I formed the strongest swordsman group

Gyeonggi, Qinjin Domain, Dajin—

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom…

The dull sound of feet stepping on the ground never ceases.

In the sunlight, various equipment such as spears, muskets, and cannons reflected a shining cold light.

Teams of soldiers wearing light green feather robes marched out of Otsu in an orderly manner and set foot on the Tokai Street leading to Edo, attracting countless passers-by's attention.

In the middle of the long queue, the figures of Kondo Isami and Nagakura Shinpachi can be seen.

Kondo Isami was seen riding his horse and waving the whip, looking very majestic.

He turned his eyes and scanned the soldiers around him.

Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide and shouted:

"The righteousness is in our army! Rush to help Guandong! Defeat the rebels!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Nagakura Shinpachi, who was following closely beside him, raised his right arm and shouted:

“Eh—eh—”

The next moment, the soldiers shouted in unison:

“Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”

Morale is high and fighting spirit is high.

It has been more than a month since the end of the Second Battle of Sekigahara.

Such a long time was enough for the Shinsengumi soldiers to recover from the fatigue of war.

After realizing that the "Ichibashi faction" might launch a military coup, Aoto immediately sent a message to Otsu, asking the Shinsengumi to come to the rescue immediately.

Qing Deng had always seen clearly the sudden outbreak of civil war.

To win this battle, you just need to grasp the following two key points.

Facing the fierce and wolf-like main force of the Shinsengumi, no matter it is the "Death Corps" of the "Hitotsubashi faction" or those direct members who stand on the side of the "Hitotsubashi faction", they are all like ants trying to shake a tree. They can all be crushed to death with just a little effort!

After Qing Deng's military order reached Otsu, Kondo Isami and others did not dare to delay and immediately mobilized and prepared to go to war.

Of course, they couldn’t just “leave the country empty and go to provide assistance.”

The "Ichibashi faction" is certainly a mortal enemy, but the various feudal lords in the west are also difficult entities that cannot be underestimated.

Therefore, it is necessary to leave behind several troops to defend the base camp and monitor the western country.

After a brief negotiation, Kondo Isami and others made the following arrangements:

The First, Fifth and Eighth Divisions remained in Otsu.

The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 11th squads rushed to Edo to provide assistance.

Kondo Isami, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, Serizawa Kamo, Inoue Genzaburo...these killer names are all on the "rescue list".

Just by looking at this string of names, you can tell what style this support force will be like—except for the captain of the 11th Division, Abe Juro, they are all brave and reckless men!

Thanks to the perfect system and the innovative spirit of the "started corps", whether it is fighting on the battlefield or operating behind the scenes, the Shinsengumi's actions are incredibly fast, like lightning!

In just two days, Kondo Isami and others completed the mobilization and started the expedition!

Just this morning, when the sky was just turning light, a huge flag with the word "Sincerity" on it fluttered over the Donghai Street.

The carriages loaded with baggage were like beads on a necklace, and the ruts on the road were the threads that strung the beads together.

The soldiers from each squad walked with their heads held high and were full of energy.

According to the plan, they will go east along Donghai Street.

Within seven days, the troops will reach Edo!

…

…

Edo, Imado Town, the main camp of the Hitotsubashi Army——

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

quiet.

Deathly silence!

No one made a sound...even their breathing was very light.

In the true sense of the word, "I dare not even breathe a word".

The news of "Shinsengumi's march" reached both major camps almost at the same time.

And then... nothing happened.

As this news spread, the atmosphere at the Ichibashi Army's main camp naturally changed to this point.

Although Ichibashi Yoshinobu and others had long anticipated that Aoto would definitely order the main force of the Shinsengumi to "go to the capital to defend the king", they never expected that the speed would be so fast!

After learning the specific lineup of the reinforcements, they took a deep breath.

Kondo Isami, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, Serizawa Kame, Inoue Genzaburo...each one is more brave than the other!

Not only that, they also brought the artillery team (the 11th Division) with them!

Anyone with a normal brain would not want to go head-on with an army that has maxed out its "attack power"!

Which is stronger, the Ichibashi Army or the Shinsengumi?

Thinking about this kind of question for even a second is disrespectful to human wisdom.

Even the most optimistic people among the "Hitotsubashi faction" would not think that they could match the main force of the Shinsengumi!

Putting aside equipment, morale, and organization, there is an insurmountable gap between the two sides in terms of combat experience alone.

Time passes by little by little...

The atmosphere in the room was extremely tense...

It is just like the deep sea, full of darkness and pressure... Even if whales pass through it, it cannot cause any ripples.

In this dead silence, there is the sound of sweat dripping to the ground.

The temperature today was obviously very low, and it would not be surprising if it snowed at any time, but everyone in the room felt dry mouth and sweat.

Staring with eyes wide open, heads down, unaware that sweat was dripping onto the ground - most people in the room maintained this posture.

Finally... in this unbearable silence, someone finally broke the silence and made a sound.

But someone swallowed hard to moisten his dry throat, and then tried to force a smile:

"We...we still have a chance of winning!"

After this was said, another person immediately echoed:

"That's right! We haven't lost yet! The main force of the Shinsengumi has just left Otsu! According to common sense, it will take them at least 7 days to get to Edo. As long as we can capture Edo Castle within these 7 days, we can save the situation!"

As soon as the man finished speaking, it was like nectar smeared on the outside of a beehive, immediately attracting a large number of attacks:

"'Common sense'? How dare you use 'common sense' to measure the Shinsengumi?!"

“That’s right!”

"Don't you know what a brave army the Shinsengumi is?"

"Not long ago, they rushed back to Otsu from Choshu at an astonishing speed, successfully replicating the 'China Great Turn'. If they rush to Edo at the same speed right now, what should we do?"

"Besides, can you take Edo Castle whenever you want? If it were easy to take Edo Castle, would we still be so sad?"

The endless stream of fierce rebuttals made the "war faction" feel ashamed and angry.

The leader of the "war faction" is none other than Gao Lao.

Gao Lao gritted his teeth, his eyebrows raised, and the wrinkles on his face quickly relaxed:

"Cowards! You are all a bunch of cowards! The main force of the Shinsengumi is still on the way, we still have time! We still have hope of winning!"

With Gao Lao taking the lead, the "war faction" gathered their strength and fought back:

"From the moment we started the uprising, we had no way out! Either we win or we die!"

"Even if you surrender, you will die! Only by fighting to the end can you have a chance of survival!"

"We are not at the end of our rope yet!"

The fierce counterattack of the "militant faction" made the atmosphere at the scene even more tense.

The two sides engaged in a heated debate over "what to do now".

"Let's face reality! Without the support of the Mito Army, we will completely lose the chance to 'capture Edo Castle'!"

"Ju Qingdeng has successfully won over the people! More than two thousand civilians have rushed to help Ju Qingdeng! Our only advantage in military strength no longer exists!"

"Who will fight against Kondo Isami? Who will fight against Nagakura Shinpachi? Who will fight against Saito Ichi? You, or me?!"

The two sides quarreled fiercely...

Its intensity and noise are no less than those of a festival celebration - however, the two have completely different atmospheres, the latter is full of excitement, while the former reveals a looming despair.

Just as the argument between the two sides was becoming increasingly heated, a voice that did not belong to either side, without any sadness or joy, suddenly interrupted:

"…Let's retreat."

This sudden voice was like casting some kind of "silent magic", and the whole place fell silent in an instant.

People from both sides turned their heads in unison and looked at each other—a thin middle-aged man.

The tall man glared at the other person:

"Retreat? Where to?"

The other party took a deep breath and replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner:

"Fukui Domain!"

Fukui Domain - located in the Echizen region, with a land area of ​​320,000 kilometres.

Its feudal lord was none other than Harugaku Matsudaira, a veteran of the "Ichibashi faction" who once served as the "President of Political Affairs".

When Ichibashi Yoshinobu was still the "Shogun's rear guard", Matsudaira Harugaku always gave him strong support and was like his right-hand man.

However, after Ichibashi Yoshinobu staged the farce of "starting the expulsion of foreigners on May 10", Matsudaira Harugaku was implicated and forced to resign from the post of "President of Political Affairs" and retire to his domain.

Although Matsudaira Harugaku had long left the political center, he had always secretly supported the "Ichibashi faction."

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The Mito Domain, which had just lost 3,000 troops, had been severely damaged and was not suitable as a retreat route.

Furthermore, it is still a question whether the Mito Domain can continue to exist.

"The Mito army nearly led to the fall of Edo Castle", "The main force of the Shinsengumi that came to support brought an artillery team", "Tachibana Aoto will definitely take revenge"... Combining the above three points, anyone with a little bit of common sense would know what kind of military action Aoto will launch once the main force of the Shinsengumi arrives.

Therefore, if Yoshinobu Ichibashi and others wanted to evacuate... no, escape from Edo, Fukui Domain was their only place to stay.

From a while ago, Ichibashi Yoshinobu was like a petrified man, motionless, expressionless, his eyes looking at his nose, his nose looking at his heart, it was unclear whether he was thinking or just in a daze.

It was not until the man said the word "retreat" that he finally reacted - he slowly raised his head and stared at the other person.

Facing the gazes of everyone present, the other party spoke freely:

"Use the Fukui Domain as a barrier, and send envoys to unite with powerful domains such as Satsuma and Tosa. In this way, we still have a chance to make a comeback!"

Someone immediately asked back:

"Satsuma? Tosa?"

The other party nodded vigorously:

“That’s right!”

"Tokugawa Iemochi is in a coma."

"Tianzhangyuan is a female group."

"It is not difficult to foresee that after this war, Tachibana Aoto will become the actual ruler of the shogunate! With power over the government and the country! Just like Sima Yi and Yuwen Hu in the past!"

"The powerful clans of Satsuma and Tosa would definitely not be happy to see a strong Tachibana Aoto!"

"Therefore, in the matter of 'demanding Tachibana', our interests are consistent with those of the powerful clans such as Satsuma and Tosa!"

"Promise them huge benefits - such as dividing up the Qinjin clan's land - and form an 'offensive and defensive alliance' with them!"

"In this way, I can regain the ability to compete with Tachibana Aoto!"

"By then, it's still unknown who will win!"

The other party has finished speaking.

After he finished speaking, he quietly held his head high and waited for the responses from the others.

Just now, the debate between the "pro-war faction" and the "pro-surrender faction" was just a venting of emotions, and no one proposed a constructive and feasible plan.

The "war faction" repeatedly stressed, "Fight! Fight! Keep fighting!"

The "surrender faction" kept repeating "If we continue fighting, everything will be lost."

In comparison, the other party's speech was logical and well-organized, and he directly gave a clear solution.

There is a huge gap in comparison.

Soon, someone echoed:

"I... agree! Neither 'continue to fight' nor 'surrender' is advisable. We should retreat! As long as there is life, there is hope!"

Then, another person echoed:

"That's what I thought! Let's retreat!"

In a blink of an eye, like a domino effect, more and more people clearly expressed their position that "they should withdraw":

“That makes sense!”

"Although I am very unwilling, this is the only way..."

"If we can get the assistance of Satsuma, Tosa and other feudal states, we will be even more powerful!"

Of course, no matter when or where, there will always be people who sing the opposite tune.

After thinking for a moment, Gao Lao shouted:

"No! It's absolutely not feasible! Satsuma, Tosa and other feudal domains all have jackal hearts! Forming an alliance with them is like seeking the skin of a tiger!"

Gao Lao's resolute attitude made the atmosphere on the scene tense again.

At first glance, it seemed that another dispute was about to break out.

However, at this moment——

“…That’s enough.”

Ichibashi Yoshinobu suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their heads and looked at Ichihashi Yoshinobu who was sitting on the main seat.

"What a noise... Where do you think this is? A vegetable market?"

Ichibashi Yoshinobu said this and slowly stood up.

"I'm tired... Today's military meeting ends here for now, let's all go."

After saying this, Ichibashi Yoshinobu walked away without any hesitation.

Seeing this, everyone became anxious.

Gao Lao said quickly:

"Master Ichihashi! Please stay! This is a critical moment and every second counts! How can we adjourn?"

However, Yoshinobu Ichibashi ignored them.

Without even blinking, he ran out of the room and walked away.

Gao Lao and the others stayed where they were, staring at each other...

…

…

That night——

Edo, Imado Town, the main camp of the Hitotsubashi Army——

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

The tall guy made the corridor floor creak under his feet.

Just by listening to his footsteps, you can tell that he is in a very bad mood.

In fact, it is true.

Under the candlelight, his brows were furrowed and his expression was solemn.

He was very dissatisfied with Yoshinobu Ichibashi's performance today.

He suddenly left in the middle of a military meeting... How shameful!

The main force of the Shinsengumi is on its way to Edo. Every minute and every second is extremely precious! Don't waste it!

At this critical moment of life and death, they actually adjourned the meeting... The more Gao Lao thought about it, the angrier he became.

At this point, he no longer cared about status or etiquette.

Even if he had to use force, he would break into Ichibashi Yoshinobu's room and explain the interests involved to him!

——Tonight, I must make things clear in front of Master Ichibashi!

As soon as he thought of this, he happened to arrive outside Ichibashi Yoshinobu's room.

Seeing that the room was completely dark, Gao Lao cleared his throat without hesitation and shouted:

"Master Yiqiao! Please wake up! I have something important to discuss with you!"

The servant outside the room immediately moved half a step sideways and blocked the way in front of Gao Lao:

"Sir, please be quiet, Master Ichihashi has gone to bed!"

The tall man ignored the servant, pushed him aside and walked in.

After breaking into Ichibashi Yoshinobu's bedroom, he was shocked to find that the room was empty... there was no sign of Ichibashi Yoshinobu at all!

He was startled at first, then looked at Ichihashi Yoshinobu's attendant in exasperation:

"Where's Ichibashi-sama? Where did he go?!"

Under the pressure from the tall man, the servant shuddered violently:

"I-Ichibashi-sama...he, he...went to Echizen Domain..."

In the blink of an eye, it's the end of the month again! Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg) Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please recommend! (crying leopard head.jpg)

PS: Yoshinobu Ichibashi ran away directly - unexpected, but reasonable. Because this is his second time running away. After the farce of "May 10, start the expulsion of foreigners", he ran away quickly.