I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Whenever she sees those noisy and unruly children, she feels disgusted and annoyed.

However, miraculously, after Jiulang was born, her views on children changed completely!

The children who were once considered ugly and disgusting in her eyes have now become very cute—especially her own son!

Although it may be a bit arbitrary to say this, in Sanako's current eyes, there is no child or creature in the world more adorable than her son!

The only person who can rival him in terms of cuteness is A-Wu's daughter, Ning-Ning.

To be honest, "spending time with her son" has become her new and effective way to relax.

Whenever she looks at her son's sleeping face, she feels a surge of new energy within her—Jiulang's presence has become one of the important pillars that have helped her get through the current difficult times.

Thump thump thump thump thump thump!

Rapid footsteps approached from the direction of the corridor.

Sanako immediately recognized the sound as Mai's footsteps.

A-Mai knew that Kuro was sleeping, so after she opened the door, she didn't shout or yell. Instead, she rushed to Sanako's side and said in a trembling voice, barely able to contain her excitement:

"Zanako, Aoto is back!"

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Chapter 908 Junfu City Falls! The Eighth Prince and His Thousand Men Unite for Battle! [6000]

When Sanako and Ama rushed to the outskirts of Otsu, they happened to run into a dusty, weary procession.

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble...

At the end of the road, amidst the swirling dust, the thunderous, muffled sound of hooves gradually drew closer.

Upon closer inspection, a man and an ox were charging ahead.

Riding a big black bull... such a distinctive feature, there could only be no one else!

As if drawn by a rope, Sanako and Mai simultaneously took steps forward to greet her.

In no time, the big black bull came to a steady stop in front of the two women.

Immediately afterwards, a voice that brought great comfort to the two women floated from the ox's back:

"Zanako, Mai, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Sanako's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

A-Wu's reaction was even more exaggerated. She looked at Qing Deng as if she had seen a ghost, her eyes were glazed over, her cheeks were filled with shock, and she kept looking Qing Deng up and down.

After a short while, Sanako stammered and asked:

"Qingdeng, you...you're back...?"

"Hmm? If I hadn't returned, then who is the person standing before you now?"

"No, I mean... how did you get back so quickly?"

Sanako had done detailed research in private about "how long it would take for Aoto to return".

According to her expectations, even if Qingdeng were to rush back, it would still take him another 5 days.

However... she never expected that she would meet him again today!

Qing Deng gave a bitter smile:

"It's a long story about how I got back."

Having said that, he reached out and gently stroked the radish's neck:

"Radish, thank you for your hard work..."

"Moo moo moo..."

It was only then that the two women noticed the radish's current condition.

They were terrified when they saw it.

Radish drooped its head, its limbs trembled, and white foam seeped from the corners of its mouth. It was sweating profusely, with large beads of sweat dripping from its hair. In just a short while, a small puddle of water had accumulated beneath it.

You should know that Radish is a "divine bull" with outstanding physical qualities, surpassing ordinary warhorses in both stamina and explosive power.

The two women had never seen this big black ox so exhausted... They couldn't imagine what it had gone through.

They slowly turned their gaze toward the cavalry formation behind Qingdeng.

At a glance, they were surprised to find that, comparatively speaking, Radish's condition was already quite good!

"Whoosh...whoosh..."

"Hey! Little Grey! Hang in there! We've reached Otsu!"

"Get down! Your horse is about to fall over!"

"Whoa whoa whoa...!"

The massive cavalry force of over a thousand men was filled with the groans, howls, and cries of pain from horses from head to tail.

In order to get back to Otsu as quickly as possible, the "First Army" led by Qing Deng really exhausted all their strength.

Although horses possess powerful explosive force, their endurance is lacking, and they cannot run at high speed for extended periods.

Throughout history, cavalry units that embarked on long-distance raids typically consisted of one rider and two horses, or even one rider and three, four, or five horses. The riders took turns riding the horses, switching to another when one got tired.

It's a pity... This kind of "nouveau riche play" can only be afforded by those "wealthy families" who have no shortage of horses - Qingdeng obviously does not belong to this category.

The vast majority of animal power in the expeditionary force was used to transport supplies.

Therefore, even Qingdeng himself only had one radish to ride.

If a person is on a horse (or ox), they will run for a short time before exhausting the animal's strength.

Even so, Qingdeng and the others had no other choice but to suffer the hardship of their mounts...

As it turned out, the Aizu Cavalry lived up to its reputation as a formidable force, and the Shinsengumi's 7th and 10th Divisions, which Aoto had painstakingly built, did not disappoint him.

From the heart of Changju to Dajin, a distance of nearly 350 kilometers... they covered the entire distance in just 9 days with only one person and one horse (or ox)! That's an average of 39 kilometers marched per day!

To be honest, even Qing Deng was shocked by this amazing achievement!

Despite the remarkable achievements, the price paid was equally heavy!

At this moment, looking around, almost all the horses were in a state of near unconsciousness due to extreme fatigue.

Foaming at the mouth, limbs swaying... as if he might collapse at any moment.

In fact, after the caravan stopped, many horses could no longer hold on because the tension had suddenly eased, and they cried out in pain before collapsing to the ground, unable to get up again.

Not only were the mounts exhausted, but the riders also suffered greatly.

Anyone who has ridden a horse knows that the most torturous part of riding a horse is not the soreness in the lower back, but the chafing pain on the inner thighs.

The saddle is very stiff.

The repeated jolting while riding a horse causes the inner thighs to rub against the saddle, which can cause a sharp, stabbing pain after a short while.

No matter how thick the fabric is, it can only provide temporary relief.

Otherwise, why would Liu Bei have cried out in pain after seeing the fat growing back on his inner thighs, thus creating the story of "thigh fat regrowth"?

A person who rides horses frequently won't develop fat on their inner thighs. If there were any, the friction would have worn it away.

For the past nine days, Qingdeng and the others have practically lived on the saddle, with very little rest.

As a result, many riders developed blisters on the inner thighs on the second day of their journey.

Blisters form, the blisters burst, blood flows out, and then blisters form again... and the cycle repeats itself.

Even in excruciating pain, one can only grit their teeth and endure it...

Upon reaching their destination... which is today, quite a few riders' khaki were soaked with blood, some even dripping out, mixing with their mounts' sweat and flowing down their sides.

Looking at the exhausted and utterly disheveled cavalry, Sanako bit her lower lip and turned to look at the ministers behind her.

"Quickly! Summon all the doctors in town! Human doctors and veterinarians are needed!"

"Yes!"

A courtier stepped forward and reached out to pull on the reins of the radish.

However, Qingdeng made Luobo stand aside and avoid it.

"No rush, let's take those who are already dying and their horses to get treatment first."

As he spoke, he turned his head and shouted to the riders:

"Those who can still move, come with me! Our mission isn't over yet!"

……

……

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, town——

"Huh? What's going on? Why is it so lively?"

"Don't you know yet, kid? His Highness Prince Ren is back!"

"What? His Highness Prince Ren is back? Where is he?"

"I don't know! Let's just follow the crowd!"

"Our lord is back! Our lord is back!"

……

The news that His Highness Prince Ni had returned with his army spread like wildfire throughout Otsu!

It is no exaggeration to say that the streets of Dajin are deserted at the moment.

In an instant, samurai and commoners alike dropped everything they were doing and rushed toward the same direction—Biwahirokoji Street in the center of Otsu.