I formed the strongest swordsman group

October 9, 1864 -

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, Tachibana Residence, Qing Deng's office -

After his health was no longer serious, Qing Deng returned to work.

At this moment, he was buried in his desk, holding a letter in his hand, studying it attentively, with a serious expression.

This letter was written by Tokugawa Iemochi and was just delivered to Qing Deng.

In recent days, the two have exchanged letters very frequently, and messengers have been running between Edo and Otsu almost every day.

If someone saw the specific content of these letters between the two of them, they would be shocked.

Each letter discussed the same thing: reforming the military system of the shogunate!

Shortly after Qing Deng was officially demoted to "Army President", he received a secret letter from Tokugawa Iemochi.

This letter is very long, and if you condense it, it has one content: Hachiman Ki of the Hatamoto is not worthy of reuse! Reforming the current military system is imminent!

Hachiman Ki of the Hatamoto - the core military force of the Edo Shogunate.

This sentence certainly does not mean that the Edo shogunate had 80,000 hatamoto, and even if the entire shogunate was sold, it would not be able to support so many hatamoto.

After the shogunate issued a general mobilization order, the hatamoto and the samurai were obliged to send their retainers to participate in the war.

Back then, when Qing Deng was still a samurai of Baigeku Jialu, his only retainer was the old servant Kyubei.

If the shogunate issued a general mobilization order, not only would Qing Deng have to go to the battlefield, but Kyubei would also have to follow.

The hatamoto, samurai, and their retainers could gather a total of 80,000 troops, which is the origin of "80,000 hatamoto riders".

The hatamoto and samurai were combat soldiers who undertook specific combat tasks.

Their retainers were auxiliary soldiers, responsible for logistics work such as transporting food, digging trenches, and repairing fortifications.

In the feudal era, this system was still advanced.

There were both full-time professional samurai and decent auxiliary soldiers.

With this system, the Edo Shogunate, which had 80,000 troops, made all the feudal lords in the world dare not disobey.

However, times have changed.

The 80,000 hatamoto cavalry can no longer adapt to the current situation.

Moreover, the corruption of hatamoto and samurai has become a commonplace problem.

No one would think that these guys who have been hollowed out by sensual pleasures can have any combat effectiveness.

Tokugawa Iemochi's idea is very simple, that is, to learn from the model of the Shinsengumi, vigorously introduce advanced Western equipment and tactics, and form a new Western-style army.

Putting aside those grand goals, just being able to cause trouble for the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry makes Qing Deng very interested.

Once the military system is successfully reformed and a new army is formed, the status of the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry will inevitably be shaken.

Qing Deng has long been very unhappy with these wastes who are well-fed and only know how to eat, drink and have fun.

Therefore, he naturally likes to see these guys suffer.

Today, Qing Deng is already a dignified army president, controlling all the army forces of the shogunate.

If the shogunate military system is to be reformed, then it would be most appropriate for Tokugawa Iemochi to take the lead and for Aoto to be in charge of specific matters.

However... "Reform" is just two simple words, but it weighs more than a thousand pounds!

Once the military system is reformed, it means touching the cake of the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry.

There is a saying that "cutting off someone's financial resources is like killing their parents."

History has proved countless times that the cake of interest groups is not so easy to move. If you are not careful, blood will flow.

What the hatamoto and the samurai rely on is nothing more than the identity of "the core military force of the shogunate."

They could have just lived on the merits of their ancestors and waited for death.

And now, you want to deprive them of their privileged status?

As early as the rise of the Shinsengumi, they were already feeling uneasy.

It was only because Aoto's prestige was too high, and the Shinsengumi's base was in the capital, far away from the home of the hatamoto and samurai (Kanto), that the opposition was slightly smaller.

It is conceivable that when Tokugawa Iemochi announced the reform of the military system, the opposition would be as loud as a tsunami!

At that time, it was not possible to suppress it by Tokugawa Iemochi's status as a general or Qing Deng's personal prestige.

It is not an exaggeration to say that it is not impossible for one person to stand up and shout the slogan of "Kill Qing Deng and clear the court".

This matter is serious and must not be acted rashly.

Therefore, the messenger responsible for delivering the letters of the two was not an ordinary flying kick, but an elite ninja of the new Oniwaban, who would never leak any wind.

In short, if you want to reform the military system, then there are only two methods in front of Qing Deng and Tokugawa Iemochi.

First, mobilize all the troops that Qing Deng can mobilize, such as the Shinsengumi and the Hachioji Thousand People, to fight a civil war that will overturn the world! Eradicate the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry from the root and completely dig out this abscess!

The second is to cut the meat with a blunt knife, and slowly eliminate the influence of the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry in a gentle way that will not irritate the other party.

The former is definitely not advisable.

If a civil war is fought at this time, what will happen to the "Choshu Expedition"? What will happen to the imperial court that has just calmed down? What will happen to the Satsuma, Tosa, Hizen and other domains that are eyeing covetously? What about the law-killing party of Mare Isu?

Qing Deng does not think that the energy he currently has is enough to go to war with so many forces.

Besides, if the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry is destroyed, will there still be the Edo Shogunate?

The 80,000 hatamoto cavalry is the cornerstone of the Edo Shogunate's rule.

In other words, they are one of the concrete incarnations of the Edo Shogunate's ruling will.

"Eliminating the 80,000 hatamoto cavalry" is no different from "eliminating the Edo Shogunate."

What specific actions should be taken?

How can the cost of reform be minimized?

In recent days, Qing Deng and Tokugawa Iemochi have been discussing these two issues for a long time.

There are more than 20 letters exchanged between them alone. Fortunately, Japan is not big, and it is not far from Edo to Otsu, otherwise the round trip alone would kill the messenger.

As of today, they have finally reached a consensus: to use the Hachioji Thousand People's Heart and the "Kouwu Army" as pilot troops.

It is definitely unrealistic to carry out comprehensive reforms that will hurt the bones right from the start.

Therefore, we can only take it slowly.

Start the reform with one or two troops, and then slowly expand the scope, that is, cutting meat with a blunt knife and boiling frogs in warm water.

Although there will definitely be people who jump out and shout, the noise will inevitably be much smaller, and it can be completely suppressed by the prestige of Qing Deng and Tokugawa Iemochi.

The Hachioji Thousand People's Heart is a militia armed force that is half soldier and half farmer.

Because they have been farming for generations and their customs are such, they are not as corrupt as the hatamoto and the samurai. They are truly good family troops, loyal and capable, and it is the most appropriate to choose them as pilot troops.

The same is true for the "Kobu Army".

"Kobu Army" is the abbreviation of the new army of the Kobu Sho.

Long ago, the Kobu Sho formed and trained a new army with guns and cannons as the main weapons under the order of the shogunate.

Unfortunately, due to various reasons such as lack of funds and malicious attacks by the hatamoto 80,000 cavalry, the development of the "Kobu Army" was quite tortuous and experienced several reductions.

So far, its total strength is about 500 people, and it is not a real Western-style army.

If it is introduced in simple and easy-to-understand words... it is an "ancient army with advanced guns and cannons", and there is still a lot of room for reform.

In summary, it is the most appropriate choice to use these two troops as the primary targets of military reform.

Although there is no guarantee that such an approach will be effective, at the very least, when a civil war really breaks out in the future, having two more Western-style armies that are good at using guns and cannons will also increase the chances of winning.

The main content of the letter that Qing Deng is currently studying is that Tokugawa Iemochi told him: soon, resources will be allocated to the Hachioji Thousands of People and the "Kouwu Army" to strive to achieve results within three months.

After reading the letter, Qing Deng silently closed the letter, looked up at the sky, and let out a long breath, muttering:

"It's really not that easy to be the 'President of the Army'..."

Since being promoted, Qing Deng often has the following feeling: the power in his hands has not expanded, but the burden on his shoulders has increased a lot.

At this moment, the waiter's voice suddenly sounded outside the door:

"My Lord, Kyoto Director Tojo Shintaro is here!"

Qing Deng was stunned for a moment, then quickly said:

"Well, let him in."

"Yes!"

After the Kyoto Summer Campaign ended, the people who had fled to avoid the war returned to Kyoto one after another.

This was a good thing, but many bad guys took the opportunity to occupy the road and robbed the money of the people returning to the city.

Faced with such bad behavior, Qing Deng, as the governor of the capital, naturally could not remain indifferent.

Since Tojo Shintaro took office as the director of Kyoto, the security of Kyoto has been mainly left to him.

Although he knew that the other party was an undercover of the Great Salt Party, Qing Deng not only did not report him, but also reused him as always-of course, he would not be allowed to participate in certain tasks involving important secrets.

Qing Deng quickly dispatched Tojo Shintaro and ordered him to clear the bandits in the shortest possible time, and sent Niimi Nishiki, Harada Sanosuke and their 5th and 10th squads to assist.

Tojo Shintaro is indeed a reliable official.

After more than half a month of high-intensity bandit suppression, these road bandits died or escaped, and the roads around Kyoto returned to peace.

Seeing that the road bandits have been cleared, Qing Deng asked Tojo Shintaro to come over today to make a detailed work report.

Qing Deng waited silently while sitting up and tidying up his clothes.

In a moment, he heard heavy footsteps coming from far away.

Wow - the door opened, and Tojo Shintaro's fat figure came into Qing Deng's sight.

"Your Highness, long time no see."

Tojo Shintaro bowed slightly, with a faint smile on his face.

"No need to be polite, relax."

Qing Deng said and waved his hand.

Suddenly, his eyes tilted down involuntarily, staring straight at the right abdomen of Tojo Shintaro, with complex emotions flashing in his eyes.

His abnormality was only temporary.

Qing Deng quickly adjusted his eyes and expression, without any expression.

There was nothing special about Tojo Shintaro's work report.

It was just a brief statement of the results of the battle, how many bandits were killed, how many heads were chopped off, and so on.

After Qing Deng listened quietly, he cast an admiring look at the other party.

"Tojo, you have worked hard."

Tojo Shintaro hurriedly said:

"I don't deserve it."

At this time, he probably remembered something important, his face changed slightly, and he looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

His subtle expression changes were all seen by Qing Deng.

"Tojo, what's wrong? If you have anything to say, just say it."

Qing Deng's words dispelled the other party's last bit of worry.

"…Your Highness, I have something to report to you."

He put on a solemn expression and said word by word:

"I have discovered that many Kyoto citizens sympathize with Choshu."

Qing Deng was surprised when he heard this:

"Sympathize with Choshu? The citizens of Kyoto?"

Shintaro Tojo nodded vigorously and continued:

"Due to the Ansei Five-Nation Treaty, domestic goods were in short supply, prices soared, and people's lives were seriously affected. Therefore, many people in Kyoto have always expressed sympathy for the Choshu Domain, which actively resisted the foreigners."

"Recently, 'Changshu Bixi' has become popular in Inma, Kyoto City."

Qingdeng interjected:

"'Bi Xi'? What is this?"

Tojo Shintaro answered:

"'Bici' is a dialect, which means sympathy. To put it simply, when people chat, they always use euphemistic sentences to express their sympathy for Changzhou."

After Qingdeng heard this, a look of understanding suddenly appeared on his face.

The Edo shogunate strictly prohibited public criticism of politics.

However, as the saying goes, "There are policies from above and countermeasures from below."

No matter what kind of orders the shogunate issued, the people at the bottom also had many ways to deal with them.

The most typical example is, as Shintaro Tojo said just now, using various "black words" and "code words" to discuss and criticize current affairs.

"In addition to 'Changshu Hagi', a round red bean glutinous rice dumpling called 'Changshu Hagi mochi' has become popular in Inma, Kyoto City."

"'Choshu Hagi mochi' is actually a specialty of the Hagi castle town in Choshu."

"Recently, many stores in Kyoto have started selling this type of hagi mochi."

"When selling this cake, the store will specially arrange three round hagi cakes in the shape of the word 'pin', with a pair of chopsticks placed across them. It looks like the Maori family's family crest 'one moji three stars'."

"The price of this cake is uniformly set at 36 cents, which symbolizes the height of the Changzhou domain stone at 360,000 koku."

“When buying, say ‘negativeけてくれ’ (make it cheaper for me).”

“The seller will answer ‘minus けん’ (not cheap).”

"It's a classic pun."

“‘negative ける’ can either mean price reduction or failure.”

"That is to say, 'Changzhou will not fail.'"

"These people expressed their spiritual support for the Choshu Domain through hagi cakes and puns."

“In addition to Hagi mochi, ‘Choshu Katsu’ from Choshu has also become popular and has become one of the most popular dances in Kyoto right now.”

"As the name suggests, this is a dance song praising Changzhou's victory."

"It is reported that this dance started in a restaurant in Akaishi,"

"The owner was drunk and danced the 'Changzhou Sheng' while wearing a child's clothes. His wife finally stopped him, but the child died suddenly."

"The owner next door came over to ask what was going on. The owner of the restaurant said that the child died because his wife stopped him from dancing. If he didn't dance, he would get into trouble."

"Then the owner next door came home and danced the same dance. One word spread to ten, and the word 'Changzhou wins' soon spread throughout the capital."

“Even shrunk kapok produced in Choshu, which is essential for dancing, has become a hot commodity overnight.”

Speaking of this, Dongcheng paused and hesitated for a while before continuing:

"There's one more thing, I think it's better to report it to you together."

"After our army won a complete victory in the Battle of Kyoto's Summer Front, a Choshu feudal lord named Yamamononosuke committed suicide in Amagasaki and buried his body on the spot because he realized that there was no hope of escaping with the large army."

“Somehow, news suddenly spread that ‘Yamamonosuke’s graveyard has a magical effect in curing difficult and complicated diseases’, and people from the surrounding area rushed to pay homage.”

"The local lord kept the ban on him, so he ordered his subordinates to bury the body elsewhere."

"While his men were digging the grave, he suddenly became stiff and feverish and died. This frightened the lord, and he never dared to think about the cemetery again."

"This miracle has strengthened the people's faith, and there is an endless stream of people going to the local area to worship."

“The local people named this cemetery ‘Crime Tomb’ to express their sympathy and pity.”

After Shintaro Tojo finished speaking, he stood quietly, waiting for Qingto's response.

"..."

Although Qingdeng said nothing and had a calm expression, he had already cursed in his heart.

——Tsk...what the hell is this...!

——Is it possible that all these guys are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome? The more you abuse them, the happier they feel?

Stockholm Syndrome - a very classic psychological disorder. Its main manifestation is that when the victim faces an extreme threat, he will have emotional identification with the perpetrator and form a harmonious relationship.

The "Changzhou Expedition" was about to take place, and Seito mobilized a large number of elite ninjas headed by Yamazaki Hao to go to the Western Kingdom to gather information.

For this reason, Seito's intelligence network deployed in Kyoto has become much weaker. He has not received much intelligence related to Kyoto recently.

If Shintaro Tojo had not made this series of reports to him today, he would not have known that Kyoto had undergone such changes recently.

To be honest, Qingteng sincerely felt that these Kyoto citizens who sympathized with Choshu either had bad intentions or were unfortunately suffering from Stockholm syndrome and had developed emotional identification with the perpetrators.

Even if they are from other places, why do you people from Kyoto want to sympathize with Changshu?

During the Battle of Ikedaya, the radicals in Choshu planned to burn Kyoto and take advantage of the chaos to kidnap the emperor.

If Qingdeng and others hadn't crushed their conspiracy, I don't know how many people would have died that night.

In the battle of the Summer Formation in Kyoto, Changshu mobilized tens of thousands of troops and directed their troops towards Kyoto.

If Qingteng hadn't led his troops to block the Changshu Army on the outskirts of Kyoto, I don't know how serious damage this battle would have caused Kyoto.

It is obvious that Changshu never cared about the life and death of the people in Kyoto.

In order to achieve their goals, they did not hesitate to repeatedly put innocent people in dire straits.

Choshu has become so bad, but there are still so many people in Kyoto who sympathize with and respect Choshu.

This, this...

Qing Deng was speechless for a moment, and he didn't know who to scold.

Suddenly, Tojo Shintaro asked:

"Your Highness, do you want to ban these acts of supporting Choshu?"

Qing Deng waved his hand:

"No need, I'm not so petty."

"There must be someone behind these incidents who is fanning the flames."

"We can only 'relieve', not 'block'."

"Otherwise, it will play into the other party's hands."

"Then, we will be labeled as 'narrow-minded' and 'oppressing the people'."

Qing Deng narrowed his eyes, his eyes were unfriendly, his expression was solemn, and he was in deep thought.

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