I formed the strongest swordsman group

Changshu's wanton behavior has long made the emperor very unhappy.

The act of raising troops to attack Kyoto on the grounds of "protecting the imperial court" brought the emperor's dislike of Choshu to its peak.

On the contrary, he naturally has a good impression of Qingden who protects Kyoto from being ravaged.

It is reported that when the imperial court was discussing what kind of reward should be given to Qingnobo, the ministers originally only wanted to award the official position of "Sakyo Dafu to the top four".

Finally, at the strong request of the emperor, it was changed to "from the three Sakonoe generals".

General Sakonoe is the highest officer of the Konoe Mansion.

The Konoe Mansion is divided into two divisions, the left and right, to protect the emperor. They also serve as personal soldiers when the emperor is in good fortune. They are the departments that guard the inside of the palace. The highest officers are the Sakonoe Admiral and the Right Konoe Admiral.

General is a very important official position and is extremely difficult to hold.

The emperor actually awarded such a significant position to Qingnobo... It is evident that he valued Qingnobo.

From now on, Qingden will have another honorific title - General Juju or General Qinjin!

While Matsudaira Yoshiho was granted the title of Imperial Guard, he also became an official of Lieutenant General Sakon Guard Quan, so people often refer to Matsudaira Yoshiho as "Lieutenant General Aizu".

Of course, the imperial court's reward has no practical purpose other than making your name more famous.

General Sakonoe is still an honorary title.

There is not a single soldier under the imperial court, and even if he becomes the highest officer of the Guards House, he is still a mere commander.

Comparatively speaking, the shogunate's reward to Qingnobo is the biggest one!

Tokugawa Iemo gave an additional 100,000 territory to Aoshito - this was not unexpected.

For those who have made great achievements, they should be rewarded with money and land. This is the custom of the feudal system.

However, it is worth mentioning that the lands newly granted to Qingnobu by Tokugawa Iemo are all good lands adjacent to Qinjin Domain, and are not remote enclaves or bad lands with poor resources.

In this way, he gave almost all the shogunate's heavenly territories in Gyeonggi to Qingteng!

[Note: Tianling: the territory directly under the shogunate]

For this reason, many ministers expressed strong opposition.

If the territory of Gyeonggi is given to General Qinjin, won't the influence of our shogunate in Gyeonggi be greatly reduced? In time, will we still have our shogunate in Gyeonggi?

However, in the face of these people's doubts, Tokugawa Iemo had only one attitude: completely ignore them.

Without the constraints of the "Ichitsubashi Sect" and the external support of two capable men, Aoto and Katsurintaro, Tokugawa Iemo's current backbone is not as strong as usual.

No matter how many people objected, no matter how reasonable the doubts raised by these people were, Tokugawa Iemoji would not change his mind.

If "expanding territory" was still expected by everyone, then "promoting Qingdeng to the position of Army President" really shocked the world.

President of the Army and President of the Navy...the highest position in the Shogunate Army and the highest position in the Shogunate Navy! It can be directly understood as "field marshal" and "naval marshal"!

They are all newly-established official positions recently created by Tokugawa Iemo. They are not controlled by anyone and directly take orders from the general.

While establishing these two new positions, Tokugawa Iemo also made a series of reforms.

Among them, the most significant reform is the abolition of the previous system in which the Army organized veterans to take turns on duty.

Although Tokugawa Iemoga gave the reason for setting up new positions and eradicating political malfeasance by "imitating the Western military system", to outsiders, this looks like creating positions based on people!

Just like back then, Li Shimin had no reward for his unparalleled achievements, so the new position of "Tiance General" was created to confer it on him.

Today's Qingdeng is almost in the same situation. He has made too many meritorious deeds and has basically reached the peak of being a courtier. Therefore, a new position of "Army President" was created to reward him specifically.

Of course, these are outsiders' speculations.

What Tokugawa Iemo thinks is probably only known to him.

Although everyone was shocked by Qingdeng's further promotion, everyone said that their emotions were stable and understandable.

After all, Qingdeng's military exploits were real.

With such incomparable military achievements, no one would dare to say "Ju Qingden is not qualified to take on this important task."

What's more, no one who is short-sighted would dare to run into Qingdeng's bad luck at this time when it is at its peak.

In contrast, Rintaro Katsu was promoted to Navy President in one fell swoop, which caused great controversy.

Since the establishment of the navy, Katsurin Taro, who is familiar with naval affairs, has been holding important positions in the navy.

A few years ago, he was appointed as a warship commander (responsible for the purchase, construction of warships and training of warship technology), and built and operated a naval training center in Kobe, fully responsible for the construction of the shogunate navy.

It is no exaggeration to say that Katsurin Taro is actually the "Father of the Shogunate Navy."

He is essentially the number one man in the navy, he just lacks a name.

Tokugawa Iemo just helped him fill a well-deserved official position, and there was nothing wrong with it.

However, his decision still aroused fierce opposition from countless ministers.

"Katsurin Taro has not made as great a contribution as General Qin Jin, so why should he be promoted to a higher rank?"

After Tokugawa Iemo quietly listened to the objections of the ministers, his expression was calm and unflustered.

Then, he stopped with just one sentence:

"In that case, everyone, I would like to hear your opinions. Apart from Katsurin Taro, who else in the civil and military circles is qualified for the position of 'President of the Navy'?"

"..."

A moment of silence.

Bai Shuyuan, which was making a lot of noise just now, now has nothing to show for it.

[Note: Hakushoin: an important room in Edo Castle. The general usually issues orders to the outside world from this room. 】

How can a "house full of rubbish" who is used to being a moth and can't do anything except kicking a ball very well have the ability to build a navy?

Even people who hate Rintaro Katsu have to admit that Rintaro Katsu holds an irreplaceable position in the shogunate.

In this way, despite the somewhat tortuous process, Katsurin Taro was successfully appointed as Navy President.

At this point, Tokugawa Iemo's two closest confidants - Aoto and Katsurin Taro - both stood at the top of the shogunate's army and navy!

The President of the Army, the Governor of the Gyeonggi Province, and the Eight Princes all share the same heart - holding these three positions, Seito has become the well-deserved number one person in the Shogunate's Army!

The so-called supreme minister is nothing more than this.

It is worth mentioning that while Aoshinobu's status was rising rapidly, Tokugawa Iemo's power also continued to skyrocket.

Tokugawa Iemo is Aoto's background, but from another perspective, Aotomo is also Tokugawa Iemo's background.

With the help of Tenzouin inside and the support of Aoden and Katsurintaro outside, today's Tokugawa Iemoge is no longer the weak-minded Kyon-kun of the past.

In fact, anyone who is interested can see at a glance: A considerable part of the reason why Tokugawa Iemo promoted Aoshinobu to Army President was to prepare for the subsequent "Choshu Expedition".

Not long after the Summer Battle in Kyoto ended, Tokugawa Iemo immediately wrote a long article criticizing Choshu's injustice, and many people responded.

There is no doubt that this is Tokugawa Iemo's efforts to build momentum for the subsequent "Changshu Conquest"!

How could the command of such a huge battle be left to outsiders?

Therefore, no matter from which point of view, Qingdeng is the best person to coordinate the "Changzhou Expedition"!

Let Qingdeng have an official position that matches the status of "Commander-in-Chief of the Changzhou Expedition" in advance, so that he can mobilize troops and give orders to the generals, which will naturally be beneficial and harmless.

The battle was over and the reward was obtained... At this point, these two battles (Battle of Ikedaya and Kyoto Summer Formation) that directly affected the direction of history have finally come to an end.

By the way, Toshizo Hijikata, Isamu Kondo and others who made many achievements in these two battles also received the rewards they deserved.

Kondo Isamu's heroic feat of leading Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Inoue Genzaburo to attack Ikedaya was favored by many storytellers. The Battle of Ikedaya was quickly adapted into storytelling and was widely sung in Kyoto.

After learning that their lord had been promoted again, the Qinjin clan was filled with joy, and many people even spontaneously held celebrations to congratulate Qingden.

Since being granted the title of Dajin, Qingdeng has implemented benevolent policies, cherished the people's strength, and never used his status to commit stupid or cruel acts, so he was deeply loved by the people of Qinjin.

He treated the common people with courtesy, and the latter would naturally repay Qingdeng in their own way.

After seeing Aoden getting better and better and his status becoming more and more noble, those who hated the shogunate and Aoto naturally gritted their teeth and were filled with resentment but could do nothing.

As a last resort, they can only use funny little tricks to relieve their resentment.

Following the "Qin demon", "Hui traitor" and "Sa thief", the patriots of Changzhou wrote Qingdeng's name on the soles of their shoes one after another, and deliberately stepped on the ground harder when walking, which meant "to bring the orange Qingdeng to the ground". Trample them hard under your feet.”

…

…

The first year of Yuanzhi (1864), September 30——

Qinjin Fan, Otsu, Judi, Qingden’s frequented courtyard——

After taking a sip of tea, Aoto seemed to have thought of something. His eyes widened suddenly, he put down the tea cup, clapped his palms lightly, and looked at Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isamu and Shannan Keisuke beside him.

"Ah, I thought about it! I named my son 'Tachibana General' and my daughter 'Tangerine Mozi'. What do you think?"

Kondo Isamu tilted his head:

"Mozi...this is a pretty good girl's name. It's very catchy when pronounced."

Hijikata Toshizo took over the conversation:

"Is this a male name too old-fashioned?"

Shannan Keisuke added:

"Sounds like the name of a military commander from the Heian period."

Aoto, Toshizo Hijikata, Isamu Kondo, and Keisuke Yamanan sat side by side on the verandah, admiring the scenery of the courtyard, drinking tea, and chatting.

The four highest-ranking people in the Shinsengumi gathered together... If someone who didn't know about it met, they might think they were talking about something important.

In fact, they were just having a normal chat.

The recent official duties have not been so heavy, so Qingdeng invited the three of them to drink tea and chat for a long time, that's all.

Although today's tea party was just a simple gathering, mainly for leisure, but after the few of them got together, they couldn't help but talk about serious matters.

Slowly, and I don’t know who started it, the four people who had been discussing “What should Qingdeng’s child be named” suddenly started talking about the Zunhuang sect.

"After this battle, the Zunbang faction has been exhausted. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Phew..."

Kondo Isamu said and made a vivid gesture of "taking a long breath".

"Well, yeah."

Shannan Keisuke echoed and nodded in agreement.

The Battle of Ikedaya resulted in the loss of important cadres such as Miyabe Daizo and Yoshida Noma.

Kyoto Summer Formation lost a large number of core members such as Kurushima Matabei, Maki Izumi, and even its leader Gensui Kusaka joined in.

The two close battles caused heavy casualties to the backbone of the Zunbang faction.

With such a tragic situation, anyone would feel that the current Zunbang Sect is in the sunset and its defeat is imminent.

At this time, Qingdeng beside him suddenly said:

"...'A blessing in disguise, a blessing in disguise'"

The sudden speech attracted the attention of Isamu Kondo and others.

Facing everyone's gaze, Qingdeng took a sip of tea and said slowly:

"Although many key members have been lost, this is still a valuable opportunity for Changzhou."

"Isn't there such a joke?"

"One day, war broke out on the country's borders."

"The general went to the front lines to inspect the troops to boost morale."

“He asked one of the sentries at the front: ‘How is it going?’.”

"The sentry replied, 'There is an enemy archer outside the camp. His archery skills are terrible. He has been shooting for several days without hitting anyone.'"

"The general asked: 'In that case, why not kill him?'"

"The sentry replied: 'Isn't this bad? Do you want them to replace them with an archer who can shoot accurately?'"

"Changzhou in the past was like this archer who couldn't shoot accurately."

"To be honest, I would rather see radicals such as Gensui Kusaka continue to hold real power in Choshu."

"Because they are stupid and always do stupid things, so it makes me feel reassured."

"Look, just because of their short-sightedness and recklessness, Changzhou's military strength, people's support, and prestige were completely destroyed."

"The killings of Hisaka Genrui and others will not necessarily lead to the demise of the Zunhuo sect, but it will definitely make the radical elements in the Zunhuo sect no longer have a foothold."

"From now on, the radical faction in the Choshu Domain will no longer have a chance to speak out, and the moderate faction led by Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro will take their place."

"If anyone else puts forward unrealistic and radical ideas, they will be drowned in a sea of ​​spittle."

"In other words, Changzhou will no longer be crazy and transform into a normal and sane country in the future."

"That's never a good thing for us."

"All in all, we must not be careless."

As soon as Qingto finished speaking, Hijikata Toshisan took over:

"Tachibana is right, I think the same thing."

"Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro are not ordinary people."

"Under their governance, whether Changzhou will sink or rise from the ashes depends on their next destiny."

After finishing speaking, Hijikata Suisan picked up the tea cup and drank it all in one gulp.

He raised his eyebrows abruptly, and immediately cast a doubtful look at Shannan Keisuke:

"Huh? Shannan, what's wrong with you? Why do you look constipated?"

Shannan Keisuke, who was suddenly called out, was stunned and smiled bitterly:

"I'm not constipated, I'm just...thinking about some issues."

He paused for a moment, then looked up at the sky, with a hint of melancholy covering his cheeks.

"...Recently, I have been handling the pension work for fallen soldiers."

"Perhaps I am sentimental. Looking at the corpses being collected and buried one by one, I can't help but feel a little doubtful."

"In the sixth year of Jiayong (1853), the black ship attacked."

"Since then, assassinations, armed fights, and wars...as far as the eye can see, there is blood and fire."

"If this is the only way to peace and happiness, then so be it."

"But...it has been so many years, there have been countless casualties, and for such huge sacrifices, has there been any reward?"

Having said this, Shannan Keisuke paused, as if to collect his emotions.

About 5 seconds later, a confused voice came out faintly:

"After shedding so much blood, you should get something of equal value, right?"

Shannan Keisuke finished speaking.

There was a brief silence all around.

Isamu Kondo blinked.

Hijikata Toshizo pursed his lips.

Serious questions create a dignified atmosphere.

However, the silence is only temporary.

After only a moment, Qingdeng broke the silence.

"...It is precisely because we defeated the Changshu Army that the people of Kyoto survived; it is precisely because we are stationed here that the people of Dajin can live and work in peace and contentment."

"For me, that's a big enough reward."

“I dare not pursue ‘equal value’, but I will pursue ‘worth it’ with all my strength!”

"As long as there are enemies who should be destroyed, and as long as there are people who should be protected, I will continue to hold the sword in my hand!"

At the end of his words, Qing Deng raised his voice and sounded sonorous and powerful.

Kill the enemy who should be killed, protect the person who should be protected - after the battle with Prajna, Qingden has become more firm in this belief and will never change it.

After hearing this, Shannan Keisuke burst into laughter at first, and then his smile gradually subsided, turning into a strange expression that was half a smile but not a smile.

He raised his head and continued to look at the sky, thinking about something.

…

…

A large number of people working under the auspices are thinking optimistically: The complete elimination of the Zunbang sect is close at hand!

The soldiers of the Shinsengumi happily thought: With the "Nioh" Tachibana Aoden here, no matter what kind of enemy they face next, they will definitely win a great victory!

The patriots in Changzhou thought angrily: Just let your horses come over! Our Changzhou will never perish!

The vast majority of the people thought in frustration: You warriors can fight however you like, and just don't harass poor people like us.

All kinds of thoughts.

There is only one thing that everyone in the world is sure of today - the old war is over, but a new war is brewing.

The storm is coming!

…

…

Osaka, an unknown mountain in the suburbs——

It was early morning, and the faint morning light was flowing through the woods.

It was just dawn, the temperature was very low, and the fog of varying thicknesses was floating in the mountains.

Logically speaking, there should be no one here at this time and place.

However, at this moment, an old man appeared on the mountainside.

Although his face was pale and sick, he still stood straight, facing a towering tree.

This old man was not someone else, but Mr. Kiryu.

Right in front of him, near the roots of the tree, there was a simple tombstone.

On the tombstone was engraved a simple line of words: The Tomb of Nobuo Yamada Asaemon Katsumi Nobuo.

Nobuo is Katsumi's real name.

Long ago, the master and apprentice who went out to catch cicadas took a short rest under this big tree.

The tired apprentice hugged the bamboo cage that held the cicadas tightly, leaned on the master's shoulder, and fell asleep.

When thinking about where to bury Katsumi, the first place Mr. Kiryu thought of was this big tree.

Kiryu boss stood quietly, looking at the tombstone calmly.

Next to him, a middle-aged man stood quietly, waiting silently.

After a while, Kiryu boss said:

"Ogata-kun, you not only lent a hand when Tachibana-kun and I both fainted, but also helped me to collect Katsumi's body. I really don't know how to thank you."

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