I formed the strongest swordsman group

July 17th is the day when the "Yamaboko Parade" will be held... today is exactly the day!

Burn down Kyoto, which is celebrating the Gion Festival, kill Matsudaira Yoshiho and Saigo Kinosuke, and then take advantage of the chaos to take the emperor to Choshu... Hijikata Toshizo and Serizawa Kamo, after hearing this extremely crazy plan Afterwards, everyone froze in place.

In the blink of an eye, their faces were all filled with a look of overwhelming horror.

At this time, Toshizo Hijikata showed the toughness and determination that he should have as the deputy chief of the Shinsengumi.

About 5 seconds later, he recovered from the shock and said with a dark face and a deep voice:

"When do you plan to take action? Approximately how many people are there? Where is the gathering place? Where is the place to set the fire?"

He was like a machine gun, throwing out many questions in succession.

Perhaps he was desperate. Now that the core secret had been revealed, Kotaka Shuntaro had completely given up and no longer hesitated or struggled.

As soon as Hijikata Toshizo finished asking, he answered truthfully:

"We... just... tentatively plan to... take action tonight..."

"Mr. Gui...is very opposed to our...this...plan..."

"In order to...convince...Mr. Gui...we plan...to have a good talk...with him...tonight..."

"Whether this plan is actually...implemented...is still...under discussion..."

"It may be implemented... tonight as scheduled..."

"It's also possible...to cancel directly..."

"Everything depends on... the outcome of tonight's negotiation with... Mr. Gui..."

"So...the specific...time of action...the place where the fire was set...the gathering place...the number of manpower...I have no idea..."

Mr. Katsura - Kogoro Katsura, one of the "Three Heroes of Choshu".

There are three heroes in Changzhou: a madman, a half-madman and a normal person.

That lunatic was Gensui Kusaka who had gone all the way to the dark side on the road of radicalization and resistance to the foreigners.

Although the semi-crazy man also advocated fighting against the barbarians, he was not as extreme as Takasugi Shinsaku.

The only normal person is Katsura Kogoro.

Katsura Kogoro is a die-hard lofty idealist, but he opposes the extreme practices of the radicals.

What a pity... There is a saying that "when turbidity becomes the norm, innocence becomes a sin."

Since the "August 18th Coup", the entire Changzhou has been like a runaway train that has stepped on the accelerator, crossing the track called "radical" and running towards the goal called "extreme", without any It means to stop.

Even though Katsura Kogoro obstructed him in every possible way, he could not calm down the radicals and normalize, but instead made their own situation more difficult.

Just like Katsura Kogoro cannot agree with the radicals' ideas, the radicals headed by Hisaka Genzui also cannot agree with Katsura Kogoro's ideas. They believe that Katsura Kogoro is too weak. How can such weak behavior achieve the great cause of respecting and resisting?

In this way, many people naturally regard Katsura Kogoro as a thorn in their side.

However, Katsura Kogoro is a talented man with both civil and military skills. In terms of thesis, he is a master disciple of Yoshida Shoin's sect; in terms of martial arts, he is the direct disciple of Saito Yakuro, the "Saito of Power", and he was the teacher of the training hall.

In the Choshu Domain, "disciple of Yoshida Shoin" is like a golden business card. As long as you have this title, you can enjoy a higher status among respected people with lofty ideals.

All in all, Katsura Kogoro, who has high status, seniority, and high abilities, has unparalleled high prestige in the Choshu Domain.

Even if the radicals regard Katsura Kogoro as a thorn in their side, they have to maintain the harmony and friendliness on the surface.

Therefore, judging from logic, what Shuntaro Kotaka said just now is very reasonable and reasonable.

If Katsura Kogoro is really determined to oppose this crazy plan to "burn Kyoto and kidnap the emperor", then with the energy that Katsura Kogoro possesses, he may really disrupt the plan.

Hijikata Toshizo frowned in deep thought.

After a while, he spoke again:

"Who is attending this meeting tonight?"

"Miyabe Daizo... Yoshida Minoru... Otaka Matajiro..."

Kotaka Shuntaro said one name after another like he was announcing the names of dishes.

All of them are names that are well-known among respected people with lofty ideals.

Among them, the most famous and noteworthy figures are undoubtedly Miyabe Daizo and Yoshida Minoru.

Miyabe Daizo is a veteran-level figure with a lofty ideal of respect for war and one of the leaders of the war against war. His existence is of great importance to the current war against war.

As for Yoshida Minoru, he is also Yoshida Shoin's disciple.

In terms of ranking when he was studying at Yoshida Juku, his status was even above Katsura Kogoro.

Together with Genrui Hisaka and Shinsaku Takasugi, he is known as the "Three Shows of the Shoin Sect", and together with Irie Kyuichi, he is known as the "Four Heavenly Kings of the Shoin Sect".

Yoshida Minoru and Kusaka Genzui are in the same group, and he is also a radical with extreme ideas.

Miyabe Daizo is also a radical who favors extreme behavior.

Miyabe Daizo, Yoshida Minoru, and Katsura Kogoro, the leaders of the Zunban Movement gathered together... A summit meeting of this level is really rare!

Hijikata Toshizo took a deep breath while digesting this massive amount of information, and then asked the last question:

"Since you plan to start negotiations with Katsura Kogoro tonight, when will your negotiations be held? Where will they be?"

Kodaka Shuntaro shook his head:

"I have no idea……"

After hearing this, Serizawa Duck suddenly became anxious.

"Damn it, it's already here and you're still playing tricks on us?! Believe it or not, I'll hang you back on the rafter!"

He said, raising his right fist as if to strike.

Kotaka Shuntaro said with a frightened face, probably because he was too scared, and even his words became clearer:

“I, I really don’t know!

"I'm not a big shot, so how can I know the specific time and place of such a high-level meeting?"

Serizawa Kamo ignored his rhetoric.

He stretched out his big hands like iron pliers and was about to grab the other party's clothes. At this moment, Hijikata Toshizo spoke to dissuade him:

"Serizawa, wait a minute. He's not lying. He really doesn't know."

Serizawa Kamo was startled, raised his eyebrows, and stared at Hijikata Toshizo.

"Hijikata, how do you know he's not lying?"

Hijikata Toshizo replied calmly:

"Before I was good at wielding a knife, I started hanging out and interacting with all kinds of people."

“Over time, I have accumulated a wealth of experience in ‘looking at people’.”

"I don't dare to say anything about other abilities, but when it comes to the ability to identify faces and colors, among the Shinsengumi, I rank second, and no one else can rank first."

"I can tell at a glance whether a person is lying."

After that, he turned around and shouted outside the prison:

"Somebody come!"

Soon, the executioners who had just retreated returned to the prison.

"Take him to heal his injuries. If he's well, he'll be cured. If he's not cured, pull him down."

After leaving this concise order, Hijikata Shisan strode out of the prison without looking back.

Before leaving, he did not forget to add:

"Serizawa, come with me."

Although he was dissatisfied with the other party's behavior of instructing him to do things, Serizawa Kamuo still suppressed his anger and followed Hijikata Toshizo's footsteps.

"Serizawa, from now on, you cannot leave the camp even half a step before you get new orders from me or Tachibana."

"Senior warriors will attack at any time!"

"I'm sure there are a large number of spies outside the camp paying close attention to what's going on here."

"If you leave, it is very likely that a group of highly skilled people with lofty ideals will appear immediately."

"They will break into the camp and take back Shuntaro Kotaka by force."

"I'll set off back to Dajin now."

"After I leave, Kyoto will be left to you and Gan Xin."

After hearing this, Serizawa Kamo felt shocked at first, and then asked:

"You want to go back to Ojin?"

Hijikata Tosei lowered his eyelids, his eyes sparkling with light.

"The current situation is extraordinary."

"I need to report this to Tachibana immediately."

"With just a thin piece of paper, it's neither safe nor clear...!"

…

…

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Zhenfufu, military meeting——

"Quick! Hang up the map of Gion!"

"There are also maps of three avenues! Act quickly!"

"What's going on with these messy scrolls? Hurry up and put them away!"

Previously, due to limited power and financial resources, Qingdeng, who was the envoy of Gyeonggi Town, did not have a special government office.

"Zhenfu Mansion" has a name but no actual office location.

However, because the original functions of the Shinsengumi were very single, and everyone was a sword-wielding fool, there was no need to establish a special government office for centralized management.

However, with the rapid expansion of the Shinsengumi, including the cavalry, ninjas, musketeers and other technical units, and the complete separation from the Zunbo faction, the burden on their shoulders has become heavier, so they can no longer manage as extensively as before. , it definitely won’t work.

As a result, as early as the end of last year, Seito had planned to establish a Jinfufu in the center of Otsu Town to lead the Shinsengumi and take charge of the entire Gyeonggi battlefield.

Construction started in January this year and took only three months to complete.

From the appearance point of view, there is nothing special about Qingdeng’s Zhenfu Mansion.

Black tiles and diamond-patterned walls create a simple black and white tone; compared with Qingdeng’s political status, the area seems too cramped.

If it weren't for the plaque hanging next to the gate that reads "Zhen Fu Mansion", it would really be misleading, and people might think this is some wealthy man's villa.

Of course, despite its inconspicuousness, this simple and unpretentious mansion is one of the most powerful buildings in Gyeonggi!

After the Zhenfufu was built, Qingdeng moved his office here.

From a functional point of view, the Zhenfufu is undoubtedly the headquarters and general staff of the Shinsengumi!

If a war breaks out in the capital, the Zhenfufu will also become the headquarters with full power to direct the war!

Every day, orders that affect Gyeonggi and even the entire Japan are issued from this simple mansion!

Qingdeng's Zhenfu Mansion has such energy.

At this moment, the military meeting in Zhenfu Mansion was noisy.

In addition to handling administrative work, the Shinsengumi's General Affairs Division is also responsible for serving as a think tank that provides advice.

The team members who can enter the General Affairs Department and hold the position of "control" are all smart people with bright minds and quick thinking.

Analyzing the various intelligence sent back by Division 9 - this is one of the main tasks of the General Affairs Department.

At present, the figures of the General Affairs Department's administrators can be seen everywhere in the military conference room.

They are all busy analyzing the complex information that has been continuously sent back from Kyoto since just now.

Aoshito learned the news about the "different changes in Kyoto" from Shannan Keisuke. He immediately changed into a light green haori and left the Tachibana Residence. Then he rushed to the Zhenfu Mansion as quickly as possible, sat in the military conference room, and arranged for everyone. field.

When Nagakura Shinpachi discovered and sealed the arsenal, it was like a beehive was disturbed. Letters of information came from Kyoto like snowflakes and were summarized in the Zhenfu Mansion.

A suspicious-looking ronin appears on the street; an unidentified ronin goes to a hotel to book a banquet; an unseen samurai with a Choshu accent appears in Gion...

There are so many of these.

Gathering intelligence is not difficult.

The hard part is figuring out the right option from this confusing and dizzying array of information.

History has proven it countless times: once the intelligence is misjudged, the disastrous consequences will be beyond words.

This huge pressure is enough to make people feel frightened and sweaty when they are studying and judging intelligence.

At this time, a gentle voice sounded from behind Qingdeng:

"Mr. Tachibana, we have important information."

Qingto turned his head and looked - the commander-in-chief, Takeda Kanryusai, was striding towards him.

Takeda Kanryusai, a member of the mother clan of Izumo Province, was erudite and knowledgeable. He worked as a doctor in his early years and had considerable attainments in Koshu-ryu art of war.

His original surname was Fukuda, but he changed his name to Takeda Kanryusai after the famous Takeda family in Kai.

His skills... to put it mildly, are only average.

However, he is quite knowledgeable and well versed in the Koshu style of war.

Ayoto had some experience with the Koshu-ryu art of war.

In order to verify Takeda Kanryusai's true talent and knowledge, Aoto once set a test to test the opponent.

In the end, it was proved that he did understand the Koshu-ryu art of war very well, had deep attainments in it, and had quite unique insights.

If it were during the Warring States Period, there was a high probability that he could become someone's military advisor.

What a pity... Nowadays, firearms have become very popular, even if the Koshu style of war or other style of war is played to its full potential, it will still lag behind the times.

However, although the Koshu-ryu art of war that Takeda Kanryusai was proficient in is no longer useful, his knowledgeable brain and quick thinking are still worthy of praise.

In line with the simple idea of ​​"making full use of people's talents", Qingdeng promoted him to the position of assistant to the chief and let him serve as Shannan Keisuke's deputy.

Aoto looked directly at Takeda Kanryusai and said "speak quickly" with his eyes.

Takeda Kanryusai cleared his throat and spoke loudly:

"In the small inns between Gion and Sanjo Avenue such as Hamuraya and Tameya, there are traces of the activities of respecting patriots everywhere."

"A soldier discovered that a certain ronin on the street was wearing clothes embroidered with three round tortoise shells and flower caltrops."

"The family crest of the round three-sheng tortoise-shell hibiscus is the family crest of Gengo Otaka, the righteous soldier of Ako."

After Qingdeng heard this, he asked:

"Are you a descendant of Dagao?"

Takeda Kanryusai immediately replied:

"Yes! Matajiro Otaka of the Hayashida Domain of Boshu."

Hearing this, Qingdeng nodded lightly.

"It's another name I've heard many times..."

Odaka Matajiro - a very famous person with high ideals and lofty ideals. So far, many terrorist attacks have been related to him.

Takeda Kanryusai continued:

"Although we cannot confirm whether this person is Otaka Matajiro, the team member who discovered him tried to follow him."

"But unfortunately... it failed."

"This man was quite alert and soon got rid of the team members who were following him."

Qingdeng nodded and said, "I understand."

Takeda Kanryusai looked hesitant on his face.

Suddenly, he took a deep breath:

"My lord, I think... the situation this time may be different from the past..."

Qingdeng curled up the corners of his mouth, half-smiling.

"What? Are you scared?"

When Takeda Kanryusai heard this, he hurriedly said loudly:

"Afraid? How is that possible! I wish all those people with lofty ideals would attack! We can catch them all in one fell swoop!"

At this time, Shannan Keisuke's voice came from afar:

"Tachibana-kun! Hijikata-kun is back!"

Hearing these words, Qingdeng suddenly became energetic.

He followed the sound and looked around - Shannan Keisuke and Hijikata Toisho were running towards him one after the other.

I saw that Hijikata Toizan was dusty from work and his face was covered with sweat. In order to rush back to Otsu as quickly as possible, he really tried his best, and even the horse under his legs almost ran out of breath.

After seeing Aoden, Hijikata Toisan ignored the pleasantries and hurriedly said:

"Tangerine, find a secret room quickly."

As soon as these words came out, Qingdeng immediately narrowed his eyes and showed a solemn look on his face.

Of course he knew the subtext of Hijikata Tobizo - quickly find a secret room! I have some top-secret information to tell you that cannot be known to outsiders!

Therefore, Qingdeng said without hesitation:

"Follow me."

…

…

Seito called Isamu Kondo, who was also one of the Shinsengumi's senior military officers.

Aoto, Toshizo Hijikata, Isamu Kondo and Keisuke Yamanan came to a tea room where no unrelated people would disturb them.

As soon as the three of them sat down, Qingdeng went straight to the point:

"Sui San, tell me, what do you want to report?"

Hijikata Toizan's face was livid:

"Tachibana, the situation is serious."

He poured out all the secrets stated by Shuntaro Kotaka without reservation.

After he finished speaking, not only Kondo Isamu and Shannan Keisuke, but even Ayoto couldn't help but be surprised.

There was silence inside and outside the tea room because everyone was too shocked to speak.

About 5 seconds later, Shannan Keisuke murmured:

"Mr. Tojo is really right...those lunatics really plan to burn down Kyoto...!"

As far as the final result is concerned, Tojo Shintaro's previous guess was both right and wrong.

He guessed correctly the intention of the patriots to burn down Kyoto.

But he did not guess that while the patriots were burning Kyoto, they also planned to take advantage of the chaos to eliminate Matsudaira Yoshiho and Saigo Yoshinosuke, and rob the emperor to Choshu!

Fortunately, Qingteng does not live in Kyoto now.

Otherwise, this group of lunatics would definitely have to add "Kill Ju Qingden" to their plan.

No matter which way you look at it, this plan drawn up by the lofty ideals is really crazy!

At this time, they were still thinking about the emperor, and did not forget to kidnap him to Changzhou in order to realize their ambition of "taking the emperor hostage to control the princes".

Today is the day of the "Yamaboko Parade".

Yes, tens of thousands of people will flock to the streets to watch the annual "Shanboko Parade".

If the city was set on fire at such a critical moment when the streets were deserted... the number of casualties would not even be able to defeat a thousand!

In order to realize his ambition, he did not hesitate to put the lives and property of the people in Kyoto at risk. This, this...!

It is no longer enough to describe it with words such as "crazy", "cruel", and "crazy"!

"...Tachibana-kun, what should we do now?"

Kondo Isamu asked, casting a questioning look at Aoden.

Shannan Keisuke interjected:

"Mr. Tachibana, for the sake of safety, I think we should order a halt to tonight's 'Yamaboko Patrol' to prevent the damage from expanding, and then send the largest combat force to blockade Kyoto, launch a manhunt throughout the town, and arrest Miyabe Daizo, Katsura Kogoro and others.”

Aoto, who had been silent since just now, raised his eyes and looked at Kondo Isamu who was asking him for advice, and then looked at Shannan Keisuke who expressed his thoughts.

"...Keisuke, there is no need to panic."

He spoke quickly and his tone was calm.

"This is both a crisis of 'destroying Kyoto' and a good opportunity to 'severely inflict heavy damage on the Zunhuang Sect'!"

Having said this, he suddenly raised his volume:

"There is no need to mobilize large forces."

"Keisuke, please go and call all the captains and vice-captains who are currently staying in Otsu here!"

"Gather our most elite combat forces to put down this turmoil!"

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PS: The previous chapter was blocked for a while this morning, and Baobaozi had to delete some content before it could be released... (Bao Baozi.jpg)