I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1180 The Collapse of Dajin City! The Red Shirts Attack!

That night--

North of Otsu Castle, the main camp of the Northern Expeditionary Army and the British Army—

Tokugawa Yoshinobu and Howell sat side by side on the head seat.

The officers of the Northern Expeditionary Army and the British Army were seated below according to their seating order, with the former on the right and the latter on the left.

Although Tokugawa Yoshinobu was only the nominal supreme commander of the "Northern Shogunate Army," he was still able to play the role of "army commander-in-chief" when he needed to show his authority.

He stood tall and looked around the scene with unhurried ease.

"Is everyone here?"

Someone answered:

"Everyone's here!"

Tokugawa Yoshinobu nodded slightly, then, as if remembering something, turned to look at the old woman not far away:

"Tamamo-no-Mae, are Yamata no Orochi and Ōtakemaru not here?"

Tamamo spoke softly, expressionless:
"Lord Orochi's condition has worsened again, and Ōtakemaru is taking care of him."

The person next to him frowned:
"He didn't come again? What's that Yamata no Orochi up to? He said he was coming to help in the battle, but he hasn't even shown his face a few times! Since he's already terminally ill, he should go get treatment! Don't stay here and cause us trouble!"

Tamamo-no-Mae glanced at the other person with a detached expression, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"...That's wonderful."

The other party was stunned.

"Huh? What's so great?"

Tamamo-no-Mae wore a mocking expression:
"It's so good that Ōtakemaru isn't here."

"Although he is deaf, he is very sensitive to emotions and can keenly perceive changes in the emotions of others—especially the malice emanating from them."

"If he finds out that you spoke disrespectfully to Lord Orochi... you won't be able to get out of bed for a very long time to come."

The other person clearly has a bad temper.

Upon hearing this, he immediately raised his eyebrows, feigning anger.

He opened his mouth, a sharp and piercing retort brewing in his throat.

However, just as he was about to speak, he suddenly stopped and shut his mouth.

The reason for this was not that he was at a loss for words, but rather that he suddenly recalled the day when "the Party came to punish the law"...

At that time, Orochi, accompanied by Ootakemaru, suddenly appeared at Fukui Castle and went directly to Tokugawa Yoshinobu, saying that he wanted to assist the "Northern Shogunate Army" as a guest force.

[Note: Fukui Castle: the feudal hall of Fukui Domain. 】

Tokugawa Yoshinobu and others found this utterly baffling.

If you want to be a guest soldier, you at least have to be a "soldier" yourself, right?

As far as they knew, the French Extermination Party had suffered heavy losses after the previous Edo War, and its painstakingly built "Slavic Legion" had been completely wiped out.

They only brought a young swordsman and claimed they wanted to be the guest troops... This is utterly ridiculous.

So Tokugawa Yoshinobu asked him directly:

"Lord Orochi, what kind of assistance can you provide? Money? An army?"

Orochi smiled slightly:
"I brought an army of 100,000 with me."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

Even during the Warring States period, few feudal lords could muster an army of 100,000!
How could a secret society possess such a large military force?
Everyone hurriedly asked, "Where is the 100,000-strong army?"

Orochi's smile widened, and he pointed to Ootengu behind him:

"He alone can rival an army of 100,000."

Instantly, Tokugawa Yoshinobu and the others froze on the spot, looking like they were saying, "Are you kidding us?"

Orochi had anticipated this reaction from the crowd, so he calmly gave a wink to Ōtakemaru behind him.

Then, Ōtakemaru, carrying a bamboo sword, strode towards Tokugawa Yoshinobu and the others...

What happened next is self-explanatory.

In short, from then on, Tokugawa Yoshinobu and others gladly accepted the assistance of the Fa-ju-dō (Buddhist Extermination Party) and would not... or rather, dared not object to it again.

"Enough of the small talk, let's get down to business tonight."

Tokugawa Yoshinobu suddenly interrupted, cutting off the argument.

"Everyone did a great job in today's battle..."

Before he could finish speaking, an officer from the Northern Army shouted excitedly:
"General! The British army fired their cannons without warning when our army was attacking the city, causing numerous friendly fire incidents! They must give us a reasonable explanation!"

With this man leading the way, the other officers of the "Northern Army" followed suit:

"That's right!"

We demand an explanation!

"My fellow countryman and friend was wounded by British artillery fire!"

Seeing the indignant crowd of generals, Tokugawa Yoshinobu twitched his lips, revealing a troubled expression.

Before he could speak, Howell spoke first.

Sitting to the side and slightly behind Howell, Sadao faithfully fulfilled his duties as translator.

He translated the demands of the Northern Army generals to the British officers present in detail.

Howell shrugged and put on an innocent expression after hearing this.

"You've misunderstood. We were covering your soldiers."

"Using artillery to cover infantry charges is a very common army tactic."

"The results are quite remarkable, aren't they?"

"Many enemy soldiers were wounded or killed. Compared to this remarkable achievement, this small loss is insignificant, isn't it?"

It would have been better if he hadn't spoken; the more he spoke, the more indignant the generals became.

A certain general glared, his teeth clenched:

"'Not worth mentioning'? It wasn't your people who died, so of course you can say nice things!"

Immediately following this, other people voiced their condemnation.

"What do you mean by 'a small price to pay'?!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Can indiscriminate artillery bombardment of both enemy and friendly forces be called tactics?"

"You clearly look down on us! You don't treat our soldiers like human beings!"

Faced with the increasingly vehement condemnation from his generals, Howell shrugged indifferently once more.

"Don't get agitated. This is indeed a basic tactic of our army."

"It was only because the two armies did not coordinate well enough that a lot of people were accidentally injured."

"We will pay more attention in the future."

They didn't even offer a formal apology, just a perfunctory "we'll be more careful next time" to try and get rid of them...

Such blatant arrogance enraged the generals, who were itching with hatred.

However, they did not continue to denounce Howell.

After exchanging bewildered glances, they quieted down on their own and swallowed their anger.

Those who still wanted to lash out were tugged at by the people next to them, signaling them to "stop talking."

He suffered humiliation, yet he cowardly endured it... The reason was not complicated—his hope of capturing Otsu Castle and then eliminating Tachibana Aoto rested entirely on the British army!
Even if the Northern Expeditionary Army expanded its forces tenfold, it would be impossible to capture Otsu Castle, let alone eliminate Tachibana Aoto.

This is precisely why Tokugawa Yoshinobu just now showed a troubled expression—he didn't have the power to condemn the British army.

Since you need someone's help, you have no choice but to humble yourself...

Howell knew this all along, which is why he was so arrogant.

At this moment, all the officers of the "Northern Army" had grim faces, their faces were ashen, they gritted their teeth, and they tried their best to endure.

The British generals, led by Howell, either wore smiles or looked calm, completely displaying an attitude of "What can you do to us?"

A moment later, Tokugawa Yoshinobu took the initiative to speak, easing the tension:
"Gentlemen, although today's battle was full of unexpected events, it was not without its gains."

"According to the reports from the attacking forces, the defenders of Otsu Castle are far more numerous than we previously knew!"

"If I'm not mistaken... Tachibana Seito has mobilized all the samurai and civilians of Ōtsu."

"Otherwise, he could never have had such a large force!"

Tokugawa Yoshinobu successfully steered the conversation back on track.

As soon as he finished speaking, the officers of the Northern Army, who were unwilling to discuss the "accidental injury" incident any further, leaned over to each other and began to discuss it in hushed tones.

"To mobilize the entire city's population to fight... is that really possible?"

"Besides that, is there any other possibility? Could it be that Tachibana Aoto has learned the magic of 'turning beans into soldiers'?"

"If it's Tachibana Aoto, then whatever he does wouldn't be surprising..."

The more they talked, the more their brows furrowed, and the more serious their expressions became.

The garrison at Otsu Castle has increased significantly—which is certainly not good news for them.

The new electorate alone was troublesome enough, but now they had the added assistance of tens of thousands of militiamen... The more they thought about it, the more alarmed they became.

Just as they were filled with worry, Howell suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter full of sarcasm:
"It's just sending civilians into battle, what's there to be afraid of?"

"How can civilians who have not received any training compare to professional soldiers?" "Standing on the high wall, they might be able to muster some fighting spirit."

"But when the high walls collapse, will they still have the courage to pick up weapons?"

"After breaching the walls of Otsu Castle, my soldiers will use bayonets and bullets to show that Tachibana Seito, the Shinsengumi, and those hastily assembled militia what a real army is!"

This incredibly arrogant attitude instantly aroused the resentment of many people present.

Someone said in a deep voice:
“Mr. Howell, as an ally, I must remind you: do not underestimate Tachibana Aoto and the Shinsengumi.”

Another person picked up the conversation:
"Anyone who underestimates Tachibana Seito and the Shinsengumi will suffer a great loss."

Another person added:

"You should have witnessed the power of the Shinsengumi's artillery today, right? The Shinsengumi is not the kind of army that only knows how to brandish swords."

Although the Shinsengumi's artillery units failed to suppress the British artillery fire in today's battle, they still managed to fire a considerable number of shells into the British artillery positions, causing considerable chaos.

Howell scoffed at the friendly suggestions offered by his generals, his face full of disdain.

"The Shinsengumi? Did they defeat the French army or the Russian army? Oh, right, I remember now, they only seem to have defeated peasant armies and ancient armies that didn't even use firearms."

These remarks were widely endorsed by Sadao and other British officers, and chuckles rang out one after another.

In the eyes of Howell and others, all of the Shinsengumi's previous achievements were nothing more than weaklings fighting each other, and had no real value whatsoever.

Howell continued:

"I admit that the artillery unit of the Shinsengumi is indeed somewhat capable, but that's all; it's not enough to pose a threat to my troops."

"The only thing that could make me wary was that six-pointed star-shaped castle."

"I must say, the quality of this Great Jin City is indeed quite good. Without cannons, it would have cost a lot of blood to take it down."

"However, this is no longer the Middle Ages."

"The power of our cannons today is enough to flatten any bastion in the world!"

"We still have plenty of artillery shells, more than enough for us to use!"

At this point, Howell waved his hand and said in a triumphant voice:

"Just watch! In less than ten days, we'll be able to hold a victory celebration banquet in the main fortress of Dajin City!"

……

……

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The thunderous sound of cannons heralded the start of the second day of the Battle of Otsu, a replay of yesterday's battle.

However, unlike yesterday, the other side did not send troops to attack the city, but only kept firing cannons.

Its intention is so obvious that it is obvious.

Otsu Castle was an incomplete fortress; the moat, inner walls, and other fortifications were not completed. Once the walls collapsed, it would be left defenseless.

However, from a certain perspective, this can also be considered a kind of overt strategy.

Although everyone was well aware of the enemy's intentions, there were no effective countermeasures.

The only thing we could do was respond with cannons.

Thus, the battlefield situation became extremely strange... Countless shells flew back and forth, but the soldiers on both sides did not engage in battle for a long time.

The two sides thus began a battle in which they "could not see each other".

The soldiers in the city were relieved and waited silently in their bunkers.

Ironically, the civil engineering guys from the Shinsengumi General Affairs Office became the busiest group of people in the city.

The British artillery barrage was not continuous; it would pause periodically—mostly to allow the gun barrels to cool down and prevent them from exploding.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the civil engineers from the Puqing Bureau would rush to the city wall and work against the clock to repair it.

Those who were strong, capable of carrying heavy loads, or skilled in tasks such as wall repair also participated.

Because Otsu-cho had just been demolished and a large number of bricks and stones had been added, there was plenty of material.

Filling in the pits, clearing away the rubble, and erecting load-bearing wooden pillars in areas on the verge of collapse...

Repairing the city walls under British artillery fire... it's easy to imagine how dangerous this task was.

No one knew when the British would resume shelling.

Only when the continuous cannon fire resumed could the civil engineers hastily evacuate the city walls.

To date, the number of people who have perished in the hail of bullets due to their slow retreat has exceeded two fingers...

A city wall truly built with lives on its shoulders!
However, even risking their lives, they could not stop the gradual collapse of the city walls...

No matter how hard the repair department tried, its repair speed could not keep up with the destructive speed of the shells.

Their strenuous repairs only slightly extended the lifespan of the city wall.

Anyone could see that the collapse of the walls of Otsu Castle was only a matter of time...

For Qingdeng and the others, the only thing they can do right now is to postpone the collapse of the city wall and hold out for as long as they can.

As for what happens next... we can only wait and see.

Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded—both sides, inside and outside the city, were waiting.

Waiting for the day when the walls of Otsu Castle can no longer hold out.

……

……

For the soldiers defending the city, every minute and second after the battle began was unbearable; it was no exaggeration to say that each day felt like an eternity.

However, time is merciless and will never slow its flow because of other people's pleas.

The second, third, fourth, and fifth days of the Battle of Otsu passed in succession.

For some, several years had passed; for others, it had been only a blink of an eye—the seventh day of the Battle of Otsu had arrived.

……

……

The seventh day of the Battle of Otsu —

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The familiar sounds of artillery fire and the murky air... the soldiers inside the bunker endured it all, half-exhausted and half-numb.

Sozo Sagara held his sword and closed his eyes to rest.

Human adaptability is truly remarkable.

At first, he was quite annoyed by the continuous sound of artillery fire.

Now, even when there is constant gunfire outside, he can remain calm and composed.

The British artillery bombardment had been going on for seven days, so many soldiers were forced to develop this skill.

Some soldiers were so used to it that they relaxed their tense nerves and seemed to forget they were on the battlefield.

The rapid changes are the norm in war. One second you may be enjoying yourself, but the next second, the Grim Reaper's scythe is coming down on your neck... What happened next completely proved this point.

Without any warning, suddenly—

Boom boom boom boom boom boom!
The unusual sound, so different from the cannon fire, startled Sozo Sagara.

Not only him, but everyone inside the bunker was startled by the strange noise.

"Hey! What's that sound?"

"It doesn't sound like cannon fire..."

"It definitely wasn't the sound of cannons!"

Xiang Le Zong San opened his eyes wide, his face turning ashen.

Based on his personal experience, the strange noise just now was definitely not the sound of cannons, but more like... the sound of something collapsing!

In an instant, he realized something and a strong sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Soon, his ominous premonition came true:

A disheveled sentry rushed into the bunker, shouting:

"Get out quickly! A section of the city wall has collapsed! The enemy is coming!"

Upon hearing this, Sozo Sagara jumped up like a spring and rushed outside in one stride.

He waved his large hand, sweeping away the smoke and the smell of gunpowder. The warm sunshine shone on him, but he had no time to appreciate it.

He had barely stepped out of his bunker when he eagerly cast his searching gaze toward the city wall not far away.

Then he saw the collapsed section of the city wall—countless bricks collapsed to the ground like an avalanche, directly exposing a huge gap that was 100 feet (nearly 30 meters) wide and transparent from the inside out!

The sunlight that had just shone on him pierced through this gap... This time, he finally felt the light, but it wasn't warm; it was cold.

Sagara Sozo stood frozen in place, transformed into a clay sculpture, staring blankly at the shocking gaping hole... The other soldiers who arrived later did the same.

However, Sozo Ayanoko belatedly realized that the British artillery bombardment had slowed down.

Immediately afterwards, he suddenly heard a piece of music.

First came a brisk drumbeat, followed by a spirited melody played on a flute.

He looked in the direction of the music—a group of Westerners with tall, deep-set eyes, carrying rifles, lined up in a tight formation, and slowly approaching the city wall with their steps in perfect unison with the drumbeats.

To be precise, it's close to this huge and conspicuous gap!

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P.S.: The strongest typhoon in history is coming soon... I'm scared... But don't worry! Even the strongest typhoon in history can't extinguish my passion for writing! Even orders to "stop work, stop school, stop production" can't stop my hands from typing! (Leopard High.jpg)