I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1053 The Girl Named Isshikika [4200]

Today is the day Qing Deng officially sets off for Osaka.

When he appeared on the streets of Otsu riding a carrot, he immediately caused quite a stir.

Looking up, both sides of the street were crowded with people - they were all here to see Qing Deng off.

The warm scene of farewell lining the streets continued all the way to the outskirts of Otsu.

Although most of the people were just spectators, there were also some who came to cheer for Qing Deng sincerely.

"Lord Niou! You must return victorious!"

"Come back soon!"

"Long live Lord Niou!"

Since Qingdeng took office as the ruler of Dajin, he has been kind to the people, cared about things, eliminated bad policies, and vigorously developed the economy.

Today, Otsu is no longer the depressed city it once was, but has become a vibrant town.

No matter where they are or what place they are in, the people's ideas are very simple - they will support whoever can make their lives better.

Therefore, due to their enthusiastic support for Qing Deng, the people of Otsu formed a rather simple perception: anyone who goes against Niou must be a bad guy!
Even though they may not even know where Qing Deng is going or who he is going to fight, it does not prevent them from having 100% trust in Qing Deng.

At this time, those who were paying attention discovered that there was a stranger they had never seen before behind Qingdeng on the right.

This man was tall and slender, with two long and short swords on his waist. He should be a samurai. He wore a thick turban on his face and even his hair was wrapped in a turban, revealing only a pair of bright eyes.

"Who is that person next to Niou? Is he Nagakura Shinpachi?"

"Nagakura Shinpachi is very strong, not so thin."

"It's so hot, and you wrap yourself up so tightly, aren't you hot?"

It is midsummer now, and the bright sun in July is like a whip, lashing people's skin so hard that it hurts.

These days - especially today - it has been hot and humid, like a big steamer, with the perceived temperature approaching 40 degrees.

The outfit of the "turban man" makes me feel hot just by looking at it.

With the blessing of the talent "Wind Perceptor +4", Qing Deng could hear the discussions of the people around him.

Qing Deng turned his head and looked helplessly at the "man with the scarf" and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"Mr. Ogata, your outfit is really eye-catching."

The "mask man"... Ogata smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"You think I do?"

"I want to live in Kyoto for a few more years."

"If people who know me find out that I, a middle-aged man selling Japanese confectionery, can marry Lord Niou, how can I live in Kyoto?"

He spoke weakly, revealing a hint of fatigue... It seems that even the unparalleled "Eternal Sword Saint" is afraid of heat.

Regarding this "gluten man" of unknown origin, Qing Deng said that he used his connections to find an Ainu translator named "Majima Kazuma".

Everyone had no doubts about it and marveled at Qingdeng's extensive network of contacts.

In this era, Japanese people who can speak Ainu are rare.

Under normal circumstances, translators who could speak Ainu could only be found in Matsumae Domain, which was adjacent to the Ainu settlement.

Ogata had many acquaintances in Kyoto, and Otsu was too close to Kyoto, so there was no guarantee that someone would recognize him.

To avoid trouble, he disguised himself - that is, the current appearance of a tightly wrapped face - and the reason he gave was that he had suffered from smallpox as a child and was unfortunately disfigured, so he covered his face with a white cloth.

When they heard that he had suffered from smallpox, everyone stopped asking questions and looked at him with sympathy.

In this way, Ogata cleverly blended into Qingdeng's entourage and became one of Qingdeng's personal attendants.

Presumably, everyone present at the scene would never have imagined that, at this moment, right before their eyes, the two legendary swordsmen were traveling together towards the same destination!
Generals such as Nagakura Shinpachi and Fujido Heisuke have already set off.

The only high-ranking figure who had not yet left, besides Qing Deng himself, was Elodie.

I saw Elodie wearing the famous sword Yamato no Moriyasu, riding a tall horse, walking behind Qingdeng on the left. Her long light golden hair was shining in the sun, very dazzling.

With a face as beautiful as a flower and as bright as the moon, and her long golden hair that was particularly eye-catching...it was no exaggeration to say that more people were looking at Elodie than at Qingdeng.

"That woman is Elodie, the head of the Shinsengumi's finance department."

"She is just a little girl who manages accounts. She wants to go to the battlefield?"

"Hush! Be careful with your words. She is the direct disciple of King Ren. She is very skilled and has made many achievements in battle!"

Since the "Battle of Hachioji", Elodie has successfully won the widespread favor of the people by relying on her solid and fierce military exploits.

The number of people who looked down upon her because of her Western identity has decreased significantly.

Suddenly, Qing Deng turned his head and asked Elodie seriously:
"Elody, let me confirm one last time, do you really want to go to Goryokaku with me?"

Elodie smiled slightly:
"Master, I have made up my mind and will never regret it."

The expression was soft and the tone was firm.

A large number of guns and artillery sufficient to arm thousands of Ainu people, three advanced warships...it is very likely that this was the work of the Fazhu Party.

If the mastermind behind this is indeed the Fazan Party, then Maher, the arms dealer who has close ties with the Fazan Party, must be involved!
Based on the above information, Mael is very likely on the northern battlefield!

A few months ago, when Qing Deng was taking a hot spring bath with Elodie, she told him in person about her complicated feelings towards her father.

She was puzzled by her father's obsession with building a country.

She felt annoyed by her father's desire to control her and force her to become the "excellent crown prince".

But...but...

Even though there were many unpleasant things between them, she never hated her father; even though she was increasingly unable to understand her father, the two of them had many happy memories.

Therefore, after careful consideration and out of respect for Elodie, Qing Deng told her the information that "Mael was suspected to be in Goryokaku" a few days ago.

At that moment, she was stunned for a moment, her eyes widened, first she was surprised, then confused, and her expression became complicated and indescribable.

After being silent for a long time, she seemed to have made up her mind and said seriously, word by word:
"Master, please let me go with you! I want to go to Goryokaku too!"

Qing Deng looked at her deeply and asked:
"...Elody, if you really meet your father after arriving in the north, what will you say to him?"

"I... I haven't thought that far. I just want to see him... If conditions permit, I want to talk to him again. I want to know why he cooperated with the Fazhu Party, and why he was so obsessed with 'founding a country'..."

After hearing this, Qing Deng didn't say anything more.

After looking at her deeply again, he nodded silently and agreed to her request.

At this moment, looking at Elodie, whose face was full of determination and not at all confused, Qing Deng smiled slightly, quietly withdrew his gaze, and turned to look at the distant northern sky.

His deep and far-reaching gaze seemed to have penetrated through layers of space and reached Goryokaku filled with smoke!

……

……

Osaka, Osaka Castle——

Qing Deng and others set out early in the morning and barely arrived in Osaka in the evening.

After arriving in Osaka, Qing Deng did not stop, but entered Osaka Castle without stopping, and met Katsurintaro who had arrived in Osaka earlier. The two met in a corridor.

"Rintaro, long time no see."

Looking at Katsurintaro, whom he hadn't seen for three months, Qingdeng smiled and unconsciously quickened his pace.

"Qing Deng, long time no see!"

Katsurintaro also quickened his pace.

They did not shake hands like Westerners, nor did they make any intimate gestures. They just gave each other smiling eyes - for them, just a smiling look was enough.

Over the years, they have supported each other and overcome numerous difficulties together.

The two humble men of low status back then have now become the two pillars of the "Southern Shogunate"... It is both a beautiful story and a legend.

After receiving Aoto's order to "immediately dispatch the Shogunate Navy", Katsurintaro acted quickly and mobilized all the ships that could be mobilized.

Yesterday afternoon, the three main battleships of the Shogunate Navy - Kanko Maru, Kanrin Maru, and Fujisan Maru - arrived safely at Osaka Port, and Katsurintaro came on board.

Katsurintaro was a naval expert who founded the Shogunate Navy and knew this emerging fleet inside and out.

Naval warfare is different from land warfare. Qing Deng knows nothing about naval warfare. He has hardly even been on a ship.

It would definitely not work to let a layman like him command the fleet.

If you want to defeat the enemy fleet, you can't do without Katsurintaro's help!

Therefore, Qing Deng specially invited Katsurintaro to come and participate in this battle and serve as the deputy general of this battle.

"You all stand down first."

Katsurintaro dismissed the others.

When they were the only two left in the corridor, he said to Qing Deng in a serious tone:
"Tachibana-kun, I just received the latest intelligence: the Fukuyama Castle of the Matsumae Domain Office has fallen."

Qing Deng's eyes narrowed and his face darkened.

He was not surprised by the fall of Fukuyama Castle.

Even the bastion-structured Goryokaku was lost, so it was not surprising that Fukuyama Castle, whose defense level was still at the level of the Warring States Period, was breached.

Qing Deng gave Katsurintaro a look that said "Go on, tell me in detail."

"After Ezo conquered Goryokaku, they immediately turned back to attack Matsumae."

"Fushan City received the news in advance, so they made certain preparations."

"However, the Matsumae domain was not a wealthy domain, and its military equipment was mediocre. It could only use old matchlock guns and bronze cannons to fight against the advanced equipment of the Ezo."

"After holding out for two days and two nights, the defenders of Fukuyama Castle could no longer hold out."

"On the third day, the Ezo used cannons to blast open the gate of Fukuyama Castle's San-no-maru, and the defenders' defense line completely collapsed."

"After the Ezo entered the city, they looted Fukuyama Castle and gathered all the supplies they found at Goryokaku."

"Then, they abandoned Fukuyama Castle and attacked everywhere, looting other areas of the Matsumae domain."

"In addition to common baggage such as food, fodder, and weapons, they also collected all the ships within the territory of Matsumae, from large ships carrying grain to ordinary small boats.

When Qing Deng heard this, he realized something instantly and said softly:
"It seems that they intend to use Goryokaku as an outpost to launch a further invasion to the south..."

If the plan was only to defend Goryokaku and prevent the Japanese from landing on Ezo again, there would be no need for so many ships at all.

Since so many ships were prepared, there was only one possibility - just conquering Goryokaku and Matsumae was not enough to satisfy them! They also wanted to cross the Tsugaru Strait and attack Honshu Oshima!

After finishing the report, Katsurintaro paused, then frowned slightly and murmured in confusion:
"Qing Deng, to be honest, I don't understand. Are these Ezo people crazy?"

"It's already a miracle that they were able to hold Goryokaku, but they actually want to launch a further invasion to the south?"

"Do they really think they can defeat us with their strength?"

Neither Aoto, Katsurintaro, Hijikata Toshizo nor anyone else took the Ainu people seriously.

From the beginning to the end, Qing Deng and others only regarded the three warships as the only threat, and did not think that retaking Goryokaku was a difficult problem.

When the "Northern Expedition Army" arrives at the front line, the Ainu people will personally experience the bravery and fighting skills of the battle-hardened lion!

Putting aside the question of whether they could defend Goryokaku or not, just "invading Honshu Oshima from the south" was an impossible task.

Due to their low level of civilization and poor living environment, the Ainu population is quite small, numbering no more than 20,000 to 30,000 people at most.

With such a small population, even if they set foot on the main island of Honshu and captured several cities and towns, they would not be able to defend them.

Although the Oshu clans are useless and cannot be expected to make progress, if they are asked to stick to their own little piece of land, they will definitely be very motivated.

If the Ainu people really went south to attack Honshu Oshima, they would suffer an extremely fierce counterattack as soon as they set foot on the territories of the Oshu clans!

Facing Katrintaro's sigh, Qing Deng shrugged:

"Who knows? Maybe Goryokaku fell so quickly that it gave them great confidence. In any case, we just need to do our own thing well."

Qing Deng paused for a moment, then asked:
"Rintaro, is there any news about those three warships?"

Katsurintaro shook his head in a straightforward response.

Qing Deng pondered for a moment and asked again:

"…Rintaro, you are the president of the navy of the shogunate. Now I am asking for your opinion as the admiral. I hope you can answer me seriously and honestly: if the enemy's warships are far more advanced than ours, do we have any hope of winning?"

Katsurintaro pursed his lips, as if he was formulating a response... No, to be precise, he was more like formulating a suitable, gentle wording so as not to hurt Aoto.

After a while, he smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"If the enemy's warships are far more advanced than ours, we may have to surrender."

……

……

The next morning,

Osaka, somewhere——

Ogata was walking alone on a secluded path.

Because it was early and the location was remote, there were no pedestrians here, so his footsteps seemed particularly loud.

As soon as the sky turned light today, he sneaked out of Osaka Castle and headed towards the eastern suburbs of Osaka in a mysterious manner.

About half an hour later, he arrived at the destination of this trip - a deserted cemetery.

He walked around the tombstones with ease and finally stopped right in front of one of them.

The tombstone was covered with mottled marks, and it was obvious that it was quite old.

On the inscription on the tombstone, one can vaguely see a name - Isiseka.

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