I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 906: Epic Long Distance March! [4500]

“Ah ...

"Quick! Bring all the horses over here!"

"Don't block the road! Let the carriage pass first!"

"Team Seven, assemble!"

"Team Ten, assemble!"

……

"Organize equipment and prepare for a forced march" - after this military order was issued from the main camp, it was passed down from one level to the next and soon spread to the entire central camp.

Two messengers rode out of the camp on fast horses to inform the front and rear armies.

Let’s not talk about the situation of the front and rear armies for now.

The central army was in an uproar.

In the blink of an eye, the silent central army camp was drowned out by the shouts of people and the neighs of horses, which were louder and louder.

Under normal circumstances, the military discipline that Qing Deng had cultivated with great painstaking efforts did not perform very well.

But at a critical moment like tonight, its power is revealed!
As soon as the order was given, the Shinsengumi soldiers wearing light green feather robes immediately took action!
They didn't know where they were going, let alone what they were going to do.

But since the order has been given, no matter what time it is or what the order says, they will do it immediately!

It was not early at the moment and many soldiers had already gone to bed.

But after hearing the order, they immediately jumped up and took action as if conditioned reflex.

At this moment, light green figures can be seen everywhere inside and outside the central army camp.

Or trotting in formation.

Or carrying baggage.

Or driving a carriage.

Well-organized, orderly, and everyone has their own duties.

Looking at these scenes that were fast but not chaotic, noisy but not mixed, the soldiers of the vassal army in the camp were stunned.

They are used to seeing military preparations being neglected, but have they ever seen orders being enforced?
The soldiers of the Kai and Satsuma armies were old acquaintances of the Shinsengumi, so their reactions were relatively calm.

In contrast, the soldiers of other feudal armies were truly dumbfounded, their mouths wide open in shock, and their jaws almost dropped to the ground.

Some experts can see at a glance that compared to the sharp guns and cannons, this strict discipline like steel is the most powerful weapon of the Shinsengumi!
It is worth mentioning that in addition to the endless shouting, the air is also filled with the tempting aroma of food.

The cooks were busy preparing meals without stopping.

Bag after bag of rice was poured into the pot, and soon a pleasant aroma wafted out, making people's mouths water.

As soon as the cooked rice comes out of the pot, it is immediately packed into special straw bags and then loaded onto the truck without stopping.

One of the key points of a long-distance forced march is to ensure good supplies.

If you can’t fill your stomach and replenish your energy in time, then don’t even think about the “Second Great Return from China”.

After a brief consideration, Qing Deng decided to imitate the tactics that Hashiba Hideyoshi used to defeat Shibata Katsuie in the Battle of Jianyue.

Shortly after Hashiba Hideyoshi defeated Akechi Mitsuhide, he came into conflict with Oda clan elder Shibata Katsuie over the political legacy left by Oda Nobunaga, and the two sides went to war, which was the famous Battle of Kanegasaki.

During this battle, Hideyoshi ordered all the guilds (various industrial and commercial monopoly associations) and farmers along the way to open their rice warehouses, and work together to cook rice and prepare licorice for the horses.

As long as you provide all the rice in your home, you will pay ten times the price afterwards.

After the rice is cooked, wet the inside of the empty straw bag with salt water and put the cooked rice in.

After packing, people were sent to transport the food to Jianyue with oxen and horses. If the person delivering the food got hungry on the way, he could directly use his towel or clothes to take the food out of the straw bag and eat it.

The rice is packed with straw soaked in salt water on the inside, and the transporter is asked to take the rice with a towel or clothes. This is to prevent it from spoiling. The straw can absorb the hot steam, and the salt water can seep into the rice, turning it into a rice ball that is easy to swallow.

The story that follows can almost be said to be a replica of the Battle of Tianwangshan.

Relying on its terrifying marching speed, the Hashiba army once again seized the initiative on the battlefield, defeated the Shibata army at Kanegasake, and secured victory in one fell swoop.

After this battle, no one in the Oda family could challenge Hashiba Hideyoshi's authority, and his road to dominance began from then on.

Since there are ready-made excellent examples to refer to, why not learn from them?
So Qingdeng repeated Jianyue's old practice and ordered the cooks to speed up the cooking. They should first cook the rice and then put it into straw bags soaked in salt water.

In addition to the rice to fill his stomach, Qing Deng also did not forget to prepare drinking water.

He specifically instructed the cooks to add more salt to the water so that the soldiers could replenish their salt intake.

In order to ensure the timely supply of food, Qingdeng mobilized all the animal power and vehicles that could be mobilized to transport rice and salt water.

The main force was still gathering, but supply convoys were already leaving the camp one after another.

Before the army moves, food and supplies must be sent first - this is an eternal truth.

Qing Deng specifically instructed the supply convoy: after each vehicle is fully loaded with supplies, there is no need to stop and wait, but to set off directly.

The supply convoy will set up supply stations at various nodes along the march.

When the troops passed by a supply station, they would directly take the ready-made rice balls and salt water without stopping, and eat while they were on the move.

Although doing so would make the soldiers very tired, the situation was urgent and they could not care less.

In addition, the soldiers' weapons, armor and other equipment were also loaded on the chariots.

In this way, the burden on the soldiers can be reduced to the greatest extent, their physical strength can be saved, and each unit can move forward lightly.

In fact, if we only look at the marching distance, the Shinsengumi’s “Second Great Return to China” was much longer than the Hashiba Army’s “First Great Return to China”!
There is no doubt that even for the Shinsengumi, which is known for its elite forces, it is not easy to complete this task!
There is a saying that goes "Train your troops for a thousand days and use them for a moment."

Qingdeng did everything he could.

Next, we can only hope for the physique, spirit and discipline of the Shinsengumi soldiers!
……

……

"Moo moo moo!"

Luobo probably sensed that he had an important task ahead of him.

From just now on, it has been digging the soil with its hooves, looking eager to try.

Qing Deng, dressed neatly, stood beside Luobo, scanning his eyes from left to right, passing over the three people standing in front of him one by one: Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke and Kondo Isami.

"Suizo, Keisuke, and Yong, I'm counting on you!"

Hijikata Toshizo curled his lips:

"Leave it to us with confidence. Have we ever let you down?"

Kondo Isami opened his big gorilla-like mouth and took over the conversation:
"Ju-kun, don't worry about us! Just get going!"

Shannan Jingzhu, who was usually mature and calm, was unusually excited at this moment:
"Even if we are torn to pieces, we will lead our troops to you as scheduled!"

What Qing Deng needs most urgently now is intelligence.

He was eager to know the movements of the Choshu army so that he could make corresponding deployments.

Therefore, he decided to lead part of the cavalry and return to Otsu first.

As for the main force, they followed behind in order.

He divided the Shinsengumi into three equal parts and gave them to Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke and Kondo Isami to lead respectively.

Commanding troops on a forced march... this is not an easy task.

Although the burden on their shoulders was heavy, the three of them showed no fear.

Looking at the three people with confident smiles on their faces, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile, his gentle eyes were full of strong trust in each other.

At this moment, a loud shout came from a distance:

"General Ju, please stay!"

Qing Deng looked in the direction of the voice and saw Matsudaira Yoshinobu walking towards him with big strides.

The other party did not come alone, but was followed by a large group of soldiers.

These soldiers hold their swords in one hand and their horses in the other - they are none other than the world-famous Aizu Cavalry!
Matsudaira Yoshihide quickly moved to Qing Deng and said sternly:

"General Tachibana, the current Choshu Domain has become an 'empty country'."

"I guess there are no more field forces left in their domain now." "The battles that follow will be nothing more than one siege after another."

"Therefore, there is no benefit for me to keep these cavalry."

"General Tachibana, you will be tasked with retaking Owari next, and a field battle is inevitable."

"For you, the more cavalry, the better."

"So, please take these 200 cavalrymen from Aizu away!"

"They will surely be able to help!"

After saying that, he turned slightly sideways.

Immediately afterwards, a fully armed warrior walked out from the Aizu cavalry and came to Qing Deng.

After seeing the man's face clearly, Qing Deng raised his eyebrows subconsciously.

This person was none other than Sagawa Kanbei, the elder of the Aizu clan and the most powerful general of the Aizu clan.

Because they had had an unpleasant experience before, Qing Deng not only remembered him, but also had a deep impression of him.

Looking back to the beginning, when the Shinsengumi, which had just been established, went to Iga to quell the rebellion, it borrowed troops from Aizu due to lack of manpower.

Matsudaira Yoshiyasu sent a group of elite soldiers led by Sagawa Kanbei and ordered them to assist Qingdeng with all their strength.

Unexpectedly, the self-important Sagawa Kanbei ignored Qingdeng's orders at the beginning of the battle and led his troops to attack without authorization, which resulted in a ridiculous ending of being "beaten back by the musketeers' random gunfire". He was so shameless.

After returning to the capital, he was immediately severely punished by Matsudaira Yoshinobu.

Matsudaira Yoshiyasu did not intentionally favor Aotoko just because he was a close minister of the Aizu clan, which was considered an explanation to Aotoko.

From then on, Qing Deng and he rarely met.

"General Tachibana, although Sagawa-kun made a big mistake before, he has now reformed."

"I believe he will be able to be an excellent helper for you in this battle and will never make such a low-level mistake again."

"Sagawa-kun, am I right?"

As Matsudaira Yoshiyasu spoke, he turned his head and cast a sharp look at Sagawa Kanbei.

Facing the gaze of his master, Sagawa Kanbei suddenly lowered his waist, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep and respectful voice:
"General Tachibana, I apologize for my previous offense! I was too arrogant and made a big mistake!"

"Please watch carefully!"

"This time, I... no, we will definitely show you the bravery of the Aizu men!"

After he finished speaking, he held his head high and chest out, looking straight at Qing Deng with lightning-like eyes.

His demeanor was no longer as arrogant and domineering as before, but only showed pure respect and reverence.

Qing Deng looked at Sagawa Kanbei, then looked at the cavalrymen behind him. After thinking for a moment, he nodded solemnly:
"...Well, Master Higo, if that's the case, I'll accept your 'gift'."

Qing Deng naturally wouldn't think that he had too many troops.

Since Matsudaira Yoshiyasu was willing to lend him troops, and was willing to lend him the powerful Aizu cavalry, he was happy to accept it.

Seeing Qing Deng readily accept his kindness, Matsudaira Yoshiho chuckled as if relieved:

"General Tachibana, please wait and see! Our Aizu Cavalry will live up to its reputation!"

Qing Deng smiled slightly in response, then turned his head to look at the Aizu cavalry led by Sagawa Kanbei, and shouted loudly:

"Warriors of Aizu! If you intend to show me the 'Spirit of Aizu', then follow me closely! I don't have time to deal with stragglers!"

After saying this, he nimbly jumped onto the cow and tapped its belly with his heel.

"Moo moo moo!"

The big black bull raised its two front hooves, howled loudly, then galloped forward like an arrow and ran straight out of the camp.

The next moment, there was a chorus of neighing from the horses.

The Aizu Cavalry and the Shinsengumi Cavalry who had been waiting nearby all rode their horses and whipped their horses.

The horses' hooves stomped the ground, raising countless clouds of dust.

They followed Qingdeng closely and became the first group of troops to participate in the "Second Great Return from China"!

……

……

Aoto led the way, followed by Hijikata Toshizo's "Second Army", Kondo Isami's "Third Army", Yamanami Keisuke's "Fourth Army"... On the long road from Choshu to Gyeonggi, the five thousand troops rushed forward!

Run in small steps and fast - this is the marching technique Qing Deng learned when he was studying in the police academy in his previous life.

Whether it is the speed of a 100-meter sprint or the speed of a marathon, forced march is not suitable.

A marathon is just 42.195 kilometers, while a forced march can easily be hundreds of kilometers.

Only "small steps and fast running" is the most suitable way of running for a forced march.

You don't need to take big strides or run very fast. Instead, shorten your stride and take quick steps, just like a race walk - this way, you can run the longest distance with the least amount of energy.

After running about 30 kilometers, the large group will see the first supply point.

The cooks who left the camp early have already set up their stall here and are ready to distribute supplies.

The "First Army" led by Qing Deng stopped here briefly, let their mounts eat some licorice, rested for a while, and then continued on their way.

The next to arrive was the "Second Army" led by Hijikata Toshizo.

Every soldier who passed by the stall was given a rice ball and a bowl of water.

"Here you go!"

"One rice ball per person! One bowl of water! Don't take more!"

"Don't stop! Who told you to stop? Eat while running!"

"Don't stop! Don't stop! I repeat, don't stop."

Under such strict orders, the soldiers did not dare to stop after receiving the food handed over by the cooks. They just kept moving forward while eating rice balls.

The "Third Army" and "Fourth Army" that arrived later were in the same situation. Even their meal time had to be used for marching.

In order to get back to Gyeonggi as soon as possible, Qing Deng really worked hard.

Not only was the order to "eat on the run" issued, but there was also a clear requirement to reduce rest time.

The rest time between marches should not exceed 2 minutes.

Even the sleeping time at night has been compressed to 6 hours.

At the beginning, the troops could barely keep up.

But on the third and fourth days, when the marching distance exceeded 3 kilometers, some soldiers could no longer hold on.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" - Similar vomiting sounds appeared more and more frequently in the marching column.

Vomiting while running... Even if you are so tired that you are vomiting or your consciousness is blurred, you cannot stop.

If a troop with poor discipline and lack of physical fitness were to undergo a forced march of this intensity, they would probably collapse in less than half a day.

If something goes wrong, it might even lead to a mutiny, and people would just rebel and never do this hard work again.

Facts have proved that discipline is indeed the lifeblood of an army.

Even though they were extremely tired or felt extremely tortured, no one dared to complain, and no one dared to stop.

This was a military order issued by the "Nioh" himself - this thought lingered in the minds of the Shinsengumi soldiers.

The long-term discipline building that has never been slackened, as well as Qingdeng's personal prestige, made them dare not even think of complaining or being tired. They all gritted their teeth and persevered.

The speed of the cavalry team led by Qing Deng himself is naturally far superior to that of the infantry team.

It took them only seven days to leave the Chinese area and enter the capital area.

As soon as Qing Deng returned to Gyeonggi, he found an unfamiliar supply station on the way back to Ootsu.

When he went forward to ask, he found out: This is the supply station set up by Sanako!

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