I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

After receiving Ogata's permission, Aoto quickly said:

"I once met another 'me' in a strange space!"

Upon hearing this, Ogata, who had just looked weary, suddenly changed his expression.

"...Tachibana-kun, please tell me the whole story in detail."

Qingdeng cleared his throat and gave a detailed account without missing a single detail.

Several years ago, he was framed by a villain and nearly died in a prison in Kodenma Town.

While unconscious, he was in a daze when he suddenly found himself in the dojo of the Shieikan, and saw a person who looked exactly like him standing in the center of the dojo, wielding a bamboo sword and practicing Sujin.

At that time, the words spoken by that other party... that "Ju Qingdeng," still echoed in his ears:

(Tachibana Aoto, you're really something to be envied.)

(The previous two, Kinoshita Genichi and Ogata Itsuki, all went through countless hardships to raise their martial arts skills to the extreme and experienced numerous life-or-death crises before finally obtaining the 'ticket' to visit this place...)

(And you... well, never mind, this is what they call 'extraordinary talent,' isn't it? Who told you to have such a high level of affinity with me by nature?)

(However, this place is still a bit too early for you. You are not yet qualified to touch this realm.)

(We will meet again... in the not-too-distant future.)

Qingdeng once thought he was dreaming.

However... if you insist on calling it a "dream," then this dream is far too realistic!

This extremely bizarre experience continues to haunt Qingdeng to this day.

Now that "Tachibana Aoto" has clearly stated that Ogata Itsuki and Kinoshita Genichi had been to "that place," now is the best time to ask Ogata for advice!

After listening attentively, Ogata frowned slightly and sighed with a complex expression:

"You actually saw 'it'..."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately perked up—Ogata really did know something!

“Mr. Ogata, can you tell me what that ‘space’ is? And who is that ‘Tachibana Aoto’? You’ve been to that ‘space’ before, haven’t you?”

The moment after he finished speaking, Aoto paused as if suddenly remembering something—he suddenly recalled the ambiguous words that "Aoto Tachibana" had once said, as well as Ogata's remarks just now.

(Oh well, I guess this is what they call 'gifted talent'. It's because you and I are naturally so compatible.)

(Some people are naturally very compatible with the 'world' - Orange, you belong to this category)

"...Mr. Ogata, what I am about to say is all my personal speculation. Please forgive me if there are any errors."

Qing Deng took a deep breath, then said solemnly, word by word:

"That 'space' and the 'Juqing Deng' I encountered are both related to the 'Transparent Realm'."

"Leaving the former aside for now, the latter... could it be something like 'the will of the world'?"

Even concepts like "immortality," "transparency," and "spiritual energy" have emerged. If another extraordinary concept like "world will" were to appear, Qing Deng wouldn't be surprised!

Ogata pursed his lips, remained silent for a long while, and then shook his head:

"I'm sorry, Tachibana-kun, I can't tell you much about this."

Qingdeng was taken aback:

"why?"

"It's not that I'm holding back, but rather that it's better for you to understand it yourself than to reveal everything. That way, you'll benefit more. However..."

As the conversation shifted, Ogata's facial features relaxed again, and that playful expression returned to his cheeks.

"Although I can't tell you too much, I can give you a hint - 'One is everything, and everything is one.'"

"Huh? What?"

Ignoring Aoto's astonishment, Ogata continued speaking to himself:

"Once you understand this proverb, you will know who the 'Ju Qing Deng' you met really is—that's all I can say."

Qingdeng blinked, then muttered the proverb to himself, his face filled with confusion.

"'One is all, and all is one'..."

……

……

Two weeks later—

Qinjin Fan, Dajin——

Otsu is bustling with activity today.

"Is this Otsu...?"

"Where does Niou live? It's a rare opportunity to come to Otsu, and I want to see what Niou looks like in person. If I can see Niou, I can brag to my fellow villagers when I get back home."

"Don't be silly! Do you think you can just meet someone as important as Niou whenever you want?"

"Do not crowd! Do not gather in large groups! Do not block the roads!"

"Please keep moving forward! The Shinsengumi's recruitment office is ahead!"

Young people speaking in various accents—from samurai with swords at their waists to ordinary civilians—crowded the streets and alleys of Otsu.

The officials responsible for maintaining order strained their voices, diligently and cautiously performing their duties.

The reason why Ōtsu is so lively today is simply because it is the day of the Shinsengumi's "second large-scale conscription"!

In order to replenish the troops lost in the previous battles and to further expand military strength, Aoto had already been planning the "Second Great Conscription" on the eve of the expedition to Mito.

This time, Qingdeng's goal is to expand the Shinsengumi's total strength to 1! Greatly increase the proportion of musketeers, artillerymen, and cavalry!

Qingdeng originally wanted to expand the army by 3 at once, but considering the limited financial resources and the limited number of junior officers, he could only reduce the number to 1... But so be it, one must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time.

Excessive expansion of the military size in a short period of time may not be a good thing.

Despite the variable of Western powers, overall, the Southern Shogunate led by Seito holds a significant advantage in Japan's current power landscape.

Qingdeng now controls the Keiki Plain, the Nobi Plain, and the Kanto Plain—the three largest plains in Japan!

Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka—Japan's three largest cities—were also under his control!

In terms of land area, Aoto only occupies half of Japan, but if judged by actual productivity, Aoto occupies at least two-thirds of Japan!

Although the territories of Oshu, Kai, and Noo are only nominally occupied and cannot be fully converted into the power of Seido, Seido's potential still far surpasses that of the southwestern domains.

The current situation of "balance between East and West" is purely because the Satsuma and Hizen domains in the west possess unparalleled industrial capabilities and technological levels, while the shogunate is plagued by serious corruption and outdated systems, making it unable to fully exert its due strength.

However, all of the above is now history.

Nowadays, anyone with ambition can see that as Qing Deng completely seizes real power in the "Southern Shogunate," the "balance of power between East and West" will be broken sooner or later!

With the overwhelming prestige of "King Ni," although he could not completely eradicate the deep-rooted problems of corruption and outdated systems, he could alleviate these problems to some extent.

Once productivity gradually recovers and industrial capacity improves, the overall strength of the Southern Shogunate will be enough to crush the various domains of the Western Kingdom!

This situation is similar to that of Wei, Shu, and Wu during the Three Kingdoms period.

Although the land areas of Shu and Wu were not small, their productivity was not even a fraction of that of Wei.

The underlying logic behind Zhuge Liang's six expeditions to Qishan lies in this: it's not that he didn't want to bide his time, nor that he was unwilling to do so, but rather that he simply couldn't.

The longer the war drags on, the stronger Wei will become. No matter how much Shu Han tries to bide its time, it will not be able to defeat Wei. The gap in national strength between the two sides will only widen. Therefore, it is imperative to recover the lost territory before Wei's national strength recovers! Even if the lost territory cannot be recovered, Wei should be weakened as much as possible!

The same is true of Japan today.

Anyone with a modicum of strategic thinking can see that time is on Qingdeng's side.

The longer the time drags on, the more Qingdeng's advantage will expand, leaving the Western Kingdoms with a very short strategic window of opportunity—just a few years.

In conclusion, if the various vassal states of the Western Kingdom truly intend to defeat Qingdeng and seize the world, they will certainly launch a full-scale eastern expedition in the coming years—at most two years—to fight Qingdeng to the death!

*******

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Chapter 1049 The Northern Border is in Crisis! Wulingguo is in Crisis! [4800]

If we don't fight, all is well; but once we do, the outcome will definitely be decided within the next two years... Under such circumstances, any long-term plan is useless! Qingdeng must improve its combat strength in a short period of time!

This is why his recruitment plan was designed with great restraint, without resorting to rampant troop buildup.

If you mass produce troops, it will take a very long time for them to become combat-ready.

In summary, Qingdeng is currently making three preparations simultaneously.

First, we must do everything in our power to improve the Shinsengumi's fighting strength, so that we can be supported by strong capabilities whether we are going to war or making peace.

Secondly, he continued to lobby the various vassal states of the West, trying to divide them as much as possible.

Third, launch a large-scale anti-corruption campaign to eliminate malpractices, unleash the productive forces that the shogunate should have, and incidentally use the "deposits" of corrupt officials to replenish the national treasury.

The first and second items are both being carried out in full swing.

As for the third item... After careful consideration, Qing Deng decided to entrust this important task to Tian Zhang Yuan.

Anti-corruption is a very difficult task that will offend many people, and it requires a powerful figure with high position to lead it – Tianzhangyuan is the most suitable candidate.

She readily agreed to Qingdeng's request.

"Sheng Qing, just leave it to me! I'm getting really bored being cooped up in this house all day!"

Eradicating corruption, reforming the system, and bringing about a new era for the world—this has always been her wish.

Previously, due to limited strength, she could only sigh in despair.

Now that she finally has the opportunity to realize her long-cherished wish, she is exceptionally motivated, her eyes are bright, and even her spirit has changed.

Tenshōin is the kind of person who can't sit still.

If you let her spend her days leisurely, she will become listless; if you give her a lot of work, she will become energetic and cheerful.

On the very day she was entrusted with this important task by the Qingdeng Committee, she immediately set up an "anti-corruption and reform task force" and officially began her work.