I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A total of 7000 people.

It is well known that exaggerating the size of an army in order to boost morale and intimidate the enemy has always been a very common tactic in warfare.

Since I'm just bragging anyway, I might as well go all out and brag a big time!

So... although he only had 7000 men under his command, and only 3000 of them were capable of fighting, Qingdeng confidently declared to the outside world that he had an army of 10!

The rumor that King Niou had dispatched 10 troops spread rapidly and soon reached the enemy ranks.

You know what, Qingdeng's boasting actually had quite an effect.

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PS: The Tenchu ​​group in history was very weak, a complete rabble. The Takatori army scared them away after a few rounds of gunfire. They never even got close to the walls of Takatori Castle.

Chapter 731 Our Shinsengumi are masters of beating dust! [4400]

Since entering Nara, Aoto's pre-war preparations have gone far beyond simply gathering supplies.

Even before arriving in Nara, Aoto had already begun his public opinion offensive.

As a time traveler from the 21st century, Qing Deng is well aware of the importance of public opinion.

A successful public opinion campaign can rival a thousand troops!

Qingdeng's methods remain the same classic approach.

They hired tile vendors and ordered them to write several appealing articles to loudly proclaim the "war announcement" that "Qingdeng will mobilize 10 troops."

Making good use of information asymmetry is a key to victory on the battlefield.

After Qingdeng announced the deployment of 10 troops, all sorts of rumors and controversies immediately sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

Some people say that Qing Deng is just bragging, exaggerating to the heavens. His Shinsengumi only recently expanded to 3000 men. Where is he going to conjure up 10 troops?

Some people say that Qingdeng only slightly exaggerated his troop strength, taking a round number for good luck. Although he did not have 10 troops under his command, he still had 3 to 4 men.

Both of these are minorities.

In fact, a considerable number of people have unwavering faith in Qingdeng's propaganda.

Niou was not lying! He truly did command an army of 10!

Huh? You're asking me where he got 10 troops from?

That's obvious! The entire capital region isn't just populated by King Injo!

The Emperor himself issued a decree, clearly stating in black and white that the group to be executed tomorrow is a rebel army.

Thus, eradicating the Tenchu ​​Group was not just Seito's responsibility, but an obligation that the shogunate and all the domains should fulfill!

In addition to his own Shinsengumi, King Niou also integrated the armies of 60 domains in the Kinki region, including Wakayama Domain (55.5 koku), Hikone Domain (35 koku), and Tsu Domain (32.3 koku)!

If Qingdeng really launched a general mobilization in the capital region, then his claim of 10 troops would be a real number!

An army of 10... Even in the Warring States period, when numerous states were vying for power and one side was rising and falling, a battle involving as many as 10 troops was extremely rare!

It's normal that there are so many conflicting opinions.

After all, even in 21st-century modern society, it is difficult for ordinary people without any background to obtain accurate battlefield intelligence, let alone in the feudal era when communication relied on shouting and orders were relayed by foot.

Various rumors, some true and some false, circulated with great detail and seemingly plausible detail, leaving people bewildered and unable to discern which were real and which were fake.

From a certain perspective, this unique environment where everyone has different opinions is most likely to arouse people's suspicion and fear.

As the saying goes, "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear; and the oldest and strongest fear is the fear of the unknown."

The Emperor's political characterization of the Tenchu ​​Group as "traitors" already terrified the so-called loyalists.

Based on this, Qingdeng's propaganda offensive completely extinguished the "patriotic" spirit of these patriots, making them dare not join the Tianzhu Group anymore.

No one dared to gamble on whether Qingdeng really had an army of 10.

Who has the ability to defeat the 10-strong army led by King Ni?

In addition to building public opinion, Qing Deng also actively collected intelligence.

He dispatched Kinoshita Mai and her Ninth Division, ordering them to the front lines to gather intelligence.

To be fair, the Ninth Division is still quite incompetent.

Although Kinoshita Mai has intensified her training, special units like "ninjas" cannot be trained quickly.

It requires not only years of arduous training, but also real-world experience to accumulate expertise.

This battle can be considered a rare opportunity for training.

Gathering intelligence is one of the core functions of a ninja.

Taking this opportunity to thoroughly train the Ninth Division—with this in mind, Qing Deng boldly issued the order for the Ninth Division to "deploy."

As Qing Deng had predicted, the Ninth Division made quite a few laughable mistakes as soon as they set out.

Some people got lost.

Some people have run out of money and can no longer move an inch.

Some people keep sending back strange, contradictory information.

Many others, however, were on "publicly funded tourism," traveling long distances to Gojo-cho and Takatori Domain, only to find out nothing.

Despite the many unexpected situations, Qingdeng managed to gather useful information bit by bit.

As it turns out, Kinoshita Mai is indeed a highly experienced and seasoned female ninja.

She was the quickest to act and the one who sent back the most and most detailed intelligence.

She rushed to the front lines immediately and continuously sent intelligence back to Nara.

In addition, she boldly took a stroll around the area around Takatori Castle to gather information about the surrounding terrain.

Despite having prepared himself mentally, Qing Deng couldn't help but sigh softly upon learning that Gaoqu City had been captured.

—Now we're going to have to fight a siege.

As Sun Tzu's Art of War states: "The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; next is to disrupt their alliances; next is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities."

Whether in ancient or modern times, siege warfare is the most troublesome and brutal battle, almost without exception.

Although the fall of Takagi Castle made Aoto feel regretful, he did not feel annoyed or depressed.

Even the strongest fortress needs a strong army to defend it—this is an eternal truth.

According to the intelligence currently available, the day after capturing Takatori Castle, Yoshimura Torataro left some troops behind and then personally led the main force northward, heading straight for Kyoto.

Their intentions were clear—to attack Kyoto! To seize the Emperor! To clear their name as rebels!

Aoto has learned about the current situation in Kyoto from a letter co-authored by Matsudaira Katamori and Saigo Kinosuke.

After the Choshu army withdrew from Kyoto, they did not leave. Instead, they deployed troops and set up camps in the southern suburbs of Kyoto, seemingly adopting a posture of "strict defense and defense".

The Hui-Sa alliance did not launch an attack, but instead deployed its forces opposite the Changzhou army and closely monitored their movements.

Aoto understood Matsudaira Katamori and Saigo Kichinosuke's intentions perfectly.

The Changzhou army is currently holding back a lot of energy.

They pinned their hopes on the Tianzhu Group heading north to support them—this small hope sustained their spirits and strength.

Attacking them now would only result in unnecessary casualties.

It would be better to wait until the Shinsengumi defeats the Tenchugumi, completely crushing their hopes and demoralizing them, before giving them a good beating when they're down!

Conversely, if the Tenchu ​​Group were allowed to approach Kyoto, the Choshu Army would inevitably join forces with them.

At that time, the pressure on the Huisa coalition will be immense.

Ironically, the article about the Kyoto battlefield begins with the Yamato battlefield.

The Changzhou army is waiting for the Tianzhu Group to come to their aid.

The Huisa coalition awaited news of the new electoral group's victory.

Both sides are waiting for the outcome of the Yamato battle.

The aftermath of the "August 18th Coup"... The final outcome of this coup hinged entirely on the victory or defeat of the Shinsengumi and the Tenchugumi!

Qingdeng never expected that what should have been a very simple "door-blocking operation" would turn into a situation where he had to take on the main responsibility alone due to a series of unexpected events!

Thinking of this, Qingdeng couldn't help but chuckle.

In conclusion, it is neither reasonable nor morally right for Qingdeng to allow the Tianzhu Group to go to Kyoto.

Today (August 23), Tsing Teng officially issued the order to "advance southward".

Two armies, one heading south and the other north.

Although the Shinsengumi set off later than the Tenchugumi, the former marched much faster than the latter.

According to Qing Deng's estimate... if nothing unexpected happens, the two armies will clash head-on in Shirogane District, located between Nara and Takatori Domain!

After the army set off, in order to scout the battlefield in advance, Aoto personally led a few trusted men, including Yamanami Keisuke, to temporarily leave the main force and head straight to Shirogami County.

……

……

Kyoto region, Yamato area, Shiragami district —

"Moo moo moo~~ Moo moo moo~~"

Radish, swaying its ox tail and carrying Green Shovel, walked leisurely across the flat plain.

Sitting upright on the ox's back, Qingdeng turned his gaze and scanned the surroundings.

No matter which direction you look, all you see is a distant and monotonous horizon.

It was noon, but there was no smoke in sight... This meant there were no villages nearby.

The terrain is flat, there are no residents, and it is located on the route that the Tenchu ​​Group must take... It is a good place to start a war!

Even Yamanami Keisuke, who was closely following Aoto, couldn't help but murmur after seeing the scene with his own eyes: