I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1174 "The War Machine" begins to operate!
It wasn't until quite a while later that Ziyang belatedly came to his senses.

"Teacher, this, this is...!"

The surging heat had spread in all directions, and even Ziyang, who was usually calm and not prone to intense emotional fluctuations, was affected and unconsciously clenched his fists.

One of the guiding principles of the Great Salt Party is "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Not only must we protect civilians, but we must also teach them how to use weapons and how to fight back, so they will no longer be helpless prey.

To achieve this goal, countless patriots of the Great Salt Party tried every means and made many sacrifices.

However... when they looked back, they found that the common people behind them remained numb and unmoved.

This situation left many members of the Salt Party, including Ziyang, feeling bewildered.

They felt as if they were performing a play that no one was watching—no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't attract many spectators; the audience was always empty, and the few spectators who did come across as uninterested.

As a result, many patriots in the Salt Party had this idea: the people are difficult to educate, no different from animals that cannot understand human language, and are simply hopeless!

The scene that Ziyang and others sincerely hoped for was that the people would finally awaken, take up arms, and fight to destroy the Edo Shogunate and achieve "universal harmony".

Unexpectedly, the scene they had longed for for so many years was realized by Qingdeng on this day!
Although their starting point was not to "crush the Edo Shogunate" but to protect Ōtsu, the fact that they "successfully persuaded the people to rise up and fight" was indeed a feat that the Ōtsu Party patriots had been striving for for many years without success!
At this thought, Ziyang could no longer suppress the surging emotions welling up within him, and murmured repeatedly:
“Ju Qing Deng...you are truly an extraordinary man…”

After speaking, she raised her gaze and looked at the blue platform on the castle tower, her eyes filled with complex and indescribable emotions.

Ōshio Heihachirō was still scanning the square.

Gradually, a look of reminiscence appeared on his cheeks.

The people, their fighting spirit ignited... Twenty-nine years ago, on the eve of the Osaka Uprising, he had witnessed a similar scene.

However, the time and the present are fundamentally different.

The former were driven to desperation by famine and corrupt government, and unwilling to starve to death, they tried to stop the inevitable.

As for the latter... Although Ōshio Heihachirō couldn't quite put his finger on it, he could clearly sense that the people in front of him were not simply throwing caution to the wind or being incited.

Instead, they were truly moved by Qingdeng's words, shedding the invisible "shackles" in their hearts and unleashing unprecedented power!
Unbeknownst to him, he, like Ziyang beside him, was looking up at Qingdeng in the distance.

First came admiration, then excitement. Finally, his facial features relaxed, revealing a serene smile as if he had breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had let go of something.

……

……

Looking at the vast plaza where the atmosphere was growing increasingly heated and the atmosphere becoming more intense, Harada Sanosuke clicked his tongue in amazement:

"To mobilize the entire city's population to fight the enemy... this must be unprecedented and likely to remain so!"

Genzaburo Inoue frowned slightly:
"Are we really going to send ordinary people into battle...?"

Serizawa Kamo pouted:
"...I still think this is too frivolous!"

"Uncle Gen, Serizawa-kun, what makes you say that?"

Kondo Isami smiled slightly and gestured "look" towards the plaza in front of him.

"Having seen this scene, who would dare say that ordinary people cannot fight?"

Kondo Isami was born into a farming family, and even though he is now the head of the Shinsengumi, he is still looked down upon because of his background.

Therefore, after listening to Qing Deng's speech, he was undoubtedly the most moved person among the Shinsengumi's senior members.

After hearing his words, Inoue Genzaburo and Serizawa Kamo fell silent.

The fervor of 30,000 people... even if all the essence of human language were used, it would be impossible to describe the sheer awe-inspiring nature of this scene!
It is worth mentioning that the people shouting loudly right now are not only the people of Otsu. The soldiers who are listening to Aoto's speech here—whether they are from the Shinsengumi, the training corps, or the Aizu Army—are also speaking up.

The commoner members of the Shinsengumi were especially excited.

In the use of firearms, commoners and samurai are on the same starting point.

Therefore, after Qingdeng expanded the size of the Shinsengumi twice (the first and second large-scale conscriptions), a large number of civilians joined the Shinsengumi, mainly in the musketeer and artillery units.

These soldiers, all of commoner origin, were deeply moved by Aoto's speech, just like Kondo Isami.

As long as they have the determination to "fight," ordinary people are no less capable than samurai—the years they fought under the banner of sincerity have made them understand this principle more deeply than anyone else!
Saito Hajime offered a brief comment:
"Popular support is valuable!"

Toudo Heisuke said seriously:
"There's still some time before the enemy arrives. We must race against time to train these civilians, at the very least ensuring they understand the most basic instructions."

Kondo Isami chuckled to himself:
"We're going to be very busy now."

……

……

On the castle tower, Qing Deng slowly surveyed the entire scene with a gaze devoid of joy or sorrow.

He appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was far from at peace.

To be honest, he felt a sense of unreality; his legs felt weak, as if he were walking on soft clouds.

For such an important speech, he naturally prepared a draft.

However, halfway through his speech—when he said, “But are you really incapable of fighting?”—he seemed to have a sudden inspiration and forgot the draft in his mind.

From this point onward, everything he said was an impromptu utterance based on his intuition and inner feelings!

He didn't even know what he was saying. His mind seemed to have crashed, and his lips, tongue, and vocal cords seemed to have gained their own consciousness, uncontrollably uttering words.

After uttering the last word, surrounded by earth-shattering shouts, and seeing rows of proud, upright figures before his eyes, he finally awoke as if from a dream.

"...Tachibana-kun, so this is your ambition."

Suddenly, Aoto heard Yamanami Keisuke's voice.

He turned his head and saw Yamanami Keisuke standing by the window, looking at him with a half-smile.

"That's right, that's my ambition."

Keisuke Yamanami heard the calm yet firm reply and saw a faint smile.

"Your ambition is not limited to the five capitals, seven provinces, and sixty-six kingdoms, but rather to bring a good life to the people of the seven continents and four oceans... Your ambition is quite grand."

"Life is long anyway, and the grander the ambition, the better it is for us to pass the time. Isn't that right?"

Yamanami Keisuke chuckled lightly, as if to amuse him.

"...King Tachibana, I once seriously considered a question: Could the lord I follow be a mediocre person without any ambition?"

"I'm not just spouting nonsense."

"Your behavior once disappointed me quite a bit."

He married a bunch of beautiful women and exuded an aura of "seeking land and houses," showing no heroic spirit of "aspiring to rule the world" or benevolent demeanor of "saving the world and bringing peace to the people."

"Although I am a samurai with a sword at my waist, I am ultimately a Confucian scholar who takes it upon himself to cultivate himself, manage his family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world."

“I would rather die than follow a mediocre person.” “So, I almost… I really almost left the Shinsengumi.”

"Even if I am caught and executed by you for violating Article 2 of the Shinsengumi Law, I will not hesitate."

[Note: Article 2 of the Shinsengumi Law: No one may leave the organization without authorization; violators will be beheaded.]

"Fortunately, I changed my mind in time and did not leave the Shinsengumi."

"Fortunately, this day has come... the day when I heard my lord speak of his great ambitions."

Yamanami Keisuke paused here.

Immediately afterwards, a resolute look gradually appeared in his eyes as he met Qingdeng's gaze.

"Ju-kun, if you can always stay true to yourself and never change your mind, then I will always be by your side and help you overcome all obstacles!"

Qingdeng cast a helpless glance at him, clearly annoyed.
"Don't say such weird and disgusting things, you're giving me goosebumps."

Yamanami Keisuke smiled and shrugged.

"In short, congratulations. You have successfully transformed the people of Otsu into highly motivated warriors."

Qingdeng gently shook his head:
"No, congratulations to us, congratulations to everyone in Otsu—now we have the strength to defend Otsu!"

As he spoke, he turned his gaze again, scanning the vast crowd in the square once more.

This time, there was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Jingzhu, you will personally supervise the selection of people who know martial arts and those who know nothing about martial arts. Divide the people into small groups of thirty people each..."

Qing Deng switched back to a serious tone and quickly but methodically issued each order.

Yamanami Keisuke nodded vigorously, his tone rising:
"understand!"

……

……

"The enemy will arrive soon! We can't afford to waste a moment! Run!"

"Those who have received their protective gear, go to your left! Your left hand is the hand you use to hold your bowl when you eat! Someone will teach you how to put on the armor!"

"Those in armor, run forward! Run forward!"

"Who knows martial arts? Swordsmanship, spearmanship, archery, naginata techniques, anything! Anyone who knows martial arts, step forward!"

"Women, please come this way! We have many tasks: cooking, caring for the wounded, moving supplies... We will be very busy after the war starts, so please be mentally prepared!"

"Elderly people and children, please come this way! Line up properly and don't crowd!"

"Look closely, this is a sling! It's very easy to use! Even the elderly and weak who lack strength can use it easily!"

"Remember my face! From this moment on, I am your group leader!"

……

Looking around, the city of Dajin was in a state of chaos, and it was hard to find a single person who was idle.

The night raid by the Shinsengumi cavalry would have somewhat slowed the advance of the Northern Expeditionary Army and the British army, giving the people of Otsu more time to prepare for battle—though the time left for them was still limited.

There is absolutely no time to lose! Not a single second can be wasted!
Under the direction of Aoto, Yamanami Keisuke, and others, the people of Otsu dispersed into streams and headed towards various areas.

Or to collect equipment.

Or they can line up in groups.

Or they could learn how to use weapons such as spears and slings.

Before the "Southern Army" attacked, with a simple and cautious attitude, Qing Deng spared no effort to accumulate money, food and equipment - in which the domains of Oshu provided great assistance.

Allies are meant to be used; there's no reason to form an alliance and then not make use of it.
Therefore, Qing Deng unceremoniously demanded money, food, and equipment from the various domains of Oshu.

Although the military strength of the Oshu domains was weak, they were more than capable of receiving material support.

Thanks to this, Ōtsu's treasury is very rich! It stores enough equipment to arm three or four new squads, so it is fully available for the use of the Ōtsu people!

In addition, the merchants of Otsu contributed significantly. They generously donated money and supplies to aid the war effort.

In particular, the owners of major pawnshops donated quite a few fine knives.

As is well known, with the increasing number of impoverished samurai, more and more swords were being sold in pawnshops.

So pawnshop owners lack everything except good knives.

Qingdeng personally thanked the merchants who had generously donated money and solemnly said, "I will never forget your contributions!"

Upon hearing this, the merchants were greatly encouraged.

For them, "to make Niou remember them" is far more valuable than a mere amount of money!
And so, one by one, the "small gears" turned rapidly, driving the "war machine" to run at breakneck speed!

The once somewhat lifeless city of Otsu, lacking troops, is now bursting with intense heat and soaring fighting spirit!
It is worth mentioning that some people have begun to back down.

As Heihachiro Ooshio had said beforehand: When the initial passion cools down, someone will always back down.

However, while some people were considering giving up, many more forged ahead!

……

……

"Hmm? Husband, what are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for my knife."

"A knife? Husband, where did you get a knife?"

"A year ago, a ronin came to our shop and ate and drank extravagantly. Unable to pay, he pawned me his nameless sword. Oh! Found it! Here it is! Tsk... the blade's dull... needs sharpening..."

"You...you...husband, you're not going to join the war, are you?"

"Of course!"

"No! You can't go! People die in war! What will I do if you die?"

"When you were listening to Lord Niou's speech just now, weren't you also shouting 'I want to join the war'? How come you're now advising me to back down?"

"I...I was just impulsive! A weak woman like me is no match for fighting! Lord Renwang didn't force everyone to go into battle, so you should withdraw too! This isn't called backing down! This is called acting within your capabilities!"

"No! I must join the war!"

"Husband, are you crazy! You're so skinny, you've hardly ever even touched a knife in your life. Even if you join the battle, what use will you be? To put it bluntly, you'll probably be hacked to death by the enemy the moment you see them!"

"Whether I can fight is a matter of my ability, whether I'm willing to go into battle is a matter of my attitude! These two things shouldn't be confused! In any case, I'm determined to fight this battle! Don't try to persuade me anymore!"

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