I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 1591

"Hijikata, how do you know he wasn't lying?"

Hijikata Toshizo replied calmly:

“Before I was even as tall as a katana, I started hanging out with all sorts of people.”

"Over time, I have accumulated a wealth of experience in 'judging people'."

"I dare not boast about my other skills, but when it comes to the ability to judge appearances and distinguish colors, I am second to none in the Shinsengumi."

"I can tell at a glance whether someone is lying or not."

Having said that, he turned around and shouted towards the outside of the cell:

"Someone come here!"

Soon, the executioners who had just been removed from their posts were returned to prison.

"Take him to get treatment. If he can be cured, then treat him; if not, then forget about it."

After leaving this concise order, Hijikata Toshizo strode out of the prison without looking back.

Before leaving, he added:

"Serizawa, come with me."

Although he was very unhappy with the other party's behavior of ordering him around, Serizawa Kamo suppressed his anger and kept his head down to follow Hijikata Toshizo's footsteps.

“Serizawa, from now on, you are not allowed to leave the camp until you receive new orders from me or Tachibana.”

"The patriots who uphold justice could attack at any moment!"

"I'm sure there are a lot of spies outside the garrison closely monitoring what's going on here."

"If you leave, there is a high probability that a group of highly skilled and righteous people will immediately emerge."

"They will force their way into the camp and forcibly take back Kotaka Shuntaro."

"I'm heading back to Otsu now."

"After I leave, I'll leave Kyoto in your care with Manshin."

Upon hearing this, Serizawa Kamo was first taken aback, then asked in return:

"Are you going back to Otsu?"

Hijikata Toshizo lowered his eyelids, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"The current situation is extraordinary."

"I need to report this to Ju immediately."

"A thin letter is neither safe nor clear enough to explain things..."

……

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Zhenfufu, military meeting——

"Quickly! Hang up the map of Gion!"

"There are maps for the three main roads! Hurry up!"

"What's with all these messy scrolls? Hurry up and put them away!"

Previously, due to limited power and financial resources, Qing Deng, who was the governor of the capital region, did not have a dedicated government office.

The "Zhenfu Mansion" was just a name; it had no actual office location.

However, since the initial Shinsengumi had a very simple function and were all rough men wielding swords, there was no need to establish a special government office for centralized management.

However, as the Shinsengumi rapidly expanded, acquiring technical units such as cavalry, ninja, and musketeers, and completely breaking ties with the Zunyao faction, their responsibilities became heavier. Therefore, the previous extensive management style was no longer feasible.

Therefore, as early as the end of last year, Aoto planned to establish a garrison in the center of Otsu-cho to command the Shinsengumi and control the entire battlefield in the Kinai region.

Construction began in January of this year and was completed perfectly in just three months.

From its appearance, Qingdeng’s Zhenfu Mansion is nothing special.

The black tiles and diamond-patterned walls create a simple black and white color scheme; the land area seems too cramped compared to Qingdeng's political status.

If it weren't for the plaque next to the gate that read "Zhenfu Mansion," one might easily mistake it for the villa of some wealthy man.

Of course, despite its unassuming appearance, this simple and unadorned mansion is the most impressive building in the capital region, bar none!

Since the Zhenfu Mansion was built, Qingdeng has moved his office here.

In terms of function, the Zhenfufu is undoubtedly the headquarters and general staff of the Shinsengumi!

If war breaks out in the capital region, the Zhenfu Prefecture will become the command center with full authority to direct the war!

Every day, orders that affect the Kyoto region and even the whole of Japan are issued from this simple mansion!

The Zhenfu Mansion in Qingdeng possessed such power.

At this moment, the military council chamber of the Zhenfu Mansion was in an uproar.

In addition to handling administrative work, the general affairs officer of the Shinsengumi also served as a think tank, providing advice and suggestions.

The soldiers who were able to enter the General Affairs Department and take on the position of "controller" were all intelligent people with quick minds and sharp wit.

Analyzing the diverse intelligence relayed back by the Ninth Division—this is one of the main tasks of the General Affairs Department.

Right now, the General Affairs Department's officials can be seen everywhere in the military council room.

They were all busy analyzing the complex intelligence that had been continuously transmitted back from Kyoto since the beginning.

No sooner had Qing Deng learned of the “anomaly in Kyoto” from Yamanami Keisuke than he immediately changed into a light blue haori, left the Tachibana residence, and rushed to the Zhenfu Mansion at top speed to take charge of the military council and direct the entire situation.

After Nagakura Shinpachi discovered and sealed off the armory, it was like disturbing a beehive; intelligence reports poured in from Kyoto like snowflakes and were collected by the Zhenfu Prefecture.

Suspicious ronin appear on the streets; unidentified ronin book a banquet at an inn; and a samurai with a Choshu accent, whom we've never seen before, appears in Gion…

These are just a few examples.

Gathering intelligence is not difficult.

The challenge lies in finding the right option from all this messy and dazzling information.

History has repeatedly proven that the disastrous consequences of misjudging intelligence are beyond description!

This immense pressure is enough to make one feel terrified and sweat profusely when analyzing intelligence.

At this moment, a refined voice sounded from behind Qing Deng:

"Mr. Tachibana, we have crucial information."

Qing Deng turned his head and saw that the bureau chief's assistant, Takeda Kanryusai, was striding towards him.

Takeda Kanryusai – a native of the Izumo Kunisato Domain, was a learned man who worked as a doctor in his early years and was quite accomplished in the military strategy of the Koshu school.

Originally surnamed Fukuda, he changed his name to Takeda Kanryusai after the prestigious Takeda family of Kai Province.

His skills... to put it nicely, are just average.

However, he was quite knowledgeable and well-versed in the military tactics of the Kaishu school.

Qing Deng had some knowledge of the Koshu-ryu military strategy.

To verify Takeda Kanryusai's true talent and learning, Seido once set a test for him.

Ultimately, it was proven that he was indeed very knowledgeable about the Koshu-ryu military strategy, possessing profound expertise and unique insights into it.

If this were during the Warring States period, he would most likely have become someone's strategist.

It's a pity... In this era where firearms are already prevalent, even if you master the Koshu-ryu military tactics or other military tactics to the fullest extent, you're still ultimately lagging behind the times.

However, although Takeda Kanryusai's mastery of the Koshu-ryu military tactics was no longer of use, his erudite mind and quick thinking were still commendable.

Based on the simple idea of "making the best use of everyone's talents", Qing Deng promoted him to assistant director and made him Kondo Isami's deputy.

Qing Deng stared intently at Takeda Kanryusai, signaling with his eyes, "Speak quickly."

Takeda Kanryusai cleared his throat and began to speak in a slow and deliberate manner:

“In small inns such as Shimura-ya and Tamae-ya, which are located between Gion and Sanjo Avenue, traces of the activities of the anti-Japanese patriots can be found everywhere.”

“A member of the squad spotted a ronin on the street wearing a garment embroidered with a round, three-petaled tortoise shell pattern.”

"The round, three-petaled tortoise shell flower crest is the family crest of the Ako righteous man, Ōtaka Gengo."

After listening, Qing Deng asked:

"Are any of the venerable men of the past descendants of Da Gao?"

Takeda Kanryusai immediately replied:

"Yes! Matajiro Otaka of the Hayashida Domain of Boshu."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng nodded slightly.

"Another name I've heard many times before..."

Matajiro Otaka – a well-known figure who championed the anti-Japanese cause. To date, he has been linked to numerous terrorist attacks.

Takeda Kanryusai continued:

"Although it cannot be confirmed whether this person is Otaka Matajiro, the squad member who discovered him tried to follow him."

"But unfortunately... it failed."