The Daimyo is Choosing a Consort

The proclamation for Daimyo Manor's consort selection swept across the entire Land of Fire like thunder.

Nowhere in the proclamation was there any mention of compulsion. Instead, it invoked the new ruler's ascension, prayers for the nation's blessings, and the continuation of its dynasty, its language elegant and its sentiments heartfelt.

The proclamation stated that the Daimyo, grateful for his subjects' support, wished to share his glory with all the people.

Therefore, this consort selection was not a privilege reserved for the old nobility, but open to the entire Land of Fire.

Any unmarried woman over sixteen with proper bearing and good looks could participate voluntarily, regardless of her background.

Those selected would not only gain honor themselves, but their families would also receive lavish rewards and protection.

This did not feel like a consort selection.

It felt more like a celebration capable of changing one's destiny.

On the very day the proclamation was issued, the Land of Fire Capital erupted into fervor.

In streets and alleys, taverns and teahouses alike.

"Did you hear? Commoners can join the consort selection too! If our daughter gets picked, she'll rise straight to the heavens!"

"My second girl is absolutely gorgeous!"

"Your second girl? The one who looks a bit like Old Wang next door?"

"Yeah, that's her. Funny thing is..."

The people's discussions were simple and enthusiastic. Though mixed with a few secrets, they took this as further proof of the Daimyo's closeness to the people.

Yet within the grand estates of the upper class, the atmosphere was entirely different.

The noble families of the Land of Fire Capital almost all convened emergency meetings at the same time.

They saw more deeply than the common folk.

This was not a consort selection. It was an invitation to declare one's political allegiance.

"We must choose the finest daughter of our clan! This is our family's only chance for a century of prosperity!"

"The rewards are secondary. Establishing blood ties with Daimyo Manor is the truly priceless prize!"

Countless greedy eyes fixed upon this grand event.

If possible, they even intended to vie for the sole position of principal wife.

Unlike the clamor outside, Daimyo Manor itself was quite quiet.

Study.

Chiba Ran leaned by the window, leisurely sipping tea as he listened to the old steward Minamoto's report.

"My lord, several nobles have sent portraits of their daughters. They have already been compiled into an album."

Minamoto could not hide the excitement in his voice.

In his eyes, it was an immensely joyous matter for his lord to expand his harem and produce heirs.

"Very good."

Chiba Ran set down his teacup and suddenly asked, "Minamoto, do you think I truly lack women?"

Minamoto was somewhat stunned. Not understanding why his lord would ask such a question, he could only lower his head respectfully. "My lord is peerless in grace. There is not a woman in the world who would not be captivated by you."

"You really do know how to flatter me."

Chiba Ran shook his head.

"What I lack is not women, but an opportunity to see every one of them clearly."

His gaze fell upon the people below, coming and going, each harboring their own designs.

"In this consort selection, looks and talent are both secondary."

"This is a large-scale loyalty test—a place that will reveal every demon and monster for what they are."

Chiba Ran turned around, his gaze sharp.

"Scrap the selection standards you set before."

"I have only one requirement: investigate the family powers behind the candidates."

"Their loyalty, their ambitions, and their value to be used—those are what matter."

"As for the candidates themselves..."

Chiba Ran paused, his smile carrying a hint of amusement. "What I want are precisely decorative vases."

"The more exquisite they are, the more they know only how to please me, and the simpler their minds are, the better."

Minamoto's face was full of confusion.

Chiba Ran saw through his thoughts and explained, "An ambitious, capable woman will think, scheme, and bring unnecessary trouble. I hate trouble."

"But a beautiful decorative vase has only one value: to firmly bind the family behind her to my war chariot."

"What I need is absolute loyalty and control, not someone beside my pillow who harbors ulterior motives."

"Do you understand?"

Minamoto immediately understood.

So there were so many twists and turns behind this concubine selection.

"Your subordinate understands!"

"Oh, right!"

Chiba Ran suddenly gave an order.

"Pass down the order. Have the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Internal Affairs launch a joint operation to conduct a tax audit of all Hyuga Clan businesses in the Land of Fire Capital."

"I want to know whether the source of every single coin they possess is completely clean."

Chiba Ran's order had come without warning.

It was not because the Hyuga Clan had refused to send a woman from their family to participate in the Imperial Concubine Selection Ceremony.

It was because they had actually adopted a hostile attitude toward the Daimyo—toward Chiba Ran himself.

They had to be put in their place!

As one of Konoha's foremost great clans, the Hyuga Clan possessed vast holdings in the Land of Fire Capital. Those businesses were the lifeblood of their family's economy.

Such an audit would not damage their foundations, but it would be an enormous humiliation!

Through this method, Chiba Ran was telling the Hyuga Clan: their hesitation was costing them their dignity.

Either kneel.

Or be purged.

"Yes!"

Minamoto bowed and withdrew, his steps hurried.

Chiba Ran sat back down in his chair.

He knew Hyuga Hiashi would understand the message.

At the same time that this order was being passed down.

Inside the Guesthouse of the Land of Fire Capital.

Minister of Finance Tanaka Shigeru was entertaining envoys from the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind.

This time, Tanaka Shigeru did not take them to those resplendent aristocratic districts. Instead, he led them into several seemingly ordinary streets.

There, they saw an entirely different sight.

The air was filled with the heartfelt laughter of common people.

"Please take a look, my lords." Tanaka Shigeru pointed at a thriving fabric shop and introduced it with a smile. "The owner used to be a Konoha genin. During the last war, he injured his leg and could no longer carry out missions."

"It was the Wounded and Disabled Support Program personally issued by the Daimyo that allowed him to receive his first interest-free loan and open this shop."

When the shop owner spotted Tanaka Shigeru from afar, he immediately ran out, a warm smile on his face, and gave him a deep bow.

"Lord Tanaka!"

That gratitude was not an act.

Afterward, Tanaka Shigeru led them past a teahouse.

It was filled with resting civilians and ninjas, and what they were discussing was precisely the Imperial Concubine Selection Ceremony.

The heartfelt support in every sentence gradually froze the polite smiles on the two envoys' faces.

They exchanged silent looks, their expressions grave.

What made the Land of Fire terrifying was not merely its wealth, but the will of its people!

The evening banquet pushed that invisible pressure to its limit.

There was no music or dancing at the feast.

The Land of Earth envoy picked up a white porcelain teacup. It felt light in his hand.

A fragrance unlike anything he had ever smelled drifted into his nostrils.

He took a sip, finding the tea smooth and sweet in its aftertaste.

It reminded him of the Rock Top Moss Tea that the Daimyo treasured like a precious jewel.

That tea was coarse on the tongue and always carried an earthy flavor.

Compared to this, it was like heaven and mud.

The Land of Wind envoy, meanwhile, quietly pinched the napkin beside him.

The silk was smooth and finely textured.

In the Land of Wind, such fabric would drive noble ladies mad. Even at the Daimyo's banquets, they used nothing more than thick linen.

Yet here, it was merely a disposable napkin.

Such extravagance made his heart burn.

What shook them most was a seasoning called white sugar.

When the desserts drizzled with glistening syrup were served, both envoys froze mid-motion.

In their own countries, the only sources of sweetness were honey and fruit syrup that could only be boiled down during certain seasons. Production was scarce, making them absolute luxuries.

Yet judging by Tanaka Shigeru's expression, this kind of sweetness seemed to be commonplace in the Land of Fire.

Tanaka Shigeru raised his cup warmly, beaming with good cheer. He did not mention trade a single time, instead speaking at length about how the Daimyo loved peace and cared deeply for the people's welfare.

"Since you have come from so far away, you are the most honored guests of our Land of Fire."

"Our Daimyo often says that war brings only destruction. True prosperity arises from peace and exchange."

Then he changed the subject, his tone turning subtly meaningful.

"Therefore, the Daimyo specifically instructed me to express his hope that we may engage in deeper cultural exchanges with your countries, thereby strengthening the friendship among our three nations."

Cultural exchanges?

The envoys from the Lands of Earth and Wind felt their hearts skip a beat.

They were not fools.

Behind Tanaka Shigeru's gentle smile lay a hidden hook.

As soon as the banquet ended, the two envoys immediately returned to their rooms and sent an urgent report back to their countries, relaying everything they had seen and heard that day, along with Tanaka Shigeru's deeply suggestive remark.