I formed the strongest swordsman group.

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

Somewhere in the suburbs of Kobe——

Dong...dong...dong...dong...dong...dong...dong...

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

"Huh? What's that noise?"

"It sounds like the sound of horse hooves."

"Horse hoof sounds? If these are horse hoof sounds, then the noise is too loud, isn't it?"

Just when they were puzzled and secretly wondering, someone suddenly pointed:
"Look!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately raised their eyes and looked in the direction of the voice.

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

These cavalrymen were all wearing light green feather robes, with sharp swords on their waists, and riding sturdy Koshu horses. They looked heroic and majestic.

"The light green haori... is the Shinsengumi!"

Under Aoto's mandatory control, discipline within the Shinsengumi was extremely strict.

The Shinsengumi Law remains an absolute and inviolable prohibition.

Anyone who dares to violate this rule, no matter who you are or how great your achievements have been, will only have one outcome: immediate execution.

Countless poor people have died at the hands of their own people.

Under such high pressure, the Shinsengumi's military discipline became famous far and wide.

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

Thanks to this, the Shinsengumi has always enjoyed a good reputation among the people.

If it were any other army, the peasants would have run away long ago after seeing them.

A bandit's mistakes are like a comb, a soldier's mistakes are like a rake, and an official's mistakes are like a shave - this proverb left by our ancestors is a painful lesson accumulated from countless blood.

When the farmers saw that it was the Shinsengumi, they all felt relieved and were no longer afraid.

Some brave people even ran forward and took a closer look at this group of distinguished guests.

"Cavalry... Which unit of the Shinsengumi is this?"

"It's either the Seventh Division or the Tenth Division. These are the only two units that ride on horses."

"Ah! Look at the man in black! I know him! He is the 'Demon's Vice-Captain' Hijikata Toshizo!"

Among the large group of light green people, only Hijikata Toshizo was particularly conspicuous because he was wearing a black suit and black windbreaker, black leather boots, and had a very Western-style slicked back hair.

There is no need to explain the reputation of the "Deputy Chief of Ghost".

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

Upon seeing this, Hijikata Toshizo turned his head to the side so that they could see more clearly, and at the same time waved his hand and smiled.

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

Hijikata Toshizo is a well-known handsome man and arsonist.

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

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

After Hijikata Toshizo, Harada Sanosuke who was beside him was also recognized by the sharp-eyed people.

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

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

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

"Oh! You know a lot about it! Look! This is the scar left when I committed seppuku! Back then, when I was still an official in Iyo-Matsuyama Domain and had not yet become a ronin, there was an annoying guy who slandered me as a 'petty official who didn't even know the etiquette of seppuku'. I'm a stickler for facts, and he said I couldn't even commit seppuku. So I pulled out my wakizashi and stabbed it into my own stomach, and committed seppuku in front of him!"

As Harada Sanosuke spoke, he skillfully took off his upper body clothes, revealing his strong and 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 farmers' sight, and his voice dissipated in the wind.

The cavalry roared past, leaving behind billowing dust and the curious gazes of the farmers.

"This is strange. Why are the Shinsengumi cavalry here?"

"Hiss... I remember now! Wasn't there a rumor that the shogunate was going to use military force against Choshu?"

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

"In my opinion, the troops led by the 'Demon Vice Captain' are just the vanguard, and the main force is still behind!"

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

"What are you afraid of? It's not like we're going to start a war!"

"Oh, never mind. We have no right to interfere in the affairs of those big shots! Let's just focus on the present! Trying hard to grow crops is better than anything else!"

"That's not the case. Tachibana Aoto is a rare good official. I actually hope he wins a great victory."

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

"Why can't there be more good officials like Tachibana Aoto? Why not just let him be the Shogun..."

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

……

……

An army of two hundred thousand men - an army of this size would naturally not march at the same time.

Even if Han Bai were to be reborn, he would not be able to control the 200,000 troops acting in a concentrated manner.

Otherwise, let alone adjusting the diet, daily defecation and urination alone will be a huge problem.

In order to facilitate management, Qing Deng divided his troops into many groups. He let Hijikata Toshizo and Harada Sanosuke lead 5000 vanguard troops to open the way, and the other troops advanced in order.

He and the main force under his command will not officially set out until November 11.

For this battle, he mobilized all his best soldiers and generals, and he really sent out all his elite troops, and did not even send anyone to guard the house.

This battle was a military action that was finally implemented after Tokugawa Iemochi pushed hard.

If we win, then everything will be fine.

But if we lose... the "anti-war faction" will show no mercy and will launch a large-scale counterattack!

By then, regardless of Aoto, Tokugawa Iemochi's situation would definitely become quite passive.

He had made up his mind to marry Tenshoin after destroying Choshu.

In other words...he was mentally prepared to adopt Tokugawa Iemochi as his adopted son!

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

Even without talking about Tokugawa Iemochi, the victory or defeat of this battle was related to Qing Deng's own future.

In this way, he had no choice but to be serious and give his all.

Although on the surface, the shogunate had an absolute advantage, was morally just, and had overwhelming military strength, making it almost impossible for them to be defeated.

But...when dealing with war, Qingdeng has always adhered to the combat concepts of "being extremely cautious" and "first make yourself invincible and then wait for the enemy to be defeated."

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

In contrast, this battle was not only his first external operation under his command, but also an expedition across half of Japan - although half of Japan was not very large, the straight-line distance from Otsu to Choshu was only more than 300 kilometers.

Thus, the uncertainty factor is multiplied.

All in all, it is always a good idea to be more cautious and have more cards in hand.

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

As the general mobilization order from Qing Deng was issued, the soldiers of the Shinsengumi responded enthusiastically and none of them was afraid of fighting.

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

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

After giving birth, you need to take care of yourself and avoid strenuous exercise - Qing Deng understands this common sense.

No matter how the two girls tried to persuade him, Qing Deng remained determined.

Although Sanako and Awu are both rare talents, Qing Deng now has many counselors and strong generals under his command, so it doesn't matter even if the help of the two women is missing.

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

The first thing he did was to see Elodie off.

……

……

"Master, I'm leaving!"

Elodie straightened her clothes and said this with confidence.

Qing Deng smiled and nodded.

"Well, I wish you a safe journey!"

The girl was seen wearing a low-brimmed hat, a windproof cloak, and leggings tightly wrapped around her small and delicate ankles, dressed like a traveler who was about to go on a long journey.

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

Elodie was the head of the finance department and was only in charge of the account books, not the fighting, so Qingdeng naturally couldn't take her to the front line.

Since she will be left behind anyway, it would be better to let her go to the Hachioji area and check the account book of the Hachioji Thousand People's Unity.

Since Qing Deng was promoted to the position of Army President, "vigorously promoting the westernization of the Hachioji Thousands of Army Members and the Military Military Army" has become his primary task.

Just a month ago, the guns and cannons that Qingdeng specially purchased for the thousand people finally arrived at Hong Kong.

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

Now that he had a little more money and had the support of Tokugawa Iemochi, he was able to free up his energy to promote military reforms that had the support of thousands of people.

With the updating of weapons and equipment, thousands of soldiers with one mind instantly completed the transformation from "one bamboo spear per person" to "one musket per person".

The army instructors hired by Tokugawa Iemochi 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, systematic and arduous task that cannot be accomplished overnight.

What's more, the Hachioji Thousand Men are not a professional army. They are a militia that is half farmer and half soldier. They have to farm during the busy farming season and can only squeeze out time to participate in training during the slack farming season.

Therefore, it will take a long time for this force to become combat-ready.

While vigorously promoting the modernization of the Thousand People's Unity, Qingdeng intends to check its account books and cut unnecessary expenses as much as possible to save money.

At the same time, he also checked the warehouse and cleared out all the useless old equipment, such as bamboo spears 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 story of a helicopter full of auditors being shot down by a rocket is both funny and terrifying. Furthermore, Elodie's Western identity also makes her very vulnerable to unfair treatment.

Qing Deng certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to let Elodie go to Hachioji alone.

He selected 50 elite cavalrymen from the Seventh Division and ordered them to protect Elodi closely.

Not only that, he also appointed the deputy captain of the first team, Shimada Kai, to serve as Elodi's "captain of the guard", giving him full command of the 50 cavalrymen.

Shimada Kai - Qing Deng has always had a deep impression of this fierce general who fought his way up from a grassroots soldier. He admires him very much and intends to focus on training him.

Logically speaking, Qing Deng, who was determined to give his all in the Changzheng Campaign, would not fail to bring this powerful general with him.

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

The doctor's advice was 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 Kai's repeated requests, even his bold statement that "Even if I only have one arm, I can still go into battle and kill the enemy", Qingdeng still decided to send him to protect Elodie.

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

Qing Deng didn't think that anyone would be so blind as to dare to cause trouble with Elodi who was protected by 50 cavalrymen.

Shimada Kai naturally felt very sorry about Qing Deng's appointment.

As an old member of the Shinsengumi and vice-captain of the First Division, "obeying orders from superiors" has become his instinct.

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

Afterwards, Nagakura Shinpachi, who was good friends with Shimada Kai - the two of them were old acquaintances, and Nagakura Shinpachi had often interacted with Shimada Kai before joining the Shiweikan - came to him and counselled him.

Who is Elodie?

She is the only disciple Qing Deng has accepted so far.

To Qing Deng, Elodie is undoubtedly an important member of his family.

The soldiers sent to protect Elodi were undoubtedly carefully selected loyal and brave men.

Qing Deng has so many powerful generals under his command, but he only sent you to serve as Elodi's "Captain of the Guard". This shows that Qing Deng trusts and values ​​you.

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

In fact, what Nagakura Shinpachi said was absolutely correct.

Not everyone is qualified to get close to Qingdeng's family.

After listening to Nagakura Shinpachi's guidance, Shimada Kai suddenly became enlightened, and the clouds of worry in his heart disappeared in an instant.

Today, with everything ready, Elodie officially set off for Hachioji.

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

"Bon voyage, Elodie."

Elodie hugged him back forcefully.

"Yeah! I'll be back soon!"

Qing Deng suddenly added:
"Elody, the weather is getting colder, please keep warm and don't catch a cold."

"Master, I'm not an eight-year-old child. I won't make such a low-level mistake."

After saying this unhappily, Elodie seemed to remember something, and after a short pause, she asked back:

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

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

"Nothing, I was just thinking... Hachioji is not far from Edo anyway, if Vairocana is successfully recast, I can go and get it back for you."

Before Qing Deng could ask "why", Elodie continued to speak:
"'Broken Iron Steel'... This piece of steel carries my former 'knight's dream'."

"A sword forged with 'Broken Steel' - if possible, I want to be the first person to see its blade light."

"This way, I have fulfilled one of my wishes."

After hearing this, Qing Deng smiled and nodded without hesitation:
"Well, of course. If there is enough time, I will let you get the knife for me."

Upon hearing this, Elodie immediately smiled.

"In that case, I am looking forward to it wholeheartedly!"

……

……

After chatting for a few more sentences, Elodie no longer delayed and said, "Master, Miss Wu, everyone! See you later!", and then climbed onto the horse with a slightly clumsy movement.

"Mount!"

Following Shimada Kai's order, the cavalrymen surrounding Elodi rode their horses and whipped their horses.

The group moved forward slowly under the gaze of Qing Deng and others, and soon disappeared at the end of the road.

……

……

The first year of Yuanzhi (1864), June 11th——

Two days after the vanguard troops set out, the main force led by Qing Deng officially set out!
The mighty army marched westward, passing through the six provinces of Settsu, Harima, Bizen, Bitchu, Bingo, and Aki before reaching the front line of the expedition.

Unlike the East Country, the West Country does not have a developed and mature transportation network of "Five Streets". The roads along the way are basically ordinary dirt roads that have not been compacted.

It raises heavy dust on sunny days and turns into a quagmire on rainy days.

Unfortunately, as soon as the army set out, it happened to encounter heavy rain - "Mud General" arrived as expected.

Looking up, the whole road became bumpy and muddy.

As soon as he stepped down, most of his foot sank into the water.

Nausea, discomfort and unbearable, the most troublesome thing is that it aggravates the consumption of physical strength and greatly slows down the marching speed.

People were fine, but the carriages and horses - especially those carrying cannons - were greatly affected.

Cannons are heavy to begin with, and once they get into a quagmire they are bound to get stuck.

The soldiers had to place thick wooden pieces in front of the wheels of the carriage and let the carriage run on the wooden pieces to prevent the wheels from sinking into the mud.

Whenever Qing Deng walked on these dirt roads, he would feel sincerely: No wonder wearing socks and tabi was a symbol of status in the Edo period.

Japan has a hot and rainy climate, and it rains every other day. Even when it doesn't rain, the flying dust will stain your socks.

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

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 a bad start and a lot of time delayed by rain, the main force still managed to arrive at the front line before the scheduled time!

……

……

On the night of December 1864, 12, the first year of the Genji era,

The border between Aki Province and Suo Province (Aishuguchi), the main camp of the shogunate army -

It was a moonless night, with thick clouds obscuring the moonlight.

As far as the eye can see, there is only deep night. It is no exaggeration to say that "you can't see your fingertips when you stretch out your hand."

There was not a trace of night breeze, not a single insect chirping.

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

Hijikata Toshizo and his companions, who led the vanguard troops and arrived here in advance, had already set up camp and built trenches, watchtowers and other defensive fortifications.

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

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

Just opposite the Shogunate camp, on the flat ground about ten kilometers away, there was a large camp.

This camp was also as bright as day because of the large number of torches - it was the main camp of the Choshu army!
At this moment, hundreds of generals, led by Hijikata Toshizo, gathered in the main tent.

The lineup inside the tent is luxurious.

There are both Shinsengumi generals wearing light green feather cloths, as well as commanders of various feudal armies such as Aizu, Satsuma, Owari, and Fukui.

"General Tachibana has arrived!"

Following the loud shout from outside the tent, everyone in the tent stood up.

After a while, Qing Deng, covered in dust, lifted the curtain, strode into the tent, and walked straight to the main seat.

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

"All sit down."

He waved his hand, signaling the generals to take their seats.

"I will skip the unnecessary pleasantries for now."

"Let's start tonight's military strategy meeting right away!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly changed subtly.

Some people, represented by the Shinsengumi generals, had shining eyes, were full of energy, and were ready to fight, as if as long as Qing Deng gave the order, they would lead their troops straight to the Choshu camp without hesitation.

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

Qing Deng had expected these people's reactions.

Although Owari and Fukui domains were close vassal states of the Edo shogunate and branches of the Tokugawa family, and the lord of Owari domain had the privilege of using the character "Tokugawa" as his surname, in reality, it was impossible to expect them to work for the shogunate.

Even if they are direct relatives, they will become strangers if they don’t visit each other for many years, let alone distant relatives who have been separated for nearly three hundred years?

The Kaizu domain was an exception, as successive domain lords always implemented the ancestral precept 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 Yoshikatsu and Matsudaira Shigeaki, naturally put the interests of their own domains as their top priority.

Even if Choshu is destroyed, the only one who will benefit is the shogunate. In this case, why should we do such a thankless task?

Therefore, they didn't want to join the war at all.

Long before the troops were sent out, Tokugawa Yoshikatsu and others found all sorts of excuses to avoid military service, such as "insufficient troop strength" and "tight financial resources". In short, the meaning was: find someone else, our domain will not participate in the war!

Of course, Tokugawa Iemochi would not tolerate these guys.

If all you do is hide away and enjoy yourself, then what do I need you lords for? !

*******
*******
Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

Today is another day when Leopard updates 6000 chapters! Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

(End of this chapter)