I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 847: A surprise attack on Tianwang Mountain! A decisive battle on Tianwang Mountain! [4500]

Qingdeng divided the cavalry into two parts.

A part of the army, commanded by Harada Sanosuke, continued to drive the remnants of the defeated troops in the Fushimi battlefield northward.

The other part was commanded personally by him, Koto Nakazawa and Tadashi Matsubara, who marched quickly to the Yamazaki battlefield.

The battle situation in Fushimi has been completely settled, and the Choshu army can no longer cause any trouble in Fushimi.

In this case, it would be a waste to keep such a large combat force as Souji in the rear.

So Qing Deng sent someone to convey the order to Souji, ordering her to go along to reinforce the Yamazaki battlefield.

As for the subsequent tasks of cleaning up the battlefield and eliminating the remaining soldiers, they were left to Shimazaki Kai.

While on the way, Qing Deng learned the details of the Yamazaki Battle from Nakajima Deng.

Compared to the open battlefield of Ups and Downs, the battlefield of Yamazaki is much narrower.

Yamazaki is bordered by Tennozan to the west and Kamogawa to the east, sandwiched between mountains and water.

The 6000-man army of Choshu and the 3500-man coalition force of Hijikata and Satsuma - a total of nearly troops from both sides, deployed their troops in this cramped area and began to confront each other.

After observing the battlefield situation, the military advisor of the Satsuma Army, that is, Ijichi Ryuemon, immediately rushed to the main camp of the Shinsengumi after obtaining the consent of Saigo Yoshinosuke, found Hijikata Toshizo, and said:

"Vice-Captain Hijikata, I have come up with a plan to defeat the enemy. If all goes well, we will be able to defeat the enemy army in just half a day! Will you listen to me?"

Hijikata Toshizo raised his eyebrows and said:

"Appreciate further details."

In this way, the two began a secret conversation in the military tent.

Ijichi Ryuemon succinctly explained his battle plan:

In today's battle, it seems that the enemy outnumbers us, but this is just an illusion.

The biggest weakness of the Choshu Army is undoubtedly that it is too bloated.

The army was filled with a large number of ronin, peasant soldiers, and independent forces who were temporarily recruited.

It seems to have a strong momentum, but in fact it is just strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

Ijichi Ryuemon therefore concluded that there must be major problems with the Choshu army's command system!
It was like a slow-moving giant who could not control his hands and feet flexibly, and his movements were slow and slow like a snail.

After seeing that the Choshu army's camp was not in good order, Ijichi Ryuemon became more certain of his judgment.

Therefore, he formulated the following plan based on the characteristics of the Choshu Army:

First, deploy a regular force, and then send out a surprise force.

The regular troops were responsible for engaging in combat with the Choshu army on the front battlefield, fighting and retreating, luring the enemy into further pursuit and forcing them to stretch the battle line.

As for the surprise force, they took a detour to the west and hid in Tianwang Mountain. When the time was right—that is, when the Choshu Army stretched out its front and dispersed its forces—they rushed down from the mountain! They charged straight into the enemy camp! They launched a surprise attack on the Choshu Army!

The Yamazaki battlefield is very narrow, like a corridor. If you go west, you will run into Mount Tenno, and if you go east, the road will be blocked by the Kamogawa. You can only go north or south.

It is not difficult to imagine that when fighting in this kind of terrain, once the flank is attacked, the consequences will be disastrous unless the army has strong organizational capabilities!
After silently listening to Ijichi Ryuemon's battle plan, Hijikata Toshizo said quietly:

"What a coincidence, you and I thought of the same thing."

This is probably what they call "great minds think alike".

After observing the battlefield terrain and the enemy and our own situation, Hijikata Toshizo made the same judgment as Ijichi Ryuemon!

Not only that, the battle plan he formulated was also similar to that of the other side.

It is also to use regular troops to lure the enemy, and then use surprise troops to win in one fell swoop.

With the double attack from both regular and surprise forces, it is possible for the weak to defeat the strong and crush the enemy in one fell swoop!

Although this is a plan full of variables, whether the regular troops can effectively contain and lure the enemy, and whether the special troops can seize the right moment to attack, these are all unknowns, but Hijikata Toshizo, who is naturally brave and has extraordinary mobility, is willing to take the risk!

However, if this plan is to be implemented, the help of the Satsuma army must be obtained.

The 1500 troops under Hijikata Toshizo were not enough to carry out such a large-scale operation.

Hijikata Toshizo was already preparing to go to the main camp of the Satsuma army in person to explain his battle plan to the enemy.

But he was beaten to it by Ijichi Ryuemon.

Since both parties have the same idea, how could they not hit it off immediately?
In this way, the two sides quickly finalized the detailed deployment and operational details.

The regular troops were the Satsuma Army, which had an organized firearms unit.

The Shinsengumi, who possess strong close combat capabilities, will be the surprise troops responsible for delivering the decisive blow.

The plan was finalized, and Hijikata Toshizo immediately led Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Ichi, Serizawa Kamo, Niimi Nishiki, and their second, third, fourth, and fifth squads to secretly cross Tennozan and lie in ambush on Tennozan.

Yoshinosuke Saigo and Ryuemon Ijichi led 2000 troops of the Satsuma army and set up a battle array opposite the Choshu army.

As soon as the day breaks, the battle begins!

The Choshu army relied on its strong military force and took the initiative to launch an offensive - this was exactly what Hijikata Toshizo, Saigo Yoshinosuke and others wanted!

The sound of cannons, gunshots, roars, screams... echoed throughout Yamazaki.

Not long after the battle began, under the meticulous control of Saigo Yoshinosuke and Ijichi Ryuemon, the Satsuma army pretended to be defeated and retreated step by step.

Seeing this, the Choshu army was fooled and immediately launched a pursuit.

It’s better not to chase it, because problems will arise as soon as you chase it.

The originally relatively orderly military formation suddenly became chaotic due to the busy pursuit, and the entire army turned into a "long snake formation" and scattered across the corridor-shaped battlefield.

Hijikata Toshizo, who was lurking on Mount Tenno, had no way of learning the detailed developments on the front battlefield in time.

First, there is no effective means of communication, and second, there is no convenient observation method.

Even if the ninjas of the 9th Division reported intelligence to him, the information obtained would be greatly delayed.

However, Hijikata Toshizo is worthy of being the vice-captain of the Shinsengumi and a genius whom Aoto relies on very much.

He made a precise decision based on what he heard, the little intelligence he had, and his own experience and intuition: Now is the time! All-out attack!

In an instant, the silent Tianwang Mountain was shrouded in roars and shouts!

Hijikata Suizo led the troops and charged into the front.

Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime and Serizawa Kame were like tigers, vying for the first place.

1500 soldiers, a gathering of the best of the Shinsengumi, rushed down the mountain like a sharp blade, hitting the soft side of the "long snake"!

When Hijikata Toshizo and his companions rushed down the mountain, their momentum was so overwhelming that it was like a divine army descending from the sky.

As expected, the Choshu army, which suffered a surprise attack, fell into chaos!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Enemy soldiers appear in the rear!"

"Light green haori! It's the Shinsengumi!"

"Who is the leader?!"

"I don't know! But I saw the captain of the second squad, Shinpachi Nagakura, and the captain of the third squad, Hajime Saito!"

"Damn it! Hurry back! Let's fight back!"

"Hey! Don't act rashly!"

After Hijikata Toshizo and his men broke into the flank of the Choshu army, they immediately advanced deep into the enemy territory without stopping. Their momentum was so fierce that it is best described by the term "rushing forward at full speed."

Once they seize the opportunity, they will launch a lightning offensive, chasing the enemy like a mad dog until the enemy collapses - in this regard, Aoto and Hijikata Toshizo have the same style.

Under their fierce attack, the Choshu Army was forcibly cut in half! They became two large groups that could not care about each other!
Yoshinosuke Saigo's reaction was exceptionally quick.

Seeing that the surprise attack by Hijikata Toshizo and others was successful, he immediately ordered all Satsuma soldiers to switch from defense to offense and launch a full-scale counterattack.

Attacked from both sides and divided... the Choshu army lost all its military advantage and no longer had the heroic scene of "pursuing Satsuma" just now.

At this point, the situation has reversed!

Those ronin and peasant soldiers who were forcibly conscripted were indeed incapable of fulfilling the mission. They were good for nothing except "making the army stronger".

Seeing the battle situation taking a turn for the worse, everyone fell into chaos.

There were people shouting, running around... doing all kinds of things.

There are strong enemies outside and stupid teammates inside...how can we not lose?
In just half an hour, the Choshu army began to show signs of defeat.

It is another common situation where soldiers cannot find their generals and generals cannot find their soldiers.

The enemy's order has collapsed, and this is a good opportunity to expand the results of the war in one fell swoop.

What a pity... After a series of fierce battles without any respite, coupled with limited manpower, both the Satsuma and Hijikata armies were running out of steam.

Hijikata Toshizo did not know whether the Satsuma army was truly weakened or was intentionally conserving its strength.

Anyway, they really can't fight anymore.

The failure to pursue and annihilate the enemy in time gave the Choshu army a chance to catch its breath and avoid a complete collapse.

The person in charge of leading the Choshu army on the Yamazaki side was none other than the leader of the radical faction, Hisaka Genzui.

Kusaka Genzui may be an outstanding swordsman and orator, but he is by no means a good commander.

Looking closely at the entire battle today, he did not show excellent command ability.

When the Satsuma army pretended to be defeated, he foolishly chased after them.

When the Turkish army launched a surprise attack, he was unable to return to stop them.

When riots broke out in the army, he failed to suppress them effectively.

Only when he was gathering the remaining troops did he finally play some role.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Satsuma and Hijikata armies were unable to attack again, Kusaka Genzui hurriedly dispatched troops and stopped the collapse.

After gathering about a thousand remnant soldiers, they retreated to Tianwang Mountain, using Tianwang Mountain as a support and launching step-by-step resistance.

The Hijikata army and the Satsuma army would naturally not let each other go so easily.

They led their troops to the foot of Tianwang Mountain, where they recuperated and built simple fortresses and blocked various mountain passes.

Just as they were preparing to attack the mountain, they suddenly heard that Aoto had defeated the Choshu army in Fushimi and was driving the remaining troops to the north, so they immediately sent Nakajima Noboru to find Aoto for reinforcements.

As long as Qingdeng's reinforcements arrive, taking Tianwang Mountain will be a sure thing!
After listening to Nakajima Deng's detailed account, Qing Deng couldn't help but show a look of joy on his face, and secretly said in his heart, "Well done!"

Originally, according to his planned plan, this battle would be divided into three steps and completed in three days.

On the first day, they pacified Fushimi first. After Qing Deng drove the remaining troops to Yamazaki, he joined forces with the Hijikata-Satsuma coalition forces in charge of that battlefield.

Wait until the next day and then work together to defeat Yamazaki's enemy forces.

Unexpectedly, Hijikata Toshizo and his men demonstrated strong subjective initiative and defeated the enemy in Yamazaki on the first day with their own strength!
When Qing Deng thought about the participation of Hijikata Toshizo in this battle, he suddenly found it nothing surprising.

Qing Deng knew very well how capable Hijikata Toshizo was.

He should be the most militarily talented person in the Shinsengumi.

In terms of military talent alone, Qing Deng admitted that he was inferior to the other party.

Qing Deng never considered himself a military genius.

He thought that he simply had more war experience than the average person.

If he could copy the military-related talents in the future, or let Qing Deng concentrate on studying for a period of time, perhaps one day in the future, his military ability could surpass Hijikata Toshizo.

After all, Qing Deng (Demon Heart +5)'s learning ability is definitely better than Hijikata Toshizo (Demon Heart).

Qing Deng was not surprised that Hijikata Toshizo could come up with such a brilliant idea.

What surprised him was that Ijichi Ryuemon could come up with a strategy that was the same as Hijikata Toshizo's.

It seems that the title of "the reincarnation of Yamamoto Kansuke" is not in vain, this guy is indeed quite capable!
No wonder Saigo Yoshinosuke would appoint him as his military advisor.

This kind of decisiveness and control over the battlefield situation is truly a rare talent.

The name "Ijichi Ryuemon" became a little more deeply rooted in Qing Deng's mind.

In addition, the performance of the Satsuma army also attracted Qing Deng's attention.

Fight and retreat at the same time, lure the enemy deep into our territory - this simple sentence contains such exquisite micro-control techniques and such excellent military organization!

After this battle, Qing Deng felt that he needed to make a new assessment of the true combat power of the Satsuma army!
……

……

Yamazaki, the Tenno Mountain——

When Qing Deng and his party arrived at the foot of Tennozan, the first thing they saw was the towering mountain top and the flag (Ichimonji Sansan) symbolizing the Choshu Mori family fluttering in the wind on the top of the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, the Hijikata and Satsuma armies were making intensive preparations for attacking the mountain.

It was noon now.

There was an enticing aroma in the air.

During every war, in order to increase physical strength and boost morale, the soldiers' meals would be richer than usual - this was the rule set by Qing Deng.

Qinjin Domain was only a stone's throw away from Kyoto. If even the most basic food supply could not be guaranteed at this distance, then Iwasaki Yataro could commit seppuku to apologize.

Looking up, all you can see is soldiers feasting on their meals.

Holding the dry rice in one hand and the hot soup in the other, he ate happily.

Of course, only the Shinsengumi soldiers were lucky enough to enjoy such food.

Each domain provided its own food, and the shogunate and Qinjin did not provide it - even Aizu and Satsuma were no exception.

It is obvious that Yoshinosuke Saigo did not attach as much importance to military rations as Aoto.

Therefore, while the Shinsengumi soldiers ate hot rice, drank hot soup, and chewed dried meat, the Satsuma soldiers could only gnaw on dry rice balls and season them with pickled plums and vinegared kelp.

The two form a very sharp contrast.

Although they said nothing, the soldiers of the Satsuma army all looked jealous and envious.

This was also a major pain point for the Satsuma Domain - food shortage.

Satsuma is located in the southwestern border area. Although it enjoys the convenience of sea transportation, it is not a major grain-producing country.

Compared with the Qinjin clan, which owns vast plains and has plenty of farmland, this is a cruel gap.

After restoring the old fields and reclaiming new fields within the domain, Aoto raised the food allowance for the Shinsengumi even higher—for no other reason than that there were more fields and more food! He was just that arrogant!

When Qing Deng rode a big black bull and passed through the military camp with the classic image of "one man and one bull, holding a spear in his hand", it immediately caused quite a stir.

"Look! It's Niou!"

"Lord Niou!"

"My lord!"

Needless to say, the excitement of the Shinsengumi's soldiers was overwhelming.

Even the soldiers of the Satsuma army could not suppress their excitement. They stood up and stretched their necks to catch a glimpse of the legendary samurai.

Qing Deng continued to move forward, smiling and waving to the soldiers from time to time.

In a short while, he arrived at the main camp where Hijikata Toshizo and others were.

As soon as he entered the main camp, he saw his subordinates eating.

Seeing Qing Deng coming, they hurriedly stood up, but Qing Deng spoke first:
"You can continue eating. No need to be polite. What is the current battle situation? Give me a brief report quickly."

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PS: The "Tennozan" that appears in this chapter is the location of the "Battle of Tennozan" where Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide fought out the victory.

The "Battle of Tianwang Mountain" often mentioned in competitive sports comes from this allusion, meaning the crucial battle.