I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1107 The Shinsengumi's military parade begins! [5100]

Despite the efforts of the team members who received the order, who filled the file to the brim, unfortunately, there was almost no high-value information in the entire file.

Age, birthplace, sword style practiced... these are mostly meaningless details.

This is understandable, since before the information about the "Western Alliance" was released, Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro were both little-known figures.

Admittedly, Sakamoto Ryoma was once a renowned genius swordsman in Edo, but that was many years ago.

In recent years, Japan has lacked everything: money, food, weapons, and peace, but it has never lacked geniuses.

Okita Souji, Kondo Isami, Hijikata Toshizo... the swordsmen of Shieikan have long been representative figures of the "Edo swordsmen".

Moreover, there's Qing Deng, an extraordinary monster.

Qingdeng's sudden emergence was like the moon rising in the sky, its brilliance dimming the stars!
Since Qingdeng, no matter how outstanding an individual may be, they have all lived in his shadow.

After rounds of "iterations," Sakamoto Ryoma's title of "genius swordsman" has long been outdated, and his fame has long since dissipated. Nowadays, when people mention "genius swordsman," they only think of "Nioh" and "Heavenly Sword."

Even now, if it weren't for his great contribution in "facilitating the 'Western Alliance'", there would probably be very few people who still remember the name "Sakamoto Ryoma".

As for Shintaro Nakaoka, needless to say, while Ryoma Sakamoto was at least famous in Edo for a while, he was a complete "nobody," remaining unknown to the world.

Therefore, it is naturally extremely difficult to collect detailed information about these two people.

Taking Sakamoto Ryoma as an example, the information that the members of the Ninth Division could gather only went up to the point where he left the Tosa Loyalist Party.

During the period after he left the Tosa Loyalist Party and the Tosa Domain, it is impossible to find out where he went or what he did.

By the time he had new information, it was already the right time: "Two ronin from Tosa, named 'Sakamoto Ryoma' and 'Nakaoka Shintaro' respectively, have made the 'Western Country Alliance' a reality."

Qingdeng, having read through the file carefully but finding nothing of value, casually tossed it aside.

Suddenly, Hijikata Toshizo, who was not far away, shrugged and said half-jokingly to Yamanami Keisuke beside him:
"Brother Shannan, your junior brother is truly remarkable. He has managed to stir up the world despite being a wanderer."

Keisuke Yamanami and Ryoma Sakamoto were fellow students. Although they lost contact after the latter returned to his domain, they had a pretty good relationship and exchanged many messages during their time studying at the Chiba Kenkan.

There was someone who had had close contact with Sakamoto Ryoma, so naturally, they couldn't help but ask him questions.

Upon receiving news of the "Western Alliance," Qing Deng and the others immediately approached Yamanami Keisuke to inquire in detail about Sakamoto Ryoma's background.

Another person who had contact with Sakamoto Ryoma was Sanako, who was also a member of the Chiba Kenkan.

"Sanako, what kind of person is Sakamoto Ryoma?"—Aoto casually asked Sanako for her opinion as well.

Interestingly, both Sanako and Keisuke Yamanami shared a remarkably consistent assessment of Sakamoto Ryoma: he was an unpredictable and eccentric individual, whose thoughts were unknown, seemingly possessing lofty ambitions yet appearing utterly aimless.

Faced with Hijikata Toshizo's teasing, Yamanami Keisuke gave a wry smile and replied in the same half-joking tone:

"What a pity. If I had known that Sakamoto-kun was such a skilled debater, I should have recruited him sooner, so as to fill the gap in the Shinsengumi's lack of debaters."

Qingdeng smiled and interrupted:
"To be able to accomplish such a great feat, both Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro are indeed quite courageous."

"However, in the end, they all just played a 'driving' role."

"The fundamental reason why the 'Western Alliance' was able to be established was that Satsuma, Choshu, Tsuchiya, and Hiroshi had long desired to join forces."

It's obvious that even if Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro were reincarnations of Su Qin and Zhang Yi, they couldn't possibly persuade the powerful western vassals of the West to set aside their prejudices with just a few words.

It is clear that Saigo Kinosuke, Katsura Kogoro, and others had long harbored the idea of ​​"joining hands to overthrow the shogunate"!

They were just missing an opportunity—and the appearance of Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro provided just that opportunity.

At that moment, Kondo Isami suddenly interjected:

"Mr. Tachibana, to be honest, when I passed through the Otsu market yesterday, I found that many people were very worried about the establishment of the 'Western Country Alliance'."

"Some say the 'Western Alliance' is about to attack."

"Some say that the 'Western Alliance' is too powerful to resist."

"In short, everyone is panicked, and we must take action as soon as possible to appease the public and the military."

These words caused the atmosphere to become slightly more somber.

The powerful alliance of Sa, Chang, Tu, and Fei has undoubtedly dealt a significant blow to Dongguo.

The high morale of the people and the military, which had been boosted by the "successful expansion of the new electoral group and the great increase in military strength," vanished in an instant.

From any perspective, the rulers and ministers of the Northern Dynasties could not remain indifferent to this.

Otherwise, it would only give people the impression that the "Northern Dynasty" was incompetent and powerless to resist the "Western Alliance".

How to eliminate the negative impact caused by the establishment of the "Western Alliance"? This is precisely why Qing Deng and others held a meeting at this time and place.

After a moment's thought, Yamanami Keisuke slowly said:
"Let's issue an announcement first."

"Declaration: All claims made by the 'Western Kingdoms' are illegitimate and unreasonable."

"'Southern Dynasty' and 'Northern Shogunate' were not legitimate, but rather pseudo-dynasties and pseudo-governments established by a small group of treacherous officials and traitors."

Although doing "oral gymnastics" cannot change the status quo, it is still essential to speak out. You can lose anything but the right to speak.

Kondo Isami pursed his lips, then his eyes flashed with a fierce light as he said seriously:

"The Western Alliance is too far away; we can't do anything to them in the short term."

"In comparison, the 'pseudo-government' (Northern Shogunate) is much closer."

"Why not simply send troops north! Destroy the 'false government'! Uphold our dignity with absolute force!"

As soon as Kondo Isami finished speaking, Hijikata Toshizo shook his head:
"No, the Shinsengumi has only just completed its expansion and still needs some time to gel."

"Besides, although the 'false government' is weak, it is not so easy to deal with."

“If we launch a northern expedition without making full preparations, the ‘Western Alliance’ will take advantage of our weakness.”

If they could eliminate the "Northern Shogunate," Qing Deng and the others would have done so long ago.

However, in recent months, Qing Deng and others have been focused on conscription and have had no time to spare to send troops to attack the "Northern Shogunate," which is why it has been able to survive until now.

Suddenly, Qing Deng, who had been silent until now, spoke up:

"...In that case, let's hold a military parade."

Military parade—hearing this unfamiliar term, everyone present was stunned.

Yamanami Keisuke asked first:

"A military parade? Like the one in 1581?"

Qingdeng nodded:
"That's right. The most direct way to stabilize public and military morale is to show our strength!"

Distributing 10,000 tabloids and issuing 10,000 statements is not as effective as the Shinsengumi actually going to war once!
If we could use real battle achievements to demonstrate the military might of the "Northern Dynasty," that would be ideal.

However, Hijikata Toshizo was right just now; now is not the best time to start a war.

Since that's the case, let's settle for second best and use a military parade instead. Let's use the gleaming blades and the dark muzzles of guns to demonstrate the Shinsengumi's fighting prowess to the people of the capital region, and at the same time send a warning to the Southern Dynasty: If you have the guts, come at me!

These are Qing Deng's thoughts.

After Aoto explained his thoughts one by one, Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, and Kondo Isami exchanged glances.

They simply looked at each other and readily agreed: Let's do it this way!
Hijikata Toshizo scratched the back of his head:

"A military parade... I'm going to be busy again..."

……

……

The news that "Nioh" would hold a grand military parade in the southern suburbs of Kyoto spread throughout the city by the afternoon, having appeared in the morning.

Regarding the reactions of the people of Kyoto... in short, they were both surprised and excited! The last time a military parade was held around Kyoto was three hundred years ago, when Oda Nobunaga held an unprecedentedly grand military parade in 1581.

To demonstrate the strength of the Oda clan, Oda Nobunaga took this very seriously, strictly ordering his subordinates beforehand to wear exquisitely designed armor. Elite units, including the Northern Army Regiment and the Kinki Army, were all included in the parade roster.

The generals of the Oda army went to great lengths for this. For example, Yamauchi Kazutoyo, the future lord of the Tosa Domain, spent all of his wife Chiyo's private savings to buy new armor.

Despite the enormous cost, the military parade meticulously prepared by Oda Nobunaga was a great success in terms of results!

The formidable military bearing of the Oda army greatly impressed the people of Kyoto, who were all full of praise for this unprecedented military parade.

Ota Gyuichi's "Nobunaga Kōki" records the grandeur of the military parade as "the sight of people gathered in large groups, and the sight of both the noble and the common people was astonishing."

Yoshida Kenji, a court noble who was present at the ceremony, wrote in his diary: "The scale of each event was so elaborate that it cannot be described in words."

The strength of the Shinsengumi is universally acknowledged.

However, very few people have actually witnessed the might of the Shinsengumi.

Although the Shinsengumi have participated in many major battles, unless someone is out of their mind, no one would dare to go and watch them.

It's rare to have a parade where one can appreciate the Shinsengumi's majesty without any inhibitions. How could anyone not look forward to it?

The people around Kyoto were delighted, but the soldiers of the Shinsengumi suffered.

Faced with the pressure exerted by the "Southern Dynasty," Qingdeng must retaliate as quickly as possible.

Spending a year or two preparing for it is definitely not going to work.

Therefore, Aoto only gave them half a month to prepare—on October 25th, half a month later, all the squads of the Shinsengumi would have to attend! There was no room for error!

The Shinsengumi captains all felt immense pressure to complete the parade preparations in such a short time.

Especially Nagakura Shinpachi—with Souji bedridden, Nagakura Shinpachi had to take care of both the First Division and the Second Division all by himself.

Nagakura Shinpachi complained to Aoto more than once that he was in charge of two teams, and the two most elite close combat units at that, and he simply couldn't manage them all.

However, Aoto's subordinates lacked a qualified and trustworthy person to take over the position of "Captain of the First Division". Based on the simple idea of ​​"use him to the fullest if he is useful", they could only make things difficult for Nagakura Shinpachi again!

Indeed, from the captain down to the ordinary soldiers, everyone felt extremely tired due to the heavy responsibilities they bore.

On the other hand, everyone was also very excited—how could they not do their best at such a prestigious and prestigious event?
So, some bought new clothes, some got haircuts... Everyone did their best to take care of their appearance, hoping to perform well at the military parade in two weeks.

And so, the military parade was being prepared hastily but steadily amidst a flurry of activity.

Time passed day by day...

Soon, the day for the military parade arrived.

……

……

10 days later——

The first year of Kuangtian/the first year of Meiji (1865), November 10th——

Kyoto, southern suburbs—

As dawn broke, crowds gathered in the usually deserted southern suburbs of Kyoto.

Just like rivers flowing into the sea, streams of people, large and small, converged from different directions.

Security personnel transferred from Kyoto and Otsu used ropes to block the audience, creating an invisible barrier to prevent unauthorized personnel from approaching the parade venue.

The people who came to watch the military parade included residents from nearby Kyoto and Otsu, as well as those from distant Nara and Osaka; they included wealthy merchants dressed in silk and commoners in tattered clothes.

Despite coming from different regions and social classes, everyone's expressions were the same: enthusiastic and high-spirited!

The land used for the military parade had been tamped down by thousands of horses beforehand, making the soil hard and exceptionally flat.

On the north side of the parade ground stood a temporary platform—it was here that the distinguished guests, led by Qing Deng, reviewed the troops.

Qing Deng intended to emulate Oda Nobunaga from three hundred years ago, but he didn't know how Oda Nobunaga reviewed his troops back then.

So he decided to use the parade method he was familiar with: he and the distinguished guests stayed on the high platform and let the troops march in front of the platform!

At this very moment, distinguished guests have gathered on the high platform.

It included prominent feudal lords such as Matsudaira Katamori, lord of the Aizu Domain, and Matsudaira Sadataka, lord of the Kuwana Domain, as well as noble courtiers such as Nijo Nariaki, the former Kanpaku, and Kujo Naotada, the former Kanpaku.

Of course, the most indispensable guest was Empress Kazuya.

It is worth mentioning that after Kazu-no-miya ascended the throne, he did not reside in the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

Firstly, compared to the Imperial Palace, the Tachibana Residence is much safer.

Secondly, the princess was unwilling to separate from Tokugawa Iemochi.

Therefore, at the strong insistence of the princess, she continued to live in the Tachibana residence.

To make her "staying at the Tachibana Residence" seem reasonable, she issued a special decree designating the Tachibana Residence as the Emperor's temporary palace in Otsu.

Thus, Kazumiya was not "staying at the Tachibana residence," but rather residing at the Otsu Palace for an extended period due to personal preference.

Despite being the 122nd Emperor of Japan, she still lives in their house, and you can see her just by turning the corner of the corridor... This bizarre scene makes Aoto, Sanako, and others feel a sense of unreality.

For Qing Deng and the others, apart from changing their address to He Gong from "Your Highness" to "Your Majesty," everything was normal and the same as before, with nothing unusual.

At this moment, Kazumi sat in the central seat, while Aoto sat to her left, waiting quietly.

Finally, the scheduled start time arrived (10 a.m.).

Qingdeng slowly rose and moved to the edge of the high platform, looking down at the entire scene from the height of the trees.

At this moment, an astonishing number of spectators had gathered around the parade ground.

The crowd was jostling and thronging... Looking around, it resembled a kaleidoscope, with countless tiny dots of different colors moving and swaying.

Qing Deng's opening remarks were very brief—everyone was just looking forward to the parade starting as soon as possible, so they weren't in the mood to listen to his long-winded speech.

Furthermore, even with the "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Rocks +4" talent, his voice couldn't possibly cover such a wide space, making it impossible for everyone present to hear his speech.

Therefore, Qingdeng casually uttered some perfunctory words before confidently announcing, "The parade begins!"

It's certainly unrealistic to deploy the entire Shinsengumi for the parade; some positions cannot be left unmanned.

The number of personnel participating in the parade varied from unit to unit, with a total strength of approximately 4000.

Although it was less than half of the Shinsengumi's total strength, it was a rather astonishing number in Japan at that time!
Accompanied by the rousing bugle call, the first unit to enter was the First Division, which was honored with titles such as "Imperial Guard" and "King Niou's Personal Army".

Compared to other units, the First Division is undoubtedly much more special. Not only does it only recruit the most skilled swordsmen, but each member must also undergo rigorous political vetting. In short, the First Division only recruits impeccable, respectable individuals!

A tight formation of 200 soldiers from the First Division appeared from the east end of the parade ground and marched slowly and steadily toward the platform from east to west.

The direction of entry from east to west... may seem insignificant, but it was actually intentionally done by Qingdeng.

The Shinsengumi members headed straight west, and to the west was the location of the "Western Alliance"!

From a distance, the members of the First Division all held their chins high, chests out, and their cheeks were filled with pride. Their light blue haori fluttered in the autumn wind, both beautiful and awe-inspiring.

Many spectators at the scene were stunned, staring blankly at the impressive and imposing First Division.

The only drawback was that Captain Okita Souji, who should have been leading the team at the front, was absent, leaving only Vice Captain Shimada Kai all alone.

Many viewers came specifically for Souji, just to catch a glimpse of the "Heavenly Sword"—the regret and sorrow they felt are not hard to imagine.

Although "Heavenly Sword" was absent, the First Division's performance was still outstanding and impeccable.

The First Division got off to a good start, and inspired by this, the members of the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Divisions who followed all showed unprecedented enthusiasm, as if they wanted to outdo the First Division!
*******
*******
It's already the beginning of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)