I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Doctors, needless to say, improve the survival rate of the wounded and sick, ensure the number of veterans, and also effectively reduce the possibility of outbreaks of plague.

Qingdeng was really afraid of the plague.

Recruiting more military doctors would at least put his mind at ease.

As for architects... having excellent architects means having high-quality field fortifications!

Qing Deng was well aware of his own military talent—that was, he had little military talent.

He couldn't come up with as many ingenious strategies as military geniuses like Han Xin, Bai Qi, and Li Jing to outmaneuver their opponents.

A person should know their own limitations. Since I am not a military genius, I should fight like an "ordinary person"!

Qingdeng's most admired general was "Heavenly Khan" Li Shimin.

Although both were invincible military geniuses, Li Shimin was not like Han Xin or Bai Qi, who always fought some incomprehensible and miraculous battles.

Li Shimin's most frequently used military tactics were surprisingly simple.

Simply put, it's just a matter of "two tricks"—

First, hold firm at the fortifications and wear down the enemy's morale.

Second, when the time is right, the entire army will launch a full-scale attack and take down the enemy in one wave.

This tactic seems simple, but Li Shimin relied on it to become invincible, demonstrating what it means to "have one trick up your sleeve and conquer the world".

From Xue Ju to Liu Wuzhou, from Dou Jiande to Liu Heita, all these heroes and valiant men were defeated by Li Shimin's tactic.

In essence, Li Shimin had cultivated his "internal strength" to the extreme!

He was able to manage the supply of provisions, coordinate the relationships between his generals, command the advances and retreats of various armies, and accurately collect intelligence... He had no shortcomings in logistics, morale, or intelligence, which is why he seemed so relaxed when fighting.

The two key strategies of "holding the fortified positions" and "charging with all forces" were only the final 5% of his victory.

He had already prepared 95% of the content before the war even began!

Li Shimin's tactics were both difficult and simple.

To reach the same level as Li Shimin, one cannot achieve it through hard work alone; one needs to possess exceptional military talent.

However, if ordinary people study Li Shimin's military philosophy in its entirety, they may also have the opportunity to become a capable general—and this is precisely Qingdeng's goal.

Leaving aside Li Shimin's "internal strength," that's not something that can be mastered in a short time.

However, his "two-pronged approach" is easy to imitate.

To put it simply, Li Shimin's tactic of "first defending the fortifications, then launching a full-scale attack" can be summarized as Sun Tzu's classic saying: "First make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable."

An army that can fight and survive, that can charge into battle and build fortifications on the spot... who can defeat such an army?

In the previous "Battle of Iga", Aoto had tasted the benefits of "building high walls".

Therefore, he made up his mind that from now on, unless there are special circumstances, he would first build a solid field fortress in every war to ensure that his own strength would not be damaged and that the enemy would not gain an advantage, and then wait for an opportunity to defeat the enemy!

Therefore, in order to successfully build an "engineering team" that met his expectations, Qing Deng valued architects highly.

He spared no expense, offering generous rewards to attract architects who possessed both exceptional skills and the courage to go to war.

Edo had no shortage of architects—because fires broke out frequently in Edo, and every fire inevitably resulted in the destruction of houses.

Over time, this has cultivated a large group of highly skilled architects.

Due to the deteriorating economy of Edo, even professions that were not prone to unemployment, such as doctors and architects, inevitably faced a sharp decline in revenue.

Therefore, a considerable number of doctors, accountants, blacksmiths, and architects, knowing that they might be heading to dangerous battlefields in the future, still resolutely went to the Shinsengumi's recruitment points just to earn a living.

In the end, Edo recruited a total of 18 doctors, 25 accountants, 30 blacksmiths, and 35 architects, for a total of 108 people.

Furthermore, given the precedents set by Sanako and Kinoshita Mai, in order to demonstrate the Shinsengumi's meritocracy, this recruitment, like the last one, does not restrict gender, and both men and women can apply.

For this reason, many women were seen at the conscription sites in Edo.

Unfortunately, no woman passed the test by the end of the conscription period.

However, this is normal.

Even in a low-level martial arts world, there is still an insurmountable gap in physical abilities between men and women.

Fierce women like Souji, Sanako, and Kinoshita Mai are truly one in a million.

In fact, among the three heroines of the Shinsengumi, only Souji truly lived up to the saying "women are no less than men".

Strictly speaking, while Sanako and Kinoshita Mai's physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary people, they cannot be considered outstanding; both are "technical" martial artists.

Only the commander-in-chief, whose physique is different from that of ordinary people, can truly crush a group of heroes with his physical abilities.

Logically speaking, after more than a month of heavy work, Hijikata Toshizo should have looked tired and looked exhausted.

However, when Qingdeng saw him, he was perfectly fine, full of energy, and his face was glowing.

His strong work ability and robust physique are already obvious.

According to rumors, after returning to Edo, Hijikata Toshizo, while ensuring the quality of his work, maintained a "high-intensity" lifestyle, secretly meeting a lover every day and going to Yoshiwara or Oka every night.

Although Hijikata Toshizo's lifestyle was... wild, he delivered a flawless work performance, so Aoto wouldn't say much about it.

In conclusion, thanks to Hijikata Toshizo's outstanding talent, the task was nearing its end when Aoto personally took charge of the conscription in Edo.

At this point, Qingdeng could finally relax a little.

For example—I can finally go back to Shieikan.

……

……

Wenjiu three years (1863), January 14th——

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi Town, Test Guard Hall——

"...I really miss those days."

Looking at the huge plaque in front of him with the three large characters "Shiwei Hall" written on it, Qingdeng couldn't help but feel a strange feeling of "a prodigal son returning home".

Hijikata Toshizo, standing beside him, sneered:

"Ha, look at what you're saying, it's like you haven't been back for over ten years!"

Qingdeng shrugged and smiled:

"It has been a long time since I've been back... I wonder how my master and mistress are doing."

As he spoke, he reached out and pushed open the door—

"Kill! Kill!"

"Drink! Drink! Drink!"

"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph ahh ...

"Push! Use your core muscles! Remember this, if your core muscles are weak, your arms will be weak!"

"This is the Shieikan! The hometown of King Ni! With your level of skill, you will bring shame upon King Ni in the future! All of you, be on your best!"

"Yes!"

……

Before they even entered the dojo, the sounds of bamboo swords clashing and shouts, both familiar and unfamiliar, assaulted Aoto and Hijikata Toshizo.

Just as Qingdeng was about to step towards the dojo, a very familiar beautiful figure and a somewhat nostalgic, large, fat figure suddenly entered his field of vision.

"Huh? Tachibana-kun?"

The beautiful figure called out first.

"Hmm? Tachibana Aoto?"

The enormous, fat shadow followed closely behind.

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow:

"Miss Okita? Mr. Toujou?"

*******

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Some readers commented that the plot of Qing Dengping defeating the British warship was simply too outrageous.

To this, I can only say: if this is considered outrageous, then what about the history of the Southern Ming Dynasty and the history of the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty?

Chapter 702 Qing Deng Returns Home in Glory! [4400]

A delicate light purple kimono, a bun hairstyle typical of married women, and a beautiful face that looks exactly like Souji's—it's Souji's older sister, Hikaru Okita.

Hikaru Okita blinked her beautiful eyes a few times, as if confirming her vision.

About 5 seconds later, the surprise turned into a sound:

"Tachibana-kun, you're finally back!"

As she spoke, she rushed over to Qingdeng in a few quick steps.

Qing Deng responded with a gentle smile.

"Ms. Okita, it's been a long time."

"Those tedious and annoying tasks have finally come to a temporary end."

"So I can finally go home."

"Ms. Okita, let's not talk about me for now, let's talk about you. What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing this, Okita Hikaru immediately showed an expression that was both helpless and excited.

"I'm here to help."

"Recently, more and more people have decided to visit Niou's hometown and become disciples of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school because they admire Niou."

"You might not believe it, but the number of apprentices at the Shieikan Academy is almost 800!"

"Master Kondo is already too busy, so he had no choice but to ask Rintaro and me to lend a hand."