I formed the strongest swordsman group

The 11th Squadron is a brand new unit.

The unit number is new, and the members are all new faces, and there are few old people.

Even the captain and the deputy captain are new recruits who have just joined the army.

Unlike the infantry and cavalry units that work miracles with great strength, the artillery is a technical branch of the army.

Relying on the power of the spirit or just brute force will not work with a cannon.

If you want the cannon to fire quickly and accurately, a deep mathematical foundation is indispensable.

The angle of the muzzle, the arc of the cannonball in the air... these are all knowledge.

In order to study cannons, the Western mathematical community has even derived an independent discipline called "ballistics".

After intensive preparations, Qingdeng launched a selection across the army to select good seedlings suitable for being artillery.

The selection method is very simple, that is, to let the soldiers take papers to test their mathematical ability and talent.

With the help of two gunners instructors, Asai Moriyasu and Shimada Kanichi, a batch of math papers were successfully produced and distributed to all soldiers.

The final test results were as Qing Deng expected - very tragic!

The long-standing educational thought of "focusing on literature and neglecting science" has made the people generally lack math ability.

Even the children of famous families with strong educational resources rarely get in touch with math.

After a test, the math ability of the soldiers can be said to be extremely poor, there is no worst, only worse!

If a math teacher saw their papers, his blood pressure would instantly rise.

Not to mention complex formulas, there are countless people who can't even figure out "13+19 equals how many" - the reason why they can't figure it out is that the numbers in this formula have exceeded the sum of fingers and toes.

In comparison, Souji's math ability is not the worst!

After a long and difficult selection, 200 people with decent math ability were finally selected from 6,000 soldiers.

In this way, although the process was tortuous and difficult, the framework of the 11th Division was finally set up.

It is no exaggeration to say that the soldiers of the 11th Division are all carefully selected treasures!

Not only do they have abundant physical strength, but they are also proficient in mathematics.

Of course, the "proficiency" here is compared to other people who can't even do addition and subtraction within three digits.

Although this "artillery selection" is like panning for gold in a sea of ​​shit, Qing Deng really took out a piece of yellow gold - one person stood out, and he almost got the whole paper right!

His name is "Abe Juro", a farmer, and his hometown is in Dewa Province in the northeast.

Not only is he a farmer, but he is also from the northeast... According to Kyoto people, this is a country bumpkin among country bumpkins.

Before the "artillery selection" started, Abe Juro was just an ordinary soldier in the Shinsengumi, and there was nothing outstanding about him.

He is not tall, has dark skin, and is neither fat nor thin. At first glance, he looks like an ordinary person.

He barely passed the conscription test with his excellent physical fitness.

However, it was this unknown person who won the first prize in the "artillery selection".

After the selection, Qing Deng, who was surprised by his results, immediately called him to his side and asked him questions in person.

According to him, he had learned arithmetic for half a year from an old man who could use an abacus at the entrance of the village.

After only learning arithmetic for half a year, he could answer the entire test paper correctly... Asai Shengyan and Shimada Kanichi were amazed.

In order to further test his mathematical talent, Qing Deng specially sent Elodie, who was the best at mathematics under his command, and ordered her to try to test this person.

In the end, after the test, Elodie gave a high evaluation-this person has a high mathematical talent! Very flexible mind, very good at mental arithmetic!

Since Elodie, Asai Moriyasu and Shimada Kanichi all praised this man, is there any need to hesitate?

A real piece of gold was actually found in the sea of ​​shit... Qing Deng was surprised and firmly remembered the name "Abe Juro" and set him as a key training target.

After the 11th Division was officially established, the first training the soldiers had to receive was to seriously study "ballistics".

It was still too early to touch the guns and practice.

In order to teach "ballistics", Asai Moriyasu and Shimada Kanichi, who were gun instructors and graduated from the Berlin Military Academy, specially opened a "crash course in artillery".

Abe Juro lived up to expectations and shined in the classroom.

It took him only 2 months to pass all the exams and graduated successfully.

After entering the practical stage, he once again surpassed the others.

With the skills learned in the "artillery crash course" and his innate mental arithmetic ability, whenever he fired a cannon, he only needed to glance at the target's position to quickly calculate the best artillery attack.

Compared with other comrades, his artillery skills have reached a level far beyond the others.

Therefore, not long ago, Qing Deng promoted him to the captain of the 11th Division.

From a farmer in the northeast, he jumped to the head of the first team... This is another example of the best proof of the "Shinsen Dream" that as long as you work hard in the Shinsengumi, you can rise to prominence.

After Hijikata Toshizo, Abe Juro became a new role model for all the Shinsengumi soldiers.

As long as you have talent, Lord Nioh will not treat us unfairly!

The artillery is worthy of being the "God of War". Whether it is the power or the price, Qing Deng felt his mouth twitching.

With the help of Huluwu, Qing Deng successfully got in touch with the arms dealer named "John".

At the beginning of this year, through the arrangement of Huluwu, Qingdeng went to Osaka and met this person at the headquarters of Huluwu.

Wearing a top hat, a monocle on the left eye, two big mustaches under the nose, a round belly, and a cane in hand... Such a look is really too classic! It perfectly fits Qingdeng's stereotype of Western businessmen!

The other party can speak Japanese, although the accent is very heavy, but it can be barely understood.

As soon as he saw Qing Deng, he immediately showed a warm smile:

"Mr. Tachibana! I have heard of your name for a long time!"

"Mr. Tachibana! It is my honor to meet a young hero like you!"

"Mr. Tachibana! Please rest assured! Since you are the grandson-in-law of Miss Kinoshita, based on my deep friendship with Miss Kinoshita, I will definitely help you with all my strength! I will never treat you unfairly!"

After saying a lot of these nice New Year greetings, when it came to the business... the purchase price of guns and cannons, he changed his face and changed to a serious and solemn expression, saying a string of numbers with both zeros and whole numbers.

It was okay for a musket, but when Qing Deng heard the price of a cannon, his eyes widened instantly.

For a moment, Qing Deng almost thought that Kinoshita Lin had found a profiteer to harm him...

Finally, after Kinoshita Lin's detailed explanation, the misunderstanding was finally resolved.

The Parrot rifled cannon is one of the most advanced cannons at present.

This cannon is currently showing its power in the American Civil War.

From a certain perspective, John is a very conscientious businessman.

He not only guarantees the sale, but also the delivery.

The United States is its main source of goods.

Once the order is placed, his private fleet will cross the entire Pacific Ocean and deliver the guns and cannons to Osaka Port.

As for the subsequent land transportation of the guns and cannons from the port to Otsu, it all depends on Qing Deng himself.

Although the current navigation technology is quite advanced, the power of nature is ultimately unstoppable by human power.

It is across the entire Pacific Ocean, and shipwrecks are common.

If there is an accident - such as a storm, the fleet suffers a devastating blow, and the ships and goods sink to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish - then all the losses will be borne by John, and Qing Deng, the buyer, does not need to worry about it.

In this way, the price given by John is indeed a conscience price.

Although the price is not low, it is far from the level that makes Qing Deng embarrassed.

With the strong financial resources that Qing Deng has now, if he is determined, he can buy more than a hundred artillery pieces at once.

However, there is a very simple truth: no matter how many artillery pieces there are, they still need enough gunners to operate them.

Qing Deng held a sea audition throughout the army, and only selected 200 soldiers who are suitable to be gunners.

Moreover, these 200 soldiers are all "quick-trained soldiers" who are forced to do so, and they still need a long time of training to gradually form combat effectiveness.

According to professionals Asai Moriyasu and Shimada Kanichi, the current 11th Division can only operate 30 artillery pieces at the same time at most, and it will be too busy if there are more.

In a nutshell: Qing Deng does not need to buy too many artillery pieces now.

If too many are bought, regardless of whether they can be used or not, the storage fee alone is a considerable expense.

Therefore, based on the current situation of the Shinsengumi, Qing Deng carefully considered and placed an order for "80 Parrot rifled guns" to John.

30 of them were put into the front line, and the other 50 were kept in the rear as backup.

30 cannons... Although the number is not large, in Japan, which is still in the stage of "chicken pecking each other", such a large-scale artillery group is enough to form a suppressive effect on the battlefield!

…

…

"Quick! Quick! Don't dawdle! Lord Niou is watching us! Don't let him down!"

At this moment, under the command of Abe Juro, the cannons finally arrived at the designated shooting positions one after another.

Abe Juro took off the telescope on his waist, stretched the tube, and looked at the target in the distance.

In a moment, he saw his lips opening and closing, and uttered a series of precise commands.

"Fire the reference gun, target right in front, 25 to the right, 10 up, distance 520."

As soon as he finished speaking, a strong man standing beside him repeated loudly:

"Fire the reference gun! Target right in front! 25 to the right! 10 up! Distance 520!"

Then, like an echo in the valley, the soldiers around opened their mouths and passed the order down one level at a time-

"Fire the reference gun!"

"Target right in front!"

"25 to the right!"

"10 up!"

"Distance 520!"

The sound of turning the muzzle overwhelmed the rapid breathing that filled the scene.

After receiving the order to "fire the reference gun", a gun group not far away quickly took action.

They moved the muzzle swiftly.

After a while, they adjusted the firing parameters, then half-crouched on the ground, waiting for the next order.

Abe Juro: "Fire."

Strong man: "Fire!"

In an instant, a shell broke through the wind! Draw a beautiful arc in the air!

When the shell landed, accompanied by a thunderous sound, a bright flower of fire ignited.

Abe Juro raised the telescope in his hand again, observing the landing point of the shell, and issued a new order loudly:

"Directly in front of the target, 28 to the right, 9 up, 500 distance, one round to load."

The strong man beside him loudly repeated it word for word:

"Attention, all guns! Target right in front! Right 28! Up 9! Distance 500! One shot to reload!"

Then, there was another "echo in the valley" scene-

"Attention, all guns!"

"Target right in front!"

"Right 28!"

"Up 9!"

"Distance 500!"

"One shot to reload!"

This time, it was no longer a certain gun crew that was in action, but all gun crews were following orders and adjusting the muzzles!

After seeing that all the gun crews were ready, Abe Juro nodded to the sturdy man beside him.

The sturdy man immediately drew the saber from his waist and raised it above his head.

"Ready--"

The gunners of each gun crew squatted down, tensed their nerves, and were ready to fire.

Abe Juro waved his hand.

The sturdy man took a deep breath and chopped down his knife.

"Fire!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The volley of artillery roared! The ground was shaking! The distant command platform was shaking! Everything was shaking!

On the command platform, except for Qing Deng, Asai Sheng'an, Shimada Kanichi and a few others, everyone had an expression of inexplicable horror! Their eyes were fixed on the mighty artillery group!

One ball of light rose high, one silver and red circle after another, these shells were like meteors, and after reaching the highest point, they roared and fell, hitting the target without bias!

In a flash, the targets were torn apart by the explosion, engulfed by the flames, and turned into powder.

Due to the thick smoke and heavy fog of the cannons, the air became spicy and pungent.

The surging heat wave was transmitted back like a wave, making people feel hot on their faces.

Abe Juro frowned slightly, and while enduring the discomfort, he raised the telescope in his hand for the third time to observe the target and the effect of the artillery.

"The target is directly in front of us, 31 to the right, 8 up, 480 away."

The following process needs no elaboration.

Delivering instructions, repeating instructions, adjusting the firing parameters, firing... the roaring barrage completely wiped out the "remaining enemies".

From Abe Juro, the commander, to ordinary soldiers, all their actions followed the established regulations.

The commander observed the target and issued instructions; the soldiers had to repeat the instructions loudly after hearing them; who was responsible for adjusting the firing parameters; who was responsible for loading the shells; who was responsible for firing; who was responsible for cleaning the barrel...

Everyone did their job, and everything was so orderly and there was no chaos.

The whole team was like a precise machine, operating according to the designed procedures, and never making unnecessary moves - and this is exactly the quality that artillerymen should have!

Technical arms like musketeers and artillerymen must pay close attention to details, divide the combat process into extremely fine and rigorous parts, and realize systematization, so as to maximize efficiency while taking into account safety.

The strong man who always stood beside Abe Juro and repeated Abe Juro's words loudly, like Abe Juro's mouthpiece, was named "Nomura Risaburo".

He was the vice-captain of the 11th Division, born in the first year of the Koka era (1844), 20 years old this year, and a new recruit who had signed up for the "big conscription" at the beginning of this year and had just joined the army not long ago.

In terms of mathematical ability alone, his level was not particularly good.

The reason why he was favored by Qing Deng and became the vice-captain of the 11th Division was because Qing Deng was impressed by his extraordinary courage.

Perhaps because he was born in a farming family and had physical defects, Abe Juro always felt an indelible sense of inferiority when facing those tall and mighty samurai.

Therefore, whenever he was in a critical moment of commanding the troops, Abe Juro often seemed a little weak and could not suppress the arrogant soldiers under his command.

After all, the "class discrimination" that had accumulated for nearly a thousand years would not be eliminated so easily by Qing Deng's words or an order.

Abe Juro was just a farmer, but he was above all the samurai... It was inevitable that some people would feel unhappy.

Compared with Abe Juro, Nomura Risaburo was simply the opposite.

He was the younger brother of a serious samurai family, with a strong physique and outstanding skills. Just standing there, his majestic figure like an iron tower was enough to scare the rats.

Before being transferred to the 11th Division, he was a soldier in the 2nd Division. Because of his loud voice, brave and heroic character, and courage, he was quite appreciated by Nagakura Shinpachi, who was also a reckless man.

What is more commendable is that he acted decisively, rarely lost his mind, and had a very firm will.

In summary, he and Abe Juro, the former is decisive and the latter is good at planning.

Qing Deng believes that letting Nomura Risaburo, who is daring and has no "class discrimination", serve as Abe Juro's adjutant will definitely achieve an excellent complementary effect.

Facts have proved that Qing Deng's idea is correct.

After Nomura Risaburo took office, he immediately brought a lot of changes to the 11th Division.

I don't know if it's due to genes or something else. Although the soldiers of the 11th Division are good at mathematics, they are generally thin and have nothing to do with the word "strong", and there are almost no strong men.

Therefore, when Nomura Risaburo was transferred to the 11th Division, it was like a wolf entering a tiger pack.

With his strong body and the reputation of bravery and courage accumulated before, no one in the 11th Division dared to go against Nomura Risaburo.

He never felt a gap in his heart because of Abe Juro's identity as a farmer. He always loyally supported Abe Juro and assisted him wholeheartedly.

Whenever Nomura Risaburo stood next to Abe Juro, he became the other party's strongest support.

If a soldier is dissatisfied with Abe Juro's command, he only needs to glance at him, and the other party will shut up instantly and dare not say anything more.

Abe Juro is responsible for calculating the parameters of the artillery fire.

Nomura Risaburo is responsible for the on-site command.

The division of labor is clear and orderly.

From the results, they are indeed a golden pair, and their cooperation has achieved the perfect effect of "1+1\u003e2"!

……

……

With the example of the artillery team, the performance of the musketeers seems very inconspicuous.

No matter how fast and loud the muskets are fired, can their visual impact be better than that of cannons?

Indeed, the performance of the musketeers is still very eye-catching.

After half a year of hard training, the current 6th and 8th squads are no longer the half-baked teams that took a long time to load ammunition.

Under the orderly command of Inoue Genzaburo and Fujido Heisuke, the soldiers of the 6th and 8th squads lined up in neat rows and moved forward slowly, like a solid wall.

"Raise your guns--"

As soon as the order was given, the sound of "clicks" and "clicks" rang out.

"Aim--"

The gun was suddenly laid flat, causing the sound of "clicks" and "clicks" to ring out again.

"Fire!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The muzzle ejected flames.

The dense and terrifying barrage of bullets whistled through the atmosphere, smashing the targets in the distance into pieces.

Even from a long distance, one could feel the indescribable sense of oppression!

Although the hit rate was still not commendable due to the limitations of the equipment, but... as long as one took a look in person, one could feel from the bottom of one's heart: the hit rate was no longer important.

Even the most elite troops would find it difficult to maintain morale under such a terrifying barrage of bullets!

...

Today's entire martial arts performance lasted about an hour.

When the martial arts performance was over, the generals returned to the stage for selecting generals.

Looking up, everyone's facial expressions were very strange. No one said anything. There was silence, so that the scene was filled with an indescribable atmosphere.

The reason was simple - whether it was old men like Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi, or new recruits like Nakazawa Koto and Soma Shukei who had just joined the army, they were all shocked by the scenes and effects of the martial arts performance!

Everyone knew that today's martial arts performance was not only a test of the training results of the recruits, but also a big survey of the current combat power of the Shinsengumi, so as to prepare for the "Choshu Expedition" in the near future.

Therefore, everyone was determined to show their edge in today's martial arts performance.

The overwhelming momentum of the infantry, the unstoppable momentum of the cavalry, the overwhelming power of the musketeers, the overwhelming power of the artillery... All these scenes were like a hammer hitting everyone's heart!

Especially the overwhelming destructive power displayed by the gunners was even more amazing.

Coincidentally, everyone had the same idea: So our Shinsengumi... is already so strong? !

At this point, the backward idea of ​​"firearms are useless" has completely disappeared in the Shinsengumi.

After all... anyone with a normal mind and a conscience would not dare to say such nonsense as "as long as you show the spirit of a samurai, you can defeat guns and cannons" after witnessing the terrifying power of guns and cannons.

"Everyone, you performed very well today, I am very satisfied!"

Qing Deng's sudden voice attracted the attention of the generals.

The generals looked up and saw Qing Deng with a calm smile on his face and a gentle expression.

"To be honest, your performance today far exceeded my expectations, and I am very happy."

After hearing the words "I am very happy", some people such as Yoshimura Kanichiro and Abe Juro showed excited expressions, as if they had received a great reward.

They all came from the lower class, and thanks to Qing Deng's appreciation, they were able to have their current high positions.

In this way, it is impossible to understand their gratitude and respect for Qing Deng.

Qing Deng's voice continued:

"I believe you have heard more or less now? The 'Choshu Expedition' is imminent, and our Shinsengumi will fight as the vanguard!"

"Achievements are just around the corner!"

"I hope you will continue to work hard! Don't slack off!"

"Maintain the current morale and further improve the combat power!"

"When we conquer Choshu, we will write our names in the history with overwhelming and absolute military exploits!"

Simple but effective encouragement-the cheeks of the generals gradually became passionate.

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, a huge "Yes!" immediately surrounded him.

In fact, after watching today's military performance, Qing Deng also felt a surge of emotion.

What he said just now was all true, not a lie.

The current combat power of the Shinsengumi is indeed far beyond his expectations.

In addition to being shocked, he was very excited.

Qing Deng is not a butcher.

To be frank, he is not keen on war.

He has personally experienced several wars and witnessed the cruelty of war - anyone with a conscience would not easily mention the word "war" after seeing the scene of corpses everywhere and the stench of corpses.

But... after watching today's martial arts performance, although Qing Deng is still cautious about "war", he can't help but look forward to the "Changzhou Expedition" in half a year.

He can't wait to start the war quickly, so that the people of Changzhou can see it, and the people of the world can see it.

Look how capable their Shinsengumi are!

At this thought, Qingden felt his heart beat a few more times in his chest.

…

Now that the martial arts performance is over, there is no reason for the generals to get together anymore.

Qingdeng waved his hand and ordered to disperse.

When the generals retreated -

"Eh?! Who are you?!"

This time, it was Nakazawa Qin’s voice.

"It's me. Deputy Captain of Division 9, Yamazaki Hao."

"Yamazaki... Hao... Oh, yes... you are Yamazaki Hao... I'm sorry, I..."

Before Nakazawa Qin finished speaking, Yamazaki Hao answered consciously:

"It doesn't matter, it's my own problem. It's because I look too inconspicuous."

Regarding this small episode, the generals glanced at it and then continued to do what they were supposed to do - anyway, they were quite used to it and didn't notice anything different.

Leopard Leopard has been working really hard recently! Look, today is another big chapter of nearly 7,000 words! For the sake of Leopard’s hard work, please be sure to vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: If this book is destined to be turned into a comic book, then I have already thought about how to express Yamazaki Hao - never show his front face, and always only draw his back.