I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

With a deep sigh, a faint look of sorrow appeared on the old man's face.

“I also mobilized a large number of civilians to fight during the Osaka Uprising 29 years ago.”

"At that time, I also placed high hopes on them. I was convinced that with so much support from the common people, we would surely win a great victory."

"However... you've probably heard about what happened next many times."

"The hastily deployed civilians collapsed at the first contact, exposing our flanks, and our army suffered a crushing defeat in the blink of an eye."

"Countless of my students died tragically on the streets of Osaka..."

At this point, the old man choked up due to his emotional state.

After a long while, he composed himself and continued speaking:

"From then on, I realized a truth: ordinary people are ultimately unreliable."

"The saying 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world' is indeed an irrefutable truth."

"But...ordinary people are ultimately vulnerable."

"They will be afraid when they see blood; they will run away when they see death."

"Even soldiers who have undergone rigorous training will inevitably feel panic when they first arrive on the battlefield, let alone civilians who have never heard of war?"

“Master Zuo, I understand your thoughts very well, truly. Because I have indeed had a similar experience.”

"Given your high prestige among the people of Dajin, if you were to raise your voice, you might be able to mobilize a large number of people to fight."

"But what happens next?"

"After being filled with passion, even a lowly commoner can unleash an astonishing fighting spirit."

"But when their passion cools, how much of their fighting spirit will remain?"

Do they still have enough courage to stand on the city walls?

Do they still have enough fighting spirit to face a formidable enemy?

"In this way, it's like 'driving sheep to fight wolves,' and we're bound to repeat the mistakes of the Osaka Uprising!"

"By then, it will be too late to regret!"

Ōshio Heihachirō's words were truly heartfelt and sincere.

It is both an explanation of the situation and a reasoned argument, which is truly moving.

What's even more commendable is that he has real-life examples to support his argument—he is a firsthand witness to these examples—making his arguments persuasive and difficult to refute.

After a moment's hesitation, Yamanami Keisuke gritted his teeth and continued the old man's words:

“Mr. Tachibana, I think Mr. Daishio is right... It is really ill-considered to let ordinary people fight.”

Although their joint persuasion was quite forceful, unfortunately... it was ineffective.

“…Mr. Daishio, I am fully aware of everything you have said.”

"I come from a family that follows the same principles, and I have dealt with many people in the marketplace in the past. How could I not understand the weaknesses of ordinary people?"

"But now that things have come to this, we have no other choice."

"Otherwise, we would absolutely not be able to withstand the British invasion."

"I don't know how to describe the strength of the British army to you."

"All I can say is that after witnessing firsthand how the British army quickly deployed amidst the chaos, and how they routed my cavalry with a single volley, I instantly realized that with the current defensive strength of Dajin City, the hope of victory was extremely slim!"

"If there are other, better strategies to win, I will gladly adopt them."

"However……"

Aoto paused at the right moment, turned his gaze, and swept it over the faces of Ooshio Heihachiro and Yamanami Keisuke.

Neither of them spoke... If there were a better strategy to defeat the enemy, they wouldn't be so troubled.

Qingdeng adopted a more enthusiastic tone and resumed the conversation:

"Rather than sit and wait to die, it's better to take a gamble!"

"We must hold fast to any method that offers a glimmer of hope for victory—even if it is only a slim chance!"

"Mr. Ooshi, since you question whether ordinary people lack sufficient will to fight..."

Qingdeng paused, took a quick breath to gather his strength, and then declared in a clear and powerful voice:

"Then I will make them into indomitable warriors with soaring spirits!"

He turned his head and, in an unquestionable tone, gave the order to Yamanami Keisuke:

"Kyōsuke, urge the townspeople who haven't entered the city yet to hurry up and do so. This afternoon at 5 PM, I want to see all the citizens and soldiers gathered in the square outside the main fortress! I have something to say to everyone!"

Yamanami Keisuke was taken aback:

"All soldiers?"

"That's right, all soldiers. The Shinsengumi, the training corps, the Aizu army—not one can be left out."

Ōshio Heihachirō was also stunned:

"Master Zuo, what do you want to say to everyone? Let me be frank, a single speech is not enough to transform ordinary people."

Qingdeng smiled slightly:

"You'll find out at 5 p.m.

……

……

That day, at 5 PM—

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Dajin City——

The square outside the main castle—the large open space sandwiched between the main castle and the city walls—is currently packed with people.

The townspeople currently stranded in Tsu, as well as the soldiers guarding the city, have all gathered here.

Looking up, one sees a swarm of heads moving about, much like an ant colony emerging from its nest—a truly magnificent sight.

Chatting, shouting, sighing... all sorts of noises rose and fell.

To pass the time and to clear up any doubts, they would whisper among themselves from time to time:

"What exactly happened? Why were we all called here?"

"Even the Shinsengumi are here..."

"Who knows?"

"How long am I going to have to stand here? My legs are starting to ache..."

"Could it be that they're going to lead us to escape? Just like Liu Bei led the people across the river back then."

"Escape? Why would you escape?"

"Is that even a question? Of course it's because the attacking enemy forces are too powerful to withstand."

"Huh? That can't be! The Shinsengumi are invincible, how could they possibly be unable to stop the enemy!"

"This time, the enemy is no ordinary force. The Southern Dynasty has brought in thousands of Western soldiers, whose fighting strength is extremely strong. Even the Shinsengumi are no match for them."

"Could it be... that Lord Niou is going to lose...?"

"Nonsense! How could Lord Niou possibly lose!"

"That's right! Lord Niou won't lose!"

"Sigh, I hope so..."

……

At this very moment, in a corner of the square, the high-ranking members of the Shinsengumi, led by Kondo Isami, gathered together.

Serizawa Kamo crossed his arms, surveyed the crowd that filled the valley, then turned to Kondo Isami and the others beside him and asked:

"What exactly does Mr. Tachibana want to do? The soldiers and civilians of the city have all been summoned here. Is he going to give some kind of speech?"

Kondo Isami shrugged with a wry smile:

"We want to know the answer to that question too..."

Serizawa Kamo frowned slightly:

"Don't you have any inside information?"

Abe Juro (captain of the 11th Division) shrugged, looking helpless:

"Mr. Serizawa, we're completely baffled too."

Harada Sanosuke grinned:

"No need to rush, just wait patiently. We just need to obediently follow Mr. Tachibana's orders."

At this moment, Inoue Genzaburo's long sigh drew everyone's attention.

"The situation is dire... the public panic has reached a point that cannot be ignored..."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to the vast crowd before them.

Panicked faces, terrified faces, resentful faces... faces tinged with negativity came into their view.

The most pressing current event for the people of Otsu is undoubtedly the looming war.

Taking advantage of the crowd's gathering, rumors, both true and false, spread rapidly.

It's unclear who started it, but in this very short time, new rumors began to circulate, such as "Lord Niou has decided to abandon Otsu" and "Lord Niou is going to lead us to escape to Kanto."

They discussed, sighed, and lamented... An invisible cloud called "unease" began to hang over the square, gradually gathering and growing stronger.

Kondo Isami said calmly:

"Of course. Anyone would be scared if they were suddenly told that 'the enemy is approaching'."

Before anyone else could respond, an unexpected person spoke up first—Saito Hajime, unusually, joined the conversation and delivered a long sentence.

"Feeling scared is human nature, and there's nothing wrong with that. What I can't accept is that some people are complaining that Mr. Tachibana is not doing a good job of fighting the enemy."

After saying that, Saito's face darkened, and his expression became very unfriendly.