I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 748: Cede half of the shogunate's arm to Qing Deng! [5300]

Kyoto, Kinkai Komyoji Temple (Aizu Army Main Camp), Matsudaira Yoshiyasu's room——

Matsudaira Yoshiyasu is handling official business.

Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps coming from outside the room:

"My lord! Victory news from the Yamato front!"

  Matsudaira Yoshiyasu was shocked:

"Come in!"

With the sound of the door sliding, a dusty messenger appeared in front of Matsudaira Yoshinobu.

  Before he could speak, the man said loudly:

"My lord! The Shinsengumi has won a great victory!"

"The Tenchu ​​Group is completely destroyed! Takatori Castle is recovered! The bandit leader Yoshimura Toratarou has been captured!"

"The Shinsengumi will rest here for three days, and then return!"

After hearing this, Matsudaira Yoshinobu suddenly showed a look of surprise on his face.

  Because he was too shocked, he subconsciously stood up and asked urgently:

"What? The Shinsengumi recaptured Takatori Castle? Is the news accurate?"

The messenger who came to report the news replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner:

"My lord, the news is accurate! I saw with my own eyes the sunflower-patterned flag and the sincerity flag flying on the tower of Takatori Castle!"

Matsudaira Yoshiyasu stared blankly with his eyes wide open, his expression dull, as if he had lost his soul.

After a moment, he sat back to his original position woodenly and slowly.

"It's so fast...! That's not right... Didn't the Shinsengumi arrive at the foot of Mt. Takatori yesterday...?"

Matsudaira Yoshinobu frowned, calculating rapidly in his mind.

As far as he knew, the entire Shinsengumi army did not arrive at Takatora Castle until yesterday afternoon.

The time now is noon.

Excluding the time it took the messenger to travel back and forth... that is, the Shinsengumi wiped out the Tenchugumi in just one night! They recaptured Takatori Castle!

Thinking of this, Matsudaira Yoshiyasu couldn't help but take a breath.

It's not that he didn't believe that the Shinsengumi would recapture Takatori Castle.

He trusts Qing Deng very much.

He also believes in the combat capability of the Shinsengumi.

But... he couldn't believe that it only took the Shinsengumi such a short time to recapture Takatori Castle!

Although he had never seen Takatori Castle in person, he still had a certain understanding of the defense conditions of this famous mountain castle.

To put it bluntly - if he and Qing Deng were to switch positions and let him lead the Aizu army to attack Takatori Castle, he would only have a headache! He wouldn't know where to start!

Although the Aizu Army had a world-famous cavalry, it lacked firearms, especially heavy firearms represented by artillery.

When they went to Luoyang, the entire army only carried a few old antique cannons.

Using these broken cannons to bombard a strong city like Takatori Castle would be of no use other than to increase morale, intimidate the enemy soldiers, and blow away some rocks and soil.

Therefore, facing the Takatori Castle occupied by the Tenju Group, the only method of siege that Matsudaira Yoshiyasu could think of was to issue the order "all troops attack, and the first to reach the city will be rewarded handsomely", so as to consume the enemy forces bit by bit and win by "brute force".

  In short, even with superior military strength, it is not easy to capture Gaoqu Castle!

It would not be surprising even if the battle turned into a mess in which both sides consumed each other's baggage and tested each other's endurance.

At first, even with the most optimistic attitude, Matsudaira Yoshiyasu believed that it would take the Shinsengumi at least half a month to capture Takatori Castle.

He was even ready to supply food and fodder to the Shinsengumi.

As a result…he had just received the news that “the entire Shinsengumi army had arrived at the foot of Mt. Takatori” yesterday, but today he had already received the great news that “the Shinsengumi had won a great victory”!

  No matter from which angle you look at it, the speed at which the Shinsengumi recaptured Takatori Castle was too fast! Incredibly fast!

Suddenly, Matsudaira Yoshiyasu felt a strong sense of frustration for no apparent reason.

When talking about Aizu, the first thing that comes to people’s mind is the mighty Aizu Army.

Matsudaira Yoshiyasu was always proud of the strength of the Aizu army.

  He always believed that even looking at the whole of Japan, the Aizu Army was a unique and powerful army!

However, at this moment, he suddenly realized that the Aizu Army, which he was so proud of, seemed to have been left behind by the Shinsengumi...

He couldn't help but ask himself:

——If…if, for example, we were to clash with the Shinsengumi now, would we be able to win?

Deep down in his heart, he could not give an accurate answer to this question.

No, to be more precise - his rationality has already produced the answer, but his sensibility cannot accept this answer...

At this time, the messenger who came to deliver the message hesitated for a while, and then said hesitantly:

"My lord, I have collected some gossip about how the Shinsengumi was able to recapture Takatori Castle in such a short time..."

  Matsudaira Yoshinobu immediately became alert upon hearing this and said quickly:

"Hurry up and tell me! Just tell me! I will tell whether the content is true or not!"

  Hearing what Matsudaira Yoshiyasu said, the messenger no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, and said slowly:

"My Lord, from what I have heard, the rapid recovery of Takatori Castle was entirely due to the ability of Lord Tachibana!"

"Lord Tachibana single-handedly attacked Takatori Castle and captured San-no-maru, Ninomaru, and Honmaru in succession, greatly weakening the combat power of the Tenchu ​​Clan and disrupting the defenses in the castle, thus clearing the way for the army's subsequent attack."

"That's how the Shinsengumi was able to liberate Takatori Castle overnight!"

The messenger finished his words in a concise manner.

"..."

Even though the other party had finished speaking, Matsudaira Yoshiyasu remained silent for a long time.

The look of astonishment that had just faded away reappeared on his cheek.

  About half a minute later, he asked mechanically:

"……What did you say?"

  The messenger spoke again very honestly:

"Lord Tachibana attacked Takatori Castle alone..."

"No! I'm not asking you to repeat it... Oh... Never mind..."

After saying this, Matsudaira Yoshiyasu let out a long sigh and then leaned weakly on his elbow beside him.

  A samurai broke into Takatori Castle, one of the three major mountain castles, and broke through the entire castle in one go, even capturing the main castle. If someone said this to Matsudaira Yoshiyasu on a normal day, he would definitely scold the other person: What hysteria is going on in broad daylight?!

But the strange thing is... after changing the protagonist of this "story" to Tachibana Aoto, he changed his mind: If it was Tachibana Aoto, then such a thing could really happen!

Although Qing Deng is a god who performs miracles, it is not surprising no matter how horrific the things he does are.

But...even so, Matsudaira Yoshiyasu was still shocked beyond words at this amazing achievement of "breaking into Takatori Castle alone".

After letting out another long sigh, Matsudaira Yoshiho stroked his forehead with his hand, gently massaging his scalp with his fingers to relax his brain, which was extremely tired from listening to a large amount of heavyweight information.

Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something, and was stunned for a moment, and then muttered to himself quietly:

"It won't be long before this land will have another powerful and influential person... I wonder where Tachibana Hōbu will be assigned..."

……

……

Almost at the same time, the imperial court, Satsuma Domain... all the major forces in Kyoto, as well as the Choshu army that was still fleeing westward, all received the Shinsengumi's victory news.

The reactions of various forces to the Shinsengumi were mixed: some were happy while others were sad.

The most excited and excited people among them were the emperor and his ministers.

The day after Takatori Castle was liberated, they returned home.

Thanks to Qing Deng's lightning-fast attack, Gao Qucheng was liberated without suffering much damage.

Not only did he help them drive out the bandits, but he also tried his best to preserve the city... It is difficult to describe in concrete words the gratitude of the ruler and ministers of Takatori Domain to Qing Deng.

It is no exaggeration to say that they wanted to hug Qingdeng and "bite" Qingdeng's face like biting a watermelon.

……

……

Kyoto, Imperial Palace—

"The Tachibana Troupe won?"

Kujo Naotada looked at the apprentice who came to report the news with a look of surprise.

【Note: personal attendant】

Reply from a student:

"Yes! It's absolutely true!"

After the Sonjo faction headed by Sanjo Sanetomi was completely eliminated, the pro-shogunate faction represented by Kujo Naotada was able to rise up and gain control of the court.

They were in the same mind as the shogunate, so after receiving the news of the Shinsengumi's victory, Kujo Naotada was naturally delighted.

I saw Kujo Sanemi grinning, revealing two rows of black teeth, and excitedly slapping his thighs with the fan in his hand, while shouting excitedly:

"So good! So good!"

"Well done, Tachibana Hyobu!"

"After the Choshu Army, that damn Tenchu ​​Group was also wiped out!"

"In this way, those who only know how to make noise and daydream should completely stop."

"Oh my, Tachibana has done another great deed! He deserves a reward! He deserves a reward!"

"What kind of official position should be conferred on him this time..."

……

……

Kyoto, Satsuma Domain Residence, a secret room -

In the secret room, two of the "Three Heroes of Satsuma" - Saigo Yoshinosuke and Komatsu Taito - sat face to face.

Apart from the two of them, there was no one else in the secret room.

"... Saigo-kun."

Xiaosong crossed his arms with the knife and said in a deep voice:

"Although I shouldn't say such things, but... that Tachibana Aoto is truly fascinating."

At this point, he curled the corners of his mouth and changed his tone to one that was half serious and half joking.

"After inflicting heavy damage to the Anti-Israel Group and annihilating the Shimizu Clan, he once again created a new miracle with his own pure force."

"If we only look at his combat record, he has almost reached the limit of a warrior, and is almost as good as Ogata Issei back then."

"If I were an ordinary warrior, I would probably worship Tachibana Aoto madly."

As soon as he finished speaking, Saigo Yoshinosuke, who was sitting opposite him, half-jokingly echoed:

"Komatsu-kun, we are the same."

At this time, Komatsu Daidao changed the subject and his tone became serious: "However, admiration is admiration, as 'Satsuma Hayato', we should take our own position into consideration."

"After this battle, Tachibana Aoto's prestige will surely rise to the peak of its popularity."

"Saigo-kun, I think it's time for us to consider our next course of action."

"It is to completely turn to the shogunate like Aizu did."

"Or... like before, keep one more trick up your sleeve?"

After he finished speaking, he stared straight at Saigo Yoshinosuke, waiting for his response.

"..."

Yoshinosuke Saigo lowered his eyes and looked at the tatami in front of his knees, as if thinking.

……

……

In the Mimasaka region west of Gyeonggi Province, there is a forest.

Blah blah blah blah...

It's raining.

A steady drizzle.

Countless tiny raindrops fell on the branches and green leaves, splashing even smaller water droplets onto the ground.

Looking up, a fine curtain of rain covered the entire forest, making it wet and adding a layer of haziness and sadness to the land.

Deep in the woods, a brown "dragon" was moving through it.

Looking closely, it was the Choshu army that had been fleeing all the way after evacuating Kyoto.

Accompanying them were the Seven Lords of the Sonjo faction, led by Sanjo Sanetomi.

Sanjo Sanetomi and others who were expelled from Kyoto had no choice but to flee to Choshu.

The soldiers of the Choshu army guarded Sanjo Sanetomi and others in the safest place, which was the middle of the queue.

Even though they have fallen to this point, the former still gives the latter the utmost respect.

  Crash, crash, crash, crash…!

It rained harder and harder.

The horses, drenched by the rain, hung their heads.

The dense and noisy sound of rain actually highlights the tranquility.

No one spoke...death silence enveloped every corner of the Choshu army column.

Everyone was silent.

Everyone was covered in dust and dirt.

Everyone hung their heads and stepped deeply and shallowly on the ground that had turned into mud.

The armor on the soldiers was wet by the rain and became extremely heavy.

Because they fled in a hurry, they did not have time to prepare sufficient supplies.

The raincoat is only big enough for two or three people to share.

Many people didn't even have a hat and could only use their physique to withstand the pouring rain.

It was afternoon... Even so, under the cover of dark clouds, the sky was no different from night.

Although they tried to light torches, flames were difficult to burn in the rain, so all they could see was turbid white smoke flowing in the dark forest, which further highlighted the desolate and tragic atmosphere.

If you listen carefully, you can hear intermittent sobbing.

"Ohh Ohh ohh……!"

“This is so humiliating…! This is so humiliating…!”

"Damn you, you rapist! Damn you, you thief!"

"Just wait! We will definitely fight back!"

Countless people were unable to suppress their grief and cried with their faces covered.

Some people choose to vent their anger and frustration by cursing.

The people who cried the loudest were the seven ministers.

Recall that not long ago, they were nobles living a life of luxury.

Since they were born, their feet have never stepped on mud, and they wear silk socks every day, which ordinary people dare not even dream of.

But now... they were wearing simple straw raincoats and rough bamboo hats, braving the torrential rain, and walking hastily in the depths of the deserted forest, getting covered in mud and looking extremely miserable.

  It looks just like... no, it's just a stray dog!

How can they adapt to such a huge contrast? How can they resolve it?

And this is not what makes them feel most sad.

  What makes them even more sad is undoubtedly the collapse of their political ideals!

Their long-held political ambition of "respecting the emperor and expelling the barbarians" came to an end with the emperor's edict!

Choshu became a traitor who threatened the Emperor, and they became accomplices...

  Anyone with a discerning eye can see that even if they want to regroup, their comeback is a long way off!

When they thought of this, the seven ministers cried even harder, almost with their lungs broken.

"..."

I saw Sanjo Sanemi pursed her lips and lay on her back.

The low-brimmed hat covered most of his face, making it difficult to see his current expression.

However... thin threads of water could be vaguely seen flowing down his cheeks, making it hard to tell whether it was rain or tears.

After a moment, he quietly chanted a Chinese poem:

"The sorrowful rain has no end, and my turbid tears wet my collar."

"One day he will return to Luoyang and personally clear away the clouds and mist."

"The seven ministers gather again to enjoy the moon in Kyoto!"

Coincidentally, at almost the same time, Hisaka Genzui, who was walking at the front of the queue, was also reciting poetry.

However, what he sang was Japanese poetry.

He lowered his head and sang word by word:

"The world is in chaos like weeds."

"Even the flaming sun is dim."

"Beside the small river of cicadas, smoke rises in curls."

"It forms a cloud that separates the two banks..."

As he sang, he slowly raised his head.

His gaze penetrated the bottom edge of the hat and shot into the distance.

His eyes were no longer as dim as when he escaped from Kyoto, and had regained their former sharpness.

After reciting the poem, he frowned, his eyes were deep, and he was still pondering, as if he was planning something...

……

……

Due to the long distance, the Edo side did not receive the good news of "the Tenju Group was destroyed and Takatori Castle was recovered" until two days later.

The content of the victory report received by Edo was extremely detailed.

When the entire army arrived at the battlefield, when it started the attack, and when the battle ended were all recorded clearly.

This naturally includes the details of Qingdeng's "alone entry into Gaoqu City".

Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin received the good news almost at the same time.

After reading all the contents of the good news, Tokugawa Iemochi immediately put down all the work at hand and rushed to O-oku to look for Tenshoin - before leaving, he did not forget to bring a map of Japan with him.

……

……

Edo, Edo Castle, Ooku, Tenshoin's bedroom——

Tenshoin dismissed the outsiders so that he could be alone with Tokugawa Iemochi who had just arrived.

"Jia Mao, you seem very happy?"

Tenshoin stroked the calico cat on his lap and said with a smile to Tokugawa Iemochi who was standing opposite him.

"Mother, aren't you asking this even though you already know the answer?"

Tokugawa Iemochi smiled helplessly.

"If I must say, mother, you are also very happy, aren't you?"

Tian Zhangyuan smiled softly with his hands covering his lips, but did not deny it.

After a while, he half-jokingly said to Tokugawa Iemochi:

"Jia Mao, Sheng Qing has once again made an indelible contribution. You can't treat him unfairly."

  Tokugawa Iemo smiled slightly:

"It's natural!"

"Mother, to be honest, I have already decided what kind of reward I want to give to Tachibana-kun."

As he spoke, he took out the map of Japan that he had brought with him when he went out just now and spread it out in front of Tenshoin's knees.

"I plan to give this land to Ju Jun. What do you think?"

As he spoke, he pointed to a place on the map.

Tenshoin looked in the direction that Tokugawa Iemochi's finger was pointing - in an instant, her beautiful eyes widened in surprise, and her pretty little mouth opened into an "O" shape.

"Jia Mao, are you planning to give this land to Sheng Qing?"

Tokugawa Iemochi nodded seriously.

"That's right, I have made up my mind and I will never change it!"

Tian Zhangyuan blinked hard a few times, and then murmured with a complicated expression:

"Iemochi...you are going to give half of the shogunate's arm to Shengqing..."

  *******

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This chapter is about a famous event in Japanese history: [The Fall of the Seven Lords]. In fact, the Choshu Army and the Kaisatsu Allied Forces did not fight at all. After the Kaisatsu Allied Forces blocked the Imperial Palace, the Choshu Army simply admitted defeat and quickly rolled back to Choshu.