"Look! Nioh-sama is out!"

"Lord Niou!"

"Lord Nioh! We must defeat the traitor army and restore peace to Kyoto!"

"Be sure to triumph!"

"'Sincerity'? Why is the word 'sincerity' written on that flag? What does it mean?"

"It is said that in addition to uniforms, the Shinsengumi also has an official military flag... Could it be this big flag with the word 'Sincerity' written on it?"

"Hehehehe~ Don't you understand this? I know the meaning of this 'honesty' flag! Lord Nioh hopes that all the soldiers of the Shinsengumi will be loyal to their beliefs, implement the will of 'honesty', and live up to their expectations."

The name 'Shinsengumi'! Therefore, the word 'sincerity' is used as the symbol of the Shinsengumi!"

"Oh...it turns out it has such a deep meaning..."

"What a cool meaning!"

…

The bandit army with more than 10,000 troops is rushing towards Kyoto with great momentum... It is absolutely impossible for the soldiers and people in Kyoto not to feel worried after hearing this news.

After all... the "Ohio Heihachiro Uprising" that shocked the world was only 26 years ago.

Kyoto and Osaka are adjacent to each other. If you ride a fast horse, you can go back and forth between the two cities in one day.

At this time, the people of Kyoto can always receive the latest battle information as soon as possible.

Precisely because the distance between the two cities was extremely close, the people of Kyoto at that time were all afraid of being affected by the military disaster, so they packed up their belongings at home, or sought refuge with relatives in other places, or hid directly in the mountains.

Therefore, to this day, everyone over the age of 30, both inside and outside Kyoto, still remembers this far-reaching uprising.

The rebels led by Oshio Heihachiro and the shogunate troops who went to suppress the rebellion fought bloody and fierce battles in the streets of Osaka, and countless buildings were destroyed.

3,389 private houses alone were burned down, not counting palaces, temples, etc.

A total of 112 towns were burned, equivalent to 1/5 of the 620 towns in Osaka Sango.

No one wants to see the traitor army approaching the city, and no one wants the war to come to their doorstep.

Even if Aomori brought all the Shinsengumi officers with him, his strength would only be a little over a hundred.

Including the reinforcements from the Aizu Army, the total strength is less than 200.

With such a small force to face an army of tens of thousands... the leader of the rebel army can confidently say, "No matter how you put it, the battle strength is ten thousand versus two hundred! The advantage is mine!"

However, strangely enough, both the Shinsengumi soldiers and the people of Kyoto had great confidence in Aomori's expedition.

The Nioh will definitely be able to return with a great victory - a lot of people have this idea in mind.

This is the self-confidence that the name "Benevolent King" brings to them!

"Moo~~Moo~~"

Perhaps influenced by the warm atmosphere around him, Carrot held his fat head high and shouted happily.

This big black bull is already the royal mount of the governor of Gyeonggi Province.

In this case, it is natural to dress it up properly.

Qingdeng spent a lot of money to customize a purple blouse for Luo Bao and put it on him, making him look very powerful.

Qingden turned his head sideways and said to the young warrior behind him who was holding the "Sincerity Flag":

"Osuke-kun, you have to carry our military flag!"

The young warrior immediately responded loudly:

"Lord Nioh! Please rest assured!"

“From the moment I took over this flag, I made up my mind to ‘the people are there and the flag is there’!”

"As long as I, Masajiro Ozeki, have a breath, the 'honesty flag' will definitely flutter in the wind! It will never fall!"

Ozeki Masajiro—Aomori spent a lot of effort and repeatedly selected from various divisions of the Shinsengumi to finally find the ideal flag bearer.

Carrying the flag is no easy task.

Climb first, kill the general, capture the flag, and trap the enemy - the four major military achievements in ancient times.

The military flag is the soul of an army.

When the war started, the first person listed as the "primary attack target" by the enemy was Qingdeng himself, followed by the flag bearer responsible for carrying the military flag.

Those who carry the military flag must have enough courage.

Even if the enemy's blade is about to hit your neck, you must never throw away the military flag in your hand and run away.

In addition, you must have enough strength and your appearance should not be too ugly.

The latter is easier to understand.

The flag bearers represent the face of the army.

If you find a crooked melon and inferior jujube to carry the flag, you will make a fool of yourself.

Masajiro Oseki looks very good.

With thick eyebrows and big eyes, strong facial lines, a strong physique, and a tall stature - in Japan today, his height of 7.7 meters is considered very tall - he is a masculine man who is in line with the aesthetics of the Edo period.

Maybe it’s because of his special hair quality. Oseki Masajiro’s hair is very dark, thick, and shiny.

The hairstyle he wears is a standard Tsukiyo hairdo that looks like the incarnation of a textbook.

The bun on the top of his head is large and thick, very much like Egata's roll, and coupled with his masculine face, it looks even more majestic (mighty in the aesthetics of the Edo period).

[Note: Huifang roll: a relatively thick hand-rolled sushi]

If the fundamentalist "Tsukiyo-head lover" Chiba Jutaro saw it, he would definitely admire Oseki Masajiro's hairstyle.

Of course, the main reason why Qingdeng decided to entrust him with the task of carrying the flag was his extraordinary strength.

The length and width of the "Chengzi Flag" are 30 cm and 60 cm respectively.

As for the flagpole, Qingdeng specially selected imported solid mahogany. After it was made into a flagpole, the total height was nearly 5 meters.

Lifting such a high and heavy wooden pole high, straight, and steady, coupled with the huge flag stretching into the wind...this weight is not something that ordinary people can handle!

And Masajiro Oseki can easily control the "honest flag".

He can hold the "Cheng Zi Flag" high while walking smoothly and keeping a calm face. From the outside, he looks like a normal person, with steady breathing and firm and powerful steps... He is simply a born flag bearer!

After seeing Masajiro Ozeki easily raising the flag of sincerity with his own eyes, Aoto immediately decided: It’s up to you to carry the flag for the Shinsengumi!

Facts have proved that Qingdeng did not choose the wrong person.

Today, as soon as the "Chengzi Flag" was unveiled, it became the focus of the audience.

The reason why such an effect can be achieved must be attributed to Oseki Masajiro, who is responsible for carrying the flag and raising the flag high and stable.

"call……"

Qingdeng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled the translucent turbid mist.

After a while, he slowly opened his eyes... and looked up -

In the front and rear are the subordinates wearing light green feathers; on the left and right are the people who came to see him off.

"Nioh-sama" shouted one after another, surrounding him tightly.

To be honest...it was only at this moment that Qingdeng had the real feeling that "he was leading the troops to go on an expedition."

Somehow, he suddenly felt unspeakable pride welling up in his heart.

Suddenly, he unconsciously recalled Xin Qiji's famous saying:

——Think of those days, when we were strong and powerful, we could swallow thousands of miles like a tiger!

"Moo~~"

As if sensing his master's thoughts, Carrot turned his head and said "moo".

When Qingdeng saw this, he couldn't help but smile and joked secretly in his heart:

——It's a pity that I don't have a gold sword now, only a purple sword at my waist. The mount I ride on is not an iron horse, but an iron ox. I only have a hundred soldiers under my command, and I don't have the courage to swallow thousands of miles like a tiger.

.

Thinking of this, he paused.

Then, an elusive emotion emerged in his cheeks.

——If one day, the size of the troops I command is more than a hundred times that of today, then... what will it be like?

…

…

From Kyoto to Nara, it is a large stretch of smooth road with no obstructing mountains or hills, so you can travel quickly.

After leaving Kyoto, the Shinsengumi marched quickly and arrived in Nara in only one day.

Nara is to Japan what Luoyang is to China. It was both the former national capital and an important cultural capital.
To be continued...