I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 997 Tianzhang Courtyard: "Husband! Welcome back!" [4800]

Sending troops to aid the "Ichibashi faction" - this alone is enough to kill the Mito domain!

After the end of the "Second Edo Siege War", Qing Deng sent a large number of intelligence personnel to collect intelligence and find out the truth about the "sudden retreat of the Hitotsubashi Army" to guard against any conspiracy or intrigue the other side was engaged in.

After a very careful investigation, it was finally confirmed: just as Qing Deng had expected, the reason why the Hitotsubashi army suddenly retreated was because Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu escaped.

Ichibashi Yoshinobu's ability to escape is no less than that of "The Escaped Katsura Kogoro".

It took him only one day and one night to run out of the Kanto Plain and enter the Kai territory.

Thanks to Ichibashi Yoshinobu's escape, the war ended early and did not cause greater damage.

Although the battle ended with the victory of the "Nanki Faction", but... upon closer inspection, it is not difficult to find that, apart from "Ichibashi Yoshinobu's desertion from the battlefield", the "Ichibashi Faction" did not make any major mistakes in the entire battle.

They launched this long-planned military coup at the most appropriate time and place.

Not only does he have the loyal "Death Corps" and widespread support from direct advisors, he also has the trump card of the "Mito Army".

When the 3,000-strong army of Mito Domain invaded Edo, the "Nanki Faction" was indeed forced into a desperate situation!

King Ni was seriously injured, and there was a shortage of soldiers and generals... It was a completely helpless situation.

If Qing Deng had not risked his life, launched a desperate attack, and successively activated his two eternal talents, "The Careless Demon Child" and "The Reversal Dragon", and finally miraculously repelled the Mito army, I'm afraid Edo Castle would have changed hands.

In other words, the Mito clan almost caused the "Nanki faction" to fail!
How can we abandon such a great hatred?
The old accounts such as the "Wuwu Secret Edict" and the "Sakuradamon Incident" have not yet been settled, and new hatred has been added - Qing Deng has already grasped the righteousness of destroying Mito!

The reasons for going to war are so sufficient that they cannot be further justified.

As expected, when Aoto announced the launch of the "Mito Expedition", no one in the shogunate objected.

In fact, even if some people really have objections, they dare not express them publicly.

After driving out the "Ichibashi faction", the "Nanki faction" became the only force within the shogunate.

After destroying the Fachi coalition and defeating the military coup of the "Ichibashi faction", Qingdeng's authority in the "Nanki faction" has reached its peak!

No one dared to disrespect Qing Deng.

No one dared to go against Qing Deng.

Logically speaking, Qing Deng, who was appointed as the "President of the Army", was in charge of military affairs and had no right to interfere in political affairs.

But, given the current situation, who cares about this setting?
If Qing Deng is not allowed to be the leader of the "Nanki faction", who else can take over? Katsurintaro? Tenshoin? Princess Kazunomiya? Or one of the elders?

With Tokugawa Iemochi in a coma, Qing Deng has already taken his place and become the top decision-maker of the "Nanki Faction"!

Nowadays, Qing Deng is to the ministers of the "Nan Ji Faction" like the "bright moon" to the "stars".

When the bright moon rises, no matter how many or dense the stars are, they will only become dim.

It just so happens that if the war starts now, Qing Deng will have a fresh force at hand.

The main force of the Shinsengumi has arrived in Edo, with high morale, complete equipment, and a large number of artillery (the 11th Division)!
Kondo Isami and others came with a lofty sense of mission to "rush to the aid of the King" and "save the shogunate."

But in the end, when they tried their best to rush to Edo, they found that the war had already ended.

He swung his punch hard, but it hit cotton... The soldiers were feeling very depressed.

It’s just perfect, let Mito Domain serve as the target for them to vent their anger!

They have come all the way from Otsu, and it would be unreasonable if we don't give them a little sweetness and let them vent their frustrations.

After experiencing a series of incidents such as the "Sakuradamon Incident" and the "Tengu Party Rebellion", the national strength of Mito Domain was no longer as strong as before.

Unfortunately, they lost 3,000 extremely important field troops in the war which had just ended.

After a detailed analysis of the strength comparison between the two sides, Qing Deng made a firm judgment: with the combat power he currently possesses, he can completely conquer Mito!

From small private duels to large-scale battles on the battlefield, Qingdeng has always adhered to the combat style of "beating the enemy hard when he is down".

Either don’t fight, or if you do fight, kill the enemy in one breath!

Since the national strength of Mito Domain has fallen to its lowest point in history, it is a good opportunity to give it a beating when it is down.

Therefore, Qing Deng formulated a general strategy for the "Mito Conquest" - in a nutshell, it was "do everything as quickly as possible"!
We must not delay any time. If we delay for too long, the Mito Domain will have a chance to catch its breath.

Moreover, if it is delayed too long, some trouble might arise and distract Qing Deng's attention - just like the "Imperial Palace Disturbance" that just happened.

In fact, even if we put aside the issue of "revenge", Qing Deng had sufficient reasons to attack Mito Domain.

The first is “geographic location”.

The second is "killing the chicken to scare the monkey".

For the shogunate officials, anyone with a little strategic sense would not tolerate the continued existence of the Mito domain, a traitor.

The reason is simple - Mito Domain is too close to Edo! The straight-line distance is only a few dozen kilometers!

What’s even more terrible is that both Edo and Mito domains are located in the Kanto Plain, with flat land between them and no strategic locations to defend.

Once the Mito Domain launches an attack on Edo, it will be like this time's battle, with three thousand troops arriving in no time.

To use a vivid metaphor, the Mito Domain was like the "Sword of Damocles" of Edo, always hanging over its head, and no one knew when it would fall.

From a geographical point of view, Mito Domain is located to the north of Edo, right above Edo.

Defending Edo without taking Mito is like defending the Central Plains without taking Yanyun, defending Jingzhou without taking Xiangfan, defending Jiangnan without taking Lianghuai... The gates are wide open and you can't even sleep well.

To sum up, only by destroying the Mito clan can we ensure the peace of Edo and then the peace of Kanto!

As for "killing the chicken to scare the monkey", there is no need to elaborate.

Although the Hitotsubashi faction was expelled from Edo, they had not yet completely disappeared.

The remnants of the "Ichitsubashi faction" retreated to Fukui Domain and still had some strength left.

After all, the feudal states that were determined to follow the "Nanki faction" or the "Ichibashi faction" were only a minority.

The vast majority of vassal states are on the "winning side" - they will support whichever side wins.

It is possible that some vassal states or forces are short-sighted and want to assist the "Ichibashi faction", or want to bet on both sides, flattering the "Nanji faction" and cheering for the "Ichibashi faction".

The Mito Domain was one of the "Three Great Houses" and had a territory of 35 koku, making it one of the most powerful domains among the "Three Hundred Lords".

If we can wipe out Mito in one go with overwhelming combat power, we will surely be able to deter countless villains!
This battle can also further demonstrate the power of the Shinsengumi.

This battle is of great importance, so Qing Deng will do it personally.

In recent days, cleaning up the battlefield, rebuilding Edo and other matters have all been handed over to Katsurintaro, Tenshoin and others.

He focused most of his energy on pre-war deployment.

Collecting intelligence, preparing supplies, planning the march route...there are so many things to do.

Whether the pre-war preparations are sufficient often determines the direction and situation of the war, and we cannot be careless at all.

The Emperor, the Crown Prince and two sacred artifacts were stolen... Indeed, this is a very important matter.

But at the moment, it is not worth Qingdeng's worry.

At this stage, all matters must give way to the "Mito Conquest"!
……

……

January 1865, 1 -

Edo Castle, Honmaru, a room——

Qing Deng bent over the desk, reading the file in his hand attentively.

In order to facilitate work, Qing Deng has been living in Edo Castle recently.

Normally, as a minister, Qing Deng could not stay overnight in Edo Castle.

However, the same thing still applies - at this point, who in the shogunate dares to say "no" to Qing Deng?

After the "Keio Palace Incident" - because it happened during the Keio period, this black swan event in which the emperor, the crown prince and two sacred artifacts were taken away was called the "Keio Palace Incident" - nothing happened in the world and everything was peaceful.

In this peaceful time, Qing Deng made preparations for the "Mito Conquest" step by step.

After repeated consideration by him, Kondo Isami and others, they finally decided to set the departure date five days later, that is, January 5th.

On January 1, the army was officially dispatched to the north! Wipe out Mito!
As the pre-war deployment came to an end, Qingdeng's workload was greatly reduced.

Thanks to this, he regained the joy of "stealing a little time of leisure from busy life".

Only when you are extremely busy and wish you could use a knife to cut yourself into several parts to share the workload, can you deeply appreciate how happy it is to "live a leisurely life".

With the blessing of a number of talents such as "Sleep God", "Strong Sperm +5", "Yuan Yang +7", Qing Deng is a leading workaholic, and it is normal for him to work for more than ten hours in a row.

Of course, no matter how much talent one has or how powerful it is, it cannot withstand his efforts.

The busy life in recent days has caused the fatigue in his body to gradually accumulate and started to have a significant impact on his life.

For example, right now—he had just opened the scroll in his hand, but he began to feel his neck stiff and it was difficult for him to concentrate.

Just as he was about to take a break, he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the corridor.

Familiar footsteps, a calm and elegant way of walking... Qing Deng could never have heard it wrong.

After a while, with a "whoosh" sound, the door was slowly pushed open.

Qing Deng smiled without even looking up:

"Your Highness, I am honored." "Sheng Qing, I am honored."

Tian Zhangyuan said this as he closed the door with his backhand, then quickly moved to Qingdeng.

The war was over, and Tianzhangyuan, who no longer had to wear military uniform, changed back into his "classic attire" - a blue smock, white socks on his feet, and his shoulder-length black hair tied into a short ponytail.

"Sheng Qing, you don't look very good, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine, just a little uncomfortable."

"You don't feel well? Do you need me to ask a doctor to check you out?"

"Your Highness, don't be nervous. I'm fine. It's just that I didn't get enough rest. I'll be refreshed after a short nap."

After a few simple greetings, Qing Deng got straight to the point:
"Your Highness, what brings you here suddenly?"

In recent days, because both of them are busy with various things, they seldom meet unless it is necessary for official business.

Therefore, he subconsciously thought that the other party suddenly came to him to discuss official business with him.

Unexpectedly, he guessed wrong.

Tian Zhangyuan smiled and shook his head gently:
"No big deal, I just wanted to see you and ask you a question."

She paused for a moment, then finished:

"Sheng Qing, are you free tomorrow?"

Qing Deng was stunned:
"Tomorrow? All day?"

Tianzhangyuan nodded:
"Yes, all day long."

A look of confusion appeared on Qing Deng's cheeks:
"Your Highness, why is it so sudden? Is there something important tomorrow?"

"Well...please allow me to keep it a secret for now."

Tian Zhangyuan made a "silence" gesture and smiled slyly.

"You just need to tell me if you have time tomorrow."

Although Qing Deng didn't understand why, he still had absolute trust in Tianzhangyuan and answered honestly:
"Tomorrow... I can't spare time tomorrow morning. I'll be free at noon."

After hearing this, Tian Zhangyuan's expression changed slightly, and a hint of loss flashed in his eyes.

She pursed her lips and asked:
"Then...are you free from tomorrow noon to the morning of the day after tomorrow?"

Qing Deng thought for a moment:

"Although there are government affairs to deal with, they are not urgent matters and can all be left for later."

"Hmm...only half a day..."

Tian Zhangyuan bit her teeth lightly, her expression slightly gloomy - this gloom did not last long.

In just a moment, she seemed to have figured something out, and her facial expression became bright again.

At the same time, the hint of "loss" in his eyes disappeared.

"Okay, half a day is enough!"

After saying this, she took a deep breath with a hissing sound - her action seemed to be to build up her courage.

"Sheng Qing, please go to No. 6-8, Shino-machi 3-chome, Edo at noon tomorrow!"

"Remember? Tomorrow at noon, Shino-machi 3-chome 6-8!"

"Oh, and you can only go alone, you can't bring anyone else with you!"

As she spoke, she reached into her bosom, took out a piece of paper and handed it to Qing Deng.

Qing Deng raised his hand and looked down, and found a line of words written on the paper - it was the place name "Shino-machi 3-chome 6-8".

He frowned, and the confusion on his cheeks deepened. He didn't know what the other party was up to.

"Your Highness, what on earth is this..."

Tian Zhangyuan interrupted him with a sweet laugh:

"When you get here tomorrow, you'll know what I want."

After saying this, she did not linger any longer, turned around, and slowly retreated with brisk steps - she seemed to be in a good mood.

Before leaving, she added:
"Remember this! Shino-machi 3-chome 6-8! Don't go the wrong way!"

Qing Deng looked at the note in his hand, then looked at Tian Zhang Yuan's receding figure... A strong sense of confusion dominated his expression...

……

……

The next day, at noon——

Edo, Shino-machi, Sanchome——

Qing Deng put on the long-lost "hermit outfit" - a low-brimmed hat, a scarf around his neck, and a simple outfit.

He deliberately pulled his scarf higher to cover his face.

The more mysterious Tianzhangyuan was, the more curious he became.

Anyway, he is really free this afternoon and has plenty of time, so he might as well cooperate with Tianzhangyuan and see what her purpose is.

——Third-chome...Sixth edition...No. 8...

Shio-cho is a town settlement, so the building density is extremely high.

The houses are connected to each other, stacked up layer by layer.

He followed the instructions of Tianzhangyuan and went to each building one by one.

Fortunately, he found his destination without much effort.

No. 6-8, Shino-machi 3-chome - a simple-looking house - came into his sight.

Looking at the houses in front of him, Qing Deng couldn't help but raise his eyebrows with a look of surprise.

——Is this the place?

He looked up, down, left and right... No matter from which angle he looked, this was just an ordinary house that could be seen anywhere.

Thousands of houses like this can be found in Qingdeng in Edo.

Although he was confused, he still stepped forward and walked towards the house.

Boom, boom, boom.

He knocked on the door.

No one answered inside.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
He knocked again.

This time, he used more force.

Still no answer.

——Is there no one here?

As he thought about it, he reached out and pulled the door - the door was easily pulled open.

It turned out the door was not locked.

Qing Deng's confusion grew stronger.

He stepped over the threshold and moved to the earthen room.

[Note: Doma: In Japanese architecture, the transition area between the outdoors and the indoors is part of the interior of the house. In Japan, people have the habit of taking off shoes indoors, but before entering the entrance, there is a space where you can wear shoes, and that is the doma.]

"anyone there?"

He yelled into the house.

He thought he would be rewarded with silence again.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard coming closer and closer from the depths of the corridor.

Familiar footsteps... a calm and graceful way of walking...

A woman in a green kimono appeared from the house in small steps and came in front of Qing Deng.

"Husband, welcome back!"

Tianzhangyuan tucked in the hem of her kimono, knelt on the ground, and greeted Qingdeng with a smile on her face, with a shy look between her brows - just like a newlywed wife.

Qing Deng stood there in a daze, his eyes wide open, staring at Tianzhang Courtyard - it looked exactly like a clay sculpture or a wooden carving.

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In the blink of an eye, it's the end of the month again! Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (tearful leopard head.jpg)

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PS: This volume is full of heavy content, and I can finally write some light-hearted plots!