I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

It is often said that the Aizu Domain was the strongest and most loyal ally of the Edo Shogunate—and this was indeed the case.

Otherwise, Tokugawa Iemochi would not have entrusted the important task of defending Kyoto to Matsudaira Katamori.

The Aizu Domain was located in the northeast, namely the Ou region.

Like the western provinces, Oshu was a border region far from the ruling center of the shogunate, and a group of outlying daimyo, led by the Sendai Domain, occupied it.

The Sendai Domain was originally the Date clan from the Sengoku period.

The Date family once produced a formidable hero—Date Masamune, known as the "Master of the Oshu" and the "One-Eyed Dragon."

Towards the end of the Sengoku period, Date Masamune wisely allied himself with Tokugawa Ieyasu, thus retaining all his territory.

The Sendai Domain's official total koku (a unit of rice measure) reached an astonishing 62 koku, while its actual stipend was as high as 100 million koku.

If we include the abundant mineral resources, state rewards from the smelting and livestock industries, fishing revenue from Sanriku Bay, and port revenue, the actual fiscal size of the Sendai Domain is said to exceed 200 million koku.

Although the Ōu Domains were much more docile than the western domains, their formidable strength forced the shogunate to be on high alert.

Therefore, in order to monitor and suppress the Ōu Domains, the shogunate established a new domain in the heart of Ōu, which is now the Aizu Domain.

In other words, the Aizu Domain was a major northern stronghold of the shogunate.

If there is any trouble in the north, then it will be the front line of the northern battlefield.

Because of its northern latitude and complex terrain, the living conditions in the Aizu Domain were nowhere near as good as those in fertile plains like the Kanto Plain or the Nobi Plain.

Harsh weather may bring suffering, but it can also toughen one's body and temper one's spirit.

Compared to the people of Kanto and the Gyeonggi region who grew up amidst green hills and clear waters, the people of Aizu, who are often exposed to wind and snow, are undoubtedly much stronger in body and spirit.

In addition, the Aizu people's level of awareness was astonishing—which was one of the most important reasons why the shogunate trusted the Aizu Domain so much.

The spiritual foundation of the Aizu Domain originated from the Neo-Confucianism of Yamazaki Ansai and the Shintoism of Yoshikawa Koreyuki, and was established by the domain's founder, Yasushina Masayuki.

Hoshina Masayuki's original name was Yukimatsu Maru, and he was the son of the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada.

Because he was born out of wedlock, he was secretly given to be raised by Kenshoin, the second daughter of Takeda Shingen.

He was later adopted by Hoshina Masamitsu, a former retainer of the Takeda clan, the hereditary daimyo of the Edo shogunate, and the first lord of the Takato Domain in Shinano Province.

Masamitsu had high hopes for him and named him as his successor. Therefore, after Masamitsu passed away, he officially changed his name to Hoshina Masayuki, inherited his adoptive father's 3 koku of the Takato Domain, and was appointed Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Left Imperial Guard Commander and Governor of Higo Province.

Later, the shogunate allowed Masayuki to change his surname to Matsudaira, but out of gratitude for the Hoshina family's nurturing, he firmly declined, and used Hoshina as his family name for the rest of his life.

After him, his son, as the third lord of the Aizu Domain, began to use the surname Matsudaira, namely Matsudaira Masahiro, and began to use the surname Aizu Aoi, and was listed as a close relative of the domain.

The third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, trusted his half-brother Masayuki greatly. He not only granted him land, allowing him to inherit the Yamagata Domain (20 koku in Dewa Province) and the Aizu Domain (23 koku in Mutsu Province), giving him an exceptionally prominent position, but also allowed him to participate in the shogunate's administration. Before his death, he entrusted his son, Ietsuna, to him.

Extremely grateful, Masayuki then formulated the "Fifteen Rules of the Aizu Family".

The first rule is that "the Aizu Domain has protected the Shogun's family for generations and must not blindly follow the stance of other countries. If the lord of the domain has a disloyal heart, he is not my descendant and my retainers cannot obey him."

Subsequent feudal lords and samurai faithfully practiced the "Fifteen Rules of Aizu Family Precepts" formulated by Masayuki.

The current lord of the domain, Matsudaira Katamori, regards these fifteen family precepts as his life motto and code of conduct.

In 1836, Matsudaira Katamori was born at the Takasu Domain residence in Yotsuya, Edo Province, as the sixth son of Matsudaira Yoshitake, the tenth lord of the Takasu Domain in Mino Province, and his concubine, the Komori clan.

In 1846, the eighth lord of the Aizu Domain, who had no successor, adopted Matsudaira Katamori as his son, and Matsudaira Katamori entered the Aizu Domain residence in Edo.

Here, he was educated strictly according to the traditions of the vassal state.

If we were to describe the ideology of the Aizu Domain in a single sentence, it would be: "To respect the Imperial Court, to obey the Shogunate, and at the same time to uphold moral principles."

Under the influence of such family traditions, Matsudaira Katamori was a renowned scholar and warrior, a paragon of loyalty and integrity, and a model for the samurai family from a young age.

In 1852, Matsudaira Katamori officially succeeded as head of the family and became the ninth lord of the Aizu Domain.

In 1862, the shogunate established the "Kyoto Guardian Office" to consolidate the security of Kyoto. However, the question of who should be appointed to this important task remained unresolved.

The Kyoto Guardian holds significant military power over the Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and other regions, and frequently negotiates with the Imperial Court. This position is of great importance, requiring both unwavering loyalty and formidable strength.

After repeated selections, Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi and Haruaki Matsudaira finally made their decision: the guardian of the royal city must be none other than the Marquis of Aizu!

Therefore, they summoned Matsudaira Katamori to Edo and persuaded him to go to Kyoto to take up his post.

Matsudaira Katamori initially considered the precarious financial situation of the domain and advised the samurai against getting involved, as the political situation in the Kyoto region was too complex and dangerous, and he should not meddle in it without authorization.

Therefore, Matsudaira Katamori declined the offer, citing Aizu's remote location in the northeast, the soldiers' unfamiliarity with Kyoto customs, and his fear that they might not be up to the task.

However, when Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and Matsudaira Haruaki pointed out the ancestral precept of "the Aizu family has been guarding the Shogun's family for generations," Katsuragi made up his mind to accept the appointment.

Upon hearing this, retainers Saigo Yorimo and Tanaka Genkiyo rushed over from Aizu.

Despite the earnest attempts of his retainers to dissuade him, Matsudaira Katamori, having made up his mind, declared eloquently: "I initially considered it the same way, but the Shogun's orders have been issued repeatedly, and as a retainer, I have no reason to refuse; moreover, there is the family precept of Aizu, and though I am not talented, I have never forgotten to serve him for a single day, so I have no choice but to accept the appointment. Now that we have chosen to assume this great responsibility, if our thoughts remain divided, it will be difficult to achieve anything. You should all reconsider. Let us all prepare to die in Kyoto!"

It can be said that Matsudaira Katamori went to Kyoto with the determination of "either succeed or die trying" and "to die in a foreign land".

Thus, on the first day of the intercalary 8th month of the second year of Bunkyū (1862), Matsudaira Katamori officially took office as the governor of Kyoto and led a thousand elite Aizu soldiers to Kyoto, with his main camp set up at Kinkai Komyoji Temple in Kurotani, Kyoto.

The well-disciplined military bearing of the Aizu troops left a deep impression on the people of Kyoto.

On the day he led his army into Kyoto, the handsome and dashing Matsudaira Katamori rode a pure white warhorse, wearing a bright red jinhaori and a folded eboshi hat.

When the people of Kyoto heard that the Lord of Aizu was coming, young girls rushed to the streets to catch a glimpse of him, and even the men were captivated by his imposing presence.

Later, someone composed this nursery rhyme: "The powerful Aizu Domain, Lady Higo. A thousand miles away, she guards the capital. The Imperial Palace prospers, the court nobles are at ease. The people rejoice, clapping and cheering."

[Note: Higo-sama, Lieutenant General Aizu: Matsudaira Yōhoguan paid homage to Higo Mamoru and Lieutenant General Sakonoe Quan, and is known as "Lieutenant General Aizu" or "Higo-sama" in the world]

The Aizu army truly deserves its reputation as "the strongest ally of the Shogunate".

The soldiers of the Aizu army stood tall and proud, their steps firm and powerful.

Their armor coverage rate reached an astonishing 100%.

From generals with horses to ordinary soldiers on foot, everyone was fully armed.

The impeccably clean armor, the spears pointing straight to the sky, and the densely packed waist knives gleamed in the sunlight.

The military flag embroidered with Aizu hollyhocks fluttered in the fierce wind, standing tall and imposing.

In comparison, the Shinsengumi, who were keeping pace with them... were truly pathetic!

There was no standardized equipment.

There was no uniform.

The armor-wearing rate was practically nonexistent. The only person with armor to wear was Qing Deng.

On one side was the mighty army of Xingqi Dianji.

The other side is a ragtag army with an unsavory image.

The contrast between the two creates a very strong sense of difference.

At the same time, because the Shinsengumi soldiers were all from the lower classes all over the country, they could not even compare with the elite Aizu soldiers who were selected from hundreds of others in terms of spirit.

The situation of "being short, poor, and unattractive while being accompanied by a tall, rich, and handsome man" is hard not to make people feel embarrassed and ashamed.

Many members of the Shinsengumi, after witnessing the formidable might of the Aizu army, subconsciously hunched their shoulders, lowered their heads, and appeared timid and hesitant.

In contrast, the poor appearance of the Shinsengumi gave the Aizu soldiers a sense of superiority.

Despite Matsudaira Katamori's repeated orders that the Shinsengumi were allies of equal status and should not be underestimated, at this moment, a considerable number of Aizu soldiers still cast contemptuous and disdainful glances at their allies who were marching alongside them.

Some even lowered their voices and whispered:

"What's going on? Is this the kind of behavior our eagerly awaited reinforcements are behaving?"

"What use is an army like that?"

"They don't even have standardized equipment... How can this ragtag army be on par with our Aizu army?"

"Can they really accomplish the important task of 'pacifying the capital region'?"

"Why is Lord Ju riding an ox? Can't a dignified commander of the capital region even afford a horse?"

"However, that ox is quite robust, and seems to be even taller than the lord's beloved horse."

"Hey, look! There are women! They even have two female soldiers."

"Really? Wow, those two women are really good-looking."

"Yes, especially the one carrying a naginata. It's the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful woman."

"Bringing women to the battlefield... I'm increasingly convinced that this Shinsengumi is very unreliable..."

……

Although they tried their best to keep their voices down, many members of the Shinsengumi could hear their conversation because the two armies were marching side by side and very close to each other.

In an instant, the commander, Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, Hijikata Toshizo... from officers to soldiers, all turned their heads and returned their sullen and resentful gazes.

Especially the Chief—her eyebrows were furrowed, as if countless resentments resided within them.

Even ordinary people could hear the Aizu soldiers' taunts, let alone Aoto, who possessed the talent "Wind Perception +1".

However, Qing Deng's expression remained unchanged, his back straight, looking as steady as Mount Tai, as if he didn't care at all about the disrespect shown by the Aizu soldiers.

At this moment, Matsudaira Katamori frowned, turned around, and angrily rebuked:

"quiet!"

In an instant, the previously chattering Aizu military train returned to a state of solemn silence.

Then, Matsudaira Katamori turned his gaze to Aoto and solemnly apologized:

"Lord Tachibana, I apologize. It is my fault for failing to manage my subordinates."

Qingdeng smiled calmly:

"It's alright, my new faction is still very weak—that's a fact, there's no need to avoid or cover it up."

Matsudaira Katamori paused for a moment upon hearing this, as if he had heard an unbelievable answer.

"Lady Higo, be careful, the road ahead is very rugged."

Aoto's reminder brought Matsudaira Katamori back to his senses. He immediately steadied the reins in his hand and carefully guided his mount.

After receiving a stern warning from Matsudaira Katamori, the soldiers of the Aizu Army no longer dared to openly dislike the Shinsengumi.

The scene returned to calm.

After marching for about half an hour, the two armies finally entered Kyoto territory and arrived at the last stop on the Tokaido – the Sanjo Bridge in Kyoto.

……