I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1075: Once you pray to God, your hands will be folded together [6100]

After all, the credit of being the first to reach the summit is not so easy to obtain.

Being at the front means being most vulnerable to the enemy's concentrated fire!

When the shogunate approached the walls of Goryokaku, the "Ainu coalition" immediately launched a more fierce counterattack.

Arrows and bullets intertwined to form a fierce firepower network. The number of casualties of the Shogunate army rose again. One soldier after another was shot to the ground, wailing.

"Squad 8! Fight back!"

Following Fujido Heisuke's order, the soldiers of the Eighth Division immediately entered combat status, kneeling on one knee, raising their guns, and responding to the barrage of bullets with barrages!
In terms of equipment, there is no obvious gap between the two sides.

But in terms of training level, the Eighth Division is far superior to its opponent.

In addition, after being baptized by bloody battles such as the Summer Campaign in Kyoto and the Second Battle of Sekigahara, the Eighth Division has gained more practical experience.

Although we can't say that they are always successful, the overall hit rate of the Eighth Squad should not be underestimated!
On the city wall, one Ainu after another let out terrifying screams as they were shot.

"Ahhh! I've been shot!"

"It hurts! It hurts! Help me!"

"Hey! Don't cower! Get up and fight back!"

"But, but..."

"No buts! If you don't stand up and fight back, you'll still die once the others climb up!"

The barrage of fire from the Eighth Division severely suppressed the momentum of the "Ainu Coalition", significantly weakening its firepower network.

At this moment, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the rear of the shogunate army - the artillery of the 11th Division finally made a loud noise!
boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Nomura Risaburo (Vice-Captain of the 11th Division): "Fire! Let the Ainu learn what real artillery fire is!"

At this moment, many cannons had not yet been pulled to the firing positions.

But the main force had already launched the attack, and Nomura Risaburo had no time to care about so many things. He could only let the cannons that had been transported to the position and prepared open fire first.

One shell after another rolled over the heads of the shogunate soldiers, causing cheers but also waves of abuse - it went without saying who were cheering and who were cursing.

Just like the 8th Division, the 11th Division is also an elite division that is well-trained and has rich combat experience.

After two rounds of baseline firing, the soldiers of the 11th Division had figured out the specific parameters, fine-tuned the muzzles, and began to pour round after round of artillery rain on Goryokaku.

Artillery technology in the 19th century was able to easily destroy high walls, so bastions generally adopted a low earth rampart + slope design. Goryokaku borrowed this concept.

The five-sided wide city wall is relatively low, about 5-6 meters high, but its bottom width is 20-30 meters and its slope is gentle.

This design is intended to resist artillery attacks - the low city walls can reduce the probability of being directly hit by artillery shells, while the wide earth ramparts can absorb the impact.

Therefore, although many shells hit the walls of Goryokaku, they did not cause significant damage to it. They only shook off some sand and gravel, and not even the slightest crack appeared.

Such a terrifying defense is truly amazing. The huge amount of money that the shogunate spent on building Goryokaku was not in vain, it is indeed an excellent fortress.

But... although the artillery shells cannot penetrate the walls of the bastion, they are more than enough to break down the psychological defenses of mortals.

The artillery array of the 11th Division, plus the naval guns of the three ships, Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru... the intensity of the shogunate's artillery fire has reached a terrifying level!

More and more Ainu people were frightened by the continuous sounds of artillery fire and explosions. They looked panicked and dazed, like silly lambs.

Thanks to the fire support from the 8th Squadron, the 11th Squadron and the three ships, the pressure on the siege troops was greatly reduced.

After going through untold hardships, they finally withstood the counterattack of the "Ainu Coalition" and successfully built a series of long ladders.

Next, all they had to do was climb up the ladder, break into the city, and completely wipe out all resistance within Goryokaku, and the battle would be over.

It sounds simple, but... the real test is coming!

"Follow me!"

Shinpachi Nagakura still leads by example.

He held the knife in his mouth and climbed the ladder using his hands and feet as nimble as a monkey. In a blink of an eye he reached the middle of the city wall.

It seems that the honor of "first to climb" will go to him.

However, at this moment, a round black shadow suddenly appeared above Nagakura Shinpachi's head—a fist-sized stone fell straight down and hit his head!
Nagakura Shinpachi's pupils instantly shrank into pinholes.

Being hit on the forehead by a stone... Even though he is known for his thick skin and strong muscles, there is a risk of serious injury or even death!
At this moment, he was clinging to the ladder, hanging in the air, with nowhere to hide... At the critical moment, his body moved instinctively - he flashed to the side and dodged it narrowly, and the stone brushed past his earlobe.

However, because he dodged in a hurry, his body was unbalanced.

After staggering and struggling for a few times, he fell down like a falcon with broken wings and landed heavily on the ground.

"team leader!"

"Captain! Are you okay?!"

Nagakura Shinpachi lay on his back on the ground, suppressing his painful expression and waving his hands:
"I'm fine... don't worry..."

When he was about to land, he subconsciously made a move to dodge, thanks to which the damage caused by the fall was reduced to a minimum. In addition, the height of the fall was not high, only about 3 meters, so he was not injured. He just felt a severe pain in his back, which needed time to heal.

Nagakura Shinpachi was an extremely skilled swordsman, so he was able to survive.

If it were someone else... they wouldn't have had such a good experience.

"Throw rocks! Smash them to death!"

"Throw whatever you want! All the rocks you want!"

"Come help! Push these ladders down!"

The stones were like raindrops... It was really like rain! They were pouring down!

There is no need for any skills, just aim and throw the stone in your hand, that's it.

After throwing the stone, the hard surface of the stone and gravity will help you kill the enemy!
The manpower, material resources and time that the "Ainu Alliance" spent to collect stones were rewarded at this moment.

At this moment, the dense rain of stones dealt a heavy blow to the Shogunate!

As the stone rain fell, wails and cries of pain were heard outside the wall.

"Ah! My head!"

"Damn it! If I had known this, I should have brought my ancestral helmet!"

"Who has a shield? Bring it over here!"

"Be careful! That's manure water! Get out of the way!"

Stones, wooden beams, gold juice... All these defense equipment that the "Ainu Coalition" had prepared with great effort to defend Goryokaku were poured out of the wall and onto the heads of the Shogunate soldiers!
In this situation, it is impossible to climb the city wall.

Whenever someone climbed too high on the ladder and became too prominent, they would immediately come under concentrated fire, with countless stones flying from all directions, making it impossible to defend themselves.

Being hit by a rock is still considered good.

The worst ones are those whose heads are covered with gold juice!

The sudden foul smell gave people who were climbing the ladder a strong sense of foreboding.

Before they could think about it, they saw boiling brown water pouring down from the city wall, pouring all over them like a waterfall!
In an instant, the high temperature of the boiling water caused their skin to be torn apart, feces flowed into their bodies through the wounds, the disgusting stench filled their nostrils, and their will was destroyed in an instant!

No one can withstand the "biochemical attack" of the gold juice... Anyone who was drenched by the gold juice fell off the ladder screaming, rolled on the ground in pain, suffering from both physical and psychological torture.

Everyone who saw this was terrified.

In a sense, gold juice is more deterrent than cannonballs!

For a moment, no one dared to approach the ladder again, even the Shinsengumi's battle-hardened soldiers were frightened... God knows if there are jars of gold juice waiting for them on top of the city wall!

They would rather be hit on the head with stones and bleed than be scalded to death by boiling manure.

This is not the most difficult or disgusting thing.

The most difficult, disgusting and fatal part is the structure of this fortress.

This is the most advanced five-pointed star-shaped bastion at present. The five convex corners can be used for cross-fire defense to eliminate blind spots in shooting.

No matter where the attackers attack, the defenders can launch a pincer attack from at least two directions to inflict maximum damage!
The location that the shogunate was currently attacking was the area between the two salient points on the south side of Goryokaku.

The city wall there is very wide, and a large number of long ladders can be set up at one time to transport a large number of troops.

But on the other hand, this place is quite dangerous - on the left and right are the two protruding corners of Goryokaku!
The "Ainu Coalition" only needs to deploy troops at these two salient points to easily attack the left and right wings of the Shogunate!

In fact, the "Ainu Coalition" did just that.

They deployed weaker troops on the front walls of the shogunate, most of whom were "volunteers" who had recently defected to the "Ainu Coalition."

Their tasks were quite simple, which was to throw stones, throw wooden sticks, and pour golden juice. There was no technical content. They only had to stop the shogunate troops and prevent them from climbing the wall.

The skilled archers were deployed on the two salient points on the left and right sides of the shogunate army, attacking the two wings of the shogunate army with arrows and bullets!

Attacked from three sides...It is not difficult to imagine how much pressure and casualties the Shogunate suffered.

"No! I can't climb up at all!"

"There are enemies in front, on the left, and on the right! How can we fight them?"

"What is the Eighth Division doing? Quickly knock down those bastards on the city wall!"

There were complaints and fears... until now, not even one person has succeeded in climbing the wall.

The wall of Goryokaku was only 5 or 6 meters high. Under normal circumstances, it would be easy to climb over it. But for the shogunate at the moment, this not-so-high wall in front of them was like a natural moat! Even if they tried their best, they couldn't cross it!

The stagnant offensive and the continuous death of comrades around them caused the fighting spirit of the Shogunate army to begin to decline.

The Shinsengumi continued to survive thanks to its strict discipline.

The Austrian and Yu forces were struggling to survive thanks to Qing Deng's promise that "the first one to reach the summit will be rewarded with three thousand taels of gold."

At present, order can still be maintained, but if no efforts are made to save it, it is only a matter of time before morale collapses and the entire army is routed!

……

……

Hakodate Bay——

Qingdeng did not participate in the attack.

After Nagakura Shinpachi and Fujido Heisuke led their troops to attack, he stayed alone, observing the battle situation with an expressionless face, and seemed to have no intention of joining the battle.

At this moment, suddenly, a familiar female voice came from behind him:

"Master, aren't you going to join the attack?" Qing Deng raised his eyebrows and turned to look at the visitor in surprise:
"Elody, why are you here?"

Elodie was seen holding Yamato-mori Yasudasa on her waist, wading through the shallow bay water, one step deep and one step shallow, and walking towards Qingdeng with big strides.

The sleeves of her haori were tied up with a belt, and her long light golden hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, making her look like she was "ready to go into battle and kill the enemy at any time."

"Master, I wanted to ask you something. Why are you here?"

After Qing Deng finished explaining his reasons, Elodie smiled:

"Then my reason is the same as yours. The enemy ships have fled, and there is nothing I can do in Fuji Bay except standing there. I might as well go back to land. I might be of use during the attack on Goryokaku."

After saying that, she turned sideways and pointed behind her - there was a small boat anchored on the sea behind her.

I guess she rowed a small boat from Fujisan Maru to Hakodate Bay.

Under Qing Deng's arrangement, each of the three main warships of the Shogunate had a heavyweight figure in charge.

Aoto himself is in charge of Kanrin Maru, Katsurintaro is in charge of Kanko Maru, and Elodie is in charge of Fujisan Maru.

In terms of rank alone, the three of them are the three highest-ranking commanders in this battle! Qing Deng is the first rank, Katsurintaro and Elodie are the second and third rank respectively.

Although Elodie does not understand military affairs, she is Aoto's apprentice and the head of the Shinsengumi, and is on par with Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke and Kondo Isami.

At critical moments, her lofty status can suppress the villains and rally the people's hearts.

At this point, no one dares to say that Elodie is a "vase who only knows how to settle accounts."

The reason why Qing Deng, Katsurintaro and Elodie have to take different ships is still due to the idea that "don't put all your eggs in one basket".

If any ship encounters an accident, there will not be a tragic situation of "every ship being wiped out".

If anything happens to the three of them, Nagakura Shinpachi and Fujido Heisuke on land will take over command.

On the eve of every war, Qing Deng would clearly arrange the order of transfer of command to prevent the occurrence of a "power vacuum".

Elodie, holding up the corners of her hakama on both sides, finally waded across the shallow bay and moved to Qingdeng's side.

"Master, the battle is not going well..."

As she spoke, she frowned slightly and cast a worried look towards Goryokaku not far away.

Although she couldn't see clearly, with her excellent eyesight, she could vaguely see that the Shogunate was blocked outside the city wall.

In order to see more clearly, she took out the telescope she carried with her and opened the tube.

It would have been better if you didn't look at it, but once you looked at it, her expression became even uglier.

Dense rain of stones, large pieces of wooden planks being smashed with one hit, gold juice splashing from time to time, the enemy's three-sided attack, insurmountable high walls... the current situation of the Shogunate army is visibly bad!
In order to support the troops climbing the city wall, the soldiers of the Eighth Squad did not slack off at all and sniped the enemy soldiers on the city wall with all their strength, but their efforts were ultimately a drop in the bucket.

The enemy soldiers on the city wall had recovered from their initial panic.

They had already realized that the barrage of bullets from the shogunate was not dense or accurate enough to kill anyone who showed their head.

As long as you hide your body cleverly and don't foolishly stick most of your body out of the city wall, you won't be easily shot!
After realizing this, the enemy's bullet-dodging skills became much more sophisticated - this group of "natives" who had just left the mountains and forests were gradually adapting to the battle of defending the city.

As a result, the effect of the barrage suppression of the Eighth Division was greatly reduced.

Not to mention that the guns in their hands could not support them in achieving "absolute hit" precision shooting, the enemy soldiers were protected by parapets. It was not easy to hit the body that was slightly exposed through the thick parapets...
Elodie put down the telescope, bit her lips lightly, and looked thoughtful.

After a while, she turned her head and looked at Qing Deng seriously:

"master……"

She said nothing, just called Qingdeng softly.

But her eyes already revealed her thoughts - Master, if you join the battle, we will be able to turn the tide in one fell swoop!

Qing Deng's status in Elodi's mind is no different from that of a god.

No matter how powerful the enemy is, he can defeat him; no matter how difficult and desperate the situation is, he can fight back!

This was the trust that Qingdeng's countless brilliant deeds had given her.

This is... the trust that comes from some kind of indescribable sincere emotion.

As long as "Niou" draws his sword, everything will be fine - she is sincerely convinced.

However... facing Elodie's sincere gaze, Qing Deng did not draw his sword as she wished.

"... Elodie, don't worry, wait a little longer."

Elodie was shocked.

"Wait? Master, what are you waiting for? The situation on the front line is already... not optimistic."

She didn't want to use any harsh words, so she chose the milder "not optimistic" after careful consideration of her words.

In fact, the battle situation under the city wall was not only "not optimistic" but also "as precarious as eggs on a pile of rocks"!

Because she was anxious, Elodie unconsciously stood on tiptoe to get closer to Qingdeng, as if by doing so she could get her advice into Qingdeng's mind.

"The Shinsengumi nowadays is a little too dependent on me."

Qing Deng raised the corners of his mouth and revealed a helpless smile.

The unexpected answer made Elodie stunned.

Qing Deng continued the conversation slowly:

"I discovered this when we faced the Raid Force at Sekigahara."

"It was just a few setbacks, and the soldiers of each division were thrown into disarray. In the end, it was up to me to turn the tide."

"Everyone says that I am a huge pillar that supports both the Edo Shogunate and the Shinsengumi... This is actually not a good evaluation."

"Another meaning of this comment is, 'Once I, the pillar of support, collapse, then the Edo Shogunate and the Shinsengumi will collapse!'"

"The Shinsengumi can't fight without me... This is not the Shinsengumi I want."

“For this, I have done some deep reflection.”

"I always charge ahead and bear the heaviest burdens alone, so much so that the soldiers become dependent on me."

"After encountering difficulties, I was unwilling to fight, and prayed with all my heart, 'Please come quickly, my king.'"

Having said that, Qing Deng turned his head and glanced at Elodie with a smile in his eyes.

Elodie's little face flushed red, and her cheeks were full of embarrassment.

Her behavior just now perfectly fits Qing Deng's mentality of "seek help from Ren Wang when you have any problems"!
"Once you pray to God, you put your hands together... How do you hold a sword with your hands together?"

"Besides, I am not God. There are many things I cannot do."

"If this continues, the team members will become more lax and it will not be conducive to the cultivation of talents."

"So, wait a little longer."

Qing Deng put his hands behind his back and made the announcement in a nonchalant tone.

"Let the soldiers fight for a while longer. Let them conquer this fortified city with their own strength."

"Of course, I'm not going to sit out completely."

"If they really are incapable of doing so, I will help them - but I will be very disappointed if I do so."

After hearing this, Elodie pursed her red lips, silently withdrew her gaze from looking to Qingdeng for help, and said no more.

The "reasons for avoiding war" Qing Deng gave were very detailed and well-founded... She was speechless after being refuted.

"...Then, Master, please let me go into battle!"

Elodie raised her eyes again, looked directly at Qing Deng with a firm gaze, and spoke seriously, word by word.

"You're right, we are indeed too dependent on you."

"Even I subconsciously pray for your help."

"Although my participation in the battle may not necessarily improve the situation, the presence of the 'Shinsengumi Chief' at the front line can at least boost morale!"

"I am also a member of the Shinsengumi! I also have the obligation to charge into battle!"

After saying that, she raised her left hand and pressed the scabbard of the sword at her waist. She raised her thumb and pushed forward against the guard of the sword. With a click, the snow-white blade popped out more than an inch.

"I want to cleanse myself of this gaffe with practical actions!"

Qing Deng burst out laughing when he heard this:
"Elody, the tone of your speech now is becoming more and more like that of Sanako, who is serious and old-fashioned."

"Eh? Ah, ah this... maybe it's because I've been hanging out with Miss Sanako a lot lately."

Qing Deng raised his big hand and patted Elodie on the forehead.

"Don't blame yourself. I don't mean to blame you."

"It is my responsibility as a leader that I did not notice the shortcomings of my people in time."

"Even if you are sent into battle, it will be difficult to bring about a fundamental change in the war situation."

"Besides... it seems there is no need for you to go into battle right now."

As Qing Deng spoke, he narrowed his eyes and looked at something seriously. In order to see more clearly, he even took out a telescope.

Seeing this, Elodie quickly set up the telescope in her hand and looked in the same direction as Qingdeng.

But suddenly, under the fortified city, a nimble figure wearing a light green feather robe rushed out, jumped onto the long ladder, and then went up the ladder at a flying speed.

He was neither Nagakura Shinpachi nor Fujido Heisuke, but a... stranger whom Elodie did not know at all.

Who is he?
Just as Elodie was thinking this, she suddenly heard Qingdeng beside her making a surprised sound - as if he was meeting an old friend in a foreign country.

Elodie asked quickly:
"Master, do you know this person?"

Qing Deng slowly put down the telescope in his hand and said softly with a strange expression:

"I guess we know each other... but it was just a one-time encounter."

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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! (tearful leopard head.jpg)

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PS: In fact, Goryokaku has a 30-meter-wide moat. For various reasons, Leopard directly made the moat disappear, so the Goryokaku that Qing Deng fought in can be regarded as the "youth MINI version".