I was a swordsman in ancient Japan

In recent years, the country of Lucia, which has been making small moves, has made the Ezo region between the country of Lucia and the mainland of Japan more and more important in Matsudaira's confidence.

Matsudaira Sadanobu has designated "developing Ezo and turning Ezo into a frontline position against Lucia" as one of the most important "national grand strategies".

Matsudaira Sadanobu has always been a person who likes field investigations, seeing with his own eyes, and seeing for himself.

When the "Ogre Rebellion" broke out in Butterfly Island before, Matsudaira Sadanobu also went to Kii in person to see with his own eyes what the cannibals looked like and how the suppression of Butterfly Island was going.

Now that he has made up his mind to develop Ezodi in the future, Matsudaira Sadanobu also decided to make preparations early, and now he will go to Ezodi for a field trip.

While inspecting the Ezo land on the spot, he also supervised the army's attack on the "Red Moon Fortress" by the way.

Destroying the "Red Moon Fortress" is the first part of Matsudaira Sadanobu's "Ezo Land Development Plan".

If the "Red Moon Fortress" that occupies an important geographical location, has been reluctant to surrender to the shogunate, and is extremely obstructive is not uprooted first, there will be no way to talk about subsequent development plans.

Therefore, Matsudaira Sadanobu also placed high hopes for this attack on the "Red Moon Fortress". Only success is allowed, and failure is not allowed.

Kanjeong 11nd Year, November 30th

Edo, the residence of Jonobu Matsudaira

"Old and middle-aged adults"

Matsudaira Sadanobu's surname Tachibana was at the side of Matsudaira Sadanobu, with a hesitant look on his face.

Tachibana took a deep breath, mustered up her courage, and then continued:

"Ezo is a wild and smoky place, please stay in Edo."

Matsudaira Sadanobu and Tachibana are currently in Matsudaira Sadanobu's study.

At this moment, Matsudaira Sadanobu is choosing the books to read on the way to and from Ezo.

Yesterday, Matsudaira Sadanobu had already set the departure time on December 12 to go to Matsumae by boat.

,

When Tachibana's voice just fell, Matsudaira Sadanobu just took a treasured Analects of Confucius from the bookshelf.

"Tachibana."

With a slight smile, Matsudaira Sadanobu put the Analects of Confucius on the tatami beside him and asked Tachibana.

"Couldn't you be reluctant to part with the prosperous Edo?"

"Of course not!" Tachibana quickly denied, "I'm just worried about your safety, my lord!"

"My lord, if something happens to you, then"

Before Tachibana finished speaking, Matsudaira Sadanobu quickly raised his hand to signal Tachibana not to continue.

"I know, I know. I was just joking with you just now. I know you are worried about me, so you want me to stay in Edo."

"But Ezodi will be our country's future national defense focus."

"The country of Lucia must be a serious problem for our country in the future."

"Therefore, the development of the Ezo land cannot be missed. The attack on the Red Moon Fortress is also not allowed to be missed."

"I've made up my mind. I want to inspect the details of Ezo with my own eyes and supervise the army's attack on the Red Moon Fortress."

"So Tachibana, you don't have to persuade me anymore."

Hearing what Matsudaira Sadanobu said, Tachibana sighed helplessly in his heart.

Something similar happened this spring.

Matsudaira Sadanobu has always been a person who likes to use his own eyes to conduct field inspections, and then make plans based on what he sees and hears.

In the spring of this year, Matsudaira Sadanobu also insisted on going to Kii himself to investigate the details of Butterfly Island and see what the ogre looks like with his own eyes.

At that time, Tachibana also tried his best to persuade Matsudaira to stay in Edo and not to run around.

However, his tongue could not hold Matsudaira Sadanobu's legs.

Tachibana never expected that the same thing and the same scene would happen again this winter.

After quickly packing up the books he wanted to take away, Matsudaira Sadanobu suddenly seemed to remember something, he paused, then turned his head and asked Tachibana:

"By the way, Mashima Goro-kun still hasn't come today?"

Tachibana shook her head.

After receiving Tachibana's reply, Matsudaira Sadanobu frowned slightly:

"It's been more than a month since the end of the trial alliance before the imperial court. It really made me wait a lot."

There are very complicated emotions in the sentence that Matsudaira Sadanobu said.

Even Tachibana, who has followed Matsudaira Sadanobu for many years, could not distinguish the emotions in each of Matsudaira Sadanobu's words just now.

Matsudaira Sadanobu has been waiting for Mashima Goro to come to his door to hand over his answer whether he would like to be his surname.

But the figure of Mashima Goro has not appeared in front of Matsudaira Sadanobu for a long time.

During the period, people were also sent to the Yoshihara Shirobei clubhouse where Mashima Goro worked, but they learned that Mashima Goro no longer worked at the Shirobei clubhouse.

Matsudaira Jonobumoto still held a trace of expectation, hoping that Mashima Goro would appear suddenly, but this expectation has obviously failed.

"Could it be that he forgot?" Tachibana cautiously raised a possibility, "Master Lao Zhong, do you need to send someone to find him?"

"No need." Lao Zhong shook his head, "If he forgets the agreement with me, it means that he doesn't care about the opportunity to be my little surname."

"He probably has no intention of becoming an official."

"Everyone has his own aspirations, just follow him."

After all, Matsudaira Sadanobu sighed lightly.

There was a bit of regret on his face.

After spending a moment to adjust his emotions, Matsudaira Sadanobu asked Tachibana abruptly again:

"Tachibana, what time is it?"

"It's just past eight o'clock."

"It's eight o'clock?" Matsudaira Sadanobu muttered, "It's still early."

Matsudaira Sadanobu slightly lowered his head, as if in deep thought, wondering what he was thinking.

After thinking for a while, Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly said to Tachibana:

"Tachibana, get ready to go out."

"Yes!" Tachibana responded immediately, "My lord, where are you going?"

"Go to Hasegawa Heizo." When Hasegawa Heizo was said, an intriguing smile appeared on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face.

"Hasegawa Heizo?" Tachibana raised his eyebrows in surprise, "My lord, why are you looking for the chief of Huo Fu Thief Kai?"

Although Huofu Thief Gai is disguised as a "security organization", both officials of the shogunate and ordinary people regard Huofu Bandit Gai as an army.

And the chief of Huofu Bandit Gai is an undoubted senior military officer in the shogunate, directly belonging to the old middle school and under the direct jurisdiction of the old middle school.

Tachibana searched the memory in her mind, but did not recall any recent important government affairs related to Huofu Thief Reform.

"Some time ago, I found out that Heizo Hasegawa had done something that I couldn't ignore."

The intriguing color in the smile on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face became more and more intense.

"So I plan to take advantage of the time today, and before I leave Edo, to have a good chat with Hasegawa Heizo about what he has done."

Sumida River: A river that flows through Edo.

Ishikawa Island is a small island in the middle of the Sumida River.

Sumida River was originally just an ordinary river, and Ishikawa Island was originally an ordinary small island formed naturally after being washed by the river on Sumida River.

But since a few years ago, this Ishikawa Island has become less ordinary.

Because the chief executive Hasegawa Heizo of Huofu Thief Kai spent a lot of money to build a foot camp on Ishikawa Island.

Edo, Sumida River, Ishikawa Island, Renzuyoro

Standing with his hands behind his back, Hasegawa quietly stood outside a room, opened the door of this room a little, and quietly looked at the scene in the room through the crack of the door.

In the room, the crackling sound of the planning board was heard.

Twenty or so men sat neatly in the room.

These twenty or so men were of different ages, some were only in their teens, with a childish face, and some even had white hair.

There is a table in front of each of them, and an abacus is placed on the table.

These twenty or so men of various ages just leaned over their respective desks, crackling their calculations.

An old man, about 50 years old, with his hands behind his back, patrolled back and forth beside them.

Once he sees that someone's abacus is not right, the old man immediately steps forward to correct him.

Looking at the people in the room who were earnestly learning how to abacus, and the old man who was already teaching how to use the abacus earnestly, a satisfied smile appeared on Hasegawa's face.

After nodding in relief, Hasegawa sewed the door shut.

Those in the room who are learning how to abacus are all prisoners without exception.

To be more precise, they were the prisoners who were captured and re-reformed in the human foot yard.

Three years ago, not long after Hasegawa became the chief of the Huofu Bandit Kai, Hasegawa issued an initiative: to establish a facility to help prisoners rehabilitate.

When Hasegawa made this proposal, the old middle man of the shogunate was not Matsudaira Sadanobu, but Tanuma Giji.

Hasegawa had worked as a "Nishinomaru Fake Gojinmono" before, and the main job of this position was to manage the tributes paid to the shogun from various places.

When he held the position of "Nishinomaru Fake Goshomonoban", Hasegawa got to know the old Naka Tanuma Yiji and gradually became friends with him.

Regarding the proposal of "building a facility for reforming prisoners" issued by Hasegawa, who is regarded as his subordinate, Tanuma Keiji agreed and supported without thinking too much.

This is how the Renzu Jichang was established.

Since the establishment of Renzuyao Yard, prisoners with relatively minor crimes in Edo and its surrounding areas will be sent to Renzujong Yard for reformation.

The reform method is to teach the prisoners skills, so that they have a skill, and after they regain their freedom, they can have a craft to survive, and they don't have to embark on the road of re-crime.

The skills taught to the prisoners in Renzujiu are basically skills that are more convenient for finding jobs.

For example: how to make simple carpenter umbrellas, birdcages and other small objects

Because it was Hasegawa who proposed to build a facility to help prisoners reform, Eiji Tanuma handed over the jurisdiction of the Renzu Yard to Hasegawa.

Therefore, after the completion of the Renzuyaochang, Hasegawa has been holding two roles: while leading the Huofu Thief Reform, he is also in charge of the Renzuyaochang.

From time to time, Hasegawa would secretly check to see if the prisoners in the Renzu Depot were studying hard.

After silently closing the door of the room, Hasegawa, still with his hands behind his back, walked slowly towards the outside of the "teaching building".

Just as he was about to leave this "teaching building", a young voice with a bit of helplessness sounded behind Hasegawa:

"Master Hasegawa!"

A young man in his early 20s ran towards Hasegawa quickly.

"Oh!" Hasegawa turned his head and looked back, "It's Tang Ze. I just wanted to find you."

The young man's name is "Tang Zeguangzhi", and he is the appraiser of Renzujichang, who is responsible for managing the finances of Renzujichang.

Although Tang Ze is young, he is extremely talented.

Hasegawa wasn't always at Renzuyojo.

When Hasegawa is not in the Renzujiao, Tang Ze is usually in charge of managing the Renzujiao.

Relying on his outstanding talent, Tang Ze manages the people's foot yard in an orderly manner, which has won Hasegawa's trust.

"Master Hasegawa." Tang Ze rushed to the front and back of Hasegawa, and sighed angrily, "Can't you notify me in advance when you are coming to the Renzu Depository?"

"It's just a temporary idea today." Hasegawa smiled, "So it's too late to inform you."

"What?" Hasegawa changed into a half-joking tone, "Are you very afraid of my surprise inspection of the foot yard?"

"I'm not worried." Tang Ze smiled confidently, "I'm never worried about your surprise inspection, Mr. Hasegawa."

"I'm only afraid that after your sudden visit, I may not be able to entertain you properly."

Hasegawa waved his hand: "Don't think about how to entertain me, as long as you can let me see a well-organized foot yard, it will be the best entertainment for me."

"Tang Ze, you came just in time. I was just looking for you."