I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Shinsengumi vs. Tenchugumi – To be honest, the officers of the Huizha Alliance had no interest in betting on the outcome of this one-sided war.

At that moment, Matsudaira Katamori's calm voice suddenly rang out:

"The rebellion in the Yamato region should be handled by Tachibana no Hyōbu."

"We just need to focus on our own tasks at hand."

At this point, he raised his head and raised his voice:

"Keep a close watch on the Choshu army!"

"Any unusual activity by the Changzhou Army must be reported immediately!"

"Also, send a force of 500 men to assist in the defense of the Shinsengumi's garrison, and be wary of a surprise attack by the Choshu army!"

Next, Matsudaira Katamori began to explain in detail his troop deployment plan.

Which unit was responsible for monitoring Changzhou; which unit was responsible for the reserve force; which unit was responsible for protecting the newly formed garrison... everything was arranged in an orderly manner.

Qingdeng has already dispatched the 7th and 10th squads (cavalry units) to protect the supply train.

It would not be so easy for the Choshu army to cut off the Shinsengumi's supply lines.

Nevertheless, it's always good to have an extra layer of security for the Shinsengumi's logistics.

After loudly announcing his orders, Matsudaira Katamori turned to Saigo Kinosuke, seeking his opinion and showing him full respect.

Without much thought, Saigo Kichinosuke nodded.

"Yes, Lady Higo, your thoughts coincide with mine."

Matsudaira Katamori nodded slightly, then raised his chin:

"Alright... everyone, take your positions!"

……

……

September 8th, morning—

Gyeonggi, Yamato area, Kotori domain, Kotori castle——

Looking around, one sees thick smoke everywhere.

The view was filled with signs of decay.

Gunshots rang out intermittently.

Several simply dressed samurai climbed onto the castle tower of Takatori Castle, waving a large banner inscribed with the words "Heavenly Punishment".

We won!

"We won!"

"We've captured Takatori Castle!"

*******

*******

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Chapter 730 Ju Qingdeng Deploys 10 Troops! [4300]

"My lord! Run!"

"No! I won't leave! How can I abandon the legacy of my ancestors? Let me go! Let me go!"

"My lord! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"

……

The samurai of the Takatori Domain hurriedly helped their lord up and fled down the mountain via a side path.

Behind them—the majestic Takagi Castle, nearly 600 meters above sea level, is now tightly shrouded in thick smoke of gunpowder.

"We won!" "Takagi Castle is ours!"... Shouts like these rose and fell in their ears.

Hearing these cheers and gazing at the rebel flags fluttering in the wind atop the castle tower in the distance, the rulers and retainers of the Takatori Domain were filled with rage, their teeth grinding together in fury.

However... at this moment, all they could do was flee in panic and sigh in despair.

Overall, the resistance of the Takatori Domain's rulers and ministers against the Tenchu ​​Group, which was besieging the city, was undeniably courageous.

Despite the suddenness of the attack, they did their best to mobilize troops and strengthen defenses.

However... the corruption of the army caused by the comfortable life of letting horses graze freely and weapons go into storage was ultimately a problem that most feudal regimes could not avoid.

The weakness of the military strength of the various vassal states has always been obvious to all.

Of course, the shogunate is also partly to blame for this.

The shogunate used various methods, such as the system of sankin-kotai (offering sacrifices to the emperor), to torment the various domains, resulting in widespread poverty among them.

People burdened with debt are everywhere.

Although the financial situation of the Takatori Domain was not so dire as to be beyond saving, it was not ideal either.

Just paying salaries to the samurai within the domain was a huge headache for the rulers and retainers of the Takatori Domain. Where would they find the spare money to train troops and maintain equipment?

Therefore, one can imagine the state of military preparedness of the Takatori Domain.

Although the warehouse still contained a certain amount of guns and cannons, they were all severely rotten due to lack of maintenance.

The completion rate is only a mere 30-40%.

In fact, setting aside troop strength and equipment, Gao Qujun did a terrible job even with the most basic battlefield command chain!

The so-called "battlefield command chain" is not simply an agreement about who you listen to, who he listens to, who is responsible for commanding you, and you commanding him.

When the battle begins and the troops rush to the battlefield, how can the generals stationed at their posts effectively issue orders to the front lines?

When there are changes at the front, how can junior officers quickly report the situation to the general in the rear?

How can we ensure that information transmission channels remain open when information exchanges are too frequent?

This is a complex subject, and also a very difficult one.

There are no shortcuts; you have to try and fail repeatedly, pay your "tuition fees," and accumulate experience step by step.

Trying to cram at the last minute is absolutely not going to work.

Given Gao Qujun's long-neglected training level, it's not hard to imagine how they will perform when facing the Tianzhu Group.

As it turned out, the rapidly changing battlefield situation and intelligence updates immediately overwhelmed Gao Qujun's command chain at the very beginning of the war!

If intelligence is not transmitted effectively, soldiers cannot find their generals, and generals cannot find their soldiers; thus, less than half of their full strength can be utilized.

Admittedly, Gao Qu's army had no shortage of martial arts masters who were proficient in swordsmanship and spearmanship.

However, unless it's a "humanoid Gundam" like Seido or Souji, throwing ordinary warriors into a bloody and cruel battlefield is like pouring a drop or two of oil into the ocean—it will be diluted and disappear without a trace in an instant.

Moreover, in terms of the number of martial arts masters, the Tianzhu Group, which has already amassed a large number of people, is even superior to Gao Qujun.

Apart from having the advantage of terrain, there was no place where they were not at a disadvantage... How could Gao Qujun possibly win?

Thus, the Takamori army, which possessed one of the most fortified castles in Japan, lost the castle after only two hours of fierce resistance under the relentless attacks of the Tenchugu group.

The rulers and retainers of the Takatori Domain fought desperately to escape, barely managing to save their lives.

The soldiers of the Heavenly Punishment Group flooded every corner of Gaoqu City.

They raised their voices and cheered, overjoyed at the prospect of gaining this solid and reliable rear stronghold.

……

……

Tenchugugu's president, Torataro Yoshimura, rode a tall horse and, surrounded by his comrades, slowly passed through the gates of Takatori Castle.

A conspicuous banner could be seen standing beside him.

It must be said that the methods and results of the Tianzhu Group in propaganda mobilization and public opinion building are indeed commendable.

They made a banner embroidered with the chrysanthemum crest representing the royal family, and below the crest was a line of large characters: "The Seven Thieves Destroyed, the Empress's Blessing."

It is obvious that this is an adaptation of the oath of Kusunoki Masashige, who vowed to serve his country for seven lifetimes during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

And this is the banner that is now standing next to Yoshimura Torataro.

Even though they've never even seen the Emperor, they're putting on airs like imperial guards or royal guards...

However, their banner did indeed have a significant effect.

Some fools who have thoroughly studied Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and Mito Neo-Confucianism were moved to tears upon seeing this banner.

A considerable number of so-called patriots were inspired by this banner and flocked to join the Heavenly Punishment Group.

"Lord Yoshimura, we succeeded!"

A samurai of average build, around thirty years old, lightly nudged his horse's flank to increase speed, and rode alongside Yoshimura Torataro, speaking with great emotion.

This man's name is Matsumoto Keido, a Bizen native... or rather, a former Bizen native.

He had long since left his domain and been expelled from the domain's register; he is now a "free man," commonly known as a ronin.

As soon as Matsumoto Keido finished speaking, another person who was also standing close to Yoshimura Torataro chimed in:

"Mr. Yoshimura! This battle went much more smoothly than we expected! We have finally secured a base we can rely on!"

This man was named Fujimoto Tetsushi. He was not only old (48 years old), but he was not even a samurai. He was just a lord of Tosa.

The so-called "shoya" was the smallest unit of grassroots management in the Tosa Domain, and the highest manager of the village organization.

The headman was selected from a prominent family in the village by the county magistrate, but in reality, many headmen held this position for generations.

Simply put, the Zhuangwu were the gentry.

Yoshimura Torataro, Matsumoto Keido, and Fujimoto Tetsushi—these three formed the highest command of the Tenchu ​​Group.

With the fearless spirit of youth and the advantage of striking first, they took Gojo Town in just one night and then quickly attacked Takatori Castle.

They captured Gojo-cho on August 18th, and just two days later (on the 20th), they planted their flag on the castle tower of Takatori Castle.