I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 912: The Return of Kyoto's Most Beautiful Woman [5100]

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

Qing Deng bent over his desk, busy handling each military task.

As the general commander of the Shinsengumi, the responsibilities he currently shoulders and the important tasks that he needs to handle one by one are naturally countless.

At this moment, this simply furnished room filled with books and scrolls is the "brain" of the Shinsengumi!
Talents such as "Divine Brain +9", "Left and Right Fighting", and "Yuan Yang +7" are activated!

Qing Deng achieved the work effectiveness of an entire staff group by his own efforts!

Military orders were issued through his hands in an orderly manner.

Many times, he even used both hands to write different command documents.

Messengers kept running back and forth in and out of the room.

Either delivering new intelligence, or conveying Qingdeng's new orders to the outside world.

At this time, a messenger knelt on one knee outside the door and shouted loudly through the door:
"My lord, the captain of the 10th squad is out!"

Qing Deng nodded without even raising his head:
"Okay, I understand. Back off."

"Yes!"

The captain of the 10th Division is Harada Sanosuke.

Qing Deng's hands kept moving, continuing to draft the military order in front of him.

However, at this moment, he unconsciously sideways glanced at the map of Sekigahara hanging on the wall next to him.

Whenever Qing Deng looked at the topographic map of Sekigahara, he couldn't help but think: If there really is a creator in this world, then he must have created Sekigahara according to the concept of "most suitable for field battles"!
No matter from which angle you look at it, Sekigahara is perfect for field battles!

Located at the intersection of two major traffic arteries (Higashiyama-dori and Ise-kaido), a large crossroads, it is convenient for mobilizing supplies and personnel.

There are both open plains that are convenient for deployment of troops, and steep mountains that can be used to hold the position.

Because it is a basin, there are high mountains in every direction: east, west, south, and north.

Tenmansan, Nangongshan, Sasaweishan...these towering mountain peaks are all natural fortresses.

Even those who have never fought in a war certainly understand the principle of "standing high, seeing far".

Apart from anything else, just setting up artillery batteries on these hilltops can use the height advantage to suppress the enemy!

Looking back at the first Battle of Sekigahara 260 years ago, the Western Army occupied almost all the high ground in Sekigahara, including Nanguyama and Tenmanzan, and the Eastern Army could only set up its battle array at the foot of the mountain.

Even Nangong Mountain, located on the flank of the Eastern Army, was under the control of the Western Army.

The Western Army troops deployed on Nangong Mountain could attack the Eastern Army's flank with a single dive, directly threatening the Eastern Army's main camp.

If it weren't for the traitor Kobayakawa Hideaki, the Western Army, which had the advantage of geographical location, would have had a chance to defeat the Eastern Army, and the chances of winning would have been very high.

Therefore, although the cavalry had not yet recovered from the fatigue of the "Second Great Return to China", in order to seize the geographical advantage, Qing Deng could only force Harada Sanosuke to lead a part of the cavalry that could still move to Sekigahara first.

For Qing Deng, the best start on the battlefield is to follow the example of Ishida Mitsunari back then and take all the hills in Sekigahara!

Especially Nangong Mountain located east of Guanyuan. If he succeeds in taking Nangong Mountain, he won't know how to lose even if he wants to.

From Qing Deng's perspective, if you imagine Guanyuan as a huge city, then Nangong Mountain is the city wall of this city, which can be used for attack or defense!

In this way, no matter how many people come, Qing Deng is confident that he can defeat the bandits within half a day!
However... since Qing Deng can think of seizing the geographical advantage, the enemy can also realize this!
In terms of geographical distance, Otsu is closer to Sekigahara.

But the convenience of Donghai Street cannot be underestimated.

If the Choshu army marched non-stop along the Tokaido Street...it would be hard to say which side would reach Sekigahara first.

Before Harada Sanosuke went into battle, Qing Deng warned him in a serious tone: It would be best to capture all the hills in Sekigahara, and at least capture Mt. Tenman and Mt. Sasao in the west!

Without Nangong Mountain, it would be difficult to win quickly.

But without Tenmanzan and Sasaozan, this battle would be difficult to fight...

Qing Deng stared at the Guanyuan map for a while, then collected his thoughts and continued to focus on the task at hand.

About half an hour later, all the important military orders had been issued, and Qing Deng was finally able to take a break.

He put down the brush in his hand, let out a long breath, and his originally tense nerves gradually relaxed.

At the same time as he exited the "working state", a wave of fatigue surged up and enveloped Qing Deng's whole body.

In fact, Qing Deng has never had a good rest since returning to Otsu, and has been almost non-stop in his intense work.

In recent days, his total sleep time has not exceeded 6 hours.

Fortunately, he possessed talents such as "God of Sleep", "Yuan Yang +7", and "Strong Essence +4", otherwise, most people would have died suddenly facing such terrifying work intensity.

Just as Qing Deng was about to take a short nap, he suddenly heard familiar light footsteps coming from the direction of the corridor.

Cat-like footsteps... She is the only one in the Orange Mansion who walks like this.

Qing Deng instantly recognized who the person was and immediately raised his head and looked towards the door.

As soon as he raised his eyes, he happened to meet the gaze of Ah Wu who was carefully pushing open a crack in the door.

"Um... Qing Deng, I don't think I disturbed you, did I?"

Qingden Wan'er:

"I happen to be free now. Ah Wu, what's wrong?"

Seeing that Qing Deng was not busy now, A Wu breathed a sigh of relief, pushed the door open completely, slipped in, and sat in front of Qing Deng.

"I don't have anything urgent to do. I just want to confirm with you the current situation of Elodie."

As she spoke, she leaned forward unconsciously, looking at Qing Deng with half worry and half expectation.

"Qing Deng, is there any news about Elodie?"

When Qing Deng heard the words "Elodie's current situation", his facial expression dimmed slightly.

As soon as Ah Wu finished speaking, he shook his head:

"Unfortunately... I still haven't heard from Elodie."

In an instant, the anticipation on Ah Wu's cheeks disappeared like melting snow.

Instead, there was intense disappointment and worry.

She hung her head dejectedly, unbending her upper body and murmured, "Oh, so that's it..."

The saying "Misfortunes never come alone" is basically true.

On the eve of the Western Expedition to the two kingdoms of Chang and Zhou, Qing Deng sent Elodi to Eight Princes to check the accounts of Thousand People United over the years in order to prepare for the subsequent large-scale military reform.

This was just an ordinary business trip.

Before this, Qing Deng had never imagined that... the safe rear area in the past would become the front line of the battlefield today!

The Choshu army is heading straight for Hachioji, and the area will soon be filled with smoke.

I thought I was sending Elodie to a safe rear area, but I didn't expect that she would be sent to the front line!

Ever since Elodie joined the Shinsengumi, she has been working in the rear as a pure civilian.

Not to mention going to the battlefield, she has never even killed anyone!
In this case, it is no wonder that Ah Wu was so nervous.

I have never received any news about Elodie, and I don't know her current situation, which makes me even more worried.

In fact, Qing Deng was also very worried about Elodie, fearing that she might encounter any accident.

However, in order to comfort Wu, he pretended to be calm and indifferent:

"Awu, don't worry."

"Elody is not some weak woman who can't even lift a finger."

"She has been learning sword skills from me for many years, and her sword skills have long reached the qualification of the 'Catalog'."

"Based on her skills, it would be difficult for ordinary people to even get close to her, let alone hurt her."

After hearing Qing Deng say this, Ah Wu's expression finally improved a little.

At this moment, a report suddenly came from outside the door:

"My lord, the director of Kyoto wants to see you!"

Director of Kyoto - Shintaro Tojo.

The unexpected visitor made Qing Deng frown.

Others don't know the true identity of Tojo Shintaro, but Qing Deng knows it very well.

An important member of the Great Salt Party came to visit at this time... Qing Deng didn't think that the other party was here to chat and joke!

Without thinking too much, he shouted out the order without hesitation:

"Take him to the reception room, I'll be there in a moment!"

"Yes!"

……

……

After a while——

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Judi, reception room——

After simply tidying up his clothes, Qing Deng hurried to the reception room in two steps.

After passing through the side door reserved for his use and entering the reception room, he met Tojo Shintaro, whom he had not seen for many days.

The other party was still the same, sloppy and unkempt. "General Ju, hello."

Seeing Qing Deng coming, Tojo Shintaro took the initiative to bow and greet him.

"Well, no need to be polite."

Qing Deng waved his hand and sat down on the main seat.

It was not until then that he suddenly realized: the other party did not come alone, but there was a young man dressed as an attendant sitting behind him.

Due to the limited viewing angle and the obstruction of view by Tojo Shintaro, Qing Deng did not notice this person at the first sight.

This guy was very petite, wearing a standard shogunate hat, with his head drooping and the brim of the hat covering most of his face. From Qing Deng's perspective, he couldn't see his appearance at all.

Although his face was difficult to identify, Qing Deng felt that this person looked particularly familiar.

Soon, he knew who the other person was.

Before Qing Deng could say hello, the man took off his hat and said quickly:

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"An Yi, long time no see."

As the straw hat fell off, a beautiful face that was no less beautiful than Sanako's came into Qingdeng's sight.

Qing Deng was startled at first, then responded indifferently:

"Zi Yang... No, Ms. Jin, how are you?"

A beauty that can be compared to Sanako's... She is the only woman in all of Kyoto who possesses such a striking feature.

Yes, this woman is none other than Miss Sumire, Kyoto’s number one geisha, Kyoto’s number one beauty, and the intelligence chief of the Great Salt Party!

Ever since the "Ikedaya Incident" ended, Qing Deng has not met Miss Jin again.

One reason is that I am too busy and can never find any free time.

Secondly, there is no need to meet the other party specifically.

Thirdly, Qingdeng intends to keep his distance from the Big Salt Party.

Although he admired the Oshio Party for its perseverance and determination to stand up for the people, from the perspective of his status as a high-ranking official in the shogunate, his relationship with the Oshio Party was always delicate.

Besides, he and the Great Salt Party were not so close that they loved each other.

Therefore, Qingdeng's attitude towards the Great Salt Party has always been neither trying to get close to it nor trying to stay away from it.

Seeing Miss Jin here, Qing Deng lowered his eyelids unconsciously, and a solemn look flashed in his eyes.

He immediately realized that Tojo Shintaro's sudden visit was just a cover!
His real purpose is to cover up Miss Jin so that she can come and meet him!

In this way, Qing Deng became more certain that their sudden visit was for some important purpose.

With this thought in mind, Qing Deng slowly spoke:

"Ms. Jin, I'm sure you know that I'm extremely busy right now."

"So let's skip the unnecessary pleasantries and greetings and get straight to the point."

"You came here suddenly, so you must have something important to discuss with me."

Miss Jin has always been a straightforward person.

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, she nodded vigorously:
"Yes, that's right."

"Just this morning, our important informant delivered important information related to Changzhou."

"I think it is necessary to tell you this information, so I came here specially."

After Qing Deng heard this, a gleam of light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"Appreciate further details!"

Miss Jin did not keep Qing Deng in suspense and said directly:

"It has been confirmed that the Choshu clan has joined forces with the Fazhu Party!"

"It was with the help of the Hojutsu Party that the Choshu Army was able to launch a surprise attack on Nobi and advance into Kanto!"

Hearing this, Qing Deng did not show excessive surprise, but his eyes narrowed slightly and his cheeks were filled with sternness.

In fact, as early as when Qing Deng learned that the Choshu army had launched a surprise attack on Nobi across the sea, he began to suspect whether the Fazhu Party was involved.

Where does Choshu get the ability to carry out such a large-scale operation?
If they really possessed such ability, they would not have suffered consecutive defeats in the Battle of Shimonoseki, the Battle of Ikedaya, and the Summer Campaign of Kyoto.

If there is any force willing and capable of helping Changzhou at this critical juncture... the only one Qing Deng can think of is the Fazhu Party!

The background of the Fazhu Party has always been unfathomable.

No matter what they do, Qing Deng will not be surprised!
Before launching the "Choshu Expedition", Qing Deng once considered whether the trouble-making Fazhu Party would take the opportunity to cause chaos.

Today, his conjecture has been confirmed.

From a certain perspective, a big stone in his heart fell to the ground - the Fazhu Party, you are worthy of it! After not seeing you for a while, you gave me another "big gift"!
While Qing Deng was thinking to himself, Miss Jin continued speaking:

"The army that easily captured Nagoya Castle consisted not only of Choshu's special forces, but also of the Fazhu Party's own troops."

"An Yi, do you know the Slavs?"

Qing Deng replied without hesitation:
"Of course I know. It's one of the three major barbarian tribes in Europe."

Ms. Sumire nodded.

"That's right. An Yi, you know a lot. You even know about the 'three great barbarian tribes'."

The three major barbarian tribes in Europe - Celts, Germans, and Slavs.

The name of these "three major barbarians" was given by the Romans before Christ.

To the Romans before Christ, these three ethnic groups were indeed barbarians.

Nowadays, with the exception of the Celts who are still oppressed by the English, the Germans and Slavs are living well.

Many people mistakenly believe that Slavs refer specifically to Russians, which is actually not true.

Russians are just a branch of Slavs.

The Slavs are widely distributed in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe.

Miss Sumire continued the conversation without having to explain what the Slavs were:
"It is reported that the French Punishment Party spent a lot of money to hire and train a 'Slavic Legion'."

"As the name suggests, the soldiers of this legion are mainly Slavs from within the country."

[Note: Russia is the name given to Russia by the Japanese in the Edo period]

"An Yi, I don't know if you know, maybe because the living environment in Russia is too harsh, the Slavs in Russia have a very special view of life and death."

"Simply put, they don't care much about human life."

"Although they are mercenaries who work for money, in other words, as long as they are paid enough, they are willing to risk their lives."

"This 'Slavic Legion' has about 2,000 soldiers."

"An Yi, you must be careful when facing this 'Slavic Army'. You must not be careless."

Qing Deng listened attentively and kept looking at the other party in surprise.

Miss Jin noticed his strangeness, so she smiled after finishing her business:
"An Yi, are you confused? We came all the way here just to give you information?"

Without waiting for Qing Deng to respond, she continued:
"Although we, the Great Salt Party, are enemies of the shogunate and wish to destroy it immediately, we are even more unwilling to let the Law-Action Party take over the world!"

"We can clearly distinguish between right and wrong."

"Let the shogunate take power, and the world can never get any worse."

"But if the Fazhu Party comes to power... God knows what consequences this will lead to."

"Therefore, after a brief discussion with the top leaders of the organization, we have unanimously decided to cooperate with you again and fully support you in defeating the Law and Punishment Changzhou coalition forces."

"First crush the evil ambitions of the Fazhu Party, and then we can talk about other things."

After hearing this, Qing Deng understood clearly.

After smiling half in amusement and half in helplessness, he changed his tone to teasing:
"Thank you for your kindness."

“I never thought we would be able to work together again.”

"It seems that I do have a very strange fate with you, the Great Salt Party."

"By the way, your Great Salt Party's intelligence gathering capabilities are indeed impressive."

"Until just now, I was completely in the dark and knew very little about the enemy."

"But you even know the details of the enemy army."

Miss Jin smiled reservedly:
"'Gathering intelligence' is the only strength we have left in the Great Salt Party."

"If we have lost even this ability, then we should just disband as soon as possible to avoid any more meaningless struggles."

"Besides, you are too kind."

"We are far from knowing the enemy's details."

After chatting for a while, Qing Deng refocused his attention on the current business.

Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something and asked hurriedly:
"Ms. Jin, do you know how the Fazhu Party purchased warships and hired mercenaries?"

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