I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"My order will decide the lives of countless soldiers; my decision will determine the outcome of the war."

“One cannot be a qualified commander without having enough awe for the position of ‘General-in-Chief’.”

"So, rather than being 'nervous,' I'm more 'feeling heavy-hearted.'"

"I bear a heavy responsibility, so for my own sake and for the sake of my soldiers, I will ensure that every battle I command ends in a 'complete victory'!"

At this point, Qing Deng lowered his eyelids, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

His sharp, arrow-like gaze seemed to have crossed the Tsugaru Strait and reached tomorrow's battlefield—Goryokaku!

Upon receiving the war report of "anomalies in the north," a vast region stretching from the Kinai region in the south to the Oshu region in the north began a flurry of war mobilization! Supply trains and reinforcements converged on Aomori like rivers flowing into the sea!

Finally... today, all the supplies and reinforcements needed for the attack have arrived.

Looking up, the landscape of Aomori was no longer the peaceful place it once was.

The layers upon layers of tents stood tall and imposing, like a dense forest reaching the sky.

Dozens of warships, centered around the Hamrin Maru, Kanko Maru, and Fuji Maru, were moored in sequence along the shore.

The punitive expeditionary camp, built along the coast, resembled a ferocious beast, ready to leap out at any moment and tear the enemy's throat apart!

Qingdeng, who has always adhered to the principle of "speed as fast as lightning and fierce as a storm," would never waste a single second.

After the expeditionary force completed all preparations for the cross-sea attack, he immediately issued a military order: tomorrow is the day to start the war!

Tomorrow morning, they will lead all their ships northward and recapture Wulingguo in one fell swoop with overwhelming force!

The punitive expeditionary force consisted of two parts.

One of them is the absolute main force, consisting of the second and eighth divisions of the Shinsengumi and half of the eleventh division, totaling more than a thousand people.

The second force was the "Oshu Allied Army," composed of over 5,000 soldiers from various domains in Oshu.

The two armies together numbered six thousand men—this was the total strength of the punitive expeditionary force.

Although the latter's equipment was terrible, mostly at the level of the Warring States period, and their military skills were also lacking, they were not without merit. Their morale was quite high, and they all wanted to make a name for themselves in this battle and change their lives.

Oshu is an economically backward and underdeveloped region, and the living standards of Oshu samurai are generally at a level that is hard to bear.

With a rare opportunity to earn merit and change their fate presented before them, they naturally did not want to miss it.

Aoto personally made a promise to the soldiers of the "Ou-Yu Allied Forces"—he guaranteed in the name of the Edo Shogunate that he would never be stingy with rewards for those who made meritorious contributions!

The reputation of "Nioh" has always been widely recognized.

After receiving Qing Deng's guarantee, the morale of the "Ouyang United Army" soared, and everyone was eager to fight, wishing the moment of attack would come immediately tomorrow.

Katsura Rintarō raised his gaze and looked north with Aoto, muttering to himself:

"I hope the spy you sent will prove very useful..."

To prevent leaks, Aoto only mentioned Majima Kazuma's whereabouts to a very few people, such as Katsurin Taro and Nagakura Shinpachi—he had Majima Kazuma infiltrate Goryokaku to act as an inside agent!

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng smiled meaningfully.

"Rintaro, you can rest assured about this. The spy I planted in Goryokaku is absolutely the most reliable spy in the world, and he will never let us down."

Katsura Rintaro was unaware of Majima Kazuma's background, but he trusted Aoto.

"If that's the case, then I'll wait and see."

After he finished speaking, a brief silence fell between the two of them.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, a strange look appeared on Katsura Rintaro's face.

"...Qingdeng, now that it's just the two of us here, this is a rare opportunity. I want to talk to you about some... rather serious things."

As he spoke, he turned his head and stared intently at Qingdeng's face with a solemn expression.

"Qingdeng, what are your views on the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court?"

The sudden, sharp questioning subtly changed the atmosphere of the scene.

If there were outsiders present at that moment, they would definitely be so horrified that their expressions would change drastically and they would break out in a cold sweat.

For a powerful minister like Qing Deng, there is no more sensitive issue than this!

Although the officials of the Southern Shogunate consciously avoided this topic, they were all well aware that Seido was now the de facto powerful minister of the Southern Shogunate!

Looking across the entire Southern Shogunate, no one can compare to Aoto. The only one who can restrain him, Tokugawa Iemochi, is still in a coma... His power surpasses that of Cao Cao and Sima Yi!

Whether Qingdeng would become the Zhou Gongdan or Huo Guang of the shogunate, or the Cao Cao or Sima Yi of the shogunate... no one could say for sure, nor dared to discuss it. They all kept their mouths shut, unwilling to talk about this topic, for fear of getting into trouble.

Meeting Katsura Rintaro's unwavering gaze, Aoto remained outwardly calm—his innate "Emperor's Art" activated—but in reality, his heart was already sounding an alarm bell of vigilance.

[Note: The art of emperors: exceptional control over facial muscles.]

He did not give a direct answer, but instead evaded the question:

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking me this?"

Katsurin Taro saw through Aoto's wariness and smiled:

"Qingdeng, please rest assured, I have no ill intentions."

"To show my sincerity, I'll be frank from the start—I think the Kyoto court has no reason to exist at all, and as for the Edo shogunate... it's beyond saving, and it's best to let it perish as soon as possible."

Even with the blessing of his innate "Emperor's Art," Qing Deng was momentarily stunned.

Although not as powerful as Seito, Katsura Rintaro was the fourth most powerful figure in the Southern Shogunate, after Tokugawa Iemochi, Seito, and Tenshōin.

It is truly astonishing that a powerful figure like him would suddenly "self-destruct" and simultaneously criticize both the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court.

Ignoring Aoto's changing expression, Katsurin Taro continued the conversation unhurriedly:

"Qingdeng, I am prepared. Every word I am about to say comes from the bottom of my heart and is absolutely true."

"We are both smart people, and there's no need to beat around the bush, so I'll skip the unnecessary words."

"Let's start with the Kyoto Imperial Court."

"The Emperor and the court officials are utterly useless. To put the court in power is tantamount to letting a three-year-old child govern the country."

"Rather than letting such a bunch of good-for-nothings ride roughshod over the people and waste money and grain, it would be better to depose them as soon as possible."

"And the Edo Shogunate... you must know its weakness and decay better than I do."

"The Edo Shogunate was already riddled with deep-seated problems. It was purely a matter of luck that a genius like you emerged, allowing it to regain its former glory in recent years."

"However, in my opinion, this is purely a last gasp before death."

"To put it bluntly, this rotten tree, which is rotten to the core, is only able to survive thanks to your support."

"However, a rotten tree is still a rotten tree. No matter how much water or fertilizer you give it, you can't save it."

"It will eventually collapse; it's just a matter of time."

"With the 'East-West War' imminent, we cannot allow the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court to fall. We still need to rely on these two 'brands' to win over the people."

"However, once the internal and external troubles have subsided, we can seriously consider whether to keep or discard these two 'brands'."

I don’t think the ‘East vs. West’ war will last long.

"Therefore, it won't be long before we have to face this tough choice."

Katsu Rintarou has finished speaking.

The deathly silence returned.

He probably wanted to give Qingdeng time to process and adapt, so he remained silent and waited quietly for Qingdeng's response.

"One should not rest until one's words are startling"—at this moment, Qingdeng truly understood the profound meaning of this poem.

Not only did he launch a scathing attack on the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court, but he also openly and covertly hinted to Seito to "rebel against the bastards"... To be honest, Seito didn't know what kind of expression to make or what kind of response to give.

He subconsciously adopted a tone that was half-joking and half-serious in order to ease the tense atmosphere.

"Rintaro, are you trying to persuade me to overthrow the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court in the future?"

Katsura Rintaro smiled noncommittally:

"Qingdeng, the reason I suddenly told you all this tonight is not to force you to make an immediate choice, but to tell you: you have the power to decide history."

"If you choose to protect the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court, then these two 'brands' will not fall during your lifetime."

"If you choose to end the history of the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court, you will face unprecedented challenges."

"This is destined to be a tough battle. The court nobles and the samurai will never stand idly by and watch you strip them of their status and privileges."

“All the nobles and warriors in the world will raise the banner of rebellion and fight to the death.”

"Of course, not all samurai will stand against you."

"If you are determined to eliminate Gongwu, I will stand with you on the same side without reservation and fight with you to the last moment."

"I come from a lower-ranking bannerman family. I'm already tired of the greed and brutality of the court and samurai families, and I don't want to see it anymore."

"If it were you, you might truly be able to establish an unprecedented 'new era'—I am wholeheartedly certain of that."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng chuckled as if he had heard a funny anecdote.

"Rintaro, are you sure you're not mistaken about something?"

"I am merely a swordsman, passable in wielding swords and spears, but forget about governing a country."

"You expect me, a swordsman, to usher in a 'new era'... You're overestimating the importance of 'swordsmen' and underestimating the significance of a 'new era'."

Katsura Rintaro smiled:

"To defeat all the nobles and warriors in the world—ten years ago, I would have thought that was a pipe dream."

"But now, after witnessing your talent time and time again, I've changed my mind."

“Qingdeng, I don’t know if you are aware of this—your greatest talent is not your superb swordsmanship, but your ability to ‘win over the hearts of the people’.”

"Since your sudden emergence, countless ordinary people have been captivated by you."

“To this day, you enjoy unparalleled prestige among the common people; you have the power to command the masses. The people of the world only know ‘King Benevolent,’ not the General or the Emperor—it is this talent of yours that gives me full confidence.”

"By integrating the strength of countless common people, we may well be able to defeat nobles and warriors."

"If anyone in this world can establish a 'new era'... who else but you?"

“I am a fragile ‘decaying grass’ that can only emit a faint glow; while you are a brilliant and glorious ‘radiant glow’ that can dispel the deep night – this is my true feeling from the bottom of my heart.”

At this point, Katsurin Taro turned his gaze to Aoto's eyes, and their eyes met.