I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Thus, with Qingdeng's full support, the Tianzhang Academy returned to the pinnacle of power, wielding the power of life and death over countless officials, much like Qingdeng himself.

Don't underestimate Qingdeng's current prestige.

Defeating the Faki coalition and saving Edo... a true achievement in restoring the shogunate!

After expelling the "Hitotsubashi faction," he achieved a high degree of power unification, monopolizing the power of the "Southern Shogunate."

To put it bluntly, faced with the anti-corruption campaign initiated by Qing Deng, the corrupt officials of the "Southern Shogunate" had no means of resistance and could only keep their tails between their legs and secretly pray that the Tenshōin would not investigate them.

When the capital was moved to Ōtsu, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin's private army and intelligence agency, Shin-Oiwaban, were also transferred there.

The new Oniwaban (a ninja clan) members are all highly trained and trustworthy ninjas, making them perfect for leading the fight against corruption.

Thus, with Qing Deng's endorsement, Tenshōin's hard work and dedication, and the full cooperation of the new Oniwaban, one corrupt official after another fell from power.

Unfortunately, these guys are all powerless "flies".

Those "tigers" looked after each other, forming an incredibly exaggerated network of interests. They couldn't be subdued by mere words or the beheading of a man or two.

It's not that we can't deal with them, but that would take up a lot of our energy and resources.

More importantly, cracking down on "tigers" at this critical juncture could trigger internal strife within the "Southern Shogunate."

There's nothing we can do but let these "tigers" roam free for a while longer.

Although the anti-corruption efforts currently being carried out by the Tianzhang Academy cannot fundamentally address the problem of corruption, they are better than nothing.

Catching corrupt officials will at most replenish the national treasury and deter the "survivors," preventing them from running rampant for a short period of time.

In contrast, institutional reform is the truly powerful way to unleash productive forces!

Tenshōin was well aware of the implications, so he focused his efforts on reforming the system.

Outdated systems that were no longer in line with the times—such as the establishment of the South and North Magistrates' Offices in Edo, with employees taking turns working on a monthly basis—were abolished one by one.

With the demise of outdated systems, the situation of redundant officials, redundant staff, and redundant expenses has been greatly improved, saving a lot of manpower and material resources.

Given the size of the Southern Shogunate, even if it only liberated a small portion of the productive forces, it would be enough to give it a significant advantage over the Western Kingdom!

The primary task at present is to win the upcoming "East vs. West" battle.

Everything at this stage must give way to this goal!

Eliminating corrupt officials and fundamentally reforming the system... these extremely troublesome tasks can be left to be dealt with later.

……

……

Compared to the previous "first large-scale conscription", this conscription is much larger in scale.

Seido has divided the region into five major areas: Kinki, Nobi, Kai, Kanto, and Oshu, with recruitment points set up in each area! The most elite soldiers will be selected from the widest possible pool!

At this very moment, in the southern suburbs of Ojin, the selection process for the "Gyeonggi Region" has officially begun.

Looking up, the selection site was packed with people, a truly impressive sight.

The person in charge of coordinating conscription work in the "Gyeonggi region" was none other than Nagakura Shinpachi.

At this moment, Nagakura Shinpachi slowly walked up to the reviewing platform.

The appearance of Nagakura Shinpachi caused an uproar.

"It's Captain Nagakura Shinpachi of the Second Division!"

"He is one of the strongest swordsmen in the Shinsengumi! It is said that besides Niou and Tenken, Nagakura Shinpachi is the strongest!"

"So strong... No wonder he's the captain of the second division of the Shinsengumi, his physique alone is awe-inspiring."

Having followed Aoto through thick and thin for many years, Nagakura Shinpachi has become much more composed, his face showing more determination, no longer exuding the impetuous aura he once did.

Nagakura Shinpachi pursed his lips, gripped the sword at his waist, and surveyed the entire scene.

"Listen up, all of you!!"

The sudden, furious shout echoed throughout the entire venue, reaching the ears of everyone present.

The noise gradually subsided, and soon it became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All eyes were focused on Nagakura Shinpachi, and everyone listened attentively to his next speech.

Nagakura Shinpachi was not good with words, so he skipped the pleasantries and flowery language and went straight to the point, speaking loudly:

"The number of places allocated by Emperor Nioh to the 'Gyeonggi Region' is 1500!"

"As of now, 6000 people have come to participate in the selection! And that number is still rising!"

"In the end, at least 2 to 3 people came to apply!"

"In other words, only 1500 out of tens of thousands of people will have the honor of becoming Niou's comrades-in-arms!"

"Those who want to join the Shinsengumi! Those who want to fight alongside Niou! Those who want to win glory! Treat this selection as a battle! Give it your all!"

Although Shinpachi Nagakura was not good at public speaking, he was not stupid.

He knew very well that most of the applicants present either admired Qingdeng and wanted to fight alongside him, or they craved fame and fortune and attempted to achieve upward mobility.

Therefore, in his speech just now, he cleverly used phrases such as "the comrade-in-arms of Nioh" and "winning fame and fortune" to inspire the applicants' fighting spirit.

The results proved to be remarkable.

The moment he finished speaking, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd! Even within the town of Otsu, the astonishing shouts could be heard and the intense heat felt!

……

……

While the conscription work is being carried out steadily, the supply and stockpiling of materials are also in full swing.

After achieving the breakthrough from "0" to "1", it became much easier for the Otsu Military Factory to increase production.

The production of muskets and cannons is increasing steadily and rapidly.

Qingdeng placed large orders with the domains of Kai, Tokai, Nobi, and Oshu—Nobi produces grain; Tokai produces salt; Kai and Oshu produce horses—and also purchased large quantities of strategic materials such as military horses, sugar, salt, and medicine.

As expected of Qingdeng's biggest financial backer, Kinoshita Rin continues to lavishly spend money.

Not only did they provide financial and material support, but they also continued to help Qingdeng connect with overseas arms dealers to purchase weapons in large quantities to fill the gaps in muskets, cannons, and ammunition.

In fact, Kinoshita Rin is no longer Aoto's biggest financial backer—Aoto himself is now his biggest financial backer!

As I said before, Qingdeng's authority is now terrifyingly high.

It's no exaggeration to say that he is now in a state of "having the emperor's will on his lips, running a cabinet all by himself, and writing imperial edicts at will"!

Qing Deng can now access resources beyond Qin Jin's domain; he can now access the resources of the entire "Southern Military Government"!

He gathered the strength of the "Southern Shogunate" and devoted himself to developing the military industry and advancing technological advancements.

To catch up with the accumulation of more than ten years by the Satsuma Domain and the Hizen Domain in just one or two years is nothing short of a pipe dream, but we can narrow the gap as much as we can.

Not only the Gourd House, the various domains, and the "Southern Shogunate," but all available forces must be utilized effectively—thus, Qing Deng set his sights on Miss "Marie Anna."

[Note: Marie-Anne: A national symbol of France]

Since intelligence indicates that Satsuma has become entangled with Britain, Qing Deng believes it is necessary to seek help from France in order to counter the British Empire.

Let "foreign forces" deal with "foreign forces"!

The shogunate had good relations with France, so Seito hired industrial and military advisors from France on behalf of the shogunate.

The latter's reaction was even more enthusiastic than Qing Deng had expected.

Subtracting the time for transporting the credentials, he received the French government's "full agreement" almost immediately after proposing the contract.

France must have received intelligence about Britain's frequent activities in Satsuma and was unwilling to allow Britain to act recklessly in Japan.

When it comes to criticizing Britain, France is a pro!

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, French industrial and military advisors will arrive in Japan this June.

The Gyeonggi region was the front line against the Western Kingdom, so Cheongdeng concentrated most of its resources there, making it a bridgehead for the "decisive battle between East and West".

Qingdeng never considered himself a military genius. He relied on one strategy in battle: caution, caution, and more caution! First, make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable!

Therefore, while he was arming the capital region with all his might, he was also preparing for the fall of the capital region.

He did not concentrate important facilities such as military factories and granaries in the Gyeonggi region, but dispersed them in Nobi, Kanto and other places, preparing for a step-by-step resistance.

According to his strategic plan, once the capital region fell, he would retreat to Nobi.

If Nobi also falls, he will retreat to the Tokaido, using Sunpu Castle as a base to continue fighting against the western country.

If Sunpu falls, he will retreat to Kanto; if Kanto falls, he will retreat to Aizu; if Aizu is not an option, he will go to Goryokaku... In short, the Seidokai will fight the western domains to the very last moment!

The Eastern Kingdom is busily preparing for war, and the Western Kingdom is not to be outdone.

After Katsura Kogoro gained real power in Choshu, he devoted himself to healing the deep wounds left by the previous war.

Faced with the Southern Shogunate's all-out recruitment efforts, the Satsuma Domain remained strangely quiet, making no move whatsoever, leaving people wondering what the Satsuma Domain leadership was planning.

Tosa and Hizen showed a preference for the shogunate, but in reality they remained in a state of flux and did not completely side with either faction.

From elites like Qing Deng and Katsura Kogoro to ordinary civilians, everyone firmly believed that the "East-West showdown" would be the next "main topic of the world," and no other event could surpass its popularity.

However... to everyone's surprise, just as the "East-West showdown" was about to break out, in a corner that everyone had overlooked, a great war that was destined to be recorded in history and might even change the course of world history suddenly descended!

……

……

July 6, 1865 (the first year of the Keio era)

Northern border, Hakodate, Goryokaku —

Built under the supervision of the Edo Shogunate, designed by Takeda Hisaburo, and with technical guidance from French military advisors, this Western-style bastion was finally completed last year.

Construction began in 1857 and was basically completed in 1864, taking a total of 7 years.

It only took seven years to build this enormous fortress... Considering the efficiency of the Edo Shogunate, this was an incredibly fast pace.

In terms of defensive capabilities, Goryokaku is probably the most fortified fortress in Japan right now, without a doubt!

It is named "Pentagonal Guo" because of its unique five-pointed star (five-sided) structure, which can maximize the firing arc of artillery and reduce blind spots in defense.

If the European stone masonry structure had been used instead of the earthen ramparts and timber design, even a hundred cannons would have been insufficient to breach a fortress of this caliber.

Goryokaku is located at the southernmost tip of Hakodate, the Ezo region, facing Oshima Island of Honshu across the sea.