I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1173 The Awakened People! The people of Otsu, join the war!
At the same time, in another direction, in another corner of the square, Sanako, Mai, Souji, Elodie, Tenshōin, and the Empress and Miyako...

After the Southern Army attacked, the Prince and Tenshōin stayed in Ōtsu.

Although Tenshōin strongly expressed her willingness to go to the battlefield, Aoto rejected her request to join the fight, considering her poor physical condition and lack of combat experience, and only allowed her to stay in Ōtsu with Kazumiya.

After Otsu was in dire need, Yamanami Keisuke and others suggested that Tenshōin and Kazuya should "flee to the east" to seek refuge in the Kanto region.

This mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are of noble status—especially the current Empress—and are not combatants, so it is reasonable to keep them away from the dangerous battlefield.

However, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both refused to agree to the proposal.

The strong-willed Tenshōin goes without saying. The reply from Prince Kazu was very simple:
"If it were Jia Mao, he would never abandon the people and flee!"

And so they stayed, standing with Qingdeng through thick and thin.

Thanks to their special relationship with Qingdeng, the women learned in advance the purpose of Qingdeng's speech and the incredibly heavy mission he carried...

The success or failure of this speech will determine the survival of Otsu, and even the fate of the world and the course of history... Thinking of this, they couldn't help but feel their throats dry and their palms sweating.

They weren't the only ones like this—Yamaminami Keisuke, who was waiting quietly behind Aoto on the castle tower, was also so nervous that his face turned pale.

The high-ranking members of the Ōshio Party, led by Ōshio Heihachirō, the high-ranking members of the Shinsengumi, led by Kondo Isami, the women led by Sanako, and countless civilians in the square... different groups gazed at the lonely figure on the castle tower with completely different eyes.

In contrast, this figure—Qing Deng, who led the speech—was remarkably calm.

As soon as Qingdeng appeared, the 30,000 people knelt down one after another as if waking from a dream.

Under normal circumstances, Qingdeng would have immediately said, "Get up quickly."

However, this time he did not do so, leaving the people kneeling and continuing his speech.

After a brief opening remark, Qingdeng's tone suddenly changed:

"People of Otsu, please listen carefully to what I have to say."

"As you all know, a powerful enemy force, as fierce as wolves and tigers, is approaching Otsu!"

"Otsu, which once symbolized 'peace' and 'tranquility,' has now become the front line of war."

"I know you are very concerned about whether Otsu has fallen."

"Therefore, I will now give you a definitive conclusion—with our current fighting strength, it is extremely difficult to hold Dajin!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the square!
The 30,000 soldiers and civilians who had been so well-behaved just moments before suddenly began to scream in alarm.

"Hey! You're talking on the other end! You're not mistaken, are you?!"

"Is the enemy so powerful? Even the Shinsengumi are no match for them?"

"Is Qin Jin really doomed...?"

"So, what should we do?"

In an instant, an atmosphere of terror spread rapidly.

Kondo Isami, Saito Hajime, and the others looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

A-Wu tugged at Sanako's sleeve, asking with a mixture of unease and confusion:
"Why did Qingdeng say these things? How can he turn the people into strong warriors if he does this? Isn't he just making them more afraid?"

"..."

Sanako pursed her lips and did not respond—because she did not understand Qing Deng's intentions either.

Ōshio Heihachirō frowned, his already unpleasant expression becoming even more gloomy.

Qing Deng's expression remained unchanged, as if he had "expected this all along," and he continued calmly:
"Dajin is the heart of Qinjin; if Dajin falls, Qinjin will perish."

"Qinjin... this vassal state that I created with my own hands, is where my ambition resides."

Upon hearing the word "ambition," everyone, from the women who shared a bed with Aoto to Kondo Isami, who was like a brother to Aoto, was stunned.

Strangely enough... despite their deep friendship with Qingdeng, in their perception, Qingdeng seemed to have no long-term plans and always took things one step at a time.

When we are of one mind, we will work hard to catch the thief.

When he served as the Commander of the Capital Region, he worked diligently to protect the capital region.

When he was the lord of Qinjin, he worked hard to build up the vassal state.

It's impossible to tell that he has any "ambitions".

Before they could recover from their confusion, Qingdeng's next words turned their "confusion" into "astonishment".

“For a long time, many people have asked me the same question: As the ‘King of Benevolence’, what kind of world do you want?”

Ōshio Heihachirō and Yamanami Keisuke's expressions turned strange—because they were the ones who had asked Aoto that question.

Suddenly, before Qingdeng began his speech, the occasional breeze stopped.

With less wind interference, Qingdeng's voice traveled farther and clearer, allowing more people to hear it.

"Six years ago, during the time I worked at the Edo Hokuban-sho, the scene I saw most often was 'blood' and 'tears'."

"The poor who struggle to make ends meet even though they work from dawn till dusk."

"Families of patients gathered in front of the Koishikawa Health Center, hoping to obtain a bundle of medicinal herbs but unable to do so."

“A bunch of madmen who use the name of ‘divine punishment’ to carry out ‘slaughter’.”

“The powerful and wealthy who shut themselves in to indulge in pleasure and turn a deaf ear to the suffering of the common people.”

"The above examples are too numerous to list."

“When these tragic scenes came into view, I felt a strong ‘impulse’ welling up inside me time and time again.”

“I understand the true nature of this ‘impulse’—it’s an urgent drive to do something, to change something!”

"However, I did not face this 'impulse'... or rather, I deliberately ignored this 'impulse'."

"At that time, I was too weak, and even if I wanted to make great achievements, I was powerless to do so."

"But now, I am the lord of Hatazu, possessing hundreds of thousands of koku of fiefdom! I am the Minister of the Left, commanding half of Japan! I am the King of Benevolence, who commands both our enemies and our people!"

"At some point one day, I suddenly realized that my long-dormant dream was no longer an unattainable luxury!"

"I want to eradicate injustice!"

"I want to eradicate poverty!"

"I want to end the war!"

"I will make the powerful and wealthy dare not act recklessly!"

"This is the world I envision!"

"This is the world I've always wanted!"

"This is my ambition!"

"The 'world' in my eyes is not limited to the five capitals, seven circuits, and sixty-six kingdoms, but to the seven continents and four oceans!"

"The moment I clarified my aspirations, I made up my mind: I will take Qinjin as the starting point and make every inch of land under heaven a peaceful and tranquil paradise!"

"I will fight with all my might for true 'harmony in diversity and universal harmony'—until I die!"

"Therefore, I will never allow Dajin to fall! I will never allow Qinjin to perish!"

"If I can't even hold onto Dajin, what power do I have to liberate other territories?"

"If I can't even defend the peace of Qinjin, what face do I have to talk about my aspirations?"

"Even if it costs me my life, I will protect Otsu!"

"However... the enemy army that is about to besiege the city is far too powerful! It is a formidable foe that I may not be able to defeat even if I use all my strength and risk my life!"

"Just this morning, I heard a very accurate comment: A country cannot be defended with just a knife."

As Qingdeng spoke, he turned his gaze, scanning the sea of ​​people below, searching for the private school lecturer he had parted ways with not long ago.

As luck would have it, thanks to his excellent eyesight and memory, Qingdeng actually found the other person in the vast crowd—somewhere in the square not far from him, the middle-aged man (the private tutor) was staring wide-eyed in surprise.

When Qingdeng looked at him, he stared blankly at Qingdeng, and the two looked at each other from a distance.

"That's a really good point."

Even someone as powerful as 'Nioh' will one day be powerless!

"However, with your assistance, we can withstand the enemy's invasion and defend Dajin!" Hearing this, even the most foolish person would understand what Qingdeng meant.

In a matter of seconds, countless civilians in the square looked at each other, their faces filled with panic.

The uproar, which had just subsided, erupted again.

"Go...go into battle? Us?"

"The only weapon I've ever wielded in my life is a tattered dagger! I know absolutely nothing about fighting!"

"I...I don't want to...! I don't want to die!"

After a brief period of confusion, someone swallowed hard and, mustering their courage, asked loudly:

"We've never even touched a knife, how can we fight?!"

This question expressed the sentiments of almost all the civilians present.

They stopped talking, suppressing their panic, and looked at the blue peak on the castle tower with a mixture of bewilderment and sorrow.

“I know that most of you here are ordinary people who have never handled a knife or gun and have never received any training.”

"I know it's terrifying to fight against a formidable enemy without any training."

Qing Deng's expression remained unchanged, but his tone gradually became more impassioned.

"But are you really incapable of fighting?"

"When the jackal shows its claws and teeth, you want to put your hands together and pray to God!"

"When evil and wickedness run rampant, you want to kneel down and beg for mercy!"

"With hands clasped together, how do you grip a weapon?"

"With both knees on the ground, how can we rise up to fight the enemy?"

"'Impossible,' 'I can't fight,' 'Escape is the priority,' 'Quickly pray to God'... These thoughts are like shackles, binding your hearts! For thousands of years, it has always been like this!"

The expressions of the thousands of people in the square gradually changed.

The bewilderment and worry on their faces slowly faded, and their eyes stared intently at Qingdeng.

The same was true of Heihachiro Oshio, Sanako, Isami Kondo, and others; they focused all their attention on their eyes and ears, forgetting everything else.

"Open your eyes and look carefully!"

"The 'King of Benevolence' whom you revere as a god does not possess the 'divinity' you rely on!"

"Even if they pray to me, they cannot make the enemy retreat!"

"There is a limit to how much I can do alone!"

"I can tell you very clearly now: I can't protect you! The Shinsengumi can't protect you!"

"May I ask what your plans are now?"

"Are we to kneel on the ground as always?"

"Should we continue to pray to God as always?"

"Should we stand up, take up arms, and face the formidable enemy head-on?"

"Indeed, you do not have steel knives at your waists that can cut through iron like mud."

"But the moment you break free of the 'shackles' in your hearts and rise to fight, you will possess an invisible 'blade' of extraordinary power!"

"Indeed, a single sword is no match for defending a nation!"

"But if we had tens of thousands of 'knives' or hundreds of millions of 'knives,' we could not only protect a country or a region, but also change the world!"

"Let this battle be one that transforms you!"

"Years later, when I travel the world in pursuit of my ideals, working for the well-being of all nations and peoples and fighting against tyranny, I hope I can proudly tell them: I once held the most powerful force in the world in Otsu."

"And this power comes from a group of awakened, courageous civilians!"

"With their help, I defeated an invincible enemy! I protected Otsu, which was otherwise impossible to protect! I made history! I created a miracle!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to create this miracle together with you!"

"Gentlemen, I want to fight alongside you!"

In an instant… at the very moment Qingdeng finished speaking, a young man—the same young man Qingdeng had met by chance at the teahouse that morning—was the first to stand up:
"Lord Niou! I am Ryutaro Umakoshi! I am ready to fight alongside you!"

Immediately afterwards, a second person appeared standing:
"I am Nito Kojiro! Lord Niou, I am willing to fight alongside you!"

The third person standing was a young woman.
"I've learned a little naginata technique! Please let me join the battle!"

The fourth person was not to be outdone:
"I will absolutely not let the bandits take Otsu!"

In the blink of an eye, it was like toppling dominoes, and a huge "chain reaction" unfolded rapidly!

"I'm not old yet! I can still wield a knife! I can still fight!"

"I want to fight too!"

"Me too!"

"What are you waiting for? Are you going to keep kneeling? Stand up!"

"We've always been protected by Lord Niou! Today it's our turn to protect Lord Niou!"

……

Everything was exactly as Qingdeng had witnessed in that teahouse this morning.

However, this time the scale was enormous! The scene was incredibly breathtaking!

More and more people are standing up!
More and more people are raising their fists!
With the added bonus of the talent "failed art student +6", everyone who could hear Qing Deng's voice was deeply moved and became excited!

[Note: The art student who failed the college entrance exam: His speech was very inspiring]

However, those who were farther away from Qingdeng and could only hear the relays from the messengers were equally excited!

Because what Qingdeng said deeply shook their hearts!
Should we continue kneeling on the ground, or stand up without hesitation?
For many present, in the midst of such intense emotions, this question was no longer worth considering.

At first, only a single person stood up.

Then, people in the hundreds stood up.

Then people stood up one after another!

In the end, not a single person could be found still kneeling on the ground in the vast square.

Looking up, the crowds, stretching as far as the eye can see, stand tall and proud, their shouts like a torrent shaking the heavens and the earth!
At this moment, Qingdeng's accumulated popularity paid off.

At this moment, all of Qingdeng's efforts paid off!
Looking at the square dominated by unprecedented heat, A-Mai's face flushed with excitement, and she subconsciously hugged Sanako beside her.

She was so excited that she couldn't say a word and could only keep shaking Sanako's right arm.

Souji and Elodie did the same thing—they each grabbed Sanako's left arm and shoulders, swaying and rocking like Mai.

Poor Sanako, not only was she "covered" with women again, but she was also shaken so badly that her vision blurred and her head spun.

Normally, she would have already angrily shaken them off.

However, at this moment, she was equally excited and generously chose to be tolerant, sharing this passion with them.

"Qingdao has been successfully climbed!"

Sanako cheered and opened her arms wide, pulling all the women—including Tenshōin and Kazumiya—into her embrace and holding them tightly.

At the same time, Ōshio Heihachirō stared blankly across the square.

Ziyang was another person who wore the same expression.

They looked as if they had witnessed something incredible and couldn't believe their eyes.

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P.S.: Niou, who always helps others, has also received help from others today.

(End of this chapter)