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Kyoto, somewhere——

"Oh, dear guests, look quickly! I have the latest Nanban goods here!"

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Be careful not to be hit by this load of goods!"

"The weather in Kyoto is getting more and more outrageous. Summer is still far away, but it's already so hot..."

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These mixed words that reached Ogata's ears were basically all in the Kyoto accent that he was quite familiar with.

At this time, Ogata, who was in a busy city in Kyoto, looked at the lively scenes in front of him, and a smile appeared on Ogata's face.

"It's been such a long time..." Ogata muttered softly.

"Yes." Amachi, who was standing next to Ogata, smiled and nodded, "It's been a long time since we last seen this city..."

When Ogata and Amachi were thinking about revisiting their hometown, Asuki looked at everything around him with bright eyes: "Is this Kyoto... The atmosphere is completely different from other cities... The emperor lives in

Where in Kyoto?"

It was Azuki's first time to come to this ancient capital with a history of hundreds of years. Every sight and thing in the surroundings, as well as the distinctive Kyoto accent that came to his ears, were all particularly novel in Azuki's eyes.

"The emperor should live in the Imperial Palace," A-Machi said casually.

"Where is the imperial residence?" Azhu asked.

"What?" Atachi smiled playfully at Atzuki, "Do you really want to visit the Imperial Palace?"

"That's not true." Azuki shook his head like a rattle, "I just want to see how dilapidated the Imperial Palace is. I have always heard it before - the emperor is miserable, he is just a puppet at the mercy of the shogunate."

"Even the money needed for daily life is provided by the shogunate, which is very miserable. If the shogunate stops providing money to the emperor, the emperor and the others will have to make a living by selling calligraphy and paintings."

"Because the emperor doesn't have much money left in his hands, I heard that the imperial palace is in tatters."

"It's generally true, but some places are exaggerated." Ogata smiled, "Although I haven't seen the Imperial Palace, I heard that the Emperor is not so depressed that even the Imperial Palace is in tatters."

"The emperor is not actually a puppet at the mercy of the shogunate. After all, he is the nominal leader of Japan, and he still has some influence. The shogunate cannot completely ignore the emperor and the court in certain matters.

"

After saying that, Ogata stretched hard.

"Okay, don't stand here stupidly."

Ogata took the lead and walked towards an intersection not far away, while Atachi and Asuki who were walking on his left and right hurriedly followed.

"One...Mashima-sama." Ashuku, who almost called out "Ittosai-sama" in public, quickly changed his words, "Where does your friend live in Kyoto?"

When they first set off for Kyoto, Ogata informed Ashuki that they were going to Kyoto next to find an old friend of his who lived in Kyoto.

"He lives quite far away from here," Ogata said. "He lives in an inconspicuous town in Kyoto."

"Oh! So we have to go find him directly now?" Azhu asked.

"It's not urgent." Ogata said, "Before you go to him, you have to buy some meeting gifts. After all, he is both my friend and my elder. It is really rude to go to see him empty-handed."

After saying that, Ogata turned his head and asked Atachi:

"A-Machi, what do you think is the best gift for him?"

Instead of just thinking about it, it would be better to ask Amachi, who has had the longest friendship with that person.

"Well..." A-Ting pondered for a moment, "As far as I know, he doesn't like those flashy decorations, so I think it's okay to give him something delicious."

"I remember that he seems to like sweets, so let's give him some sweets."

Ogata nodded: "Then buy some sweets."

Ogata stopped a passerby and asked where he could buy high-quality snacks.

After learning that there was a tea house not far away that sold all kinds of famous Kyoto confectionery (a general name for Kyoto's specialty snacks), Okonon led A-machi and Azuki straight to the tea house.

After entering this tea house, Ogami directly asked a takui (the merchant's clerk) who happened to be free inside to ask what types of Kyoto confectionery your store sells.

This teahouse sells many different kinds of Kyoto confectionery. After Ogata selected the sweet Kyoto confectionery among them, Tedai warmly invited Ogata and the others to sit down at a certain table that was still empty.

"Sir! Please wait a moment! We will prepare the Kyoto fruit you requested right away! Do you want some tea?"

Ogata turned his head and cast questioning glances at Atachi and Atzuki.

Both of them nodded, and Ogata happened to be a little thirsty now, so he raised three fingers towards Tedai: "Then let me have three cups of the best tea here."

"Okay!"

Not long after the hand representative left, 3 cups of steaming tea at the perfect temperature were served.

He didn't know how long it would take to make the Kyoto confectionery. In order to pass the boring time, Ogata took a sip of the tea in the cup and looked around.

Teahouses, izakayas, and bathhouses—these three places are the three major social places for people in this era.

Judging from the attendance rate, this tea house is really popular. It is obviously not the time period with the highest passenger flow, but 80% of the seats are still occupied.

The guests were drinking tea and eating Beijing Guozi, while talking nonsense.

Ogata had no intention of eavesdropping on the conversations of the people around him, but the conversation of the guests at the next table was so loud that Ogata couldn't even think about not listening.

"Hey! Did you hear that? His Majesty the Emperor is very angry right now." An old man with freckles on his face shouted.

"So angry? Why?"

"Why else?" Freckles said in a lively tone, "It's not because the 10,000 coalition forces of the shogunate and the Northeastern vassals were defeated by Ogata Ittosai in Ezo."

Ogata's pupils shrank slightly, and then he looked at the guests at the next table following the sound - while turning his eyes away, Ogata raised his hand and lowered the bamboo hat on his head slightly.

Not only was Ogata's attention drawn to the conversation at the table next door, but also the attention of Atachi and Ashuku.

"Ogata Ittosai defeated an army of ten thousand?" A man with a figure as big as a bamboo pole looked shocked, "When did this happen?"

"Don't you know yet? Around the beginning of this year, the shogunate launched a 10,000-strong army to conquer Ezo in the Ezo region, but for some reason, it was attacked by Ogata Ittousai. The 10,000-strong army was defeated by Ogata Ittousai.

They were defeated single-handedly! The shogunate's army killed and wounded more than a thousand people!"

Freckles made a few awkward knife-wielding movements, and then continued:

"Ogata Ittousai should be regarded as an unprecedented and unprecedented great swordsman... He defeated an army of 10,000 men by himself... Even storytellers dare not say that."

"Shit! You're just talking nonsense!" A certain uncle with a pimpled face sneered, "How could Ittosai repel the shogunate's army alone? He had companions at the time! There was a group of cavalry from the Lucia Kingdom standing by.

Help! Moreover, the shogunate did not mobilize an army of 10,000, and the total number of troops participating in that battle was only 5,000!"

"Ah?" Freckles looked at the acne-covered uncle with a displeased expression, "You said what I just said was wrong, are what you said completely correct?"

The uncle with pimples on his face: "It must be more accurate than yours anyway."

These two uncles, one with freckles and another with acne, started a fierce dispute over whose version was more accurate.

At this time, Ogata silently withdrew his gaze and drank tea calmly.

At this time, Teyo happened to be walking towards Ogata carrying a large cardboard box.

"Your Majesty! I kept you waiting for a long time! Come! This is your Kyoto fruit."

"Well, thank you." Ogata put down the empty teacup in his hand and turned to the box of Kyoto confectionery, "Amachi, Azuki, let's go."

Ogata quickly walked out of the tea house while holding on to his extremely low bamboo hat.

As soon as he walked out of the tea house, Azuki hurried to Ogata's side. While looking up at Ogata's face hidden under the bamboo hat, he lowered his voice and said in surprise:

"Really, Mr. Majima, have you...really done such a powerful thing in Ezo Land?"

"It's just a trivial matter not worth mentioning." Ogata smiled calmly.

Since Azuki joined the team, Ogata has never told the child about the feats he had done in Ezo.

Firstly, it is because it is more troublesome to explain.

Secondly, it is because there is no need to waste more time to tell him specifically, after all, one day his feat will spread throughout Japan.

The defeat of the 10,000-strong army - even if the shogunate wanted to block the news, it would only be able to block it for a while, not forever.

If only a few hundred or thousands of troops were defeated, there would still be a way to block the news. However, with the defeat of tens of thousands of troops, it would be impossible to completely block the news.

Ogata had already expected that the world would one day know that his executioner, Ittosai, once again slapped the shogunate on the ear several times, so Ogata did not feel uncomfortable about the scene in the tea house where the uncles were discussing his deeds.

surprise.

After witnessing the scene in the tea house just now, Ogata's only thought was - Kyoto is indeed one of the three major capitals in Japan... the speed of news circulation is much faster than in other cities.

Before this, whether it was from northern Oshu to Owari, or later from Owari to Kyoto, Ogata had not heard anyone discussing his victory over the shogunate's army in any town or village.

Ogata guessed that after a while, the news that he defeated the shogunate army would probably spread to the whole country, centered on the three major cities of Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

Azuki's chin was now in a state that seemed like it would fall down at any moment.

"Zhenzhen, Majima-sama..." Ashuku stammered, "So, you, you, you, did you really do such a thing in Ezochi...!"

"About this matter, I will slowly tell you the causes and consequences later." Ogata continued to maintain a calm smile, "Now let's go find my old friend and senior."

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To be continued...