I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The men behind him, including Sagawa Kanbei, also stopped.

Qing Deng turned his head again.

This time, he counted his comrades-in-arms behind him.

Including Sagawa Kanbei, he had only about thirty riders left behind.

The rest either perished in battle or were forced to leave the group due to exhaustion.

Those who fought alongside Qingdeng to the very end were all holding on by sheer willpower, enduring hardship until now.

The intense fatigue left them physically and mentally exhausted, to the point that they could barely sit still.

However, when Qingdeng turned to look at them, every single one of them mustered their spirits, stood tall and proud, their faces filled with pride.

At the same time, they all turned their gazes toward Qingdeng with intense interest.

Such a gaze, such an appearance, it's as if they are worshipping a god!

Not long ago, during the "Edo Rescue Battle", after entering Edo town, Aoto separated from the main force and went to Edo Castle alone.

Therefore, strictly speaking, this is the first time that the Aizu cavalry have "fought side by side with Prince Hitohito"!

Before this, like everyone else, the Aizu Iron Cavalry could only learn about Aoto's strength through rumors.

Hearing it a hundred times is not as good as seeing it with your own eyes once.

Seeing this heroic figure sweeping across the battlefield, seeing this back that always charges ahead and gives people a great sense of security, it's hard not to feel a surge of emotion!

Sagawa Kanbei and the others understood that their great victory over the Mito army and their remarkable achievements were all thanks to Aoto.

With just over a hundred cavalrymen, they defeated three thousand regular troops... Such a feat is a glorious one that deserves to be recorded in history!

After such a brilliant and exhilarating victory, it's no wonder that Sagawa Kanbei and the others looked triumphant and excited.

To be honest, let alone them, even Qing Deng himself felt dazed at this moment, as if he were floating above the clouds, his body light and airy, as if he were in a dream.

—The Mito army has been defeated...

The brief silence revealed Qing Deng's surprise.

Although slow, the constant flow of time gradually brought his consciousness up to reality.

At that moment, a myriad of emotions welled up in his heart.

He defeated the Mito army.

He resolved the crisis at Edo Castle.

He fulfilled his promise to Tianzhangyuan!

With this thought in mind, his heart surging with emotion, he took a deep breath, then slowly raised the Vairocana in his hand and shouted at the loudest volume he could muster:

"This battle is our victory!!"

Before he could finish speaking, Sagawa Kanbei shouted:

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh—!"

The next moment, the others followed suit, expressing their surging emotions with a cheer!

……

……

Edo, Imado-cho, the main camp of the Hitotsubashi faction—

The room was filled with a depressing, suffocating atmosphere.

Just half an hour ago, this place was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Everyone, including Yoshiki Hitoshi, was overjoyed at the timely arrival of the Mito army.

He was filled with thoughts of "Our army has won!" and "Tachibana Seido and the others are doomed!"

In fact, we can't blame them for being too happy too soon.

Judging from the situation at the time, the Hitotsubashi faction, which received reinforcements from the Mito Domain, did indeed have an overwhelming advantage.

With such a huge advantage, it's understandable that they might become complacent or even overjoyed.

Of course, it is pointless to go into detail about the past.

Their joy just moments ago only serves to highlight how tragic they are now!

At this moment, Yoshiki Ichihashi sat stiffly in the main seat with a long face, listening to Taka's report.

The tall man didn't keep everyone waiting long. In a hoarse voice, he slowly and deliberately reported the latest intelligence he had just received:

"The Mito army suffered a crushing defeat, with more than half of its troops killed, including a large number of officers, including its commander Suzuki Toranosuke."

He paused at this point.

Judging from his appearance, he seemed unwilling to say what was to come.

However, after a brief hesitation, he finally gritted his teeth and forced back his anger, continuing the conversation:

"Tachibana Aoto... survived. It is said that he has safely retreated to Edo Castle."

The tall guy has finished speaking.

An eerie silence once again enveloped the room, both inside and out.

After listening to Gao Lao's report, the expressions of everyone present changed several times.

They were all stunned, as if they had lost their souls.

Some people looked at each other, as if seeking solace in the faces of others.

More than half of the troops were killed or wounded... This is a number that can render an army largely incapable of fighting!

They had anticipated that the casualties of the Mito army would be dire, but they never expected that the casualties would be this severe!

In the midst of this silence, the first to speak was Yoshiki Hitotsubashi:

"The soldiers of the Mito Army are not all dead. If we can regroup the remaining troops, we should still be able to fight."

His words seemed to be both an attempt to calm the crowd and a way to encourage himself.

"..."

The fat man silently raised his gaze, glancing at the tall man opposite him with a complicated expression.

The tall man pursed his lips, a resolute look appearing on his face—as if he had made up his mind.

Then, he steeled himself and revealed the cruel truth to the other party:

"Lord Hitotsubashi... the morale of the Mito army has suffered a devastating blow."

"A newly defeated army cannot be considered brave."

"To make matters worse, the deaths of a large number of officers, including Toranosuke Suzuki, left the Mito army without a leader capable of uniting and commanding the remaining troops."

"Even if the remnants are managed to be regrouped, their combat effectiveness is far from ideal..."

After saying that, the tall man consciously lowered his gaze, not daring to look at Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi.

The others did the same, burying their heads in front of their chests, eyes downcast, not daring to even breathe.

"..."

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi fell silent.

The sounds of battle outside the window seemed exceptionally distant.

About 10 seconds later, he said in a blank and quiet voice:

"You, you, you, and you, the four of you stay here. The rest of you, go out first."

He extended his right index finger, pointing to the tall man, the short man, the fat man, and the thin man respectively.

Seeing this, no one dared to say anything, silently accepted the order, and filed out.

Soon, only Yoshiki Ichihashi and the four people he had specifically requested to stay remained in the room.

No sooner had the others left than Yiqiao Qingxi suddenly stood up, his hair and beard standing on end, his face flushed red, and his facial features contorted in a grimace.

"Can you tell me why the Mito army was defeated?!"

"The main force of the Shinsengumi is tied down at Akasaka-Mikado, and the Thirty-Six Regiments are empty!"

"If we send another force of more than a thousand men to attack any of the gates except Akasaka Gate, we can easily break through the Thirty-Six Gates and enter Edo Castle!"

"'Advance towards Kohinaga-mikado and capture Edo Castle'—why couldn't the Mito army accomplish such a simple task?!"

"We've wasted our expectations! We've wasted the sacrifices we made at Akasaka Mikado!"

"It's a wonder they have three thousand men!"

"Three thousand troops couldn't stop Ju Qingdeng!"

"With just one Tachibana Aoto, the Mito army collapsed!"

"What a huge joke!"

"Useless! Useless! The soldiers of the Mito Army are all a bunch of useless trash!!"

The fat man swallowed hard and interjected:

"Lord Hitotsubashi, you've gone too far..."

Before he could finish speaking, he heard Yoshinobu Ichihashi's even more vehement rebuke:

"Coward! Spineless coward! You good-for-nothing who's holding me back!"

"Mito has fallen so low!"

"When my father was in power, the Mito army would never have suffered such a humiliating defeat!"

"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have entrusted this important task to the Mito army!"

"It is because of their incompetence that we have ended up in this state!"

Every word and every sentence of Yoshiki Hitotsubashi burst forth from the depths of his throat, using all his strength.

Japanese houses are notoriously bad at soundproofing.

Therefore, even though he had sent others out first, everyone waiting outside clearly heard these terrifying roars.