I formed the strongest swordsman group

Chapter 897 It would be great if Tachibana Aoto was the Shogun! [6100]

Kobe, somewhere in the suburbs——

Boom... boom... boom... boom... boom... boom...

The sudden strange noise caused farmers on the outskirts of Kobe to put down their work and look confused.

"Huh? What's this?"

"It sounded like the sound of horse hooves."

"The sound of horse hooves? If this is the sound of horse hooves, then the movement is too loud, right?"

Just when they were feeling puzzled and secretly wondering, someone suddenly stretched out his hand and pointed:

"Look!"

When everyone heard the words, they immediately raised their eyes and followed the sound.

I saw a large group of cavalry passing by on the dirt road beside the field.

These cavalrymen all wore light green feathers, wore sharp tachi swords at their waists, and rode on fat Koshu horses. They looked majestic and majestic.

"Light green Haori...is the Shinsengumi!"

Under Qingdeng's forced control, the discipline within the Shinsengumi was extremely strict.

The Shinsengumi Act remains an inviolable and absolute prohibition.

Whoever dares to offend, no matter who you are, no matter how much contribution you have made in the past, will only have one end: immediate execution.

I don’t know how many poor eggs have died under one’s own sword.

Under such high pressure, the Shinsengumi's military discipline was renowned far and wide.

Although it cannot be compared with the great modern army, it is certainly far superior to other feudal armies of the same era.

Thanks to this, the Shinsengumi's reputation among the public has always been very good.

If it were other troops, the farmers would have run away long ago after seeing them, and fled far away.

A bandit's fault is like a comb, a soldier's fault is like a grate, an official's fault is like a shave - this proverb left by our ancestors is a painful lesson accumulated with countless blood.

Seeing that it was the Shinsengumi, the farmers at the scene were relieved and no longer afraid.

Some brave people even rushed forward to take a closer look at this group of distinguished guests.

"Cavalry...which division of the Shinsengumi is this?"

"Either the Seventh Division or the Tenth Division. Only these two troops are mounted."

"Ah! Look at that man in black! I know him! He is the 'Deputy Commander of the Demons' Hijikata Tobizo!"

Among the large group of light onions, only Tobi Hijikata was wearing a black suit, a black windbreaker, big black leather boots, and a very Western-style slicked back hair, so he stood out.

The reputation of the "Deputy Chief of Ghosts" goes without saying.

In order to get a glimpse of its true appearance, the farmers at the scene stretched their necks and poked their heads.

Seeing this, Hijikata Toshizo turned his face generously to the side so that they could see more clearly. At the same time, he waved his hand and smiled.

Instantly, the village women and girls present all blushed and their eyes were charming.

Hijikata Toshizo is known far and wide as a handsome guy and an arsonist with a heart.

After wearing this tight and slim-fitting suit, his figure looks longer and his personal charm increases.

In this case, it is not surprising that these village women would be fascinated.

Following Hijikata Toshizo, Harada Sanosuke beside him was also recognized by people with sharp eyes.

"Look! That person is 'Immortal Harada'!"

"It is said that he is immortal! He is a man who can't die even if his belly is cut open!"

As soon as these remarks came out, Harada Sanosuke suddenly became energetic.

"Oh! You know this very well! Look! This is the scar I got when I committed seppuku! Back then, before I became a ronin, and when I was an official in Iyo Matsuyama Domain, a nasty guy slandered me as a ' I'm a little official who doesn't even know the etiquette of seppuku. I'm just a serious person. Didn't he say that I didn't even know how to commit seppuku? Show him!"

Harada Sanosuke said as he skillfully took off his upper body clothes, revealing his muscular upper body and the conspicuous scar on his stomach.

Although he enthusiastically introduced the scar on his belly, the rapid march of the cavalry column made his figure disappear from the sight of the farmers, and his voice was also dissipated in the wind.

The cavalry roared past, leaving behind billows of dust and smoke and the curious looks of the farmers.

"That's weird, why are the Shinsengumi cavalry here?"

"Hiss... I remember it! Wasn't it always rumored that the shogunate was going to use troops against Changzhou?"

"So...this army is preparing to attack Changzhou?"

"In my opinion, the army led by the 'Deputy Commander of the Ghost' is just the vanguard, and the main force is still behind!"

"Hey, didn't we just have a fight in Gyeonggi Province not long ago? Why do we have to fight again..."

"What are you afraid of? It's not like we are starting a war here!"

"Hey, what the hell, we can't care about the affairs of those big shots! Let's just focus on the present! Working hard to cultivate the fields well is better than anything else!"

"That's not what I said. Ju Qingden is a rare good official. I quite hope that he will win a great victory."

"Me too. There is always a winner anyway, why not let the one who is more pleasing to the eye win."

"Why can't there be more good officials like Ju Qingden? Let's just let him be the general to conquer the barbarians..."

"Hush! What nonsense are you talking about! Don't say such nonsense!"

Two hundred thousand troops—an army of this size would naturally not march at the same time.

Even if Han Bai is reincarnated, he will not be able to control the 200,000 troops gathered in action.

Otherwise, not to mention the adjustment of diet, just daily defecation will be a huge problem.

In order to facilitate management, Seito divided the troops under his command into many units, letting Hijikata Toshizo and Harada Sanosuke lead the 5,000 forward troops to open the way first, and other units moved forward in order.

He himself and the main force under his command will not officially set off until November 20.

For this battle, he mobilized all the elite soldiers and generals under his command. He really used all the elite troops and didn't even send anyone to guard his home.

This battle was a military action that Tokugawa Iemo pushed hard and was finally implemented.

If we win, then everything is easy to say.

But if they are defeated... the "anti-war faction" will not show mercy and will definitely launch a large-scale counterattack!

By then, regardless of Aonto, Tokugawa Iemo's situation will definitely become quite passive.

He had made up his mind to marry Tianzhangyuan after destroying Changzhou.

In other words... he was mentally prepared to accept Tokugawa Iemo as his adopted son!

For the sake of his future son, of course he would not watch him suffer.

Even if we don't talk about Tokugawa Iemo, the victory or defeat of this battle is also related to Aomori's own future.

In this way, he can't help but not be serious, and he can't help but not give his best.

Although on the surface, the Tokugawa army has an absolute advantage, is morally responsible, and has overwhelming military strength, it is almost impossible to think of the possibility of defeat.

But... when it comes to war, Qingdeng has always adhered to the combat philosophy of "being cautious" and "becoming unwinnable first, then waiting for the enemy to be victorious".

Looking back at his previous battles, without exception, they were all inside battles.

On the other hand, this battle was not only the first external battle he commanded, but also an expedition spanning half of Japan - although half of Japan is not that big, the straight-line distance from Otsu to Choshu is only more than 300 kilometers.

In this way, the uncertainty factors multiply.

All in all, it is always right to be more cautious and have a few more trump cards in your hand.

No matter what, this battle will ultimately determine the future direction of history!

As Qingto's general mobilization order was issued, the soldiers of the Shinsengumi responded enthusiastically, and no one was afraid of fighting.

Even Sanako and Awu, who had just given birth, expressed their willingness to "return to the front line."

Of course, their request to join the war was politely declined by Qingden.

After giving birth to a child, you should stay in confinement and avoid strenuous exercise - Qingdeng still understands this common sense.

No matter how much the two girls tried to persuade him, Qingdeng never changed his mind.

Although Sanako and A Wu are both rare talents, Qingden now has a cloud of advisers and strong generals under his command, and it doesn't matter even without the help of the two women.

He took advantage of these two days to finish the remaining government affairs at hand.

The first thing he did was to see Elodie off.

"Master, I'm leaving!"

Elodie straightened her clothes and said confidently.

Qingden smiled and nodded.

"Well, I wish you a safe journey!"

The girl was seen wearing a low-brimmed bamboo hat, a wind-proof cloak, and leggings tightly wrapped around her small and delicate ankles. She looked like a traveler about to go on a long journey.

Behind her, 50 elite cavalrymen were holding their horses in one hand and holding their swords in the other, ready to go.

Elodie is the head of the Finance Office and only looks after the accounting books and not the war, so it is naturally impossible for Qingdeng to take her to the front line.

He would leave her behind anyway, so it would be better to let her go to the Hachioji area and check the account books of the Hachioji Thousand People.

Since Seito moved to the right and became Army President, "vigorously promoting the Westernization of the Eight Princes and the Military Army" has become his top priority.

Just a month ago, the guns Qing Deng specially purchased for Qianren Tongxin finally arrived in Hong Kong.

Before that, because he had to give priority to supplying resources to the Shinsengumi, he had no time to take care of Thousand People United.

Now that he was a little richer, and with the support of Tokugawa Iemo, he was able to free up his energy to promote military reforms with thousands of people working together.

With the upgrading of weapons and equipment, thousands of soldiers working together instantly completed the transformation from "one bamboo gun for each person" to "one musket for each person".

The army instructors hired by Tokugawa Iemo from France also arrived one after another and began to teach the most advanced army tactics to thousands of people.

Military reform is a long and systematic hard work that cannot be accomplished overnight.

What's more, the Eight Princes are not a professional army. They are a militia armed with half farmers and half soldiers. They have to farm during the busy farming season, and can only find time to participate in training during the slack farming season.

Therefore, it will take a long time before this force can begin to take on combat effectiveness.

While vigorously promoting the modernization of Thousands of People Working Together, Qingdeng planned to review his account books and cut unnecessary expenses as much as possible to save money.

At the same time, he went to inspect the warehouse and clear out all the useless old equipment, such as bamboo guns and matchlock guns.

There is no doubt that the only person who can do this job is Elodie.

As we all know, auditing is a very dangerous job.

In modern times, the allusion to a helicopter full of auditors being brought down by rockets is both hilarious and frightening.

Furthermore, Elodie's Western identity also makes her extremely vulnerable to unfair treatment.

Naturally, Qingto would not be stupid enough to let Elodie go to Hachioji alone.

He transferred 50 elite cavalry from the seventh division and ordered them to protect Elodie personally.

Not only that, he also appointed Kui Lai Shimada, the deputy captain of the First Division, to serve as Elodie's "chief of guards", with full authority to command these 50 cavalrymen.

Kui Shimada—Qingto has always been deeply impressed by this fierce soldier who worked his way up from the grassroots level. He admires him very much and intends to focus on cultivating him.

Logically speaking, it was impossible for Qingdeng, who was determined to exert all his strength in the Battle of March, not to bring this fierce general with him.

What a pity... During the training a while ago, Shimada Kui accidentally sprained his left arm. The injury was not serious, but it was not easy either.

The doctor's advice is to let him rest for a while and avoid strenuous exercise.

In this case, it is naturally impossible for him to go to the front line.

Despite Shimada Kui's various requests, and even the bold statement that "even if I only have one arm, I can still go into battle to kill the enemy," Qingto still decided to send him to protect Elodie.

Compared to going to the front line to fight with the Changzhou people, this task is undoubtedly much easier.

Qingden didn't think anyone could be so short-sighted and dare to step forward to find trouble when faced with Elodie, who was protected by 50 cavalry.

Shimada Kui naturally felt very sorry for Qingnobo's appointment.

As an old man of the Shinsengumi and the deputy captain of the first team, "obeying the orders of superiors" has become his instinct.

Therefore, even though his heart was full of helplessness and regret, he resolutely accepted the order.

Afterwards, Nagakura Shinpachi, who was friends with Shimada Kui - they were old acquaintances. Nagakura Shinpachi had often interacted with Shimada Kui before joining the Trial Guard Hall - approached him and enlightened him.

Who is Elodie?

She is the only disciple Qingdeng currently has.

For Qingdeng, Elodie is undoubtedly an important existence like family.

The generals sent to protect Elodie were undoubtedly carefully selected loyal and brave men.

Qingdeng has so many powerful generals under his command, but you are the only one sent to serve as Elodie's "chief of guard". This just shows that Qingdeng trusts and values ​​you.

As long as you complete this task perfectly, you will definitely be promoted and reused in the future!

In fact, Nagakura Shinpachi was absolutely right.

Not all cats and dogs are qualified to approach Qingdeng’s family.

After listening to Nagakura Shinpachi's enlightenment, Shimada Kui suddenly became enlightened, and the worries in his heart disappeared instantly.

Today, Elodie, who is all ready, officially sets off for the Eighth Prince.

Ah Wu, who also came to see her off, moved lightly, approached Elodie, and hugged her gently.

"Have a nice trip, Elodie."

Elodie hugged back hard.

"Yeah! I'll be back as soon as possible!"

Qingden added abruptly:

"Elody, the weather is getting colder. Please keep warm and don't get cold."

"Master, I am not an eight-year-old child, so I would not make such a stupid mistake."

After saying this angrily, Elodie seemed to remember something. After a short pause, she asked:

"Master, is there any news about the recasting of Vairocana?"

"I haven't received any relevant news yet. Shikizaki Jiyō should still be working hard on it. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I was just thinking... Anyway, the Eighth Prince is not far from Edo. If Vairochana is successfully recast, I can go and get it back for you."

Before Qingden could ask "why", Elodie continued on by herself:

"'Broken Iron Steel'... This piece of steel entrusts my former 'chivalrous dream'."

"A sword forged from 'broken iron steel' - if possible, I would like to be the first person to see the light of its sword."

"In this way, one of my wishes can be considered fulfilled."

After Qingdeng heard this, he smiled and nodded without hesitation:

"Well, of course. If there is enough time, I will let you get the knife for me."

When Elodie heard this, she suddenly smiled.

"That being the case, I'm sincerely looking forward to it!"

After chatting for a few more words, Elodie stopped delaying and said, "Master, Miss Wu, everyone! See you later!" and then got on the horse with a slightly clumsy movement.

"Mount!"

Following Shimada Kui's order, the cavalry surrounding Elodie jumped on their horses and whipped their whips.

The group of people moved forward slowly under the watch of Qingdeng and others, and disappeared at the end of the road in a short time.

The first year of Yuanzhi (1864), November 20th——

Two days after the forward troops set off, the main force led by Qingdeng officially set off!

The mighty army marched all the way west, passing through the six countries of Settsu, Harima, Bizen, Bichung, Bingo, and Aki before reaching the marching front line.

The Western Kingdom does not have a developed and mature transportation network called "Five Streets" like the Eastern Kingdom. The roads along the way are basically ordinary dirt roads that have not been consolidated.

On sunny days there is heavy dust, and on rainy days it turns into a quagmire.

Unfortunately, as soon as the army set out, it happened to be hit by heavy rain - the "Mud General" arrived as scheduled.

Looking up, the whole road became bumpy and extremely muddy.

As soon as he stepped down, most of the sole of his foot sank directly in.

It was nauseating, uncomfortable and uncomfortable. The most troublesome thing was that it aggravated the physical exertion and greatly slowed down the marching speed.

The people were okay, mainly the carriages and horses - especially the carriages and horses where the cannons were placed - were greatly affected.

Cannons are inherently heavy and will sink into the quagmire.

The soldiers had to place thick pieces of wood in front of the wheels of the carriage so that the cart could walk on the pieces to prevent the wheels from getting stuck in the mud.

Whenever he walks on these dirt roads, Qingnobo will feel sincerely: No wonder in the Edo period, wearing socks and foot bags were a symbol of status.

Japan has a hot and rainy climate, and it rains every three days. Even when it's not raining, the dust can stain your socks.

Anyway, no matter what time it is, the socks on your feet are easy to get dirty.

How can ordinary people have the time and energy to wash socks every day?

In this kind of climate and road conditions, it would be more comfortable to go barefoot.

Despite the unfavorable start and the rain delaying a lot of time, the large troops successfully arrived at the front line before the scheduled time!

The first year of Yuanzhi (1864), December 7, night——

The junction of An Yiguo and Zhou Fangguo (Yishukou), the shogunate camp, the main formation——

It was a moonless night, and thick clouds blocked the moonlight.

As far as the eye can see, there is a deep night. It is not an exaggeration to say that "you can't see without reaching your hand".

Not a ray of night wind, not a trace of insects.

The temperature drops sharply at night, filling the air with cool night air.

Hijikata Toizo and others, who led the vanguard and arrived here in advance, had already set up camp in advance and built trenches, watchtowers and other defenses.

Torches were placed in every corner of the shogunate's camp, illuminating the inside and outside of the camp as if it were daytime.

Not only that, guards holding torches and patrolling can be seen everywhere in the camp.

Directly opposite the shogunate's camp, on the plains about ten kilometers away, there is a large camp covering an area.

This camp is also as bright as day because of the large number of torches - it is the camp of the Changzhou Army!

At this moment, hundreds of generals led by Hijikata Toshizo gathered in the main camp.

The lineup in the tent is truly luxurious.

There are the Shinsengumi generals wearing light green haori, as well as the commanders of the Aizu, Satsuma, Owari, Fukui and other feudal armies.

"General Tachibana is here!"

Following the shouting from outside the tent, everyone in the tent stood up.

After a while, Qingdeng, who was full of travel dust, opened the curtains, strode into the tent, and went straight to the main seat.

He arrived at the camp this evening and hurried over to hold a military meeting without even having time to change his clothes.

"Everyone, sit down."

He waved his hand and motioned for the generals to take their seats.

"I will omit the unnecessary pleasantries for now."

"Let's start tonight's military strategy meeting directly!"

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly changed subtly.

Some people, represented by the Shinsengumi generals, had bright eyes, high spirits, and geared up, as if they would lead their troops straight to the Choshu camp without hesitation as long as Seito gave the order.

There are also some people who have indifferent expressions and look indifferent to the war - among them, the lord of Owari Domain, Tokugawa Yoshikatsu, and the lord of Fukui Domain, Matsudaira Shigeaki, are typical examples.

Qingdeng's reaction to these people was within Qingdeng's expectation.

Although the Owari Domain and the Fukui Domain are close vassals of the Edo shogunate and are branches of the Tokugawa family, and the lord of the Owari Domain has the privilege of being named "Tokugawa", in fact, they are expected to work hard for the shogunate. That's certainly impossible.

Even immediate family members will become unfamiliar after not moving around for many years, let alone distant relatives who have been separated for nearly three hundred years?

In other words, the Kaijin Domain is a different kind. The feudal lords of all generations have always implemented the ancestral motto of "fully supporting the shogunate".

Matsudaira Yōho (Lord of the Aizu Domain) is an exception and is different for the time being.

Other feudal lords such as Tokugawa Keikatsu and Matsudaira Shigeaaki naturally put the interests of their own feudal states as their top priority.

Even if Choshu is eliminated, only the shogunate will benefit. In that case, why should we do such a thankless job?

Therefore, they did not want to join the war at all.

Even before the troops were sent out, Tokugawa Keikatsu and others had found various excuses to avoid military service, such as "insufficient combat power of the troops" and "tight financial resources". In short, they all had the same meaning: find someone else to do it, and this domain He won't join the war!

Of course, Tokugawa Iemo would not condone these guys.

Everyone wants to hide in the back and enjoy the happiness, so what do I want you lords to do? !

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