A person in Japan, a sword that soars to immortality.

Honmaru-dono, Ōhiro-mata.

In the spacious rectangular space, there is a ceiling above you painted with pine and crane patterns, and the seats are tatami mats with edging, which are reserved for high-class nobles.

Taiichi, Matsuki, Aoki, and others sat upright on both sides, with the legendary eleventh Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, in the very center of the head seat.

"Isn't this old man hot wearing so many clothes?"

Looking at Tokugawa Ienari, who was dressed in layers upon layers of clothing, almost wrapping himself up like a ball, and wearing a tasseled crown, Taiichi's expression was serious, but he was actually complaining in his heart.

This outfit, plus everyone kneeling and sitting on the tatami mat...

Well, compared to the one sitting on the dragon throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in his hometown, this atmosphere was completely stress-free for Taiyi.

The only thing he could admire was Tokugawa Ienari's prolific ability to father children. No doubt about it, even today, Shimizu Ken would have to call him "big brother." He was definitely the number one virility king of Edo.

"Please, Taiichi, come forward to pay your respects."

With a loud shout from the young man, Matsudaira Aoki subtly nudged Taiichi, who was staring blankly at Tokugawa Ienari.

Huh? Oh.

"Under the banner of Lord Aoki, I, Yamada Asaemon Taichi, the cavalry commander, pay my respects to the Shogun!" Taichi stepped out from the side, bowed to Tokugawa Ienari, and then, as he looked down at the tatami mats, he couldn't help but purse his lips.

Anyone who is truly outstanding must first engage in work related to horses or have something to do with horses.

For example, Bi Ma Wen (弼马温), Ma Mou Teng (马某腾), Ma Mou Yun (马某云), Musk...

"Yamada Asaemon Taichi, on your way back to Edo, my book, Taitokuin Misaki, contains a lot of information about you. Do you... know your crime?"

Tokugawa Ienari asked slowly and emotionlessly, his eyelids drooping.

"Shogun, if it is considered a crime to uphold the dignity of the shogunate, punish the daimyo who threaten the foundation of the country, and make them donate money to build the Nishinomaru, then Taiichi does not agree. I am more inclined to believe that this is a gift for the Kingdom Festival offered to you."

Tai straightened his back, his eyebrows slightly raised, and his eyes revealed a sharp gaze as he looked at Tokugawa Ienari.

厄！

Upon hearing this, everyone present except for Tokugawa Ienari, who remained expressionless, were stunned and stared at Taiichi with wide eyes in disbelief.

However, among them, the old magistrate of the citadel, Mizuno Tadakuni, had an unfriendly expression, his gaze constantly shifting between Matsudaira Aoki and Taichi.

Meanwhile, Okubo Tadamasa, who had been in charge of preparing for the construction of the Nishinomaru Palace, was beaming with joy.

"Hahaha!"

A hearty laugh rang out, and Tokugawa Ienari, his previous seriousness vanished, looking at Taiichi with admiration and nodding repeatedly. Then he spoke:

"Indeed, since Lord Yasuie established the Tokugawa Shogunate, the land has enjoyed over two hundred years of peace. Some people... have forgotten how the Tokugawa Shogunate was established!"

As soon as Tokugawa Ienari finished speaking, everyone bowed down, except for Tai, who looked at him with a smile.

Taiyi had actually anticipated this situation long ago.

Tokugawa Ienari is planning to retire next year, so he wants to improve his retirement home. However, this seemingly simple task is actually quite difficult to accomplish.

Don't be fooled by his current status as a general; this is not the time when the military power of the shogunate was at its peak, as it was during the reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The shogunate didn't have enough money of its own, so it tried to ask other daimyo for more. However, the other daimyo either complained about being poor or simply ignored it.

The end result is that the West Nomaru main hall is still not finished with renovations.

Okubo Tadashi, who was in charge of this matter, had already written an IOU for the money borrowed from Tokugawa Ienari's father-in-law.

However, the IOU has not yet been sent out, because once this thing appears, it will prove that the shogunate's authority has completely vanished, which would be a significant challenge to the ruling class.

The shogunate's lack of money wasn't just a matter of money; it also meant they couldn't afford to support their troops or supply them with equipment, which naturally made other daimyo even less afraid of them.

If I were to stage a scene where I represent the shogunate and beat up the daimyo, those daimyo who harbored disrespect for the Tokugawa shogunate would immediately curb their disloyalty.

So no matter how you look at it, even if someone was dissatisfied with a samurai with a stipend of 300 koku daring to offend the lord of a domain, Tokugawa Ienari would have to speak up for himself afterward and shut up those dissatisfied people.

"Matsudaira Aoki, Taiichi is your retainer. What do you think is the proper way to reward him?"

Tokugawa Ienari turned his gaze to Matsudaira Aoki and asked.

"Your subject has already made a decision. Having heard that Yamada Asaemon Taichi has obtained the divine sword Futsu-no-Mitama, I hereby appoint him as the First Strike General, with a stipend of 3000 koku!"

Snapped!

After Matsudaira Aoki announced Taiichi's rewards, many ministers in the hall suddenly dropped their scepters to the ground.

In the ancient Sakura Kingdom's army, the Samurai General was the commander of a detachment, and below him were the generals who led various types of troops, such as the Foot Garrison General and the Archer General.

Taiyi's position is the vanguard general, who is in charge of the charge and is also the most powerful fighter in the entire team.

"Matsudaira Aoki has already been rewarded. I might as well add another reward. I think we should grant Taichi the daimyo residence in the Kamiyashiki Ward, where Ikeda Yoshimasa lives," Tokugawa Ieyoshi said calmly.

Okubo Tadamasa, who had just bent down to pick up the scepter, immediately lay down on the ground upon hearing this.

Having said all that needed to be said, the elderly Tokugawa Ienari felt somewhat tired and signaled to the servant beside him to prepare to end the meeting.

But before the waiter could speak, Mizuno Tadakuni stepped forward and said loudly, "General, I have a suggestion."

"Go on," Tokugawa Ienari glanced at the other person, his tone somewhat impatient.

He disliked this old man who repeatedly advised him to be thrifty. If it weren't for the fact that the man was indeed a capable official, he would have replaced him long ago.

"As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. Now that Yamada Asaemon Taichi has returned with unparalleled power, why not take advantage of the National Festival to hold an 'Imperial Examination' to allow Taichi to thoroughly consolidate the shogunate's authority?" Mizuno Tadakuni continued, head bowed, looking at the scepter in his hand.

"If Taiichi is the vanguard general, then the warriors under his command must be fierce men, such as Sakakibara Yasumasa and Honda Tadakatsu, who were the first generals under Lord Ieyasu."

“Select the top ten warriors from all over the world, and then have Taiyi lead them. This vanguard army will strike fear into the hearts of the enemy wherever it goes.”

"If Taiyi feels uncomfortable, he doesn't need to participate in this trial. After the winner is determined, he can be directly recruited into the fold."

Hmm? This show is great!

Tokugawa Ienari's eyes lit up, and for the first time, he looked at Mizuno Tadakuni with admiration. Then he turned to Taiichi and asked:

"Taiyi, what do you think? Do you want to personally compete for the title of the best in the world?"

At this moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on Taiyi.

They were all seasoned veterans of the bureaucracy; anyone could see that this was a scheme devised by Mizuno Tadakuni to frame Taichi because he feared Matsudaira Aoki's growing power and the threat it posed to his position.

Although Taiyi is fierce, there must be other warriors in the world who are no weaker than him.

They were all invited to Edo to compete in front of the shogun, supposedly to select subordinates for Taiichi. But if Taiichi lost the competition, things would get really interesting.

Taiyi will not only lose face, but he will also be stripped of the treatment and status he has received, and may even be ordered to commit seppuku to atone for his sins.

After all, he was known as the Dragon of Northeast China, and some even referred to him as the number one in the world.

Call ~

In the large, spacious room with its doors and windows tightly shut, a gust of air suddenly rose up for no apparent reason, and above the roof, a sound of dragons and tigers roaring together echoed.

At this moment, Taiji straightened his back, his whole body like a divine sword that could cleave the heavens and the earth. The Futsu-no-Mitama, which was being kept by an attendant outside the palace, emitted arcs of electricity, scaring the attendant so much that he collapsed to the ground.

"Of course I'll participate!" Taiyi glanced around, then grinned, his brows furrowing slightly, his gaze as radiant as the sun, and continued:

"Since this is to select subordinates for me, I will naturally decide the method."

After he said that, everyone in the large room changed their expressions slightly, and Tokugawa Ienari was even slightly displeased. But the next second, they all widened their eyes as if they had heard something unbelievable.

Taiyi slowly tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and said:

"There are so many warriors in the world, one-on-one is just too slow."

"Since you are the best in the world, why don't I defend the arena alone, while all the warriors in the world can... attack me together!"

Want to play? Come on, let's play big!

I'm determined to claim the title of the best in the world!