I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The reason he suddenly came to see Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi tonight was to persuade him to personally lead the army and make a final stand.

However... Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's escape shattered all his plans...!

At this thought, a new surge of anger welled up in his heart, and the tall man gripped the hilt of the knife in his hand so tightly that it creaked.

Of course, as one of the few pragmatists among the "Hitotsubashi faction," he was never the kind of person who would succumb to emotions.

He took several deep breaths, barely managing to suppress the surging emotions within him.

Now that things have come to this, neither complaining nor venting will help! We can only try our best to make amends!

He lowered his head, lost in thought... his expression gradually regained its composure.

A moment later, he turned to look at the servants behind him:

"No one can be allowed to know that Hitotsubashi has fled Edo... Keep the news under wraps!"

He was about to continue speaking when a sudden look of hesitation stopped him from speaking.

About 10 seconds later, he gritted his teeth and continued speaking:

"Send orders to the front lines...prepare for evacuation!"

……

……

The next day, early morning—

Edo, Edo Castle, Akasaka Gate—

It was still a cloudy day, with leaden-gray clouds obscuring the sunlight.

As a new day dawned, the guards of Akasaka Mikado roused their spirits and prepared for today's battle.

The soldiers—whether they were from the Shinsengumi, the Sanbangu, or the Righteous Army—were all in high spirits and full of confidence.

Since yesterday, more than 2,000 civilians have rushed to join the fight!

Compared to the total population of Edo, this number is not much, but it far exceeds Aoto's expectations.

The common people... no, correction. The rebels have proven their ability and courage through their superior performance yesterday.

Nowadays, while it cannot be said that there are none, no one in the defending army utters contemptuous words such as "What use are civilians?" or "Civilians should not be sent to the front."

Moreover, due to the increase in auxiliary troops, Akasaka Mikado's defensive capabilities have been greatly enhanced.

The trenches were interconnected, interlocking and forming a tight and complex defensive line.

Qingdeng issued an order: As long as the war continues, the digging of trenches must not stop!

Therefore, even after dark, the trench digging continued without stopping.

Yesterday, after nightfall, while other troops had rested, the rebel army's "Third Army"—auxiliary troops specializing in logistics—continued to fight.

They worked through the night, adding and lengthening the trenches.

If this continues, in just a few days, the road from Akasaka Mikado to Edo Castle will truly be filled with trenches.

At this stage, from any perspective, Qingdeng has a significant advantage.

Edo Castle had ample supplies, enough for the garrison to squander for three to five years, so they weren't afraid of a war of attrition.

Moreover, the longer the time drags on, the more advantageous it will be for Qingdeng.

They could have simply followed the established procedures, digging trenches and erecting barricades.

After digging the section of road from Akasaka-Mikado to Edo Castle, they moved on to Edo Castle and dug trenches there.

Dig trenches between the Third and Second Maru, then dig trenches between the Second and Honmaru... and keep digging!

That being said, none of the above is likely to happen.

The reason is simple: the main force of the Shinsengumi is already on its way to Edo.

This means that the "Second Battle of Edo Castle" is about to come to an end!

Generally speaking, it would take at least 7 days to travel from Otsu to Edo.

Clearly, the Shinsengumi does not fall into the category of "normal".

Aoto knew all too well the Shinsengumi's marching capabilities.

Given the Shinsengumi's organizational skills, they should be able to join forces with him in just 5 or 6 days at most!

In short, time is running out for the "Hitotsubashi faction".

Although the balance of power in the battle has shifted irreversibly, Qing Deng will not let his guard down.

To ensure a complete victory, he specifically ordered the entire army: unless the enemy is completely defeated, we must not let our guard down!

At this moment, Qingdeng and Tianzhangyuan stood side by side on the watchtower, carefully observing the enemy camp in the distance.

Their eyes were fixed on the enemy camp, not missing a single movement.

Suddenly, their expressions changed.

A commotion broke out in the enemy camp, with figures moving back and forth... but it didn't seem like they were preparing for an attack.

Qingdeng and Tianzhangyuan continued to observe, their expressions focused, their eyes flashing with thoughts of "Could it be?" and "No way?"

Finally, a major commotion occurred in the enemy camp.

Squads of soldiers marched out of the camp.

However, it wasn't heading towards Akasaka Mikado, but towards the north—a direction completely unrelated to Akasaka Mikado.

At first, the two thought they had misread it.

After blinking several times, they finally caught up with reality.

Tianzhangyuan murmured:

"They've retreated..."

Qingdeng immediately turned his head and shouted to the messenger behind him:

"Call Sanosuke over here."

The messenger quickly replied "Yes," and then swiftly withdrew.

A short while later, Harada Sanosuke arrived in a long stride.

Qing Deng gave the order:

"Zanosuke, take 500 men to monitor the rebels. If the rebels are indeed defeated, act accordingly and do your best to sabotage them."

When he said the phrase “to destroy it to the best of your ability,” Qing Deng emphasized it.

Upon hearing this, Harada Sanosuke smiled knowingly:

"understand!"

After saying that, he turned and left in a hurry.

Qingdeng withdrew his gaze and looked again at the enemy camp in the distance—only to find Tianzhangyuan with his head bowed and his hands gripping the railing of the watchtower tightly.

"what……"

She let out a long breath, and then, as if relieved of a great burden, slowly sat down on the ground.

Seeing this, Qingdeng said half-jokingly:

"The floor is cold."

Tenshōin replied in the same half-joking tone:

"It's okay, it's good to be a little cool, it'll help cool down my overheated body."

She spoke with great seriousness, fanning herself with her hand.

"It's not hot today."

“I know. I was particularly excited by the rebels’ retreat.”

After exchanging a few meaningless jokes, the two returned to the main topic.

Tianzhangyuan said softly:

"The rebels have actually retreated... I thought this battle would continue for quite some time."

Qing Deng said calmly:

"The rapid changes are a major characteristic of war."

Tianzhangyuan then said:

"This is truly unexpected... The 'Hitotsubashi faction' hasn't completely lost their chance of victory, so why the sudden retreat?"

Qingdeng answered without hesitation:

"I guess it's because Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi ran away."

Tenshōin tilted his head, looking puzzled.

"'Hitotsubashi Yoshiki ran away'? What makes you say that?"

Qing Deng smiled and said:

"Because this is something Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi would do. Hmm... how should I put it..."

He paused, considering how to phrase his words.

After a short while, he slowly said:

"To put it bluntly, Yoshiki Hitotsubashi has a prestigious status but lacks the qualities of a leader."

After stating his position clearly, he succinctly explained to her Hitotsubashi Yoshiki's character flaws.

Judging from Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's life experience, his talent and character are indeed admirable.

His father, Tokugawa Nariaki, believed that the ornate and frivolous atmosphere of Edo was not conducive to cultivating a simple and chivalrous man's spirit.

For this reason, when Yoshinobu Hitoshi was less than a year old, he was sent back to the Mito domain to be raised.

Later, he invited Aizawa Seishisai and Aoyama Nobumitsu to be his teachers.

Aizawa Seishisai is the author of "Shinron," a book considered a classic work on the theory of respecting the emperor and expelling barbarians.