I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1154 The Commander-in-Chief is acting strangely! The decisive battle against Toba! Return to Ōtsu!

At dusk——

Osaka, the headquarters of the Gourd House, a certain courtyard—

Ogata sat cross-legged on the east-west facing veranda, his chin slightly raised, gazing into the distance as if lost in thought, or perhaps pondering something.

As the sun was about to sink below the horizon, it cast its fiery red afterglow, filling the world with the colors of sunset.

Suddenly, accompanied by approaching footsteps, Kiryu's voice drifted over from afar:
"Ogata-kun, you're here."

He quickened his pace slightly, appeared from the east corner of the corridor, and stood next to Ogata.

What are you doing here?

Ogata answered softly:
"I didn't do anything, just enjoyed the breeze and the scenery."

The Kiryu boss chuckled to himself:

"Such refined pursuits are not quite in line with your personality."

As he spoke, he raised his gaze, following Ogata's eyes.

"...That's the direction of Toba and Fushimi. Ogata-kun, are you concerned about the outcome of this battle?"

Ogata Kanji:

"It would be strange if you didn't care about this, wouldn't it?"

"This is a once-in-a-century battle."

"I can't go to Europe with peace of mind if I don't know the outcome of this match as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Kiryu gave a bitter smile, and a faint look of worry appeared in his eyes.

Ogata noticed the change in his expression and joked:
"Judging from your expression, you're the one who's most concerned about the outcome of this match."

Mr. Kiryu shrugged noncommittally.

"This battle is very dangerous..."

As he spoke, he lowered his body and sat down next to Ogata.

“'Southern Court' is no pushover; Saigo Kinosuke, Katsura Kogoro, and others are all outstanding talents.”

"Moreover, there's also the threat of the Party's persecution."

Upon hearing this, Ogata couldn't help but ask in return:
"Now that it's confirmed that the Fazhu Party has formed an alliance with the 'Southern Dynasty,' Miss Lin, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

"Miss Lin hates the Fazhu Party so much, I thought she would be eager to cause trouble for them."

The Kiryu boss gave a wry smile:
"My lord does indeed intend to participate in the war."

"However... Gourd House is ultimately just a trading company, not a warlord, and its combat strength is limited."

“The Party’s punishment of the law is always elusive and unpredictable, always appearing in unexpected places, especially adept at surprise attacks, making it impossible to guard against… We have suffered many losses in this regard.”

"Therefore, before truly determining the specific moves of the Fazhu Party, the lord does not want to act rashly and wants to observe for a while longer."

"Of course, she didn't do nothing."

"She has been actively gathering intelligence recently."

"Unfortunately... the results were minimal."

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation.

Boom boom boom boom boom boom...!
The hallway floor made a thumping sound as people walked on it.

For Ogata, it was a familiar sound of footsteps—it was Atachi's footsteps.

Sure enough, the next moment, Atachi rushed out from the west corner of the corridor.

Upon seeing Ogata, she said quickly, her face flushed with anxiety:
"Ayi, come quick! The commander's condition is not good!"

The combination of "commander-in-chief" and "the situation is not good" caused a sudden change in the atmosphere at the scene.

Ogata and Kiryu both frowned.

They jumped up as if by unspoken agreement, and led by Atachi, they hurried to Souji's bedroom one after the other.

Kinoshita Rin treated Aoto's family with the highest level of care.

In particular, the unconscious Souji and Tokugawa Iemochi were given "imperial-level" care.

Before long, they crowded into the well-located, spotless bedroom—Souji was sleeping on the tatami mat in the very center of the room.

At this moment, her pretty face was covered in sweat, her features were constantly scrunched up, and she was repeatedly moaning in pain, "Ugh... ugh... ugh..."

Judging from her appearance, it was clear at a glance that she was enduring immense pain!

Ogata strode forward, sat down on the edge of her bed, and touched her forehead... It was alarmingly hot, at least 40 degrees Celsius!
Mr. Kiryu sat down right next to Ogata:

"Ogata-kun, what's going on?"

Ogata pondered for a moment.

"...It's most likely that the 'immortal power' within her is making its last struggle."

The Kiryu boss looked puzzled and gestured to him with his eyes to "explain in detail".

Ogata silently continued the conversation:

"I had similar symptoms back then."

"I was already feeling unwell, and suddenly it got even worse."

"At that time, I almost fainted."

"Thinking back on it now still terrifies me."

"Fortunately, after overcoming this difficulty, I was reborn."

“I think Souji is going through the same process right now.”

Having said that, Ogata addressed Kiryu in an unquestionable tone:
"Jiulang, go get some ice and give her an ice pack."

Although ice is precious, it is nothing to the wealthy and powerful Gourd House.

After hearing this, the Kiryu boss couldn't help but ask in return:

"Is this useful?"

Ogata answered without hesitation:

"It's no use, but it makes her feel a little better."

"Using ice to cool her body down is the only thing we can do for her right now."

"Whether she 'passes away from this world' or 'rises from the ashes'... that depends on her fate."

At this point, Ogata raised his head and glanced at the darkening sky outside the window.

"...We will know the result as soon as tonight or as late as tomorrow morning."

After hearing this, Mr. Kiryu remained silent, staring intently at Souji, before quickly turning to find some ice.

Atachi remained silent, crawling forward on her knees without making a sound. She took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom and carefully wiped away the sweat from Souji's brows.

……

……

That night--

Fushimi, Fushimi Magistrate's Office, "Military Council Room"—

Defeating the "Southern Army" in a head-on confrontation and successfully defending Fushimi, the Shinsengumi reversed yesterday's decline in one fell swoop... No matter how you look at it, today's battle was undoubtedly a great victory for the Shinsengumi!
However... at this moment, Qing Deng and the others did not celebrate their victory.

In the temporary "military council room" of the Fushimi Magistrate's Office, the high-ranking members of the Shinsengumi gathered together.

Qing Deng sat upright in the main seat.

The captains, led by Hijikata Toshizo and Kondo Isami, sat in order on either side of him.

Every single one of them had a stern face and a solemn expression, with some even looking angry.

In front of them, right in the center of the "military council chamber," lay a young warrior.

The man was covered in blood and his face was etched with weariness.

Judging from the childishness in his eyes... he was at most 13 or 4 years old, too young to be on the battlefield.

Just now, he solemnly introduced himself.

His name was Iinuma Sadakichi, and he was an envoy from Aizu.

This afternoon, just as the Battle of Fushimi was drawing to a close, he broke through numerous obstacles and successfully arrived in Fushimi, bringing the devastating news that "the northern front has fallen and Ōtsu is in grave danger"...

Upon learning the news, Qing Deng and the others' joy vanished instantly... Compared to the defeat of the Aizu army, the victory in the Battle of Fushimi was nothing!
And so, this scene was created—now is not the time to celebrate!
Qingdeng and others quickly convened a military meeting, eager to know what had happened on the northern front.

Because Iinuma Sadakichi was so exhausted that even sitting up was difficult, Aoto specially allowed him to lie on the ground and talk.

Before the military council could officially begin, the hot-tempered Serizawa Kamo gritted his teeth, abruptly raised his head, glared fiercely at Iinuma Sadakichi, his eyes burning with rage, and impatiently rebuked:

"What exactly are you Aizu up to? You've been sabotaging us time and time again! I used to think Aizu was a reliable ally! But now it seems that's not the case at all!"

Faced with Serizawa Kamo's harsh rebuke, Iinuma Sadakichi bit his lip, his already pale face turning even paler.

Judging from his appearance, he seemed to want to argue.

However, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't utter a single word. Serizawa Kamo's rebuke was merciless and particularly harsh, but... his words were incisive and left no room for rebuttal.

In fact, Serizawa Kamo was simply speaking for the people present.

Serizawa Kamo is not the only one feeling indignant right now.

Nagakura Shinpachi, Shinmi Nishiki... many people present showed obvious anger on their faces.

Even Qing Deng's expression was very serious.

It's no wonder they acted that way.

The recent performance of the Aizu army... is truly a complete mess!
A year ago, during the "Chōshū Expedition," when Aoto led the Shinsengumi back to Kanto to aid the region, he entrusted the "Chōshū Expeditionary Army" to Matsudaira Katamori.

However, due to his lack of ability, he was sidelined by Saigo Kinosuke, and the Choshu Expeditionary Army was forced to disband, causing the "Chōshū Expedition" to fail.

Immediately afterwards, the Keio Incident broke out.

The Aizu soldiers, who were supposed to guard the palace, were left empty-handed, allowing Iwakura Tomomi to brazenly abduct the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the two sacred treasures.

Then came today's "defeat on the northern front"...

Aoto did not have high expectations for the Aizu army.

He didn't look down on the Aizu Army, but rather that the Aizu Army's "military reform" started too late.

Although they worked hard to introduce Western military systems and new weapons with the full support of the French officer corps, the time was too short for any fundamental changes to take place.

In short, the Aizu army was at best a feudal army that knew how to use firearms, and its combat effectiveness was clearly outdated.

Qing Deng did not expect them to defeat the "Northern Army." He only wanted to hold the northern front, prevent them from advancing south, and protect the flank of the Shinsengumi.

Unexpectedly... even this level of requirement was not met by the Aizu army...

Therefore, expecting Qingdeng to have a pleasant expression is truly asking the impossible!
Sitting next to Serizawa Kamo, Inoue Genzaburo tugged at his sleeve, trying to get him to say less.

Serizawa Kamo ignored him, shook his arm, shook off Inoue Genzaburo's hand, and wanted to say something more.

But Qing Deng raised his hand first to signal him to be quiet.

Serizawa Kamo was taken aback upon seeing this, and then his face showed displeasure.

He would never dare to disobey Qingdeng.

Therefore, he suppressed his temper, pursed his lips, snorted coldly, and said no more.

Aoto lowered his left hand, which had been stopping Serizawa Kamo, and then stared intently at Iinuma Sadakichi in front of him, saying in a deep voice:

"...Iinuma-kun, what exactly happened on the northern front? I need the most detailed and accurate account."

"Yes……"

Iinuma Sadakichi took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

"Three days ago, at dawn, the 'usurper army' (the Northern Shogunate army) arrived in northern Omi..."

According to Iinuma Sadakichi's detailed account, Aoto and others gradually learned the whole story of the Aizu army's great defeat.

Initially, the two armies faced each other from a distance and did not immediately engage in battle.

The Aizu army numbered 3,000, while the Hokushogunate army numbered 4,000. The difference in troop strength between the two sides was not significant, and both sides had great potential for both offense and defense.

Therefore, a group of generals, led by Sagawa Kanbei, known as "Aizu's fiercest general," requested to take the initiative to attack.

If all goes well, it will be able to directly crush the "Northern Army," or at the very least, give them a taste of their power.

However, Matsudaira Katamori, mindful of Aoto's instruction to "just hold the northern line," was unwilling to take any risks and thus rejected the request.

Thus, the two sides remained locked in a stalemate, waging a "sit-in war," with neither side taking the initiative to provoke a conflict.

This "silence" lasted until this morning.

Today, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the battle suddenly broke out!
Countless shells rained down, piercing the sky and turning the Aizu army camp into an inferno!
The firepower of the "Northern Expeditionary Army" far exceeded the expectations of the Aizu Army's high command! Their bombardment lasted for a full half hour!
The shells rained down relentlessly, as if they were free, and their accuracy was remarkably high; almost every shell hit the Aizu army camp with pinpoint accuracy. Many fortifications were destroyed and rendered unusable.

The Aizu army's artillery certainly retaliated, but they were outnumbered by an order of magnitude in both the quantity of shells and the accuracy of their fire.

They barely made it through the shelling, but the real nightmare was yet to come.

The Northern Expeditionary Army's general attack followed immediately after the artillery barrage.

Thousands of soldiers, carrying the "three-leaf hollyhock flag," charged straight toward the Aizu army's position.

The soldiers of the Aizu Army were astonished to discover that there was a "Western Army" composed of Westerners on the other side!
Their numbers were around two thousand, and their combat strength was outstanding! Whether firing rifles or charging with bayonets, they demonstrated amazing resilience and discipline!
With just one charge, the Aizu soldiers were routed.

It is no exaggeration to say that the main reason for the Aizu army's defeat was this "Western army".

The Aizu army soldiers fought bravely, but they were no match for these Westerners. They were routed and ultimately suffered a crushing defeat.

At this point, Iinuma Sadakichi could no longer control his emotions.

He endured the pain and exhaustion, barely managing to prop himself up, staring intently at Qingdeng, his eyes filled with tears.

"Lord Niou! We are not cowards! Nor are we worthless pieces of mud!"

He pounded the ground with his fist as he spoke, his voice trembling with tears.

"We truly risked our lives! We held out until we could no longer continue before we withdrew from northern Omi!"

"Of the three thousand soldiers, only a little over a thousand returned...!"

At this point, he could no longer speak and collapsed to the ground, sobbing softly.

Three thousand men were reduced to just over a thousand... Even in modern times, this is an extremely high casualty rate!
Upon hearing this number, Serizawa Kamo, Nagakura Shinpachi, and the others, who had just been feeling indignant, all calmed down.

Qingdeng and the others were already aware of the specific details.

A somber atmosphere began to permeate the air.

Kondo Isami smacked his lips:
"A legion entirely composed of Westerners... Could they be Western mercenaries?"

Hijikata Toshizo nodded slightly:

"Probably."

Yamanami Keisuke frowned:

"Can mercenaries really be that powerful?"

An army capable of crushing the Aizu army... Just from this description, one can tell that this army is anything but ordinary.

At this moment, Qing Deng seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes flickered slightly.

His innate "Emperor's Art" activated—he concealed the change in his expression, feigning nonchalance, and calmly spoke:

"We can leave the true nature of this 'Western army' for later. Let's think about how to break out of the current predicament first."

These words intensified the somber atmosphere at the scene.

One fact is crystal clear right now—the collapse of the northern front has put them in an extremely passive and predicament!

With the Aizu army no longer blocking their way, the "Northern Expeditionary Army" has seized the opportunity to move south, aiming its sword at Ōtsu!
Ōtsu was the de facto political center of the "Northern Court" and also the stronghold of Aoto.

Therefore, it has great political significance!

If they could successfully capture it, it would be an enormous blow to the morale and prestige of the "Northern Dynasty"!

More importantly, Otsu is located behind Toba and Fushimi.

In other words, if Fushimi falls, the Shinsengumi will be attacked from both sides!

A counterattack from a desperate situation where they are attacked from both sides... There may have been such armies in history, but the current Shinsengumi clearly does not belong to this category.

In conclusion—Otsu is absolutely essential! The loss of Otsu means the demise of the Shinsengumi!
After a brief silence, Keisuke Yamanami was the first to speak, offering his opinion:
"...The troops split into two groups, one to continue to hold Fushimi, and the other to return to Ōtsu to block the enemy outside the city."

Before he could finish speaking, Hijikata Toshizo retorted without hesitation:

"How should we deal with the 'Southern Army' before us?"

"Our forces were already small, and after splitting them up, can the remaining fighting force hold up against the 'Southern Army'?"

"The guy on the other side, Saigo Kinosuke, isn't stupid."

Even if it's an empty city ruse, it won't fool him.

"A single probing attack is enough to ascertain our strengths and weaknesses."

"At that time, Saigo Kichinosuke will surely launch a fierce attack."

"We lost Fushimi to protect Otsu... We will still lose this battle, and we will still be completely wiped out."

Upon hearing this, the people present looked at each other, their anxious gazes darting around in the air.

From the perspective of the Shinsengumi, both Fushimi and Otsu were important towns that could not be lost.

But now they are caught in the dilemma of "not being able to have their cake and eat it too"!

Because of insufficient troops, defending Fushimi might mean losing Otsu, and defending Otsu might mean losing Fushimi... It's a lose-lose situation.

Just as the scene fell silent again, Qing Deng suddenly spoke up:
"If that's the case, then let's first crush the 'Southern Army' in front of us! Then we'll return to Shidajin and fight the 'Northern Army' in a decisive battle!"

"Launch a general offensive against Toba at daybreak tomorrow!"

"Even if we cannot defeat the 'Southern Army,' we must at least weaken more than half of their forces! We must thoroughly cripple them, rendering them incapable of advancing eastward!"

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