I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I see... You admirable warrior, thank you for your hard work. I will definitely do you a favor afterward."

"Just focus on recuperating and wait to receive your reward."

"Guards! Reward this man with ten taels of gold! Bring the best doctor in the capital to treat him!"

No one objected to Qing Deng's reward arrangement.

Anyone who sees the likeness carved by this messenger will sincerely exclaim: This man deserves such a generous reward!

He truly "delivered the message with his own life."

After the messenger was carried away for treatment, Hijikata Toshizo calmly turned his head and looked at Aoto.

"...Orange."

He had barely begun when Qingdeng guessed what he wanted to say and nodded knowingly.

"Ok, I know."

After saying that, he stood up slowly.

"Ha, I really didn't expect... the first joint military meeting between the Shinsengumi and the Aizu army would come so soon!"

……

……

Kyoto, Kinkaikoji Temple (Aizu Military Main Formation)——

In the very center of the meeting room, there was a low rectangular table.

Aoto and Matsudaira Katamori sat side by side in the main seat.

Because it was a summit meeting of both sides, the only people from the Shinsengumi side who were qualified to attend were Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isami, Yamanami Keisuke, and Kiyokawa Hachiro.

The four of them sat on the side closest to Qingdeng.

As for the senior officials of Aizu, they naturally sat on the side closest to Matsudaira Katamori.

This occasion is a great opportunity to promote the Shinsengumi uniforms to friendly forces.

So, Qing Deng and the others all put on the light blue haori that had just arrived.

It is a magnificent sight at first glance.

When Aoto and the others appeared, the people of Aizu, including Matsudaira Katamori, were all very surprised.

Matsudaira Katamori blinked curiously and asked:

"Lord Tachibana, what is this outfit?"

Qingdeng smiled and replied:

"This is the uniform of our Shinsengumi. We chose the color of our ceremonial uniforms for seppuku to show our fearless spirit in the face of death and sacrifice!"

Upon learning the profound meaning behind the light blue haori, Matsudaira Katamori's expression immediately hardened, revealing admiration.

Because it was an urgent military meeting, there were no messy opening remarks or tedious small talk.

As soon as all the attendees arrived, the military meeting began immediately.

The first to speak was from Aizu.

"I am the elder Saigo Norimu of the Aizu Domain."

A samurai with thinning hair and a thick beard, around 30 years old, spoke slowly and in a deep voice:

"First of all, please forgive me for being blunt—the Aizu army must never leave Kyoto!"

Upon hearing this, Hijikata Toshizo, known for his fiery temper and never one to tolerate anyone, immediately frowned and questioned in a deep voice:

"Huh? The Aizu army can't leave Kyoto? What do you mean by that? Do you want our Shinsengumi to face the enemy's 10,000-strong force alone?"

Saigo Raimon nodded slightly:

"That's right, that's exactly what I meant."

The atmosphere became extremely heavy as soon as the military meeting began.

Everyone knows that the Shinsengumi currently has a total strength of just over one hundred men!

Saigo Yorimu actually wanted the Shinsengumi, with only one hundred soldiers, to fight against ten thousand bandits on their own!

*******

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The battle force is 100 to 10,000! The advantage is on my side!

Chapter 633 Deployment! Target: Iga! To meet the enemy forces! [4300]

At the previous welcoming banquet, Aoto had already met with the important retainers of the Aizu Domain, and the person who impressed him the most was Saigo Yorimo.

Firstly, because this person is a talented individual skilled in both literature and martial arts.

He was not only a learned scholar but also an outstanding martial artist proficient in the Daito-ryu Aikijutsu. He was not the kind of parasite who could only lie on the laurels of his ancestors and sleep soundly, unable to survive without his stable income.

[Note: Daito-ryu Aikijutsu: Originally a family martial art of the Kai Takeda clan, this technique was later secretly taught and passed down among high-ranking samurai of the Aizu Domain under the name "Goshikinai".]

Secondly, it was because this person held an exceptionally high position within the Aizu Domain.

The Saigo family was a prominent family in the Aizu Domain. For more than 200 years since the founding of the Aizu Domain, they were a central family in the domain's administration and were related to the lord of the domain. If we trace their lineage further back, they also had ties to the Tokugawa family, the shogun.

As one of the most prestigious and powerful families in the Aizu Domain, the Saigo family has always held the position of chief retainer of the Aizu Domain, wielding immense power and influence over important matters such as personnel, finance, and trials within the domain. They can even directly offer opinions to the lord of the domain.

At the age of 28, Saigo Yori's mother succeeded to the position of head of the family, becoming the 9th head of the Saigo family, and also inherited the position of chief retainer within the domain.

Aoto was not surprised by Saigo Yorimoto's explosive statement that "the Aizu army cannot leave Kyoto"—he would have been surprised if the man hadn't said such a thing.

After all, from the very beginning, Saigo Rai's mother did not support Aizu's move to Kyoto.

When the shogunate appointed Matsudaira Katamori as the governor of Kyoto and ordered him to quell the unrest in Kyoto, Saigo Yorimo immediately expressed strong opposition: Aizu must not do such a foolish thing as adding fuel to the fire!

He was very worried that Matsudaira Katamori's trip to Kyoto, where anti-shogunate forces were gathered, would lead him into endless conflicts, thereby jeopardizing the interests and safety of the Aizu Domain.

The fundamental difference between Matsudaira Katamori and Saigo Yorimo lies in "which side's interests take precedence: the Edo Shogunate or the Aizu Domain."

The former vowed to uphold the family precepts and regarded "supporting the shogunate" as his own responsibility.

As for the latter, because his family was truly and deeply bound to the Aizu Domain, sharing both honor and disgrace, he naturally tended to protect the status and power of the Aizu Domain.

Despite Saigo Yoriyuki's strong opposition to the trip to Kyoto, no matter how powerful or influential the Saigo family was, they could never compare to the lord of the domain.

Despite opposition, Matsudaira Katamori insisted on going to Kyoto, and Saigo Raimon was dismissed from his position as chief of household and ordered to stay at home.

But not long after, he was reinstated to his original position due to his outstanding abilities and high status, and was transferred to Kyoto to assist in governance.

Saigo Raimon, single-handedly, made the atmosphere inside and outside the room as tense as a bowstring stretched to its fullest extent.

Before anyone else could speak, Saigo Raima continued speaking on her own:

“If it were three months ago, Aijin would indeed have had an obligation to launch an attack to subdue the enemy.”

“But now, ‘suppressing the unrest in the capital region’ has become the mission that the garrison commander must fulfill.”

"Now, Aizu has only one responsibility—to monitor Satsuma and Nagato and protect the imperial court!"

"Everything else is outside the scope of our mission."

"We were just doing our jobs and fulfilling our responsibilities, and there was nothing wrong with it. Please forgive us."

"Therefore, gentlemen of the Garrison Command, please find a way to quell the uprising yourselves."

After saying that, Xixiang Lai's mother crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and acted arrogantly, as if to say, "I've finished speaking. If you have any objections, just say them! I'm all ears!"

Hijikata Toshizo's face was so dark it looked as if it had been splashed with ink.

Kondo Isami clenched his hands, which were resting on his lap.

Even the usually good-tempered Yamanami Keisuke had an unfriendly expression at this moment.

However... although Saigo Raimon's tone and the content he presented were infuriating, one had to admit that his claims were absolutely correct.

The original purpose of establishing the position of the Commander of the Capital Garrison was to reduce the pressure on Ping Rongbao.

In other words, the Kyoto Garrison Commander removed some of the original functions of the Kyoto Guardian.

After the "decentralization," the responsibilities of each party are clearly defined.

Matsudaira Katamori monitored and restrained Satsuma and Choshu, protecting the imperial court.

Qingdeng maintained the security of Kyoto, pacified the capital region, and oversaw the execution of his associates.

An uprising broke out in the Ise region... This is something that Aoto should worry about, not Matsudaira Katamori's responsibility.

Therefore, Saigo Raimon's idea of ​​"standing by and watching" is indeed impeccable and without any faults.

From the perspective of their functional scope, the Aizu Army indeed had no reason to send troops to quell the uprising.

However, no sooner had Saigo Rai's mother finished speaking than a loud voice of opposition rang out:

"Lord Saigo, you're mistaken about that!"

The speaker was not from the Shinsengumi side, but rather another elder of the Aizu Domain—Sagawa Kanbei.

Just as there were many senior officials in the shogunate, in order to prevent usurpation of power, each domain also had more than one chief retainer, and the power of the prime minister was divided into infinitely smaller parts.

Speaking of Kanbei Sagawa, he was also a renowned hero.

Legend has it that this man was skilled in swordsmanship and horsemanship, and was brave, decisive and highly skilled. He was one of the top generals of the Aizu Domain and was known as "Demon's Guard".

Judging from his appearance alone, he certainly has the demeanor of a fierce general.

With thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a robust physique, his thin clothes couldn't hide his strong muscles, and his neck was as thick as his head.

Unlike Saigo Yorimitsu, Sagawa Kanbei was of one mind with Matsudaira Katamori and was a staunch supporter of the shogunate.

Saigo Raimon slowly opened her eyes halfway and glanced at Sagawa Kanbei not far away.

"Oh? Lord Sagawa, may I ask if there was anything wrong with what I said just now?"

Sagawa Kanbei chuckled, raised his head, and began to speak eloquently: