I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"This is proof that His Majesty trusts us!"

"This is proof that we are the rightful heirs!"

"Justice will prevail! Righteousness will prevail!"

"How can the enemy forces entrenched in Fushimi possibly stand against us?!"

The ideology of respecting the emperor and supporting the court were the foundation of the Southern Dynasty.

Therefore, in order to boost the morale and cohesion of the army, the leaders of the "Southern Dynasty" instilled in their soldiers various ideas such as "we are the legitimate rulers," "the court is on our side," and "the righteous cause lies with the Southern Dynasty."

For this reason, the appearance of the "banner" was more inspiring to the soldiers of the "Southern Army" than to the Shinsengumi.

Instantly, a deafening cheer erupted!

All the troops of the "Southern Army"—especially the vanguard troops who were surrounding the "brocade banner"—were overjoyed and their morale was high.

Even the surrounding air was affected and became scorching hot!

Saigo Kinosuke and Iwakura Tomomi stood side by side—on the autumn mountain with its excellent view—quietly observing everything.

Iwakura Tomomi laughed triumphantly.

"Hmph, Tachibana Seiden and the others probably never expected that we would actually use this move!"

Forging a banner—that was Iwakura Tomomi's idea.

Iwakura Tomomi's style of doing things has always been radical.

He takes any means necessary for granted, so naturally he doesn't think that "forging a banner" is a crime.

He was willing to pay any price to defeat Tachibana Seiden!

When he proposed this plan, even the resolute Saigo Kichinosuke couldn't help but show surprise.

If this matter is exposed, being infamous for eternity would be an understatement!

Compared to Saigo Kichinosuke, Katsura Kogoro was much calmer.

Upon hearing the plan, he quickly regained his composure and gave it his full approval.

He and Iwakura Tomomi could even replace the Emperor with a fake one, let alone a mere flag?

Thus, with the strong support of Katsura Kogoro and Iwakura Tomomi, the plan to "forge the banner" was successfully implemented.

Katsura Kogoro gathered a group of highly skilled weavers.

Iwakura Tomomi, who was well-versed in public affairs, personally designed the banner.

Ironically, the flag he designed was almost identical to the flag designed by Qing Deng.

Aside from slight differences in color—the Shinsengumi's "banners" were predominantly gold, while the "Southern Army's" "banners" were predominantly red—they were almost identical.

After successfully making the "banner," Saigo Kinosuke, Iwakura Tomomi, and others regarded it as a "secret weapon," waiting to use it at a crucial moment.

Generally speaking, any of these morale-boosting "military treasury" items have only two uses.

It can be used to turn the tide when the morale of the entire army is low, or it can be used to press the attack when the morale of the entire army is high—today's "Southern Army" happens to belong to the latter.

As the saying goes, "One should strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third."

Right now, the soldiers of the "Southern Army" are eager to repeat yesterday's victory... There is no better time to capture Fushimi!

Saigo Kichinosuke has made up his mind—to take Fushimi in one fell swoop today!

And so, Saigo Kinosuke, Katsura Kogoro, Iwakura Tomomi, and the others watched with great confidence as the "banner" was hung high.

It wasn't until quite some time later that they belatedly realized that Fushimi, on the other side, was also displaying a similar flag...

The vanguard of the "Southern Army," carrying the imposing air of "victory is assured," slowly approached Fushimi.

Soon, both sides clearly saw the two "praise banners" facing each other across the distance...

The scene was both bizarre and comical, leaving the soldiers of both armies looking at each other in bewilderment.

"What's going on? Why do even the bandit army have 'brocade banners'?"

"Is there more than one 'banner'?"

"So, who is the rightful heir?"

"Is there even a question? It's definitely us! The 'banner' on the other side is obviously fake!"

Not only the rank-and-file soldiers, but also the officers and generals on both sides were caught off guard by this unexpected scene.

Hijikata Toshizo stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

Iwakura Tomomi, who had just been laughing happily, turned into a clay sculpture, his smile frozen in place.

A moment later, the two people, located in different places, expressed the same sentiment in unison:

"The 'Southern Army' and 'Northern Army' are utterly despicable! They dare to forge a 'banner'!"

Kondo Isami twitched the corners of his mouth, a helpless expression on his face:

"We seem to have done the same thing..."

……

……

The "Southern Army" also received "brocade banners"... This was truly beyond Qing Deng's expectations.

This was originally a plan that Qing Deng came up with unintentionally, a so-called "sudden inspiration".

He originally thought his idea was unique.

Unexpectedly... someone in the "Southern Army" came up with the same plan!

For some reason, he inexplicably felt an urge to meet the other party—he really wanted to know which member of the "Southern Army" had the same brainwaves as him!

From another perspective, it's fortunate that he prepared two flags in advance.

If the "Southern Army" has a "brocade banner" while our side does not... then the moral high ground will inevitably be taken away by the former!

Now, because both sides possess "banners," both sides have ample room to manipulate "winning strategies."

After calming himself down a bit, Qingdeng turned to his attendant and called out:

"Summon the messenger; I need to issue a new proclamation to the entire army."

……

……

Moments later, the messengers of the Ninth Division set out again to deliver a new announcement to the entire army—

"Gentlemen! The enemy is truly despicable!"

"Not only did they establish a false emperor, but they also forged 'banners'!"

"Such despicable behavior deserves retribution!"

"As government troops, how can we tolerate the arrogance and domineering behavior of the rebel army?!"

"Use the swords at your waists! Uphold righteousness! Use the guns and cannons in your hands! Severely punish the enemy!"

This rapidly spreading new announcement somewhat calmed the soldiers' anxiety and confusion.

Should we listen to Niou, or believe the speculations of others?

For the vast majority of the Shinsengumi soldiers, this kind of question was simply not worth thinking about.

"I guessed right, the 'Southern Army's' 'banner' was indeed a forgery!"

“We not only have the government’s ‘brocade banner,’ but also the military family’s ‘imperial white banner.’ Clearly, we are in a more morally superior position!”

"Forget about 'banners'! Real or fake, it doesn't matter! Let's get started! Stop whining, I can't wait!"

Hijikata Toshizo smacked his lips with a displeased expression.

"We originally planned to use the two banners to disrupt the enemy's formation... tsk, now both sides have become 'government troops,' and the entire battle plan has been disrupted..."

Kondo Isami took a deep breath:

"In the end, it all comes down to the swords in our hands to decide the victor...!"

……

……

Today, the actions of the two armies demonstrate an astonishing "tacit understanding".

At the same moment that Seido summoned his messengers, Saigo Kichinosuke did the same thing.

Not only were new announcements issued indiscriminately to appease the troops, but the content of the announcements was also identical, simply stating that "our side is the legitimate one" and "the 'banner' on the other side is fake," and so on.

At this moment, Iwakura Tomomi's cheeks were filled with gloom, and his face looked just as sour as Hijikata Toshizo's.

He was once a high-ranking official in the imperial court, so he was quite certain that the "brocade banner" only existed in historical records! There was no real imperial banner in this world!

Therefore, he was 100% certain that the "banner" on the other side was also a forgery!

Just like Aoto, Iwakura Tomomi also didn't expect that his secret plan was not unique...

However, he did not share the same sense of camaraderie as Qing Deng.

He felt a tightness in his chest and was in a terrible mood! It was like accidentally swallowing a green fly that had just flown out of the latrine while he was yawning!

After a long while, he muttered resentfully:

"They've gone even further than us... Not only did they forge the 'brocade banner,' they even produced the 'Imperial White Banner'!"

When Saigo Kinosuke saw the two flags fluttering above Fushimi, he was stunned, and his facial expression underwent a wonderful change.

However, after a brief period of emotional turmoil, he has gradually regained his composure:

"...Very well. Although an unexpected turn of events occurred, in this way, the two sides are even, and neither side gained an advantage."

"In that case, we've come full circle—whoever wins is the righteous government army!"

Having said that, he raised the military-issue fan in his hand high.

"Prepare for bombardment!"

His military order was quickly delivered to the artillery positions.

The moment after Saigo Kichinosuke waved his military-style fan—