I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"If the shogunate refuses to yield, then Choshu will march east and bury it in one fell swoop."

"However, the Choshu faction's plot was not kept secret and was discovered by Satsuma spies."

"Therefore, just this afternoon, Satsuma took the initiative to send someone to contact me, expressing their willingness to assist us in driving out Choshu!"

Saigo Kinosuke picked up the conversation:

"To be honest, I was really shocked when I learned that His Majesty had sent a secret edict to Lady Higo."

"This is probably what they mean by 'when you're sleepy, a pillow appears'!"

"Our military strength already gives us the upper hand."

"Now he has a great sense of righteousness to rely on."

"How could Changzhou not be defeated?!"

After Saionji Kinchi was assassinated, Tanaka Shinbei of the Satsuma Domain was identified as the murderer. Tanaka Shinbei committed suicide, and the Satsuma Domain was also implicated and stripped of its duty of guarding the palace gates.

Based on subsequent investigations and deductions... the real culprit behind the assassination of Saionji Koichi was most likely a Choshu native.

The Choshu man stole Tanaka Shinbei's sword and, when assassinating Saionji Kinchi, pretended to drop the sword, leaving it at the scene to frame Tanaka Shinbei and ultimately harm Satsuma.

Its purpose was probably to punish Satsuma—who told you Satsuma's stance wasn't firm enough! A half-hearted approach to expelling foreigners is a firm refusal to expel them! They deserve to die!

Satsuma was inexplicably framed for assassinating a nobleman... He was truly wronged.

Strangely, even after suffering such injustice, Samo did not argue, but remained silent and made no move, always appearing indifferent and unperturbed.

Unexpectedly... the long silence was actually a prelude to a big move!

Once the war begins, the people of Choshu will surely be astonished and dumbfounded when they see the Satsuma military flag flying in the enemy ranks.

After listening to the two men's impassioned speeches, Aoto cast a meaningful glance at Saigo Kinosuke.

After a moment, he said, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"Saigo-kun, has Satsuma finally decided to place their bets?"

Saigo Kichinosuke smiled reservedly:

"When tigers fight in the mountains, clever monkeys will sit and watch how it ends."

Although Saigo Kichinosuke put it tactfully, everyone understood the implication.

However, jokes aside, Qing Deng has to admit he's thoroughly impressed by Satsuma's political acumen.

Previously, he had been on the fence, neither supporting the Shogunate nor resisting foreign aggression.

Ultimately, at the crucial moment, they made the right bet and joined the side that was absolutely certain to win.

Such a keen political sense is truly admirable.

Compared to the completely fanatical Choshu, Satsuma's political performance was undoubtedly much more mature.

This shows that Saigo Kichinosuke, Komatsu Tateto, Okubo Ichizo, and others who led Satsuma were a group of true politicians!

"Then... with the addition of Satsuma's 2000 troops, our three forces will have a total of 6000!"

As Qingdeng spoke, he made a "6" gesture with his hand.

"An army of this size is large enough to wage a large-scale war!"

Saigo Kinosuke nodded slightly:

"Changzhou is definitely no match for us."

"The only thing I'm worried about right now is the movements of the Tosa Loyalists."

"As fellow radical factions, the Tosa Loyalist Party is very likely to extend a helping hand to Choshu."

“If the Tosa Loyalists jump out and cause trouble while we are focused on dealing with Choshu, it could lead to serious consequences.”

"Therefore, we should consider the Tosa Loyalists as one of our hypothetical enemies."

He had barely finished speaking when Qing Deng said with a smile:

"Regarding Tosa... you can all rest assured."

"In order to completely eliminate the Tosa loyalists once and for all, I have already made meticulous arrangements."

"When the time is right, the Tosa loyalist party will be wiped out overnight."

Saigo Kinosuke raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? It seems you have already made preparations in advance, while I have been foolish! Digging a well when you are thirsty is really not right."

At this moment, Matsudaira Katamori suddenly interjected:

"We will discuss the specific action plan in detail later."

"Now... let's make a pact!"

Having said that, Matsudaira Katamori grabbed the sword beside his leg.

Upon seeing this, Aoto and Saigo Kinosuke each drew their respective swords.

Clang, clang, clang—three knives were drawn in succession.

The next instant—clang, clang, clang—the three swords were sheathed in quick succession, clashing together with a crisp sound!

……

……

The execution of Changzhou and the purge of corrupt officials... such a military operation could not possibly go unreported.

Aoto and Matsudaira Katamori dispatched reliable spies to send a letter to Tokugawa Iemochi overnight.

Soon, they received a brief reply from Tokugawa Iemochi: Mobilize the army and conquer Choshu!

In short, Tokugawa Iemochi's idea was to take this opportunity to wipe out Choshu in one fell swoop!

Of course, it was unrealistic for the "New Hui-Sa Alliance" of 6000 men to launch a campaign to the west and completely destroy the Choshu Domain, which controlled both the provinces of Fang and Choshu.

Therefore, Tokugawa Iemochi's request to Aoto and Matsudaira Katamori was simple—to first expel the Choshu and the pro-imperial faction nobles from Kyoto and weaken their power as much as possible.

As for the upcoming "expedition to the Western Kingdom and a general attack on Changzhou"... we'll leave that for later.

Although Tokugawa Iemochi phrased it subtly, anyone with a modicum of sense knew what he meant by "weakening their power as much as possible."

A bloody war is now unavoidable!

With Tokugawa Iemochi's permission, Aoto and Matsudaira Katamori no longer had any worries.

They secretly contacted Saigo Kichinosuke, exchanged opinions, and negotiated together.

Finally, they devised a meticulous battle plan—to send troops out in the early morning of August 18th to seal off all the gates of the Imperial Palace, prohibiting the Choshu people and the pro-imperial court nobles from entering the Imperial Palace! To expel them from Kyoto!

If they dare to attack, label them as "enemies of Korea" and launch an attack.

If they dare not attack, then lead your troops to attack and inflict maximum casualties on the people of Changzhou!

In short, we must strike Changzhou hard!

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When discussing the Emperor, Matsudaira Katamori and Saigo Kichinosuke referred to him as "Your Majesty," while Seito directly called him "Emperor," revealing the differences in their attitudes towards the Imperial Court.

Chapter 723 Rebellion Rises Again! The Upheaval of the Heavenly Punishment Group! [4300]

The nine gates of the Imperial Palace are the nine gates that connect the inside and outside of the Imperial Palace.

To the north is Imadegawa Mikamon Gate.

To the east are the Ishiyakushi Gate, the Kiyokain Gate, and the Teramachi Gate.

Sakai-machi Royal Gate to the south.

The western gates are the Lower Shell Gate, the Clam Gate, the Middle Shell Gate, and the Inner Gate.

In order to demonstrate that all allies are equal and to show a fair attitude of "treating everyone equally", Qing Deng and others made a precise "division" of the "Nine Gates of the Imperial Palace".

Once the operation begins, the Shinsengumi, Aizu Army, and Satsuma Army will act separately, each sealing off three gates and holding their respective positions.

The Satsuma army was responsible for sealing off the Imadegawa Gate, the Ishiyakushi Gate, and the Kiyokain Gate. (This included the entire northern area and part of the eastern area.)

The Aizu army was responsible for sealing off Inegamimon, Nakurikaramon, and Gamamon. (Most of the western area)

The Shinsengumi were responsible for sealing off the Sakaimachi Gate, Teramachi Gate, and Shimotatekara Gate (the entire southern side, a portion of the eastern side, and a portion of the western side).

The plan has been drawn up, and the goals have been set.

Next... let's get started!

The key word for this operation is "speed".

As was customary, the nobles would ride in sedan chairs to the imperial palace every morning, a custom known as "going to court".

Therefore, it is imperative to launch a swift and decisive attack under the cover of night, before the pro-imperial courtiers enter the Imperial Palace! Seal off the nine gates of the Imperial Palace! Isolate the people of Choshu and the pro-imperial courtiers outside! Give them no time to react!

The court nobles had the privilege of freely entering the Imperial Palace.

If they are not expelled before they enter the Imperial Palace, they may very well resort to kidnapping the Emperor in a desperate attempt to abduct him.

That would be a difficult situation.

To achieve a surprise effect, "deceiving the enemy" is essential.

To prevent information leaks, Aoto, Matsudaira Katamori, and Saigo Kinosuke all took information control to the extreme!

Apart from themselves, their subordinates were completely unaware of the impending great battle.

Take the Shinsengumi as an example—even Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, and Kondo Isami, who were Aoto's right and left hands, were kept in the dark.

Based on this, Qing Deng and others took various measures to further paralyze the Zunrang faction.

They maintained a calm and nonchalant demeanor throughout.

In recent days, the daily activities of the Shinsengumi, Aizu Army, and Satsuma Army have been as usual.

Those who need to train should train, those who need to eat should eat, those who need to patrol the town should patrol the town, and those who need to do other things should do other things.