I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 865: The First Person in the Shogunate Army: Tachibana Aoto! [5200]

The Emperor had long been displeased with Choshu's reckless behavior.

The act of launching an attack on Kyoto under the pretext of "protecting the imperial court" made the Emperor's disgust towards Choshu reach its peak.

In contrast, he naturally has a good impression of Qing Deng who protects Kyoto from being ravaged.

It is reported that when the court was discussing what kind of reward to give Qing Deng, the ministers originally only wanted to grant him the official title of "Senior Sakyo Daifu".

It was finally changed to "From the Third Left Guard General" at the strong request of the Emperor.

The Left Guard General was the highest-ranking officer of the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guard is divided into two parts, the left and right, to guard the Emperor. They also serve as the Emperor's personal guards when he travels. They are the department that guards the inner part of the Imperial Palace. The highest officers are the Left General of the Imperial Guard and the Right General of the Imperial Guard.

The position of general is a very important one and is extremely difficult to hold.

The emperor actually gave Qing Deng such an important position... It can be seen how much he values ​​Qing Deng.

  From now on, Qingdeng will have another respectful title - General Ju or General Qinjin!

When Matsudaira Yoshiyasu was granted the title of Higo-no-kami, he was also promoted to the rank of Left Guards Gon-chūsho, so people often refer to Matsudaira Yoshiyasu as "Aizu Chūsho".

Of course, the imperial court's reward has no practical use other than making your name more famous.

Titles like Left Guard General are still honorary titles.

He had no soldiers under his command, so even if he became the highest commander of the Imperial Guard, he was still a commander without troops.

  In comparison, the shogunate's reward to Qing Deng was the biggest reward!

Tokugawa Iemochi granted an additional 10 square kilometers of territory to Qing Deng - this was not unexpected to everyone.

It was a feudal custom to reward people with money and land for great contributions.

However, it is worth mentioning that the lands that Tokugawa Iemochi newly granted to Qingdeng were all good lands adjacent to the Qinjin domain, not remote enclaves or poor lands with poor resources.

  In this way, he almost gave all the shogunate's territories in the capital to Qing Deng!

[Note: Tenryo: the direct jurisdiction of the shogunate]

For this reason, many shogunate retainers expressed strong opposition.

  If we give all the land of Gyeonggi to General Qinjin, wouldn't our shogunate's influence in Gyeonggi be greatly reduced? In the future, will there still be our shogunate in Gyeonggi?

However, in the face of these people's doubts, Tokugawa Iemochi had only one attitude: completely ignore them.

Without the constraints of the "Ichibashi faction" and with the external support of two capable generals, Aoto and Katsurintaro, Tokugawa Iemochi is now in an extremely strong position.

No matter how many people opposed him or how reasonable the questions they raised were, Tokugawa Iemochi did not change his mind.

If "expanding territory" was still within everyone's expectations, then "promoting Qing Deng to president of the army" really shocked the world.

  The President of the Army and the President of the Navy... the highest position in the Shogunate Army and the highest position in the Shogunate Navy! It can be directly understood as "Army Marshal" and "Navy Marshal"!

They were all new official positions recently established by Tokugawa Iemochi. They were not under the control of anyone and took orders directly from the shogun.

While establishing these two new positions, Tokugawa Iemochi also made a series of reforms.

The most notable reform was the abolition of the previous system in which the army had a rotation of duty among the elders.

Although Tokugawa Iemochi gave the reason of "imitating the Western military system" when establishing new positions and eliminating bad policies, to outsiders, it looks like the establishment of positions based on personal relationships!

Just as he had made unprecedented contributions and there was no reward left, a new title of "General of Tiance" was created to award him to Li Shimin.

Qing Deng is in a similar situation now. He has made so many contributions and has basically reached the pinnacle of being a minister, so the position of "President of the Army" was created to reward him specifically.

Of course, these are all speculations from outsiders.

I'm afraid only Tokugawa Iemochi himself knows what he was thinking.

Although Qingdeng's further promotion shocked everyone, they all expressed that they were calm and understandable.

After all, Qing Deng's military achievements were real.

With such outstanding military achievements, no one would dare to say that "Ju Qingdeng is not qualified to take on this important task."

What's more, no one would be so blind as to dare to offend Qingdeng when he is at the peak of his career.

In comparison, Katsurintaro's promotion to president of the navy caused great controversy.

Since the establishment of the navy, Katsurintaro, who is familiar with naval affairs, has been holding important positions in the navy.

A few years ago, he was appointed Gunkan Bugyo (a position responsible for purchasing, building warships and training warship technology), and built and operated a naval training center in Kobe, taking full responsibility for the construction of the shogunate navy.

It is no exaggeration to say that Katsurintaro is the "Father of the Shogunate Navy."

He was actually the number one in the navy, he just lacked a title.

Tokugawa Iemochi simply helped him get an official position that he deserved, and there was nothing wrong with that.

However, his decision still aroused fierce opposition from countless ministers.

"Katsurintaro has not made as remarkable contributions as General Qinjin, so why should he be promoted to a higher rank?"

After listening to the objections of his ministers quietly, Tokugawa Iemochi remained calm and not panicked.

  Then, he blocked it back with just one sentence:

"In that case, everyone, I would like to hear your opinions. Apart from Katsurintaro, who else among the civil and military officials in this room can be qualified for the position of 'President of the Navy'?"

"..."

A moment of silence.

The Bai Academy, which was noisy just now, is now silent.

【Note: Hakushoin: an important room in Edo Castle. The general usually issued orders to the outside world in this room.】

How can a group of useless people who are used to being parasites and are only good at passing the buck have the ability to build a navy?

Even those who hate Katsurintaro have to admit that he has an irreplaceable position in the shogunate.

In this way, although the process was a bit tortuous, Katsurintaro was successfully appointed as the president of the Navy.

  At this point, Tokugawa Iemochi's two most trusted confidants - Aoto and Katsurintaro - both stood at the pinnacle of the shogunate's army and navy!

Army President, Gyeonggi Pacification Commissioner, and the leader of the Hachioji Thousands of People - Qing Deng, who holds these three positions, has become the undisputed number one in the shogunate army!

This is what is called the highest position in the government.

It is worth mentioning that while Qing Deng's status was rising rapidly, Tokugawa Iemochi's power was also skyrocketing.

Tokugawa Iemochi was Aoto's backer, but from another perspective, Aoto was also Tokugawa Iemochi's backer.

With the assistance of Tenshoin inside and the support of Aoto and Katsurintaro outside, today's Tokugawa Iemochi is no longer the nominal monarch with shallow foundation he used to be.

In fact, anyone with an eye can see at a glance that the reason why Tokugawa Iemochi promoted Aoto to the position of president of the army must have been in preparation for the subsequent "Choshu Expedition".

Not long after the end of the Summer Campaign in Kyoto, Tokugawa Iemochi wrote a long article criticizing the injustice of Choshu, which received a lot of response.

There is no doubt that this was Tokugawa Iemochi building momentum for the subsequent "Choshu Conquest"!

  How can we hand over the command of such a huge battle to outsiders?

Therefore, no matter from which angle you look at it, Qing Deng is the best person to be in charge of coordinating the "Changzhou Expedition"!

Giving Qing Deng an official position that matches the identity of "Commander-in-Chief of the Changzhou Expedition" in advance will make it easier for him to mobilize troops and command the generals, which is naturally beneficial without any harm.

The battle was over and the reward was received... At this point, these two battles that directly influenced the course of history (the Battle of Ikedaya and the Summer Campaign of Kyoto) have finally come to an end.

By the way, people like Hijikata Toshizo and Kondo Isami, who made great contributions in these two battles, also received the rewards they deserved.

Kondo Isami's heroic feat of leading only Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Inoue Genzaburo to attack Ikedaya was favored by many storytellers. The Battle of Ikedaya was quickly adapted into a storytelling and widely sung in Kyoto.

After learning that their lord had been promoted again, there was jubilation in the Qinjin clan, and many people even spontaneously held celebrations to congratulate Qingdeng.

Since he was granted the title of Dajin, Qingdeng has implemented benevolent policies, cherished the people's strength, and never used his status to do foolish or cruel things. Therefore, he is deeply loved by the people of Qinjin.

He treated the people with courtesy, and the latter would naturally repay Qingdeng in their own way.

After seeing Qing Deng getting better and better and his status becoming higher and higher, those who hated the shogunate and hated Qing Deng naturally gritted their teeth, filled with resentment but helpless.

As a last resort, they could only resort to funny little tricks to relieve their resentment.

Following "Qin monster", "Hui traitor" and "Sa thief", the patriots in Choshu wrote Qingdeng's name on the soles of their shoes and deliberately stepped harder when walking, implying "stepping on Tachibana Qingdeng hard under their feet".

……

……

The first year of Yuanzhi (1864), June 9th——

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, Tachibana Residence, the garden that Qing Deng often visited——

After taking a sip of tea, Qing Deng seemed to have thought of something. His eyes suddenly widened, he put down the teacup, clapped his hands, and looked at Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isami and Yamanami Keisuke beside him.

"Ah, I got it! Let's name our son 'Tachibana Masami' and our daughter 'Tachibana Masamiko'. What do you think?"

  Kondo Isami tilted his head:

"Mozi... this is a pretty good name for a girl, and it's easy to pronounce."

Hijikata Toshizo took over the conversation:

“Isn’t this a too old-fashioned name for a man?”

  Shannan Keisuke added:

"It sounds like the name of a general from the Heian period."

Aoto, Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isami, and Yamanami Keisuke sat side by side on the corridor, enjoying the scenery of the courtyard while drinking tea and chatting casually.

The four highest-ranking members of the Shinsengumi gathered together... If someone who didn't know the situation saw them, they would probably think they were discussing something important.

In fact, they were just chatting normally.

Official duties have not been so heavy recently, so Qing Deng invited the three of them to have some tea and chat after a long absence, that's all.

Although today's tea party was just a simple gathering with the main purpose of leisure, after they got together, they couldn't help but talk about business.

Gradually, no one knew who started it, but the four people who were just discussing "what name should Qingdeng's child be named" suddenly started talking about the Sonrang faction.

"After this battle, the Zunrong faction has been badly injured. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Huh..."

Kondo Isami made a vivid gesture of "letting out a sigh of relief" while saying this. "Yeah, that's right."

Yamanami Keisuke echoed and nodded in agreement.

The Battle of Ikedaya resulted in the loss of important officials such as Miyabe Teizo and Yoshida Toshima.

In the Kyoto Summer Campaign, a large number of core members including Kurushima Matabei, Maki Izumi, and even the leader Kusaka Genzui were killed.

The two major battles that followed closely together caused heavy casualties to the backbone forces of the Sonnang faction.

In such a tragic situation, anyone would think that the current Zunyang faction is on the decline and is about to be defeated.

  At this time, Qing Deng on the side suddenly said:

"…'A blessing in disguise'."

The sudden remarks attracted the attention of Kondo Isami and others.

  Facing everyone's gaze, Qing Deng took a sip of tea and said slowly:

"Although many key members have been lost, this is still a valuable opportunity for Changzhou."

"Isn't there a joke like this?"

"One day, a war broke out on the border of the country."

"The general went to the front to inspect in order to boost morale."

"He asked a sentry at the front: 'How is it going?'."

"The sentry replied, 'There is an enemy archer outside the camp. His archery skills are terrible. He has been shooting for several days but hasn't hit anyone.'"

"The general asked, 'In that case, why don't you kill him?'"

"The sentry replied: 'This is not good, is it? Do you want them to change to an archer who can shoot accurately?'"

"The old Choshu was like this archer who couldn't shoot accurately."

"To be honest, I would rather see radical elements like Kusaka Genzui continue to hold real power in Choshu."

"Because they are stupid and always do stupid things, it makes me feel at ease."

"Look, because of their short-sightedness and recklessness, Changzhou's military strength, popular support, and prestige were completely destroyed."

"The death of Kusaka Genzui and others will not necessarily lead to the demise of the Sonnōjō faction, but it will definitely make it so that the radical elements in the Sonnōjō faction will no longer have a foothold."

"From now on, the radical faction will no longer have a chance to speak out in the Choshu domain. The conservative faction led by Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro will take their place."

"If anyone else puts forward unrealistic and radical ideas, they will be drowned by a sea of ​​spit."

"In other words, Choshu will no longer be crazy, but will become a normal, rational country."

“That’s not a good thing for us.”

"In short, we must not be careless."

  As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Hijikata Toshizo took over the conversation:

"You're right, I think the same thing."

"Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro are not ordinary people."

"Under their governance, whether Changzhou will sink or be reborn from the ashes depends on their future luck."

After he finished speaking, Hijikata Toshizo picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

  Suddenly, he raised his eyebrows and immediately cast a questioning look at Shannan Jingsuke:

"Huh? Shannan, what's wrong with you? Why do you look constipated?"

Shannan Keisuke was stunned when his name was suddenly called, and smiled bitterly:

"I'm not constipated, I'm just...thinking about something."

He paused for a moment, then looked up at the sky, with a hint of melancholy on his cheeks.

"…Recently, I have been dealing with the compensation for the fallen soldiers."

"Perhaps I am just being sentimental. Looking at the bodies being collected and buried, I can't help but feel a little doubtful."

"In 1853, the black ships attacked."

"Since then, assassinations, fights, wars...everywhere I look, there is nothing but blood and fire."

"If this is the only way to peace and happiness, then so be it."

"But... so many years have passed, countless people have died and been injured, and such huge sacrifices have been made. Have we received any rewards?"

Having said this, Shannan Keisuke paused, as if he was sorting out his emotions.

  About 5 seconds later, a confused voice came out:

"After shedding so much blood, you should get something of equal value, right?"

Yamanami Keisuke finished speaking.

There was a brief silence all around.

Kondo Isami blinked.

Hijikata Toshizo pursed his lips.

Serious questions create a solemn atmosphere.

However, the silence was only temporary.

After just a moment, Qing Deng broke the silence.

“…It was because we defeated the Choshu army that the people of Kyoto were spared; it was because we were stationed here that the people of Otsu were able to live and work in peace.”

“For me, this is a good enough reward.”

“I don’t dare to pursue ‘equal value’, but I will do my best to pursue ‘worth’!”

"As long as there are enemies that should be destroyed, as long as there are people that should be protected, I will continue to hold the sword tightly in my hand!"

At the end of his words, Qing Deng raised his voice and spoke in a sonorous and powerful tone.

Kill the enemies who should be killed, protect those who should be protected - since the battle with Prajna, Qingdeng has become more determined in this belief and will never change it.

After hearing this, Shannan Jingzhu burst into laughter at first, and then the smile gradually faded, turning into a strange expression that seemed to be neither a smile nor a smile.

He raised his head and continued to look at the sky, thinking about something.

……

……

A large number of supporters of the shogunate thought optimistically: the complete elimination of the Sonnōng faction is just around the corner!

  The soldiers of the Shinsengumi thought happily: With "Niou" Tachibana Aoto here, no matter what kind of enemy they face next, they will surely win!

The patriots of Choshu thought angrily: Come on! We Choshu will never perish!

The vast majority of the people were frustrated and thought: You warriors can fight however you want, just don't come and harass us poor people.

There are so many thoughts.

There is only one thing that everyone in the world today is very sure of - the old war is over, but a new war is brewing.

  The rain is coming from the wind!

……

……

Osaka, a nameless mountain in the suburbs——

It was early morning, and the faint light of dawn was streaming through the woods.

It was just dawn, the temperature was very low, and fog of varying thicknesses was floating among the mountains.

Logically speaking, there shouldn't be anyone here at this time and place.

However, at this moment, an old man appeared on the mountainside.

Despite his pale, sickly face, he still stood straight, facing a towering tree.

This old man was none other than Mr. Kiryu.

Right in front of him, near the roots of the tree, stood a simple tombstone.

There is a simple line of words engraved on the monument: Tomb of Yamada Asaemon Katsumi Nobuoshi.

Xinyan is Keji's real name.

A long time ago, a master and his apprentice who went out to catch cicadas once took a short rest under this big tree.

The tired apprentice hugged the bamboo cage containing the cicadas tightly, leaned on his master's shoulder, and fell into a deep sleep.

When thinking about where to bury Katsumi, the first place that Mr. Kiryu thought of was this big tree.

Boss Kiryu stood quietly and looked at the tombstone calmly.

Beside him, a middle-aged man stood quietly, waiting.

  After a while, Boss Kiryu said:

"Ogata-kun, not only did you lend a hand when Tachibana-kun and I both passed out, you also helped me collect Katsumi's body. I really don't know how to thank you."

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(End of this chapter)