I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

After the failure of the Choshu Campaign, Matsudaira Katamori led his troops back to Kyoto—he is now mostly busy dealing with the "Kyoto Garrison" and those responsible for the Keio Incident.

Currently, the people guarding Wakamatsu Castle are a group of elders led by Yokoyama Shusai.

Yokoyama Shuzai—a confidant of Matsudaira Katamori, in charge of military affairs of the Aizu Domain. He was dedicated to internal reforms of the Aizu Domain, enhancing its military and economic strength to cope with the increasingly tense political situation.

Because of his decisive actions and strong advocacy for "supporting the shogunate and fighting against its enemies," he was highly favored by Matsudaira Katamori.

During the period when Matsudaira Katamori was ordered to defend Kyoto, Yokoyama Shuzai was in charge of overseeing Wakamatsu Castle—a testament to the importance the former placed on the latter.

As the majestic silhouette of Wakamatsu Castle came into view, Aoto was startled to see Yokoyama Shusui and his entourage coming out of the city to greet him.

They were all kneeling in a dark mass, their palms touching the ground and their heads facing upwards.

Qingdeng nimbly dismounted and quickly went to meet him.

"No gift."

Upon hearing this, everyone straightened up and changed their "kneeling on the ground" to "kneeling on one knee".

Immediately afterwards, the leader raised his head, revealing a still very young face—this person was Yokoyama Shusai.

"General Tachibana, I am Yokoyama Kakeru! I apologize for not greeting you sooner!"

Qingdeng smiled slightly:

"Yokoyama-kun, I've heard so much about you. Thank you for your welcome, please rise."

As he kindly reached out to help the other person up, he asked:

"Yokoyama-kun, how many feudal lords have arrived in Wakamatsu so far?"

Yokoyama, the tax collector, answered solemnly, enunciating each word clearly:

"The rulers of eight vassal states have already arrived here."

“Eight…that’s more than I expected. Yokoyama-kun, let’s talk in detail as we travel.”

……

……

Aizu, Wakamatsu Castle, Castle Town——

"Look, that's King Ni."

Just like the rumors said, he really did ride a bull.

"Don't underestimate that black bull! It's said to be more powerful than half a warhorse!"

"That burly man with a big mouth and a very strong build is Chief Kondo!"

"It's Saito Hajime! The one with the sword at his right hip must be Saito Hajime, the captain of the third division of the Shinsengumi!"

"So cool... The captains of the Shinsengumi all exude the aura of power!"

"Of course! They are all swordsmen who can take on a thousand men single-handedly!"

……

Led by Yokoyama Shusuke, Aoto and the others entered the castle town of Wakamatsu Castle in an orderly manner.

The main force of the Shinsengumi will be temporarily stationed outside the town, and accommodations will be arranged gradually later.

Today, Aoto is no longer the only "hero" in the Shinsengumi.

Kondo Isami, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime... these names are already household names!

And so, naturally, this scene unfolded—upon learning of the Shinsengumi's arrival, all the townspeople of Wakamatsu Castle rushed to join in the fun.

In an instant, the streets were deserted as cheers resounded everywhere.

The people on both sides of the street stood on tiptoe and craned their necks, just to catch a glimpse of Qing Deng and the others.

The Aizu Domain was located in such a remote area that it was practically a rural area.

In this remote mountain village, one can actually see heroes who usually only appear in rumors... No wonder the townspeople of Wakamatsu Castle are so excited.

It is worth mentioning that after entering the Oshu territory, Nagakura Shinpachi became exceptionally energetic, with his eyes shining.

Qing Deng asked and then learned what had happened—he was very excited to return to the Northern Kingdom after so long.

Nagakura Shinpachi was from the Matsumae Domain, making him a true northerner.

Matsumae Domain is located at the southernmost tip of Ezo (Hokkaido), facing Honshu Oshima across the sea. It is the northernmost of the three hundred feudal lords, meaning "the north of the north".

The long-lost northern air filled him with emotion.

In contrast, Harada Sanosuke's feelings were completely opposite to those of Nagakura Shinpachi.

Harada Sanosuke's hometown is the Iyo-Matsuyama Domain on Shikoku Island, so he can be considered to be from the southern region.

“I hate this dry air… my throat is so dry… I always get nosebleeds…” – Harada Sanosuke said.

Because he is not used to the climate in the north, he has been listless and lethargic all day long.

However, he belongs to the type who gets more excited the more lively the environment.

The welcoming party lined with people from Wakamatsu Shimin revitalized him, making him look radiant, as if his previous listlessness had been an act.

At this very moment, he was grabbing an official from the Aizu Domain, excitedly recounting his "heroic tales" that he never tired of telling—

"Back in the day, before I became a ronin (masterless samurai), when I was still an official in the Matsuyama Domain of Iyo, some annoying fellow slandered me as a 'minor official who didn't even know the etiquette of seppuku'..."

……

Yokoyama, the tax collector, followed closely beside Aoto, half a step behind him, and methodically introduced the current situation of Wakamatsu Castle.

Holding the "Oyu Conference" in Wakamatsu Castle—such an important matter certainly required Matsudaira Katamori's approval first.

Therefore, long before launching the "Mito Expedition," Aoto had secretly sent an envoy to Matsudaira Katamori in Kyoto to explain the situation.

Matsudaira Katamori expressed his support without hesitation for Aoto's strategic plan to "stabilize the Olympic Games".

He sent orders to Wakamatsu Castle as quickly as possible, demanding that Yokoyama Shusai and others fully cooperate with Aoto.

Since the lord has given the order, the subjects naturally have no choice but to obey.

Yokoyama no Kyuuke ​​was indeed a shrewd and capable minister.

He quickly mobilized all the officials in Ruo Song City and made arrangements in an orderly manner.

The meeting rooms, the guard troops, the special products to entertain the lords, the street cleaning... everything was taken care of, nothing was overlooked.

Immediately afterwards, a venue was opened in the northern suburbs of Wakamatsu Castle to serve as the arena for the "Oyu Tournament".

On the way to Wakamatsu Castle, Aoto had already learned about the current situation from Yokoyama Kyusha.

According to Yokoyama Shuzaki, the lords of eight domains, including Morioka, Kuroishi, and Kameda, have already arrived in Wakamatsu.

Among them, the Morioka Domain was the most powerful.

Morioka Domain – Lord Nanbu clan, with a koku of 20, possessing abundant mineral resources and an agricultural base, and famous for its ironware and horses.

Because it possessed valuable horse-breeding lands, the Morioka Domain held a significant position among the Ōu Reich Domains.

It was precisely because of its horse breeding that the Morioka Domain was on Seito's list of "must-win" people.

Aoto gave a deadline of one month—one month in advance, during which all the lords of the Ou Reihan domains must be present, and no lateness is permitted.

Now, Qingdeng is at the height of his power, and no one dares to defy his will.

Therefore, upon receiving Aoto's summons, the Ou clans dared not delay and immediately began preparations to rush to Wakamatsu Castle.

The three hundred feudal lords were all very experienced in the matter of "setting off on their journey"—the "attendance and reporting" system, which had lasted for nearly three hundred years, had provided them with excellent training.

The main purpose of the "attendance and handover" was, of course, to weaken the various vassal states.

On this basis, there is another purpose: to keep the various vassal states in a state of "semi-mobilization" at all times, so that they can come when summoned and fight when they come.

It is said that the other feudal lords had a smooth journey.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this meeting will proceed as scheduled.

At this moment, Yokoyama, the tax collector, suddenly asked:

"General Tachibana, when do you plan to hold the 'Oyu Tournament'?"

Qing Deng responded without hesitation:

"If conditions permit, I plan to hold the 'Oyu Tournament' first thing tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?"

The chief tax officer of Hengshan looked surprised.

Qingdeng explained calmly:

"We can only start a meeting once everyone has arrived."

"It would be too boring to just wait around without doing anything while everyone is arriving."

"In that case, we might as well hold the 'Oyu Trials' as soon as possible to pass the time."

"Yokoyama-kun, if we want to hold the 'Oyu Tournament' tomorrow morning, will we be able to meet the requirements for venue, facilities, equipment, and everything else?"

Yokoyama, the tax collector, pondered for a moment, then nodded vigorously, giving an affirmative answer:

"absolutely okay!"

Qingdeng smiled slightly:

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved."

……

……

The next day, early morning—

Wakamatsu Castle, northern suburbs—

The weather is perfect today.

It didn't rain, it didn't snow.

Lead-gray clouds obscured the sunlight, casting a dim filter over the world.

For Qingdeng, this kind of weather is just right, neither too cold nor too hot, making it the perfect weather for exercise.