I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 1956

At this moment, Tianzhangyuan's crimson lips parted again:

"Sheng Qing, won't you sleep a little longer?"

Her beautiful eyes revealed intense concern and a hint of worry.

Qing Deng smiled slightly and shook his head:

"No, I've slept enough. Even if I wanted to sleep now, I couldn't."

He rubbed his face as he spoke, trying to shake off the last bit of sleepiness.

Then, he turned his head to look out the window and observe the sky.

As far as the eye could see, there was only the pitch-black night sky.

Tonight is a cloudy day; there is neither a bright moon nor many stars.

"Your Highness, how long have I been asleep?"

Tianzhangyuan glanced down at his pocket watch:

"Nearly four hours."

Upon hearing this number, Qing Deng was secretly taken aback.

Since acquiring his gift of being a "sleepy god," he has rarely slept for such a long time.

He slept for a full eight hours... which shows how exhausted he was.

With the support of talents such as "Strengthening Essence +5" and "Locking Blood +7", Qingdeng's recovery speed has always been very fast.

Even after sleeping for a full four hours, he still felt muscle soreness, dizziness, and general weakness.

Qingdeng lowered his head, touched the muscles in his chest, and thought to himself:

Thankfully... the wound didn't reopen...

It's not hard to guess that the reason his body was so exhausted was definitely the price he paid for activating "Heartless Demon Child" and "Reversal Dragon" at the same time.

Although the burden on the body is greatly reduced after merging with "Innate Selfless Holy Body +7", it is ultimately only "reduced" rather than completely eliminated.

Needless to say, the "Reversal Dragon" talent, which allows one to maximize their life force, would inevitably have a significant impact on their body.

Facing an army of three thousand alone, galloping wildly on horseback, he not only survived but also his wounds did not reopen. It was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune... no, it was a miracle!

Tenshōin looked at Seidō, who was examining his entire body, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, gave a wry smile:

"The doctor from the north is very angry."

"A doctor from the north? What happened to him?"

The bitterness on her face deepened.

"The patients that doctors in the north dislike the most are those troublesome patients who don't follow medical advice, so he was very indignant after hearing about your story. Of course, in my opinion, he wasn't really angry, at most he just felt helpless. He must have also known very well that your condition at that time did not allow you to take care of your own health anymore."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng murmured with a look of shame:

"Judging from the results, I did indeed ignore Mr. Beifang's medical advice. I need to apologize to him properly when I have time later."

After he finished speaking, he straightened his face slightly, pricked up his ears, and listened carefully.

There were no shouts of battle... It seems the fight is over.

"Your Highness, what is the current situation of the battle?"

Seeing that the main topic was about to begin, Tenshōin composed himself and said in a serious and methodical manner:

"The situation did not change significantly after you fell asleep."

"The rebels are still launching a fierce attack on Akasaka Mikado."

"Thanks to the valiant fighting of Captain Harada, Vice Captain Matsubara, and other soldiers, our army successfully held the position."

"After dark, the rebels ceased their offensive and retreated westward, setting up camp in Shinobu, one mile west of Akasaka-Mikado."

[Note: In the Edo period, 1 ri (里) was approximately 3.924 kilometers.]

"It seems that the complete collapse of the Mito army has not made Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi and others give up their ambitions; they still want to fight like cornered beasts."

Qingdeng listened attentively, nodding slightly from time to time.

"I see... It's good that the 'Thirty-Six Subordinates' haven't been lost. As long as the 'Thirty-Six Subordinates' aren't lost, our army can firmly maintain the initiative."

Tenshōin pursed his lips, adopting a half-joking tone:

"It's a real shame. I had hoped that the Mito army's crushing defeat might have instilled despair in Hitohashi Yoshinobu and the others, leading them to lay down their weapons and surrender."

"Now it seems that my thinking was indeed too naive."

"Sigh, if only they would just surrender easily."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng chuckled in disbelief.

"If that were the case, it would be wonderful. But alas, it is ultimately just a beautiful dream."

Both were important figures in the shogunate, experienced the ups and downs of officialdom, and witnessed the cruelty of politics.

Therefore, they were both very clear that the "Hitotsubashi faction" would never give up!

The struggle between the Nanki faction and the Hitotsubashi faction is not a personal conflict between Tokugawa Iemochi and Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu, but a struggle between two major political groups! It will not be swayed by the will of any one person!

Simply put, this war will not stop just like that.

The "Hitotsubashi faction" gathered a large number of conservative officials.

Unable to adapt to the new era and deeply resenting advanced ideas, they banded together for mutual support—thus, a brand-new interest group and political group was born.

Ultimately, it all comes down to profit.

Whether it's opposing the "Southern Faction" or now brazenly launching a coup, it's all for the sake of seeking more benefits.

Qing Deng secretly wondered: whether Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu really wanted to launch a military coup was probably still an unknown.

Unlike Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi, the two men's sources of power were completely different.

Tachibana Seito rose step by step from a lowly servant with a hundred koku of official rank to the powerful and respected King Nioh through his genuine military achievements.

In every battle, he never backed down and always charged ahead.

In terms of merit and courage, there is nothing about him that cannot be convincing.

Therefore, he held absolute authority, both within the Shinsengumi and the "Nanki faction."

Very few people are qualified to disagree with him.

Ichijo Kei-ki, however, is different.

His current status is entirely due to the protection of his family.

He himself has neither extraordinary talent nor convincing achievements.

How can someone who is "useless" convince others?

It was only due to the circumstances of the time that he found himself at the center of the era's maelstrom.

The members of the "Hitotsubashi faction" needed a qualified leader to embellish their image, and Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi was the perfect candidate—which is why they nominated him as the party leader.

If Yoshiki Hitotsubashi could comply with their wishes, that would be the best outcome.

If Yoshiki Hitotsubashi dares to oppose them... then they have many ways to make him "change his mind".

It's like being "given a yellow robe"—this yellow robe, is it something you can choose not to wear? If you don't wear this yellow robe, where will our wealth and glory come from? If you don't want to wear it, then find someone else who is willing to wear it.

Aoto thought again: Perhaps after learning the news of the "Mito army's defeat," Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu already had the idea of surrendering, but he was already on the verge of death and had no choice but to follow the wishes of his subordinates and continue to push the war forward.

In conclusion, when the Hitotsubashi faction's "suicide squad" launched its attack on Akasaka Mikado, the outcome was already predetermined—the war would not end until either side was completely defeated or a balance was reached in the exchange of interests between the two sides!

At this moment, Tianzhangyuan lowered his eyelids, half-closed his eyes, and let out a silent sigh.

"This battle... will continue for some time..."

Qingdeng nodded slightly in agreement.

Just as he was about to speak up in agreement, he suddenly felt a heavy weight pressing on his right shoulder.

"Your Highness...?"

He turned his head and looked in surprise at Tenshōin, who was leaning against his right shoulder.

Then, Tianzhangyuan bent down and pressed his forehead against Qingdeng's shoulder—a scene just like the one that had unfolded earlier that day.

Because Tenshōin buried her face in Aoto's right shoulder, Aoto couldn't see the expression she had etched.

He could only hear the other person say softly:

"After hearing you say you were going to defeat the Mito army, I became a little pessimistic... I was afraid you wouldn't come back..."

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng seemed amused and chuckled softly.

"You know, I will always return victorious, no matter what."