I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Therefore, it is not surprising that these village women would be captivated by her.

Following Hijikata Toshizo, Harada Sanosuke, who was standing next to him, was also recognized by sharp-eyed people.

"Look! That's 'Harada the Immortal'!"

"It's said he's immortal! A man who can't die even if you cut his belly open!"

These remarks immediately roused Harada Sanosuke.

"Oh! You guys know a lot about this! Look! This is the scar I got from committing seppuku back then! Back when I hadn't become a ronin yet, and was still working as an official in the Matsuyama Domain of Iyo, some annoying guy slandered me as a 'lowly official who didn't even know the etiquette of seppuku.' I'm the kind of person who likes to take things seriously. Didn't he say I didn't even know how to commit seppuku? So I pulled out my wakizashi right there and then, stabbed myself in the stomach, and performed seppuku on the spot to show him!"

As he spoke, Harada Sanosuke skillfully removed his upper body clothing, revealing his strong and muscular upper body and the conspicuous scar on his stomach.

Although he enthusiastically described the scar on his stomach, the rapid march of the cavalry made him disappear from the farmers' sight, and his voice dissipated in the wind.

The cavalry swept past, leaving behind billowing dust and the curious gazes of the farmers.

"That's strange, how come the Shinsengumi's cavalry are here?"

"Hiss... I remember now! Wasn't there always talk about the shogunate planning to attack Choshu?"

"So... this unit is preparing to attack Changzhou?"

"In my opinion, the force led by the 'Demon Vice-Commander' is just the vanguard; the main force is still behind!"

"Sigh, didn't we just have a war in the capital region not long ago? Why do we have to fight again..."

"What's there to be afraid of? It's not like we're the ones starting the war!"

"Hey, whatever, we can't concern ourselves with the affairs of those big shots! Let's focus on the present! Doing our best to cultivate the land is more important than anything else!"

"That's not quite right. Tachibana Seiden is a rare good official. I actually hope he wins a great victory."

"Me too. Since there's always a winner, why not let the one who's more pleasing to the eye win?"

"Why can't we have more good officials like Tachibana Seiden? We might as well make him the Shogun..."

"Shh! What nonsense are you talking about! You can't just say things like that!"

……

……

An army of 200,000—such a large army would naturally not march at the same time.

Even if Han Bai were alive today, he wouldn't be able to control an army of 200,000 that was moving in groups.

Otherwise, let alone dietary adjustments, even daily bowel movements would be a huge problem.

To facilitate management, Aoto divided his troops into many groups, with Hijikata Toshizo and Harada Sanosuke leading 5000 vanguard troops to clear the way first, and the other troops advancing in order.

He and the main force under his command will officially set off on November 20.

For this battle, he mobilized all his elite troops, truly deploying all his best forces, and didn't even send anyone to guard his home.

This battle was a military operation that Tokugawa Iemochi strongly pushed for and finally managed to implement.

If we win, then everything will be fine.

But if we lose... the "anti-war faction" will not show any mercy and will definitely launch a large-scale counterattack to settle scores!

At that time, regardless of Aoto, Tokugawa Iemochi's situation will definitely become quite passive.

He had made up his mind that after destroying Choshu, he would marry Tenshōin.

In other words... he was mentally prepared to adopt Tokugawa Iemochi as his son!

For the sake of his future son, he certainly wouldn't stand idly by and watch him suffer.

Even setting aside Tokugawa Iemochi, the outcome of this battle was crucial to Aoto's own future.

Therefore, he had no choice but to take it seriously and give it his all.

Although on the surface the Shogunate army had an absolute advantage, the moral high ground, and overwhelming military strength, and it seemed almost impossible for them to be defeated.

However, when it comes to warfare, Qingdeng has always adhered to the operational philosophy of "being extremely cautious" and "first making himself invincible, then waiting for the enemy to become vulnerable."

Looking back at his previous battles, without exception, they were all battles fought on the inside.

In contrast, this battle was not only his first time commanding an external operation, but also an expedition that crossed a small part of Japan—although a small part of Japan is not very large, the straight-line distance from Otsu to Choshu is only a little over 300 kilometers.

This increases the uncertainty factor.

In short, it's always good to be cautious and have a few extra cards to play.

In any case, this battle will ultimately determine the future course of history!

With the issuance of the general mobilization order in Aoto, the soldiers of the Shinsengumi responded enthusiastically, none of them afraid of battle.

Even Sanako and Mai, who had just given birth, expressed their desire to "return to the front line".

Of course, Qing Deng politely declined their request to join the war.

After giving birth, one should observe a postpartum period and avoid strenuous exercise—Qingdeng understands this basic common sense.

No matter how the two women tried to persuade him, Qingdeng remained unmoved.

Although Sanako and Ama are both rare talents, Qing Deng now has a wealth of strategists and generals under his command, so the lack of their assistance is insignificant.

He took advantage of these two days to finish up the remaining official business.

The first thing he did was to see Elodie off.

……

……

"Master, I'm off!"

Elodie straightened her clothes and said this with great confidence.

Qingdeng smiled and nodded.

"Okay, have a safe trip!"

The girl was wearing a low-brimmed conical hat and a windproof cloak, with her small, delicate ankles tightly wrapped in leggings, dressed like a traveler about to embark on a long journey.

Behind her, 50 elite cavalrymen, one hand holding their horse and the other on their swords, were fully prepared to go.

Elodie was the head of the finance department, only in charge of the books and not fighting, so Qingdeng naturally couldn't take her to the front lines.

Since she'll be left behind anyway, it might as well send her to the Hachioji region to check the ledger of the Hachioji's thousand-strong unity.

Since Qing Dengyou was promoted to Army Commander-in-Chief, "vigorously promoting the unity of the Thousand People of Hachioji and the Westernization of the Jiangwu Army" has become his primary task.

Just a month ago, the guns and cannons that Qingdang specially purchased for the thousand people finally arrived in Hong Kong.

Prior to this, he had to prioritize resources for the new electoral group, so he had no time to attend to the unity of the thousand.

Now that he has some financial resources and has the support of Tokugawa Iemochi, he is able to devote his energy to promoting military reforms that unite the people.

With the upgrading of weapons and equipment, the soldiers, united as one, instantly transformed from "each with a bamboo spear" to "each with a musket".

The army instructors that Tokugawa Iemochi hired from France also arrived one after another and began to teach the thousand-strong army the most advanced army tactics at the time.

Military reform is a long and systematic arduous task that cannot be accomplished overnight.

Moreover, the Eighth Prince's Thousand People United is not a professional army; they are a militia force that is partly farmers and partly soldiers. During the busy farming season, they have to farm, and they can only squeeze out time to participate in training during the off-season.

Therefore, it will take a considerable amount of time for this unit to initially achieve combat capability.

While vigorously promoting modernization with the unity of a thousand people, Qingdeng planned to review its accounts to cut unnecessary expenses and save money as much as possible.

At the same time, he also inspected the warehouse and cleared out all the useless and outdated equipment—such as bamboo spears and matchlock guns.

Without a doubt, only Elodie is capable of this job.

As everyone knows, auditing accounts is a very dangerous job.

In modern times, the story of a helicopter full of auditors being shot down by a rocket is both comical and terrifying.

Furthermore, Elodie's Western identity made her extremely vulnerable to unfair treatment.

Qingdeng was certainly not foolish enough to let Elodie go to the Eighth Prince alone.

He selected 50 elite cavalrymen from the Seventh Division and ordered them to protect Elodie closely.

Not only that, he also appointed Shimada Kai, the vice-captain of the First Division, as Elodie's "chief bodyguard," giving him full command of the 50 cavalrymen.

Aoto had a deep impression of Shimada Kai, a fierce general who had risen through the ranks from the bottom, and admired him greatly, intending to cultivate him as a key talent.

Logically speaking, Qingdeng, who was determined to give his all in the Long March campaign, would not have left this fierce general behind.

It's a pity... During training recently, Shimada Kai accidentally twisted his left arm, resulting in an injury that is not serious, but not easy either.

The doctor advised him to rest for a period of time and avoid strenuous exercise.

Therefore, it was naturally impossible for him to go to the front line.

Despite Shimada Kai's repeated requests, and even his boast that "even with only one arm, I can still fight on the battlefield," Aoto still decided to send him to protect Elodie.

Compared to going to the front lines and fighting the Changzhou people, this task was undoubtedly much easier.

Qingdeng didn't believe anyone would be so blind as to dare to cause trouble for Elodie, who was protected by 50 cavalrymen.

Shimada Kai naturally felt very regretful about Aoto's appointment.

As a veteran of the Shinsengumi and the vice-captain of the First Division, "obeying orders from superiors" has become second nature to him.

Therefore, even though he felt helpless and regretful, he resolutely accepted the order.

Afterwards, Nagakura Shinpachi, who was on good terms with Shimada Kai—the two were old acquaintances, and Nagakura Shinpachi often interacted with Shimada Kai before joining Shieikan—went to him to offer advice.

Who is Elodie?

She is the only apprentice Qingdeng has taken in so far.

For Qing Deng, Elodie is undoubtedly an important member of the family.

The soldiers sent to protect Elodie were undoubtedly carefully selected, loyal and brave men.

Qingdeng has so many powerful generals under his command, yet he only sent you to serve as Elodie's "chief bodyguard." This shows Qingdeng's trust and high regard for you.

If you complete this task perfectly, you will definitely be promoted and given important responsibilities in the future!

In fact, Nagakura Shinpachi was absolutely right.

Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry is qualified to get close to Qingdeng's family.