I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1144 Qingdeng: "I will personally go to the front lines!" [5200]

at the same time--

Fushimi, Fushimi Magistrate's Office (the main camp of the "Fushimi Defense Line") —

Aoto, Hijikata Toshizo, and Inoue Genzaburo stood side by side, with detailed maps of Toba and Fushimi hanging on the wall in front of them.

They are reviewing today's battle.

How the enemy attacked, how Koji Bridge fell... Hijikata Toshizo and Inoue Genzaburo explained and described everything without missing a single detail.

"...Because the enemy's offensive was already unstoppable, I believed that continuing to fight would only increase casualties and would not be of any benefit. Therefore, I issued the order to 'retreat and abandon Xiaozhi Bridge'."

After speaking, Inoue Genzaburo silently stepped aside, waiting for Aoto's reaction.

Suddenly, Hijikata Toshizo interrupted:
"Ju, all the blame lies with me."

"If I had discovered the crisis at Xiaozhi Bridge earlier, this disaster would not have happened."

As he spoke, Hijikata Toshizo bowed his head to Aoto in front of him, his magnanimous demeanor revealing a magnanimous attitude of "I am at your disposal."

Before he could finish speaking, Inoue Genzaburo, who was standing next to him, interrupted:

"No, Hijikata-kun is innocent!"

"The enemy's attack was too fast and too fierce, so that neither Shinpachi nor I had time to ask Hijikata for help."

"Unless Hijikata-kun has 'clairvoyance,' he could never have noticed the strange situation at Koedabashi and sent reinforcements in time."

“I gave the order to ‘abandon Xiaozhi Bridge,’ so I should bear full responsibility.”

"It's all my fault for being too weak, which led to the fall of Xiaozhi Bridge and the deaths of countless soldiers."

Looking at the two people bowing their heads in apology, Qing Deng sighed silently, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face.

"Alright, everyone, raise your heads."

"I am aware of the relevant situation."

“Sui San, you did nothing wrong. On the contrary, you did a great job, and I should praise you.”

"Based on the changes in the battle situation, you promptly issued the most correct instructions, which greatly reduced our losses."

"Uncle Yuan, don't blame yourself too much."

"Although it is an indisputable fact that I failed to protect Xiaozhi Bridge, if we really want to find out who is to blame, I am the one who should be punished the most."

"I underestimated the enemy's fighting strength and failed to deploy sufficient forces at Xiaozhiqiao."

After saying that, Qingdeng unconsciously furrowed his brows, his expression gradually becoming solemn.

Just then, a voice announced from outside:

"Mr. Tachibana, Captain Nagakura's treatment has ended."

Qing Deng immediately retorted:
"How's Shinpachi doing?"

A reply came quickly from outside the door:
"He's fine, his skull is unharmed, and he only needs two days of rest to fully recover."

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"It's good that you're alright. Thank you for your hard work, you can leave now."

After the messenger outside the door left, Qingdeng turned his gaze and focused his attention back on the map in front of him.

Through the review just now, he has roughly figured out the specific details of the "loss of bird feathers".

The reason for this was that the Second and Sixth Divisions, who were supposed to defend the small bridge, were quickly defeated!
To be fair, the military force that Qingdeng deployed at Xiaozhiqiao was already quite strong.

The Second and Sixth Divisions are both meritorious units of the Shinsengumi, having participated in almost every battle since the establishment of the Shinsengumi, and are rich in training and combat experience.

Looking back at the results, the quick defeat of the Second and Sixth Divisions was certainly due to the "Decisive Battle at the Alley" incident, coupled with the fact that the members of both divisions had exhausted their strength from the previous battles.

However, it cannot be denied that even without the "Decisive Battle Salt," the enemy force that captured Koji Bridge today possessed formidable fighting power capable of directly confronting the Shinsengumi!
With this thought in mind, Qing Deng asked Hijikata Toshizo in a low voice:
"Sui San, what are your thoughts on the 'Southern Army' now?"

Hijikata Toshizo crossed his arms and pondered for a moment before murmuring softly:

"...Ju, the 'Southern Army' is stronger than we anticipated."

Qingdeng nodded slightly in agreement.

Interestingly, Saigo Kinosuke felt he had underestimated the Shinsengumi, while Aoto felt he had underestimated the "Southern Army."

Before the war began, Qing Deng believed that he had taken the "Southern Army" seriously enough and had never underestimated it.

The "Southern Army" must have a large number of guns and cannons, and the "Southern Army" will not be weak in close combat... Qing Deng had anticipated all of the above.

Despite this, they still misjudged the overall combat strength of the "Southern Army".

Qing Deng overlooked one thing—he didn't expect the "Southern Army" to have so much "Decisive Battle Dysentery"! Enough to make thousands of soldiers take drugs like candy!
How many "Decisive Battle Crystals" has the Party actually produced? Qing Deng kept thinking to himself.

Suddenly, Inoue Genzaburo, as if having made up his mind, gritted his teeth and said resolutely to Aoto:

"Tachibana-kun, please give me a chance to redeem myself! Let me lead the charge tomorrow! Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely get Toriba back!"

Although Aoto took the initiative to assume the main responsibility for the "loss of Toba", Inoue Genzaburo's pride and sense of responsibility did not allow him to accept Aoto's kindness so easily.

In response to Inoue Genzaburo's offer of service, Aoto smiled slightly:
"Uncle Yuan, please calm down."

"Although we suffered a defeat today, we did not come away empty-handed."

"'Decisive Battle of the Lake' is a secret medicine with both huge benefits and huge costs."

"Today, there are at least a thousand enemy soldiers who have taken 'Decisive Battle Elixir'."

"On the first day of the war, more than a thousand soldiers—many of whom were precious elites—temporarily lost their combat capability due to the side effects of the 'Decisive Battle of the Lake'."

"Paying such a heavy price, yet failing to inflict significant casualties on the Shinsengumi... whether it was a gain or a loss remains to be seen."

“I think the officers and soldiers of the Southern Army must be feeling very uncomfortable right now.”

The weakness of "Decisive Battle with Stagnant Water" is quite obvious. After the effects wear off, the user will feel severe discomfort.

Those with mild symptoms may feel listless, while those with severe symptoms may have difficulty even standing up.

Recovery time varies from person to person, ranging from one or two days to ten days to half a month.

Admittedly, the loss of the Toba Line was a defeat that the Shinsengumi could not ignore.

However, thanks to Hijikata Toshizo's decisive action, the entire garrison of Toba retreated very promptly and quickly, giving the "Southern Army" no chance to attack or annihilate them.

A great man once said: "If you save people but lose land, you can save both people and land; if you save land but lose people, you can lose both people and land." "It is better to cut off one finger than to injure all ten fingers."

Qingdeng was certain that Saigo Kinosuke's deployment of a large number of elite troops on the first day of the war was not merely for the purpose of capturing Toba; his main objective was definitely to rebuild the Shinsengumi!

It's a very simple principle: what's the use of just taking a bird's feather?
Even without Toba, there's still Fushimi; even without Fushimi, there's still Otsu... As long as the main force of the Shinsengumi remains and the logistics are still in place, Aoto will always hold the power of "counter-offensive"!

From a strategic perspective, it is questionable whether the Southern Army's achievements today can be considered a "victory".

Because they failed to rebuild the Shinsengumi, it caused considerable trouble for the subsequent battles—currently, all thirteen divisions of the Shinsengumi have gathered in Fushimi!

In other words, if the Southern Army wants to capture Fushimi, they must defeat the complete Shinsengumi... The difficulty of this is beyond description!

Qingdeng glanced at the map in front of him a few times and continued:
"The Southern Army will surely take advantage of today's victory and launch a major attack on Asashimi tomorrow."

"This is a good thing. The staff of the General Affairs Office have put in a lot of effort and finally managed to build various fortifications throughout Fushimi."

[Note: Handwritten note: A junior position in the Shinsengumi General Appointment Office]

"It would be a pity if all these fortifications remained idle and never came into use."

At this point, Qing Deng turned to look at Hijikata Toshizo and Inoue Genzaburo beside him.

"The battle has only just begun; there will be plenty of opportunities to counterattack."

As he spoke, he turned and walked toward the knife rack not far away, and picked up the Vairocana.

"To redeem myself from today's blunder, I will go into battle tomorrow."

……

……

The following day (January 6th), early morning—

Toba Street, the front line of the "Southern Army"—

"Haven't you eaten? Get running!"

"Where are my shells?! Why haven't they brought them up yet?!"

"The Satsuma people stole the limelight yesterday! We, as men of Tosa, cannot fall behind!"

"Today's battle is different from yesterday's. Yesterday was about capturing the bridge, today it's about attacking the town. We have to fight the Shinsengumi for every house and every street in Fushimi."

"I heard that Niou is in Fushimi..."

"Shh! Don't say things like that! It'll affect morale!"

Fushimi was a "crossroads" in the capital region.

Without capturing Fushimi, they could not attack Ōtsu... In other words, Fushimi was an insurmountable obstacle for the "Southern Army".

Even though Fushimi is now guarded by the "complete" Shinsengumi, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it!
At this moment, Saigo Kinosuke stood upright somewhere in the South Palace, looking up at the northeast sky, deep in thought, seemingly pondering something.

Suddenly, a close attendant rushed forward and reported quickly:
"Lord Saigo, Mr. Iwakura has arrived."

Saigo Kinosuke slowly withdrew his gaze from the sky.

"Yes, bring him here quickly."

"Yes." In no time, Iwakura Tomomi, dressed as a civil official, appeared in front of Saigo Kinosuke in a few quick steps.

The latter stared intently at the former and said succinctly:
“Mr. Iwakura, now is the perfect time to use our ‘secret weapon’.”

Iwakura Tomomi was taken aback:
"now?"

Saigo Kinosuke said calmly:

"That's right, now."

"The morale of the entire army is high, like a raging fire."

"If not now, when?"

"We must take Fushimi in one fell swoop with the force of a raging storm!"

After Iwakura Tomotsu finished speaking, a smile curled at the corners of her lips:
"I understand, I'll go prepare right away!"

……

……

Fushimi—

The Southern Army is preparing for today's bloody battle... and so is the Shinsengumi.

"Eighth Division! Follow me!"

"Our mission today is singular—to hold this street to the death! Even if we are completely wiped out, we cannot let a single enemy soldier pass!"

"Be careful, the enemy is very strong... Even the Second and Sixth Divisions were defeated yesterday."

"Sigh... I wonder how this battle will turn out..."

"What's there to be afraid of? As long as Lord Ren is here, we can't possibly lose!"

"Yeah, that makes sense."

Yesterday's defeat has inevitably shaken the morale of the Shinsengumi.

However, since last night, a rumor has been circulating among the various divisions of the Shinsengumi—Niou will personally go to the front line today!
For the soldiers of the Shinsengumi, there could be no more inspiring news!
Just hearing his name is enough to invigorate the soldiers of the Shinsengumi!
The morale, which had been dampened by yesterday's defeat, has now soared!
At this moment, Aoto was putting on white and blue armor at the main camp (Fushimi Magistrate's Office), and then he put on a large Shinsengumi uniform (light blue haori) over the armor, which served as a "battle haori".

After dressing and tidying himself up, he seemed to have made up his mind, turned his head and shouted towards the outside of the room:
"Call Chief of Staff Shannan over."

With a loud response, the members of the "Zero Squad" waiting outside the room quickly went to find Yamanami Keisuke.

Before long, fully armed Yamanami Keisuke came into view of Aoto.

"Mr. Tachibana, what are your orders?"

Qingdeng skipped all pleasantries and went straight to the point, speaking seriously:

"Jingzhu, bring out both flags."

Upon hearing this, Yamanami Keisuke subconsciously raised an eyebrow, his expression showing surprise:

"Is it too early to unleash the 'brocade banner' and the 'imperial white banner' now?"

Qingdeng said slowly:
"It was indeed much earlier than expected."

"But if we do not try to boost the morale of the entire army, it will inevitably have a negative impact on today's battle."

Yamanami Keisuke gave a wry smile and said, half-jokingly:
"After all, yesterday's defeat was too fast and too sudden."

"In the eyes of ordinary soldiers, the war had just begun, and we had already lost the feathers we had painstakingly built up in a muddle."

To properly accommodate the troops that had withdrawn from Toba, Yamanami Keisuke had been inspecting the camp since last night.

Therefore, he naturally had a very deep understanding of the changes in the soldiers' morale.

Many soldiers were worried about the final outcome of this battle.

The new recruits, in particular, who had just joined the army, developed a certain fear of the "Southern Army".

Qingdeng continued speaking:

"The reason for preparing two flags is to inspire the fighting spirit of the entire army at critical moments."

"And now is the perfect time to use these two flags."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded:
"I understand, I'll go prepare right away."

……

……

The sun rose slowly, and golden rays of dawn poured down, illuminating the earth.

The sunlight could dispel the cool morning mist, but it could not dispel the somber atmosphere that permeated Fushimi!

Looking up, the vast town had become a heavily fortified stronghold!
Solid and complete fortifications, soldiers poised for battle, faces etched with determination... everything was ready, just waiting for the "Southern Army" to attack!
Just then, a soldier somewhere inadvertently discovered two unfamiliar military flags fluttering high above their position.

"Hey! Look! There are two new flags over there that we've never seen before!"

Upon hearing this, everyone around turned to look in the direction of the main camp.

Next to the familiar "Sincerity Flag," there was a new brocade flag embroidered with golden chrysanthemums and a bright white flag.

Just as the soldiers were puzzled, they saw messengers from the Ninth Division riding fast horses, quickly passing through the streets and strongholds of Fushimi.

They issued the following notice to all the soldiers in the town:

"Gentlemen! Look! That banner embroidered with golden chrysanthemums is the Emperor's military flag! His Majesty, moved by our loyalty, bestowed this flag upon us!"

"That pure white military flag is the 'White Banner' that represents the orthodoxy of the samurai family! It was previously held by the Shogun! After Lord Ōki (Tokugawa Iemochi) fell ill, it was put into the care of Lord Niō."

"The 'brocade banner' and the 'imperial white banner' are both in our hands! We are the true rulers! We are the government troops!"

"The 'Southern Army' on the other side is a traitorous enemy of Korea!"

"The greater good belongs to our army! Annihilate the Korean enemy!"

"The greater good belongs to our army! Annihilate the Korean enemy!"

The soldiers of the Ninth Division recited the proclamation over and over again, running through every base in Fushimi, trying to make sure that every soldier could hear it clearly.

Soon, the air inside and outside Fushimi began to stir quietly.

"'Banner'? 'Imperial White Banner'? Are these two banners very powerful?"

"I don't quite understand, but I think so."

"We've acquired a really powerful flag—that's what you mean, right?"

"That's right! That's exactly what it means! Those are the legendary 'Emperor's Banner' and 'White Banner'!"

"I always thought these two flags didn't exist. Turns out they actually exist."

"I never imagined we would possess these two legendary military flags!"

"Fantastic! As long as we have these two flags, we are the undisputed rightful heirs!"

"Long live Niou! Long live the Shinsengumi!"

"Long live Niou! Long live the Shinsengumi!"

"Long live Niou! Long live the Shinsengumi!"

……

The vast majority of soldiers did not understand the difference between the Emperor and the Shogun, let alone what the "brocade banner" and the "white banner" actually represented.

After hearing the messengers' report, all they knew was that these two flags were very powerful, and whoever could obtain them would possess the great cause.

Those familiar with the relevant knowledge were all filled with excitement, and an atmosphere of "excitement" began to spread.

Immediately following this, the others also unconsciously felt excited – as we all know, humans are social animals and are easily influenced by the atmosphere.

Gradually, cheers spread.

No one knows who started it, but shouts of "Banzai!" rang out louder and louder throughout Fushimi!
Hearing the cheers rising and falling, Kondo Isami, who remained at the main camp, couldn't help but chuckle softly a few times:

"The results were even better than I expected. Going to the trouble of forging these two military flags was definitely the right choice."

Hijikata Toshizo, standing to the side, smirked and adopted a teasing tone:
"I wonder what kind of expressions the officers of the Southern Army will have when they see this 'brocade banner' and this 'imperial white banner'. It's really something to look forward to."

Almost at the exact moment Hijikata Toshizo finished speaking, a messenger came running up at breakneck speed:
"Chief! Deputy Chief! The enemy has begun their operation! Countless enemy soldiers have left Toba and are heading east!"

Hijikata Toshizo raised an eyebrow.

"come yet……"

As he spoke, he took the binoculars from his waist, extended the lens, and looked westward—a vast array of menacing enemy soldiers came into view.

Before he could even examine the enemy's formation closely, he involuntarily stopped what he was doing upon seeing something, his expression changing... an indescribable, strange look dominated his expression, and he kept muttering to himself:

"……what?"

Right in the center of the frame, a strangely familiar military flag is clearly visible, fluttering in the wind...

If viewed from above, the view would be even clearer—among the ranks of the "Southern Army's" vanguard, a banner embroidered with golden chrysanthemums stood tall.

Thus, two "banners" with similar patterns but different colors stood facing each other across the distance...

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PS: Compared to battles between two armies, Leopard really prefers writing about swordsmen slashing each other! (Tearful Leopard head.jpg) When writing his first novel, Leopard was already tired of writing war scenes, and he didn't expect to have to write them again now! (Leopard throwing fish.jpg) Oh well, let's just consider it as building up his skills for future "mecha novels".