I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Instead of returning directly to his office, he took a detour to the commander's bedroom.

He navigated the corridors with practiced ease, arriving at the heart of the Tachibana residence, and pushed open that familiar door—Souji lay on the bed, fast asleep like Sleeping Beauty.

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Chapter 1051 The Shogunate Navy is Deployed! Ogata Ittosai is Deployed! [4500]

Under Aoto's arrangement, there were at least two servants in Souji's bedroom at all times to provide attentive care 24 hours a day.

Qingdeng waved his hand, signaling the servants in the room to leave first, then knelt down beside the chief's bed and quietly gazed at her sleeping face.

After drinking Ogata's blood, Souji has gone through three stages so far.

The first stage is recurring fever, with most of the time the body burning hot.

Two months ago, she entered the second stage, where she no longer had recurring fevers, but instead had a persistent low-grade fever.

One month ago, she entered the third stage, where she stopped having fevers and began to sleep for long periods of time.

Sometimes he would sleep for five days straight, and other times he would sleep for two days and two nights.

Every time she woke up, the servants would rush to feed her liquid food to replenish her strength.

Even when she was awake, her condition was extremely poor. Her consciousness was hazy, and she couldn't even open her eyes. Occasionally, she would open her mouth to say something, but every word she uttered was stuck together, and her speech was unclear, like she was talking in a drunken stupor. It was completely incomprehensible.

Compared to the time she spends asleep, her awake time is much shorter, ranging from an hour or two to half a day, before she falls asleep again... and so on.

Three months have passed, and Souji is still not fully recovered... It would be impossible for Aoto not to feel anxious.

The woman he loves is suffering, and he can't do anything to help her... The only thing he can do now is to stay by her side as much as he can.

At that moment, he stared intently at her face, hoping that she would open her eyes in the next second, reveal her signature bright smile, and say to him in a coquettish tone:

"Qingdeng, I'm hungry, I want to eat konpeito!"

However... unfortunately, nothing happened today.

Her eyes remained closed; she was still fast asleep…

After staying for another half an hour, Qingdeng said softly, reluctantly:

"Xiao Si, I'm leaving now. I'll come see you again tomorrow."

He reached out and gently tidied the chieftain's hair, then grabbed Vairocana beside him and slowly left the room.

According to today's schedule, he will return to his office to handle today's political and military affairs.

But then, he suddenly heard familiar, heavy footsteps behind him.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Before the person even arrived, Qingdeng could already tell who it was.

He stopped and turned around—and sure enough, Yamanami Keisuke came into view.

But Yamanami Keisuke's face was grim, his cheeks clouded with dark clouds, and his footsteps made a thumping sound on the corridor floor.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng's pupils contracted slightly, and his expression hardened.

Keisuke Yamanami was his close friend and long-time partner, and they knew each other inside and out.

Therefore, he knew very well that whenever Yamanami Keisuke showed this expression, it would never bring any good news!

"Tachibana-kun..."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded, quickly greeted him, then stepped forward and whispered, pressing his lips to Aoto's ear, each word distinct:

"Hurry to the military council chamber! Something terrible has happened; there's trouble in the north."

……

……

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Judi, military meeting——

After the Southern Shogunate moved its capital to Ōtsu, the Tachibana Residence's functions became more numerous and important.

Today, the Tachibana Residence is not only Aoto's private residence, but also the political center of the Southern Shogunate and the Hatatsu Domain, as well as the general staff of the Shinsengumi.

Deep within the Orange Mansion, there is a room specifically for discussing military affairs, known as the Military Council Room.

Military orders that could influence the course of the world were issued from this room!

It's no exaggeration to say that this military council chamber is the heart of the Shinsengumi!

There's a saying: "Hold small meetings for important matters, and hold big meetings for minor matters."

At this moment, the high-ranking members of the Shinsengumi—Aoto, Toshizo Hijikata, Keisuke Yamanami, and Isami Kondo—are all gathered here.

After several months of recuperation, Hijikata Toshizo and Yamanami Keisuke have largely regained their mobility.

Although they cannot engage in strenuous exercise yet, they are already able to perform normal daily activities.

The news that the Ainu had launched an invasion and that Wulingguo had fallen had reached Otsu at top speed.

The four men stood in a row, facing the map of the Matsumae Domain hanging on the wall in front of them.

Matsumae Domain is located at the southernmost tip of Ezo, facing Oshima Island of Honshu across the sea.

Goryokaku was built in the Hakodate area in the southern part of the Matsumae Domain.

Yamanami Keisuke lowered his head to look at the secret letter in his hand and read it aloud word by word:

"On July 6, the Ezo bypassed Fukuyama Castle and marched at a rapid pace toward Goryokaku. The exact number is unknown, but conservatively estimated, there were at least a thousand."

[Note: Fukuyama Castle: the feudal hall of Matsumae Domain. 】

"During the attack on Goryokaku by the Ezo, three steam warships joined the battle."

"The battle lasted only half an hour before Wulingguo fell completely and the defending army was wiped out."

"After capturing Goryokaku, the Ezo returned to attack Fukuyama Castle of the Matsumae Domain. The specific details of the battle are still unclear."

After hearing this, Qing Deng and the others all frowned.

They never expected that the Ainu would invade from the south at this time!

Who could have imagined something like this?

Hijikata Toshizo, arms crossed, stared intently at the map before him as he asked the question that everyone present was most concerned about:

"Where did the Ezo get all this equipment?"

The Ainu people, who are still in the tribal era, actually possess a large number of guns and cannons, and even have warships to assist them... Even a fool would know that they must have received help from external forces!

Kondo Isami said in a deep voice:

"Could it be Luko's doing?"

Hijikata Toshizo shook his head:

"No, this is not like the style of the Russians. If the Russians were to invade, they would definitely launch a direct attack instead of using the Emishi as pawns."

Kondo Isami then asked:

"So it's the western vassal states that are inciting the Ezo to rebel and disrupt our rear."

After pondering for a moment, Hijikata Toshizo shook his head again:

"Equipping such a large number of Ezo (Japanese) is something that even the powerful industrial domains of the West would find difficult to do."

Kondo Isami remained silent.

He pursed his lips, glared fiercely at the map, and growled through gritted teeth:

"What a nuisance... Damn those Ezo, of all times they have to start an uprising at this critical juncture!"

Upon hearing this, Hijikata Toshizo and the others fell silent.

Just as the "decisive battle between East and West" was about to break out, a fire broke out in the backyard, and it wasn't just any ordinary fire... This is what they mean by "fate playing tricks on people".

At that moment, Yamanami Keisuke turned his head and looked at Aoto with a strange expression:

"Tachibana-kun, there's another piece of information. Although the content is bizarre, I think it's necessary to report it to you."

Before Qingdeng could respond, he continued speaking on his own:

"It is said that many Aizo people seem to be 'immortal'."

Immortal—upon hearing this peculiar word, Qing Deng's eyes flashed.

He turned his head to the side and gestured with his eyes for Yamanami Keisuke to "explain in detail".

"When the Ezo attacked, the garrison of Goryokaku launched an extremely fierce counterattack."

"However, many people among the Ezo possess extraordinary vitality."

"Even if you pierce his chest or cut open his abdomen, you cannot kill him."

"Because they could not kill the enemy, many of the defenders lost their fighting spirit."

"The existence of this group of 'undead' is one of the most important reasons for the fall of Wulingguo."

Hijikata Toshizo raised an eyebrow and muttered:

"Difficult to die...sounds like the 'Final Battle of the Party' against the Communist Party."

Qingdeng, who had been silent since earlier, gently shook his head:

"No, it's a little different. As far as I know, 'Final Battle of the Lake' doesn't grant the user extraordinary vitality, at least not enough to keep them fighting after suffering a fatal wound."

At this point, Qing Deng paused, then turned to Yamanami Keisuke and asked:

"Kei-suke, if I remember correctly, when the Faki Allied Forces launched their surprise attack on Nobi, they were traveling on three steam warships."

Yamanami Keisuke was taken aback for a moment, then immediately replied:

"Yes."

Kondo Isami blinked and interjected: