Central 46 Chambers.
The underground court hall has no windows.
Reishi lamp are lined up in two rows on the wall, and a pale white light pours down from the top of the head and falls on the bluestone floor tiles.
Forty-one seats, not a single one is vacant.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stood in the center of the hall, folding his hands on the top of the crutch and closing his eyes.
"Captain-General Yamamoto!"
The congressman in the front row stood up, his face flushed.
"What exactly do you Thirteen Court Guard Squads want to do!"
His voice bounced around the hall, hitting the stone walls and bouncing back.
"Are you preparing to rebel?"
Yamamoto did not open his eyes.
Captain of the Tenth Division Yan Si led people into Nobles Street and moved all the food in the warehouse. When this incident reached Central 46, the whole hall exploded.
The food in those warehouses is all the private property of the congressmen present.
A grain of grain, a ring of money, a bone, a life.
Yan Si moved their wallets.
"Yamamoto, speak!"
Another congressman stood up, holding the edge of the platform with both hands, leaning forward, and spittle splashed down the stage.
"For a captain who is just a civilian, who gave him the courage?"
Captain-General Yamamoto slowly opened his eyelids.
He looked at the faces.
Forty-one people, how many were recommended by him from Rukongai? I can't remember clearly.
The faces have changed, the texture of their faces has changed, the look in their eyes has changed.
They are now wearing Nobles's attire, speaking Nobles's words, and using Nobles's accent. They are exactly the same as those old Nobles who were killed by him back then.
Yamamoto Suddenly I felt that the corners of my mouth were a little dry.
He does regret that in order to balance the power of Nobles, he personally pushed a group of people from Rukongai into Central 46.
The original intention was to let those who came from the dust speak for the dust, but as a result, those people sat in this stone hall for a long time and became the best at wielding whips.
Yamamoto didn't think what Yan Si did this time was right.
Radical, too radical.
It goes against the balance and stability he pursues.
But when he closed his eyes, he always remembered the time when he held the Zanpakutō and chopped Soul Society into peace with one blow.
There was a fire in my chest.
It hasn't been this hot for a long time.
Boom!
The crutch hit the ground. The bluestone floor tiles cracked outward from the point of impact, and the cracks spread like spider webs to the roots of the stone wall.
The candlelights on the circular high platform all jumped.
The hall was quiet.
Forty-one members of Congress shut up at the same time.
A few people's throats rolled, but no sound came out.
There is no way, this old man is standing here, the pressure on his body is deep in his bones, and it has nothing to do with his position or time.
That's the weight of Thousand-Year Blood War being cut one by one.
Yamamoto spoke.
"I don't think there is anything wrong with what Captain Yan Si did."
The voice was very deep, and he was hammering out each word one by one.
The hall was silent for two seconds, and then all the MPs in the front row stood up and opened their mouths to speak.
Yamamoto raised a hand. Those open mouths closed again.
"Thirteen Court Guard Squads, is the knife of Soul Society."
Yamamoto looked at them, his eyes were completely opened, and there was no temperature in his pupils.
"Who wants to try how fast this knife is?"
No one spoke, even the breathing was soft.
Yamamoto Close your eyes again.
That's it.
You don't need to say much, the meaning is conveyed, Thirteen Court Guard Squads wants to protect Yan Si.
Whoever touches it, the knife will fall on his head.
The congressman sitting on the left side of the third row stood up.
He was wearing a dark purple Nobles dress with the Tsunayashiro Clan family crest pinned on the collar. The silver silk thread shone coldly under the Reishi lamp light.
Congressman Tsunayashiro. This is the representative of the Tsunayashiro Clan in Central 46 Chambers. Everyone here knows it.
He adjusted his cuffs before speaking, his movements were very slow and his voice was very calm.
"Captain-General Yamamoto."
He bowed slightly.
"From the beginning, Soul Society's power structure had a clear division of labor."
He straightened up and his eyes were level with Yamamoto.
"Thirteen Court Guard Squads is responsible for safety, Three Realms's balance, Xu's crusade, and soul guidance... these are all the responsibilities of Gotei 13."
Tsunayashiro Councilor paused.
"Internal management matters will be discussed and implemented by Noble Council and Central 46 Chambers."
His voice was neither high nor low, neither urgent nor slow.
"This has been an iron rule for thousands of years."
Yamamoto did not answer. Tsunayashiro did not wait for Yamamoto to answer. He continued to speak, and his speaking speed was still so slow.
"Captain of the Tenth Division Yan Si led his team to break into Nobles Street and forcibly confiscated the warehouse materials of the legal chamber of commerce. This itself has exceeded the authority of Gotei 13."
He raised his right hand, palm facing up, and spread it to both sides.
"Captain-General Yamamoto must know better than us what these behaviors mean."
Yamamoto Open your eyes.
"Just tell me what you think."
He doesn't want to continue fighting with these people now.
The longer we stay in this stone hall, the stuffier the air becomes.
Those delicate wordings, those winding rules, those calculations hidden under the provisions.
He has listened to it for a thousand years, which is long enough.
Councilor Tsunayashiro nodded.
"Captain of the Tenth Division Yan Si must be punished for this incident." He paused and observed Yamamoto's reaction.
Yamamoto No response.
Tsunayashiro Councilor continued speaking, his voice became more steady.
"If the rules are broken, the consequences... you know better than anyone else."
Yamamoto still didn't speak, but the fingers holding the crutch tightened slightly.
Tsunayashiro Councilman could not let go of this detail and raised his chin.
"Imprison Muken."
"Twenty years."
There was a slight commotion in the hall, and the sound of clothing rubbing against each other came from various places on the high platform.
Councilor Tsunayashiro added.
"This is already a very light punishment."
His tone seemed to be stating an objective fact. In fact, the statement itself was not wrong.
Almost all the warehouse materials of the chamber of commerce under the name Nobles were forcibly confiscated. If those grains were converted into rings, the number would be so large that many people here would not dare to calculate it themselves.
This is not a matter of stealing a bag of rice or robbing a box of cloth, this is a matter of tampering with the money bags of the entire Nobles class.
Twenty years in prison is indeed not a long time for a Shinigami.
Shinigami's lifespan is too long.
Twenty years is not enough for a tree to grow into a tree, not enough for a Seat Officer to grow a gray hair.
Just a snap of your fingers.
Captain-General Yamamoto did not look at Congressman Tsunayashiro.
He turned around, leaned on his crutches and walked towards the hall door step by step.
The footsteps were heavy and made a muffled sound on the bluestone.
When he reached the door, he stopped half a step.
"Really." Yamamoto turned his face sideways, half of his face fell into the Reishi lamp light, and half of his face was hidden in the shadow.
"You can imprison Yan Si."
"If you have the ability, send someone to arrest him."
After saying that, he stepped out of the door.
The door closed behind him, and a heavy muffled sound echoed in the hall for a long time.
There was an explosion in the hall.
"Yamamoto What on earth does that guy want to do!?"
"What kind of attitude does he have!"
"He doesn't take Central 46 seriously at all!"
Forty-one people spoke at the same time, and their voices collided together in an instant, mixing into a buzzing noise that could not be blocked by stone walls.
"Don't make any noise!"
Councilor Tsunayashiro shouted, suppressing all the voices. He stood in front of his seat, holding the edge of the platform with both hands.
"Yamamoto Just don't interfere."
Tsunayashiro Councilor raised his head and glanced at everyone present.
Reishi lamp's white light illuminated his face blue, and the shadows under his eye sockets were deep.
"Send someone to escort Yan Si into Muken."
"It must be done."
The hall became quiet again.
It's so quiet that you can hear the subtle hum of Reishi flowing deep inside the wall.
The congressmen present looked at each other and nodded one by one.
Noble Council.
The secret room of the Tsunayashiro Clan is brightly lit tonight. The twelve Reishi lamp lamps on the wall are all lit, and the cold white light covers the entire long table, making the faces of everyone present turn blue.
There are usually only three lights on in this secret room, dark enough to facilitate conversation and dark enough to hide expressions.
But today Tsunayashiro Motoi made people turn on all the lights.
He wants to see every face clearly.
"Yan Si That guy is very strong."
Motonari's voice came from the main seat, dry and low.
"Shihoin Clan has already stated that he will not take action."
"Kuchiki family Over there, Ginrei, the old guy won't move either."
Someone at the table snorted, the sound was very soft, but it could be heard clearly in this stone-walled secret room.
Motonari ignored it and continued, "We Tsunayashiro Clan, there is no strong person who can suppress Yan Si head-on."
After saying these words, the silence in the secret room lasted for a long time.
No one refuted. At this point, face is no longer important.
Behind Noble Council is the oldest family alliance in the entire Seireitei. However, if you look through the family trees of each family to find a combat power that can suppress Yan Si head-on, you can't find it.
Soul Society's strongest knife in the past century is all Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
"And Yamamoto's attitude, you also saw it in Central 46."
A superior next to him, Nobles, spoke with uncontrollable anger in his voice.
"Yamamoto, that old guy, says he doesn't care, but actually he is using the whole Gotei 13 to suppress us."
Motonari tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
"Yamamoto will not take the initiative to send people to help Yan Si. He never does anything to break the balance. This is the bottom line of his life."
Motonari raised his eyes and scanned both sides of the long table.
"But if we send people to arrest, the loss will be too great, and we will be detained for twenty years in exchange..."
He spread his hands.
"Not worth it." These three words fell into the secret room, and everyone's shoulders sank.
Not worth it. These three words are more useful than any analysis.
Nobles always only counts costs when settling accounts. For the twenty years Muken was imprisoned, the person who was filled in may be a general. It is Noble Council's prestige that is not much in the first place. From now on, he will never be able to stand up straight in front of Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
In this account, who loses the money?
"How about..." Nobles, the superior of Third Seat on the right, suddenly said.
He drawled his voice and pointed his right index finger towards the ceiling, "Can you use the people above?"
The direction of the finger is clear.
Royal Palace, Squad Zero.
The Nobles people present are not fools. As soon as this gesture was made, someone immediately picked up the conversation.
"Twelfth Division Captain promoted?"
Another senior, Nobles, understood the joints almost instantly.
Hikifune Kirio has been confirmed to be promoted to Squad Zero, and the passage to the Royal Palace will be opened in the near future. According to regulations, members of Squad Zero will come to Seireitei to welcome the new Royal Guard.
This window of time is an opportunity.
"But what to do?"
A Nobles sitting at the end of the long table frowned and unconsciously drew famous circles on the table with his fingertips.
"If you come directly to the door, the Squad Zero people will not pay attention at all. They never interfere in Soul Society's internal affairs. This is an iron rule. If you go up and say "Captain of the Tenth Division has offended Nobles", the Squad Zero people can just turn around and leave."
After saying this, Reishi lamp in the secret room buzzed slightly.
Everyone is thinking of a way.
Directly asking Squad Zero to take action will not work.
What about the other way around.
Everyone in Squad Zero is so arrogant that there is no captain Seireitei in their eyes.
If they were allowed to meet Yan Si, with Yan Si's unforgiving temperament...
Collision is inevitable. The corners of Motonari's mouth slowly opened in an arc.
The arc was very thin, but there was finally a trace of vitality in his eye sockets.
"It doesn't matter."
His voice suddenly became lighter.
"Look at me then."
He did not explain the specific idea.
But everyone saw the light in his eye sockets, which was green and the same color as the light from the luminous stone on the wall.
Motonari picked up the tea cup in front of him and used the lid to stir up the foam. The tea was already cold, but he still took a sip.
When the cup lid was put back, it hit the rim of the cup and made a crisp sound.
The sound was not loud, but it was extremely clear in the secret room.
The Nobless on both sides of the long table exchanged glances and stood up one after another.
No one asked any questions. During the following period, Nobles Street was unusually quiet.
The doors of the warehouses confiscated by Tenth Division were tightly closed, and the seals on the doors were beaten by wind and rain, and the ink stains were all stained.
Noble District The stone road was empty, and all the carriages of the Chamber of Commerce that usually came and went were missing.
No one came to Tenth Division to theory, no one came to Central 46 to submit a complaint, and no Nobles even mentioned Yan Si's name in public.
This kind of silence makes a strange atmosphere float in the sky above Seireitei.
Tenth Division Squad Barracks.
A young soldier came jogging to hand in a patrol report.
He stood in front of Yan Si's desk and handed over the report with an unhidden smile on his lips.
Yan Si opened the report and glanced at it.
"What's the matter? Tell me."
The team member immediately straightened his back.
"Captain, today we patrolled the 38th district of Runlin An, and an old woman forced us to give us a pack of dry biscuits." His eyes were bright when he spoke, and there was uncontrollable expectation in his voice.
"We refused to accept it, so she chased her half a street, saying that her grandson didn't even have enough to eat when he was Shinigami."
Yan Si Close the report.
"Accepted?"
"I collected a small piece and gave her two bags of food." The soldier grinned.
"The old woman is crying, captain, these days Runlin An and Rukongai are talking about us Tenth Division."
He paused and straightened his back straighter.
"It's really glowing."
Yan Si looked at the young team member and did not answer.
He had seen that shiny thing on the other person's face on the day of Training Ground, seen it at the entrance of the Nobles Street warehouse, and seen it again now.
"Go to training." Yan Si put the report on the corner of the table.
"Yes!" The team member turned and ran out. The footsteps were getting farther and farther in the corridor and became lighter and lighter, but every step was firm.
On the street.
The sky is clear and the shadows of the Reishi lamp pillars are cast neatly and clearly on the bluestone slabs.
Yan Si walked along the street outside Tenth Division Squad Barracks, when a lazy voice suddenly came from behind.
"Are you going today?"
Hirako Shinji turned out of the side alley, with his hands in his sleeves, his hair covering half of his face, and his steps dragging.
Yan Si didn't stop.
"Ah, let's go and see what the so-called Squad Zero looks like."
Today is the day that Twelfth Division Captain Hikifune Kirio is promoted.
Senkaimon will open above Hill of the Twin Executions, and the guide of Squad Zero will descend from the Royal Palace.
This matter is not a secret among the captains, but according to regulations, multiple people are not allowed to see off.
Promotion is a technical handover, not a celebration. Hirako twitched his lips.
"Oh, let me go and have a look too."
He originally just came here to have a drink with Yan Si.
Runlin An has opened a new restaurant Tavern. I heard that Shopkeeper uses grain to make wine, and the first Guotou Liquor specially left a jar for Tenth Division.
Hirako has been thinking about that jar of wine for three days.
But now Yan Si wants to see Squad Zero. He thinks this is more interesting than drinking.
It just so happened that he also wanted to see who the members of Squad Zero were.