I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

Mito Domain, Mito Castle, Honmaru——

quiet……

A deathly silence enveloped the entire room.

The current lord of the Mito Domain, Tokugawa Yoshitsu, sat high on the main seat.

The retainers of the Mito Domain were divided into two groups and sat down in order.

An indescribable sense of dread filled the air...

Right outside, right outside Mito Castle, the Shinsengumi's three thousand-strong army was slowly unfolding!

They will launch an attack soon!

This was the first time Mito had faced the ravages of war since the establishment of its domain.

This invasion was no small matter; it was a disaster that could destroy a nation!

With the enemy at the gates and a formidable foe looming—everyone present felt an unprecedented and terrifying pressure!

Unconditional surrender and handing over all territory—these were conditions that Mito's lord and his retainers could not accept at all.

However, with the challenges of "challenging Nioh" and "confronting the Shinsengumi," no one thought the Mito Domain had a chance of winning!

In order to quell Aoto's anger and to stop the war, Mito and his retainers did everything they could to be humble.

They not only offered to hand over half of their territory, but also indicated they would provide substantial compensation.

They believed they had shown the greatest goodwill.

However... their pleas went unanswered for a long time, like stones sinking into the sea.

In the end, all they got was a siege by the Shinsengumi!

The meaning of "青登" has been made very clear.

There's no other way but to fight to the end!

Qingdeng came with the intention of "destroying Mito".

Therefore, even the most spineless person would not dare to utter the word "surrender".

Within the current Mito court, there are no "pro-surrender factions," only "radical pro-war factions" and "moderate pro-war factions."

Although they had unified their thoughts and battle lines and were determined to fight to the end, no one had any ideas on how to stop the Shinsengumi's invasion.

In recent days, Tokugawa Yoshitsugu has been frequently summoning his ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Even now, with the Shinsengumi in power, they are still holding military councils.

This military discussion seems to have no end.

No matter how many military meetings were held, or how long they lasted, no conclusion was reached.

It's like this: right now, everyone has arrived, the military council has begun, but everyone is silent, no one utters a sound...

All previous military discussions had been conducted in this manner.

It will either end in silence or in chaos.

Suddenly, at that moment, someone said in a deep voice:

"...We must hold out to the death! Hold out until reinforcements arrive!"

These words, once uttered, caused a great stir, and a chorus of voices echoed in agreement:

"That's right! We must hold on to the death!"

"The city beneath us is a renowned city! It will surely withstand all foreign enemies!"

"Everything will be alright once the Fukui Domain's reinforcements arrive!"

If there is any force that could lend a helping hand to the Mito Domain, it would undoubtedly be the Fukui Domain of Echizen.

Both the Fukui Domain and the Mito Domain were staunch members of the "Hitotsubashi faction".

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi and other remnants of the "Hitotsubashi faction" are now hiding in the Fukui Domain.

Other domains were either too weak, too far away, or were complete opportunists, so they wouldn't stand up for the Mito Domain.

Seeking help from the Fukui Domain—this was the only lifeline left for the Mito lord and his retainers.

As soon as they realized that Aoto intended to take action against the Mito Domain, they sent envoys to the Fukui Domain as quickly as possible.

They did not doubt the reliability of the Fukui Domain.

Their only concern was that the Fukui Domain was too far away!

The Kanto region is separated from Echizen by the majestic Hida Mountains, a terrain characterized by high elevations, rugged terrain, and difficult roads.

It's still a question whether the messengers they sent to request aid have successfully reached the Fukui Domain!

At this moment, although the people present are speaking eloquently and passionately, their "bold words" are nothing but boring and unconstructive clichés.

Everyone knows they must hold their ground and hold out until reinforcements from the Fukui Domain arrive, but the question is: how do we hold out? How do we hold out?

More than a month ago, the 3,000-strong army they sent to support the "Hitotsubashi faction" was utterly defeated, with only a little over a thousand survivors managing to retreat back to the domain.

With heavy losses and a recent defeat, this is the lowest point in the history of the Mito Domain...

The people currently making these incessant pronouncements only keep emphasizing that "Mito Castle is a fortified castle" and "this castle will not fall quickly," and they have no other words to say.

Tokugawa Yoshitsugu's brow furrowed more and more, seemingly growing impatient with the clamor of his subordinates.

Just then, a loud shout came from outside:

"My lord! A new letter of surrender has arrived from outside the city! It is a letter of surrender personally written by Prince Ren!"

The sudden shout drew everyone's attention.

Immediately afterwards, a retainer carrying a brand-new letter rushed quickly to Tokugawa Yoshitsugu.

Tokugawa Yoshitsugu disregarded all etiquette and hurriedly said:

"What does this letter of surrender say? Read it aloud!"

The official responded in agreement, then hurriedly tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.

He didn't read it aloud immediately, but instead quickly scanned it first.

He hadn't read it before, but as soon as he did, his expression changed drastically. All the color drained from his cheeks, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

This reaction from the other party made Tokugawa Yoshitsugu feel increasingly uneasy... He impatiently urged:

"Read it quickly!"

Upon hearing this, the other party dared not delay and cleared their throat.

Qingdeng did not use the difficult classical Chinese, but wrote this letter of persuasion in simple and easy-to-understand vernacular.

"Tokugawa Yoshitsu, I deeply regret your stupidity."

The very beginning uses extremely strong language.

“We could have been inseparable friends, but you insisted on becoming my enemy, asking for trouble and ending up in this desperate situation.”

"In the name of the General Who Subdues the Barbarians, I request that you declare your surrender and return the temporarily borrowed cities, territories, and honors."

Are you scared?

"Then open the city gates, carefully walk up to me, and tell me your anxieties."

Do you want to die?

"Then keep hiding, like a mole hiding in a dark cave, until I find you."

"You want war?"

"Then I'll give you war!"

"In one hour, my army will crush your city with lightning speed! Destroy your pride!"

"Therefore, the rulers and retainers of the Mito Domain, cherish this precious time, and cherish my generosity and compassion."

"The shells flying in like rain will breach your city walls."

"The soldiers, as fierce as tigers and wolves, will unleash a bloody massacre."

“Countless mothers will lose their beloved children.”

“Countless wives will lose their husbands.”

“Countless children will lose their fathers.”

"At that time, all the samurai and commoners of the Mito Domain will have reason to curse your stupidity."

"While I still have the patience, I will make the right choice."

Finally, the minister who had read the book aloud trembled as he uttered the last signature:

"Left General of the Imperial Guard, Governor of Aki, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Governor of the Capital Region, Lord of Hatajin Domain, Genjuku Netachi Aoto Moriharu."

*******

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P.S.: I previously said this book would have 6 volumes—now, I've changed my mind! I'll write 7 volumes! So the next volume will only be the penultimate volume.

Chapter 1004 "The Mito Campaign" - A Complete Victory! Continue the Northward Advance! Completely Stabilize the North! [4900]

Two minutes ago, both Tokugawa Yoshitsu and the assembled retainers had high expectations for the letter of surrender that Aoto had personally written.

Two minutes later... their expressions changed drastically, their "expectation" turning into "grief and indignation."

As soon as the reading ended, someone shouted angrily:

"This is outrageous! This is absolutely outrageous!"

With this person taking the lead, the others began to hurl insults: