The villain also has spring 2

Chapter 2233-2231 Under Edo Castle

Chapter 2233-2.231 Under Edo Castle

"Who will stay behind to protect the sisters who are hatching?" The number of concubines has increased from four to ten, and the eldest concubine, Xing Xiaolu, cannot hide her joy.

With just one more person, they can adapt to the eleven-person "Ava Sisters" combination, merging into a "Mini Triumphant Goddess" with peak five-star strength. Their combat power will directly increase by one star. They will be invincible in the "Enkichi Hyakki Musha Tournament" at Tokeiji.

“No need to stay.” Captain Gobancho courtesan Yuko had already spoiled the surprise for Wu Chen: “This Tang ship is a mobile grid house. If we transform it into a ‘house-shaped ship,’ there might be some unexpected surprises.”

As mentioned earlier, the "yagata-bune," a symbol of Edo's refined elegance, is the most distinctive feature of the Asakusabashi area. This Bizen-ya katabane was originally a special vessel used for smuggling. The cabin not only had mechanisms to hide contraband, but also contained beautifully decorated Japanese-style rooms for personal entertainment or entertaining port officials. With a few modifications, it could be disguised as a "yagata-bune," a common sight in Edo.

Moreover, as a ship owned by Bizenya Tokuemon, one of the five great merchants, the port guards would turn a blind eye and let it pass.

"Yes, Captain," the three Hunyuan sisters replied in unison.

As the cargo holds were inventoried one by one, the crew discovered a large number of finely crafted swords and large cannons among the smuggled goods on board. These were among the most valuable smuggled items that Edo-era Japan could boast about, aside from gold and silver.

In 1633, the Tokugawa Shogunate first promulgated a policy of national isolation, strictly prohibiting the export of weapons. Internally, the Shogunate viewed swords as a symbol of samurai status and thus tightened its control. Arquebuses were only briefly allowed to be exported to regions such as Luzon during the reign of Taiko Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the Momoyama period. However, the Tokugawa Shogunate gradually prohibited the manufacture and export of arquebuses from 1609 onwards, and after the establishment of the national isolation system, it was completely banned to prevent foreign domains or rebellious forces from acquiring them. Only the Dutch East India Company in Dejima, Nagasaki, was allowed to purchase a very small number of arquebuses for display or offering under the strict supervision of the Shogunate.

Thus, swords and large cannons, which could not be traded openly, became excellent smuggling commodities. They were particularly popular in Southeast Asian countries such as Annam, Siam, Luzon, and Cambodia. In fact, at the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japan's gun and sword manufacturing techniques were fully up-to-date and not lagging behind. It was only after the Tokugawa Shogunate's policy of national isolation that Japan was quickly left behind by the Western Industrial Revolution, leading to the "Black Ships Incident": in 1853, the American fleet forcibly entered Edo Bay, threatening the Shogunate with force to open the country, ultimately compelling Japan to end its isolationist policy. This incident was carried out by the fleet led by Commodore Perry of the United States Navy. Because the ships were painted black and emitted black smoke, they were called "Black Ships" by the Japanese, directly leading to the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration.

Backwardness inevitably invites aggression. However, unlike the Qing Dynasty of the same era, Japan's Meiji Restoration, fueled by the relentless plundering of China by Western powers, provided a much-needed respite for Japan, which had previously found itself devoid of resources. The Meiji Restoration transformed Japan into one of the great powers, leading it to join the evil camp of plundering China and completely abandoning its ancient, nurturing civilization.

From a civilized perspective, there's absolutely nothing wrong with saying "recognizing a thief as one's father."

Another piece of good news is that the damaged deck does not affect navigation.

Under Wu Chen's guidance, the Wave Breaker team quickly mastered the basics of maneuvering the wooden sailboat.

As the "yagata-bune" (roofed boat) crossed Tokiwa Bridge and continued along the Horikawa River, the entire layout of Edo Castle seemed to veer completely out of place, appearing increasingly eerie. Historically, Tokiwa Bridge was located on the western outskirts of Edo Castle. The Ooku, the destination of the Extinction Squad, was located within the Nishinomaru, the innermost part of Edo Castle, approximately 500-800 meters in a straight line, requiring passage through multiple gates within the castle walls. The Tokiwa Bridge Gate was a crucial western gate of Edo Castle, serving as both a defensive and administrative node, situated on the edge of the "outer gate" (administrative district). The Ooku, located at the innermost part of the Nishinomaru, was the shogun's harem, connected to both the "outer gate" and the "middle Ooku" (shogun's living quarters), forming a strictly isolated and deeply layered layout. Entering the castle from the Tokiwa Bridge Gate required navigating southeast along Honmachi Street, passing through multiple defensive structures including the Otemon Gate and the Ninomaru, finally reaching the Nishinomaru Ooku—an actual walking distance of over 1 kilometer, and a forbidden area under the shogunate, strictly off-limits to the general public.

However, the wave-breaking team now had to travel along the waterway in a "houseboat".

According to Wu Chen's guess, the golden waterway in front of him, which was once part of Edo, should be Horikawa.

After Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of Edo, he ordered the excavation of this canal, named the Horikawa, to expand the city and facilitate transportation. It originated near the Koishikawa Bridge on the Kanda River, where it was originally called Iidabori. The river flows eastward through the Chuo Ward, eventually joining the Sumida River near the Eitai Bridge. Although not long, its location is crucial. Later, with the establishment of Nihonbashi, it was officially named the Nihonbashi River in 1883. It is part of the Tokyo Bay water system and, together with the Kanda and Sumida Rivers, formed the water transport network of the Edo period, serving as a moat to protect Edo Castle. During the Edo period, the Horikawa was Edo's busiest logistics channel, carrying the city's economic lifeline. Goods from all over the country were transported here by water, and warehouses lined both banks, storing products from the archipelago and around the world, making it the commercial center of Edo. The riverbank was once a famous "fish riverbank," where fishermen traded seafood, and its prosperity was known as "fish riverbank with thousands of taels of silver." Later, due to sanitation issues, it was moved to Tsukiji, the predecessor of the present-day Tsukiji Market. In addition to water transport, Nihonbashi Bridge over the river was also the starting point of the "Five Roads" (five major waterways), where water and land transportation converged, making this area one of the most prosperous areas in Japan at the time, with numerous shops and a constant flow of people.

The construction of Edo Castle, beginning with Tokugawa Ieyasu's rule, spanned nearly half a century. At that time, Edo Castle was approximately 5.5 kilometers east to west and 4 kilometers north to south, surrounded by an inner moat and an outer moat, the outer moat having a circumference of about 16 kilometers. It had two outer walls, with the inner wall covering a total area of ​​264 million square meters. The castle complex was magnificent, featuring 20 watchtowers, 36 gates, and palaces including the Honmaru (comprising the Honmaru Palace and the castle tower), the Ninomaru, the Sanomaru, and the Nishinomaru.

Honmaru Palace is further divided into the outermost section, the middle inner section, and the great inner section.

The most important of all, the Ooku, was the harem residence of the Tokugawa Shogun during the Edo period, located in the deepest part of the Honmaru (main block) of Edo Castle, a forbidden area for women. This area was separated from the "Chūōku" (middle inner palace) where political affairs were handled by a copper screen, and was only connected to the outside world through the "Osuzuro-ro" (roof of the bell). The only men allowed to enter were the Shogun. The interior consisted of the Goten (palace), the Nagata (long floor), and the Hiroshiki (wide room), and the residents included the Shogun's principal wife (Midai-sho), his concubines, his birth mother, and more than a thousand maids, forming a three-tiered female official management system centered on the Otoshiyori (household officials).

Although Edo Castle itself had multiple moats, these were defensive waterways, not navigable ports. The inner palace (Ōoku) had no direct waterway connection to the outside world; daily supplies were transported by female officials or servants through the "Hiroshiki" (the outer office area of ​​the inner palace).

However, that's where the strangeness lies.

The "Yagata-bune," bearing the name of Bizenya, one of the five great merchants, slowly approached Edo Castle.

Looking up, I saw that the person opposite me was Nishinomaru.