I formed the strongest swordsman group

"Be smart! Here, here, and there! The weeds in these places must be cleared!"

"Is the tent set up?"

"Where's the flag? Put the flag up quickly!"

"Some people come! Move this big rock away first!"

"One, two, three! Get up! Do it again! One, two, three! Get up!"

…

After carefully examining the terrain of Sekigahara, Ayoto decided to set up the main formation on the top of Mount Tenman.

This location not only has a good view and flat terrain, but is also close to major transportation routes, which is conducive to conveying military orders to various places.

More importantly, this place faces Nangong Mountain, making it easy to observe the movements of the Changzhou Army.

After a while, a handsome tent that could accommodate dozens of people was set up, and the curtains embroidered with gentian leaves were also drawn up.

Immediately afterwards, with the joint cooperation of several team members, the big "Cheng" flag was slowly raised.

The flags erected together include the three-leaf sunflower flag, which symbolizes the shogunate, and the gentian leaf flag, which symbolizes the Qinjin clan.

Three large flags stand side by side, facing the wind, echoing the Ichimonji Three-Star Flag on Nangong Mountain opposite.

In the "First Sekigahara Battle" two hundred and eighty years ago, the Mori family belonged to the Western Army, and the Ichimonji three-star flag stood in the Western Army camp. The Tokugawa family belonged to the Eastern Army, and the Sanye Aoi flag naturally stood in the Eastern Army. military camp.

But now, the positions of the two flags are actually reversed.

The three-leaf sunflower flag appeared in the Western Army, while the one-letter three-star flag appeared in the Eastern Army... I have to say, this is really an interesting coincidence.

After learning that the commander's tent was set up and all the military flags were erected, Qingdeng called Shannan to help, and the two held a simple meeting in the commander's tent.

"Keisuke, where are the current positions of each team?"

As soon as Aoshito finished speaking, Shannan Keisuke relied on his superior memory to answer in an orderly manner:

"The troops currently arriving at the Sekigahara battlefield include most of the 1st and 3rd divisions, a small portion of the 8th and 11th divisions, and all of the 7th and 10th divisions. The total number of troops exceeds 1,500."

"Other troops are still on their way."

"Second Division and Fourth Division arrived in Kusatsu."

"The fifth division has arrived in Hikone."

"The Sixth Division has arrived at Omi."

…

Shannan Keisuke reported the specific locations of each unit in an orderly manner.

After Qingdeng listened carefully, he sighed half-jokingly:

"We have just completed the 'Second Great Return to China', and we have to set off again before we can rest for a while. We rush to Sekigahara without stopping... It is really difficult for the soldiers."

Shannan Jingzhu smiled:

"Indeed."

"However, thanks to your heroic feat of 'equally distributing money', the morale of the soldiers is very high."

"The fatigue accumulated in their bodies seemed to disappear the moment they took over the money."

Having said this, he paused for a moment, and then changed into a helpless tone:

"Mr. Ju, we are really bleeding a lot this time...the originally full treasury has been completely emptied..."

Qingdeng smiled slightly:

"If the money is gone, you can make it again. But if you lose this battle, you will lose everything."

Back then, after Hashiba Hideyoshi (Toyotomi Hideyoshi) rushed back to Himeji Castle (Toki Hideyoshi's main city) in order to defeat Akechi Mitsuhide as soon as possible, he immediately ordered the opening of Himeji Castle's treasury and all the gold and silver accumulated in the city. Distribute it to the soldiers.

The soldiers who had made a huge profit suddenly felt exhausted and their fighting spirit was high, which became one of the important factors in their subsequent victory over Akechi Mitsuhide.

There is no doubt that this move is full of courage.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi knew very well that his next decisive battle with Akechi Mitsuhide would be a fight to the death that would determine his fate.

If you win, then everything is easy to say.

If you lose, there will be no use keeping these yellow and white things.

Not everyone can accomplish such a heroic feat.

People who cling to money even though death is imminent really have as much money as they want.

Therefore, Aoto followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi's example and opened Otsu's treasury on the eve of leaving for Sekigahara, and distributed all the gold and silver stored in it to the Shinsengumi soldiers!

In this way, he fulfilled his previous promise to Hijikata Toshizo to "reward the soldiers well".

In fact, after receiving the order to "prepare to Sekigahara", many sergeants in the Shinsengumi lost their temper.

We went through all kinds of hardships and finally rushed back to Otsu from Changshu. Before we could take a breath, we were asked to go to Sekigahara again! Even cows and horses are not so miserable, right? !

These grievances tend to be broadcast widely.

However, after receiving a huge amount of money equivalent to several years of military pay in one fell swoop, these dissatisfied voices disappeared.

Instead, there were complimentary words such as "Nioh is wise", "Nioh is generous", "Fighting with Nioh is really fun!"

Admittedly, it does make people feel distressed to empty their treasury and property in one go.

However, just like Toyotomi Hideyoshi back then, the next battle will also determine Aoto's fate!

Even if we don't talk about those falsehoods, just to rush to the rescue of Hijikata Toshizo and Elodie who are currently stationed at Hachioji, as well as Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin in Edo Castle, it is worth Aomori to defeat the enemy in front of him at all costs!

After stating the specific current positions of each unit, Shannan Keisuke turned to Aomori and asked:

"Mr. Ju, how is Nangong Mountain? Have you noticed anything strange?"

What he was referring to was that Qingdeng was standing alone on the top of Tianman Mountain, looking at Nangong Mountain opposite, conducting "long-range reconnaissance" on the enemy's position.

Qing Deng said calmly:

"It is obvious that the soldiers of the Choshu Army are digging trenches and building fortifications. It seems that they intend to build Nangong Mountain into an impregnable fortress."

After hearing this, Shannan Jingzhu immediately sank his face:

"Tsk... Not good, the enemy army has adopted the tactics we least want to see...!"

Qing Deng shrugged.

"Don't panic."

"We expected this kind of thing a long time ago, didn't we?"

"Unless they are confused, they will definitely adopt the 'turtle tactics' to hold us back and will never fight us head-on on the plain."

Shannan Jingzhu nodded and sighed:

"Well... You are right."

They did not deploy defenses at the foot of the mountain, but climbed the mountain to defend - such tactics, Ma Su must have felt particularly familiar when he saw it, and touched his head with emotion... Ah, no, he has no head, his head was chopped off by Zhuge Liang a long time ago.

This tactic of abandoning the foot of the mountain and concentrating all the troops on the mountain is very risky.

For the specific risks, you can refer to the Jieting Battle commanded by Comrade Ma Su during the Three Kingdoms period.

If there is enough time, Qing Deng, who has the advantage in troops, can directly surround Nangong Mountain and rely on the boring but tried-and-tested "battle of food and soldiers" to drag the enemy to death.

However... what Qing Deng lacks most now is time!

The Choshu Army on the east road is advancing triumphantly, and both Hachioji and Edo are waiting for the rescue of the Shinsengumi.

Time is not on Qing Deng's side, but on the Choshu Army.

Qing Deng, who is eager to help Kanto, has no time to adopt the "battle of food and soldiers" tactics.

Therefore, not only can he not take a defensive position, but he must maintain a strong offensive! Break through Sekigahara as quickly as possible!

The Choshu Army on the opposite side must have been sure that Qing Deng must fight quickly, so they were confident and bold to garrison on the mountain.

Since they dared to give up the foot of the mountain, they must have stored enough supplies on the mountain - enough supplies to last until the fall of Edo.

Qing Deng lowered his head and looked at the map of Sekigahara on the table in front of him, thinking.

After a moment, he spoke quietly:

"... Mount Tenman and Mount Nangong are separated by the entire Sekigahara Basin. At such a long distance, what can be seen clearly is too limited."

Before he finished speaking, Yamanami Keisuke shuddered as if he had heard some terrible devilish sound, and then said without thinking:

"Tachibana-kun, please forgive me for being frank! According to the currently known information, the Choshu army on the opposite side is equipped with a large number of guns and cannons!"

"Compared with the backward armies that we have fought against before and did not even have a few bows and arrows, they are simply incomparable."

"Therefore, this time is different from the past. It is too dangerous to approach the enemy camp without authorization!"

"Hijikata-kun has already gone to Hachioji."

"If something happens to you... Kondo-kun and I alone cannot command such a large-scale battle!"

Although Qing Deng only sighed that "the distance is too far and the details of the enemy formation cannot be seen clearly", as an old partner who has worked with Qing Deng for many years, Yamanami Keisuke immediately heard what Qing Deng was preparing for, so he immediately spoke out to stop him.

Whenever there was a war, Qing Deng would always lead a team to approach the enemy camp and collect intelligence - this has almost become his traditional skill!

Faced with Shannan Jingzhu's quick response to dissuasion, Qing Deng couldn't help but look helpless and laughed:

"Jingzhu, don't worry."

"I'm not a fool with courage but no strategy."

"Of course I know that the enemy this time is very powerful and cannot be underestimated."

"So, I don't plan to go deep into the enemy camp, I just plan to do a 'quick go and quick return' reconnaissance operation."

After hearing this, Shannan Jingzhu's mouth twitched:

"After talking for a long time, aren't you still going to approach the enemy camp...?!"

Qing Deng curved his mouth corners and showed a gentle smile like pretending to be stupid:

"During the time when I am away from the main camp, everything in the camp depends on you."

Yannan Jingzhu opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something else.

Finally, he sighed as if giving up, with helplessness and bitterness on his cheeks:

"Well...how many people do you plan to bring this time?"

Qing Deng slowly stood up:

"I won't bring too many people, I only plan to go with two agile and slightly skilled swordsmen."

"In fact, I have already notified them in advance to come to the main camp to see me."

"Calculate the time...they should be here soon."

Coincidentally, just as he finished speaking, a loud announcement came from outside the camp:

"Lord! Captain Okita Souji of the First Division and Captain Saito Ichi of the Third Division request to see you!"

...

...

Qing Deng, Souji, and Saito Ichi - a group of three people followed the path to leave Tenman Mountain, then detoured south to the southern Matsuo Mountain, and then headed east along the foot of Matsuo Mountain, approaching Nangong Mountain.

Because the number of accompanying personnel was kept to a minimum, and there was a dense bush to cover them, Qing Deng and others could not be seen from a distance.

Souji and Saito Ichi stood on the left and right of Qing Deng, following him and looking around to be alert.

Regarding "how to protect Qing Deng", Saito Ichi has extremely rich experience.

When Qing Deng was just an unknown person, Saito Ichi was already active as his bodyguard.

Judging from the length of time he followed Qing Deng... Saito Ichi was undoubtedly Qing Deng's earliest companion.

They walked through the forest.

The sunlight pouring down from the gaps between the branches formed a network shape, swinging rapidly like a pendulum on the three of them.

Nangong Mountain is very conspicuous. Just keep your sights on the top of the mountain and move forward, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.

They were not here for an outing, but to explore the enemy's situation, so they rarely opened their mouths to chat, and kept their mouths tightly shut throughout the whole process.

Suddenly, Souji's expression changed slightly, and then she hurriedly raised her right arm and buried half of her face in her arm——

"Cough cough... cough cough..."

A low cough sounded muffled in his arms.

Seeing this, Qingdeng couldn't help but frown slightly:

"Xiao Si, your cough is still not gone?"

In his impression, Souji had started coughing as early as the time when the commemorative photo was taken... no, it should have been earlier.

Although Souji is an extraordinary woman with extraordinary physical ability, what is incredible is that every time the seasons change, she is prone to colds and illnesses.

In severe cases, you may even be bedridden for several days.

Therefore, when he discovered that Souji was coughing, Qingden didn't pay much attention. He just told her to have a good rest and see a doctor if she felt really uncomfortable.

While giving more instructions, Qingteng ordered the Shinsengumi medical team to get some cough medicine, and at the same time asked the kitchen to cook more pear soup that was good for the throat.

However, nowadays, there is no custom in Japan to make pear soup, so the chefs don’t know what “pear soup” Aomori calls.

As a last resort, Qingdeng could only go into battle in person and cook in person for the first time in a long time.

In his previous life, he was born in a soup-making province and had to make soup for almost every meal.

For him, making pear soup is no problem.

At that time, after learning that the strange bowl of soup she was drinking - she had never tasted soup made from fruits - was made by Aoto, Souji was moved and speechless for a time.

But... at the same time, this also caused Sanako and Awu to look at each other strangely, as if they were expressing their dissatisfaction.

Qingnobo thought that Souji would recover soon after taking medicine and drinking soup.

Unexpectedly... A long time has passed, but Souji's cough has not gotten better...

Facing Qingden's worried look, the Souji slowly raised his little face and chuckled a few times: "Hey, hey, hey."

"The cough this time is a little stubborn...but don't worry! It's just a minor illness and you will recover in a while!"

"...I'll go back to camp later and I'll ask Mr. Nanjo to come and see you."

Mr. Nanjo——The medical head of the Shinsengumi medical side, Nanjo Akizaburo.

As a famous doctor whom Aoto hired with huge sums of money, Nanjo Akizaburo's medical skills are naturally excellent.

In order to achieve complete victory in this battle, Seito brought almost all of his belongings - including the medical team headed by Nanjo Akizaburo.

Hearing that Aoto wanted Nanjo Akizaburo, who had the best medical skills in Shinsengumi's medical prescription, to treat her, the Souji suddenly became excited and said hurriedly:

"No, no need! It's just a minor illness! Why bother Mr. Nanjo!"

"Don't hide your illness and avoid medical treatment. Even if it's a minor illness, don't take it lightly. A minor illness may worsen into a serious illness if it goes on for a long time."

Speaking of this, Qingdeng paused for a moment, and then solemnly added:

"Xiao Si, if you really feel uncomfortable, don't hold back."

After hearing this, the director's eyes flickered slightly, and a vague look of hesitation appeared on his cheeks.

Immediately afterwards, she tightened her lips, gritted her teeth, and said in a volume that only she could hear clearly:

"How can that be done... Everyone is fighting bravely, how can I lie on the bed..."

…

…

Souji's sudden cough was just a minor episode in this journey.

Afterwards, the three of them stopped talking and moved forward slowly in silence.

About half an hour later, the majestic Nangong Mountain was already in front of them.

Compared with Tianman Mountain, Nangong Mountain covers a huge area!

To put it bluntly, Mount Tenman is more like a hill than a mountain.

In comparison, Nangong Mountain is the real mountain!

Qingden had already put Sekiyuan's map in his mind.

He looked around and confirmed that they were now at Taopei Mountain at the western foot of Nangong Mountain.

Mobi Mountain - the location of Tokugawa Ieyasu's main formation two hundred and eighty years ago.

Looking at the ancient battlefield beneath his feet, Qingdeng couldn't help but sigh.

After nearly three hundred years, this land is once again facing a decisive battle that will determine history!

After briefly expressing his feelings, he suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart, refocused his energy, raised his gaze and looked at the towering mountains opposite.

He took out the telescope from his pocket and began to observe the specific scenes in Nangong Mountain. The scenes were clearly reflected in the lenses.

I saw countless soldiers wielding hoes, shovels and other tools in the mountains.

They either dug trenches diligently or meticulously cut down trees and made fences, towers and other defenses.

Qingdeng could tell at just one glance: the construction methods and layout positions of these fortifications were all very professional!

Those criss-crossing trenches and layers of fences can effectively deter the opponent's attack.

Those interlocking fortresses and shooting points can form a tight crossfire, giving mountain attackers a head-on blow.

The more Qingdeng looked carefully, the more he couldn't help but sink his face with a solemn expression.

At this moment, a rustling sound suddenly came from the trees not far away from him.

Immediately afterwards, three Changzhou sergeants in light uniforms pushed through the bushes, walked out, and met Qingdeng and others head-on.

Looking at Qing Deng and his group, the three men's faces suddenly changed color, and they asked in a shrill voice:

"Who are you?"

They were probably patrolmen of the Choshu Army.

In order to hide their tracks, Qing Deng and his group did not wear the iconic light green feathers, but inconspicuous casual clothes.

For this reason, for a moment, the three patrolmen did not realize the identity of Qing Deng and his group.

However, they had instinctively felt that the newcomers were not friendly, and subconsciously reached out to touch the swords at their waists and prepared to warn them.

To be fair, their reaction speed was fast enough.

Unfortunately...they met the captains of the first and third squads of the Shinsengumi!

Although there was no prior agreement, Souji and Saito Ichi galloped on their horses at the same time!

While the two drove their horses to attack, they took advantage of the situation to draw their respective swords at their waists.

The two swords drew a shining light in the air.

Saito Ichi cut one.

Souji cut the other two.

The three patrolmen were killed on the spot before they could even scream.

Before they could relax, more and more intensive rustling sounds came from another direction.

At the same time, there were also conversations:

"What's wrong?"

"There seems to be a strange sound over there!"

"Let's go! Let's go and have a look!"

It seems that they should be patrolmen of the Choshu Army.

Qing Deng didn't even look at the enemy soldiers who were about to kill him, and asked back without turning his head:

"How many people are coming?"

Souji answered indifferently:

"Five... no, six people."

Qing Deng's calm tone remained unchanged, and he continued to ask:

"Is it okay?"

Saito Ichi, who usually speaks little and rarely shows his expression in front of others, pulled the corner of his mouth and whispered:

"Don't bother you."

Hearing the affirmative answer, Qing Deng stopped asking and continued to observe the enemy formation in front of him with a telescope.

Souji and Saito Ichi passed the reins to their left hands, held the sword in their right hands, tapped the horses' bellies with their heels, and slowly walked towards where the enemy soldiers were...

In a moment, handfuls of blood gushed out from behind Qing Deng like a hot spring.

The blood flowed all over the ground, but not even a drop of it touched Qing Deng.

Qing Deng stood in the blood rain, concentrating on observing the enemy formation, not even moving his eyebrows, not moved at all.

……

……

That night-

When the sky was slightly dark, Qing Deng returned to the camp safely without any damage-this made Shannan Jingzhu breathe a sigh of relief.

As soon as Qing Deng returned to the camp, he received an astonishing news-the Edo envoy visited!

Since learning that there was a change in Nobi and Kanto was in danger, Qing Deng has been paying attention to the news in Edo, worrying about the safety of Tenshoin and his son.

In this era where information transmission depends entirely on people's two legs and horses' four hooves, Qing Deng can only wait patiently, there is no other way.

Finally, the long-awaited Edo envoy arrived. He summoned him without even changing his clothes, and could not wait to inquire about the current situation in Edo.

It would have been better if he hadn't asked, but once he did, his expression was immediately dominated by strong shock.

"What?! Iemochi... Lord Daiki and His Highness Tenshoin did not leave Edo Castle?!"

Because he was too surprised, he stood up uncontrollably, and directly shook the stool under his buttocks.

The envoy was startled, but he still swallowed his saliva, pretended to be calm, and said seriously:

"Yes, yes! Lord Daiki and His Highness Tenshoin declared to the public that they 'swore to live and die with Edo'! No matter how the ministers persuaded them, they were unwilling to leave!"

...

...

A few days ago -

Edo, Edo Castle -

Just two days after the fall of Nagoya Castle, the news of "Choshu Army's surprise attack on Nobi across the sea" reached Edo Castle.

Not long after, the rulers and ministers of Edo Castle learned that the Choshu Army had abandoned Nagoya Castle, mobilized all its troops, and headed east!

In order to avoid panic, Edo Castle implemented the strictest news blockade, strictly prohibiting the relevant news from leaking to the people.

Everyone knew that this was just a stopgap measure. In a few days, all the people in Edo would know that the Choshu Army would soon be at the gates of Edo Castle.

While the situation was not out of control, Tokugawa Iemochi summoned all the ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Edo Castle, Ohiroma——

Tokugawa Iemochi sat on the main seat with a gloomy face.

The ministers led by the elder Makino Tadayoshi sat below him.

As soon as the meeting started, the scene was as noisy as a vegetable market.

"What, what can we do?!"

"We can only mobilize! Immediately mobilize 80,000 hatamoto cavalry!"

"80,000 hatamoto cavalry? What are you talking about now? How much combat power do the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry have left? Don't you know?"

"In that case, then run away... No, retreat! Retreat to Oshu first, and then make a long-term plan!"

"Retreat? If the shogunate abandons Edo without firing a shot, how will the feudal lords and the people of the world look at us? We will lose our reputation!"

"We don't have enough combat power to stop the Choshu army now!"

...

Looking at the noisy meeting scene, Tokugawa Iemochi said coldly:

"Silence."

His voice was drowned out by the sea of ​​sound in an instant.

"Silence now!"

The roar that followed swept the whole place like a storm.

Instantly, the scene returned to silence.

Everyone fell to the ground, silent as a cicada, and dared not say a word more.

After forbidding the ministers to speak, Tokugawa Iemochi turned his head and looked at someone sitting in the front row, very close to him:

"Sheng-kun, I want to hear your opinion."

The Katsu-kun in his mouth naturally refers to the president of the Navy, Katsu Rintaro.

If there is anyone among the ministers here who is proficient in military affairs... then it is only Katsurin Taro!

Seeing Tokugawa Iemo mention Katsu Rintaro's name, most people at the scene looked at him for help and expectancy - many of them hated him and frequently criticized him.

If Edo makes a mistake, not one of the ministers on the scene will get anything good.

Even if they were able to escape, they would not be able to move all the belongings in their house and could only take advantage of the enemy.

In this way, they have no choice but to treat Katsurin Taro with a "clutching at straws" mentality.

From the beginning of the meeting, Katsurin Taro crossed his arms, said nothing, and seemed to be deep in thought.

Even though he was named by Tokugawa Iemo, he did not speak immediately.

It wasn't until about 5 seconds later that he sighed heavily:

"Lord, although I don't want to admit it, but...since the enemy has the ability to easily capture Nagoya Castle, it is impossible to defeat the enemy with the current combat power of Edo."

"but--"

Before anyone could show their disappointment and despair, he suddenly changed the subject.

"If the only thing we can do right now is to run away with our tail between our legs, that's not necessarily the case."

"In fact, we have a strategy to break the situation, which is to concentrate all manpower and material resources to fight the enemy in a cage battle!"

Tokugawa Iemo raised his eyebrows and repeated:

"Cage City War?"

Cage War - As the name suggests, a battle to defend the city.

Katsurin Taro nodded:

"That's right, cage city battle!"

"It is true that we cannot defeat the enemy by fighting in the field."

"However, we can lead the enemy into the city and use the huge city as a battlefield!"

"Edo was a giant town that could accommodate a million people."

“The complexity of the streets and the precision of the building layout make it look like a maze.”

"The terrain is narrow and it is difficult to deploy formations in towns and cities, which can weaken the enemy's guns and artillery to the greatest extent."

"This is just convenient for us to start hand-to-hand combat!"

"We don't have many other people in Edo, but we have a lot of masters who are proficient in swordsmanship."

"Mobilize all the combat forces that can be mobilized, such as the Huo Fu Thief Kai, the Daban Team, the Academy Team, the First Hand Bow Team, and the First Hand Iron Cannon Team."

"Encourage all the people in the town who are good at swordsmanship to join the battle and form a 'rebel army'."

"This is enough to raise a sizable army!"

"The amazing size of Edo Town alone is enough to deal with the enemy for three or four days."

"After Edo Town, the Edo Castle located in the center of the town is an impenetrable iron wall that is difficult to attack!"

"If we defend Edo Castle, it won't be a problem to hold on for another three or four days."

"All in all, as long as we can hold on until General Tachibana leads his army to come for reinforcements, it will be our victory!"

Katsurin Taro finished his proposition in a concise and concise yet passionate manner.

As soon as he finished speaking, questions immediately rang out:

"General Tachibana? Isn't General Tachibana on an expedition to the Commander-in-Chief State on Tuesday? How do you know he will lead his troops back to support us?"

Katsurin Taro replied calmly:

"Because I am a good friend of General Tachibana, and I know General Tachibana. After he learns that Edo is in danger, he will definitely rush back with his life."

Having said this, he raised his gaze and looked diagonally across meaningfully - this was the direction of Da'ao.

****

****

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