I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"This place is very nice."

Qingdeng nodded slightly in agreement.

He then lightly tapped the cow's belly, slightly increasing his pace, and continued to observe the battlefield.

Talents "Photographic Memory" and "Sharp Eyes +5" activated!

With these two great talents, Qing Deng has transformed into a human telescope and a human camera.

He memorized every scene and every moment of this place.

Suddenly, he stopped looking and stared intently at the east.

Looking up, the eastern end is a forest.

The forest stretches all the way to the distant mountain ridge.

Looking at the dense forest, a thoughtful expression slowly appeared on Qingdeng's face.

Before he could react, he suddenly tightened the reins, spurred the radish to a stop, and then raised his whip, pointing to a mound not far away.

"Let's set up camp right there!"

……

……

The day after Aoto arrived at the designated battlefield, Shinsengumi soldiers began arriving in droves.

According to the intelligence relayed back by the Ninth Division, the Tenchu ​​Group is still on its way, and its vanguard has only just crossed the border of the Jojo-no-kyu district.

Arriving on the battlefield before the enemy...that's a huge first-mover advantage!

Therefore, the first thing the Shinsengumi should do is self-evident—to continue to implement the operational concept of "first make yourself invincible, and then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable!"

Under Qingdeng's clear instructions, the entire army launched a vigorous civil engineering operation!

Hoes were driven into the hard earth, loosening the soil.

Shovels rose and fell, digging holes of all sizes.

Baskets of mud and stones were piled up to form watchtowers, trenches, and other fortifications.

Dust billowed everywhere, enveloping the Shinsengumi's position.

The Shinsengumi soldiers all took off their upper garments, revealing their strong bodies honed by abundant food and arduous training. Facing the loess soil and with their backs to the sky, they diligently shoveled, poured, and piled up the earth.

At first glance, it looks like a construction site, where some building is to be constructed.

It's August now, one of the hottest times of the year.

The intense, orange-red sunlight relentlessly baked the earth.

Working under the scorching sun and doing heavy physical labor, the Shinsengumi soldiers naturally suffered greatly.

However, the discipline they were always taught meant that no matter how hard or tiring it was, they dared not utter a single complaint.

Fortunately, there was a clear stream right next to the campsite.

One of the main reasons Qingdeng chose to camp here was because the place was adjacent to a river.

Although the earthwork was arduous, thanks to this river, the Shinsengumi soldiers never lacked water to drink, nor did they have to worry about not having water to wash themselves or cool off.

Compared to the previous battles of Iga, the Shinsengumi underwent significant changes this time.

One of the advantages is the emergence of a group of professional and experienced civil engineers.

With guidance from experts, the results will naturally be twice as effective.

Secondly, the military strength has increased significantly, with a large number of able-bodied men capable of doing hard labor.

The combined effect of both construction speed and quality far surpasses that of the past.

Trenches, fences, watchtowers, hospitals... the most basic field fortifications were built one after another.

On the other hand, Aoto continued riding the radish, sometimes giving Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke and others a ride, and sometimes acting alone, wandering around to further inspect the battlefield.

time flies.

Finally... August 25th arrived quietly.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and illuminated the earth, the long-silent wilderness finally began to change.

A banner bearing the two large characters "Heavenly Punishment" slowly appeared before Qing Deng and the others' eyes...

……

……

"In my opinion, engaging in a direct confrontation with the Shinsengumi is a poor strategy! We should bypass them! Our goal is to save the Emperor, not to defeat Tachibana Seito. We can't put the cart before the horse!"

"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting! Are you an idiot? This is a fully equipped army! Do you think you can just walk around them? If you do, they'll be right behind us, ready to strike us down when we're not looking!"

"What did you just say? You called me a 'fool'? Say it again if you dare!"

"I never imagined you were not only stupid, but also deaf! I called you an idiot! An idiot! Do you hear me now?"

"Damn it! How dare you humiliate me like this! Draw your sword!"

"Since it's difficult to defeat the Shinsengumi on the battlefield, then... why not send an envoy! Appeal to Tachibana Aoto's emotions and reason, and persuade him to become our comrade and march north together to aid His Majesty!"

"Hmph! The battle hasn't even started yet, and you're already spreading pessimism! Cowardice before the battle even begins, what kind of talk is that! What are the Shinsengumi! As long as we show our fearless and heroic spirit, we will definitely win!"

……

Throughout the journey, the officers of the Tenchu ​​Group discussed how to defeat the Shinsengumi.

The Heavenly Punishment Group was originally a patchwork of misfits.

Its main components consist of the following three categories: the veterans of the uprising centered around Yoshimura Torataro, the local samurai army of Totsugawa, and the ronin who came to join them upon hearing the news.

Through relentless propaganda and the still-powerful slogans of respect and humility, they managed to cobble together a massive force of 3000 men.

The local gentry of Totsugawa made up one-third of the total military force, making them the most powerful group. Therefore, they held the vast majority of positions in the army.

Even someone as confident as Torataro Yoshimura had to admit one fact: the Shinsengumi was very powerful!

They were so powerful that they discussed it for several days in a row, but still couldn't come to a conclusion on the issue of "how to defeat the Shinsengumi"!

Originally, according to the script prepared in advance by Yoshimura Torataro, once they raised the banner of "supporting the imperial court and overthrowing the shogunate," they would surely have a large following and gain widespread support from the imperial court! The shogunate's armed forces, led by the Shinsengumi, would become the target of public criticism and flee the capital region in a sorry state under the accusations of the imperial court and righteous people from all over the country.

However... however... from another perspective, his script did indeed come true.

However, the roles within them have been reversed.

*******

*******

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

If all goes well, the newly formed Shinsengumi will be able to demonstrate their fighting prowess tomorrow (chubby leopard.jpg).

Chapter 732 The War Begins! Shinsengumi vs. Tenchugumi! [4600]

They became the target of public criticism.

The Shinsengumi, ironically, became the righteous force that everyone hoped for.

The so-called "dramatic" aspect is nothing more than this.

Yoshimura Torataro did not believe a word of Aoto's claim of "deploying 10 troops".

He was not an illiterate country bumpkin, nor was he a bookworm who only knew how to study and lacked practical social skills.

He had a keen understanding of the manpower, material resources, financial resources, and time required to mobilize the army.

Admittedly, if Qingdeng were to unite the 60 domains in the Gyeonggi region, it would indeed be possible for them to field 10 troops.

However, the claim of "10 troops" here is largely exaggerated.

First, the vast majority of these soldiers were auxiliary soldiers who were only responsible for logistical work.

10 soldiers... It would take at least half of Japan's resources to barely muster such a massive military force.

Secondly, each domain must mobilize all the warriors within its territory.

During the Edo period, the shogunate and the various domains did not adopt a conscription system, but instead implemented a strict separation of soldiers and farmers.

In short—serving in the military is the duty of warriors; commoners are not qualified to serve.

In the event of war, civilians would also be conscripted, but they would not fight on the front lines; they would only be responsible for transporting supplies and serving as auxiliary soldiers.

Samurai were professional soldiers; they served as civil servants in peacetime and as soldiers in wartime.

When the shogunate and the various domains issue mobilization orders, the samurai within their domains are obligated to rise up and participate in the war.

Warriors of lower social standing served as infantrymen, while those of higher social standing served as cavalrymen or commanders.

Getting these samurai gentlemen, who were used to being civil servants, to pick up swords and complete the most basic troop reorganization... this was an extremely arduous task.

If it is a small or weak fiefdom with low stone content, then the workload is slightly less.

However, for large and powerful domains like Wakayama and Hikone, it would take at least three to five months to complete war mobilization.

From the time the Tenchugu group raised its army in Gojo-cho until now, only a few days have passed. Even if the rulers and ministers of the various domains in the Kyoto region worked day and night, it would be impossible to complete the mobilization of the troops in such a short time!

Therefore, Yoshimura Torataro dared to guarantee with his own head that the only troops that Aoto could lead were his own Shinsengumi main army!

In recent days, in order to reassure the troops, he has spared no effort in assuring the entire army that "Juqingdeng does not have that many soldiers"—

Ju Qingdeng's forces number at most three thousand! We also have three thousand! The forces are evenly matched! They are despicable and vile puppet troops! We are a noble and righteous army! Evil cannot prevail over good; this is the natural order of the world! We will surely achieve a great victory!

Yoshimura Torataro's publicity campaign was undeniably vigorous.

However... the results were not significant.

All are not fools.

Is the Shinsengumi a weak team or not? The recent Iga offensive and defensive battles have provided a detailed answer.

"No, no! I still think we can't be enemies with the Shinsengumi!"

"Yes! We should do everything we can to avoid war! Send envoys to the capital to show the court our subservient attitude and try to win His Majesty's forgiveness!"

"Hmph! You're all a bunch of cowards! Look at you, what a mess you've become! It's just a Shinsengumi! Look how scared you've become!"