I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Tokugawa Ieyasu learned from the lessons of the previous dynasty and not only introduced many measures to weaken the power of Buddhism, such as prohibiting the raising of monk soldiers, but also placed major temples, such as Zojoji, under his watchful eye for easier control.

On the other hand, temples were used for military purposes.

Within Edo City stands a great temple that rivals Zojoji Temple: Kan'eiji Temple.

Kan'ei-ji Temple is located in the northeast of Edo Castle. It is the head temple of the Tendai sect and covers an astonishing 30.5 tsubo (1008330 square meters).

The two temples, located to the north and south of Edo Castle respectively, served to reinforce the castle's defenses and act as a buffer zone.

At the same time, Kan'ei-ji and Zokō-ji have something in common: they are both located on strategically important plateaus, on the Nikko-dō and Tōkaidō routes to Edo, respectively.

The reason for this arrangement was that in an emergency, the temple's vast land could be converted into a garrison, and the high ground was ideal for repelling enemies invading Edo.

The Tokaido is the most important strategic passage in the five streets, without exception.

It connects the Kanto Plain, the Nobi Plain, and the Osaka Plain—Japan's three major plains and the three most economically valuable regions in Japan, all linked together by the Tokaido.

Japan is a mountainous country, and there are only two roads connecting the Kanto and Kinai regions: the Nakasendo and the Tokaido.

Among them, because the former has a longer route and more rugged terrain, its military and economic value is not as good as the latter.

According to the shogunate's plan, Aoto will lead the entire Shinsengumi along the Tokaido to Kyoto!

Therefore, Zokoji Temple, located at a strategic point on the Tokaido, naturally became the gathering place for the Shinsengumi.

"Wow! Tachibana-kun, you look so cool! This armor really suits you!"

Souji blinked hard, her two beautiful eyes sparkling as if countless stars were flowing within them.

"Thank you for the compliment."

Qingdeng gave a wry smile, then forcefully twisted his shoulders—crackling sounds echoed as the two shoulder pads covering his shoulders and upper arms swayed.

"It really feels so strange..."

The commander chuckled:

"You'll get used to it after wearing it a few more times."

When a large army sets out for battle, a mobilization ceremony must be held, as is customary.

Tokugawa Iemochi will be accompanied by a group of high-ranking officials of the shogunate to Zojoji Temple today to see off the Shinsengumi.

As the commander of the Jingji Garrison and the captain of the Shinsengumi, it would be quite inappropriate for Qing Deng to dress too casually at today's grand event.

Dresses like ceremonial robes and court robes are not suitable for solemn occasions like "military mobilization."

Since he was part of the army, and since he was going to be a general in charge of the army in the future, then Qing Deng naturally had to dress in the style of a military commander.

At this moment, Qing Deng was wearing blue and white full armor, with a cloud-white cloak embroidered with gorgeous patterns on the outside. He wore a shovel-shaped helmet with the front facing up. He looked heroic and extraordinary, just like a majestic general who had stepped out of an ancient painting!

This armor has quite a history—two years ago, Qing Deng, who was then the captain of the Third Division of the Fire Thieves, was awarded a set of precious armor after he participated in the army's attack on the mountain bandits of Kai Province. He was awarded the armor for his meritorious service in repeatedly being the first to scale the walls and beheading enemy generals.

Ever since Qingdeng retrieved this armor, he has placed it in the "diners' room" of the Shiwei Hall as a decoration.

He never imagined that he would one day need this armor—and that he would likely use it frequently in the foreseeable future.

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Today is the last day of the month! Readers with monthly passes, please vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

The Shinsengumi are finally going to war! It's been a long and arduous journey!

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Chapter 552 The future is in our hands! [5200]

The weather is lovely today.

As the sun rises in the east, countless rays of light stream down from the peaks of distant mountains.

The golden-red dawn unveiled the last vestiges of darkness, coloring the sky and illuminating the earth.

The eastern sky was ablaze with a brilliant red glow, with soft clouds scattered among them. Under a vast blue sky, on the expansive temple grounds, the Shinsengumi members formed a square formation that, while not perfectly neat, was still orderly.

Deputy Chief Toshizo Hijikata, Director Isao Kondo, Chief of Staff Keisuke Yamanami, and Staff Officer Hachiro Kiyokawa—these four stood at the very front of the formation.

Following them were the 10 captains of the sword-drawing squad, lined up in order from 1 to 10.

"Ah...it's so cold..."

The chief brought her hands to her lips, exhaled warm breath, and the rising steam enveloped her pretty face.

Nagakura Shinpachi turned his head and looked at Souji, who had just returned from Aoto's place:

"Okita-kun, how's Mr. Tachibana doing?"

The General replied:

"He just put on his armor. That armor suits him very well, he looks very imposing!"

Was he nervous?

“Nagakura-kun, for Tachibana-kun, today’s mobilization ceremony is just a trivial matter. How could he possibly be nervous?”

Nagakura Shinpachi chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"After all, Mr. Tachibana worked his way up from the bottom, one sword at a time."

"He has caught thieves, fought in battles, and even sat high in the imperial court."

"For him, such a scene was indeed not worth mentioning."

At this point, Nagakura Shinpachi let out a long sigh, his face showing a complex mix of emotions.

"It's funny, but I'm the one who's feeling really nervous right now..."

"I never imagined that I, a low-ranking samurai who came from a poor, remote place, would one day be able to wield my sword and ride into battle."

Nagakura Shinpachi was born in the Matsumae Domain.

Matsumae Domain was located on Ezo Ōshima (modern-day Hokkaido), bordering the territory of the Ezo (modern-day Ainu people).

In the worldview of the people during the Edo period, the Ou region north of Kanto was a desolate and impoverished place—and that was indeed the case.

Because of its high latitude, the climate conditions in the Ou region are far from ideal.

In addition, its terrain is also unremarkable, making it a veritable mountainous country with almost no plains and very little arable land.

With neither fertile farmland nor superior harbors, its only notable resource is geothermal energy – namely, hot springs.

If the Oshu region is like this, then the Matsumae Domain, which is further north and even separated by the Tsugaru Strait, is even worse.

The Matsumae Domain in the eyes of the Japanese is similar to the frontier region in the eyes of the Chinese—a bitterly cold place within a bitterly cold place.

"Haha, Nagakura-kun, if we're talking about being nervous... I'm just as nervous as you."

Souji raised her right arm and showed her palm to Nagakura Shinpachi—it was trembling slightly.

"This is the first time I've ever stood in front of so many people... I'm so nervous..."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze and scanned her surroundings.

The departure ceremony of the Shinsengumi—how could the idle Edo samurai, who were also depressed due to the turbulent times, not come to join in the fun and have some fun?

The chattering voices and the soft, fragmented footsteps filled the air.

Because in a little while, high-ranking officials of the shogunate, led by Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin Atsuhime, will arrive here.

Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of the venue, the onlookers were kept far away.

Even the commander with excellent eyesight could only see rows of people moving about in the distance.

"Hmph, this is nothing but child's play."

Suddenly, the Fourth Division Captain, Serizawa Kamo, drew the iron fan he always carried at his waist, and while using the fan as a hammer to tap his shoulder, he continued the conversation:

"This army is simply child's play."

He glanced sideways at Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo standing in front of him, his eyes full of disdain.

“One is a ‘former farmer’, and the other is a ‘current farmer’.”

He turned his head and swept his disdainful gaze toward Sanako and Kinoshita Mai on his left.

"And two women... Humph! An army of peasants and women, how can such an army fight? Absurd, utterly absurd."

He didn't lower his voice intentionally; instead, he delivered his "insights" at a normal volume.

Because Kondo Isami and the others were standing quite far forward, they did not hear Serizawa Kamo's words.

Fortunately, Hijikata Toshizo didn't hear it.

Given his fiery temper, that of a "thorny brat," if he heard someone speaking so rudely, he would definitely come to settle accounts with him.

However, it doesn't matter if Hijikata Toshizo didn't hear it.

Because someone has already come to help him get revenge.

"Hey kid, watch your mouth, or I'll kill you."

Having said that, Saito Hajime—since he was the captain of the Third Division, he stood to Serizawa Kamo's right—moved half a step to the right, leaving enough space to create the most suitable distance for the battle, and then reached out to grasp the Settsu-ju Ikeda Onijimaru Kunishige at his right waist.

Among the Shinsengumi members, Saito Hajime has the most extensive life experience.

In modern terms... Saito Kazuya was the most socially experienced member of the Shinsengumi, aside from Aoto and Hijikata Toshizo.

He rarely talks about his past with outsiders.

But considering his life experience of starting out in society at the age of 16, or even earlier, earning a living as a bodyguard, and his swift and decisive knife skills when slashing people, one can imagine how hardcore and ruthless he used to be.

His rich experience, taciturn and indifferent expression, and decisive style of never using a second blow when he can kill with one strike... This cold appearance often makes people forget that he is one of the youngest members of the Shinsengumi Gundam Eri, only 19 years old this year.

Despite Saito Hajime's verbal warnings and sharp gaze, Serizawa Kamo remained unfazed.

He turned to the side, facing Saito Hajime directly, his left hand still holding the iron fan, while his right hand raised and pressed down on the sword.

"Huh? Bring it on, you scoundrel."

*Click*—Saito Hajime drew his sword without hesitation.

Just as he pulled the knife out of its latch, a strong hand reached out from the side and pressed down on his left wrist, which was holding the knife.