making the tallest among the short ones.

How could the conservative thinking that has lasted for thousands of years undergo a fundamental change just because of Qingdeng's calls and actions?

Even today, there are still many people in the Shinsengumi who view Western things as a scourge.

It was only because they were afraid of Qing Deng's prestige that they behaved very well on weekdays and did not dare to show their heads and make trouble.

Wearing Western-style uniforms like Hijikata Toshizo was basically dancing in the minefield of these conservatives.

If it was just changing clothes, that would be fine.

But if even the hair is cut, this is a serious problem.

In the Edo period, the bun on the samurai's head was seen as a symbol of status.

People generally believe that once the hair is cut off, it is equivalent to having the head chopped off, which is a great shame and humiliation!
Before anyone could protect their hair, Hijikata Toshizo cut it off...

It is no wonder that conservatives have condemned Hijikata Toshizo's rebellious behavior.

Facing Qing Deng's question, Hijikata Toshizo smiled calmly:
"It's actually nothing."

"I just happened to meet a Western clothing merchant and thought this suit was great, so I bought it on a whim."

"When I was trying it on, I felt that the bun on my head didn't match the dress, so I just cut it off."

"That's fine. I've been annoyed by buns for a long time."

"Ju, don't you think your hair is a nuisance?" "It takes a lot of time to take care of it every day. It's so troublesome."

"After cutting this useless bun, I immediately felt refreshed."

"Besides, our Shinsengumi has always aimed to be a 'Western-style army'."

"That hair that gets in the way and those overly loose clothes are not suitable for fighting. They will be eliminated sooner or later."

"In this case, it is better to prepare early."

"I will start with myself, and then gradually promote reforms, abandon these hairstyles and clothes that are out of date, and completely transform the Shinsengumi."

"Ju, why don't you consider it too?"

Hijikata Toshizo smiled and stretched out the index and middle fingers of his right hand, making a "scissors" gesture towards Qing Deng's bun.

After An Jing listened to his explanation, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile bitterly.

I bought this uniform on a whim, and then I cut my hair into a bun on a whim again... Okay, this is very Hijikata Toshizo.

"I'll just give it a miss."

Qing Deng waved his hand and continued:
"If I also cut my hair and change my clothes, I'm afraid it will cause untold disasters."

To be fair, looking at Hijikata Toshizo's outfit and his refreshing hairstyle, Qing Deng was slightly moved.

Loose and comfortable Eastern clothing is beautiful, but Western clothing that can show off your figure is equally handsome.

What can be done...Now he has become one of the symbols of the Edo Shogunate.

Although Hijikata Toshizo was the family elder of the Qinjin domain and the vice-chief of the Shinsengumi, to put it bluntly, his popularity was not high enough and he received far less attention than Aoto.

Therefore, he is certainly much freer, and even if he causes controversy, it will not lead to serious and irreparable consequences.

On the other hand, Qingdeng is not doing well.

His every move is watched by people all over the world.

It is no exaggeration to say that any abnormality in his words or deeds is enough to shock people, and then they rack their brains to do "reading comprehension" and study the true meaning behind it.

The president of the shogunate army cut his hair into a bun and wore a suit... What would people think of this?

Qing Deng dared to conclude that by then, there would definitely be many rumors in the market, such as "'Niou' Tachibana Qing Deng is kowtowed to Westerners" and "the shogunate has completely become a puppet of Western powers".

In short, the Shinsengumi is like this. Hijikata Toshizo only needs to take care of his own affairs, but Aoto, who is in a high position, has a lot of things to consider.

At this time, Hijikata Toshizo seemed to have remembered something and suddenly said:

"Oh, yes, yes, I almost forgot. Ju, take a look at this."

As he spoke, he reached into his bosom, took out a small piece of paper and handed it to Qing Deng.

Qing Deng reached out to take it, took a closer look, and a hint of surprise suddenly appeared between his brows.

"Hey, this is... a photo?"

This small piece of paper is a photo, about 9×6cm in size.

Due to backward technology, today's photos are not only black and white, but also blurry. In terms of clarity, they are not even as good as 360P.

However, even so, Qing Deng still recognized the person in the photo - it was none other than Hijikata Toshizo.

In the photo, Hijikata Toshizo is wearing a neat suit - the same suit he is wearing now - with his right hand naturally placed on his leg, his left hand supporting Izumi-no-kami Kanesada on his waist, sitting on a chair with his arms and legs stretched out, looking straight ahead, looking young and vigorous.

"Sai San, where did you get this photo?"

"While purchasing this suit, I came across a photographer named Kenzo Tamoto."

"It was my first time to come into contact with a camera and photography. This thing is really great. I can lift a big machine and tinker with it for a few times, and then print the picture on paper. It is much clearer than a picture."

"I thought his skills were pretty good, so I invited him over and had him stay in my mansion temporarily, so that I could have him take some photos for us."

After hearing this, Qing Deng was stunned again.

"Photograph?"

"Yes, take a photo! Take you and me for example. We are so close, but we don't even have a photo together. It's a pity, isn't it?"

Hijikata Toshizo paused for a moment, then raised the corners of his mouth slightly and changed his tone to one of persuasion:
"Ms. Chiba and Ms. Kinoshita... Oh, no, I got it wrong again. I always forget that they have changed their names. Ms. Sanako and Ms. Mai are about to give birth."

"When your children are born, you can take this opportunity to take a family photo."

"Anyway, since we don't need this little money, let's take more photos."

"Having these photos in hand will help me keep them as souvenirs in the future."

After listening to this, Qing Deng subconsciously lowered his gaze and looked back at the solo photo of Hijikata Toshizo in his hand.

Photographs are a rare commodity in Japan today.

No matter from which angle you look at it, taking precious photos for yourself, your family and everyone else is undoubtedly a great thing.

So, not long after, he nodded slightly with an expression of appreciation on his face.

"Sui San, your idea is not bad. Okay, let's set the photo shoot date for tomorrow morning."

Hijikata Toshizo smiled slightly and said half-jokingly:
"Then you have to gather everyone together. It would be too boring if they only took pictures with you."

Qingdeng laughed dumbly:

"That's natural. If it's just you and me, what's the point of that?"

He said as he handed the photo back to the other person.

Just at this moment, hurried footsteps were suddenly heard from the direction of the corridor.

As soon as Qing Deng and Hijikata Toshizo heard it, they knew it was Souji's footsteps.

In a moment, Souji opened the door and appeared in front of the two with an anxious look on his face.

Before Qing Deng could ask, she shouted impatiently:

"Aoto, Sanako and Mai are going into labor!"

……

……

Tachibana Residence, Sanako's delivery room——

"Ms. Sanako, please use more force!"

“Mmm…! Mmm…! Mmm…!”

"Yes, that's it, keep pushing!"

"Where's the hot water? Bring some more!"

"Don't just stand there, help Ms. Sanako wipe her sweat!"

"My child... my child... is it out...?"

"I've seen the end! Try harder! The baby will be out soon!"

……

At the same time, in Awu's delivery room——

"Wow... I, I have no strength left..."

"Ms. Wu, don't be discouraged! Now is the critical moment! Come on, hold on to Li Gang and keep pushing!"

"Woooo..."

……

There was a bustle inside and outside the delivery room.

In the Edo period, since childbirth would result in bleeding, people would build a delivery house before giving birth in order to purify the feces and have the mother give birth there.

The most common method of delivery at that time was "sitting delivery", which means the mother held on to a rope hanging from the ceiling (a rope that facilitated the mother to exert force).

At this moment, Sanako and Wu were engaged in a long battle in their respective delivery rooms.

*******
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Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a recommendation ticket! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: Kenzo Tanamoto is a real person. In fact, it was he who took this famous photo of Hijikata Toshizo, so that we can see the true face of this influential person.

If this book is popular enough to be made into a figure, Leopard will definitely make a figure! One "regular clothes style Aoto", one "Shinsengumi uniform style Aoto", and one "suit thug style Aoto", and I'll make a big deal!