I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The "farmers" mentioned here refer to the lowest level of the social pyramid, namely ordinary people who have no power or influence.

If people are fed too much, they are more likely to have unhealthy thoughts.

If people go hungry, they are more likely to gather and cause trouble.

Therefore, as long as the people are neither starving nor full, they can be kept busy year-round for a hot meal, thus ensuring the eternal stability of the Tokugawa kingdom.

This can be described as a disguised policy of keeping the people ignorant, treating ordinary people like slaves.

Basically, during the more than two hundred years that the Edo Shogunate ruled Japan, successive rulers consistently adhered to this governing philosophy.

Therefore, it is easy to imagine what kind of lives the poor people lived under such a brutal rule.

It was considered a good year if people didn't starve to death; eating tree bark and soil to fill their stomachs was commonplace.

Even in the best of times, if poor people wanted to eat something flavorful to satisfy their cravings and enrich their stomachs, they could only choose inferior foods like soy sauce residue, which even dogs wouldn't want to eat.

[Note: Soy sauce residue: The residue from brewing soy sauce is fermented again with salt and koji. It has a very strong flavor, is difficult to swallow, and is considered a poor man's food.]

Of course, there's no need to be overly critical of the Edo Shogunate because of this.

Ultimately, this is simply a common problem of feudal regimes.

Feudal regimes that represent the interests of only a very small minority are all pretty much the same.

The heavy and arduous life may have made the people cunning like foxes, but it has also made them simple.

A bowl of hot, fragrant rice is enough to stir up their surging emotions of "a scholar would die for one who understands him"!

Under the intense gaze of the crowd, Qing Deng, having completed a lap around the cafeteria, casually moved to the center, raised his head, and loudly asked:

"How is it? Is the porridge delicious?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a tremendous and enthusiastic response surged towards him:

"It's so delicious!"

"This is the best bowl of porridge I've ever tasted in my life!"

"I never imagined I would be so lucky! To be able to eat such delicious food in my lifetime, my life has been worthwhile!"

……

Everyone started talking at once.

Qingdeng stood quietly, letting the soldiers talk for a while before raising his hand to signal for silence.

In an instant, the noise subsided, and the bustling cafeteria returned to silence.

"If it's delicious, then eat more!"

As Qingdeng spoke, he turned his gaze around, taking in the surroundings.

"The training ahead will be exceptionally tough."

When he said the words "exceptionally difficult," whether unintentionally or intentionally, Qing Deng suddenly emphasized them, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a strange and intriguing way.

Because everyone was listening intently to his speech, no one noticed this unusual detail.

"Only by eating well will we have enough energy to endure the training that follows!"

"So—keep eating! Eat all you want! Eat to your heart's content!"

Qingdeng's words were like a switch.

The moment the "switch" was pressed, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

The deafening cheers of "Ooooooooooo!" nearly lifted the ceiling off the building!

The cafeteria was filled with a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere.

……

……

After breakfast, the soldiers returned to Training Ground A.

This time, instead of everyone gathering together, they dispersed and reported to their respective team leaders.

The members of the First Division, led by Shimada Kai, lined up in a neat horizontal row, facing their captain: Souji, who was standing with his hands on his hips.

To be honest, when Shimada Kai learned that his captain was such a handsome young man, he looked down on him.

Petite, fair-skinned, with an effeminate face, possessing a face that is very appealing to people of all walks of life, and always chewing on konpeito... Does such a person really deserve to lead the strongest force of the Shinsengumi?

Such doubts only dissipated after the "Kusunuku Group Extermination Operation" ended a few days ago.

The commander's swift and decisive actions in slaying enemies completely won over Shimada Kai, who willingly accepted her command.

The physical and morale boost from a good meal is obvious.

Looking around, every soldier on the training ground had a ruddy complexion, bright eyes, and was full of energy. They were all eager to start training as soon as possible.

After eating seven large bowls of meat porridge, Shimada Kai patted his round belly contentedly and let out a big burp.

He felt warm all over, as if his body was filled with inexhaustible energy!

—Shouldn't we start training our martial arts skills now?

In Shimada Kai's eyes... or rather, in the perception of most people in this era, "training soldiers" and "practicing martial arts" are synonymous.

Martial arts skills are the most important quality a soldier should possess.

If you can't even use weapons properly, how can you fight a war?

Shimada Kai was very confident in his swordsmanship.

He dedicated most of his life to the way of the sword.

While I wouldn't dare call myself a genius or an expert, I do have some skill to my name.

Once it comes to the training phase where he hones his martial arts skills, he can naturally showcase his strengths and attract the attention of both Souji and Aoto!

Because of his outstanding martial arts skills, he was appreciated by Qing Deng and promoted all the way up—Shimada Kai couldn't help but fantasize about this.

However... the reality before him was far from his vision.

—Strange… Lord Okita, why are your hands empty? Where's your wooden sword? Where's your bamboo sword? Without a wooden sword and a bamboo sword, how are we supposed to train our martial arts? Are we supposed to keep running to improve our stamina?

Just as Shimada Kai was still wondering, the lively ponytail tied with a purple ribbon finally swayed gracefully:

"Cough!"

Souji coughed loudly twice, drawing the attention of the First Division members.

"I'm not good with words, so I'll stop rambling! Let's get straight to training!"

"Today's first training session is... is... is..."

As if she had forgotten her lines, she suddenly began to stammer.

After repeating "yes" several times, she hurriedly reached into her bosom and pulled out a small booklet.

She opened the booklet, flipped through a few pages, read for a while, and then a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on her face:

"Yes, that's right! It's standing at attention!"

"Listen up, all of you! Standing at attention must meet the following requirements—"

"Stand with your feet apart and legs straight, thumbs touching the second joint of your index fingers, and hands hanging naturally down close to your sides. They must be close together; even if someone pulls your hands away forcefully, even if you are pulled down, your hands must not loosen."

"Tuck in your stomach, straighten your chest, raise your head, look straight ahead, and pull your shoulders back."

"At the same time, the airflow in the body must be divided into three streams."

"A surge of energy flows down from the dantian through both legs, making the legs straight and clamped together like pillars, the feet powerful and vigorous, gripping the ground tightly, as if cracking the earth; if the energy doesn't reach the legs, the feet become weak, and the lower body becomes unstable."

"A breath rises from the dantian, spreading to the shoulders and the top of the head, making the shoulders level, the head upright, and the eyes fixed straight ahead without looking to the side, not blinking even when the wind blows and sand gets in the eyes; if the breath is not full, the body will be slumped and the eyes will be lifeless."

"The last stretch involves pulling in your abdomen and lifting your buttocks to protect your body and make it as strong as steel; otherwise, your waist will be weak and your body will not be straight."

"By coordinating and taking into account the Qi within the body and every muscle and bone, and perfectly extending Qi and strength to form the greatest combined force, one can stand like a tall and strong pine tree!"

"This is the military posture that the soldiers of the Shinsengumi should have!"

After finishing speaking in one breath, the commander put down the booklet and looked at his subordinates with his eyes: Do you have any questions?

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Shimada Kai and the others turned their heads, looked at each other, and stared blankly at each other.

Military posture?

To put it simply, isn't this just standing up?

What's so good about training for standing? Is there any need to train for this?

Moreover, why make a simple standing posture so complicated?

The commander glanced around and, seeing no one speak, announced loudly:

"Don't you have any questions? If not, then let's not waste any more time! Let's get started with the training!"

Shimada Kai glanced around; his companions all looked puzzled, but they seemed unwilling to raise any questions.

So, he gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, and became the one to stick his neck out:

"Lord Okita, I don't understand! What's the point of this training? Even a toddler knows how to stand! Why are we practicing a skill that even a child can do?"

Souji turned his head to the side following the sound, his gaze falling on Shimada Kai.

"That's a good question!"

She nodded vigorously, then put her hands on her hips.

"Standing at attention is the core skill of the 'Orange Stream Military Strategy'! It is an essential skill to learn!"

"'Orange Stream Strategy'?"

Shimada Kai blinked a few times, a look of confusion appearing between his brows.

He had never heard of the "Orange Stream Strategy" in his entire life.