I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Recently, whenever the members of the Shinsengumi meet Aoto, they ask him, either directly or indirectly, what we should do.

Even the usually composed Yamanami Keisuke and Sanako lost their usual calm.

Kondo Isami, Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke and other "military faction" members said to him aggressively: Tachibana-kun, if you want to fight the Westerners to the death, we will accompany you to the end!

The "calm faction," including Souji, Yamanami Keisuke, and Sanako, earnestly advised him: "You must remain calm and never raise an army without authorization."

This is where the role of the commander-in-chief comes into play.

Those who possess the composure to remain calm amidst turmoil are worthy of being called generals—even if the Transformers attack, the commander-in-chief must always remain composed.

Anyone can panic, but the commander-in-chief must not panic.

The commander-in-chief is the anchor of stability; as long as the commander-in-chief doesn't lose his composure, the army won't be easily shaken.

Conversely, if the commander-in-chief loses control, panic will spread exponentially throughout the army.

To appease the troops, Qingdeng had no choice but to activate his talent "Deceitful +1" and confidently told the soldiers:

"No need to worry!"

"Go do what you're supposed to do."

"As long as you believe in me, the Shinsengumi will, and always will, defeat all enemies!"

"As long as you continue to follow me, we will have no rivals ahead!"

Relying on his high prestige and his earnest and sincere preaching, Qingdeng finally managed to stabilize the morale of the troops.

To be honest, Qing Deng didn't have a definite idea about what to do next...

May 10th is just three days away, leaving him far too little time to react.

He wasn't the only one like that.

Tokugawa Iemochi, Tenshōin, Matsudaira Katamori, Matsudaira Shungaku... everyone was completely blank-headed and didn't know what to do.

Time flies...

In the blink of an eye, May 10th has quietly arrived...

……

……

Wenjiu three years (1863), January 10th——

Choshu Domain, Shimonoseki Strait—

Kusaka Genzui held the sword at his waist, head held high, his expression serious.

Before him stood 1000 heavily armed members of the Zunpu faction, arranged in a neat square formation, staring intently at Kusaka Genzui, awaiting his instructions.

A moment later, Kusaka Genzui, straining his throat, shouted at the loudest volume he could muster:

"Men of Changzhou!"

"The day we've been waiting for has finally arrived!"

"From this day forward, we no longer need to grovel before the Western barbarians!"

"From this day forward, the Western barbarians will be completely driven out of this land!"

"Men of Changzhou, let the Western barbarians and the whole world witness our courage!"

As soon as Kusaka Genrui finished speaking, the roar of the 1000 loyalists echoed through the sky.

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

Suddenly, a patriot rushed over:

"Kusaka-kun, enemy warship spotted! It's an American merchant ship!"

Without hesitation, Kusaka Genzui issued the order:

"Fire! Sink it!"

"From this day forward, any Western barbarian ships passing through the Xiaguan Strait shall be sunk without prior authorization!"

……

……

On this day, the booming sound of cannons dominated the entire Shimonoseki Strait.

On this day, the patriots of Choshu Domain actively responded to the shogunate's edict to "begin expelling the barbarians on May 10th," gathering 1000 patriots and two sailing warships (Hyoshin Maru and Koshin Maru) and two steam warships (Rimuro Maru and Kyukai Maru), blockading the Shimonoseki Strait and bombarding all Western ships passing through the strait.

In conclusion, the patriots of the Choshu Domain were indeed courageous; they were not cowards who dared to speak but not to act.

When it really came down to expelling the barbarians, they truly dared to step forward!

However... their desperate struggle was ultimately in vain.

On this day, apart from the Choshu Domain, the shogunate and other domains all stood by and watched, completely ignoring the imperial edict to "expel the barbarians immediately."

The situation has once again undergone a dramatic reversal!

*******

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Chapter 690 Qingdeng Offers a Plan! Qingdeng's "One Plan to Disrupt the World"! [6100]

The leader of the popular faction (pro-shogunate forces) in the Choshu Domain was named Mukuri Tota.

As a veteran official who has served for many years, Mukuri Tota embodies many typical characteristics of conservative officials.

Rigid, stubborn, unwilling to accept new things, and only able to understand the world according to their own outdated ideas.

He has always vehemently opposed any words or actions that attack the shogunate.

Therefore, his relationship with Shinsaku Takasugi, Kogoro Katsura, and others can be described as irreconcilable.

However, regarding the imperial edict to "begin expelling the barbarians on May 10th," Muku Rito, Takasugi Shinsaku, Katsura Kogoro, and others reached a rare consensus—Chōshū would absolutely not obey the edict!

Both sides were well aware that rashly getting involved in the war to expel the barbarians would plunge Changzhou into an abyss of no return!

To prevent this from happening, Takasugi Shinsaku did his best to dissuade Hisaka Genzui, urging him to abandon his "greater good".

However, Hisaka Genzui was no longer listening to his opinions.

“Takasugi, don’t stop me. My mind is made up. Unless you kill me, you can’t stop me.” – He said.

"...Kusaka, we used to practice martial arts together, and study swordsmanship together. Was all the sweat and blood we shed in the past just for this internal strife?"

As he spoke, Takasugi Shinsaku raised his hand and gripped the sword at his waist.

Two people from the same school, who were once inseparable, eventually turned against each other...

If it weren't for Katsura Kogoro's desperate intervention, these two fellow disciples would have almost drawn their swords against each other.

The current political landscape of the Choshu Domain is roughly as follows: the anti-shogunate "righteous faction" has overwhelmed the pro-shogunate "popular faction".

Among the "righteous faction," the "radical faction" led by Genzui Kusaka overwhelmed the "slippery faction" led by Shinsaku Takasugi and Kogoro Katsura.

After years of management, the Choshu Domain has become completely "mad".

From the imperial court to the common people, from towns to villages, the air inside and outside Choshu was thick with fervor.

People always talk about "expelling the barbarians".

Even young children and the elderly in the countryside would grit their teeth and express their indignation when talking about Western barbarians and the Shogunate.

The entire Choshu Domain had become a solid fortress and warm harbor for the Zunyan faction.

Expelling the barbarians became the most politically correct thing to do within the Choshu Domain.

Anyone who dares to voice dissent is a traitor and will be punished by Heaven.

Today, hardliners led by Genzui Kusaka have dominated mainstream public opinion in the Choshu Domain.

People like Shinsaku Takasugi and Kogoro Katsura, who are clear-headed and see reality clearly, are actually in the minority.

The current situation of the Choshu Domain perfectly illustrates the modern saying: nationalism is a double-edged sword; it is invincible when used to deal with foreign enemies, but equally invincible when used to "harm oneself."

The attempt to unite the people by "expelling the barbarians" ultimately backfired.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Choshu Domain is now out of control.

No matter how capable Takasugi Shinsaku, Katsura Kogoro, and others were, they could not withstand the overwhelming public opinion.

As for "Let's just leave it at that"... namely, Mori Yoshichika, the current lord of the Choshu Domain, he unsurprisingly performed steadily.

When Kusaka Genzui and others presented the "Memorial on Expelling the Barbarians," Mori Yoshichika immediately said, "Hmm, let's leave it at that!"

Thus, the entire domain reached a "common agreement"—expel the barbarians! Expel the barbarians! Expel the barbarians!

On May 10th, we dealt a crushing blow to the Western barbarians!

Kusaka Genzui gathered all the forces he could muster, preparing for a desperate battle against the Western Barbarians!

Finally, on May 10th, the American merchant ship Pembroke anchored in the Tamanoura Strait.

Initially, the Maori Noto hesitated.

Hisaka Genzui quickly made up his mind: fire immediately!

They used coastal batteries and the Gengshen Maru and Guihai Maru for artillery bombardment.

Their fighting spirit was unwavering; they fired shells relentlessly as if they were free.

However, due to outdated weaponry and a lack of combat experience, not a single shell hit the Pembroke.

Nevertheless, the crew of the Pembroke were terrified and quickly left the battlefield to flee elsewhere.

This was the first time the Choshu Domain had repelled a Western ship.

The initial victory greatly boosted morale.

The loyalists of the Choshu Domain portrayed it as a resounding and complete victory, greatly boosting morale.