I formed the strongest swordsman group

Prajna snorted coldly and said:

"One day, I will surpass all of you!"

Shuten Doji smiled:

"Really...then you should work harder."

After leaving these words, Shuten Doji flicked his sleeves, turned his back, and walked away.

Shuten-dōji had just walked away with his front legs, and Prajna was also preparing to leave with his hind legs.

At this moment, Master Umibo suddenly said:

"Prajna, I heard that you had a fight with Tachibana Aoden and the 'New Three Heroes' a while ago. How strong are they?"

Prajna stopped, thought for a moment, and replied:

"In my opinion, the strength of Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Ichi is not something to be afraid of."

"However, to the general public, they are considered rare strong men."

"If you face them both in the future, it will be a 50-50 fight."

"The most outstanding person among the 'Newly Selected Three' has to be Souji Okita."

"I was just a hair away from being killed by her knife."

Having said this, he specifically raised his hand to point to the scar on his forehead that had not yet fully recovered.

Talking about the top experts who caught his eye, Prajna suddenly became energetic, his eyes lit up and his expression was excited.

"Her three consecutive thrusts are really impressive."

"I really want to see it a few more times!"

"The move full of 'explosion'... suits me quite well!"

"As long as I watch it a few more times, I'll be sure to learn this trick!"

"As for Tachibana Aoden..."

When the name "Ju Qingden" is mentioned, Prajna's expression changes subtly.

After a few seconds of silence, he calmly said:

"I didn't fight him."

"However, just watching his skill when he flew to save Saitoichi and Okita Souji is enough to conclude that he is a powerful opponent worthy of my all-out efforts!"

"Hmph! Being able to obtain Vairocana from the master is indeed quite capable!"

Su Nuo interjected:

"Yes, I forgot... Ju Qingden is still your junior brother."

Umibozu shrugged and asked with a joking expression:

"How do you feel when you meet a junior brother you have never met before for the first time?"

Prajna sneered:

"What else can I feel?"

"Do you want me to cry and hug him tightly and call him 'Junior Brother', and then he should also cry and hug me and call 'Senior Brother'?"

"I don't have any thoughts."

"If I have to tell you what I think... I probably think he is an eyesore!"

As he spoke, he turned to look east.

His sharp gaze seemed to penetrate the layers of clouds and mist, reaching Qinjin Fan in Gyeonggi Province and Qingdeng.

"I never thought before that a master who is picky about his disciples would actually accept another disciple who has failed."

"I never thought that this closed disciple would actually get the master's sword."

"Hmph, that's fine!"

"This saves me trouble."

"As long as I defeat Tachibana Aoden, it will prove that I am stronger than him! I am more qualified to hold this sword!"

He lowered his eyelids and his gaze became sharper.

"Master... Tachibana Aoden... just wait!"

…

…

Kyoto——

"Mom, have your luggage been packed?"

"Well, it's all packed up."

"Okay! Come, mother, hold my hand and I will help you get into the car."

"Oh... Taro, do we really have to leave? I'm an old man and I really don't want to leave Kyoto..."

"Oh, mother, we have come to this point, why are you still hesitant? You must listen to me this time! The Changzhou soldiers are coming! Military disasters are more terrible than fires and earthquakes! Come with me quickly Bar!"

…

"Dad, where are we going?"

“A place far away from Kyoto.”

"A place far away from Kyoto? Where exactly?"

"I don't know. Anyway, leave Kyoto first. The further away from Kyoto, the better."

…

"No! I won't leave! No matter what, I won't leave! As a native of Kyoto, how can I go to a place like that in the countryside!"

"Mother, Owari is not a countryside. Owari is very prosperous! The territory of the overlord Oda Nobunaga three hundred years ago is in Owari!"

"Stop telling me this! Places outside of Kyoto are all shabby countryside!"

…

"Father, I don't think we need to be so nervous! We have Nioh! Nioh will definitely protect us!"

"Jiro, I also believe that King Ni will definitely repel the enemy and protect the country and the people. But for the sake of safety, it is better for us to leave this place of right and wrong as soon as possible!"

…

Such scenes can be seen both inside and outside Kyoto.

The reason for the Eastern Expedition announced by Changzhou is nothing more than the same old story: the imperial court is held hostage by the shogunate, and we have to go to the side of King Qin and King Qing in Beijing.

The shogunate's response was swift.

Tokugawa Iemo immediately issued an "order to punish thieves" as quickly as possible, calling on the princes of the world to attack the enemy together.

Compared with Choshu, the reason for the war on the shogunate's side is undoubtedly much stronger and more convincing.

After all, Changzhou has not yet taken off the "enemy" label on his head.

It is the duty of all people to destroy the enemies of the DPRK.

Therefore, the shogunate's call for a crusade against the Korean enemies was both reasonable and reasonable.

With this great righteousness, all the princes in the world gathered together to respond!

From Matsumae Domain in the north to Satsuma Domain in the south, most of the feudal kingdoms sided with the shogunate.

There was not a single vassal state that supported Choshu.

A few vassal states did not take a stand and remained neutral. In fact, their "neutrality" was simply a sideshow, which was basically equivalent to supporting the shogunate in disguise.

Sanako beats A Wu violently - all options except "helping A Wu" are helping Sanako.

Even before the war started, the disparity in strength between the two sides was already unbearable.

Judging from the political situation, Changzhou is really the enemy of the whole world!

Fight the entire Japan with the power of one vassal!

Of course, those remote vassal states could only moan a few times.

It is definitely impossible to expect them to send troops to help.

By the time their troops arrive, the battle will probably be over.

Even if they are forced to send troops, they will definitely be cunning, taking one step forward and three steps back, marching endlessly, fighting for one year, and they can march for one year!

In comparison, the Gyeonggi vassals had no reason to refuse to send troops.

Following an order from the shogunate, despite all the reluctance in their hearts and the treasury being so empty that a rat would want to commit suicide if he entered it, the Gyeonggi vassals had no choice but to bite the bullet, forcefully squeeze out a batch of money and food, and send their own soldiers to attack King Jingqin.

Troops from all over Gyeonggi Province are gathering in Kyoto one after another! What a grand scene!

The scale of this battle was extraordinary.

Not only are there a large number of people, but the composition of the troops is complex.

There were both the Shinsengumi, the Aizu army and the Satsuma army stationed in Kyoto, as well as the feudal armies from the Gyeonggi domain.

In any war, there must be a general who can tell the truth.

If there are many orders, then why fight?

This is especially true for such a large-scale war with complex troop composition.

If we don't bring up a general with enough weight, we won't be able to control the situation.

In fact, there is no suspense at all about the choice of general.

When the shogunate's letter of appointment arrived in the capital, the content was as expected - Tachibana Aoden was appointed as the general-in-chief of this battle, to command the troops in the capital, and to command the battle with full authority!

There was no objection to this appointment by the shogunate.

Admittedly, it is difficult to say that Tokugawa Iemoji did not have a preference for Aoden.

But putting aside the deep friendship between the monarch and his ministers, in terms of hard power alone, Qingdeng is fully qualified to be the general!

In terms of identity, qualifications, and military exploits, who can compare with Qingdeng?

Although this is only a temporary position, and after the war is over, his status as "General of the Army" will also be lifted, but there is no doubt that this means another sharp rise in Qingdeng's political status!

Now it is a legion commander capable of coordinating a war zone!

The general has been decided.

The main forces have been assembled.

The next step is to formulate a battle plan! Make careful arrangements!

For Qingdeng and others, they are naturally happy to see Changzhou come over.

Playing at home is always better than playing on the road.

Shortly after taking over the appointment of "general of the army", Aoto summoned Matsudaira Yoshiho and Saigo Yoshinosuke, and the three of them held a small meeting.

After a brief discussion, the battle plan was roughly determined - with Kyoto as the center, set up the battle formation, wait for work, and wait for Choshu to attack!

Strategy is just this simple sentence.

On the other hand, the tactical plans and combat deployments can last for thousands of words.

As the general of the army, Qingdeng has been so busy in recent days that even using idioms such as "eating every day and wearing clothes at night" and "day and night" are not enough to describe him.

Although Qingden was not a novice with no combat experience, this was his first time commanding a battle of this scale.

In order to achieve a complete victory, he was extremely motivated.

Sleep God, Strong Essence +4, Yuan Yang +9... all these talents related to "Volume King" are activated!

The Shinsengumi generals have long been accustomed to Aomori's "Scroll King" style.

But this is the first time for Matsudaira Yongho, Saigo Kinosuke and others to experience this kind of posture.

After seeing Qingdeng's terrifying work intensity with their own eyes, they were all stunned and so shocked that they could not speak for a long time.

Afterwards, someone heard Saigo Kinosuke muttering in private:

"I finally understand where Ju Qingden's abilities come from... One day for him is equal to three or four days for others...!"

…

…

Kyoto, somewhere——

"This teahouse is really nice."

Abruptly, Qingden pointed to the tea house not far away.

The director-general leaned over and looked in the direction pointed by Qingdeng, with a look of doubt on his face.

"What's good about this tea house?"

As far as the Souji knew, Aomori was not the kind of person who understood emotions and architecture.

"If we put a few cannons on the roof of this tea house, we can control this entire town."

After hearing this, the general manager suddenly showed a look of helplessness on his face, and while hitting Qingden's shoulder with a moderate force, he said angrily:

"Really...I thought you would say such well-educated words..."

According to the plan and deployment of Qingdeng and others, they will keep the Changshu Army out of Kyoto, protect Kyoto from the war, and protect the property and personal rights of the people in Kyoto.

However... as we all know, the battlefield changes rapidly.

Once the war begins, it is not up to them to imagine how the war will develop in advance.

Just in case, we must be prepared to "fight the Choshu soldiers in the streets of Kyoto town."

Therefore, Aomori decided to personally survey the streets of Kyoto to prepare for the subsequent construction of strongholds and defense lines.

Qingden originally wanted to come alone, but he couldn't resist the chief's pleading.

After a period of rest and recuperation, Souji has recovered and returned to his lively and energetic appearance.

Miss Okita's great recovery!

After learning that Qing Deng was going to inspect Kyoto, she immediately pestered Qing Deng and begged him to let her go with her, saying that "I have been lying in bed for a long time and my body is rusty. I want to go out for a walk."

Qing Deng really couldn't persuade her, so he nodded and agreed.

The two walked side by side on a certain avenue in Kyoto.

Compared with the past, Kyoto is undoubtedly much quieter now.

Most of the shops on both sides of the street are closed and out of business.

There are also few pedestrians on the road, and there are almost no people.

Occasionally, I met a few families who were heading to Luowai with their families.

They were all in a hurry and looked panicked, as if they didn't want to stay here for even a second.

Such a scene is reasonable.

Kyoto is located in the center of Japan and is also the imperial residence of great significance.

For this reason, Kyoto is the city that has suffered the most from war in Japanese history, without a doubt.

Since the Heian period (794-1192), the lords and daimyos of the East and West often gathered here to celebrate.

Although the people of Kyoto have not heard of war since the Warring States period, they have not forgotten the horror of war and the various experiences of avoiding it through word of mouth from generation to generation.

When they heard that the Choshu soldiers were coming, Kyoto was in a panic.

Those who had a place to go, went there quickly.

Those who had no place to go, also quickly packed up their belongings and luggage and fled Kyoto first.

Although many people were full of confidence in Qing Deng and firmly believed that "Niou would definitely protect us", at this critical moment, it was better to escape quickly than to pin their hopes of saving their lives and property on Qing Deng.

Nowadays, almost all those who are willing and able to escape have fled.

The ancient capital, which was once bustling with traffic, has now become extremely calm and quiet.

To be honest, Qing Deng was relieved to see Kyoto become half empty.

If a large number of people were stranded in Kyoto, he would have a headache.

To put it bluntly, when the Choshu army came, these people would be a burden.

They ran away, which reduced Qing Deng's burden and he could do a great job.

Souji turned her head and looked at the closed shops on both sides, and then looked at the empty streets in front and behind, muttering:

"It's so deserted..."

As she said that, a hint of loss appeared on her pretty face.

Although Souji always looks careless, she is actually very thoughtful.

It's an exaggeration to say that she is Lin Daiyu.

It is true that she is a sentimental woman like Lin Daiyu.

The deserted streets must have made her feel sentimental.

Qing Deng glanced at her and comforted her:

"Don't worry, everything will return to normal after the Choshu soldiers are repelled."

Souji pursed his lips and nodded slightly.

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly smelled a very nice fragrance and couldn't help twitching his nose.

Souji, who has an extraordinary perception of desserts, noticed the fragrance first, twitched his nose slightly, and then said with surprise:

"It's the smell of Japanese confectionery!"

Kyoto, which is now half empty and most of the shops are closed, actually still has the fragrance of Japanese confectionery... It must be said that this is really unexpected.

Driven by curiosity, Qing Deng and Souji followed the fragrance.

In a short while, they found a river - it was the Katsura River located west of Kyoto.

If the Kamogawa River is the mother river of Kyoto, then the Katsura River is the "second mother river" of Kyoto, and its status is equally important.

"Huh?"

Qing Deng made a puzzled and surprised sound.

He subconsciously blinked his eyes to confirm whether he saw it wrongly - he saw a middle-aged couple enjoying the cool air on the bank of the Katsura River.

There was a box of exquisite Japanese confectionery between them - the tempting fragrance that Qing Deng and his friends just smelled came from here.

The couple enjoyed the cool air, admired the sky and scenery, drank tea and ate snacks, and they were so leisurely and happy.

As soon as Qing Deng and Souji arrived, the couple found them.

The wife of the couple said:

"Huh? Tachibana-kun, what a coincidence!"

The husband of the couple said:

"Since we have met by chance, do you want to come and eat Japanese confectionery?"

Qing Deng turned his eyes, looked at the husband, and then looked at the wife, with a strange expression:

"Mr. Koumaki, Mrs. Koumaki, why are you here?"

This couple is not someone else, but the Koumaki couple!

Komaki Goro tilted his head and half-jokingly responded:

"Why are we here? Isn't it obvious at a glance? We are cooling off! The weather in Kyoto is really too hot. If we don't often go to the river to cool off, life will be unbearable!"

Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a recommendation ticket! (crying leopard head.jpg)

Today is Teacher's Day. Teacher Yua, I miss you so much! You are still young! Why did you retire so early? ! (crying leopard head.jpg)