I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Killing him was not an option, nor was releasing him... With no other choice, Aoto could only imprison Sagawa Kanbei and hand him over to Matsudaira Katamori when they returned to Kyoto, so that Matsudaira Katamori could deal with his subordinate.

Thus, Kanbei Sagawa was absent from the entire battle, remaining in prison until the victory was achieved.

Not only did he fail to achieve any merit, but he also gained the charge of "disobeying orders and disrespecting the general."

The trusted general sent to assist Qingdeng made such a big mistake and lost so much face... This naturally made Matsudaira Katamori feel extremely ashamed and embarrassed.

In order to give Aoto an explanation and also to enforce discipline within his own military, Matsudaira Katamori did not mince words after Sagawa Kanbei was escorted back to Kyoto, and directly imposed a series of severe punishments on him, including stripping him of his salary and confining him to his quarters.

Aoto sincerely hoped that when the two armies joined forces again, the commanders on the Aizu side would be more reliable.

……

……

Compared to those messy, empty titles, Aoto valued things that could truly bring him and the Shinsengumi real benefits.

After defeating the enemy army, the Shinsengumi seized a huge amount of supplies in the enemy camp.

Aoto assigned the task of tallying the spoils to Keisuke Yamanami, who was in charge of paperwork, and Yataro Iwasaki, who was in charge of making money.

They mobilized a lot of manpower and spent several days, practically hammering away at their abacuses, before finally managing to come up with a specific figure.

Overall, their achievements were nothing short of remarkable.

According to statistics, they seized a total of 3121 shi of millet, 1893 shi of barnyard grass, 230 shi of rice, and 2454 shi of other crops.

Generally speaking, one shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain was roughly equivalent to the annual rations of an adult male—of course, this was calculated based on the average food intake at the time.

In terms of money, a total of 3292 taels of gold, 4687 taels of silver, and 13569 copper coins were seized.

Regarding livestock, a total of 95 cattle and 239 horses were seized.

A bumper harvest!

A truly bountiful harvest!

*******

*******

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

PS: "Yuan Shengqing" is Qing Deng's most formal name, a combination of clan name and given name, used in extremely high-level official occasions, such as the official appointment ceremony in this chapter. In contrast, "Ju Qing Deng" is his least formal name, a combination of clan name and common name, used only in daily life.

Chapter 668 Mass Recruitment! 3000 More Men Required! [5200]

There are no donkeys in Japan, so naturally there are no mules either.

[Note: A mule is a hybrid breed formed from a donkey and a horse.]

In ancient Japan, the main animal power used by farmers was cattle and horses.

In Qingdeng's eyes, those grains, crops, gold, silver, and copper coins were nothing special and not worth mentioning at all.

This pile of livestock is the most valuable thing!

95 cows, 239 horses... this is already a huge fortune that cannot be underestimated!

To some extent, the amount of animal power directly determines the financial level of a rural area.

No matter how good you are at plowing the land, can you still plow faster than an ox?

Even if you can carry a lot of goods, can you carry more than a slow horse?

Rural areas with more animal power are more impressive than those with less; the former's production efficiency far surpasses the latter's.

However, even in the wealthy capital region, not every farming family could own their own cattle and horses.

It was common practice for several households to take turns using one ox and one horse for plowing.

In short, Qingdeng made a fortune from this battle, both in terms of the outcome and the collection of spoils.

He finally understood what "war economics" meant.

At the same time, it made me deeply understand why those Western countries, which were greedy for fame and fortune, were so fond of invading other people's homes.

If you use the right methods, you can really make money in war! And it's the kind of huge, unprofitable kind!

It's no surprise that they achieved such amazing results.

If the rebel army hadn't managed to seize such a large amount of wealth after looting most of Ise, then Seito would be quite puzzled.

Despite returning with a full load, Qingdeng had no intention of keeping the wealth.

Qing Deng was not blinded by these numbers.

Firstly, the quality of these spoils was not high enough to make him reluctant to part with them.

Take millet and barnyard grass as examples.

They made up the majority of the harvested grain.

Both of these are foods for the poor, especially millet.

In China, the word for barnyard grass sounds like "spoiled brat," and it is actually a noxious weed.

It seizes a large amount of environmental resources in paddy fields by competing with dominant or sub-dominant species in weed communities, which inhibits the growth and development of rice and leads to reduced yield. Therefore, it is called "the spoiled child".

Moreover, it is not suitable as food, as it is neither tasty nor nutritious.

If it weren't for poverty, who would eat this stuff?

Following Qingdeng's "military reforms," ​​rice became the staple food of the Shinsengumi.

Keeping this pile of millet and chaff is completely useless.

The only solution is to resell them.

As for other items such as rice, money, and oxen, they were not essential resources that Qingdeng "absolutely could not let go of."

The only thing that could move Qingdeng's heart was the horses.

He was planning to form a cavalry unit, and these horses would come in handy.

However, although horses are an important strategic resource, the captured horses were all of very poor quality and could only be used as a means of transportation, not suitable for warfare.

Using inferior horses to train cavalry is actually detrimental to developing the cavalry's combat effectiveness.

Secondly, this is a great opportunity to win over the hearts and minds of the people.

Whether it's money and grain, or animal power, it can be earned back slowly over time.

But that's not how the people feel.

Once you lose the hearts and minds of the people, it's not so easy to win them back.

The rampant destruction by the rebel army caused severe damage to production and daily life in the Ise region.

Today, the people of Ise are displaced and suffering greatly.

Imagine if, at this critical juncture, Aoto announced to the public that all the supplies captured by the Shinsengumi in this operation would be donated to the people of Ise without taking a single penny or a single grain of rice. What a scene that would be!

If we don't act now, when will we?

So, Qing Deng wrote a bold stroke of his pen—all the supplies seized from the bandit camp were to be returned to the people of Ise! Not a single grain of rice was left! Not a single livestock was spared! All of it was to be used for the reconstruction of the Ise region!

In any case, all these things were looted from the people of Ise by the bandit army.

What Qingdeng is doing now is simply returning the item to its rightful owner.

Not only that, Qing Deng also personally contributed a large sum of money to donate to Ise.

There are differing opinions within the Shinsengumi regarding Aoto's actions.

The vast majority of people—such as those in the "Shiekan faction"—had only one attitude: to praise it highly and support it wholeheartedly.

Only a small group of people—such as Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki—had some complaints.

They argued that donating money and grain was acceptable, but at least the horses should be left behind.

Although they were all inferior nags, they were still horses. Even if they were not the preferred mounts for the cavalry, they could still be used for logistical transport in the future.

However, Qing Deng's mind was made up.

He held absolute and undisputed leadership within the Shinsengumi.

Therefore, he ignored the opinions of Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki and resolutely pushed forward his plan to "aid Ise".

The effect of this news was immediate.

From Kyoto to the capital region and then to all parts of the country, from high-ranking officials of the shogunate and daimyo of feudal lords to ordinary people, everyone praised Seito's benevolence and righteousness, and lauded him as the well-deserved "King of Benevolence".

Furthermore, Qingdeng's good deeds inspired others to follow suit to some extent.

Matsudaira Katamori, daimyo of various domains in the Kinai region, court nobles, and other important figures all opened their purses and made donations to Ise.

The dignified Governor of the Capital Region has personally dedicated himself to the reconstruction of Ise. How can you not take some concrete action?

Legend has it that when the people of Ise learned that the Governor of the Capital Region would be providing them with strong support, they were all moved to tears.

Without a doubt—at the moment the people of Ise shed tears, what Aoto had gained far exceeded that paltry amount of grain, money, and livestock.

……

……

Besides the massive spoils of war, Qingdeng also "harvested" another item—the heads of bandits.

According to post-war statistics, the soldiers of the Xinhui Allied Forces cut off 329 heads in this battle.

Qingdeng did not waste these heads.

At his instruction, these heads were covered with thick layers of salt for strict preservation before being transported back to Kyoto and used to fill the Jingguan (a mound of heads) on the four river plains!

Since the destruction of the Nanmu Group, that Jingguan (a mound of stones) has not been "updated" for a long time.

After the heads of the bandits were poured up, the mound of skulls suddenly grew several times taller! It became even more terrifying!

It was just a small mound, but now it has become a terrifying little mountain!

A mountain made of human heads... just imagining it gives me goosebumps.

Thanks to this mound of Jingguan (a type of human pyramid), no one dares to approach the Four River Plains now.

From a distance, it is terrifying to behold—and that is exactly the effect Qing Deng wanted to achieve.