I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1175 Ogata Itsuki, Begin the Operation!
Trying to persuade relatives and friends to withdraw from the fight with earnest words, only to be met with a firm refusal... This is not an isolated case, but rather a widespread occurrence throughout the city!

……

"Mother, please stop! This battle concerns the survival of Qin Jin; how can I stand idly by?"

……

"Without Lord Niou, there would be no Otsu today! Without Otsu today, my family's restaurant would have closed down long ago due to poor business! Even if it's just to repay Lord Niou's kindness, I cannot back down!"

……

"With so many strong people joining the fray, we don't need you!"

"That's right, we don't need you! But if everyone else is bravely stepping forward while I shrink back and fight back, I'll definitely regret it in the future!"

……

Those who earnestly offer advice are mostly mothers or wives.

This is only natural, after all, "mother" and "wife" are the opposites of "adventure".

They naturally did not want to be separated from their important sons, nor did they want to see their beloved husbands rushing off to the perilous battlefield.

However, no matter how much they talked, their sons and husbands remained unmoved and refuted them firmly—almost without exception!
Although they were ordinary people, their fighting spirit was so high that it would make even the most valiant warriors feel ashamed!

This shows that they did not choose to take up arms on a whim, but were genuinely moved by Qingdeng's words and spontaneously threw themselves into the battlefield!

Their impassioned speeches left those who were trying to persuade them to lay down their weapons speechless, blushing, or heartbroken.

Of course, Qingdeng did not think that this would solve everything.

A moving and excellent speech can indeed mobilize the people.

However, to maintain morale and fighting spirit over a long period of time, substantial material rewards are essential.

So, Aoto summoned Iwasaki Yataro and gave him a simple and straightforward order: take all the money from the national treasury!

Every soldier who volunteered to fight received a substantial reward.

If one is unfortunately killed in action, one will receive a generous pension in one go—enough to support a family of seven for thirty years, truly deserving the description "generous"!

The officers and soldiers of the Shinsengumi, the training corps, and the Aizu army also received generous bonuses as resettlement allowances.

Moreover, Qingdeng made a solemn promise: once the war begins, all those who make meritorious contributions will be rewarded, and no meritorious official will be treated unfairly.

Without a doubt, this is an astronomical expenditure.

Upon hearing Aoto's order, Iwasaki Yataro immediately gave a wry smile and said:
"My lord, if this happens, our national treasury will be completely empty."

Qing Deng waved his hand boldly, and without hesitation said seriously:

"What's there to be afraid of? If it's empty, it's empty!"

"If we lose this battle, all the treasures in Otsu Castle will become the enemy's spoils of war."

"Rather than let the enemy benefit, it's better to spend it all first!"

Yataro Iwasaki was well aware of the implications; his earlier remarks were merely a joke.

Since taking charge of the finances of Hatazu, Yataro Iwasaki has always been known for his decisive image of "daring to spend money".

He once said something like this: "Money" only becomes "money" when it is spent. Otherwise, it is just a pile of paper and metal.

Therefore, he gladly accepted the order and immediately went to carry it out.

Thus, with the material incentives provided by Qingdeng, the morale of the soldiers throughout the city soared to new heights.

Even those who had initially given up were drawn by the huge sum of money and, after much deliberation, returned to the fight.

After completely emptying the warehouses in Otsu Castle, Aoto specifically asked Iwasaki Yataro to open the doors of all the empty warehouses so that everyone passing by could clearly see the empty scene inside.

In this way, it subtly tells everyone: "Lord Ren-ou has held nothing back! He has truly given his all!" This further boosts morale and strengthens team cohesion.

More than 20,000 troops were added overnight... and the most basic command structure had to be set up in this new army within one or two days... just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle.

For this reason, Aoto also had people skilled in management such as Keisuke Yamanami, Yataro Iwasaki, Elodie, and Heisuke Todo, all of whom gave their all!

"Racing against time," "So busy they barely have time to breathe"... these words are insufficient to describe the intensity of their work.

Yataro Iwasaki was in charge of allocating warehouse space.

Elodie was in charge of coordinating the funds.

Heisuke Todo was in charge of distributing the equipment.

Yamanami Keisuke was responsible for dividing the new army into small groups, and then selecting experienced soldiers from each unit to serve as group leaders.

The enemy will arrive soon, leaving no time for training.

To enable the new army to acquire a certain level of combat capability in a short period of time, the only option is to adopt the traditional "old soldiers mentoring new soldiers" approach.

The squad leaders selected from various units are equivalent to valuable junior non-commissioned officers.

Having them lead the various groups in combat would at least teach the group members when to evade and when to attack.

It is worth mentioning that Ziyang volunteered to approach Qingdeng and said loudly:

"Mr. Tachibana, please let me help! I can handle any behind-the-scenes work!"

As the head of intelligence for the Great Salt Party, she must be skilled in management—taking this into account, Aoto gladly accepted her self-recommendation and asked her to assist Yamanami Keisuke.

Sure enough, she is indeed very good at management-related matters.

With her full assistance, Yamanami Keisuke's pressure was greatly reduced.

Yamanami Keisuke, Shiyo, and others were far inferior to Seiden.

Without the order and organizational structure that an army should have, the soldiers and civilians who have been mobilized with great difficulty are just a chaotic bunch of fighting sheep who only know how to charge around recklessly.

Sending fighting rams into battle won't defeat the enemy.

Whenever they thought of this, Yamanami Keisuke, Shiyo, and the others dared not slack off, completely forgetting their hunger, thirst, and fatigue.

However, even with such a desperate effort, it was still impossible to cope with the overwhelming workload... Fortunately, Qingdeng was there.

Qingdeng's talents, such as "Divine Brain +11" and "Primordial Yang +20", are fully activated! He works non-stop with almost no rest, his brain is burning hot, and he is in charge of more than a dozen tasks at once.

The common saying "a day filled with a myriad of tasks" is an exaggeration—but when applied to Qingdeng at present, it is a realistic description!
It's no exaggeration to say that without Aoto's presence in the center, Yamanami Keisuke and the others would have been absolutely unable to handle this terrifying workload.

Despite the arduous process, the arming and deployment of the new army were finally completed in an orderly manner!
At this moment, the city of Otsu is filled with a vibrant and bustling scene.

From the main fortress to the city walls, from inside the city to outside, figures could be seen everywhere busy preparing for war.

The entire city is united in purpose and purpose.

We await the arrival of the enemy and will fight to the death!
……

……

Osaka, the headquarters of the Karst House, a certain room—

The Ogata couple, Kinoshita Rin, and Mr. Kiryu sat in a triangle, taking turns reading a letter.

The last person to finish reading the letter, Mr. Kiryu, let out a long sigh as he folded it, revealing a strange expression that was neither a smile nor a frown.

"The entire city's inhabitants are all clad in armor... Lord Tachibana always manages to do such astonishing things..."

After saying that, his facial expression subtly changed—a hint of pride appeared on his cheeks.

Recently, with the sudden change in the battlefield situation, Otsu, which was originally in the safe rear, has become the front line of the battlefield, and Ogata and others have been paying close attention to the movements of Otsu.

Therefore, Osaka quickly received news that "Aoto has launched a general mobilization, calling on all citizens to take up arms."

As soon as Kiryu finished speaking, Kinoshita Rin added softly, "In the whole world, only Tachibana-kun could do something like this."

She wasn't flattering anyone; it was a heartfelt expression of emotion.

Even if it were Tokugawa Iemochi or Prince Kazu, they could not have replicated such a feat.

While they held prestigious positions, neither the Shogun nor the Emperor were as distant as the people of Ōtsu.

There are many who cannot distinguish between the general and the emperor, and even mistakenly believe that the emperor is the general's man.

Only Aoto, who enjoys a high reputation in Otsu, could have accomplished such a great feat!
Suddenly, Atachi interjected:
"That being said, we still can't let our guard down."

As she spoke, she slightly furrowed her brows:

"Mobilizing civilians to fight, while filling the gaps in manpower, ultimately limits the fighting capacity of the people. Whether we can hold Dajin remains to be seen..."

Kinoshita Rin and Kiryu's boss did not respond.

However, just by looking at their somber expressions, it was clear that they strongly agreed with Atachi's assessment.

After a moment's thought, the Kiryu boss turned to Kinoshita Rin and said in a righteous and solemn tone:
"My lord, it's time. Let's send reinforcements to Otsu!"

After hearing this, Kinoshita Rin appeared to be deep in thought.

To guard against the elusive Fazhu Party and to protect the family that Qingdeng entrusted to the Hulu House, Kinoshita Rin retained her private soldiers as a reserve force for any eventuality.

The Huluwu and Qinjin are allies. Qingdeng is the apprentice of the Kiryu boss and the grandson-in-law of Kinoshita Rin. Now that Qingdeng is in trouble, the Huluwu cannot stand idly by, both for public and private reasons!
In this respect, Kiryu's determination is the same as Kinoshita Rin's.

Therefore, Kinoshita Rin didn't think for long before nodding:

"All right……"

At this moment, Ogata, who had been silent since earlier, suddenly spoke up, interrupting:
"Slow down."

His sudden remark caused everyone present to turn and look at him.

Meeting their gazes, Ogata slowly said:
“Miss Lin, although your private soldiers are all fierce warriors who can take on ten men each, there are only a little over a hundred of them in total. Such a small force is just a drop in the ocean when deployed to such a large battlefield.”

Kiryu's boss said seriously:
"Even if it's just a drop in the ocean, this is the only way we can do it!"

Ogata shrugged and smiled helplessly.
"Kuro, calm down a bit. If we want to support Tachibana-kun, we can use other methods."

As Ogata spoke, he took the letter back from Kiryu's hand and read it again, focusing on the specific details of "Seido mobilizing the entire city's people."

"Ju-kun's actions have reminded me—we can help Ju-kun get reinforcements."

Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Rin, Kiryu the Boss, and Atachi were all stunned.

Atachi asked subconsciously:

"Reinforcements? Where are the reinforcements coming from? Are there any troops currently available to help Tachibana-kun?"

"Of course there are, and the scale of these reinforcements is not small."

Having said that, Ogata grabbed the sword beside his leg and quickly stood up.

"Time is of the essence, let's get going."

Upon hearing this, the Kiryu boss was taken aback again:
"Setting off? Ogata-kun, where are you going?"

"Of course, we should go to the place where we can bring reinforcements to Tachibana-kun."

Kinoshita Rin belatedly remembered something and said, half-jokingly:

“Ogata-kun, if I remember correctly, you seemed to have said that ‘I have already retired and do not want to interfere in the affairs of the world anymore.’”

Ogata spread his hands, striking a pose of "a gentleman's open and honesty":
“I have indeed retired, and I have indeed said that I will no longer interfere in world affairs—but people always break their promises on a whim. And I often do so.”

He paused for a moment, then added with a smile:
"What Tachibana-kun said when he was mobilizing the people of Otsu really touched me."

"I have been a wanderer all my life, and my only wish is to protect the people around me."

“I often feel admiration for people with big dreams, which makes me want to help them.”

At this point, he slowly relaxed the corners of his mouth, revealing a calm smile, and turned his head to look in the direction of Otsu.

"Although I don't want to interfere in Tachibana-kun's life, it would be such a pity if he died young."

After saying that, Ogata turned around and walked straight out of the room.

"A-Machi, Miss Lin, Kuro, come with me quickly, I need your help."

Atachi was the first to react and followed:

"Ah Yi, where exactly are we going?"

"Let's go to a place where we can bring reinforcements to Tachibana-kun."

"So where exactly is it?!"

The couple's footsteps and Atachi's frantic shouts gradually faded into the distance.

Kinoshita Rin and Kiryu exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting with a mixture of emotion and a hint of amusement.

The Kiryu boss said softly:
"Working alongside Ogata-kun... I really miss it."

Kinoshita Rin smiled:
"It feels like I've gone back to my youth."

During the conversation, the two quickly grabbed their respective swords, donned their armor, and hurried to catch up with Ogata, walking alongside him.

……

……

The next day, in the morning—

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Dajin City——

Banners fluttered in the wind on the city walls.

Countless guards stared intently at every inch of land outside the city, their faces tense.

"The enemy will arrive soon!" "We must not let our guard down!" "Report any unusual activity immediately!"...

With repeated emphasis from their superiors, the above-mentioned ideas have been imprinted in their minds like a "steel stamp," keeping them on edge and not daring to blink, not letting any slightest movement slip by.

Suddenly, someone squinted, tilted their head forward, and carefully observed a certain place outside the city, as if they had discovered something.

Immediately afterwards, his face changed color, and he began to scream in terror:
"It's the enemy! We see their flags! The enemy is coming!"

In an instant, the remaining guards around them were on high alert and looked in the direction of the sound—a shadow was faintly visible on the horizon north of the city.

In the blink of an eye, the shadow gradually solidified, revealing its true form.

It is a military flag.

A military flag embroidered with a three-leaf clover!
Beneath the military flag, a group of blond-haired, blue-eyed, high-browed, deep-set Westerners marched with resounding steps, crossing the horizon and entering the guards' field of vision!

……

……

Upon receiving the news, Kondo Isami was the first to arrive at the city wall.

"telescope!"

Kondo Isami eagerly asked for the binoculars and looked north.

When those faces with high eyebrows and deep-set eyes came into view, he gritted his teeth and forced out a low growl:
"They've finally arrived...!"

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