I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Tachibana-kun, do you believe that the Fa-ju-dō (a faction of those who punish the emperor) aided the Ezo?"

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

“Very likely. They take pleasure in punishing those who create chaos. If they were the instigators, then everything makes sense.”

The French Extermination Party has an unusual relationship with Elodie's father, Mael.

The latter was a well-resourced arms dealer, and with his capabilities, providing large quantities of weapons to the Hokkaido was not a difficult task at all.

—It's another case of the law punishing the party…

Qing Deng involuntarily frowned.

He was gradually getting tired of the Fazhu Party, which was like a cockroach that could never be killed no matter how hard he tried.

Last time, the Fazhu Party, together with the Qibing Team, launched a surprise attack on Edo, ruining the "Chōshū Expedition".

This time, they seem to be planning to sabotage the "East-West showdown".

If the only culprit is the party that is punished by law, then so be it.

But Elodie's father, Mael, might also be involved... which put Qingden in a difficult position.

If we head north to recapture Wulingguo, we might end up facing Elodie's father... Thinking of this, Qingdeng's already furrowed brows deepened even further.

Suddenly, Hijikata Toshizo took two steps forward and moved to the side of the map.

"It is not difficult for Tachibana to defeat the Ezo and reclaim Goryokaku."

"Based on the intelligence we have so far, the reason why Wulingguo fell was because of two reasons: first, it was attacked by surprise, and second, it was aided by those three warships."

"The Ezo were nothing more than a group of uncivilized savages."

"Even if they are taught how to use guns, they will not be able to possess considerable combat power."

"Therefore, the real difficulty in recapturing Goryeo lies in how to deal with those three warships."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to the map, pointing to the strait that separates Honshu Oshima from Ezochi—the Tsugaru Strait.

"This battle will be a cross-sea operation."

"Whether it's transporting troops or delivering supplies, they all have to cross the Tsugaru Strait."

"If we don't find a way to deal with those three warships, our supply lines will be in danger of being cut off at any time."

"If we can't even guarantee our supply lines, we can't fight a war."

"In conclusion, the key to victory in this battle lies in whether or not those three warships can be driven away or sunk!"

Having said that, Hijikata Toshizo withdrew his finger from the map and stared intently at Aoto.

Keisuke Yamanami and Isamu Kondo turned to look at Aoto, waiting for his response.

Qingdeng did not keep them waiting long.

In this era, the only thing that can rival the navy is naturally the navy!

Qing Deng said firmly and solemnly:

"Contact Katsuragi Taro and order the Navy to deploy!"

……

……

Kyoto, Ogata's wagashi shop—

Business was lackluster today.

At this moment, not a single customer has entered the store; the shop is empty except for Ogata sitting behind the counter, dealing with the seemingly endless ledgers.

Just then, a "whoosh" was heard as the shop door was slowly pulled open.

Welcome!

Ogata greeted him calmly without even turning his head.

The customer walked to the counter and said in a cold, soft voice:

"Boss, would you like a gourd?"

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, pulled out an envelope, and gently placed it on the counter.

Strange questions, strange behavior... a complete oddity.

However, Ogata seemed completely unfazed.

He stopped writing with his brush and looked up at the envelope—which had a golden gourd printed on it.

"...This gourd is nice, I'll take it."

The visitor lifted his straw hat, greeted Ogata, and then turned and left without hesitation.

After watching the other person leave, Ogata picked up the envelope, tore open the seal, pulled out the letter inside, and began to read it quickly.

Before long, he lowered his eyelids and his expression changed slightly.

“…A-Machi!”

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Come here for a moment."

He had barely finished speaking when crisp footsteps approached from the direction of the kitchen:

A moment later, Atachi, wiping the flour off her hands, quickly walked to Ogata's side and asked, looking puzzled:

"Ayi, what's wrong?"

"A-Machi, our shop will have to close for a while."

Atachi truly lives up to her reputation as an old woman who has lived for nearly a hundred years... ah, no, a high-ranking wife. Her mental fortitude is remarkably strong.

After a brief moment of surprise, she quickly recovered and calmly asked in return:

"What happened?"

“I have another job to do. The ‘power of immortality’ has reappeared, this time in Ezo.”

As Ogata spoke, he handed over the letter in his hand.

Atachi snatched the letter and began reading it rapidly, skimming through every line.

A moment later, she stiffly put down the letter, her facial expression changing several times.

She gently bit her lip, looking at Ogata with a complicated expression, as if she had a lot to say.

However... in the end, she didn't say anything; all her words turned into a long sigh.

Ogata didn't look at Atachi—he deliberately avoided looking at Atachi—and slowly said, staring straight ahead into the void:

"A-Machi, I'll go. You stay in Kyoto."

Atachi did not refute Ogata's arrangement, but only asked a question in return:

"Ayi, how do you plan to get to Ezochi?"

Ogata curled the corners of his mouth into a smile:

“I think… Mr. Tachibana is probably in need of someone who is fluent in Ainu.”

……

……

The Southern Shogunate was divided into two factions regarding whether to retake Goryokaku, and a fierce argument broke out between them.

It's another classic case of "pro-war" and "pro-peace" factions.

The former believed that the Ezo should not be allowed to continue to be so arrogant. They should immediately send troops to recover Goryokaku as quickly as possible!

The latter argued that it was not advisable to disperse troops at the moment, as the Western Kingdoms were the primary enemy, and it would not be too late to retake Goryokaku after defeating them.

Both sides have their own arguments and their points are valid.

Finally, Qingdeng delivered the decisive blow in this debate: If Goryokaku is pacified, Ezo will be pacified; if Ezo is pacified, the North will be pacified; if the North is pacified, the world will be pacified! If there is unrest in the North, it will be impossible to concentrate all our forces to deal with the Western Regions. Therefore… we must send troops! We must march north and reclaim Goryokaku!

Qing Deng had spoken, and the ministers had no choice but to obey.

Of course, Qing Deng also knew that the "peace faction's" propositions were not without merit.

During his recapture of Wulingguo, it was hard to guarantee that the various vassal states of the Western Kingdom would not take the opportunity to cause trouble.

Therefore, he did not take the main fighting force of the Shinsengumi with him.

The troops he led to quell the northern rebellion consisted only of the Second Division, the Eighth Division, and a portion of the Eleventh Division (artillery unit).

With such a small force, it's a bit insufficient.

Therefore, he sent orders to the various domains of Oshu, requesting them to provide supplies and send reinforcements!

Qing Deng was genuinely glad that he had quelled the Oyu Islands crisis ahead of schedule.

One of the reasons Qingdeng did not take a large number of troops was to facilitate the use of ships.

This time, he will not travel by land, but by sea.

He has contacted Katsura Rintaro, who is stationed in Edo, and mobilized the shogunate navy.

They will board the ship in Osaka and then travel by sea to the northern battlefield!

*******

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It's already the beginning of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

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PS: The last volume specifically mentioned the Shogunate Navy at the end, which was a setup for this volume!

Chapter 1052 Aoto and Ogata's First Partnership [4400]

He only brought two and a half squads (the second squad, the eighth squad, and half of the eleventh squad) to recapture Goryokaku... Many people disagreed with this, thinking that the number of troops was too small.

In addition, many people opposed Qing Deng's personal campaign.