I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qingdeng said softly:

"Jingzhu, thank you for your hard work. Please sit down."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded in response, then bent down and sat back down in his original position.

Qing Deng straightened his back and scanned the entire field from left to right.

Although he did not speak, he exuded a powerful and imposing aura.

Those who lack courage don't even dare to look Qingdeng in the eye, subconsciously lowering their heads and keeping their eyes down.

"Everyone, did you all hear that clearly?"

Qingdeng's voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

"The three armies from Changzhou have successively arrived in the capital region."

"If nothing unexpected happens, by the day after tomorrow, we will be able to see flags with the words 'Ichimonji Sansei' printed on them in Fushimi, Saga Tenryu-ji Temple, and Yamazaki."

[Note: The "One Character Three Stars" crest is the family crest of the Mori clan of Choshu.]

"That means—the day of battle is in 3 days!"

These words immediately made the atmosphere at the scene slightly more serious.

Saigo Kinosuke, Matsudaira Katamori, Hijikata Toshizo, and the others were as usual, showing no abnormalities.

In contrast, the generals of the other regional armies all looked terrified and tense.

In very few cases, the face even turned pale and breathing became rapid.

It's no wonder they act this way.

Although they dressed like respectable people, none of them had ever fought in a war. They were able to become generals with armor to wear and troops to command, all thanks to the merits of their ancestors and their blessings.

It's really too much to ask these "newbies" who have never even seen blood to participate in such a large-scale battle involving tens of thousands of people on their first mission.

Qingdeng kept a close eye on the expressions and reactions of the people present.

Seeing that these regional military commanders were already intimidated before the battle even began, he couldn't help but feel disappointed, thinking to himself:

—As expected, he's hopeless...

Based on the available data, this "coalition" has a force of 3.

In reality, the vast majority of these 3 men were incompetent, and less than a third of them were truly capable of fighting.

These feudal lords were basically forced by the shogunate to come and help in the war.

They lacked both the ability to defeat the enemy and the determination to fight.

A few days ago, Qingdeng took some time to inspect the soldiers and equipment of these vassal armies.

As for equipment... it's basically just spears and katana.

The soldiers... lacked both spirit and physique! Describing them as "shrimp soldiers and crab generals" is absolutely fitting!

Qingdeng could easily imagine that if they were sent to the battlefield, they would slack off as if seeking revenge!

Qingdeng knew exactly what these guys were thinking.

Anyway, this is a conflict between the shogunate and Choshu, and they won't fight for the shogunate!

Sending them to fight tough battles will only result in them fleeing in panic.

At best, they can only serve as a morale booster on the battlefield.

Let alone sending them to charge into battle, Qingdeng didn't even dare to send them to guard the grain supplies, nor did he dare to entrust them with any important tasks or positions.

The current lackluster performance of these regional military commanders has further solidified Qing Deng's belief that "these guys are completely useless."

Although the Shinsengumi had 6000 troops, 1000 of them were logistics personnel, and only 5000 were actual combat soldiers.

The Satsuma and Aizu armies stationed in Kyoto were all soldiers capable of fighting on the battlefield.

Among the various domain armies, the Satsuma army and the Aizu army are the only two exceptions.

The Aizu army possessed both formidable fighting power and unwavering loyalty to the shogunate, making them entirely trustworthy.

As for the Satsuma army... Satsuma was one of the earliest feudal states to develop industry, capable of manufacturing guns, cannons, and warships independently, so its military strength goes without saying.

However, Qingdeng did not trust Samo and was always wary of him.

Heaven knows if this opportunistic person might play some tricks on the battlefield.

Therefore, Qing Deng will not give important positions to the Satsuma army either.

In conclusion, the only troops under Aoto's command that could be of significant use were the Shinsengumi (5000 men) and the Aizu Army (2000 men), totaling 7000 men.

After scanning the area, Qingdeng quietly withdrew his gaze:

"Please do not panic."

"Although Changzhou's advance is fierce, they are nothing more than a rabble."

"Three armies, twelve thousand men—it looks intimidating, but the vast majority of them are ronin and peasant soldiers who were temporarily conscripted."

"I can assure you that the number of elite soldiers and capable generals in the Changzhou army who can fight tough battles will absolutely not exceed 3000."

After hearing Qingdeng's words, the expressions of the regional military commanders present immediately improved.

Suddenly, someone spoke up:

"Lord Aki is right!"

"The number of combat-ready soldiers in the Changzhou Army will definitely not exceed 3000."

"In this battle, we have the upper hand!"

“Changzhou violated the established moral principles and ethics; we should follow the natural order, for this is the way to prevail.”

“Changzhou is the ‘enemy of the court’ appointed by the imperial court, and we are the government troops ordered to suppress the rebels. This is a righteous victory.”

"Changzhou has come a long way, and we should wait in comfort for them to tire themselves out; this is the way to win."

"Changzhou has few soldiers and generals, while we have as many soldiers as clouds and as many generals as rain. This is our victory."

"With superior principles, righteousness, strategy, and martial prowess, how can we not defeat the enemy and achieve victory?"

This sudden, highly literary remark immediately drew the attention of everyone present, including Qing Deng.

Everyone turned to look—the speaker was right behind Saigo Kinosuke.

This person is short and unattractive.

It is worth mentioning that his left eyeball is not black like most people's, but grayish-white, without any life.

It is obvious that this is a blind eye.

One-eyed, standing behind Saigo Kinosuke... Aoto pondered for a moment, then quickly remembered who this person was.

This person was named Ijichi Ryuemon, whose given name was Kiyoshi and whose pen name was Ichiryu. He was born in Sengoku Baba-cho, Kagoshima Castle, Satsuma Province.

From a young age, he displayed extraordinary intelligence and was known in the village as the "prodigy of a thousand stones".

Unfortunately, he later contracted a serious illness, which left him disabled in one eye and one foot.

Later, he studied the art of combined military tactics under Hōkyō Uzaemon, gaining a deep understanding of its essence.

Soon, thanks to his outstanding talent, he became a professor of military science at the Satsuma Domain's school, the Zaoshikan, at a young age.

In 1862, he followed Shimazu Hisamitsu to Kyoto and was appointed military commissioner for his merits, becoming a rare military strategist.

During the Anglo-Sazakh War of 1863, he made great contributions by coming up with ingenious strategies, causing a lot of trouble for the British army and further proving his military talent.

After that, Saigo Kichinosuke appointed him as his military advisor and entrusted him with important responsibilities.

In other words, Ijichi Ryuemon was to the Satsuma army what Guo Jia was to the Cao army! He was a brilliant and resourceful strategist!

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Chapter 840 The Summer Campaign in Kyoto and a One-Man Battle! [4400]

His unique image of being one-eyed and lame, coupled with his extraordinary resourcefulness, led to him being hailed as "the reincarnation of Yamamoto Kansuke."

Yamamoto Kansuke was a famous strategist during the Sengoku period, but he was also blind in one eye and crippled in one leg.

The Koyo Gunkan mentions Yamamoto Kansuke repeatedly. He was appointed to a position because of his work building a castle. He was regarded as a right-hand man by Takeda Shingen. He defeated the Murakami army with the "Hitori Battle Method" and designed the "Woodpecker Battle Method", which left a deep impression on people.

However, the book "Koyo Gunkan" contains many errors, and Yamamoto Kansuke's name is not found in other records.

Therefore, it is highly questionable whether a person named "Yamamoto Kansuke" actually existed in history.

In any case, starting with "Koyo Gunkan", Yamamoto Kansuke has been active in various novels and rumors.

Later novelists and playwrights kept adding scenes for him, almost praising him as a figure like Zhang Liang or Zhuge Liang.

Over time, people even forgot that Yamamoto Kansuke might just be a fictional character, and his image as a "genius strategist" gradually became deeply ingrained in people's minds.

The fact that Ijichi Ryuemon could be called "the reincarnation of Yamamoto Kansuke" shows his popularity in the Satsuma army.

As soon as Ijichi Ryuemon finished speaking, Saigo Kinosuke turned his head and looked at him with displeasure:

"Ichichi, you are being very rude."

"How dare you speak without Lord Aki's permission?"

Upon hearing this, Ichiji Ryuemon quickly lowered his head, feigning shame.

"I'm sorry, I was rude."

Aoto gave Ijichi Ryuemon a deep look.

If we can maintain our alliance with the Satsuma Domain, that would be fine.

However, if he were to become enemies with the Satsuma Domain in the future, he would be a formidable foe!

Therefore, Qingdeng silently memorized his appearance—so that when he went to war with Satsuma, he could spread his portrait throughout the army and avoid beheading the wrong person.

“It’s alright. This meeting is not my ‘one-man show.’ Everyone can speak freely.”

Qingdeng waved his hand magnanimously, then said seriously: