I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 908: Sunpu Castle Falls! Hachioji's Thousands of Men Prepare for War Together! [6000]

When Sanako and Mai hurried to the outskirts of Otsu, they happened to run into the dusty team head-on.

Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble…

At the end of the road, amidst the flying dust, the dull thunderous sound of hooves gradually approached.

Looking closely, I saw a man and a cow sprinting ahead.

Riding a big black bull... With such distinctive features, there couldn't be anyone else!

As if being pulled along, Sanako and Wu moved their feet at the same time and strode forward to greet them.

In a moment, the big black bull stopped steadily in front of the two women.

Then, a voice came from the cow's back that made the two girls feel at ease:
"Sanako, Ama, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."

Sanako's beautiful eyes widened with a look of disbelief.

Ah Wu's reaction was even more exaggerated. She looked like she had seen a ghost. Her eyes were dull and her cheeks were filled with shock. She looked Qing Deng up and down repeatedly.

After a while, Sanako stammered and asked:
"Qing Deng, you, you're back...?"

"Hmm? If I hadn't come back, who would be the person in front of you right now?"

"No, I mean, yes...how did you come back so soon?"

Sanako privately conducted detailed research on "how long it would take Qingdeng to return."

According to her expectations, even if Qing Deng could rush back, it would take another 5 days.

However... she never thought that she would meet him again today!
Qing Deng smiled bitterly:
"It's a long story as to how I got back."

After saying that, he reached out and gently stroked Luobo's neck:
"Carrot, thank you for your hard work..."

"Moo moo..."

It was not until then that the two girls noticed the current situation of Radish.

It wouldn't be a big deal if they didn't look at it, but once they did they were all scared.

I saw Radish with his head drooping, his limbs trembling, white foam oozing from the corners of his mouth, and sweating like rain. Beads of sweat as big as beans dripped out along his hair, and in just a moment, a small puddle of water accumulated under his body.

You know, Luobo is a "divine bull" with superior physical qualities. He is better than ordinary war horses in both physical strength and explosive power.

The two girls had never seen the big black bull so tired...it was hard to imagine what it had been through.

They slowly turned their gaze and looked towards the cavalry formation behind Qing Deng.

After a quick glance, they suddenly discovered that, in comparison, the radish's condition was already pretty good!
“Whoops… whoops…”

"Hey! Xiao Hui! Hold on! We've reached Otsu!"

"Get down! Your horse is going to fall!"

“Ahhhh…!”

The huge cavalry team of thousands of people, from the front to the back, was filled with the groans, wails, and cries of pain from horses.

In order to get back to Otsu as quickly as possible, the "First Army" headed by Qing Deng really exhausted all their strength.

Although horses have strong explosive power, their endurance is poor and they cannot run fast for a long time.

Throughout history, cavalry teams that launched long-distance raids basically consisted of one person riding two horses, or even one person riding three, four, or five horses. The riders took turns riding the horses, and when one horse got tired, they would switch to another.

What a pity... This kind of "rich man's way of playing" can only be afforded by those "rich families" who have no shortage of horses - Qing Deng obviously does not belong to this category.

Most of the animal power in the expeditionary army was used to carry baggage.

Therefore, even Qingdeng himself only had a carrot to ride on.

If one person and one horse (cow) run for a short time, the animal's energy will be exhausted.

Even so, Qing Deng and the others had no other choice but to suffer for their mounts...

Facts have proved that the Aizu Cavalry is indeed a world-famous powerful force, and the Shinsengumi 7th and 10th Divisions that Qing Deng has carefully created did not disappoint him.

From the hinterland of Choshu to Otsu, a distance of nearly 350 kilometers, they managed to complete the journey in just 9 days with only one person and one horse (or cow), an average daily march of 39 kilometers!

Honestly speaking, facing this amazing result, even Qing Deng couldn't help but feel shocked!

Although the achievements are remarkable,... the price paid is equally heavy!

At this moment, looking around, almost all the horses were almost unconscious due to extreme fatigue.

He was foaming at the mouth, his limbs were shaking...it seemed like he would fall to the ground at any moment.

In fact, after the team stopped, many horses could no longer hold on because "the taut string suddenly relaxed", and they kept wailing, and then fell to the ground with a bang, unable to get up again.

Not only did the mounts suffer, but the riders also suffered.

Anyone who has ridden a horse knows that the most torturous part of riding a horse is not the sore waist and back, but the painful rubbing of the inner thighs.

The saddle is very hard.

The repeated bumps while riding a horse will cause the inner thighs to rub against the saddle, and after a while you will feel a needle-like stinging pain.

No matter how thick the cloth is, it can only provide relief.

Otherwise, why would Liu Bei burst into tears after seeing fat growing back on the inside of his thighs, leaving behind the allusion of "the regrowth of thigh fat"?

A person who rides a horse regularly will not have fat on the inner thighs. If there is fat, it will be worn away by the horse.

During the past nine days, Qing Deng and his companions had been living almost entirely on the saddle, with very little time for rest.

As a result, on the second day of the trip, many riders had blisters on the inner thighs.

Blisters are formed, the blisters are broken, blood flows out, and blisters are formed again...over and over again.

Even if it hurts, I can only grit my teeth and endure it...

After arriving at the destination... that is, today, many riders' hakama were soaked with blood, and even dripping, mixed with the sweat of their mounts and flowing down.

Looking at the exhausted and miserable cavalry, Sanako bit his lower lip lightly and turned to look at the ministers behind him.

"Quick! Gather all the doctors in the town! Human and veterinary doctors!"

"Yes!"

A courtier came forward and reached out to pull Luobo's reins.

However, Qingdeng drove Luobo to the side and avoided it.

"No rush, take those people and horses who are no longer able to get treatment first."

As he spoke, he turned his head and shouted to the riders:

"Those who can still move, follow me! Our mission is not yet complete!"

……

……

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, town——

"Huh? What's going on? Why is it so lively?"

"Don't you know yet? His Highness Niou is back!"

"What? His Highness Niou is back? Where is he?"

"I don't know! Anyway, let's just follow the crowd!"

"The lord is back! The lord is back!"

……

His Highness Prince Niou has returned with his army - this news seemed to have a pair of wings and spread throughout Otsu in the blink of an eye!
It is no exaggeration to describe the current Otsu as a place where the streets are deserted.

For a moment, samurai and civilians alike put down everything they were doing and rushed to the same direction - Biwa Hirokoji in the center of Otsu.

Hirokoji is a wide avenue designed specifically for fire prevention.

When the townspeople arrived here, they were shocked to find that many officials were on guard.

The officers stood in a row on both sides of the street, holding hard wooden sticks and holding them horizontally in front of them, connecting each stick end to end to form a solid wall of sticks and people, limiting the activities of the townspeople to the sides of the street, preventing unauthorized people from approaching the center of the street at will, and also preventing vicious incidents such as trampling and congestion.

In a short while, the streets on both sides of Pipa Guangxiao Road were surrounded by mountains and the sea, and there was almost no place to stand.

Even so, there were still many people outside the street trying to squeeze in.

"Don't push! There's no room in the front!"

"Where is the lord? Where is the lord?"

"Hush! Listen! It's the sound of cow hooves!"

As everyone was eagerly waiting, a tall and majestic figure gradually emerged from the corner of the street and slowly came into their sight.

I saw Qing Deng sitting upright on the back of Luobo, holding the reins in one hand and the knife in the other, looking straight ahead, with his head held high and his chest puffed out, like an awe-inspiring and inviolable god of war.

Behind him, two strong cavalrymen carried the "Sincerity Flag" representing the Shinsengumi and the "Gentian Leaf Flag" representing the Qinjin Domain.

Two large flags fluttered in the wind, making rustling sounds.

Behind the flag was the cavalry team that was slowly advancing and closely following Qingdeng.

The cavalrymen marched in rows of six, like a wall.

Although their faces are full of fatigue, no one would think that they are not majestic enough!

Under the eager and enthusiastic gaze of the crowd, Qing Deng moved to the center of Biwa Guangxiao Road and stopped.

Then, he raised his head slightly and shouted loudly:
"Everyone, I'm sure you all know this by now. The Choshu army attacked Nagoya Castle and Nobi fell!"

With the blessing of the talent "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Rocks +3", his voice was clearly heard by everyone at the scene.

"The enemy has reached your doorstep. You must be feeling very uneasy, right?"

"There's not much I want to say."

"From now on, you can rest assured! No need to worry anymore!"

"All you need to do next is eat, sleep and work as usual."

"In the days to come, the sun will rise as usual! Otsu will remain peaceful as always!"

"I will use these two hands to kill all the enemies that come to attack me!"

There are no fancy words and no passionate tone.

However, just these few simple words changed the atmosphere on the scene!
Qing Deng's long-accumulated reputation, prestige, and invincible battle record are more than enough to speak for themselves.

The people present all showed excitement on their faces.

Some even had flushed faces due to uncontrollable excitement.

The moment Qing Deng finished speaking, even though there was no prior agreement, everyone at the scene pumped their fists and cheered. The cheers, as loud as the waves of the sea, surrounded Qing Deng from all directions, which was quite astonishing.

Qing Deng was not in a hurry to return home, but instead he mustered his strength and led the cavalrymen who were still able to move through the streets of Otsu in a swaggering manner, all for this moment!
Let the people of Otsu see his figure, calm their hearts, and fulfill the promise that Sanako made to everyone a while ago that "the lord is leading the army back to support."

King Ni is back - this alone is enough to excite the thousands of people in Qinjin Domain, as well as those in other places who are afraid that the Choshu army will attack!

The fear that had been accumulating in people's hearts in recent days and the uneasy atmosphere that swept the streets of Otsu seemed to have disappeared in an instant!

……

……

About half an hour later——

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, Tachibana Residence, Qingdeng’s office——

Qing Deng swept away the food in front of him at lightning speed.

The crisp "ding ding ding" sound of chopsticks quickly touching the dishes is endless.

Although Qing Deng’s current condition cannot be described as being possessed by a starving ghost, it is almost the same.

Wrapping rice with straw soaked in salt water can indeed prevent it from spoiling, but it does not keep it warm.

For the past 9 days, I have been eating cold rice balls and drinking cold salt water every day... Although I won't starve to death, it is really uncomfortable. My mouth tastes very bland and my stomach is extremely lacking in oil and water.

After returning to the Orange Residence, he neither went to sleep nor rushed to work. Instead, he immediately sent orders to the kitchen, asking the chefs to light the fire and cook more greasy meat.

When the pots of steaming hot food were brought to him, he didn't care about the heat and started to wolf it down.

Hunger is indeed the best seasoning.

Qing Deng had never felt that his chef's cooking skills were so great as he did today.

To be honest, he really wanted to enjoy this delicious feast quietly and slowly by himself.

However, he knew very well in his heart: everyone else could rest, but he couldn't!
"Rush back to Otsu" was just his first small goal.

His ultimate goal is to find a way to defeat the still rampant Choshu army!
Therefore, even when eating, he was not idle.

While trying hard to shovel food into his mouth, he listened attentively to Sanako's report - Awu had gone to take care of Jiulang and Ningning, so she was temporarily absent.

Talent [Fighting with Both Hands] activated!
Even if you are doing two unrelated things at the same time, it will not affect your efficiency at all.

Sanako knelt down beside him and said succinctly and seriously:

"Qing Deng, just this morning, the ninjas I sent to spy on Choshu's movements risked their lives to send a new report."

"It is reported that the Choshu army looted all the supplies in Nagoya Castle after capturing the castle."

"After completely emptying Nagoya Castle, they simply abandoned the castle, mobilized all their troops, and marched eastward!"

Hearing this, Qing Deng narrowed his eyes unconsciously, his expression became serious, his hands stopped moving, and he even forgot to chew the food in his mouth.

The Choshu Army was heading eastwards... He naturally knew exactly what this meant.

In an instant, he received good news and bad news.

The good news is that Qinjin is safe and the Choshu army has no intention of attacking the capital.

The bad news is that their target is Edo!

It seems that they are here with the sincere intention of destroying the shogunate!
Sanako paused for a moment, giving Qing Deng time to digest and react.

After Qing Deng started eating again, she continued to talk:
"Just yesterday afternoon, the Choshu army arrived at the gates of Sunpu City."

"The governor of Sunpu Castle knew in advance that the Choshu army was coming, so he prepared for a siege."

Siege warfare - as the name suggests, it is a battle in which all troops and supplies are gathered to defend the castle.

"However... unfortunately, Sunpu Castle fell before it even lasted an hour."

"Most of the defenders were killed or wounded, and the governor of Sunpu Castle is missing."

"After Nagoya Castle, all the accumulation of Sunpu Castle over the past 200 years will belong to Choshu."

Sunpu Castle is an important town in the Tokaido area and also the old capital of the Tokugawa family.

The Tokugawa family rose to prominence in Mikawa Province on the Tokaido Road.

During the Warring States Period, when many warlords fought for power, the Tokugawa family's base was in Sunpu Castle.

After the Edo Shogunate unified Japan, it felt the important strategic position and special political significance of Sunpu Castle, so it established the positions of "Sumpu Castle Dai", "Sumpu Kaban" and "Sumpu Teiban" in Sunpu Castle.

【Note: Sunpu Castle Mayor: Also known as Suruga Castle Mayor. He served in Sunpu Castle and was responsible for the defense and management of the castle. He also went to Kunoyama Ieyasu Temple on behalf of the Shogun to fight against the disastrous defeat. This position was established in 1633 and was under the jurisdiction of the Roju.】

【Note: Sumpu Kaban: Responsible for the security, repairs and government affairs within Sumpu Castle.】

【Note: Responsible for the defense of the outer walls and gates of Sunpu Castle. 】

The fall of Sunpu Castle was completely within Qing Deng's expectations.

With their poorly equipped army and outdated city defense system, there is no way they can stop a modern army!

The fall of Sunpu Castle meant that the Choshu army could then march straight in and head eastward along the Tokai Street.

Donghai Street is a mature "highway" with flat terrain and no strategic locations to defend.

If we talk about whether there is any pass that can be relied upon and any troops that can fight ahead of the Choshu army...then it can only be the Hachioji area and the thousand men of Hachioji who are united in guarding the Hachioji area!
Thinking of this, Qing Deng couldn't help but lower his face and felt a chill in his heart.

The Hachioji area is a strategic point connecting Kanto and Kai, and is the western gate of Edo.

Once the Hachioji area is breached, there will be no more pass to stop the Choshu army.

By then, the Choshu army could attack Edo Castle in one fell swoop!
Qing Deng was deep in thought while silently eating his food.

In a moment, he put down the bowl that had been eaten clean, without even a grain of rice left.

"... Sanako, you and Mai have really worked hard during this period."

Sanako shook her head slightly:

"It's nothing, we just did what we were supposed to do."

As soon as she finished speaking, she paused, and a hint of fatigue flashed in her eyes.

After a while, Qing Deng felt something heavy leaning on his shoulder.

"Sanako?"

He turned his head in surprise and saw Sanako bending down and burying her face in the hollow of his left shoulder.

"Sorry, Qing Deng, I made you laugh..."

As she spoke, she stretched out her hands and tightly grasped Qing Deng's clothes, as if she was afraid that the other person would disappear.

At the same time, she buried her face even harder into Qing Deng's left shoulder, making it impossible to see her expression at the moment.

"Recently...Awu and I are very busy every day."

"I am not afraid of hardship, I am only worried...I can't protect Ah Wu, I can't protect Jiu Lang, Ning Ning, and I can't protect the thousands of people in Qinjin Fan."

"I am terribly frightened when I think of this..."

"I don't know when it started, but I've been looking forward to your return every day."

"Every time a day passes and I don't hear from you about your return, I can't help but feel anxious."

"I couldn't help wondering: Will you never come back..."

After saying that, Sanako hunched her shoulders, and her originally very tall body became much "petite".

Even her husband Qing Deng had never seen her show such a vulnerable side...

Qing Deng blinked, first showing helplessness, then turning his body seriously, so that Sanako's face changed from "buried in his left shoulder" to "buried in his heart".

"Sanako, can you hear my heartbeat? I'm right here."

"Whenever you need me, I will appear in front of you immediately and will never leave you without permission."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Sanako's chuckle.

The next moment, she silently opened her arms and hugged Qing Deng's waist tightly.

Seeing this, Qing Deng silently hugged her back.

Unfortunately, this scene of "couple hugging each other" did not last long.

After a moment, a female voice with no sadness or joy came from outside the door not far away:
"Hmm, I see... She asked me to take care of Jiulang and Ningning, but she secretly made love with Qingdeng. What a calculated plan..."

Hearing this, Qing Deng and Sanako hurriedly separated, then turned their heads with strange expressions to look at Awu who was "monitoring" them.

I saw Ah Wu sitting in the corridor outside the door, having opened the paper sliding door a tiny gap - this tiny gap was just enough for her to peek with one eye - this eye, which was pressed against the crack of the door and staring directly at Qing Deng and Sanako, was as dark and deep as the abyss, without a single light.

"What's wrong? Don't worry about me, just continue."

Ah Wu said this expressionlessly and indifferently.

……

……

Afterwards, Qing Deng took a lot of effort to successfully appease Awu.

……

……

The "Second Army", "Third Army" and "Fourth Army" led by Hijikata, Kondo and Yamanami respectively are still on the way.

In this case, there is no chance of counterattacking Choshu.

While waiting for the arrival of the large force led by Hijikata Toshizo and others, Qing Deng was busy with all kinds of affairs and worked day and night.

The first thing he did was to issue an order to all the thousand men in Hachioji: Enter combat readiness immediately! Use any means necessary to delay the Choshu army!

The Hachioji area was the last bastion defending Edo.

The Shinsengumi had not yet assembled, but the Choshu army had already captured Sunpu Castle... To be fair, if this continued, by the time the Shinsengumi caught up with the Choshu army, Edo would have been reduced to ruins!

Therefore, whether Hachioji's thousands of men can work together to hold back the Choshu army is crucial to the success or failure of this battle!
While ordering Hachioji's thousand men to prepare for resistance, Qing Deng sent people to Edo to report the current war situation and his current situation to Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin.

Although Sanako had previously sent envoys to Edo, Qing Deng decided to send another group of envoys to Edo for the sake of caution, so that Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin could make preparations in advance. Edo is likely to become a battlefield next!

Immediately afterwards, Qingdeng actively launched a political offensive.

History has proven countless times that sometimes, "political battles" can play unexpected roles!
He sent messengers to the various vassal states in the capital, telling them: I, Tachibana Aoto, have returned to Otsu! You should be careful! Don't do such foolish things!

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It's the end of the month again! Book friends who have monthly tickets on hand, please vote for this book! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

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PS: Sheng Qingdeng is the head of the Eight Princes, and this is to pave the way for this battle! Don't underestimate Leopard's ability to lay the groundwork! (豹傲张.jpg) The seemingly insignificant content may be an important plot in the future!