I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

[Squad 8] (Musketeer Squad):

Captain: Heisuke Toudo.

Vice Captain: Kanichiro Yoshimura.

Troop strength: 1000.

[Squad 9] (Ninja Squad):

Captain: Tachibana Mai (Kinoshita Mai).

Vice Captain: Yamazaki Susumu.

Troop strength: 200.

[10th Division] (Cavalry):

Captain: Harada Sanosuke.

Vice Captain: Tadashi Matsubara.

Troop strength: 400.

Eleventh Division (Artillery Unit):

Captain: Juro Abe.

Vice-captain: Toshisaburo Nomura.

Troop strength: 200.

800 elite infantry, 1000 regular infantry, 2000 musketeers, 800 cavalry, 200 ninjas, and 200 artillerymen, totaling 5000 combat troops.

5000 combatants, 1000 central government and logistics personnel, total strength 6000!

Following the increase from 100 to 3000, the Shinsengumi's total strength experienced a second surge! It jumped from 3000 to 6000, doubling in size to a force of 2!

With such a formidable military force, they would be hard to match even in the whole of Japan!

Aside from the shogunate, only a handful of powerful domains, such as Satsuma, Choshu, Aizu, and Kaga, were able to mobilize an army of similar size.

Whether their combat strength can match it is another matter.

Today, the Shinsengumi's fighting force is no longer the backward army that could only wield swords and guns.

It now has infantry capable of charging into enemy lines, cavalry that can break through enemy lines, ninjas who can scale walls and roofs, and gunners whose power is unstoppable.

Therefore, calling them the "Sword-Drawing Squad" seems somewhat inappropriate.

Therefore, someone suggested to Qing Deng: Should the name of the combat unit be changed? Or should the ninjas and gunners be removed from the sword-drawing squad?

However, Qing Deng always thought the name "Sword-Drawing Team" was very good.

The so-called "drawing the sword" is not just about drawing the sword from the waist, but about drawing the sword from the heart!

Therefore, at Aoto's instruction, the name of the Shinsengumi's combat unit remained unchanged, still called the "Sword-Drawing Corps"!

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P.S.: All the new officers in the Shinsengumi are historical figures; there are no original characters.

Chapter 801 The Mibu Righteous Man and the Mini-Version of Sanako!

Among these newcomers, five are the most watched by Qingdeng.

One of them is Yamazaki Susumu, who possesses the "innate ninja holy body".

The second was the horse expert.

Soma Kazue – born in 1843 in the Kasama Domain of Hitachi Province, he is 21 years old this year.

Although he is a young man, he has shown everyone what it means to be a "formidable young man" through his actions!

Frankly speaking, his physical skills and literary talent are far from outstanding.

Throwing him into the Shinsengumi, a group full of formidable individuals, made him seem utterly unremarkable and unremarkable.

However, just as Yamazaki Susumu's "remarkably low presence" attracted Aoto's attention, there was also a unique aspect about him that made Aoto take notice.

That was his commanding presence!

During the various military exercises held within the Shinsengumi, his calm demeanor, as if a deer were running past on his left without blinking, left a deep impression on Aoto.

Whenever the war situation became urgent and a massive amount of news and intelligence came in like a storm, causing everyone to panic and not know what to do, he could always remain calm and composed, quietly observing the battle situation and looking for an opportunity to win.

Qing Deng commented on him: "Given time, he might become the new vice-commander of the Shinsengumi!"

The Shinsengumi is not lacking in fierce warriors who are fearless and capable of taking on a thousand men single-handedly.

But generals who can strategize, command with composure, and win battles from afar are truly few and far between.

According to Aoto's own observation, the only people in the Shinsengumi who can be considered as capable generals are Hijikata Toshizo and Saito Hajime.

Therefore, Aoto placed Soma Kazue in the position of "Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division".

The Sixth, Eighth, and Eleventh Divisions, which are in charge of guns and artillery, are the three units that Qing Deng values ​​most.

Qingdeng's high regard and appreciation for him is evident.

The third is Yoshimura Kanichiro.

Yoshimura Kanichiro – born in 1840 in Morioka Domain, Mutsu Province, is 24 years old this year.

Although the Morioka Domain had a yield of 10 koku, which was by no means a small domain, it was not wealthy due to its remote location in the mountains.

In other words, this is a remote and impoverished area.

In the eyes of the arrogant and regionally prejudiced people of Kyoto, people from Mutsu (Tohoku) were uncivilized savages.

Yoshimura Kanichiro, who came from the countryside, exudes a country bumpkin vibe in both his appearance and demeanor.

He has dark skin, large hands and feet, and his eyes squint into slits when he smiles. His face is full of wrinkles, and his cheeks exude an honest and simple air. When he speaks, he speaks with a very heavy, hard-to-understand local accent.

However, contrary to his simple and honest appearance, he is actually a well-rounded individual who is skilled in both literature and martial arts.

He successively studied Hokushin Itto-ryu and Shinto-ryu, and obtained the rank of "Menko-kaiden" in both.

Because of his exceptional skills, he was recommended to study in Edo.

During his studies in Edo, he entered the Genbukan and became a disciple of Chiba Dosaburo, further studying the Hokushin Itto-ryu style.

Therefore, he and Yamanami Keisuke were fellow disciples.

Keisuke Yamanami had a deep impression of him.

When Yamanami Keisuke saw the name "Yoshimura Kanichiro" on the conscription list for the "Great Conscription" and confirmed that this person was the fellow student he knew, he immediately dropped everything he was doing and went to find Aoto as quickly as possible:

"King Ju, you must recruit this man! He is a dragon among men!"

Thus, with Yamanami Keisuke's strong recommendation, Seito wrote a letter and specially recruited Yoshimura Kanichiro into the army.

As it turns out, Keisuke Yamanami's judgment was correct.

Whether it's physically demanding work that leaves one exhausted or mentally drained, Yoshimura Kanichiro always gives his all to every task assigned by Aoto and never disappoints him.

After rigorous evaluation, Qing Deng finally decided to place him in the position of "Vice Captain of the Eighth Division".

Just like Soma no Kei, he also served as the deputy captain of the musketeer squad.

It is worth mentioning that Yoshimura Kanichiro was not popular in the Shinsengumi and was not well received by his comrades. Only a few fellow members, such as Yamanami Keisuke, were willing to be close to him.

It wasn't because people looked down on him as a country bumpkin. How many members of the Shinsengumi weren't from the countryside?

The reason is not complicated—everyone thinks he is too greedy and has an unusual desire for money, just like a mercenary merchant, and lacks the spirit of a warrior, so they are unwilling to associate with him.

After investigating this matter, Qing Deng learned the truth from Yamanami Keisuke.

Yoshimura Kanichiro enlisted in the Shinsengumi not for any lofty ideals, but simply to earn a living.

He came from a poor background, being only a low-ranking samurai with a meager annual salary of just a few single digits.

Because he married young, he already has a son and a daughter despite his young age.

Even if one devotes all their spare time to side jobs such as making umbrellas or shoes, it is still difficult to make a living.

In order to support his wife and children and fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and father, he made up his mind to "never return to his hometown in this life" and resolutely risked leaving his fiefdom to come to Qingdeng for refuge.

Since joining the Shinsengumi, he has sent almost all of his military pay and bonuses back to his hometown for his wife and children, and he is reluctant to spend a penny more on himself.

Needless to say, his clothes were covered in patches, looking like a rag.

Even his sword was tattered and broken.

The blade was so thin from prolonged use and excessive grinding that it was as thin as a sheet of iron.

The cord on the hilt had long since rotted away, leaving only the bare handle to grip.

Qingdeng has always held such a responsible and good husband and father in high esteem.

Qingdeng is now someone's husband, and soon he will become a father.

In this way, he understood even more how difficult it was to be a good husband and a good father.

Qingdeng knew that even if he were given money, he would most likely secretly send it back to his hometown.

So, taking advantage of a certain exercise, he presented Yoshimura Kanichiro with a fine sword under the pretext that "he performed well and deserves a reward"—in fact, Yoshimura Kanichiro's performance in that exercise was indeed very outstanding and worthy of praise.

How could a clever man like Yoshimura Kanichiro not know that this was Aoto's way of showing consideration for him, allowing him to openly possess a new sword in a way that respected his dignity?

When he received the new knife, he was so moved that he knelt down on the spot, banged his head on the ground, and loudly declared that he would do everything in his power to repay Qingdeng's kindness.

From then on, Yoshimura Kanichiro worked even harder in public service, displaying a heroic spirit of "a scholar will die for one who understands him."

The fourth is Nakazawa Koto.

Nakazawa Koto – just by looking at the name, you can immediately tell that this person is a woman.

Following Sanako, Mai, and Souji, the Shinsengumi welcomes its fourth female member.

She and Nakazawa Sadagi, who is currently the vice-captain of the Third Division, are very close siblings.