I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The difference between the two is enormous.

Soon, someone chimed in:

"I...agree! Neither 'continuing to fight' nor 'surrendering' is advisable. We should retreat! As long as we're alive, we can always fight again!"

Immediately afterwards, another person chimed in:

"That's what I think too! Let's retreat!"

In the blink of an eye, like toppling dominoes, more and more people are clearly stating their position that they "should retreat":

"It makes sense!"

"Although I'm very unwilling, this is the only way..."

"If we can obtain the assistance of the Satsuma and Tosa domains, we will be even more powerful!"

Of course, there will always be people who disagree, no matter when or where.

After pondering for a moment, the tall man shouted sternly:

"No! Absolutely not! The Satsuma and Tosa domains are all cunning and treacherous! Forming an alliance with them is like asking a tiger for its skin!"

Gao Lao's resolute attitude made the atmosphere on the scene tense again.

At first glance, it seems that another dispute is about to break out.

However, at this moment—

"...That's enough."

Yoshiki Ichibashi suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their heads to look at Yoshiki Ichihashi, who was seated in the main seat.

"So noisy... Where do you think this is? A vegetable market?"

Yoshiki Ichibashi said as he slowly stood up.

"I'm tired... Let's call it a day for today's military meeting. Everyone, please disperse."

Having said that, Yoshiki Ichibashi left without the slightest hesitation.

Upon seeing this, everyone panicked.

The tall man said quickly:

"Lord Hitotsubashi! Please wait! This is a critical moment where every second counts! How can we postpone this meeting?"

However, Yoshiki Hitotsubashi completely ignored them.

Without even glancing sideways, he dashed out of the room as if fleeing and left.

The tall guy and the others stood there, staring at each other in disbelief...

……

……

That night--

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

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

The tall man stomped his feet on the corridor floor, making it creak.

Just by listening to his footsteps, you could tell he was in a very bad mood.

In fact, it is true.

In the candlelight, his brows were furrowed and his expression was solemn.

Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi was very dissatisfied with his behavior today.

The military meeting was halfway through when he suddenly left... What kind of behavior is this!

The main force of the Shinsengumi is on its way to Edo, and every minute and second is extremely precious! It cannot be wasted!

At this critical juncture of life and death, they actually broke off the meeting... The more Gao Lao thought about it, the angrier he became.

At this point, he no longer cared about hierarchy or etiquette.

Even if it meant forcing his way in, he was determined to barge into Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi's room and explain the pros and cons to him!

—Tonight, I must make things clear in front of Hitotsubashi-sama!

Just then, he arrived at the door of Yoshiki Ichihashi's room.

Seeing that the room was pitch black, the tall man didn't hold back. He cleared his throat and shouted loudly:

"Lord Hitotsubashi! Please wake up! I have important matters to discuss with you!"

The servants outside the room immediately moved half a step to the side, blocking the tall man's way.

"Your Excellency, please be quiet. Lord Hitotsubashi has already retired for the night!"

The tall man ignored the servant, pushed him aside, and entered through the door.

After breaking into Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi's bedroom, he was shocked to find that the room was empty... there was no sign of Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi at all!

He was first startled, then looked angrily at Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi's attendant:

"Where is Lord Hitotsubashi? Where did he go?!"

Overwhelmed by the tall man's imposing presence, the servant shivered violently.

"Lord Hitotsubashi... he... he... went to the Echizen Domain..."

*******

*******

It's almost the end of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg) Requesting monthly passes! Requesting recommendation votes! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

P.S.: Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi has run away—unexpected, yet understandable. This is the second time he's run away. After creating the farce of "May 10th, begin the expulsion of foreigners," he quickly fled.

Chapter 993 Something Strange Happens in Kyoto! Unusual Movements at Court! [4600]

"They went to the Fukui Domain?!"

Although it was an extremely simple sentence, it caused a thunderous shock when it reached Gao Lao's ears! It made him dizzy!

His eyes widened, his eyelids folded together, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

The next moment, he pounced forward like a hungry tiger, completely disregarding his own image, and grabbed the servant's shoulders.

"When did he leave?!"

The ferocious expression and terrifying roar... the servant was terrified, his cheeks turned pale, and he was sweating profusely.

Now that things have come to this, there is no longer any need to hide it.

Moreover, judging from Gao Lao's fierce appearance right now, if he drags his feet, his life might be in danger!

Therefore, the servant dared not be negligent and stammered out a detailed reply:

"One hour ago... Lord Hitotsubashi left through the Unclean Gate... I only knew he was going to the Fukui Domain, but I didn't know which route he would take..."

[Note: The "Unclean Gate" was a small wooden gate in the backyard of a daimyo or hatamoto household during the Edo period, used by those who collected excrement, criminals, and the dead.]

Upon hearing this, the tall man's already distorted facial features became even more terrifying.

An hour... such a long time, who knows where he's run off to now!

The only thing that can be confirmed is that he is definitely not in Edo now—unless he crawled, he must have left Edo after a full hour.

Even if you send a fast horse to chase after them, they certainly won't be able to catch up.

Suddenly, the tall man understood many things.

No wonder he was in such a hurry to adjourn the meeting today... he was busy running away!

Whether he had already decided to run away beforehand, or whether he decided to run away after listening to that person's advice, Gao Lao no longer knows.

Regardless, the fact remains that "Kichiki Hitotsubashi deserted his post"...

Instantly, a wave of intense remorse swept over him.

Consumed by rage, he drew his sword with a "whoosh" and turned to chop at the wooden pillar beside him.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

With each shout of "Damn it!", he forcefully swung the blade in his hand.

The blade flashed, and wood chips flew everywhere.

Everyone around him held their breath, trying to minimize their presence, for fear of being implicated.

After a short while, the tall man who had been slashing more than ten times gradually stopped.

"Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!"

With heavy breathing, his hands trembled violently, and even the wrinkles on his cheeks quivered slightly—a physical reaction to extreme rage.

Although he had vented his anger, the indignation on his face did not diminish in the slightest.

At this moment, he deeply felt the weight of the lament, "We are ready to fight to the death, why did Your Majesty surrender first?"

Lord Hitotsubashi, we clearly still have the strength to fight, and we clearly don't need to run away with our tails between our legs, so why did you retreat in such a panic?!

Regarding "how to capture Edo Castle before the main force of the Shinsengumi arrives," Takashi didn't just emphasize the power of "spiritual theory"; he had a concrete and effective plan.

His proposed solution was to have Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu personally lead the army, just like Tokugawa Iemochi did during the "Battle of Edo Castle"!

Admittedly, Tokugawa Iemochi was the sworn enemy of the "Hitotsubashi faction," but Gao Lao had to admire his courage.

It was thanks to Tokugawa Iemochi's personal presence that the morale of the defending troops was greatly boosted, and they fought desperately against the enemy.

The victory in the Battle of Edo Castle and the ability of the defending forces to hold out until Aoto arrived with his troops were inseparable from Tokugawa Iemochi's efforts and courage.

Imagine how inspiring it would be if the leader of the Hitotsubashi faction, Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu, the biological son of Tokugawa Nariaki, were to personally visit the front lines.

If Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi were to personally lead the army into battle, it would surely boost the morale of the entire force!

In this way, there is still a chance to take Edo Castle in one fell swoop with this divinely inspired morale!