I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Qingdeng is indeed General!"

"The Western barbarians have their black ships, but I have the Shinsengumi; we are equal!"

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Yamaki Unro and the others.

"You all must learn from Qingdeng!"

"We don't expect the 'Third Division' to reach the level of the Shinsengumi to be perfect, but at least they should have the Shinsengumi's ruthless fighting spirit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yamaki Yunlang and the others hurriedly prostrated themselves on the ground, saying "Yes" in unison, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Qingdeng raised his head and glanced at the sky above.

"Your Highness, it's almost lunchtime. Would you like to visit our dining hall?"

"The cafeteria? Hahaha! Perfect! I'm actually a little hungry!"

*******

*******

Everyone, please take care of yourselves! (Laughing leopard.jpg) It seems like everyone's health has deteriorated a lot since the pandemic. According to my observations, the frequency of illness among people around me has increased significantly in recent years. It's scary... (Cowardly leopard.jpg)

Chapter 684 Everyone's Becomes Grandma Liu! [4200]

Newly Selected Village Office, Canteen No. 2—

"Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!"

"Awoo! Awoo! Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!"

"It's so delicious! It's absolutely delicious!"

"Shh! Quiet! Have you forgotten the dining rules? No talking while eating!"

"I'm sorry, I got a little carried away... Please forgive me."

……

The sounds of swallowing ("huff huff"), chewing ("whack whack"), and the clattering of bowls and chopsticks blended together.

The soldiers' mess hall was expanded along with the garrison area.

Currently, there are three canteens: Canteen A, Canteen B, and Canteen C.

At this moment, led by Aoto, Tokugawa Iemochi and others were walking in the corridor outside the No. 2 dining hall.

They peered inside through the windows along the corridor.

After leaving the training ground, the astonished expression, like that of a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden, returned to their faces.

Matsudaira Haruaki asked in surprise:

"Tachibana Heibu, what are your men eating? That reddish-brown stuff... is it meat?"

Qingdeng answered calmly:

"That's right, that's meat. To be precise, that's pork."

"Health is the foundation of war."

"If you can't even eat properly, how can you fight a war?"

"Therefore, in order to improve the soldiers' physical fitness, I allocated a large sum of money to improve their meals."

Rice will be served at every meal.

"I can eat meat at least once a day."

"In addition, eggs, vegetables, and other dishes are also essential."

The Shinsengumi's daily meals were incredibly luxurious—this was something everyone had already heard about.

However, seeing is believing.

Only by seeing with their own eyes what kind of delicious food the Shinsengumi soldiers ate every day could they truly appreciate how "lavish" this unit was!

At that moment, Yoshiki Hitotsubashi murmured in a daze:

"It's so quiet..."

The others nodded in agreement.

The huge dining hall, with hundreds of people, was surprisingly quiet.

Apart from the sounds of bowls and chopsticks clattering together, chewing, and swallowing while eating, there were no other unusual noises.

There was no whispering or hushed conversation.

In such an environment, even a simple cough can draw attention.

Anyone who speaks will immediately receive a sharp look and a stern warning.

Even the commotion of a typical family gathering would probably surpass that.

Qingdeng explained quietly:

"These are the dining rules of my Shinsengumi—talking is strictly prohibited while eating."

"You can say whatever you want, chat however you want, whether it's in private, in the dormitory, or in the bathhouse."

"But you are strictly prohibited from talking while eating."

"Furthermore, no one is allowed to do anything other than 'eat' in the canteen."

"To put it simply, just focus on eating when you're eating."

"If you want more rice or dishes, just raise your arm and a rice server will come to serve you."

Matsudaira Haruaki raised an eyebrow:

"'The Rice Serving Man'?"

Qing Deng raised his chin.

"Look, those are the men wearing blue Jinbe clothes and white headscarves, walking back and forth in the dining hall."

[Note: Jinpei: A traditional Japanese garment, typically worn by men or children as loungewear in summer. Jinpei is very short, reaching to the hips, with no cuffs, and a knotted cord at the collar and waist for tying.]

Everyone looked up and saw that there were many older men dressed in blue Jinpei clothing in the dining hall.

They are all quite old, the youngest being around 40.

Whenever a soldier raised his arm, they would rush over immediately to serve him more food.

"To prevent the soldiers from becoming distracted, the logistics personnel in the newly established garrison were mostly older men who were not particularly good-looking."

"The effect is outstanding."

"So far, the soldiers and logistics personnel have been getting along very well."

Although Qingdeng spoke vaguely, everyone understood.

Military camps, where men congregate, have always been a "hotspot" for corruption.

Whether it's recruiting young girls or young boys, they will be widely welcomed by the soldiers.

Compared to other options, it's safest to recruit an older man who isn't particularly attractive.

After hearing this, Matsudaira Haruaki couldn't help but ask further:

"Tachibana no Bingbu, why establish such a rule? Not even being allowed to talk while eating, isn't that too harsh?"

Qing Deng immediately explained:

"Lord Matsudaira, this rule may seem puzzling at first glance, but it contains a very profound meaning."

"Firstly, this rule can cultivate the discipline of the soldiers."

"Whether in wartime or peacetime, even in small matters like eating, we must always abide by the rules of the Shinsengumi."

"Only in this way can we make our soldiers accustomed to discipline and respect it."

"The second reason is to win on the battlefield."

"On the ever-changing battlefield, every minute and every second is incredibly precious."

"Even a single second can determine the outcome of a battle."

"The sooner the soldiers finish their meals, the more time they can save, and thus get to the battlefield and engage in combat more quickly."

"It takes us only 5 minutes to finish a meal, while it takes the enemy a full 10 minutes."

"This five-minute difference is enough to decide the outcome of the game."

After hearing Qingdeng's explanation, everyone showed expressions of conviction.

At this moment, Tenshōin suddenly called out to Seidō.

"Sheng...Ju Bingbu, what is this?"

Tenshōin stood still in front of a wall.

A huge wooden board hung on the wall, covered with densely packed words.

Tokugawa Iemochi walked over and quietly repeated the contents of the board word by word:

"First, it is strictly forbidden to drink raw water; you must drink boiled water."

Second, urinating or defecating indiscriminately is strictly prohibited. Wash your hands after urinating or defecating.

Third, wash your hands with soap before meals.

Before Tokugawa Iemochi could finish reading, Aoto explained:

"Your Highness, these are the '21 Rules of the Shinsengumi'."

He anticipated that Tokugawa Iemochi and others would definitely ask, "The 21 Rules of the Shinsengumi? What is that?" So he continued the conversation on his own:

"The newly elected group currently has two sets of disciplinary regulations."

"These are the Shinsengumi Law and the Shinsengumi's 21 Rules."

"The former is like the roots of a tree, while the latter is like the branches of a tree."

He spoke eloquently and concisely, explaining the similarities and differences between the two sets of disciplinary rules to everyone.