I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 838: “Kyoto Tengu” is Ogata Isei? [4800]

The war was imminent and the whole city was fleeing... Against this backdrop, a middle-aged couple was seen leisurely strolling by the river, enjoying the cool air, eating Japanese sweets, and chatting happily...

It has to be said that this contrast is so visually impactful that Qing Deng even thought he was dazzled.

Compared to the stunned Qing Deng, Souji's reaction at this time was much simpler.

After a brief moment of surprise, her beautiful eyes were fixed on the plate of fragrant Japanese confectionery that tasted sweet just by smelling it.

"Mr. Gu Mu, you... haven't received the news yet?"

Qing Deng asked as he moved to the side of the Gu Mu couple.

Komaki Goro tilted his head:

"News? What news?"

"The Choshu Army is coming!"

In order to achieve the best warning effect, Qing Dent frowned and spoke in a serious tone.

"This time, they made quite a big move."

"Kusaka Genzui issued a general mobilization order, mobilizing all the troops in the domain."

"The total number of troops is at least 10,000!"

"Although we will definitely keep the Choshu army out of Kyoto, there is no guarantee that one or two shells will fall into the town, or one or two groups of stray soldiers will sneak in."

"Anyway, Kyoto is not safe right now. You should run for your lives."

"If you have nowhere to go, I can help you."

There is no need to elaborate on the horror of war.

Roving soldiers...especially those who have lost a battle, are in danger of losing their lives, and are full of negative emotions, are no different from animals.

In order to vent the pressure and pain in their hearts, they would be happy to have a good time before meeting the King of Hell.

Therefore, the Gu Mu couple...or to put it bluntly: Mrs. Gu Mu is very dangerous.

Qing Deng didn't know how old Mrs. Gu Mu was exactly.

Ah Wu has been in contact with this couple since she was a child. By this calculation, Mrs. Gu Mu must be at least 40 or 50 years old.

Although she is not young, she still looks young because of proper maintenance and natural beauty.

At first glance, he looks no more than 36 or 7 years old.

A beautiful woman who looks to be in her thirties...the so-called "mature woman temptation" is nothing more than this!

Goro Komaki, who has such a beautiful wife but is not leaving Kyoto in a hurry, is like a three-year-old child walking around the city with gold ingots.

In any case, this couple is considered to be Qingdeng's acquaintances.

It was neither moral nor reasonable for Qing Deng to sit idly by and watch them put themselves in danger.

Facing Qing Deng's kind reminder, Gu Mu Wu Lang did not show any panic, but chuckled a few times:
"Oh, so that's what it is."

"Thank you for your kind reminder, Ju-kun."

"I have heard about the 'Choshu Eastern Expedition' a long time ago."

Qing Deng couldn't help but take over the conversation:
"Since you've heard about it, why don't you leave? Go home and pack your bags. It's not too late to leave now."

Komaki Goro smiled again.

"I am not unaware of the horror of war."

"But our Japanese confectionery shop is our life's work."

"I just can't bear to abandon it."

He was unwilling to flee because he couldn't bear to leave his own shop... Qing Deng was stunned by this behavior of valuing money over life.

However, Qing Deng could understand their thoughts.

In feudal times, opening a store was not an easy thing.

For couples like the Gu Mu couple, the shop is both their place of livelihood and their home.

No matter which country or time, there will always be scumbags who take advantage of national disasters to make money.

In recent days, Qingdeng has received many reports of "bandits taking advantage of the deserted city of Kyoto to rob houses everywhere."

Even though Qingdeng has increased the police force patrolling the city, in such a large city like Kyoto, there are always times when there are loopholes.

Once the war breaks out and the situation becomes unprecedentedly chaotic, it will be even more difficult to take into account the public security of Kyoto.

I abandoned the shop to flee, and when I came back I found that the shop had been looted... This feeling was so heartbreaking!
To sum up, how easy is it to ask people to give up the shop on which their whole family depends for survival?

Despite this, Qing Deng still couldn't bear to see Gu Mu and his wife put in danger:
"Mr. Gu Mu, although that is true, your life is at stake."

"If you lose money, you can earn it again, but if you lose a person, you lose everything."

"If you can't bear to leave the shop, I can send someone to help you move all the valuables in the shop."

Gu Mu Goro waved his hand:

"Jujun, I appreciate your kindness."

"My wife and I have made up our minds - we are not leaving."

"Once people get older, they like to stay in one place and don't like to move around."

At this point, he seemed to remember something, paused, and then changed his tone to a half-joking one:

"Jujun, you don't have to worry about us."

"First of all, those rebellious soldiers and bandits may not be able to cause chaos in Kyoto."

"Even if there are one or two groups of rebel soldiers or bandits who sneak into Kyoto, I am not afraid of them."

"Don't look at me like this. I have learned a little swordsmanship and know a thing or two about swordsmanship."

As he spoke, he stretched out the index fingers of both hands, wrapped his right palm around the index finger of his left hand, and stretched out his right index finger, making a "sword holding" gesture.

"These thieves only know how to bully the weak and fear the strong."

"Let them bully the weak, and they will be very active; but once they encounter a tough guy who is not easy to deal with, they will immediately scatter like birds and beasts."

"At worst, we still have 'Kyoto Tengu'!"

Kyoto Tengu - a name that Qing Deng had never heard of before, was stunned.

"'Kyoto Tengu'? What is this?"

In Chinese mythology, the Heavenly Dog is a strange beast, which is recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas: Classic of the Western Mountains.

In Japanese mythology, Tengu is a creature with powerful magical powers.

It is generally believed in Japan that Tengu has a tall and long red nose and red face, holds a round fan, a feather fan or a treasure hammer, is tall, wears a "yamabushi", has wings on his back, a samurai sword hangs from his waist, wears traditional Japanese high-foot clogs, and carries a straw raincoat with him so that he can hide himself at any time.

Tengu usually lives in deep mountains. It possesses unimaginable strength and magical powers, as well as an arrogant attitude.

In the eyes of the Japanese, Tengu is a mysterious being that is both good and evil. It is both a scary monster and a respected god.

Throughout the ages, myths and legends related to Tengu have been endless.

The most famous Tengu legend is the "Ghost of Kurama Mountain".

According to legend, at the end of the Heian period, after the young Minamoto no Yoshitsune was forced to lose his family and relatives by the Heike clan, a Tengu called "Kiichihogan" from Mount Kurama took Minamoto no Yoshitsune in.

From then on, Minamoto no Yoshitsune learned martial arts, military tactics, and sorcery from Kiichi Hogan, acquired a set of powerful skills, and eventually succeeded in destroying the Heike clan and avenging his blood feud.

Of course, legends are just legends after all.

The so-called Tengu is just a fantasy creature and should not be taken seriously.

Facing Qing Deng's question, Gu Mu Goro raised his eyebrows:

"Tachibana-kun, don't you know 'Kyoto Tengu'?"

"Well, that's no wonder."

"After all, 'Kyoto Tengu' hasn't appeared for a long time."

After that, Gu Mu Wu Lang sat up straight, cleared his throat, and then continued:

"As the name suggests, 'Kyoto Tengu' is a tengu that lives in Kyoto."

"Although it bears the name of Tengu, it is not a monster." "In essence, it is just a powerful warrior who wears a Tengu mask and a straw raincoat, dressed as a Tengu."

"Whenever there are villains committing crimes in or around Kyoto, 'Kyoto Tengu' will step forward to punish the evildoers and promote the good."

"It is said that his most famous battle was when he single-handedly wiped out a group of bandits entrenched in the northern suburbs of Kyoto."

"Because it is so powerful that it is almost like a demon, people call it 'Kyoto Tengu'."

At this point, Komaki Goro changed his tone to a serious one:
"It is said that beneath the mask of 'Kyoto Tengu' is a fresh and handsome face."

"Not only that, I heard that his wife is the most beautiful woman in the world."

"He is handsome and powerful, and he married the most beautiful woman in the world. How enviable!"

As soon as Komaki Goro finished speaking, Souji suddenly said:

"'Kyoto Tengu'...ah! I remember now! I've heard the story of 'Kyoto Tengu' before!"

The Souji's voice was a little unclear... Qing Deng turned his head and saw that he didn't know since when, Souji had been enjoying the meal under the hospitality of Mrs. Gu Mu!

She sat cross-legged next to the plate of wagashi that the Gumuki couple had, grabbing a wagashi in each hand and devouring it with relish, her cheeks stuffed so full that she looked like a squirrel collecting supplies for the winter.

Mrs. Komu watched happily from the side, saying "Eat slowly, don't be in a hurry", and occasionally raised her hand to smooth the light ponytail behind Souji's head.

Qing Deng discovered that Mrs. Gu Mu seemed to be a very maternal person, and she loved younger people like Souji and Awu very much.

While eating, Souji said quickly:

"I heard the story of 'Kyoto Tengu' from a few old people when I was patrolling the streets of Kyoto before."

"Once upon a time, there was indeed such a righteous man."

“Quite a few people have seen him in person.”

"Its image is very unique - he wears a red Tengu mask on his face, an old straw raincoat on his body, is quite tall, and has a pair of blue and gold long and short swords on his waist. He is agile and moves as fast as the wind."

"According to those old men, 'Kyoto Tengu' hasn't appeared for a long time."

"Only some older people still remember the name 'Kyoto Tengu'."

Having said this, Souji just swallowed the Japanese confectionery that filled her entire mouth.

When her voice became clearer, she continued:
"Although I don't know whether it's true or not, those old men all said that the true identity of 'Kyoto Tengu' is actually 'Eternal Sword Saint' Ogata Yoshisei!"

"They say Ogata Yoshisei is living in seclusion in Kyoto."

"Although Ogata Issei has become a hermit, he still retains his chivalrous spirit and takes pleasure in helping those in need."

"There seems to be a basis for such a statement."

"The swordsmanship used by 'Kyoto Tengu' is a two-sword style that is good at fighting against multiple enemies at once - this is exactly the same as Ogata Issei."

At this point, Qing Deng finally understood everything.

In general, "Kyoto Tengu" is a real person.

Because of his great strength, his ability to punish evil and promote good, and his status as a good partner of justice, he once enjoyed considerable fame.

The general public has always been keen on glorifying and even deifying these heroic figures.

As a result, as the reputation of "Kyoto Tengu" grew, all kinds of speculations and compliments were attributed to it.

What is "there is a handsome face under the mask"?

What is "my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world"?

What is this "his real identity is Ogata Issei who lived in seclusion in Edo"?

It can also be seen from here that the common people really miss Ogata Ittosai, who was full of vigor and created countless legends.

I sincerely hope that this legendary swordsman is still alive and still eradicating evil as he did in the past.

Whether or not “Kyoto Tengu” is actually Ogata Noriyoshi – this is not discussed for now.

Since "Kyoto Tengu" has not appeared for a long time, perhaps this person has left Kyoto or is no longer in this world.

In any case, it is certainly not worthwhile to pin our hopes of protecting Kyoto and maintaining public order on this righteous man who is unaware of the dangers of life and death.

Goro Komaki actually expected that "Kyoto Tengu" would save them from danger in times of crisis... Qing Deng just took his words as a joke.

Qing Deng gathered his thoughts and asked again without giving up:
"Mr. Gu Mu, you...really don't want to leave?"

Komaki Goro smiled and shook his head without any hesitation.

The other party's attitude was extremely firm, and Qing Deng felt embarrassed to continue to force it under such circumstances.

"In this case, Mr. Gu Mu, please take good care of yourself."

"If you encounter any emergency, go to the Shinsengumi garrison in Mibu-go."

As Qing Deng spoke, he took out a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil from his pocket and wrote his name on them.

Then, he took out the official seal that he also carried with him from the seal cage at his waist and stamped it on the paper.

"Mr. Komaki, when you get to the Shinsengumi station in Mibu-go, show this piece of paper to the guards and they will let you in to take refuge."

Komugi Goro took it, took a look at it, and put it in his arms:
"Thank you for the gift, Ju-kun!"

"You're welcome. It's just a small favor."

"I will keep it well."

"Don't keep it! If you really encounter a critical moment, you must take it out and use it!"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the couple, Qing Deng led Souji away - business was more important, and they still had to continue surveying the streets of Kyoto.

Souji was actually a little reluctant, staring at the plate of unfinished Japanese confectionery with a melancholy look on his face.

Fortunately, when they were parting, Mrs. Komuki said, "I will send you some Japanese confectionery later," which made Souji's mood turn around and he smiled again.

——Let’s send more people to protect the Komuki couple’s Japanese confectionery shop.

Qing Deng thought to himself.

Putting aside his friendship with the Gu Mu couple, even if it was just for Awu, he couldn't sit idly by and watch them suffer.

Awu was very friendly with them, especially Mrs. Gumu. As soon as she saw Awu, she would immediately rush over and hug her warmly, and Awu would also hug her back warmly.

In order to prevent Ah Wu from being sad and upset in the future, Qing Deng was happy to see that the Komuki couple's Japanese confectionery shop became one of the safest places in Kyoto.

……

……

It is worth mentioning that in addition to the feudal domains in the capital, other large feudal domains such as Owari and Echizen also sent troops to participate in the war.

As troops from various feudal domains arrived in Kyoto one after another, an army of astonishing size had gathered outside Kyoto!

According to statistics, the feudal states that stood on the side of the shogunate and sent troops to participate in this war were:

Qinjin Domain, Aizu Domain, Satsuma Domain, Owari Domain, Hikone Domain, Kuwana Domain, Bizen Domain, Inshu Domain, Izushi Domain, Chikuzen Domain, Echizen Domain, Ogaki Domain, Sabae Domain, Nishoji Domain, Sonobe Domain, Zensho Clan, Odawara Clan, Matsuyama Clan, Obama Clan, Kameyama Clan, Koriyama Clan, Tsu Clan, Miyazu Clan, and Shishan Clan.

There were 24 feudal states in total.

Total military strength: 30,000!
Thirty thousand soldiers... In feudal Japan, this was already an incredibly large army!

Of course, Choshu is no pushover either.

After the "August 18th Coup", in order to resist the shogunate and Western powers, Choshu has been actively preparing for war with the mentality of "total war".

After more than half a year of war preparations, they had accumulated sufficient supplies and mobilized all available troops.

With an order from Kusaka Genzui, all the manpower and material resources prepared over the past six months were put on the gambling table!

All the samurai and peasant soldiers from the entire domain, as well as the patriots who came from other places to join the war, all went into battle!
Total military strength: twelve thousand!
time flies……

Finally, on August 8, Choshu sent troops!
The 12000-strong army was divided into three groups.

The family elder Fukuhara Echigo led 3000 people from Mitajiri, heading east along the Seto Inland Sea to Fushimi, south of Kyoto.

The second army, led by the elder governor Shinano, consisted of 3000 men, and headed for Saga Tenryuji Temple west of Kyoto.

The family elder Masuda Uemonsuke led a main force of 6000 people from Yamaguchi as the third army, heading towards Yamazaki, southwest of Kyoto.

Choshu’s strategic intention was clear - to surround Kyoto from the west, south and southwest!
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Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: In historical facts, the size of the Choshu army in the "Kinmon Incident" was actually very small, with a total strength of only 1200. The scale of the battle in this book is purely exaggerated.

However, it is clearly stated at the beginning of this volume that the western feudal lords were preparing for war and building up their forces. The historical Choshu was hastily dispatched, so the troops were small; the Choshu in this book was well prepared, so the troops were large. Very rigorous! (豹直气壮.jpg)