I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

This is not an isolated case.

Similar scenes were constantly unfolding across the battlefield.

After overcoming the initial tension and fear, the volunteers gradually adapted to the atmosphere of war.

A volunteer soldier bravely charged forward.

Arrows pierced the sky.

Stones flew out one after another.

The rebels' performance was astonishing.

Although they did not inflict heavy casualties on the enemy due to various reasons such as "insufficient basic combat strength", their assistance did greatly relieve the pressure on the defending troops!

Putting aside their achievements, the spirit and morale of the rebel army are equally admirable.

Perhaps to prove themselves to the samurai, or perhaps to earn a bounty, the militiamen—especially those incorporated into the "First Army"—all put in their utmost effort.

After witnessing the bravery and heroism of the rebels, even those who most despise civilians and most advocate "separation of the people and the gentry" find it difficult to criticize them.

The undeniable facts were laid bare before them—with wise leadership and a sound system, even untrained civilians could unleash fighting prowess no less than that of samurai!

As of now, only a little over half an hour has passed, and more than a thousand volunteers have already arrived at the front lines! And this number is still rising!

Under Gao Lao's explicit orders, the "Hitotsubashi faction" reacted quickly, copying Qing Deng's "conscription notice" and issuing Hitotsubashi's version of the "conscription notice" to the entire Edo town.

Apart from the difference in pay—in order to curb Tachibana Seido's attempts to win people over, they offered double the amount—everything else was identical to Seido's "recruitment notice."

However, it was too late.

First of all, when it comes to "publicity," if you're slow at one step, you'll be slow at every step.

In the realm of "publicity," once you lose the initiative, it's difficult to make up for it.

No matter how hard the "One Bridge faction" tried, they could not match the publicity effect of Qingdeng.

Secondly, Yoshiki Hitoshi's popularity is far lower than that of Aoto.

While the main reason why ordinary people were willing to fight for the "Nanji Faction" was the attractive pay, it cannot be denied that Qingdeng's high popularity also played a significant role.

To put it simply, Qingdeng has an exceptionally high level of public appeal!

People who revered Qingdeng came from all four social classes: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

I can't speak for other regions, but in Edo, where the family started in Aoto, the name "Tachibana Aoto" was already a household name.

"This is a conscription notice issued by Lord Niou"—this one sentence is worth more than a thousand or ten thousand propaganda statements!

On the other hand, everyone's impression of Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu is consistent—Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu? Who is this guy? Oh, I think he's the "Vice General," but I'm not familiar with him.

The vast difference in public opinion meant that the "Yitiao faction" could not possibly stop Qingdeng from "winning people's hearts".

The sudden influx of reinforcements plunged the Ichibashi Army into a quagmire.

No matter how hard they fought, they were unable to break through the defenders' lines.

Well then, that's fine.

What truly broke them was watching helplessly as the opposing garrison grew larger and larger!

Anyone with even a slightly better eye could see that new reinforcements were constantly appearing behind the defending troops! They came in like a gushing spring, never stopping.

After finally defeating one person, I found that several more people had appeared in front of me.

The enemy's forces are constantly increasing, while our own forces are constantly decreasing.

Although some direct support personnel gradually arrived to help, the replenishment speed could not keep up with the consumption!

With this shift in power, the immense pressure was enough to crush the soldiers' morale.

Unbeknownst to them, the morale of the Hitotsubashi Army began to decline.

The tide of war has begun to turn dramatically!

……

……

Qingdeng stood on the watchtower, quietly observing the battlefield below.

Suddenly, Tenshōin, standing beside him, said softly:

"...Sheng Qing, I have to admit, you have once again opened my eyes."

As she spoke, she scanned the battlefield back and forth, her eyes filled with disbelief.

With a hastily assembled "civilian army," the defense line was reinforced, and the enemy's offensive was successfully blocked... Just as she had said, this situation was completely beyond her imagination!

Qing Deng's expression turned strange, as if he had heard something amusing, and then he let out two self-deprecating laughs.

"To be honest, I was also greatly surprised. This scene and situation have exceeded my expectations."

After saying that, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

Tenshōin chuckled twice, his tone becoming playful:

"With so many people coming, I really don't know how much it will cost. We're afraid we'll have to spend a lot of money."

"As long as we can win this battle, this money is just a small amount."

No sooner had the two finished speaking than they heard a series of hurried footsteps from behind: a messenger, panting, climbed up the watchtower and knelt down in front of Qingdeng.

Before this, whenever a messenger appeared, it usually brought bad news.

However, this time the messenger was beaming with joy, his cheeks brimming with barely concealed excitement.

"General Tachibana! Hata reports—Commander Kondo has led the main force of the Shinsengumi to reinforce us! They will arrive at Edo Castle soon!"

*******

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Chapter 992 Yoshiki Ichibashi has run away! [4700]

Gyeonggi, Qinjin Domain, Dajin—

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump...

The dull thud of footsteps on the ground was incessant.

Under the sunlight, various weapons such as spears, muskets, and cannons reflected a gleaming, cold light.

Squads of soldiers clad in light blue haori marched out of Otsu in an orderly fashion, stepping onto the East Sea Street leading to Edo, drawing the attention of countless passersby.

In the very center of the long queue, Kondo Isami and Nagakura Shinpachi could be clearly seen.

Kondo Isami spurred his horse on, displaying his imposing presence.

He turned his gaze, scanning the soldiers around him.

Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide and shouted loudly:

"The greater good belongs to our army! Rush to the aid of Northeast China! Defeat the rebels!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Nagakura Shinpachi, who was standing right next to him, raised his right arm and shouted:

"Eh—Eh—"

The next moment, the soldiers shouted in unison:

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooo!!"

Morale is high and fighting spirit is high.

More than a month has passed since the end of the Second Battle of Sekigahara.

This amount of time was enough for the Shinsengumi soldiers to recover from the fatigue of war.

Upon realizing that the Hitotsubashi faction might launch a military coup, Aoto immediately ordered Otsu to send reinforcements.

Qing Deng had a clear understanding of this sudden civil war.

To win this battle, you only need to grasp the following two key points.

One of them was to defend Edo Castle.

Secondly, we need to get the main force of the newly formed group to come to our aid as soon as possible.

With the former, one is guaranteed an invincible position.

No matter how much the "Hitotsubashi faction" jumps around, it's all for naught if they can't capture Edo Castle.

With the latter, the mere "One Bridge School" is utterly insignificant.

The reason why the Hitotsubashi faction dared to launch a military coup at that moment was simply because of two once-in-a-lifetime opportunities: the serious injury of the Prince Ni and the absence of the main force of the Shinsengumi in Edo.

Therefore, the day the main force of the Shinsengumi arrives in Edo will be the day their conspiracy is thwarted.

Faced with the fierce and powerful main force of the Shinsengumi, whether it was the "suicide squad" of the "Hitotsubashi faction" or those direct advisors who stood on the side of the "Hitotsubashi faction," they were all like ants trying to shake a tree. With just a little effort, they could all be crushed!

When Qing Deng's military order reached Otsu, Kondo Isami and others dared not delay and immediately began mobilization to prepare for the expedition.

Of course, they couldn't possibly "send aid from all over the country."

While the Hitotsubashi faction was a mortal enemy, the various domains of western Japan were also formidable opponents that could not be underestimated.

Therefore, it was necessary to leave a few troops behind to protect the main base and monitor the western country.

After a brief discussion, Kondo Isami and others made the following arrangements:

The First Division, the Fifth Division, and the Eighth Division remained in Otsu.

The Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Eleventh Divisions rushed to the aid of Edo.

Kondo Isami, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, Serizawa Kamo, Inoue Genzaburo... these names, like killer stars, are all on the "rescue list".

Just by looking at this list of names, you can tell what kind of style this support force will be—except for the Eleventh Division Captain Abe Juro, they are all reckless and daring men!

Thanks to a well-established system and the youthful vigor of the newly formed "corps", the Shinsengumi's speed of action was incredibly fast, whether in frontline battles or behind-the-scenes operations, truly like lightning!