I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1166: Attacking in the east and attacking in the west, the benevolent king rushes into battle

Yamanami Keisuke remained unmoved upon hearing this, his face still bearing a worried expression.

Being naturally steady, he has never liked such radical battle plans.

Of course, as Qingdeng's close friend and old friend, he knew he couldn't persuade him.

Therefore, after only a moment's hesitation, he sighed silently and stood aside quietly.

"Mr. Orange, I wish you great success."

Qingdeng chuckled to himself:

"I dare not speak of victory. I will be satisfied if I can obtain useful information."

"Jingzhu, before I leave, organize a group of people to carefully inspect every corner of Dajin City. If any oversights are found, remedy them immediately."

"Also, inform all the residents of the town that those who have somewhere to go should evacuate immediately; those who have nowhere to go should move to Otsu Castle as soon as possible."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded earnestly:

"Understood. I'll take care of it right away."

After giving his brief and quick instructions, Qingdeng said no more, gripped the reins tightly, glanced at the cavalry behind him, and then shouted loudly:

"set off!"

The next moment, the radish shot out like a cannonball.

This incredibly strong black ox, after traveling for most of the day, only needed to rest briefly in its familiar cowshed before regaining its energy.

As soon as Radish let off the hook, Sanako and the others rushed to spur their warhorses forward. The wind blew against their faces, and the hems of their haoris rustled loudly.

Thump thump thump thump thump thump...

Countless hooves pounded the ground, like rolling thunder, gradually fading into the distance.

……

……

Defending a city does not require the use of cavalry, but Qingdeng insisted on leading a cavalry unit back to Dajin.

The purpose was to follow the old tactic of leading cavalry in a surprise attack on the enemy and test their strengths and weaknesses.

Upon learning of the Aizu army's crushing defeat, Qing Deng immediately dispatched elite ninjas from the Ninth Division to gather intelligence and monitor the "Northern Expeditionary Army's" movements.

The marching route and speed of the "Northern Army" are all very important pieces of intelligence.

The most important of these is the actual size of the British army.
According to reports from Matsudaira Katamori and others, there were about a thousand British soldiers attacking from the Aizu region at the time—but this cannot be taken seriously, as heaven knows whether the British army might have hidden troops elsewhere.

"Cunning" and "unscrupulous" are two national hallmarks of Britain, which cannot be ignored and must be treated with caution.

Everyone says the British army is powerful and has a distinguished record, but based on hearsay alone, Qing Deng ultimately cannot gain a concrete understanding of the British army's actual combat capabilities.

Being completely in the dark... is really not conducive to the decisive battle ahead.

In conclusion, it is quite necessary to conduct a preliminary "outpost battle" before the final battle begins.

Of course, it would be even better if we could crush the "Northern Army" in one fell swoop.

This is not impossible; the only real threat to the New Selections is the British army, whose size is unknown.

Aoto didn't believe that the real "Northern Expeditionary Army"—a feudal force mainly composed of the Fukui Domain's army—would have any formidable fighting power.

If I can't deal with the British army, surely I can deal with your "Northern Army"?
Even if all else fails, slowing down their march would be good.

According to the intelligence Qing Deng currently possesses, the "Northern Army" is encamped tonight in an open field east of Dajin, not far away. From a military perspective, it would be an understatement to say that they are within arm's reach.

It's around 9 p.m. now. If nothing unexpected happens, we should be able to reach the edge of the "Northern Army" camp before dawn.

With this thought in mind, Qingdeng lowered his body slightly, his upper body almost touching Luobo's back, his buttocks slightly raised, using his back muscles to support his body and prevent his weight from pressing down on Luobo.

In this way, wind resistance can be reduced as much as possible, and the burden on the radish can be lightened so that it can run faster.

……

……

Low-hanging dark clouds covered the sky, and night fell.

In about half an hour, the sky will begin to brighten, and the chirping of birds going out to forage will be faintly heard.

Harada Sanosuke placed his hands on his brow bone, gazed into the distance, and then, unable to contain his excitement, exclaimed:

"Mr. Orange, I've got it."

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"Well, I see it."

As he spoke, he stretched his neck and, like Harada Sanosuke, extended his gaze.

Talents "Night Vision" and "Sharp Eyes +20" activated!
The scene of the "Northern Army" camp in the distance unfolded clearly in his eyes like a painting.

Scattered campfires, densely packed tents, simple yet sturdy wooden fences, a considerable number of sentries and patrols...

"Unexpected accidents happen as expected" is a common occurrence in the world. Fortunately, Qing Deng and his companions did not encounter any accidents on their journey to find the "Northern Army" camp.

They rode their horses (or oxen) at breakneck speed and finally found the "Northern Army" camp before dawn.

Right now, they have extinguished their lights, kept quiet, and hidden themselves in a dark, low-lying area north of the "Northern Army" camp.

At that moment, Sanako rode up from the side on horseback:

"Qingdeng, Vice Captain Yamazaki is here."

As soon as she finished speaking, a rustling sound came from the bushes not far away—a young man of average height and build emerged from the bushes and jogged toward Qingdeng.

Looking at the face that felt both familiar and unfamiliar, Qingdeng blinked in confusion.

He felt like he had seen this face somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.

"My lord, it is I."

Upon hearing this voice, Qing Deng belatedly realized: Oh, it's Yamazaki Susumu (the vice-captain of the Ninth Division)!

Even now, Aoto still can't remember what Yamazaki Susumu looks like—this is not an isolated case, but rather the case for almost everyone.

Yamazaki Susumu was one of the most outstanding ninjas in the Ninth Division, so Aoto specially entrusted him with the important task of "monitoring the Northern Expeditionary Army".

In recent days, Yamazaki has been sticking to the "Northern Expeditionary Army" like a shadow, moving when they move and stopping when they stop, without the slightest slackening.

Qing Deng and his companions were newcomers and did not know the specific layout of the "Northern Army" camp.

Therefore, Aoto specifically summoned Yamazaki Susumu to learn about the relevant details.

After a brief greeting, Yamazaki squatted down and began to scribble on the ground with a twig, quickly creating a simple pattern.

"Everyone, can you all see it?"

Qing Deng, Sanako, and the others immediately leaned closer.

With a muffled thud, Harada Sanosuke and Matsubara Tadashi's heads collided heavily, both falling backward.

"Tadashi, your head is so hard... I almost fainted..."

"I'm so sorry... it was so dark, I couldn't see you... Ouch... that hurts..."

The surrounding environment was exceptionally dark, as if ghosts were lurking around. It wasn't quite pitch black, but it was close.

With the help of his innate "night vision," Qingdeng's eyes are not affected by darkness, and he can see clearly even in the darkest environments.

Fortunately, a ray of moonlight shone down, allowing Sanako and the others to barely make out the pattern drawn by Yamazaki.

After receiving "please continue" signals from the crowd, Yamazaki began his explanation unhurriedly:
"The main camp of the 'Northern Army' was an oval shape that was narrower from east to west and longer from north to south, and its shape was roughly like this."

As he spoke, he pointed with a twig at the "oval" he had just drawn on the ground.

"The east and north sides are slightly higher, while the west and south sides are lower."

"The camp was surrounded by sturdy wooden fences, with no particularly obvious weak points."

……

Yamazaki recounted everything in detail, from the size of the camp to its location, leaving nothing out.

After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent, lost in thought.

As dawn approaches, it is the time when sentries are least focused and camp defenses are most likely to be lax.

However, according to Yamazaki Susumu's description, the defense level of the "Northern Expeditionary Army" camp was quite high, especially the outer wooden fence, which was the biggest obstacle to the cavalry attack.

If they launch a reckless and thoughtless attack, they will most likely suffer a crushing defeat.

At this moment, Qingdeng seemed to have thought of something and slowly relaxed his furrowed brows.

Sanako, who was crouching to his side, immediately noticed this subtle change in his expression.

Others might not be able to tell, but she knew at a glance: Qingdeng must have come up with some plan.

So she turned her head away and looked directly at Qingdeng:

"Qingdeng, do you have a brilliant plan?"

Qingdeng didn't dawdle, and said slowly and seriously:
"There are no brilliant plans, only old tricks."

As he spoke, he took the branch from Yamazaki and began to draw on the "oval" pattern in front of him.

He first drew a small arrow from west to east on the west side of the "ellipse".

"Send a small team to launch a feint attack from the west to draw the enemy's attention."

Next, he drew a large arrow from east to west on the east side of the "ellipse".

"The main force took the opportunity to launch a major attack from the east."

The more complex the tactics, the easier it is for things to go wrong. Therefore, some tactics are timeless, and "feinting to the east while attacking in the west" is one such tactic.

Perhaps influenced by Aoto, many of the Shinsengumi captains—including Sanako and Mai—liked this simple and straightforward tactic.

Therefore, after Qing Deng finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement without thinking for long.

As for the main attack, it is natural that Qing Deng should be in charge personally.

This raises a question: who should be responsible for launching the feint attack?

It is easy to imagine that after attracting the enemy's attention, the soldiers responsible for the feint attack would inevitably suffer a fierce attack from the enemy... This is a heavy responsibility that requires great courage.

Harada Sanosuke opened his mouth without thinking much, about to speak.

However, someone shouted before him:

"Lord Zuo, please allow us to lead the feint attack!" The speaker was none other than Sagawa Kanbei from Aizu.

His face was haggard, his cheeks were unhealthy and pale, and his forehead was wrapped in thick burlap—this was an injury he had unfortunately sustained while blocking the "Northern Shogunate Army" in northern Omi, but fortunately it was not serious.

"In the previous battle, I suffered an unfortunate defeat in Île, and was deeply humiliated... If I do not avenge this defeat, I will not rest in peace even if I die!"

"Master Zuo, please give us a chance to avenge ourselves, and also a chance to atone for our sins!"

"We will never fail in our mission!"

His words were so sincere that they were truly moving.

As he spoke, he braced himself on the ground with both hands, seemingly about to perform a deep bow (dogeza) to Qingdeng.

Qingdeng saw through his actions and quickly reached out to support his shoulder, preventing his forehead from hitting the ground.

After giving him a thoughtful look, Qingdeng nodded:

"Then do as you wish."

Upon hearing this, Sagawa Kanbei was extremely excited and solemnly proclaimed:

"We are extremely grateful! We will do our utmost to ensure that the name 'Aizu' will never be disgraced again!"

"Two hundred cavalrymen from the Aizu army are not enough. Matsubara-kun, you will lead one hundred cavalrymen to assist Sagawa-kun."

Aoto's sudden call to roll startled Matsubara Tadashi.

"Ming, understand!"

Does anyone have any further questions?

As Qing Deng asked the question, he turned his gaze to scan the others.

"If there are no questions, then please take your positions!"

……

……

The chirping of birds grew increasingly noisy.

The eastern horizon was already showing signs of lightening, and a cool morning mist began to spread.

At this moment, the sentries inside and outside the camp all looked listless, yawning widely.

As the night passed without any danger or unusual occurrences, the sentries couldn't help but relax.

In this peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, without any warning, a sudden change occurred.

The sentries on the west side of the camp were the first to sense something was wrong—they suddenly felt the ground beneath their feet trembling.

Before I could think about it, the tremor suddenly grew larger and stronger!
Immediately afterwards, they suddenly saw a cloud of dust rolling towards them.

Beneath the dust and smoke lay a large force of cavalry of unknown numbers!
In an instant, their sleepiness vanished, and their eyes widened like saucers!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"

Following the piercing scream, a clear conch shell sound immediately followed.

"We've been spotted! Everyone on alert!"

Sagawa Kanbei raised his voice to warn his comrades behind him.

The moment after he roared, he struck the horse's belly with a moderate force, pushing the horse to its maximum speed.

Judging from the sentries' flustered movements, it can be concluded that their training level was not beyond that of a "feudal army".

Some stood there dumbfounded, some ran around aimlessly, some turned and ran away... In short, it was a complete mess, with everyone acting on their own.

In the blink of an eye, the two sides had engaged in battle!

With a thud, Sagawa Kanbei's warhorse collided head-on with a slow-moving sentry.

Before the other person could even let out a scream, he breathed his last, flying straight backward and crashing into a wooden fence with a "crack," creating a small but noticeable gap.

Seeing this, Sagawa Kanbei quickly shouted:

"follow me!!"

He turned his horse around, led his cavalry to kill the sentries blocking their way, and burst through the gap, charging straight in like a flood and storming into the camp!
……

……

On a low slope to the east of the camp—

Qingdeng gazed at the no longer peaceful camp.

Even from a distance, one could clearly hear the tremendous noise of the cavalry charging and crashing, as well as the successive cries and screams of agony.

Sanako stepped forward and called softly:

"Qingdeng".

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"Okay, let's go!"

He turned around, leaped onto the ox's back, gripped the reins tightly, and reached down to take the long spear hanging on the saddle—all in one fluid motion.

"Keep up close! Don't fall behind!"

His last syllable was swallowed up by the oncoming headwind.

In a matter of seconds, a man and an ox charged down the low slope with overwhelming momentum.

Just then, a crow flapped its wings and flew over Qingdeng's head.

It blinked its eyes and peered down curiously—a huge wedge-shaped formation of hundreds of riders was advancing rapidly and steadily.

From a distance, the light blue haori, pulled up by the headwind, are woven into bright clouds.

However, this cloud contains thunder!

……

……

"Drink ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

Sagawa Kanbei roared as he fought the enemy.

He repeatedly swung his long spear, sending one Northern soldier flying.

Matsubara Tadashi, though half a step behind, was also fighting at full speed.

Both men were brave generals with no shortage of courage. Under their leadership, the cavalrymen fought bravely and unleashed their violence.

Their spear tips and blades sliced ​​through the bodies of the northern soldiers, cutting them to pieces; their warhorses trampled over the overturned battle flags, leaving them mangled and broken.

In terms of results, the feint was very successful.

The enemy's dream was shattered. They hurriedly got out of bed, and many of them came out to fight with fear on their faces without even dressing properly.

Following Aoto's instructions, Sagawa Kanbei overturned all the lights along the way.

Firstly, it can provide lighting; secondly, it can burn flammable materials such as tents and battle flags. If you're lucky, you might even be able to replicate Lu Xun's magnificent scene of "burning eight hundred miles of camps".

Just as they were advancing with unstoppable momentum, moving swiftly and decisively through the camp—

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
A barrage of bullets suddenly swept in, and more than a dozen riders were shot and fell to the ground.

Sagawa Kanbei was very lucky; although he was at the very front of the line, he escaped being hit by bullets.

However, his warhorse was startled.

"Magnificent, magnificent, magnificent—!"

The startled horse reared up and thrashed about. Sagawa Kanbei felt as if he were not riding a horse, but rather in a small boat in a storm, and that if he loosened his grip on the reins, he would be thrown off.

The moment the gunshot rang out, many Aizu cavalrymen—including Sagawa Kanbei—changed their expressions drastically.

The recent Battle of Northern Omi was fought amidst this terrifyingly dense barrage of gunfire and artillery fire, which engulfed and destroyed the Aizu army...

Because of the humiliating and disastrous defeat, they now feel a pang of anxiety whenever they hear gunfire, and have developed a significant psychological trauma from it!
"Oh shit……!"

Sagawa Kanbei cursed under his breath, gritted his teeth, suppressed his fear, and shouted loudly:

"Don't be afraid! This gun formation isn't dense! Charge through it!"

After shouting, he set an example by squeezing his horse's belly tightly and forcibly driving his mount forward to charge!

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Another wave of bullet comments came crashing down.

As if protected by a god, he was not injured at all, even though more than a dozen bullets flew towards him.

In the blink of an eye, he had closed in on the musket formation, wielding his spear several times, tearing it apart as easily as cutting cloth.

However... before Sagawa Kanbei could even breathe a sigh of relief, he saw even more musketeers gathering.

The soldiers of the "Northern Army" have gradually recovered from the panic of the attack.

Upon discovering that the approaching cavalry was not numerous, consisting of only two or three hundred riders, their courage gradually grew, and they began to launch a counterattack.

The continuous gunfire felled one cavalryman after another.

Although Sagawa Kanbei and his men were still advancing deeper into the camp, fighting their way through, their momentum had been interrupted and their speed began to slow down.

Just as Sagawa Kanbei was secretly getting anxious—

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump...!
Suddenly, a dense sound of hooves and fierce shouts of battle came from the east side of the camp.

Upon hearing this sound, Sagawa Kanbei couldn't contain his excitement and grinned broadly.
"coming……!"

……

……

"This way! This way! Quickly, this way! The enemy is coming in strong!"

"Don't be afraid! The enemy is few in number! Only two or three hundred cavalry! As long as we remain calm and fight back, we can make sure they don't return!"

The northern soldiers on the east side of the camp hurriedly headed west.

Without any warning, a loud noise suddenly came from behind them.

Many people instinctively turned around to look—only to see a dark figure wielding a large weapon, easily tearing away the wooden fence.

Led by this samurai, countless cavalrymen, full of momentum, charged into the camp through the gap, raising their katana high and then slashing down with force!
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P.S.: Leopard's tenosynovitis seems to be recurring... His left wrist is aching slightly... (Leopard in pain.jpg)