I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 916: Edo Siege War! "Swordsman Family" joins the battle! [Leopard Update 7200]

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, you looked at me, I looked at you.

After a long while, someone swallowed hard:

"If, if General Tachibana can't come back...what should we do?"

Katrintaro responded indifferently:

"You don't need to ask me questions like this where the answer is obvious, right? You know the answer very well, don't you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly changed subtly - it was filled with fear.

Katsurintaro continued speaking:

"It is precisely because I cannot accurately estimate the time it will take for General Tachibana to return that I just said we should 'hold on'."

"Fight the enemy at all costs and delay as much time as possible."

"The longer it takes, the better it will be for us."

"In a nutshell: hold on! Try your best to hold on!"

At this time, an old minister screamed excitedly:
"Ridiculous! Katsurintaro, what kind of stupid tactics are these! With Edo Castle as the battlefield, how many casualties will this bring?"

This rebuke from this person was like a switch - in the blink of an eye, a tide of rebuttals and scolding came towards Katsurintaro from all directions.

"That's right! If Edo Castle is reduced to ruins, what's the point of our struggle? In the end, the shogunate will still suffer heavy losses!"

“We cannot put the people of Edo at risk!”

"Rather than defending Edo, it would be safer to retreat directly!"

"We can't pin our hopes of victory on the illusory 'wait for General Tachibana to come back'! God knows how long it will take him to get back!"

The ministers were ferocious and had ferocious expressions.

Each and every one of them acted with compassion and sympathy.

He always said "for Edo" and never said "to preserve Edo".

Facing the condemnation and rebuttals of these guys, Katsurintaro became more and more impatient. His face became gloomy and his complexion became as dark as if it had been splashed with ink.

He was born into a lower-ranking hatamoto family and had never been influenced by the corrupt tendencies of the upper class.

Therefore, he could not stand affectation the most, especially the hypocrisy of those who talked about morality but were actually thieves and prostitutes.

With a straight-forward character, he sneered directly and said sarcastically without disguising:

"That's enough, put away your disgusting faces!"

"You are indeed experienced officials with many years of experience. You are very good at playing the role of 'loyal ministers'!"

"If there are people here who don't know the truth, they might be deceived by you and think you are loyal subjects."

"'The people of Edo cannot be put in danger'? Come on!"

"Are you concerned about the survival of the people of Edo, or are you concerned about your own lives? Don't you know what's going on?"

"Are the knives on your waists meant to look good?"

"If you don't even have the courage to fight the enemy, then you should quickly take off the swords from your waists and sell your samurai origins! Don't tarnish the word 'samurai'!"

His words undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.

"Katsurintaro, watch your words!"

"You are blatantly insulting us!"

"Even if you are the president of the Navy, you can't be so blunt!"

"Take back what you just said!"

At that moment, the ministers denounced Katsurintaro even more frantically.

Amidst the waves of scolding, which became louder and louder, Tokugawa Iemochi suddenly asked:
"... Sheng-kun, let me confirm one last time. Is 'siege warfare' really our only chance of winning at the moment?"

Tokugawa Iemochi's sudden words brought silence back to the scene.

All the ministers, including Katsurintaro, turned their heads and looked straight at Tokugawa Iemochi.

"Yes!"

Katrintaro nodded firmly:
"Although it is risky and will result in heavy losses...but if we want to defeat the Choshu Army, there is no other way!"

"..."

Tokugawa Iemochi stopped talking.

He closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and looked like he was in deep thought.

Those ministers who opposed Katsurintaro and were unwilling to fight a "siege war" all cast hopeful glances at Tokugawa Iemochi.

No matter how loudly they quarreled or how fiercely they argued, the person who would make the final decision would be the Shogun.

They desperately hoped that Tokugawa Iemochi would say next: "I refuse" or "I object."

With their eager anticipation, Tokugawa Iemochi let them experience the thrill of a roller coaster.

In a moment, Tokugawa Iemochi suddenly opened his eyes, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

"…If we start a war in Edo Castle Town, I'm afraid that most of Edo will be reduced to ruins."

Upon hearing this, the ministers immediately became energized, with excitement and excitement showing on their faces.

However, in the next breath, Tokugawa Iemochi changed the subject:
"However, my idea coincides with Sheng Jun's. If we want to defeat this fierce enemy force, we have to show our ruthlessness and determination to never give up and never fear death."

The excited expressions that just appeared on the faces of the ministers froze in an instant.

"Now that things have come to this, we will follow what Sheng Jun said! Besiege the city! Fight the enemy to the death!"

Tokugawa Iemochi's sonorous and powerful voice spread to every corner of the hall.

After their “expressions froze”, all the blood color disappeared from the ministers’ cheeks.

There was silence for 2 seconds, and then it was like a boiling pot, and the ministers fell to the ground one after another, sincerely and even tearfully advising Tokugawa Iemochi:
"My Lord! Please think twice..."

Before these people could speak, Tokugawa Iemochi had already predicted what they were going to say and interrupted them directly:

"You don't need to persuade me anymore!"

"I have made up my mind and I will never change it!"

"I don't want to surrender to the enemy, and I don't want to give up Edo even if I have a chance of winning!"

"There are countless samurai and civilians in Edo."

"If we don't evacuate the people in advance, there will be heavy casualties once the war starts."

"Besides, if too many soldiers and civilians stay in the town, we won't be able to fight freely."

Having said that, Tokugawa Iemochi turned his head and looked at the senior councilor Makino Tadayoshi.

"Makino-kun, you are responsible for the 'evacuation of civilians'!"

"From today on, all civilians are not allowed to stay in Edo unless necessary!"

"If there is a place to go, you can go on your own and the shogunate will not interfere."

"If they have nowhere to go, they can report to the magistrate's office and the shogunate will find a place for them!"

Makino Tadakatsu listened carefully, with a complicated expression on his face.

He did not agree with fighting a "siege war" in Edo.

But since Tokugawa Iemochi had said this, he had no right to say "no" no matter how unwilling he was.

He gritted his teeth and nodded his head and said "yes".

Then, Tokugawa Iemochi turned to look at another senior councilor, Inaba Masakuni:

"Inaba-kun, you are responsible for negotiating with the Oshu domains and making sure they are prepared to receive the refugees!"

"All Edo warriors and civilians who have nowhere to go will be relocated to the Oshu domains!"

Like Makino Tadayoshi, Inaba Masakuni agreed to the deal after showing some hesitation.

Tokugawa Iemochi turned his attention to the next minister, Katsurintaro.

"Katsu-kun, I ask you to mobilize all the ships in the navy that can move, and take the people of Edo to the Oshu domains."

Katrintaro raised his eyebrows:

"Are we going to mobilize all the ships of the navy?"

Tokugawa Iemochi nodded:
"We are going to completely 'clear out' Edo Castle this time."

"In order to evacuate all the civilians in the town before the enemy, we must mobilize all the transportation resources we can."

"Also, Sheng Jun, I appoint you as the deputy governor of this siege battle, with full authority to command this operation!"

Katsurintaro's face froze, he sat up straight, then bowed respectfully and accepted the appointment.

Deputy Governor-General - When many people at the scene heard that Tokugawa Iemochi had given Katsurintaro this position, they couldn't help but look confused.

They all thought that Tokugawa Iemochi would directly appoint Katsurintaro as governor-general.

In terms of job title, Katsurintaro is already the president of the Navy. Apart from the Admiral himself, there is almost no one higher than him.

There is nothing wrong with making him governor.

Lian Shenglintaro is only the deputy governor, then who is the governor?

At that moment, the expressions of several other Chinese veterans who had not yet received their tasks all changed.

Since the Navy President is only a deputy governor, if there is anyone who can serve as the governor...it can only be Lao Zhong.

Tokugawa Iemochi saw through their doubts and smiled:
"I will personally serve as the governor of this campaign!"

"I will stay in Edo Castle the entire time! Until Edo falls or the enemy is defeated!"

In an instant... it really was in an instant! There were gasps of shock coming from the audience!
Seeing Tokugawa Iemochi threatening to "lead the army in person", all the ministers, including Katsurintaro, were shocked.

A minister who was loyal to the Tokugawa family immediately said:
"My lord, no!"

After this man started the conversation, the other ministers urged Tokugawa Iemochi to seek refuge:
"My lord, as the Shogun, how can you personally take risks?"

"My lord, please follow the navy to Ou to seek refuge!"

"My lord, this is the only point I ask you to listen to my advice!"

Katsurintaro hesitated for a moment, then changed his tone to an earnest one:

"My lord, please go and take refuge without worry. Leave the defense of the city to us!"

In the face of the persuasion of Katsurintaro and others, Tokugawa Iemochi's reaction... in a word: unmoved.

It was not until all the ministers said they were tired that he said slowly:

"I am the 14th Shogun of the Edo Shogunate."

"As the co-leader of the Wu family, how can you run away with your tail between your legs?"

"I'm staying here and not going anywhere!"

"Either life or death!"

……

……

Edo Castle, Ooku——

Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The rapid footsteps, like a rainstorm, dominated the entire Great Ao.

At this moment, female officials could be seen everywhere inside the O-oku, running anxiously, completely lacking their former elegance.

Not only the samurai and civilians in Edo Town had to evacuate, but all non-combat personnel in Edo Castle - especially the female officials in the O-oku - also had to evacuate.

Perhaps it was because they had stayed in a comfortable and easy environment for too long. Even though a disaster was imminent, many female officials in the Great Palace still failed to distinguish the seriousness of the matter and were ready to run away with all their belongings.

In the past, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin had been helpless in dealing with the chaos within the O-oku...especially its extravagant lifestyle.

In the "Nanki-Ichibashi Dispute" of that year, the Ooku forces overwhelmingly supported the Nanki faction and did make some contributions.

In other words, the power of the O-oku contributed to Tokugawa Iemochi's successful ascension to the throne.

From this perspective, the O-oku forces are Tokugawa Iemochi's own people.

As we all know, if you casually operate on your own family, it is very likely to cause uncontrollable serious consequences, and a single move will affect the entire body.

Apart from anything else, if the great forces of the Ooku, who were the heroes, were wronged, it would make other heroes feel disheartened.

However, at this point, when the crisis is imminent, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin will no longer tolerate these greedy, vain, and ungrateful women.

"What's with all this clothes? Do you think we're going on an outing? Throw away these heavy clothes that take up so much space!"

"Listen to me, everyone! Bring only the bare minimum! Just bring two sets of clothes that are easy to move in! No bulky, useless dresses or jewelry!"

"There's not enough space on the ship! Every extra piece of luggage on the ship means one more person will lose the chance to board the ship!"

The person in charge of coordinating the "Empty the Ooku" operation was a female official close to Tenshoin.

At the instruction of Tokugawa Iemochi, she mercilessly denounced those female officials who had no sense of order and dragged large and small bags of luggage.

Looking at the exquisite jewelry and gorgeous clothes, although the female officials felt distressed, they dared not complain. They just did as they were told and only took the minimum amount of luggage - they were afraid that Tokugawa Iemochi would abandon them and escape without them.

While the whole of Da'ao was busy, somewhere in Da'ao——

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...

Tokugawa Iemochi strode through the corridor at a brisk pace.

At this moment, he was no longer dressed in his daily attire, but in military uniform - wearing a black and purple armor, a folded hat on his head, and a katana on his waist - looking extraordinary and majestic.

Right in front of him, several women in court dress—they were Kazunomiya's personal maids—gathered outside a door with anxious faces, shouting into the room:

"Your Highness, Lord Tree has already told you to evacuate immediately..."

Before the female official finished her words, a sharp shout came from the room:
"No! I'm not going anywhere!"

The ladies-in-waiting were about to say something else...when they spotted Tokugawa Iemochi walking towards them.

Seeing the general coming, the female officials hurriedly prostrated themselves on the ground and saluted with fear and trepidation.

Tokugawa Iemochi waved his hand, signaling them to stand up.

"Is Princess Kazunomiya in there?" a certain lady-in-waiting answered immediately:

"Yes. Her Highness...would never leave no matter what..."

Tokugawa Iemochi smiled bitterly upon hearing this.

Then, he walked to the door and cleared his throat:

"Kazumiya, it's me! Iemochi!"

"..."

There was silence in the room and no one answered.

"If you don't respond, I'll go right in!"

"..."

Still no answer.

Seeing this, Tokugawa Iemochi no longer hesitated, and directly opened the door and slipped in.

Read more latest popular novels at 6.9*shuba!

In the slightly dim room, a petite girl in gorgeous clothes sat dejectedly on the tatami.

It was the number one love-minded person in Edo Castle...ah, no, it was Tokugawa Iemochi's wife, Kazunomiya.

Looking at Tokugawa Iemochi who suddenly appeared, a hint of joy flashed across Kazumiya's cheeks.

But in the blink of an eye, she seemed to remember something, and turned her head away with a "humph", leaving Tokugawa Iemochi with the back of her head, looking like she was in a bad mood.

Tokugawa Iemochi walked up to her with a wry smile and held her shoulders with both hands.

"Kazumiya, come on, I'll take you out of the O-oku."

"I do not go!"

While yelling, Kazumiya bent down, hugged her bent legs tightly with her hands, buried her little face between her legs, and turned into a "human bowling ball".

"I'll go wherever you are!"

"Since you want to stay in Edo Castle, then I want to stay in Edo Castle too!"

"As long as you leave Edo Castle, I will follow you!"

As she spoke, she hugged her legs even tighter, as if she was determined to become one with the tatami mat beneath her.

Tokugawa Iemochi blinked, then smiled half helplessly, half delightedly.

Kazunomiya waited for a long time but received no consolation or persuasion from Tokugawa Iemochi. Instead, she found that he was staring at her with a smile, so she couldn't help asking:

"why are you laughing?"

"Nothing, I'm just sincerely happy that I have a good wife."

"Compared to previous generals, I am really lucky."

"I have a kind and reliable stepmother, a respectful and virtuous wife, and another one..."

Having said this, he stopped talking abruptly.

He swallowed the second half of his sentence - "There is also a close friend who is like both my brother and my father" - and did not say it out loud.

How could He Gong, who grew up in the deep palace and had no immunity to matters between men and women, tolerate such love words?
In the blink of an eye, her whole face turned red, and she turned her eyes away, not daring to look at Tokugawa Iemochi again.

Tokugawa Iemochi had extremely rich experience in how to comfort and persuade Princess Kazunomiya.

He crossed his knees, sat next to Kazumiya, put his arms around her shoulders, and held her in his arms.

No one knows what he said to her next...the content of their conversation remains a mystery.

About half an hour later, the female officials who were waiting quietly outside the door saw Tokugawa Iemochi holding Kazunomiya's hand and walking out slowly.

"Let's go, Kazumiya."

Tokugawa Iemochi said softly.

"We are only separated for a short time. It won't be long before we meet again."

He Gong lowered her head, nodded like a chick pecking at rice, and muttered:
"Well...you have to be more careful and don't get hurt..."

Tokugawa Iemochi burst out laughing:

"Don't worry, I'm just staying in Edo Castle. I'm not fighting on the front lines. I'm safe."

After saying that, he raised his hands to tidy up He Gong's hair and clothes, his movements as gentle as his tone.

"Okay, time is running out, let's go."

He Gong opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

But she didn't say a word until she was surrounded by the ladies-in-waiting and left.

Tokugawa Iemochi pursed his lips and stared at Kazunomiya's back, not even willing to blink, as if he wanted to imprint the other's figure forever in his eyes and deep in his mind.

At this moment, just as Princess Kazunomiya was about to turn the corner of the corridor and disappear from Tokugawa Iemochi's sight, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and met his gaze.

"General!"

The sadness and hesitation on her face were gone. She became particularly determined and spoke word by word:
"I wish you good luck in martial arts!"

When Tokugawa Iemochi heard this, he was stunned at first, and then he showed a look of relief and emotion.

After trying to calm his surging emotions, he nodded vigorously:
"Yes! He Gong, we will definitely defeat the enemy army and bring you back as soon as possible!"

He Gong smiled.

After the couple looked at each other for a moment, Kazumiya leaned forward slightly and bowed slightly. Then she did not linger any longer, turned around and turned into the corner of the corridor, preparing to leave O-oku and board the ship to Ou.

Although there was no sign of Kazunomiya in front of him, Tokugawa Iemochi still stared at the place where the other party had just stood, lost in thought, and was reluctant to look away.

After a while, a trace of loneliness flashed across his eyes, and he murmured:

"... Kazumiya, we'll meet again someday."

At this moment, a heroic female voice sounded from behind him:

"Jia Mao, I finally found you! So you are here!"

Tokugawa Iemochi was startled, then subconsciously turned around to look.

After seeing the visitor's appearance clearly, he couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise.

"Mother, why are you...dressed like Tomoe Gozen?"

The visitor was Tianzhangyuan.

At this moment, she was not wearing the light blue "widow's outfit" or the white-on-top and purple-on-bottom shrine maiden costume, but was wearing white and blue armor, holding a naginata in her right hand and a bow in her left hand, looking like a female warrior who had walked out of an ancient war painting!
"Do you even need to ask?"

Tian Zhangyuan smiled and shook the sword and bow in his hands.

"Iemochi, I want to fight alongside you! Defend Edo Castle until the very end!"

After hearing this, Tokugawa Iemochi immediately frowned.

"Mother, please forgive me for speaking frankly: I will stay in Edo! There is no need for you to get involved! Please leave the city with Princess Kazunomiya!"

Facing Tokugawa Iemochi's earnest persuasion, Tenshoin shrugged disapprovingly:

"Iemochi, do you think I'm Kazunomiya? I'll just be obedient after I coax you a little."

"I've heard that Kazumiya refuses to leave Edo no matter what."

"It seems that you have successfully persuaded her to leave."

After saying that, Tian Zhangyuan turned his head and looked at the room where He Gong had just stayed.

"Although I don't have a good relationship with Kazumiya, I have to admit that she is deeply in love with you."

Tenshoin's firm attitude made Tokugawa Iemochi at a loss.

After a moment, he clenched his fists and lowered his voice:
"…Mother, haven't you already made up your mind to go to Otsu with Tachibana-kun after the 'Choshu Campaign' is over and peace is restored to the world?"

"In this case, I beg you, don't take any risks at this critical moment..."

"If anything happens to you... I'll go crazy."

"If Mr. Ju asks me where Yu Yi went someday, I don't know how to answer..."

His words were filled with sincere emotions...his concern for Tianzhangyuan was beyond words.

Even Tian Zhangyuan couldn't help but feel soft-hearted, and his facial lines relaxed a lot.

However, despite this, she still did not change her determination:
"Jia Mao, who do you think I am?"

"Long before I met Sheng Qing, I was already the Omidori of the Edo Shogunate and a descendant of the samurai family!"

"As the heir of a martial family, I deserted the battlefield. I will not be able to face my father in the afterlife!"

The mother and son stared at each other, neither of them was willing to give in...

……

……

"Choshu is under attack, evacuate immediately" - with the propaganda of the shogunate, this news quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of Edo.

Panic and riot arrived as expected.

Fortunately, the shogunate had anticipated and prepared for this, so the panic and riots were limited to a small area and did not spread.

Indeed, for a long time, the shogunate has been known for its "inefficient administration".

But today, facing this unprecedented disaster, coupled with the personal supervision of Tokugawa Iemochi himself, the shogunate has shown amazing efficiency.

Officials at all levels worked quickly and "cleared" Edo step by step.

The biggest goal and the biggest difficulty of this operation is to evacuate the people.

Those who had a place to go would run to Jiangwai with their families.

Those who had nowhere to go followed the arrangements of the shogunate and went to Oshu for refuge in an orderly manner.

It is worth mentioning that before this, the permanent population of Edo dropped sharply due to the abolition of "Sankin Kotai".

This incident had a very bad impact on Edo's economy.

Unexpectedly, due to the sudden decline in population, the pressure on the shogunate to evacuate civilians was greatly reduced, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.

……

……

Edo, Okemachi, Kochiba Sword Hall——

"Father! Father!"

Chiba Shigetaro rushed into his father Chiba Sadakichi's room shouting.

"Hmm? Juutarou? What's wrong?"

Chiba Shigetaro didn't care about being out of breath, and hurriedly said:

"Father, have you heard? The Choshu Army is coming!"

"Oh, this."

Chiba Sadakichi said this and nodded slightly.

"I've heard about it. It's amazing that I can experience Edo being attacked and the enemy at the gates in my lifetime."

When Sanako was about to give birth, the whole family went to Otsu to take care of her.

It was not until a while ago, when Sanako gave birth successfully and recovered well, that they set off to return home.

They never expected...that they would encounter such a big incident just after they returned to Edo!
Chiba Shigetaro swallowed hard, and after stabilizing his breath, he hurriedly asked:
"Father, what should we do now? Should we leave Edo, or..."

Before he could finish his words, Chiba Sadakichi interrupted him:

"Juutarou, what do you think?"

"Ok?"

Chiba Sadakichi raised his eyes and looked straight at Chiba Shigetaro with deep eyes.

"Do you want to leave Edo, or do you want to...stay?"

"..."

Chiba Shigetaro was silent.

He lowered his head, staring at the tatami in front of his toes, his face filled with contemplation.

Chiba Sadakichi watched quietly and waited quietly.

About 10 seconds later, he raised his head again - with a frank, eager smile on his face.

"Father, we are a family of sword masters. If you run away without even drawing your sword... this will ruin the reputation of Qianye!"

Hearing this, Chiba Sadakichi raised the corners of his mouth. Although it was a slight smile, his smile was particularly happy.

Suddenly, a cheerful voice sounded behind Chiba Shigetaro:
"Brother Chong, well said! This is the answer that Qianye should give!"

Chiba Shigetaro was stunned for a moment, then turned around and looked back - two heroic young men with swords on their waists were standing not far behind him, one on the left and one on the right.

"Brother Dao? Brother Duomen? Why are you here?"

The person who spoke just now was Chiba Tamon Shiro.

Chiba Michisaburo smiled:

"There are more people coming than just the two of us."

After saying this, he and Chiba Tamon Shiro both stepped aside to make way. A young man walked out from between them with firm and powerful steps.

Looking at the person coming, Chiba Shigetaro subconsciously opened his mouth wide and showed an excited smile.

After standing still, the man bowed slightly, saluted slightly, and smiled:

"'Techno Chiba' Chiba Eijiro, come and help!"

*******
*******
Today is another day of Leopard update! Since today is another day of 7,000 Leopard, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

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

PS: It’s a pity that this book is not a fantasy. It would be very cool if Chiba Eijiro burst out with a storm of sword energy after saying "come to help"!