I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Although it's a new talent, Qingdeng doesn't usually have the opportunity to travel by boat, so this talent can only be categorized as "better than nothing".

However, there are always unexpected events.

Who knows, maybe one day in the future the Shogunate Navy will need to be deployed, and then this new talent will come in handy.

Given his current status and prestige, whether or not to mobilize the naval fleet is simply a matter of his word.

Moreover, Navy President Katsura Rintaro was a close friend and staunch ally of Aoto.

Of course, so far, there has been no situation requiring naval intervention.

A while ago, someone suggested to Qingdeng: send the navy to blockade the Shimonoseki Strait!

The Shimonoseki Strait is the economic lifeline of Choshu. It is because of the maritime trade in the Shimonoseki Strait that Choshu has been able to have abundant funds.

"An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one." The shogunate had been building its navy for a long time, but had never once deployed it.

Since we're just sitting around doing nothing anyway, why not send the navy to blockade the Shimonoseki Strait, cutting off our supply lines and fundamentally damaging Choshu's economy?

To be honest, Qing Deng was quite tempted by this proposal.

As this person said, the Shimonoseki Strait is the economic lifeline of Choshu and has enormous strategic value.

If the Shimonoseki Strait can be successfully blocked, it could deal a devastating blow to Choshu's fiscal revenue.

It is well known that the navy is a major spender.

To build up the navy, the shogunate poured money into it every year.

Spending money without working... Many people within the shogunate harbored resentment towards the navy's comfortable lifestyle.

In fact, even Qing Deng hoped that the navy could be put to use as soon as possible, instead of just sitting in the port burning money.

When Aoto reported his idea of ​​"blocking the Shimonoseki Strait" to Katsura Rintarou, he immediately received an unequivocal reply: Impossible!

Then, he explained the reason to Qingdeng in detail.

In short—the Shogunate navy was too weak! Too weak to blockade the Shimonoseki Strait!

Although the shogunate had been vigorously developing the navy since the "Black Ships Incident," the saying "a navy that lasts a hundred years" was not just empty talk.

To think that one could possess a powerful navy in just ten short years is nothing short of wishful thinking.

According to Katsura Rintarō's report, the Shogunate Navy currently only has three warships available for combat.

The Guanguang Maru has a displacement of 600 tons and six cannons.

The Xianlin Maru had a displacement of 300 tons and 12 cannons.

Fujisan Maru, with a displacement of 1000 tons and 6 cannons.

Among them, the Guanguang Maru and the Xianlin Maru were steam paddle steamer escort ships (three-masted sailing ships with auxiliary steam power), while the Fujisan Maru was a steam-powered gunboat.

Therefore, strictly speaking, only the Fujiyama Maru can be considered a slightly advanced ship, while the Kanko Maru and Kanrin Maru are outdated ship types.

We are living in an era of technological explosion, and naval technology is advancing rapidly.

In a few more years, the Fujiyama Maru will also become an old and outdated ship type.

Besides these three warships, there were also ships such as the Asahi Maru, Shokaku Maru, and Jundō Maru. However, these ships were too small and weak, and could only be used for transportation and coastal patrol.

There are dozens of old wooden boats that rely entirely on wind power and have no steam power, but these boats are barely able to carry anything.

In conclusion, such a weak naval force is simply insufficient to blockade the Shimonoseki Strait.

After listening to Katsura Rintaro's detailed explanation, Aoto silently abandoned the idea of ​​"blocking the Shimonoseki Strait".

It's regrettable, but for now, the only option is for the navy to continue burning money in port.

After learning that the navy was unable to complete the task of "blockading the Shimonoseki Strait," many of the shogunate retainers petitioned to reduce the navy's military budget and divert it to other uses.

Those who are calling for cuts to the Navy's funding are already considered moderate.

Some radical individuals have even directly demanded the complete elimination of the navy's budget.

Whether they are moderate or radical, their underlying logic is the same.

The shogunate's biggest threat at present is the still-existing Choshu Domain and the "Hitotsubashi faction".

If the Choshu Domain and the Hitotsubashi faction were to be eliminated, the army would be sufficient; the navy would not even be considered an added bonus.

It's not too late to develop the navy after we've quelled the internal troubles.

Their argument is not without merit.

The intense warfare had already left the shogunate's finances teetering on the brink of collapse, with money needed everywhere and funds extremely tight.

Even if the wealth of the Mito Domain is confiscated, it can only solve the immediate problem.

Under such circumstances, cutting funding for the navy, which seems to be of little use, is perfectly justifiable.

However, no matter how these people tried to persuade him, Qingdeng's attitude remained unchanged: No way!

He overruled all objections and insisted on preserving the navy's existing funding, not allowing a single copper coin to be touched.

"The Faki coalition successfully launched a surprise attack on Nobi with only three warships, causing us enormous trouble. This proves that the navy is not useless. Misappropriating naval funds is tantamount to cutting off our own arm!"

With just this one sentence, Qing Deng silenced those shogunate retainers who were hostile to the navy.

Just months ago, the Fauci-Kyrgyzstan coalition demonstrated the strength of the navy with a living example of success.

Although the current Shogunate Navy is still very weak, it is always the right thing to do to preserve and continuously strengthen this fleet.

Strangely enough, Aoto had a vague premonition that one day, the Shogunate Navy would be of great use.

Moreover, that day is not far off.

……

……

The Olympic Games trial has ended, and the Olympic Games meeting has also ended.

All of Qing Deng's goals for his trip to the Olympics have been achieved.

Like the other lords of the Ou Regiment, Aoto had no reason to stay in Wakamatsu Castle any longer.

He has not returned to Ōtsu since he set out for Sekigahara, and several months have passed since then.

First, they rushed to the aid of Kanto, then they conquered Mito, and now they are in the remote Oshu... They are going further and further away.

Having been away from home for so long, even Qingdeng couldn't help but feel homesick.

Furthermore, as the lord of Qinjin, the governor of the capital region, and the de facto ruler of the capital region, he could not leave the capital region for an extended period of time.

History has proven time and again that once a power vacuum emerges, all sorts of "monsters and demons" will appear.

While the abilities of Yamanami Keisuke, Okita Souji, and others currently guarding the capital region are beyond doubt, their prestige is insufficient to keep the petty villains inside and outside the capital region in check.

Therefore, just two days after the successful conclusion of the "Oyu Conference", Aoto officially announced: the next morning, the troops would return to their domain!

The announcement immediately sparked enthusiastic cheers from the newly formed squad.

They followed Qingdeng in his campaigns across the north and south, and had long missed home.

In an instant, some were dismantling tents, others were moving supplies, and the entire army was preparing to go home.

It is worth mentioning that on this very night, Yokoyama Shuzai suddenly approached Seito and brought him an interesting message.

……

……

"Hmm? A hot spring?"

Qingdeng turned his head and looked at Yokoyama Shusui in surprise.

"Yes."

Yokoyama nodded and smiled slightly.

"General Tachibana, as you probably know, hot springs are one of the specialties of Oshu."

"It would be a shame not to soak in the hot springs of Oku when you come here for a rare trip."

"Hot springs can not only relieve fatigue and relax the mind, but also have great benefits for healing the body."

“On a small hill north of Wakamatsu Castle, there is a hot spring with a long history.”

"The pool has clear water, abundant steam, and is of excellent quality. It has always been the hot spring pool used by the lord."

"Upon hearing that your injuries have not yet healed, my lord has sent me a special message: please ensure that General Tachibana tries the hot springs of Aizu, as a gesture of hospitality."

After listening, Qing Deng immediately thought to himself:

—Hot springs…

Although he remained outwardly calm, he had already developed a strong interest in his heart.

He had never been to a hot spring in his entire life.

In my previous life, I had visited resorts that used "hot springs" as a front, but those "hot springs" were all fake; they were just ordinary hot water.

He had always wanted to try a real hot spring, but he just didn't have the time.

Now that a rare opportunity is presented to him, how could he let it slip by?

He has just finished dealing with important matters such as the "Olympic Games Trials" and the "Olympic Games Conference," and he is now quite free.

So, without thinking twice, he answered without hesitation:

"Alright, Yokoyama-kun, then I'll accept your kind offer."

Then, as if he had thought of something, he paused, and then asked:

"Such a beautiful hot spring, it would be too heartless for me to enjoy it all by myself. Yokoyama-kun, may I also let my subordinates experience the beauty of Aizu's hot springs?"

Yokoyama, the tax collector, bowed slightly and replied without hesitation:

"of course can!"

……

……

"What? Hot springs?"

Upon hearing the word "hot spring," Elodie's eyes immediately lit up, and she looked at Qingdeng with anticipation—if she were a puppy, her tail would probably be wagging like a helicopter propeller by now.