!【4800】
"Isn't this bad~~ Is this not good~~ Is this not good~~"
There are only the same lyrics that come and go.
There is no rhythm or rhythmic dance movements at all.
No matter how weird it looks.
In addition, many of them also wear ghostly makeup.
There are people who apply lipstick all over their chin but don’t apply lipstick only on their lips.
[Note: Lipstick: It can be understood as the lipstick of the Edo period]
There are also people who only put on heavy makeup like a geisha on one half of their face, while leaving the other half bare-faced.
What's more, he painted his whole face so colorful that the circus clown would be ashamed of himself.
Not only the makeup, but their outfits are also weird.
Men wear women's clothes, women wear men's clothes, only half sleeves, bare upper body, only wearing a loincloth... Such outfits would seem too exaggerated even on a kabuki stage.
No matter from which angle you look at it, it's like the walls of a mental hospital collapsed and the patients inside escaped.
This group of grotesque "mental patients" lined up in a long queue - about 180 people - dancing and moving forward, passing under the eyes of Qingdeng and others.
He danced so completely that he forgot himself and looked very crazy.
Their only lyric: "Isn't this good~~" resounded throughout the venue and outside.
More and more Shinsengumi officers noticed the strange movements outside and leaned out from behind the windows, casting curious and doubtful glances at the strange dance team below.
Shannan Keisuke blinked:
"Is this... a parade of admirers?"
Hijikata Toshizo curled his lips:
"How old is this? Is there anyone who loves Qi Qi in Gyeonggi?"
Isamu Kondo answered:
"Is this some sort of celebration?"
Hijikata Toshizo sneered:
"Is the celebration held by Gyeonggi people, who have always been above the top and consider themselves elegant, just wearing strange clothes, makeup that puts even monsters to shame, and dancing weird dances?"
Qingdeng was also very curious about this sudden "dance parade".
In order to clear up the confusion, he called and asked the staff at the housing estate.
After hearing the news, the person who came over was the man from Otsujuku - an old man in his sixties.
[Note·Wenwu: The general person in charge of Wenwuchang]
"Ask Mr. Wu, what's going on like this? Is this a celebration unique to you Gyeonggi people? It's quite unique..."
As he spoke, Qingden leaned against the window frame and pursed his lips toward the "dancers" outside the window who had not yet left.
As soon as he finished his questioning, Wenwu immediately showed a bitter expression on his face and let out a long sigh:
"Oh, my lords, you don't know something! This is not our celebration! Whose celebration would be so virtuous?"
When he heard the extremely standard Jing Yanye from Wenwu, Qingdeng couldn't help but shudder and his body shook three times - he didn't know how long it would take to get rid of the pain brought to him by the personal maids of He Palace. psychological shadow.
Whenever he hears Jing Yanye, the stinky faces of the bastards around Wagongong will appear in his mind.
After Wenwu let out another long sigh, he explained quietly:
"Although I don't know when it started, I'm sure: this farce started in Tokaido."
“Men, women, and children, regardless of their status or age, sang ‘Isn’t This Good’ and walked down the street dancing.”
"If it's just dancing and singing, then that's it."
"But they often break into wealthy landlords' businesses and demand food and drink, disrupting public order."
"I heard that a wealthy family's home was ransacked by these guys a while ago."
"It's so scary..."
"I heard that this song and dance was used to vent dissatisfaction with the shogunate's rule."
"People in Gyeonggi generally hate the shogunate that opened up the country and allowed Western barbarians to visit, but they can't express their opinions openly, so they can only do it in this way... ugh!"
At this point, Wenwu finally came to his senses and raised his hand to cover his mouth.
Suddenly, an awkward air filled the room.
Accusing the shogunate in front of the officials of the Shinsengumi, one of the shogunate ranks... This kind of behavior can be said to be the best interpretation of the word "seeking death."
Hijikata Toizan and the others couldn't help but cast meaningful glances at Wenwu.
Qingdeng smiled and came to the rescue:
"Mr. Wenwu, there is no need to be nervous. Thank you for your explanation. Thank you for your hard work. You can go down first."
"Yes, yes! The younger one has to leave first!"
Wenwu bent down, lowered his head, put his three fingers on the ground, bowed respectfully to Qingdeng and others, and then left the room as if running away.
After Wenwu left, Qingdeng turned his head and looked at the dance team outside the window again.
At this time, only a small tail of the bizarre singing and dancing dragon was still exposed in Qingdeng's field of vision.
The monotonous singing voice of "Isn't this good~~" gradually faded away.
Looking up, the only thing Qingdeng could see was his back that was gradually getting further away.
Hijikata Toshizo crossed his arms and stood next to Aoto.
"Are you using absurd songs and dances to vent your dissatisfaction with the shogunate's rule... Tachibana, the situation here in Gyeonggi is worse than we expected."
Shannan Keisuke took over:
"People's support is not with us..."
Qingdeng smiled calmly:
"This is what we expected early on, isn't it?"
Perhaps it is due to the regional characteristics. The people of Gyeonggi, who regard themselves as "kings and territorial citizens" and have a strong sense of psychological superiority, generally hold quite conservative political ideas.
Both the officials of the imperial court and ordinary people regard Westerners as dirty pigs and dogs.
Therefore, they naturally hated the shogunate that knelt down to the Western countries and allowed Western barbarians to enter the country.
"I have long been mentally prepared for the public sentiment in Gyeonggi."
Speaking of this, Qingdeng changed the topic, his eyes and tone became sharp.
"What I care more about is: whether this song and dance and the riots derived from this song and dance are spontaneous among the people, or whether there are forces behind the scenes that are secretly promoting..."
I have never forgotten in Qingdeng that Gyeonggi is the base camp and activity center of the Fa-Zang Party.
Hijikata Toshizo and the others looked at each other, and they all found solemn expressions on each other's faces.
After a while, Qingdeng took a deep breath, then turned around and sat back in the center of the room.
"Okay, let's get back to business."
Everyone sat in a circle again.
"Tomorrow, we will officially enter Kyoto."
"We must pay more attention to our military appearance and military discipline. We must reiterate the fourth rule in the 'Shinsengumi Code' to all soldiers. They must not harass the people of Kyoto."
"Besides, don't let the colorful world of Kyoto get you confused."
"Until things settle down, you are not allowed to approach romantic places like Shimabara without permission."
After saying that, Qingden glanced at Hijikata Toshizo intentionally.
The corners of Hijikata Toshizo's mouth twitched slightly.
"...I know, until I settle down, I will try my best to endure it."
To be continued...