I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 2255

"Alright, everyone, raise your heads."

"I am aware of the relevant situation."

“Sui San, you did nothing wrong. On the contrary, you did a great job, and I should praise you.”

"Based on the changes in the battle situation, you promptly issued the most correct instructions, which greatly reduced our losses."

"Uncle Yuan, don't blame yourself too much."

"Although it is an indisputable fact that I failed to protect Xiaozhi Bridge, if we really want to find out who is to blame, I am the one who should be punished the most."

"I underestimated the enemy's fighting strength and failed to deploy sufficient forces at Xiaozhiqiao."

After saying that, Qingdeng unconsciously furrowed his brows, his expression gradually becoming solemn.

Just then, a voice announced from outside:

"Mr. Tachibana, Captain Nagakura's treatment has ended."

Qing Deng immediately retorted:

"How's Shinpachi doing?"

A reply came quickly from outside the door:

"He's fine, his skull is unharmed, and he only needs two days of rest to fully recover."

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"It's good that you're alright. Thank you for your hard work, you can leave now."

After the messenger outside the door left, Qingdeng turned his gaze and focused his attention back on the map in front of him.

Through the review just now, he has roughly figured out the specific details of the "loss of bird feathers".

The reason for this was that the Second and Sixth Divisions, who were supposed to defend the small bridge, were quickly defeated!

To be fair, the military force that Qingdeng deployed at Xiaozhiqiao was already quite strong.

The Second and Sixth Divisions are both meritorious units of the Shinsengumi, having participated in almost every battle since the establishment of the Shinsengumi, and are rich in training and combat experience.

Looking back at the results, the quick defeat of the Second and Sixth Divisions was certainly due to the "Decisive Battle at the Alley" incident, coupled with the fact that the members of both divisions had exhausted their strength from the previous battles.

However, it cannot be denied that even without the "Decisive Battle Salt," the enemy force that captured Koji Bridge today possessed formidable fighting power capable of directly confronting the Shinsengumi!

With this thought in mind, Qing Deng asked Hijikata Toshizo in a low voice:

"Sui San, what are your thoughts on the 'Southern Army' now?"

Hijikata Toshizo crossed his arms and pondered for a moment before murmuring softly:

"...Ju, the 'Southern Army' is stronger than we anticipated."

Qingdeng nodded slightly in agreement.

Interestingly, Saigo Kinosuke felt he had underestimated the Shinsengumi, while Aoto felt he had underestimated the "Southern Army."

Before the war began, Qing Deng believed that he had taken the "Southern Army" seriously enough and had never underestimated it.

The "Southern Army" must have a large number of guns and cannons, and the "Southern Army" will not be weak in close combat... Qing Deng had anticipated all of the above.

Despite this, they still misjudged the overall combat strength of the "Southern Army".

Qing Deng overlooked one thing—he didn't expect the "Southern Army" to have so much "Decisive Battle Dysentery"! Enough to make thousands of soldiers take drugs like candy!

How many "Decisive Battle Crystals" has the Party actually produced? Qing Deng kept thinking to himself.

Suddenly, Inoue Genzaburo, as if having made up his mind, gritted his teeth and said resolutely to Aoto:

"Tachibana-kun, please give me a chance to redeem myself! Let me lead the charge tomorrow! Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely get Toriba back!"

Although Aoto took the initiative to assume the main responsibility for the "loss of Toba", Inoue Genzaburo's pride and sense of responsibility did not allow him to accept Aoto's kindness so easily.

In response to Inoue Genzaburo's offer of service, Aoto smiled slightly:

"Uncle Yuan, please calm down."

"Although we suffered a defeat today, we did not come away empty-handed."

"'Decisive Battle of the Lake' is a secret medicine with both huge benefits and huge costs."

"Today, there are at least a thousand enemy soldiers who have taken 'Decisive Battle Elixir'."

"On the first day of the war, more than a thousand soldiers—many of whom were precious elites—temporarily lost their combat capability due to the side effects of the 'Decisive Battle of the Lake'."

"Paying such a heavy price, yet failing to inflict significant casualties on the Shinsengumi... whether it was a gain or a loss remains to be seen."

“I think the officers and soldiers of the Southern Army must be feeling very uncomfortable right now.”

The weakness of "Decisive Battle with Stagnant Water" is quite obvious. After the effects wear off, the user will feel severe discomfort.

Those with mild symptoms may feel listless, while those with severe symptoms may have difficulty even standing up.

Recovery time varies from person to person, ranging from one or two days to ten days to half a month.

Admittedly, the loss of the Toba Line was a defeat that the Shinsengumi could not ignore.

However, thanks to Hijikata Toshizo's decisive action, the entire garrison of Toba retreated very promptly and quickly, giving the "Southern Army" no chance to attack or annihilate them.

A great man once said: "If you save people but lose land, you can save both people and land; if you save land but lose people, you can lose both people and land." "It is better to cut off one finger than to injure all ten fingers."

Qingdeng was certain that Saigo Kinosuke's deployment of a large number of elite troops on the first day of the war was not merely for the purpose of capturing Toba; his main objective was definitely to rebuild the Shinsengumi!

It's a very simple principle: what's the use of just taking a bird's feather?

Even without Toba, there's still Fushimi; even without Fushimi, there's still Otsu... As long as the main force of the Shinsengumi remains and the logistics are still in place, Aoto will always hold the power of "counter-offensive"!

From a strategic perspective, it is questionable whether the Southern Army's achievements today can be considered a "victory".

Because they failed to rebuild the Shinsengumi, it caused considerable trouble for the subsequent battles—currently, all thirteen divisions of the Shinsengumi have gathered in Fushimi!

In other words, if the Southern Army wants to capture Fushimi, they must defeat the complete Shinsengumi... The difficulty of this is beyond description!

Qingdeng glanced at the map in front of him a few times and continued:

"The Southern Army will surely take advantage of today's victory and launch a major attack on Asashimi tomorrow."

"This is a good thing. The staff of the General Affairs Office have put in a lot of effort and finally managed to build various fortifications throughout Fushimi."

[Note: Handwritten note: A junior position in the Shinsengumi General Appointment Office]

"It would be a pity if all these fortifications remained idle and never came into use."

At this point, Qing Deng turned to look at Hijikata Toshizo and Inoue Genzaburo beside him.

"The battle has only just begun; there will be plenty of opportunities to counterattack."

As he spoke, he turned and walked toward the knife rack not far away, and picked up the Vairocana.

"To redeem myself from today's blunder, I will go into battle tomorrow."

……

The following day (May 6th), early morning—

Toba Street, the front line of the "Southern Army"—

"Haven't you eaten? Get running!"

"Where are my shells?! Why haven't they brought them up yet?!"

"The Satsuma people stole the limelight yesterday! We, as men of Tosa, cannot fall behind!"

"Today's battle is different from yesterday's. Yesterday was about capturing the bridge, today it's about attacking the town. We have to fight the Shinsengumi for every house and every street in Fushimi."

"I heard that Niou is in Fushimi..."

"Shh! Don't say things like that! It'll affect morale!"

Fushimi was a "crossroads" in the capital region.

Without capturing Fushimi, they could not attack Ōtsu... In other words, Fushimi was an insurmountable obstacle for the "Southern Army".

Even though Fushimi is now guarded by the "complete" Shinsengumi, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it!

At this moment, Saigo Kinosuke stood upright somewhere in the South Palace, looking up at the northeast sky, deep in thought, seemingly pondering something.

Suddenly, a close attendant rushed forward and reported quickly:

"Lord Saigo, Mr. Iwakura has arrived."

Saigo Kinosuke slowly withdrew his gaze from the sky.

"Yes, bring him here quickly."

"Yes."

Before long, Iwakura Tomomi, dressed as a civil official, appeared in front of Saigo Kinosuke in a few quick steps.

The latter stared intently at the former and said succinctly:

“Mr. Iwakura, now is the perfect time to use our ‘secret weapon’.”

Iwakura Tomomi was taken aback:

"now?"

Saigo Kinosuke said calmly:

"That's right, now."