I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1052: Aoto and Ogata's First Partnership [4400]

Only two and a half squads (the 2nd Squad, the 8th Squad, and half of the 11th Squad) were taken to recapture Goryokaku... Many people objected to this, believing that this amount of troops was too small.

In addition, many people opposed Qingdeng's personal expedition.

They believed that Qingdeng could not leave the capital without permission when the situation in the West was still unsettled.

If he had a choice, Qing Deng would naturally be happy to be idle and let others do the work.

However, although he has many talented people under his command, there are very few outstanding ones who can stand on their own.

So far, the only person who deserves this evaluation is Hijikata Toshizo.

If Hijikata Toshizo had not been injured, Qing Deng could have safely entrusted him with the important task of "recapturing Goryokaku".

It's a pity that his body has not yet recovered. He can still perform daily activities but not strenuous activities.

Asking him to drag his frail body on a long expedition... is really asking too much.

Although Hijikata Toshizo volunteered to fight and vowed that he had no problems, Qing Deng declined his request for safety reasons.

Moreover, Qing Deng was very concerned about the "immortality" mentioned in the report.

He had witnessed with his own eyes how powerful the "Immortal Power" was.

Serious injuries such as cut arteries and severed tendons can be healed in the blink of an eye.

If the enemy's extraordinary vitality is really related to the "immortal power"... then it would be better for him to go there in person!
Since Qing Deng has decided to lead the army himself, in order to ensure the stability of the capital, he naturally cannot take too many troops with him.

After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to only bring the 2nd Squad, the 8th Squad and half of the 11th Squad, with a total force of about a thousand people.

Although the troops are small, they are enough.

Putting aside the mysterious "immortality", there is nothing to worry about in land warfare.

Qing Deng agreed with Hijikata Toshizo's idea that even if the Ainu were equipped with the most advanced equipment, their fighting power would not be that strong.

Equipment is certainly one of the important factors that determine the outcome of a war, but without the corresponding military qualities, it will be useless.

It was an army that was well-equipped, but it made a disgraceful appearance on the battlefield... There were so many examples like this.

The Ainu people's level of civilization is still in the tribal era. If you say that they can use guns and cannons, Qingdeng will definitely not believe it!
Goryokaku was built by the sea and could be easily hit by naval guns.

The firepower of the navy and half of the 11th Division was enough to recapture Goryokaku.

What really worries Qing Deng is the naval battle.

The current naval power of the "Southern Shogunate" is really lackluster. There are only three steam warships that can be used for combat.

Kanko Maru, displacement 600 tons, 6 guns.

Xianlin Maru, displacement 300 tons, 12 guns.

Fujisan Maru, displacement 1000 tons, 6 guns.

Among them, Fujisan Maru was a steam-powered gunboat, while Kanko Maru and Kanrin Maru were old-style steam paddle-wheel frigates (three-masted sailing ships with auxiliary steam power).

In addition to these three main battleships, there are dozens of Japanese ships - those old-fashioned sailing boats - it is definitely impossible to rely on these small boats to fight against steam battleships, but if they are just for transporting supplies, they are more than enough.

It is still unknown what type of enemy warships they have and how many guns they have.

The only information we know at the moment is that the enemy's naval guns are extremely powerful, and they forced the Goryokaku defenders to flee in panic... This shows that the enemy's warships are by no means backward!

In land battles, mental strength can be used to slightly make up for the difference in combat power, but this is not the case in naval battles.

No matter how high your fighting spirit is, it is impossible to make the warship swim faster or have more powerful firepower.

If the ship type is too backward, it will not even be qualified to sink the enemy ship.

How to win the naval battle... Qing Deng has no idea for the time being. He can only take it one step at a time and make a judgment after arriving at the front battlefield and collecting more intelligence.

Although the "Northern Expedition Corps" has not yet reached the front line, the battle to retake Goryokaku has already begun!
After contacting Katsurintaro and requesting the shogunate navy to be dispatched, the first thing Aoto did was to send a message to the Oshu clans, demanding that they fulfill the oath they had previously signed and provide manpower, money, and food!
The reason why Qing Deng signed the alliance with the Oshu clans was to stabilize the rear so that he could concentrate all his efforts on dealing with the western countries.

Unexpectedly, this alliance has become a powerful endorsement of "conquering Ezo and recovering Goryokaku" today.

Qing Deng sincerely felt fortunate that he had recaptured Ou Yu so early.

The Oshu domains were adjacent to the Ezo region, so there was no reason for them not to mobilize their baggage and troops nearby.

Influenced by local customs and geographical location, the Oshu domains were notoriously closed and conservative.

The vast majority of these vassal states did not consider introducing advanced Western systems and weapons, nor did they develop industrial strength, and were still using their grandfathers' matchlock rifles.

Even if all the Oshu domains were tied together, their industrial strength would not be as good as that of the Hizen domain alone.

Qing Deng did not expect the Oshu clans to provide advanced equipment, but only intended to let them serve as a "blood pack" to take on the supply of most of the baggage such as food, fodder, and salt.

The equipment is poor, the system is backward... Even if you use your butt to think, you can imagine what the level of the armies of the Oshu clans is.

Therefore, Qing Deng also did not hold out hope for reinforcements from the Oshu clans, and only planned to classify them as "auxiliary troops". Although they would be of no use, they could be used to strengthen the army and do miscellaneous work.

Aoto's request to "assist in the recapture of Goryokaku" was reasonable and backed by the previously signed alliance. Even if the Oshu clans felt embarrassed, they had no way of refusing.

For a moment, the huge Oshu was like an old machine that was slowly starting up. The various feudal lords sent reinforcements and baggage of varying sizes according to their sizes, and they flowed continuously to the northern battlefield like rivers flowing into the sea!
At the same time, the "Northern Expedition Corps" was ready to attack.

Because the force was small, mobilization and assembly were completed in just half a day.

On July 7, the "Northern Expedition Corps" with a total strength of over a thousand people was ready to go. The accompanying generals included Nagakura Shinpachi, Fujido Heisuke, Nakajima Noboru (deputy captain of the 12nd Division), Yoshimura Kanichiro (deputy captain of the th Division), and Nomura Toshisaburo (deputy captain of the th Division).

On July 7, the "Northern Expedition" officially marched towards Osaka! Prepare to take a boat to Goryokaku!
……

……

August 7, early morning——

The "Northern Expedition" has set out, and Qingdeng can finally take a breather.

When it is busy, it is very busy; when it is free, it is very free - Qingdeng is in a very free state now.

Thanks to this, he was finally able to free up his hands to consider matters related to "immortality".

In recent days, he has collected more and more detailed intelligence.

It is reported that the enemy's "immortality" is not truly immortal.

There are indeed some people in the enemy army who have extraordinary vitality and will not die even if they are fatally wounded.

However, after holding on for a while, these guys would simply fall to the ground and die as if they had run out of energy. Their death would be extremely horrific, with blood gushing from all seven orifices, which was extremely terrifying.

It’s not an unkillable monster... Qing Deng breathed a sigh of relief, but he still felt concerned about it.

If it really is the "immortal power" at work, then no matter how cautious we are, it is not too much.

To be on the safe side, he thought it necessary to gather intelligence.

If there is someone around Qing Deng who knows the "power of immortality" best...is there any need to think about it?
He decided to meet with Ogata and hear his opinion before officially setting off for the northern battlefield.

So he simply said hello to Sanako and the others, left a message saying "I'm going out for a while and will be back soon", and then rushed to Kyoto as fast as he could.

……

……

Kyoto, Ogata's Japanese confectionery shop——

When the familiar shop came into his sight from afar, Qing Deng was surprised to find a note saying "Closed" on the door.

——Is Mr. Ogata out?
His heart sank and he quickly placed his horse in place and rushed to the store door.

He tugged at the door—it was unlocked.

With a gentle push, bright light poured in, and countless light dust particles flew up and down like dancing.

As soon as he stepped in, he heard a familiar female voice:
"Sorry, we're closed!"

The sound came from the second floor.

"Ms. Machi, it's me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a series of light footsteps going down the stairs to the first floor. A moment later, Ah Ting walked out of the stairs and looked at Qing Deng up and down with a look of surprise.

"Eh? Ju-kun, why are you here?"

"Ms. Machi, I need to talk to Mr. Ogata about something. Is Mr. Ogata here?"

Upon hearing this, Ating's expression changed slightly.

However, she didn't say much. She just said softly, "Follow me," and led Qing Deng to the second floor.

Qingdeng took off the Vairocana from his waist and followed.

The two walked into the living room on the second floor one after the other. Ogata was seen sitting cross-legged in the middle of the living room, applying oil to his two swords.

In the previous battle, Qingdeng's Vairocana was intact, showing the dominance of the "black sword". On the contrary, Ogata's two swords were cut with many gaps.

Now, his two knives have become as smooth as mirrors, and the cuts have disappeared. They must have been carefully sharpened by a skilled knife sharpener.

However, every time the blade is sharpened, the life of the blade will be reduced, just like sharpening a pencil, every time the pencil is sharpened, the pencil body will become shorter.

The blades of Ogata's two swords have become thinner due to repeated sharpening.

After Ling Qingdeng came, Ating left on his own accord, leaving him and Ogata in the same room.

Ogata looked up at Qing Deng, then slowly put down the two knives in his hands, with a half-smile on his face.

"Tachibana-kun, what a coincidence! I was just about to look for you. If I'm not mistaken, you're here for Goryokaku, right?"

Qing Deng raised his eyebrows and said quickly:

"Mr. Ogata, have you received the message?"

"I have an agreement with Calabash House that whenever you receive any news related to the 'Immortal Power', you must send someone to inform me as soon as possible."

Since Ogata already knew the inside story, Qing Deng didn't waste any time and simply got straight to the point:
"Mr. Ogata, may I ask what you think? Is it really the 'power of immortality' that is causing the trouble?"

He fully expected to obtain new and useful information from Ogata.

Unexpectedly... Ogata sighed silently:

"do not know."

"To be honest, my understanding of the 'power of immortality' is far from the level of 'mastery'."

"After all, this thing is not something that humans can understand at all."

"I just have a special affinity with the 'power of immortality', so I have more experience than the average person."

"However, what can be determined is that the extraordinary vitality is indeed very similar to the characteristics of 'immortal power'."

"If you want to know the details, you have to go there in person and find out what's going on."

After hearing this, Qing Deng was stunned.

At this moment, he slowly discovered that in the corner of the living room, there was a bag of medium size, which looked like a suitcase.

Qing Deng realized something instantly, looked at Ogata in surprise, and asked quickly:

"Mr. Ogata, are you planning to go to Goryokaku?"

Ogata chuckled a few times:

"I have long been a hermit and have no intention of interfering in the world."

"However, this matter seems to be related to the 'power of immortality', so I can't just stand by and watch."

At this point, he paused, then suddenly changed the subject:

"Tachibana-kun, this campaign involves dealing with the Ainu people, so a translator who is fluent in the Ainu language is essential."

Qing Deng didn't react for a moment, he blinked and looked confused.

Ogata smiled helplessly:
"What? Didn't you understand what I meant?"

"Don't you remember? Three months ago, I told you in person that I had lived in Ezo for a period of time. Not only did I learn the Ainu language, but I also developed hunting skills."

As he spoke, he patted his chest, a confident smile appearing on his cheeks:

"Let me be your Ainu translator! I may not be an 'immortal expert', but I am a genuine 'Ainu expert'!"

……

……

February 7th

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, Radish’s Cowshed——

"Moo moo!"

Radish was digging the soil with his hooves and making excited noises.

As a good cow that understands human nature very well, it instinctively sensed that it was time to go on a long journey after a long absence!
Therefore, it is very excited.

Since the recapture of Oshu and the victorious return, it has been staying in the cowshed, where every day it either eats grass leisurely or sleeps idly.

Because Qingdeng and Sanako are both very busy and rarely come to play with it, it is almost getting bored.

At this moment, Qing Deng and Ogata stood on its left and right, the latter folding his arms and looking at it carefully with interest.

"What a strong bull... Ju Jun, is your big black bull called 'Rou'?"

"um, yes."

"'Rou'... it brings back memories. I once had a horse named 'Rou'."

He said as he slowly walked towards Radish.

Seeing this, Qing Deng quickly reminded:

"Mr. Ogata, be careful. Don't be fooled by its silly appearance. It actually has a very bad temper. It only stays close to me and Sanako."

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm good with animals."

After saying that, he stretched out his right hand and touched Luobo's head.

“Moo moo moo…!”

However, just as his palm was stretched into the air, he received a low growl and a fierce glare from Luobo, as if to say: "Little human, don't get close to me!"

Ogata smiled as if he was not surprised.
"Oh? You do have a bad temper. Don't be nervous. I'm not a bad person, and I won't slice you up and eat you."

Before he finished speaking, he reached out his hand again.

Luobo growled again and showed a posture as if he was ready to attack someone.

But at this moment, its eyes suddenly widened - Ogata's "friendly smile" was clearly reflected in its eyes - as if it had seen something terrible.

The next moment, it lay trembling on the ground with its head lowered, and "ready to butt people" turned into "wait for you to play with".

Ogata rubbed the carrot's big head and praised:
"Good boy, this is a considerate and good cow."

Qing Deng looked at Luobo who was sliding to his knees at the speed of light in silence.

"…Well, it's close to three people now."

Ogata smiled, stopped teasing Radish, and quietly stepped aside.

Qing Deng took the opportunity to step forward and patted Luobo on the back, and the latter understood and stood up again.

"Mr. Ogata, let's go to Osaka!"

Before he could finish his words, he easily climbed onto the cow, and both he and the cow trotted out of the cowshed.

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