I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 901: A sudden turn for the worse! A surprise attack on Owari Domain across the sea! [5500]

When he heard Aoto call out the name of the 8th Division, Fujido Heisuke immediately perked up, stood up and stepped out of the line, answered loudly "Yes", and quickly left the main camp.

In fact, after the 11th Squadron's heavy bombing, the remaining battle time was nothing more than boring "garbage time".

Although more than 80% of the shells missed their target, the remaining shells were enough to destroy the Changzhou camp.

How could a camp built of wood withstand the intensive bombardment of artillery?

The huge camp was reduced to ruins filled with smoke.

The lookout was interrupted.

The tent was blown away.

The chevaux de frise was shattered.

This camp, which was expected to "stop the shogunate", was destroyed in an instant.

Even from a long distance, one could smell the pungent burnt smell and hear the cries of the Choshu soldiers.

Of course, this is just the beginning.

For the Choshu army, a bigger nightmare was yet to come.

At the forefront of the Shogunate's position, the soldiers of the Eighth Division, arranged in a matrix, were ready to go.

As soon as the 11th Division's bombardment stopped, Fujido Heisuke, who was behind the matrix, immediately drew his sword and shouted:
"go ahead!"

As soon as the order was issued, the Eighth Division suddenly moved! With uniform steps, they slowly walked towards the ruined Choshu Camp!

Seeing that the shogunate army launched a ground offensive, the Choshu army immediately responded.

However... after being attacked at night last night and having just experienced an extremely brutal bombing... the morale of the Choshu army has dropped to freezing point.

Now, even the most relied-upon camp has been destroyed. How can we resist the Shogunate?

"Follow me!"

"Defend the entrance to Yizhou! We must not let the shogunate pass!"

"If you want to come, go ahead! I won't keep you company!"

"Kichitaro! What are you thinking? You don't really want to die here, do you?! Xiaohua is still waiting for you at home!"

Facing the direct attack of the Eighth Division, the Choshu Army was divided into two distinct groups.

Some people fought bravely.

Another group of people fled in panic.

The dense rain of artillery shells not only destroyed the camp, but also brought unspeakable fear.

From that moment on, the fear of "not knowing when a shell will fall on their heads" was constantly lingering in the hearts of the Choshu soldiers, giving them tremendous psychological pressure.
The whistling sound of the shells and the horrifying sound of the shells exploding further deepened their fear.

At this moment, most of the Choshu army's heads were stunned and they had lost basic order.

They did not bother to stop those deserters, and just went forward to fight the Eighth Division in chaos.

There were several trenches around the camp that looked like they had been dug recently.

Because the camp had been captured, the Choshu soldiers had no choice but to abandon the camp and move to the trenches in front of the camp to defend themselves with the remaining fortifications.

Perhaps to make up for the lack of long-range attack means, many soldiers were holding crude slings.

Don't underestimate the sling.

Because they are simple to make and have extremely low cost, as well as possessing considerable lethality, "slingers" can often be seen on the battlefields of ancient Japan.

The famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi once had a dark history of "going to the battlefield full of confidence, but before he even saw the enemy, he was knocked unconscious by a flying stone."

Miyamoto Musashi remembered this incident for the rest of his life.

In his later years, he specifically told people in a letter: Now I will no longer be hit by stones!
These soldiers, armed with bows, muskets, slingshots and other long-range weapons, dived into the trenches and poured bullets, arrows and stones at the approaching Eighth Division.

As for the soldiers holding spears, swords and other melee weapons, they also went into the trenches, but because they lacked means of attack, they could only watch anxiously.

boom!boom!boom!boom!
Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!
The sounds of gunfire, arrows being shot, and stones being thrown filled the air.

Due to the long distance, the hit rate is not ideal.

However, with so many bullets, arrows and stones, there will always be a few that can be hit.

In a short while, some unlucky guys in the Eighth Squad fell to the ground wailing after being hit.

The Choshu soldiers hoped that their offensive would be able to stop the advance of the 8th Division.

Obviously, their expectations were doomed to fail.

No matter how many people fall down, the soldiers in the back row will immediately take two quick steps to fill the gap.

No matter how the Choshu army attacked, the Eighth Division showed no intention of stopping.

They advanced under the attack, and after closing the distance, Toudou Heizu raised his sword and issued a new order that made the Choshu soldiers on the opposite side tremble with fear:

"Stop! Raise your guns!"

The Eighth Squad paused.

Then, the sounds of "click", "click", and "click" of gunfire rang out!
There is no need to elaborate on what happened next.

Raise the gun, aim and shoot!
In an instant, rows of bullets covered the Choshu soldiers hiding in the trenches like dark clouds.

With just one round of volleys, the Choshu people who were unable to rise again were far superior to the soldiers of the Eighth Division who had just fallen to the ground!

Anyone could see that with this terrifying killing efficiency, the Choshu army would completely collapse after just two or three more rounds of salvos.

Perhaps they could not bear this depressing and desperate atmosphere. The Choshu soldiers who were also hiding in the trenches, holding spears, swords and other melee weapons, became ruthless.

"Damn it! Fight with them!"

I don't know who shouted this, but they raised their spears and swords high in their hands and rushed towards the Eighth Division like ants leaving a hole.

Indeed, they are courageous.

What a pity, their heroic charge was doomed to be in vain.

"Wait! Don't be impulsive! Come back quickly!"

Someone immediately spoke up to try to stop this reckless tactic.

But it's too late.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the turbid smoke rising from the explosion of gunpowder, the Choshu soldiers who left the trenches and attacked the 8th Division head-on fell to the ground like mowing grass.

No matter how fast they sped up, no matter how they prayed, no one succeeded in getting within ten steps of the Eighth Squad.

It has to be said that although this tactic of "artillery bombardment followed by infantry charge, and artillery bombardment followed by infantry charge" has no military technology to speak of, it is indeed effective!
Qing Deng only sent out the 8th and 11th squads, and defeated the Choshu army, leaving them without any chance of a comeback!
……

……

Main formation——

Qing Deng looked at the battlefield where the outcome had already been decided and said calmly:
"Mr. Matsubara, Ms. Nakazawa."

Tadashi Matsubara (vice-captain of the 10th Division) and Koto Nakazawa (vice-captain of the 7th Division) were slightly startled, then hurriedly stood up and stepped out.

"Each of you will lead 300 cavalrymen to pursue the remaining enemy. Do not return to see me until your horses are exhausted."

This kind of one-sided battle does not require Aotoko and Harada Sanosuke to take action personally.

Therefore, Qingdeng decided to take this opportunity to train the newcomers more.

Seeing Qingdeng entrusting them with this important task, both Matsubara Tadashi and Nakazawa Koto showed excitement on their faces.

The two men solemnly accepted the task, then quickly left the camp, each going down to check the troops and lead the team.

After seeing that the Choshu army on the opposite side was doomed to defeat, as expected, some of the feudal lords and generals of the main camp - most of whom came from small feudal domains with weak national strength - forced themselves to put on ingratiating smiles and rushed to flatter Qing Deng.

Because their vassal state was too weak, in order to survive, they unconsciously developed the habit of "flattering" and "fawning".

"General Tachibana, the Shinsengumi is truly a powerful force in this world!"

"Yes! With such a strong army here, there is no need to worry about Changzhou not being destroyed and the world being in turmoil!"

"General Tachibana, today's battle really opened my eyes!"

Of course, these words are not all hypocritical flattery.

The fierce fighting power of the Shinsengumi, especially the dense rain of artillery shells and the musketeers advancing like a wall, gave them a great shock.

Following the "Summer Battle of Kyoto", many feudal lords and generals were shocked beyond words after witnessing the terrifying fighting power of the Shinsengumi with their own eyes.

Qing Deng was no longer surprised by these disgusting flatteries.

At this point, after listening to these flatteries, he would not only not feel happy, but would find it a little funny.

Of course, since the other party took the initiative to show goodwill, he would not lose face for the other party.

He skillfully gave a polite and appropriate smile and responded indifferently one by one.

While socializing, his attention was always on the battlefield in the distance.

His facial expression did not relax at all despite defeating the Choshu army on the opposite side.

……

……

The pursuit by Tadashi Matsubara and Koto Nakazawa was nothing worth writing about.

When they led the cavalry into battle, the Choshu army on the opposite side was on the verge of collapse, with only one breath left - the arrival of the cavalry directly extinguished this last breath.

Charging, hacking, and assaulting... As expected, the Choshu army was completely defeated and lost all fighting spirit.

Under the intensified pursuit of the cavalry, they either died or fled, and almost all of them were wiped out.

At this point, it only took less than an hour, and this pass that was crucial to Choshu was completely declared fallen!

Qing Deng’s goal was to break through Yizhoukou within half a day - and it turned out that “half a day” was too much time!
Taking down Yizhoukou was equivalent to opening the gate of Suo Province. In Qingdeng's plan, after breaking through Yizhoukou, the army would march straight to the southwest and attack the heartland of Suo Province.

First occupy Shijuhachizaka and Iwakuni, and then attack Shunan in one go.

Zhounan was an important town in Zhoufang Province.

Taking over Zhounan is equivalent to taking over half of Zhoufang Province.

Then, the army used Zhounan as a fulcrum, detoured to the northwest, and headed straight for the mountain pass.

Yamaguchi was not only an important town in Suo Province, but also the gateway to Nagato Province.

In other words, as long as we take Yamaguchi, we can march into Nagato Province and capture Hagi Castle!
If Hagi Castle is captured, Choshu will be destroyed!
A simple and clear route of advance.

If everything goes well, according to Qing Deng's expectations, it will only take half a month for the legion to reach Hagi City!
Of course, whether his expectation can be realized depends on the premise of "smoothness".

After a short rest, Qing Deng left 3000 troops to guard Yizhoukou, and then led the remaining troops to break camp in the afternoon of the same day and attack the heartland of Changzhou.

The reason why they were in such a hurry to advance was, on the one hand, because they adhered to the combat concept of "speed is of the essence in war", and took advantage of the fact that the Choshu army had just been defeated and had not yet had time to integrate the remnants, to advance the front line in one go and expand the results of the battle.

On the other hand, it was also to find the main force of the Choshu Army as soon as possible...that is, the special forces.

On the day after the capture of Yizhoukou, the two legions responsible for launching feint attacks at Shizhoukou and Xiaocangkou respectively sent battle reports to Qingdeng at the same time.

According to their report, they followed Qing Deng's instructions and spared no effort to attack the passes (Shizhoukou and Xiaocangkou). All three armies fought hard, but the Choshu army was too cunning and did not make any substantial progress.

It is easy to imagine that their "relentless attack" must be "relentless slacking".

It is really difficult for them to make up the excuse that "the Choshu army is too cunning" to exonerate themselves.

The poor performance of these two legions was completely within Qingdeng's expectations.

Since I didn't have any expectations of them in the first place, there was naturally no such thing as disappointment.

It would not be wrong to say that they have made no contribution.

At the very least, they completed the task of "containing Choshu" well, and also helped Qing Deng confirm that the special forces were neither at Shizhoukou nor at Kokurakou.

Where did the Raiders go?
This question was like a huge rock, filling Qing Deng's chest.

The lingering uneasiness always lingers in his heart.

Only by sending troops to advance into the heart of Choshu and gradually approach Hagi Castle can this situation be slightly alleviated.

……

……

Two days later, the legion arrived in Zhounan as scheduled.

Under the restriction of "one country, one city order", Zhounan had neither city walls nor camps, it was just a "bare" city.

When the army arrived at the city gates, there were no defenders inside or outside Zhounan, and only a few elderly, children, women and children who did not have time to escape or were unable to escape were left in the town.

Just like that, Qing Deng took over the town without any injury.

When soldiers were sent to check Zhou Nan's warehouse, as expected, the warehouse had been emptied long ago, not even a grain of rice was left, and even the rats who went in wanted to commit suicide.

"Clearing out supplies" is a basic operation in war, so there is no need to be surprised or regretful.

Compared with the failure to obtain supplies, Qing Deng felt more regretful about "still not finding the special forces team".

In recent days, he has sent the maximum number of scouts and ninjas to various parts of Choshu to search for and explore the whereabouts of the special forces.

Despite my best efforts,... nothing worked.

The special forces team seemed to have disappeared out of thin air, and no information about them could be obtained.

As a result, the uneasiness and anxiety that Qing Deng had suppressed with great difficulty began to swell again, and gradually turned into an ominous premonition...

……

……

Nobi Plain, Owari Domain——

In Japan, there is a classic saying that goes "Whoever controls Mino controls the world."

The Nobi Plain includes Mino Province and Owari Province, so it is called "Nobi".

As one of the three major plains in Japan, the Nobi Plain with its flat terrain and fertile soil is a well-deserved "granary".

The extraordinary grain production makes the Nobi Plain one of the most prosperous regions in Japan.

Not only that, Mino is located in the narrowest area of ​​Honshu Island, separating East Japan and West Japan.

In other words, if Mino is used as the starting point, one can attack eastern Japan to the east and advance into western Japan to the west.

Such a precious land is truly the foundation of a king or a tyrant!
It is precisely because this place has both abundant resources and unique geographical advantages that there is a saying that "Whoever controls Meinong controls the world."

Three hundred years ago during the Warring States Period, after Oda Nobunaga took control of Mino and Owari provinces, he immediately became a daimyo with a fiefdom of one million koku.

He used Nobi and Hirao as bases and launched attacks everywhere. With the "snowball effect", he annexed half of Japan in the blink of an eye.

After the first shogun of the Edo shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu, conquered the country, he felt the importance of the Nobi Plain, so he established a domain in Owari and enfeoffed his relatives there, which is the Owari Domain.

The Nobi Plain is inherently important.

Unexpectedly, after the "Black Ship Incident" its status rose even more significantly!

If you look at the map carefully, you can find that Owari is like a knife, inserted into the Pacific Ocean, forming a horn with Ise Province on the opposite bank, and together they form a harbor.

This kind of terrain is very suitable for opening a port.

This is what is meant by "God has given us this gift".

It is not difficult to imagine that after the port is built, with the convenience of sea transportation, the economy of Owari Domain will usher in a remarkable take-off.

But... unfortunately, although Owari Domain was a powerful domain with a territory of 62 koku, after more than years, it was just like the shogunate. The domain was filled with decay and corruption, and countless problems needed to be solved. It really had no spare energy to build a port.

It is dark now.

Low-hanging dark clouds covered the sky, with only a hint of moonlight faintly visible in the southeast corner.

In the dark night, the sea became dark and gloomy, like an abyss.

The waves rolled, and the monotonous sound of the waves sounded like the whispers of the sea.

After the Western powers invaded, "coastal defense" became a hot word among the feudal lords.

Every vassal state along the coast kept this term on their lips and promoted it to national policy, as if not doing something about coastal defense would lead to them falling behind the world and being ridiculed.

In order to keep up with the trend, Owari Domain also rushed to build some coastal defenses.

Needless to say, given their treasury which has been in deficit for many years, it would be impossible for them to come up with anything.

The coastal defense that Owari Domain built was nothing more than building a few symbolic outposts on the coast to monitor the sea at all times and report immediately if any unidentified ships were seen.

There was no trace of real coastal defense equipment such as coastal artillery and warships.

To say that the Owari Domain was "all show and no substance" is an exaggeration.

Tonight, the soldiers at the "Coastal Defense Post" were slacking off as usual.

Eat, drink and chat, it’s so fun.

Anyway, there won’t be any unidentified ships appearing on the sea, so why bother working so hard?
If the Western powers attacked, their primary target would definitely be Edo, and they would ignore this place.

Just as the sentinels were enjoying themselves, someone suddenly noticed a strange shadow appearing on the sea out of the corner of his eye.

"Huh...? Hey! Look! Is there a boat over there?"

"Boat? Are you drunk? It's already this late, why is there a boat coming?"

"You didn't mistake the whale for a ship, did you?"

Although the others were laughing at that man, they still stopped eating, drinking and having fun, took out their binoculars and looked towards the sea.

The sea was as black as ink... Apart from the deep darkness, they found nothing.

"Where is the boat? You must have drunk too much..."

Wuwuwu——!
In an instant...the unique sharp whistling sound of flying shells dominated the entire coast!

Boom! !
A terrifying explosion sounded immediately.

“W-What’s going on!?”

"Bombardment! It's bombardment!"

"Cannon, artillery bombardment...? Why is there artillery bombardment?"

"Fool! Do you even need to ask? The enemy is coming!"

"Report to the higher-ups quickly!"

The sentry post built on the seashore was immediately thrown into chaos.

"Hey! Look! It's a ship! I'm not seeing things! It's really a ship!"

The first person who discovered something was wrong pointed towards the sea surface - only to see that the sea surface, which had been calm just a moment ago, had become extremely noisy.

Three steamships cut through the waves and headed straight for the coast of Owari Domain!

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Along with dull sounds, bright orange-red lights repeatedly emerged from the sides of the three warships.

The next moment, shells fell towards the coast like raindrops!

In an instant, the sentry post on the shore was engulfed in flames...

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This month is already halfway over, if you have monthly tickets, please vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

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PS: Actually, if you have read Bao Baozi's debut novel "A Military Genius Brings the Zizhi Tongjian to Another World", you will probably find the plot of "surprise attack by boat" quite familiar. Yes, this is Bao Baozi's old routine!